consecrated by the Archbishop but he on whom the King by his Congé D'eslire or other his Letters had conferred that Dignity And whereas many complained that now all commerce with Rome was forbidden all means were taken away of mitigating the rigour of the Ecclesiastical Laws of Dispensation Papal authority is granted to the Archbishop of Canterbury the King reserving to himself the power of dispensing in causes of greater moment And that all Appeals formerly wont to be made from the Archbishop to the Pope should now be from the Archbishop to the King who by Delegates should determine all such Suits and Controversies Furthermore the King's Marriage with the Lady Catharine is again pronounced incestuous the Succession to the Crown established on the King's Issue begotten on Queen Ann. And all above the age of sixteen years throughout the Kingdom are to be bound by Oath to the observance of this Law Whosoever refused to take this Oath should suffer loss of all their goods and perpetual imprisonment Throughout all the Realm there were found but two who durst refractorily oppose this Law viz. Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas More the late Lord Chancellor men who were indeed very learned but most obstinate sticklers in the behalf of the Church of Rome who being not to be drawn by any perswasions to be conformable to the Law were committed to prison from whence after a years durance they were not freed but by the loss of their lives But the King fearing that it might be thought That he took these courses rather out of a contempt of Religion than in regard of the tyranny of the Court of Rome to free himself from all suspition either of favouring Luther or any authors of new Opinions began to persecute that sort of men whom the Vulgar called Hereticks and condemned to the cruelty of that merciless Element Fire not only certain Dutch Anabaptists but many Professors of the Truth and amongst others that learned and godly young man John Frith who with one Hewet and others on the two and twentieth of July constantly endured the torments of their martyrdom The five and twentieth of September died Clement the Seventh Pope in whose place succeeded Alexander Farnese by the name of Paulus the Third who to begin his time with some memorable Act having called a Consistory pronounced Henry to be fallen from the Title and Dignity of a King and to be deposed reiterating withal the thunder of Excommunication with which bugbear his predecessor Clement had sought to affright him But this peradventure happened in the ensuing year after the death of Fisher and More A Parliament is again called in November wherein according to the Decree of the late Synod the King was declared Supreme Head of the Church of England and the punishment of all crimes which formerly pertained to the Ecclesiastical Courts is made proper to him So the Kingdom is vindicated from the usurpation of the Pope who before shared in it and the King now first began to reign entirely Also all Annats or First-fruits formerly paid to the Pope are granted to the King And Wales the seat of the remainder of the true antient Britans hitherto differing from us compounded of Normans and Saxons as well in the form of their Government as in Language is by the authority of this Parliament to the great good of both but especially that Nation united and incorporated to England Edward the First was the first who subdued this Countrey yet could he not prevail over their minds whom the desire of recovering their lost liberty animated to many Rebellions By reason whereof and our suspitions being for two hundred years oppressed either with the miseries of Servitude or War they never tasted the sweet fruits of a true and solid Peace But Henry the Seventh by blood in regard of his Father and birth a Welchman coming to the Crown as if they had recovered their liberty whereto they so long aspired they obeyed him as their lawful Prince So the English being freed of their former jealousies permitted them to partake of their Priviledges since common to both Nations the good whereof equally redounded to both I could wish the like Union with Scotland That as we all live in one Island professing one Faith and speaking for the most part one Language under the government of one and the same Prince so we may become one Nation all equally acknowledging our selves Britans and so recover our true Countrey Britain lost as it were so many hundreds of years by our divisions of it into England Scotland and Wales ANNO DOM. 1535. REG. 27. THe Coronation of the new Queen and other passages of entertainment had exhausted the Treasury The Pope and the Emperour were both enemies to Henry watchfully attending all opportunities to do him mischief Neither in regard that so many sided with the Pope were all things safe at home The King was therefore forced to a course seemingly rash and full of dangerous consequences but very necessary for the time He resolves to demolish all the Monasteries throughout England He is content the Nobility should share with him in the spoil so enriching and strengthening himself by their necessary revolt from the Popish faction To this end they that were thought more especially in maintaining the Pope's authority to withstand the King's proceedings were condemned of high Treason and they that refused to acknowledge the King under Christ Supreme Head of the Church of England are hanged For this cause on the third of May were executed John Houghton Prior of the Charterhouse in London Augustine Webster Prior of Bevaley and Thomas Lawrence Prior of Exham and with them Richard Reignalds a Monk and Doctor of Divinity and John Hales Vicar of Thistlehurst On the eighteenth of June Exmew Middlemore and Nudigate all Charterhouse-Monks suffered for the same cause And four days after John Fisher Bishop of Rochester a man much reverenced by the People for his holy life and great learning was publickly beheaded and his Head set over London Bridge Our Histories hardly afford a president of the execution of such a man But the Pope was the occasion of his death who to ease the burthen of his now a years imprisonment by the addition of a new Title had on the one and twentieth of May created him Cardinal The news whereof hastened him to a Scaffold The sixth of July Sir Thomas More for the same stiffness in opinion with Bishop Fisher suffered the like death This was that More so famous for his Eutopia and many other Works both in English and Latin As for his conversation the most censorious fault him in nothing but his too too jesting I will not say scoffing wit to which he gave more liberty than did beseem the gravity of his person not tempering himself in the midst of his calamity no not at the very instant of death After his condemnation he denied to give
Clifford and him he had said That if he were sure that that young man were King Edward's Son he would never bear Arms against him This Case seems somewhat an hard Case both in respect of the Conditional and in respect of the other words But for the Conditional it seems the Judges of that time who were Learned men and the three chief of them of the Privy Council thought it was a dangerous thing to admit Ifs and And 's to qualifie words of Treason whereby every man might express his malice and blanch his danger And it was like to the Case in the following times of Elizabeth-Barton the holy Maid of Kent who had said That if King Henry the Eighth did not take Catherine his Wife again he should be deprived of his Crown and dye the death of a Dog And infinite Cases may be put of like nature Which it seemeth the grave Judges taking into Consideration would not admit of Treasons upon Condition And as for the Positive words That he would not bear Arms against King Edward's Son though the words seem calm yet it was a plain and direct Over-ruling of the King's Title either by Line of Lancaster or by Act of Parliament Which no doubt pierced the King more than if Stanley had charged his Lance upon him in the field For if Stanley would hold that opinion that a Son of King Edward had still the better right he being so principal a person of Authority and favour about the King it was to teach all England to say as much And therefore as those times were that speech touched the quick But some Writers do put this out of doubt for they say that Stanley did expresly promise to ayd Perkin and sent him some help of Treasure Now for the Motive of his falling off from the King It is true that at Bosworth-Field the King was be-set and in a manner inclosed round about by the Troops of King Richard and in manifest danger of his life when this Stanley was sent by his Brother with three thousand men to his Rescue which he performed so that King Richard was slain upon the Place So as the condition of Mortal men is not capable of a greater benefit than the King received by the hands of Stanley being like the benefit of Christ at once to Saye and Crown For which service the King gave him great gifts made him his Counsellor and Chamberlain and some what contrary to his nature had winked at the great Spoils of Bosworth-Field which came almost wholly to this man's hands to his infinite enriching Yet nevertheless blown up with the conceit of his Merit he did not think he had received good Measure from the King at least not Pressing-down and Running-over as he expected And his ambition was so exorbitant and unbounded as he became Sultor to the King for the Earldom of Chester Which ever being a kind of Appennage to the Principality of Wales 〈◊〉 and using to go to the King's Son his Suit did not only end in a Denial but in a Distaste The King perceiving thereby that his Desires were intemperate and his Cogitations vast and irregular and that his former Benefits were but cheap and lightly regarded by him Wherefore the King began not to brook him well And as a little Leaven of new Distaste doth commonly sowre the whole Lump of former Merits the King's Wit began now to suggest unto his Passion that Stanley at Bosworth-Field though he came time enough to save his life yet he stayed long enough to endanger it But yet having no matter against him he continued him in his Places until this his Fall After him was made Lord Chamberlain Giles Lord Dawbeny a man of great sufficiency and valour the more because he was gentle and moderate There was a common Opinion That Sir Robert Clifford who now was become the State-Informer was from the beginning an Emissary and Spy of the King 's and that he fled over into Flanders with his consent and privity But this is not probable both because he never recovered that degree of Grace which he had with the King before his going over and chiefly for that the Discovery which he had made touching the Lord Chamberlain which was his great Service grew not from any thing he learn'd abroad for that he knew it well before he went These Executions and especially that of the Lord Chamberlain's which was the chief strength of the Party and by means of Sir Robert Clifford who was the most inward man of Trust amongst them did extremely quail the Design of Perkin and his complices as well through Discouragement as Distrust So that they were now like Sand without Lime ill bound together especially as many as were English who were at a gaze looking strange one upon another not knowing who was faithful to their Side but thinking that the King what with his Baits and what with his Nets would draw them all unto him that were any thing worth And indeed it came to pass that divers came away by the Thred sometimes one and sometimes another Barley that was Joynt-Commissioner with Clifford did hold out one of the longest till Perkin was far worn yet made his Peace at the length But the Fall of this Great man being in so high Authority and Favour as was thought with the King and the manner of Carriage of the Business as if there had been secret Inquisition upon him for a great time before and the Cause for which he suffered which was little more than for saying in effect That the Title of York was better than the Title of Lancaster which was the Case almost of every man at the least in Opinion was matter of great Terrour amongst all the King's Servants and Subjects Insomuch as no man almost thought himself secure and men durst scarce commune or talk one with another but there was a general Diffidence every where Which nevertheless made the King rather more Absolute than more Safe For Bleeding Inwards and shut Vapours strangle soonest and oppress most Hereupon presently came forth Swarms and Volies of Libels which are the Gusts of Liberty of Speech restrained and the Females of Sedition containing bitter Invectives and Slanders against the King and some of the Council For the contriving and dispersing whereof after great Diligence of Inquiry five mean persons were caught and executed Mean while the King did not neglect Ireland being the Soil where the Musbromes and Upstart-Weeds that spring up in a Night did chiefly prosper He sent therefore from hence for the better setling of his affairs there Commissioners of both Robes The Prior of Lanthony to be his Chancellour in that Kingdom and Sir Edward Poynings with a Power of Men and a Marshal Commission together with a Civil Power of his Lieutenant with a Clause That the Earl of Kildare then Deputy should obey him But the Wild-Irish who were the principal Offendors fled into the Woods and Bogs after their manner and those
Lady Mary his Sister who afterward was married to the King of France thought it first good to honour him with the Duchy of Suffolk which this year at the feast of Candlemas was performed But how he was frustrated of his hopes and afterward beyond all hope enjoyed her shall be declared hereafter Somerset the natural Son of Henry of the House of Lancaster the last Duke of Somerset took his surname of his Father's Honour whereas he should have been called Beaufort or rather Plantagenet according to the ancient name of our English Kings He being Cousin-german to Henry the Seventh whose Mother was Margaret Sister to the Duke of Somerset and famous for his many Virtues of which that King was a quick and exact Judge and was by him made Lord High Chamberlain of England But having behaved himself very valiantly in this last Expedition against the French wherein Guicciardin untruly reporteth him to have been slain Henry the Eighth added this new Title which his Posterity still enjoyes to his ancient Honours He was great Grandfather by his Son Henry and Nephew William to Edward the now Earl who being one of His Majesties most Honorable Privy Council and Lord Privy Seal doth by his virtues much more ennoble his so noble Ancestors The French King hearing of the overthrow of the Scots perceiving himself deprived of such a Friend and Confederate seeing his Kingdom on fire about his ears and none to rely upon but himself determined if so he might fairly and with credit to renew his League with us Pope Julius the Second the Incendiary of Christendom was lately dead and the French King himself was now a Widower He therefore intends to try whether by marrying the Lady Mary the King's Sister he might secure himself from War on our side and by so near alliance gain the assured Friendship of so potent a Prince Leo the Tenth succeeding Julius the Second did openly side with the French against the Spaniard He therefore earnestly soliciting a reconciliation a Peace was concluded profitable to the French acceptable to us and on the ninth of October the Nuptials were with great pomp solemnized The French King was well stricken in years his Wife a tender Virgin of some sixteen or eighteen years of age but wonderful beautiful Besides the forementioned reasons the desire of Children for he had no Male Issue on his part on her part the good of the publick weal the authority of her Brother so willing and which bears chiefest sway in a Womans heart the supremacy of Honour in the title of a Queen were motives to match so uneven a Pair But many not without cause were persuaded that she had rather have made choice of Brandon for her Husband so her power had been answerable to her will than the greatest Monarch in the World neither was it long before she enjoyed her desire For the King as it often happens to elderly Men that apply themselves to young Women dyed the last of February having scarce three Months survived his Wedding The Queen might then lawfully according to the Articles of agreement return into England which she earnestly desiring the Duke of Suffolk was sent to conduct her who becoming a fresh Suitor unto her so far easily prevailed that before their departure from Paris they were there privately married The Marriage was afterward by the King's consent celebrated at Greenwich the thirteenth day of May of the ensuing year And now we must speak something of Wolsey's sudden and for these our times incredible rising who having as we have related before been invested in the Bishoprick of Tournay was within the year preferred to two other Bishopricks That venerable Bishop of Lincoln William Smith was lately deceased who beside many other Monuments of his Piety having begun in Oxford a College for Students called Brazen-nose-College was immaturely taken away before he could finish so good a work So the See being vacant it is conferred on Wolsey now high in the King's favour He was of very mean parentage a Butcher's Son and Ipswich a Town in Suffolk but of Norwich Diocess where he afterward laid the foundation of a stately College was the place of his Birth He was brought up at Oxford in Magdalen-College and afterward became Master of the Free-School thereto belonging Among other Scholars the Sons of the Marquess of Dorset were committed to his trust and for his care over them the Parsonage of Limington in Somersetshire no very mean one was bestowed on him As soon as he had set footing there he was very disgracefully entertained by Sir Amias Powlet who clapt him in the Stocks a punishment not usually inflicted upon any but Beggars and base people What the matter was that so exasperated him against Wolsey a man not of least account I know not This I know that Wolsey being afterward made Cardinal and Lord Chancellor of England so grievously punished this injury that Sir Amias Powlet was fain to dance attendance at London some years and by all manner of obsequiousness to curry favour with him There remains to this day a sufficient testimony hereof in a Building over the Gate of the Middle Temple in London built by the Knight at the time of his attendance there and decked round about very sumptuously with the Cardinal's Arms hoping thereby somewhat to allay the wrath of the incensed Prelate But these things were long after this year Wolsey whether that he could not brook this disgrace or beating a mind that lookt beyond this poor Benefice left it and became domestick Chaplain to Sir John Nafant Treasurer of Calais by whose means he was taken notice of by Fox Bishop of Winchester a man that knew rightly how to judge of good wits He finding this young man to be very sprightful of Learning sufficient and very active in dispatch of Affairs so highly commended him to King Henry the Seventh who relied much upon Fox's faith and wisdom that he thought it good forthwith to employ him in Affairs of great moment What need many words he so far pleased the King that in short time he became a great man and was first preferr'd to the Deanry of Lincoln and then made the King's Almoner But Henry the Eighth a young Prince coming to the Crown was wholly taken with his smooth tongue and pliable behaviour For when all the rest of his friends advised him to sit every day in person at the Council-Table that so by experience and daily practice he might reap Wisdom and to accustom himself to the managing of Affairs of Estate Wolsey advised him to follow his Pleasures saying That his Youth would not be able to brook their tedious Consultations every Age of man had its Seasons and Delights agreeable They did not do well that would force the King to act an Old man before his time Youth being utterly averse from wrinckled Severity It would come to pass hereafter if God were so pleased that what was now troublesom
Deputies who should in the King's behalf follow the Suit An insolent proceeding and injury without example which did concern the French and all other Princes of Christendom For in like cases hapning among Sovereign Princes especially touching the conscience so near it was the usual custom of other Popes to send Judges to the place it being reasonable that the Persons should speak personally and not by their Attorneys and very unreasonable that a Sovereign Prince leaving the rule and government of his Estates should go and plead his cause at Rome Moreover he did complain of the intolerable exactions of the Church of Rome over the Clergy and people of England whereby the yoak before too heavy was now become insupportable neither did he doubt but the same courses were taken in France Germany had begun the way of freedom to the rest of Christendom why should not other Princes follow their example To conclude he did instantly require that they two should send their Ambassadors jointly together to the Pope to summon him to appear at the next general Council there to answer his extortions and by the authority and judgement of the Council to force him to a reformation affirming that there was no Nation in Christendom which did not desire that the insolencies of the Romanists should be repressed To this the French answered that he acknowledged these things to be true but it was not in his power to yield to the King's request yet for the brotherly love which he did bear unto him and the charitable regard of his own Countrey he professed himself ready to undergo all difficulties He wanted not sufficient injuries whereof to complain considering that he having so well deserved of the Apostolick See but more especially of this Pope yet he certainly found that Clement all this notwithstanding was not well affected towards him Clement had very lately suffered his reputation to be violated in his presence and by the Bishop of Verulo had secretly endeavoured to alienate the Suisses his Allies from him France groaned under the burthen of the new and undutiful exactions of the Pope's Officers by means whereof all the treasure was carried out of the Kingdom to the prejudice of his Subjects the Clergy especially who grew poor the Churches were unrepaired and the poor neither cloathed nor fed and if he himself levied any great summ of money the Tributes are longer coming in than usually they were wont But he thought it best before they proceeded to that harsh course to use some milder means whereto there was a fair occasion offered the Pope having by the Cardinal of Grandmont made him a promise of an interview at Nice or Avignon where if he could not obtain reason of him in the behalf of both he would endeavour to prevail by force where he could not by just intreaties In the mean time he desired him to attend the issue of their parley But Francis concealed the true cause of this intended interview for fear lest our Henry not approving it should seek to disswade him from it The French was implacable towards the Emperour against whom to strengthen himself he means to win the Pope by the marriage of his younger Son Henry Duke of Orleans who after reigned with Catharine de Medices Duchess of Urbin the Pope's Niece The Pope could not at first believe this potent Prince intended him so much honour but perceiving the French to be real he most eagerly farthered it appointing time and place for the consummation of it which was after done at Marseilles by Clement himself in the presence of the French King ANNO DOM. 1533. REG. 25. THe King's love brooked no delays Wherefore on the five and twentieth of January privately and in the presence of very few he marrieth the Lady Ann Bolen Shortly after by Act of Parliament the Marriage of the King and the Lady Catharine was declared void and incestuous and a Law enacted wherein all Appeals to Rome were forbidden and that none should stile Catharine other than Princess of Wales and Widow or Dowager of Prince Arthur By virtue and authority of the same Law the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied with some other Bishops coming to Dunstable six miles from Ampthill where Catharine then resided caused her to be cited before him next under the King chief Judge in all Ecclesiastical causes within the Province of Canterbury to shew what reasons could be alledged why the Marriage not lawfully contracted between the King and her should not be disannulled and pronounced impious incestuous and consequently void To these things by one of her Servants she answered that it beseemed not the Archbishop to thrust his sickle into another's harvest this Cause did yet depend undecided before the Pope Christ's Vicar on earth whose Decree she would obey and other Judge would she acknowledge none Being called fifteen days together and not appearing she is pronounced Contumax and for her contumacy separated from the King's bed and company Whereupon the Lady Ann proclaimed Queen throughout the Kingdom on Easter-eve shewed her self publickly as Queen and was at Whitsontide crowned with as great pomp and solemnity as ever was Queen The particulars I will let pass excepting that prophetical Distich upon one of the Triumphant Arches purposely erected in London where she was to pass Regìna Anna paris Regis de sanguine Natam Et paries populis aurea secla tuis In English Ann thou a Daughter bearest to our King And to thy people golden days shalt bring Wafers also with the same impression were thrown about saith Stow. But I rather believe that this Distich was made after the Queens delivery Whensoever it were he that truly considers the felicity of the four and forty years Reign of this Queens Daughter will think this Oracle could not proceed from any but a Delphian Apollo For the Queen at the time of her Coronation was great with child whereof the seventh of September she was delivered at Greenwich which was that ever famous Queen Elizabeth who after the death of her Brother and Sister so gloriously ruled this Kingdom The Pope was certified of all these passages that his authority in England was abrogated that the late Queen Catharine was put away that Ann Bolen as Queen was taken to the King's bed that the King stiled himself Supreme Head of the Church of England that the Archbishop of Canterbury executed all those Offices which formerly the Pope only did and that not as the Pope's Legate but as Primate of England who under the King claimed chief authority in Ecclesiastical affairs throughout his whole Province Wherewith being netled he seemed to breath nothing but threats and revenge But knowing himself to have been the motive of it and doubtful of the event he was easily perswaded by the French King as yet not to proceed by Excommunication against Henry until he had made trial of some milder course Whereupon Francis by Bellay Bishop of Paris intreats Henry not to withdraw
THE HISTORY OF THE REIGNS OF HENRY the SEVENTH HENRY the EIGHTH EDWARD the SIXTH AND QUEEN MARY The First Written by the Right Honourable FRANCIS Lord VERULAM Viscount St. ALBAN The other Three by the Right Honourable AND Right Reverend Father in God FRANCIS GODWYN Lord Bishop of HEREFORD LONDON Printed by W. G. for R. Scot T. Basset J. Wright R. Chiswell and J. Edwyn M. D C. LXXVI To the most Illustrious and most Excellent PRINCE CHARLES Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall Earl of Chester c. It may Please Your Highness IN part of my acknowledgment to Your Highness I have endeavoured to do Honour to the Memory of the last King of England that was Ancestour to the King your Father and Your self and was that King to whom both Unions may in a sort refer That of the Roses being in him Consummate and that of the Kingdoms by him begun Besides his times deserve it For he was a Wise Man and an Excellent King and yet the times were rough and full of Mutations and rare Accidents And it is with Times as it is with Ways Some are more Vp-hill and Down-hill and some are more Flat and Plain and the One is better for the Liver and the Other for the Writer I have not flattered him but took him to life as well as I could sitting so far off and having no better light It is true Your Highness hath a Living Pattern Incomparable of the King Your Father But it is not amiss for You also to see one of these Ancient Pieces GOD preserve Your Highness Your Highness most humble and devoted Servant FRANCIS St. Alban AN INDEX ALPHABETICAL Directing to the most Observable Passages in the ensuing HISTORY A. AN Accident in it self trivial great in effect Pag. 108 Advice desired from the Parliament 33 35 56 Aemulation of the English to the French with the reasons of it 36 Affability of the King to the City of London 113 Affection of King Henry to the King of Spain 61 Affection of the King to his Children 136 Aid desired by the Duke of Britain 33 Aid sent to Britain 37 Aiders of Rebels punished 23 Alms-deeds of the King 131 Ambassadors to the Pope 24 into Scotland 25 Ambassadors from the French King 26 Ambassadors in danger in France 31 Ambassadors into France 54 Ambition exorbitant in Sir William Stanley 78 Answer of the Archduke to the King's Ambassadors 74 Appeach of Sir William Stanley 76 Arms of King Henry still victorious 133 Arrows of the 〈◊〉 the length of them 96 Articles between the King and the Archduke 91 Arthur Prince married to the Lady Katherine 116 Arthur Prince dies at Ludlow 117 Aton Castle in Scotland taken by the Earl of Surrey 98 Attainted persons in Parliament excepted against 8 Attaindor and corruption of Blood reacheth not to the Crown ibid. 15 Avarice of King Henry 134 Audley General of the Corhish Rebels 93 B. BAnishment of 〈◊〉 our of the Kingdom 74 Battel at Bosworth-field 1 at Stokefield 〈◊〉 at St. Albans in Britain 87 at Bannocksbourn in Scotland 〈◊〉 at Black-heath 〈◊〉 Behaviour of King Henry towards 〈◊〉 Children 117 Benevolence to the King for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benevolence who the first Author ibid Benevolence 〈◊〉 by Act of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benevolence revived by Act of 〈◊〉 ibid A Benevolence 〈◊〉 to the King 23 Birth of Henry the 〈◊〉 35 Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the King 〈◊〉 Blood not unrevenged 112 122 Britain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 37 Three causes of the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 ibid. Britain united 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Marriage 〈◊〉 Brakenbury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 murder King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Broughton Sir 〈◊〉 joyned with the Rebels 11 A Bull procured from the Pope by the King for what causes 24 Bulloign besieged by King Henry 63 C. CArdinal Morton dieth 113 Capell Sir William fined 80 131 Cap of Maintenace from the Pope 101 Ceremony of Marriage new in these parts 48 Chancery power and description of that Court 38 Clifford Sir Robert flies to Perkin 70 revolts to the King 72 Clergy priviledges abridged 39 Christendom enlarged 61 Columbus Christopher and Bartholomeus invite the King to a discovery of the West Indies 107 Confiscation aimed at by the King 76 Conference between King Henry and the King of Castile by casualty landing at Weymouth 128 Conquest the Title unpleasing to the People declined by William the Conqu 3 and by the King 5 〈◊〉 for Perkin 70 Contraction of Prince Henry and the Lady Katherine 118 Conditional speech doth not qualifie words of Treason 77 Commissioners into Ireland 79 Commissioners about Trading 91 Coronation of King Henry 7 Coronation of the Queen 24 Counsel the benefit of good 25 Counsel of what sort the French King used 32 Counsel of mean men what and how different from that of Nobles ibid. Lord Cordes envy to England 48 Cottagers but housed Beggars 44 Counterfeits Lambert proclaimed in Ireland 15 Crowned at Dublin 19 taken at Battell 22 put into the King's Kitchin ibid. made the King's Faulconer ibid. Duke of York counterfeit See Perkin Wilford another counterfeit Earl of Warwick 111 Courage of the English when 37 Court what Pleas belong to every Court 38 Court of Star-chamber confirmed ibid. Creations 6 Crown confirmed to King Henry by Parliament 7 Cursing of the King's Enemies at Paul's Cross a custom of those times 72 122 D. DAm a Town in Flanders taken by a slight 59 Lord Daubeny 96 Devices at Prince Arthur's Marriage 117 Device of the King to divert Envy 64 Decay of Trade doth punish Merchants 90 Decay of People how it comes to pass 44 Declaration by Perkin to the Scottish King 85 Desires intemperate of Sir William Stanley 78 Dighton a murderer of King Edward's two Children 71 Dilemma a pleasant one of Bishop Morton 58 Diligence of the King to heap Treasures 120 Displacing of no Counsellors nor Servants in all King Henry's Reign save of one 138 Dissimulation of the French King 29 30 49 Dissimulation of King Henry in pretending War 56 A Doubt long kept open and diversly determined according to the diversity of the times 117 Dowry of Lady Katherine how much 116 Dowry of Lady Margaret into Scotland how much 119 Drapery maintained how 45 Dudley one of the King's Herse-leeches 119 Duke of York counterfeit See Perkin E. EArl of Suffolk flies into Flanders 121 returns 129 Earl of Northumberland slain by the People in collecting the Subsidy somewhat harshly 40 Earl of Warwick executed 111 Earl of Warwick counterfeit 13 110 Earl of Surrey enters Scotland 98 Edmund a third Son born to King Henry but died 109 Edward the Fifth murdered 85 Envy towards the King unquenchable the cause of it 111 Envy of the Lord Cordes to England 48 Enterview between the King and the King of Castile 128 Emblem 94 Empson one of the King's Horse-leeches 119 Errours of the French King in his business for the Kingdom of Naples 82 Errours of King Henry occasioning his many troubles 128 〈◊〉 service 92 Espials in
the Rebels camp 21 Espousals of James King of Scotland and Lady Margaret 118 Exchanges unlawful prohibited 40 Exceter besieged by Perkin 102 the Loyalty of the Town 103 the Town rewarded with the King 's own Sword 105 Execution of Humphrey Stafford 12 John a Chamber and his fellow-Rebels at York 41 Sir James Tyrril murderer of King Edward's two Sons 71 of divers others 75 Sir William Stanley 77 Rebels 79 Perkin's company 81 Audley and Cornish Rebels 96 another counterfeit Earl of Warw. 110 Perkin Warbeck 111 the Mayor of Cork and his Son ibid. Earl of Warwick ibid. F. FAme ill affected 97 Fame entertained by divers the reasons of it 70 Fame neglected by Empson and Dudley 119 Fear not safe to the King 79 Fines 43 Without Fines Statute to sell Land 58 Flammock a Lawyer a Rebel 92 Flemings banished 75 Flight of King Henry out of Britain into France wherefore 34 Forfeitures and Confiscations furnish the King's wants 9 17 Forfeitures aimed at 45 76 Forfeitures upon Penal Laws taken by the King which was the blot of his times 80 Fortune various 16 22 Forwardness inconsiderate 96 Fox made Privy Counsellor 10 made Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal ib. his providence 98 Free-fishing of the Dutch 129 Title to France renewed by the King in Parliament 56 Frion joyns with Perkin 68 First-fruits 10 In forma Pauperis a Law enacted for it 84 G. GAbato Sebastian makes a Voyage for Discovery 107 Gordon Lady Katherine wife to Perkin 87 Granado vindicated from the Moors 60 Guard Yoomen first instituted 7 Gifts of the French King to King Henry's Counsellors and Souldiers 64 Gratitude of the Pope's Lègate to King Henry 42 H. HAllowed Sword from the Pope 101 Hatred of the People to the King with the main reason of it 12 Hearty Acclamations of the People to the King 〈◊〉 King Henry his Description 133 c. his Piety 1 60 he hath three Titles to the Kingdom 2 Hereticks provided against a rare thing in those times 115 Hern a Counsellor to Perkin 101 Hialas otherwise Elias to England how 98 Holy War 114 Hopes of gain by War 64 Hostages redeemed by the King 10 Houses of Husbandry to be maintained to prevent the decay of People 45 Histories defects in them what 46 I. IAmes the Third King of Scotland his distress and death 42 Idols vex God and King Henry 105 John Egremond Leader of the Rebels 41 Inclosures their manifest inconveniencies and how remedied 44 Ingratitude of Women punished 85 Innovation desired 12 Incense of the People what 118 Instructions of Lady Margaret to 〈◊〉 66 Intercursus Magnus 91 Intercursus Malus ibid. 129 Invectives of Maximilian against the French King 〈◊〉 Invectives against the King and Council 79 Improvidence of King Henry to prevent his troubles 12 14 Improvidence of the French 82 Jointure of Lady Katherine how much 117 Jointure of Lady Margaret in Scotland how much 119 Joseph a Rebel 92 Ireland favoureth York Title 15 Ireland receiveth Simon the Priest of Oxford with his counterfeit ibid. Irish adhere to Perkin 68 Jubile at Rome 114 Juno i. e. the Lady Margaret so called by the King's friends 65 K. KAtherine Gordon Perkin's Wife royally entertained by K. Hen. 104 Kent loyal to the King 81 94 The King the publick Steward 36 Kings their miseries 50 King of Rakehels Perkin so called by King Henry 103 The King's Skreen who 92 King of France Protector of King Henry in his trouble 133 Kingdom of France restored to its integrity 25 King of France buys his Peace of King Henry 64 King of Scots enters England 87 again 98 Knights of the Bath 95 Knights of Rhodes 〈◊〉 King Henry Protector of the Order 115 L. LAncaster Title condemned by Parliament 3 Lancaster House in possession of the Crown for three Descents together 〈◊〉 Lambert Simnel See Counterfeit 13 Laws enacted in Parliament 38 Divers Laws enacted 123 Law charitable enacted 84 A good Law enacted ibid. A Law of a strange 〈◊〉 83 A Law against carrying away of Women by violence the reasons of it 39 Law of Poynings 79 Laws Penal put in execution 80 A Legate from the Pope 42 preferred to be Bishop in England by King Henry ibid. his gratitude to King Henry ibid. Lenity of the King abused 101 Letters from the King out of France to the Mayor of London 64 A Libel 55 Libels the causes of them 79 Libels the females of Sedition ibid. Libels the Authors executed ibid. A Loan from the City to the King repaid 46 London entred by King Henry in a close Chariot wherefore 5 London in a tumult because of the Rebels 95 London purchase Confirmation of their Liberties 124 M. MAlecontents their effects 40 Margaret of Burgundy the fountain of all the mischief to K. Henry 18 she entertains the Rebels 41 69 she a Juno to the King 65 she instructs Perkin 66 Lady Margaret desired in Marriage by the Scottish King 108 Manufacture forein how to be kept out 36 123 Marriage of King Henry with Lady Elizabeth 10 of the French King with the Duchess of Britain 55 of Prince Arthur 116 Mart translated to Calice the reasons of it 74 Maintenance prohibited by Law 38 Merchants of England received at Antwerp with procession and great joy 91 A memorable Memorandum of the King 121 Military power of the Kingdom advanced how 44 Mills of Empson and Dudley what and the gains they brought in 124 Mitigations 120 Money bastard employments thereof repressed 36 Money left at the King's death how much 132 Morton made Privy Counsellor 10 made Archbishop of Canterbury ib. his Speech to the Parliament 32 Morton's Fork 58 Morton author of the Union of the two Roses 114 Moors expelled Granado 61 Murmuring 14 Murmurs of the People against the King 70 Murther and Manslaughter a Law concerning it in amendment of the common Law 39 Murther of King Edward the Fifth 85 Murther of a Commissioner for the Subsidy 93 N. NAvigation of the Kingdom how advanced 45 Neighbour over-potent dangerous 34 Bad News the effect thereof in Souldiers 63 Nobility neglected in Council the ill effects of it 32 Nobility few of them put to death in King Henry's time 134 North the King's journey thither for what reasons 11 O. OAth of Allegiance taken 9 Oath enforced upon Maximilian by his Subjects 46 Oath kept ibid. Obedience neglected what follows 42 First Occasion of a happy Union 109 Obsequies for the French King performed in England ibid. Obsequies to Tyrants what 1 An Ominous answer of the King 119 An Ominous Prognostick 129 Opinions divers what was to be done with Perkin 105 Orator from the Pope met at London-Bridge by the Mayor 101 Order of the Garter sent to Alphonso 64 Ostentation of Religion by the King of Spain 60 Over-merit prejudicial to Sir William Stanley 73 Outlawries how punished 120 Oxford Earl fined for breach of the Law 121 P. PAcificator King Henry between the French King and Duke of Britain 32 Pardon
proclaimed by the King 9 11 16 A Parliament called speedily 7 A Parliament called for two reasons 33 another 122 Parliaments advice desired by the King 33 35 56 Passions contrary in King Henry joy and sorrow with the reasons of both 36 Peace pretended by the French King 29 Peace to be desired but with two conditions 33 Peace concluded between England and France 64 People how brought to decay the redress of it by the King 44 Pensions given by the King of France 64 A Personation somewhat strange 65 A great Plague 12 Edward Plantagenet Son and Heir of George Duke of Clarence 4 Edward Plantagenet shewed to the People 17 Plantagenet's Race ended 195 Perkin Warbeck History of him 65 his Parentage 68 God son to K. Edward the Fourth ibid. his crafty behaviour 65 69 favoured by the French King 68 by him discarded 69 favoured by the Scottish King 85 he yieldeth and is brought to the Court 106 set in the Stocks 109 executed at Tyburn 111 A Pleasant passage of Prince Arthur 118 Policy to prevent War 26 A point of Policy to defend the Duchy of Britain against the French 29 34 Policy of State 26 Pope sows seeds of War 54 Pope Ambassador to him 24 Poynings Law in Ireland 79 Priest of Oxford Simon 13 Pretence of the French King 28 29 Prerogative how made use of 133 Price of Cloth limited 45 Prisoners Edward Plantagenet 4 Prince of Orange and Duke of Orleance 37 Maximilian by his Subjects 46 Priviledges of Clergy abridged 39 Priviledges of Sanctuary qualified in three points 24 Proclamation of Perkin what effect 90 Protection for being in the King's service limited 58 Proverb 104 Providence for the future 43 Q. QUeen Dowager 13 enclosed in the Monastery of Bermondsey 16 her variety of Fortune ibid. Queens Colledge founded in Cambridge 17 Q. Elizabeth Crowned after two years 24 Queen Elizabeth's death 119 R. REbellion of Lord Lovel and Staffords 11 Rebellion in Yorkshire 41 Rebellion how to be prevented 35 Rebellion how frequent in King Henry's time 42 Rebellion of the Cornishmen 92 Rebels but half-couraged men 96 Religion abused to serve Policy 122 Remorse of the King for oppression of his People 131 Restitution to be made by the King 's Will 132 Return of the King from France 64 Retribution of King Henry for Treasure received of his Subjects 43 Revenge divine 1 Revenge of Blood 122 Reward proposed by Perkin 111 Richard the Third a Tyrant 1 Richard slain at Bosworth-field ibid. this 〈◊〉 Burial ibid. murder of his two Nephews 2 jealous to maintain his Honour and Reputation ibid. hopes to win the People by making Laws ibid. this Virtues overswayed by his Vices 2 yet favoured in Yorkshire 40 Riches of King Henry at his death 132 Riches of Sir William Stanley 76 Richmond built upon what occasion 106 Riot and Retainers suppressed by Act of Parliament 123 Rome ever respected by King Henry 42 A Rumour false procuring much hatred to the King 12 Rumour false enquired after to be punished 23 Rumour that the Duke of York was alive first of the King 's own nourishing 37 S. SAnctuary at Colneham could not protect Traytors 12 Sanctuary-priviledges qualified by a Bull from the Pope in three points 24 Saturday observed and fancied by King Henry 5 96 Saying of the King when he heard of Rebels 41 Scottish men voyded out of England 58 Service of 〈◊〉 92 Simon the Priest 13 Skreens to the King who 92 A Sleight ingenious and taking good effect in War 〈◊〉 Sluce besieged and taken ibid. Soothsayers Prediction mistaken 〈◊〉 Speeches 32 49 53 Speech of the King to Parliament 55 Speech of Perkin 85 Speech conditional doth not qualifie 〈◊〉 of Treason 77 Speeches bitter against the King 64 Sparks of Rebellion neglected dangerous 〈◊〉 Spies from the King 72 Sprites of what kind vexed K. Henry 65 Stanley Sir William crowns King Henry in the field 〈◊〉 motives of his falling from the King 77 is appeached of Treason 70 is confined examined and consesseth 〈◊〉 is beheaded 77 Reasons which aliènated the King's affections 78 Star-Chamber Court confirmed in certain cases 38 Star-Camber Court described what Causes belong to it ibid. Statute of Non-claim 43 Steward publick the King 36 Strength of the Cornishmen 96 Spoils of Bosworth-field 78 Spoils as water spilt on the ground 97 Subsidy denied by the inhabitants of Yorkshire and Durham the reason wherefore 40 Subsidies denied by the Cornishmen 92 Subsidy Commissioner killed 93 Subsidy how much 91 Swart Martin 19 Sweating Sickness 6 the manner of the cure of it ibid. Sweating Sickness the interpretation the People made of it 23 T. ATale pleasant concerning the King 137 Terrour among the King's Servants and Subjects 67 Tyrrell Sir James a murderer of King Edward's two Sons 71 Tyrell executed 122 Thanks of the King to the Parliament 32 Thanksgiving to God for the Victory 1 23 24 61 Three Titles to the Kingdom meet in King Henry 2 Title to France stirred 54 by the King himself 55 Treasure to be kept in the Kingdom 45 Treasure raised by the King how 23 31 120 Treasure inordinately affected by the King 121 Treasure how increased 124 Treasure left at the King's death how much 132 Trade the increase thereof considered 36 Trade in decay pincheth 90 Traytors taken out of Sanctuary 12 Tower the King's lodging wherefore 75 A Triplicity dangerous 94 Triumph at the Marriage of the Lady Elizabeth to King Henry 10 Truce with Scotland 25 Tyrants the Obsequies of the People to them 1 V. VIctory wisely husbanded by the French 37 Victory at Black-heath 96 Union of England and Scotland its first original 98 Voyage of King Henry into France 63 Voyage for Discovery 107 Urswick Ambassador 65 Usury 40 W. VVAlsingham Lady vowed to by King Henry 20 Wards wronged 120 War between the French King and the Duke of Britain 30 War the fame thereof advantagious to King Henry 31 War gainful to the King 91 War pretended to get money 57 War of France ended by a Peace where at the Souldiers murmur 64 White Rose of England 69 104 Wilford counterfeit Earl of Warwick 110 A Wives affection 129 Woodvile voluntarily goes to aid the Duke of Britain 31 Woodvile slain at St. Albans in Britain 62 Wolsey employed by the King 130 Women carried away by violence a Law enacted against it the reasons 39 Womens ingratitude punished by Law 84 Y. YEomen of the Guard first instituted 7 Yeomanry how maintained 44 York House and Title favoured by the People 3 12 York Title and Line depressed by King Henry 4 10 York Title favoured in Ireland 15 Yorkshire and Durham deny to pay the Subsidy 49 THE HISTORY Of the Reign of KING HENRY The SEVENTH AFter that Richard the Third of that Name King in Fact only but Tyrant both in Title and Regiment and so commonly termed and reputed in all times since was by the Divine Revenge favouring the Design of an Exil'd man overthrown and slain at
should reign in Labour because his Reign began with a sickness of Sweat But howsoever the King thought himself now in a Haven yet such was his Wisdom as his Confidence did seldom darken his Fore-sight especially in things near hand And therefore awakened by so fresh and unexpected dangers he entred into due consideration as well how to weed out the Partakers of the former Rebellion as to kill the Seeds of the like in time to come and withal to take away all shelters and harbours for discontented Persons where they might hatch and foster Rebellions which afterwards might gather strength and motion And first he did yet again make a Progress from Lincoln to the Northern parts though it were indeed rather an Itinerary Circuit of Justice than a Progress For all along as he went with much severity and strict inquisition partly by Martial Law and partly by Commission were punished the Adherents and Ayders of the late Rebels not all by Death for the Field had drawn much blood but by Fines and Ransoms which spared Life and raised Treasure Amongst other Crimes of this nature there was diligent inquiry made of such as had raised and dispersed a bruit and rumour a little before the Field fought That the Rebels had the day and that the King's Army was overthrown and the King fled Whereby it was supposed that many Succours which otherwise would have come unto the King were cunningly put off and kept back Which Charge and Accusation though it had some ground yet it was industriously embraced and put on by divers who having been in themselves not the best affected to the King's part nor forward to come to his ayd were glad to apprehend this colour to cover their neglect and coldness under the pretence of such discouragements Which cunning nevertheless the King would not understand though he lodged it and noted it in some particulars as his manner was But for the extirpating of the roots and causes of the like Commotions in time to come the King began to find where his shooe did wring him and that it was his depressing of the House of York that did rancle and fester the Affections of his People And therefore being now too wise to disdain perils any longer and willing to give some contentment in that kind at least in Ceremony he resolved at last to proceed to the Coronation of his Queen And therefore at his coming to London where he entred in State and in a kind of Triumph and celebrated his Victory with two days of Devotion for the first day he repaired to St. Pauls and had the Hymn of Te Deum sung and the morrow after he went in Procession and heard the Sermon at the Cross the Queen was with great solemnity Crowned at Westminster the five and twentyeth of November in the third year of his Reign which was about two years after the Marriage Like an old Christning that had staid long for Godfathers Which strange and unusual distance of time made it subject to every man's note that it was an Act against his stomach and put upon him by necessity and reason of State Soon after to shew that it was now fair weather again and that the Imprisonment of Thomas Marquess Dorset was rather upon suspition of the Time than of the Man he the said Marquess was set at liberty without Examination or other circumstance At that time also the King sent an Ambassador unto Pope Innocent signifying unto him this his Marriage and that now like another Aeneas he had passed through the floods of his former Troubles and Travels and was arrived unto a safe Haven and thanking His Holiness that he had honoured the Celebration of his Marriage with the presence of his Ambassador and offering both his Person and the Forces of his Kingdom upon all occasions to do him service The Ambassador making his Oration to the Pope in the presence of the Cardinals did so magnifie the King and Queen as was enough to glut the Hearers But then he did again so extol and deifie the Pope as made all that he had said in praise of his Master and Mistress seem temperate and passable But he was very honorably entertained and extremely much made on by the Pope who knowing himself to be lazy and unprofitable to the Christian World was wonderfully glad to hear that there were such Eccho's of him sounding in remote parts He obtained also of the Pope a very just and honorable Bull qualifying the Priviledges of Sanctuary wherewith the King had been extremely galled in three Points The first that if any Sanctuary-man did by night or otherwise get out of Sanctuary privily and commit mischief and trespass and then come in again he should lose the benefit of Sanctuary for ever after The second that howsoever the Person of the Sanctuary-man was protected from his Creditors yet his Goods out of Sanctuary should not The third that if any took Sanctuary for case of Treason the King might appoint him Keepers to look to him in Sanctuary The King also for the better securing of his Estate against mutinous and male-contented Subjects whereof he saw the Realm was full who might have their refuge into Scotland which was not under Key as the Ports were For that cause rather than for any doubt of Hostility from those parts before his coming to London when he was at Newcastle had sent a solemn Ambassage unto James the Third King of Scotland to treat and conclude a Peace with him The Ambassadors were Richard Fox Bishop of Exceter and Sir Richard Edgcomb Comptroller of the King's House who were honourably received and entertained there But the King of Scotland labouring of the same disease that King Henry did though more mortal as afterwards appeared that is Discontented Subjects apt to rise and raise Tumult although in his own affection he did much desire to make a Peace with the King Yet finding his Nobles averse and not daring to displease them concluded only a Truce for seven years giving nevertheless promise in private that it should be renewed from time to time during the two Kings lives HItherto the King had been exercised in setling his Affairs at home But about this time brake forth an occasion that drew him to look abroad and to hearken to forein business Charles the Eighth the French King by the virtue and good fortune of his two immediate Predecessors Charles the Seventh his Grand-father and Lewis the Eleventh his Father received the Kingdom of France in more flourishing and spread Estate than it had been of many years before being redintegrate in those principal Members which antiently had been portions of the Crown of France and were after dissevered so as they remained only in Homage and not in Sovereignty being governed by absolute Princes of their own Anjou Normandy 〈◊〉 and Burgundy there remained only Britain to be re-united and so the Monarchy of France to be reduced to the antient Terms and Bounds King Charles was
from the one out of desire and from the other out of dissimulation about the negotiation of Peace The French King mean-while invaded Britain with great Forces and distressed the City of Nantes with a strait Siege and as one who though he had no great Judgement yet had that that he could Dissemble home the more he did urge the prosecution of the War the more he did at the same time urge the solicitation of the Peace Insomuch as during the Siege of Nantes after many Letters and particular Messages the better to maintain his dissimulation and to refresh the Treaty he sent Bernard Daubigney a person of good quality to the King earnestly to desire him to make an end of the business howsoever The King was no less ready to revive and quicken the Treaty and thereupon sent three Commissioners the Abbot of Abbington Sir Richard Tunstal and Chaplain Urswick formerly employed to do their utmost endeavours to manage the Treaty roundly and strongly About this time the Lord Woodvile Uncle to the Queen a valiant Gentleman and desirous of Honour sued to the King that he might raise some Power of Voluntaries under-hand and without licence or pasport wherein the King might any ways appear go to the ayd of the Duke of Britain The King denyed his request or at least seemed so to do and 〈◊〉 strait Commandment upon him that he should not stir for that the King thought his Honour would suffer therein during a Treaty to better a Party Nevertheless this Lord either being unruly or out of conceit that the King would not inwardly dislike that which he would not openly avow sailed secretly over into the Isle of 〈◊〉 whereof he was Governour and levied a fair Troop of four hundred men and with them passed over into Britain and joyned himself with the Duke's forces The news whereof when it came to the French Court put divers Young bloods into such a fury as the English Ambassadors were not without peril to be outraged But the French King both to preserve the Priviledge of Ambassadors and being conscious to himself that in the business of Peace he himself was the greater dissembler of the two forbad all injuries of fact or word against their Persons or Followers And presently came an Agent from the King to purge himself touching the Lord Woodvile's going over using for a principal argument to demonstrate that it was without his privity for that the Troops were so small as neither had the face of a Succour by Authority nor could much advance the Britains Affairs To which Message although the French King gave no full credit yet he made fair weather with the King and seemed satisfied Soon after the English Ambassadors returned having two of them been likewise with the Duke of Britain and found things in no other terms than they were before Upon their return they informed the King of the state of the Affairs and how far the French King was from any true meaning of Peace and therefore he was now to advise of some other course Neither was the King himself 〈◊〉 all this while with credulity meerly as was generally supposed but his Errour was not so much facility of belief as an ill-measuring of the Forces of the other Party For as was partly touched before the King had cast the business thus with himself He took it for granted in his own judgement that the War of Britain in respect of the strength of the Towns and of the Party could not speedily come to a period For he conceived that the Counsels of a War that was undertaken by the French King then Childless against an Heir-apparent of France would be very faint and slow And besides that it was not possible but that the state of France should be embroyled with some troubles and 〈◊〉 in favour of the Duke of Orleance He conceived likewise that Maximilian King of the Romans was a Prince warlike and potent who he made account would give succours to the Britains roundly So then judging it would be a work of Time he laid his Plot how he might best make use of that Time for his own affairs Wherein first he thought to make his vantage upon his Parliament knowing that they being affectionate unto the Quarrel of Britain would give Treasure largely Which Treasure as a noise of War might draw forth so a Peace succeeding might coffer up And because he knew his People were 〈◊〉 upon the business he chose rather to seem to be deceived and 〈◊〉 asleep by the French than to be backward in himself considering his Subjects were not so fully capable of the reasons of State which made him hold back Wherefore to all these purposes he saw no other expedient than to set and keep on foot a continual Treaty of Peace laying it down and taking it up again as the occurrence required Besides he had in consideration the point of Honour in bearing the blessed person of a Pacificator He thought likewise to make use of the Envy that the French King met with by occasion of this War of Britain in strengthning himself with new Alliances as namely that of Ferdinando of Spain with whom he had ever a consent even in Nature and Customs and likewise with Maximilian who was particularly interessed So that in substance he promised himself Money Honour Friends and Peace in the end But those things were too fine to be fortunate and succeed in all parts for that great affairs are commonly too rough and stubborn to be wrought upon by the finer edges or points of Wit The King was likewise deceived in his two main grounds For although he had reason to conceive that the Council of France would be wary to put the King into a War against the Heir-apparent of France yet he did not consider that Charles was not guided by any of the principal of the Blood or Nobility but by mean men who would make it their Master-piece of Credit and Favour to give venturous Counsols which no great or wise man durst or would And for Maximilian he was thought then a Greater-matter than he was his unstable and necessitous Courses being not then known After Consultation with the Ambassadors who brought him no other news than he expected before though he would not seem to know it till then he presently summoned his Parliament and in open Parliament propounded the Cause of Britain to both Houses by his Chancellor Morton Archbishop of Canterbury who spake to this effect MY Lords and Masters The King's Grace our Sovereign Lord hath commanded me to declare unto you the Causes that have moved him at this time to summon this his Parliament which I shall do in few words craving Pardon of his Grace and you all if I perform it not as I would His Grace doth first of all let you know that he retaineth in thankful memory the Love and Loyalty shewed to him by you at your last Meeting in Establishment of his Royalty freeing and discharging
of his Partakers and confiscation of his Traytors and Rebels more than which could not come from Subjects to their Sovereign in one action This he taketh so well at your hands as he hath made it a Resolution to himself to communicate with so loving and well-approved Subjects in all Affairs that are of publick nature at home or abroad Two therefore are the causes of your present Assembling the one a Forein business the other matter of Government at home The French King as no doubt ye have heard maketh at this present hot War upon the Duke of Britain His Army is now before Nantes and holdeth it straitly Besieged being the principal City if not in Creremony and Preheminence yet in Strength and Wealth of that Duchy Ye may guess at his Hopes by his attempting of the hardest part of the War first The cause of this War he knoweth best He alledgeth the entertaining and succouring of the Duke of Orleance and some other French Lords whom the King taketh for his Enemies Others divine of other Matters Both parts have by their Ambassadors divers times prayed the King's Ayds The French King Ayds or Neutrality the Britons Ayds simply for so their case requireth The King as a Christian Prince and blessed Son of the Holy Church hath offered himself as a Mediator to treat a Peace between them The French King yieldeth to Treat but will not stay the prosecution of the War The Britons that desire Peace most hearken to it least not upon considence or stiffness but upon distrust of true meaning seeing the War goes on So as the King after as much pains and care to effect a Peace as ever he took in any business not being able to remove the Prosecution on the one side nor the Distrust on the other caused by that Prosecution hath let fall the Treaty not repenting of it but despairing of it now as not likely to succeed Therefore by this Narrative you now understand the state of the Question whereupon the King prayeth your Advice which is no other but whether he shall enter into an auxiliary and defensive War for the Britons against France And the better to open your understandings in this Affair the King bath commanded me to say somewhat to you from him of the Persons that do intervene in this Business and somewhat of the Consequence thereof as it hath relation to this Kingdom and somewhat of the Example of it in general making nevertherless no Conclusion or Judgement of any Point until his Grace hath received your faithful and politique Advices First for the King our Sovereign himself who is the principal Person you are to eye in this business his Grace doth profess that he truly and constantly desireth to reign in Peace But his Grace saith he will neither buy Peace with Dishonour nor take it up at interest of Danger to ensue but shall think it a good Change if it pleased God to change the inward Troubles and Seditions wherewith he hath been hitherto exercised into an honourable Forein War And for the other two Persons in this Action the French King and the Duke of Britain his Grace doth declare unto you that they be the men unto whom he is of all other Friends and Allies most bounden the one having held over him his hand of Protection from the Tyrant the other having reacht forth unto him his hand of help for the Recovery of his Kingdom So that his affection toward them in his natural Person is upon equal terms And whereas you may have heard that his Grace was enforced to fly out of Britain into France for doubts of being betrayed his Grace would not in any sort have that reflect upon the Duke of Britain in defacement of his former benefits for that he is throughly informed that it was but the practice of some corrupt persons about him during the time of his Sickness altogether without his consent or privity But howsoever these things do interess his Grace in his particular yet he knoweth well that the higher Bond that tyeth him to procure by all means the safety and welfare of his loving Subjects doth dis-interess him of these Obligations of Gratitude otherwise than thus that if his Grace be forced to make a War he do it without Passion or Ambition For the consequence of this Action towards this Kingdom it is much as the French King's intention is For if it be no more but to range his Subjects to reason who bear themselves stout upon the strength of the Duke of Britain it is nothing to us But if it be in the French King's purpose or if it should not be in his purpose yet if it shall follow all one as if it were sought that the French King shall make a Province of Britain and joyn it to the Crown of France then it is worthy the consideration how this may import England as well in the increasement of the greatness of France by the addition of such a Countrey that stretcheth his Boughs unto our Seas as in depriving this Nation and leaving it so naked of so firm and assured Confederates as the Britons have always been For then it will come to pass that whereas not long since this Realm was mighty upon the Continent first in Territory and after in Alliance in respect of Burgundy and Britain which were Confederates indeed but dependant Confederates now the one being already cast partly into the greatness of France and partly into that of Austria the other is like wholly to be cast into the greatness of France and this Island shall remain confined in effect within the Salt-Waters and girt about with the Coast-Countries of two mighty Monarchs For the Example it resteth likewise upon the same Question upon the French King's intent For if Britain be carried and swallowed up by France as the World abroad apt to impute and construe the Actions of Princes to Ambition conceive it will then it is an Example very dangerous and universal that the lesser Neighbour-Estate should be devoured of the greater For this may be the case of Scotland towards England of Portugal towards Spain of the smaller Estates of Italy towards the greater and so of Germany or as if some of you of the Commons might not live and dwell safely besides some of these great Lords And the bringing in of this Example will be chiefly laid to the King's charge as to him that was most interessed and most able to forbid it But then on the other side there is so fair a Pretext on the French King's part and yet pretext is never wanting to power in regard the danger imminent to his own Estate is such as may make this Enterprize seem rather a work of Necessity than of Ambition as doth in reason correct the Danger of the Example For that the Example of that which is done in a man 's own defence cannot be dangerous because it is in another's power to avoid it But in all this business
the King remits himself to your grave and mature Advice whereupon he purposeth to rely This was the effect of the Lord Chancellor's Speech touching the Cause of Britain For the King had commanded him to carry it so as to affect the Parliament towards the Business but without engaging the King in any express Declaration The Chancellor went on FOR that which may concern the Government at home the King hath commanded me to say unto you That he thinketh there was never any King for the small time that he hath reigned had greater and juster cause of the two contrary Passions of Joy and Sorrow than his Grace hath Joy in respect of the rare and visible Favours of Almighty GOD in girting the Imperial Sword upon his side and assisting the same his Sword against all his Enemies and likewise in blessing him with so many good and loving Servants and Subjects which have never failed to give him faithful Counsel ready Obedience and couragious Defence Sorrow for that it both not pleased God to suffer him to sheath his Sword as he greatly desired otherwise than for Administration of Justice but that he hath been forced to draw it so oft to cut off Trayterous and disloyal Subjects whom it seems God hath left a few amongst many good as the Canaanites among the People of Israel to be thorns in their sides to tempt and try them though the end hath been always God's Name be blessed therefore that the Destruction hath faln upon their own Heads Wherefore his Grace saith That he seeth that it is not the Blood spelt in the Field that will save the Blood in the City not the Marshal's Sword that will set this Kingdom in perfect Peace But that the true way is to stop the Seeds of Sedition and Rebellion in their beginnings and for that purpose to devise confirm and quicken good and wholsom Laws against Riots and unlawful Assemblies of People and all Combinations and Confederacies of them by Liveries Tokens and other Badges of Factious dependance that the Peace of the Land may by these Ordinances as by Bars of Iron be soundly bound in and strengthned and all Force both in Court Countrey and private Houses be supprest The care hereof which so much concern eth your selves and which the nature of the Times doth instantly calls for his Grace commends to your Wisdoms And because it is the King's desire that this Peace wherein he hopeth to govern and maintain you do not bear only'unto you Leaves for you to sit under the shade of them in Safety but also should bear you fruit of Riches Wealth and Plenty Therefore his Grace prays you to take into consideration matter of Trade as also the Manufactures of the Kingdom and to repress the bastard and barren Employment of Moneys to Usury and unlawful Exchanges that they may be as their natural use is turned upon Commerce and lawful and Royal Trading And likewise that Our People be set on work in Arts and Handy-crafts that the Realm may subsist more of it self that Idleness be avoided and the draining out of our Treasure for Foreign Manufactures stopped But you are not to rest here only but to provide further that whatsoever Merchandize shall be brought in from beyond the Seas may be employed upon the Commodities of this Land whereby the Kingdoms stock of Treasure may be sure to be kept from being diminished by any over-trading of the Foreiner And lastly because the King is well assured that you would not have him poor that wishes you rich he doubteth not but that you will have care as well to maintain his Revenues of Customs and all other Natures as also to supply him with your loving Ayds if the case shall so require The rather for that you know the King is a good Husband and but a Steward in effect for the Publick and that what comes from you is but as Moisture drawn from the Earth which gathers into a Cloud and falls back upon the Earth again And you know well how the Kingdoms about you grow more and more in Greatness and the Times are stirring and therefore not fit to find the King with an empty Purse More I have not to say to you and wish that what hath been said had been better exprest But that your Wisdoms and good Affections will supply GOD bless your Doings IT was no hard matter to dispose and affect the Parliament in this Business as well in respect of the Emulation between the Nations and the Envy at the late growth of the French Monarchy as in regard of the Danger to suffer the French to make their approaches upon England by obtaining so goodly a Maritim Province full of Sea-Towns and Havens that might do mischief to the English either by Invasion or by interruption of Traffick The Parliament was also moved with the point of Oppression for although the French seemed to speak Reason yet Arguments are ever with multitudes too weak for Suspitions Wherefore they did advise the King roundly to embrace the Britons Quarrel and to send them speedy Ayds and with much alacrity and forwardness granted to the King a great rate of Subsidy in contemplation of these Ayds But the King both to keep a decency towards the French King to whom he 〈◊〉 himself to be obliged and indeed desirous rather to shew War than to make it sent new solemn Ambassadors to intimate unto him the Decree of his Estates and to iterate his motion that the French would desist from Hostilitiy or if War must follow to desire him to take it in good part if at the motion of his People who were sensible of the cause of the Britons as the ancient Friends and Confederates he did send them Succours with protestation nevertheless that to save all Treaties and Laws of Friendship he had limited his Force to proceed in ayd of the Britons but in no wise to war upon the French otherwise than as they maintained the possession of Britain But before this formal Ambassage arrived the Party of the Duke had received a great blow and grew to manifest declination For near the Town of Saint Alban in Britain a Battel had been given where the Britons were overthrown and the Duke of Orleance and the Prince of Orange taken Prisoners there being slain on the Britons part six thousand men and amongst them the Lord Woodvile and almost all his Souldiers valiantly fighting And of the French part one thousand two hundred with their Leader James Galeot a great Commander When the news of this Battel came over into England it was time for the King who now had no subterfuge to continue further Treaty and saw before his Eyes that Britain went so speedily for lost contrary to his hopes knowing also that with his People and Foreiners both he sustained no small Envy and disreputation for his former delays to dispatch with all possible speed his Succour into Britain which he did under the Conduct of Robert Lord Brook
to the number of eight thousand choise men and well armed who having a fair wind in few hours landed in Britain and joyned themselves forthwith to those Briton Forces that remained after the Defeat and marched straight on to find the Enemy and encamped fast by them The French wisely husbanding the possession of a Victory and well acquainted with the Courage of the English especially when they are fresh kept themselves within their Trenches being strongly lodged and resolved not to give Battel But mean-while to harrass and weary the English they did upon all advantages set upon them with their Light-horse wherein nevertheless they received commonly loss especially by means of the English Archers But upon these Atchievements Francis Duke of Britain deceased an accident that the King might easily have foreseen and ought to have reckoned upon and provided for but that the Point of Reputation when news first came of the Battel lost that somewhat must be done did over-bear the Reason of War After the Duke's decease the principal persons of Britain partly bought partly through faction put all things into confusion so as the English not finding Head or Body with whom to joyn their Forces and being in jealousie of Friends as well as in danger of Enemies and the Winter begun returned home five Months after their landing So the Battel of Saint Alban the death of the Duke and the retire of the English Succours were after some time the causes of the loss of that Duchy which action some accounted as a blemish of the King's Judgement but most but as the misfortune of his times But howsoever the temporary Fruit of the Parliament in their Ayd and Advice given for Britain took not nor prospered not yet the lasting Fruit of Parliament which is good and wholesom Laws did prosper and doth yet continue to this day For according to the Lord Chancellor's admonition there were that Parliament divers excellent Laws ordained concerning the Points which the King recommended First the Authority of the Star-Chamber which before subsisted by the ancient Common-Laws of the Realm was confirmed in certain Cases by Act of Parliament This Court is one of the sagest and noblest Institutions of this Kingdom For in the distribution of Courts of Ordinary Justice besides the High Court of Parliament in which distribution the King's-Bench holdeth the Pleas of the Crown the Common-Place Pleas-Civil the Exchequer-Pleas concerning the King's Revenue and the Chancery the Pretorian power for mitigating the rigour of Law in case of extremity by the conscience of a good man there was nevertheless always reserved a high and preheminent power to the King's Council in Causes that might in example or consequence concern the state of the Common-wealth which if they were Criminal the Council used to sit in the Chamber called the Star-Chamber if Civil in the White-Chamber or White-Hall And as the Chancery had the Pretorian power for Equity so the Star-Chamber had the Censorian power for Offences under the degree of Capital This Court of Star-Chamber is compounded of good Elements for it consisteth of four kinds of Persons Counsellors Peers Prelates and chief Judges It discerneth also principally of four kinds of Causes Forces Frauds Crimes various of Stellionate and the Inchoations or middle acts towards Crimes capital or heinous not actually committed or perpetrated But that which was principally aimed at by this act was Force and the two chief Supports of Force Combination of Multitudes and Maintenance or Headship of Great persons From the general peace of the Countrey the King's care went on to the peace of the King's House and the security of his great Officers and Counsellors But this Law was somewhat of a strange composition and temper That if any of the King's Servants under the degree of a Lord do conspire the death of any of the King's Council or Lord of the Realm it is made Capital This Law was thought to be procured by the Lord Chancellor who being a stern and haughty man and finding he had some mortal Enemies in Court provided for his own safety drowning the envy of it in a general Law by communicating the priviledge with all other Counsellors and Peers and yet not daring to extend it further than to the King's Servants in Check-roll lest it should have been too harsh to the Gentlemen and other Commons of the Kingdom who might have thought their ancient Liberty and the clemency of the Laws of England invaded If the will in any case of Felony should be made the deed And yet the reason which the Act yieldeth that is to say That he that conspireth the death of Counsellors may be thought indirectly and by a mean 〈◊〉 conspire the death of the King himself is indifferent to all Subjects as well as to Servants in Court But it seemeth this sufficed to serve the Lord Chancellor's turn at this time But yet he lived to need a General Law for that he grew afterwards as odious to the Countrey as he was then to the Court. From the peace of the King's House the King's care extended to the peace of Private Houses and Families For there was an excellent Moral Law molded thus The taking and carrying away of Women forcibly and against their will except Female-Wards and Bond-Women was made Capital The Parliament wisely and justly conceiving that the obtaining of Women by force into Possession howsoever afterwards Assent might follow by Allurements was but a Rape drawn forth in length because the first Force drew on all the rest There was made also another Law for Peace in general and repressing of Murthers and Man-slaughters and was in amendment of the Common Laws of the Realm being this That whereas by the Common Law the King's Suit in case of Homicide did expect the Year and the Day allowed to the Parties Suit by way of Appeal and that it was found by experience that the Party was many times compounded with and many times wearied with the Suit so that in the end such Suit was let fall and by that time the matter was in a manner forgotten and thereby Prosecution at the King's Suit by Indictment which is ever best Flagrante crimine neglected it was Ordained That the Suit by Indictment might be taken as well at any time within the Year and the Day as after not prejudicing nevertheless the Parties Suit The King began also then as well in Wisdom as in Justice to pare a little the Priviledge of Clergy ordaining That Clerks convict should be burned in the hand both because they might taste of some corporal Punishment and that they might carry a Brand of Infamy But for this good Acts sake the King himself was after branded by Perkin's Proclamation for an execrable breaker of the Rites of Holy Church Another Law was made for the better Peace of the Countrey by which Law the King's Officers and Farmors were to forfeit their Places and Holds in case of unlawful Retainer or partaking in Routs and
unlawful Assemblies These were the Laws that were made for repressing of Force which those times did chiefly require and were so prudently framed as they are found fit for all succeeding times and so continue to this day There were also made good and politick Laws that Parliament against Usury which is the Bastard-use of Money And against unlawful Chievances and Exchanges which is Bastard-Usury And also for the Security of the King's Customs And for the Employment of the Procedures of Forein Commodities brought in by Merchant-strangers upon the Native-Commodities of the Realm together with some other Laws of less importance But howsoever the Laws made in that Parliament did bear good and wholesom Fruit yet the Subsidy granted at the same time bare a Fruit that proved harsh and bitter All was inned at last into the King's Barn but it was after a Storm For when the Commissioners entred into the Taxation of the Subsidy in Yorkshire and the Bishoprick of Duresm the People upon a sudden grew into great mutiny and said openly that they had endured of late years a thousand miseries and neither could nor would pay the Subsidy This no doubt proceeded not simply of any present necessity but much by reason of the old humour of those Countries where the memory of King Richard was so strong that it lyes like Lees in the bottom of mens hearts and if the Vessel was but stirred it would come up And no doubt it was partly also by the instigation of some factious Malecontents that bare principal stroke amongst them Hereupon the Commissioners being somewhat astonished deferred the matter unto the Earl of Northumberland who was the principal man of Authority in those Parts The Earl forthwith wrote unto the Court signifying to the King plainly enough in what flame he found the people of those Countries and praying the King's direction The King wrote back peremptorily That he would not have one penny abated of that which had been granted to him by Parliament both because it might encourage other Countries to pray the like Release or Mitigation and chiefly because he would never endure that the base Multitude should frustrate the Authority of the Parliament wherein their Votes and Consents were concluded Upon this dispatch from Court the Earl assembled the principal Justices and Free-holders of the Countrey and speaking to them in that imperious Language wherein the King had written to him which needed not save that an harsh business was unfortunately fallen into the hands of a harsh man did not only irritate the People but make them conceive by the stoutness and haughtiness of delivery of the King's Errand that himself was the Author or principal Perswader of that Counsel Whereupon the meaner sort routed together and suddenly assailing the Earl in his house slew him and divers of his servants And rested not there but creating for their Leader Sir John Egremond a factious person and one that had of a long time born an ill Talent towards the King and being animated also by a base Fellow called John A Chamber a very Boutefeu who bare much sway amongst the vulgar and popular entred into open Rebellion and gave out in flat terms that they would go against King Henry and fight with him for the maintenance of their Liberties When the King was advertised of this new Insurrection being almost a Fever that took him every year after his manner little troubled therewith he sent Thomas Earl of Surrey whom he had a little before not only released out of the Tower and pardoned but also received to special favour with a competent Power against the Rebels who fought with the principal Band of them and defeated them and took alive John A Chamber their firebrand As for Sir John Egremond he fled into Flanders to the Lady Margaret of Burgundy whose Palace was the Sanctuary and Receptacle of all Traytors against the King John A Chamber was Executed at York in great state for he was hanged upon a Gibbet raised a Stage higher in the midst of a square Gallows as a Traytor paramount and a number of his men that were his chief Complices were hanged upon the lower Story round about him and the rest were generally pardoned Neither did the King himself omit his custom to be first or second in all his Warlike Exploits making good his Word which was usual with him when he heard of Rebels that He desired but to see them For immediately after he had sent down the Earl of Surrey he marched towards them himself in person And although in his journey he heard news of the Victory yet he went on as far as York to pacifie and settle those Countries And that done returned to London leaving the Earl of Surrey for his Lieutenant in the Northern parts and Sir Richard Tunstal for his principal Commissioner to levy the Subsidy whereof he did not remit a Denier About the same time that the King lost so good a Servant as the Earl of Northumberland he lost likewise a faithful Friend and Allie of James the Third King of Scotland by a miserable disaster For this unfortunate Prince after a long smother of discontent and hatred of many of his Nobility and People breaking forth at times into seditions and alterations of Court was at last distressed by them having taken Arms and surprised the person of Prince James his Son partly by force partly by threats that they would otherwise deliver up the Kingdom to the King of England to shadow their Rebellion and to be the titular and painted Head of those Arms. Whereupon the King finding himself too weak sought unto King Henry as also unto the Pope and the King of France to compose those troubles between him and his Subjects The King accordingly interposed their Mediation in a round and Princely manner Not only by way of request and perswasion but also by way of protestation of menace declaring that they thought it to be the common Cause of all Kings If Subjects should be suffered to give Laws unto their Sovereign and that they would accordingly resent it and revenge it But the Rebels that had shaken off the greater Yoak of Obedience had likewise cast away the lesser Tye of Respect And Fury prevailing above Fear made answer That there was no talking of Peace except the King would resign his Crown Whereupon Treaty of Accord taking no place it came to a Battel at Bannocks-bourn by Strivelin In which Battel the King transported with wrath and just indignation inconsiderately fighting and precipitating the charge before his whole numbers came up to him was notwithstanding the contrary express and straight commandment of the Prince his Son slain in the Pursuit being fled to a Mill situate in the field where the Battel was fought As for the Pope's Embassy which was sent by Adrian de Castello an Italian Legate and perhaps as those times were might have prevailed more it came too late for the Embassy but not for the Ambassador
but contrariwise professing and giving out strongly that he meant to proceed with that Match And that for the Duchess of Britain he desired only to preserve his right of Seigniory and to give her in Marriage to some such Allie as might depend upon him When the three Commissioners came to the Court of England they delivered their Ambassage unto the King who remitted them to his Council where some days after they had Audience and made their Proposition by the Prior of the Trinity who though he were third in place yet was held the best Speaker of them to this effect MY Lords the King our Master the greatest and mightiest King that reigned in France since Charles the Great whose Name he beareth hath nevertheless thought it no disparagement to his Greatness at this time to propound a Peace yea and to pray a Peace with the King of England For which purpose he hath sent us his Commissioners instructed and enabled with full and ample power to treat and conclude giving us further in charge to open in some other business the secrets of his own intentions These be indeed the pretious Love-tokens between great Kings to communicate one with another the true state of their Affairs and to pass by nice Points of Honour which ought not to give Law unto Affection This I do assure your Lordships It is not possible for you to imagine the true and cordial Love that the King our Master beareth to your Sovereign except you were near him as we are He useth his Name with so great respect he remembreth their first acquaintance at Paris with so great contentment nay he never speaks of him but that presently he falls into discourse of the miseries of great Kings in that they cannot converse with their Equals but with Servants This affection to your King's Person and Virtues GOD hath put into the Heart of our Master no doubt for the good of Christendom and for purposes yet unknown to us all For other Root it cannot have since it was the same to the earl of Richmond that it is now to the King of England This is therefore the first motive that makes our King to desire Peace and League with your Sovereign Good affection and somewhat that he finds in his own Heart This affection is also armed with reason of Estate For our King doth in all candour and frankness of dealing open himself unto you that having an honourable yea and a Holy purpose to make a Voyage and War in remote parts he considereth that it will be of no small effect in point of Reputation to his Enterprize if it be known abroad that he ulin in good peace with all his Neighbour Princes and specially with the King of England whom for good causes he esteemeth most But now my Lords give me leave to use a few words to remove all scruples and miss-understandings between your Sovereign and ours concerning some late Actions which if they be not cleared may perhaps hinder this Peace To the end that for matters past neither King may conceive unkindness of other nor think the other conceiveth unkindness of him The late Actions are two that of Britain and that of Flanders In both which it is true that the Subjects swords of both Kings have encountred and stricken and the ways and inclinations also of the two Kings in respect of their Confederates and Allies have severed For that of Britain The King your Sovereign knoweth best what hath passed It was a War of necessity on our Masters part And though the Motives of it were sharp and piquant as could be yet did be make that War rather with an Olive-branch than a Laurel-branch in his hand more desiring Peace than Victory Besides from time to time he sent as it were Blank-papers to your King to write the conditions of Peace For though both his Honour and Safety went upon it yet he thought neither of them too precious to put into the King of England's hands Neither doth our King on the other side make any unfriendly interpretation of your King 's sending of Succours to the Duke of Britain for the King knoweth well that many things must be done of Kings for satisfaction of their People and it is not hard to discern what is a King 's own But this matter of Britain is now by the Act of GOD ended and passed and as the King hopesh like the way of a Ship in the Sea without leaving any impression in either of the Kings minds as he is sure for his part it hath not done in his For the Action of Flanders As the former of Britain was a War of Necessity so this was a War of Justice which with a good King is of equal necessity with danger of Estate for else he should leave to be a King The Subjects of Burgundy are Subjects in Chief to the Crown of France and their Duke the Homager and Vassal of France They had wont to be good Subjects howsoever Maximilian hath of late distempered them They fled to the King for Justice and deliverance from Oppression Justice he could not deny Purchase he did not seek This was good for Maximilian if he could have seen it in people mutined to arrest Fury and prevent Despair My Lords it may be this I have said is needless save that the King our Master is tender in any thing that may but glance upon the Friendship of England The amity between the two Kings no doubt stands entire and inviolate And that their Subjects swords have clashed it is nothing unto the publick Peace of the Crowns it being a thing very usual in Auxiliary Forces of the best and straitest Confederates to meet and draw blood in the Field Nay many times there be Ayds of the same Nation on both sides and yet it is not for all that A Kingdom divided in it self It resteth my Lords that I impart unto you a matter that I know your Lordships all will much rejoyce to hear as that which importeth the Christian Common-weal more than any Action that hath hapned of long time The King our Master hath a purpose and determination to make War upon the Kingdom of Naples being now in the possession of a Bastardship of Arragon but appertaining unto his Majesty by clear and undoubted right which if he should not by just Arms seek to recover he could neither acquit his Honour nor answer it to his People But his Noble and Christian thoughts rest not here For his Resolution and Hope is to make the Re-conquest of Naples but as a Bridge to transport his Forces into Grecia and not to spare Blood or Treasure if it were to the impawning of his Crown and dis-peopling of France till either he hath overthrown the Empire of the Ottomans or taken it in his way to Paradise The King knoweth well that this is a design that could not arise in the mind of any King that did not stedfastly look up unto GOD whose quarrel this
is and from whom cometh both the will and the Deed. But yet it is agreeable to the Person that he beareth though unworthy of the Thrice-Christian King and the Eldest Son of the Church Whereunto he is also invited by the Example in more ancient time of King Henry the Fourth of England the First Renowned King of the House of Lancaster Ancestor though not Progenitor to your King who had a purpose towards the end of his time as you know better to make an Expedition into the Holy Land and by the Example also present before his eyes of that Honourable and Religious War which the King of Spain now maketh and hath almost brought to perfection for the Recovery of the Realm of Granada from the Moors And although this Enterprize may seem vast and unmeasured for the King to attempt that by his own Forces wherein heretofore a Conjunction of most of the Christian Princes hath found work enough yet his Majesty wisely considereth that sometimes smaller Forces being united under one Command are more effectual in Proof though not so promising in Opinion and Fame than much greater Forces variously propounded by Associations and Leagues which commonly in a short time after their beginnings turn to Dissociations and Divisions But my Lords that which is as a Voice from Heaven that called the King to this Enterprize is a Rent at this time in the House of the Ottomans I do not say but there hath been Brother against Brother in that House before but never any that had refuge to the Arms of the Christians as now hath Gemes Brother unto Bajazeth that reigneth the far braver man of the two the other being between a Monk and a Philosopher and better read in the Alcoran and Averroes than able to weild the Scepter of so warlike an Empire This therefore is the King our Master 's memorable and heroical Resolution for an Holy War And because he carrieth in this the person of a Christian Soldier as well as of a great Temporal Monarch he beginneth with Humility and is content for this cause to beg Peace at the hands of other Christian Kings There remaineth only rather a Civil Request than any essential part of our Negotiation which the King maketh to the King your Sovereign The King as the World knoweth is Lord in chief of the Duchy of Britain The Marriage of the Heir belongeth to him as Guardian This is a private Patrimonial Right and no business of Estate yet nevertheless to run a fair course with your King whom he desires to make another Himself and to be one and the same thing with him his Request is That with the King's Favour and Consent he may dispose of her Marriage as he thinketh good and make void the intruded and pretended Marriage of Maximilian according to Justice This my Lords is all that I have to say desiring your pardon for my weakness in the delivery THus did the French Ambassadors with great shew of their King's affection and many sugred words seek to adulce all matters between the two Kings having two things for their ends The one to keep the King quiet till the Marriage of Britain was past and this was but a Summers-fruit which they thought was almost ripe and would be soon gathered The other was more lasting and that was to put him into such a temper as he might be no disturbance or impediment to the Voyage for Italy The Lords of the Council were silent and said only That they knew the Ambassadors would look for no answer till they had reported to the King and so they rose from Council The King could not well tell what to think of the Marriage of Britain He saw plainly the ambition of the French King was to impatronize himself of the Duchy but he wondred he would bring into his House a litigious Marriage especially considering who was his Successor But weighing one thing with another he gave Britain for lost but resolved to make his profit of this business of Britain as a quarrel for War and that of Naples as a Wrench and mean for Peace being well advertised how strongly the King was bent upon that Action Having therefore conferred divers times with his Council and keeping himself somewhat close he gave a direction to the Chancellor for a formal Answer to the Ambassadors and that he did in the presence of his Council And after calling the Chancellor to him apart bade him speak in such language as was fit for a Treaty that was to end in a Breach and gave him also a special Caveat that he should not use any words to discourage the Voyage of Italy Soon after the Ambassadors were sent for to the Council and the Lord Chancellor spake to them in this sort MY Lords Ambassadors I shall make answer by the King's Commandment unto the eloquent Declaration of you my Lord Prior in a brief and plain manner The King forgetteth not his former love and acquaintance with the King your Master But of this there needeth no repetition For if it be between them as it was it is well if there be any alteration it is not words that will make it up For the Business of Britain the King findeth it a little strange that the French King maketh mention of it as matter of well-deserving at his hand For that Deserving was no more but to make him his Instrument to surprize one of his best Confederates And for the Marriage the King would not meddle in it if your Master would marry by the Book and not by the Sword For that of Flanders if the Subjects of Burgundy had appealed to your King as their Chief Lord at first by way of Supplication it might have had a shew of Justice But it was a new form of Process for Subjects to imprison their Prince first and to slay his Officers and then to be Complainants The King saith That sure he is when the French King and himself sent to the Subjects of Scotland that had taken Arms against their King they both spake in another Stile and did in Princely manner signifie their detestation of Popular Attentates upon the Person or Authority of Princes But my Lords Ambassadors the King leaveth these two actions thus That on the one side he hath not received any manner of satisfaction from you concerning them and on the other that he doth not apprehend them so deeply as in respect of them to refuse to treat of Peace if other things may go hand in hand As for the War of Naples and the Design against the Turk the King hath commanded me expresly to say That he doth wish with all his heart to his good Brother the French King that his Fortunes may succeed according to his hopes and honourable intentions And whensoever he shall hear that he is prepared for Grecia as your Master is pleased now to say that he beggeth a Peace of the King so the King will then beg of him a part in that War
The Male-contents of his own Kingdom have not been Base Popular nor Titulary Impostors but of an higher nature The King of Spain doubt ye not will 〈◊〉 with us not knowing where the French King's Ambition will stay Our Holy Father the Pope likes no Tramontanes in Italy But howsoever it be this matter of Confederates is rather to be thought on than reckoned on For God forbid but England should be able to get Reason of France without a Second At the Battels of Cressy Poictiers Agent-Court we were of Our selves France hath much People and few Soldiers They have no stable Bands of Foot some good Horse they have but these are Forces which are least fit for a Defensive War where the Actions are in the Assailant's choice It was our Discords only that lost France and by the Power of GOD it is the good Peace which we now enjoy that will recover it GOD hath hitherto blessed my Sword I have in this time that I have Reigned weeded out my bad Subjects and tryed my good My People and I know one another which breeds Confidence And if there should be any bad Blood left in the Kingdom an Honourable Forein War will vent it or purifie it In this great Business let me have your Advice and Ayd If any of you were to make his Son Knight you might have ayd of your Tenants by Law This concerns the Knighthood and Spurs of the Kingdom whereof I am Father and bound not only to seek to maintain it but to advance it But for matter of Treasure let it not be taken from the Poorest sort but from those to whom the Benefit of the War may redound France is no Wilderness and I that profess good husbandry hope to make the War after the Beginnings to pay it self Go together in GOD's Name and lose no time for I have called this Parliament wholly for this Cause THus spake the King But for all this though he shewed great forwardness for a War not only to his Parliament and Court but to his Privy Council likewise except the two Bishops and a few more yet nevertheless in his secret intentions he had no purpose to go through with any War upon France But the truth was that he did but traffick with that War to make his Return in money He knew well that France was now entire and at unity with it self and never so mighty many years before He saw by the tast that he had of his Forces sent into Britain that the French knew well enough how to make War with the English by not putting things to the hazard of a Battel but wearing them by long Sieges of Towns and strong fortified Encampings James the Third of Scotland his true Friend and Confederate gone and James the Fourth that had succeeded wholly at the devotion of France and ill affected towards him As for the Conjunctions of Ferdinando of Spain and Maximilian he could make no foundation upon them for the one had Power and not Will and the other had Will and not Power Besides that Ferdinando had but newly taken breath from the War with the Moors and merchanded at this time with France for the restoring of the Counties of Russignon and Perpignian oppignorated to the French Neither was he out of fear of the Discontents and ill blood within the Realm which having used always to repress and appease in person he was loth they should find him at a distance beyond Sea and engaged in War Finding therefore the Inconveniences and Difficulties in the prosecution of a War he cast with himself how to compass two things The one how by the declaration and inchoation of a War to make his Profit the other how to come off from the War with saving of his Honour For Profit it was to be made two ways upon his Subjects for the War and upon his Enemies for the Peace like a good Merchant that maketh his gain both upon the Commodities Exported and Imported back again For the point of Honour wherein he might suffer for giving over the War he considered well that as he could not trust upon the ayds of Ferdinando and Maximilian for supports of War so the impuissance of the one and the double proceeding of the other lay fair for him for occasions to accept of Peace These things he did wisely fore-see and did as artificially conduct whereby all things fell into his lap as he desired For as for the Parliament it presently took fire being affectionate of old to the War of France and desirous afresh to repair the dishonour they thought the King sustained by the loss of Britain Therefore they advised the King with great alacrity to undertake the War of France And although the Parliament consisted of the first and second Nobility together with principal Citizens and Townsmen yet worthily and justly respecting more the People whose Deputies they were than their own private Persons and finding by the Lord Chancellor's Speech the King's inclination that way they consented that Commissioners should go forth for the gathering and levying of a Benevolence from the more able sort This Tax called Benevolence was devised by Edward the Fourth for which he sustained much Envy It was abolished by Richard the Third by Act of Parliament to ingratiate himself with the people and it was now revived by the King but with consent of Parliament for so it was not in the time of King Edward the Fourth But by this way he raised exceeding great summs Insomuch as the City of London in those days contributed nine thousand pounds and better and that chiefly levied upon the wealthier sort There is a Tradition of a Dilemma that Bishop Morton the Chancellor used to raise up the Benevolence to higher Rates and some called it his Fork and some his Crotch. For he had couched an Article in the Instructions to the Commissioners who were to levy the Benevolence That if they met with any that were sparing they should tell them That they must needs have because they laid up and if they were spenders they must needs have because it was seen in their port and manner of living So neither kind came amiss This Parliament was meerly a Parliament of War for it was in substance but a Declaration of War against France and Scotland with some Statutes conducing thereunto As the severe punishing of Mortpayes and keeping back of Soldiers Wages in Captains The like severity for the departure of Soldiers without licence Strengthning of the Common Law in favour of Protections for those that were in the King's service And the setting the gate open and wide for men to Sell or Mortgage their Lands without Fines for Alienation to furnish themselves with Money for the War And lastly the avoiding of all Scottish-men out of England There was also a Statute for the dispersing of the Standard of the Exchequer throughout England thereby to size Weights and Measures and two or three more of less importance After the Parliament
honour not to suffer a Pretender to the Crown of England to affront him so near at hand and he to keep terms of Friendship with the Countrey where did set up But he had also a further reach for that he knew well that the Subjects of Flanders drew so great commodity from the Trade of England as by this Embargo they would soon wax weary of Perkin and that the Tumults of Flanders had been so late and fresh as it was no time for the Prince to displease the People Nevertheless for forms sake by way of requital the Archduke did likewise banish the English out of Flanders which in effect was done to his hand The King being well advertised that Perkin did more trust upon Friends and Partakers within the Realm than upon forein Arms thought it behoved him to apply the Remedy where the Disease lay and to proceed with severity against some of the principal Conspirators here within the Realm Thereby to purge the ill humours in England and to cool the hopes in Flanders Wherefore he caused to be apprehended almost at an instant John Ratcliff Lord Fitz-water Sir Simon Mountford Sir Thomas Thwaites William Daubigney Robert Ratcliff Thomas Chressenor and Thomas Astwood All these were arraigned convicted and condemned for High-Treason in adhering and promising ayd to Perkin Of these the Lord Fitz-water was conveyed to Calice and there kept in hold and in hope of life until soon after either impatient or betrayed he dealt with his Keeper to have escaped and thereupon was beheaded But Sir Simon Mountford Robert Ratcliff and William Daubigney were beheaded immediately after their Condemnation The rest were pardoned together with many others Clerks and Laicks amongst which were two Dominican Friers and William Worseley Dean of St. Pauls which latter sort passed Examination but came not to publick Tryal The Lord Chamberlain at that time was not touched whether it were that the King would not stir too many humours at once but after the manner of good Physicians purge the Head last or that Clifford from whom most of these Discoveries came reserved that Piece for his own coming over signifying only to the King in the mean time that he doubted there were some greater ones in the business whereof he would give the King further account when he came to his presence Upon All-hallows-day-even being now the tenth year of the King's Reign the King 's second Son Henry was created Duke of York and as well the Duke as divers others Noblemen Knights-Batchelors and Gentlemen of quality were made Knights of the Bath according to the Ceremony Upon the morrow after Twelfth-day the King removed from Westminster where he had kept his Christmas to the Tower of London This he did as soon as he had advertisement that Sir Robert Clifford in whose Bosom or Budget most of Perkin's secrets were laid up was come into England And the place of the Tower was chosen to that end that if Clifford should accuse any of the Great-ones they might without suspition or noise or sending abroad of Warrants be presently attached the Court and Prison being within the cincture of one Wall After a day or two the King drew unto him a selected Council and admitted Clifford to his presence who first fell down at his feet and in all humble manner craved the King's Pardon which the King then granted though he were indeed secretly assured of his life before Then commanded to tell his knowledge he did amongst many others of himself not interrogated appeach Sir William Stanley the Lord Chamberlain of the King's Houshold The King seemed to be much amazed at the naming of this Lord as if he had heard the news of some strange and fearful Prodigy To hear a man that had done him service of so high a nature as to save his Life and set the Crown upon his head a man that enjoyed by his favour and advancement so great a fortune both in Honour and Riches a man that was tyed unto him in so near a band of Alliance his Brother having married the King's Mother and lastly a man to whom he had committed the trust of his Person in making him his Chamberlain That this Man no ways disgraced no ways discontent no ways put in fear should be false unto him Clifford was required to say over again and again the Particulars of his Accusation being warned that in a matter so unlikely and that concerned so great a Servant of the King 's he should not in any wise go too far But the King finding that he did sadly and constantly without hesitation or varying and with those civil Protestations that were fit stand to that that he had said offering to justifie it upon his soul and life he caused him to be removed And after he had not a little bemoaned himself unto his Council there present gave order that Sir William Stanley should be restrained in his own Chamber where he lay before in the Square Tower And the next day he was examined by the Lords Upon his Examination he denyed little of that wherewith he was charged nor endeavoured much to excuse or extenuate his fault So that not very wisely thinking to make his Offence less by Confession he made it enough for Condemnation It was conceived that he trusted much to his former Merits and the interest that his Brother had in the King But those helps were over-weighed by divers things that made against him and were predominant in the King's nature and mind First an Over-merit for convenient Merit unto which reward may easily reach doth best with Kings Next the sense of his Power for the King thought that he that could set him up was the more dangerous to pull him down Thirdly the glimmering of a Confiscation for he was the richest Subject for value in the Kingdom there being found in his Castle of Holt forty thousand Marks in ready Money and Plate besides Jewels Houshold-stuff Stocks upon his grounds and other Personal Estate exceeding great And for his Revenue in Land and Fee it was three thousand Pounds a year of old-Rent a great matter in those times Lastly the Nature of the Time for if the King had been out of fear of his own Estate it was not unlike he would have spared his life But the Cloud of so great a Rebellion hanging over his head made him work sure Wherefore after some six Weeks distance of time which the King did honorably interpose both to give space to his Brother's Intercession and to shew to the world that he had a conflict with himself what he should do he was arraigned of High-Treason and condemned and presently after beheaded Yet it is to this day left but in dark memory both what the Case of this Noble Person was for which he suffered and what likewise was the ground and cause of his defection and the alienation of his heart from the King His Case was said to be this That in discourse between Sir Robert
handling of that service and gave them all thanks and in private promised Reward to some particulars Upon the sixteenth of November this being the Eleventh year of the King was holden the Serjeants-Feast at Ely-Place there being nine Serjeants of that Call The King to honour the Feast was present with his Queen at the Dinner being a Prince that was ever ready to grace and countenance the Professors of the Law having a little of that That as he governed his Subjects by his Laws so he governed his Laws by his Lawyers This year also the King entred into League with the Italian Potentates for the defence of Italy against France For King Charles had conquered the Realm of Naples and lost it again in a kind of Felicity of a Dream He passed the whole length of Italy without resistance so that it was true which Pope Alexander was wont to say That the French-men came into Italy with 〈◊〉 in their hands to mark up their lodgings rather than with Swords to fight He likewise entred and won in effect the whole Kingdom of Naples it self without striking stroke But presently thereupon he did commit and multiply so many Errours as was too great a task for the best fortune to overcome He gave no contentment to the Barons of Naples of the Faction of the Angeovines but scattered his rewards according to the mercenary appetites of some about him He put all Italy upon their Guard by the seizing and holding of Ostia and the protecting of the Liberty of Pisa which made all men suspect that his purposes looked further than his Title of Naples He fell too soon at difference with Ludovico Sfortia who was the man that carried the Keys which brought him in and shut him out He neglected to extinguish some reliques of the War And lastly in regard of his easie passage through Italy without resistance he entred into an over-much despising of the Arms of the Italians whereby he left the Realm of Naples at his departure so much the less provided So that not long after his return the whole Kingdom revolted to Ferdinando the younger and the French were quite driven out Nevertheless Charles did make both great threats and great preparations to re-enter Italy once again Wherefore at the instance of divers of the States of Italy and especially of Pope Alexander there was a League concluded between the said Pope Maximilian King of Romans Henry King of England Ferdinando and Isabella King and Queen of Spain for so they are constantly placed in the Original Treaty throughout Augustissimo Barbadico Duke of Venice and Ludovico Sfortia Duke of Millan for the common defence of their Estates Wherein though Ferdinando of Naples was not named as principal yet no doubt the Kingdom of Naples was tacitly included as a Fee of the Church There dyed also this year Cecile Duchess of York Mother to King Edward the Fourth at her Castle of Barkbamstead being of extreme years and who had lived to see three Princes of her body crowned and four murthered She was buried at Foderingham by her Husband This year also the King called his Parliament where many Laws were made of a more private and vulgar nature than ought to detain the Reader of an History And it may be justly suspected by the proceedings following that as the King did excell in good Common-wealth Laws so nevertheless he had in secret a design to make use of them as well for collecting of Treasure as for correcting of Manners and so meaning thereby to harrow his People did accumulate them the rather The principal Law that was made this Parliament was a Law of a strange nature rather just than legal and more magnanimous than provident This Law did ordain That no person that did assist in Arms or otherwise the King for the time being should after be impeached therefore or attainted either by the course of the Law or by Act of Parliament But if any such Act of Attainder did happen to be made it should be void and of none effect For that it was agreeable to reason of Estate that the Subject should not enquire of the justness of the King's Title or Quarrel and it was agreeable to good Conscience that whatsoever the fortune of the War were the Subject should not suffer for his Obedience The spirit of this Law was wonderful Pious and Noble being like in matter of War unto the spirit of David in matter of Plague who said If I have sinned strike me but what have these sheep done Neither wanted this Law parts of prudent and deep fore-sight For it did the better take away occasion for the People to busie themselves to pry into the King's Title for that howsoever it fell their safety was already provided for Besides it could not but greatly draw unto him the love and hearts of the People because he seemed more careful for them than for himself But yet nevertheless it did take off from his Party that great Tye and Spur of necessity to fight and go Victors out of the field considering their lives and fortunes were put in safety and protected whether they stood to it or ran away But the force and obligation of this Law was in it self Illusory as to the latter part of it by a precedent Act of Parliament to bind or frustrate a future For a supreme and absolute Power cannot conclude it self neither can that which is in nature revocable be made fixed no more than if a man should appoint or declare by his Will that if he made any Latter Will it should be void And for the Case of the Act of Parliament there is a notable President of it in King Henry the Eighth's time Who doubting he might dye in the minority of his Son procured an Act to pass That no Statute made during the minority of the King should bind him or his Successors except it were confirmed by the King under his great Seal at his full age But the first Act that passed in King Edward the Sixth his time was an Act of Repeal of that former Act at which time nevertheless the King was Minor But things that do not bind may satisfie for the time There was also made a shoaring or under-propping Act for the Benevolence to make the summs which any person had agreed to pay and nevertheless were not brought in to be leviable by course of Law Which Act did not only bring in the Arears but did indeed countenance the whole business and was pretended to be made at the desire of those that had been forward to pay This Parliament also was made that good Law which gave the Attaint upon a false Verdict between Party and Party which before was a kind of Evangile irremediable It extends not to causes Capital as well because they are for the most part at the King's Suit as because in them if they be followed in Course of Indictment there passeth a double Jury the Indictors and the Tryers and so
my self to expect the Tyrant's death and then to put my self into my Sisters hands who was next Heir to the Crown But in this season it happened one Henry Tidder Son to Edmond Tidder Earl of Richmond to come from France and enter into the Realm and by subtil and foul means to obtain the Crown of the same which to me rightfully appertained So that it was but a change from Tyrant to Tyrant This Henry my extreme and mortal Enemy so soon as he had knowledge of my being alive imagined and wrought all the subtil ways and means he could to procure my final Destruction For my mortal Enemy hath not only falsly surmised me to be a feigned Person giving me Nick-names so abusing the World but also to deferr and put me from entry into England hath offered large summs of Money to corrupt the Princes and their Ministers with whom I have been retained and made importune Labours to certain Servants about my Person to murther or Poyson me and others to forsake and leave my righteous Quarrel and to depart from my Service as Sir Robert Clifford and others So that every man of Reason may well perceive that Henry calling himself King of England needed not to have bestowed such great summs of Treasure nor so to have busied himself with importune and incessant Labour and Industry to compass my Death and Ruine if I had been such a feigned Person But the truth of my Cause being so manifest moved the most Christian King Charles and the Lady Duchess Dowager of Burgundy my most dear Aunt not only to acknowledge the truth thereof but lovingly to assist me But it seemeth that God above for the good of this whole Island and the knitting of these two Kingdoms of England and Scotland in a strait Concord and Amity by so great an Obligation had reserved the placing of me in the Imperial Throne of England for the Arms and Succours of your Grace Neither is it the first time that a King of Scotland hath supported them that were bereft and spoiled of the Kingdom of England as of late in fresh memory it was done in the Person of Henry the Sixth Wherefore for that your Grace hath given clear signs that you are in no Noble quality inferiour to your Royal Ancestors I so distressed a Prince was hereby moved to come and put my self into your Royal Hands desiring your Assistance to recover my Kingdom of England promising faithfully to bear my self towards your Grace no otherwise than if I were your own Natural Brother and will upon the Recovery of mine Inheritance gratefully do you all the Pleasure that is in my utmost Power AFter Perkin had told his Tale King James answered bravely and wisely That whatsoever he were he should not repent him of putting himself into his hand And from that time forth though there wanted not some about him that would have perswaded him that all was but an Illusion yet notwithstanding either taken by Perkin's amiable and alluring behaviour or inclining to the recommendation of the great Princes abroad or willing to take an occasion of a War against King Henry he entertained him in all things as became the person of Richard Duke of York embraced his Quarrel and the more to put it out of doubt that he took him to be a great Prince and not a Representation only he gave consent that this Duke should take to Wife the Lady Catherine Gordon Daughter to Earl Huntley being a near Kinswoman to the King himself and a young Virgin of excellent beauty and virtue Not long after the King of Scots in person with Perkin in his company entred with a great Army though it consisted chiefly of Borderers being raised somewhat suddenly into Northumberland And Perkin for a Perfume before him as he went caused to be published a Proclamation of this tenour following in the name of Richard Duke of York true Inheritor of the Crown of England IT hath pleased God who putteth down the Mighty from their Seat and exalteth the Humble and suffereth not the hopes of the Just to perish in the end to give Us means at the length to shew Our Selves armed unto Our Lieges and People of England But far be it from Us to intend their hurt and damage or to make War upon them otherwise than to deliver Our Self and them from Tyranny and Oppression For Our mortal Enemy Henry Tidder a false 〈◊〉 of the Crown of England which tolls by Natural and Lineal Right appertaineth knowing in his own Heart Our undoubted Right We being the very Richard Duke of York younger Son and now surviving Heir-male of the Noble and Victorious Edward the Fourth late King of England hath not only deprived Us of Our Kingdom but likewise by all foul and wicked means sought to betray Us and bereave Us of Our Life Yet if his Tyranny only extended it self to Our Person although Our Royal Blood teacheth Us to be sensible of Injuries it should be less to Our Grief But this Tidder who boasteth himself to have overthrown a Tyrant hath ever since his first entrance into his Usurped Reign put little in practice but Tyranny and the feats thereof For King Richard Our unnatural Uncle although desire of Rule did blind him yet in his other actions like a true Plantagenet was Noble and loved the Honour of the Realm and the Contentment and Comfort of his Nobles and People But this Our Mortal Enemy agreeable to the meanness of his Birth hath trod under foot the Honour of this Nation selling Our hest Confederates for Money and making Merchandize of the Blood Estates and Fortunes of Our Peers and Subjects by feigned wars and dishonourable Peace only to enrich his Coffers Nor unlike hath been his hateful Mis-government and evil Deportments at home First he hath to fortifie his false Quarrel caused divers Nobles of this Our Realm whom he held Suspect and stood in dread of to be cruelly murthred as Our Cousin Sir William Stanley Lord Chamberlain Sir Simon Mountfort Sir Robert Ratcliff William Dawbeney Humphrey Stafford and many others besides such as have dearly bought their Lives with intolerable Ransoms Some of which Nobles are now in the Sanctuary Also he hath long kept and yet keepeth in Prison Our right entirely beloved Cousin Edward Son and Heir to Our Uncle Duke of Clarence and others with-bolding from them their rightful Inheritance to the intent they should never be of might and power to aid and assist Us at Our need after the duty of their Liegeances He also married by compulsion certain of Our Sisters and also the Sister of Our said Cousin the Earl of Warwick and divers other Ladies of the Royal Blood unto certain of his Kinsmen and Friends of simple and low Degree and putting apart all well-disposed Nobles he hath none in favour and trust about his Person but Bishop Fox Smith Bray Lovel Oliver King David Owen Risley Turbervile Tiler Cholmley Empson James Hobart John Cut Garth
Henry Wyat and such other Cattiffs and Villains of Birth which by subtil Inventions and Pilling of the People have been the principal Finders Occasioners and Counsellors of the Mis-rule and Mischief now reigning in England We remembring these Premisses with the great and execrable Offences daily committed and done by Our foresaid great Enemy and his Adherents in breaking the Liberties and Franchises of Our Mother the Holy Church upon pretences of Wicked and Heathenish Policy to the high displeasure of Almighty God besides the manifold Treasons abominable Murthers Man-slaughters Robberies Extortions the daily Pilling of the People by Disms Taxes Tallages Benevolences and other unlawful Impositions and grievous Exactions with many other heinous Effects to the likely destruction and desolation of the whole Realm shall by God's grace and the help and assistante of the great Lords of Our Blood with the counsel of other sad Persons see that the Commodities of Our Realm be employed to the most advantage of the same the intercourse of Merchandise betwixt Realm and Realm to be ministred and handled as shall more be to the Common-weal and prosperity of Our Subjects and all such Disms Taxes Tallages Benevolences unlawful Impositions and grievous Exactions as be above rehearsed to be fore-done and laid apart and never from henceforth to be called upon but in such cases as Our Noble Progenitors Kings of England have of old time been accustomed to have the ayd succour and help of their Subjects and true Liege-men And further We do out of Our Grace and Clemency hereby as well publish and promise to all our Subjects Remission and free Pardon of all By-past Offences whatsoever against Our Person or Estate in adhering to Our said Enemy by whom We know well they have been mis-led if they shall within time convenient submit themselves unto Us. And for such as shall come with the foremost to assist Our Righteous Quarrel We shall make them so far partakers of Our Princely Favour and Bounty as shall be highly for the Comfort of them and theirs both during their life and after their death As also We shall by all means which God shall put into Our hands demean Our selves to give Royal contentment to all Degrees and Estates of Our People maintaining the Liberties of Holy Church in their Entire preserving the Honours Priviledges and Prebeminences of Our Nobles from contempt or disparagement according to the dignity of their Blood We shall also unyoak Our People from all heavy Burthens and Endurances and confirm Our Cities Boroughs and Towns in their Charters and Freedoms with enlargement where it shall be deserved and in all points give Our Subjects cause to think that the blessed and debonair Government of Our Noble Father King Edward in his last times is in Us revived And for as much as the putting to death or taking alive of Our said Mortal Enemy may be a mean to stay much effusion of Blood which otherwise may ensue if by Compulsion or fair Promises he shall draw after him any number of Our Subjects to resist Us whith We desire to avoid though We be certainly informed that Our said Enemy is purposed and prepared to flie the Land having already made over great masses of the Treasure of Our Crown the better to support him in Forein Parts We do hereby declare That whosoever shall take or distress Our said Enemy though the Party be of never so mean a Condition he shall be by Us rewarded with a Thousand Pound in Money forthwith to be laid down to him and an Hundred Marks by the year of Inheritance besides that he may otherwise merit both toward God and all good People for the destruction of such a Tyrant Lastly We do all men to wit and herein We take also God to witness That whereas God hath moved the Heart of Our dearest Cousin the King of Scotland to aid Us in Person in this Our righteous Quarrel it is altogether without any Pact or Promise or so much as demand of any thing that may prejudice Our Crown or Subjects But contrariwise with promise on Our said Cousin's part that whensoever he shall find Us in sufficient strength to get the upper hand of Our Enemy which we hope will be very suddenly he will forthwith peaceably return into his own Kingdom contenting himself only with the glory of so Honourable an Enterprize and Our true and faithful Love and Amity Which We shall ever by the Grace of Almighty God so order as shall be to the great comfort of both Kingdoms BUT Perkin's Proclamation did little edifie with the people of England neither was he the better welcom for the company he came in Wherefore the King of Scotland seeing none came in to Perkin nor none stirred any where in his favour turned his Enterprize into a Rode and wasted and destroyed the Countrey of Northumberland with fire and sword But hearing that there were Forces coming against him and not willing that they should find his men heavy and laden with booty he returned into Scotland with great Spoils deferring further prosecution till another time It is said that Perkin acting the part of a Prince handsomly when he saw the Scottish fell to waste the Countrey came to the the King in a passionate manner making great lamentation and desired That that might not be the manner of making the War for that no Crown was so dear to his mind as that he desired to purchase it with the blood and ruine of his Countrey Whereunto the King answered half in sport that he doubted much he was careful for that that was none of his and that he should be too good a Steward for his Enemy to save the Countrey to his use By this time being the Eleventh year of the King the Interruption of Trade between the English and the Plemmish began to pinch the Merchants of both Nations very sore Which moved them by all means they could devise to affect and dispose their Savereigns respectively to open the Intercourse again Wherein time favoured them For the Arch-Duke and his Council began to see that Perkin would prove but a Runnagate and Citizen of the World and that it was the part of Children to fall out about Babies And the King on his part after the Attempts upon Kent and Northumberland began to have the business of Perkin in less estimation so as he did not put it to accompt in any Consultation of State But that that moved him most was that being a King that loved Wealth and Treasure he could not endure to have Trade sick nor any Obstruction to continue in the Gate-vein which disperseth that blood And yet he kept State so far as first to be sought unto Wherein the Merchant-Adventurers likewise being a strong Company at that time and well under-set with rich men and good order did hold out bravely taking off the Commodities of the Kingdom though they lay dead upon their hands for want of Vent At the last Commissioners met
but unquiet and popular and aspiring to Ruine came-in to them and was by them with great gladness and cries of Joy accepted as their General they being now proud that they were led by a Noble-man The Lord Audley led them on from Wells to Salisbury and from Salisbury to Winchester Thence the foolish people who in effect led their Leaders had a mind to be led into Kent fancying that the people there would joyn with them contrary to all reason or judgment considering the Kentish-men had shewed great Loyalty and Affection to the King so lately before But the rude People had heard Flammock say that Kent was never Conquered and that they were the freest People of England And upon these vain Noises they looked for great matters at their hands in a cause which they conceited to be for the liberty of the Subject But when they were come into Kent the Countrey was so well setled both by the King 's late kind usage towards them and by the credit and power of the Earl of Kent the Lord Abergaveny and the Lord Cobham as neither Gentleman nor Yeoman came-in to their aid which did much damp and dismay many of the simpler sort Insomuch as divers of them did secretly flie from the Army and went home But the sturdier sort and those that were most engaged stood by it and rather waxed Proud than failed in Hopes and Courage For as it did somewhat appall them that the people came not in to them so it did no less encourage them that the King's Forces had not set upon them having marched from the West unto the East of England Wherefore they kept on their way and encamped upon Black-heath between Greenwich and Eltham threatning either to bid Battel to the King for now the Seas went higher than to Morton and Bray or to take London within his view imagining with themselves there to find no less Fear than Wealth But to return to the King When first he heard of this Commotion of the Cornish-men occasioned by the Subsidie he was much troubled therewith Not for it self but in regard of the Concurrence of other Dangers that did hang over him at that time For he doubted lest a War from Scotland a Rebellion from Cornwal and the Practices and Conspiracies of Perkin and his Partakers would come upon him at once Knowing well that it was a dangerous Triplicity to a Monarchy to have the Arms of a Foreiner the Discontents of Subjects and the Title of a Pretender to meet Nevertheless the Occasion took him in some part well provided For as soon as the Parliament had broken up the King had presently raised a puissant Army to war upon Scotland And King James of Scotland likewise on his part had made great preparations either for defence or for new assailing of England But as for the King's Forces they were not only in preparation but in readiness presently to set forth under the Conduct of Dawbeney the Lord Chamberlain But as soon as the King understood of the Rebellion of Cornwal he stayed those Forces retaining them for his own service and safety But therewithal he dispatched the Earl of Surrey into the North for the defence and strength of those parts in case the Scots should stir But for the course he held towards the Rebels it was utterly differing from his former custom and practice which was ever full of forwardness and celerity to make head against them or to set upon them as soon as ever they were in Action This he was wont to do But now besides that he was attempered by Years and less in love with Dangers by the continued Fruition of a Crown it was a time when the various appearance to his Thoughts of Perils of several Natures and from divers Parts did make him judge it his best and surest way to keep his Strength together in the Seat and Centre of his Kingdom According to the ancient Indian Emblem in such a swelling Season To hold the hand upon the middle of the Bladder that no side might rise Besides there was no necessity put upon him to alter this Counsel For neither did the Rebels spoil the Countrey in which case it had been dishonour to abandon his People Neither on the other side did their Forces gather or increase which might hasten him to precipitate and assail them before they grew too strong And lastly both Reason of Estate and War seemed to agree with this course For that Insurrections of base People are commonly more furious in their Beginnings And by this means also he had them the more at Vantage being tired and harrassed with a long march and more at Mercy being cut off far from their Countrey and therefore not able by any sudden flight to get to Retrait and to renew the Troubles When therefore the Rebels were encamped on Black-heath upon the Hill whence they might behold the City of London and the fair Valley about it the King knowing well that it stood him upon by how much the more he had hitherto protracted the time in not encountring them by so much the sooner to dispatch with them that it might appear to have been no Coldness in foreslowing but Wisdom in choosing his time resolved with all speed to assail them and yet with that Providence and Surety as should leave little to Venture or Fortune And having very great and puissant Forces about him the better to master all Events and Accidents he divided them into three parts The first was led by the Earl of Oxford in chief assisted by the Earls of Essex and Suffolk These Noble-men were appointed with some Cornets of Horses and Bands of Foot and good store of Artillery wheeling about to put themselves beyond the Hill where the Rebels were encamped and to beset all the skirts and descents thereof except those that lay towards London whereby to have these Wild Beasts as it were in a Toyl The second part of his Forces which were those that were to be most in Action and upon which he relyed most for the Fortune of the Day he did assign to be led by the Lord Chamberlain who was appointed to set upon the Rebels in Front from that side which is toward London The third part of his Forces being likewise great and brave Forces he retained about himself to be ready upon all Events to restore the Fight or consummate the Victory and mean while to secure the City And for that purpose he encamped in Person in St. George's Fields putting himself between the City and the Rebels But the City of London specially at the first upon the near encamping of the Rebels was in great Tumult As it useth to be with wealthy and populous Cities especially those which for greatness and fortune are Queens of their Regions who seldom see out of their Windows or from their Towers an Army of Enemies But that which troubled them most was the conceit that they dealt with a Rout of People with whom
beyond Seas But whatsoever else was in the Man he deserveth a most happy Memory in that he was the principal Mean of joyning the two Roses He dyed of great years but of strong health and Powers The next year which was the Sixteenth year of the King and the year of our Lord One thousand five hundred was the year of Jubile at Rome But Pope Alexander to save the Hazard and Charges of mens Journeys to Rome thought good to make over those Graces by exchange to such as would pay a convenient Rate seeing they could not come to fetch them For which purpose was sent into England Jasper Pons a Spaniard the Pope's Commissioner better chosen than were the Commissioners of Pope Leo afterwards employed for Germany for he carried the Business with great wisdom and semblance of Holiness In so much as he levied great summs of Money within this Land to the Pope's use with little or no Scandal It was thought the King shared in the Money But it appeareth by a Letter which Cardinal Adrian the King's Pensioner wrote to the King from Rome some few years after that this was not so For this Cardinal being to perswade Pope Julius on the King's behalf to expedite the Bull of Dispensation for the Marriage between Prince Henry and the Lady Katherine finding the Pope difficil in granting thereof doth use it as a principal Argument concerning the King's merit toward that See that he had touched none of those Deniers which had been levied by Pons in England But that it might the better appear for the satisfaction of the Common people that this was Consecrate Money the same Nuncio brought unto the King a Brief from the Pope wherein the King was exhorted and summoned to come in Person against the Turk For that the Pope out of the care of an Universal Father seeing almost under his eyes the Successes and Progresses of that great Enemy of the Faith had had in the Conclave and with the Assistance of the Ambassadors of forein Princes divers Consultations about an Holy War and a General Expedition of Christian Princes against the Turk Wherein it was agreed and thought fit that the Hungarians Polonians and Bobemians should make a War upon Thracia the French and Spaniards upon Gracia and that the Pope willing to sacrifice himself in so good a Cause in Person and in Company of the King of England the Venetians and such other States as were great in maritim Power would sail with a puissant Navy through the Mediterrane unto Constantinople And that to this end his Holiness had sent Nuncio's to all Christian Princes As well for a Cessation of all Quarrels and Differences amongst themselves as for speedy Preparations and Contributions of Forces and Treasure for this Sacred Enterprize To this the King who understood well the Court of Rome made an Answer rather Solemn than Serious Signifying THat no Prince on Earth should be more forward and obedient both by his Person and by all his possible Forces and Fortunes to enter into this Sacred War than himself But that the distance of Place was such as no Forces that he should raise for the Seas could be levied or prepared but with double the charge and double the time at the least that they might be from the other Princes that had their Territories nearer adjoyning Besides that neither the manner of his Ships having no Galleys nor the Experience of his Pilots and Mariners could be so apt for those Seas as theirs And therefore that his Holiness might do well to move one of those other Kings who lay fitter for the purpose to accompany him by Sea Whereby both all things would be sooner put in readiness and with less Charge and the Emulation and Division of Command which might grow between those Kings of France and Spain if they should both joyn in the War by Land upon Grecia might be wisely avoided And that for his part he would not be wanting in Ayds and Contribution Yet notwithstanding if both these Kings should refuse rather than his Holiness should go alone he would wait upon him as soon as he could be ready Always provided that he might first see all Differences of the Christian Princes amongst themselves fully laid down and appeased as for his own part he was in none And that he might have some good Towns upon the Coast in Italy put into his hands for the Retrait and safeguard of his Men. With this Answer Jasper Pons returned nothing at all discontented And yet this Declaration of the King as superficial as it was gave him that Reputation abroad as he was not long after elected by the Knights of the Rhodes Protector of their Order All things multiplying to Honour in a Prince that had gotten such high Estimation for his Wisdom and Sufficiency There were these two last years some proceedings against Hereticks which was rare in this King's Reign and rather by Penances than by Fire The King had though he were no good School-man the Honour to convert one of them by Dispute at Canterbury This year also though the King were no more haunted with Sprites for that by the sprinkling partly of Blood and partly of Water he had chased them away yet nevertheless he had certain Apparitions that troubled him still shewing themselves from one Region which was the House of York It came so to pass that the Earl of Suffolk Son to Elizabeth eldest Sister to King Edward the Fourth by John Duke of Suffolk her second Husband and Brother to John Earl of Lincoln that was slain at Stockfield being of an hasty and Cholerick disposition had killed a man in his fury whereupon the King gave him his Pardon But either willing to leave a Cloud upon him or the better to make him feel his Grace produced him openly to plead his Pardon This wrought in the Earl as in a haughty stomack it useth to do for the Ignominy printed deeper than the Grace Wherefore he being discontent fled secretly into Flanders unto his Aunt the Duchess of Burgundy The King startled at it But being taught by Troubles to use fair and timely Remedies wrought so with him by Messages the Lady Margaret also growing by often failing in her Alchymy weary of her Experiments and partly being a little sweetned for that the King had not touched her name in the Confession of Perkin that he came over again upon good terms and was reconciled to the King In the beginning of the next year being the Seventeenth of the King the Lady Katherine fourth Daughter of Ferdinando and Isabella King and Queen of Spain arrived in England at Plimouth the second of October and was married to Prince Arthur in Pauls the fourteenth of November following The Prince being then about fifteen years of age and the Lady about eighteen The manner of her Receiving the manner of her Entry into London and the Celebrity of the Marriage were performed with great and true Magnificence in regard of Cost
of Ill May-day Long Peace having with us begate Plenty the Mother and Nurse both of good and bad Arts allured the most excellent Artificers of forein Nations to partake of our happiness by frequenting the City of London But the giddy multitude not conceiving what good became of communicating their skill unto us took it very heinously that Strangers should be permitted to enjoy the Priviledges of the City and our home-bred Artificers did most especially complain That their means were every day curtalled for as much as no small part was necessarily to be defalked for the maintenance of these Strangers This was now grown the common discourse and had gon so far that one Lincoln a ringleader of this tumultuous rout did not stick to persuade some Preachers publickly in the Pulpit to lay open these common grievances before the Estates of the Realm Our Ladies Hospital in London commonly called the Spittle is famous for the Easter-Sermons one of which was to be preached by Dr. Henry Standish afterward Bishop of St. Asaph a grave and learned man Lincoln had assayed him and had the denial as in a matter the very mention whereof a good Patriot should abhor But Dr. Bell a Divine who was after Standish to preach in the same Place without fear or wit seconding their seditious attempts did publickly in his Sermon read the Bill by them exhibited to him taking for his Text that of the Prophet in the hundred and fifteenth Psalm The heavens even the heavens are the Lords but he hath given the earth to the sons of men Thence most foolishly concluding that England was given to English-men only and that therefore it was not to be endured that Aliens should enjoy any part thereof Many things by him spoken to this purpose were accepted with great applause and approbation of the Vulgar who out of extreme hatred to Strangers breathed nothing but sedition And to add more fuel to this fire it happened that many outrages were about that time committed by some of these Strangers This evil then thus spreading it self Foreiners were every where ill intreated and commonly knockt down in the streets having not offered injury to any man The authors of these riots being by the Lord Mayor committed to prison a sudden rumor ran through the City That on May-day next all Strangers should be massacred This without doubt proceeded from some of this unruly crew and was intended as a watch-word to all the Faction but the Strangers made so good use of it that they had all withdrawn themselves before that time and the Magistrates very carefully attended each occasion endeavouring to crush all Tumultuous Designs in the shell On May-day-Eve therefore the next day being the Feast of the Apostles Philip and Jacob the solemnity thereof is usually augmented by the liberty granted to the younger sort to sport themselves and to make merry the Citizens in general are by Proclamation commanded to keep fast their doors and to restrain their Servants from going abroad until nine of the Clock the next day But before this had been throughly proclaimed an Alderman walking in the streets saw a troop of young men consisting of Apprentices and such like gathered together and playing at cudgels He sharply reproved them for not obeying the King's Edict withal threatning to punish them if they the sooner betook not themselves every one to his home Words not prevailing he laid hold on one or two intending to have committed them But what reckoning they made of Authority their resistance in rescue of their Companions shewed and by outcries giving an Alarm drew together all the rest of their Faction in that quarter of the City The fame of this hurliburly increased their numbers by sending Mariners Gentlemens Servants Beggars and Citizens but the greatest part were Apprentices Sedition like a torrent carried them headlong and animated them to all villany They break open the Prisons set those at liberty that were imprisoned for their outrages on Strangers flie about the City as in a whirlwind rob all Foreiners houses and not content with their goods seek after them for their lives They found their nests but the birds were fled Having thus spent the night in the morning hearing the King's forces to approach most of them slipt away only some three hundred remained whereof eleven were Women and being apprehended supplied their places whom they before had freed They were all arraigned only thirteen designed for death whereof nine suffered on divers Gibbets purposely erected in divers parts of the City Lincoln Sherwin and two Brethren named Bets Chieftains in this sedition were carried to Cheapside where Lincoln was deservedly hanged The Executioner ready to turn off another was prevented by the King 's gracious Pardon The mind of man being prone to pity we may imagine that others were well pleased at the news but certainly the condemned had cause to rejoyce The Queens of England the two Dowagers of France and Scotland both of them the King's Sisters and then at Court became incessant Petitioners to his Majesty and on their knees in the behalf of these condemned persons and at length Wolsey consenting by whom the King was wholly swayed their Petitions were granted to them and to the poor men their lives This was the last Scene of this Tragical Tumult the like whereof this well-governed City had not known in many Ages For the Laws very well provided in that case do under a great penalty forbid Assemblies especially of armed men if not warranted by publick Authority In August and September the Sweating-sickness termed beyond Sea Sudor Anglicus or the English sweat began a disease utterly unknown to former Ages Of the common sort they were numberless that perished by it of the Nobility the Lords Clinton and Grey of Wilton The symptoms and cure you may find in Polydor Virgil in Anno 1. Henr. 7. who as confidently as I believe truly maintains That this disease was never till then known to be much less to be mortal As if there were a concatenation of evils one evil seldom cometh alone A Pestilence succeeded this former mortality and so raged the whole Winter season in most parts of the Realm that the King for fear of infection attended by a few was fain every day to remove his Court from one place to another The eleventh of February was born the Lady Mary afterwards Queen of England ANNO DOM. 1518. REG. 10. THe Peace so long treated of between us and the French was now in September at length concluded on these Conditions That the Daulphin should marry the Lady Mary the King 's only Child and not yet two years old That Tournay should be restored to the French That the French should pay King Henry four hundred thousand Crowns viz. two hundred thousand for his charge in building the Cittadel for the Artillery Powder and Munition which he should leave there and other two hundred thousand Crowns partly for the expence of that
War wherein the City was taken and partly in regard of other Pensions that were due unto him For the payment of which summs the French gave eight Hostages so saith Bellay But our Writers speak of a far different summ viz. Six hundred thousand Crowns for the City and four hundred thousand Crowns for the Cittadel besides three and twenty thousand Pounds Tournois which the City of Tournay ought the King and an annual Pension of a thousand Marks assigned to Cardinal Wolley for renouncing all claim and title to the Bishoprick of Tournay For the confirmation of these Articles the Earl of Worcester and the Bishop of Ely with some others were sent into France where both by the King and Princes of the Realm they were magnificently entertained ANNO DOM. 1519. REG. 11. THis year on the twelfth of January in the sixty third year of his age died the Emperour Maximilian having to prevent a disease to which he thought himself inclining unseasonably taken a Medicine of uncertain operation His death bred an equal desire in the minds of two great Princes who became Competitors for the Empire Francis King of France and Charles King of Spain But Charles although King of Spain yet being by birth born at Gand and descent a German at the age of nineteen years was chosen Emperour of Germany with the full consent and suffrages of all the Princes Electors This Election how-ever other slight matters were pretended was undoubtedly the cause of the ensuing dreadful War between these Princes The French King taking this repulse impatiently meditates nothing but revenge And that his designs might no way be crossed by us he labours amain for the confirmation of the Peace lately agreed upon between Henry and him Therefore by the Admiral Bonivet he deals with Wolsey that at an Enterview between the two Kings the League might be ratified To this end Henry intends to come to Guisnes Francis to Ardres and a convenient place between both is made choice of for their Enterview ANNO DOM. 1520. REG. 12. HEreupon the King setting forward towards France by easie journeys comes to Canterbury intending there to keep his Whitsontide The next day after being the twenty sixth of May the new created Emperour Charles the Fifth in his return from Spain arrives at Dover distant twelve miles from Canterbury The King gladly entertaines the news and although it were midnight takes horse and within little more than an hour comes by torch-light to Dover-Castle where the Emperour lay who Sea-weary was then asleep But being certified of the King's arrival he suddenly apparelled himself and met the King at the top of the stairs They embraced and saluted one another they long conferred together and the next morning being Whit-Sunday they rode together to Canterbury the Emperour alway keeping the right hand and the Earl of Derby bearing the Sword before them both Canterbury is a City more famous for antiquity than for modern beauty To let pass that it was above a thousand years since made an Archiepiscopal See our Chronicles do sufficiently testifie that both in respect of private mens fair Houses and the magnificent structure of its Churches it antiently excelled the bravest Cities of England But within these few years it hath lost so much of its greatness and beauty that a man shall find little of Canterbury beside the name Why it should so much in so short space decay many reasons may be alledged As the vicinity of London which swelling like the Spleen sucks both blood and moisture from all the other languishing Cities of the Kingdom Likewise the subversion of St. Augustine's Monastery the loss of Calais and the pulling down of Archbishop Becket's Shrine things which occasioned a great concourse of people and did by their loss and overthrow much impair this Cities splendour One only Ornament thereof survives which is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church with such a majesty piercing the skies saith Erasmus that it a far off fills the beholder with devout amazement This Church being at first dedicated to our Saviour CHRIST a few Ages past degenerated into the nick-name of St. Thomas This Thomas sirnamed Becket having obstinately opposed Henry the Second was in this Church slain by certain Souldiers and being afterward canonized for a Saint his Sepulcher mightily increased the glory of the place For from those times even almost to our days all sorts of people from all parts of Europe superstitiously frequented the Shrine of this upstart Saint with rich Oblations endeavouring to procure his favour Hence the Monastery was so enriched that of it and the Church Erasmus said That every place was enlightened with the lustre of most precious and huge stones and the Church throughout abounded with more than Royal Treasure But the Shrine especially that contained the Relicks of this Saint was so embossed with Jewels that Gold was the meanest thing about it Hither accompanied with King Henry came the Emperour Charles but whether out of devotion or curiosity I cannot say But this is certain that the Cardinal and the Clergy going in Procession to the Church they went directly where a great deal of time was spent in Ceremonious Worship and Oblations at Becket's Tomb not only by the Emperour but even by him who shortly after defaced the Monument and seized upon that infinite Treasure heaped up by the devout folly of many preceding Ages From the Church they went to the Archbishop's Palace where the Queen Aunt to the Emperour awaited them and very joyfully welcomed her Nephew Three days were spent in banqueting pastimes and then the Emperour went to his Navy at Sandwich the King and Queen to Dover from whence they passed to Calais that the intended Interview of the two Kings might work its due effects The seventh of June was the appointed day the place between Ardres and Guisnes There the two Kings mounted on Spanish Gennets attended by such a multitude of Nobility as the occasions of a hundred years before had not at once brought together the like encountred each other both in the flower of their age the goodliest Princes of the world and most expert in all kind of combats both on horse and foot It were needless to set forth the magnificence of these Princes when the bravery of their attendants was such that the place was thence named The golden Camp Having embraced each other on horse-back they alight and betake themselves to a Pavilion there purposely pitched Henry attended on by the Cardinal of York and the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk Francis by the Admiral Bonivet the Chancellor du Prat and some other Counsellors Having had familiar conference concerning some private matters they gave order for erecting a Theatre and enclosing a ground for a Tilt-yard that so they might solace themselves whiles their Council treated of graver matters the conclusion whereof they might at leisure every day know by relation Fourteen days these Princes gave each other the meeting with
at length he must brag of the Jugler's promises as he did to a Gentleman named Charles Knevet to whom he boldly unmasked himself and gave a reason of his actions Upon Knevet's accusation he was arraigned and condemned the thirteenth of May and on the seventeenth publickly beheaded His death was lamented by many and the rather for that he was no way faulty but in his vanity and pride which overthrew him Being a child I have heard antient men say that by his bravery of Apparel and sumptuous Feasts he exasperated the King with whom in these things he seemed to contend But he could by no means bear with the intolerable pride of the Cardinal whose hatred not improbably proved fatal unto him rather than did the King's displeasure for many times Princes are with less danger offended than their Mignons There goes a tale That the Duke once holding the basin to the King the Cardinal when the King had done presently dipped his hands in the same water the Duke disdaining to debase himself to the service of a Priest shed the water in his shooes The Cardinal therewith incensed threatned him that He would sit upon his skirts The Duke to shew that he slighted his threats and withal that the King might take notice of the Cardinal's malice came the next day to Court richly as he usually was apparelled but without skirts to his Doublet The King and many others demanding what he meant by that strange fashion he answered readily That it was done by way of prevention for the Cardinal should not now sit upon his skirts He thought he had put a jest upon the Cardinal to whose informations as proceeding from envy and spleen he hoped the King would hereafter give the less credit But he missed his mark for most men were of opinion that the Cardinal's malice crushed him rather than did the weight of his own offences It was the saying of Charles the Emperour upon the report of his death That the Butcher's Dog had killed the fairest Hart of England Howsoever it came to pass the King who had hitherto ruled without bloodshed induced by the former reasons so the Records run permitted his hands to be stained with the blood of this poor Prince many lamenting that the indiscreet credulity of one man having not attempted ought against the Estate should be the overthrow of so noble a Family If I might lawfully pry so far into God's judgments which are indeed inscrutable I would be bold to impute the punishment of the Son to the Father's treachery who conspired with the Usurper against his lawful Prince Edward the Fifth who by his assistance was deprived of his Life and Kingdom But forasmuch as that being touched in conscience he manifestly repented this fact for seeking to oppress the Tyrant whom he himself had raised he perished miserably the Divine Justice I think so far regarded his repentance that his posterity are nevertheless Peers of the Realm by the title of Lord Stafford The first point of Wisdom is not to run into Errour the next quickly to amend it The King having written a Book against Martin Luther sent it as a Present to Pope Leo the Tenth This Leo not yet thirty eight years old was by the combination of the Junior Cardinals elected Pope In which dignity he behaved himself according to his years profusely spending the Treasures of the Church in hawking and hunting and other pleasures not deemed over-honest Need began at length to pinch him and money must be had Whereupon he resolves to make use of his Keys against the most subtil locks and strongest bars ever yet held prevalent Indulgences of all sorts without distinction of time or place must now publickly be set to sale St. Peter's Church this was the pretence was out of repair towards which a certain summ of money given would purchase Pardon of Sins not only for the Living but for the Dead also whose Souls should thereby be redeemed from the pains of Purgatory But whatsoever was pretended every one palpably saw that these Pardons were granted to get money for his own relief And forasmuch as the Commissioners demanded it after an impudent and shameless manner they in most places incurred the dislike and indignation of the people especially in Germany where they saw this faculty of redeeming Sould from Purgatory was either sold for little or nothing or played away in their Taverns But what speak I of the Commissioners That which made the Germans most impatient was that the heedless Pope had given to his Sister Magdalen the profit of the exactions of Indulgences in many parts of Germany and that so openly that every one must needs know it For all Germany spake it 〈◊〉 this money was not gathered for the Pope or the Treasury of the Church whereby peradventure some part of it might be employed to good uses but was exacted to satisfie the greediness of a Woman At that time lived Martin Luther a Doctor of Divinity and an Augustine Monk one who under a religious Habit did not consecrate himself to idleness but to God It is reported how truly I know not that recreating himself in the fields his companion with whom he then discoursed was suddenly stricken dead with Thunder He thereupon falling into due consideration of the uncertainty of death and of judgement left the study of the Civil Law to which he then applied himself and renouncing the world betook himself to a Cloister where for his deportment he was beyond exception for Learning especially divine he was scarce matchable Upon this horrible abuse of the authority of the Keys being inflamed with a pious zeal he could not contain himself but boldly and bitterly inveighed against this gross impiety Neither stayd he there but storm the Pope never so much proceeds to other enormities in the Church of Rome some whereof that Church hath since reformed the rest religious Princes by Luther awakened out of their dead sleep of Superstition notwithstanding the practices of Rome have God be thanked exploded New opinions especially in matters of Religion are of themselves always odious Henry being offended with Luther's new as the world then deemed them Tenets thought it would prove to his honour by writing against Luther to manifest his Learning and Piety to the world Hereupon under his name a Book was set forth better beseeming some antient and deep Divine than a youthful Prince whom although he earnestly endeavoured it yet his affairs would not permit to bury himself among his Books which many thought to have been compiled by Sir Thomas Moor some by the Bishop of Rochester and others not without cause suspected to be the work of some other great Scholar Whosoever wrote it Luther replied in such sort that although his holy zeal were approved by many yet those many could have wished him more temperate and respective of the Majesty of Kings This Book was so acceptable to the Pope that according to the example of Alexander
the Sixth who entituled the King of Spain Catholick and of that Pope whosoever he were that gave the French King the title of Most Christian he decreed to grace King Henry and his Successors with that honorable one of Defender of the Faith Which several Titles are by these Princes retained to this day But Leo long survived not his gift about the end of the year dying as is suspected by poison In the mean time the exulcerated minds of the Emperour and the French King according to the nature of ambitious hatred that for its own ends makes all causes just burst out into open Wars for the composing whereof each of them had formerly agreed to refer themselves if any differences should arise to the arbitrement of Henry He therefore sends to each of them Ambassadors the Cardinal of York the Earl of Worcester and others who should if it were possible reconcile these enraged Princes All they could do proved but an endeavour for when they thought they had compassed their desires sudden news came that the Admiral Bonivet had by force taken Fuentaraby a Town of the Emperour 's in Biscay The Emperour would not then ratifie the Agreement unless this Town were redelivered which the French denying to do all fell to pieces again and the War was renewed After their devoir in this cause our Ambassadors went directly to Bruges to the Emperour of whom for a fortnight which was the time of their stay there they had Royal entertainment But he held the Cardinal in so great esteem that it was apparent he was not ignorant how powerful the Cardinal was with his Prince And here perhaps it would not be amiss in regard of these times to let the Reader know the pomp and state of this Cardinal how many Gentlemen attended him apparelled with Velvet and adorned with Gold-chains and then how many were cloathed in Scarlet-coats the skirts whereof were guarded with Velvet the full bredth of a hand But let him guess Hercules stature by the length of his foot Such was the bravery of his attendants that in Christiern King of Denmark and other Princes then residing at Bruges it bred amazement It was also reported that he was by Gentlemen of the best rank served on the knee a kind of state which Germany had yet never known He spent a huge mass of money in that Ambassage and that as it is thought not against his will For he by all means sought the Emperour's favour hoping that Leo although much younger either cut off by treachery or his own intemperance might leave the world before him And then were it no hard matter for him being under-propped by the Emperour and our King to be advanced to the Papacy Wherefore at the first bruit of his death he posted away Pacey the Dean of Pauls into Italy with Mandates to certain Cardinals whom he thought respected him that they should do their best in his behalf But before he could reach Rome he was certainly informed that Adrian sometimes Tutor to the Emperour and then Viceroy of Spain was already elected by the name of Adrian the Sixth ANNO DOM. 1522. REG. 14. VV Olsey nevertheless was as full of ambitious hope as ever For Adrian was a decrepit weak old man and therefore not likely as indeed he did not to survive him In the mean time he might make an ascent by which his ambition might climb He therefore seeks to advance the Emperour's designs more than ever and to that end he persuadeth Henry to denounce War against the French for that he denied to surrender Fuentaraby and had broken the Covenants made between them in not standing to the Arbitrement of Henry as both Charles and Francis had compromised at what time it was likewise decreed that Henry should declare himself an Enemy to the obstinate refuser The French discerning the storm before it came arrests all English Ships commits the Merchants to prison and seizeth their goods to his own use stops all Pensions due either to Henry for Tournay or to his Sister the Dowager of France for her Joincture The French Ships and Merchants in England find the like entertainment the Hostages given by the French for the ' foresaid summs are committed to close prison and the French Ambassador confined to his house Levies are made throughout England and great preparations for another Expedition into France To which the King being wholly bent Ambassadors suddenly arrive from the Emperour whose request was That he would joyn his forces with the Imperials and that if it so pleased him Charles would within few days be in England that so they might personally confer and advise what course they were best to run Many reasons moved the Emperour by the way to touch at England His Grandfather Ferdinand being dead his presence was necessarily required in Spain whither he must pass by England He feared lest this breach betwixt us and France might easily be made up he being so far distant He had an Aetna in his breast which burned with extreme hatred toward the French and was confident that his presence would raise our sparkle to a flame They might personally treat and conclude more safely and securely than by Agents and Posts of whom in matters of moment no wise man would make use unless forced by necessity But the chief cause as I conjecture of this his second coming into England was that he was weary of Wolsey with whom he saw it was impossible long to continue friend For the Cardinal by his importunity one while for the Papacy another while for the Archbishoprick of Toledo did much molest him who had determined to afford him nothing but good words He disdained not in his Letters to a Butcher's Son to use that honorable compellation of Cousin and whether present or absent he afforded him all kind of honour whatsoever But when the Cardinal craved any earnest of his love some excuse or other was found out to put him by yet so as still to entertain him with hopes But Wolsey was subtil and of a great spirit And these devices were now grown so stale that they must needs be perceived Charles therefore neglecting his wonted course by Wolsey studies how to be assured of the King without him For this no fitter means could be thought of than this Interview The King was naturally courteous loved the Emperour exceedingly and reposed great confidence in him Charles therefore hoped that by the familiarity of some few weeks he might make the King his own But Henry he thought would not long continue so unless he could some way lessen his favour toward the Cardinal This he hoped might be effected by admonishing the King that he was now past the years of a child and needed no Tutor that it was not fit he should suffer himself to be swaied by a Priest one in all reason better skilled in the mysteries of the Altar than of State against which in this respect besides the abuse of his power
devotion He therefore resolved to endeavour the Advancement of Wolsey to the Chair from whom he promised to himself a success answerable to his desires Henry therefore sends away speedy Posts to Gardiner with with ample instructions in the behalf of Wolsey willing him to work the Cardinals some with promises others with gifts some with threats others with perswasions and to omit no means that might be any way available But this was to build Castles in the Air. The messenger had scarce set forth when report that had made Clement dead had again revived him ANNO DOM. 1527. REG. 19. THe sixth of May Rome was taken and sacked by the Imperials under the conduct of the Duke of Bourbon who was himself slain in the assault marching in the head of his Troops The Pope Cardinals Ambassadors of Princes and other Nobles hardly escaping into the Castle of St. Angelo were there for some days besieged At length despairing of succours and victuals failing the Pope for fear he should fall into the hands of the Lansquenets for the most part seasoned with Luther's Doctrine and therefore passionate enemies to the See of Rome agreeth with the Prince of Auranges after the death of the Duke of Bourbon chosen General by the Army yielding himself and the Cardinals to him who kept them close Prisoners in the Castle Rome was now subject to all kind of cruelty and insolencies usual to a conquered City intended for destruction Beside Slaughter Spoil Rapes Ruine the Pope and Cardinals were the sport and mockery of the licentious multitude Henry pretended much grief at this news but was inwardly glad that such an occasion was offered whereby he might oblige Clement in all likelihood as he had just cause offended with the Emperour for this so insolent and harsh proceeding Whereupon he dispatcheth Wolsey into France who should intimate to the King his perpetual Ally what a scandal it was to all Christendom that the Head of it should be oppressed with Captivity a thing which did more especially concern Francis his affairs The Cardinal set forth from London about the beginning of July accompanied with nine hundred Horse among which were many Nobles the Archbishop of Dublin the Bishop of London the Earl of Derby the Lords Sands Montegle and Harendon besides many Knights and Gentlemen Wolsey found the French King at Amiens where it is agreed that at the common charge of both Princes War shall be maintained in Italy to set the Pope at liberty and to restore him to the possessions of the Church Henry contributing for his part thirty thousand Pounds sterling a month Upon the return of the Cardinal Francis sent into England Montmorency Lord Steward and Mareschal of France for the confirmation of this League and to invest the King with the Order of St. Michael He arrived in England about the middle of October accompanied with John Bellay Bishop of Bayeux afterward Cardinal the Lord of Brion and among others Martin Bellay the Writer of the French History who in this manner describes the passages of this Embassage Montmorency arriving at Dover was honourably received by many Bishops and Gentlemen sent by the King who brought him to London where he was met by twelve hundred Horse who conducted him to his lodging in the Bishop of London's Palace Two days after he went by water to Greenwich four miles beneath London where the King oft resideth There he was very sumptuously entertained by the King and the Cardinal of York Having had Audience the Cardinal having often accompanied him at London and Greenwich brought him to a house which he had built a little before ten miles above London seated upon the banks of Thames called Hampton Court. The Cardinal gave it afterward to the King and it is this day one of the King 's chiefest houses The Ambassador with all his Attendants was there feasted by him four or five days together The Chambers had hangings of wonderful value and every place did glitter with innumerable vessels of Gold and Silver There were two hundred and fourscore Beds the furniture to most of them being Silk and all for the entertainment of Strangers only Returning to London we were on St. Martin's day invited by the King to Greenwich to a Banquet the most sumptuous that ever I beheld whether you consider the Dishes or the Masques and Plays wherein the Lady Mary the King's Daughter acted a part To conclude the King and Montmorency having taken the Sacrament together the King for himself Montmorency in the behalf of Francis swore the observation of the League The King bestowed great gifts on every one and dismissed Montmorency who left the Bishop of Bayeux Leiger for his King to endeavour the continuance of the amity begun between these Princes Shortly after were sent into France Sir Thomas Bolen Viscount Rochfort and Sir Anthony Brown Knight who together with John Clerre Bishop of Bath and Wells Leiger in France should take the French King's Oath not to violate the late League in any part and to present him with the Order of the Garter We had now made France ours Nothing remained but to let the Emperour know the effects of the late Confederacy To this end Sir Francis Pointz and 〈◊〉 King at Arms are dispatched away to the Emperour to demand the molety of the booty gotten in the Battel of Pavy and the Duke of Orleans one of the French King's Sons left Hostage for his Father to be delivered to Henry who had born a share in the charges of that War and therefore expected to partake in the gains To command him to draw his Army out of Italy and not to disturb the peace of Christendom by molesting Christ's Vicar This if he refused to do neither was there expectation of any thing else they should forthwith defie him They execute their Commission and perceiving nothing to be obtained Clarencieux and a certain French Herald being admitted to the Emperour's presence do in the names of both King 's proclaim War against him Charles accepts it chearfully But the Ambassadors of France Venice and Florence craving leave to depart are committed to safe custody until it be known what is become of his Ambassadors with these Estates The report hereof flies into England and withal that Sir Francis Pointz and Clarencieux were committed with the rest Whereupon the Emperour's Ambassador is detained until the truth be known as it shortly was by the safe return of them both But Sir Francis Pointz about the beginning of the next Summer died suddenly in the Court being infected with the Sweating Sickness The same happening to divers other Courtiers and the infection spreading it self over London the Term was adjourned and the King fain to keep a running Court But these were the accidents of the ensuing year ANNO DOM. 1528. REG. 20. POpe Clement was of himself naturally slow but his own ends made him beyond the infirmity of his nature protract time in this cause concerning the
King's Divorce Bearing himself as neuter between the Emperour and the French King he makes them both become jealous of him And War being renewed in Italy he perceives himself likely again to become a prey to the Conquerour Which if it should happen he must betake himself to the King of England of whose help he was certain as long as his cause did uncertainly hang in suspence But if he should determine in the behalf of the King would he in gratitude be as beneficial as hope or fear of offending had made him That he much doubted These thoughts possessing the Pope Caesar's affairs in Italy began to decline almost all the Towns throughout the Realm of Naples out of hatred to the insolent Spaniard and affection to the French making offer of their Keys and receiving Garrisons of French Clement therefore did not now much stand in awe of the Emperour much against whose mind he was intreated to send a Legate into England Lawrence Campegius Cardinal and Bishop of Sulisbury who together with the Cardinal of York should have the hearing of this Cause so long controverted to no purpose And the more to testifie his affection to the King he did by a Decretal Bull but privately drawn pronounce the King's Marriage with Catharine to be void This Bull was committed to the Legate with these instructions That having shewed it to the King and the Cardinal of York He should withal signifie to them that he had authority to publish it but not to give sentence until he received new instructions telling him that he was content the King should enjoy the benefit of it and it may be he was then so minded but that it stood him upon to have this business delayed until he had sufficiently secured himself from the Emperour These were the pretences of the old Fox to the Legate But his meaning was to make use of all seasons and to turn with the weather The ninth of October to London comes the Legate the King having given order to the City for his solemn entertainment But the old man's infirmity frustrated their preparations he was grievously tormented with the Gout and would be privately brought into the City After a few days rest catried in a Chair he was brought to the King's presence to whom his Secretary made a Latin Oration wherein having much complained of the extreme cruelty of the Imperials in the sacking of Rome he used many words to signifie that the King 's pious bounty shewed in his liberally relieving him in so needful a season was most acceptable to the Pope and the whole College of Cardinals To this speech Edward Fox afterward Bishop of Hereford returned an answer in Latin wherein he declared That his Majesty was much grieved at his Holiness calamity for as much as man is naturally touched with a feeling of anothers miseries That He had not only performed what could be expected from him as a man but had also done the part of a friend for a friend and what was due from a Prince to Christ's Vicar on earth He did therefore hope that in regard of his filial obedience to the Holy See if it should happen that He should stand in need of its assistance and authority his Holiness would be pleased readily to grant those things which it might beseem a Son to crave of the common Mother Thus much passed in publick The King and the Legates conferring in private Campegius assured the King of the Pope's forwardness to pleasure him Campegius was indeed no bad man and spake truly what he thought For Clement knowing how difficult a matter it was to deceive a man that was no fool by one conscious of the guile and that was not deceived himself made the Legate believe that in this matter of the Divorce he would be ready to do for the King whatsoever he should demand After these passages the Legates spent six whole months in confultation only concerning their manner of proceeding in the King's Divorce In the mean time the King understanding that among his Subjects but especially the women kind this his action was much traduced as if he took this course more to satisfie his Lust than his Conscience to give a stop to all farther rumours having assembled all the Nobles of the Realm Judges Lawyers and as many of the better fort of Commons as could conveniently attend upon the eighth of November made an Oration to this effect Twenty years have almost run their course faithful and loving Subjects since We first began Our Reign among you In all which tract of time we have by God's assistance so behaved Our Self that We hope We have neither given you cause to complain nor our Enemies to glory No forein power hath endeavoured ought against you but to his own loss neither have We employed Our Arms any where but We have triumphantly erected Our glorious Trophies So that whether you consider the sweet fruits of plentiful Peace or the glory of Our Warlike exploits We dare boldly avouch We have shewed Our Self not unworthy of Our Ancestors whom without offence be it spoken We have in all points equalled But when we reflect upon the necessary end of Our frail life We are surprized with fear lest the miseries of future times should so obscure the splendour and memory of Our present felicity that as the Romans did after the death of Augustus so you may hereafter be forced to wish with tears either that We had never been or might have perpetually lived to govern you We see many here present who in regard of their age might have been parties in the late Civil Wars which for eighty years together so miserably rended this Realm no man knowing whom to acknowledge for his Sovereign until the happy Conjunction of Our Parents did not resolve but took away all cause of farther doubt Consider then whether after Our death you can hope for better days than when the factions of York and Lancaster distracted this Realm We have a Daughter whom we the more affectionately tender because she is Our sole Issue But we would have you know that having lately treated with Our dear Brother of France concerning a match between this Our Daughter and Henry Duke of Orleans his younger Son both of Us were well pleased with this alliance until one of his Privy Council made a question of Our Daughter's birth for it was much to be doubted lest she were to be held illegitimate being begotten of Us and that Mother who had before been married to Our deceased Brother saying it was utterly repugnant to the Word of God that any one should marry his Brother's Widow wherefore he was of opinion that this match with Our most beloved Spouse was to be deemed no other than incestuous How grievously this relation afflicted Us God the Searcher of Our hearts knows For these words did seem to question not only Our dear Consort and Our Daughter but even the very estate of Our Soul
the wisdom of Our Parents by whose endeavours and consent this Match was ratified I cannot but hope very well of my cause Your Father was for his admirable wisdom accounted a second Solomon neither can Spain throughout the whole Successions of the Kings of so many Kingdoms produce any one who may parallel my Father Ferdinand And what kind of Counsellors must we think these Princes had that all should as it were conspire to hurl Us into the miseries of an incestuous Marriage No question was then made concerning the lawfulness of this Match and yet those times afforded learned men yea and whereof to my harm I have had experimental knowledge in holiness of life and love of the Truth far surpassing the Flatterers of these times Which last words she therefore spake because she had heard that all the Bishops of the Realm had by a common Decree pronounced against the Marriage And indeed such a Decree subscribed and sealed by each of them was afterward in the presence of the King read publickly in the Court Fisher Bishop of Rochester excepting against it who denied that he had assented to it and objected forgery to the Archbishop of Canterbury for putting to it instead of Bishop Fisher's a false Seal and a counterfeit hand The Queen having spoken thus much arising after her due obeisance to the King when every one expected she would have returned to her seat made hast out of the Court Every one amazedly wonders what the Queen intends But before she had gone far the King commanded the Apparitor to call her back again The Apparitor obeying the Gentleman who supported her told her she was called to whom she replied I hear it very well but go you on I cannot hope for justice in this Court let them proceed against me in what manner they will I am resolved not to stay So away she went and would never after be perswaded to make her appearance either personally or by a Proctor After she was gone the King commended her in those terms that might befit a great affection and her excellent virtues Withal protesting how desirous he was to continue in that estate so that neither his Soul nor the Common-wealth might be endangered by it Here Wolsey interrupted him beseeching his Majesty that forasmuch as it was bruited that he had perswaded Him to this Divorce His Majesty would vouchsafe to signifie to the present Assembly how far this report was true The King although that he knew that in this fame lied not yet to secure his Favouritefrom the general hate of the people affirmed the Bishop of Bayeux having first made scruple of it to have first advised him to this course and that the Bishop of Lincoln his Confessor and other Bishops with whom he had conferred did the like These were the Acts of the first day This case was for a month or two held in controversie the King's Advocates alledging that It was not in the Pope's power to ratifie this Marriage which as prohibited by the Law of Nature the Scripture had pronounced unlawful That Catharine had been lawfully married to Prince Arthur the King 's elder Brother and that the Nuptials were publickly solemnized no man could deny and many circumstances did manifest the consummation of the Marriage by a carnal conjunction On the other side the Queens Advocates maintained The Law which forbad the Jews to marry their Brother's Wife to be Judicial and not Moral and therefore abrogated by Christ but so far forth as the Church had retained it it was by the authority of the same Church dispensable especially being they were confident that the forealledged consummation could no way be proved Thus each side pleaded and time passed on The King observes Cardinal Campegius to go more coldly to work than he was wont from whom he before this expected the promised decision But Fortune had since that turned her Wheel The Emperour's affairs prospered in Italy and Clement knew it was not the way to wipe out the remembrance of an old offence by committing a new He found some other pretence to send one Francis Campana into England but his chief errand was to will Campegius to burn the Bull whereby the King's Marriage had before been pronounced void and to return to Rome with speed But the news of the Pope's sickness at the same time made him defer the execution of his Mandate For if Clement should die the Cardinal might with safety gratifie the King who had conferred on him the Bishoprick of Sarisbury and to whom the Cardinal had promised success answerable to his desires And if he should permit the King to be thus illuded he feared he might be accounted not only ingrateful but also treacherous But he shortly understood the Pope was well whose Mandate he must obey and the Bull as if for Heresie must be condemned to the fire In the mean time the King who was deeply in love with Ann Bolen according to the nature of Lovers counting each minute by the hour quickly resented this change and never rested until he knew the whole carriage of the matter Then first fell his wrath like thunder on Wolsey whose Wit had hitherto made all his projects feasible And he could not believe but that it was in his power to effect this also Here I cannot chuse but cry out with the Comedian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jove and ye gods how hard a thing It is to serve a raging King Full twenty years had Wolsey served the King behaving himself so that he grew powerful and wealthy beyond a private fortune and to the rest of the King's Titles had procured the addition of that rich one of a good Prince For as often as I consider how laudably Henry had hitherto ruled and behold the calamities of ensuing times I cannot but accord with them who ascribe the sway which he did bear over all the Princes of Christendom to the excellency of Wolsey his Counsels But Wolsey being taken away to whom shall we impute those effects of Lust Tyranny and Avarice two Wives killed two put away so many and among them many of the greater sort put to death for their Religion only extremity only differing in the manner used by Hanging against Papists by Fire against Hereticks these were the terms of those days and the Church or rather the Common-wealth horribly spoiled and robbed of her Patrimony Certainly had Wolsey sate at the Stern the King had never like a Ship destitute of a Pilot been carried to and fro with such contrary and uncertain motions But inordinate greatness is always a burthen to it self the weight whereof is augmented by the usual attendance of publick envy and hatred the misbegotten Elves of long and powerful happiness Wolsey the King once offended began presently to totter and at his first frown as at the roaring of a Lion before any harder course was taken with him was so dejected that
although he after seemed a little to lift up his head yet was he never able to stand on his feet Nay the King being once alienated from him would never after admit him to his presence Behold the power of base Detraction yet I will not exclude the greatness of the Cardinal's wealth already devoured in conceit which wipes away the remembrance of the faithful service of so many years and the consideration of so great glory purchased to the King by Wolsey's labours I am not ignorant what things were objected against him But they carry so little shew of probability that I should much suspect his judgment that would give any credit to them Until it was known that the King enraged at the slow proceedings in the cause of his Divorce did day and night breathe out against him threats and revenge no man ever preferred Bill against him which considering the usual severe courses held by our Parliaments must needs acquit him of Abuse of Power As for the causes of the King's anger we will derive them rather from his own discontents than Wolsey's faultiness The King by this time knew the treachery of the dissembling Pope He had near five years wandered in the Labyrinth of the Court of Rome and could find no clew to lead him out He therefore determined to make a way where he could not find one and like Alexander by force to undo that Gordian Knot which by wit and labour he could not To Wolsey therefore he communicated his intent of marrying another whether the Pope were willing or no wishing him withal to find out some course or other whereby Campegius his Collegue notwithstanding the late Mandates to the contrary might be drawn to give sentence on his side Many things might be pretended to excuse the deed but chiefly the fear of the King 's high displeasure which peradventure he should feel too unless he assented to the King 's just request Wolsey his answer to this I cannot relate But this is certain that Wolsey whether for that he did not approve of the King 's intended course seeming as the times were then full of rashness and insolence or that he would not undertake the attempting of his Collegue or that as Sleidan writes the King had notice that the Cardinal had advised the Pope not to approve of the Divorce from Catharine forasmuch as the King was then resolved to marry another infected with Lutheranism Wolsey I say was so sharply taken up and threatned by the King that even then you might read in his face and gestures the symptoms of his waining fortune For the Cardinal at that time returning from the Court by water the Bishop of Carlile being with him in the same Barge complained of the heat which was then extraordinary to whom Wolsey replied My Lord if you had been but now in my place you would have found it hot indeed And as soon as he came home he put off his clothes and went sick to bed Before he had reposed himself an hour and half the Viscount Rochfort came to him and in the King's Name willed that he and his Collegue should instantly repair to the Queen and exhort her not to contend any longer with the King for that it would be more for her good and the honour of them both to submit her self to the King's pleasure than to undergo the disgrace of a publick judgment For it was now brought to that push that longer deferred it could not be The Cardinal advertised of the King's pleasure did arise and with his Collegue went to the Queen who having notice of their coming went forth and met them After mutual salutations the Cardinals desired she would vouchsafe a few words in private but the Queen refused to entertain any conference with them but where she might have witnesses of what passed Wolsey then began to speak in Latin but the Queen interrupted him willing that although she understood Latin yet he should speak in English So in the names of both Legates he began a Speech in English wherein he professed a great deal of observance and duty to her and that they came to no other end but to advise her for her good The Queen answered them much after this manner As for your good will I thank you as for your advice I will give you the hearing But the matter I believe about which you come is of so great importance that it will require a great deal of deliberation and the help of a brain surpassing that of feminine weakness You see my employments shewing them a skain of white thred hanging about her neck in these I spend my time among my Maids which indeed are none of the greatest Counsellors yet I have none other in England and Spain where they are on whom I dare rely God wot is far enough hence yet I am content to hear what you have to say and will give you an answer when we can conveniently So taking the Cardinal by the hand she brought them into a withdrawing Room where having attentively heard out their message she made this reply That now after twenty years the lawfulness of my Marriage should be questioned I cannot sufficiently wonder especially when I consider who were the Authors of it Many of them are yet alive both in England and Spain and what kind of men the rest were who are now dead the world knows Henry and Ferdinand our Parents the most sage Princes of their time and their Counsel such without doubt who for their wisdom were approved of as fit servants for so judicious Masters besides the Pope whose Dispensation I have to shew and which was procured by my Father at no small rate But what thing is there so sincere and firm which envy will not seek to blast Of these my miseries I can accuse none but you my Lord of York Because I could not away with your monstrous pride excessive riot whoredom and intolerable oppression therefore do I now suffer And yet not only for this for some part of your hatred I am beholding to my Nephew the Emperour whom for that he did not satisfie your insatiable ambition by advancing you to the Papacy you have ever since maligned You threatned to be revenged on him and his Friends and you have performed your promise for you have been the only incendiary and plotter of all the mischief and Wars against him these late years And I am his Aunt whom how you have persecuted by raising this new doubt God only knows to whose judgment only I commend my cause This she spake in French as it seemed very much moved and would not endure to hear Wolsey speak in defence of himself but courteously dismissed Campegius It was now June and the Harvest drawing on the Legates thought it high time to make an end of this Suit A day therefore being prefixed many of Nobility and a multitude of the Commonalty repaired to the Court verily expecting that judgment should
have been given for the King Henry having I know not how conceived some hope of the Legates good intents caused a seat to be placed for himself behind the hangings under the covert whereof he might unseen hear whatsoever was spoken or passed in Court The Cardinals being seated the King's Advocates earnestly requiring that sentence might be given on their side Campegius made this Oration well beseeming the constancy of a man not unworthy of the place he supplied I have heard and diligently examined whatsoever hath been alledged in the King's behalf And indeed the arguments are such that I might and ought pronounce for the King if two reasons did not controll and curb my desires of doing his Majesty right The Queen you see withdraws her self from the judgment of this Court having before us excepted against the partiality of the place where she saith nothing can be determined without the consent of the Plaintif Moreover his Holiness who is the fountain and life of our authority hath by a messenger given us to understand that he hath reserved this cause for his own hearing so that if we would never so fain proceed any farther peradventure we cannot I am sure we may not Wherefore which only remaineth I do here dissolve the Court Other than this as the case stands I cannot do and I beseech them whom this Cause concerns to take in good part what I have done Which if they will not although it may trouble me yet not so much as to regard the threats of any one I am a feeble old man and see death so near me that in a matter of so great consequence neither hope nor fear nor any other respect but that of the Supreme Judge before whom I find my self ready to appear shall sway me How the King was pleased at this you may easily conceive It is reported that the Duke of Suffolk knowing the King to be present and conscious of his infirmity in a great rage leaping out of his Chair bountifully bestowed a volley of curses upon the Legates saying It was never well with England since it had any thing to do with Cardinals To whom Wolsey returned a few words saying That it was not in his power to proceed without Authority from the Pope and that no man ought to accuse them for not doing that whereto their power did not extend But the King 's implacable anger admitted of no excuse Wolsey himself must become a Sacrifice to appease it As for Campegius he tasted nevertheless of the King's bounty and had leave to depart But at Calais his carriages were searched by the King's command The pretence was that Wolsey intending an escape had by Campegius conveyed his treasures for Rome But the Bull was the Treasure so much sought after The King could not believe it was burned and if it were found it was enough to countenance his second Marriage But found it was not no nor scarce so much money in all the Cardinal's carriages as had been given him by the King Wolsey his rising and his fall were alike sudden neither of them by degrees but as the Lion gets his prey by leaps Shortly after the departure of his Collegue upon the eighteenth of October the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk in his Majesties name commanded him to surrender the Great Seal But he pleaded That the King had by Patent made him Lord Chancellour during term of life and by consequence committed the custody of the Great Seal to him Nevertheless he would resign his place if his Majesty so commanded But he thought it not fit having received the Seal from the King to deliver it to any other but upon especial Command The Lords returning to Windsor where the Court then was the next day brought the King's Letters whose Mandate the Cardinal forthwith obeyed In this Dignity the six and twentieth of October Sir Thomas More succeeded whose admirably general Learning is so well known to the world that I shall not need to speak any thing of it Wolsey being removed from the Chancellorship is presently after accused of Treason and that which hath been seldom seen in the Parliament that so without hearing he might be condemned by Act. But he perceiving the drist of his Adversaries procured one of his attendants Thomas Cromwel he who afterward became so potent to be elected a Burgess of the Lower House The Cardinal being daily informed by him what things were laid to his charge did by Letter instruct him what to answer Cromwel although no Scholar was very wise and eloquent Which good parts he so faithfully employed in the defence of his Lord that the House acquitted him and himself became famous opening withal by these means a way to those Honours to which the current of a few years advanced him Even they who hated Wolsey honoured Cromwel whose wisdom industry but above all fidelity in defending his dejected Lord was admirable Now the Cardinal because he would not be found a Traytor is faln into a Praemunire Whereupon he is thrust as it were naked forth his own house his great wealth is seized on by the King's Officers and he fain to borrow furniture for his house and money for his necessary expences Judges are sent into the house whereto he was confined to take his answer to the objected crime which was that without leave from the King he had dared so many years to exercise his power Legatine To which calumny for can any man believe it to be other he made this answer I am now sixty years old and have spent my days in his Majesties service neither shunning pains nor endeavouring any thing more than next my Creatour to please him And is this that heinous offence for which I am at this age deprived of my Estate and forced as it were to beg my bread from door to door I expected some accusation of a higher strain as Treason or the like not for that I know my self conscious of any such matter but that his Majesties wisdom is such as to know it little beseems the constancy and magnanimity of a King for a slight fault to condemn and that without hearing an ancient servant for so many years next his Person greatest in his favour and to inflict a punishment on him more horrid than death What man is he who is so base minded that he had not rather a thousand times perish than see a thousand men so many my Family numbreth of whose faithful service he hath had long tryal for the most part to perish before his eyes But finding nothing else objected I conceive great hope that I shall as easily break this machination of combined envy as was that late one against me in the Parliament concerning Treason It is well known to his Majesty of whose justice I am confident that I would not presume to execute my power Legatine before he had been pleased to ratifie it by his Royal Assent given under his Seal which
notwithstanding I cannot now produce that and all my goods as you well know being taken from me Neither indeed if I could would I produce it For to what end should I contend with the King Go therefore and tell his Majesty that I acknowledge all that I have but alas what speak I of what I have who indeed have nothing left me or whatsoever I had to be derived from his Royal Bounty and do think it good reason that he should revoke his gifts if he think me unworthy of them Why then do I not remit my cause to his Majesty's arbitrement at his pleasure to be either condemned or absolved To him then if you will have me acknowledge my fault behold I will make short work with you I confess it The King knows my innocency so that neither my own confession nor the calumnies of of my adversaries can deceive him I am therefore content to confess my self guilty His Majesty from the fountain of his natural Clemency doth often derive the streams of his mercy to the delinquent And I know though I should not desire it He will regard my innocency Upon his confession the penalty of the Law was forthwith inflicted only he was not as the Law requires committed to perpetual imprisonment The furniture of his house of infinite value incredible store of Plate and great Treasure had been already seised to the King's use There remained nothing but the Lands wherewith he intended to endow his Colledge the greatest part whereof were his own purchase the rest were the demesnes of the demolished Monasteries These Lands amounted to above four thousand pounds per annum and were all confiscated But God would not suffer so brave a work to perish The King afterward bestowed on the Colledge in Oxford called Christ-Church revenues for the maintenance of a Dean eight Prebendaries a hundred Students twelve Chaplains and Singing men and four and twenty Alms-men for which this Colledge acknowledgeth Henry the Eighth for its Founder But the King arrogated to himself what was truly to be ascribed to the Cardinal who was now in the case of the poor Mouse whom the Cat intends to devour The King had marked him out for destruction yet permitted him to live but so as that he could never escape and yet never despair of escaping Scarce any day throughout those few months passed wherein he endured not something or other that would have animated a sensless thing with anger neither was the Cardinal composed of patience yet did he never despair His sorrows were always tempered with some mixture of joy For he was often visited from the King but that very secretly and commonly by night often certified of the King's affection towards him in token whereof the Visitants did sometimes from the King present him with a Jewel or some such thing willing him to be of good comfort for that shortly they would assure him he should be raised to his former degree of favour and power Adversity at length prevailing he fell into a disease from the extremity whereof few expected his recovery And the King demanding of one of his Physicians whose patient the Cardinal was what disease Wolsey had the Doctor replied What disease soever he hath if you desire his death you may be secure for I promise you he will not live to see the end of three days more The King striking the table with his hand cryed out I had rather lose twenty thousand Pounds than he should dye Make hast therefore you and as many other Physicians as are about the Court and by all means endeavour his recovery The Physician then certifying him that he was sick more in mind than body the King dispatched away a Gentleman with a Ring which Wolsey had formerly given to him willing him withal to tell the Cardinal that the King's anger was now past who was sorry that he had so long given ear to detraction and that he should shortly find that the King's affection towards him was no less than when he flourished most in the sun-shine of his favour The same comfortable words being again and again ingeminated by divers others sent for that purpose the Cardinal in a few days recovered his former health At Court each one aspired to rise by Wolsey his fall But now jealous lest the King intended a real and sincere reconciliation and fearing revenge from him whom they had injured work all their wits to supplant him At or about London he was too near the Court some trick must be had to send him farther Winchester the Bishoprick whereof he held in Commendam was not far enough off Why then should he not said they being not detained at London as Lord Chancellor betake himself to the government of his Archbishoprick of York So having a thousand Pounds assigned him by the King whose Council thought Marks sufficient about the end of March in the ensuing year he set forward towards York Of all his Livings they leave him only the Archbishoprick of York wherewith to maintain him the revenues whereof might be valued at four thousand Pounds per annum The speech of Seneca concerning Apicius why may I not apply it to the present state of Wolsey How great was his Luxury who deemed the income of four thousand Pounds poverty And now it were requisite that we should proceed to the year 1530. But let us first behold the end of this great Cardinal That Summer he spent at Cawood a Mannor-house belonging to the See of York where by his mildness justice and liberality he did so win the hearts of his Diocesans that he was both admired and loved He seemed to be much delighted with this solitary confinement for that having hitherto been tossed in the Court to and fro as in a tempest he had now escaped not from shipwrack to a Rock but to his desired Haven of repose Yet notwithstanding upon any the least hope of recovering his former power although he professed that converted by an Anchorire of Richmond he had bid adieu to the vanities of the World he could not conceal the greatness of his joy That he failed of his hopes which indeed were none of the least I cannot assent to them who impute it to the importunity of his potent Adversaries For to what end served so many messages full of gracious and reconciliatory promises but ever intermixed with insufferable disgraces the forerunners of a dire Catastrophe Certainly to no other than that he might be wrought one way or other to approve of and give sentence for the King's Divorce at least as Archbishop Cranmer after did But this course not prevailing they intend a second accusation of Treason To this purpose the Earl of Northumberland is sent to apprehend and as he was amazed at this sudden change bring him to his answer to London But by the way he fell sick of a disease which at Leicester-Abbey secured him from all other Being near his end it is reported Sir
not knowing what course to run And this is thought to be the cause of his so extraordinary liberality toward the French The King being then in progress and hunting at Waltham it happened that Stephen Gardiner Principal Secretary of Estate after Bishop of Winton and Fox the King's Almoner after Bishop of Hereford were billeted in the house of a Gentleman named Cressey who had sent his two Sons to be brought up at Cambridge under the tutelage of Thomas Cranmer Doctor in Divinity a man both very learned and virtuous The Plague then spreading it self in Cambridge Cranmer with his two Pupils betook himself to Mr. Cressey their Father his house Where Gardiner and Fox among other table-talk discoursing of the King's Suit concerning his Divorce which had so many years depended in the Court of Rome undecided Cranmer said that he wondred the King required not the opinions of the most famous learned men that were any where to be found of whom the world had many far more learned than the Pope and and followed not their judgments What Cranmer had as it were let fall by chance they report to the King who suddenly apprehending it said that this fellow whosoever he was had hit the nail on the head and withal demanding his name caused Cranmer to be sent for whom he commended for his but too late advice which course if he had taken but five years before he should now have had an hundred thousand Pounds in his Purse which he had unprofitably in this Suit cast away on the Court of Rome he commands Cranmer to write a Tract concerning this Question wherein having drawn together what Reasons he could for the confirmation of his advice he should conclude with his own opinion Cranmer did it very readily and is thereupon with Sir Thomas Bolen lately created Earl of Wiltshire Carne Stokesley and Benet Doctors of Law with others sent on an Embassie to Rome Cranmer's Book is to be presented to his Holiness and they are commanded to challenge the Court of Rome to a Disputation wherein the Contents of that Book should be maintained the Argument whereof was That by the authority of holy Scripture ancient Fathers and Councils it was utterly unlawful for any man to marry his Brother's Widow and that no such marriage could be licensed or authorized by the Pope's Dispensation This being done the King's intent was they should procure the opinions of all the Universities throughout Europe by whom if he found his former Marriage condemned then without farther expecting the approbation of the See of Rome he was resolved to run the hazard of a second To this the amity of the French seeming very conducible the King had by his former liberality sought to oblige him The Ambassadors came to Rome had audience were promised a publick Disputation whereof they were held so long in expectation that perceiving their stay there to be to little purpose they all returned into England except Cranmer who with the same instructions that he had formerly been sent to the Pope was to go to the Emperour whose Court was then in Germany There this good and learned man hitherto no friend to Luther while he defends his own Book and the King's Divorce against the most learned either of Protestants or Papists is thought to have been seasoned with the leaven of that Doctrine for which after he had been twenty years Archbishop of Canterbury he was most cruelly burned While Cranmer thus laboured abroad the King at home deals with Langey the French Ambassador by whose means with the forcible Rhetorick saith one of some English Angels he obtained of the Universities of Paris with the rest throughout France Pavia Padua Bononia and others this Conclusion That the Pope who hath no power over the Positive Law of God could not by his Dispensation ratifie a Marriage contracted between a Brother and a Brother's Widow it being forbidden by the express words of Scripture The eighth of December the King graced three noble and worthy men with new Titles of Honour Thomas Bolen Viscount Rochfort the King 's future Father-in-Law was created Earl of Wiltshire Robert Ratcliff Viscount Fitz-Walter of the noble Family of the Fitz-Walters Earl of Sussex in which honour his Son Thomas his Nephews Thomas first then Henry Brother to Thomas and now Robert the Son of Henry have succeeded him And George Lord Hastings was made Earl of Huntingdon who left it to his Son Francis Father of Henry who deceased without issue and George Grandfather to Henry the now Earl by Francis who died before his Father ANNO DOM. 1530. REG. 22. VV Illiam Tyndal having translated the New Testament into English and procured it to be printed at Antwerp had secretly dispersed many copies thereof thoughout England Whereat the Bishops and Clergy especially those that were most addicted to the Doctrine of Rome stormed exceedingly saying that this Translation was full of errours and that in the Prefaces and elsewhere it contained many things contrary to the Truth The King being angry with the Pope had long since determined to free himself from his usurped power And therefore admonished the murmuring Clergy to correct this Book not to suppress it for it was a most profitable work and very necessary for the discovery of the deceits of the Court of Rome the tyranny whereof was become intolerable to all the Princes of Christendom Whereupon he giveth order to the Bishops and some other learned men to set forth a new Translation which his Subjects might read with safety and profit The hope of prevailing with the Pope by the French King's means had drawn Henry to send on a second Embassage to the Pope the Earl of Wiltshire Doctor Stokesley Elect of London and Edward Lee Wolsey his Successor in York They found the Pope at Bononia with the Emperour but had no other answer to their demands than that his Holiness when he came to Rome would endeavour to do the King justice Till then he could do nothing Fair means not prevailing the King runs another course By publick Proclamation throughout the Kingdom he forbids all commerce between his Subjects and the Bishop of Rome commanding that no man should receive any thing from or send any thing especially money unto him either by exchange or any other means calling him Tyrant the Harpy of the World the common Incendiary and deeming him utterly unworthy of that glorious title which he had vaingloriously usurped Christ's Vicar This in September But the wealth of the Clergy being very great and considering how they had in the Reigns of his Predecessors strongly sided with the Pope the King was somewhat jealous of them To curb them he condemns the whole Clergy throughout the Kingdom in a Praemunire for that without licence from his Majesty they had been obedient to the authority of the Pope in acknowledging Wolsey for his Legate The Clergy of the Province of Canterbury being assembled in Convocation buy their
own Brother A strange ingratitude in one raised from so low degree even to the height of honour I will not derogate from the Authority of publick Records But an Act of Parliament against her shall not work on my belief Surely it carried so little shew of probability with forein Princes that they always deemed it an act of inhuman cruelty Especially the Estates of Germany Confederates for the defence of the Reformed Religion who having often treated with Fox Bishop of Hereford and other Ambassadors had decreed to make Henry Head of their League and had designed an Embassy by John Sturmius who should have brought with him into England those excellent Divines Philip Melancthon and Martin Bucer with one George Draco who should endeavour that and the Reformation of our Church But having heard of the lamentable and unworthy as they judged it end of the Queen loathing the King for his inconstancy and cruelty they cast off all farther thought of that matter I will not presume to discuss the truth of their opinion But freely to speak what I my self think There are two reasons which sway much with me in the behalf of the Queen That her Daughter the Lady Elizabeth was seated in the Royal Throne where she for so many years ruled so happily and triumphantly What shall we think but that the Divine Goodness was pleased to recompence the unjust calamity of the Mother in the glorious prosperity of the Daughter And then consider but the King 's precipitated Nuptials the very next day after the death of his former Wife yet scarce intorred and with whose warm blood his embrued hands yet reaked Consider this I say and you shall easily be perswaded with me that the insatiable Prince glutted with the satiety of one and out of the desire of variety seeking to enjoy another did more willingly give ear to the treacherous calumnies of the malicious Popelings than either befitted an upright Judge or a loving Husband For it seemeth wonderful strange to me that either the fault of the one or the pleasing conditions and fair language of the other Wife should so far possess the King as that he should procure his Daughter Elizabeth to be by Act of Parliament declared illegitimate the Matrimony contracted with both the former Queens Catharine and Ann to be pronounced invalid and the Crown to be perpetually established on the posterity of the third Wife or if the King had no Issue by her that then it should be lawful for him by Will and Testament to transfer it on whom he pleased Parliaments were not then so rigid but that they could flatter the Prince and condescend to his demands though unjust even in cases which most nearly concerned the publick Weal But servile Fear is oft times more ready than Love which slowly moves by apprehension of Good as the other is quickly forced by the apprehension of Danger On the twentieth of May the King married Jane Seymour Daughter of Sir John Seymour who on the nine and twentieth of May being Whitsonday clad in Royal habiliments was openly shewed as Queen So that the Court of England was now like a Stage whereon are represented the vicissitudes of ever various Fortune For within one and the same Month it saw Queen Ann flourishing accused condemned executed and another assumed into her place both of bed and honour The first of May it seemeth she was informed against the second imprisoned the fifteenth condemned and the seventeenth deprived of her Brother and Friends who suffered in her cause and the nineteenth executed On the twentieth the King married Jane Seymour who on the nine and twentieth was publickly shewed as Queen The death of this innocent Lady God seemed to revenge in the immature end of the Duke of Richmond the King 's only but natural Son a Prince of excellent form and endowments who deceased the two and twentieth of July for whom the King a long time after mourned In the mean time on the nineteenth of July John Bourchier Lord Fitz-waren was created Earl of Bath whose successours in that Honour were his Son John who begat John deceased before his Father whose Son William is now Earl of Bath At what time also Thomas Cromwell a poor Smith's Son but of a dexterous wit whose first rising was in the Family of Cardinal Wolsey in whose service by him faithfully performed he grew famous was made Lord Cromwell many dignities being also conferred on him to the increase of his estate and honour For first he was Master of the Rolls and principal Secretary of Estate then Sir Thomas Bolen Earl of Wiltshire resigning he was made Lord Privy Seal and after that dignified with the unheard of Title of The King's Vicar general in affairs Ecclesiastical For the authority of the Pope being abrogated many businesses daily happened which could not be dispatched without the King's consent who not able to undergo the burthen alone conferred this authority granted him by Act of Parliament on Cromwell not for that he thought a Lay-man fitter for this dignity than a Clergy-man but because he had determined under colour and pretence thereof to put in execution some designs wherein the Clergy in all probability would have moved very slowly and against the hair He was therefore President in the Synod this year Certainly a deformed spectacle to see an unlearned Lay-man President over an assembly of sacred Prelates and such as for their Learning England had in no preceding Ages known the like For indeed Henry is for that much to be commended who would not easily advance any one to place of Government in the Church but whom his Learning should make worthy By the authority of this Synod a Book was set forth wherein many points of Doctrine being proposed to be by the Curates expounded to their Parishioners mention was made of only three Sacraments Baptism the Eucharist and Penance some Holy-days also were abrogated and other things pertaining to Religion and Ecclesiastical discipline somewhat changed wherewith many were offended who preferred prescript Errours before the Truth The same time the Parliament assembled the fourth of January permitted all Monasteries the Revenues whereof exceeded not two hundred Pounds a year to the King's disposal who causing them to be suppressed to the number of three hundred seventy and six entred upon their Lands amounting to thirty two thousand Pounds a year and selling their goods even at very low rates most men accounting it sacrilegious to set to sale the goods of the Church raised above an hundred thousand Pounds These things of themselves were distastful to the vulgar sort Each one did as it were claim a share in the goods of the Church For many who being neither Monks nor relied to Religious persons did receive no profit of Ecclesiastical goods did notwithstanding conceive that it might hereafter come to pass that either their Children Friends or Kindred might obtain the places yet supplied by others
the Judges and chief Lawyers of the Realm at his left hand sate the Temporal Lords and behind them the Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber Lambert being brought to the Bar Day Bishop of Chichester by the King's appointment made an Oration wherein he declared the cause of this meeting saying That Lambert having been accused of Heresie before his Ordinary had made his Appeal unto the King as if expecting from his Majesty more favour for Heresie than from the Bishop So that he now found it to be true whereof he had been oft informed That the credulous People were verily perswaded that his Majesty abhorring the Religion of his Ancestors had embraced the new Tenets lately broached in Germany True it was the tyranny of the Court of Rome had been troublesom to his Predecessors but to Him intolerable and therefore had He shaken it off That Religion might no longer patronize Idleness He had expelled Monks who were no other than Drones in the Bee-hive He had taken away the idolatrous worship of Images had permitted to his Subjects the reading and knowledge of God's Word hitherto prohibited by the Church of Rome lest their wiles and cozenages should be discovered And had made reformation in some other things peradventure of less moment which no man could deny would much redound to the good both of Church and Commonwealth But as for other things He had determined there should be no change in the Church during his Reign Which his Resolution He now intended publickly to manifest His Majesty's desire was That the Delinquent renouncing his Errours should suffer himself to be received into the bosom of the Church To which end partly and partly to shew that He thirsted not after any one's blood out of his elemency He had procured the presence of those Grave and Learned men meaning the Bishops who by Authority and force of Arguments should if it were possible bring back this strayed Sheep into the Fold of the Church But if he perversly oppugned the Truth and all perswasions notwithstanding became immoveable He would by this man's exemplary punishment make known what others should in the like Case expect and instruct the Judges and Magistrates what they ought to do therein The Bishop having ended the King demanded of Lambert What he thought of the presence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament Whose answer being little to the King 's liking reasons and arguments were produced as if a Disputation in the Schools and not a Justiciary Session had been appointed Five whole hours this Disputation lasted the King being as it were Prior Opponent Archbishop Cranmer also and nine other Bishops forcibly pressing upon poor Lambert But neither this course nor the battery of threats and terrours prevailing against his constancy the King commanded the Lord Cromwell to pass sentence of condemnation upon him by virtue whereof within a day or two after he was burned Neither this dreadful Sentence nor his torturing death did any way appale him which he so little regarded that going to his death he merrily took his Breakfast with some Gentlemen into whose company he chanced as if he had been going to some sportful Game rather than his Execution ANNO DOM. 1539. REG. 31. ON the third of March Sir Nicholas Carew Knight of the Garter and Master of the Horse was beheaded for being of Counsel with the Marquess of Exceter and the Lord Mountague And on the eight and twentieth of April a Parliament began wherein Margaret Countess of Salisbury Mother to Cardinal Pool and Daughter to George Duke of Clarence who was Brother to Edward the Fourth was attainted of high Treason and condemned without hearing and with her the Cardinal her Son Gertrude Widow to the Marquess of Exceter Sir Adrian Fortescue and Sir Thomas Dingley Dingley and Fortescue were beheaded on the tenth of July and the Countess being then aged threescore and ten years suffered two years after In the same Parliament it was Enacted That the King might erect new Episcopal Sees in opportune places of the Realm For the performance whereof and of some other things no less specious the late dissolution of those Abbeys whereon the King seised was confirmed and all Religious Houses as yet unsuppressed were granted to the King for ever Upon notice whereof many either out of guilt of conscience or desirous to purchase the King's favour surrendred their charge even before they were required And first of all the Abbot and Convent of St. Albans the first Abbot of the Realm as St. Alban was the first Martyr which Honour was conferred on this House by Pope Adrian the Fourth whose Father had long lived a Monastical life therein forsake their rich Abbey seated near the ruins of Verolamium once a great and antient City and leave it to the mercy of the Courtiers Which dereliction afforded matter of example to many other few enjoying that security of conscience that they durst lay claim to their own Only three were found whose innocence made them so regardless of threats promises or reward that they could never be induced to betray the goods of their Churches to the merciless impiety of sacrilegious Harpies Which three were John Bech Abbot of Colchester in Essex Hugh Faringdon Abbot of the Abbey of Reding built by Henry the First for the place of his Sepulture and Richard Whiting Abbot of Glastonbury one of the stateliest and antientest Monasteries of Europe being first builded by Joseph of Arimathea who buried the Body of our Saviour Christ and is himself there interred as is also beside some Saxon Kings that most renowned King Arthur whose glorious Acts had they been undertaken by a fit Historian would have ranked him among the antient Worthies without the help of a fabulous Romance Against these men therefore other courses not availing that one was taken of administring the Oath of Supremacy which they refusing are as enemies to the Estate condemned of high Treason Bech was hanged at Colchester and Faringdon with two Priests named Rug and Ognion at Reding Whiting a man very aged and by reason thereof doating scarce perceiving that he had been condemned returning from the place of Judgment which was in the Bishop's Palace at Wells distant from Glastonbury four miles with conceit that he was restored to his Abbey was suddenly rapt up to the top of the Tor a Hill that surveys the Countrey round about and without leave of bidding his Convent farewel which he earnestly begged was presently hanged the stain of ingratitude sticking fast to the authors of this speedy execution of whom the poor Abbot is reported to have better deserved With Whiting were two Monks also executed named Roger James and John Thorn their Bodies all drawn and quartered and set up in divers places of the Countrey The punishment of these few so terrified the rest that without more ado they permitted all to the King's disposal The number of those that were supprest is not easily cast But the names of
admitted to intimate familiarity and made use of their counsels and endeavours as if he had advanced them to no other end but to depress them Wolsey had his turn Cromwell succeeds whose sudden downfal there want not those who attribute to God's Justice inflicted on him for the Sacriledge whereof he was reported to be the Author committed in the subversion of so many Religious Houses And indeed even they who confess the rouzing of so many unprofitable Epicures out of their dens and the abolishing of Superstition wherewith the Divine Worship had by them been polluted to have been an act of singular Justice and Piety do notwithstanding complain of the loss of so many stately Churches dedicated to God's service the goods whereof were no otherwise employed than for the satisfaction of private mens covetousness and although many have abused the Vail of Religion yet was that Monastical life instituted according to the pious example of antient Fathers that they who found themselves unfit for the execution of worldly affairs as many such there are might in such their voluntary retirements spend their days in Divine Writings or Meditations and are verily perswaded that for the taking away of these things God was offended both with the King and Cromwell But Sleidan peradventure comes nearer the matter touching the immediate cause of his death About this time saith he the King of England beheadeth Thomas Cromwell whom he had from fortunes answerable to his low parentage raised to great Honours repadiates the Lady Ann of Cleve and marrieth Catharine Howard Daughter to the Lord Edmond Howard who was Brother to the Duke of Norfolk Cromwell had been procurer of the Match with Ann. But the King loving Catharine is thought to have been perswaded by her to make away Cromwell whom she suspected to be a Remora to her advancement The actions of Kings are not to be sifted too nearly for which we are charitably to presume they have reasons and those inscrutable But let us see the process of this Divorce Six months this conjugal band lasted firm without scruple the King and Queen giving daily testimonies of their mutual love On the twentieth of June the Queen is willed to remove from London where the King stayed by reason of the Parliament to Richmond a place pretended in regard of the situation and air to be more for her health On the sixth of July Reasons are proposed by certain Lords purposely sent to the lower House of Parliament demonstrating the invalidity of the King's Marriage with the Lady Ann so that it was lawful for them both to marry where they pleased The same reasons are alledged in the Convocation-House and generally approved Whereupon the Queen also whether forced or willing consenting the Parliament pronounced the Marriage void What the allegations were is uncertain Some relate disability by reason of some defects to be objected to her which seems the more probable for that in her Letters wherein she submitted her self to the judgment and determination of the Parliament she affirmed that the King never knew her carnally Whether for this or for that Nature having not over-liberally endowed her with Beauty but a private woman she became and as such not enduring to return to her friends with dishonour she lived upon some Lands assigned her by the King who always used her respectively until the fifteenth of July Anno 1557 at what time she ended her discontented life and lieth buried at Westminster on the South side of the Quire in a Tomb not yet finished Scarce had the resolution of the Convocation-House and the Decree concerning it passed both Houses when this lusty Widower with as good success as before marrieth his fifth Wife Catharine Howard When their Nuptials were celebrated is not known but on the eighth of August in Royal habiliments she shewed her self as Queen The fautors of Reformation were much dismayed at the sudden unqueening of Ann fearing not without cause lest it proving occasion of enmity between Henry and the Princes of Germany he must of necessity rely on them who misliked our divorce from Rome But the King proceeding still in the course he had begun like a torrent bearing all before him not only caused three Anabaptists to be burned but also many sincere Professors of the Truth for not subscribing to the Six Articles Among whom three Divines were most eminent viz. Robert Barnes Doctor of Divinity Thomas Gerard and William Jerome Bachechelors who by Parliament unheard being condemned for Heresie were on the one and thirtieth committed to the torments of the merciless fire At the same time and place three other Doctors of Divinity viz. Powel Able and Fetherston were hanged for denying the King's Supremacy the sight whereof made a French-man cry out in these words Deus bone quomodo hic vivunt gentes suspenduntur Papistae comburuntur Antipapistae Good God how do the people make a shift to live here where both Papists are hanged and Antipapists burned In August the Prior of Dancaster and six other for defending the Institution of the life Monastical a crime now become as capital as the greatest being also condemned by Act of Parliament were hanged The same day with the Lord Cromwell the Lord Hungerford was also Beheaded As their causes were divers so died they alike differently Cromwell's conscience quietly welcomed death to the other suffering for that most unnatural crime of Sodomy death presented it self with that horror that the apprehension of it made him as impatient as if he had been seised with a frenzy ANNO DOM. 1541. REG. 33. THe late Yorkshire Rebellion was not so throughly quenched but it again began to shew it self but by the punishment of the chief Incendiaries it was quickly suppressed Fourteen of the Conspirators were put to death Leigh a Gentleman Thornton a Yeoman and Tattershall a Clothier at London Sir John Nevil and ten others at York Which Commotion whether raised in favour of Religion or being suspected that it had any abettors beyond the Seas is thought to have hastened the death of the long since condemned Countess of Sarisbury who on the seven and twentieth of May was Beheaded in the Tower The eight and twentieth of June the Lord Leonard Grey Deputy of Ireland did on the Tower Hill publickly undergo the like punishment He was Son to the Marquis of Dorset near allied to the King and a brave Martial man having often done his Countrey good service But for that he had suffered his Nephew Gerard Fitz-Gerard Brother to Thomas lately executed proclaimed enemy to the Estate to make an escape and in revenge of some conceived private injury had invaded the Lands of the King's friends he was arraigned and condemned ending his life with a resolution befitting a brave Souldier The same day Thomas Fines Lord Dacres of the South with some other Gentlemen for the death of one Busbrig slain by them in a fray was hanged at Tyburn Many in
the last year of Henry his Reign who having tired himself with the French Wars began at length seriously to bethink himself of Peace Neither was Francis less desirous of his Friendship To this end Deputies from both sides meet often between Guisnes and Ardres For Henry the Earl of Hertford Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the Viscount Lisle Lord Admiral Sir William Paget Secretary of Estate and Dr. Wotton the first Dean of Canterbury For Francis the Admiral Annebault Raymond first President of Rouan and Boucherel Secretary After many consultations a Peace was concluded on these Conditions That Francis within eight years should pay fourscore hundred thousand Crowns to the King as well for the arrerage of his Pension as for many other expences made by him in War in the fortification of Boloign and of the Countrey And upon receipt of the said Summ Henry should deliver unto the King of France Boloign and all the Countrey belonging to it with the ancient places or newly edified by him Mont-Lambert the Tower of Ordre Ambleteul and others with all the Artillery and Munition in them For the confirmation whereof the Viscount Lisle was sent Ambassador into France and from thence came the Admiral Annebault to receive the Oaths of each King and the Peace was Proclaimed in London On the sixteenth of July were burnt at London for their Religion John Lassels Nicholas Otterden John Adlam and Ann Askew a young Gentlewoman aged twenty five of an ancient Descent excellent beauty and acute wit whose examinations writings tortures and patient suffering are at large set down by Mr. Fox being before their Execution by Dr. Schaxton exhorted to Recant as he then was forced who some years passed had resigned his Bishoprick to enjoy his Conscience And here I may not omit an addition to the septenary number of Sleepers William Foxley a Pot-maker in London who without any touch of any preceding infirmity was seised with such a dead sleep that for fourteen days and fifteen nights no force nor invention could awake him on the fifteenth day this miraculous sleep forsaking him he was as it were restored to life and found as sound and entire as if he had taken no more than an ordinary repose Neither would he believe that he had taken other but that the building of a certain Wall made it apparent to him how much time he had slept away He lived above forty years after viz. to the year 1587. Let us conclude this year with the death of Martin Luther that famous impugner of the Church of Rome who being sent for by the Counts of Mansfield to compose some differences between them concerning their inheritance died among them in his Climacterical year and after much contention for his Body lieth buried at Wirtenberg ANNO DOM. 1547. HEnry long since grown corpulent was become a burthen to himself and of late lame by reason of a violent Ulcer in his Leg the inflammation whereof cast him into a lingering Fever which by little and little decaying his spirits he at length began to feel the inevitable necessity of death The cogitation of many things as in the like exigents usually happeneth oppressed him and chiefly of his Son's nonage but now entring into his tenth year an age infirm and opportune to treacheries against which he found small provision in his Friends having none amongst those on whose Loyalty he chiefly relied of so sufficient eminency as to underprop his weak Estate with those supporters of Royalty Power and Authority His Brother-in-Law the Duke of Suffolk was lately deceased Seymour the young Prince's Uncle was a man whose Goodness was not tempered with Severity and being descended of a Family more ancient than noble as having until now never transcended Knighthood would be subject to contempt They who more nearly participated of the Blood Royal as they any way excelled in Power or Virtue were the more suspected and hated by him The Family of the Howards was then most flourishing the chief whereof was Thomas Duke of Norfolk a man famous for his exploits in France Scotland and elsewhere long exercised in the School of Experience many ways deriving himself from the Crown popular of great command and revenues But the edge of the old man's disposition made mild and blunted with age administred the less cause of suspition Of his eldest Son Henry Earl of Surrey the King was certainly jealous and resolved to cut him off He had lately in the Wars of France manifested himself heir to the glory of his Ancestors was of a ripe wit and endued with great Learning so that the Elogy afterwards given to his Son Henry that He was the Learned'st among the 〈◊〉 and the Noblest among the Learned might have as fitly been applied to him was very gracious with the people expert in the Art Military and esteemed fit for publick Government These great Virtues were too great Faults and for them he must suffer Treason is objected to him and upon the surmise he and his Father sent to the Tower On the thirteenth of January he is arraigned the chief point of his accusation whereon they insisted being for bearing certain Arms which only belonged to the King and consequently aspiring to the Crown Of other things he easily acquitted himself and as for those Arms he constantly affirmed that they hereditarily pertained unto him yet notwithstanding he would not have presumed to have born them but being warranted by the opinion of the Heralds who only were to give judgment in these cases The Judges not approving of his answer condemn him and so the Flower of the English Nobility is on the nineteenth of January beheaded the King lying in extremity and breathing his last in Blood The Duke was adjudged to perpetual imprisonment where he continued until he was by Queen Mary set at liberty The King his disease growing on him at last makes his Will wherein by virtue of a Law lately Enacted he ordains Prince Edward his Successour in the first place and in the second Prince Edward dying Issueless substitutes the Lady Mary begotten of Catharine of Arragon and upon the like defect of Issue in Mary in the third place substitutes the Lady Elizabeth These three reigned successively and accomplished the number of fifty six years at the expiration whereof Queen Elizabeth ended her long glorious Reign and left the Diadem to King James in the many regards of his Learning Religion Goodness peaceable and happy Reign the Mirrour of late Ages The next care was of his Executors whom he also appointed Tutors shall I say or Counsellors to his Son and were in number sixteen viz. Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Wriothsley Lord Chancellour William Paulet Lord Saint-John John Russel Lord Privy Seal Edward Seymour Earl of Hertford John Dudley Viscount Lisle Lord Admiral Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of Duresm Sir Anthony Brown Master of the Horse Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Sir William Paget Sir William Harbert Sir Thomas
retreated to Guisnes The Fort at the Tower of Ordre fortified both by nature and art gave a period to this years success standing resolutely upon defence until the extremity of Winter forced the French to raise their siege The loss of these small pieces set the Protector in the wane of the vulgar opinion and afforded sufficient matter for Envy to work on Among the Lords of the Privy Council the most eminent was the Earl of Warwick a man of a vast spirit which was the more enlarged by the contemplation of his great Acts performed both abroad and at home He had long looked a squint upon Somerset's greatness whom in a favourable esteem of himself he deemed far beneath him and was withal perswaded that could he but remove the Duke due regards would cast the Protectorship on him The consideration also of the Duke's nakedness disarmed of that metalsom piece the Admiral En quo discordia Fratres Perduxit miseros made his hopes present themselves in the more lively shapes He seeks about for sufficient matter wherewith to charge the Duke who could not be long ignorant of these practices against him The Duke finding himself aimed at but not well discerning whether the Earl intended a legal or military process against him on the sixth of October from Hampton-Court where the King then resided sent Letters to the City of London requiring from thence an aid of a thousand men who should guard the King and him from the treacherous attempts of some ill affected Subjects And in the mean time presseth in the adjacent Countrey where having raised a reasonable company he the same night carried away the King attended by some of the Nobility and some of the Council from thence 〈◊〉 Windsor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place because fortified more safe and convenient for resistance But the Earl had made a greater part of the Council who accompanied him at London To them he makes a formal complaint against the Protector beseeching them by their assistance to secure him from the Protector 's malice who 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 him for his life These Lords send a contre Letter to the 〈◊〉 demanding aids of them for the delivery of the King our of the hands of his Enemy for so they were pleased to term the Duke Then they send abroad Proclamations wherein they insert the chief heads of their accusation as that By sowing seeds of discord the Duke had troubled that setled and peaceable 〈◊〉 wherein King Henry had left this Kingdom and had been the chief cause that it had lately 〈◊〉 engaged in Civil Wars to the loss of many thousand lives That many Forts conquered by Henry with hazard of his Person were by the Duke 's either cowardise or treachery regained by the Enemy That he regarded not the advice of the rest of the Lords of the Council and had plainly neglected King Henry's Instructions concerning the Government of the Kingdoms of England and Ireland That his chief studies and wherein he was most seen were to rake up Wealth to maintain a Faction among the Nobility and yet comply with both parties for his own advantages to build stately Palaces far exceeding the proportion of a Subject and that even in the very instant that the Estate did shrink under the burthen both of intestine and forein Wars The Duke certified of their proceedings and seeing himself forsaken for the Londoners being prepossessed were so far from supplying him that they at the same time afforded his Adversary five hundred and the greatest part of the Nobility had by joyning with the Earl made their cause one at last forsook himself also and craving of the adverse party that they would abstain from violence toward him and proceed only according to the usual courses of Legal tryal delivered the King to their tuition and remitted himself to their disposal by whom on the fourteenth of October he was committed to the Tower together with Sir Michael Stanhop Sir Thomas Smith Sir John Thin and some others On the tenth of November died Paul the Third having sate Pope near about fifteen years The Conclave of Cardinals consulting about the election of a new Pope began to have regard of Cardinal Pool in whom the greatness of his Extract his Virtuous Life Gravity and admirable Learning were very considerable motives The Conclave was at that time divided some were Imperialists some French and a third Part whereof the Cardinal Farnese was principal stood Neuter These later at length joyning with the Imperialists cast their unanimous Votes upon Pool Who upon notice of his Election blamed them for their rashness advising them again and again that they should not in their Consultations be misled by perturbation of mind or do any thing for friendship or favour but totally to direct their cogitations to the honour of God and the profit of his Church Pool himself having thus put off the matter the French Cardinals began to alledge That in regard of the difficulties of ways and distance of places many of the Colledge were yet absent and that there was no reason why they should with such precipitation proceed to a partial Election before the Conclave were full The Cardinal Caraffa who some years after was Pope by the name of Paul the Fourth a wayward old man whose cold spirits were set on fire by Envy and Ambition sought to make use of Pool's Modesty to his own advantage hoping himself as eminent and in as fair a way as any of the Colledge Pool excepted might be advanced to the Chair and to lessen the favour of the Conclave towards Pool he betook himself to calumnies accusing Pool of suspition of Heresie and Incontinency that In Germany and his Legacy at Trent he had too much favoured the Lutherans had often entertained Immanuel Tremellius had enrolled Antonio Flaminio suspected of Lutheranism in his Family and promoted him to many Ecclesiastical Dignities and in his Legacy at Viterbo used not that severity against that sort of men that was requisite Neither could that composed gravity so free him from the taint of looseness but that many were of opinion he had cloistered a Virgin of his own begetting That he wondred what the Conclave meant with so impetuous a current to proceed to the Election of this one man and he a Foreiner As if Italy it self were so barren of deserving men that we must be fain to send for this man out of Britain almost the farthest part of the known World to invest him in the Papacy whereof what would be the effect but that the Emperour at whose devotion this man wholly was might once again make himself Master of Rome now by indulgence as before by force To these allegations Pool's reply was such that he not only cleared himself but also quickned the almost extinguished desires of the Conclave to elect him The major part whereof assembling at his Chamber by night wished Ludovico Priulo the Cardinal's bosom-friend between whom the correspondence of of their
lest it might prove an occasion of Sedition and Civil Tumults The Archbishop Cranmer did for a while refuse to subscribe to it not deeming it any way agreeable to equity that the right of lawful Succession should upon any pretences be violated But the King urging him and making Religion a motive which was otherwise likely to suffer after a long disceptation he was at length drawn to assent But these delays of his were so little regarded by Queen Mary that under her scarce any man was sooner marked out for destruction Some few days after these passages on the sixth of July in the sixteenth year of his age King Edward at Greenwich surrendred his Soul to God having under his Tutors reigned six years five months and nineteen days and even in that tender age given great proof of his Virtue a Prince of great Devotion Constancy of Mind Love of the Truth and incredibly Studious Virtues which with Royal Greatness seldom concur Some three hours before his Death not thinking any one had been present to over-hear him he thus commended himself to God O Lord God free me I beseech thee out of this miserable and calamitous life and receive me among the number of thine Elect if so be it be thy pleasure although not mine but thy Will be done To thee O Lord do I commend my Spirit Thou knowest O Lord how happy I shall be may I live with thee in Heaven yet would I might live and be well for thine Elects sake that I might faithfully serve thee O Lord God bless thy People and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy People of England defend this Kingdom from Popery and preserve thy true Religion in it that I and my People may bless thy most Holy Name for thy Son Jesus Christ. Then opening his Eyes which he had hitherto closed and seeing Doctor Owen the Physician from whose report we have this Prayer sitting by Are you there quoth he I had not thought you had been so near who answered I heard you speak but could not collect your words Indeed replied the King I was making my Prayer to God A little after he suddenly cryed out I faint Lord have mercy upon me and receive my Soul which words he had scarce spoken ere he departed Much might be spoken in praise of this Prince but regardful of my intended brevity I will only give you a tast of him out of Cardan who about a year before travelling through England toward Scotland was admitted to his presence The conference between them he thus describeth Aderant illi speaking of the King Gratiae Linguas enim multas callebat Puer c. He was stored with Graces for being yet a Child he spake many Languages his native English Latin French and as I hear was also skilled in the Greek Italian Spanish and peradventure some others He wanted neither the rudiments of Logick the principles of Philosophy nor Musick He was full of Humanity the relish of Morality of Gravity befitting Royalty of hopes great as himself A Child of so great Wit and such Expectation could not be born without a kind of Miracle in Nature I write not this Rhetorically with the excess of an Hyperbole for to speak all the truth were to speak far more Being yet but in his fifteenth year he spake Latin as readily and politely as I could What faith he is the subject of your Books De Rerum Varietate I had dedicated them to his Majesty Card. In the first Chapter I shew the long hidden and vainly sought after causes of Comets King And what is the cause Card. The concourse and meeting of the lights of the erratick Stars King But being the Planets are moved with several motions how comes it to pass that the Comet doth not either presently dissolve and scatter or move with their motion Card. It moves indeed but with a far swifter motion than the Planets by reason of the diversity of the aspect as we see in Crystal and the Sun when a Rainbow rebound upon a Wall for a little change makes a great difference of the place King But how can that be done without a subject for the Wall is the subject to the Rainbow Card. As in the Galaxia or Milky-way and in the reflection of lights when many Candles lighted are set near one another they do produce a certain lucid and bright mean You may know the Lion by his paw as they say For his ingenuous nature and sweet conditions he was great in the expectation of all either good or learned men He began to favour Learning before he could know it and knew it before he knew what use to make of it O how true is that saying Immodicis brevis est aetas rara senectus Immoderate growths short liv'd are aged seld He could give you only a tast of his Virtue not an example When occasion required a Majestick gravity you should see him act an old man in his affability and mildness he shewed his age He plaid on the Lute accustomed himself to publick affairs was liberally disposed c. So much Cardan His Corps was on the ninth of August with no very great pomp interred at Westminster near to his Grandfather Henry the Seventh And here had I with this King's death concluded this Second Part had not the consideration of a memorable Enterprize of this King 's occurred To Sebastian Cabota a Portugueze for his admirable skill in Cosmography and the Art of Navigation he allowed an Annuity of an hundred sixty six Pounds Edward by this Cabota's perswasion on the twelfth of May set forth three Ships under Sir Hugh Willoughby for the discovery of unknown Regions in the North parts of the World The main hope of this Voyage was that way to open a shorter passage to those vast Countries of the East Cathay and China Near upon the Coast of Norway these Ships were so severed by Tempest that they never met again One of these great Ships terrified with the greatness of irresistable dangers quickly returned home Sir Hugh Willoughby arrived at last at a Countrey under the Latitude of seventy four degrees not inhabited hitherto to us unknown and was forced to winter there where he and all his Company were frozen to death The Ship was afterward found by some the like English Adventurers and in his Desk a writing relating the Adventures of each day his Will also by which it appeared that he lived until January Richard Chanceller with the third Ship making a more prosperous Voyage after many dangers and incertainties arrived at last among the Russes and Muscovites To these parts some few years after he made a second Voyage but in his return suffered wreck on the Scottish Coast where seeking to save the Muscovite Ambassador he himself was drowned Howsoever he were unfortunate he opened a rich Vein of Traffick to succeeding times whereby we have an exact discovery of that Countrey and of the
might not be invested in the Archbishoprick which he himself for the former reasons hoped to attain But while Gardiner was wholly intent to this project Death had a project on him and cut him off by the extremity of a Dropsie which swelling from his Feet and Legs up to his Belly dispatched him on the twelfth of November who was with great Solemnity interred in his Cathedral at Winchester The Emperour Charles the Fifth having determined to resign the Empire and his Kingdom on the five and twentieth of October at Brussels where all the Estates of his Realms were assembled transferred all his Kingdoms and Dominions on his Son Philip whom he had formerly made King of Naples and Sicily and betook himself to the rest of a private life ANNO DOM. 1556. REG. MARIAE 3 4 PHILIPPI 2 3. TO begin the year with its first day on the first of January Nicholas Heath Archbishop of York was made Lord Chancellour In March a Comet in the twentieth degree of Libra was seen from the fifth to the seventeenth of the same month On the thirteenth of March a counterfeit Edward whose true name was William Fetherstone was Executed for a Traytor He being a Miller's Son in stature and lineaments of Body not much unlike the deceased King Edward and his Age also agreeable had been the last year publickly whipped through London for affirming himself to be the King But not sufficiently terrified by the smart of this punishment he again betakes him to the same Imposture privately affirms himself to be King Edward and causes Letters to be cast abroad that King Edward was alive for which he was at length deservedly Hanged And now we are at length come to the narration of the memorable Martyrdom of the Archbishop Cranmer Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester being dead Cardinal Pool as yet the Pope's Legate appointed James Brooke Bishop of Glocester for Cranmer's Tryal forasmuch as they judged it unlawful to punish an Archbishop but by leave from his Holiness John Story and Thomas Martin Doctors of Law Commissioners for the Queen accompanied the Bishop to Oxford that the Authority Royal might countenance the Delegates proceeding In St. Maries Church they had high Seats purposely erected for them Brooke sitting under the place where the consecrated Host did usually hang in a Pix beside him sate Martin and Story but a little lower and Cranmer habited like a Doctor of Divinity not like a Bishop was brought before them Being told that there were those who represented not only her Majesties person but also of the most holy Father the Pope he with due reverence saluted Story and Martin but would not so much as vouchsafe to cast his Eyes toward Brooke and that not as he afterward confessed out of contempt of the man whom he formerly loved but that he might not seem to acknowledge the Pope's Authority he having by Oath to King Henry obliged himself to the contrary especially in England where he could make no pretence of right Then each of them exhorted him to change his Opinion and return to the Union of the Church But he not regarding their admonition they cite him to appear within fourscore days before his Holiness which with her Majesties consent he promised he would But the Pope not expecting his coming within twenty days after by Letters to the King and Queen commanded him to be Condemned and committed to the Secular power After the intercourse of a few days new Authority is by the Pope granted to Boner Bishop of London and Thirlby Bishop of Ely for Cranmer's degradation from Orders both Presbyterial and Archiepiscopal and he then to be delivered over to the secular Magistrate to suffer for Heresie which was accordingly performed on the fourteenth of February Those Saint-like men Cranmer Ridley and Latimer as long as they lived did by Letters exhort each other to a generous Constancy for the maintenance of the truth of the Christian Faith But the other two Champions having made their way to Heaven and left him alone not plied with such firm Exhortations out of desire of longer Life his Constancy began at length to be shaken and that by the subtilty and daily perswasions of a Spanish Frier So being seduced with hope of pardon he retracts what-ever he had before written in defence of his Religion which Retractation was after printed and published But that little availed him For whether that Pool would not be longer excluded from the possession of the Archbishoprick or that which seems more probable the Queens inveterate hate and desire of revenge for her Mothers Divorce which could not be otherwise satiated than with the Blood of this grave man were the cause He being now confident of Life is presently rapt to the place of Execution and there cruelly Burned where Ridley and Latimer had five months before been crowned with Martyrdom On the day appointed for his Execution a Sermon by the appointment of the Cardinal was Preached by Dr. Cole Thither was Cranmer brought and placed conveniently near the Pulpit where Cole exhorted him to a constancy in that Faith which he was now content to acknowledge and that even unto Death which was now by the appointment of the Magistrate to be inflicted on him this very day God's wrath for the Death of Fisher and More could not otherwise be appeased but by his Blood But before his Death would he by a publick Confession testifie his sincere Conversion to the Union of the Church he should do an act most acceptable to God and men If with this unexpected news Cranmer were amazed I do not at all wonder But he recollecting himself stood up and without any sign of fear made a quick Oration to the Assembly wherein having premised many things concerning morality and amendment of life he repeats the principal points of his Doctrine briefly explains his Faith affirmeth That under the authority Papal the Kingdom of Antichrist was contained and established and lastly demonstrates how much he had offended God by the abnegation of the Truth He professeth therefore that he had resolved that his right Hand wherewith he had so horribly sinned by Subscribing to the Doctrine proposed by the enemies of Truth should first feel the smart of punishment when he would have proceeded to speak more the multitude of Romanists whose expectation he had so finely deluded with clamours and scoffs interrupted him and hurried him away presently to the place of Execution There was then to be seen a sad Spectacle and such as would I will not say have extorted pity from his very Enemies but have expressed tears from a Flint The chief Prelate of the Realm lately flourishing by reason of his power and favour of Princes a man of most holy conversation for his age aspect feature learning gravity and rare gifts of mind deservedly most Reverend clad out of intent to expose him to mockery in an obsolete garment for so had the Papists
that it shall not remain undetected And the Queen although blindly misled in matter of Religion was so exact a fautrix of Justice that she was utterly averse from all mention of pardon So this Nobleman had the punishment due to his offence only in this preferred before other Murtherers and Parricides that he was not strangled with an Halter of Hemp but of Silk The seven and twentieth of April Thomas Stafford landing in the Northern parts of the Realm having raked together a small company of Exiles and some Foreiners surprized Scarborough Castle then as in time of Peace utterly destitute of provision for resistance Having thus seized on a place of defence he makes Proclamation that Queen Mary having her self no right to the Crown had betraied it to the Spaniard exhorting the people with him to take Arms for the recovery of their lost Liberty But by the diligence of Nicholas Wotton Dean of Canterbury then Ambassador for their Majesties with the French all his designs were revealed to the Council before his arrival in England So by the industry of the Earl of Westmerland he was within six days taken brought to London and on the eight and twentieth of May Beheaded Strechley Proctor and Bradford the next day following him but in a more due punishment being drawn hanged and quartered whom they had followed in their treacherous attempts The Emperour Charles having bequeathed the inheritance of his hate to France with his Crown Mary could not long distinguish her Cause from her Husbands Wherefore on the seventh of June the Queen set forth a Proclamation to this effect that Whereas the King of France had many ways injured her by supporting the Duke of Northumberland and Wyat in their Rebellions against her and that his Realm had been a receptacle for Dudley and Ashton who with the privity of his Ambassador had in his house contrived their treacherous designs and after their escape into France had been relieved by Pensions from the King as also for having lately aided Stafford with Shipping Men Money and Munition thereby if it were possible to dispossess her of the Crown She gave her Subjects to understand that they should not entertain Traffick with that Nation whose Prince she accounted her Enemy and against whom upon farther grievances she determined to denounce War Although these things were true yet had she abstained from denunciation of War had not the five years Truce between Philip and Henry by the Pope's instigation been lately broken by the French and so War arising between them she would not make her self and her Husband two For the Pope having long since maligned the Emperour knowing that he after the resignation of his Estates to his Son Philip had withdrawn himself into Spain by the Cardinal of Lorain still solicited the French King to arms against the Spaniard promising to invest him in the Kingdom of Naples Henry upon these fair hopes undertakes it and Mary resolves to assist her Husband That Mary took arms in the behalf of her Husband Pope Paul was much displeased And being he could not be revenged on her who indeed was the sole cause of our breach with France he determined to pour out his wrath on Pool whom he ever hated but now he thought he had more cause to manifest it because Pool knowing that this War was set on foot by the Pope had by Letters and Ambassadors sought to appease him and that though with most humble reverence yet roundly and according to his Conscience Having abrogated Pool's Legation he repeals him to Rome and for supply of his place he creates one Francis Petow a Franciscan Frier Cardinal and Legate and a little after designed him Bishop of Sarisbury The Queen having intelligence of these proceedings took especial care that Pool might have no notice of them prohibiting not only this new Cardinal to enter the Realm but all others whom she suspected to bring any Mandates to that purpose and with exact diligence causing his Letters to be intercepted by her Orators at Rome certified his Holiness what a hazard the Catholick Religion not yet fully established would incur if he should endeavour the disgrace of so great a man whose authority had been much availeable for the conversion of the Nation But while there is this intercourse between the Pope and the Queen concerning this matter Pool having some way or other had an inkling of it abstained from having the silver Cross the Ensign of his Legation born before him neither would he afterward exercise his authority Legantine until by the intercession of Ormaneto the Pope's Datary in England he was restored to his dignity By this time the War was very hot on both sides Philip besieging St. Quintin in Picardie with thirty five thousand Foot and twelve thousand Horse which number was after increased by a thousand Horse four thousand Foot and two thousand Pioners out of England under the Command of the Earl of Pembroke For the managing of this War Philip set sail out of England on the seventh of July On the tenth of August the French endeavouring to put Succours into the Town are overthrown The Spaniard chargeth the Constable Montmorency in his retreat routs the French and kills two thousand five hundred A Victory not so great in the execution as in the death and captivity of many brave men The Constable was wounded and taken Prisoner with his Son as also the Dukes of Montpensier and Longueville Ludovico Gonzaga Brother to the Duke of Mantua the Marshal of St. Andrew the Rhinegrave Roche-du-Maine the Count Rochfoucault the Baron of Curton with many other men of mark The chief of them that were slain were John of Bourbon Duke of Anguien the Viscount of Turen N. Tiorcellin Son to Roche-du-Maine the Lords of Chandenier Pontdormy and many others and in a manner all the Foot-Captains Philip lost only fifty men The eighth day after this Victory an assault is given and the Town carried by force wherein were taken the Admiral Coligny with his Brother d'Andelot who shortly after made an escape Jarnac St. Remy Humes and many other persons of quality the Son of the Lord of Fayette Salevert Ogier Vicques La Barre Estang and Gourdes were slain Of the English in this assault few of note were lost beside Lord Henry Dudley youngest Son to the Duke of Northumberland and Sir Edward Windsore who were the first that advanced Ensign on the Walls This year is alike memorable for the extreme dearth and contemptible cheapness of Corn. A little before Harvest Wheat was sold at four Marks the Quarter within the current of a month it fell to the low rate of five Shillings Wherein I rather admire the ensuing cheapness than the dearth having my self in the year 1597 paid double the former dear price But that which I shall now relate I should deem far more memorable had I not in later times my self seen the like On the night which ensued