that bear an hundred Houses on my back Which Cardinal Wolsey hearing said You might have better imployed it in paying your debts Truth my Lord said the Nobleman you say well for my Father owed my Master your Father three half-pence for a Calves-head hold here is two-pence for it But now whilst the matter of the Kings Marriage hung in suspence the space of two years it hapned that Dr. Cranmer said That the Kings cause would easily be determined by the Law of God which the King hearing of put the Doctor upon the work who thereupon penned a Treatise therein proving by Scriptures General Councils ancient and modern Writers that the Bishop of Rome had no authority to dispense with the Word of God so as contrary thereunto to grant liberty for a man to marry his brothers Wife This he presented to the King which when the King had well read he demanded of the Doctor if he would abide by what he had writ That I will said he by Gods Grace even before the Pope himself if your Majesty shall so appoint Marry quoth the King to him you shall go And accordingly the King sent Thomas Bullen Earl of Wiltshire Dr. Cranmer and other Divines to the Pope who was then at Bonony But when the day of audience was come and Cranmer prepared to defend what he had writ on the sudden all was interrupted by an unmannerly Spaniel of the Earls which seeing the Servus Servorum put forth his foot to be kiss'd caught his great Toe in his mouth 't is said But be it so or not yet this is sure that there was no conclusion of the matter made by the Pope therefore K. Henry resolved to cut the Gordian-knot himself without more ado and withal began to call in question what authority the Pope had in his Dominions which being afterward debated in Parliament an Act passed against his usurped authority or supremacy and all persons were prohibited from appealing or making any payments to Rome and the Kings Marriage with Queen Catharine dissolved and that from thenceforth she should be called only Princess Dowager The Parliament made it appear that in forty years last past then the Court of Rome had received from this Kingdom 160000 pounds for Investitures of Bishops Whilst the Divorce was under debate one Elizabeth Barton commonly called the holy Maid of Kent made a Votaress in Canterbury was taught by Bocking a Monk to counterfeit many Trances and in the same to utter many pious expressions to the rebuke of sin under which she was heard the more freely against the Doctrine of Luther and the Scriptures translation then desired by many Also giving forth from God and his Saints by sundry pretended revelations That if the King proceeded in his Divorce and second marriage he should not reign in his Realm one month after nor rest in his favour one hour But the imposturisme being detected she and seven of her complices were executed at Tyburn for Treason and others of them fined and imprisoned A. D. 1533 and November the fourteenth was King Henry married with Anne Bullen daughter of Sir Thomas Bullen Earl of Wiltshire and June the first she was Crowned at Westminster and on September the seventh following she bare into the World that most excellent Princess Elizabeth A. D. 1534. And A. D. 1535 January 29 She was again delivered of a Child but that was dead Nor had the Queen her self long to live for she was accused of Incest and adultery with her own brother George Lord Rochford who was beheaded for this fact on Tower-hill And May the 19 1536 this Queen was brought upon a Scaffold erected on the Green within the Tower where in the presence of many Noblemen the Lord Mayor and others she said Good Christian people I am come hither to die for according to the Law and by the Law I am judged to death and therefore I will speak nothing against it I come hither to accuse no man nor to speak any thing of that I am accused of and condemned for As for mine own offences God knoweth them and unto God I remit them beseeching him to have mercy upon my Soul and if any person will meddle in my cause I desire them to judge the best And so I take my leave of the World and of you all and do heartily beseech you to pray for me and I beseech Jesus save my Soveraign and Master the King long to live and raign over you the most Godliest Noblest and Gentlest Prince that is These words she uttered with a smiling countenance which done she kneeled down and with a fervent spirit said To Jesus Christ I commend my Soul Lord Jesus receive my Soul And repeating those words very oft suddenly with the sword the Executioner severed her head and body which were buried in the Quire of the Chappel of the Tower T is said that the Lord Rochford the Queens brother coming to her beds-side to sollicite a suit leaned thereupon to whisper her in the ear which the spials gave forth that he did so to kiss the Queen Most probable it is that the crimes which this Queen was charged withal were matters contrived by Popish instruments because she gave great incouragements unto many more publickly and with boldness to profess the reformed religion and procured a toleration for the Protestant Divines Moreover that this Queens death was rather sought for than merited by her seems also very probable because that the next day after her deaâ—h the King was married unto the Lady Jane Seymour daughter of John Seymour Knight About this time began to flourish Thomas Cromwell a Black-Smiths son of Putney whom King Henry first raised to be Master of his Jewel-house then Baron of Okeham then Earl of Essex then Lord great Chamberlain and lastly ordained him Vicar-General over the Spirituality This great Cromwell procured it to be enacted in Parliament That the Lords Prayer Creed and ten Commandments should be read in the English Tongue Other matters also tending to reform the English Church from the Roman corruptions were attempted by Cromwell which did not at all please the Monks and their party The Lincoln-shire men began a commotion under the leading of one Mackarell a Monk who named himself Captain Cobler A Copy of their grievances they sent to the King some of which were The suppression of many religious houses whereby the service of God they said was minished The Kings taking into his Councel men of Low-birth who sought their own lucre That there were divers Bishops lately preferred that had subverted the faith of Christ That by reason of their loss of Sheep and Cattle they were not able to pay the Quindecim or Tax granted to the King c. But these Rioters the King soon pacified with good words In whose steads others rose up immediately for forty thousand rusticks assembled in Yorkshire furnished with horse armour and artillery Their pretence was Religion and defence of holy Church Their Banners
Sparrows being taken and fire fastned to their feet were let fly into the City who lighting among Straw set it on fire whence the City was burnt to the ground but Careticus escaped and fled for safety unto the Mountains of Wales where he dyed From that time forth the Britains lost their whole Kingdom in the East part of the Island and were confined in the West by the Rivers Severn and Dee CAdwan maintained himself and Subjects in great honour and peace CADWAN A D. 635. His first affairs against the Saxons was to revenge the deaths of his Britains and harmless Monks of Bangor slain by wild Ethelfrid the mighty King of Northumberland The Monastery of Bangor in North Wales was situated in the fruitful valley now called the English Mailor containing within it the quantity of a Mile and an half of ground This Monastery as saith Bernard Clarivalentius was the Mother of all others in the World Whose Monks distributed themselves into Seven portions every one numbring 300 Souls and all of them living by the labour of their own hands Many of these Monks assembled at * Chester Caer-Legion to assist their Brethren the Britains with their Prayers against Ethelfrid sirnamed the Wild King of Northumberland who with his Pagan Soldiers set upon the Britains discomfited their host and put to the Sword Twelve hundred of these Christian Monks CAdwallo or Cadwallin the Son of Cadwin warred most valiantly against the Saxons slew the Christian King Edwin of Northumberland CADWALLO A. D. 635. with his Son Osfride in a great and bloody Battel at Heathfield He dyed in peace as the British Writers say and was buried in St. Martins Church in London his Image great and terrible triumphantly riding on Horseback being artificially cast in Brass the Britains placed upon Ludgate to the further fear and terror of the Saxons CADWALLADOR A.D. 685. CAdwallador the Son of Cadwallo with great valour fought against the Saxons but his Nobles dissenting and warring among themselves did much endamage his very hopeful undertakings And by the All disposing hand of Providence so great a dearth befell that Herbs and Roots were the Commons chiefest sustenance Mortality and Pestilence likewise raging so sore and so suddenly that people in their eating drinking walking and speaking were surprised by death and in such numbers that the living were scarce sufficient to bury the dead Which calamities lasted no less than Eleven years whereby the Land became desolate insomuch that the King and many of his British Peers were forced to seek and eat their bread in forain parts But the destroying Angel by Gods appointment having sheathed his devouring Sword Cadwallador was minded to have returned into his native Country with some aids which he had procured of his Cousin Alan King of Little-Britain but was forbid by an Angel as he thought and commanded to go to Rome and there take upon him the habit of Religion which accordingly he did and dyed at Rome where in St. Peters Church he was buried being the last King of the Britains blood about A. D. 689. The most powerful Kings of the Saxon Heptarchy were HEngist HENGIST A.D. 455. who about the 5th year after his arrival in Britain began his Kingdom in Kent He as all the Saxon Kings beside doth derive his original from Prince Woden and his Wife Fria by Wechta the eldest of their Seven Sons being the fifth in Issue from them His Brother Horsa was slain in Battel by the Britains According to some himself dyed in peace others say that he was slain when he had reigned Thirty four years ELla the first King of the South Saxons ELLA A.D. 479. in the Twenty third year of Hengist's Reign brought a fresh supply of Germans to he relief of his Countreymen who landing at Shoreham in Sussex vanquished the Britains in those parts after which he assumed the name of King of that Province CHerdick the first King of the West Saxons CHERDICK A. D. 485. arrived in the Western parts of this Island in the Seventh year of Ella's reign where in his first Battel with the Britains he slew a mighty King of theirs named Natanleod or Nazaleod This Battel was fought in Hampshire near unto a Brook of Water which from Cherdick began to be called Cherdick-ford where now a Town of the same name standeth but by contraction called Charford KENRICK KEnrick the 2d King of the West Saxons inlarged his confines upon the territories of the Britains giving them two great overthrows the one at Searbury in Wiltshire the other at Banbury in Oxfordshire CHELWIN A.D. 560. CHelwin or Cheuline the Son of Kenrick and 3d King of the West Saxons overcame the Britains in many fights also set himself to inlarge his own Territories upon his Countrey-mens For entring Kent in a set Battel he defeated that Kings forces He surprized the Cities of Glocester Bath and Cyrencester slew Three of the British Kings named Coinmagil Candidan and Farimnagil But grown proud through his many victories he tyrannized over his own Subjects which moved them to take part with the Britains against him and at Wodnesbeath now Wansditch in Wiltshire they vanquished and put him to flight forcing him into Banishment in which he dyed EThelbert the 5th King of Kent ETHELBERT A.D. 561. was Married to Berta the Daughter of Chilperick King of France on these conditions That the Lady should enjoy the profession of her Christian Faith and the conversation of Luidhard her learned Bishop About this time it chanced that Gregory the Great then Arch-Deacon of Rome saw certain youths of this Island of Britain brought to Rome to be sold concerning whom he enquired first of what Nation they were and being answered that they were Angles Gregory replied and not without cause are they so named indeed their resemblance is so Angelical and fit it is that they be made inheriters with the Angels in Heaven But of what Province are they in Britain said he and being answered of Deira now great pitty it is said he but that these people should be taken from Deiâ—ira the wrath of God And being told that their Kings Name was Ella he by way of allusion said That Alelujah to the praise of God should shortly be sung in that Princes Dominions to which end when he had attained to be Bishop of Rome he sent Augustin a Monk with Fourty others his assistants which landed in Thanet about A. D. 596 finding at their coming Seven Bishops in the British Churches These Roman Christians sent by Gregory were by King Ethelbert freely permitted to Preach the Gospel and in his chief City of Canterbury he allowed them fit places of residence and to Augustine resigned his own Palace In this City Austin laid the foundation of that great Church dedicated to the name and service of Christ Augustine the Monk and Laurentius A. Bps. of Canterbury And also at his cost built a most fair Monastery wherein
condemned for being engaged in the Rebellion the King fiercely answered A plague upon you for cursed whisperers malicious backbiters wicked Councellors intreat you so for the life of a most notorious Knave who would not speak one word for the life of my most near Kinsman that most noble Knight Earl Thomas By the soul of God this fellow shall dye the death he hath deserved In A. D. 1322. King Edward marched with a mighty Host into Scotland from whence for want of Victuals he was forced in a short time after to return without the honour of any atchievement the Scots also following him at the heels and so suddenly assailing him that he was forced to leave his Treasure and Furniture for pillage to them But by reason of the Interdict which the Pope had put the Scots under in favour of the English a truce was made betwixt the two Nations for thirteen years Which being confirmed Edward took his progress through the Counties of York and Lancaster and Marches of VVales from whence the late seditions had their nourishments there punishing many severely Amongst the rest he caused Andrew de Herkly to be degraded hang'd drawn and quarter'd for trayterously taking part with the Scots Whilst these things were acting young Roger Mortimer having corrupted his Keepers or potion'd them with a sleepy drink escaped out of the Tower getting over into France The Spencers Father and Son one created Earl of VVinchester the other of Glocester behaved themselves exceeding lordly even to the Queen her self whose maintenance they abridg'd to advance their own wealth Many Nobles that had been engaged in the Barons quarrel they put to such excessive rates for purchasing the Kings favour again that utterly impoverish'd them Adam Bishop of Hereford and Henry Bishop of Lincoln for the same cause they deprived of all their temporalties But the Queen and discontented Nobles resolve to clear themselves of the Spencers to which end the Queen procured aids out of Henalt and Germany and uniting them with the Barons forces marched against the King who found but few friends because of the mortal hatred that the people generally did bear to the Spencers The Queen lying with her Army at Oxford caused the whole University to be called together When in the presence of the Queen Prince Roger Mortimer and other Nobles the Bishop of Hereford preached to them from that Text 2 King 4.19 My head my head aketh Delivering to them the reasons of the Queens coming with her Army concluding that an aking and sick Head of a Kingdom was to be taken off and not to be tampered with by any other Physick The Londoners stood high for the Queen and Barons cutting off the Bishop of Excesters head whom the Queen had left Guardian of London The Tower they gained into their possession proclaimed John of Eltham Custos of the City and whole Land set at liberty all prisoners The Queen did the like throughout all the Realm by her order also all banished men were revoked whereby no small encrease was brought to the Barons Forces From Oxford the Queen marched to Bristol which she besieged and took and therein Hugh Spencer the elder whom she caused without any form of trial to be cut up alive and quarter'd having been first at the clamours of the common people drawn and hang'd in his proper Armories The unfortunate King being now forsaken of almost all his English subjects after much wandering intrusted himself with the VVelsh who still loved him lying hid in the Abby of Neath till at length after much search he was found out and with him young le Spencer Robert Baldock Chancellor and Simon de Reading were taken King Edward was conveyed to Kenelworth Castle the Lords to Hereford where the Queen lay with her Host Spencer and Simon de Reading were condemned to death by VVilliam Trussel and were both ignominiously hanged The distressed King being now shut up in prison and without hopes of any redemption after he had been much solicited at last yeilded to resign the Crown to his Son Edward which being granted by the King the Lords forthwith proceed to the short Ceremonies of his Resignation chiefly consisting in the surrender of his Crown and Ensigns of Majesty to the use of his Son Prince Edward Sir VVilliam Trussel thereupon in the behalf of the whole Realm renounced all homage and allegiance to the Lord Edward of Caernarvon late King in these words I William Trussel in the name of all men of the Land of England and of all the Parliament Procurator resign to thee Edward the Homage that was made to thee sometime and from this time forward I defie thee and deprive thee of all Power-Royal and I shall never be tendant on thee after this time A.D. 1327. His Issue were Edward John of Eltham Joan and Eleanor In the fourth year of this Kings Reign a Baker named John of Stratford for making bread lesser than the assize was with a fools-hood and loaves of bread about his neck drawn on a Hurdle through the streets of London So terrible a famine was in England that upon St. Lawrence Eve there was scarce bread to be got for sustentation of the Kings household so great a mortality likewise accompanying this dearth that the living were scarce sufficient to bury the dead In the time of scarcity the King set forth an Order That Wheat should be sold in the Market at eleven shillings the Quarter a fat Ox stalled or Corn-fed at 24. Shillings a fat Hog of two years old at three Shillings four pence a fat Hen for a peny and 24 Eggs for a peny but victualls thereby became so scarce in the Markets that this Order was revoked and the people left to sell as they could Mertons Colledge in Oxford brought forth in this Kings and his son Edwards reign those four Lights of Learning namely Jahn Duns called Scotus the Subtil who in a fit of the Apoplexy 't is said was buryed alive Bradwardina the profound Ocham the Invincible and Burlie the Perspicuous And as some say Baconthorp the Resolute was of the same Colledge Now was the Knights-Templars Order universally extinguished Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings Reign In his first Year Sir John Blunt continued Mayor Nicholas Pigot Nigellus Drury Sheriffs In his second Year Nicholas Faringdon was Mayor William Basing James Butler Sheriffs In his third Year Thomas Romaine was Mayor Roger le Palmer James of St. Edmund Sheriffs In his fourth Year Richard Reffam was Mayor Simon Cooper Peter Blackney Sheriffs In his fifth Year Sir John Gisors was Mayor Simon Metwod Richard Wilford Sheriffs In his sixth Year Sir John Gisors was Mayor John Lambin Adam Lutkin Sheriffs In his seventh Year Nicholas Farendon was Mayor Robert Gurden Hugh Garton Sheriffs In his eighth Year Sir John Gisors was Mayor Stephen Abingdon Hammond Chickwel Sheriffs In his ninth Year Stephen de Abingdon was Mayor Hammond Goodcheap William Bodeleigh Sheriffs In his tenth Year John
Commons of England in Parliament assembled have appointed them a High Court of Justice for the Trying of Charles Stuart King of England before whom he had been three times convened and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other crimes and misdemeanors was read in behalf of England c. To which Charge the said Charles Stuart refused several times to answer c. for all which Treasons and crimes mentioned in the Charge this Court doth adjudg the said Charles Stuart as a Tyrant Traytor Murderer and publick enemy to be put to death by severing his Head from his Body This Sentence being read the Members of the Court approved it by holding up their hands His Majesty offered to speak after the Sentence which Bradshaw would not suffer him to do but commanded him to be taken away when in his passing along the Soldiers reviled him with many irreverent taunts blew their stinking Tobacco into his face which they knew to be very distasteful to him and one or two more barbarous than the rest spit in his face the good King wiping it off again and saying My Saviour suffered far more than this for me And when the rude Soldiers instructed by their Commanders cried out Justice Justice Execution Execution this pious King pitied their blindness saying Poor souls for a piece of money they would do as much for their Commanders Such as pull'd off their Hats or bowed to him as he was carrying back to his imprisonment the Soldiers beat with their fists and weapons and knocked down one dead but for saying God be merciful unto him January the 28th this right Christian King was guarded from Whitehall to St. James's where Dr. Juxon Bishop of London preached before him on these words In the day when God shall judg the secrets of all men by Jesus Christ according to my Gospel Rom. 2.16 January the 29th the Lady Elizabeth and Duke of Gloucester being admitted to take their last Farewell of their condemned Father his Majesty after he had given his blessing to the Princess Elizabeth bad her tell her Brother James whenever she should see him that 't was his Fathers last desire That he should no more look upon Charles as his Eldest Brother only but be obedient to him as his Soveraign and that they should love one the other and forgive their Fathers enemies He also bad her to read Bishop Andrews Sermons Hooker 's Ecclesiastical Policy and Bishop Laud against Fisher which would ground her against Popery wished her not to grieve for him for he should die a glorious death it being for the Laws and Liberties of the Land and for maintaining the Protestant Religion Bad her tell her Mother That his thoughts had never strayed from her and that his love should be the same unto the last Then gave her his Blessing bidding her to send his Blessing to the rest of her Brothers and Sisters and commendations to all his friends To the Duke of Gloucester he said He heard the Army intended to make him King but that he told him he must not accept so long as his two Elder Brothers were living commanded him to fear the Lord and he would provide for him Tuesday January the 30th in the morning the Bishop of London read Divine Service in his Majesties presence when the 27th Chapter of St. Mathew's Gospel the History of our Saviours Crucifixion fell out to be the second Lesson After Morning-prayer the King received the Sacrament and performed private Devotions in preparation to his Passion which being ended about Ten of the Clock this most Christian King was brought from St. James's to Whitehall by a Regiment of Foot and a private Guard of Partizans the Bishop on one hand of him and Colonel Thomlinson who had the charge of him on the other both bare headed His Majesty walked very fast and bad them go faster thus saying That he now went before them to strive for an Heavenly Crown with less solicitude than he had often encouraged his Soldiers to fight for an Earthly Diadem Being come into the Cabinet-Chamber in Whitehall where he used to lodg he there pass'd the time for near two hours in his Devotion about Twelve he eat a bit of bread and drank a glass of Clarret and towards One Col. Hacker with other Officers and Soldiers brought him through the Banquetting-house and through a Window of that upon a Scaffold which was hung with Black Divers Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse were placed on each side of the Street which hindred the approach of the very numerous spectators therefore the King directed his Speech chiefly to Col. Thomlinson therein declaring his innocency how that he began not the War with his two Houses of Parliament calling God to witness that he never intended to incroach upon their priviledges but they began upon him and that he believed that ill instruments betwixt him and them had been the cause of all the bloodshed Then acknowledged Gods Judgments to be just upon himself in suffering an unjust sentence to pass upon him for that he had suffered an unjust sentence to be executed upon another meaning upon the Earl of Strafford Then declared himself to be a good Christian having forgiven all the World and even those in particular who ever they were that had been the chief causers of his death desiring God to forgive them and that they might repent of that great sin praying with St. Stephen that this might not be laid to their charge and wished they might take the right way for the peace of the Kingdom which was he said by giving God his due in regulating rightly his Church according to the Scriptures By giving the King his due being directed by the Laws of the Land By giving the people their due in having Government under those Laws by which their lives and goods might be most their own and not be subject to an Arbitrary power for the opposing of which said he it is that I am brought to the Scaffold for if said he I would have given way to an Arbitrary power or way to have all Laws changed according to the power of the Sword I need not to have come here and therefore I tell you and pray God it be not laid to your charge that I am the Martyr of the People Then he declared he died a Christian according to the Profession of the Church of England as he found it left him by his Father After this he discoursed with the Bishop to whom he gave his George to be sent to the Prince then preparing himself for the Block he said I have a good cause and a gracious God on my side I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown where is no disturbance no disturbance in the world Then having said a few words to himself as he stood with hands and eyes lift up he laid his neck upon the Block and after a short pause stretching forth his hands the Vizarded Executioner at one