Oxford where having Recruited his Army he marched to Gloucester which he Besieged And Prince Rupert having taken Bristol and gained some other advantages came to him In the mean while Essex hasted away with the City Trained-Bands and Auxiliaries added to his Army and between the King and him a great Battel was Fought on Newbury-heath soon after for upon his coming having raised the Siege he followed the King and having view'd his Army presently Engag'd and after a sharp Fight the King's Party had the worst And now the Parliament getting the Fleet from Sir John Pennington made the Earl of Warwick Admiral and watched the Coast to prevent the Landing of Foreign Forces and Sir John Hotham and hâ—s Son being Tryed for intending to deliver Hull to the King on some Disgust taken were Condemned and Beheaded and the Parliament proclaimed all Traytors that should assist the King against them with Horse Arms or Money and Treason for any Member of their House to Desert them and go to him And soon after the second Newbury Fight ensued in which the King was worsted and between 4 or 5000 Men Slain on both sides after which the Vxbridge Treaty began But the Parliaments Demands were such that it broke off without coming to any Agreement Whilst these and other matters happened in England the Marquess of Montâ—osâ— with a handful of Men performed Wonders in Scotland overthrowing the Lord Burleigh and divers others but not being Succoured as he expected it onâ—â— diverted the Scâ—ts for a time from entring England And upon the Parliaments passing the Self-denying Ordinance the Earls of Essex Manchester and Denbeigh Surrendred their Commissions in the Lords House and 10000 l. per Annum was Voted to Essex out of Delinquents Estates And now Sir Thomas Fairfax was made General of their Army and Oliver Cromwell Lieutenant-General of the Horse and most of the Commission-Officers were Changed and Col. Mitton Surprized Shrewsbury one of the King's head Garisons York being Relieved by Prince Rupert the bloody Fight at Marston-Moor ensued in which 9000 were Slain which occasioned the Surrendering that City and Col. Massey Defeated the Prince at Lebury But that which most Ruined the King was Naseby Battel where besides the slain the greater part of his Soldiers and Officers were taken Prisoners also divers of his menial Servants his Coach and Cabinet of Letters This Battel was Fought in a Fallow-Field on the North-West-side of Naseby a mile broad which Ground was wholly taken up by the Armies so that the Battel was exceeding bloody both sides being vâ—ry Couragious and Numerous not being 500 Odds And here the King besides his Men lost 12 pieces of Cannon 8000 Arms 40 Barrels of Pouder 200 Carriages and his baggage besides his Treasure that should have paid his Army or raised Recruits and was never after able to recover the Blow but faintly Strugled whilst the Parliament Forces swept away almost all his Garisons Oxford being the last of any Note in which the King was closely Besieged and that City made a very stout Resistance but there being no Army in the Field that could relieve it the King fearing a Storm resolved to go thence privately and cast himself for Protection on the Scots Army that was advanced as far as Southwel and thence to New-Castle The Scots promised him Protection and appeared very Joyful of his Presence among them yet all waa but Dissimulation for the English Parliament demanded his Delivery and they wanting their Pay which they could not by any other means foresee they should have in consideration of 200000 l. they Surrendred him Prisoner and immediately marched back over the Tweed in the mean while Oxford Litchfield Worcester Pendennis the Island and Castle of Scilly and many others Surrendred and the few Parties of Royalists that made Head were frequently routed But briefly to pass over this Bloody Scene which cannot be very Grateful to English-men I come to a close of this unhappy Reign Having got the King in their Hands they sent him Prisoner to Holmby-Castle whilst many earnestly Laboured for an Accommodation the Surry-men Petitioned but were set upon by the Soldiers some Slain and many Wounded nor fared the Kentish-men better At length a Treaty was set on Foot but Letters were purposely scattered to fright the King away intimating Designs against his Life for then he had a kind of Liberty being brought to Hampton-Court in order to the Treaty When escaping into the Isle of Wight he was there made Prisoner by Coll. Hammond in Carisbrook-Castle and it was Voted No further Address be made to the King But that was afterward Annulled and the King's Concessions Voted Satisfactory and things were in a fair way to an Agreement But the Army Officers knowing their Commissions lasted but with the War dealing under-hand with some designing Men in the Parliament-House who under pretence of a Publick Good had all along along aimed at Self-interest the Soldiers being by Interest and Promises made of their Party all such Members as were for the Accommodation were by Military Force excluded the House and the King brought to Hurst-Castle and afterwards to Windsor and his Party went extreamly to wreck at Maidstone Ponifract Bow Stratford Kingston and Colchester after a brave Resistance being taken Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were shot to Death tho' Quarter had been given them And now those Members that were left in the House of Commons contrary to the Consent of the Lords being backed by the Army made an Act as they called it for the Tryal of the King and Erected a Tribunal called by them a High-Court of Justice to that end of which John Bradshaw a Serjeant at Law was President and 56 others as Judges and the King being called before them and accused of several Crimes as that he gave cause for the Cruel Blood-shed in England and Ireland that he had Proclaimed War in setting up his Standard against the Parliament That he had commissioned his Son and others to wage War and therefore was pronounced a Traytor a Tyrant and an Enemy to the Common-wealth of England To this Charge the King refused to Answer or to acknowledge the Authority of the Court offering his Reasons but they were not admitted and being several times brought before them and urged thereunto on his refusal on the the 27th of Jan. 1648. the Sentence was pronounced against him viz. That he the said Charles Steuart was fallen from all Dignity was Guilty of High-Treason and to be put to Death by Severing his Head from his Body for being a Tyrant a Murtherer and an Enemy to the Common-Wealth The Sentence being read the Court stood up in Confirmation of it as an Act and Resolution of them all and the King offering to speak was Violently Hurried away by the Guard And tho' the Dutch Embassador the Scots and most of the English Nobles interceeded to stay Execution he was on the 30th of Jan. 1648. brought from St. James's to White-Hall
and there being attended on a Scaffold before the Banquetting-House by Dr. Juxon Bishop of London he made a Profession of his Innocency and of his Faith forgiving his Enemies and praying to God not to lay his Blood to their Charge seeming troubled that he had consented to the Sentence against the Earl of Strafford and after this and much more to the like Purpose he kneeling down gave the Sign to the Executioner by stretching out his Arms and at one Blow had his Head separated from his Body which being put in a Coffin covered with Velvet was carried to Windsor and buried in a Vault in St. George's Chappel Thus without President fell King Charles when he had Reigned 23 Years 10 Months and 3 Days being the 24th Year of his Reign and 49th of his Age. Put to Death by the Hands of his own Subjects contrary to all Law and Justice universally Pitied but unable to be help'd by his People He was one of the Chastest Princes that ever sate upon the Throne being all along so true to his Queen that he never Defil'd his Marriage-bed And had he not given too much heed to Buckingham Laud and some other fâ—attering Parasites and Courtiers who were continually Buzzing into his Ears nothing but Absolute and unlimitted Power putting him upon Dissolving his Parliaments and then raising Money and Ruling without them as appear'd by his Twelve Years interval of Parliaments viz. from Anno 1628 to 1640. whereby he lost the Love of his People he had never been brought to that dismal Catastrophe but might have Liv'd and Dy'd a Happy Prince And this may be observ'd from this King's Reign as well as from several before That never any Prince fell out with his Parliament and went about to Establish an Arbitrary Power but he not only found himself Mistaken but also thereby made himself Miserable Before the breaking out of this unnatural War amazing Sights were seen in the Air of Firey Men and Horses running at each other with Launces encountring with great Blasts of Lightning and noise of Thunder In Gloucester-shire Spectres were seen in a large Field not far from that City drawn up in Battalia furiously Engaging and then Vanishing to the Amazement of the Beholders The Reign of King CHARLES The Second KING Charles the First being put to Death the Relicks of the Parliament began to take out of the way such Nobles and others as they supposed would obstruct their Proceedings and particularly Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel were Beheaded for Treason pretended against them And now to make their Power the Stronger they combined with the Army-Officers And tho' Charles Son to the preceding King had an undoubted Right to the Kingdom they proceeded to bar him and all the Royal Line as they hoped from the Crown or any other from being King or chief Magistrate unless by Publick Act of Parliament so appointed and that it should be Treason in any to attempt to further King Charles the Second by them generally called Charles Stewart in his Designs to possess the Crown by Proclaiming him or any Assistance given to him taking great care not to admit the Secluded Members lest they should put a stop to the Current of their Proceedings taking down every where the King 's Arms and placing the Harp and Cross in their places called the States Arms and having taken down the late King's Effigies from the Royal-Exchange they caused to be inscribed in the place where it stood in Letters of Gold Exit Tyranus Regum ultimus Anno Libertatis Angliae Restitutiae Primo Anno 1648. Jan. 30. All Titles in Processes of Law were altered and instead of Carolus Dei Gratia c. was put in Custodes Libertatis Angliae c. The King's-Bench was called the Vpper-Bench and a new Stamp was made for Money having on the one side the Cross and on the other the Cross and Harp inscribed The Common-wealth of England on the one side and God with Vs on the other also a new Great Seal was prepared with the Cross and Harp on the one side with this Inscription The Great Seal of England and on the other side the Picture of the House of Commons with these Words In the first Year of Freedom by God's Blessing restor'd 1648. Things being thus Moddelled whilst King Charles was in France Solliciting for Aid to possess him of his Kingdoms Fairfax out of some dislike to the Patliaments proceedings laid down his Commission which was given to Oliver Cromwel who from this time laid the Projection of his future Greatness And indeed in his attempts on Ireland and Scotland he was so Successful as to reduce them to the English Obedience with incredible Slaughter of the Natives However King Charles was proclaimed by his Friends in England and Ireland and soon after in Scotland And now Money being wanting to maintain the Parliaments Armies c. the Crown-Lands Dean and Chapter and Bishops Lands were Sold with many stately Houses and most of the Castles in England Demolished and all Persons expelled from Places of Trust in Church and State that Subscribed not to be Conformable to the New-modelled Government The Scots all this while were Debating how to Restore the King who was in the Isle of Jersey and coming to a Result sent the Laird Libberton and Mr. Windram to him with Proposals the Heads being these 1. That he should Sign the Solemn League and Covenant 2. That he should Pass divers Acts concluded on in the two last Sessions of Parliament in Scotland 3. That he should recall the Commissions given to Montross 4. That he should put from him all Papists and appoint some place in Holland to treat with their Commissioners and give them a speedy Answer And Sir William Fleming being sent by the King to the Estates of Scotland Breda was appointed for the place of Treaty and Commissioners were sent to represent the Kirk and State who delivered what they had in Charge to the same Effect as has been mentioned But whilst the Treaty held the Marquess of Montross making new Attempts was Surprized in Scotland where with much Indignity he was brought to Execution and Hanged on a Gibbet of extraordinary height Dying with a Courage and Bravery suitable to that wherein he had Lived and Quarters were set up in divers places This being done in a full Treaty greatly Displeased the King because he had his Commission and had acted in his Cause but the necessity of his affairs made him pass it over and he Condescended to most of the Proposals The Parliament of England soon heard of their Treaty and to prevent its taking effect sent an Army under Cromwel into Scotland and manning out a Fleet Admiral Blake fell in with Prince Rupert's Squadron sinking and burning most of the Ships he Commanded for the King however matters being agreed on the King hastened to Scotland and Landed at Spey where several Lords came to him and the Town of
Lord Cornwallis Bishopsthorp to the Arch-Bishop of the Province The Reign of King EDWARD the Sixth EDWARD the Sixth the only Son of Henry the Eighth was Crowned at Westminster January 28 Anno Dom. 1547 and Edward Seymour Created Duke of Somerset Unkle to the King by the Mothers side constituted Protector of the King's Person and of the Realm during his Minority and was sent by the Estates into Scotland to require their Young Queen in Marriage with Edward as had been agreed between them and the King's Father but they refusing a Battel was fought in which the Scots were Routed and 14000 of them Slain among which were divers of the Nobility whereupon a great many Towns and Castles fell into the hands of the English This Battel was fought at Musselburg the 10th of September in which the whole Power of that Kingdom was so broken that in many Years they could not recover their former Strength However the Winter coming on the English Army retired into the Northern Borders The next thing taken in hand was to reform Religion and after some contests King Henry's disannuling the Pope's Supremacy was confirmed and whatsoever in his time had been Enacted against the Authority of the See of Rome Images and Statues were cast out of the Churches The Clergy allowed to Marry The Liturgy or Common Prayer turned into English The Sacrament administred in both kinds Auricular Confession abrogated The Scriptures permitted publickly to be Read in English Mass and Praying for the Dead silenced and such of the Popish Clergy as would not Conform to this outed as Gardner Bishop of Winchester Bonner of London Tanstall of Durham Day of Chichester and some others Gardener for contempt was Imprisoned and most of the Bishopricks seized into the King's hands and bestowed on such as would Conform tho' the Nobles much fleeced the Churches Patrimony to enrich themselves The Scots by this time having taken breath surprised Humes and Fas-Castle Garisoned by the English and slew most they found therein through the carelesness of the Centinels which made the Earl of Rutland demolish Haddington as a place not tenable and so retired with the Garrison into England And a contention arising between the Duke of Somerset Protector and Sir Thomas Seymour his Younger Brother who was Lord Admiral upon a Quarrel happening between their Wives the latter having Married Queen Catharine Par Widow to Henry the Eighth it went so far that the Admiral was Accused in Parliament of High Treason in Conspiring to get the King into his hands and by Marrying the Lady Elizabeth to whom indeed he formerly made Courtship in her Right when the King should be made away to Claim the Kingdom and so unheard being Attainted he was Executed on a Scaffold at Tower-Hill protesting to the last his Innocency touching the matter laid to his charge and his Brother was by most blamed for permitting him so easily to be cut off and found in the end that it was chiefly contrived by his secret Enemies to lay him the opener to Destruction which he Escaped not In these times of Reformation Bucer Phagus and Peter Martyr three Learned German Divines came over but the two former soon Dying Martyr Disputed at Oxford about the Sacraments and other material Points and caused a Book of the Disputation to be Printed which opened the Eyes of many to see God's Truth that by Popish Superstition Error and Ignorance had a long time been darkened However the Popish Clergy stirred up divers to Rebel in Devonshire Cornwal and other parts of the Kingdom and especially to the City of Exceter which City for its Loyalty and stout Resistance had not long after the Manner of Exilond bestowed upon it by the King and in memory of their deliverance from a Sack that time the Citizens keep the 6th of August on which the Rebels were Beaten off yearly Holyday and indeed they were so obstinate that till they had been four times worsted by the Lord Russel they gave not over tho' the King offered them pardon however many of the Ringleaders being Taken were Executed and among others the Mayor of Bodmin was Hanged also a Millers Man who took upon him his Masters Name and Cause till seeing he was about to Suffer he recanted and cryed out He was not the Miller but his Man and that his Master Ordered him to do what he had done To which Sir Anthony Kingston Marshal of the Field told him He could never do his Master better Service than to Hang for him and so not being credited he was turned off Long these Western Troubles had not been alayed but others broke out as dangerous in the north under pretence of throwing down Inclosures and Parks that had been taken from the Waste which the Common sort of people claimed as their Right This was chiefly Headed by Robert Ket who took the City of Norwich But the Lord Dudley put them to the Rout caused Ket to be Hanged in Chaines on the top of the Castle and 60 others in divers places 9 of them in the Oak of Reformation a Tree in which Ket used to sit to Judg and Determine of their intended purposes and proceeding as also to order Parties out to Plunder the Houses of such as he judged not well affected to their Cause In Yorkshire others Rose under the Leading of William Omble a Yeoman Thomas Dale a Parish-Clerk and one Stephens a Postmaster but the King sending down his Pardon the common sort left their Leaders to be Lead to York where they were Executed The French taking the Advantage of these Tumults Besieged Bullen and sent a Fleet to pillage the Islands of Jersey and Guernsey from the Islands they were beaten with the loss of 1000 Men and few on our side but on the Main Land having won the out-works of Bullen whilst they pretended to Parley with the English they forcibly entered the Town and after that soon reduced all the Forts and Castles near it except Guisness which held out till the Winter made them raise the Siege You have heard how the Lord Admiral was removed out of the way and now the Duke of Somerset his Brother is to go next For his greatest Enemy Budley Earl of Warwick delay'd not to make a strong Party against him upon secret notice of which he being with the King at Hampton Court sent dispatches to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London immediately to send him 1000 Armed Men to defend the King's Person and himself against the Treachery and Violence that threatened them and that Night removed with the King to Windsor Castle upon this the Earl of Warwick Assembled the Privy Counsellours and other Nobles at London making grievous complaints against the Duke and amongst others That he had laid wait for his Head and so Inveagled them that they joyned with him to send their Letters to the Citizens to Levy Forces for their use in order to Rescue the King out of the hands of his Enemies and as
of the Nation and therein the chief thing insisted on was the Case of those Gentlemen imprisoned for refusing the Loan and who notwithstanding their Habeas Corpus were remanded to Prison After the Debating whereof the Commons resolved Nemine Contradicente 1. That no Man ought to be Restrained by the Command of the King or Privy-Council without some Cause of the Commitment 2. That the Writ of Habeas Corpus ought to be granted upon request to every Man that is Restrained tho' by the Command of the King the Privy Council or any other 3. That if a Free-man be Imprisoned by the Command of the King the Privy-Council or any other and no cause of such Commitment expressed and the same be returned upon an Habeas Corpus granted for the said Party then he ought to be Delivered or Bailed After which the Parliament drew up a Petition against Popish Recusants to which the King gave a full and Satisfactory Answer and then the Commons granted the King Five Subsidies at which he was so pleased that he sent them Word He would deny them nothing of their Liberties which any of his Predecessors had Granted And thereupon the Commons drew up that Memorable Bill called Petition of Right which after many Debates about it passed both Houses and was Presented to the King to which the King answered The King willeth that Right be done according to the Law and Customs of the Realm and that the Statutes be put in due Execution that his Subjects may have no cause to complain of any Wrong or Oppressions contrary to their just Rights and Liberties to the Preservation whereof he holds himself in Conscience as well Obliged as to that of his Prerogative But this Answer not being thought Satisfactory upon their further Application to the King he sent them this short but full Answer Soit Droit Fait come il est desire i. e. Let it be done according to your Desire Which Answer was received with great Joy by both Houses and the Citizens of London who expressed it by making of Bonfires and ringing of Bells And the King for further Satisfaction received again into his Favour Dr. Abbot A. B. of Canterbury Bishop Williams and others and likewise caused the Commission of Loan and Excise to be Cancell'd in his Presence But the Commons after this drawing up a Remonstrance against the Duke and calling in Question the King 's taking of Tunnage and Poundage were Adjourned to the 20th of October several Acts being first passed by them Much about this time Dr. Lamb that had been formerly twice Arraigned once for Necromancy and another time for a Rape was Kill'd by the Rabble in Lothbury for which the City was Fined 6000 l. He was a great Favourite of the Duke of Buckingham's and commonly call'd the Duke's Devil which made him the more Hated After the Duke 's late Expedition to the Isle of Rhee the Earl of Denbeigh Sailed with Fifty Ships for the Relief of Rochel but being repelled with much Loss he return'd back to Plymouth despairing of Success Whereupon the Duke of Buckingham himself resolved to go again with a more considerable Navy but whilst he was at Portsmouth hastening the fitting out of the Fleet one John Felton a Lieutenant Stabb'd him to the Heart with a Knife which he left sticking in his Body till the Duke himself pull'd it out and Died immediately after Felton was soon Apprehended by the Servants and laden with Irons and being ask'd what induc'd him to commit so bloody a Fact he boldly answer'd He Kill'd him for the Cause of God and his Countrey He had likewise fasten'd a Paper in the Crown of his Hat to tell the World in case he had miscarry'd in the Action That his only motive to this Fact was the Remonstrance of the Commons against the Duke and that he could not Sacrifice his Life in a Nobler Cause than by delivering his Countrey from so great an Enemy For this Fact Felton was Condemned and Hanged at Tyburn and his Body hang'd in Chains upon a Gibbet at Portsmouth However the designed Fleet set Sail under the Command of the Earl of Lindsey and came to Rochel-Haven where there was a Barricado of 1400 Yards cross the Channel notwithstanding which the Earl adventured in passing the Forts and Out-works but the Wind changing drove the Ships foul upon each other Which unhappy Accident made the Rochellers despair of Relief and presently Surrendred the Town And the Earl of Lindsey brought the Fleet safe home again The Parliament after some Adjournments sitting again the Merchants who for refusing to Pay Customs had had their Effects seized made grievous Complaints this made the King send for the two Houses to attend him in the Banquetting-House requiring them to pass the Bill for Tunnage and Poundage for the better and more speedy ending all Differences But they replyed God's Cause was to be preferred before the King 's and in the first place therefore they would consult about the Establishment of Religion and so returning they appointed a Committee for that Purpose and another for Civil matters and many were Censured for reflecting on their Proceedings and for Levying Tunnage and Poundage but the King excused the latter as done by his express Command in a time when the Nation was in Danger to be Invaded by Foreigners And that such things had been often done in the Reigns of his Predecessors when Money could not be speedily raised on urgent Necessities in a Parliamentary way However this and other Misunderstandings raised great Heats and Jealousies which were Fomented to that Degree that the Parliament was quickly after Dissolved without passing the Bill of Tunnage and Poundage Soon after which the King publish'd a Declaration of the Cause thereof and eleven of the Members were Summon'd before the Council-Table and all committed to divers Prisons contrary to the Petition of Right so lately confirmed by the King Soon after this a Paper was dispersed containing some Projects how the King might encrease his Revenue without the help of a Parliament and upon Information that the Earls of Bedford Clare Sommerset and others had dispersed some Copies of them they were Committed But Sir David Fowlis making it appear it was a Project of Sir Robert Dudley's Son to to the Earl of Leicester in Italy sixteen Years since and no ways intended at this time to create any Difference between the King and Parliament they were released And now divers Threatning Libels against the chief Ministers of State were scattered abroad and particularly one against Bishop Land assuring him his Life was sought for he being the Fountain of Wickedness c. This made the great Men fear the sitting of another Parliament And it is said Weston the Treasurer advised the King never to call any again And a Book of Projects for Governing and raising Money without Parliaments was presented to the King In January an Embassador from Spain arrived at London whose business was to treat of
away upon the Lemon-Sands and many Worthy Gentlemen were Lost in her but the Duke by the assistance of a Yacht come to help them got off just as the Ship was sinking being reserv'd by Divine Providence as a further Scourge to these Nations About this time also two Famous Embassadors came into England from Princes never known to have sent Embassadors here before the one from the Emperor of Fez and Morocco whose Business was to establish a Peace in relation to Tangier and the other was from the King of Bantam in the East-Indies who presented the King with several Diamonds and other things of great Value And now the World began to see the Cause of the City Charter's being taken away for the Duke of York and his Party that now ruled all things at their own Pleasure were resolved to take off all those Gentlemen that were most Zealous for the Protestant Religion and that in Parliament had been most forward for the Bill of Exclusion And this was to be done by Pretence of a Plot to take away the Life of the King and the Duke and alter the Government and this was pretended to be executed at the Rye-House in Hartfor-shire as the King should come back from New-market and was said to be prevented by a Fire happening at New-Market which caused the King to come away sooner than he intended and so before the Conspirators were ready This Plot was Sworn by one Keeling who had been conversant among the Dissenters For this pretended Plot the Earl of Essex the Lord Russel Lord Howard of Escrick Collonel Sidney and Mr. Hambden of Buckingham-shire were taken up and several others of less Note among whom were Walcot Rouse and Hone which were first Tryed and found Guilty and soon after Executed at Tyburn Walcot declared himself Innocent of any design against the King or his knowledge of any Plot some Words he Confessed had been spoken in his Company by those that were Witnesses against him and which he did not discover Praying God to forgive those who had Causlesly brought him to that undeserved Death Rouse spake much to the same Purpose that he had heard Words about the Feasibleness of seizing the Tower but knew of no such Design But these were but Prologues to the more fatal Tragedies that were after to be acted For the Lord Russel was next brought to his Tryal where the Lord Howard of Escrick and Coll. Rumsey were the principal Witnesses against him the Lord Howard told a story of a Counsel of Six for carrying on the Design consisting of himself Coll. Sidney Mr. Hambden the Lord Russel the Earl of Essex and the Duke of Monmouth and Rumsey gave an Account of a Declaration taken out of Ferguson's Bosom and read at Shepheards The Lord Russel answer'd every Particular and declared his own Inoocency but while he wâ—â— at his Tryal there was News brought that the Earl of Essex in the Tower struck with the Horrour of a Guilty Conscience had cut his own Throat and this was improv'd by the King's Counsel as an Argument of the Lord Russel's Guilt as it is believ'd the Plot had been laid before-hand and accordingly the Jury brought him in Guilty and he was thereupon Condemned and soon after Beheaded in Lincolns-Inn-Fields whose excellent Speech and Behaviour at his Death declaring his Innocency to the very last made very few of the Numerous Spectators unless it were those of the Duke of York's Faction go away with dry Eyes This Noble Lord was the eldest surviving Son of William Earl of Bedford and was a Person of great Honour and Integrity and Zeal for the Protestant Religion which what ever was pretended was his true Crime he being the Person that carried up the Hill of Exclusion to the House of Lords and saying in the House of Commons when Popery began to be Rampant If I can't Live a Protestant I am resolv'd to Dye one The Proceedings against him appear'd so Unjust and his Innocency so clear that the Parliament since this last Revolution took off the Attainder against him and his present Majesty has since his coming in Created his Noble Fathâ—r Duke of Bedford as some Compensation for the loss of so Incomparable a Son as the very Words of the Patent has it Having told you how the News of the Earl of Essex's having cut his Throat in the Tower it will be convenient to give some Brief Account of it That Noble Lord was taken out of his own House at Caisho-Berry near Watford and Committed to the Tower upon this Plot where he sent for his own Servants to attend him and his own Cook to dress his Meat being Jealous perhaps of Sir Tho. Overburies Fate and also sent for his own Wine for his Drinking and hearing that the Lord Russel was to be Try'd that Day order'd one of his Servants to go and take Notes of the Lord Russel's Tryal and bring to him but so it was that that Morning that the Lord Russel was Tryed the King and the Duke went to the Tower where they had not been for several Years before whilst they were there the Duke was for some time absent from the King and soon after he was come to the King again there was News brought to his Majesty whilst he was in the Tower with his Brother that the Earl of Essex had cut his own Throat The King was extreamly Surpriz'd at the News and immediately gave Order to the Lord Allington the Constable of the Tower that his Lodgings should be shut up and no one suffered to go in till the Coroners Inquest had sate upon the Body But notwithstanding this Order of the King 's by the Direction of Some Body else the Body was stript and wash'd and so was the Room also before the Coroners Inquest came and his Cloathes taken away which when the Coroners Inquest desir'd might be brought to them that they might see them were told They were to sit upon the Body and not upon the Cloaths and so were deny'd the sight of them And when they were about adjourning till the next Day before they gave in their Verdict they were told they must give it in presently and not stir till they had done it because the King stay'd for it And so they were hurried into a Verdict of the Earl's being Felo-de-se And when from some Information of a Rasor thrown out of the Window of the Earl's Closet and some other Concurrent Circumstances one Mr. Lawrence Braddon went about to Discover that the Earl was Murder'd and did not Kill himself he was prosecuted for it with the greatest Violence imaginable as if the Discovery of the Earl's Murther had been the Arraignment of the Government After this the Honourable Algernoon Sidney was also Try'd as one of the Council of Six and for Writing and Publishing a Libel tho' it was only found in Writing in his own Closet and not prov'd to be his own Writing neither but by the Similitude of Hands which
County and produces store of large Cattle much Corn plenty of Fowl Fruits Fish wholsom Pastures c. It is Bounded by Darbyshire Notinghamshire Lincolnshire Rutlandshire Northamptonshire and Warwickshire It is divided into 6 Hundreds containing 192 Parishes 11 Market Towns and one noted River It sends Members to Parliament 4 viz. Leicester 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire Leicester is pleasantly seated on the River Stower and well compacted being the County Town and a place of considerable Trade it is of great Antiquity as held to have been Builded by King Leir a famous British King for which cause it was antiently called Leir-Cester Lutterworth gave Birth to the famous John Wickliff who was Parson of it and the first English Reformer or Detector of the Errors in the Church of Rome frequently Writing and Disputing against them in the Reign of Edward the Third for which many snares were laid to take his Life by the Romish Clergy but he escaped them and Dyed a natural Death leaving the Candle of Truth Lighted by which John Huss Jerome of Prague Luther and others took their prospect of a happy Reformation that soon after ensued Bosworth is Memorable for the Battel fought near it on Redmore August 22 Anno Dom 1485 wherein Richard the Third was slain by the forces of Henry Earl of Richmond and his Crown found in a Hawthorn Bush which was placed on the Earles Head and he Proclaimed King which put an End to the fatal Feuds between the Houses of York and Lancaster In the West of this County once stood Clycester a famous City in the time of the Romans called by them Bennone though now nothing but a few Ruins of it remain The other Towns of note are Mountsorell Loughborough Waltham on the Woald Ashby-de-la-Zouch Bildsdon Lutterworth Harborough c. At Cole-Overton in the Hundred of West Goscot and other parts of this County great store of Pitcole is digg'd of a Bitumencus Nature very hard and fast about Luterworth are Allomey Veins and Welâ—s whose Waters strained through them are Medicinal and Petrefying so that it is said they turn Straw and Sticks into Stone by reason of their Exceeding Coldness near Belvoir-Castle on a R ck are found Snake Stones Cockle Stones and Star Stones The Seats of the Nobility are Pleasantly Situate viz Garerton one of the seats belonging to the Late Duke of Albemarle Burbage to the Earl of Kent Belvoir-Castle partly in Lincolnshire to the Earle of Rutland Ashby-de-in-Zouch Donington-Park to the Earl of Huntington Broadgate and Grooby to the Earl of Stamford Stanton-Bruâ—nell to the Earle of Cardigan Ashby-Folville to the Lord Carrington Besides these there are iâ— great many fine Houses of the Gentry standing sightly to the Fields and Roads some Parks and store of Ganie at all proper Seasons CHAP. XI An Account of the Norman Original How they came to be called Normans With a Description of the Dutchey of Normandy c. BEfore I enter upon the particulars of the Reign of William the First stiled the Conquerer I shall take the Method observed upon other Turns and Changes of Government viz. To give some Account of these New Invaders who at last laid claim to England by Conquest These Normans so called from the Northern Climes which first produced them were composed of Norwegians Swedes and Danes who finding their Country too straight for them betook them to the Seas to seek their Fortunes and practiced Piracies upon the Coasts of Belgia Frizia and England on the latter of which they Landed under the Leading of Rollo their Duke and became very troublesom to the English Saxons between whom there was great Wars Till at last Rollo Dreaming He sat on the highest Hill in France and a pleasant Spring Issued out of a Rock on which he laid his Head running down in many Streams to which flocked a number of Birds with Red Brests to Drink the Water and then flew to fragrant Groves where they Sung so Melodiously that he was Ravished with their Notes and beneath this Hill he fancied there lay so pleasant a Country that the like he had never beheld in his Life When Waking much pleased with his Dream he sent for a Monk of Crowland accounted a great Diviner telling him his Dream and demanding the Interpretation of it who willing for his Countrys sake to be rid of such troublesom Guests told him at an adventure as is supposed That the Fates had Decreed him to settle his Dominions in one of the most pleasant Countries of France Which he gave creadit to and perceiving England much wasted and impoverished by a tedious War and a Famine that then raged having exacted some Aides and Supplies of Money he Transported his Forces over the Narrow Sea and Warred five Years with such Fury on the French that fearing to lose all Charles their King Sirnamed the Simple gave him his Daughter Gilla in Marriage and as her Dowry the Peaceable Possession of what they had already gained by the Sword which being modeled into a Dutchy they called Normandy which Name through all the changes of that Kingdom it bears to this day This Rollo was great Grandfather to Richard the Fifth Duke of Normandy Elder Brother to Robert Father to William the Conquerer As for a Brief Description of the Dukedom of Normandy once a Patrimonial Inheritance of the Kings of England and to which they now have a Right It is Bounded on the East with the Isles of France at the River Epta which passes by the City of Gisors on the West with Britany the Antient Armorica and a Collony of the Britains from which it is separated by the River Crenon Northward by the Sea on the South with the Country of Mayne and is divided by the River Seine Abundantly Rich in Merchandize through the commodiousness of its Havens and Rivers The People are the most Subtil Apt and Ingenious of all the French Provinces yet Affable Curteous and greatly enclined to Learning Their Manufacture consisting most in Wooll and Linnen Cloth the Country producing no Vines capable of making good Wine unless about Caen a very pleasant City The chief City is Roan very famous for many Sieges as in the Series of History will appear having an Arch Bishop whose Jurisdiction extendeth to the River Oyse and a Parliament till of late that the French King has assumed such a Despotick Power and much lessened its Authority was usually held here for the consulting the good of the Province The other Cities of note are Auranche Argences Alancon Falaise Fecham Newhaven or Haver-de-Grace St. Valery Sileaux Constance Manta St. Michale and divers Walled Towns to the number of Eighty So that when the French by reason of our Civil Dissentions wrested it from us they plucked one of the fairest Jewells out of the English Diadem which in time we may yet hope to regain especially under the Auspicious Reign of WILLIAM the Third our present Heroick and Victorious King The Reign of WILLIAM the First
which made them divide into parties to decide their Quarrel by the Sword yet the King fearing this might Involve many of his Subjects in Ruin and shake the Quiet of the whole Kingdom interposed his Authority and Mediation to make them Friends But whilst this was doing Prince Edward the Kings Son taking advantage of their difference departed secretly from Court and consorting with the Earls of Glocester and Warren Sr. Roger Mortimer and others they raised an Army on the Marches of Wales and fell on the Earl of Leicesters Forces with such fury near Eversham in Worcestershire that they totally Routed them and in this Battel the Earl of Leicester Simon his Eldest Son Sr. Hugh Spencer and many others of note were Slain and so enraged were the Soldiers that they dispitefully used the Earls dead Body by cuting off the Head Hands Feet and Privy Members sending them into divers Shires as Trophies of their Victory This turn of fortunate Success so ellevated the drooping King that he resolved utterly to throw off his Fetters and assume his Kingly Authority uncontrouled whereupon whilst his Enemies were full of fear and mistrust and their strength in a manner utterly broken he summoned a Parliament which conforming to his will more through dread of his Anger than voluntarily Repealed the Laws and Ordinances made in the Oxford Parliament disannuling the Authority of the Twelve Peers and all Patents Commissions and Instruments whatsoever that tended to the Establishing and Ratifying those things were by the Kings express Commandment brought forth publickly Cancelled and made void by which means he regained his former Power and Liberty to say and do as he pleased This Parliament was no sooner ended but the King expressed his anger towards the City of London because as is alledged the Rulers and Inhabitants had always despised him and taken part with the Barons against him vowing to consume it with Fire and leave it in a heap of Rubbish as a lasting Monument of their Rebellion to succeeding Ages and so firmly had he determined it That all his Friends and Favorits had much ado to avert him from this purpose nor could it be done till the Citizens caused an Instrument in Writing to be drawn and Ratified it with their common Seal by which they Confessed their Rebellion humbly craving Pardon and without any restraint or exception submitted their Lands Goods Lives and the whole City to the Kings Grace and Mercy Whereupon paying 1000 Marks Fine they were Restored to their Liberties and Customs which had been seized into the Kings hands during which space they had suffered much dammage yet for what Wrongs soever they received they could find no Redress And many Robberies and Piracies during the Wars being committed by the Inhabitants of the Cinque-Ports to hinder his Courts of Justice being pestered with many Complaints he ordered they should be heard in the Courts within the Jurisdiction of those Ports where the Persons agrieved expecting little redress because the Inhabitants were parties few Complaints after that were made Gilbert Clare Earl of Glocester by his revolt from the Barons and joyning his Interest with the Prince expecting high preferment for the success that had given the King all these Advantages and not meeting with it agreeable to his mind grew angry and Meditating Revenge retired from Court into the City where the Citizens forgeting how lately they had been Pardoned and the danger they were in flocked to him in great Numbers and then Sallying through Temple Bar went to the Kings Palace at Westminster which they Rifled with the Houses of many Court Favourites in and out of the City This Outrage made the King pronounce no less than utter Destruction to them But the Prince and Kings Counsellours fearing such severity might renew the Civil War as dangerous as ever with much ado pacified him so far that he Granted a Pardon to the Earl of Glocester and all that had Acted in the late Tumult Yet the Earl finding but cold Entertainment at Court fearing some mischief might befal him at home Made it his request to the King that he would send him with an Army to make War in the Holy Land This motion tho' it tended to much charge and expence pleased the King well for he considered if he continued at home he would still be Plotting but abroad he could little injure the quiet of the Government so that an Army being raised the Earl repented him of his Undertaking and feigned so many causes for delay that the King took the Command out of his hand and gave it to Prince Edward who Transported the Army into Palestine and by his valorous Acts brought such a Terror on the Turks and Sarazens That they seldom if they could avoid it adventured themselves against the Christians in that Quarter where the Prince drew up and the Terror of his coming made them raise the Siege of the City of Acon which they had pressed hardly for a long time with 100000 Men which made them secretly contrive his Death For a Sarazen under pretence of delivering him a Letter Stabbed him in the Arm with an Impoisoned Knife whereupon the Prince struck him down with his Foot and upon the noise his Guards coming in cut the Villan in pieces yet so desperate was the Wound by reason of the venom that the Surgeons declared That unless any at the hazard of their Lives would daily suck the Wound to draw away the Poison his Life could not be saved this when all his Courtiers strained Courtesie to do or utterly refused was undertaken by Elianor his virtuous and loving Wife Sister to the King of Spain who had accompanied him in that tedious Journey and yet she was not at all injured by it And now the King having had some Peace was a little disturbed by a Tumult in Norwich who Burnt the Monastery of the Trinity but he hasting thither they dispersed yet escaped not so for a strict enquiry being made into the matter 50 of the chief Actors were Drawn Hanged and Quartered and their Quarters Burned Soon after this the King fell Sick and Dyed at the Abby of St. Edmund's in Suffolk on the Sixteenth of November Anno Dom. 1275 in the 57th Year of his Reign and 65th of his Age. He was Buried with great Magnificence at Westminster In this Kings Reign an Imposture at the Provincial Synod at Oxford suffered himself to be Wounded in the Hands Feet and Sides saying he was Christ and a Woman that went about with him called herself the Virgin Mary but being taken and closed up between two Walls they there miserably perished On St. Paul's Day in the 15th Year of his Reign such an unusual Thunder and Lightening happened That whilst Roger Niger Bishop of London was at Mass in St. Paul's the Cathedral was so shaken that the People verily supposed it would have falln and that they should have been burned with the flashes of Lightening whereupon all except the Bishop and Arch-Deacon ran
Liberty if he would have joyned with the Welsh and some English Nobles that were fled thither he rather chose to endure Extremities than to comply with them Whereupon they solicited the Scots who Invaded the Northern parts of the Kingdom doing much Mischief but the King soon requited it by entering Scotland and laying all waste before him However he no sooner returned but the Scots re-entered England with 20000 Men committing many Barbarous Cruelties but being Encountered by Henry Sirnamed Hotspur Son to Henry Piercy Earl of Northumberland 10000 of them were Slain and 500 taken Prisoners and of note Mordacke Earl of Fiffe Archibald Earl of Douglas Thomas Earl of Murray and Robert Earl of Angus The following Year the French sent 12 Ships with 1200 Nobles Gentlemen and others to assist the Welsh but most of them were Shipwrack'd on the Point of Cornwal and the rest with much difficulty returned to France yet soon after he Landed 12000 Men in Wales to assist Glendour and his Rebellious Companions who joyned them with 10000. But upon the Kings approach with an Army the Welsh fled into the Woods and Mountains leaving the French to shift for themselves which made them hasten to their Ships and return to France without doing any thing Memorable which made the French King become a Jest to the English viz. That he was often Big but never Brought-forth Notwithstanding King Henry to Strengthen his Interest Abroad Married Jane Widow to John the deceased Duke of Britany and gave Blanch his Eldest Daughter to William Duke of Bavaria Son and Heir Apparent to the Emperour Lewis of Bavaria and some time after Philippa his Youngest Daughter to the King of Denmark In the Third Year of his Reign he required Henry Piercy Earl of Worcester Henry Piercy Earl of Northumberland and Piercy Hotspur his Son to deliver up the Scots Prisoners taken in the late Battel on the Northern Borders but was Answered Those Prisoners were theirs by Right of War and they would not part with them desiring him at the same time to Ransom his Cousin Mortimer but this he refused alledging That he had voluntarily made himself a Prisoner to give Glendour and other his Accomplices a colourable pretence for Rebellion seeing he was so near Allied to the Crown and therefore his own Safety and his good Discretion gave him Advice not to hearken to their Motion but to punish his offence This much displeased the Piercies and designing to Levy War against the King they Ransomed Mortimer at their own charge secretly entering into a League and Friendship with Glendour they promised him great matters when King Henry by their United Strength should be Deposed then they Engaged the Scots Prisoners to take part with them also the Earl of Stafford Richard Scroop Arch Bishop of York and many others and as they had done against Richard so they framed and published Articles against him as to his Misdemeanours in Government false claim to the Crown charging him with the Murther of King Richard his Lawful and Rightful Soveraign also his refusing to Ransom his Cousin Mortimer who was taken Fighting in his Cause but rather wished he might die in a loathsome Prison because the Crown of Right belonged to him as being Son and Heir to Philippa Daughter and Heiress to Lionel Duke of Clarence Elder Brother to John of Gaunt Father to Henry whom they stiled a Usurper This made many joyn with them so that their Army became very Formidable to the King And to bind the Welsh more firmly to them Edward Mortimer Earl of March Married Glendour's Daughter by which means in a little time they flattered themselves they should have a King of England of the Antient British Blood And indeed a very great danger about this time threatened the King for a Calthrop or Engin with three very sharp Teeth or Spikes was placed in his Bed which had certainly procured his Death had he suddainly lain down upon it but it was timely Discovered yet the Party who placed it could not be made known and divers Gray Fryers scattering defamatory Libels against the King several of them were taken and Hanged The King finding his greatest advantage now lay in Expedition suddainly raised an Army and by long Marches prevented the Earls joyning with the Welsh so that both Armies meeting near Shrewsbury Piercy Hotspur a Person of undaunted Courage no sooner saw the Royal Standard but he resolved to throw his Fortune on the hazard of a Battel so the Charge being Sounded the Scots gave the first onset and Fought desperately but were over-born and a great part of them Slain yet notwithstanding the Lords renewed the Battel with great fury and obstinacy perswading themselves of good success until the King and the Prince his Son determining by Honourable Death to leave their Bodies in the Field rather than fall into the hands of their Enemies or betake them to shameful flight and leave their Men a Sacrifice behind them redoubling their Strength and Valour set such Examples to the rest that the declining Battel was restored and Piercy Hotspur with many of chief Command being Slain the Lords Army fell into rout and confusion so that in the Field and Pursuit 6000 were slain the Earls of Worcester Douglas and many others were taken Prisoners and a famous Victory was obtained and it is said the King slew in this Battel 36 with his own hands but because the Earl Douglas in single Combate had fought with him and approved himself a valiant Man he had his Liberty granted without Ransom but the rest of the Prisoners had not that good luck for the Earl of Worcester and several of the chief were Beheaded many of a lower degree Hanged and Quartered and their Heads placed on London Bridge In this Battel the King lost not above 600 Men. To follow this lucky Success the Prince was sent into Wales with part of the Army where he found Owen Glendour forsaken by most of his Companions and with the rest for his safety he retired into a vast Wood which being encompassed and narrowly watched he was there with many others Famished to Death and such as were taken by hunting and beating that Wood suffered by Execution And hereupon the Prince returned to the King and in the mean while the Earl of Northumberland came and submitted himself to the Kings Mercy and tho' he was excused it was with no hearty goodwill but rather to prevent the Castle of Berwick and other strong Places on the Frontiers from falling into the hands of the Scots as being held by such Officers as the Earl had appointed under him These Troubles were no sooner over but Lewis Duke of Orleance sent the King in a Bravado a Challenge to meet him and a Hundred French with a Hundred English to Combate it for Honours sake in an indifferent place whereto the King returned Answer That his former Actions in Warlike undertakings could clearly acquit him from the imputation of Cowardize and that Kings
if he might and with this Answer the Ambassadors departed much dissatisfied Whereupon King Henry settling his Affairs appointing his Mother Regent and joyning to her Council many grave Persons for the Management of the Government he Marched his Army to the Sea Coast And now the Dauphin began to play another game for Richard Earl of Cambridge Henry Lord Scroop and Sir Thomas Grey three approved Captains Bribed by him with vast Sums resolved to Seize the King and carry him into France or if that proved too difficult to Murther him in his Tent before he took Shipping but this Treason being timely Discovered and made out by Proof and their own Confessions they were the day after their Tryals Executed in the Camp and as soon as the Wind served in 140 Ships he Transported his Army to Normandy and in 34 Days Took Hareflew on the River Seine Inriching his Army with the Spoiles and placing the Duke of Exeter his Unkle as Captain there and a Garrison of 1500 Men. He resolved because the Season advanced apace to March over-Land to Callis and Winter there The Dauphin by this time had got a very numerous Army in the Field and was attended by almost all the Nobility and Gentry of the French Nation and having notice of King Henry's March it was Debated whether he should be suffered to pass to Callis or be Fought with by the way at last in the French Kings Council by far the greater Number it was carried to give him Battel since he had passed the River Soam and was intangled in the Country his Army consisting but of 2000 Horse and 13000 Archers and Men at Armes many of them being Sick and wanting mostly Provisions whereupon a Herald was sent to him with Defiance commanding him to prepare within a few days for the Battel To this he presently Answered That his Army being afflicted with Sickness and Wants he was bending his Course to Callis to Refresh his Men and therefore would not seek his Enemy but if they dared to Interrupt him in his Passage he was of sufficient Force to Repel all Violence which the French Nation should oppose against him upon this Answer a Proclamation was put out That all who loved their Country and were desirous to fight for Honour should straight-waies repair to the French Kings Standard so that the Army soon encreased to upward of 60000 mostly Horse consisting of the Flower of the French Nation King Henry was not Ignorant of this nor of their hasty Marches towards him so that pitching his Tents between the Towns of Balangie and Agincourt in the County of St. Paul he resolved to expect them which was not long so that in a manner Incompassing his little Army with their Multitudes they were so sure of Victory that they made great Fires and held Revels in their Camp whilst King Henry and his People were in a deep Humiliation desiring assistance of God On the 25th of October Anno 1414 The Armies on both sides were set in Array each dividing into three Battels King Henry's Vaunt-Guard was Commanded in chief by the Duke of York the Main-Battel by himself and the Rear-Guard by Thomas Duke of Exeter and to prevent any suddain breaking in of the French Horse he caused his Archers and Men at Arms to be invironed with Stakes six or seven Foot long headed with sharp Iron which fastened at one end in the Ground might easily upon occasion be removed on the Wing as the French Horse were to come on he placed in a Meadow 1500 Archers having a Ditch before them that could not easily be Leaped and when Sir Walter Harpington Marshal of the Field cast up his Gantlet the whole Band of Archers were to deliver their flights of Arrows with a great shout all which was so exactly observed That the French Horse of their first Battel were no sooner within the danger of the Ambush but they were gauled by the Archers and many of their Riders thrown to the Ground and trampled to Death Then the English Vant-guard let fly dimming the Air with their showers of Arrows working a miserable Destruction to the French so that by the unruliness of the wounded Horses this Battel soon fell into disorder and confusion pressing violently upon one another breaking in upon the Foot for Retreat and doing great mischief which the English perceiving slung their Bows and with Mawls Axes Swords Gleves and Bills made an incredible slaughter among them and having put these to the Rout they run fiercely on the middle Battel of the French who for a while Fought with great Courage and Resolution and having done them considerable mischief they seemed Politickly to Faint and Retire which was to train the Enemy on their sharp pointed Stakes and it so well succeeded that the French Horse rushing on furiously without seeing the danger were miserably Goared stopping one another and making a Barricade for the English whilst they had leasure to ply them with their flights of Arrows till in a short time that Battel as the former was altogether in Rout and Confusion and then the English breaking in as before the King fought hand to hand with the Duke of Alanson and was so violently striken by him that it broke the small Crown he wore on his Helmet that day to distinguish him in the Battel and he had nearly taken him Prisoner but the King recovering from the Stund he received from the forcible blow slew two of his Companions and beat him down whereat he cried out I am your Cousin Alanson spare my Life and tho' the King laboured to do it his Guards were so enraged against him for endangering the Life of their Soveraign that they slew him as he lay on the Ground This Battel being utterly Defeated the Third which consisted almost all of Foot being Charged and fearing to be Incompassed threw down their Arms and as many as could fled but great Numbers who could not fell on their Knees and begged Quarter which was granted But fatally to them in the close of the Fight Robinet of Bonvile with 600 of those Horsemen which had first acquitted the Field entered the Kings Camp Guarded only by Lacquies and Scullions and slew many of those weak Defendants who raising a doleful cry the King verily supposed fresh Forces were come to Engage his weary Soldiers and there being almost as many Prisoners as he had Men of his own fearing they should Revolt and do him great mischief in a renewed Fight he caused it to be Proclaimed on pain of Death That all ordinary Prisoners should immediatly be put to the Sword which was accordingly done to about 8000 but when the King knew the true cause of the new uproar and had slain almost all those 600 that rifled his Camp he condemned himself of too much Cruelty in putting the Prisoners to the Sword when he had given them Quarter bewailing it with Tears and caused his Surgeons to lookafter such as yet weltered in their Blood or there
their Ransom to pay him 356000 Crowns and swear Fealty to him and his Successors and with this Capital City went the currant of the rest so that he became sole Master of Normandy Upon this the Duke of Burgundy came to King Henry under safe conduct to treat of an Accommodation but whatever the King asked was denied which made him in a passion Swear That he would have the Lady Catharine in Marriage and what he demanded with her or otherwise he would ere long drive both him and his Master out of the Kingdom To which the Duke Replied Those words were easie to be spoke but that he must take much Labour and Toil to make them good After this the Duke reconciled himself to the Dauphin ratified under their Hands and Seals before a publick Notary and King Henry to let the world see he resolved to persist in what he had enterprized created Gascoyn D' Foyes Earl of Longeville Sir John Grey Earl of Tankervile and Sir John Bourchier Earl of Ewe in the Kingdom of France and upon the approach of Captain Bueff with 1500 Men to Ponthoyse the Lord Listendame the Governour with 10000 Inhabitants Deserted it leaving for haste most of their Rich Goods behind them This Place the King Fortified and Marched to Paris which he lay before Three Days bringing a great terror on that City but with his small Army not able to incompass it he Marched back to Ponthoyse John Duke of Burgundy as is said having reconciled himself to the Dauphin yet it being superficial and not hearty he determined in a more submissive manner to humble himself unto him that thereby their Loves taking a deeper root might bring forth the fruits of Unity and Peace but when they met the Dauphin whose Mallice was irreconcileable and whose mistrustful Jealosie did perswade him that the Duke would not be faithful procured him treacherously to be Murthered by the blow of a Battel-Ax in his presence as he was about to kneel and pay him Homage This was looked on by many as a just Judgment because much in the same manner he had caused Lewis Duke of Orleance to be Murthered in the Tenth Year of King Henry the Fourth This made not amiss for King Henry but hastened his advancement for Philip Son to the Murthered Duke was so highly displeased that he not only in his melancholy Anger determined forever to separate himself from his Innocent Dutchess without any other reason or cause than that she was Sister to the Dauphin but as his fury abated her Tears and the sober Advice of his Counsellours brought him to better reason so that for that time his Love continued to her as at first Yet he resolved on Revenge another way viz. By joyning his Interest with King Henry for he was very powerful in Flanders as well as Burgundy and was able to give a considerable check to France but more especially to the Dauphins Interest and to bring this about he laboured to Reconcile the Kings of England and France and in those his endeavours he was the more powerful 1. Because his Wife was Daughter to the French King 2. Because the Lady Catharine who could do all with â—â—een Isabella passionately desired to be Married to King â—enry 3. Because the Queen for depriving her of her Treasure â—â—d some other Affronts put upon her had conceived a morâ—â— hatred against the Dauphin insomuch that she could not â—â—dure to hear him Named 4. Because the Dauphin was more Subtile Cunning â—afty and Revengeful Than Politick Wise or Valliant And Lastly Because the treacherous Murther of Burâ—â—ndy had rendered him Abhorred among the Neighbouring â—rinces and for the most part in France And soon after this by the means of the Duke and Queen of France matters so ripened towards a Peace That it was Agreed King Henry should have an Interview with Charles the French King his Queen and Daughter at Trois in Campaign whither he went accompanied with his Brothers the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester the Earls of Warwick Salisbury Huntington Longevile Tankervile and Ewe and to prevent any Treacherous Surprise drew a Camp of 15000 Men â—ear the Place and so luckey were their Consultations that within a few Days a strict Amity was made and a Peace Proclaimed between the two Kings upon many Articles But the Substance briefly was That the Crown of France and all its Rights after the Death of King Charles and his Queen should reâ—â—in to King Henry and his Heirs forever whereupon 〈◊〉 Married the Lady Catharine with great Pomp and â—â—endour So that the Salique Law of France was at â—s time made void Yet the Pope being solicited to â—â—firm King Henry would not consent to it Howâ—â—er the Articles of Peace and Agreement were Proâ—â—med in both Kingdoms so that King Henry being â—w more at leasure and commanding for the French King as being appointed Regent or Protector of France he pursued the Dauphin from place to place stripping him with little labour of many important Towns Castles and Fortresses and in the strong Town of Moylin on the River Seine they took the Lord Barbason and divers others who were concerned in the Murther of the Duke of Burgundy who being sent to Paris were Tryed Sentenced and put to Death and the Dutchess Dowager of Burgundy Appealing to a Grand Council in which the two Kings sat as Judges against the Dauphin and seven others they were Summoned to appear at the Marble Table in Paris at a fixed Day but failing to do it as likewise in the Parliament soon after called They were Banished the Realm deprived of their Honours Names Titles and Dignities whatsoever and Proclaimed Enemies This greatly perplexed the Dauphin Yet going into Languedock he was succoured and supported with Money Arms and other Necessaries by the Earl of Arminack Almost all France being reduced to Obedience the two Kings and Queens took leave and Henry received in his way to England Homage of all the Nobles of the Dutchy of Normandy and conferring high Honours and Titles on many came to Callis and from thence Sailed for England where he was Joyfully received and the February following Queen Catharine was Crowned at Westminster with great Solemnity The Dauphin upon King Henry's departure began to look up a little and having made the Young Duke of Alanson his Lieutenant the Duke of Clarence was left Lieutenant for Henry who deceived by one Andrew Forgusa a Treacherous Lombard whom he too much Trusted thinking to repress the French Forces was drawn into their Ambush and after a desperate Fight against four to one the English were Overthrown near Blangy yet the French lost 1200 of their choicest Men and of the English were slain the Duke of Clarence the Earl of Tankervile Sir Gilbert Vmphervile the Lord Ross and near 2000 of less Note and taken Prisoners the Earls of Suffolk Sommerset and Perch the Lord Fitz-Walter and others But upon the approach of Sir Thomas Beaufort with a Band of Archers the
brought into England about 12 Years after by William Caxton a Mercer Remarks on Warwickshire c. WArwickshire is an Inland County very pleasantly situate well Wooded and incumbered but with few Hills It is Bounded with Staffordshire Leicestershire Northamptonshire Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire It abounds with Cattle Corn Wooll Cheese Butter pleasant Pastures Fish and Fowl It contains 5 Hundreds in which are 158 Parishes 14 Market Towns 4 Castles 10 Rivers 10 Bridges 13 Parks and 2 Forrests It sends Members to Parliament 6 viz. Coventry City 2 Warwick 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire Warwick the Shire Town is of very Antient foundation held to be Builded by Gurguntus a British King 375 Years before the Birth of our Saviour the Castle yet retaining very many marks of great Antiquity and Memorable for the Residence of the Renowned Guy Earl of Warwick where is kept a Vessel called his Pot and usually filled with good Liquor to be Drunk by all comers on memorable Days It is commodiously situate on the River Avon Coventry joyntly with Litchfield make a Bishoprick on one of its Gates called Gifford-Gate is the Bone of a Monstrous Beast fastned said to be that of the huge Boar Guy slew who with his Snout turned up a deep place now called Swanes Mear At Wolney Anno 1469 King Edward the Fourth was taken Prisoner by the great Earl of Warwick and his Forces scattered At Backlow Hill Pierce Gaviston was taken and Beheaded The other Places of Note are Henly Southam Sutton Atherstone Kyneton Rougby Aulchester Bitford The River Tame abounds with Fish and finely branches the Northern part of the County as Avon does most of the rest over which leading to Warwick is a sightly and strong Bridge At Lemington a Salt Spring arises a great distance from the Sea At Newenham or Menhem Reges is a Petrifying Well Snale Stones Star Stones and Cockel Stones are found near Shugbury The Noblemens Seats are Milcot-House belonging to the Earl of Dorset Compton-Place to the Earl of Northampton Newnham Padox to the Earl of Denby Wormleighton to the Earl of Sunderland Comb to the Earl of Craven Ragley and Luddington to the Earl of Conway Hewel Grange to the Earl of Plymouth Ettington to the Lord Ferrers Warwick Castle Knowel and Beuchamps Court to the Lord Brook Fletchamstead and Stonely to the Lord Leigh Wotenwaven and Aln-Lodg to the Lord Carrington besides many pleasant Seats of the Gentry sightful to Travellers The Reign of King EDWARD the Fourth EDWARD Duke of York having prevailed over the Lancastrians and put to death many of his great Enemies Marched Triumphantly to London where he was by the Citizens joyfully received and Proclaimed King on the 4th of March Anno 1461 and the 19th of June following he was Crowned at Westminster but his carriage towards the Citizens afterward made them repent their forwardness to take part with him against King Henry who had always loved them and been their constant Friend Soon after his Coronation he called a Parliament and laboured therein to settle the Affaires of the Kingdom which were much disordered by the Civil War And all former Statutes made in the Reign of Henry which Attainted him and his Adherents of High Treason were Cancelled and made void The Earl of Oxford and Sir Awbrey Vere his Son were in this Parliament Attainted of sundry Treasons and lost their Heads and to strengthen his Interest he conferred Titles of Honour on a great many of his Friends Whereupon seeing little hopes left of King Henry's Recovering his Crown the Duke of Sommerset Sir Ralph Piercey and others submitted themselves to Edward's Mercy and were received into favour but upon notice the Queen was arrived from France in the North and by the Aid of the Scots had raised a considerable Army they secretly fled to her Edward had soon notice of these Proceedings and sent the Lord Montacute before him with a considerable Force himself followed with the rest of the Army and this Lord with such resolution and bravery set upon the Lords Hungerford and Ross that at the begining of the Fight they Cowardly fled away but Sir Ralph Piercey and other stout Commanders who preferred an honourable death before a shameful desertion of their Men fought it out bravely till they lost their Lives in the Field and left the Victory to their Adversary The Lord Montacute flushed with this success and thursting after fame without staying for the King set upon Queen Margaret's Army and after a bloody Fight put her to the Rout and Henry Duke of Summerset William Tallboies who stiled himself Earl of Kent the Lords Ross Mollines and Hungerford Sir Henry Nevel Sir Thomas Wentworth and Sir Richard Tunstal being Taken were in several places Beheaded and 27 others were shortly after Executed in divers manners But after this Overthrow Henry Escaped to Scotland with his half-Brother Jasper Earl of Pembrook Sir Ralph Grey and others and hereupon all the Castles in the North fell into King Edward's hands For this Service done by the Lord Montacute the King would have given him the Earldom of Northumberland but upon that Earls submitting though he had fought against him he restored him to his Lands and Honours giving Montacute in lieu of his Resignation the Title of a Marquess and to encourage his Soldiers and such as had deserved well he bestowed on them great Bounties out of the confiscated Estates of his Enemies causing many advantagious Laws to be Enacted the better to settle him on the Throne by gaining the affection of the People Soon after this King Henry returning disguised into England was discovered taken Prisoner and sent to Edward who committed him to close ward in the Tower King Edward now thinking himself firmly fixed in the Throne by the advice of the Estates after the proposals of several Matches concluded to send his great Friend Richard Nevill Earl of Warwick to require the Lady Bona Daughter to Lewis Duke of Savoy and Sister to Charete Queen to Lewis the Eleventh King of France in Marriage the Earl was sent over with a very splended Equipage and with many Rich presents to the Lady and was so prosperous in his Negotiation that all things he had in Commission were soon agreed to the Portion assigned and the Instruments for settling her Dowry ratified but this wrought much mischief to King Edward For going to Recreate himself at his Mannor of Grafton he there cast his Eyes on the Beautiful Elizabeth Widow to Sir John Grey slain in King Henry's cause at the Battel of St. Albans and by no perswasions being able to gain her for his Concubine though he had freely granted her her Husbands Estate which she Petitioned to him for so enflamed was he with the desire of Enjoying her and she plainly telling him As she thought her self of too mean a condition to be his Wife so she thought her self much above his demands of being his Concubine and tho' her Life might be at his dispose
after fell into a general Rout throwing away their Coats to run the nimbler for which reason it is to this day called the Battel of Loose Coat Field and in it were slain about 10000 Sir Robert and some other of Note being taken Prisoners lost their Heads The Earl of Warwick Duke of Clarence and other Lords hearing of this fatal Overthrow distrusting the fidelity of the Army they Commanded left it secretly by Night and with a small Train took Shipping at Dartmouth and Sailed till they came before Callice but was denied Enterance by Monsieur Vaucler whom the Earl had left as his Deputy there for which he was made Captain of the place by King Edward and had a Thousand Pounds a Year Pension from the Duke of Burgundy And here on Shipboard the Dutchess of Clarence was brought to bed of a Son to whom Vauclear would not send any Necessaries nor suffer the Child to be brought on Shore to be Christened yet Sayling hence to Diep they took by the way a Rich Prize belonging to Burgundy and Landing were met by the French King at the Castle of Amboys on the River Loyer and highly welcomed with promises of Assistance and being conducted to the French Court they found there Queen Margaret Prince Edward her Son and Jasper sometimes Earl of Pembrook who had escaped a little before out of the Tower of London with others where they entered into new Conferences in order to Depose King Edward and Restore King Henry and the Earl of Warwick to make his own Party the Stronger gave his Second Daughter in Marriage to Prince Edward and soon after the French King furnishing them with Shipping Men and such Necessaries as they required leaving Queen Margaret and the Prince her Son at the French Court to attend their success they put to Sea and Landed at Dartmouth in Devonshire where the Earl Marshalled his Forces then few in Number but quickly encreased by the Peoples flowing to his Standard from all sides upon his putting out a Proclamation in King Henry's Name requiring them to repair to his Aid with Money Victuals and all things Necessary for the War and valiantly to fight against the Duke of York whom he stiled a Usurper and bloody Tyrant untruly and falsly calling himself King Having by this time mustered a powerful Army he Marched it towards London The King was not idle at this Juncture but with what Army he could gather on the suddain Marched to give the Earl Battel yet on the way hearing that in all the places where his Enemies came the People applauded them and no cry was heard but King Henry and a Warwick and having little confidence in his own Soldiers by the wavering he found in them notwithstanding his wonted courage his Heart now failed him Whereupon in the Night taking with him about 800 of his Friends he could rely on he left the Army and posted into Lincolnshire but finding nothing there in a readiness to advantage him he took Shipping and Sayled for Holland and so passed to Burgundy where he was kindly received by the Duke his Brother-in-Law Upon this the Earl of Warwick came to London and King Henry was taken out of the Tower and carried in Triumph to St. Paul's Church where having paid his Devotions and made his Offerings he was convey'd to the Bishop of London's Palace where he kept his Court with much Bounty and Magnificence and a Parliament being assembled at Westminster in his Name in it Edward and all his principal Adherents were Attainted of High Treason their Goods and Possessions Confiscated to King Henry and by the same Authority the Duke of Clarence was declared to be the next Heir to Richard Duke of York tho' his Second Son and the Dutchy of York was setled on him and his Heirs Also the Crown entailed to King Henry and the Heirs Male of his Body and for want of such Issue to the Duke of Clarence and his Heirs Male and such as had been dispossessed for Henry's Cause were restored to their Titles and Estates Clarence and Warwick were stiled the Kings best Friends Patriots of their Country and made chief Rulers in all things under Henry Upon notice of this great Revolution Queen Margaret and her Son came over but long they had not been here ere Edward furnished by the Duke of Burgundy with Ships Men and Warlike Stores Landed at Ravenspurg in Yorkshire declaring he came not now for the Kingdom but to possess himself of the Dutchy of York his Rightful Inheritance on which he intended as a Subject to live Peaceably which drew many to favour his Cause but having got admittance into that City he soon discovered other Intentions For tho' a little before he had Sworn the contrary to the Citizens â—he Garisoned it with his own Soldiers and exacted Money of them to raise more Forces and so Marching towards London the Marquess Montacute who was sent to oppose him let him pass whereupon he caused himself to be Proclaimed King setting up the Royal Standard This obliged the Earls of Warwick Oxford and divers other Nobles to raise an Army and advance to give him Battel but the Duke of Clarence Marching another way with a separate Army being reconciled to his Brother Edward and joyning his Army with him the Earl thought fit at that time to take other measures not harkening to any fair Words or large Promises to draw him from King Henry's side but bitterly inveighed against the Duke of Clarence saying He had always rather be an Earl firm to his Word and Oath than a Perjured Duke tho' in hopes of a Kingdom Edward being now very much strengthened Marched to London whilst Warwick was raising more Forces and being with some difficulty received by the Citizens he sent King Henry again to the Tower yet having continual News of Warwick's approach he drew out his Forces and Encamped near Barnet about Ten Miles from London having King Henry as a pledg with him fearing if he had left him in the Tower the Londoners in his Absence would have set him at Liberty and the next Morning the Earl of Warwick resolving to throw all on the fortune of a Battel drew up in Battel Array viz. The Right Wing he gave to the Marquess his Brother and the Earl of Oxford the Main Battel to the Duke of Sommerset and others the Left Wing was Commanded by himself and the Duke of Exeter the Vant-Guard of King Edward's Army was commanded by the Duke of Gloucester the Main Battel by himself and the Duke of Clarence in which was King Henry the 6th the Rear-Guard by the Lord Hastings and after they had confronted each other a little space and both Generals made moving Orations to animate their Soldiers the Trumpets sounded the Charge and they rushed together with great fury fighting five or six Hours so desperately that Victory seemed to encline to no side whilst the City of London was greatly amazed and terrified with various Reports of the
Parishes and 8 Market Towns 6 Castles 8 Rivers over which are 15 Bridges 2 Forrests and 10 Parks It sends Members to Parliament 4 viz. Appleby 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire In this County is the famous Forrest of Marlerstrange and the Castle of Howgil It s chief Towns are Appleby Kendale Kirby Burg or Brough under Stainmore This last is undoubtedly the Ruine of an eminent Place antiently called Verterl where a Roman Commander kept his Station with a Band of Directors Amble-side or Amboglana not far from Winander Meer in which a Fish called a Charr is found and in no other Water is the Ruins of some famous City of the Romans which may be gathered from Paved Ways leading to it and the Roman Coins that have been often Digged up there WESTMORLAND COUNTY The Seats of the Nobility are Beltham-Hall belonging to the Earl of Derby Appleby-Castle Brough-Castle and Pendragon-Castle to the Earl of Thanet and some very sightly Houses belonging to the Gentry The Reign of King EDWARD the Fifth KING Edward the Fourth being Dead and leaving the Crown to Edward his Son being about Twelve Years of Age who kept his Court at Ludlow in the Marches of Wales the better to Ingratiate himself with the Welsh and continue them firm to the English Interest That Prince upon notice of his Fathers Death prepared for his Journey to London in order to be Crowned being then under the tuition of Anthony Earl Rivers the Queens Brother but whilst great preparations were making in order to his Reception Richard Duke of Gloucester was contriving how he might defraud his Nephew and place the Crown on his own Head drawing into his Confederacy Edward Duke of Buckingham Richard Lord Hastings and others And having laid the Project in the next place they proceeded to remove all Obstructions and hearing that the Lords of the Queens Blood intended to bring the King up with an Armed Power the Duke of Gloucester wrote dissembling Letters to the Queen putting her in mind of the Friendship the deceased King her Husband had made between those of his own Blood and hers on his Death-bed Intreating her she would not give any cause of distrust in that matter and desired she would Write to the Lords to dismiss those Forces for saving Charges and quieting the Peoples minds who might draw conjectures from it that there was Misunderstandings among the Nobles tending to another Civil War That as for himself he Protested and Swore That his humble Duty to his Soveraign his unfeigned Love to her her Children and Kinsfolks had incited him thus seriously to Counsel and Advise her and them in so weighty a matter as might be for the good of them all with much more to the same purpose which prevailed with her to believe it Sincere that she Writ to her Brother and Son who were principally the Young Kings Conductors to dismiss their Armed Attendants and come to London by easie Journies with a small Number of his select Friends This however they had some scruple to do before Gloucester wrote to them very obliging Letters protesting an Eternal friendship and kindness So in an unlucky hour contrary to the minds of many with them and of the Young King himself the Guards was sent every Man to his Habitation and with a slender Train they kept on their Journey The Duke of Gloucester having gained this main Point delayed not to hasten his meeting the King taking with him the Duke of Buckingham and a strong Guard and by this time the Earl Rivers had brought the King to Stoney-Stratford but because that little Town could not accommodate his Train the Earl took up his Quarters at Northampton about ten Miles from thence where unlooked-for the Dukes of Buckingham and Gloucester came into their Inn and courteously saluted them but the Scene was soon changed for they were no sooner in their Beds but the two Dukes seized on the Keys of the Inn causing the Ways between the two Towns to be stopped and strongly Guarded pretending for excuse that no Man before them should in the Morning pay his humble Duty to the King Earl Rivers having notice of this perceived he was over-reached and insnared by Gloucester's Policy and resolving to make the best of it dissembling his fears came to the two Dukes and demanded in a forced Jocose way Why they had so done But in stead of giving any satisfactory Answer they fell into a needless Quarrel with him and causing him to be Arrested and put under strict Ward hastned early the next Morning to Stoney-Stratford and in a submissive manner presented their humble Duty to the King who received them with much kindness and affection as being ignorant of what had passed But this Scene was likewise changed upon their Arresting the Lord Richard Grey the Kings half Brother and Sir Thomas Vaughan in his presence of which usage when he complained they told him all should be well and what they did was for the best protesting abundance of Love and Loyalty However they sent the Lords and Knights to Pomfret Castle in the North under a strong Guard out of which they came not Alive Then they removed from the King all his Officers and placed Creatures of their own about him giving out that those of the Queens Blood intended to destroy all the Kings nearest Relations and to Rule both Him and the Kingdom at their pleasure The Queen who lay at Westminster hearing this unexpected News greatly grieved that she had been over-reached by Gloucester's cunning to Write to the Lords to dismiss their Strength and fearing the worst retired with her Son Richard Duke of York and her five Daughters into the Sanctuary In the mean while they brought the much discontented King to London where he was received by the Lord Mayor and 500 Citizens in their Formalities In whose presence Gloucester plaid his part so cunningly that not only they but the Nobility were won to believe him sincere and thereupon he was appointed Protector of the Kings Person and Kingdom Which Trust he most passionately desired to further his main Design which now he questioned not to bring about if he could get the Duke of York into his possession and in order to it calling a Council of Nobles and Prelates he laid before them how disgraceful it was that the Queen in her perversness should keep an Innocent Prince in Sanctuary which was looked on as a place suitable to protect the Guilty that it would cause them to be spoke evil of abroad and therefore desired them to advise how they might get him out of her hands to solace and sport in the company of the King his Brother who was Melancholy for his absence and passionately desired to see him This and much more to the same effect made them think the Dukes words Reasonable and thereupon agree to send such as had greatest Interest with the Queen to perswade her to deliver him of whom the Arch Bishop of Canterbury was
and whilst the King was expecting a final Determination Campeius seeing a Storm likely to arise thought fit to be packing for Rome pretending the Pope had sent for him Upon notice of this the King was much perplexed as knowing they designed to fix it in the Court of Rome to tire him out with vast Expences and Delays so that from that time Cardinal Woolsey began to fall from his favour For having secretly promised a Divorce yet fearing to displease the Court of Rome he had now refused it And the next Term the King caused his Attourney General to prefer an Indictment against him on the Statute of Premunire on several Articles which being found by the Grand Jury he Confessed all the material points by his Attourney And all his Promotions except the Arch-Bishoprick of York and the Bishoprick of Winchester were taken from him and Sir Thomas Moor was made Lord Chancellour The King likewise seized his Mass of Plate and Rich Furniture and confined him to his House at Asher near Kingstone A Parliament being Assembled the Commons made great complaints against the Clergy exhibiting divers Articles relating to their Pride Luxurious way of Living Trading as Husbandmen and Merchants to the Injury of those brought up to it c. This was strongly opposed by Dr. Fisher Bishop of Rochester who Reflecting on the Commons by saying Now with our Commons is nothing but Down with the Church and all this is for lack of Faith only they complained of it to the King by Sir Thomas Audley their Speaker and others but the Bishop excusing himself by putting another Interpretation on the meaning of his Words they were contented with the King 's sharply reprehending him and then they proceeded to Article against Woolsey under several Heads Charging him with Misleading and Abusing the King wasting and purloining the Treasure That in his Letters he had Written I and my King as if the King had been his Inferiour and at his Command To be brief they loaded him with Pride Cruelty Oppression Lechery Evil Counsel c. However the King by reason of his former Favour permitted him to retire to the Arch-Bishoprick of York and there continue privately till further orders But he tampering with the Pope and being encouraged by his Letters to oppose the King and force him if he would not otherways comply to restore him to Favour or else by virtue of a Bull to Curse him and take the power of the Clergy Government into his own hands as the Popes Vice Roy whilst he was in his way to York and preparing for his Installment he was Arrested by the Earl of Northumberland whereupon he shewed the Meanness of his Spirit and Birth as all Cruel Proud Upstarts usually do when they fall into any affliction though in their prosperity they are regardless of others Calamities but rather labour to promote than decrease them For however upon his first being seized thinking to terrify the Earl who never bore any good-will towards him he told him He was a Member of the Colledge of Cardinals at Rome and that neither the King nor any other Temporal Prince could or ought to Intermeddle with him for any Cause or Matter whatsoever But this nothing availing he fell into Tremblings and Frights and when the Kings Letter was produced to give him some beams of Comfort that he might not altogether despair of Mercy and Favour with a sordid Meanness of Spirit he fell on his knees in a dirty place and kissed it shedding Tears for Joy when in the height of his State and Pride he had accounted the King as his Pupil more than his Soveraign For indeed his first Station in the World was an ordinary Pedagogue or Schoolmaster But at the sight of Sir William Kingstone Constable of the Tower with a Guard of Yeomen to convey him Prisoner thither his fears so encreased that he fell Sick at Leicester Abby and taking a strong Confection which some suppose he did purposely to Poison himself he breathed his last saying a little before he Dyed If he had Served his God so faithfully as he had done his King he would not at that time have cast him off And thus fell that Pageant of suddain Greatness unpitied by all Inriching some by his Death tho' in his Life-time he had Ruined many more He Built White-Hall a stately Colledge at Oxford another at Ipswich and many other stately Buildings leaving much Money Plate and Rich Furniture which was seized to the Kings use who distributed part of it and his Lands among such as had well deserved The King by this time having gotten it under the Seals of most of the Universities in Christendom That his Marriage was Unlawful procured a Divorce without the Popes Dispensation and soon after he Married Anna Bullen whom he had Created Marchioness of Pembrook a Protestant Lady Daughter to the Lord Rochford afterwards Earl of Wiltshire Elizabeth Barton stiled the Holy Maid of Kent for Prophecying That if King Henry proceeded to the Divorce and Married another he should not be King of England one Month after was Hanged together with Seven of her Desciples at Tyburn for Treason A Parliament being called the Clergy therein totally submitted themselves to the King touching their Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Affaires and the Pope was by Parliament utterly deprived of all Annates and First Fruits of Bishopricks and other Spiritual Promotions The Marriage with Queen Catharine was Annulled and that with Queen Anna Confirmed and by the same Act the Crown was entailed to the King and the Heirs of his Body out of which the Lady Mary was Excluded and to this all the Lords and Burgess present in Parliament were Sworn except Doctor Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas Moor who refused to do it Wherefore they were marked out by the King for Destruction as a Terror to others for not only Refusing to Swear but Contesting and Protesting against the proceedings of the Parliament they were sent to the Tower where upon denying the Kings Supremacy Ordained by another Act and atributing it to the Pope they were Accused Tryed Convicted and Beheaded And by this Act the King was Acknowledged to be Supream Head of the Church in all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Things and Causes and the Popes Bulls Pardons Indulgences and other Instruments of the like Nature made void For Grief of which and her own hard Usage Queen Catharine who was stiled Dowager and Lived with a small Attendance Sickened and Dyed nor did her Successor long survive her For some time after Queen Ann had been safely delivered of the Princess Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen of England a Conspiracy was laid to take away her Life supposedly on the account of her Religion for some of the Romish party were not without supposition she swayed much in those Alterations and therefore being Accused of Incest by some of her Subborned Bedchamber-Women as if she had Layn with the Lord Rochford her own Brother the furious King
Commons Ordered he should be brought to Exemplary Punishment and all his Books Burnt Nor do I hear that ever he made any Defence or Answer to those Articles that were brought against him It is affirmed That Dr. Laud who was a mighty stickler for Arminianism and Ceremonies and who first of all set up this Mountague understanding from the D. of Buckingham that the King intended to leave Mr. Mountague to a Tryal was heard to say I seem to see a Cloud arising and threatning the Church of England God in his Mercy dissipate it After this the Commons Question'd several Persons who were of the Council of War in the Affairs of the Palatinate concerning the management of that Business But the King understanding that the House of Commons were very busie in searching the Original of a Letter under the Signet written to the Mayor of York for Reprieving divers Jesuits Priests and Popish Recusants interrupted their Proceedings therein by a Message sent by Sir Richard Weston Chancellor of the Exchequer demanding a Supply for the English and Irish Forces this was so highly resented by the House that Mr. Clement Cook one of the Members openly Protested That it was better to Dye by a Forrign Enemy than to be Destroy'd at Home And Dr. Turner another Member of the House seconded him with these Quaeries 1. Whether the King had not lost the Regality of the Narrow Seas since the D. of Buckingham was Admiral 2. Whether his not going as Admiral in this last Fleet was not the Cause of the ill Success 3. Whether the King's Revenues has not been Impaired through his Immense Liberality 4. Whether he hath not Engrossed all Offices and preferred his Kindred to unfit Places 5. Whether he hath not made Sale of places of Judicature 6. Whether Popish Recusants have not Dependence upon his Mother and Father in Law These bold Expressions so provok'd the King that he immediately sent Sir Richard Weston to Demand Satisfaction whereupon Dr. Turner made a Speech in his own Vindication alledging That what he had said was for the Good of the Kingdom and not Reflecting upon any one in particular with much more to the same Purpose And the further Debate of the matter being referr'd till another time Dr. Turner in the mean time with-drew himself and sent a Letter to the Speaker to excuse his Absence Sir William Walter speaking his Opinion about Grievances said That the true cause of them was because as was said of Lewis the 11th all the King's Council rode upon one Horse Thereby alluding to the D. of Buckingham's sole Management of all Affairs But for all these Discourses the Commons taking the King's Necessities into Consideration Voted three Subsidies and three Fifteens and that the Bill should be brought in assoon as the Grievances represented were redressed They likewise Consider'd of the matter of the D. of Buckingham and the mis-employing of the Revenue But the King observing they did not make such haste as he Expected in answering his last Message Summons both Houses together and by the Lord-Keeper complains to them for not Punishing Dr. Turner and Mr. Cook and likewise for searching his Signet-Office and justified the D. of Buckingham to have acted nothing of publick Concernment without his special Warrant and therefore forbid them to Concern themseves any farther therein and Blamed them for being too sparing in the matter of Supply and for Ordering the Bill not to be brought in till their Grievances were heard and Answered which he would not Admit of To which the King himself added He must also put them in Mind That his Father moved by their Counsel and won by their Perswasion broke the Treaties and that be himself was their Instrument towards his Father and was Glad to be Instrumental in any thing which might please the whole Body of the Realm nor was there any in greater Favour then than the Duke whom they now Traduced but that now finding him so far intangled in a War that he could make no Honourable nor safe Retreat they made Necessity their Priviledge and set what Rate they pleased upon their Supplies a Practice not very Obliging towards Kings And whereas Mr. Cook told them It was better for them to Dye by a Foreign Enemy than to be Destroyed at Home indeed he thought it more Honourable for a King to be Invaded and almost Destroyed by a Forreign Enemy than to be Despised at Home The Commons in Answer to this presented the King with a very Dutiful Remonstrance acquainting him That they gratefully Acknowledged his Majesty's Expressions of Affection to his People and Parliaments that they had taken Mr. Cook 's and Dr. Turner's Words into Consideration and might have given a good Account thereof by this time if His Majesty's Message had not Interrupted them That they had the Presidents of former Parliaments for Searching Letters of his Majesty and his Secretary of State the Signet-Office and other Records upon the like Occasions That it was the unquestionable Priviledge of Parliaments to Complain of any Person of any Degree and their Proceedings in Relation to the Duke should not Prejudice either Crown or Kingdom That they were willing to Supply his Necessities Liberally and Faithfully if Additions might be made of other things which concerned his Service and were now in Consultation amongst them The King having received this Remonstrance returned this Answer to it That he would have them in the first place Consult about matters of the greatest Importance and they should have time enough for other things afterwards Not long after this the Earl of Bristol being Ordered by the King to be Examined by a Committee of Lords about his Negotiations in Spain and having been in Prison and prohibitted access to his Majesty ever since his Return Petition'd the House of Lords for his Liberty or to come to a Tryal who applying themselves to the King he granted a Writ for the Earl's coming to Parliament but with a Proviso That his Personal attendance should be forborn Whereupon the Earl sent another Petition to the Lords that he might be heard both as to his Restraint and of what he had to say against the Duke At this the King was much concern'd and let the Lords know That it was his Royal Pleasure that the Earl of Bristol might be sent for as a Delinquent to answer his Offences to the House and his Scandalizing the Duke of Buckingham and the King likewise by Reflection Upon this the Earl was brought to the Bar and being ready to be Impeached of High-Treason by the Attorney-General the Earl said My Lords I am a Freeman and Peer of the Realm Vnattainted I have something to say of high Consequence to His Majesty's Service and I beseech your Lordships give me leave to Speak The Lords thereupon bid him go on Then said he I accuse that Man the Duke of Buckingham of High-Treason And immediately he presented Twelve Articles against him This unexpected procedure of the
Counsellors which made him Fortify his Pallace and accept of a Guard of the Inns of Court Gentlemen who offered their Service to defend his Person from any Insults The Parliament hereupon apprehending a fear of Danger that threaten'd them assumed a Guard for their Defence constituting the Earl of Essex Captain of it and appointed an extraordinary Assembly in the City of London and soon after committed twelve Pishops Prisoners to the Tower which scared most if not all the rest from giving their Attendance and many Ministers of State were Accused and Censured And the Earl of Strafford upon his Tryal being accused of many things and plainly answering all that by Articles was laid to his Charge and the Court Adjourning without prefixing any time of meeting the Commons proceeded to draw up and dispatch a Bill of Attainder against him which the King with great difficulty and some reluctancy of Mind Signed but the Warrant for his Execution he laboured much to defer saying He had heard the Cause and believed in his Conscience the Earl was not guilty of Treason and yet he could not clear him of Misdemeanour but hoped a way might be found out to satisfie Justice and their Fears without oppressing his Conscience and had consulted about it with his Judges and Bishops before he had Signed the Bill as also a Bill for the sitting of the Parliament during the pleasure of both Houses which last was occasioned for satisfying the Scots who required vast Sums of Money However the Earl was Executed tho' the King laboured much to save him proposing his perpetual Imprisonment and many other things He was attended at his Execution on Tower-Hill by the Arch-bishop of Armagh and to this Effect addressed him to the People viz. That he was come thither to pay the last Debt he ow'd to Sin with a good Hope of rising to Righteousness that he Dyed willingly Forgave all and patiently submitted declaring himself Innocent of the Crimes charged against him wishing Prosperity to the King and People He advised his Adversaries to repent of their violent Proceedings against him saying He thought it a strange way to write in Blood the beginning of Reformation and Settlement of the Kingdom however he wished his Blood might rest and not cry against them declaring he Dyed in the Communion of the Church of England for whose Prosperity he Prayed and concluded with a Desire that the Spectators would pray for him And then had his Head stricken off There having been about this time some Tumults made about White-Hall and Westminster and the King being inform'd they were encouraged by the Lord Kimbolton and five Members of the House of Commons the King demanded those five Members whom he accused of High-Treason as also the Lord Kimbolton a Member of the House of Peers but they were refused to be delivered Whereupon he came with about 500 armed Men to the House of Commons where the Speaker resigned the Chair to him but looking about and not seeing those he expected for upon Notice they were withdrawn he declared his good Intentions to the Parliament saying He hoped they would send him those Members against whom he had matters of high Concern But they were so far from doing it that they put the City of London in Arms and Adjourned their sitting for five days forbidding the Citizens to help the King to find out any of the accused Members and so far were they from it that the Parliament sitting again they carry'd them in Triumph and placed them in their Seats shouting and threatning as they passed by White-hall and to lessen the King's Power the Parliament sent Letters to the adjacent Counties commanding the Militia to draw up in Arms Whereupon they found that upon occasion more than 20000 Men could be got in a Readiness These proceedings made the King withdraw to Hampton-Court whose absence much encreased the Parliaments Authority among the People and to endear them to the Citizens they adjourned from Westminster to London and sent their Mandates to the Governors of Sea-port Towns strictly forbidding them to Obey any of the King's Orders unless they were confirmed by them This more weaken'd his Power than all their former Proceedings which the King by an early precaution in Garisoning those parts might have prevented The King considering that things were likely to go ill and that he had given away his Power and could not dissolve this Parliament he endeavoured by mild Terms to win them to his Interest and Writ from Windsor protesting his good meaning towarâ—s both Houses and that he would be ready to any thing that might be for the good of his People whereupon they sent Messengers to desire him to return to London but for some Reasons he refused it Hereupon the Commons drew up an humble Remonstrance which seemed so unreasonable to the Peers as to what therein they proposed that they rejected it till they saw the Commons uniting against them and then Messengers were sent to the King with it who with some Reservation yielded to part of it and denyed the rest which not satisfying them they proceeded to Petition the King That the accused Members might be freed from all imputation of Guilt which was Granted During the King's being busie in Scotland a horrid Conspiracy and Rebellion broke out in Ireland which was discovered but the Night before it began to the Lords-Justices by Owen O Conally by which means Dublin and some other places were secured and divers of the Conspirators apprehended However it was carry'd on with such a Rage and Fury by the Encouragement of the Popish Priests Monks and Fryars that nothing for a time but Slaughter and miserable Cruelties on the English and Scots were to be seen in most of the Provinces the Romish Priests loudly declaring that they were Hereticks and ought to be Extirpated from the Earth that it it was no more Sin to kill them than Dogs and a mortal one to Relieve and Protect them giving the Sacrament to divers on condition that they should spare neither Man Woman nor Child saying It did them a great deal of Good to wash their Hands in their Blood and they were told If any of the Murtherers in this Attempt were slain they should immediately go to Heaven so that nothing but Blood-shed and piteous Cries were to be seen and heard in most parts of that Kingdom The King to Redress this Solicited the Scots Parliament to send ovâ—r Forces but they refused Alledging It was a dependant Kingdom on England and if the English Parliament would make use of and pay any of their Men they might raise them or otherwise they would not intermeddle And the Parliament of England being slow in sending over Succours about 200000 of all sorts fell in this unparrallel'd Massacre but Forces going over the Cut-throats were every where Routed many Slain and the rest betook themselves to their Fastnesses and the state of Affairs were restored to some good Order The Contendings between the
King and Parliament in England continuing to increase many that feared the sad Events left the Land others retired to lead private Lives Mary the King 's Eldest Daughter being Married to the Prince of Orange by Approbation of Parliament the Queen went over with her and the King caused all Popish Priests to be banish'd the Kingdom and the Penal Statutes to be put in Execution against Papists Yet the Parliament proceeded to Tax the King about harkning to the Change of Religion and that he had given cause to the Rebellion in Ireland casting many Reflections on the Queen which constrained him to publish his Declaration to wipe off these Imputations but this doing little good he retired with Prince Charles his Son the Palsgrave of the Rhine the Duke of Richmond and others to York Summoning the Nobles Knights of the Garter and all such as held Tenure of the Crown by Lands or Service But the Parliament strictly forbid it Yet many went and among them several Members of Parliament The King seeing no good by fair means to be done he Commanded all the Yorkshire Men to meet him at Howard-Moor near York where there appeared about 60000 and with about 20000 he returned to York Commanding the rest to return to their Respective Homes In the mean while the Parliament was borrowing Money of the Londoners on the Publick Faith and raising 10000 Foot and 2000 Horse they sent them towards York of which the King had no sooner Notice but with a slender Force he repaired to Hull and demanded enterance but Sir John Hotham the Governour appearing on the Walls fell on his Knees and entreated his Majesty not to desire that of him which he could not Grant by reason of the Trust imposed in him by the Parliament whereupon he was proclaimed Traytor and the King sent to the Parliament to complain of this Affront and require a Treaty tending to a Reconciliation promising to repair to them if they would leave London and make choice of some other fitting place but they refused it Whereupon he Proclaimed all those Guilty of Treason that assisted them either with Money or Supplies and threatned to deprive the Londoners of their Charter if they offended herein Then he Fortified Newark and Barwick and sought to gain Hull by Force but failed in the Attempt And the Parliament having proclaimed the Earl of Essex their General the King repaired to Notingham and there set up his Standard and gathered a considerable Army so that now to the great Trouble of most People War was prepared for on both sides with much Vigor and Resolution in which many Gallant Men lost their Lives And Prince Charles seeing his Father's Affairs in a desperate Condition Sailed for the Scillys from whence he was Invited by the Parliament to return for London but not thinking it safe he went to the Hague and continued with his Sister the Princess of Orange till he heard the sad News of his Father's Death In the mean while Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice the King's Nephews Sons to his Sister the Queen of Bohemia came over and were Graced with Commands in the Army After several Skirmishes and the taking some Towns on both sides the two Armies drew near each other and the King perceiving himself Strong upon the Earl of Worcester's coming in with a considerable Force of Welch resolved to out-march Essex and reach London and to that end got a days March before him but Scorning to be pursu'd by a Subject he changed his Measures Faced about and both Parties Facing between Keinton and Edge-hill in Warwickshire on the 23d of Octob. 1642 a sharp Battel was Fought between them in which on both sides were slain between 5 and 6000 Men and the Slaughter had been much greater had not Night come on and parted them After this the King took in the Town and Castle of Banbury and some other places The Parliament to strengthen their Army Voted That all Apprentices that would List should be Free from their Masters and afterward received into Service again whereupon they gained considerable Recruits Then solemnly invited the Scots to their Assistance which the King by his Letters to the Privy-Council of Scotland laboured to prevent but in vain Yet several of the Lords and Commons presented a Petition to him at Cole-brook and had answer He would expect them at Windsor Castle and desired them to hasten the Treaty But this they did to gain time till Essex was Recruited which made the King hasten to Secure Brainford where happened a sharp Encounter tho' at last he forced his way but upon Essex's hastening with his Regular Forces and the London-Militia he retired for fear of being hemmed in to Oxford and because this happened in a time of Treaty the Parliament Voted to have no Accommodation yet after allowed it if he would leave his Army and come to them But this was Rejected and the War waxed fierce so that with various Success Towns were taken and Parties routed on both sides by turns whilst the Counties of Norfolk Suffolk Essex Hartford Cambridge Isle of Ely and the City of Norwich were Authorized by the Parliament to Associate under the Lord Gray of Wark And the Queen arriving with Officers Ammunition and Money from Holland was received at York by the Earls of New castle and Cumberland And these Disturbances at Home gave the Irish an Opportunity to Rebel again at the Instigation of the Pope who to that Purpose sent two Letters one to Owen O Neal and the other to all the Arch-bishops Bishops Nobles and People of the Kingdom Commanding those who had already appeared in the Quarrel and Exhorting others to take Arms wickedly approving the Massacre and bestowing on them his Benediction with plenary Pardons and Absolutions for whatever they should act so that much Blood was again shed which caused by the Mediation of those that were Peaceably inclin'd several new Treaties to be set on Foot between the King and Parliament but they came to nothing being still crossed by those that hoped for Advantages by the Distractions of the times And the Lord Brook besieging Litchfield-Close was there Slain but his Soldiers took it and the Earl of Chester Prisoner And now they proceeded to draw up Articles of high Treason against the Queen some of which were That she pawned the Crown-Jewels in Holland That she endeavoured to raise a Party in Scotland against the Parliament and that she was in the Head of a Popish Army in England This was carried to the Lords by Pym who seemed at first to be Surprized but after agreed to it About this time Robert Yeomans and George Boucher were Hang'd at Bristol on pretence they designed to betray the City to the King and on the like pretence Mr. Tomkins and Mr. Challonor were Executed on the Account of London And during these Heats Arch-bishop Laud was Attainted of High-Treason and lost his Head And the Queen meeting the King at Edge-hill went with him to
That if the King would enter into an actual War with the French King they would stand by him with their Lives and Fortunes So that finding the French King still went on with his Conquests King Charles delayed not to send several Regiments to the Aid of thâ— Confederates in Flanders and laid a Prohibition on Frâ—â—ch Goods Hereat the French King being somewhat Startled hoping to break the Measures of England made Proposals of Peace to the Dutch and they Understanding that the Parliament had taken up a Resolution to give no more Money till Satisfaction was first had and their Fears and Jealousies removed and not thinking for this Cause fit to rely on England since the Misunderstandings rendred it no longer it self did clap up a Peace in a very short time and the rest of the Confederates followed their Example However before the Peace could be Ratified the French took several Towns and at last Besieged Mons this made the King Command the Duke of Monmouth and Earl of Ossory to joyn the English Forces under their Command with the Prince of Orange who so bravely Behaved themselves that they forced the Duke of Luxemburg's Camp and raised the Siege with the Slaughter of some Thousands of French and had done greater things if all Hostilities had not thereupon been stopped Things being thus settled Abroad greater Disturbances threatned at Home for about this time a wicked design was discovered to take away the King's Life and involve the whole Nation in Blood and Ruin which was carried on for a considerable time by the Papists The first Discoverer was Titus Oats but his Evidence was little Credited till such time as Sir Edmundbury Godfrey who had taken Oats's Depositions was found Murthered at Primrose-Hill with a Sword run through his Body tho' by a visible Mark about his Neck it appeared he had been Strangled So that this giving a sufficient Ground of Belief Oats's Evidence being also further Corroborated by Letters found in the Custody of Edw. Coleman Secretary to the Duke of York the Parliament proceeded strictly to Enquire into the matter so that the Commons often sat from Morning till Night to Consult how to Prevent the Danger and make a thorow Discovery and having Voted and entred into their Journal That it was their Opinions that there had been and was an Execrable and Hellish Design carried on by the Papists for Assassinating the King Subverting of the Government and Destroying the Protestant Religion A Proclamation was â—ssued out for Banishing Papists and reputed Papists ten Miles from the City of London and Westminster and all Roman-Catholicks were turned out of the Guards and the Parliament Addressed the King That the Duke of York might be removed from his Presence and Counsels But the last was not Granted And now divers Persons being taken up and Imprisoned on the account of this Plot one Staly a Goldsmith's Son in Convent-Garden was first Executed for saying He would kill the King then Edw. Coleman the Duke of York's Secretary then Ireland Pickering Grove Whitebread â—enwick Gawen Langhurn and others as Concerned in the Plot and Green Berry and Hill being accused by Prance and Bedlow for the Murther of Sir Edmund-bury Godfrey were Tryed at the King 's Bench-bar Condemned and Executed And then the Commons called the Lord Treasurer to an Account who had been accused by Mr. Mountague sometimes the King's Embassador at the French Court for holding a private Correspondence with France but he relying on the King's Pardon the Business â—nded in a long Imprisonment in the Tower after much stir had been made about it And the King in Hopes the better to please the Commons and satisfie the Nation in General new modell'd his Council making it to consist of 30 Persons Fifteen of them to be Certain and the rest to be Elective at pleasure ten out of the Nobility and five Commoners besides a Lord-President a Secretary of Scotland and such of the Princes of the Blood-Royal as should be at Court with which the next Day he acquainted the Parliament and of this Council the Earl of Shaftsbury was made President But notwirhâ—â—anding this Alteration in the Council it had not the desired effect which the King intended for the Parliament were still solicitous in searching to the bottom of the Popish Plot and the more effectually to do it voted That the Duke of York's being a Papist and the hopes of his coming as such to the Crown have given the greatest countenance and encouragement to the designs of the Papists c. And therefore ordered a Bill of Exclusion of the Duke of York from the Sucession of the Crown to be brought in But the King and the Dukes party were for offering Expedients for securing the Protestant Religion tho' the Duke should come a Papist to the Crown But this would not content the Commons And there arising some heats between the Lords and Commons about the Bishops Voting in Capital Cases the King thinking he could expect but little from them Prorogued them to a more convenient season but in a little time after dissolved them and called another which he hoped to find more to his purpose But during the interval of the Parliament Sir George Wakeman was tryed for the Popish Plot and acquitted before the Lord Chief Justice Scroges whose carriage was so different in this Tryal from what it had been in those before that he was shrewdly suspected to have some very feeling Reasons for it For after this Tryal Scrogs was more violent against Oats and the Whigs than he had been before against the Papists And now there was set on foot a new Popish Plot to sham the old one and put a Plot upon the Presbyterians which was called The Meal-Tub Plot the Papers relating to it being found under Madam Celiers Meal-tub the design whereof was To leave Papers and Libels of dangerous things against the Government in the Houses of the most Eminent persons active in the Discovery of the Popish Plot by them called Presbyterians and then to inform the Government that such persons where these papers were left were dangerous persons to the King and Goverment upon which their Houses being search'd and these papers found there it should have been sufficient evidence to condemn them The Tryal how this would do was first made upon Colonel Mansfel a worthy Gentelman who was Prosecuted for it but the examination of it being left to Sir William Jones the Attorney-General his Report was That Mansfel was innocent and Dangerfield at that time the Papists Tool and who had left the Papers in Mansfels Lodgings was guilty Upon which Dangerfield was committed to Prison where he mad ae thorow discovery of this cursed intreague and Sir Wil. Jones was turn'd out of his place for his honest Report And indeed from this time forward the Duke of York and his Creatures ruled all things under the King so that now the whole Design of the Government seem'd to be to sham
been only Tools in so doing to the Papists and had carried on their Wâ—â—k for them and now that their Eyes began to be 〈◊〉 and tâ—â—â— they would be so no more they would fain have made Tâ—â—s of the Dissenters to pull down the Church of England by aggravating the ill Usage they had receiv'd from them so many Years And that now was their time to call them to an Account and be even with them for it and several of the Dissenters who were very Honest tho' mistaken Men were by these specious Pretences drawn in to joyn with them The King was so fond or his Declaration for Liberty of Conscience that he Publishes it a second time with an Injunction to have it read in all Parish-Churches and the Bishops of the respective Diocesses were to see it done But the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and several of the Bishops looking upon this as a thing contrary to Law not only refused to do it but humbly Petitioned the King to hear the Reasons why they could not comply with that Order But this was looked upon by Jefferies then Lord-Chancellor Father Peters then made one of the Privy-Council and others of the Popish Faction as a Crime next to High-Treason and therefore for their Contempt they were Committed to the Tower It was now more than a Year that had passed since the King's Declaration for Indulgence came forth and the Prince and Princeâ— of Orange having been privately sounded how they stood affected to the Test and Penal Laws they being the next Heirs to the Crown their Opinion seemed to be That the Papists should by Law have Liberty for the private Exercise of their Religion without Disturbance but that by no means the Tests should be taken off to let them in to have a share in the Government This it was that touch'd the Papists to the quick for they saw that the King was well stricken in Years and upon his Death which they knew not how soon might happen a Protestant Princess was the next Heir who would soon pull down all that Babel which they had been Building and therefore some other Provision must be made for another Popish Successor And nothing could do this so well as a young Prince of Wales during whose Minority if the Kiâ—â— should Die they might Govern themselves 〈…〉 Popery as in the days of Old This being resolv'd on the old Dâ—tchess of Modena makes hee Offering to the Lady of Loretto of whom she Implores That the Queen of England may have a Son for a Daughter would signify nothing to be Heir of the Crown of England By Vertue of these Prayers and the Queen's going down to the Bath and drinking the Waters there she was said to be Impregnated and nothing was now to be heard among the Popish Faction but drinking the Young Prince's Health even before he was Born for that it would be a Son there was no body question'd as taking it for Granted that was the Design And all things were carried on by the Faction in order to it's Birth The Princess Ann of Denmark being not very well was advis'd by her Physicians to go down to the Bath for the Recovery of her Health And the Arch bishop of Canterbury and several others of the Bishops being in the Tower and the Bishop of London suspended from his Office and other concurring Circumstances being ready it was now look'd upon to be a good time for the Queen to cry out which was accordingly so well manag'd that on Sunday the 11th of June 1688 a young Prince of Wales was said to be born Which was publish'd with so much Joy both throughout England Scotland and Ireland and by their Embassadors in all Foreign Courts that they abundantly over-acted it The great Point of a Popish Heir being thus secur'd the Popish Faction begun to go on with a high Hand turning out Dr. Hough whom the Fellows of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford had chosen for their President and all the Fellows too because they would not accept of a Papist whom the King would have impos'd upon 'em by a Mandamus in Sidney Colledge in Cambridge Father Francis was put in and in Vniversity-Colledge in Oxford Obadiah Walker the Principal declar'd himself a Papist The Head of Christ-Church put in by the King waâ— also of â—â—e same Profession Nor was any Preferment to 〈…〉 unless he were a Roman-Catholick In Scotland the â—ing had issued out a Proclamation for Tolleration in Religion recommending his Roman-Catholick Subjects particularly to the Protection of the Government there and tells them he expects his Will should be Obey'd absolutely and without Reserve But in Ireland the King would allow no Liberty of Conscience to the Protestants for they were turn'd out of all Offices and Places whatsoever And the Earl of Clarendon recalled from his Lieutenancy and Talbot who had already reformed the Army there and made it perfectly Popish was for that good Service made Earl of Tyrconnel and Deputy of Ireland Sir Charles Porter also the Lord Chancellor was turned out and one Alexander Fitton a Papist who had been fetch'd out of Goal in England and made a Knight is now made Lord-Chancellor in his place I have before told you of the Committing of the Seven Bishops to the Tower which were the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Bath and Wells the Bishop of Bristol the Bishop of Peterborough the Bishop of Chichester the Bishop of St. Asaph â—nd the Bishop of Ely and of the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales while they were there the Bishops having by their Habeas Corpus been set at Liberty were Tryed for a high Misdemeanour in Trinity-Term following and notwithstanding the new Modelling of the Judges and that one of then Judge All'bone was a known Papist yet Mr. Justice Powel to his lasting Honour did both Learnedly and Zealously defend their Cause so that the Jury acquitted them The publick Rejoycing that was made for the acquittal of the Bishops was not Confined to the Cities of London and Westminster but upon the News thereof being brought to Hounsloe-Heath where the Army lay the King being at that time treated by the Earl of Feversham in his Tent it was received with a general Shout throughout the whole Army the King not knowing the Reason of that Shout was very much Startled at it and sent the Earl of Feversham out to enquire the Cause who upon his Return told the King ' Tâ—â—â— nothing 〈◊〉 the Soldiers Joy for the acquittal of the Bishops To whom the King reply'd with some Discomposure And call you that Nothing This being indeed enough to let him see how vain a Design he had undertaken to set up Popery by a Protestant Army The King was now busie in modelling all the Corporations in England that send Burgesses to Parliament to get a Parliament fitted to his own Turn in order to take off the Penal Laws and Tests no other obstacle now lying in his way when on a sudden he