Kings Writ Affaires of the Church in his time IN the second yeere of this Kings Reigne there came messengers from the new-elected Pope Vrban to require the Kings ayd against such Cardinals as he named Schismâ—ticks that had elected another Pope whom they named Clemâ—nt which Cardinalls sent messengers likewiâ—e to crave his ayd for them but through perswasion of the Archbishop of Canterbury Vrbans request was granted and Clement rejected In his fourth year Iohn Wickliffe set forth his opinion touching the Sacrament of the Altar denying the doctrine of Transubstantiation in such sort as the Church of Rome did then teach In his sixth year Henry Spencer Bishop of Noâ—wiâ—h received Bulls from Pope Vrbâ—n to grant all priviledges of the Crusado to all such as would come over and assist him against the Anti-Pope Clement which being debated in Parliament It was after much opposition agreed that it should go forward and thereupon the Bishop not only gathered much money from such as would contribute to the expedition but drew many great Captaines to go themselves in person as namely Sir Hugh Calverley sir William Farington the Lord Henry Beauâ—â—â—t sir William Elmham sir Thoâ—as Tryvet and divers others The money raised by contribution came to 25000 Franks and the Army to 3000 Horse and 15000 Foot with which Forces the Bishop passing over into Flanders wonne the Towns of Graveling Dunkirke and Newport but at last encountred by a mighty Army of the French he was put to the worse and returned into England In the twelveth yeare of this Kings Reigne an Act was made that none should passe the Seas to purchase promotions or provisions as they tearmed them in any Church or Churches Also in this yeare Thomas late Earle of Lancaster by reason of miracles reported to be done by him was Canonized for a Saint At this time also the Wickliffs mervelously increased Preaching against Pilgrimages and Images whose greatest opposer was the Bishop of Norwich In his thirteenth yeare Proclamation was made that all Beneficed men abiding in the Court of Rome should return into England by a certain day under pain of forfeiting their Benefices and all other not Beneficed under a certain pain likewise Also about this time a Statute was made that no Ecclesiasticall person should possesse Manours Houses Lands Revenues or Rents whatsoever at the hands of the Feoffee without the Kings Licence and the chiefe Lords In his eighteenth yeare the Wickliffs were persecuted and excommunication pronounced against them by the Archbishop of Canterbury In this Schisme of the two Popes the French Clergy wrote in behalfe of Clement their Pope and sent it into England the Clergy of England on the contrary wrote in behalfe of Pope Vrban and so nothing was agreed Works of Piety in his time IN the 20th yeare of this Kings Reign William Bâ—teman Bishop of Norwich builded Trinitie Hall in Cambridge In the third year of his Reign Iohn Philpot Major of Loâ—don gave to the Citie certain Tenements for the which the Chamberlain payeth yearly to thirteen poore people to every of them seven pence the week for ever and as any of those thirteen persons dyeth the Major appointeth one to succeed and the Recorder another In the one and twentieth yeare of his Reign King Richard caused the great Hall at Westminster to be repaired both the Walls Windows and Roofe In his time Siâ—â—â— Archbishop of Canterbury slain by the Rebels upon Tower hill built the West-gate of Canterbury and from thence to the North-gate commonly called the long wall Thomas Fits-Alaâ— or Arundell being Bishop of Ely built the great Gatehouse of Ely house in Holborne and being after Bishop of Canterbury he built a faire spire steeple at the West-end of his Church there called to this day Arundell steeple and bestowed a tuneable ring of five Bells upon the same Of Casualties happening in his time IN his third yeare so great a mortality afflicted the North parts of England that the Country became almost desolate In his sixt yeare on the 24 day of May there happened so great an earthquake or as some write a watershake that it made Ships in the Havens to beat one against the other In Iuly in the year 1389. whilest the King was at Sheene there swarmed in his Court such multitudes of Flyes and Gnats skirmishing with one another that in the end they were swept away with brooms by heaps and bushels were filled with them In his twelveth yeare in March first there were terrible Windes afterward followed a great mortality and after that a great dearth that a bushelâ— of wheat was sold for thirteen pence which was then thought a great price for the years before it was sold for six pence and Wooll was sold for two shillings a stone In his fourteenth year on Christmas day a Dolphin was taken at London-bridge being ten foot long and a monstrous grown fish Ind his eighteenth year an Exhalation in likenesse of fire appeared in the night in many places of England which when a man went alone went as he went and stayed as he stayed sometimes like a wheele sometimes like a Barrell sometimes like a timberlogge but when many went together it appeared to be far off Also in a Parliament time ther was a certain Image of waxe made by Necromancie as was sayd which at an houre appointed uttered these words The Head shall be cut off the Head shall be lift up aloft the feet shall be lift up above the Head and then spake no more This happened in the Parliament called the Marvellous Parliament not long before the Parliament that wrought wonders In his one and thirtieth yeare a River not far from Bedford suddenly ceased his course so as the channell remained dry by the space of three miles which was judged to signifie the Revolting of the Subjects from their naturall Prince In his two and twentieth yeare almost through all England old Bay-trees withered and afterwards grew green againe which was supposed to import some strange event About the yeare 1380. the making of Gunnes was found by a Germaâ—e which may well be reckoned amongst casualties seeing it was found by casualty for this Germane having beaten Brimstone in a morter to powder and covered it with a stone it happened that as he struck fire a sparke chanced to fall into the powder which caused such a flame out of the morter that it raised the stone a great heigth which after he perceived he made a Pipe of iron and tempered the powder with some other ingredients and so finished that deadly Engine The first that used it were the Venetians against the inhabitans of Geneva Of his Wives KING Richard in his time had two Wives the first was Anne Daughter to the Emperour Charles the Fourth and Sister to the Emperour Wenceslaus who lived his wife ten years and dyed without issue at Sheene in Surry in the year 1392 whose death King Richard tooke so heavily that he caused the buildings of that
London where they were lodged at Marchantailors Hall The last of September the Embassadours went to the King at Greenwich where after long communication an Agreement was at last concluded under pretence of a marriage to be had betweene the Dolphin of France and the Lady Mary Daughter to the King of England that in name of her marriage money Tourney should be deliveted to the French King he paying to the King of England for the Castle he had made in that Citty six hundred Thousand Câ—ownes in twelve yeeres by fiftie Thousand Crownes yeerly and if the marriage should chance not to take effect then that Tourney should be againe restored to the King of England for performance of which article Hrstages shotld be delivered namely Monsiâ—ur de Memorancye Monsieur de Monpesac Monsieur de Moy and Monsieur Morett and moreover the French King should pay to the Cardinall of England a thousand markes yeerly in recompence of his Revenewes received before of his Bishoprick of Tourney All things thus concluded the Cardinall made to the Embassadours a solemne Banquet and after presented them with a stately Mummery The eighth of October the King feasted them at Greenwich and at night presented a stately Maske of Knights and Ladies with reare devises and great magnificence The next day Sir Thomas Exmew Major of London feasted them at Goldsmiths-Hall and then delivering their foure Hostages they tooke their leave At whose departure the King gave to the Admirall of France a Garnish of guilt vessell a paire of covered Basons gilt twelve great guilt Bowles fower paire of great guilt Pots a standing Cup of Gold garnished with great Pearles and to some other he gave Plate to some other cheins of Gold to some rich Apparell to the great comendation of his liberality Shortly after their departure the Earle of Worcester Lord Chamberlaine the Bishop of Ely the Lord of Saint Iohns Sir Nicholas Vaux Sir Iohn Pechy and Sir Thomas Bullen as Embassadours from the King of England accompanied with Knights Gentlemen and others to the number of above foure hundred passed over to Callice and from thence went to Paris where after Royall Entertainment by the King with diâ—erse Maskes and stately shewes they tooke their leaves and rode to Tourney to see the Citty delivered to the French men on the eighth of February to the great griefe of the English Garrison After the English Embassadours were returned King Henry to cheere up the foure French Hostages left heere for performance of covenants on the seaventh of May presented a solemne and stately Maske wherein himselfe the Duke of Suffolke and the French Queene were Actors and on the eight of March following was a solemne Just holden and with great magnificence performed In the eleventh yeere of King Henries Raigne died the Emperour Maximilian for whom the King caused a solemne obsequie to be kept in Paules Church After whose death the French King and the King of Spain endeavoured by sundry plots each of them to get the Empire but in conclusion Charles King of Castile afterwards called Charles the fifth was elected Emperour for joy whereof a solemne Masse was sung at Pauls the seaventh of Iuly at which were present the Cardinall Campeius the Cardinall of Yorke the Duke of Buckingham Norfolke and Suffolk with the Embassadours of Spaine France Venice and Scotland and this yeere the King kept Saint Georges feast at Winsor with great solemnity At this time diverse young Gentlemen that had been in France after the manner of that Country carried themselves so familiarly with the King that the Lords of his counsell thought it a disparagement to him and thereupon with his leave first obtained they banished them the Court and in their places brought in more staied aud graver men namely Sir Richard Winkefield Sir Richard Ierningham Sir Richard Weston and Sir VVilliam Kingston In the summer of this yeere the Queene lying at her Mannor of Havering in Essex desired the King to bring thither the foure Hostages of France to whom shee made a Royall Banpuet and in September following the King lying at his Mannor of Newhall in Essex otherwise called Beaulieu where he had newly built a stately Mansion invited the Queen and the French Hostages thither where after a sumptuous Banquet he presented them with an extraordinary Mask for the Maskers were the Duke of Suffolk the Earl of Essex the Marquesse Dorset the Lord Aburgaveny Sir Richard VVinkfield Sir Richard VVeston and Sir VVilliam Kingston the youngest of whom was fifty yeeres old at least that the Ladies might see what force they had to make age young againe At this time the French King was very desirous to see the King of England with whom he had entred into such a league of alliance and to that end made meanes to the Cardinall that there might be an Enterview betweene them at some convenient place to which the Cardinall noâ— so much to satisfie the French King as to shew his owne greatnesse in France eâ—sily condiscended and thereupon perswaded King Henry how necessary it was that such an Enterview should be and then were sent unto Guysnes under the rule of Sir Edward Belknap three thousand artificers who builded on the plaine before the Castle of Guysnes a most stately Pallace of timber curiously Garnished without and within whither both the Kings in Iune next following agreed â—o come and to answere all commers at the Tilt Tournies and Barriers whereof proclamation was made in the Court of England by Orleance King of Armes of France and in the Court of France by Clarentius King of Armes of England whilst these things were preparing on Candlemas Even as the King and Queene were come from Even-song at their Mannour of Greenwich suddainly there blew a Trumpet and then entred into the Queenes Chamber foure Gentlemen who brought with them a waggon in which sate a Lady richly apparelled which Lady acquainted the King that the foure Gentlemen there present were come for the love of their Ladies to answer all commers at the Tilts on a day by the King to be appointed which day was thereupon appointed on Shrovetuesday next â—nsuing where they all behaved themselves with great valour to the great delight of the King and Queene By this time King Henry was ready for his journey into France and so removing from his Mannour of Greenwich on Friday the five and twentieth of May he with his Queene arived at Canterbury where he ment to keepe his Whitsontide At which time the Emperour Charles returning ouâ— of Spaine arrived on the coast of Kent where by the vice Admirall of England Sir William Fitz-Williams he was conducted to land and there met aud received by the Lord Cardinall in great state After which the King himselfe rode to Dover to welcome him and on Whitsunday earely in the morning conducted him to Canterbury where they spent all the Whitsontide in great joy and solace The chiefe cause that moved the Emperour at this time
to a new Counter made in Woodstreet of the Citie Purchase and building the which removing was confirmed by the Common Councell of the City Affaires of the Church in her time IN the first yeere of this Queenes reigne all Bishops which had beene deprived in the time of King Edward the sixth were restored to their Bishopriks and the new removed also all Benefized men that were married or would not forsake their opinion were put out of their Livings and other of a contrary opinion put in their roomes Also this yeere on the seven and tweetieth of August the Service begun to be sung in Latine in Pauls Church Also this yeere the Popes authority was by Act of Parliament restored in England and the Masse commanded in all Churches to be used In her second yeer the Realme is Absolved and reconciled to the Church of Rome by Cardinall Poole and first Fruits and Tenths are restored to the Clergy but this was soone revoked the Councell finding the necessity of it for the Queenes support In her fourth yeere Monasteries were begun to be reedified of which number were that of Westminster that of Sheene and Sion that of the Black-fryers and the Fryers of Greenwich Of the number of those that dyed for Religion in her time there are recorded five Bishops one and twenty Divines and of all sorts of men and women two hundred threescore and seventeene Workes of Pietie done by her or others in her time THis Queen restored a great part of Abbey-lands that were in her possession and if she had lived longer very likely she would have restored more In her first yeer Sir Thomas White then Major erected a Colledge in Oxford now called Saint Iohns Colledge before Bernard Colledge he also erected Schooles at Bristow and Reading and gave two thousand pounds to the City of Bristow to purchase Lands the profits whereof to be imployed for the benefit of young Clothiers for ten yeeres and after that to be imployed in like manner to the benefit of two and twenty other shires and Cities In her third yeere dyed Sir Iohn Gresham late Major of London who founded a free School at Holt in Norâ—olke and gave to every Ward in London ten pounds to be distributed to the poore also to Maids marriages two hundred pounds Cutbert Tunstall Bishop of Duâ—ham erected a goodly Library in Cambridge storing it with many excellent both Printed and written Bookes he also bestowed much upon building at Durham at Alnewicke and at Tunbridge Casualties happening in her time IN her first yeere on the seven and twentieth of August the goodliest Ship in England called The Great Harrye being of the burthen of a thousand tun was burnt at Woolwich by negligence of the Mariners In her second yeer on the fifteenth of February appeared in the skie a Rainbow reversed the bowe turned downward and the two ends standing upward also two Sunnes shined at one time a good distance asunder which were taken for ill signes This yeere also in the moneth of August at a place in Suffolke by the Sea side all of hard stone and pibble lying betweene the Townes of Oxford and Alborough where never grasse grew not any earth was ever seene there chanced suddenly to spring up without any tillage or sowing so great abundance of Peason that the Poore gathered above an hundred quarters yet there remained some ripe and some blossoming as many as were before In her fourth yeer hot burning Agues and other strange diseases tooke away much people so as between the twentieth of October and the last of December there dyed seven Aldermen namely Henry Heardson Sir Richard Dobâ—s laâ—e Major Sir William Laxton late Major Sir Henry Hobblesterne late Majors Sir Iohn Champneys late Major Sir Iohn Aleph late Sheriffe and Sir Iohn Gresham late Major In her fourth yeer before Harvest Wheat was sold for foure Markes the quarter Mault at foure and forty shillings the quarter and Pease at six and forty shillings eight pence where after harvest Wheat was sold for five shillings the quarter Malt at six shillings eight pence Rye at three shillings foure pence the quarter In the Countrey Wheat was sold for foure shillings the quarter Mault at foure shillings eight pence and in some places a bushell of Rye for a pound of Candles which was foure pence In her fift yeer within a mile of Nottingham so mervailous a tempest of thunder happened that it beat down all the Houses and Churches in two Towns thereabouts cast the Bels to the outside of the Church-yard and some webs of Lead foure hundred foot into the field writhen as if it had been leather the riveâ— of Trent running between the two Townes the water with the mud in the bottome was carried a quarter of a mile and cast against trees with the violence whereof the trees were pulled up by the the roots and cast twelve score off also a childe was taken forth of a mans hand and carried two speares length high and then let fall two hâ—ndred foot off of which fall it dyed five or six men thereabouts were slaine and neither flesh nor skin perished also there fell some Hale-stones that were fifteen inches about This yeer also in Harvest-time was great mortality and specially of Priests so as many Churches were unserved and much corne was lost in the field for want of Workmen whereupon ensued a great scarcity so that corne was sold for fourteen shillings a quarter and Wood sold in London for thirteen shillings a thousand of Billets and Coles ten pence a sacke Also this yeer on the last of September fell so great store rain that Westminster Hall was full of water and Boats were rowed over Westminster-bridge into Kings-street Of her Personage and Conditions OF her Personage we can make no particular description only we may say she was none of the most amiable but yet without deformity but of her Conditions we may say she was not without deformity and yet was very amiable If we account her Religion a deformity yet her constancy and devotion in it we must needs count a beauty if it were a deformity to promise the Suffolke men not to alter the Religion wâ—ich King Edward had established yet it was certainly a Pious dissemâ—ling Cretizare cum Câ—etensibus and equivocation will some say was there a vertue where she deceived them into truth and did them good against their wils And as for her sister Elizabeth if she did not love her it was but a quality hereditary in her for their Mothers did not love one another before and indeed not without some cause in both for as those upbraided each others marriage so these each others birth We shall not doe her right if we deny her to be of a mercifull disposition seeing oftentimes she pittied the person where she shed the blood she could have found in her heart to have spared the Lady Ianes life if Ragion diâ—stato had not beene against itâ— and she did
Peace then wonne it for to recover Newcastle out of his hands he was faine to let King David hold Cumberland and his Sonne Henry the Earledome of Huntington as their Inheritance for which the Father would not for his as being engaged but the Sonne for his as being free did Homage to King Stephen No sooner was this trouble over but he was presently under another for being faine somewhat ill at easeâ— it was bruited abroad that he was dead which â—o distracted mens mindes that every one thought it wisdome to shift for himselfe and the Great Lords made a contrary use of Castles to that which King Stephen intended when he gave liberty to build them for the King intended them for his owne defence against his Enemies and they made use of them in their owne defence against the King for now Hugh Bigâ—t Earle of Norfolke possesseth himselfe of Nâ—rwich Baldwyn Rivers of Oxford and Robert Quesquâ—rius of other Castles In these difficulties King Stephen though he could not in person be in all places at oncâ— yet in care he wasâ— and there most where was most danger imploying others against the rest Against Baldwyn he went himselfe whom driven before out of Oxford and gotten to the Isle of Wight the King foâ—â—owed and drove him also from thence aud at last into Exile And now England afforded him once againe to take a little breath but then Normandy presently begins with him afresh For now Gâ—offrey Plâ—â—tagenet Duke of Anjou in right of Maude his Wife enters upon his Townes there and â—eeâ—es to get possession of the Country when King Stephen passeth over with an Army and arâ—ests his proceeding and after some small defeates of his Enemies brings the matter at last to a pecuniary Composition He to pay the Duke five thousand Markes a yeare and the Duke to relinquish his claime to Normandy This done he returnes into England where new Commotions are attending himâ— For the Lords in his absence resenting his breach of Promises upon which they had aâ—mitted him to the Crowne make use every one of their Castles and stand upon their Guard The Lord Talbot held Hereford Earle Robert Maâ—ds Brother Bristow William Lovell the Castle of Cary Paganell the Castle of Ludlâ—w William Mounâ— the Castle of Dunster Robert Nicholor of Lincolne the Castle of Warham Eustace the Sonne of Iohn the Castle of Melton William the Sonne of Alan the Castle of Shrewsbury and withall David King of Scots never regarding his former agreement enters Northumberland with an Army committing so great cruelty in ravishing of Maydes murthering of Infants slaughtering of Priests even at the Altar that never any barbarous Nation committed greater Thus the kingdome from the one end to the other was in Combustion that if the King had had as many hands as Briareus there would have beene worke enough for them all Yet all this dismayed not the King but as having learned this Lesson Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito growes the more in confidence the lesse he was in assurance and as if danger were the fuell of Courage the more erected in himselfe the lesse he was upheld by others and so venturing what his Rebels at home would doe in his absence he passeth himselfe in person against David King of Scots as being the most dangerous and therefore the first to be repressed but finding it hard to draw him to a Battell and impossible without a battell to doe any good upon him he leaves the care of that quarrell to Thurstine Arch-bishop of Yorke and returnes himselfe home if it may be called home where he scarce had a safe place to put his head in But though many Lords were Rebellious against him yet some there were stucke firmely to him by whose Assistance and his owne industry partly by inticements partly by inforcements he reduced most of them to Obedience and all of them to Submission when in the meane time Thurstine Arch-bishop of Yorke and in his sicknesse Ralph Bishop of Durham assisted with William Earle of Aumerle William Piperell of Nottingham and Hubert de Lacy fought a memorable Battell against David King of Scots wherein though King David himselfe and his Sonne Henry performed wonderfull Acts of Prowesse yet the English got the Victory with the slaughter of eleven thousand Scots in the Fight besides many other slaine in the flight where of the English none of account were slaine but onely a Brother of Hubert Lacyes and some small number of Common Souldiers This Victory infinitely pleased and comforted King Stephen who not long after to make an absolute suppression of the Scots passeth againe with an Army and inforceth King David to demand a Peace delivering his Sonne Henry into King Stephens hands for a pledge and comming homeward by the way he besieged Ludlow one of Rebels nests where Prince Henry of Scotland had beene taken Prisoner if King Stephen in his owne person had not rescued him After this once againe the King got a little breathing time but it was but to prepare him for greater Encounters For now Maud the Empresse her selfe in person comes into play in whom the Oath before taken was to have its tryall for till now though never so really intended yet it could not actually be performed for how could they receive her for Queene who came not in place to be received but now that she came in person now was the time of tryall how the Oath would worke and worke it did indeed with many and that strongly For Maude comming into England with Robert Earle of Glocester her Brother was most joyfully received at Arundell Castle by William de Aubigny who had marryed Adeliza the Queene Dowager of the late King Henry and had the said Castle and County assigned her for her Dower King Stephen having intelligence hereof commeth to Arundell Castell wiâ—h an Army and besiegeth it but either diverted by ill counsell or else finding the Castle to be inexpugnable he left the siege and suffered the Empresse to passe to Bristow The King hearing that Raâ—ulph Earle of Chester Sonne in law to Robert Earle of Glocester had possest himselfe of the City of Lincolne thither he goeth with an Army and besiegeth it thither also came the said Earle of Chester and Robert Earle of Glocester to raise his siege at which time a most fierce battell was fought betweene them upon Candlemas day wherein it is memorable what wonders of valour King Stephen performed For when all his men about him were either fled or slaine yet he kept the field himselfe alone no man daring to come neare him Horrentibus inimicis incomparabilem ictuum ejus immanitatem saith Hoveden yet over-mastered at last by multitude he was taken prisoner and brought to Maude the Empresse who sent him to be kept in safe custody in the Castle of Brisâ—ow where he remained till All-hollantide after And now the Empresse having gotten King Stephen into her hands she takes her journey to London
made benefit of the vacancie of Bishopricks and Abbeys so did King Henry K. Iohn took great Fines of many for crimes not proved but onely supposed so did King Henry King Iohn made benefit of a new Seale so did King Henry King Iohn extorted great summes from the Iewes so did King Henry And one way more he had to get money which perhaps his Father had not and that was by begging as he told the Abbot of Borough It was more Almes to give money to him then to the Begger that went from doore to doore Indeed Taxations in this Kings Raigne may be reckoned amongst his Annuall Revenues for scarce any yeare passed without a Parliament and seldome any Parliament without a Taxe or if any sometimes without it was then cause of the greater Taxation some other way as when he tooke of the Londoners for having aided the Barons twenty thousand Markes Of his Lawes and Ordinances IN this Kings Raigne were ratified and confirmed the two great Charters of Magna Charâ—a and Charta de Foresta also in his time were enacted the Statutes called of Merton of Oxford and of Marleborough Also stealing of cattell which before was but Pecuniary he made capitall and the first that suffered for the same was one of Dunstable who having stollen twelve Oxen from the Inhabitants of Colne and being pursued to Redburne was by a Bailiffe of Saint Albons according to the Kings Proclamation condemned and beheaded And it may seeme strange that in these times so much bloud should be shed in the field and none upon the scaffold for till the twenty sixth yeare of this King that one William Marisc the sonne of Geoffrey Marisc a Noble man of Ireland being condemned for Piracie and Treason was hanged beheaded and quartered there is no example of that kinde of punishment to be found in our Histories Particularly in this Kings Raigne was made that Statute by which the Ward and marriage of the heires of Barons within age is given to the King Also in this Kings Raigne the Pleas of the Crowne were pleaded in the Tower of London All Weares in the Thames are in this Kings time ordained to be pluck'd up and destroyed Also the Citizens of London are allowed by Charter to passe Toll-free through all England and to have free Warren about London also to have and use a common Seale Also it was ordained that no Sheriffe of London should continue in his office longer then one yeare which they did before for many In the five and twentieth yeare of this King were Aldermen first chosen within the City of London which then had the rule of the City and of the Wards of the same and were then yearely changed as now the Sheriffes are It was in this Kings time allowed to the City of London to present their Major to the Barons of the Exchequer to be sworne which before was to be presented to the King wheresoever he were In his time the clause Noâ— obstante brought in first by the Pope was taken up by the King in his grants and writings Also in this Kings time William Bishop of Salisbury first caused that custome to be received for a Law whereby the Tenants of every Lordship are bound to owe their suite to the Lords Court of whom they hold their Tenements Affaires of the Church in his time AFfaires of the Church for matter of Doctrine were never more quiet then in this Kings Raigne for now all Heresies accounted of the time especially the Albigenses were in a manner suppressed by the Armes of the King of France not without the Vote of the King of England who forbore to make warre upon him in tendernesse to this service but for matter of manners they were never more turbulent for now Abbeys were fleeced Sanctuaries violated Clergy-men outraged Bishops themselves not spared and all for greedinesse of money or for revenge Ottobone the Popes Legat here in England lying at the Abbey of Oseney there happened a difference betweene his servants and the Schollers of Oxford in which contention a brother of his was slaine and theâ— Legat himselfe faine to fly into the Steeple for safegard of his life whereupon afterward being gotten from thence by the Kings safe conduct he thundred out curses against the Schollers and interdicted the University so as the Colledges grew desolate and the Students were dispersed abroad into other places for the space of halfe a yeare till the Monkes of Oseney and the Regent Masters of Oxford were faine to goe bare-foote and bare-head through London as farre as Durham house where the Legat lay and there upon their humble submission and great mens intercession they were absolved and the University restored to its former estate But of this Ottobone it may not be impertinent to relate a little further that going afterward out of England he came by degrees after the death of Innocent the fifth to be Pope of Rome himselfe by the name of Adrian the fifth and died within fifty dayes after his election Amongst affaires of the Church may be reckoned the Ulcers of any member of the Church such a one as in this Kings time brake out most loathsome for one procuring five wounds to be made in his body in resemblance to the five wounds in Christs body tooke upon him to be Christ and had gotten a Woman that tooke upon her to be the Virgin Mary who continuing obstinate in their madnesse were adjudged to be immured and shut up betweene two wals to the end no doubt the contagion of their filthinesse should spread no further In this Kings time a little novelty was first brought in by Pope Innocent the fourth who ordained that Cardinals should weare red Hats something perhaps for mystery and something for distictnion Workes of piety done by him or by others in his time THis King caused a chest of Gold to be made for laying up the Reliques of King Edward the Confessour in the Church of Westminster Hee builded a Church for converted Iewes in London also an Hospitall at Oxford for passengers and diseased persons also the new Coventuall Church and the Chappell of our Lady at Westminster whereof hee laid himselfe the first stone also the houâ—e of Black-Friers in Canterbury In his time Ela Countesse of Salisbury founded the Abbey of Lacok in Wiltshire Richard Earle of Cornwall founded Hayles a Monastery of Cistersian Monkes neare to Winchcombe in Glocestershire Reginold de Moun Earle of Somerset and Lord of Dunster founded the Abbey of Newham in Devonshire Ranulph the third Earle of Chester and Lord of little Britaine builded the Castles of Chartley Bestone and the Abbey of Dela Cresse Sir Iohn Mansell the Kings Chaplaine founded a house of Regular Chanons neare to Rumney in Kent William de Albineto Earle of Arundell founded the Priory of Wimondham William Brunc a Citizen of London and Rosia his wife founded the Hospitall of our Lady without Bishopsgate in London And Isabel Countesse of Arundell founded the
persons under the Conduct of Captaine Nelsâ—n After which was sent another supply of threescore and ten persons and in the yeare 1609. a third supply came of five hundred persons under a Patent granted to Sir Thomas West Lord de la Ware but conducted thither by Sir Thomas Gates Gates Sir George Sommers and others In the yeare 1611. was a fourth supply of three hundred men under the conduct of Sir Thomas Gates In the yeare 2612. two other supplies were sent of forty men in each and now was the Lotterie spoken of before granted by the King for further supplies of this Plantation After this Master Samuel Argall being appoynted Governour in in the yeare 16â—8 the Lord De la Ware came thither with a supply of two hundred people but in his stay there dyed After this in the yeare 1620. were sent thither eleven Ships with twelve hundred and sixteene persons and now they founded themselves into Corporations In the yeare 1621. Sir Francis Wiat was sent thither Governour with thirteene hundred men women and children and now they founded Schooles and Courts of Iustice and the Plantation was extended a hundred and forty miles up on the River of both sides But now when the English were secure and thought of nothing but peace the Savages came suddenly upon them and slew them three hundrâ—d and seven and forty men women and children For râ—pairing of which losse the City of London sent presently over a supply of a hundred men This massacre happened by reason they had built their Plantations remote from one another in above thirty severall places which made them now upon consultation to reduce them all to five or six places whereby they may better assist each other since which time they have alwayes lived in good security And thuâ— much for Virginia Next was the Plantation of the Island called Barmudas so called of a Spanish ship called Bermudas which was there cast away carrying Hogs to the West Indies that swam a shoare and there increased The first Englishman that entred this Isle was one Henry May in the yeare 1591 but in the yeare 1610 Sir George Sâ—mers was sent thither who dying there in memory of his Name the Isles have ever since been called Somers Isles In the yeare 1612. One Mr. Moore landed there with 60 persons and then builded the chiefe Town there called S. Georges together with 8 to 9 Forts The same yeare a supply of 30 more persons was sent thither and the yeare after 60 more under one Mr. Bartlet with a shew to survey the land but with a purpose indeed to get from thence a great lump of Amber-greece and no lesse than 80 poâ—â—d weight that had been found taken up in the Island some yeares before and was there still reteined A while after this came a Ship called the Blessing with a hundred passengers and two dayes after came the Star with a 180 more and within 14 dayes after that again came thither the Margaret and two Frigates with 130 passengers So as now they began to divide the Counâ—â—y into Tribes and the Tribes into shares In the yeare 1616 Captain Daâ—â—el Tuckard was sent from Virginia to be Governour there and now it began indeed to be a Plantation for now they began to build them houses and now was sent from thence into England a Ship fraighted with 30000 weight of Tobacco valued there but at 2 s. 6 d. the pound though sold here oftentimes for Vâ—rinos at great rates In the yeare 1619â— Captain Nathaniel Butler was sent Governour with new supplies in whose time they build them a Church held Assizes for Criminall Causes twice a yeare and began to have Parliaments as in England and now in the Ship called the Magazin came diverse Gentlemen of good fashion with their wives and families so as now their number was no fewer then fifteen hundred people Dispersed twenty miles in length In the yeare 1622 came Governouâ— M. Iohn Bernard bringing with him a supply of a 140 persons but he and his wife dying presently upon their comming M. Iohn Harrison in the yeare 1623 was chosen Governour These Isles of Bermudas are in 32 degrees of Northern latitude So as they are distant from Virginia at least 500 leagues and from Egland above three thousand three hundred This Country is of a most healthfull Ayre abounding with all sorts of Fowles Birds and Fish and where great pieces of Amber-grâ—ce are oftentimes found which is valued there at no lesse than three pounds an ounce And thus much concerning the state of Bermudas till the yeare 1624. Next comes the Plantation of New England concerning which we must first know that King Iames in the yeare 1606 granted two Letters Patents for Plantations in Virginia one to the City of London another to the City of Bristow Exceter and Plimmouth with power to plant Colonies any where between the Degrees of 38 and 44 provided there should be at least a 100 miles distance between the two Colonies So as the first Colony was from the City of London and is that which is called Virginia The Second Colony was from Bristow and the other Towns and is that which is now called New England and is scituate between the Degrees of 41 and 45 the very meane betwixt the North Pole and the Line And now to speak a little of the Country there are on the Sea Coast 25 excellent good Harbours in some whereof there is Anchorage for 500 sayle of Ships of any burthen The Earth as fruitful and the Ayre as healthfull as any part of the World abounding with all sorts of Grain Fowles and Fish Many of such kinds as aâ—e to us unknown yet excellent meat Many Voyages had been made for the perfect discovery of the Countrey Many Attempts for setling a Plantation there Many Miscariages and Disasters in making the attempts but all at last came to this that in the yeare 1624 which is the limit of ouâ— Narration there was a Plantation setled though but a small one but a few yeares after by the sending forth of new supplyes encreased to so many thousands that if God continue to prosper it as he hath begun the New England in a few ages may prove as populous as the Old and the King of England likely to have as many and greater Crowns in the Indies than he had in His Realmes of Great Brittaine and Ireland But seeing of these and all other English Plantations in the Indies whereof there are many large discourses written by divers Authors It should be more than supperfluous to speake more of them in this place It is sufficient to have shewed that King Iames had the honour to have them setled in His time and under the Influence of His peaceable Government Of the Earles and Barons made by King JAMES IN former Kings Raignes the making of Earles and Barons was but rare and therefore they are fitly set down at the severall times of their making but in King