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A29737 A chronicle of the Kings of England, from the time of the Romans goverment [sic] unto the raigne of our soveraigne lord, King Charles containing all passages of state or church, with all other observations proper for a chronicle / faithfully collected out of authours ancient and moderne, & digested into a new method ; by Sr. R. Baker, Knight. Baker, Richard, Sir, 1568-1645. 1643 (1643) Wing B501; ESTC R4846 871,115 630

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divers of the French Nobility who attended him to the Pallace where the Queen with her Daughters the Dutchesse of Burgoigne and the Lady Katherine gave him Princely entertainment and after some intercourse of complement between the Princes and the Ladies K. Henry tendred to the Lady Katherine a Ring of great value which she not without some blushing received and afterward upon the twentieth day of May she was affianced to him in St. Peters Church and on the third of Iune following the marriage was solemnized and therewithall king Henry was published to be the only Regent of the Realme and Heire apparent to the Crown of France the Articles whereof with all convenient expedition were Proclaimed both in England and in France and the two kings and all their Nobles and other Subjects of account were sworne to observe them and in particular the Duke of Burgoigne And thus was the Salique Law violated and the heire Male put by his Sucession in the Crowne which the Genius of France will not long endure a while it must and therefore the maine endeavour of both kings now is to keep him down whom they had put downe and thereupon on the fourth day of Iune king Henry with the French king Iames king of Scots who was newly arrived the Duke of Burgoig●e● the Prince of Orenge one and twenty Earles five and forty Barons with many Knights and Gentlemen and an Army consisting of French English Scotish Irish and Dutch to the number of six hundred thousand marched towards the Dolphin and upon the seventh day laid siege to the Towne of Se●●s which sided with the Dolphin which after foure dayes siege was yielded up From thence they removed having the Duke of Bedford in their company who was newly come out of E●gla●d with large supplies of men and money to Monst●●●● which was taken by Escalado onely the Castle held out still during the siege whereof king Henry cre●●ed an Officer of Armes to be king of Heralds over the Englishmen and intitled him Garter whom he sent with offers of mercy to the Castle but was by the Captaine thereof reproachfully upbraided for punishment of which his presumption ● Gibbet was erected and in view of Mounsieur Guitry the said Captaine twelve of his friends were executed whereupon those of the Castle treated for peace but the king in eight dayes together would not grant so much as a parley● so that after six weekes siege they were enforced their lives saved simply to yield From thence the king marched to Melun upon Sein and besieged it the thirtieth of Iuly the Captaine whereof was Barbason a Gascoigne no lesse politick than valiant who countermined some and stopt other Mines made by the English and fo●ght hand to hand in the Barriers with king Henry yet at last through Famine and Pestilence was forced to yeild but being suspected to have had a hand in the murther of the Duke of Burgoigne he was sent prisoner to Paris and presently thereupon both the kings with their Queens the Duke of Burgoigne and his Dutchesse with a Royall Traine came thither where the French king was lodged in the House of S. Paul and the king of England in the Castle of Lo●vre And here the three States of France anew under their hands and Seals in most a●thenticke manner Ratified the former Articles of king Henries Succession in the Crowne of France the Instruments whereof were delivered to the king of England who sent them to be kept in his Treasury at Westminster And now King Henry began to exercise his Regency and as a badge of his Authority he caused a new Coyne which was called a Salute to be made whereon the Armes of France and England were quarterly stamped he placed and displaced divers Officers and appointed the Duke of Exeter with five hundred men to the Guard of Paris He awarded out Processe against the Dolphin to appeare at the Marble-Table at Paris which he not obeying Sentence was denounced against him as guilty of the murther of the Duke of Burgoigne and by the sentence of the Parliament he was banished the Realme After this the King making Thomas Duke of Clarence his Lievetenant Generall of Fra●ce and Normandy on the 6th of Ianuary with his beloved Queen Katherine he left Pari● and went to Amyens and from thence to Calli● and thence landing at Dover came to Canterbury and afterward through Lo●do● to Westminster where the Queene upon St. Matthews day the fourth of Febru●ry was Crowned the King of Scots sitting at dinner in his State but on the left hand of the Queen the Archbishop of Ca●terbury and the Kings Uncle the Bishop of Winchester being on the right hand All were served with covered messes of silver but all the Feast was Fish in observation of the Lent season After this the king tooke his Progresse through the Land hearing the complaints of his poore Subjects and taking order for the administring of Justice to high and low and then met the Queen at Leicester where they kept their Easter In the meane time the Duke of Clarence making a Road into A●jo● came to the Citie of Ampers where he knighted Sir William Rosse Sir Henry G●d●ard Sir Rowla●d Vyder Sir Thomas Beauford his naturall Son and returning home laden with prey was advertised that the Duke of Alanson intended to intercept his passage whereupon he sent the Scout-master Fogosa● Lombard to discover the face of the Enemy who being corrupted brought report that their number was but small and those but ill ordered that if he presently charged there could be no resistance The Dukes credulity caused him to draw all his horses together and leaving his bowes and bill● behinde which were his chief●st strength with his 〈◊〉 only he makes towards the Enemy but the Traitor leading to a straight where by his appointment an ambush was layd tha● the Duke could neither retreat nor flee he soone perceived the Trea●chery but finding no remedy he manfully set sp●● to his horse and charged upon the Enemy but over-layd with multitude and wearied with fight was himselfe with the Earle of Ta●kervile the Lord Rosse the Ea●le of Angus Sir Iohn 〈◊〉 and Sir Iohn Vere●d and above two thousand English slaine The Earls of S●●erset Suffolke and Pearch Sir Iohn Berkl●y Sir Ralph Nevill Sir Willi●● B●wes and 60 Gentlemen were taken prisoners The body of the Duke of Cl●rence was by Sir Iohn Beauford his base Son the D. dying without other issue convey'd to England and buried at Canterbury besides his Father and this disaster happened upon ●aster-Eve The King was at Beverley when he heard of his brothers death and presently thereupon dispatched away Edmund Earle of M●rt●●gne into Nor●●●dy making hi● Lievtenant thereof and then calls his high Court of Parliament to Westminster requiring ayd by money to revenge his br●thers death which was readily granted and the king thus provided sent his brother the Duke of Bedford with an Army to C●lli● consisting of foure
●●●●ved by famine he so dyed In the meane time Sir Iohn Oldcastle wrote his Beliefe and presented it himselfe to the King which the King would in no wise receive but suffered him in his presence and Privy chamber to be summoned who appearing before the Archbishop after divers examinations he was condemned of Heresie and committed to the Tower of London from whence shortly after he escaped and got into Wales The king by his Proclamation promised a thousand Marks to any that should bring him in but so much was his doctrine generally favoured that the kings offer was not much regarded but he continued foure yeares after undiscovered At last he was taken in the borders of Wales within a Lordship belonging to the Lord Powes who brought him to London before the Duke of Bedford Regent of the Realme where in the end he was condemned and finally was drawn from the Tower to S. Giles field and there hanged in a chaine by the middle and after consumed with fire the gallowes and all At the time of his first conviction foure yeares before it was rumour'd that twenty thousand men in armes were assembled in S. Giles field whereupon the king at midnight himselfe in person went thither where he found many indeed who upon examination confessed that they came to meet their Captaine Sir Iohn Oldcastle but without any intent against the king yet was Sir Roger Acto● and eight and twenty others of them apprehended and executed in Smithfield and all the Prisons in and about London were filled with them In his third yeare the order of Church service throughout England was changed from the use of Pauls to the use of S●lisbury to the great disliking of many in those dayes In his fourth yeare a Councell was holden at Constance whither he sent Ambassadors the Earle of Warwick the Bishops of Salisbury Bath and Hereford the Abbot of Westminster and the Prior of Worcester In which Councell it was decreed that England should have the title of the English Nation and should be accounted one of the five principall Nations in ranke before Spaine which often before had been moved but never granted till then And herein were all Wickliffs positions condemned also Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prague notwithstanding the Emperours safe-conduct were both of them burned In this Councell the Schisme of Anti-popes which had continued the space of nine and twenty yeares was reformed ●e●edict the 13. had been elected by the Spaniard Gregory the 1● by the French Iohn the 24. by the Italians And now in this Councell begun in February 1414 and continued above three yea●es wherein were assembled besides the Emperour the Pope and the Palsgrave of R●●ime foure Patriarks twenty seven Cardinals seven and forty Archbishops one hundred and threescore Bishop● Princes and Barons with their attendants above thirty thousand The foresaid elected Popes were all put down or else resigned and in the place as legitimate Pope was elected Otho Lolo●na by the name of Marti● the fifth In this yeare also fell out an Accident which shews the strict observance of Ecclesiasticall censures in those dayes The wives of the Lord Strange and Sir Iohn Trussell of War●ington in Cheshire striving for place at a Sermon in S. Dunst●●s Church in the East their husbands being present fell themselves to striving in their wives behalf● and great part-taking there was on both sides some slaine and many wounded The delinquents were committed to the Counter the Church suspended and upon examination the Lord Strange being found guilty was by the Archbishop of Canterbury adjudged to this Penance which was accordingly performed The Parson of S. Dunst●●s went before after whom followed all the Lords servants in their shirts after them went the Lord himselfe bare-headed with a waxe taper in his hand then followed the Lady bare-footed and then last came the Archdeacon Reynold R●●●ood in which order they went from Pauls where the sentence was given to S. Dunst●●s Church where at the rehallowing thereof the Lady filled all the Vessels with water and according to the sentence offered to the Altaran ornament of the value of ten pounds and the Lord a Pixe of silver of five pounds A Penance no doubt which the Lord and the Lady would have redemed with a great deale of money if the discipline of the Church had in those dayes allowed it but it seemes the commutation of Penance was not as yet come in use In his ninth yeare in a Parliament at Leicester a hundred and ten Priories alient were suppressed because they spoke ill of his Conquests in France and their possessions were given to the King but by him and King Henry the sixth were afterward given to other Monasteries and Colledges o● learned men Works of Piety by him or others in his time THis King re-edified his Royall Manour which was then called Sheene now Richmond and founded two Monasteries not farre from it the one of Carthusians which he named Bethelem the other of Religious men and women of the Order of S. Bridget which he named Syon He also founded the Brotherhood of Saint Giles without Cripplegate in London In the second yeare of his Reigne Mooregate neere to Colemanstreet was first made by Thomas Fawkener Major of London who caused also the ditches of the City to be cleansed and a common Privy that was on the Moore without the wall to be taken downe and another to be made within the City upon Wallbrooke into the which brooke he caused the water of the City to be turned by grates of iron in divers places In his sixth yeare William of Sevenoak Major of London founded in the Town of Sevenoak a Free schoole and thirteen Almshouses This man was found at Sevenoak in Kent anew-borne infant of unknown Parents but by charitable people was Christned and brought up bound prentise in London and came at last to be Major of the City Also Robert Chic●ely Major of London gave liberally to the Almshouses founded by his brother Henry Chiche●●y Archbishop of Canterbury at Higham-Ferrers in Northamptonshire where they were born But Henry Chicheley the Archbishop founded two Colledges in Oxford one called Bernard Colledge renewed by Sir Thomas White and named S. Iohns Colledge the other called All-Soules which continueth at this day as he left it Also Iohn Kempe Archbishop of Canterbur● converted the Parish-Church of Wye in Kent where he was borne into a Colledge of Secular Priests Casualties happening in his time IN the fift yeere of his Reigne a great part of the City of Norwich was burnt with all the house of the Friers Preachers and two fryers of that Order In his third yeere on the feast of the Purification seaven Dolphins came up the River of Th●mes whereof foure were taken Of his Wife and issue HE married Catherine the daughter of king Charles the sixth of France who was his Queene two yeeres and about three moneths married at Troyes in Champaigne the third day of June 1420. and afterward
great to enter the Bay he caused certaine Boa●es to be manned forth thinking thereby to toule out the French but when this neither would draw them to come abroad he then called a Councell where it was determined that first they should assayle Prior Iohn and his Gallies lying in Blankesable Bay and after set upon the rest of the French Flee●e in the Haven of Brest and it was further appointed that the Lord Ferrers Sir Stephen Bull and others should go on land with a convenient number to assault the Bulworkes which the French had there made while the Admi●all with Row B●rges and little Gallies entred into the Bay that so the Frenchmen might at once be assailed both by sea and land But though this were determined by the Councell of Warre ●et the Lord Admirall had a trick by himselfe for by the advise of a Spanish Knight called Sir Alphonso Charunt affirming that he might enter the Bay with little danger he called to him William Fi●s-VVilliams VVilliam Cooke Iohn Colley and Sir VVolston Browne as his most trusty friends making them privy to his intent which was to take on him the whole enterprize with their assistance only and so confident he was of successe that he wrote to the King to come thither in person to have the honour of the enterprize himselfe but it seemes the King had better Fates at least went not and thereupon on Saint Marks day the Admirall put himselfe in a small row B●rge and appointing three other small row Ships and his own Ship-boat to attend him and therewith on a sudden rowed into the Ba● where Pryor Iohn had moored up his Gallies just to the ground which Gallies with the Bulworks on the land shot most cruelly yet the Admirall went on and comming to the Gallies drove out the French-men The Bay was shallow and the other ships by reason the Tide was spent could not enter which the French-men perceiving they entred the Gallies againe with Morris Pikes and began a new fight whereupon the Admirall attempting to returne back into his row B●rge which by violence of the Tide was driven downe the streame with a Pike was throwne over boord and drowned the just issue of his head-strong enterprize the forenamed Alphonso was also there slaine upon which sorrowfull accident the Lord Ferrers with the rest returned into England After whose departure Pryor Iohn came forth with his Gallies and coasting over the borders of Sussex burnt certaine poore Cottages● but the King made suddenly a new Admirall the Lord Thomas Howard eldest Brother to him that was drowned sonne and heire of the Earle of Surrey who so skowrd the seas that the French were no more to be seen on any coast of England King Henry had hitherto performed Acts of Armes though in Jest yet with great magnificence he will not performe them with lesse being now in earnest and especially to deale with so potent aa adversary and therefore when it was concluded by Parliament that he should make a Warre in France himselfe in p●rson he sent before to prepare the way for him George Talbot Earle of Sh●ewsbury high Steward of his Houshold accompanied with the Lord Thomas Stanley Earle of Derby the Lord Dowckeroy Pryor of Saint Iohns Sir Robert Ratcliffe Lord Fitswater the Lord Hastings the Lord Cobham Sir Riceap Thomas Sir Thomas Blunt Sir Richad Sacheverell Sir Iohn Digby Sir Iohn Askew Sir Lewis Bagot Sir Thomas Cornwall and others to the number of eight thousand who arrived at Callice about the middle of May after him in the end of May followed Sir Charles Somerset Lord Herbert Lord Chamberline accompanied with the Lord Percy Earle of Northumberland the Lord Gray Earle of Kent the Lord Stafford Earle of Wiltshire the Lord Dudley the Lord Delaware Sir Edward Hussey Sir Edward Dimmock Sir David Owen with others to the number of six thousand These Generalls joyning together issued out of Callice and on the two and twentieth day of Iune sate downe before the strong Towne of Terwin which City was strongly fortified and in it was Governour the Lord Poultreny who had with him six hundred Horsemen and five and twenty hundred Almans besides the Inhabitants Here at the very first happened two disasters to the English one that the Baron Carew was slaine with a shot from the Towne the other that Sir Nicholas Va●x and Sir Edward Belknappe coming from Guys●es with four and twenty Carts of Provision were set upon by the Duke of Vendosme Lieutenant of Picardie and many of the English slaine and the Provision taken In this state was the English Campe at Terwin when King Henry the last day of Iune came himselfe to Callice and on the one and twentieth of Iuly took the field having in his Army of fighting men not above nine thousand but with Pyoners and others that attended the Cariages eleven thousand and three hundred men His foreward was led by Charles Brandon Viscount Lisle his maine Battaile by himselfe and Sir Henry Guildford carried his Standard and in this order he marched forward to the siege of Terwin entring upon the French ground the five and twentieth of Iuly On the morrow after by negligence of the Carters that mistook the way a great Gunne called the Iohn Evangelist was overthrowne in a deep Pond of water aud could not at that time be recovered but a few dayes after the Master Carpenter taking with him a hundred labourers went and weyed it up but having carted it ready to bring away was set upon by eight hundred French and the most of his company slaine the Gunne was taken by the French and carried to Bulloyne In the French Army were to the number of eleaven thousand footmen and four thousand Horse whereof were Captaines the Lord De la Palyce the Lord De Priennes the Duke De Longuevyle the Earle of Saint Paul the Lord of Floringes the Lord of Clermont and Richard De la Poole an English man sonne to Iohn Duke of Suffolke The Armies were come within two miles one of another and some light skirmishes passed between them specially one on a day called the dry Wednesday for the day was wonderfull hot and the King with his Army stood in order of battaile from six a clock in the morning till three in the afternoone after this the King removed towards Terwyn and as the Army marched another of the Kings Bombards of Iron called the Redde Gunne was overthrowne in a lane and there left which the French understanding went with a great power to fetch it away as they had done the other but the Lord Berners Captaine of the English Pyoners prevented them and though set upon by the French to the number of nine or ten thousand yet by the valour of the Earle of Essex and Sir Riceap Thomas with the bold adventures of Sir William Tyler and Sir Iohn Sharpe they recovered it and brought it safe to the Campe. On the fourth of August K. Henry came before the city
Stowre upon the West side of the Towne Upon this bridge the like report runneth stood a stone of some heigth against which king Richard as hee passed ●owards Bosworth by chance strook his spurre and against the same stone as he was brought back hanging by the horse side his head was dashed and broken as a Wise-woman forsooth had fore-told who before his going to battell being asked of his successe said that where his spurre strooke his head should be broken But these are but Repo●●● He had lived seven and thirty yeeres Reigned two and two moneths Of men of Note in his time OF men of Note for wickednesse and villany enough have been mentioned i● the body of the Story and for men of Valour and Learning they will fitte● be placed in a better Kings Reigne THE REIGNE OF KING HENRY THE SEVENTH HENRY Earle of Richmond borne in Pembrooke-Castle sonne to Edmund Earle of Richmond by his wife Margaret sole daughter of Iohn Duke of Somerset which Iohn was sonne of Iohn Earle of Somerset sonne of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster by his third wife Katherine Swinford and by this descent Heire of the House of Lancaster having wonne the Battell at Bosworth against King Richard is by publick acclamations saluted King of England on the 22 day of August in the yeere 1485. and this was his first Title And now to take away a Root of danger before his departure from Leicester he sent Sir Robert Willoug●by to the Castle of Sheriffehaton in the County of Yorke for Edward Plantage●et Earle of Warwick sonne and heire to George Duke of Clarence being then of the age of fifteen yeeres whom King Richard had there kept a prisoner all his time who was thence conveyed to London and shut up in the Tower to be kept in safe custodie In the same Castle also King Richard had left residing the Lady Elizabeth eldest daughter to King Edward the Fourth and her now King Henry appoints honorably attended to be brought up to London and to be delivered to the Queene her mother This done he tooke his journey towards London where at his approaching neere the City Thomas Hill the Major Thomas Brittaine and Richard Chester Sheriffs with other principall Citizens met him at Shore-ditch and in great state brought him to the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul where he offered three Standards in the one was the Image of St. George in another was a red fiery Dragon beaten upon white and greene Sarcenet in the third was painted a dun Cow upon yellow Tarterne After Prayers said he departed to the Bishops Palace and there sojourned a season And in the time of his stay here he advised with his Councell and appointed a day for solemnizing his mariage with the Lady Elizabeth before which time notwithstanding he went by water to Westminster and was there with great solemnity Anointed and Crowned King of England by the whole consent as well of the Commons as of the Nobility by the name of Henry the Seventh on the thirtieth day of October in the yeere 1485 and this was his second Title And even this was revealed to Cadwalloder last King of the Britaines seven ●u●dred ninety and seven yeeres past That his off-spring should Raigne and b●a●e Dominion in this Realme againe On the seventeenth day of November following he called his High Court of Parliament where at the first sitting two scruples appea●ed One concerning t●e Burgesses for that many had been returned Burgesses and knights of Shires who by a Parliament in king Richards time stood Attainted still and it was thought incong●uous for men to make Law●● who were themselves out-lawed For remedy whereof an Act was presently passed for their restoring and then they were admitted to sit in the House The other concerning the King himselfe who had been Attainted by king Richard but for this It was resolv●d by all the Judges in the Ch●quer Chamber that the possession of the Crowne takes away all defects yet for Honours sake all Records of hi● Attainder were taken off the File And so these scruples thus removed the Parliament b●ga● wherein were Attainted first Richard late Duke of Glocester calling himselfe Richard the Third Then his Assistants at the Battell of Bosworth Iohn late Duke of Norfolk Thomas Earle of Surrey Francis Viscount Lovell Walter Devereux late Lord Ferrers Iohn Lord Zouch Rober● Harington Richard Cha●leto●● Richar● Rat●liffe● William Ber●ley of Weley Robert Middleton Iames Haringto●●●obert Br●c●enb●●y T●omas Pilkington Wal●er Ho●ton William Catesby Roger W●ke William Sapco●e Humfry Stafford William Clerke of Wenlock Geoffry St. Germaine Richard Watkins Herauld at Armes Richard Revell Thomas Pul●er Iohn Welsh Iohn Ken●all l●te Secretary to the late king Richard Iohn Buck Andrew Rat and William Brampton of Burford But notwithstanding this Attainder divers of the persons aforesaid were afterwards not only by King Hen●y pardoned but restored also to their lands and livings As likewise he caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever would submit themselves and take Oath to be true subjects should have their Pardon whereupon many came out of Sanctuaries and other places who submitting themselves were received to mercy And now King Henry con●idering that ●aena Praemio Respublica contine●uy after Punishing for Offence● he proceeds to Rewarding for Service and first Iasper Earle of Pembrooke his Unkle he created Duke of Bedford Thomas Lord Stanley he created Earle of Darb● the Lord Chendow of Britaine his speciall friend he made Earle of Bathe Sir Giles Dauben●y was made Lord Dawbeney Sir Robert Willoughby was made Lord Brooke and Edward Stafford eldest sonne to Henry late Duke of Buckingham he restored to his Dignity and Possessions Besides in this Parliament an Act was made for se●●ing the Crowne upon the person of king Henry and the heires of his Body successively for ever And then with all speed he sent and redeemed the Marquesse Dorset and Sir Iohn Bourchier whom he had left Hostages in France for money and called home Morton Bishop of Ely and Richard Fox making Morton Archbishop of Canterbury and Fox Lord Keeper of the Privy S●ole and Bishop of Winchester Besides these he made also of his Privy Counsell Iasper Duke of Bedford Iohn Earle of Oxford Thomas Stanley Earle of Darby Iohn Bishop of Ely Sir William Stanley Lord Chamberlaine of his Houshold Sir Robert Willoughby Lord Brooke Lord Steward of his Houshold Giles Lord Dawbeny Iohn Lord Dyn●●m after made Lord Treasurer of England Sir Reginold Bray Sir Iohn Cheyny Sir Richard Guildford Sir Richard Tunstall Sir Richard Edgecombe Sir Thomas Lovell Sir Edmund P●ynings Sir Iohn Risley with some other These things thus done as well in performance of his Oath as to make his Crown sit the surer on his head on the eighteenth day of Ianuary he proceeded to the solemnizing his marriage with the Lady Elizabeth which gave him a third title And indeed this conjunction made a wreath of three so indissoluble that no age since hath
wrote certaine Rules of Grammar and other things printed by Richard Pinson Robert Fabian a Sheriffe of London and an Historiographer Edmund Dudley the same man whom king Henry used to take the forfeitures of Penall Statu●es who wrote a Booke intituled Arbor Re●-publicae Iohn Bockingham an excellent Schoole-man and William Blackeney a Carmelite Frier a Doctor of Divinity and a Necromancer THE REIGNE OF KING HENRY THE EIGHT KING Henry the seventh being deceased his only sonne Prince Henry Heire by his Father of the house of Lancaster and by his Mother of the house of Yorke by unquestionable right succeeded in the Crowne at the Age of eighteene yeers on the two and twentieth of Aprill in the yeere 1509. who having been trained up in the study of good letters all his Fathers time● he Governed at first as a man newly come from Contemplation to Action as it were by the Booke● in so regular and fair a man●er that as of Neroes Goverment there was said to be Quinquennium Neronis so of this Kings there might as justly be said Decennium Henrici and perhaps double so long a time comparable with so much time of any Kings Reigne that had been before him How he came to alter and to alter to such a degree of change as he did we shall then have a fit place to shew when we come to the time of his alteration King Henry having learned by Bookes that the weight of a Kingdome is too heavy to lie upon one mans shoulders if it be not supported by able Councellours made it his first care to make choice of an able Councell to which he called VVilliam VVarham Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellour of England Richard Fox Bishop of VVinchester Thomas Howard Earle of Surry and Treasurer of England George Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury and Lord Steward of his Houshold Charles Summerset Lord Chamberlaine Sir Lovell● Sir Henry VVyat Doctor Thomas Ruthall and Sir Edward Poynings by advise of these Councellours his first Act after the care of his Fathers Funerall was the care to performe his Fathers Will in marrying the Lady Katherine of Spaine the Relict of his Brother Prince Arthur to which perhaps but in respect of filiall pierie he had not the greatest devotion and for relinquishing whereof he might no doubt more easily have obtained a Despensation from the Pope then his Father had done for getting it to be allowed but obsequiousnesse to his Fathers desire and respect to his Councels advice so far prevailed with him that he would not be Crowned till that were performed that one Coronation might serve them both and so on the third day of Iune following he married the said Lady at the Bishop of Salisburies house in Fleetstreet where of many great solemnities I will remember but this one that though the Bride were a Widdow yet to shew she was a Virgin Widdow she was attired all in white and had the haire of her head hanging-downe behinde at the full length and then having made in the Tower four and twenty Knights of the Bath two dayes after being Midsomer day he was Crowned at Westminster together with his Queene by the hands of VVilliam VVarham Archbishop of Canterbury with all Circumstances of State in such cases usuall and then all the Nobility Spirituall and Temporall did him Homage and the people being asked whether they would receive him for their King they all with one voice cryed yea yea This done his next Act was another part of performing his fathers Will which was to proclaime Pardons for all offences Treason Murder and Felonie only excepted and to have restitution made of all goods unjustly taken from any and because the Instruments of such injustice are alwayes most odious and nothing gives the people so much contentment as to see their Persecutours punished he therefore caused Empson and Dudley the two chiefe Actours of the late unjust proceedings to be committed to the Tower and divers of their inferiour Agents called Promoters as Canby Page Smith Derby Wright Simpson and Stockton to be set on the Pillory in Cornhill with papers on their heads and then to ride through the City with their faces to the horse tailes with the shame whereof within seven dayes after they all died in Newgate Shortly after a Parliament was called whereof Sir Thomas Ingleby was chosen Speaker and therein Empson and Dudley were attainted of High Treason and after arraigned Edmund Dudley in the Guildhall on the seventeenth of Iuly and Sir Richard Empson at Northampton in October following and on the seventeenth of August the yeere following they were both of them beheaded on the Tower Hill and their Bodies and Heads buried the one at the White Fryers the other at the Black On Midsomer Eave at night King Henry came privily into VVestchester cloathed in one of the Coats of his Guard to behold the same and this first yeer King Henry spent in Justs and Maskes which were almost perpetuall performed with great Magnificence alwayes and sometimes with great Acts of Valour on the Kings part specially In February the same yeer Embassadours came from the Kings Father in law the King of Aragon requiring Ayde against the Moores in which service the Lord Thomas Darcy a Knight of the Garter making suite to be imployd he was sent thither and with him the Lord Anthony Gray brother to the Marquesse Dorset Henry Guilford Wolstan Browne and William Sidney Esquires of the Kings House Sir Constable● Sir Roger Hastings Sir Ralph Elderton and others who on the Mund●y in the Rogation Weeke departed out of Plimot● Haven with four ships Royall and on the first of Iune arrived at the Port of Cadis in south Spaine of whose comming the King of Aragon hearing● sent to bid them welcome but advertising them withall that he had now by reason of new troubles with France taken truce with the Moores and therefore they might returne againe into their owne Country to whom yet he allowed wages for all his souldiers W●ereupon the Lord Darcy and all his men went aboord their ships but Henry Guilford Wol●tan Br●wne and William Sidney desirous to see the Court of Spaine went thither and were honourably entertained Henry Guilford and Wolstan Browne were made Knights by the King who gave to Sir Henry Guil●ord a Canton of Granado and to Sir Wolstan Browne an Eagle of Sicily on a Chiefe to the augmentation of their Armes William Sidney so excused himselfe that he was not made Knight After this they returned to their ships and their ships into England During the time that the Lord Darcy was in Spain the Lady Margaret Dutchesse of Sa●oy Daughter unto Maximilian the Emperour and Governesse of Flande●s and other the Low-countryes pertaining to Charles the young Prince of Ca●tile sent to King Henry for fifteen hundred Archers to aid her against the Duke of Gelders which the King granted and thereupon Sir Edward Poynings Knight of the Garter and Comptroller of the Kings House appointed to goe
mildnesse the neerenesse of the Husbands gave occasion to the Ladies often meeting where the Dutchesse would inwardly murmur why shee being the wife of the elder brother and the better man should give place to her who was the wife of the younger brother and the meaner man this envy of hers toward the Queen bred a malice in her towards the Admirall as thinking the mischiefe she did to the husband to be a part of revenge upon the wife and though the Queene shortly after died in Child-bed yet the mallice of the Dutchesse towards the Admirall lived still so hard a thing it is for malice once setled in a womans heart to be removed out of this malice she put divers surmises into her husband the Protectours head against his brother the Admirall as though he went about to procure his death to the end he might aspire to the place he held but certainly as misliking his government being a Protestant who was himselfe a Papist in this case causes of jealousie against the Admirall was obvious enough for it was knowne that in King Henries time he had aimed at the mariage of the Lady Elizabeth King Henries second daughter and now his wife the Queen Dowager being dead and not without suspition of poyson he fell upon that mariage a fresh which could not be thought to tend but to some very high aspiring end the Protectour a plain man and one that had not the cleerest insight into practises whether too importunately provoked by his wife or whither out of an honest mind not willing to patronize faults though in a brother gave way to accusatio●s brought against him so as in a Parliament then holden he was accused for attempting to get into his custody the person of the King and government of the Realm for endeavouring to marry the Lady Elizabeth the Kings sister for perswading the King in his tender yeers to take upon him the rule and ordering of himselfe upon which points though perhaps proved yet not sufficiently against him who was never called to his answere he was by Act of Parliament condemned and within few dayes after condemnation a warrant was sent under the hand of his brother the Protectour to cut off his head wherein as after it proved he did as much as if he had laid his own head downe upon the block for whilst these brothers lived and held together they were as a strong fortresse one to the other the Admirals courage supporting the Protectours authority and the Protectours authority maintaining the Admirals stoutnesse but the Admiral once gone the Protectours authority as wanting support began to totter and fell at last to utter ruine besides there was at this time amongst the Nobility a kind of faction Protestants who favoured the Protectour for his owne sake and other of Papall inclination who favoured him for his brothers sake but his brother being gone both sides forsooke him even his owne side as thinking they could expect little assistance from him who gave no more assistance to his own brothe● and perhaps more then all this the Earl of Warwick at this time was the most powerfull man both in Courage and Counsaile amongst all the Nobility and none so neere to match him as the Admirall while he lived but he being gone there was none left that either was able and durst or durst and was able to stand against him however it was not long after the Admirals death the Protectour was invaded with sundry accusations wherein ●h● Earl of Warwick made not alwaies the greatest show but yet had alwayes the greatest hand one thing the Protectour had done which though a private act yet gave a publick distaste To make him a Mansion house in the Strand the same which is now called Somerset-house he pulled downe a Church and two Bishops houses by the Strand Bridge in digging the foundation wherof the bones of many who had been there buried were cast out and carried into the fields and because the stones of those houses and the Church suffised not for his work the steeple a●d most part of the Church of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem neer Smithfield was mined and overthrowne with powder and the stones applied to this sparious building and more then this the Cloyster of Pauls on the North side of the Church in a place called Pardon Church-yard and the dance of Death very curiously wrought about the Cloyster a Chapel that stood in the midst of the Churchyard also the Charnal house that stood upon the South side of Pauls now a Carpenters yard with the Chappell timber and Monuments therin were beaten downe the bones of the dead caried into Finsbury-fields and the stones converted to this building This Act of the Protectours did something alienate the Peoples minds from him which the Earle of Warwick perceiving thought it now a fit time to be falling upon him and therupon drew eighteene of the Privy Counsaile to joyne with him who withdrawing themselves from the Court held secret consultations together and walked in the Citty with many Servants weaponed and in new Liveries whereof when the Lord Protectour heard he sent secretary Peter to them to know the causes of their Assembly requiring them to resort unto him peaceably that they might comune together as friends but in the meane time hee Armed five hundred men and removed the King by night from Hampton-court to Windsor on the other side the Lords at London having first taken possession of the Tower sent for the Majo● and Aldermen of the Citty to the Earle of Warwicks lodging at Ely-house in Holburn to whom the Lord Rich then Lord Chancelour made a long Oration wherin he shewed the ill government of the Lord Protector and the many mischifes that by it were come upon the Kingdome and therup●n requiring them to joyn with the Lords there assembled to remove him and presently that day a Proclamation was made in divers parts of the Citty to that purpose to which the Lords and Counsailors that subscribed their names were these the Lord Rich Chancelour the Lord Saint-Iohn Lord great Master the Marquesse of Northampton the Earle of Warwick Lord great Chamberlaine the Earle of Arundell Lord Chamberlaine the Earle of Shrewsbury the Earle of Southampton Sir Thomas Cheyney Treasurer of the Houshold Sir Iohn Gag● Constaple of the Tower Sir William Peter secretary Sir Edward North Knight Sir Edward Montague chiefe Justice of the Common-pleas Sir Iohn Baker Chancelour of the Exchequer Sir Ralph Sadler Sir Edward Wootton Sir Richard Southwell Knights and Doctor Wootton Deane of Canterbury In the afternoone of the same day the Lord Major assembled a Common Counsaile in the Guild-hall where two letters arrived almost in one instant from the King and the Lord Protectour for a thousand men to be Armed for defence of the Kings Person another from the Lords at London for two thousand men to aide them in defence of the Kings person also both pretending alike and therefore hard how to
obtained of the Queene three dayes longer and then came and ●old so much to the Lady Iane whereat she smiling said You are much deceived if you thinke I had any desire of longer life for I assure you since the time you went from me my life hath beene so tedious to me that I long for nothing so much as death and since it is the Queenes pleasure am mo●● willing to undergoe it Before she was brought to Execution her hu●band the Lord Guildford had made suit and obtained to see her and have some conference with her but she refused it saying These were rather augmenters of griefe then comfort● of death● she made no doubt but they should shortly meet in a better place and in a better condition of society so on the twelfth of February her husband the Lord Guildford first and then she an houre or two after was beheaded within the Tower where she acknowledged her selfe to have deserved death not for seeking the Crown but for not refusing it being offered and after prayers to God unclothing her selfe and putting a Handcarchiffe before her eyes she laid her head downe upon the blocke and patiently suffered death more grievous to the beholders then to her selfe This end had the Lady Iane Gray a Lady of incomparable Pietie and for her yeers of incomparable learning for being not past seventeen yeeres of age she understood perfectly the Greek and Latine tongues and was so ready in all points of Divinity as if she knew them by inspiration rather then by instruction no lesse a miracle in this kinde then King Edward and therefore no mervaile if he appointed her to succeed him in the Kingdome who in the endowments of minde was so like unto him that whilest she reigned it might be thought he continued to reigne himselfe at lest no more differing but onely the sex It may not be forgotten that Judge Morgan who at her arraignement gave the sentence against her shortly after fell mad and in his raving cried continually to have the Lady Iane taken away from him and so ended his life Two dayes after the execution of the Lady Iane namely the fourteenth and fifteenth of February twenty paire of Gallowes were set up in divers places of the City whereon were handed fifty of Wyats faction on the eighteenth of February Bret was hanged at Rochester in chaines Sir Henry● Isle who had beene taken in an old freeze coat and an old paire of hose with his brother Thomas Isle and Walter Mantell were hanged at Maidstone Anthony Knevet and his brother William with another of the Mantels were executed at Sevenocke but then on the twentieth of February a sprinkling of mercy came for foure hundred of Wyats followers being brought before the Queene with halters about their necks were all pardoned and set at liberty But then severity soone after began againe for on the three and twentieth of February the Lord Henry Gray Duke of Suffolke and Father to the Lady Iane who the weeke before had been attaigned and condemned was on the Tower-hill beheaded and on the eleventh of Aprill in the same place was beheaded the Author of all this mischiefe Wyot himselfe whose quarters were set up in divers places of the City his head upon the Gallowes at Hay-hill besides Hide Parke This man in hope of life having before accused the Lord Courtney and the Lady Elizabeth the Queenes sister● to be privie to his conspiracy yet at his death he cleered them and protested openly that they were altogether innocent and never had been acquainted with his proceedings Yet was this matter so urged against them by Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellour that both of them in March before had beene committed to the Tower though in May following they were both againe released but yet confined the Lady Elizabeth to Woodstocke under the custody of Sir Henry Beningfield of Oxenborough in the County of Norfolke the Lord Courtney to Foderingham under the custody of Sir Thomas Tres●am who after some time was set at liberty and going into Italie there dyed It is memorable what malice this Bishop Gardiner bore to the Lady Elizabeth by whose onely procurement not onely she was kept i● most hard durance but a Warrant was at last framed under certaine Councellours hands to put her to death and had beene done but that Master ●ridges L●ev●enant of the Tower pitying her case went to the Queene to know her pleasure who utterly denied that she knew any thing of it by which meanes here life was preserved Indeed the Bishop would sometimes say how they cut off boughes and branches but as long as they let the root remaine all was nothing and it is not unworthy the remembring what ●raines were laid to ens●are her The common net at that time for catching of Protestants was the Reall Pres●nce and this net was used to catch her for being asked one time what she thought of the words of Christ This is my Body whether she thought it the true body of Christ that was in the Sacrament It is said that after some pawsing she thus answered Christ was the Word that spake it He tooke the Bread and brake it And what the Word did make it That I beleeve and take it Which though it may seeme but a slight expression yet hath it more solidnesse then at first fight appears at lest it served her turne at that time to escape the net which by direct answering she could not have done On the seventeenth of Aprill Thomas Lord Grey the Duke of Suffolkes brother was beheaded the last and indeed the lest in delinquency that suffered for having any hand in Wyats conspiracy There remained yet a fagge end and was indeed but a fagge end as nothing worth for on the same day Sir Nichol●s Thr●gmorton being accused to have beene a party in Wyats conspiracy was at the Guild-hall arraigned before Sir Thomas White Lord Maior the Earles of Shrewsbury and Derby Sir Thomas Bromley Lord chiefe Justice of England Sir Nicholas Hare Master of the Roles Sir Francis Englefield Master of the Wards Sir Richard Southwell and Sir Edward Walgrave Privie Councellours Sir Roger Chomley Sir William Portman one of the Justices of the Kings Bench Sir Edward Sanders one of the Justices of the Common Pleas Master St●●ford and Master Dyer Serjeants at Law Master Edward Griffin Atturney ge●erall Master Sendall and Peter Titch●orne Clarkes of the Crowne where the said M●ster Nicholas Throgmorton so fully and discreetly answered all objections brought against him that he was found by the Jurie Not Guilty and was cleerly acquitted but the Jury notwithstanding was afterward troubled for acquitting him and sent prisoners some of them to the Tower and some to the Fleet and afterward fined to pay a thousand makes a peece at lest and some 2000. l. though these sums were afterward something mitigated More of Wya●s complices had beene taken arraigned and adjudged to dye but in judgement the Queene remembred
the Commissioners made unto her certain Propositions of Agreement First That the Treaty of Edinborough should be confirmed then That she should renounce her Right and Title to England during Queen Elizabeths life or any children of her body lawfully begotten then That she should send her sonne for a Hostage into England with other six Hostages such as the Queen should nominate then That the Castles of Humes and Fast-castle should be held by the English for three yeers with some other To which Propositions the Queen of Scots for the present gave a provident answer but referred the fuller Answer to the Biship of Rosse her Ambassadour in ENGLAND and some other Delegates who afterwards allowing some of the Propositions and not allowing others the Treaty came to nothing but the matter rested in the state it was before A● this time Philip King of Spain had contracted Marriage with Anne of Austria Daughter to the Emperour Maximilian his own Neece by his Sister who was now setting Sayl from Zealand towards Spain when Queen Elizabeth to testifie her love and respect to the House of Austria sent Sir Charls Howard with the Navy Royall to conduct her thorow the Bri●ish Sea And now was the twelfth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign finished which certain Wizards had made Papists believe should be her last but contrary as if it were but her first a new Custome began of celebrating the seventeenth day of November the Anniversary day of her Raign with ringing of Bells Tiltings and Bon-fires which Custome as it now began so it was never given over as long as she lived and is not yet forborn so long after her death At this time in Ireland Connagher ô Brien Earl of Towmond no● brooking the severe Government of Edward Fitton President of Connaght entred into Consultation with some few to raise a new Rebellion which being at the point ready to break forth was strangely discovered for the day before they meant to ●ake up Arms Fitton knowing not at all of the matter sent ●h● Earl word in friendly manner That the next day he and a few friends with him would be his Guests The Earl convinced by his own conscience imagined that his Intendments were revealed that Fitton would come as an enemy rather then a Guest Out of which feare● he presently set Sayle into FRANCE where repenting himselfe seriously of his fault he confessed the whole businesse to Norris the Queenes Embassadour in France and by his intercession was afterward pardoned and restored In Ianuary the thirteenth yeer of her Raigne Queen Elizabeth in royall pompe entring the City of London went to see the Burse which Sir Thomas Gresham had lately built for the use of the Marchants and with sound of trumpets and the voice of a Herald solemnly named it the Royall Exchange A few dayes after for his many great services she made Sir William Cecill Baron Burgley There were now about the Scottish affaires in the name of the King of of Scots the Earle Morton Peruare Abbot of Dumformelin and Iames Mac-Gray whom when Queen Elizabeth required to shew more clearely for what causes they had deposed the Queen they exhibited a long and tedious Commentary wherein with a certain insolent liberty they endeavoured to prove by the ancient Right of the Kingdom of Scotland that the people of Scotland were above the King and urged Calvins Authority also That Popular Magistrates are constituted for the moderation of the Licentiousnes of Princes and that it is lawfull for them both to imprison Kings and upon just causes to depose them This writing the Queen could not reade without indignation but to the Delegates she gave this Answer She saw no just cause yet why they should handle the Queen in such manner and therefore willed them to think upon some course out of hand how to allay the dissentions in Scotland Hereupon in Sir Nich. Bacons house Keeper of the Great Seal a Proposition was made to the Bishop of Rosse the Bishop of Galloway and Baron Levingston delegates for the Queen of Scots that for the security of the Kingdom and the Qu. of England it were requisite that before the Queen of Scots should be let at libertie The Duke of Castle-Herald the Earle of Huntley and Argyle the Lord Humes Heris and another of the Barons should be delivered for Hostages and the castle of Dumbriton and H●●e● yeelded up into the hands of the English for three yeers But they made Answer that to yeeld up great personages and such fortifications as were demanded were nothing else but to leave the miserable Queen utterly destitute of faithfull friends and naked of all places fit for guard and defence yet they offered to give two Earls and two Barons for Hostages till two yeers were expired which not being accepted they straightway gathered and spoke it openly That now they plainly perceived the English meant to keepe the Queen of Scots perpetually prisoner and likewise to break off the Trea●y seeing they rigorously demanded such securitie as Scotland was not able to make good And now Queen Elizabeth seeing that nothing could be done for her owne the King and Queen of Scots safety unlesse Both Factions in Scotland consented she held it fit that the Lords of Scotland should themselves appoint some chosen persons to compound the matter While matters in England proceeded in this sort the Queenes partie in Scotland was hardly used Fryth● the strongest castle in Scotland was taken and I. Hamilton Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the Duke of Castle-Heralds brother as an accessary to the murder of D●●lye was hanged without being arraigned according to Law In England the Queen of Scots had all her servants taken from her except Tenne only and a Priest to say masse with which indignities the Queen of Scots provoked causeth a large Commentary of her Counsels with certain love-letters to the Duke of Norfolk to be carried to the Pope and the King of Spain by Ridolphu● which being brought first to the Duke Higford one that waited on the Duke in his bed chamber had copyed out but being commanded to burne them he hid them under a Matt in the Duke Bed-chamber and that it should seeme purposely Ridolphus to daw on the Duke to be Head of the discontented Partie in England aggravated to him the wrongs he had suffered● how against all law he had been kept a long time in prison and now to his great disgrace was not Summoned to the Parliament he exhibited to him a Catalogue of such of the Nobilitie who had vowed to Assist him he shewed how the Pope so the Catholick Religion might be promoted would himself undergo all the charge of the Warre and had already layd down an hundred thousand Crownes whereof himself had distributed twelve thousand amongst the English that were fled he promised that the King of Spain would send four thousand horse and six thousand foot to his Assistance to these reasons the Bishop of Rosse added That it was an
the like whereof had not been known in former Ages should not be drawn into Example In her fortieth yeer in a Parliament at Westminster were granted her by the Clergy three entire Subsidies and by the Laity as many with six fifteenths and Tenths In her two and fortieth yeer to furnish her self with money towards the Irish War she delegated certain Commissioners to confirm the Crown Lands to the possessors that held any of controverted Titles and to take money for the Confirmation thereby to take away the troubles by concealers who at this time were very busie Of her LAVVS and ORDINANCES IN a Parliament holden in her first yeer an Act was made That every person should go to Divine Service upon Sundayes and Holy-dayes or else pay twelve pence to the poor Also it was enacted That Bishops should not let the Lands of the Church longer then for one and twenty yeers or three Lives except to the Queen or her Successors In her third yeer Proclamation was made That the Teston coyned for twelve pence and in the Raign of King Edward embased to six pence should not be currant but for four pence the Groat but for two pence and the piece of two pence but for a penny And not long after all the said base Moneyes were called in and fine Sterling money was allowed for them after the Rate For Ireland also she coyned Sterling money where nine pence in England went for twelve pence there The Queen was the first that brought certain Counties to deliver Provision at a certain rate that so they might be freed from the Purveyors Also the first that granted allowance to Judges for their Circuit In her sixth yeer in a Parliament then holden it was made Treason to refuse taking the Oath of Supremacy yet with this limitation That by it the blood should not be dishonoured nor goods confiscate nor the Oath to be required of any Baron of the Kingdom Also this yeer by a Common Councell in London It was enacted That all such Citizens as from thenceforth should be constrained to sell their houshold-stuff Leases of houses or such like should first cause the same to be cried thorow the City by a man with a Bell and then to be sold by the common Outcryer appointed for that purpose and he to receive one farthing upon the shilling for his pains In her three and twentieth yeer she represseth by Proclamation excesse in apparell Gold Chayns and Clokes which men wore down to their heels The length of Swords was limitted to three Foot and Daggers to twelve Inches besides the Hilts. Buildings likewise in the Suburbs were restrained In-mates forbidden and expresse charge set forth That no dwelling house should be new built within three miles of any of the City Gates under pain of imprisonment and losse of the materialls In her time was set on foot by Sir Thomas Smith the Law made for the serving of Colledges with provision to the great benefit of those Scholasticall Societies In her two and fortieth yeer she setteth forth Proclamations against the Transportation of Gold or Silver wrought or unwrought according to the former Acts of Parliament in that case provided This yeer also she founded the Company of the East India Merchants and allowed them ample Priviledges In her three and fourtieth yeer all Monopolies are called in by Proclamation In her four and twentieth yeer severe Laws are made against Papists some inflicting death some fine and imprisonment In her eight and twentieth yeer a Proclamation was set forth prohibiting to sow Wo●d within eight miles of any of the Queens Houses and four miles off any Cities or Towns Corporate AFFAIRS of the CHURCH in her time ON Sunday the first of Ianuary next after the Queens coming to the Crown by vertue of her Proclamation the English Letany was read accordingly as was used in her Graces Chappell in all Churches thorow the City of London and likewise the Epistle and Gospel of the day begun to be read at Masse-time in the English To●gue Also in a Parliament holden in her first yeer the first Fruits and Tenths were restored to the Crown and the Supreme Government over the State Ecclesiasticall and the book of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments in the English Tongue was restored and by degrees the Protestant Religion was established The Bishops that refused the Oath of Supremacy were all removed and Protestant Bishops placed in their room It was enacted also That all persons should go to Divine Service upon Sundayes and Holy-dayes and a Fine of twelve pence imposed upon every one that should be absent and the same to be given to the poor In her fourth yeer the Queen was solicited by Pope Pius to send her Orators to the Councell of Trent which she refused as not acknowledging it a lawfull Councell In a Parliament holden in her eighth yeer it was enacted and by a generall consent declared That the Election of the Arch-bishops and Bishops in England together with their Consecration Confirmation and Investiture which some persons slanderously called in question was lawfull and Canonicall and that they were rightly and according to the Acts and Statutes of the Kingdom chosen and consecrated In her eleventh yeer there arose in England two contrary factions in Religion on the one side Thomas Harding Nicholas Sanders and other Divines that had fled out of England began to exercise the Episcopall Jurisdiction upon the Queens Subjects which they had derived from the Sea of Rome On the other side Colman Burton Hallingham Benson and other making profession of the pure Religion would allow of nothing but what was directly taken out of the Scriptures openly condemning the received Discipline of the Church of England together with the Church Liturgy and the very Calling of Bishops as savouri●g too much of the Romish Religion protesting in the Pulpi●s That it was an impious thing to hold any thing common with the Church of Rome and used all diligence to have the Church of England reformed in every point according to the Rule of the Church of Geneva These although the Queen commanded to be committed to prison yet it is incredible how upon a sudden their followers encreased known by the envious name of Puritans This sect so mightily encreased that in her sixteenth yeer the Queen and Kingdom was extremely troubled with some of the Clergy who breathing out nothing but Evangelicall parity cryed down the Ecclesiasticall Form of Government as a thing polluted with Romane dr●ggs and setting forth Books likewise Intituled The Admonition to the Parliament and the Defence of the Admonition they refused to resort to the Divine Service publikely in use and framed to themselves other Rites Whereupon the Queen to suppresse them whom by no means she liked commanded every where the severity of the Law touching the Uniformity of Common-Prayer to be put in execution and those books upon pain of Imprisonment to be delivered into the hands of the Bishops or some
beene bred in Cambridge not perhaps that his learning was so great but that it was great either in respect of that age which had but little or in respect of his Brothers who had none at all and the People having beene oppressed before by the ill Government of two Kings that were illiterate could not chuse but be glad to come under the Government of a King ●hat was Learned And though his Brother Robert as being the Elder had right unto it yet he as out of sight was out of minde and perhaps neglected as being himselfe negligent withall it was given out that he was chosen King of Hierusalem and therefore no looking for him to come home and to give force to all these reasons Henry Newborough Earle of Warwicke was a principall ●urtherer His course for establishing himselfe in the Kingdome IT is a hard matter to keepe that safely which is unjustly gotten and therefore he tooke all possible care to overcome that hardnesse which he effected by these meanes First he called Anselme Arch-bishop of Canterbury home from Exile placed William Gyfford a learned man in the Bishopricke of Winchester and Monasteries that had beene long vacant he furnished with good Abbots And because it is no lesse pleasing to the People to have bad instruments punished then the good to be advanced he cast Ralph Bishop of Durham a principall cause of their late oppressions into prison then mitigated the rigour of the new Lawes and promised restitution of the old And that there might be no abuse in measures he ordained a measure made by the length of his owne Arme which is called a Yard He restored to his Subjects the use of Lights and Fire in the night which before had beene forbidden after eight a clocke at night He acquited the People from the Taxe of Danegelt and from all other unjust payments which had beene imposed upon them by the two former Kings He gave free liberty to the Nobility and Gentry of the Realme to inclose Parkes for Deere and Warrens for Coneyes and such like game And because he knew Scotland might be an ill Neighbour to him if not tyed by some Bond and none so sure as the Bond of Alliance he therefore takes Matild sister of the present King Edgar to be his Wife His Troubles during his Raigne RAlph Bishop of Durham the late King Williams great Instrument for Exactions that had by this King beene committed to the Tower made an escape and passing over to Duke Robert in Normandy incenseth him not to suffer himselfe to be baffled by a younger Brother as for his Brother William there was some reason because his Father had given him the Kingdome by his Will but what could Henry pretend who had his Portion given him in money Besides it was an agreement with his Brother William with consent of all the Lords of the Re●lme that the Surviver of them should succeed With such like instigations and withall assuring him there were many in England would take his part he easily perswaded the Duke to that from which he could hardly have disswaded him who thereupon with a convenient Army puts to Sea and lands at Portsmouth while Henry waited for his comming about Hastings and being landed there much people resorted to him that it was like to have beene a bloody businesse but by mediation of Friends working upon the flexible nature of Duke Robert it was brought at last to this agreement that King Henry should pay to Duke Robert three thousand markes yearely and Duke Robert should succeed him in the kingdome if he survived And thus this cloud that threatned so great a storme brought with it ●ather Sunshine and faire weather for now to his possession of the Kingdome there was added a right and he might now justifie his being a King without any scandall or usurpation After this another little cloud arose but was soone dispersed For Robert de Belesme Earle of Shrewsbury a rash young man of disposition but more through discontentment though discontented for nothing but that having a great Estate he was not a King as well as some others fortifyed the Towne of Shrewsbury and the Castle of Bridgenorth and got many Welshmen to assist him but the King comming with a mighty Army so terrifyed the Welsh that they abandoned the Earle and left him a prey to the King in his person and more in his Estate for the King seised his Estate into his hands but for his Person he onely banisht it the Realme For as yet the shedding of blood and putting to death though for great Treasonable practises was not much in use Policy of State was not yet growne to that heighth of severity The like attempt and upon the like occasion was made by William Earle of Mortaigne in Normandy and of Cornwall in England Unckle to the King onely for denying him the Earledome of Kent which because he could not obtaine he entred into Treasonable practises by which he lost the Earledomes he had before But these troubles were but as the labour of a Woman that is safely delivered painefull for a time but ending in joy and indeed for the most part this King had the fortune to be a gainer by his losses After this Duke Robert came in kindnesse into England to visit● his Brother Henry where he was so well pleased with his entertainment that in requitall thereof and to doe a favour to the Queene that was his God-daughter he released to King Henry the three thousand markes which he was yearely to pay him But returning into Normandy and considering better what he had done he so repented him that he spared not to give out that his Brother had directly cousened him Which comming to King Henryes eare so incensed him that he presently sent over a mighty Army which forraged the Country and wonne many Townes and Cities and soone after went over himselfe where he so prevailed that he left Duke Robert but onely Roan in all Normandy to put his head in and this done returnes into England And now Duke Robert beginnes to be sensible of his owne weaknesse and therefore comes over into England to try the u●●ermost of his Brothers good nature himselfe had sent him a Tunne of Wine to refresh him withall when in a siege he was ready to perish for want of water and it cannot be but that gratefulnesse and naturall affection meeting together must needes worke something in the minde of a Brother Thus resolved he presents himselfe to the King referring both his Dukedome and himselfe and all differences and debates to his will and pleasure But whether incensed with the scandalous words Duke Robert had given out of him or whether aspiring to joyne Normandy to England as his Father had done before King Henry scarce vouchsafed to heare him speake at least vouchsafed not to make him any answer but in a sullen manner turned away and so left him which scornefull usage put the Duke into such indignation that
Geoffrey and William and dying he left his Dukedome of Anjou to his eldest son Henry but to hold no longer then till he should come to be King of England and then to deliver it up to his second sonne Geoffrey and he made his Lords to sweare not to suffer his body to be buried untill his sonne Henry had taken his Oath to doe it which Oath Henry afterward in reverence to his Fathers body did take but as he tooke it unwillingly so he willingly brake it and sent presently to Adrian the then Pope for a Dispensation of his Oath which granted he enters Anjou with an Army and takes from his brother Geoffrey being little able to make resistance not onely the Dukedome of Anjou but some other Cities also which his Father had absolutely given him for his maintenance yet out of brotherly kindnesse was content to allow him a Pension of a thousand pounds a yeare which brotherly kindnesse was so unkindly taken by his brother Geoffrey that it brake his heart and within a short time after died And thus these troubles begun by Henry himselfe were soone ended but now a trouble is comming on begun by Lewis King of France and this is like to stick longer by him For King Lewis not having yet digested King Henries marriage with his divorced wife Eleanor seekes all opportunities to expresse his spleene by doing him displeasure and a fit opportunity was now offered for there fell out a difference betweene Raymond Earle of Saint Giles and Henry King of England about the Earledome of Tholouse which Raymond possest and Henry claimed in this difference King Lewis takes part with Raymond as pretending it to be the juster side Hereupon are great forces provided on both sides and it was like to have come to a dangerous battell but that by mediation of friends a Peace was made and to make the Peace the firmer a marriage was concluded betweene Henry King Henries eldest sonne scarce yet seven yeares of age and Margaret daughter of King Lewis not past three who was delivered to King Henry to bring up till fit yeares for consummation This was then thought a strong linke to hold them in friendship but it proved afterward a cause to make the greater breach and indeed when a sonne is once matched into a Family the Father must never looke from thence afterward to have a good wish seeing the daughter thus matched can have no advancement but by the advancement of her husband and he none at least none so w●ll as by the ruine of his Father yet this brake not out till some yeares after It was now about the eighteenth yeere of King Henries Raigne and his sonne Henry growne to be seventeene yeares of age● when it came into the Kings minde to have his sonne Henry crowned King and Raigne with himselfe in his owne time partly out of indulgence to his sonne but chiefely as having found by his owne experience that Oaths for succession are commonly eluded but Oaths for present Allegeance as being Verba de Praesenti can have no evasion and pleasing himselfe with this conceit he acquaints his Lords with his purpose and causeth his sonne Henry to be crowned King by the hands of Roger Arch-bishop of Yorke and all the Lords to sweare Allegeance to him at the Feast of which solemnity King Henry to honour his sonne would needs carry up the first dish to his Table whereupon the Arch-bishop Roger standing by and saying merrily to the new King What an honour is this to you to have such a waiter at your Table Why saith he what great matter is it for him that was but the sonne of a Duke to doe service to me that am the sonne of a King and Queene Which the old King hearing beganne to repent him now it was too late of that he had done For indeed the honour which by Gods commandement children are to doe to their Parents is by such making them their equals in a manner abolished at least it gives them stomachs to take more upon them then is fit But King Henry passed it over and meant to set the best side outward And now King Lewis tooke displeasure that his daughter was not crowned as well as her husband and therefore to satisfie him in that point King Henry sendeth his sonne Henry and his wife Margaret into England● and causeth them both to be crowned by Walter Arch-bishop of Roan and shortly after the young King Henry and his wife goe backe to King Lewis her Father and by him with great joy and variety of sports were entertained In the time of their being there King Lewis partly out of his old spleene to King Henry and partly to make his sonne in law more absolure fals oftentimes into conference with him and finding his hot spirit to be fit tinder for such fire tels him it was a shame he should suffer himselfe to be made a stale have the title of a King and not the authority and that as long as he stood in such termes that which seemed an honour was indeed a disgrace With which words of King Lewis the young King Henry was set afloate and from that time forward stucke not openly to oppose his Father whereof his Father having intelligence sent messengers to King Lewis desiring him from the King their Master to be a meanes to bring his sonne to more moderation But King Lewis hearing the Embassadours name their Master King with an angry countenance said unto them What mean you by this to call him King who hath passed his Kingdome over to his son and with this answer sent them away To this evill another worse was added that Queene Eleanor his wife enraged with jealousie of her husbands Concubines both incenseth her sonne Henry and perswadeth also two other of her sonnes Richard and Geoffrey to joyne against their Father telling them it would be better for them that their brother should prevaile who could not chuse but allow them better maintenance then their Father did With these perswasions they passe over into Normandy and joyne with their brother Henry who emboldned by their assistance growes now more insolent then he was before that when messengers were sent to him from his Father requiring him to lay downe his Armes and to come lovingly to him he proudly made answer that his Father must not looke he would lay downe his Armes unlesse himselfe first would lay downe his authority and resigne the Kingdome And now Lewis King of France calling together the great Lords of his Kingdome and with them William King of Scots Hugh Earle of Chester Roger Mowbray Hugh Pigot and other of his sonnes party they all take their Oaths to assist the young King Henry with all their power and thereupon all in one day the French invade Normandy Aquitaine and Britaine the King of Scots Northumberland and King Lewis the City of Vernoill which he brought to that distresse that it was agreed by the Inhabitants if it were
with Philip now after the decease of Lewis King of France who willing to make use of their assistance before the streame of filiall awfulnesse should returne into the naturall Channell takes them along with him and besiegeth the City of Ments in which King Henry at that time was himselfe in person who apprehending the danger and then resenting the mischiefe of falling into his enemies hands gets him secretly out of the City leaving it to defend it selfe till he should returne with greater forces but hearing afterward that the Towne was taken he fell into so great a distraction of minde that it made him break out into these blasphemous words I shall never hereafter love God any more that hath suffered a City so deare unto me to be taken from me but he quickly recollected himselfe and repented him that he had spoken the words Indeed Ments was the City in which he was borne that to have this City taken from him was as much as to have his Birth-right taken from him and to say the truth after he had lost this City he scarce seemed to be alive not onely because he shortly after died but because the state of Majesty which had all his life accompanied him after this forsooke him for now he was faine to begge peace of his enemies who often before had begged it of him now he was glad to yeeld to conditions which no force before could have wrested from him It is memorable and worth observing that when these two Kings had meeting betweene Turwyn and Arras for reconcilement of differences there suddenly happened a Thunderbolt to light just betweene them with so terrible a cracke that it forced them for that time to breake off their conference and afterward at another meeting the like accident of Thunder happened againe which so amazed King Henry that he had fallen off his horse if he had not beene supported by those about him which could be nothing but drops let fall of the Divine anger and manifest presages of his future dysasters And thus this great Princes troubles which beganne in little ones and were continued in great ones ended at last in so great a trouble that it ended his life and left him an example of desolation notwithstanding all his greatnesse forsaken of his friends forsaken of his wife forsaken of his children and if he were not himselfe when he blasphemed for the losse of Ments forsaken of himselfe which might be exemplar in this King if it were not the common Epilogue of all greatnesse Of his Acquest of Ireland RObert Fits-stephen was the first of all Englishmen after the Conquest that entred Ireland the first day of May in the yeare 1170. with 390. men and there took Werford in the behalfe of Deruntius sonne of Marcherdach called Mac Murg King of Leymster In September following Richard Earle of Chepstow surnamed Strong-bow sayled into Ireland with twelve hundred men where he tooke Waterford and Dublin and married Eeve the daughter of Deruntius as he was promised From these beginnings King Henry being then at rest from all Hostile Armes both at home and abroad takes into his consideration the Kingdome of Ireland as a Kingdome which oftentimes afforded assistance to the French and therefore purposing with himselfe by all meanes to subdue it he provides a mighty Army and in the Winter season saileth thither taking Shipping at Pembroke and landing neare to Waterford where entring into consultation what course was fittest to be taken in the enterprise suddenly of their owne accord the Princes of the Countrey came in and submitted themselves unto him onely R●d●rick King of Connacht stood out who being the greatest thought to make himselfe the onely King of that Nation but King Henry forbearing him for the present who kept himselfe in his fastnesses of Bogges and Woods and was not to be followed in the Winter season takes his journey to Dublin the chiefe City of the Countrey and there calling the Princes and Bishops of the Nation together requires their consent to have him and his heires to be their King which they affirming they could not doe without the Popes authority to whom at their first conversion to the Christian Religion they had submitted themselves the King sent presently to Adrian the then Pope an English man requiring his assent which upon divers good considerations he granted and hereupon the King built him a stately Palace in the City of Dublin and having thus without bloud possest himselfe of the Kingdome the Spring following he returnes joyfully into England About foure yeares after Rodorick also sends his Chancellour to King Henry to offer his submission with a tribute to be paid of every tenne beasts one sufficient After this in the one and thirtieth yeare of his Raigne he sent his sonne Iohn to be the Governour there His Taxations and wayes for raising of money TAxations in his time was chiefely once when he tooke Escuage of Englishmen towards his warres in France which amounted to 12400. pounds but confiscations were many because many Rebellions and every Rebellion was as good as a Mine Also vacancies of Bishopricks and Abbeys kept in his hands sometimes many at once no time without some He resumed also all Lands which had either beene sold or given from the Crowne by his Predecessours but a principall cause that made him plentifull in money was his Parcimony as when he was injoyned for a Penance to build three Abbeys he performed it by changing Secular Priests into Regular Chanons onely to spare cost And it was not the least cause of alienating his sonnes from him that he allowed them not maintenance answerable to their calling And it could be nothing but Parcimony while he lived which brought it to passe that when he died there were found in his Coffers nine hundred thousand pounds besides Plate and Jewels Lawes and Ordinances in his time IN the beginning of his Raign he refined and reformed the Lawes of the Realm making them more tolerable more profitable to his people then they were before In the one and twentieth year of his Raign he divided his whole kingdom into six several Circuits appointing in every Circuit three Judges who twice every year should ride together to heare and determine Causes between man and man as it is at this day though altered in the number of the Judges and in the Shires of Circuit In this Kings dayes the number of Jewes all England over was great yet wheresoever they dwelt they might not bury any of their dead any where but in London which being a great inconvenience to bring dead bodies oftentimes from farre remote places the King gave them liberty of buriall in the severall places where they lived It was in this Kings dayes also ordained that Clergy-men offending in hunting the Kings Deere should be punishable by the Civill Magistrate according to the Lawes of the Land which order was afterward taken with them for any offence whatsoever they committed Though it be
not turne his face till he were revenged whereupon he caused the wall right before him to be presently beaten downe that so he might passe forward without turning his face and thus in haste he goes to Vernoull whither he was no sooner come but the King of France made as great haste to be gone not without some losse and more disgrace Here his brother Iohn submits himselfe to him and with great shew of penitence intreats his pardon which he readily granted saying onely I wish you may as well remember your fault as I shall forget it The King of France having left Vernoull enters Turonia and neare to Vindocinum pitcheth his Tents thither King Richard followes him and with his comming so affrighted him that leaving bagge and baggage Munition Tents and Treasure to a marvellous valew he gets him gone and glad hee was so rid of King Richard After this a Truce was agreed upon for a yeare which each of them longed till it were expired as having no pleasure but in troubling one another In this time there was a trouble at home though not to the King yet to the kingdome for Robin Hood accompanied with one little Iohn and a hundred stout fellowes more molested all passengers upon the High-way of whom it is said that he was of Noble bloud at least made Noble no lesse then an Earle for some deserving services but having wasted his estate in riotous courses very penury forced him to take this course in which yet it may be said he was honestly dishonest for he seldome hurt any man never any woman spared the poore and onely made prey of the rich till the King setting forth a Proclamation to have him apprehended it hapned he fell sicke at a certaine Nunnery in Yorkshire called Birckleys and desiring there to be let bloud was betraid and made bleed to death Such another trouble though not to the King yet to the kingdome fell out by reason of the Jewes and first at the Towne of Linne in Norfolke upon this occasion A Jew being turned Christian was persecuted by those of his Nation and assaulted in the streete who thereupon flying to a Church hard by was thither also followed and the Church assaulted which the people of the Towne seeing in succour of the new Christian they fell upon the Jewes of whom they slew a great number and after pillaged their houses By this example the like assaults were made upon the Jews at Stamford and after that at Lincolne and lastly at Yorke where infinite numbers of Jewes were massacred and some of them blocked up in the Castle cut the throats of their wives and children and cast them over the wals upon the Christians heads and then burnt both the Castle and themselves neither could this sedition be staied till the King sent his Chancellour the Bishop of Ely with force of Armes to punish the offenders His last trouble was a punishment of covetousnesse for one Guydomer having found a great treasure in the Kings Dominions and ●or feare of King Richard flying to a Towne of the King of France for his safegard was pursued by the King but the Towne denying him entrance and he thereupon going about the wals to finde the fittest place for assaulting it one Bertram de Gurdon or as others call him Peter Basile shot at him with a Crosse-bow and hit him on the arme of which wound he died within fo●re dayes after and so ended all his troubles Of his Taxations and wayes for raising of money OF Taxations properly so called there were never fewer in any Kings Raigne but of wayes to draw money from the subject never more It is true the first money raised for his journey was all out of his owne estate by selling or pawning of Lands but when at his comming backe he resumed the Lands into his hands aga●ne without paying backe the money he had received this if it may not have the name yet certainely it had the venome of a bitter Taxation Likewise the feigning to have lost his Seale then enjoyning them to have their Grants confirmed by a new though it went not in the number yet it had the weight of a heavy Taxation where it lighted Afterward the money raised for his Ransome was not so properly a Taxation as a Contribution or if a Taxation for him yet not by him which was done in his absence by the subjects themselves and indeed no Taxations are commonly so pinching as those which are imposed upon the subject by the subject and such was this for to raise money for his Ransome ther● was imposed upon every Knights Fee 20. s. of all Lay-mens Revenues the fourth part and the fourth part of all the Revenues of the Clergy with a tenth of their goods Also the Chalices and Treasure of all Churches were taken to make up the sum Afterward this onely was a plaine Taxation and granted in Parliament that of every Plough-land through England he should have two shillings and of the Monkes Ci●teaux all their Wooll of that yeare And one more greater then this and was this yeare imposed towards his warres in Normandy that every Hide of Land as much as to say every hundred Acres of Land should pay five shillings which computed without deductions will rise to a summe that will seeme incredible Lawes and Ordinances in his time HIs Ordinances were chiefely for the Meridian of London for where before his time the City was governed by Portgraves this King granted them to be governed by two Sheriffes and a Major as now it is and to give the first of these Magistrates the honour to be remembred the names of the Sheriffes were Henry Cornhill and Richard Reyner and the name of the first Lord Major was Henry Fits-Allwyn who continued Major during his life which was foure and twenty yeares And now beganne the City first to receive the forme and state of a Common-wealth and to be divided into Fellowships and Corporations as at this day they are and this Franchise was granted in the yeare 1189. the first year of King Richard the first Affaires of the Church in his time THe Church within his owne Dominions was quiet all his time no contestation with the Pope no alterations amongst the Bishops no difference betweene the Clergy and the Laity or the Clergy amongst themselves they all seemed to lie asleepe till they were afterwards awakened in the time of the succeeding King But abroad in his time there was an addition of three Orders of Devotion the Order of the Augustine Friers called Friers Mendicants begunne by William of Paris then the Order of Friers Minors begunne by Saint Francis and lastly the Orders of Friers Preachers begunne by Saint Dominick though not confirmed till the first yeare of Pope Honorius Workes of Piety in his time VVOrkes of Piety are for the most part workes of plenty penury may inwardly have good wishes but outwardly it can expresse but little and indeed all parts of the
of Acton Burnell In the foureteenth yeare of his Raigne were made the Statutes called Additamenta Glocestriae He ordained such men to be Sheriffes in every County as were of the same County where they were to be Sheriffes He ordained that Iewes should weare a Cognisance upon their upper Garment whereby to be knowne and restrained their excessive taking of Usury In his time was also Enacted the Statute of Mortmaine In his twelfth yeare in the Quindenes of Saint Michael the Justices Itinerants beganne to goe their generall Circuits In his time new pleces of money were coyned and halfe pence of Silver came to be in use which were before of base metall In his time three men for rescuing a prisoner arrested by an Officer had their right hands cut off by the wrists In his time all Iewes were banished out of the Realme This King by Proclamation prohibited the burning of Sea-coale in London and the Suburbs for avoiding the noysome smoake In his eleventh yeare the Bakers of London were first drawne upon Hurdles by Henry Waleys Major and Corne was then first sold by weight In this Kings time the title of Baron which had before beene promiscuous to men of estate was first confined to such onely as by the King were called to have voice in Parliament Affaires of the Church in his time IN his time at a Synod holden at Reading by the Arch-bishop of C●nterbury it was ordained according to the Constitutions of the Generall Councell that no Ecclesiasticall person should have more then one Benefice to which belonged the Cure of soules and that every person promoted to any Ecclesiasticall Living should take the Order of Priesthood within one yeare after In his time lived and died Pope Boniface the 8. of whom his Predecessour had Prophesied Ascendes ut Vulpes Regnabis ut Leo Morieris ut Canis Workes of Piety done by him or by others in his time THis King Founded the Abbey of the Vale Royall in Cheshire of the Cisteaux Order In his time Iohn Baylioll King of Scots builded Baylioll Colledge in Oxford also in his time Walter Marton Lord Chancellour of England and after Bishop of Rochester Founded Marton Colledge in Oxford who was drowned passing over the water at Rochester being at that time no Bridge there as now there is In his time was finished the new worke of the Church of Westminster which had b●ene threescore and sixe yeares in building In his time was laid the Foundation of the Black-Friers besides Ludgate and of Baynards Castle also in his time his second wife Queene Margaret beganne to build the Quire of the Gray-Friers in London In his time was begunne to be made the great Conduit in London standing against the Church called Acres in Cheape In his time Henry Walleys Major of London caused the Tonne upon Cornhill to be a Prison for night-walkers and also builded a house called the Stocks for a Market of fish and flesh in the midst of the City In this Kings time Edmund Earle of Leycester the Kings brother Founded the Minories a Nunnery without Aldgate This King builded the Castle of Flint in Wales and the Castle of Beaumaris in the I le of Anglesey and the Castle of Carnarvan by Snowdon Also in this Kings time Iohn Peckham Arch-bishop of Canterbury Founded a Colledge of Canons at Wingham in Kent Casualties happening in his time IN the second yeare of this Kings Raigne there happened the greatest rot of Sheepe in England that ever was knowne which continued five and twenty years and came as was thought by one infected Sheepe of incredible greatnesse brought out of Spaine by a French Merchant into Northumberland In the fifteenth yeare of this Kings Raigne Wheate was sold for tenne Groats a Quarter where the next yeare after there was so great a Dearth that it was sold for eighteene pence the Bushell In the seventeenth yeare of his Raigne there fell so much raine that Wheate was raised from three pence the Bushell to sixteene pence and so encreased yearely till at last it was sold for twenty shillings the Quarter And this yeare the City of Carlile and the Abbey with all the houses belonging to the Friers Minors was consumed with fire In his one and twentieth yeare a great part of the Towne of Cambridge with the Church of our Lady was also burnt In the seven and twentieth yeare of his Raigne his Palace at Westminster and the Monastery adjoyning were consumed with fire The Monastery of Glocester also was burnt to the ground In this yeare also an Act of Common Counsell by consent of the King was made concerning victuals a fat Cocke to be sold for three halfe pence two Pullets for three halfe pence a fat Capon for two pence halfe penny a Goose foure pence a Mallard three halfe pence a Partridge three halfe pence a Pheasant foure pence a Hearon sixe pence a Plover one penny a Swanne three shillings ● Crane twelve pence two-Woodcocks three halfe pence a fat Lambe from Christmas to Shrovetide sixteene pence and all the yeare after for foure pence Of his Wives and Children HE had two Wives his first was Eleanor daughter to Ferdinand the third King of Spaine and was married to him at B●res in Spaine who having lived with him sixe and thirty years in a journey with him towards Scotland at Herdeby in Lincolneshire she died in whose memory and as Monuments of her vertue and his affection King Edward caused Crosses with her Statue to be erected in all chiefe places where her Corps in carrying to Westminster rested as at Stamford Dunstable Saint Albons Waltham Cheapside and lastly at the place called Charing Crosse she was buried in Westminster at the feete of King Henry the third under a faire Marble Tombe adorned with her Portraiture of Copper guilt By this wife King Edward had foure sonnes and nine daughters his eldest sonne Iohn his second Henry his third Alphonsus died all young in their Fathers time his fourth sonne Edward called of Carnarva● because borne there succeeded him in the kingdome Of his daughters the eldest named Eleanor was first married by Proxie to Alphonsus King of Arragon but he dying before the marriage solemni●ed she was afterward married at Bristow to Henry Earle of Barry in France by whom she had issue sons and daughters Ioane the second daughter of King Edward and Queene Eleanor borne at Acon in the Holy Land was married to Gylbert Clare called the Red Earle of Glocester and Hereford by whom she had issue sonnes and daughters She survived her husband and was re-married to the Lord Ralph Monthermere Father to Margaret the mother of Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury from whom the now Vicount Montacu●e is descended Margaret the third daughter of King Edward and Queene Eleanor was married to Iohn Duke of Brabant Berenger and Alice their fourth and fifth daughters dying young and unmarried Mary their sixth daughter at tenne yeares of her age was made a Nunne in the Monastery
to deliver Mortimer but the King was deafe of that eare he could rather have wished both him and his two Sisters in heaven for then he should be free from conceal'd competitours These affronts were at this time suffered in the Welch because the King was now employed in a more dangerous service with the Scots for they taking advantage of the distraction in the kingdome as it was alwayes their custome to do had made an In-rode into the County of Northumberland and sudden●y one night set upon the Castle of Werke tooke and spoiled it and then returned In revenge wherof the English invaded and spoiled certain Islands of the Orkn●ys Then the Scots set forth a Fleet under the conduct of Sir Robert Logon but before he came to any action he was encountred and the greatest part of his Fleet taken But these were but such affronts as often happen between troublesome neighbours for all this while the Peace was still in being between the Nations but at last it brake out into an open warre upon this occasion Robert King of Scots had offered to match his Son David with a D●ughter of Geo●ge Earle of Dunbarre and had received money of him in part of her portion and afterward would neither suffer the March to proceed nor yet pay back the money but married his Son to a Daughter of Archibold Earle of D●●glasse Upon which indignity George of Dunbarre flyes into England to king Henry and with his ayd makes divers incursions into Sco●land Whereupon Rober● king of Scots sent to king Henry that if he would have the Truce between them to continue he should deliver to him George of Dunbarre King Henry answered that he had given him a safe conduct and could not now recall it with his Honor but as for continuing the Truce king Robert might do in that what he thought best● Upon this answer the king of Scots presently proclaimed warre against him But king Henry as ready in that matter as he stayed not for king Roberts invading of England but himselfe with a puissant Army invaded Scotland burning Castles and Cities and not sparing Churches and Religious Houses About the end of September he besieged the Castle of Maydens in Edenbourgh where Prince David and the Earle Dowglasse were At which time Robert Duke of Albanye who in the king of Scots sicknesse managed the businesse sent an Herald to king Henry protesting upon his honor that if he would stay but six dayes he would give him battell K. Henry rewarded the Herald and stayed but six times six dayes passed but neither Duke of Albany nor any other for him appeared And now winter came on Victualls grew scant and which was worst a mortality began in the Engl●sh Campe For which causes king Henry removed his Siege and retu●ned i●t● England As soone as he was gone sir Patrick Hebborne a Scottishman having a good opinion of his valour thought to do great matters and with a competent Army of the men of L●●gh-deane he invaded Northumberland making great spoile and loading his Soul●diers with prey and prisoners but in the Retreit marching loosely and licentiously was set upon by the Earle of Northumberland Vice-warden at a Towne called Neshye where Hebborne himselfe and all the floure of L●ugh-deane were flaine sir Iohn and William Cockburne sir William Busse Iohn and Thomas Hablington Esq●ires and a multitude of common Souldiers taken prisoners On the Engl●sh part few sl●in● and none of any ranke or quality In revenge whereof Archibold Dowglasse with an Army of twenty thousand entred Northumberland but at a place called Hom●ldon were encountred by the English under the leading of Henry Lord Percye sirnamed Ho●spu●●e and George Earle of March who put them to ●light and after the slau●hter of ten thousand of them tooke five hundred prisoners whereof the chieft were Mordack Earle of Fife sonne of the Generall who in the fight lost one of his eyes Thomas Earle of Murrey Robert Earle of A●gus the Earls of Atholl and Menli●●● and amongst the slaine were Sir Iohn Swinton Sir Adam Gourdon Sir Iohn Leviston Sir Alexander Ramsey and three and twenty other knights In this meane time Glendour of Wales had solicited the king of France for ayde who sent him twelve hundred men of quality but the windes were so contrary that they lost twelve of their ships and the rest returned home The English deriding this ill successe of the French so exasperated the French-king that presently after he sent twelve thousand who landed safely and joyned with the Welch but as soone as they heard of the English armies approach whether mistrusting their own strength or suspecting the Welch-mens faithfullnesse they ran to their ships and disgracefully went home King Henry's Ambassadors lately sent into Britaine to fetch the Lady Iane de Navarre Dutchesse of Britiane the relict of Iohn de Montford sirnamed the Conquerour● with whom the king by Procurators had contracted Matrimony in the beginning of February returned with her in safety The king met her at Winchester where the seventh of February the marriage was solemnized About this time some affronts were offered by the French Valerian Earle of S. Paul with seventeene hundred men landed in the Isle of Wight where hee burnt two Villages and some few Cottages but hearing the people of the Island to have assembled hee made haste to his ships and returned home Also Iohn Earle of Clermont the heire of Bourbon won from the English the Castles of S. Peter S. Mary and the New-Castle The Lord de la Brett won the Castle of Cal●●in places of great consequence to the English And now to make k. Henry sensible that a Crown can hardly ever sit easie upon the head if it be not set on right at first a new Conspiracy is hatching against him The Percies Earls of Northumberland and Worcester with Henry Hotspur began about thi● time to fall off from king Henry their reason was First because the king at their request refused to redeeme their kinsman Mortimer from Glendours slavery and then because he denied them the benefit of such prisoners as they had taken of the Scots at Homildon or N●shye whereupon they went of themselves and procured Mortimer's delivery and then entred into a League offensive and defensive with Glendour and by their Proxies in the house of the Arch-deacon of Bangor they agreed upon a Tripartite Indenture under their hands and seales to divide the kingdome into three parts whereby all England from Sever● and Trent South and Eastward was assigned for the portion of the Earle of March All Wales and the Lands beyond Sever● VVestward were assigned to Owen Glendour And all the remainder of land from Trent Northward to bee the portion of the Lord Percy In this as Glendour perswaded them they thought they should accomplish a Prophesie as though king Henry were the Mouldwarp cursed of Gods own mouth they three were the Lyon the Dragon and the Wolfe which should divide the Land
all the principall men of the Towne to come before him at their Senate house where some of them for their stubborne refusing the grace he had offered them were adjudged to death and the rest fined the spoyl of the Town was distributed amongst the souldiers The Captaine of the Castle stood out a while but being advertised that the king had sworne to shew no mercy if he did not surrender he gave twelve Hostages that if it were not relieved before the twentieth of September he would then give it up which not comming he performed and so the king had possession both of C●en and the Castle And now Charles the new Dolphin being but seventeene yeeres of age and bare of money had got into his possession all the jewels plate and money of the Queen his mother which so incensed her against him that to doe him a spight she placed the Duke of Burgundy in chiefe authority about the king who by reason of his infirmity was u●able himselfe to manage the State and the Duke having now the sword in his hands meant first ●o represse the growing boldnesse of the Dolphyn and afterward to repell the common Enemy and the Dolphyn likewise envying the Dukes advancement above him meant first to take down his swelling greatnes and afterward to fall upon the forreigne adversary and thus while private respects were preferred before publique whilest the Duke and the Dolphyn had their first intentions against one another not looking afte● king Henry but in the second place after their owne turnes served an easie way was left for king Henries proceedings and hee went on at his pleasure with small opposition Hee sent the Duke of Clarence who tooke in the City of Bayeux as likewise the Duke of Glo●cester the City of Lyse●x whilst himselfe remayning still at Caen put out of the city the natives that were impotent or yong infants to the number of fifteen hundred in their places put English people and finding a great masse of money and plate deposited by the Citizens in the Castle ●e caused the same upon proofe to bee respectively delivered to the right owners● upon condition they would acknowledge him for their Soveraigne which moderate and just dealing wonne him more hearts then the force of his Armes had wonne him knees specially with the Normans who are easier to bee drawn with gentlenesse and love then forced by violence and compulsion From hence the king marched the first of October to Corfye Castle which within three dayes yeelded The fourth of October he came to Argenton which not relieved by a day agreed upon was likewise surrendred The Towne of Al●nson endured eight daies siege but in the end did as other their neighbour Townes had done From Alanson the Earle of S●lisbury was sent to Faleys to view the strength thereof whom the king presently followed where the besieged concluded if it were not relieved before the second of January then to yeelde up the Towne No reliefe comming the Towne was yeelded up and soone after upon the like termes the Castle From hence the king returned to Caen to put in execution a Proclamation he had formerly made That if the inhabitants of Normandy that were fled returned not by a day assigned hee would then grant their Lands to his souldiers and thereupon he gave to the duke of Clarence during life the Vicounties of A●ge Or●er and Pon●i●● with all the Lands of those that were not returned according to the Proclamation All the Lent the king lay at Bayeux whilest his Navy still kept the Seas and daily tooke many French ships but upon the sixteenth of July such a Tempest took them that they were driven to fall in with Southampton and yet with all their diligence could not so save themselves but that two Ballingers and two great Carricks laden with merchandize were in the very Haven drowned In the meane time the Earle of VVarwick and the Lord Talbot besieged the strong Castle of D●mfront The Duke of Cl●rence tooke Court●n and Burney and many other being taken as Cha●bois Bechelouyn H●rcourt Fantgernon Cre●en●r Anvyll●ers B●gles in all of them he placed Captaines and Garrisons and particularly in Fres●y Sir Robert Brent lately made Viscount The Duke of Glo●cester also with the Earle of March and the Lord of Codnor tooke in all the Isle of Co●st●●ti●e except Chereburg and then returned to the king but was sent back to take in that City also which after some time when no reliefe came was together with the Castle likewise surrendred although by this time the Duke of Burg●●di● and the Dolphyn by mediation of the Pope were reconciled and began to joyne thei● Forces to make resistance And now the Duke of Exeter the kings Uncle with a supply of fifteene thousand men out of England came to the king who presently took in the City of Eureux and the Earle of Ryme the strong Cast●e of Mill●y le Vesco The next thing attempted was the siege of Ro●● a Citie strongly fortified both with walls and di●ches and to which there was no convenient passage but by the Citie of Lovie● to this Citie therefore he first layes ●iege which when no reliefe came within a time agreed on was surrendred and yet there was another impediment to be removed a stone-bridge which hindred the approach to Roan being exceeding strongly guarded For this King Henry devised floats of wicke● covered with be●sts hides by which the Duke of Cl●rence with his quarter passed the River ●nd then laid siege to the Towne on ●hat side and for the other side he had other devises made with hogsheads and pipes fastned to ●irrepoles and Barges with which he passed his men over at pleasure and in the meane time he caused divers of his Souldiers that could swimme to make shew of passing the River three miles off another way with which the French-men being deluded drew all their forces thither ●nd by this meanes the Fort being left unfurnished of sufficient guard was presently forced to surrender and the Souldiers were taken to the Kings grace The bridge being thus gained the Duke of Exeter was sent and with him Windsor the Herald to summon the Citizens to surrender the Towne who not only gave proud answers but also made a sallye forth though with the losse of thirty of their men Upon this obstinacie of theirs the King presently orders his siege his own quarter was the Ch●rteux the Duke of Clar●nce at St. Gervays the Duke of Exeter at Port St. Dennis and every great Commander had his quarter assigned so as the Citie was begirt round and a great chaine of iron set upon piles and a strong wooden bridge for passage from one Campe to the other was made over the River At this time the Earle of Kilmayne with sixteen hundred Irish came to the King and had their quarter assigned them who behaved themselves with great valour The Kings Cosen Germane the King of Portugall sent likewise a Navie of
a terrour into the besiegers that they stood like men amazed of whom six hundred were slaine two hundred drowned in the ditches fifty taken prisoners with eighteen Standards and the Constable was glad to quit the place and give over the Siege At the same time also the Earle of Warwick and the L. Scales with seven thousand besieged Ponterson many weekes together but Pov●sion waxing scant the Lord Scales with three thousand men went a forraging into the Enemies Country and in his returne with plenty of provision was encountred with six thousand French of whom he slew many hundreds tooke above a thousand prisoners and then returned safe into the Campe. About this time also Sir Iohn Falstaffe besieged the strong Towne of Gravile which after twelve dayes offered to render it selfe by a day if it were not relieved The offer was taken and Pledges delivered but before the day came they within ●he Towne had victualled and manned the place and thereupon neglecting their Pledges refused to render the Castle according to agreement whereupon the Pledges were brought before the sight of them within the Castle and there openly put to death And now a conspiracy of the Clergie and Magistrates in Maunts so prevailed that the Marshals of France with five hundred men about midnight came to the Town-walls where the Guard of the English by those that seemed their friends were suddenly massac●ed and setting open the Gates made way for the Enemy to enter whereupon the Alarum given the Earle of Suffolk with the surviving English withdrew to the Castle wherein they were sharply assayled by the French who yet had more minde to ransack houses and to make good cheere whereof the Lord T●lbot having intelligence by Captaine Goffe whom he had sent to discover the state of the French he secretly gave notice to the Earle of Suffolk who thereupon sallied forth of the Castle at a time when the Lord T●lbot was ready with his Troopes and on both sides crying St. George a T●lbot they fell upon the carelesse French who lost foure hundred of their best men the rest were all taken the Town re-gained and the Conspiratours thirty Citizens twenty Priests and fifteen Friers condemned and put to execution Whilst these things went on prosperously in France a great disaster fell out in England for the right Noble Thomas Beauford sonne of Iohn of G●u●t and Katherine Swi●ford Duke of Exeter and Guardian of the King makes king Henry his heire and at East-Greenwich in Kent ended his life whose place was presently supplyed by the Earle of Warwick and the Earles place in France by the Earle of Salisbury who thereupon with five thousand men came to Orlea●ce and besieged the City and won from the French the great fort But here happened another great disaster for from an high tower in this fort the Besiegers observed the passages of the Townsmen when the Noble Earle of Salisbury intending to informe himselfe of the state of the Towne unfortunately looking out at a window of the fort with Sir Th●●●● G●rgrave a great shot from the Town striking the barres of the window the splinters thereof were driven into his head and face of which wounds within eight dayes he died This was now a second weakning to the English party but in his place the Earle of Suffolk succeeded to whom the Regent sendeth Sir Iohn Fals●●●●● with fresh supplies whom the Lord de la Brets nine thousand strong endeavours to intercept but Sir Iohn resolving to abide the charge placeth his cariages behind the horse next and the foot before lining his bowes with bill-men and pitching stakes behind the Archers who having discharged their first volley retired behind the stakes on which the French forgetting their former defeats by that course ran and goared their horses by which their Vaward being disordered the Battaile made a stand which Sir Iohn perceiving cryeth out St. George They●●ie at which words they fled indeed and lost two thousand five hundred of their men with the Lords de la Brets and William Steward eleven hundred were taken Prisoners with whom and a rich booty they came to the Campe before Orleance Hereof the besieged having notice they offered to submit themselves to the Duke of Burg●igne who was contented to receive them so as the Regent would consent But the Regent consented not and therefore in the meane time the besieged made meanes to the Duke of Al●●so● who furnished the Towne with fresh Forces and Provision which put such spirits into the Citizens that they made a sally out slew six hundred English and adventured upon the Bastile where the Lord T●lbot commanded who repelled them with great slaughter of their men but yet the next day the Earle of Suffolk gave over his siege and dispersed his Army into their Garrisons And now the wheele of Fortune began to turn to the French against the English which once set a going was not easie to be stayed And first the Duke of Al●●so● tooke by assault the Towne of Iargeux and in it the Earle of Suffolk and one of his brothers and slew Sir Alexander Pole another of his brothers and many other Prisoners in cold blood by reason of a contention amongst the French to whom the Prisoners should belong Presently upon this ●nother great blow was given the English for the Lords Talbot Scale● and Hungerford going to fo●tifie the Town of S. Meu● were encountred by the said Duke of Al●●son and Arthur of Britaine with three and twenty thousand men with whom the English Lords interchanged some blowes but oppressed with multitude were all three taken prisoners all sore wounded twelve hundred of their company slaine and the rest hardly escaping to Me●● where they fortified themselves the best they could against future assaults These were great blowes given to the English fortune in France Salisbury slaine and now Talbot taken prisoner which though they made her a little to totter yet there must be greater blowes given before she will fall And indeed these disasters were seconded by the perfidous surrender of many Townes and strong Holds to the French king who now encouraged by these successes marcheth into Champaigne where by composition he tooke Troyes the chiefe City of that Province Chalto●s rebelleth and enforceth their Captaine to yield it up by whose example the Citizens of Rhemes doe the like where the French king is anew Proclaimed and with accustomed ceremonies Anointed and Crowned whereupon many Townes submit themselves to him and revolt from the English Upon this the Duke of Bedford to make the French know that all the English strength consisted not in onely Salisbury and Talbot with ten thousand English besides Normans marched out of Pa●is and sent letters of defiance to the French king affirming that deceitfully and by unjust meanes he had stolne many Cities and places of importance belonging to the Crown of England which he was come to justifie by battell if he would appoint a time and place To which the
King and by him to his Councell who being most of the Clergie durst not meddle in them for offending ●he Cardinall On the other side the Cardinall finding nothing whereof directly to accuse the Duke of Glocester himselfe accuseth his or her selfe the Lady Cotham●he ●he Dukes wife of Treason for attempting by sorcery and witchcraft the death of the King and advancement of her husband to the Crown for which though acqui●ed of the Treason she is adjudged to open Penance namely to goe with a wax taper in her hand hoodlesse save a kerchiffe through London divers dayes together and after to remaine in perpetuall imprisonment in the Isle of Man The crime objected against her was procuring Thomas Southwell Iohn Hunne Priests Roger Bollingbrock● a supposed Necromancer and Margery Iourdan called the Witch of Eye in Suffolke● to devise a picture of waxe in proportion of the king in such sort by sorcery that as the picture consumed so the kings body should consume for which they were all condemned the witch was burnt in Smithfield Bollingbrooke was hanged constantly affirming upon his death that neither the Dutchesse nor any other from her did ever require more of him than onely to know by his art how long the king should live Iohn Hunne had his pardon and Southwell dyed the night before he shou●d have been executed About this time the Countesse of Cominges being dead the king of France and the Earle of Arminiack are Competitors for the Inheritance The Earle takes possession but fearing the King of France his greatnesse makes offer of his daughter in mariage to the King of England with a large portion in money and besides to deliver full possession of all such Townes and Castles as were by him or his Ancestors detained in Aquitaine and had been formerly by the Progenitors of the King of England conquered The Ambassadors for this businesse were by King Henry graciously heard and honorably returned after whom were sent Sir Edward Hall Sir Robert Rose and others to conclude all things and the young Lady is by Proxy affianced to king Henry But the king of France not liking the proceeding of the match sende●h the Dolphin with a puissant Army who tooke the Earle with his youngest sonne and both his daughters aud gained the Counties of Arminiack Louverne Rouergue Moulessenois with the Cities of Sever●e and Cadeack chasing the Bastard of Arminiack out of ●he Country by meanes whereof the mariage was then deferred and left in suspense In this distraction of Christendome many Princes the kings of Spaine Denmark and Hungary became Mediators for a Peace between the two kings of France and England Ambassadors of both sides are sent many meetings were had many motions made but in conclusion onely a Truce for eighteen moneths is agreed upon In the meane time the Earle of Suffolk one of the Commissioners for the Peace takes upon him beyond his Commssion and without acquainting his fellowes to treat of a mariage between the king of England and a kinswoman of the king of France Neece to the French Queene daughter to Rayn●r Duke of Anjou stiling him●elfe king of Sicilie and Naples In which businesse he was so intentive that it brought an aspersion upon him of being bribed but howsoever an Enterview betwixt the two kings is appointed without any warrant of king Henries part to be between Charter● and Roan The Commissioners returne the Earle of Suffolk sets forth the beauty of the proposed Bride and the great benefits that would redound to the kingdome by this match The king was easily induced to credit the relation but divers of the kings Councell especially the Duke of Glocester opposed it partly for the meannesse of the match her father being onely a Titular Prince and withall but poore unable to give any portion at all and partly for the wrong which should hereby be offered to the Duke of Arminiacks daughter to whom the king had been in solemne manner publickly affianced But Reasons could not prevaile against favour the Earle of Suffolks affirmation must not be undervalued And hereupon a new creation of Lords first made Iohn Beaufort Earle of Somerset made Duke of Somerset Iohn Lord Talbot made Earle of Shrewsbury Iohn Holland Earle of Huntington made Duke of Exeter Humfry Earle of Stafford made Duke of Buckingham Henry 〈◊〉 Earle of Warwick made Duke of Warwick Edmund Beaufo●t Earle of Dorset made Marquesse Dorset and William de la Poole Earle of Suffolke made Marquesse of Suffolke this new Marquesse honorably accompanied is sent into Fra●ce to fetch the Lady Margaret the proposed Bride who shortly after is maried at Southwick in Hampshire and crowned Queen of England at Westminster on the 30 day of May 1444 in the three and twentieth yeare of king Henries Reigne And now in stead of benefits by this mariage there presently followed great inconveniences for first in exchange of her person the Dutchy of Anjou the City of 〈◊〉 with the whole County of Mayne the best props of the Dutchy of Normandy are agreed to be surrendred into the hands of the French and then the Duke of Arminiack to revenge the injury offred to his daughter is a meanes to expell the English ●ut of all Aquitaine At this time the Duke of Somersets spleen against the Duke of Yorke not onely is revived but is growne stronger for the Duke of Yorke who was now after the death of the Earle of Warwick made the second time Regent of France is so undermined by him through assistance of the new Marquesse of Suffolke who bore now all the sway with the King and Queen that not onely he supplanted him in his place but planted himselfe in it to the great heart-burning of the Duke of York and his friends but he wisely dissembled his anger and for the present passed it ove● And now is no man in grace but the new Marquesse of Suffolk all favours from the King and Queene must passe by him and the extent of his power over-r●acheth all the Councell He gets of the King the wardship of the body and lands of the Countesse of Warwick and of the Lady Margaret sole daughter and heire of Iohn Duke of Somerset afterward mother to king Henry the seventh And now the kings weaknesse in judgement growes every day more apparent then other whil'st governed by no counsell but of his Queen and she by no counsell but her owne will and the new Marquesse of Suffolke King Henry is himself the least part of the king and serves but to countenance the devices of others whereof he little understands the drifts and which proving ill the blame must be his if well the benefit and honour others For by instigation of the Queene he suffers the Duke of Glocester for his care of the Common-wealth called the good Duke to be excluded not onely from Command but from the Counsell-Table and permits Informers s●t on by the Marquesse of Suffolke the Duke of Buckingham the Cardinall Bishop of
Workes of Piety done by him or others in his time THe King himselfe Founded two famous Colledges the one in Cambridge to our Lady and St. Nichol●s called the Colledge Royall or the kings Colledge the other of Eate● besides Windsor called of our blessed Lady to the maintenance whereof he gave 3400 pounds by yeare In the 28 year of his Reigne his Queen Margaret began the Foundation of Queens Colledge in Cambridge In the time of his Reigne also Henry Chicheley Archbishop of Canterbury Founded two Colledges in Oxford one called All-Soules Colledge the other Bernard Colledge In his time also H●mp●ry Duke of Glocester but others say Thomas Kempe Archbishop of Ca●ter●●ry built the Divinity School in Oxford also the sayd Archbishop built Pauls-Crosse in forme as now it standeth and William W●ynflete Bishop of VVinchester and Lord Chancellor of England Founded Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxford In his seventeenth yeare Ralph Lord Cromwell builded the Colledge of Tatshall in Linc●l●shire Also this yeare VVilliam ●●stfield Major of London caused to be builded at his own charge the Water-Conduict in Fleetstreet In his ninth year Iohn VVells Major of London caused the Cond●ict commonly called the Standard in Cheape to be builded In his first yeare the West Gate of London sometime called Chamberlaine gate and now Newgate was begun to be new builded by the Executors of Sir Richard VVhittington Lord Major of London In his fifth yeare Iohn Reynwell Major of London gave certaine lands to the Citie of London for which th● Citie is bound to pay for ever all Fif●eens that shall be granted to the King so as it passe ●ot three Fifteens in one year for three Wards in London namely Dowg●te-Ward Billi●gsgate-Ward and Aldgate Also this yeare the Tower at the Drawbridge of Lo●don was begun by the same Major In his foure and twentieth yeare Simon Eyre Lord Major of L●ndon builded the Leaden-Hall in Lo●do● to be a Storeho●se for Graine and Fewell for the poore of the Citie and faire Chappell at the East end of the same leaving in stocke a thousand pounds which a●terward King Edward the Fourth borrowed and never paid it again Also in this kings time William de la Poole Duke of Suffolke and Alice his wife Daughter to Thomas Ch●●cer Son of Geoffry Chawcer the famous Poet translated and encreased the Mannour place of Ewelme in Oxfordshire and builded new the Parish Church of Ewelme and an Hospitall or Almeshouse for two Priests and thirteene poore men to which he gave three Manours Ramruge in Hampshire Co●ocke in Wiltshire and Me●sh in Buckingh●mshire They also founded the Hospitall of Do●nington Castle Of Casualtie● happening in his time In his Fifth yeare was ●o unseasonable weather that it rained almost continually from Easter to Michaelmasse In his seventh yeare the eight of November the Duke of Norfolke was like to have been drowned passing through London-Bridge hi● Barge being set upon the piles overwhelmed so that thirty persons were drowned and the Duke with others that escaped were fain to be drawn up with ropes In his 18 year all the Lyons in the Tower dyed Also this year the 18 day of Iuly the Postern-Gates of London by E●st-Smithfield against the Tower of London sanke by night more than seven foot into the earth In his two and twentieth year on Newyears day neer unto Bedford a very deep water which ran betwixt the Towns o● Swelstone and Harleswood stood suddenly still and divided it selfe so that by the sp●ce of three miles the bottome remained dry which wonder many thought to signifie the division of the people and falling away from the king which happened shortly after In the three and thirtieth year of his Reign besides a great Blazing Starre there happened a strange sight a monstrous Cock came out of the Sea and in the presence of a multitude of people at Portland made a hideous crowing three times each time turning about clapping his wings and beckning toward● the North the South and the West as also many prodigious births In his six and thirtieth year in a little Town in Bedfordshire it rained bloud wherof the red drops appeared in sheets hung out to dry Of his Wife and issue HE married Margaret Daughter of Rayner Duke of Anjou and Ti●ular king of Ierusalem Sicilie and Arragon by whom he had small Portion and little strength of Alliance yet might have been a good match if they could have changed conditions with one another that he might have had her active and stirring spirit and she his softly and milde disposition She was his wife six and twenty years and after her husbands depulsion from the Regall Throne his Forces being vanquished at the Battell of Tewkesberry in a poore Religious house where she had fled for safety of her life was taken prisoner and carried captive to London where shee remained in durance till Duke Rayner her Father purchased her liberty unto whom she returned and lastly dyed in her native Country By her king Henry had issue only one Son named Edw●rd who when the day was lost at T●wkesberry sought to escape by flight but being taken was brought into the presence of king Edward whose r●solute answers provoked king Edward so much that he dashed him on the mouth with his Gantlet and then Richard the Crouchback ran him into the heart with his Dagger his body wa● buried amongst the poore persons there slain in the Monasticall Church of the Black-Friers in Tewkesberry Of his Death and Buriall UPon King Edwards recovering the Crown he was committed to the Tower where the 21 of May in the yeare 147● he was murthered by the bloudy hand of ●ichard Duke of Glocester the day after he was brought to Pauls Church in an open Coffin bare-faced where he bled thence carried to the Black-Friers where ●e ●lso bled from thence in a Boat to Chersey Abbey without Priest or Clerk ●orch or taper saying or singing and there buried but afterwards at the appointment of King Edward was removed to Windsor and there interred and a fair Monument made ov●r him Of his Personage and Conditions HEe was tall of statu●e spare and slender of body of a comely countenance and all parts well proportioned For endowments of his minde he had virtues enough to make him a Saint but not to make him a God as kings are said to be gods for of that commanding power there being two parts Parcere subjectis debellare ●uperbos he wanted the latter He was not sensible of that which the world calls Honour accounting the greatest honour to consist in humility His greatest imperfection was that he had in him too much of the Logge and too little of the Storke for he would not move but as he was moved and had rather be devoured than he would devoure He was not so stupid not to know prosperity from adversity but he was so devout to thinke nothing adversitie which was not a hinderance to Devotion He was fitter for a Priest than
and heire Sir Humfry Bo●rchier sonne and heire to the Lord Berners and divers other knights and gentlemen On the Earls part were slaine the Earle himselfe the Marqu●ss● Montacute and three and twenty knights of whom Sir William Tyrrell was one The Duke of Somerset and the Earle of Oxford fled into VVales to Iasper Earle of Pembro●ke The Duke of Exceter being strucken down and so wounded that he was left for dead amongst other the dead bodies because he was not k●own but comming to himselfe he got up and escaped to VVestminster and there took Sanctuary The dead bodies of the Earle and Marquesse were brought to London in a Coffin and by the space of three dayes lay open-faced in the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul and then buried with their Ancestours in the Priory of Bissam This Earle of VVarwick was Richard Nevill sonne and heire of Richard Nevill Earle of Salisbury who married the daughter of Richard Beauchamp the sixth Earle of Warwick and in her right was Earle of Warwick in his own of Sali●bury he was also Lord Monthermer great Chamberlaine and high Admirall of England Lord Warden of the North Marches towards Scotland and high Steward of the Dutchy of La●caster he had issue two Daughters Isabell married to George Duke of Clarence and Ann● ●●rst married to Prince Edward king Henry the sixths Sonne and after to Richard Duke of Glocester Wee may here observe a Constellation of disastrous influences concurring all to the overthrow of this great Warwicke whereof if any one had been missing the wheele of his fortune had perhaps not turned For if the City of Yorke had not too credulously believed king Edwards Oath not to d●sturbe king Henry or if the Marquesse Mo●tacute had stopped as he might his passage at Pomfret or if the Duke of Clarence had not at the very point of the battell at St. Albans deserted his party and joyned with king Edwards● or if Qu●en Margaret had not by tempest been kept from comming into E●gla●d in time or if the Londoners had not been retrograde and deceived his expectation he had never perhaps been overthrown as he was But Fata viam invenient destiny will finde waies that were never thought of will make way where it findes none and that which is ordained in heaven shall be effected by means of which Earth can take no notice Queen Margaret when it was too late accompanied with Iohn Longstrother Prior of Saint Iohns and the Lord Wenlock with divers Knights and Esquires tooke shipping at Harflew the foure and twentieth of March but by tempest was kept back till the thirteenth of April and then with her sonne Prince Edward shee landed at Weymouth and from thence went to an Abby hard by called Ceern and then to Bewly in Hampshire whither there came unto her Edmund Duke of Somerset and Thomas Courtney Earle of Devonshire with divers others amongst whom it is resolved once more to try their fortune in the field but then the Queen would have had her sonne Prince Edward to be sent into France there to remaine in safety till the next battell were tryed but they being of a contrary minde and specially the Duke of Somerset shee at length consented though afterward she repented it From Bewly she with her sonne and the Earle of Somerset passeth on to Bristow intending with what power they could raise in Glocestershire to march into Wales to joyn with I●sper Earle of Pembrooke who was there making preparation of more forces King E●ward hearing of these things resolves to crosse this Conjunction and followes Queen Margaret with a great Power so close that neere Tewkesbury in Glocestershire he overtakes her forces who resolutely turn and make head against him where Somerset on the Queens part leading the Vaunt-guard performed the part of a valiant Commander but finding his souldiers thro●gh wearines begin to faint and that the Lord Wenlock who had the conduct of the battaile on the Queens part moved no the rode unto him and upbrayding him with cowardise or treachery never staid but with his Pollaxe beat out his brains and now before he could bring in his men to the rescue their Vaward was routed and Iohn Earle of Devonshire with above three thousand of the Queens part were slaine The Queen her selfe Iohn Beaufort the Duke of Somersets brother the Prior of Saint Iohns Sir Gervis Clifton and divers others were taken prisoners all which except the Queen were the next day beheaded At which time Sir Richard Crofts presented to king Edward king Henries Son Edward whom he had taken prisoner to whom king Edward at first shewed no uncourteous countenance but demanding of him how he durst so presumptuously enter into his Realm with Arms and he answering though truly yet unseasonably To recover my Fathers Kingdome and Heritage King Edward with his hand thrust him from him or as some say strooke him with his Gantlet and then presently George Duke of Clarence Richard Duke of Glocester Thomas Grey Marquesse Dorset and William Lord Hastings standing by fell upon him in the plac● and murdred him His body was homely interred with other ordinary Corpses in the Church of the Monastery of the Black-fryers in Tewkesbury After the Victory thus obtained king Edward repaired to the Abbey Church of Tewkesbury to give God thankes for his good successe and finding there a great number of his enemies that were fled thither to save themselves he gave them all free Pardon onely Edmuud Duke of Somerset 〈◊〉 Longstrother Pryor of Saint Iohns Sir Thomas Tressham Sir Gervi● Clifton and divers other Knights and Esquires who were apprehended there and brought before the Duke of Glocester sitting that day as Constable of England and the Duke of Norfolk as Marshall were all arraigned condemned and judged to Dye and accordingly upon the Tuesday being the seventh of May they were all and twelve other knights more on a Scaffold set up in the middle of the Town beheaded but not dismembred● and permitted to be buried The same day Queen Margaret was found in a poore house of Religion not farre from thence into which she was fled for safeguard of her life but she was after brought to London and there kept a Prisoner till her Father ransomed her with great summes of money This was the last pitcht battell that was fought in England in king Edward the fourths dayes which happened on the fourth of May being Saturday in the Eleventh yeere of his reigne and in the yeere of our Lord 1471. King Edward being assured that as long as any partakers of king Henry lived and were at liberty he should never be free from plots against his life sent Roger Vaugha● a Gentleman much reckoned of in his own Country to entrape Iasper Earle of Pembrooke who had escaped from the last encounter but he having notice of the plot before prevented it by striking off Vaughans head After these great Clouds were thus dispersed there arose a little Cloud which gave the
Realme at least the City of London no small disquiet For now Thomas bastard Fa●conbridge who had been imployed by the Earle of Warwick to scowre the Seas hearing of these defeats having enriched himselfe by Piracy gathered together an Army of seventeen thousand men and comming to London imp●riously commanded admission into the City and releasement of King Henry out of prison but being denyed entrance and hearing that king Edward with a great power was comming towards him he brings up his shipping to Saint Katherines and taking with him his most desperate men with them he marcheth to Kingston-bridge but finding that bridge broken down and all the places of passage guarded he withdrew his forces into Saint Georges field from whence he prepared to assault the City of London for the effecting whereof he landed all his ship Ordinance and planted them all alongst the Banks-side with which he battered down many houses and much annoyed the City but the Citizens on the other side lodged their great Artillery against their Adversaries with which they so galled them that they durst not abide in any pla●e alongst the water side but were driven even from their own Ordinance Then he appointed his men to set fire on the bridge and withall caused three thousand to passe over the Thames and some of them to assault Aldgate and some Bishopsgate but were in all places by the industry of the Citizens repelled and chiefely by Robert Basset and Ralph Iocelyne Aldermen Upon this he retyred to Black-heath and there encamped by the space of three dayes but then hearing that king Edward was commming with a great Army he got him to his ship but the rest fled some one way some another The one and twentieth of May the king comming to London thanked the Citizens for their pains and care and dubbed the Major the Recorde● Vrsewicke and B●sset and Iocelyne Aldermen Knights And now the time was come for king Henry to be delivered out of all his troubles for the bloody Duke of Glocester entring the Tower where he found king Henry nothing at all troubled with all his Crosses struck him into the heart with his Dagger and there slew him And now we have had within the space of half a yeer one Parliament Proclaming king Edward an Usurper and king Henry a lawfull king and another Proclaming king Edward a lawfull king king Henry an Usurper that we may know in humane affairs there is nothing certaine but uncertainty nothing stable but instability King Edward presently after the inte●rment of king Henry drawes his forces towards ●andwich in Kent where some of the followers of F●uconbridge to the number of eight or nine hundred had in the Castle there strongly fortified themselves but upon their asking Pardon and submitting themselves to the king with promise to be faithfull Subjects ever after they had their Pardon granted them and then they delivered up both Castle and Ships to the number of thirteen to the kings use But how this Composition was observed may be imagined when Fauconbridge who was comprised in the same Pardon was afterward taken and executed at Southampton Spicing and Quintine the Captaines that affailed Aldgate and Bishopsgate and were in Sandwich Castle at the surrender thereof were presently beheaded at Canterbury and their heads placed on poles upon those gates and by a Commission of Oyre and Te●miner many both in Essex and Kent were arraigned and condemned for this Rebellion and more fined And now king Edward desiring to be secured from all suspected persons sent the Archbishop of Yorke brother to the Earle of Warwick over to Guisnes there to be kept in safe custody and there he remained a long time till at length by friendship he was delivered and shortly after dyed Likewise Iohn Earle of Oxford who after Barnet Field yeelded himselfe to king Edward had his life pardoned but yet was se●t over sea to the Castle of H●mmes where for the space of twelve years he was shut up in strong prison and narrowly looked too As for the Earles of Pembrooke and Richmond who were fled out of the Realme to the Duke of Britaine king Edward sent to the Duke requiring to have them delivered up unto him upon promise of great rewards to which the Duke made answer that he could no● with his honour deliver them up whom he had taken into his Protection but that for king Edwards sake he would take such care of them that he should need to take no care for them and to that end he sequestred their own servants from them and appointed Britaines to attend upon them It was now the thirteenth year of king Edwards reigne in which a Parliament was called at Westminster wherein all acts formerly made by him are confirmed or revived and all their Lands and Goods confiscated that had taken part against him and were fled and all their lands and goods restored to such as had taken part with him King Edward being destin'd to be alwayes in troubles now that he had quietnesse at home was drawn into new broyles abroad for the Duke of Burgoigne at this time having warres with France thought he could no way make a better harvest to himselfe then by sowing seeds of dissention between France and England and to this end he sends Ambassadours to king Edward to sollicite him to set on foot his Title to the Crown of France making great offers with Protestation to assist him in it both with Purse and Person This proposition being seriously debated by the Kings Privy Counsell is at last approved of as being both lawfull and behovefull for the honour of the King and good of the kingdome Onely means to beare the charges of the warre were wanting to supply which by a Parliamentary course would ask too much time a new course therefore is devised to procure mony from the Subject by way of Benevolence and this course was taken About this time Henry Holland Duke of Exceter and Earle of Huntington dis-inherited by Act of Parliament in the fourth yeer of this King though he had married King Edwards Sister yet grew to so great misery that passing over into Flanders he was there forced all ragged and bare-foot to beg his bread was found dead and stript naked between Dover and Callice but how he came to his death no enquiry could bring to light Provision for this French expedition being throughly made and order taken for the quiet government of the kingdome in his absence and the stop of incursions if any by the Scots should be made King Edward with an Army of fifteen hundred men at arms all of the Nobility and Gentry fifteen thousand Archers on horseback eight thousand Common souldiers and three thousand Pioners came down to Dover whither the Duke of Burgoigne had sent five hundred flat bottom'd boates to transport the Horse to Callice yet for all that helpe it was two and twenty dayes before the kings forces were all past over Before the kings departure
the Scottish Bishops had no Metropolitane but the Bishop of Yorke was Metropolitane and Primate of Scotland now in this Kings time Pope Six●●● appointed the Bishop of Saint Andrews to be Metropolitane of Scotland who had twelve Bishops under his obedience Of Workes of Piety done in his time THIS King laid the foundation of the new Chappell at Windso● and his Queen Elizabeth founded the Queens Colledge in Cambridge and endowed it with large Possessions About his fifteenth yeere Doctor Woodlarke Provost of Kings Colledge in Cambridge Founded Katherine-hall there In his seventeenth yeer the Wall of the City of London from Cripplegate to Bishopsgate was builded at the charges of the Citizens also Bishopsgate it selfe was new built by the Merchants 〈◊〉 of the Styliard Also in this yeere dyed Sir Iohn Crosby Knight late Major of London who gave to the repairing of the Parish-Church of St. Helens in Bishopsgatestreet where he was buried 500 Marks to the repairing of the parish Church of He●w●rth in Middlesex forty pounds to the repairing of London-wall an hundred pounds to the repairing of Rochester-bridge ten pounds to the Wardens and Commonalty of the Grocers in London two large Pots of silver chased halfe gilt and other Legacies About this time also Richard Rawson one of the Sheriffs of London caused an house to be builded in the Church-yard of St. Mary Hospitalll without Bishopsgate where the Major and Aldermen use to sit and heare the Sermons in Easterholy-daies In his nineteenth yeere William Tailour Major of London gave to the City certaine Tenements for the which the City is bound to pay for ever at every Fifteene granted to the King for all such as shall dwell in Cordwainers-street-ward sessed at twelve-pence apiece or under And about the same time one Thomas 〈◊〉 Sheriffe of London builded at his own costs the great Conduit in Che●pside In his three and twentieth yeere Edmund Shaw Goldsmith who had been Major of London at his own costs re-edified Cripplegate in London which gate in old time had been a Prison Of Casualties happening in his time IN his third yeare the Minster of Yorke and the Steeple of Christs Church in Norwich were burnt In his seventeenth yeere so great a Pestilence reigned in England that it swept away more people in foure moneths than the Warres had done in fifteen yeeres past Also in his nineteenth yeere was another Pes●●lence which beginning in the later end of September continued till the beginning of November twelve-moneth following in which space of time innumerable people dyed Of his wife and issue KIng Edward had been contracted to Eleanor daughter of Iohn Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury maried after to Sir Thomas Butler Baron of S●dely but he maried Elizabeth the widdow of Sir Iohn Grey daughter of Richard Woodvile by his wife Iaqueline Dutchesse of Bedford she lived his wife eighteene yeeres and eleven moneths by whom he had three sonnes and seven daughters Edward his eldest sonne borne in the Sanctuary at Westminster Richard his second sonne borne at Shrewsbury George his third sonne borne also at Shrewsbury but dyed a childe Elizabeth his eldest daughter promised in mariage to Charles Dolphin of France but maried afterward to King Henry th● Seventh Cicely his second daughter promised in mariage to Iames Duke of ●othsay Prince of Scotland but was maried afterward to Iohn Viscount Wells whom she outlived and was againe re-maried but by neither husband had any issue she lyeth buried at Quarena in the Isle of Wight Anne his third daughter was maried to Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Earle Marshall and High Treasurer of England by whom she had two sonnes both dying without issue she lyeth buried at Framingham in Norfolk Bridget his fourth daughter borne at Eltham in Kent became a Nunne in the Nunnery of Dartford in Kent which king Edward had founded Mary his fifth daughter was promised in mariage to the King of Denmarke but dyed in the Tower of Greenwich before it could be solemnized she lyeth buried at Windsor Margaret his sixth daughter dyed an Infant Katherine his seventh daughter was maried to William Courtney Earle of Devo●shire to whom she bare Lord Henry who by King Henry the eighth was created Marquesse of Exeter Concubines he had many but three specially and would use to say that he had three Concubines who in their severall properties excelled One the merriest another the wyliest the third the holyest harlot in his Realme as one whom no man could lightly get out of the Church to any place unlesse it were to his bed The other two were greater personages than are sit to be named but the merriest was Shores wife in whom therefore he tooke speciall pleasure This woman was borne in London worshipfully descended and well maried but when the King had abused her anon her husband as he was an honest man and did know his good not presuming to touch a Kings Concubine left her up to him altogether By these he had naturall issue Arthur sirnamed Plantagenet whose mother as is supposed was the Lady Elizabeth Lucy created Viscount Lisle by King Henry the Eight at Bridewell in London And Elizabeth who was maried to Sir Thomas Lumley knight to whom she bare Richard afterward Lord Lumley from whom the late Lord Lumley did descend Of his Personage and Conditions HE was saith Comines the goodliest Personage that ever mine eyes beheld exceeding tall of statu●e faire of complexion and of most Princely presence and we may truly say he was of full age before he came to one and twenty for being but eighteen yeeres old when his Father dyed he sued out his livery presently so as he began the race of his for●●ne just like Augustus Caesar each of them at the same age succeeding an Ancestour after a violent death and each of them left to set on a roofe where but onely a fo●●●●tion was laid before For his conditions he was of an erected composure both of body ●nd minde but something sagging on the Fleshes side and never any man that did marry for Love did so little love Mariage for he tooke as much pleasure in other mens wives as in his owne He was never more confident than when he was in danger nor ever more doubtfull than when he was s●●ure Of the foure Cardinall virtues For●●nde and Prudence were in him naturally Temperance ●●d Justice but to serve his turne He was politick even to irreligion for to compasse his ends he would not stick to sweare what he never meant Yet he was Religious beyond Policy for before Battailes he used to make his Prayers to God after Victories to give him Thanks He was farre from being proud yet very ambitious and could use familiarity and yet retaine Majestie He was a great Briber and wha● he could not get by force he would by Rewards as much as what he could not get by Battery he would by Mines H● was too credulous of Reports which made him be in errour sometimes to the h●rt
King himselfe sitteth and ministreth the Law because he considered that it is the chiefest duty of a King to administer the Laws And here to get the love of the people by a feigned clemency he sent for one Fogge out of Sanctuary who for feare of his displeasure was fled thither and there in the fight of all the people caused him to kisse his hand After his return home he tooke to wife the Lady Anne youngest daughter of the great Warwicke and the relict of Prince Edward sonne of Henry the sixth though ●hee could not be ignorant that he had been the Author both of her husbands and 〈◊〉 death But womens affections are Eccentrick to common apprehension whereof the two Poles are Passion and Inconstancy Against his Coronation he had sent for five thousand men out of the North and these being come under the leading of Robin of Riddesdale upon the fourth of Iuly● together with his new bride he went from Baynards Castle to the Tower by wa●●● where he created Edward his Sonne a childe of ten yeers old Prince of Wales● 〈◊〉 Lord Howard Duke of Norfolke his Sonne Sir Thomas Howard Earle of Surry● 〈◊〉 Lord Berckley Earle of Nottingham Francis Lord Lovell Viscount Lovell 〈…〉 Chamberlane and the Lord Stanley who had been committed pri●oner to the ●ower in regard his Sonne the Lord Strange was reported to have levied forces 〈…〉 not only that day was released out of prison but was made Lord 〈◊〉 of his Househould The Archbishop of Yorke was likewise then delivered but Morton B●shop of Ely as one that could not be drawne to the disinheriting of 〈◊〉 Edwards children was committed to the Duke of Buckingham who sent him to his Castle of Brecknock in Wales there to be in custody The same night were made seventeen knights of the Bath Edmund the Duke of Suffolkes sonne George Gray the Earle of Kents sonne Willia● the Lord Zouches sonne Henry Aburga●●●● Christopher Willoughby Henry Babington Thomas Arundell Thomas Boleigne Gerv●● Clifton William ●ay Edmund Bedingfield William Enderly Thomas Lewku●● Th●m●● of Vrmond Iohn Bromne and William Berckley The next day being the fifth o● Iuly the King rode through the City of London to VVestminster being accompanied with the Dukes of Norfolk Buckingham and Suffolk the Earles of Northu●b●rland Arundell Kent Surrey VVil●shire Huntington Nottingh●m Warwick and Lincol●● the Viscounts Liste and Lovell the Lords Stanley A●dely D●cres Pe●●ers of Chartley Powis Scroope of ●psale Scroope of Bolton Gray of Codner Grey of Wilton Sturton Cobham Morley Burgeveny Zouch Ferrers of Croby Wells Lumley Matr●vers Herbert and Beckham and fourescore Knights On the morrow being the sixth of Iuly the King with Queene An●e his wife came downe out of the White-Hall into the Great Hall at Westminster and went directly to the Kings Bench and from thence going upon Ray-cloath bare-footed went unto St. Edwards shrine all his Nobility going with him every Lord in his degree The Bishop of Rochester bore the Crosse before the Cardinall Then followed the Earle of Huntington be●ng a paire of gilt-spurres signifying Knighthood Then followed the Earle of ●●●ford bearing St. Edwards sta●fe for a Relique After him came the Earle of ●●●thumberland bare-headed with the pointl●sse sword naked in his hand signifying Mercy The Lord Stanley bare the Mace of the Constableship The Earle of Ken● bare the second sword on the right hand of the King naked with a point which signifyed Justice to the Temporalty The Lord Lovell bore the third sword on the Kings left hand with a point which signifyed Justice to the Clergie The Duke of Suffolk followed with the Scepter in his hand which signified Peace The Earle of Lincolne bore the Ball and Crosse which signified Monarchy The Earle of S●rry bore the fourth sword before the King in a rich scabbard which is called the sw●●d of Estate Then went three together in the midst went Gartar king of Armes in his rich Coat and on his right hand went the Major of London ●earing a Mace and on his left hand went the Gentleman-Usher of the Privy Chamber Then followed the Duke of Norfolk bearing the kings Crown between his hands Then followed king Richard in his roabes of Purple-velvet and over his head a Canopy bor●e by foure Barons of the Cinque-Ports and on each side of the king went a Bishop● on one side the Bishop of Bath on the other of Durham Then followed the Duke of Buckingham bearing the kings traine with a white staffe in his hand signifying the office of High Steward of England Then followed the Queenes traine before whom was borne the Scepter the Ivory rod with the Dove signifying innocency and the Crown herselfe apparelled in roabes like the kings under a rich Canopy at every corner thereof a bell of gold On her head she wore a circlet set full of precious stones the Countesse of Richmond bearing her traine the Dutchesses of Norfolk and Suffolk in their Coronets attending with twenty Ladies of Estate most richly attired In this order they passed the Palace into the Abbey and going up to the High Altar there shifted their roabes and having other roabes open in divers places from the middle upward were both of them Anoynted and Crowned and then after the Sacrament received having the host divided betwixt them they both offered at St. Edwards shrine where the king left St. Edwards Crowne wherewith he had been Crowned and put on his owne and this done in the same order and state as they came they returned to Westminster-hall and there held a most Princely feast at the second course whereof there came into the Hall Sir Robert Dymock the kings Champion making Proclamation that whosoever would say th●● king Richard was not lawfull king of England he was there ready to prove it against him and thereupon threw down his Gantlet and then all the Hall cryed king Richard king Richard And thus with some other Ceremonies the Coronation ended and the king and Queen returned to their lodgings Presently after this king Richard sent a solemne Ambassage to Lewis king of France to conclude a Leag●e and Amity with him but the French king so abhorred him and his cruelty that hee would not so much as see or heare his ●●b●ssadors but sent them away with shame in disgrace of their Master At this t●me with his Queen he made a Progresse of Glocester under colour to 〈…〉 of his old Honour but indeed to be out of the way having a speciall 〈…〉 to be acted for though he had satisfied his Ambition by depriving his 〈◊〉 Nephews of their livelihoods yet it satisfied not his Feare if he deprived 〈…〉 also of their lives For effecting whereof his old friend the Duke of Buck●●●●●● was no fit instrument it must be one of a baser metall and to finde out 〈…〉 henceded not goe farre For upon inquiry he was told of two that lay 〈…〉 it Chamber to him Sir Thomas and Sir Tyrrell● two brothers like 〈…〉 not more
as ●he Parliament was dissolved he fled secretly into Fl●nders to his Aunt the Lady Margaret D●tchesse of Burgoigne between whom it was concluded that he and the Lord L●vell should goe into Ireland and there attend upon the Counterfeit Warwicke and honour him as king● and with the power of the Irishmen bring him into England but it was concluded withall that if their actions succeeded● then the Counterfei● Warwicke should be deposed and the true be delivered out of prison and anoynted King And to this purpose the Earle of Lincol● by the aide of the Lady Margaret had gotten together two thousand Almaines with one Martin Swart a valiant and expert Captaine to be their leader With this power the Earle sayled into Ireland and at the City of Dublin caused young Lambert the Counterfeit Warwicke in most solemne manner first to be Proclaimed and after to be Crowned king of E●gland and then with a great number of beggerly and unarmed Irishmen under the Conduct of the Lord Thomas Gerardine Earle of Kild●re they sayled into England and landed at a place called the Pile of Fowdray not farre from Lancaster hoping there by the meanes of Sir Thomas Broughton a powerfull man in that Country to have their Army both furnished and increased King Henry hearing that the Earle of Lincolne was landed at Lancaster assembled a great Army Conducted by the Duke of Bedford and the Earle of Oxford and with these he marched to Nottingham and there by a little wood called Bowres he pitched his field whither there came unto him the Lord George Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury ●he Lord Strange Sir Iohn Cheyney and divers other Knights and Gentlemen In which mean time the Earle of Lincolne being entred into Yorkeshire passed quietly on his journy without doing spoile or hurt unto any trusting thereby to have won the people to come to his aide but when he perceived few or none to resort unto him he then determined to venture a battell with the Army he had already and thereupon tooke his way from Yorke to Newarke upon Trent King Henry understanding which way he took came the night before the battell to Newarke and going three miles further neer to a little Village called Stoke there waited the approach of the Earle of Lincolne So the next day they joyned battell where after a long fight of at the least three houres though the Almaines and specially their Captaine Martin Swart behaved themselves most valiantly yet their Ir●sh being in a manner but naked men were at last overthrown foure thousand slaine and the rest put ●o fl●ght but not one of their Cap●aines for the Earle of Lincolne the Lord L●vell Sir Thomas Broughton Martin Swart and the Lord Gerardine were all found dead in the very place where they had stood fighting that though they lost the battell yet they wonne the reputation of hardy and stout souldiers Onely of the Lord Lovell some report that attempting to save himselfe by flight in passing over the river of Trent was drowned On the kings part though some were slaine yet not any m●n of note This battell was fought on a Saturday observed as alwayes fortunate to king Henry being the sixteenth of Iune in the second year of king Henries reigne The young Lambert and his Master Simond the Priest were both taken and both had their lives saved Lambert because but a Childe S●mond bec●use a Priest yet Symo●d was kept in prison Lambert was taken into the kings kitchin to turn the spit in the turne of his fortune and at last made one of the kings Fau●kners In the beginning of his third yeer king Henry having been in Yorkeshire to settle the m●ndes of that people about the midst of August came to Newcastle upon Tine and from thence sent Ambassadours into Scotland Richard Fox lately before made Bishop of Exceter and Sir Richard Edgecombe Comptroller of his House to conclude a Peace or Truce with Iames king of Scots A Peace by reason of the peoples backwardnes could not be obtained but a Truce was concluded for the term of seven yeers with a promise from the king that it should be renued before the first seven yeers should be expired At this time Ambassadours came from the king of France● to king Henry who declared that their Master king Charles was now at warre with Francis Duke of Britai●e for that he succoured the Duke of Orleance and other Rebels against the Realme of France and therefore requested that for the old familiarity that had been between them he would either a●●ist him or not assist the Duke but stand Ne●ter King He●ry answered that having received courte●ies from them both he would doe his uttermost endeavour to make them friends and to that end as soon as the French Ambassadours were departed he sent Christopher Vrswick his Chaplain over into France who should first goe to the French king and after to the Duke of Britaine to mediate a Peace between them In the time of Vrswicks Ambassage king Henry caused his Wife the Lady Elizabeth to be Crowned Queen on Sai●t Katherines day in November with all solemnity and at the same time delivered the Lord Thomas Marquesse Dorset out of the Tower and received him againe into his former favour Vrswick travelled between the two Princes to procure a Peace but they though making a shew to incline to Peace yet prepared for warre and offers on neither side would be accepted In which time Edward Lord Wood●ile Uncle to the Queen made suite to the king for leave to goe over with a power of men in aide of the Duke of Britaine which su●e though the king denied yet the Lord Woodvile would venture it and with a power of ●oure hundred able men got secretly over and joyned with the Britaine 's against the French This the French king took ill at king Henries hand but being informed that it was against the kings will he seemed sati●fied and a Peace was concluded between Fr●●●e and England to endure for twelve months But in conclusion king Henry finding that the French king dealt not r●ally with him but only held him on with pretences● he called his high Court of Parliamen● requiring their advice what was fit to be done where it was con●●uded that the Duke of Britaine should be aided and to that end great ●ummes of money were by Parliament granted This Determination of the Parliament king Henry signifies to the French king hoping it would have wrought him to some terms of Peace● But the king of France little regarding it proceeded on in his violent cour●es against the Britaines so as at last on ●he eight and twentieth day of Iuly the Britaines gave battell to the French neer to a Town called 〈◊〉 having apparelled seventeen hundred of the Britai●● in Co●● with ●ed ●rosse● after the English fashion to make the Frenchmen believe ●hey were all English although in ●eed they had no more English than the foure hundred of the Lord Woodvile But
Sir Giles Capell Thomas Cheiney and others obtained leave of the King to be at the challenge where they all behaved themselves with great valour but specially the Duke of Suffolke whose glory the Dolphyn so much envied that he got a Dutch-man the tallest and strongest man in all the Court of France secretly as another person to encounter him with a purp●e to have the Duke foyled but indeed it turned to his greater honour for he foiled the Dutch-man in such sort that when they came to the Barriers the Duke by maine strength took him about the neck and so prommeled him about the head that he made the blood issue out at his nose many other Princes and Lords did bravely and after three dayes the Justs ended King Henry was not long behinde to solemnize it in England also for at Greenwich the Christmas following on Newyeers night and Twelfth night he presented such strange and magnificent devices as had seldome been seene and the third of February following he held a solemne Justs where he and the Marquesse Dorset answered all commers at which time the King brake three and twenty speares and threw to the ground one that encountred him both man and horse At this time preparation was making for King Henry in person to go to Callice there to meet with the French King and Queene but death hindred the designe for before the next spring the first of Ianuary the French King dyed at the City of Paris fourscore and two dayes after his marriage teaching others by his example what it is for an old man to marry a young Lady King Henry hearing of the French Kings death sent the Duke of Suffolke Sir Richard Winkefield and Doctor West to bring over the Queene Dowager according to the Covenants of the marriage Whereupon the Queene was delivered to the Duke by Indenture who obtaining her good will to be her husband which was no hard matter that had been her first love wrote to the King her brother for his consent whereat the King seemed to stick a while but at last consented so as he brought her into England unmarried and then marry at his return but the Duke for more surety married her secretly in Paris and after having received her Dower Apparrell and Jewels came with her to Callice and there openly married her with great solemnity At their coming into England King Henry to shew his conten●ment with the marriage in the company of the Duke of Suffolke the Marquesse Dorset and the Earle of Essex all richly apparelled held a new kinde of Justs running courses on horseback in manner Volant as fast as one could follow another to the great delight of the beholders This yeer the King at his Mannour of Oking Woolsey Archbishop of Yorke came and shewed him letters that he was elected Cardinall for which dignity he disabled himselfe till the King willed him to take it upon him and from thenceforth called him Lord Cardinall but his Hat and Bull were not yet come after which Doctor Warham Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancelour of England finding Woolsey being now Cardinall to meddle more in his office of Chancelourship then he could well suffer● resigned up the Seal which the King presently gave to Woolsey About this time Cardinall Campejus was sent by Pope Leo to King Henry to solicite him to a Warre against the Turke with whom Cardinall Woolsey was joyned in Commission who hearing of the ragged retinue of his fellow Cardinell sent store of red cloath to Callice to make them fit followers of so great a Lord and when Campejus was landed at Dover Cardinall Woolsey caused the gentry of Kent to waite upon to Black-heath where he was met and received by the Duke of Norfolk and many Prelates there in a Tent of cloath of gold shifted himself into his Cardinals robes Eight Mules he had laden with necessaries but Woolsey not thinking them enough for his honour sent him twelve more But now see the shame of pride for in Cheap-side his Mules by some mischance overthrew their Carriages and Coffers on the ground whose lyds flying open shewed the world what treasure it was they carried old Breeches Boots and broken Shoos broken Meat Marybones and crusts of Bread exposing him to the laughter of all the people yet the Cardinall went joging on afore with his Crosses guilt Axe and Mace unto Pauls Church and by the way had an Oration made him by Sir Thomas Moore in name of the City and then waited on with many Bishops was conducted to Bath Place where he was lodged for his own particuler he got well by the Journey for the King gave him the Bishoprick of Salisbury but the errand he came about which was to have Ayde by mony for a Warre against the Turke he could not obtaine for it was well known to be but a devise to get money without any intention of what was pretended In his seventh yeer King Henry kept his Christmas at his Mannour of Eltham where on Twelfth night according to his custome was a stately Maske of Knights and Ladies with solemne Daunsing and a most Magnificent Banquet It was now the eight yeer of King Henryes Reigne when the new league between him and the French King was Proclaimed in the City of London and this yeer Mageret Queene of Scots eldest Sister to King Henry having before married Archibald Dowglasse Earle of Angus by reason of dissention amongst the Lords of Scotland was glad with her husband to flye into England and to seek succour at her brothers hands who assigned to her the Castle of Harbottell in Northumberland to reside in where she was delivered of a daughter named Margaret From thence the King sent for her and her husband to come to his Court and thereupon the third of May Queene Margaret riding on a white Palfrye which the Queen of England had sent her behinde Sir Thomas Parr● came through London to Baynards Castle and from thence went to Greenwich but her husband the Earle of Angus was secretly before departed into Scotland which when King Henry heard he onely ●aid it was done like a Scot. And now in honour of his sisters coming King Henry the nine and twentieth of May appointed two solemne dayes of Justs where the King the Duke of S●ffolke the Earle of Essex and Nicholas Carew Esquire took upon them to answer all commers amongst others the King and Sir William Kinston ran together which Sir William though a strong and valourous Knight yet the King overthrew him to the ground all the rest was performed with no lesse valour then magnificence This yeer died the King of Aragon Father to the Queene of England for whom was kept a solemne Obsequie in the Cathedrall Church of Pauls and Queene Margaret after she had been a yeer in England returned into Scotland In this yeer were sent twelve hundred Carpenters and Masons with three hundred Labourers to the City of Tourney in France to build a Castle
of Christ was not Really present in the Sacrament after Consecration 2. That the sacrament might not truly ●e Administred under one Kind 3. That Priests entred into Holy Orders might marry 4. That vowes of Chastity entred into upon mature deliberation were not to be kept 5. That private Masses were not to be used 6. That Auricular Confession was not necessary in the Church T●is yeere also the Religion of St. Iohns in England commonly called the Order of Knights of the Rhodes was dissolved and on Assension day Sir William Weston Knight Prior of St. Iohns departed this life for thought as was reported after he heard of the dissolution of his Order for the King took all the lands that belonged to that Order into his owne hands in his six and thirtieth ●eere the Letany or Praecession was set forth in English with commandement by the King to be generally used in Parish Churches Workes of Piety done by him or others in his time UPon the suppressing of Abbeys King Henry instituted six new Bishopricks ●nd six Cathedrall Churches endowing them with convenient mainte●ance he also gave competent Pensions during their lives to such Riligious Persons as were turned out of their Cloysters he also insti●uted in both the Universities Professors of the Hebrew and Greek tongues of Divinity Civil-law and Physick allowing to each of them forty pound a yeer he also founded a Colledge at Cambridge he gave at his death a thousand markes to the poor and to twelve poore Knights of Windsore each of them twelve pence a day for ever and every yeere a long gowne of white cloath in the fifth yeer of this Kings reigne George Monor Major of London re-edified the decayed steeple of the Church of Waltham-stow in Essex adding thereunto a side Isle with a Chappel where he lieth buried on the North side of the Church-yard there he founded a faire Alms-house for a Priest and thirteen poor men and women giving them a weekly maintenance he also for the commodity of Travelours made a cawsey of timber over the marshes from Waltham-stow to Lock-bridg towards London In this Kings eighth yeer Richard Foxe Bishop of Winchester founded Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford minding to have made it a house for Monkes but Hugh Oldham Bishop of Exceter perswaded him to make it rather a Colledge for Schollars and joyned with him in it contributing great sums of money towards it contenting himselfe with the name onely of a Benefactour In his seventh ye●r King Henry builded the town of Greenwich In this Kings time Cardinall Woolsey Founded two Colledges one at Oxford another at Ipswich to his Colledge at Oxford he had given foure thousand pounds Land a yeere but his Lands being all confiscate to the King the King tooke the Lands but yet gave to the Colledge a competent maintenance for a Deane eight Prebends and a hundred Fellowes which Colledge is now called Christ-Church and accounts King Henry for their Founder His Colledge at Ipswich was demolished This Cardinall also built Hampton-Court the chiefest at this day of all the Kings houses and built or enlarged White-hall called then Yorke-Place King Henry in his foure and twentieth yeer built his Mansio● House of Saint Iames where also he made a faire Parke This place before had ●eene an Hospitall of Sisters with whom the King compounded giving them Pensions during their lives In his thirtieth yeere Nicholas Gibson Gro●er then Sheriffe of London builded ● Free-School at Ratcliffe nere London with maintenance for a Master and an Usher ●e also builded an Alms-house there for fourteen poor and aged people In his one and thirtieth yeer Thomas Huntlow the then Sheriff of London gave certain tenements to the Haberdashers for finding of ten Almes-men of the same company In his six and thirtieth yeer Sir Iohn All●n who had been twice Major ● London and of the Kings Counsaile gave at his death to the Citty of London a rich Coller of Gold to be worn by the Major which Collor was first wor●e by S●r William Laxton on Saint Edwards day at the Election of the new Major who gave to every Ward in London twenty pounds to be distributed amongst poore Housholders besides to sixscore persons whereof threescore men to every one a gowne of broad-cloth and a black cap and threescore women to every one a gowne of the like cloath ●nd a white Kerchiffe In his eight and thirtieth yeer King Henry gave to the Citty of London for reliefe of poore people Saint Barthalomews Spittle the Church of the Gray-Friers and two Parish Churches the one at Saint Nicholas in the ●hambles the other Saint Ewins in Newgate-Marke● all to be made one Parish Church of the Gray-Fryers and in Lands he gave for the maintenance of the same five hundred markes a yeere for ever and this Church to be named Christ-Church founded by King Henry the eighth Casualties in his time IN his ninth yeere happened a Swea●ing-sicknesse whereof infinite multitudes in many parts of England dyed specially in London and was so violent that in three and sometimes two houres it tooke away mens lives and spared neither rich nor poore for in the Kings Court the Lord Clinton the Lord Gray of Wilton and many Knights Gentlemen and Officers dyed of it It began in Iuly and continued to the midst of December In his thirteenth yeere was a great mortality in London and other places of the Realme and many men of Honour and Worship dyed amongst others Doctor Fitz-Iames Bishop of London in whose place Doctor Tunstall succeeded In his nineteenth yeere by extremity of raine in seed-time there followed a great dearth of Corne which would have caused great calamity but that it was relieved in London by Merchants of the Styliard out of Germany and a thousand quarters supplied out of the Kings owne provision In his twentieth yeere in the end of May began in London another Sweating-sicknesse which afterwards infected all places of the Realme by reason whereof the Tearme was adjourned and the Cicuit of the Assizes also many dyed in the Court as Sir Fra●cis Poynts Sir William Compton Knights and William Carew Esquire of the Kings Privie-Chamber the King himselfe for a space removed almost every day till he came to Tittinhanger a place of the Abbot of Saint Albones where he with the Queene and a small number remained till the sicknesse was past In his thirtieth yeere the manner of casting Pipes of Lead for conveyance of water under-ground without using of soder was first invented by Robert Brocke Clerke one of the Kings Chaplaines a profitable invention for by this two men and a boy will doe more in one day then could have beene done before by many men in many dayes Robert Cooper Goldsmith was the first that made the Instruments and put this Invention in practice In a Rebellion in the North in this Kings time when the Duke of Nor●olke was sent with an Army against the Rebels and that a day o● battaile
the plots was first commanded to keep his house and after a while committed to the Tower And thus was this great plot discovered and the Plotters punished to the great rejoycing of all people insomuch that even the King of Spain's and Arch-dukes Embassadors made Bonfires and threw money amougst the people in token of joy And at this time on the fourth of Ianuarie the Spanish Embassador delivered a Present to the King from the King his Master namely six Iennets of Andalusia with saddles very richly imbroydered and saddle-cloathes of cloth of Tissue One of which Iennets was snoe white and had a Maine which reached to the ground But this was a Present sent before any knowledge had of the Powder Treason but as soone as that was knowne there was presently another Present sent from the Queen of Spain to the Queen of England● of purpose to congratulate the Kings happy delive●ance from the intended Powder Treason and the Present was brought by D●● Io●n de Mendosa which was a Roave of Murrie Sattin imbroydered all over with Amber leather and upon the leather in every s●ame and skirt twice imbroydered about with gold the fore-part whereof was set with eight and forty tagges three inches long of beaten gold hollow within and filled with Amber-greece also two large Chaines of Amber-greece● Two Carkanets of Amber-greece a velvet Cappe with gold Buttons curiously enammeled and a girdle suteable to the Bu●tons all which were presented together in a large vessell of gold in forme of a ●ason so as it seemes there was none rejoyced more for the overthrow of this plot for the Catholike cause than the Catholike King himselfe And now King Iames not to be unmindfull to the Lord Monteagle for being the meanes of discovering this treason he gave unto him in Fee Farme of Crowne land 200 l. a yeare to him and his heires and 500. l. a yeare besides during his life and not to be unthankfull to God for the deliverance he caused the fifth of November being the day of the discovery to be kept holy whith Prayers and Thanksgiving to God which was then solemnly performed and hath beene since and is likely for ever to be continued But in the midst of this great joy there was suddenly spread a rumour of greater sorrow for on Saturday the two and twentieth of March newes was brought to the Court for certaine that the King was slaine at Oking twentie miles from London stabbed with an invenomed knife whereupon the Court gates were presently shut and double guard set in all places about London and all mens mindes were infinitely distracted but within two houres all these clouds were cleane dispersed and the Sun began to shine out againe and it was certainly knowne that the King was safe and in perfect health for which a Proclamation was presently set forth to signifie it to the people and that afternoone the King came himselfe to White-hall where thousands of people ravished with joy came flocking to see him and so generall was the rejoycing that the Spanish Embassador gave Sir Lewis Lewk●●r Mr. of the Ceremonies a chaine of gold of good value for bringing him the newes Though afterward it was thought by some that this rumour was but politickly devised to make the Parliament and people more tender of the Kings safety and by making them more sensible what a treasure they had of his life to make them more willing to part with their treasure for his living as indeed this Parliament they did giving more Subsidies then are usuall The eight and twentieth of March following Henry Garvet Provinciall of the English Iesuites was arraigned in Guild-hall for concealing the foresaid treason where he had Iudgement to be hang'd drawne and quartered and accordingly on the third of May was drawne from the Tower to the west end of Pauls Church and there executed At his death he confessed his fault asked forgivenesse and exhorted all Catholikes never to attempt any treason against the King or State as a course which God would never prosper On Tuesday the twentieth of May were enstalled at Windsor Knights of the Garter Robert Cecill Earle of Salisburie and Thomas Howard Viscount Byndon both of them honourably attended but the Earle of Salisburie beyond ordinary proportion There was yet a Fag end of the late powder treason behind to be examined whereupon two Barons of the Realms namely Henrie Lord Mordant and Edw. Lord Sturton were brought from the Tower to the Star-Chamber and there not charged indeed with any poynt of the treason but onely reflectingly because they neglected to appeare at the Parliament according to their summons for which neglect onely without any further charge they were fined to pay to the King the Lord Mordant ten thousand Marks and the Lord Sturton six thousand and to be prisoners during the Kings pleasure But on the 27. of Iune H●●rie Earle of North●mberla●d was likewise brought from the Tower to the 〈◊〉 Chamber and more directly charged with circumstances concerning the 〈◊〉 specially in regard of Thomas Percie whom hee had admitted to bee 〈◊〉 of the Kings Gentlemen Pentioners without ministring unto him the Oath o● Supremacy● knowing him to be a Recusant for which and some misprisions he was fined to pay to the King thirty thousand pounds to forfit all his Offi●●● and to be kept prisoner during the Kings pleasure as indeed hee continued m●ny yeares and at last released was yet confined It was now the 4. yeare of King Iames his Reigne and was a time of Princely ●i●itation for this Summer the 17. of Iuly Christianus King of Denmarke brother to the Queen having beene long expected with eight ships came into the River of Thames and Anchored before Graves-end to whom the next day King Iames with Prince Henrie and divers of his Lords went by Barge and conducted him to London where he stayed till the twelfth of August following in which time he was entertained with all the magnificence that could be de●vised the King and he riding in great state thorow the City where Pageants in many places were erected and a●ter he had beene shewed the chiefe places about London● as namely the old Exchange the Tower the Monuments at Westminster and had gone up to the top of Pauls had beene feasted by the King by the Earle of Salisburie foure dayes together at Theobalds had seene Tilting Fencing wrastling and many other pastimes on the twelfth of August conducted by the King the Queen and Prince with many other great Lords he departed to his ships and in eight dayes arrived at home A hapy thing when Princes can converse together like private persons and are not kept asunder with jealousies of State After the King of Denmarks departure on the 23. of September arrived at London Francis Prince of Vaudemount third sonne to the Duke of Lorraine accompanyed with seven Earles ten Barons forty Gentlemen of quality and six-score common persons who all the five and twentieth of September went
persons but afterward all sorts of men without any difference were admitted that it came almost to bee doubted whether the Dignity of the Order did more grace the persons or the meanesse of the persons disgrace the Order and indeed when the Lawes of an Institution are not in some measure observed it seemes to make a kind of nullity in the collation About this time on Sunday the ●4 of October an exemplar pennance was imposed upon Sir Peck●all Br●●kas Knight which was to stand at Pauls Crosse in a white sheet holding a stick in his hand having been formerly convicted before the high Commissioners for many notorious Adulteries with divers women This yeare 1614. in the month of Iuly Christianus King of Denmark out of his love to his sister and King Iames came the second time into England but as being now secure of himselfe privately and with a small company so as he came to the Queen at Somerset house unexpected and before any knowledge was had of his comming but K. Iames being then in progresse in Bedford-shire and hearing of it came presently back and after he had entertained him here with Hunting Hawking running at Ring Bear-baiting Plays Fire-works● and Fencing on the first of August Prince Charles brought him aboard his Ship who then took his leave and returned home In Octob. this yeare was a call of Sarjeants at Law being 11. in number namely George Wild Wil Towes Rich● Bawtrie Henry Finch Th●● Chamberlain Francis Mo●r● Thomas Attow Iohn Mo●re Francis Harvie Charles Chibbourn and Tho. Richardson and in Trenity Terme before there had two other been called namely Sir Randal Cre● of Lincol●s Inne and Sir Robert Hitcham of Grayes Inne Knights About this time an Embassador came from the young Emperour of Russia to King Iames desiring his continuall love and amity and to be a means of making attoneme●● between him and the K. of Swethland and withall presented him with a rich present of Furs which was no smal honour to the K. of great Britain to have so great a Potentate as the Emperor of Russia a solicit him to be his mediator Though King Iames out of all naturall goodnesse was addicted to peace yet out of providence he neglected not to be prepared for war and thereupon in the yeare 1610. had granted priviledges to a society called of the Millitarie Garden and this year 1614 caused a Muster of men to be presented before him which was performed to his great liking and to the great commendation of the City About this time a memorable Act was performed by M. Hug. Middleton Citizen and Gold-smith of London and borne in Den●igh-shire who having an Act of Parliament for his Warrant with infinite cost and indefatigable labour brought water to the City of London from the two great springs of Chadwell and Amwell in Hartfort-shire having cut a Channell from thence to a place neere Islington whither he conveyed it to a large Pan and from thence in pipes of young Elmes to all places of the City for as the Poeth saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is so commodious for the life of man as water Another memorable Act was about this time done on the North side on Lon. called Moore-fields which being before invironed with deep stinking ditches and noysome common showers was now not only made faire sweet but so levelled into walkes and let with trees that it is the pleasantest place of all the City The next yeare being 1615 another memorable Act for the benefit and beauty of the City of London was performed for Smith-field which was before a rude dirty place was now paved all over and strong railes sequestring the middle part of it were set up to make it a faire walking place and fit for Market or any other use The Lady Arbella a neare kinsewoman of the Kings had sometime before without the Kings privity secretly married Master William Seymour younger son of the Earle of Hartford now Earle of Hartford himselfe for which they were both committed to the Tower and now this yeare on the seven and twentieth day of Sep. she ended her lif there and was buried in the Chappell Royall at Westminster This yeare also in Iuly were Enstalled Knights of the Garter Francis Earle of Rutland Sir George Villers Master of the Horse and Sir Robert Sidney Viscount Lis●● and in another kind of Honour the Earle of Arundell the Lord Carews and Doctor Andrews Bishop of Ely were sworne Privie Counsellours Wales by the death of Prince Henry had been a good while without a Prince and now to supply that place Prince Charles is Created Prince of Wales In Ioy whereof the Town of Ludlow in Shropshire and the City of London performed great Triumphs and the more to honour his Creation There were made five and twenty Knights of the Bathe all them Lords or Barons sons and yet more to honour it there were forty selected Gentlemen of the Innes of Court that performed a solemne Iusts at Barries with great magnificence This yeare was a Censure of divers great Delinquents for first Sir Edward Cook● was upon displeasure discharged from being Lord Chiefe Justice of the Kings Bench and two dayes after his discharge Sir Henry Montag●e the Kings Sergeant at Law was placed in his room Next to him the Lord Egerton whyther disabled by sicknesse or age to exercise the place or upon displeasure also had the Sele taken from him which was delivered to Sir Francis Bacon the King's Attourney he made first Lord Keeper and the Lord Egerton dying soon after Lord Chancellour Not long after him Sir Henry Yelverton the Kings Attourney for adding new priviledges to the Londo●ers Charter without the Kings privity was in displeasure put from his place and in his room was placed Sir Thomas Coventry the Kings Sollicitor But awhile after Sir Henry ●elverton was made a puny Iudge of the Common Pleas having indeed the reputation of an excellent Lawyer And yet this work of Censuring stayed not here for much about this time Thomas Earle of Suffolk Lord Treasurer of England had the staffe of his Office taken from him which was soon after delivered to Sir Henry Montag●● Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Kings Be●ch If Sir Iohn Benet Iudge of the Prerogative Court had made a little more haste he mihght have made one in this number of Delinquents but he came short three or foure yeares and then being charged by his own servant with brybery he was put from his place and censured in the Starre-Chamber to pay twenty thousand pounds and in his roome was placed Sir William Byrde a man of more integrity Though King Iames upon the death of Queene Elizabeth came to reside in England yet ●e forgot not that Scotland was his native Countrey and therefore after he had spent some yeares in England to acquaint himselfe with the State of the Kingdome In March this yeare one thousand six hundred and sixteent● he made a Iourney into Scotland for though