of a thousand archers kept himselfe within the woods and desert places whereof that countrie is full and so during all the time of this warre shewed himselfe an enimie to the Frenchmen slaieng no small numbers of them as he tooke them at any aduantage O worthie gentleman line 60 of English bloud And O Grandia quae aggreditur fortis discrimina virtus In like manner all the fortresses townes and castels in the south parts of the realme were subdued vnto the obeisance of Lewes the castels of Douer and Windsore onelie excepted Within a little while after Will. de Mandeuille Robert Fitz Walter and William de Huntingfield with a great power of men of warre did the like vnto the countries of Essex and Suffolke In which season king Iohn fortified the castels of Wallingford Corse Warham Bristow the Uies and diuerse others with munition and vittels About which time letters came also vnto Lewes from his procurators whom he had sent to the pope by the tenor whereof he was aduertised that notwithstanding all that they could doo or say the pope meant to excommunicate him and did but onelie staie till he had receiued some aduertisement from his legat Gualo The chéefest points as we find that were laid by Lewes his procurators against king Iohn were these that by the murther committed in the person of his nephue Arthur he had béene condemned in the parlement chamber before the French king by the péeres of France and that being summoned to appeare he had obstinatelie refused so to doo and therefore had by good right forfeited not onelie his lands within the precinct of France but also the realme of England which was now due vnto the said Lewes as they alledged in right of the ladie Blanch his wife daughter to Elianor quéene of Spaine But the pope refelled all such allegations as they produced for proofe hereof seemed to defend king Iohns cause verie pithilie but namelie in that he was vnder the protection of him as supreme lord of England againe for that he had taken vpon him the crosse as before yée haue heard But now to returne where we left About the feast of saint Margaret Lewes with the lords came againe to London at whose comming the tower of London was yeelded vp to him by appointment after which the French capteins and gentlemen thinking themselues assured of the realme began to shew their inward dispositions and hatred toward the Englishmen and forgetting all former promises such is the nature of strangers and men of meane estate that are once become lords of their desires according to the poets words Asperius nihil est humili cùm surgit in altum they did manie excessiue outrages in spoiling and robbing the people of the countrie without pitie or mercie Moreouer they did not onelie breake into mens houses but also into churches and tooke out of the same such vessels and ornaments of gold and siluer as they could laie hands vpon for Lewes had not the power now to rule the gréedie souldiers being wholie giuen to the spoile But most of all their tyrannie did appeare in the east parts of the realme when they went through the countries of Essex Suffolke and Northfolke where they miserablie spoiled the townes and villages reducing those quarters vnder their subiection and making them tributaries vnto Lewes in most seruile and slauish manner Furthermore at his comming to Norwich he found the castell void of defense and so tooke it without any resistance and put into it a garison of his souldiers Also he sent a power to the towne of Lin which conquered the same and tooke the citizens prisoners causing them to paie great summes of monie for their ransoms Morouer Thomas de Burgh chateleine of the castell of Norwich who vpon the approch of the Frenchmen to the citie fled out in hope to escape was taken prisoner and put vnder safekéeping He was brother vnto Hubert de Burgh capteine of Douer castell Now when Lewes had thus finished his enterprises in those parts he returned to London and shortlie therevpon created Gilbert de Gaunt earle of Lincolne appointing him to go thither with all conuenient speed that he might resist the issues made by them which did hold the castels of Notingham and Newarke wasting and spoiling the possessions and lands belonging to the barons neere adioining to the same castels This Gilbert de Gaunt then togither with Robert de Ropeley comming into that countrie tooke the citie of Lincolne and brought all the countrie vnder subiection the castell onlie excepted After that they inuaded Holland and spoiling that countrie made it also tributarie vnto the French Likewise Robert de Roos Peter de Bruis and Richard Percie subdued Yorke and all Yorkeshire bringing the same vnder the obeisance of Lewes The king of Scots in like sort subdued vnto the said Lewes all the countrie of Northumberland except the castels which Hugh de Balioll and Philip de Hulcotes valiantlie defended against all the force of the enimie line 10 And as these wicked rebels made a prey of their owne countrie so the legat Guallo not behind for his part to get something yer all should be gone vpon a falkonish or woolnish appetite fleeced the church considering that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and tooke proxies of euerie cathedrall church house of religion within England that is to say for euerie proxie fiftie shillings Moreouer he sequestred all the line 20 benefices of those persons and religious men that either aided or counselled Lewes and the barons in their attempts and enterprises All which benefices he spéedilie conuerted to his owne vse and to the vse of his chapleins In the meane time Lewes was brought into some good hope thorough meanes of Thomas de Burgh whom he tooke prisoner as before you haue heard to persuade his brother Hubert to yéeld vp the castell of Douer the siege whereof was the next line 30 enterprise which he attempted For his father king Philip hearing that the same was kept by a garrison to the behoofe of king Iohn wrote to his sonne blaming him that he left behind him so strong a fortresse in his enimies hands But though Lewes inforced his whole indeuour to win that castell yet all his trauell was in vaine For the said Hubert de Burgh and Gerard de Sotigam who were chéefe capteins within did their best to defend it against him and all his power so that despairing to win it by force he assaied to obteine his purpose by threatning line 40 to hange the capteins brother before his face if he would not yeeld the sooner But when that would not serue he sought to win him by large offers of gold and siluer Howbeit such was the singular constancie of Hubert that he would not giue anie eare vnto those his flatering motions Then Lewes in a great furie menaced that he would not once depart from
they came not in sight of the king but suffered him quietlie to passe either bicause they were persuaded that he ment as he in outward words pretended not to claime anie title to the crowne but onelie his right to the duchie of Yorke or else for that they doubted to set vpon him although his number were farre vnequall to theirs knowing line 20 that not onelie he himselfe but also his companie were minded to sell their liues dearlie before they would shrinke an inch from anie that was to incounter them It maie be that diuerse of the capteins also were corrupted and although outwardlie they shewed to be against him yet in heart they bare him right good will and in no wise minded to hinder him So forward he marched till he came to Yorke on a monday being the eightéenth day of March. Before he came to the citie by the space of thrée line 30 miles the recorder of Yorke whose name was Thomas Coniers one knowne in déed not to beare him anie faithfull good will came vnto him gaue him to vnderstand that it stood in no wise with his suertie to presume to approch the citie for either hée should be kept out by force or if he did enter he shuld be in danger to be cast away by his aduersaries that were within King Edward neuerthelesse sith he was come thus farre forward knew well inough there was no going backe for him but manfullie to line 40 procéed forward with his begun iournie and therefore kept on his way And shortlie after there came to him out of the citie Robert Clifford and Richard Burgh who assured him that in the quarell which he pretended to pursue to wit for the obteining of his right to the duchie of Yorke he should not faile but be receiued into the citie But immediatlie after came the said Coniers againe with the like tale and information as he had brought before And thus king Edward one while line 50 put in comfort and another while discouraged marched foorth till he came to the gates of the citie where his people staied whilest he and about sixtéene or seuentéene other such as he thought méetest went forth and entred the citie with the said Clifford Burgh And as some write there was a priest readie to saie masse in which masse time the king receiued the sacrament of the communion there solemnlie sware to kéepe and obserue two speciall articles although it was farre vnlike that he minded to obserue either line 60 of them the one was that he should vse the citizens after a gentle and courteous maner and the other that he should be faithfull and obedient vnto king Henries commandements For this wilfull periurie as hath béene thought the issue of this king suffered for the fathers offense the depriuation not onelie of lands and worldlie possessions but also of their naturall liues by their cruell vncle K. Richard the third And it may well be For it is not likelie that God in whose hands is the bestowing of all souereigntie will suffer such an indignitie to be doone to his sacred maiestie and will suffer the same to passe with impunitie And suerlie if an osh among priuate men is religiouslie to be kept sith in the same is an exact triall of faith and honestie doubtlesse of princes it is verie nicelie and preciselie to be obserued yea they should rather susteine a blemish and disgrace in their roialtie than presume to go against their oth and promise speciallie if the same stand vpon conditions of equitie otherwise they prooue themselues to be impugners of fidelitie which is a iewell surpassing gold in price and estimation as the poet prudentlie saith Charior est auro non simulata fides When king Edward had thus gotten into the citie of Yorke he made such meanes among the citizens that he got of them a certeine summe of monie and leauing a garison within the citie contrarie to his oth for feare least the citizens after his departure might happilie mooue some rebellion against him he set forward the next day toward Todcaster a towne ten miles from thence belonging to the earle of Northumberland The next day he tooke his waie toward Wakefield and Sendall a castell and lordship belonging to the inheritance of the dukes of Yorke leauing the castell of Pomfret vpon his left hand where the marques Montacute with his armie laie and did not once offer to stop him Whether the marques suffered him to passe by so with his good will or no diuerse haue diuerslie coniectured Some thinke that it lay not in the power of the marques greatlie to annoie him both for that the king was well beloued in those parties againe all the lords commons there for the most part were towards the earle of Northumberland and without him or his commandement they were not willing to stirre And therefore the earle in sitting still and not moouing to and fro was thought to doo king Edward as good seruice as if he had come to him and raised people to assist him for diuerse happilie that should haue come with him remembring displeasures past would not haue béene so faithfull as the earle himselfe if it had come to the iumpe of anie hazard of battell About Wakefield and the parts there adioining some companie of his freends came to him whereby his power was increased but nothing in such numbers as he looked for From Wakefield he crossed on the left hand so to come againe into the high waie and came to Doncaster and from thence vnto Notingham Here came to him sir William Parre and sir Iames Harrington with six hundred men well armed and appointed also there came to him sir Thomas Burgh sir Thomas Montgomerie with their aids which caused him at their first comming to make proclamation in his owne name to wit of K. Edward the fourth boldlie affirming to him that they would serue no man but a king Whilest he remained at Notingham and also before he came there he sent abroad diuerse of his auaunt courrers to discouer the countrie and to vnderstand if there were anie power gathered against him Some of them that were thus sent approached to Newarke and vnderstood that within the towne there the duke of Excester the earle of Oxenford the lord Bardolfe and other were lodged with a great power to the number of foure thousand men which they had assembled in Essex Norffolke Suffolke and in the shires of Cambridge Huntington and Lincolne The duke of Excester and the earle of Oxenford with other the chéefe capteins aduertised that king Edwards foreriders had béene afore the towne in the euening supposed verefie that he and his whole armie were comming towards them Héerevpon they not thinking it good to abide longer there determined with all spéed to dislodge and so about two of the clocke after midnight they departed from Newarke leauing some of their people behind which either
Or rather Goche * Or rather Goche The skirmish betweene the citizens and the rebels vpon London bridge Matthew Goche famous for his acts abroad now slaine on LoÌ„doÌ„ bridge A staie by assent ProclamatioÌ„ of pardon dispersed the rebels Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 661 662. in Quart Capteine of Kent taken beheaded Abr. Fl. ex I. St. 663 664. The bishop of Salisburie murthered A fray in LoÌ„don against the maior The 〈…〉 Arminack a open 〈◊〉 Through dissention at home all last abroad All lost in France Abr. Fl. ex 〈…〉 sub Heâ— 6. Anno Reg. 30. Iohn Hooker alià s Vowell The king receiued into Excester The bishop his cleargie against the K. and the duke of Summerset c. in defense of their ecclesiasticall priuilege The duke of Yorke maketh claime to the crowne 〈◊〉 Stow. WhethaÌ„sted The duke of yorke raiseth a power for recouerie of his right to the crowne Whethamsted The dukes answer to the kings mesage Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 666 667. in Quart Whethamsted The duke of Yorks reconciliation to the king The duke of Yorke accuseth the duke of SuÌ„merset A mutuall charge betweene the two dukes Yorke Summerset of hiâ— treason Destinie cannot be auoided Occasion that set the duke of Yorke frée Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 671 672. in Quart Anno Reg. 31. 1453 The French people soone wearie of the French gouernment The valiant earle of Shrewesburie and his son 〈◊〉 fullie slaine Burdeaux yeelded againe to the French Aquitaine lâ—â—t The dignitie and state of that dukedome The quéene deliuered of hir son prince Edward Abr. Fl. ex I. Sâ— pag. 673. The maior shiriffes and aldermen resisted and abused in a â—raâ—e neére Clerkenwell Fr. Thin Anno Reg. 32. 1454 * In a tretise hereafter following The duke of Yorke séeks the destructioÌ„ of the duke of Summerset He banded himselfe with the Neuils The issue of Richard earle of Salisburie W. P. Anno Reg. 33. The duke of Summerset aâ—rested The king sicke Whethamsted The duke of Summersâ—t set at libertie Made deputie of Calis The duke of Yorke assembled an armie Whethamsted The king with two thousand The duke with thrée thousand Abr. Fl. 〈…〉 pag. 〈…〉 677. in 〈◊〉 Whethamsted The duke of Buckingham sent to the duke of Yorke The duke of Summerset burdned with all things that had happened aâ—isse w. P. The first battâ—ll of saint â—â—bons Whâ—thamsted Edw. Hall The duke of Summerset slaine Thomas lord Clifford saith Whethamsted The kings part vanquished Abr. Fl. ex I. S pag. 678 679. in Quart Battell of S. Albons on thursday the 23 of Maie Anno Reg. 33. Foure of theÌ„ to wit the duke of SuÌ„merset the earle of Northumberland and the lord Clifford were buried in our ladie chapell Whethamsted Iohn Hooker alià s Vowell A parlement Whethamsted Collaterall A letter kept from the king of purpose The duke of Yorkes comming against the king iustified The duke of Yorke made protector of the realme The king to reigne in name but noâ— in authoritie WhethaÌ„sted An act for the K. to râ—uoke certeine grants Shifting of officers Henrie duke of Summerset The duke of Yorke discharged of his office In vprore in the citie of London A foule disorder A common councell called Abr. Fl. ex I. S. 681. Fabian Anno Reg. 35. Sandwich spoiled by the French Fulnaie The Scots inuade England The lord Egremond committed to Newgate He made an escape A practise to haue intrapped the duke of Yorke Anno Reg 36. 1458 The bishop abiured for moouing against the popes extortion W. P. Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 682 68â— 684 685 686. in Quart The quéene atturni◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 the Tower of London The péeres of the realme called to a 〈◊〉 The prouidence of the citie for safegard of peace The lords are brought to agree The clergie were sure in those daies to loose nothing by these contentions how soeuer the world went The lord Egremonâ— They were shiriffes an 1456. A solemne procession at Paules Anno Reg. 37. W. P. The earle of Warwikâ— assaulted The quéenâ—â— purpose Whethamsted The earle of Warwike lord admerall A rich prise Abr. Fl. ex â—â— pag. 686 687. Printing 〈◊〉 inuented It rained bloud Anno Reg. 38. The earle of Salisburie gathereth a power Thrée thousand â—aith Whethamsted The lord Audelie Whethamsted Bloreheath The 23 of September Policie oft times passeth 〈◊〉 The lord Audelie slaine The number slaine in the battell of Bloreheath The earle of Salisburies sonne apprehended The duke of Yorke assembleth an armie Andrew Trollop Iohn Blunt The king raiseth an armie Whethamsted The bishop of Salisburie sent to the duke of Yorke and others Their answer touching the pardon offred A letter from the lords to the king A proclamation Andrew Trollop forsaketh the lords Whethamsted The estimation of Andrew Trollop The duke of Yorke and his complices 〈◊〉 The lords proclamed traitors The duke of Summerset made capteine of Calis â—â—stie heading Iohn Dinham The lord Riuers taken Iohn Stow. Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 692. Sir Baldwine Fulford his enterprise Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 688 689 â—â—â— 691. A parlement at Couentrie Duke of Yorke and others attainted Ludlow spoiled Whethamsted The kings inclination to mercie Abr. Fl. Ouid. de Ponto â—â—b 1. Osbert MoÌ„tford esquier saith Whethamsted who should also haue gone ouer to Guines with fiue hundred souldiers to the aid of the duke of Summerset The lord FaucoÌ„bridge was chiefe of this enterprise saith Whethamsted Thirtéene beheaded at once Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 692 693 694 695 â—â—â— 697 in 〈◊〉 The earle of Wilshire and other spoiled Newberie The earle of Wilshire state ouer the seas Priuie seales for monie Abr. Flem. Abr. Fl. ex I. S pag. 697. The men of Kent sent to Calis for the earles Whethamsted Couentrie the quéenes secret harbour The quéene the better capteine Whethamsted The battell of NorthamptoÌ„ Whethamsted The L. 〈◊〉 of Ruthen Edw. Hall The kings part discomfited The K. takâ—â— The Tower deliuered 〈◊〉 the earle of March. The lord Scales 〈◊〉 Thomas Thorpe 〈◊〉 â—l ex I. S. pag. 7â—0 Anno Reg. 39. Whethamsted The duke of Yorke commeth foorth of Ireland Whethamsted A strange deâ—â—nor of the duke of Yorke Hâ—s bold speâ—ch Edw. Hall in Hen. 6. fol. clxxvij c. Prodigious tokens The castell of Roxburgh besieged The king of Scots thorough misfortune slaine The determination of the parlement coÌ„cerning the entailing of crownâ— Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 700 701 c. in Quart The oth of Richard duke of Yorke The duke of Yorke proclamed heire apparant protectour of the realme The parlemeÌ„t 〈◊〉 Couentrie 〈…〉 The battell at Wakefield The duke of Yorke slaine Onelie seauen hundred southerne men saith Wheâ—hamsted The cruell murther of the yoong earle of Rutland Whethamsted A purchase of Gods cursse with the popes blessing The prisoners beheaded The earle of March now duke of Yorke The earle of Penbroke The battell of Mortimers crosse The cognisaÌ„ce of
honor painefull watchfull and able to tolerate heat and cold though he were tall of stature and verie grosse of bodie Toward the end of his daies he waxed verie deuout and became desirous to aduance the state of the line 40 church insomuch that he builded thrée abbeies in three seuerall places endowing them with faire lands and large possessions one at the place where he vanquished king Harold fiue miles from Hastings which he named Battell of the field there fought the other at Celby in Yorkeshire and the third in Normandie at Caen where his wife Quéene Maud had builded a nunnerie which Maud died in the yéere 1084. before the decease of the king hir husband After his death his bodie was buried in Caen line 50 in S. Stephans church but before it could be committed to the ground the executors were consâ—reined to agree with the lord of the soile where the church stood which as he said the king in his life time had iniuriouslie taken from him and gaue him a great summe of monie to release his title ¶ By this we may consider the great miserie of mans estate in that so mightie a prince could not haue so much ground after his death as to couer his dead corâ—s without dooing iniurie to another This line 60 also may be a speciall lesson for all men and namelie for princes noblemen and gentlemen who oftentimes to enlarge their owne commodities doo not regard what wrong they offer to the inferiour â—ort The said king William had by Maud his wife the daughter of Baldwine earle of Flanders foure sonnes Robert surnamed Curthose vnto whome he bequeathed the duchie of Normandie Richard who died in his youth William surnamed Ruâ—â—s to whom he gaue by testament the realme of England and Henrie surnamed Beauclerke for his cunning knowledge and learning vnto whom he bequethed all his treasure and mooueable goods with the possessions that belonged to his mother Besides these foure sonnes he had also by his said wife fiue daughters Cecilie who became a nunne Constance who was married to Alane duke of Britaine Adela who was giuen in mariage to Stephan earle of Blois of whom that Stephan was borne which reigned after Henrie the first Adeliza who was promised in mariage to Harold king of England as before you haue heard but she died yer she was maried either to him or to any other and so likewise did the fift whose name I cannot reherse But to conclude though king William held the English so vnder foot that in his daies almost no Englishman bare any office of honor or rule in his time yet he somewhat fauoured the citie of London and at the earnest sute of William a Norman then bishop of that see he granted vnto the citizens the first charter which is written in the Saxon toong sealed with greene wax and expressed in viij or ix lines at the most exemplified according to the copie and so printed as followeth Williem king grets Williem Bisceop Godfred Porterefan ealle ya Burghwarn binnen London Frencisce Englise frendlice Ic kiden eoy yeet ic wille yeet git ben ealra weera lagayweord ye get weeran on Eadwerds daege kings And ic will yeet aelc child by his fader yrfnume aefter his faders daege And ic nelle ge wolian yeet aenig man eoy aenis wrang beode God eoy heald Wilhelmus rex salutat Wilhelmum Episcopum Goffridum Portegrefium omnem Burghware infra London Frans. Angl. amicabiliter Et vobis notum facio quòd ego volo quòd vos sitis omni lege illa digni qua fuistis Edwardi dicbus regis Et volo quòd omnis puer sit patris sui haeres post diem patris sui Et ego nolo pati quòd aliquis homo aliquam iniuriam vobis inferat Deus vos saluet But howsoeuer he vsed the rest of the English this is recorded of some writers that by his rigorous proceedings against them he brought to passe that the countrie was so rid of theeues and robbers as that at length a maid might haue passed through the land with a bag full of gold and not haue met with any misdooer to haue bereft hir of the same a thing right strange to consider sith in the beginning of his reigne there were such routs of outlawes and robbers that the peaceabler people could not be safelie possessed of their owne houses were the same neuer so well fortified and defended Among manie lawes made by the said William this one is to be remembred that such as forced any woman should lose their genitals In this kings daies also liued Osmond the second bishop of Salisburie who compiled the church seruice which in times past they commonlie called after Salisburie vse The vse of the long bowe as Iohn Rous testifieth came first into England with this king William the Conquerour for the English before that time vsed to fight with axes and such hand weapons and therefore in the oration made by the Conquerour before he gaue battell to king Harold the better to encourage his men he told them they should encounter with enimies that wanted shot In the yeare of our Lord 1542. Monsieur de Castres bishop of Baieulx and abbat of Saint Estienne in Caen caused the sepulchre of this William to be opened wherein his bodie was found whole faire and perfect of lims large and big of stature and personage longer than the ordinarie sort of men with a copper plate fairlie gilt and this epitaph therevpon ingrauen Qui rexit rigidos Normannos atque Britannos Audacter vicit fortiter obtinuit Et Coenomenses virtute contudit enses Imperijque suilegibus applicuit Rex magnus parua iacet hac Guilhelmus in vrna Sufficit magno parua domus domino Ter septem gradibus se voluerat atque duobus Virginis in gremio Phoebus hic oâ—ijt that is Who ouer Normans rough did rule and ouer Britons bold Did conquest stoutlie win and conquest woone did stronglie hold Who by his valure great the fatall vprores calmd in maine And to obeie his powers and lawes the Manceaux did constraine This mightie king within this little vault intoomed lies So great a lord sometime so small a roome dooth now suffice When three times seuen and two by iust degrees the sunne had tooke His woonted course in Virgos lap then he the world forsooke Thus far William Conquerour William Rufus or William the Red. WIlliam surnamed Rufus or William the Red second sonne to William Conqueror began his reigne ouer England the ninth of September in the yeare 1087. about the 31. yeare of the emperour Henrie the fourth and the 37. of Philip the first king of France Urbane the second then gouerning the sée of Rome and Malcolme Cammoir line 10 reigning in Scotland Immediatlie after his fathers deceasse and before the solemnitie of the funerals were executed he came ouer into
and vnder the defense of his authoritie I depart out of this place Hauing thus spoken went incontinent to fake horsse Now as he passed on his waie the kings seruants and others of the court did cast out manie reprochfull words against him calling him traitor and false forsworne caitife At which words turning himselfe and looking backe with a sterne countenance he said That if it were not for his order of priesthood and that it were lawfull for him he would suerlie cléere himselfe of periurie and treason in defending and mainteining his cause against them with weapon in hand line 10 When he was come to the vtter gate he found the same fast locked whereat they began all to be amazed but one of his seruants espieng where a bunch of keies tied to a clubs end were hanging on a pin he tooke them down tried which was the right key by proofe whereof he found it at the last opened the gate and let the archbishop out the porters standing still as men amazed and speaking not one word against it Now when he was got out a great number of line 20 poore weake and impotent people met him saieng Blessed be God which hath deliuered his seruant from the face of his enimie Thus with a great rout or companie and with the clergie he was honorablie conueied to the abbeie of S. Andrews and looking behind and before him as he passed thitherward he said vnto those that went with him How glorious a procession dooth bring me from the face of the enimie Suffer all the poore people to come into the place that we may make merie togither in the Lord. line 30 Hauing thus spoken the people had entrance so that all the hall parlours and chambers being furnished with tables and stooles they were conuenientlie placed and serued with vittâ—ls to the full The verie same night before the cockcrowing he issued foorth by a little posterne gate and taking with him onelie two moonks of the Cisteaur order the one named Robert Canne and the other S. Capman with one of his owne seruants called Roger de Broc he fled awaie disguised in a white vesture line 40 and a moonks coule and changing his name caused himselfe to be called Dereman iourneied still all the night and by daie laie close in one fréends house or other till at last he got to Sandwich and there taking ship he sailed ouer into Flanders and so went to France where at the citie of Sens he found pope Alexander into whose bosome he emptied whole cart lodes of complaints and greeuances The king vpon knowledge that the archbishop was fled the realme sent Gilbert Follioth bishop of line 50 London and William earle of Arundell in speâ—die ambassage to the king of France to signifie vnto him the whole matter and circumstance of the falling out betwixt him and the archbishop requiring him not to receiue the archbishop into his realme but this request was little regarded of the French king as appeared for the archbishops cause was fauoured of manie and the blame imputed to king Henrie so that the archbishop found great grace with the French king and no small fauour at the line 60 hands of the pope Now when king Henrie heard that he was accused by the archbishop vnto the pope he appointed Roger archbishop of Yorke the foresaid Gilbert bishop of London Hilarius bishop of Chichester Roger bishop of Worcester Bartholomew bishop of Excester with diuerse bishops deanes archdeacons other learned men of good accompt to the number of 15. to passe in ambassage vnto the pope that they might excuse his dooings and burden the archbishop with the note of rebellion whereof he had good proofe Being admitted to declare their message in the consistorie before the pope they opened the whole circumstance of the matter from the beginning to the end declaring that betwixt Thomas the archbishop of Canturburie and the king there was a controuersie moued and by both their consents a daie appointed for the hearing and determining thereof as iustice should require At the which daie by the kings commandement all the chéefest lords of the realme both spirituall and temporall were assembled to the end that the more generall the méeting should be the more manifest might the discouerie of the fraud and malice of the archbishop appeere At the daie appointed saie they there came before the catholike prince his presence the Nobles of his realme and amongst other the archbishop the disquieter both of the kingdome church who as one not well assured of the qualitie of his owne deseruings blessed himselfe with the signe of the crosse at his comming into the court as though he should haue come before some tyrant or schismaticall person Notwithstanding all which contemptuous and ambitious behauiour the kings maiestie was nothing offended but committed the iudgement of his cause to the faithfull order of the bishops meaning so to deliuer himselfe of all suspicion of wrong dealing Then it rested in the bishops hands to make an end of the controuersie and to set a small vnion and agréement betwixt them But the archbishop would none of that alleging how it should be a derogation to the sée apostolike and his metropoliticall dignitie to stand before the king in iudgement or anie other temporall magistrate And albeit saie they some diminution or eclipse might haue chanced to the dignitie of the church by that iudgement yet it had beene his part to haue dissembled the matter for the time to the end that peace might haue béene restored to the church He further obiected ascribing to himselfe the name of father which seemed to sauour somewhat of arrogancie that the children ought not to come togither to iudge the fathers cause but it had béene far more necessarie that the humblenesse of the sons should mitigate the pride and temper the ambition of the father To conclude the kings ambassadors made earnest suit that two legats might be sent from the pope to haue the hearing discussing of all the matter betwixt the king and the archbishop without any other appealing But the kings tale could not be heard in that court the archbishop hauing alreadie persuaded the pope to the contrarie For comming to the pope he vttered his complaint as followeth Most holie father I doo here come for succour to your audience lamenting that the state of the church and the liberties â—hereof are brought to ruine by the couetous dealing of kings and princes Wherfore when I thought to resist the disease approching I was suddenlie called before the king to render accompts as a laie man about certeine wards for whom while I was the kings chancellor I had notwithstanding giuen accounts and also when I was made bishop and entred into the dignitie of ruling the archbishops sée I was released and discharged of all reckonings and bonds by the kings eldest sonne and by the cheefe iusticer of the realme so that now where
other bishops his complices The ambassadours being brought to a streict issue herewith by helpe of some of the cardinals found meanes to haue it put into the popes head how the English ambassadours had commission to vndertake that the king of England should obeie in all things what order soeuer it pleased the pope and his court to award him Herevpon they tooke their oth that it should so be and by that meanes they auoided the interdiction The messengers of the archbishop of Yorke the other bishops vsed the like shift but yet the same daie the pope did excommunicate the knights that had murthered the archbishop Thomas and all those that had procured aided succoured or abetted them therein Some write that those ambassadours which the king sent to the court of Rome could not be suffered to come to the popes presence till according to the fashion they had giuen 500. marks in reward and so at length were admitted to his presence Howsoeuer that matter passed the king stood in great feare least his land should be interdicted in so much that he commanded the wardens of the ports both on this side the sea and beyond to take good héed least any coÌ„ming with letters of interdiction should passe into England but if any such came that the bringer should be arrested and committed to prison Also he commanded that no clearke were suffered to come ouer into England except he first tooke an oth that he came about no businesse that might turne to the preiudice of the king or his realme This commandement he set forth at what time he transported ouer into England himselfe where he landed this yeare at Portesmouth the third daie of August About which time it came into the kings mind to make a conquest of Ireland vpon this occasion It chanced whereas diuerse rulers or as we may call them petie kings reigned the same seson in that Iland which was diuided into seuerall estaâ—es or kingdomes that continuall strife and dissention remained amongst them so that oftentimes they made sore war after the manner of their countrie one against an other for Nulla fides regnisocijs omnisque potestas Impatiens consortis erit Herevpon it fortuned that one of those kings or rulers about the 14. yeare of this kings reigne was sore afflicted and oppressed by his neighbours wherevpon taking aduice what he might best doo for remedie in that case at length he sent his son into England to reteine souldiours and men of warre and to bring them ouer vnto his aid in hope of gaine such commodities as he assured them of Now it came to passe that by the assistance of such Englishmen as then came ouer the foresaid Irish king began to recouer his losses and in the end waxed so strong that he subdued all his enimies When he had thus obteined the victorie he did not onelie not send backe his aiders but so liberallie reteined them still with him that they had no hast to returne home but setled themselues in that countrie where they liued a pleasant and verie licentious life For this cause also the stoutest lords and rulers of and Irish nation began sore to stomach the matter against him that had thus brought the English nation into their countrie in so much that the Englishmen perceiuing their malice and therewithall hauing some feare of themselues bicause of their small number they sent ouer into England for such as wanted liuing and were willing to seeke for it in other countries of which sort great numbers went ouer thither within a short space whereby the multitude of the English greatlie increased but for as line 10 much as they had no ruler to gouerne them they procured Richard Strangbow earle of Struguille alià s Chepstow in Wales to come ouer thither and to receiue the souereigne gouernement with such honorable prouision for maintenance of his estate as should séeme requisit ¶ Some write that this earle Richard being also earle Marshall of England for a rebellion moued against king Henrie had before this time forfeited all his lands but others affirme that through riot and line 20 more sumptuous port than his abilitie might beare he had made awaie and consumed the most part of his liuing and was run so far in debt that he knew not how to satisfie his creditors and therefore was he the readier to incline to their request which made labour vnto him to come ouer into Ireland to haue the gouernance of such English people as had alreadie planted themselues there to inhabit remaine Herevpon he prepared a nauie and assembled togither a great number of such as lacked liuing and shortlie determined to passe ouer into Ireland But line 30 euen as he was readie to set forward there came vnto him messengers from king Henrie commanding him to staie and not to take that iournie in hand Howbeit the earle hauing nothing in England whereof to make anie great accompt notwithstanding the kings commandement tooke the sea and passed ouer into that countrie where he greatlie delited such Englishmen as dailie had looked for his repaire and comming thither line 40 Shortlie after ioining those which he brought ouer with him with the other that were there before his comming he thought to worke some feat whereby he might make his name famous cause the Irishmen to haue him in feare Wherevpon he first assailed the citie of Dublin and by force wan it He likewise wan Waterford diuerse other townes neere vnto the sea side Also to haue some freendship amongst those barbarous people he maried the daughter of the confederate king and so grew into verie line 50 great estimation in that countrie and region Howbeit with these and the like dooings of the earle king Henrie tooke such displeasure but chéeflie for disobeieng his commandement that he confined him the realme seized his lands as forfeited and by proclamation restreined all his subiects from passing into Ireland with any kind of merchandize prouision of vittels or other commodities whatsoeuer By reason whereof earle Strangbow partlie by constreint and partlie in hope to returne into fauour line 60 with king Henrie and for other respects as may be coniectured aduertised him of the whole state of the countrie of Ireland promising him that if it would please his grace to come ouer thither he would so worke that he should be admitted souereigne lord of all the land Heerevpon king Henrie pardoned him of all former trespasses and restored vnto him all his lands and inheritances within England and Normandie and further confirmed to him such liuings abroad in Ireland out of the walled townes as he held alreadie in right of his wife and furthermore ordeined that he should be high steward of Ireland vnder him King Henrie then returning out of Normandie into England about the sixt day of August as is aforesaid caused a nauie of 400. ships to be made readie and
wherein he delighteth the same is the practise of the people in consideration whereof the mightie ones of the world haue speciall cause to haue an eie to line 60 their course of life to set caueats before their actions that the people may in them sée none but good signes of commendable vertuous imitation For regis imago Vulgus ad mores accedere principis optat Qualis enim rex est talis quoque subditus illi Esse solet populus studijsque tenetur 〈◊〉 Shortlie after to wit the 15. day of September a councell was holden at Pipewell where the bishops and abbats being assembled there were in presence of the king and of the archbishop of Canturburie elected certeine bishops and abbats to such places as then were vacant and amongst other William de Longchampe the kings chancellor was elected to the sée of Elie Geffrey the kings bastard brother vnto the archbishoprike of Yorke who was the 32. in number that had gouerned the same Geffrey de Lucie to Winchester one Hubert Walter to Salisburie and Richard archdeacon of Elie and the kings treasurer to the see of London The abbeies that were prouided of abbats were these Glastenburie Shirborne Persore and Feuersham In like maner Iohn the elect of Whitherne was consecrated bishop of that see by the hands of the archbishop of Dublin Also in this councell the king ordeined Hugh bishop of Durham and William Mandeuille earle of Albemarle lord chéefe iustices of England hauing deposed Ranulfe de Glanuille from that roome Moreouer the king being thus established in the estate of the kingdome did not forget his iournie which he had promised into the holie land but with all diligence made his prouision and namelie he sought to gather monie to furnish his charges and so therevpon leuied a tax engaged sold and let to farme his lands tols customs and other his reuenewes with certeine counties and offices so that he made an exceeding summe of monie He also found that Ranulfe de Glanuille lord chéefe iustice and other of the head magistrates had not behaued themselues vprightlie in the administration of their offices so that he both deposed the said lord cheefe iustice as is aforesaid and almost all the shiriffes and their deputies within the realme of England putting them to greeuous fines for their offenses and transgressions and so by that meanes he got no small deale of monie ¶ Here note by the waie how William Paruus affirmeth that where this Ranulfe Glanuille being a man of high wisedome and stept into age saw that manie things were doone by the new king not so aduisedlie nor with such foresight as they ought to be sought of his owne accord to be discharged of his office that he might the better prepare himselfe to go in that iournie to the holie land as by taking vpon him the crosse he had vowed in the daies of king Henrie and so he solemnelie renounced his office which other nothing so worthie of it did afterwards inioy Moreouer the king vnderstanding that Hugh Putsey or Pudsey bishop of Durham being a verie aged man had much monie he sold to him the manour of Seggesfield or Sadberge with the wapentake belonging to the same and also found meanes to persuade him to buy his owne prouince which he did giuing to the king an inestimable summe of monie and was therevpon created an earle by the king for the same wherevpon he was intituled both bishop and earle of Durham whereat the king would iest afterwards and saie What a cunning craftesman am I that haue made a new earle of an old bishop Furthermore the same bishop gaue to the king a thousand markes to be made chéefe iustice of England and that he might tarrie at home and not go into the holie land And bicause he would not be reprooued of any person he obteined of the apostolike sée which faileth no man that is surcharged with white or red mettall and would be eased a licence for a summe of monie to be dispensed with for that iournie The king thus being earnestlie bent to make commoditie of those things for the which he might get any monie at all the citizens of London presented vnto him a great summe towards the furnishing foorth of his enterprise Wherevpon to acquite their courtesie he granted them large priuileges and ordeined that the citie should be ruled by two head officers which they should choose amongst themselues remoueable from yeare to yeare by the name of bailiffes The names of the two first bailiffes chosen by force of that ordinance were Henrie Cornehill and Richard Fitz Reiner The citie before those daies euer since the comming in of William Conquerour and a good while before his time was gouerned by certeine officers or rulers named Port Greues which word is deriued of two Saxon words as Port and Greue By Port is meant a towne and by Greue a gardian or ruler as who should saie A kéeper or ruler of a towne These rulers with the lawes customes then vsed within line 10 this citie were registred in a booke called as some haue said Doomesdaie but through negligence after these lawes and customes were changed and altered the booke was lost so that the remembrance of such rulers as were before the daies of this Richard the first are not to be had These bailiffes euer entred at Michaelmasse and so continued foorth their yeare Thus began the citie first to receiue the forme and state of a common-wealth and to be diuided into felowships which they call crafts or corporations Such line 20 also are admitted to the fellowships of these companies as haue truelie serued as apprentises a certeine number of yeares as seuen at the least vnder which time of seruice expired there is none made frée nor suffered to inioy the liberties of that citie sauing such as are borne free that is to saie of fréemen within the citie of whome at this time it is not much materiall to make any further report The citie thus consisting of the said craftes or occupations chooseth out of the same a senat or companie of graue councellours line 30 whom they name Aldermen E changed into A according to the old Saxon pronuntiation It is also diuided into 26. tribes or wards of the which euerie one hath his seuerall Alderman or ouersâ—er who haue both authoritie sufficient and large priuileges to mainteine the good gouernement of their portions withall Out of the number of these there is another officer yearelie chosen and appointed called the Maior who ruleth all the rest But now to returne vnto the further dooings of line 40 king Richard before his departure out of England towards his iournie into the land of Palestine commonlie called Holie land it is said he made such sale of things apperteining to him as well in right of the crowne as otherwise that it séemed to diuerse he made his
bonds line 30 and obligations laie by the which they had diuerse of the kings subiects bound vnto them in most vnconscionable sort and for such detestable vsurie as if the authors that write thereof were not of credit would hardlie be beleeued All which euidences or bonds they solemnelie burned in the middest of the church After which ech went his waie the souldiers to the king and the commons to their houses and so was the citie quieted This happened at Yorke on Palmesundaie eeue being the 17. of March and vpon line 40 the 15. of that moneth those that inhabited in the towne of S. Edmundsburie in Suffolke were set vpon and manie of them slaine The residue that escaped through the procurement of the abbat then named Samson were expelled so that they neuer had anie dwellings there since that time Thus were the Iewes vnmercifullie dealt with in all places in maner through this realme the first beginning whereof chanced at London as before ye haue heard and the next at Lin of which I thinke it line 50 good to note some part of the maner therof although breeflie and so to returne to my purpose The occasion therefore of the tumult at Lin chanced by this meanes it fortuned that one of the Iewes there was become a christian wherewith those of his nation were so mooued that they determined to kill him where soeuer they might find him And herevpon they set vpon him one daie as he came by through the stréets he to escape their hands fled to the next church but his countriemen were so desirous to execute line 60 their malicious purpose that they followed him still and inforced themselues to breake into the church vpon him Herewith the noise being raised by the christians that sought to saue the conuerted Iew a number of mariners being forreners that were arriued there with their vessels out of sundrie parts and diuerse also of the townesmen came to the rescue and setting vpon the Iewes caused them to flée into their houses The townesmen were not verie earnest in pursuing of them bicause of the kings proclamation and ordinance before time made in fauour of the Iewes but the mariners followed them to their houses 〈◊〉 diuerse of them robbed and sacked their goods and finallie set their dwellings on fire and so burnt them vp altogither These mariners being inriched with the spoile of the Iewes goods and fearing to be called to accompt for their vnlawfull act by the kings officers got them foorthwith to shipboord and hoising vp sailes departed with their ships to the sea and so escaped the danger of that which might haue béene otherwise laid to their charge The townesmen being called to an accompt excused themselues by the mariners burdening them with all the fault But although they of Lin were thus excused yet they of Yorke escaped not so easilie For the king being aduertised of such outrage doone contrarie to the order of his lawes and expresse commandement wrote ouer to the bishop of Elie his chancellour charging him to take cruell punishment of the offendors The bishop with an armie went to Yorke but the cheefe authors of the riot hearing of his comming fled into Scotland yet the bishop at his comming to the citie caused earnest inquirie to be made of the whole matter The citizens excused themselues offered to proue that they were not of counsel with them that had committed the riot neither had they aided nor comforted them therein in anie maner of wise And in déed the most part of them that were the offendors were of the countries and townes néere to the citie with such as were crossed into the holie land and now gone ouer to the king so that verie few or none of the substantiall men of the citie were found to haue ioined with them Howbeit this would not excuse the citizens but that they were put to their fine by the stout bishop euerie of them paieng his portion according to his power and abilitie in substance the common sort of the poore people being pardoned and not called into iudgement sith the ringleaders were fled and gone out of the waie and thus much by waie of digression touching the Iews Now to returne vnto the king who in this meane time was verie busie to prouide all things necessarie to set forward on his iournie his ships which laie in the mouth of the riuer of Saine being readie to put off he tooke order in manie points concerning the state of the common-wealth on that side and chéefelie he called to mind that it should be a thing necessarie for him to name who should succeed him in the kingdome of England if his chance should not be to returne againe from so long and dangerous a iournie He therefore named as some suppose his nephue Arthur the sonne of his brother Geffrey duke of Britaine to be his successour in the kingdome a yâ—â—ng man of a likelie proofe and princelie towardneâ—â—e but not ordeined by God to succéed ouer this kingdome About the same time the bishop of Elie lord chancellour and cheefe iustice of England tooke vp to the kings vse of euerie citie in England two palfries and two sumpter horsses of euerie abbeie one palfrie and one sumpter horsse euerie manour within the realme â—ound also one palfrie and one sumpter horsse Moreouer the said bishop of Elie deliuered the gouernment of Yorkeshire to his brother Oâ—bert de Longchampe and â—ll those knights of the said shire the which would not come to make answer to the law vppon summons giuen them he commanded to be apprehended and by and by cast in prison Also when the bishop of Durham was returned from the king and coâ—e ouer intâ— England to go vâ—to his charge at his meeting with the lord chancellour at Elie notwithstanding that he shewed him his letters patents of the grant made to him to be iustice from Trent northward the said lord châ—ncellour taking his iournie to Southwell with him there deteined him as prisoner till he had made surrender to him of the castell of Windsor further had deliuered to him his sonnes Henrie de Putsey and Gilbert de la Ley as pledges that he should keepe the peace against the king and all his subiects vntill the said prince should returne from the holie land And so he was deliuered for that time though shortlie after and whilest he remained at Houeden there came to him Osbert de Longchampe the lord chancellors brother and William de Stuteuille the which caused the said bishop to find sufficient suertie that he should not thence depart without the kings licence or the line 10 lord chancellors so long as the king should be absent oâ— Herevpon the bishop of Durham sent knowledge to the king how and in what sort he had béene handled by the chancellor In the meanetime the king was gone into Gascoigne where he besieged a castell that belonged to one William de Chisi
ploughland three shillings In the Lent following year 1200 he went to Yorke in hope to haue met the king of Scots there but he came not and so king Iohn line 50 returned backe and sailed againe into Normandie bicause the variance still depended betweene him and the king of France Finallie vpon the Ascension day in this second yeare of his reigne they came eftsoones to a communication betwixt the townes of Uernon and Lisle Dandelie where finallie they concluded an agréement with a marriage to be had betwixt Lewes the sonne of king Philip and the ladie Blanch daughter to Alfonso king of Castile the 8 of that name néece to K. Iohn by his sister Elianor line 60 In consideration whereof king Iohn besides the summe of thirtie thousand markes in siluer as in respect of dowrie assigned to his said néece resigned his title to the citie of Eureux and also vnto all those townes which the French king had by warre taken from him the citie of Angiers onelie excepted which citie he receiued againe by couenants of the same agréement The French king restored also to king Iohn as Rafe Niger writeth the citie of Tours and all the castels and fortresses which he had taken within Touraine and moreouer receiued of king Iohn his homage for all the lands fees and tenements which at anie time his brother king Richard or his father king Henrie had holden of him the said king Lewes or any his predecessors the quit claims and marriages alwaies excepted The king of England likewise did homage vnto the French king for Britaine and againe as after you shall heare receiued homage for the same countrie and for the countie of Richmont of his nephue Arthur He also gaue the earledome of Glocester vnto the earle of Eureux as it were by way of exchange for that he resigned to the French king all right title claime that might be pretended to the countie of Eureux By this conclusion of marriage betwixt the said Lewes and Blanch the right of king Iohn went awaie which he lawfullie before pretended vnto the citie of Eureux and vnto those townes in the confines of Berrie Chateau Roux or Raoul Cressie and Isoldune and likewise vnto the countrie of Ueuxin or Ueulquessine which is a part of the territorie of Gisors the right of all which lands townes and countries was released to the king of France by K. Iohn who supposed that by his affinitie and resignation of his right to those places the peace now made would haue continued for euer And in consideration thereof he procured furthermore that the foresaid Blanch should be conueied into France to hir husband with all spéed That doone he returned into England ¶ Certes this peace was displeasant to manie but namelie to the earle of Flanders who herevpon making no accompt of king Iohns amitie concluded a peace with king Philip shortlie after and ment to make warre against the infidels in the east parts wherby we may see the discontented minds of men and of how differing humors they be so that nothing is harder than to satisfie manie with one thing be the same neuer so good ô caecis mortalia plena tenebris Pectora ô mentes caligine circumseptas But by the chronicles of Flanders it appeareth that the earle of Flanders concluded a peace with the French king in Februarie last past before that king Iohn and the French king fell to any composition But such was the malice of writers in times past which they bare towards king Iohn that whatsoeuer was doone in preiudice of him or his subiects it was still interpreted to chance through his default so as the blame still was imputed to him in so much that although manie things he did peraduenture in matters of gouernement for the which he might be hardlie excused yet to thinke that he deserued the tenth part of the blame wherewith writers charge him it might seeme a great lacke of aduised consideration in them that so should take it But now to procéed with our purpose King Iohn being now in rest from warres with forren enimies began to make warre with his subiects pursses at home emptieng them by taxes and tallages to fill his coffers which alienated the minds of a great number of them from his loue and obedience At length also when he had got togither a great masse of monie he went ouer againe into Normandie where by Helias archbishop of Burdeaux and the bishop of Poictiers and Scone he was diuorsed from his wife Isabell that was the daughter of Robert earle of Glocester bicause of the néerenesse of bloud as touching hir in the third degrée After that he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme by whome he had two sonnes Henrie and Richard and thrée daughters Isabell Elianor and Iane. Moreouer about this time Geffrey archbishop of Yorke was depriued of all his manours lands and possessions by the kings commandement directed to the shiriffe of Yorkeshire for diuerse causes for that he would not permit the same shiriffe to leuie the dutie called Charugage that was thrée shillings of euerie ploughland within his diocesse rated and appointed to be leuied to the kings vse throughout all parts of the realme Secondlie for that the same archbishop refused to go ouer with the king into Normandie to helpe to make the marriage betwixt the French kings sonne and his néece Thirdlie bicause he had excommunicated the same shiriffe and all the prouince of Yorke wherevpon the king tooke displeasure against him and not onelie spoiled him line 10 as I said of his goods but also banished him out of the court not suffering him to come in his presence for the space of twelue moneths after In this yeare also Hubert archbishop of Canturburie held a councell at Westminster against the prohibition of the lord chiefe iustice Geffrey Fitz Peter earle of Essex In the which councell or synod diuerse constitutions were made and ordeined for orders and customes to be vsed touching the seruice and administration of sacraments in the church and line 20 other articles concerning churchmen and ecclesiasticall matters About the same time king Iohn and Philip king of France met togither néere the towne of Uernon where Arthur duke of Britaine as vassall to his vncle king Iohn did his homage vnto him for the duchie of Britaine those other places which he held of him on this side and beyond the riuer of Loir and afterward still mistrusting his vncles curtesie he returned backe againe with the French king and would not commit himselfe to his said vncle line 30 who as he supposed did beare him little good will These things being thus performed king Iohn returned into England and there caused his new married wife Isabell to be crowned on the sundaie before the feast of S. Denise the eight of October At the same time he gaue commandement vnto Hugh Neuill
helpe and furtherance of the archbishop of Canturburie they came to the kings spéech and obteined so line 30 much as they in reason might desire for he pardoned them of all his passed displeasure receiued them againe into his fauour tooke them into his protection and commanded that all iniuries greeuances and molestations should be reformed redressed and amended which in respect of his indignation had béene offered and doone to them by any manner of meanes And to see the same accomplished writs were directed vnto the shiriffes of the counties bearing date from Lincolne the 27 of Nouember And line 40 thus were those moonks for that time restored to the kings fauour to their great commoditie and comfort About the moneth of December there were séene in the prouince of Yorke fiue moones one in the east the second in the west the third in the north the fourth in the south and the fift as it were set in the middest of the other hauing manie stars about it and went fiue or six times incompassing the other as it were the space of one houre and shortlie after vanished awaie line 50 The winter after was extreamelie cold more than the naturall course had beene aforetime And in the spring time came a great glutting and continuall raine causing the riuers to rise with higher flouds than they had béene accustomed year 1201 In the yeare 1201 king Iohn held his Christmas at Gilford and there gaue to his seruants manie faire liueries and suits of apparell The archbishop of Canturburie did also the like at Canturburie seeming in déed to striue with the king which of them line 60 should passe the other in such sumptuous appareling of their men whereat the king and not without good cause was greatlie mooued to indignation against him although for a time he coloured the same going presentlie into the north where he gathered of the countrie there no small summs of monie as it were by way of fining them for their transgressions committed in his forrests From thence he returned and came to Canturburie where he held his caster which fell that yeare on the day of the Annunciation of our ladie in the which feast he sat crowned togither with his wife quéene Isabell the archbishop of Canturburie bearing the charges of them and their trains while they remained there At the feast of the Ascension next insuing king Iohn set out a proclamation at Tewkesburie that all the earles and barons of the realme and also all other that held of him by knights seruice should be readie in the feast of Pentecost next insuing with horsse and armour at Portesmouth to passe ouer with him into Normandie who made their appearance accordinglie Howbeit a great number of them in the end gat licence to tarrie at home paieng for euerie knights fée two markes of siluer for a fine which then was a great matter But he sent before him into Normandie William Marshall earle of Striguille with an hundred knights or men of armes which he had hired and Roger de Lacie with an other hundred men of armes to defend the confines of Normandie against the enimies and to his chamberleine Hubert de Burgh he deliuered the like number of knights or men of armes also to keepe the marshes betwixt England and Wales as warden of the same This doone he pardoned his brother the archbishop of Yorke and restored him to all his dignities possessions and liberties confirming the same vnto him in as full and large manner as euer Roger late archbishop of that see had enioied the same for the which confirmation his said brother vndertooke to paie to the king within the terme of one yeare the summe of a thousand pounds starling and for the assurance thereof engaged his baronie to the king in pledge Moreouer about the same time the king sent Geffrey bishop of Chester and Richard Malebisse with Henrie de Poisie vnto William king of Scotland requiring him that the time appointed for him to make answer touching his demand of Northumberland might be proroged vntill the feast of saint Michaell the archangell next insuing which was obteined and then the king and queene being come to Portsmouth on the mondaie in Whitsunwéeke tooke the sea to passe ouer into Normandie but not both in one ship so that the quéene with a prosperous gale of wind arriued there at hir owne desire But the king was driuen by reason of a pirrie to take land in the I le of Wight and so was staied there for a time howbeit within a few daies after he tooke ship againe at Portsmouth and so passed ouer into Normandie where shortlie after his arriuall in those parties he came to an enteruiew with the king of France neere to Lisle Donelie where comming a long time togither alone they agreed so well that within thrée daies after king Iohn at the French kings request went into France and was receiued of him with much honour first at S. Denise with procession of the cleargie and there lodging one night vpon the morrow the French king accompanied him vnto Paris where he was receiued of the citizens with great reuerence the prouost presenting vnto him in the name of the whole citie manie rich gifts for his welcome K. Philip feasted him also in his owne palace for his part gaue to him to his lords and to his seruants manie great and princelie gifts Morouer the league at this time was renewed betwixt them and put in writing with this caution that whether of them first brake the couenants such lords on his part as were become suerties for performance should be released of their allegiance which they owght to him that so should breake that they might therevpon freelie become subiects to the other prince These things doone at length when as king Iohn had remained at Paris with great mirth and solace certeine daies the French king brought him foorth of the citie and tooke leaue of him in verie louing wise After this bâ—ing Iohn went to Chinon from thence into Normandie about which time there chanced some troubles in Ireland for where Walter Lacie vnder pretense of a communication that was appointed betwixt him and Iohn de Curcie lord of Ulnester meant to haue taken the said Curcie and for the accomplishment of his purpose set vpon him slue manie of his men and for his safegard constreined Curcie in the end to take a castell which belonged vnto Hugh Lacie vpon faire promises made to him by the same Hugh to be preserued out of all danger line 10 it came to passe that when he was once got in he might no more be suffered to depart For the Lacies thought to haue deliuered him to king Iohn but the seruants and fréends of the said Curcie made such cruell war in wasting and destroieng the lands and possessions that belonged vnto the said Walter and Hugh Lacies that finallie they were constreined to set him
〈◊〉 London made such suit vnto the king that he granted vnto them by his letters patents licence to 〈◊〉 to themseluâ—â— a mâ—ior and two shiriffes euerâ—e yeare Aâ—ter which granâ— vnto them confirmed they chose for their 〈◊〉 Heâ—rie Fitz Alwin who was sworne and charged at that present maior of that citie vpon the day of 〈◊〉 Michaell the archangell in â—he said tenth yeare of king Iohn his reigne On the same day and yeare were Peter Duke Thomas Nâ—te sworne for shiriffes Thus the name of baâ—liffes from thence forth was clearelie extinguished But here yée haue to vnderstand that this Henrie Fitz Alwin had béene maior of London long before this time euen from the first yeare of king Richard as Iohn Stow hath gathered out of ancient instruments and records vnto this present tenth yeare of king Iohn and now vpon grant made to the citizens that it should be lawfull for them to choose euerie yeare a maior and two shiriffes for the better gouernment of their citie the said Henrie Fitz Alwin was newlie by them elected and likewise afterwards from yeare to yeare till he departed this life which chanced in the yeare 1213 and fifteenth of king Iohns reigne so that he continued maior of the same citie of London by the terme of twentie and foure yeares ¶ Now therefore bicause it appeareth here how the gouernors of the citie of London had their names altered for their greater honour and the state of gouernment thereby partlie changed or rather confirmed I haue thought good though verie breefelie to touch somewhat the signification of this word Maire before I procéed any further with the rest of this historie The ancient inhabitants of Franconia or Frankenland from whome the Frenchmen are descended and their neighbors the old Saxons of whom the Englishmen haue their originall being people of Germanie and descended as Berosus saith of the the old Hebrues haue reteined manie Hebrue words either from the beginning or else borowed them abroad in other regions which they conquered passing by force of armes through a great part of the world For no doubt by conuersation with those people whom they subdued they brought home into their owne countrie and toong manie borowed words so that their language hath no small store of them fetched out of sundrie strange toongs Now among other old words remaining in their toong this word Mar was one which in Hebrue signifieth Dominus that is to saie lord but pronounced now somewhat corruptlie Maire So as it is to be supposed hereof it came to passe that the head officer and lieutenant to the prince as well in London as in other cities and townes of the realme are called by that name of maior though in the cities of London and Yorke for an augmentation of honour by an ancient custome through ignorance what the title of maire dâ—oth signifie they haue an addition and are intituled by the name of lord maire where Maire simplie pronounced of it selfe signifieth no lesse than lord without any such addition Thus much for the name of Maire And now to procéed King Iohn holding his Christmasse this yeare at Bristow year 1299 set foorth a commandement whereby he restreined the taking of wild foule About the same time Henrie duke of Suaben came into England from the emperour Otho and receiuing no small line 10 portion of monie of the king departed backe into his owne countrie againe In the vigill of the Epiphanie also the kings second sonne was borne and named Richard after his vncles name And the court of the eschequer was remoued from Westminster vnto Northampton Moreouer in the same yeare Walter Gray was made lord chancellour who in all things studied to satisfie the kings will and purpose for the which he incurred great indignation of the cleargie and other that fauoured not the proceedings line 20 of the king ¶ It was suerlie a rufull thing to consider the estate of this realme at that present when as the king neither trusted his péeres neither the nobilitie fauoured the king no there were verie few that trusted one another but ech one hid hourded vp his wealth looking dailie when another should come and enter vpon the spoile The communaltie also grew into factions some fauouring some cursing the king as they bare affection The cleargie was likewise at dissention line 30 so that nothing preuailed but malice and spite which brought foorth and spred abroad the fruits of disobedience to all good lawes and orders greatlie to the disquieting of the whole state So that herein we haue a perfect view of the perplexed state of princes chéeflie when they are ouerswaied with forren prophane power and not able to assure themselues of their subiects allegiance and loialtie Whereto this clause alludeth cruciat comes improbus ipsos line 40 Assiduimetus atque timor suspectáque ijsdem Omnia sunt hinc insidias hinc dira venena Concipiunt soli nec possunt ire nec audent Nec sine fas illis praegustatore comesse King Iohn notwithstanding that the realme was thus wholie interdicted and vexed so that no preests could be found to saie seruice in churches or chapels made no great account thereof as touching any offense towards God or the pope but rather mistrusting the hollow hearts of his people he tooke a new line 50 oth of them for their faithfull allegiance and immediatlie therevpon assembled an armie to go against Alexander king of Scots vnto whome as he had heard diuerse of the nobâ—litie of this realme were fled which Alexander was the second of that name that had ruled the Scots and latelie before was entred into the rule as lawfull successor to the crowne of Scotland by the death of his father K. William In this meane while also Stephan archbishop of Canturburie lamenting as some haue reported the line 60 state of his natiue countrie and yet not minding to giue ouer his hold obteined of pope Innocent that vpon certeine dais it might be lawfull for an appointâ—d number of preests within the realme of England to celebrate diuine seruice that is to say for those of conuentuall churches once in the wéeke But the moonks of the white order were forbidden to vse that priuilege bicause in the beginning of the interdiction they had at the appointment of their principall abbat presumed to celebrate the sacraments without the popes consent oâ— knowledge In like maner on the otherside king Iohn hauing his armie in a readinesse hasted foorth towards the borders of Scotland and comming to the castell of Norham prepared to inuade the Scots But king Alexander wanting power to giue him battell sought to come vnto some fréendlie agréement with him and so by counsell of his lords casting off his armour he came to the king and for a great summe of gold or 11 thousand marks of siluer as some write with much adoo he purchased peace deliuering two of his
get the vpper hand there should haue a ram for the price which the steward had prepared At the day appointed there was a great assemblie and the steward had got togither out of all parts the best wrestlers that might be heard of so that there was hard hold betwixt them and the Londoners But finallie the steward vpon desire of reuenge procured them to fall togither by the eares without any iust cause so that the Londoners were beaten and wounded and constreined to flée backe line 30 to the citie in great disorder The citizens sore offended to see their people so misused rose in tumult and rang the common bell to gather the more companie to them Robert Serle maior of the citie would haue pacified the matter persuading them to let the iniurie passe till by orderlie plaint they might get redresse as law and iustice should assigne But a certeine stout man of the citie namedConstantine Fitz Arnulfe of good authoritie amongst them aduised line 40 the multitude not to harken vnto peace but to seeke reuenge out of hand wherein he shewed himselfe so farre from true manhood that he bewraied himselfe rather to haue had a womans heart quod vindicta Nemomagis gaudet quà m foemina still prosecuting the strife with tooth and naile and blowing the coles of contention as it were with full bellowes that the houses belonging to the abbat of Westminster and namelie the house of his steward line 50 might be ouerthrowne and beaten downe flat with the ground This lewd counsell was soone receiued and executed by the outragious people Constantine himselfe being cheefe leader of them cried with a lowd voice Mount ioy mount ioy God be our aid and our souereigne Lewes This outragious part comming to the notice of Hubert de Burgh lord chéefe iustice he gat togither a power of armed men and came to the citie with the fame and taking inquisition of the cheéfe offendors found Constantine as constant in line 60 affirming the déed to be his as he had before constantlie put it in practise wherevpon he was apprehended and two other citizens with him On the next day in the morning Fouks de Brent was appointed to haue them to execution and so by the Thames he quietlie led them to the place where they should suffer Now when Constantine had the halter about his necke he offered fifteene thousand marks of siluer to haue béene pardoned but it would not be There was hanged with him his nephue named also Constantine and one Geffrey who made the proclamation deuised by the said Constantine The crie also which Constantine vsed to the setting forward of his vnlawfull enterprise in the name of Lewes most of all offended the kings fréends as the lord cheefe iustice and others who not satisfied with the death of the three before remembred persons but also entring the citie againe with their hands of armed men apprehended diuerse of those whome they tooke to be culpable not onelie putting manie of them into prison but also punishing other of them as some with losse of a foot some of an hand and other of their eie-sight The king furthermore to reuenge this matter deposed all the magistrats of the citie and ordeined new in their roomes Which caused great hartburning against diuerse of the Nobilitie but cheefelie the lord Hubert and Fouks de Brent on whome in time they hoped to haue reuenge As this broâ—le vexed the citie of London so in this yeare there chanced great tempest of thunder lightning and raine whereby much hurt was doone in diuerse parts of the realme and at sundrie times as by throwing downe of steeples churches and other buildings with the rootwalting of trées as well in woods as orchards verie strange to consider chéefelie on the eight day of Februarie at Grantham in Lincolneshire where there chanced beside the thunder such a stinke and filthie fauour to follow in the church that the people fled out for that they were not able to abide it Likewise in the day of the exaltation of the crosse a generall thunder happened throughout the realme and thervpon followed a continuall season of foule weather and wet till Candelmas next after which caused a dearth of corne so as wheat was sold at twelue shillings the quarter Likewise on the day of saint Andrew an other terrible tempest of thunder happened through the realme throwing downe and shaking buildings in manie places in so much that at Pillerdeston in Warwikeshire in a knights house the ladie thereof and six other persons were destroied by the same And a turbarie thereby compassed about with water and marresse was so dried vp that neither grasse nor mire remained after which insued an earthquake Moreouer on the euen of saint Lucie a mightie wind raged which did much hurt in sundrie places of the realme Furthermore about this time there appeared in England a wonderfull comet or blasing starre The sea also rose with higher tides and springs than it had beene accustomed to doo All which woonders were afterward iudged to betoken and signifie the losse which the christians susteined the same yeare in Aegypt when they were constreined to surrender the citie of Damieta into the Saracens hands which latelie before as yée haue heard they had woone with long and chargeable siege After the yéelding vp of Damieta William de Albenie earle of Arundell whome Ranulfe earle of Chester left behind him in the holie land with manie souldiers and men of warre when he returned from thence came now homewards towards England and died by the waie About the same time Iohn the sonne of Dauid earle of Anguish in Scotland sisters sonne vnto Ranulfe earle of Chester married the daughter of Leolin prince of Wales as it were to procure a finall accord betwéene the said Leolin and Ranulfe After which marriage king Henrie held his Christmasse at Oxenford and shortlie after the twelftide came to London where assembling a councell of his barons year 1223 he was earnestlie required by the bishop of Canturburie and other peeres to confirme the liberties fraâ—chises and frée customes of the realme for which the warres in his fathers time had béene mooued which to denie as the archbishop seemed to alledge shuld haue béene ashamed so to open his mouth to the disaduantage of his souereigne but that it is likelie he forgat the old posie namelie that Imago rex est animatae Dei he might not with anie reason sith he had couenanted and all the baronage with him to sée the same obserued by the articles of the peace concluded with Lewes when the same Lewes departed the realme Herevpon William Brewer one of the kings councell hearing the archbishop so earnest in these matters told him that sith these liberties were procured extorted rather by force than otherwise of line 10 the king being vnder age they were not to be obserued Wherevnto
Farnham where he was kept as prisoner The archbishop thus serued at his first comming ouer and taking the same but for a homlie welcome was maruellouslie offended and comming to London accompanied with the bishops of Chichester and Hereford in the church of saint Marie bowe being reuested in pontificalibus pronounced all those accurssed which were authours or fauourers of such a rash and presumptuous deed and further commanded all the bishops within his prouince by vertue of their obedience to denounce the same in their churches euerie sundaie and holie day The bishop of Winchester on the other part sent commandement to the deane of Southwarke to resist the archbishop to his face and to denounce his cursse to be void vaine and of no force but deuised of a craftie purpose and wicked meaning The archbishop continuing in his conceiued displeasure went to Oxenford and there on the morrow after saint Nicholas day renewed the same cursse in solemne wise before all the learned men students and scholers of the Uniuersitie Howbeit at length the matter was taken vp betwixt them for the king in his brothers cause year 1253 and the queene for hir vncle the archbishop tooke some paine to agree them and so in the octaues of the Epiphanie they were made freends and those absolued that were excommunicated in which number William de Ualence and Iohn de Warren were thought to be conteined as those that should be present in vsing the force against the officiall as before ye haue heard By inquirie taken about this time by the diligence of the bishop of Lincolne it was found that the yéerlie profits and reuenues of spirituall promotions and liuings resting in strangers hands preferred by the popes prouisions amounted to the summe of thréescore and ten thousand marks which was more by two third parts than the kings reuenues belonging to his crowne The earle of Glocester and the lord William de Ualence went ouer into France in most triumphant manner to conclude a marriage betwixt the sonne of the said earle of Glocester and the daughter of the lord Guie of Engolesme Which marriage the king had motioned for the affection which he bare towards the aduancement of his linage by the mothers side Whereat bicause they were strangers the English nobilitie somewhat repined And whereas like lustie yoong gentlemen they attempted a iusts and tornie to shew some proofe of their valiant stomachs they were well beaten by the Frenchmen that disdained to see yoong men so presumptuous to prouoke old accustomed warriours to the triall of such martiall enterprises About the beginning of Lent the new moone was seene foure daies before shée ought to haue appeared by hir due and common course The king by a shift got of the Londoners 1000 marks For as it happened about the same time the youthfull citizens for an exercise and triall of their actiuitie had set foorth a game to run at the quintine and whosoeuer did best should haue a peacocke which they had prepared for a prise Certeine of the kings seruants bicause the court laie then at Westminster came as it were in spite of the citizens to the game and giuing reprochfull names to the Londoners which for the dignitie of the citie and ancient priuileges which they ought to haue inioied were called barons the said Londoners not able to beare so to be misused fell vpon the kings seruants and bet them shrewdlie so that vpon complaint the king caused the citizens to fine for their rash dooings Wherein the Londoners followed the counsell of him that in a case of strife said Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito Audaces fortuna iuuat Moreouer about the same time the king vpon displeasure conceiued against the earle of Leicester had caused him to resigne his office of the wardenship of Gascoigne and bicause the earle had it by patent the king not able to find any iust cause of forfeiture agréed to paie vnto him for the resignation no small portion of monie And whereas the Gascoignes had charged the earle with too much streict handling of them whereby they were occasioned to raise tumults the matter was now nothing at all amended For after the earle had resigned they continued still in rebellion so that the Rioll with S. Millions and other places were taken by the aduersaries out of the kings hands and great slaughter of people made in those parts wherefore the king minding to go thither caused musters to be taken and men put in a redinesse according to the custome that he might vnderstand what number of able men furnished for the warre were to be had He also tooke order that euerie line 10 man that might dispend yeerlie fiftéene pounds in lands should be made knight Moreouer for the better preseruation of peace and quietnesse amongst his people he appointed watch to be kept by night in cities and borough townes And further by the aduise of the Sauoisines which were about him he ordeined that if any man chanced to be robbed or by any meanes damnified by any théefe or robber he to whom the kéeping of that countrie cheefelie apperteined where the robberie was line 20 doone should competentlie restore the losse and this was after the vsage of Sauoy but was thought more hard to be obserued here than in those parts where are not so manie bypaths and starting corners to shift out of the waie ¶ The Gascoignes continued in their seditious dooings and namelie Gascon de Bierne who renouncing his dutie and obedience to the king of England ioined himselfe to the king of Spaine through his helpe to be the stronger more able to annoie the English subiects The euill intreating line 30 vsed towards the Gascoignes which brought hither wines in that the same were oftentimes taken from them by the kings officers and other without readie monie allowed for the sale gaue occasion to them to grudge and repine against the king In the quindene of Easter a parlement began at London in which all the states being assembled the matter was mooued for aiding the king with some reléefe of monie towards the iournie which he ment to make into the holie land and so at length it was line 40 agréed that a tenth part of all the reuenues belonging to the church was granted to him for thrée yeares space and that escuage should be leuied for that yeare after thrée markes of euerie knights fée and the king on the other part promised faithfullie to obserue and mainteine the grant of the great charter and all the articles conteined within the same For further assurance whereof on the third day of Maie in the great hall at Westminster in the presence and by the assent of the king and the earles of Norfolke line 50 Hereford Oxford Warwike and other Noble men by the archbishop of Canturburie as primate and by the bishops of London Elie Lincolne
pace forum fit felix cultus agrorum Pax pietas mentis pax est pincerna salutis The French councell weied nothing at all these offers and would not so much as once vouchsafe to giue an answer to the English ambassadors earnestlie requiring the same Finallie the French K. sent vnto the citie of Anion which is knowne to belong vnto the dutchie of Guien where he there caused the king of England to be cited to make his appeerance at Paris at a certeine daie to answer to the iniuries and rebellions by him doone in the countrie of Gascoigne at the which daie when he appéered not the French king sitting in the seat of iudgement in his owne proper person gaue sentence there against the king of England for making default and withall commanded the high conestable of France to seize into his hands all the duchie of Guien and either to take or to expell all the king of Englands officers souldiers and deputies which were by him placed within the said duchie The king a little before had sent thither a valiant knight named the lord Iohn saint Iohn which had furnished all the cities townes castels and places with men munition and vittels for defense of the same In the meane time the king of England desirous to be at quiet with the Frenchmen appointed his brother Edmund earle of Lancaster as then soiourning in France to go vnto the French kings councell to procure some agréement which both might be allowed of the French king and not be dishonorable vnto him But when the earle could not preuaile in his sute he tooke his iournie towards England vtterlie despairing to procure any peace But yer he came to the sea side year 1294 he was sent for backe againe by the two quéenes of France Ione wife to king Philip and Marie his mother in law which promised to frame some accord betweene the two kings and so therevpon after diuerse communications by them had in the matter with the said earle of Lancaster at length it was accorded that for the sauing of the French kings honour which séemed to be touched by things doone by the king of Englands ministers in Gascoigne six castels should remaine at the said kings pleasure as Sanctes Talemond Turnim Pomeroll Penne and mount Flaunton Also there should be set a seruant or sergeant in the French kings name in euerie citie and castell within all the whole duchie of Guien except Burdeaux Baion and the Rioll And further hostages should be deliuered at the French kings pleasure of all ministers to be placed by the king of England in Gascoigne and other places through all the country These things doone the French king should reuoke the summons published and pronounced in the court of Paris against the king of England Also he shuld restore all the castels his seruants being remooued which he had placed in the same togither with the pledges incontinentlie at the request of the same queenes or of either of them The king of England hauing a safe conduct should come to Amiens that there méeting with the French king peace and amitie might be confirmed betwixt them Then were there writings made and ingrossed touching the forsaid articles of agréement one part deliuered to the earle sealed with the seales of the quéenes and other remained with the foresaid quéenes sealed with the seale of the earle The king of England certified hereof sent his letters patents directed vnto all his officers and ministers in Gascoigne commanding them to obeie in all things the French kings pleasure These letters patents were first sent vnto the earle of Lancaster that he might cause them to be conueied into Gascoigne when he should sée time The earle hauing receiued those letters doubting whether the French K. line 10 would obserue the agreement which the queenes had made and concluded or not required of them that he might heare the French king speake the word that he would stand vnto that which they had concluded Wherevpon in the presence of the said earle and his wife Blanch queene of Nauar mother to the French queene also of the duke of Burgoigne Hugh Ueere sonne to the earle of Oxenford and of a chapline called sir Iohn Lacie the French king promised by the faith of a prince that he would fulfill the line 20 promises of the said quéenes and the couenants by them accorded Herevpon a knight of the earles of Lancaster called sir Geffrey de Langley was spéedilie sent into Gascoigne with letters from the French king directed to the conestable to call him backe againe from his appointed enterprise And the foresaid chapleine sir Iohn Lacie was sent also thither with the letters patents of the king of England directed vnto his officers there in forme as is aboue mentioned line 30 whervpon the lord Iohn saint Iohn the king of Englands lieutenant in Gascoigne vnderstanding the conclusions of the agreement sold all such prouisions as he had made and brought into the cities townes and fortresses for the defense of the same and departing out of Gascoigne came towards Paris to returne that waie into England But behold what followed suddenlie by the enimie of peace was the French kings mind quite changed And where the king of England was come line 40 vnto Canturburie and kept his Easter there that immediatlie vpon the receipt of the safe conduct he might transport ouer the seas and so come to Amiens according to the appointment made by the agreement now not onelie the safe conduct was denied but also the first letters reuocatorie sent vnto the conestable to call him backe by other letters sent after were also made void and he by the latter letters appointed to kéepe vpon his iournie so that the conestable entring into Gascoigne with a power found no line 50 resistance the capteins and officers submitting them selues with the townes and fortresses at his pleasure according to the tenor of the letters patents latelie to them deliuered All the officers and capteins of the fortresses were brought to Paris as captiues and pledges Within a few daies after the earle of Lancaster required the quéenes that they would call vpon the king to grant his safe conduct for the king of England to reuoke the citation or summons to restore line 60 the lands taken from him and to deliuer the pledges but the French king by the mouths of certeine knights sent vnto the earle renounced all such couenants as before had béene concluded The earle of Lancaster then perceiuing that both he and his brother king Edward were mocked thus at the French kings hands returned into England and informed the king his councell from point to point of all the matter Herevpon a parlement being called at Westminster at the which the king of Scotland was present it was decréed by the states that those lands which were craftilie taken so from the K. should be recouered againe by the sword And the king herewith
goods should resist them that were thus landed assaile and kill them the quéene his sonne Edward and his brother the earle of Kent onelie excepted and whosoeuer line 30 could bring the head or dead corps of the lord Mortimer of Wigmore should haue for his labour a thousand marks The queenes proclamations on the other part willed all men to hope for peace the Spensers publike enimies of the realme and the lord chancellor Robert Baldocke with their assistants onlie excepted through whose meanes the present trouble was happened to the realme And it was forbidden that no man should take ought from any person and who so euer could bring to the quéene the head of Hugh line 40 Spenser the yoonger should haue two thousand pounds of the queenes gift The king at his departure from London left maister Walter Stapleton the bishop of Excester behind him to haue the rule of the citie of London Then shortlie after the quéene with hir son making towards London wrote a letter to the maior and the citizens requiring to haue assistance for the putting downe of the Spensers not onelie knowne enimies of theirs but also common enimies to all the realme line 50 of England To this letter no answer at the first was made wherefore an other was sent dated at Baldocke the sixt daie of October vnder the names of Isabell by the grace of God queene of England ladie of Ireland and countesse of Pontieu and of Edward eldest sonne to the king of England duke of Guien earle of Chester of Pontieu and of Muttrell This letter being directed to the maior and communaltie of London conteining in effect that the cause of their landing and entring into the realme at that line 60 time was onelie for the honor of the king and wealth of the realme meaning hurt to no maner of person but to the Spensers was fastened vpon the crosse in Cheape then called the new crosse in Cheape on the night before the ninth daie of October Diuerse copies of the same letter were set vp and fastened vpon windowes and doores in other places of the citie and one of the same copies was tacked vpon the lord maiors gates After which letter thus published in the citie a great number of artificers and other that loued not to sit in rest vpon such occasion of discord offered now that things were in broâ—le in other parts of the realme assembled in great numbers with weapon in hand came to the lord maior of the citie whom they knew to fauor the kings part therefore they forced him through feare of some iniurious violence to receiue an oth to stand to their ordinance which was to put to death all those that were aduersaries to the quéene or had by any meanes procured the hinderance of the cities liberties vnder pretext of which oth they ran and tooke one of the citizens called Iohn Marshall who bicause he was verie familiar with the earle of Glocester and therefore suspected to haue accused the citizens they stroke off his head and spoiled all his goods On the same day being the fourtéenth of October continuing their rage they ran to the house of the bishop of Excester Walter de Stapleton and setting fire on the gates they entred and spoiled him of all his plate iewels monie and goods And as it chanced in an infortunate houre for him the bishop being at the same time returning from the fields would not seeme to shrinke although he was admonished of these outragious attempts of the people but sitting on horssebacke came to the north doore of S. Paule where forthwith the furious people laid violent hands on him threw him downe and drew him most outragiouslie into Cheapeside where they proclamed him an open traitor a seducer of the king and a destroier of their liberties The bishop had vpon him a certeine cote of defense which was called an aketon the same therefore being plucked beside his backe as all other his garments they shore his head from his shoulders and to the like death they put two of his seruants the one an esquire and the other a yeoman The bishops head was set on a pole for a spectacle that the remembrance of his death and the cause thereof might continue His bodie was buried in an old churchyard of the pied friers without any manner of exequies of funerall seruice doone for him The chiefest cause of the enimitie which the Londoners bare towards this bishop rose hereof He being lord treasuror procured that the iustices itinerants did sit in the citie of London and where manie of the citizens were found offendors and iustlie punished as well by loosing their freedoms as by paieng their fines and suffering corporall punishments they conceiued a great displeasure towards him Moreouer it was said that he had raised a great multitude of armed men against the quéene and hir son the duke of Aquitaine and therefore did the Londoners as they affirmed seeke to preuent his proceedings ¶ The morrow after that they had thus beheaded the bishop of Excester they tooke by chance sir Iohn Weston constable of the tower and from him they tooke the keies of the same tower and so entering the tower they set all the prisoners at libertie and in like case all those that were imprisoned in maner through the land were permitted to go at large and all the banished men and outlawes were likewise restored home The Londoners hauing the tower thus at their commandement remooued all the officers therein placed by the king and put other in their roomes in the name of the lord Iohn de Eltham the kings son whom they named warden of the citie and land And yet they ceassed not to commit manie robberies other outragious most insolent parts In the meane time the king being come to Bristow left that citie in the kéeping of the earle of Winchester And with the earles of Glocester and Arundell and the lord chancellor sir Robert Baldocke he sailed ouer into Wales there to raise a power of Welshmen in defense of himselfe against the quéene and hir adherents which he had good hope to find amongest the Welshmen bicause he had euer vsed them gentlie and shewed no rigor towards them for their riotous misgouernance Againe he drew the rather into that part that if there were no remedie he might easilie escape ouer into Ireland and get into some mounteine-countrie marish-ground or other streict where his enimies should not come at him But now to speake of the queene yée most vnderstand that after she had receiued knowledge from the Londoners that they were wholie at hir deuotion line 10 she being glad thereof turned hir iournie toward Wales to follow the king and comming to Oxenford staied there a while and still came people to hir from all sides Héere Adam de Torleton the bishop of Hereford which latelie before had beene sore fined by the king for that he
but the archers of England sore galled the Scots so that there was an hard battell They began at nine of the clocke and continued still in fight till noone The Scots had sharpe and heauie axes gaue with the same great and mightie strokes howbeit finallie the Englishmen by the helpe of God obteined the victorie although they lost manie of their men There were diuerse line 10 of the nobles of Scotland slaine to the number of seuen earles beside lords The king was taken in the field sore wounded for he fought valiantlie He was prisoner to an esquier of Northumberland who as soone as he had taken him rode out of the field with him accompanied onelie with eight of his seruants and rested not till he came to his owne castell where he dwelled being thirtie miles distant from the place of the battell There was taken also beside him the earles of line 20 Fife Sutherland Wighton and Menteth the lord William Douglas the lord Uescie the archbishop of S. Andrewes and another bishop with sir Thomelin Foukes and diuerse other men of name There were slaine of one and other to the number of 15 thousand This battell was fought beside the citie of Durham at a place called Neuils crosse vpon a saturdaie next after the feast of saint Michaell in the yeare of our Lord 1346. Of this ouerthrow Christopher Okland hath verie commendablie written saieng line 30 haud omine dextro Iam Scotus intulerat vim Dunelmensibus agris Cùm formidandum saeuus bellum instruit Anglus Aggreditúrque hostem violantem foedera sacra Nominis incerti Scoticae plebs obuia gentis Sternitur tristi gladio cadit impia turba Frustrà obluctantur Scotiae comitésque ducésque Quorum pars iacet occumbens pars caetera capta Captiuum corpus dedit vincentibus auro Et pacto pretio redimendum bellicus vtmos line 40 Postulat At Dauid Scotiae rex captus ad vrbem Londinum fidei pendens dignissima fractae Supplicia adductus celebri concluditur arce Exiguus numerus volucri pede fisus equorum Effugit in patriam testis certissimus Anglos Deuicissesuos tristia funera narrant ¶ He that will sée more of this battell may find the same also set foorth in the Scotish historie as their writers haue written thereof And for somuch as by the circumstances of their writings it should séeme line 50 they kept the remembrance of the same battell perfectlie registred we haue in this place onelie shewed what other writers haue recorded of that matter and left that which the Scotish chronicles write to be seene in the life of king Dauid without much abridging therof The Englishmen after this victorie thus obteined tooke the castels of Roxburgh and Hermitage and also without any resistance subdued the countries of Anandale Galloway Mers Tiuidale and Ethrike forrest extending their marches line 60 foorth at that time vnto Cokburnes Peth and Sowtray hedge and after vnto Trarlinlips and crosse Caue The queene of England being certeinelie informed that the king of Scots was taken that Iohn Copland had conueied him out of the field no man vnderstood to what place she incontinentlie wrote to him commanding him foorthwith to bring his prisoner king Dauid vnto hir presence but Iohn Copland wrote to hir againe for a determinate answer that he would not deliuer his prisoner the said king Dauid vnto any person liuing man or woman except onelie to the king of England his souereigne lord and master Herevpon the quéene wrote letters to the king signifieng to him both of the happie victorie chanced to his people against the Scots and also of the demeanor of Iohn Copland in deteining the Scotish king King Edward immediatlie by letters commanded Iohn Copland to repaire vnto him where he laie at siege before Calis which with all conuenient spéed he did and there so excused himselfe of that which the queene had found hirselfe greeued with him for deteining the king of Scots from hir that the king did not onelie pardon him but also gaue to him fiue hundred pounds sterling of yearelie rent to him to his heires for euer in reward of his good seruice and valiant prowes and made him esquire for his bodie commanding him yet vpon his returne into England to deliuer king Dauid vnto the queene which he did and so excused himselfe also vnto hir that she was therewith satisfied and contented Then the quéene after she had taken order for the safe kéeping of the king of Scots and good gouernement of the realme tooke the sea and sailed ouer to the king hir husband still lieng before Calis Whilest Calis was thus besieged by the king of England the Flemings which had latelie before besieged Betwine and had raised from thence about the same time that the battell was fought at Cressie now assemble togither againe and dooing what damage they might against the Frenchmen on the borders they laie siege vnto the towne of Aire Moreouer they wrought so for the king of England earnestlie requiring their fréendship in that behalfe that their souereigne lord Lewes earle of Flanders being as then about fifteene yeares of age fianced the ladie Isabell daughter to the king of England more by constraint indeed of his subiects than for any good will he bare to the king of England for he would often saie and openlie protest that he would neuer marrie hir whose father had slaine his but there was no remedie for the Flemings kept him in maner as a prisoner till he granted to follow their aduise But the same weeke that the mariage was appointed to be solemnized the earle as he was abroad in hawking at the hearon stale awaie and fled into France not staieng to ride his horsse vpon the spurs till he came into Arthois and so dishonorablie disappointed both the king of England and his owne naturall subiects the Flemings to their high displeasure While the king laie thus before Calis diuerse lords and knights came to sée him out of Flanders Brabant Heinault and Almaigne Amongst other came the lord Robert of Namur and was reteined with the king as his seruant the king giuing him thrée hundred pounds sterling of yearelie pension out of his coffers to be paid at Bruges During the time that the siege thus continued before Calis the lord Charles de Blois that named himselfe duke of Britaine was taken before a castell in Britaine called la Roch Darien and his armie discomfited chéeflie by the aid of that valiant English knight sir Thomas Dagworth who had beene sent from the siege of Calis by king Edward to assist the countesse of Montfort and other his fréends against the said Charles de Blois that with a gret armie of Frenchmen and Britains had the same time besieged the said castell of Roch Darien cōstreining them within in such forceable maner that they stood in great néed of
knights of England Poictou and other countries as the vicounts of Chatelareault and Rochcort the lords of Partnie Pinan Taneboton and others sir Richard Pontchardon sir Thomas Spenser sir Iohn Grendon and a great sort more whose names it would be too long to rehearse The rereward was vnder the gouernance of the king of Malorques with him were associat the earls of Arminacke Dalbreth Piergort Gominges the capitoll of Buefz sir Robert Knols and manie other valiant lords knights and esquiers On the second day of Aprill the prince with his battell thus ordered remoued from Groigne and marching that day two leagues forward came before Nauarret and there tooke his lodging within a small distance from his enimies so that both parties prepared to giue battell the next day in the morning commanding that euerie man at the sounding of the first trumpet should apparell themselues that they might be readie vpon the next sound to be set in order of battell and to go against their enimies The Spaniards very earlie in the morning drew into the field and ordeined thrée battels in this wise The first was led by sir Berthram de Cleaquin wherein were all the Frenchmen and other strangers to the numbâ—r of foure thousand knights and esquiers well armed and appointed after the manner of France In the second battell was the earle Dom Tielle with his brother the lord Sanches hauing with them fifteene thousand men on foot and on horssebacke The third battell and the greatest of all was gouerned by king Henrie himselfe hauing in that battell seuen thousand horssemen and threescore thousand footmen with crossebowes darts speares lances and other abillements of war so in all three battels he had fourescore and six thousand men on horssebacke and on foot The prince of Wales at the breaking of the daie was readie in the field with his people arranged in order of battell and aduanced forward with them toward his enimies an hosting pace and as they passed a little hill they might sée as they were descending downe the same their enimies comming likewise line 10 towards them in good order of battell When they were approached neere togither and readie to ioine the duke of Lancasters battell incountered with the battell of sir Berthram de Cleaquin which two battels verie eagerlie assailed each other so that there was betwixt them a sore conflict and well continued The erle Dom Teille and his brother the lord Sanches vpon the first approach of the princes battell towards them fled out of the field and with them two thousand speares so that the residue of their battell line 20 were shortlie after discomfited for the capitall of Buz otherwise Beuf and the lord Clisson came vpon them on foot and slue and hurt manie of them so that they brake their arraie and fled to saue themselues This chance discomforted the hearts of the Spaniards right sore but yet king Henrie like a valiant gentleman came forward and incouraged his men all that he might so that there was a cruell battell line 30 and well foughten a long time For the Spaniards with slings cast stones in such fierce manner that they claue therewith manie an helmet and bassenet hurt manie and ouerthrew them to the earth On the other part the English archers shot freshlie at their enimies galled and slue the Spaniards and brought them to great confusion yet king Henrie nothing abashed herewith wheresoeuer he perceiued his men to shrinke thither he resorted calling vpon them and exhorting them to remember their estimations and line 40 duties so that by his diligence and manfull incouragement thrise that daie did he staie his people being at point to giue ouer and set them in the faces of his enimies againe Neither did the souldiers alone manfullie behaue themselues but the capteins also stoutlie laid about them King Peter like a lion pressed forward coueting to méet with his brother Henrie that he might séeke his reuenge on him with his owne hands Cruell was the fight and tried throughlie with most eger and fierce minds line 50 At length when the Spaniards were no longer able to susteine the force and violence of the Englishmen Gascoignes other which were there against them they brake their arraie and fled so that neither the authoritie nor bold exhortation of king Henrie could cause them to tarrie anie longer wherevpon when he saw himselfe forsaken of his people and that few abode with him to resist his enimies he also to saue himselfe fled out of the field being fullie persuaded that if he had béene taken no ransome line 60 should haue saued his life The battell that was best fought and longest held togither was that of the strangers which sir Berthram de Cleaquin led For if the Spaniards had doone halfe their parts as well as the Frenchmen other in this battell the matter had gone harder against the Englishmen than it did yet finallie by the noble courage of the duke of Lancaster and the valiant prowesse of sir Iohn Chandois sir Hugh Caluerlie others the Frenchmen were put to flight and their battell quite discomfited The slaughter in this battell was great both of them that were slaine in the field and of those that were drowned in the riuer that runneth by the towne of Nauarret After that the battell was ended and that such as had followed the chase were returned the prince caused the fields to be searched to vnderstand what number had béene slaine in the battell they that were appointed to take the view vpon their returne reported that there was dead of men of armes fiue hundred and thréescore and of commons about seauen thousand and fiue hundred of the English part there were slaine of men of name but foure knights two Gascoignes one Almaine and the fourth an Englishman and of other meane souldiers not past fortie as Froissard saith But others affirme that there were slaine of the princes part about sixtéene hundred which should séeme to be more like a truth if the battell was fought so sore and fiercelie as Froissard himselfe dooth make report Howbeit there be that write how the duke of Lancaster wan the field by great fortune and valiancie yet the prince came neere to his enimies But howsoeuer it was the Englishmen obteined the victorie in this battell fought on a saturdaie being the third of Aprill in the yeare 1367. There were taken prisoners to the number of two thousand and amongst them the erle of Dene sir Berthram de Cleaquin the marshall Dandrehen or Odenhen and manie other men of name After the battell king Peter went to Burgus and was receiued into the citie and shortlie after that is to say on the wednesdaie folowing the prince came thither and there held his Easter with king Peter and tarried there aboue thrée weekes In the meane time they of Asturgus Toledo Lisbone Cordoua Galice Siuill and of all
in the beginning of this parlement were openlie called Robert Uéer duke of Ireland Alexander Neuill archbishop of Yorke Michaell de la Poole earle of Suffolke sir Robert Trisilian lord cheefe iustice of England to answer Thomas of Woodstoke duke of Glocester Richard earle of Arundell Henrie earle of Derbie and Thomas earle of Notingham vpon certeine articles of high treason which these lords did charge them with And forsomuch as none of these appeared it was ordeined by the whole assent of the parlement that they should be banished for euer and their lands and goods mooueable and vnmooueable to be forfeit and seized into the kings hands their lands intailed onelie excepted Shortlie after was the lord chéefe iustice Robert Trisilian found in an apothecaries house at Westminster lurking there to vnderstand by spies dailie what was doone in the parlement he was descried by one of his owne men and so taken and brought to the duke of Glocester who caused him forthwith the same daie to be had to the tower and from thence drawne to Tiburne and there hanged On the morrow after sir Nicholas Brambre that sometime had beene maior of London was brought foorth to iudgement and condemned although he had manie fréends that made sute to saue his life This man had doone manie oppressions within the citie of London as was reported In his maioraltie he caused great monstruous stocks to be made to imprison men therein and also a common axe to strike off the heads of them which should resist his will and pleasure for he was so highlie in the kings fauour that he might doo what he would And the report went that he had caused eight thousand or more to be indicted which before had taken part with the lords intending to haue put them all to death if God had not shortened his daies Manie other euill fauoured reports went abroad of him as that he meant to haue changed the name of London and to haue named it little Troie of which citie baptised with that new name he purposed to be intituled duke But these were forged rumors deuised and spred abroad in those daies as manie other were partlie by the vaine imagination of the people and partlie of purpose to bring those whome the king fauoured further out of the peoples liking But now touching sir Nicholas Brambre in the end being thus called to answer his transgressions he was found giltie and had iudgement neither to be hanged nor drawne but to be beheaded with his owne are which before he had deuised seruing him heerein as Phalaris the tyrant sometime serued Perillus the inuentor of that exquisite line 10 torment of the brasen bull wherein the offendor being put and the counterfet beast by force of fier made glowing hot hauing his toong first cut out through extreamitie of paine made a bellowing alwaies as he cried as if it had béene the verie noise of a naturall bull Of which strange torment Perillus himselfe first tasted suffering death by an engine of his owne deuising which he thought should haue purchased him a good liuing whereof the poet saith Vâ— Phalaris tauro violentus membra Perilli line 20 Torruit infelix imbuit autor opus After this sir Iohn Salisburie sir Iames Berneis both knights and lustie yoong men were by iudgement of parlement drawne and hanged Then folowed Iohn Beauchampe of the Holt lord steward of the kings house that had serued king Edward the third and his sonne Lionell duke of Clarence who likewise by decrée of this parlement was drawne and hanged Also Iohn Blake esquier who in an infortunate houre stood against the lords in the councell line 30 at Notingham was now drawne and hanged and so was one Thomas Uske Last of all or as some hold first of all was sir Simon Burlie beheaded although the earle of Derbie did what he could to saue his life by reason whereof great dissention rose betwixt the said earle and the duke of Glocester for the duke being a sore and a right seuere man might not by any meanes be remooued from his opinion and purpose if he once resolued vpon any matter Some spite he bare as was thought towards the line 40 said sir Simon Burlie both as well for the faithfull fréendship which was growne betwixt the duke of Ireland and the said sir Simon as also for that he looked to haue had such offices and roomes which sir Simon inioied by the kings gratious fauour and grants thereof to him made as the Wardenship of the cinque ports and constableship of the castell of Douer and the office of high chamberleine ¶ But now bicause of all these which were condemned and executed at this parlement in our common chronicles there is least written and in Froissard and line 50 diuerse priuate pamphlets I haue read most of this sir Simon I haue thought good to set downe some part of his life so largelie as this volume may well beare although a great deale more briefe than where I found it This sir Simon was the son of sir Iohn Burlie knight of the garter and brought vp in his youth vnder his kinsman doctor Walter Burlie who as in the latter end of king Edward the third you haue heard was one of the chiefe that had charge in line 60 the bringing vp of the Blacke prince eldest sonne to the said king Edward By this occasion he grew into such fauour with the prince that afterwards the said prince committed vnto him the gouernance of his sonne Richard of Burdeaux who as he was of a genâ—le and courteous nature began then to conceiue so great loue and liking towards him that when he came to the crowne and was king he aduanced him highlie to great honours and promotions in somuch that at one time other he was made knight of the gartâ—r constable of Douer lord Waâ—den of the cinque ports lord chamberleine earle of Huntington and also one of the priuie councell to the king Neither was there any thing doone concerning the affaires apperteining vnto the state without his counsell appointment and direction wherein he so much fauoured and leaned to the partie of the duke of Ireland that he was sore enuied and greatlie hated of diuerse of the rest of the nobilitie speciallie of the kings vncle the duke of Glocester who vpon malice that he bare to the man not so much for his owne demeanour as for his alies and peraduenture for desire of his roomes more than of his life caused him to be accused of diuerse offenses against the crowne realme and church namelie for that he had as they surmized against him spoiled and wasted the kings treasure and withholden the paie of the souldiers and men of warre wherevpon he was arrested called to account hauing no clerke allowed him to make vp the same was found in arrerages 250000 franks And although for one part thereof he demanded allowance of monie which be had
Robert duke of Bauier and countée palantine of the Rhene had instituted about that season Richard Northall sonne to a maior of London as is said of that name he became a Carmelite frier in the same citie Thomas Edwardson prior of the friers Augustines at Clare in Suffolke Iohn Summer a Franciscane frier at Bridgewater an enimie to the Wickliuists Richard Withée a learned priest an earnest follower of Wickliffe Iohn Swafham a Carmelite frier of Lin a student in Cambridge who became bishop of Bangor a great aduersarie to the Wickliuists Finallie and to conclude William Egumond a frier heremit of the sect of the Augustins in Stamford Iohn Tissington a Franciscane frier a mainteiner of the popes doctrine William Rimston or Rimington a moonke of Salleie an enimie also to the Wickliuists Adam Eston well séene in the toongs was made a cardinall by pope Gregorie the eleauenth but by pope Urban the sixt he was committed to prison in Genoa and at the contemplation of king Richard he was taken out of prison but not fullie deliuered till the daies of Boniface the ninth who restored him to his former dignitie Iohn Beaufu a Carmelite of Northampton proceeded doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford and was made prior of his house Roger Twiford aliàs Goodlucke an Augustine frier Iohn Treuise a Cornishman borne and a secular préest and vicar of Berklie he translated the bible Bartholomew De proprietatibus rerum Polychronicon of Ranulph Higden and diuerse other treatises Rafe Spalding a Carmelite frier of Stamford Iohn moone an Englishman borne but a student in Paris who compiled in the French toong the Romant of the Rose translated into English by Geffrie Chaucer William Shirborne Richard Wichingham borne in Norffolke and diuerse other Thus farre Richard of Burdeaux whose depriuation you haue heard of his lamentable death hereafter to wit pag. 516 517. Henrie the fourth cousine germane to Richard the second latelie depriued WHen king Richard had resigned as before is specified line 40 the scepter and crowne Henrie Plantagenet borne at Bullingbroke in the countie of Lincolne duke of Lancaster and Hereford earle of Derbie Leicester and Lincolne sonne to Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster with generall consent both of the lords commons was published proclamed and declared king of England and of France and lord of Ireland the last line 50 daie of September in the yeare of the world 5366 of our Lord 1399 of the reigne of the emperour Wenceslaus the two and twentith of Charles the sixt king of France the twentith and the tenth of Robert the third king of Scots After that king Richard had surrendered his title and dispossessed himselfe which Chr. Okl. noteth in few words saieng post breue tempus Exüit insigni sese diademate sceptrum Henrico Lancastrensi regale relinquens King Henrie made certeine new officers And first in right of his earledome of Leicester he gaue the office of high steward of England belonging to the same earledome vnto his second sonne the lord Thomas who by his fathers commandement exercised that office being assisted by reason of his tender age by Thomas Persie earle of Worcester The earle of Northumberland was made constable of England sir Iohn Scirlie lord chancellor Iohn Norburie esquier lord treasuror sir Richard Clifford lord priuie seale Forsomuch as by king Richards resignation and the admitting of a new king all plées in euerie court and place were ceased and without daie discontinued new writs were made for summoning of the parlement vnder the name of king Henrie the fourth the same to be holden as before was appointed on mondaie next insuing Upon the fourth day of October the lord Thomas second sonne to the king sat as lord high steward of England by the kings commandement in the White-hall of the line 10 kings palace at Westminster and as belonged to his office he caused inquirie to be made what offices were to be exercised by anie maner of persons the daie of the kings coronation and what fées were belonging to the same causing proclamation to be made that what noble man or other that could claime anie office that daie of the solemnizing the kings coronation they should come and put in their bils cōprehending their demands Whervpon diuers offices fees were claimed as well by bils as otherwise line 20 by spéech of mouth in forme as here insueth First the lord Henrie the kings eldest sonne to whome he as in right of his duchie of Lancaster had appointed that office claimed to beare before the king the principall sword called Curtana and had his sute granted Iohn erle of Summerset to whom the king as in right of his earledome of Lincolne had granted to be caruer the daie of his coronation and had it confirmed Henrie Persie earle of Northumberland and high constable of England by the line 30 kings grant claimed that office and obteined it to inioy at pleasure The same earle in right of the I le of Man which at that present was granted to him and to his heires by the king claimed to beare on the kings left side a naked sword with which the king was girded when before his coronation he entered as duke of Lancaster into the parts of Holdernesse which sword was called Lancasters sword Rafe erle of Westmerland and earle marshall of England by the kings grant claimed the same office and obteined line 40 it notwithstanding that the attornies of the duke of Norfolke presented to the lord steward their petition on the dukes behalfe as earle marshall to exercise the same Sir Thomas Erpingham knight exercised the office of lord great Chamberleine and gaue water to the king when he washed both before and after dinner hauing for his fées the bason ewer and towels with other things whatsoeuer belonging to his office notwithstanding Auberie de Ueer earle of Oxenford put in his petitions to haue that line 50 office as due vnto him from his ancestors Thomas Beauchampe earle of Warwike by right of inheritance bare the third sword before the king and by like right was pantler at the coronation Sir William Argentine knight by reason of the tenure of his manour of Wilmundale in the countie of Hertford serued the king of the first cup of drinke which he tasted of at his dinner the daie of his coronation the cup was of siluer vngilt which the same knight had for his fées notwithstanding the petition which line 60 Iuon Fitzwarren presented to the lord steward requiring that office in right of his wife the ladie Maud daughter and heire to sir Iohn Argentine knight Sir Thomas Neuill lord Furniuall by reason of his manour of Ferneham with the hamlet of Cere which he held by the courtesie of England after the decesse of his wife the ladie Ione decessed gaue to the king a gloue for his right hand and susteined the kings right arme
word of surrendring the towne line 20 or of comming to anie composition or agréement with the two kings except they made him being their capteine priuie thereto before they attempted anie such thing ¶ In the meane season the French queene the queene of England and the duches of Burgognie lieng at Corbeill came diuerse times to visit their husbands and to sée their fréends whome the king of England highlie feasted and louinglie interteined that euerie creature reported great honour of him This towne of Melun séemed verie line 30 strong both by reason of the riuer of Seine which compassed part thereof and also by strong walles turrets ditches and bulworks made about it The king therefore to take awaie all the issues and entries from them within made a bridge ouer the riuer able to beare horsses and carriage and againe appointed diuerse botes furnished with men of warre to kéepe the streame so that they within should haue no waie to come abroad either by water or land yet on a daie the Frenchmen sailed foorth line 40 and assailed the English lodgings where the earle of Warwike was incamped on the east side of the towne not farre from the duke of Burgognie but by the valiant prowesse and manlie courage of the Englishmen the enimies were easilie beaten backe and constreined to retire into the towne againe with their losse Héere is to be remembred that during this siege before Melun there came to the king the duke of Bauiere the kings brother in law but the kings sister that had beene married to him was line 50 not then liuing and brought with him seauen hundred well appointed horssemen which were reteined to serue the king and right worthilie they bare themselues and therefore most liberallie recompensed at the kings hand for the time they continued in his seruice The king inforced this siege by all waies and meanes possible to bring the towne into subiection as well by mines as otherwise but they within the line 60 towne so valiantlie behaued themselues as well by countermines whereby at length they entered into the kings mines as by other waies of resistance that by force of assaults it was not thought anie easie matter to win the same It fortuned on a daie that whilest there rose a contention betwixt two lords of the kings host who should haue the honor to go first into the mine to incounter with the Frenchmen that now had brought their mine through into the English mines and made barriers betwixt that they might safelie come and fight with the Englishmen the king to auoid the strife entered the mine himselfe first of all other and by chance came to fight hand to hand with the lord Barbason who was likewise entered the mine before all other of them within the towne After they had fought a good season togither at length they agreed to discouer either to other their names so as the lord Barbason first declaring what he was the king likewise told him that he was the king of England Wherevpon Barbason perceiuing with whome he had fought caused the barriers foorthwith to be closed and withdrew into the citie and the king returned backe to his campe At length vittels within the towne began to faile and the pestilence began to wax hot so that the lord Barbason began to treat and in conclusion about the middest of Nouember as Fabian saith the towne was yeelded vpon certeine conditions where of one was that all that were consenting to the death of the duke of Burgognie should be deliuered to the king of England of whome the lord Barbason was suspected to be one The king sent them vnder the conduct of his brother the duke of Clarence to the citie of Paris whereof the French king made him capteine and so at his comming thither he tooke possession of the Bastill of S. Anthonie the Loure the house of Néelle and the place of Bois de Uincennes Monsieur de Barbason was accused by the duke of Burgognie and his sisters as guiltie to their fathers death but he in open court defended himselfe as not guiltie of that crime granting indeed and confessing that he was one of the familiar seruants to the Dolphin but that he was priuie or consenting to the death of the duke of Burgognie he vtterlie denied Wherevpon he was not condemned neither yet acquited by reason of such presumptions and coniectures as were alledged and brought against him so that he remained in prison at Paris and else-where the space of nine yeares till at length being brought vnto castell Galliard it chanced that the same castell was woone by those of the Dolphins part and he being as then prisoner there escaped out of danger and so by that means was set at libertie as after shall appeare Some write that he had béene put to death if he had not appealed from king Henries sentence vnto the iudgement of the officers at armes alledging that by the lawe of armes no man hauing his brother in armes within his danger afterwards ought to put him to death for any cause or quarell And that he was the kings brother in armes he prooued it for that he had fought with him hand to hand within the mines as before yee haue heard which combat was thought of equall force by the heralds as if he had fought with the king bodie to bodie within solemne lists The credit of this matter we leaue to the consideration of the readers The earle of Huntington was made capteine of Melum In defense of this towne and castell the French had gotten vnto them manie Scots At the siege héere the king kept with him yoong Iames of Scotland who sent to those Scots that they should come out and yéeld them vnto him and not to stand in armes against their liege lord and king but they gaue word backe againe they could not take him for king that was in the power of another and so kept them in hold and in their armor still King Henrie vpon winning of these forts for their rebellion against their prince which they would haue to be counted constancie and for their contemptuous answer vnto him twentie of the proudest in example of the rest caused he there to be hanged at once From thence the king departed with his armie vnto Corbeill where the French king and the two queenes then soiourned and after both the kings accompanied with the dukes of Bedford Burgognie Glocester and Excester and the earls of Warwike and Salisburie with a great number of noble men and knights set foorth towards Paris whome the citizens in good order met without the gates and the cleargie also with solemne procession All the streets were hanged with rich clothes the two kings rode togither the king of England giuing the vpper hand to his father in lawe through the great citie of Paris to our ladie church where after they had said their deuotions they departed vnto their
safetie After that Trois was yéelded the communaltie of Chaalons rebelled against sir Iohn Aubemond their capteine and constreined him to deliuer the towne vpon like composition In semblable manner did they of Reimes desiring him to giue safe conduct to all the Englishmen safelie to depart When Reimes was thus become French the foresaid Charles the Dolphin in the presence of the dukes of Lorraine and Barre and of all the noble men of his faction was sacred there king of France by the name of Charles the seauenth with all rites and ceremonies thereto belonging They of Auxerre when the terme of their appointment was expired submitted themselues to him and so likewise did all the cities and townes adioining The duke of Bedford aduertised of all these dooings line 10 assembled his power about him and hauing togither ten thousand good Englishmen beside Normans departed out of Paris in warlike fashion passing thorough Brie to Monstreau fault Yonne sent by his herald Bedford letters to the French king signifieng to him that where he had contrarie to the finall conclusion accorded betwéene his noble brother K. Henrie the fift king Charles the sixt father to him that was the vsurper by allurement of a diuelish witch taken vpon him the name title dignitie line 20 of the king of France and further had by murther stealing craft and deceitfull meanes violentlie gotten and wrongfullie kept diuerse cities and townes belonging to the king of England his nephue for proofe thereof he was come downe from Paris with his armie into the countrie of Brie by dint of sword and stroke of battell to prooue his writing and cause true willing his enimie to choose the place and in the same he would giue him battell The new French king being come from Reimes to Dampmartine studieng how to compasse them line 30 of Paris was halfe abashed at this message But yet to set a good countenance on the matter he answered the herald that he would sooner séeke his maister than his maister should néed to pursue him The duke of Bedford hearing this answer marched toward the king and pitched his field in a strong place The French king though at the first he meant to haue abidden battell yet when he vnderstood that the duke was equall to him in number of people he changed line 40 his purpose and turned with his armie a little out of the waie The duke of Bedford perceiuing his faint courage followed him by the hils and dales till he came to a town not far from Senlis where he found the French king and his armie lodged wherefore he ordered his battels like an expert cheefteine in martiall science setting the archers before and himselfe with the noblemen in the maine battell and put the Normans on both sides for wings The French king also ordered his battels with the aduise of his line 50 capteins Thus these two armies laie two daies and two nights either in sight of other without anie great dooing except a few skirmishes wherein the dukes light horssemen did verie valiantlie At length in the dead of the night as priuilie as might be the French king brake vp his campe and fled to Braie The duke of Bedford had much adoo to staie his people in the morning from pursuit of the French armie but for that he mistrusted the Parisiens he would not depart line 60 farre from that citie and so returned thither againe ¶ In this season pope Martin the fift of that name meaning to subdue the Bohemers that dissented from the church of Rome in matters of religion appointed Henrie Beaufort Bishop of Winchester cardinall of saint Eusebie to be his legat in an armie that should inuade the kingdome of Boheme and to bring a power of men with him out of England And because the warre touched religion he licenced the cardinall to take the tenth part of euerie spirituall dignitie benefice and promotion This matter was opened in the parlement house and assented to wherevpon the bishop gathered the monie and assembled foure thousand men aboue not without great grudge of the people which dailie were with tallages and aids wearied and sore burdened As this bishop was come to Douer readie to passe the seas ouer into Flanders the duke of Glocester hauing receiued letters from the duke of Bedford conteining an earnest request to reléeue him with some spéedie aid of men of warre was constreined to write vnto the bishop of Winchester willing him in time of such néed when all stood vpon losse or gaine to passe with all his armie toward the duke of Bedford to assist him against his aduersaries which thing doone and to his honour atchiued he might performe his iournie against the vngratious Bohemers The cardinall though not well contented with this countermand yet least he should run into the note of infamie if he refused to aid the regent of France in so great a cause passed ouer with his power and brought the same vnto his coosine to the citie of Paris About the same season the French king in hope to be receiued into the townes of Campaigne and Beauuois by reason of the fauour and good will which the inhabitants bare towards him was come with an armie towards Campaigne Whereof the duke of Bedford being aduertised and hauing now his host augmented with the new supplie which the cardinall had of late brought vnto him marched forward with great speed toward the place where he vnderstood the French king was lodged and comming to Senlis he perceiued how his enimies were incamped vpon the mount Pilioll betweene Senlis and Campaigne Here might either armie behold the other wherevpon for the auoiding of dangers that might insue the campes were trenched and the battel 's pitched and the fields ordered as though they should haue tried the matter by battell but nothing was doone except with skirmishes in the which the Normans sore vexed the Frenchmen and therefore receiued great commendations praises of the lord regent who vndoubtedlie determined to haue giuen battell to his enimies if they would haue abidden it But after the armies had thus lien ether in sight of other for the space of two daies togither the French king not determining to aduenture in an open battell the whole chance of the game least he might thereby receiue a perpetuall checkemate in the night season remooued his campe and fled to Crespie though his number was double to the English armie The duke of Bedford séeing that the French king was thus cowardlie recoiled with all his power and armie returned againe to Paris euer suspecting the deceitfull faith of the Parisiens The bishop of Winchester after that the French king was retreated backe went into Boheme and there did somewhat though shortlie after without anie great praise or gaine he returned into England more glad of his comming backe than of his aduancing forward Anon after the pope vnlegated him and set an other in his
kings absence appeased diuerse riots and punished the offendors the king with a great power tooke shipping at Douer on saint Georges euen within night and landed at Calis on the morrow being saint Georges daie and sundaie by seuen of the clocke in the morning He remained in Calis a good space and from thence he remoued to Rone being there receiued with all triumph He taried in that citie a long time his nobles dailie consulting on their great businesse weightie affaires ¶ In this kings time somewhat about this yeare a certeine Breton whome a good honest widow had receiued into hir house and conceiued well of him in opinion was by hir mainteined of hir owne pursse as Polychronicon saith she found him of almes and for Gods sake This charitable deed of hirs deserued a deuout mind to God ward and a thankfull hart to hir But good soule how was she recompensed Euen murthered in hir bed by the hands of that villaine whome so bountifullie she succoured and motherlike tendered Unto which bloudie fact which was a preparatiue to a further mischeefe bred in his vnnaturall hart he added another offense for when he had dispatched the woman vsing the riddance of hir to his aduantage and as he had obteined oportunitie to his thinking he conueied all that she had awaie with him for his owne releefe Then being persecuted with guiltinesse of conscience which troubleth offendors with ceaslesse vexations and forceth them from place to place to séeke corners of euasion and shift he tooke priuilege of holie church at saint Georges in Southwarke where laieng hands on the crosse as a shield of sufficient safegard he abiured this land and by that meanes thought himselfe frée from afterclaps Neuerthelesse God whose mercifull nature abhorreth the effusion of mans bloud prepared a punishment for the malefactor who passing through the suburbs of London without Algate the place where he had committed the murther the women of the same parish and stréet as it were inraged came out with stones staues kenell doong and other things wherewith they so bethwackt him on all parts of his bodie that they laid him a stretching and rid him quite of life In the wreking of this their teene they were so fell and fierce that the constables with their assistants which were no small number dooing what they could by their authoritie and maine strength were not able to rescue him out of the womens hands who had sworne in their hearts as it séemed by the maner of their reuenge which was void of all mercie to sée the end of such a villaine as most vnnaturallie had slaine a woman a neighbour a widow a pitifull woman a good neighbour an honest widow the wretch himselfe being a fugitiue a stranger borne a begger and he to whome she shewed hir selfe the staffe of his support O singular ingratitude which nature abhorreth law dissalloweth heauen disclaimeth line 10 God detesteth humanitie condemneth and euerie good bodie to the verie death defieth as the old distichon excellentlie and with good sense noteth Lex natura coelum Deus omnia iura Damnant ingratum moerent illum quoque natum But to returne to the affaires of king Henrie who in the moneth of Nouember remooued from Rone to Pontoise and so to saint Denis to the intent to make his entrie into Paris and there to be sacred king of France There were in his companie of his line 20 owne nation his vncle the cardinall of Winchester the cardinall and archbishop of Yorke the dukes of Bedford Yorke and Norffolke the earles of Warwike Salisburie Oxenford Huntington Ormond Mortaigne and Suffolke Of Gascoigns there were the earles of Longuille and Marche besides manie other noble men of England Guien and Normandie And the chéefe of the French nation were the dukes of Burgognie and Lewes of Lutzenburgh cardinall and chancellor of France for king Henrie line 30 the bishops of Beauuois and Noion both péeres of France beside the bishop of Paris and diuerse other bishops the earle of Uaudemount and other noble men whose names were superfluous to rehearse And he had in a gard about his person three thousand price archers some on horssebacke and part on foot To speake with what honour he was receiued into the citie of Paris what pageants were prepared and how richlie the gates streets and bridges on euerie line 40 side were hanged with costlie clothes of arras tapestrie it would be too long a processe and therefore I doo héere passe it ouer with silence On the seauentéenth daie of December he was crowned king of France in our ladie church of Paris by the cardinall of Winchester the bishop of Paris not being contented that the cardinall should doo such an high ceremonie in his church and iurisdiction After all the ceremonies were finished the king returned toward the palace hauing one crowne on his head and another line 50 borne before him and one scepter in his hand and the second borne before him As touching other the roiall seruices and princelie appointments they are verie diligentlie at large set out in the French chronicle of that time This coronation of the king Anglorum praelia as manie other good and memorable matters so this also he hath noted saieng thereof in comelie breuitie and truth as after followeth Aeternae famae paulo post rege sepulto Parisijs diadema vias compita circum line 60 Iunior Henricus portat lepidissimus infans This high and ioious feast passed not without some spot of displeasure among the English nobilitie for the cardinall of Winchester which at this time would haue no man be equall with him commanded the duke of Bedford to leaue off the name of regent during the time that the king was in France affirming the cheefe ruler being in presence the authoritie of the substitute to be cleerelie derogate according to the common saieng In the presence of the higher power the smaller giueth place The duke of Bedford tooke such a secret displeasure with this dooing that he neuer after fauoured the cardinall but stood against him in all things that he would haue forward This was the root as some haue thought of that diuision amongst the English nobilitie where through their glorie within the realme of France began first to decline The next daie after the solemne feast of the kings coronation were kept triumphant iusts and torneis in the which the earle of Arundell and the bastard of S. Paule by the iudgement of the ladies woone the price The king kept open hall the space of fiue daies to all commers and after bicause the aire of Paris séemed contrarie to his pure complexion by the aduise of his councell he remooued to Rone where he kept his Christmasse But before his departure from Paris the noble men as well of France and Normandie did to him homage and the common people sware to him fealtie In this meane time
Bale it should appeare he became a frier Carmelit in Bristow Henrie Wichingham a Carmelit frier of Norwich a notable diuine a great preacher and wrote also sundrie treatises of diuinitie Iohn Lidgate a monke of Burie an excellent poet and chiefe in his time in that facultie of all other that practised the same within this land he trauelled thorough France and Italie to learne the languages and sciences how greatlie he profited in atteining to knowledge the workes which he wrote doo sufficientlie testifie Nicholas Hostresham an excellent physician Iohn Blackeneie a religious man of the order of the Trinitie intituled De redemptione captiuorum and prior of an house of the same order at Ingham in Norffolke he was surnamed Blackeneie of the towne where he was borne Thomas Beckington bishop of Bath wrote against the law Salique by which law the Frenchmen would seclude the princes of this realme from their title vnto the crowne of France Iohn Baringham a Carmelite frier of Gippeswich in Suffolke Dauid Bois borne in Wales and a frier Carmelit professed in Glocester a doctor of diuinitie Iohn Brome an Augustine frier Michaell Trigurie a Cornishman borne whome for his excellencie and learning king Henrie the fift appointed to be gouernour of that schoole or vniuersitie which he instituted in the citie of Caen in Normandie after he had brought it vnder his subiection Iohn Amundisham a moonke of saint Albons Oswald Anglicus a moonke of the Chartreux order Iohn Keningale a Carmelit frier of Norwich Peter De sancta line 10 fide a Carmelit also of Norwich Reginald Pecocke bishop of Chichester of whome ye haue heard before he was borne in Wales and student in Oriall college in Oxenford where he procéeded doctor of diuinitie he wrote manie treatises touching the christian religion Iohn surnamed Burie of the towne where he was borne an Augustine frier in the towne of Clare in Suffolke Robert Fleming a man perfect in the Gréeke and Latine toong among whose works some haue line 20 béene séene vnder these titles namelie Lucubrationum Tiburtinarm lib. 1. a dictionarie in Gréeke and Latine and a worke in verse of sundrie kinds this man was of most fame in the yeare of our Lord 1470 which was in the tenth yeare of Edward the fourth though he were not obscure also in the daies of this Henrie the sixt Thomas Gascoigne borne at Hunfléete in Yorkeshire of that worshipfull familie of the Gascoignes there a doctor of diuinitie and chancellor of the vniuersitie of Oxenford William Stapilhart borne in Kent but by profession a white frier line 30 in London Robert Fimingham borne in Norffolke a Franciscan frier in Norwich Nicholas Montacute an historiographer Iohn Chandler chancellor of Welles William Botoner descended of a good house a knight by degrée and borne in Bristow verie studious in antiquities and other sciences Iohn Stow a monke of Norwich but student in Oxenford where he procéeded doctor of diuinitie Thomas Langleie a monke of Hulme Nicholas Bungeie borne in a towne of Norffolke of that line 40 name wrote an historie called Adunationes chronicorum Henrie Beauford bishop of Winchester base sonne to Iohn duke of Lancaster of whome before we haue made sufficient mention made cardinall by pope Martine the fourth in the yeare 1426 Adam Homlington a Carmelit frier William Coppinger maister of the vniuersitie of Oxenford Thomas Stacie an expert mathematician and no lesse skilfull in astronomie Iohn Talaugerne a moonke of Worcester William Sutton an astrologian Robert Balsacke wrote a booke intituled De re militari that is to saie of warre or chiualrie so that as is thought he was both a good souldier and a painefull student of good letters Thomas Dando a Carmelit frier of Marleburgh he wrote the life of Alphred king of west Saxons William Graie borne of the noble house of the Graies of Codnor he went to atteine to some excellencie of learning in Italie where he heard that noble clearke Guarinus Ueronensis read in Ferrara he was preferred to the bishoprike of Elie in the yéere 1454 by pope Nicholas the fift when Thomas Bourchier was translated from thense to Canturburie Iohn Kempe archbishop of Yorke and after remooued from thense to Canturburie as before ye haue heard he was made cardinall of S. Albin by pope Eugenie the fourth Adam Molins as Bale calleth him kéeper of the kings priuie seale excellentlie learned in time of the ciuill warre betwixt king Henrie and the duke of Yorke in which he lost his head Thomas Chillenden a doctor both of the law ciuill and canon became at length a moonke in Canturburie Robert Bale surnamed the elder excellentlie learned in the lawes of the realme recorder of London gathered as it were a chronicle of the customes lawes foundations changes restoring magistrats offices orders and publike assemblies of the citie of London with other matters touching the perfect description of the same citie he wrote other works also touching the state of the same citie and the acts of king Edward the third he departed this life in the yeare of our Lord 1461 euen about the beginning of the reigne of king Edward the fourth vnto whome we will now againe returne Thus farre the tragicall historie of Henrie the sixt depriued of his roialtie Edward the fourth earle of March sonne and heire to Richard duke of Yorke AFter that this prince Edward earle of March had taken vpon him the gouernement of this realme of England as before ye haue heard the morow next insuing being the fourth of March he rode to the church of saint Paule and there offered and after Te Deum soong with great solemnitie he was conueied to Westminster and there set in the hall with the scepter roiall in his hand whereto people in great numbers assembled His claime to the crowne was declared to be by two maner of waies the first as sonne and heire to duke Richard his father right inheritor to the same the second by authoritie of parlement and forfeiture committed by king Henrie Wherevpon it was againe demanded of the commons if they would admit and take the said erle as their prince and souereigne lord which all with one voice cried Yea yea This part thus plaied he entered into Westminster church vnder a canopie with solemne procession and there as king offered and herewith taking the homages of all the nobles there present he returned by water to London and was lodged in the bishops palace and on the morrow after he was proclamed king by the name of Edward the fourth throughout the citie This was in the yeare of the world 5427 and after the birth of our Sauiour 1461 after our accompt beginning the yeare at Christmasse but after line 10 the vsuall accompt of the church of England 1460 the twentith of emperour Frederike the third the nine and thirtith and last of Charles the seuenth French king and first yeare of the reigne of Iames the third king of Scots Whilest
to him a pasport but also liberallie disbursed to him a great summe of monie for his conduct and expenses necessarie in his long iournie and passage But the earle trusting in the French kings humanitie aduentured to send his ships home into Britaine and to set forward himselfe by land on his iournie making no great hast till his messengers were returned Which being with that benefit so line 50 comforted and with hope of prosperous successe so incouraged marched towards Britaine with all diligence intending there to consult further with his louers fréends of his affaires and enterprises When he was returned againe into Britaine he was certified by credible information that the duke of Buckingham had lost his head and that the marquesse Dorset and a great number of noble men of England had a little before inquired and searched for him there and were now returned to Uannes line 60 When he had heard these newes thus reported he first sorowed and lamented his first attempt and setting forward of his fréends and in especiall of the nobilitie not to haue more fortunatelie succéeded Secondarilie he reioised on the other part that God had sent him so manie valiant and prudent capteins to be his companions in his martiall enterprises trusting suerlie and nothing doubting in his owne opinion but that all his businesse should be wiselie compassed and brought to a good conclusion Wherefore he determining with all diligence to set forward his new begun businesse departed to Rheims and sent certeine of his priuie seruitours to conduct and bring the marquesse and other noble men to his presence When they knew that he was safelie returned into Britaine Lord how they reioised for before that time they missed him and knew not in what part of the world to make inquirie or search for him For they doubted and no lesse feared least he had taken land in England fallen into the hands of king Richard in whose person they knew well was neither mercie nor compassion Wherefore in all spéedie maner they galoped toward him and him reuerentlie saluted Which meeting after great ioy and solace and no small thanks giuen and rendered on both parts they aduisedlie debated and communed of their great businesse and weightie enterprise In the which season the feast of the Natiuitie of our sauiour Christ happened on which daie all the English lords went with their solemnitie to the cheefe church of the citie and there ech gaue faith and promise to other The earle himselfe first tooke a corporall oth on his honor promising that incontinent after he shuld be possessed of the crowne and dignitie of the realme of England he would be conioined in matrimonie with the ladie Elizabeth daughter to king Edward the fourth Then all the companie sware to him fealtie and did to him homage as though he had béene that time the crowned king and annointed prince promising faithfullie and firmelie affirming that they would not onelie loose their worldlie substance but also be depriued of their liues and worldlie felicitie rather than to suffer king Richard that tyrant longer to rule and reigne ouer them Which solemne oths made and taken the earle of Richmond declared and communicated all these dooings to Francis duke of Britaine desiring most heartilie requiring him to aid him with a greater armie to conduct him into his countrie which so sore longed and looked for his returne and to the which he was by the more part of the nobilitie and communaltie called and desired Which with Gods aid and the dukes comfort he doubted not in short time to obteine requiring him further to prest to him a conuenient summe of monie affirming that all such summes of monie which he had receiued of his especiall fréends were spent and consumed in preparation of his last iourneie made toward England which summes of monie after his enterprise once atchiued he in the word of a prince faithfullie promised to repaie and restore againe The duke promised him aid and helpe Upon confidence whereof he rigged his ships and set foorth a nauie well decked with ordinance and warlikelie furnished with all things necessarie to the intent to saile forward shortlie and to loose no time In the meane season king Richard apprehended in diuerse parts of the realme certeine gentlemen of the earle of Richmonds faction confederation which either intended to saile into Britaine toward him or else at his landing to assist and aid him Amongst whome sir George Browne sir Roger Clifford and foure other were put to execution at London and sir Thomas Sentleger which had married the duchesse of Excester the kings owne sister and Thomas Rame and diuerse other were executed at Excester Beside these persons diuerse of his houshold seruants whome either he suspected or doubted were by great crueltie put to shamefull death By the obseruation of which mens names the place and the action here mentioned with the computation of time I find fit occasion to interlace a note newlie receiued from the hands of one that is able to saie much by record deliuering a summarie in more ample sort of their names whome king Richard did so tyrannicallie persecute and execute as followeth King Richard saith he came this yeare to the citie but in verie secret maner whome the maior his brethren in the best maner they could did receiue and then presented to him in a purse two hundred nobles which he thankefullie accepted And during his abode here he went about the citie viewed the seat of the same at length he came to the castell and when he vnderstood that it was called Rugemont suddenlie he fell into a dumpe and as one astonied said Well I sée my daies not long He spake this of a prophesie told him that when he came once to Richmond line 10 he should not long liue after which fell out in the end to be true not in respect of this castle but in respect of Henrie earle of Richmond who the next yeare following met him at Bosworth field where he was slaine But at his being here he did find the gentlemen of this countrie not to be best affected towards him and after his departure did also heare that the marquesse of Dorset the bishop of Excester and sundrie other gentlemen were in a confederacie against him for the assisting of the erle of Richmond line 20 Wherefore he sent downe Iohn lord Scroope with a commission to keepe a session who sat at Torington then there were indicted of high treason Thomas marquesse Dorset Peter bishop of Excester Thomas Sentleger and Thomas Fulford knights as principals and Robert Willoughbie and Thomas Arundell knights Iohn Arundell deane of Excester Dauid Hopton archdeacon of Excester Oliuer abbat of Buckland Bartholomew Sentleger William Chilson Thomas Gréenefield Richard line 30 Edgecombe Robert Burnbie Walter Courtneie Thomas Browne Edward Courtneie Hugh Lutterell Iohn Crocker Iohn Hallewell and fiue hundred others
occupie your lands cut downe your woods and destroie your manors letting your wiues and children range abroade for their liuing which persons for their penanâ—e and punishment I doubt not but God of his goodnes will ether deliuer into our hands as a great gaine and bootie or cause them being greeued and compuncted with the pricke of their corrupt consciences cowardlie to flie and not abide the battell Beside this I assure you that there be yonder in the great battell men brought thither for feare and not for loue souldiers by force compelled and not with good will assembled persons which desire rather the destruction than saluation of their maister and capteine and finallie a multitude whereof the most part will be our friends and the least part our enimies For truelie I doubt which is greater the malice of the soldiors toward their capteine or the feare of him conceiued of his people For suerlie this rule is infallible that as ill men dailie couet to destroie the good so God appointeth the good men to confound the ill And of all worldlie goods the greatest is to suppresse tyrants and releeue innocents whereof the one is as much hated as the other is beloued If this be true as clearkes preach who will spare yonder tyrant Richard duke of Glocester vntruelie calling himselfe king considering that he hath violated and broken both the lawes of God and man What vertue is in him which was the confusion of his brother and murtherer of his nephues What mercie is in him that sleieth his trustie freends as well as his extreame enimies Who can haue confidence in him which putteth diffidence in line 10 all men If you haue not read I haue heard good clearkes saie that Tarquine the proud for the vice of the bodie lost the kingdome of Rome and the name of Tarquine banished the citie for euer yet was not his fault so detestable as the fact of cruell Nero which slue his own mother and opened hir entrailes to behold the place of his line 20 conception Behold yonder Richard which is both Tarquine and Nero yea a tyrant more than Nero for he hath not onlie murthered his nephue being his king and souereigne lord bastarded his noble brethren and defamed the wombe of his vertuous and womanlie mother but also compassed all the meanes and waies that he could inuent how to defile and carnallie know his line 30 owne neece vnder the pretense of a cloked matrimonie which ladie I haue sworne and promised to take to my make and wife as you all know and beleeue If this cause be not iust and this quarell godlie let God the giuer of victorie iudge and determine We haue thanks be giuen to Christ escaped the secret treasons in Britaine and auoided the subtill snares of our fraudulent enimies there passed the line 40 troublous seas in good and quiet safegard and without resistance haue ouergone the ample region large countrie of Wales and are now come to the place which we so much desired for long we haue sought the furious bore and now we haue found him Wherefore let vs not feare to enter into the toile where we may suerlie sleie him for God knoweth that we haue liued line 50 in the vales of miserie tossing our ships in dangerous stormes let vs not now dread to set vp our full sailes in faire weather hauing with vs both God and good fortune If we had come to conquer Wales and had atchiued it our praise had beene great and our gaine more but if we win this battell the whole rich realme of England line 60 with the lords and rulers of the same shall be ours the profit shall be ours and the honour shall be ours Therefore labour for your gaine sweat for your right While we were in Britaine we had small liuings and little plentie of wealth or welfare now is the time come to get aboundance of riches and copie of profit which is the reward of your seruice and merit of your paines And this remember with your selues that before vs be our enimies and on either side of vs be such as I neither suerlie trust nor greatlie beleeue backeward we cannot flee so that heere we stand like sheepe in a fold circumuented and compassed betweene our enimies and our doutfull friends Therefore let all feare be set aside and like sworne brethren let vs ioine in one for this daie shall be the end of our trauell and the gaine of our labour either by honorable death or famous victorie and as I trust the battell shall not be so sowre as the profit shall be sweet Remember that victorie is not gotten with the multitudes of men but with the courages of hearts and valiantnesse of minds The smaller that our number is the more glorie is to vs if we vanquish if we be ouercome yet no laud is to be attributed to the victors considering that ten men fought against one And if we die so glorious a death in so good a quarell neither fretting time nor cancarding obliuion shall be able to darken or rase out of the booke of fame either our names or our godlie attempt And this one thing I assure you that in so iust and good a cause and so notable a quarrell you shall find me this daie rather a dead carrion vpon the cold ground than a free prisoner on a carpet in a ladies chamber Let vs therefore fight like inuincible giants and set on our enimies like vntimorous tigers banish all feare like ramping lions And now aduance forward true men against traitors pitifull persons against murtherers true inheritors against vsurpers the scourges of God against tyrants Displaie my banner with a good courage march foorth like strong and robustious champions and begin the battell like hardie conquerors The battell is at hand and the victorie approcheth and if we shamefullie recule or cowardlie flee we and all our sequele be destroied and dishonored for euer This is the daie of gaine and this is the time of losse get this daie victorie and be conquerors and leese this daies battell and be villaines And therefore in the name of God and S. George let euerie man couragiouslie aduance foorth his standard These chéerefull words he set foorth with such gesture of his bodie smiling countenance as though alreadie he had vanquished his enimies and gotten the spoile He had scatlie finished his saieng but the one armie spied the other Lord how hastilie the soldiers buckled their healmes how quicklie the archers bent their bowes and frushed their feathers how readilie the bilmen shooke their billes and prooued their staues readie to approach and ioine when the terrible trumpet should sound the bloudie blast to victorie or death Betwéene both armies there was a great marish then but at this present by reason of diches cast it is growne to be firme ground which the earle of Richmond left on his right hand for this intent that it should
to the king of England that if it would please him to minister anie aid by sea hée would besiege Sluis by land Wherevpon the king of England vpon due consideration of the dukes motion as he was wise enough in all his enterprises and no lesse fortunate in the issue of the same would conclude nothing vpon the sudden but as he did alwaies ruled his affaires by good counsell like to the wise man commended in the holie scripture Consilio sapiens semper sua facta gubernat line 60 At last he well remembring that Sluis was a â—ousenest and a verie den of théeues to them that trauersed the seas towards the east parts incontinentlie dispatched sir Edward Poinings a right valiant knight and hardie capteine with twelue ships well furnished with bold souldiers and sufficient artillerâ—e Which sir Edward sailed into the hauen and kept the lord of Rauenstein from starting by sea The Duke of Saxonie besieged one of the castels lieng in a church ouer against it and the Englishmen assaulted the lâ—sse castell and issued out of their ships at the ebbe neuer suffering their enimies to rest in quiet one day togither for the space of twentie dais and euerie day slue some of their aduersaries and on the English part were slaine one Uere brother to the earle of Oxford and fiftie more The lord of Rauenstein had made a bridge of botes betwéene both the castels to passe from the one to the other which bridge one night the Englishmen did set on fire Then he perceiuing that he must lose his castels by force and that the Flemings could not aiâ— him yéelded the castels to sir Edward Poinings and the towne to the duke of Saxonie vpon certeine conditions Sir Edward Poinings kept the castels a while of whom the Almains demanded their wages bicause the duke had nothing to paie Then these two capteins so handled them of Bruges that they not onelie submitted themselues to their lord Maximilian but also were contented to paie and dispatch the Almains And so sir Edward Poinings taried there a long space and at length returned to the king before Bullogne The sixt day of Aprill this present yeare the nobles of the realme assembled in the cathedrall church of S. Paule in London where the maior of the same citie his brethren the aldermen and the craftesmen in their liueries also assembled to whome doctor Morton chancellor made an oration declaring how the king of Spaine had woone the great and rich citie countrie of Granado from the Turks for ioy whereof Te Deum was soong with great solemnitie ¶ But bicause it is requisite and necessarie in this ample volume to set downe the report of accidents as they are to be found at large in our owne English writers you shall heare for the furtherance of your knowledge in this matter concerning Granado what Ed. Hall hath left noted in his chronicle Which although it conteine diuerse actions of superstition and popish trumperie yet should it not offend the reader considering that a people estranged from the true knowledge of God and sincere religion put the same in practise as supposing principall holinesse to consist in that blind deuotion On the sixt of Aprill saith he this yéere the king commanded all the nobilitie of his realme to assemble at the cathedrall church of S. Paule in London where after Te Deum solemnlie soong the cardinall of Canturburie standing on the steps before the quier doore declared to the people how the famous citie of Granado which manie yeares had beene possessed of the Moores or Mauritane nation being infidels vnchristened people was now of late besieged a great time by Don Ferdinando and Elizabeth his wife king and quéene of Spaine Arragon and Castile And the said infidels by reason of siege brought to great penurie and miserie for lacke of vittels necessarie viands perceiuing that all succours were clerelie stowed and excluded from them and so brought into vtter despaire of aid or comfort after long consultation had amongst them determined to render themselues and their citie to the said king vpon diuerse couenants and conditions and therevpon sent to him diuerse senators of the citie fullie instructed of their mind and purpose The king of Spaine and his councell considering and sagelie pondering that winter approched was at hand and that the christian host had long lieu in the fieldes in sore tempests and greeuous stormes which they gladlie suffered for Christes sake in whose cause and quarell they made that present warre reremembring also that the citie was of such riches fame and estimation that it conteined an hundred and fiftie thousand houses of name beside other small houses and cotages that it was replenished with people innumerable and furnished with three score and ten thousand good fighting men and finallie perceiuing that he might inioy now the possession of the same without assault or effusion of christian bloud by the aduise of his councell he accepted accorded and agreed to their offers the twentie and fift of Nouember in the yeare of Christs incarnation 1491 then being the daie of saint Katharine By the which composition the roiall citie of Granado with all the holds and fortresses of the realme and the towers and castels of Alpussarare was rendered into the hands of the said king of Spaine and that the king of Granado should become subiect and vassall to the king of Spaine and to relinquish and line 10 forsake the vsurped name of a king for euer and that all the men of warre should frankelie depart out of the citie and none there to remaine but artificers and merchants and all these things to be doone before the fiue twentith day of Ianuarie But the time was preuented for the Moores on the first day of Ianuarie sent six hundred notable personages out of the citie with their children for hostages into the campe of the king of Spaine to the intent that he should put no diffidence nor mistrust in the citizens line 20 but that he might peaceablie and quietlie with his people enter into the citie and take possession of the same The which hostages were distributed and lodged in the tents and pauillions of the Spanish armie The third of Ianuarie the lord of Guitterins Cardenes great master gouernor of Lion of the order of S. Iames departed from the armie noblie and triumphantlie accompanied with fiue hundred horsmen and thrée thousand footmen toward the citie line 30 And as he approched néere to the suburbs there issued out diuers noble and valiant capteins of the Moores making to him humble obeisance and conducted him to a palace adioining to the citie called the palace of Anaxaras and from thense conueied him to the palace roiall of the same citie called Alhambra whereof hée tooke quiet and peaceable possession to the behoofe of the king of Spaine whome the Moores promised and confessed to take and obeie as their
king and souereigne lord And in signe line 40 and token that they thought in their hearts that which they promised by mouth they prostrated and humbled themselues before the said great master and with dolorous lamentation and salt teares deliuered to him the keies of the said palace When he had the keies and was also possessed of that strong and magnificent place he first of all dispatched the house of all the Moores and pagans and appointed a garrison of valiant and noble christians to kéepe and defend the same and the same day caused line 50 a masse solemnlie to be celebrate in a place of the same palace called Melchita which done and finished he tooke possession of all the fortresses towers and holds to the said citie and towne of Granado belonging or apperteining And then he caused to be erected and set vp on the highest tower of the palace where it might best be séene the signe and token of the crosse whereon Christ for vs sinners suffered his bitter passion At the raising whereof were present an archbishop and thrée bishops with other prelats line 60 which deuoutlie sang this antheme O crux aue spes vnica The said crosse was thrée times deuoutlie lifted and at euerie exaltation the Moores being within the citie rored howled cried prostrating themselues groueling on the ground making dolorous noise and pitifull outcries The armie incamped without the citie seeing these things humbled themselues méekelie before the crosse rendering to almightie God their most humble and heartie thankes The king of Spaine being mounted on horssebacke perceiuing the erection of the crosse descended from his genet and knéeled downe on the bare ground and rendered to God laâ—d honour and praise for that noble and triumphant victorie And after that the crosse was thus set vp on the high tower the banner of saint Iames and the kings banners were pitched and fixed vpon the turrets and pinacles of the citie an herald standing in the top of the high tower proclaming and publishing these words following Saint Iames saint Iames saint Iames Castile Castile Castile Granado Granado Granado By high and mightie power lord Ferdinando and Elizabeth king and quéene of Spaine haue woone from the infidels and Moores the citie and realme of Granado through the helpe of our Lord God the most glorious virgin his mother and the vertuous apostle S. Iames and the holie father Innocent the eight togither with the aids and succours of the great prelats knights and other gentlemen borne and commons of their realmes and countries When the herald had finished the artillerie sounded the minstrels blew the people applauded and clapped their hands for gladnesse that the earth séemed to tremble and quake vnderneath them After this ioy ended there issued out of the citie in maner of procession seuen hundred and mo christians as well men as women and children which had bin there prisoners and liued in bonds seruitude and miserable captiuitie whereof the most part were naked wounded and in maner famished for hunger To whome the king of his great liberalitie gaue both apparell viands and monie These poore prisoners comming out of the citie sang this psalme Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel qui visitauit fecit redemptionem pledis suae Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath visited and redeemed his people And so singing foorth the psalme went to the church of saint Faith which the king Ferdinando had caused to bée most sumptuouslie edified during the time of the siege being distant from Granado two or thrée miles Now as this poore procession passed by the host one espied his sonne and another saw his brother and the son perceiued the father and the father found the daughter which were now deliuered out of miserable seruitude and bondage But they could not refraine nor bridle themselues from distilling of teares and sobbing séeing their parents and kinsfolke restored to libertie fréedome And when these people had said their orisons in the church of saint Faith and were come to the armie they knéeled before the king kissed his féet crieng with one voice God grant to the king of Spaine euerlasting life The next daie after the lord Euerus de Mendoza earle of Tendiglie was by the king made capteine of the house roiall and principall tower of the citie of Granado called Alhambra hauing to him appointed and assigned one thousand men of armes and two thousand footmen Unto the which earle the great master deliuered the keies of the said palace and tower and other ports and fortresses On saturday the eight daie of Ianuarie in the yeare of our Lord 1492 Ferdinando K. of Spaine Granado the quéene their eldest son Don Iohn prince of Spaine the lord Peter of Mendoza the archbish of Toledo the patriarch of Alexandria the cardinall of Spaine the lord Peter prince of Lion the duke of Gaditan the marques of Uillena Moia the erle of Capre the erle of Uienna of Cifnentes and manie other earles barons and nobles whereof some were Englishmen whose names I haue not with ten thousand horssemen and fiftie thousand footmen with great triumph and roialtie entered into the citie of Granado and thereof tooke reall possession seazine and caused masse to be soong in a great place called Melchita where hée caused a solemne church to be builded in the honour of God and his mother When masse was ended the king and quéene repaired to the palace roiall of Alhambra the which was woonderfull both in qualitie sumptuous building which house was adorned with rich arras and tapestrie in euerie chamber The earle of Tendiglie capteine of the palace feasted the king and queene and all the nobilitie at his owne costes and charges So the king of Spaine there remained till the countrie was reduced into a good conformitie and order and diuerse fortresses and castels were made for the safegard and tuition of the line 10 realme And bicause this victorie obteined was to the glorie of God and to the publike wealth of all christianitie the said cardinall of Canturburie declared to the people that the king had sent him and the other nobles thither that day not onelie to notifie and declare to them the veritie of the fact but also to exhort them to giue lands and praisings to almightie God for deliuering so goodlie a citie so plentifull a countrie and so notable a region out of the hands line 20 of his enimies and persecutors of his faith and religion Which declaration ended the archbishop with the cleargie the nobles with the communaltie in most deuout maner went in generall procession rendering to God for this great atchiued enterprise glorie honour and most reuerent thanks ¶ In the moneth of Maie next and immediatlie following this triumph was holden a great and valiant iusting within the kings palace of Shine now named Richmond the which indured by the space of a line 30 moneth sometime
Clifford as concerning Perkin which falselie vsurped the name of K. Edwards sonne sir William Stanleie said that if he knew certeinlie that the yoong man was the indubitate heire of king Edward the fourth he would neuer fight or beare armour against him This point argued that he bare no hartie good will toward king Henrie as then But what was the cause that he had conceiued some inward grudge towards the king or how it chanced that the king had withdrawen his speciall fauor from him manie haue doubted Some indéed haue gessed that sir William Stanlie for the seruice which he shewed at Bosworth field thought that all the benefits which he receiued of the king to be farre vnder that which he had deserued in preseruing not onelie the kings life but also in obteining for him the victorie of his enimies so that his aduersarie was slaine in the field Wherfore desiring to be created earle of Chester and therof denied he began to disdeine the king And one thing incouraged him much which was the riches and treasure of king Richard which he onlie possessed at the battell of Bosworth by reason of which riches and great power of men he set naught by the king his souereigne lord and maister The king hauing thus an hole in his coat doubted first what he should doo with him for loth he was to lose the fauour of his brother the earle of Derbie and againe to pardon him he feared least it should be an euill example to other that should go about to attempt the like offense And so at length seueritie got the vpper hand mercie was put backe in so much that he was arreigned at Westminster and adiudged to die and line 10 according to that iudgement was brought to the Tower hill the sixtéenth daie of Februarie year 1495 and there had his head striken off This was the end of sir William Stanleie the chiefest helper of king Henrie to the crowne at Bosworth field against king Richard the third and who set the same crowne first vpon the kings head when it was found in the field trampled vnder féet He was a man while he liued of great power in his countrie and also of great wealth in somuch as the common line 20 same ran that there was in his castell of Holt found in readie coine plate and iewels to the value of fortie thousand markes or more and his land and fees extended to three thousand pounds by yeare Neuerthelesse all helped not neither his good seruice in Bosworth field neither his forwardnesse euen with the hazard of life to prefer K. Henrie to the crowne neither his faithfulnesse in cleauing to him at all brunts neither the bond of aliance betwixt them neither the power that he was able to make neither line 30 the riches which he was worth neither intercession of fréends which he wanted not none of these nor all these could procure the redemption of his lost life Oâ—luxum decus hominum ô variabile tempus ¶ On the sixtéenth of Nouember was holden the sergeants feast at the bishops place of Elie in Holborne where dined the king queene and all the chiefe lords of England The new sergeants names were maister Mordant Higham Kingsmill Conisbie Butler Yakesleie Frowicke Oxenbridge Constable line 40 In digging for to laie a new foundation in the church of saint Marie hill in London the bodie of 〈◊〉 Hackneie which had béene buried in the church 〈…〉 of 175 yeares was found whole of skinne the ioints of hir armes pliable which corpse was kept aboue ground foure daies without annoiance and then buried againe ¶ Also this yeare as maister Grafton saith at the charges of maister Iohn Tate alderman of London was the church of saint Anthonies founded annexed vnto the college of Windsore line 50 wherein was erected one notable and frée schoole to the furtherance of learning and a number of poore people by the name of almesmen which were poore aged and decaied housholders releeued to the great commendation of that worthie man who so liued in worship that his death by his worthie dooings maketh him still aliue for he was not forgetfull to beautifie the good state of this citie in which by wealth he had tasted of Gods blessings About this same time diuerse men were punished line 60 that had vpon a presumptuous boldnesse spoken manie slanderous words against the kings maiestie hoping still for the arriuall of the feigned Richard duke of Yorke After the death of sir William Stanleie Giles lord Daubenie was elected and made the kings chéefe chamberleine Also the K. sent into Ireland to purge out the euill wicked séeds of rebellion amongest the wild sauage Irish people sowed there by the craftie conueiance of Perkin Warbecke sir Henrie Deane late abbat of Langtonie whome he made chancellor of that Ile sir Edward Poinings knight with an armie of men The fauourers of Perkin hearing that sir Edward Poinings was come with a power to persecute them withdrew streightwaies and fled into the woods and marishes for the safegard of themselues Sir Edward Poinings according to his commission intending to punish such as had aided and aduanced the enterprise of Perkin with his whole armie marched forward against the wild Irishmen bicause that all other being culpable of that offense fled and resorted to them for succour But when he saw that his purpose succéeded not as he would haue wished it both bicause the Irish lords sent him no succour according to their promises and also for that his owne number was not sufficient to furnish his enterprise bicause his enimies were dispersed amongst woods mounteins and marishes he was constreined to recule backe sore displeased in his mind against Gerald earle of Kildare being then the kings deputie Now the cause of this his discontentment was for that the said earle was suspected to be the meane that he had no succours sent him and was so informed in déed by such as bare the earle no good will And therefore suddenlie he caused the earle to be apprehended and as a prisoner brought him in his companie into England Which earle being examined and sundrie points of treason laid to him he so auoided them all laid the burthen in other mens necks that he was dismissed and sent into Ireland againe there to be deputie and lieutenant as he was before The king being now in some better suertie of his estate did take his progresse into Lancashire the fiue twentith daie of Iune there to make merrie with his moother the countesse of Derbie which then laie at Lathome in the countrie In this meane while Perkin Warbecke being in Flanders sore troubled that his iuggling was discouered yet he determined not to leaue off his enterprise in hope at length to atteine the crowne of England and so gathering a power of all nations some bankrupts some false English sanctuarie men some théeues robbers
to saie from the first yeare of the king to this fiftéenth yeare out of all companie of men sight of beasts insomuch that he could not discerne a goose from a capon and therefore by common reason and open apparance could not of himselfe séeke his owne death and destruction But yet by the drift and offense of an other he was brought to his death and confusion For being made priuie of this enterprise deuised by Perkin and his complices therevnto as all naturall creatures loue libertie he assented and agreed But this craftie deuise and subtill imagination being reuealed sorted to none effect so that Perkin and Iohn Awater sometime maior of Corke in Ireland one of his chéefe founders and his sonne were on the sixtéenth daie of Nouember arreigned and condemned at Westminster And on the thrée and twentith daie of the same moneth Perkin and Iohn Awater were drawne to Tiburne where Perkin standing on a little scaffold read his confession as before he had doone in Cheape side taking it on his death to be true And so he and Iohn Awater asked the king forgiuenesse and died patientlie This was the reward of the feined glose and counterfeit comment of Perkin Warbecke the which as by his false surmises in his life time had brought manie honourable personages to their deaths and vndoone manie an honest man so now at his death he brought other of the same sort to their not altogither vndeserued punishment And amongest others Edward Plantagenet the forenamed erle of Warwike which as the fame went consented to breake prison and to depart out of the realme with Perkin which in prisoners is high treason was the one and twentith daie of the said moneth arreigned at Westminster before the earle of Oxenford then high steward of England of the said treason which whether it were by intisement and persuasion of other or of his owne frée will manie doubted bicause of his innocencie confessed the fact and submitted himselfe to the kings mercie and vpon his confession had his iudgement and according thervnto the eight and twentith daie of Nouember in the yeare 1499 was brought to the scaffold on the Tower hill and there beheaded The fame after his death sprang abroad that Ferdinando king of Spaine would make no full conclusion of the matrimonie to be had betweene prince Arthur and the ladie Katharine daughter to the said Ferdinando nor send hir into England as long as this earle liued For he imagined that so long as anie earle of Warwike liued England should neuer be purged of ciuill warre and priuie sedition so much was the name of Warwike in other regions had in feare and gealousie The next yeare after there was a great plague year 1500 whereof men died in manie plaâ—â—s verie sore but speciallie and most of all in the citie of London where died in that yeare thirtie thousand The foure and twentith of Februarie in this fifteenth yeare of this kings reigne his third son was christened and was named Edward Also in this yeare was burned a place of the kings called the manour of Shéene situate nigh the Thames side which he after builded againe sumptuouslie and changed the name of Sheene and called it Richmond bicause his father and he were earles of Richmond or as some note for that so manie notable and rich iewels were there burnt He also new builded Bainards castell in London and repaired Greenewich line 10 The king whether to auoid the danger of so great and perilous sickenesse then raging or to take occasion to commen with the duke of Burgognie did personallie take his ship at Douer in the beginning of Maie and sailed to Calis whither the duke of Burgognie sent to him honourable personages in ambassage to welcome him into those parties and to declare that the said duke would gladlie repairâ— personallie to his presence with such a number as the king should appoint so that it were within no line 20 walled towne nor fortresse For hauing denied the French king to enter into anie of his fortresses to talke with him he would be loth now to giue a president to him to desire the like méeting The king interteining the ambassadours and thanking the duke of his courteous offer appointed the place at saint Peters church without Calis Upon tuesdaie in Whitsunweeke the archdâ—ke Philip came thither with a conuenient companie The king and the queene with manie a lustie lord and ladie line 30 rode thither to welcome him And when the king approched the duke at his lighting offered to hold his stirrupe which the king in no wise would suffer to be doone When the king was descended from his horsse he and the archduke imbraced each other with most princelie familiaritie and then the quéene and all the nobls saluted him And after most louing interteinments bankettings mirth and pastime shewed amongest them there was communication of marriages treating of further strengthening of leagues line 40 requests of tolles in Flanders to be minished with manie other things touching the commoditie and traffike of both their countries And when all things were set in order the two princes tooke their leaue and departed the king to Calis and the archduke to S. Omers After his departing there came as ambassadors from the French king the lord Gronthouse gouernour of Picardie and the lord Meruelliers bailiffe of Amiens which declared to the king the getting of Millaine and taking of the duke The king line 50 highlie feasted them and rewarded them princelie at their departing Soone after when the death was slaked the king returned againe into England about the end of Iune Shortlie after there came to him one Gasper Pons a Spaniard a man of excellent learning and most ciuill behauiour sent from Alexander the bishop of Rome to distribute the heauenlie grace as he termed it to all such as letted by anie forceable impediment could not come to Rome that yeare to the Iubile line 60 which was there celebrate being the yeare after the birth of our Sauiour 1500. This beneuolent liberalitie was not altogither fréeliâ— giuen For Alexander looking to the health of mens soules thought to doo somewhat for his owne priuat commoditie therefore he set a certeine price of that his grace and pardon And to the end that the king should not hinder his purpose he offered part of his gaines to the king And to colour the matter with some fauourable pretext and to make men the better willing more readie to giue franklie he promised with that monie to make warre against the Turke By this meanes the poâ—e got a great masse of monie which he had conueied ouer vnto him by such trustie messengers doubt you not as he had appointed and yet nothing doone against the Turks which in the meane season did much hurt to the christians For it was no part of his meaning what colourable shew soeuer he made of tendering the succourlesse
their attendance And there in the palace were such martiall feats valiant iusts vigorous turneis and such fierce fight at the barriers as before that time was of no man had in remembrance Of this roiall triumph lord Edward duke of Buckingham was chiefe chalenger and lord Thomas Greie marquesse Dorset chiefe defender which with their aids and companions bare themselues so valiantlie that they got great praise and honour both of the Spaniards and of their owne countriemen During the time of these iusts and triumphs were receiued into London an earle a bishop and diuerse noble personages sent from the king of Scots into England for conclusion of the mariage betwéene the ladie Margaret and him which earle by proxie in the name of king Iames his maister affied and contracted the said ladie Which affiance was published at Paules crosse the daie of the conuersion of saint Paule in reioising whereof Te Deum was soong and great fiers made through the citie of London These things being accomplished the ambassadors as well of Spaine as Scotland tooke their leaue of the king year 1502 not without great rewards returned into their countries When the ambassadors were deparâ—ed he sent his sonne prince Arthur againe into Wales to keepe that countrie in good order appointing to him wise and expert councellors as sir Richard Poole his kinsman which was his chiefe chamberleine also sir Henrie Uernon sir Richard Crofts sir Dauid Philip sir William Udall sir Thomas Englefield sir Peter Newton knights Iohn Walleston Henrie Marion doctor William Smith president of his councell and doctor Charles of the which two doctors the one was after bishop of Lincolne and the other bishop of Hereford ¶ This yeare Iohn Shaw who was maior of London caused his brethren the aldermen to ride from the Guildhall vnto the water side when he went to Westminster to be presented in the excheker He also caused the kitchens and other houses of office to be builded at the Guildhall where since that time the maiors feasts haue béene kept which before had béene in the grosers or tailors hall About Easter all the Greie friers in England changed their habit for whereas of long time before they had vsed to weare browne russet of foure shillings six shillings and eight shillings the yard now they were compelled to weare russet of two shillings the yard and not aboue which was brought to passe by the friers of Gréenewich This yeare the dike called Turnemill brooke with all the course of Fléet dike were so scowred downe to the Thames that boates with fish and fewell were rowed vp to Holborne bridge as they of old time had beene accustomed which was a great commoditie to all the inhabitants in that part of London Also the tower néere to the Blacke friers was taken downe by the commandement of the maior Also this yeare were brought vnto the king thrée men taken in the new found Ilands by Sebastian Gabato before named in Anno 1468. These men were clothed in beasts skins and eat raw flesh but spake such a language as no man could vnderstand them of the which thrée men two of them were séene in the kings court at Westminster two yeares after clothed like Englishmen and could not be discerned from Englishmen A few moneths before the mariage of prince Arthur Edmund de la Poole earle of Suffolke sonne to Iohn duke of Suffolke and ladie Elizabeth sister to king Edward the fourth being bold and rash withall was indicted of murther for sâ—eaing of a meane person in his rage furie And although the king pardoned him whome he might iustlie haue put to death for that offense yet bicause he was brought to the barre before the kings Bench and arraigned which fact he tooke as a great blemish to his honour shortlie after vpon that displeasure he fled into Flanders vnto his aunt the ladie Margaret the king not being priuie to his going ouer Neuerthelesse whether he was persuaded by his fréends therevnto whom the king had willed to deale with him therein or whether vpon trust of his innocencie true it is that he returned againe and excused himselfe to the king so that he thought him to be giltlesse of anie crime that might be obiected against him But when the mariage betwixt the prince the ladie Katharine of Spaine was kept at London this erle either for that he had passed his compasse in excessiue charges and sumptuousnesse at that great triumph and solemnitie and by reason thereof was farre run line 10 into debt either else through the procurement of his aunt the foresaid ladie Margaret or pricked with some priuie enuie which could not patientlie with open eies behold king Henrie being of the aduerse faction to his linage so long to reigne in wealth and felicitie in conclusion with his brother Richard fled againe into Flanders This departure of the earle sore vexed the king doubting of some new trouble to insue thereof But yet to vnderstand the full meaning of the line 20 said earle the king vsed his old fetch for immediatlie after the earle was fled he appointed sir Robert Curson whome he had aduanced to the order of knighthood and made capteine of Hammes castell a valiant man and a circumspect to dissemble himselfe one of that conspiracie who went into Flanders to espie what was doone there by the ladie Margaret and hir nephue the earle of Suffolke After that the said sir Robert Curson was thus gone into Flanders the king to put him out of all suspicion line 30 with the said ladie Margaret and the earle caused the said earle and sir Robert Curson and fiue persons more to be accurssed at Paules crosse the first sundaie of Nouember as enimies to him and his realme To be breefe the king by his meanes and other such diligent inquisition as he made tried out such as he suspected partlie to be deuisers of mischéefe against him and partlie to beare no sincere affection towards his person so that he could readilie name line 40 them whereof a great part were within few daies apprehended and taken And amongst them William lord Courtneie sonne to the earle of Deuonshire which maried the ladie Katharine daughter to king Edward the fourth lord William de la Poole brother to the foresaid earle of Suffolke sir Iames Tirrell sir Iohn Windam Both the Williams were rather taken of suspicion bicause they were so neere of kin to the conspirator than for anie prooued line 50 matter But sir Iames Tirrell and Iohâ— Windam bicause they were traitors and so attainted the sixt daie of Maie after their apprehension they were on the Tower hill beheaded When the earle of Suffolke heard what fortune thus happened to his fréends as one in vâ—ter despaire to haue anie good successe in his pretensed enterprise wandred about all Germanie and France to purchase somâ— aid and succour if by anie means he might But when he
with six thousand men entered the citie and tooke the market place and the wals and searched the houses for feare of treason Then maister Thomas Woolsie the kings almoner called before him all the citizens yoong and old and sware them to the king of England the number whereof was foure score thousand Thus the king of England by conquest came to the possession of the citie of Tornaie On sundaie the second daie of October the king entered the citie of Tornaie at port founteine and foure of the chiefe of the citie ouer him bare a canopie with all the armes of England Euerie person was in his best apparell the ladies gentlewomen laie in the windowes beholding the king and his nobilitie euerie citizen had in his hand a staffe torch The king himselfe was richlie apparelled in rich armour on a barded courser his henchmen bearing his péeces of war as ax speare and other their coursers were barded with the armes of England France Ireland and other the kings dominions all richlie brodered Thus the king with his nobilitie all richlie apparelled with his sword borne before him his heralds and sergeants of armes with trumpets and minstrelsie entered the citie and came to our ladie church and there Te Deum was soong Then the king called to his presence Edward Guilford William Fitz Williams Iohn Danfie William Tiler Iohn Sharpe William Husse Iohn Sauage Christopher Garnish and diuerse other valiant esquiers and gaue to them the order of knighthood and then went to his lodging and at after noone he came to the market place were was prepared for him a roome Then he caused a proclamation to be made in his name king of England France that no man should gréeue the citizens During which proclamation the Tornasins scarse looked vp nor shewed once to him any amiable countenance which was much marked The crie finished the king departed to his campe leauing the citie in safe keeping This wéeke the king rode to sée the castell of Morton and there his grace tooke great pleasure The king remembring the great chéere that the prince of Castile and the ladie Margaret had made him at Lisle which was but twelue miles English from Tornaie desired the said prince ladie with diuerse other to come to him to his citie of Tornaie and made preparation for the same and appointed a iusts whereof he himselfe would be one and caused a tilt to be made in the market place While these things were preparing the king and his councell ordered for the sure kéeping of the citie of Tornaie and there ordeined sir Edward Poinings knight of the order of the garter to be his lieutenant with foure hundred archers with capteins horssemen and artillerie conuenient and to haue aid of Henaud and other the kings friends adioining and of his gard he left there foure hundred archers and ordinance was appointed for the defense of the same On mondaie the eleuenth daie of October the king without the towne receiued the prince of Castile line 10 the ladie Margaret and diuerse other nobles of their countries and them brought into Tornaie with great triumph The noise went that the lord Lisle made request of mariage to the ladie Margaret duches of Sauâ—ie and daughter to the emperour Maximilian which before that time was departed from the king with manie rich gifts and monie borrowed but whether he proffered mariage or not she fauoured him highlie There the prince and duches soiourned with great solace by the space of ten daies line 20 During which time the eightéenth daie of October began the iusts the king and the lord Lisle answering all commers vpon the king attended foure twentie knights on foot in coats of purple veluet and cloth of gold A tent of cloth of gold was set in the place for the armorie Reliefe The king had a base and a trapper of purple veluet both set full of SS of bullion and the lord Lisle in the same suite there were manie speares broken and manie a good buffet giuen the strangers as the lord Walon and lord Emerie line 30 and other did right well When the iusts were doone the king all the other vnhelmed them rode about the tilt and did great reuerence to the ladies and then the heralds cried to lodging This night the K. made a sumptuous banket of an hundred dishes to the prince of Castile and the ladie Margaret and to all other lords and ladies and after the banket the ladies dansed and then came in the king and eleuen in a maske all richlie apparelled with bonets of gold and when they had passed the time at their pleasure line 40 the garments of the maske were cast off amongst the ladies take who could take On the twentith daie of October the prince of Castile and the ladie Margaret with manie great gifts to them giuen returned to Lisle and all their traine After that the king was informed that all directions were taken and euerie thing put in an order for the sure kéeping of the citie of Tornaie he betooke the same to sir Edward Poinings knight which valiantlie kept it in good order and iustice The king his line 50 councell before this considering that the Frenchmen would giue them no battell and that winter approched which was no time to lie at siege of other townes concluded to kéepe Tornaie safelie and to breake vp his campe for that winter and to begin againe warre in the spring of the yeare This was a full conclusion taken by the king and his councell and so the king and all his people except such as were appointed to be with sir Edward Poinings departed out of Tornaie the twentith daie of September line 60 and the king and the noble men made such spéed that shortlie they came to Calis Thither came the lord admerall whome the king heartilie thanked of his paines and there euerie man was paied his full wages and conduct monie and ships prepared for the passage and so the foure and twentith daie of September the king with a priuie companie tooke ship and the same day landed at Douer and shortlie after all his people followed then he with a small companie rode to Richmond in post to the queene where was such a louing méeting that euerie creature reioised This season began a great mortalitie in London and other places where much people died All this winter the kings nauie kept the seas and robbed and spoiled the Frenchmen on their coasts so that they were euerie foot afflicted by the English wist not which way to remedie it bearing grudge in their hearts and wishing a generall destruction of their enimies against whome they did swell with malignitie and indignation both for their late ouerthrowes and losses aswell of lands as liues the surrender of Terwin sticking in their stomachs and the yéelding of Tornaie nipping them at the heart which had lost the propertie was now forced to
cardinall Adrian being fallen in the popes displeasure withdrew out of the court of Rome vnto Uenice and in the meane time cardinall Campeius at the instance of cardinall Woolsie wrote to the pope that cardinall Adrian might be depriued of that bishoprike to the end that cardinall Woolsie line 20 might haue the same Which request was accomplished and the bulles sent vnto Calis so that then cardinall Campeius after he had remained at Calis thrée moneths came ouer into England and was receiued with all pompe honour that might be deuised ¶ Insomuch that cardinall Woolsie had sent to the legat whilest he laie at Calis red cloth to cloath his seruants which at their comming to Calis were but meanelie apparelled And when all things were line 30 readie he passed the sea and landed at Douer and so kept foorth his iournie toward London At euerie towne as they passed he was receiued with procession and accompanied with all the lords gentlemen of Kent And when he came to Blackeheath there met him the duke of Norffolke with a great number of prelats knights gentlemen all richlie apparelled And in the waie he was brought into a rich tent of cloath of gold where he shifted himselfe into the robe of a cardinall edged with ermins and so tooke his mule riding towards London The line 40 night before he came to London the cardinall of Yorke to furnish the carriages of the cardinall Campeius sent to him twelue mulets with emptie coffers couered with red which twelue mulets were led thorough London amongest the mulets of Campeius which were but eight and so these twentie mulets passed thorough the stréets as though they had béene full of treasures apparell other necessaries Now when they came into Cheape one of the mulets brake from hir kéeper and ouerthrew the chests line 50 and ouerturned two or thrée other mulets carriages which fell with such a violence that diuerse of them vnlocked out of some fell old hosen broken shooes and roasted flesh peeces of bread egges and much vile baggage At which sight the boies cried Sée sée my lord legats treasure and so the muletters were ashamed and tooke vp all their stuffe and passed foorth About thrée of the clocke in the after noone on the twentie ninth day of Iulie the said legat entered the citie and in Southworke met him all the clergie of line 60 London with crosses censors and copes and censed him with great reuerence The maior and aldermen with all the occupations of the citie in their best liueries stood in the stréets and him highlie honoured to whome sir Thomas More made a bréefe oration in the name of the citie Now when he came to Paules there he was receiued with bishops mitred and vnder a canopie entetered the church which canopie his seruants tooke for their fees And when he had offered he gaue his benediction to all the people tooke againe his mule so with all his traine aforesaid was conueied to Bath place and there rested where he was welcommed of cardinall of Yorke On sundaie next insuing these two cardinals as legats tooke their barges came to Gréenewich ech of them had besides their crosses two pillers of siluer two little axes gilt and two cloake-bags embrodered the cardinals haâ—s borne before them And when they came to the kings hall the cardinall of Yorke went on the right hand and there the king roiallie apparelled and accompanied met them euen as though both had come from Rome and so brought them both vp into his chamber of presence Then a solemne oration was made by an Italian declaring the cause of the legacie to be in two articles one for aid against Gods enimies and the second for reformation of the clergie And when masse was doone they were had to a chamber and serued of lords and knights with much solemnitie and after dinner they tooke their leaue of the king and came to London and rode through the citie togither in great pompe and glorie to their lodgings This cardinall Campeius for his fréendship shewed in helping the cardinall of England to the bishoprike of Bath was considered besides other great rewards with the bishoprike of Salisburie the profits whereof he receiued vntill the act was established that no forrenner should inioie anie spirituall benefice within this realme But for the chéefest errand that this cardinall Campeius came he could haue no toward answer which was as you haue heard to haue leauied a summe of monie by waie of tenths in this realme to the maintenance of the warre in defense of the christian confines against the Turke There were at the same time other legats sent into other parts of Christendome about the same matter as into France Spaine and Germanie For pope Leo calling to remembrance that the feare conceiued of the Turkes had brought no small gaines to diuerse of his predecessors he began to feare too But for that such feare was now too well knowne to be vsed as an ordinarie shift of the popes when they stood in néed of monie this practise was at this time vsed in vaine so that Campeius hearing that it tooke not place in other parties left off his earnest sute about it and with great rewards receiued of the king and cardinall returned to Rome not without hope yet by reason of promises made vnto him by his fréends that the popes request might hereafter be granted according to his motion There attended him to Rome one Iohn Clearke a lawier as ambassadour from the king This man obteined for the cardinall authoritie to dispense with all men for offenses committed against the spirituall lawes which part of his power legantine was verie profitable and gainefull For then he set vp a court and called it the court of the legat in the which he prooued testaments and heard causes to the great hinderance of all the bishops of this realme He visited bishops and all the cleargie exempt and not exempt and vnder colour of reformation he got much treasure For thorough bribes rewards notorious offendors were dispensed with so that nothing was reformed but came to more mischéefe The example of his pride caused préests and all spirituall persons to wax so proud that they ruffled it out in veluet and silks which they ware both in gounes iackets doublets and shooes They vsed open lecherie and bare themselues so stout by reason of his authorities and faculties that no man durst reprooue any thing in them So that we sée here verefied in proofe how forcible the examples of great men be in the inferior sort as the wise man truelie saith Qualis erit princeps talis praefectus habetur Nobilitas qualis plebs quoque talis erit But before we inferre further processe of other accidents it were good to heare a full discourse for the exact vnderstanding of the popes affaires whereabouts he addressed so manie cardinals into so manie parts of
christendome as solicitors to obteine succour against the Turke ¶ Now followeth saith mine author the yeare 1518 in which the regions of Italie contrarie to the precedent of manie yeares before felt not the least impression or motion of war yea there appeared the selfe same disposition in all other princes of christendome betweene whome by the operation of the pope though happilie more with line 10 faire reason than with substantiall counsels was solicited an vniuersall expedition of all christendome aginst the pride of Selim prince of the Turkes This man the yeare before had so inlarged and extended his greatnesse that comparing with his power his ambition to be greater pushed on with manie helpes of nature it was worthilie to be doubted that if he were not preuented by the inuasions of the christians he would in his pride lift vp his victorious hands against them For Selim discerning line 20 that Baiseth his father reduced to extreme old age sought to establish the succession of the empire in the person of Acomath his elder brother drew into rebellion against him and by force of armes concurring the corruption of the souldiors of his gard constreined him to resigne vp to him the authoritie of the gouernment and not suffering his ambition to staie there it was beleeued of all men that for his more absolute assurance he tooke awaie his life by poison and afterwards giuing an ouerthrow to his brother line 30 in an inconter of a battell he confirmed fullie the seat of his empire by depriuing him of his life in publike shew exercising the like rage of crueltie vpon Corcu the yongest brother of all And being not satisfied according to the tyrannie of the house of Ottomanni with the bloud and slaughter of all his nephues or anie others that remained of that line and stocke he was in thought oftentimes by the rage and furie of his disposition to take awaie the life of Soliman his onelie sonne line 40 Of these beginnings bréeding one warre vpon another after he had subdued the Aduliti a people of the mountaines he passed ouer into Persia against the Sophi to whome he gaue battell and ouerthrew him and in that felicitie of warre he tooke the citie of Tauris the souereigne seat of that estate togither with the greatest part of Persia which he was constreined to abandon not through the valour of his enimies who for their disabilitie to support their army line 50 were retired into the mounteins and places desert but for the vniuersall dearth and barrennesse of that yeare he fell into an extreme want of vittels he returned soone after this expedition to Constantinople where after he had doone execution vpon certeine souldiers seditious and for certeine moneths had refreshed his armie he gaue out that he would eftsoons returne to make warre vpon Persia. But indeed he turned his forces against the Soldan king of Soria and Aegypt a prince not onelie of most ancient line 60 reuerence and dignitie for that religion but most mightie for the amplitude of dominion most rich in tributes and verie glorious by the discipline of the Mammelukes of whose armes and forces that state was possessed with great reputation thrée hundred yeares For that empire being ruled of the Soldans they not by succession but by election ascended to it and to the supreme seat of gouernement were not preferred but men of manifest vertue and confirmed by all the degrees of warre in the administration of prouinces and armies and also the sinewes and strengthes of their forces stood not vpon souldiors mercenarie and forreine but of men elected who taken of children in the prouinces adioining and trained vp by succession of yeares in hardnesse of fare in suffering of labour and toile and in the exercise of armes and all customes apperteining to the discipline and law of warre they ascribed and inrolled them in the order of the Mammelukes There succéeded from hand to hand in this order not the sons of the Mammelukes that were dead but others who being taken of children for slaues had their rising by the same discipline and by the same industrie and artes by the which their predecessours had passed from hand to hand These not being in number aboue seuenteene or eighteene thousand held subiected vnder a most heauie yoke all the people of Aegypt and Soria whom they spoiled of the vse of all armes and practise to manage horsses yea such was their fiercenesse and valour that oftentimes they made warre of themselues for that of their numbers and by their election were chosen the Soldans and in their power rested all authoritie to distribute the honours offices and profits of that most rich empire By the oportunitie of which hauing subdued manie nations adioining and reduced to obedience the Arabians and mainteined manie warres with the Turkes they were manie times victorious but verie seldome or neuer vanquished of others Against these people did Selim conuert his forces whome he ouerthrew in manie battel 's fought in plaine field wherein was slaine the Soldan and afterwards in an other battell was taken prisoner the other Soldan his successor whome he caused to be publikelie murthered with an vnworthie kind of torment Thus hauing satisfied his bloudie humour with such great slaughters and also wasted the name of the Mammelukes he procéeded to the inuasion of Cairo a most populous citie wherein wâ—re resident the Soldans and in short time subdued vnder his iurisdiction all Soria and Aegypt These drew vnto him so great an increase of imperie such amplification of tribute and reuenue and remoouing the impediments of so mightie enimies and of so great reputation that with great reason hée was to be feared of the christians A feare which tooke his degrees of increasing by this consideration that to so great a power and valour was ioined a settled impression of ambition to beare rule by manie victories to make glorious his name to all posterities wherein reading oftentimes the legends and actions of the great Alexander and Iulius Cesar he séemed to suffer griefe and perplexitie of mind that his actions exploits of warre could in no wise hold comparison with so manie great triumphs and victories In which humour refurnishing continuallie his armies and building of new a great number of ships and leuieng all prouisions necessarie for the warre it was fered when his preparations were accomplished that he would inuade Rhodes the bulworke of the christians in the east parts or else the kingdome of Hungaria made fearefull by the valour of the inhabitants to the nation of the Turks which at that time was in diuision amongst themselues and made weake by the minoritie of their king who was gouerned by the priests and barons of the realme Others were of opinion that he had addressed all his thoughts to the inuasion of Italie taking his incouragement vpon the discord of the potentates and naturall princes whome he knew to be much shaken with
the long warres of those regions To this was ioined the memorie of Mahomet his grandfather who with a power farre lesse than his and with a small name sent vpon the coasts of the realme of Naples had woone by assault the citie of Oâ—ronto and sauing he was preuented by death had both opened the way and established the meane to persecute the regions of Italie with continuall vexations so that the pope togither with the whole court of Rome being made astonished with so great successe and no lesse prouident to eschew so great a danger making their first recourse vnto the aid and succour of God caused to be celebrated through Rome most deuout inuocations which he did assist in presence bare-footed And afterwards calling vpon the helpe of mâ—n line 10 he wrote letters to all christian princes both admonishing them of the perill and persuading them to lay aside all ciuill discords and contentions and attend spéedilie to the defense of religion their common safetie which he affirmed would more and more take increase of most grieuous danger if with the vnitie of minds and concordances of forces they sought not to transferre the warre into the empire of the Turks inuade the enimie in his owne countrie Upon this aduise and admonition was taken line 20 the examination and opinion of men of warre and persons skilfull in the discouerie of countries the disposing of prouinces and of the nature and vsage of the forces and weapons of that kingdome and therevpon a resolution was set downe to make great leuies of monie by voluntarie contributions of princes and vniuersall imposts of all people of christendome It was thought necessarie that Cesar accompanied with the horssemen of Hungaria and Polonia line 30 nations warlike and practised in continuall warre against the Turke and also with the footmen of Germanie should saile along Danubi into Bossina called ancientlie Misia and from thence to Thracia and so to draw neare Constantinople the seat of the empire of Ottomanes that the French king with all the forces of his kingdome the Uenetians and the other potentates of Italie accompanied with the infanterie of Swizzerland should passe from the port of Brindisi in Albania a passage verie easie short to inuade Greece a countrie full of christian inhabitants line 40 and for the intollerable yoke of the Turkes most readie to rebell that the kings of Spaine of England and Portugall assembling their forces togither in Cartagenia and the ports thereabouts should take their course with two hundred ships full of Spanish footmen and other souldiers to the streict of Galipoli to make rodes vp to Constantinople hauing first of all subdued the castels and forts standing vpon the mouth of the streict and the pope to take the same course imbarking at Ancona with line 50 an hundred ships armed With these preparations séeming sufficient to couer the land and ouerspread the sea it was thought that of a warre so full of deuotion and pietie there could not be but hoped a happie end speciallie adding the inuocation of God and so manie seuerall inuasions made at one time against the Turkes who make their principall foundation of defense to fight in the plaine field These matters were solicited with no small industrie and to stop all matter of imputation line 60 against the office of the pope the minds of princes were throughlie sounded and an vniuersall truce for fiue yeares betweene all the princes of christendome published in the consistorie vpon paine of most grieuous censure to such as should impugne it So that the negociation continuing for all things apperteining to so great an enterprise he assigned ambassadours to all princes to the emperour he sent the cardinall S. Sisto to the French king he dispatched the cardinall of S. Maria in Portico the cardinall Giles to the king of Spaine and the cardinall Campeius to the king of England All cardinals of authoritie either for their experience in affaires or for opinion of their doctrine or for their familiaritie with the pope All which things albeit they were begun with great hope and expectation and the vniuersall truce accepted of all men and all men with no little ostentation and brauerie of words made shew of their readinesse with their forces to aduance so good a cause yet what with the consideration of the perill estéemed vncerteine and farre off and extending more to one prince than to another and what by the difficulties and long tract of time that appeared to introduce a zeale and vnion so vniuersall priuat interests and respects particular séemed to preuaile more than the pietie of the expedition insomuch that the negociation stood not onelie naked of all hope and issue but also it was followed verie lightlie and as it were by ceremonie This being one propertie in the nature of men that those things which in their beginnings appeare fearefull doo dailie take such degrées of diminution and vanishing that vnles the first feares be reuiued by new accidents they lead men in processe of time to securitie Which propertie of negligence both touching the affaires publike and affection of priuate and particular men was well confirmed by the death that succéeded not long after to Selim who hauing by a long maladie suspended the preparations of the warre was in the end consumed by the passions of his disease and so passed into the other life leauing so great an empire to Soliman his sonne yoong in yeares and iudged to beare a wit and mind not so disposed to the warres although afterwards the effects declared the contrarie At this time appeared betweene the pope and the French king a most great and streict coniuncton for the king gaue to wife to Laurence his nephue the ladie Magdalen noblie descended of the bloud and house of Bullognie with a yearelie reuenue of ten thousand crownes whereof part was of the kings gift and the residue rising of hir owne patrimonie Besides the king hauing borne to him a sonne the pope required that in his baptisme he would impose vpon him his name By which occasion Laurence making preparations to go to marrie his new wife for his more spéed performed his iournie by post into France where he was receiued with manie amities and much honour of the king to whome he became verie gratious and of deare account the rather for that besides other generall respects he made a dedication of himselfe wholie to the king with promise to follow in all accidents his fortune And now to returne to cardinall Woolsie who grew so into excéeding pride that he thought himselfe equall with the king For when he said masse which he did oftener to shew his pompe rather than for anie deuotion he made dukes and earles to serue him of wine with a say taken and to hold to him the bason at the lauatorie Thus was the pride of the cardinall and other priests so past the compasse of reason
that in maner all good persons abhorred and disdeined it as altogither degenerating from the example of Christ his poore traine of whome in name and title they séemed to be professors but of their maners and trade of life open defiers yea in such manifest sort both in apparell and diet as also in all other respects that few there were if they perceiued anie thing by discretion but saw the euident abuses of their behauiours tending greatlie to the dishonour of the place which they possessed as also to the no small offense of the modester sort of the cleargie wherof some did so well like of this ruffling and masking presbyterie that they abhorred it as strong poison in their broth It fortuned that the archbishop of Canturburie wrote to the cardinall anon after that he had receiued his power legantine the which letter after his old familiar maner he subscribed thus Your brother William of Canturburie With which subscription bicause the archbishop wrote him brother he was so much offended as though the archbishop had doone him great iniurie that he could not temper his mood but in high displeasure said that he would so worke within a while that he should well vnderstand how he was his superiour and not his brother When the archbishop being a sober wise man heard of the line 10 messenger that bare the letter how the cardinall tooke it not well but so as it might seeme there was a great fault in the letter and reported the tale as one that misliked the cardinals presumption herein Peace said the archbishop knowest thou not how the man is become mad with too much ioy And thus the cardinall forgetting to hold the right path of true laud and praise sought to be feared rather than beloued of all good men In this meane time the French king greatlie coueting line 20 to redeeme the citie of Tornaie out of the hands of the king of England and knowing that he must make waie therevnto thorough the cardinals fréendship ceassed not with high gifts to win his good will and moreouer in often writing to him exalted him with titles of honor and so magnified him that the cardinall as one tickled with vaine-glorie more than can be imagined thought that he could not doo pleasure enough to the French king that did estéeme so much of him Herevpon the French king line 30 hoping to compasse his desire after he perceiued the cardinals good will towards him signified his meaning vnto the said cardinall who found meanes to breake thereof to the king in such wise as he was contented to heare the French kings ambassadors that should be sent hither to talke of that matter The French king then vnderstanding the king of England his pleasure sent ouer the lord Boniuet high admerall of France and the bishop of Paris as chéefe ambassadours accompanied with a great line 40 sort of lustie gentlemen of the French kings court to the number of foure score and aboue on whome attended such a companie of other of the meaner sort that the whole number amounted to twelue hundred one and other which were thought to be manie for an ambassage ¶ On mondaie the twentie seuenth daie of September the earle of Surrie high admerall of England in a coat of rich tissue cut on cloath of siluer on a great courser richlie trapped and a great whistle of gold set with stones and pearle hanging line 50 at a great and massie chaine baudricke wise accompanied with an hundred and sixtie gentlemen richlie apparelled on goodlie horsses came to Blackeheath and there amiablie receiued the ambassadours of France The yoong gallants of France had coats garded with one colour cut in ten or twelue parts verie richlie to behold and so all the Englishmen accoupled themselues with the Frenchmen louinglie togither and so road to London After the two admerals followed foure and twentie of the French line 60 kings gard accompanied with foure and twentie of the English gard And after them a great numrer of archers to the number of foure hundred And in this order they passed thorough the citie to tailors hall and there the chéefe ambassadours were lodged and the remnant in merchants houses about When these lords were in their lodgings then the French harder men opened their wares made the tailors hall like the paund of a mart At this dooing manie an Englishman grudged but it auailed not The last daie of September the French ambassadours tooke their barge and came to Greenewich The admerall was in a gowne of cloath of siluer raised furred with rich sables and all his companie almost were in a new fashioned garment called a shemew which was in effect a gowne cut in the middle The gentlemen of France were brought into the kings presence where the bishop of Paris made a solemne oration which being ended answer made thereto the king highlie interteined the admerall and his companie and so did all the English lords and gentlemen The ambassadours after this were dailie in councell till at length an agréement was concluded vnder pretense of a marriage to be had betweene the Dolphin of France and the ladie Marie daughter to the king of England in name of whose marriage monis Tornaie should be deliuered vnt◠the French king he paieng to the king of England for the castell which he had made in that citie six hundred thousand crownes to be paid in twelue yeares space that is to saie fiftie thousand euerie yeare during that terme And if the marriage chanced not to take effect then should Tornaie be againe restored to the king of England For performance of which article hostages should be deliuered that is to wit monsieur de Montmorancie monsieur de Montpesac monsieur de Moie monsieur de Morret Moreouer the French king should paie to the lord cardinall of England a thousand marks of yearelie pension in recompense of his reuenues before time receiued of the bishoprike of Tornaie and likewise to other of the kings councell he should also giue certeine summes of monie as yearelie pensions in like maner as his ancestors had doone to the councellors of the kings of England before time The French K. agreed to call backe the duke of Albanie out of Scotland that the suertie of K. Iames might the better be prouided for and lesse occasion of trouble ministred to the king of England And further the French king was contented that the said king Iames should be receiued as a confederat in this peace When all things were concluded the king and the ambassadours road to the cathedrall church of saint Paule in London from Durham place where the cardinall of England sang the masse in most pompous maner and after that masse was ended doctor Pace the kings secretarie made an eloquent oration in praise of peace and that doone the king and his nobles with the ambassadours went to the bishops palace and there dined and after dinner the king rode
Anthonie Uiuald Anthonie Caueler Francis de Bard Thomas Calnecant and a great sort more whose names I let passe And if anie person did meddle or occupie with them contrarie to this act he should loose his fréedome and libertie in the citie of London By whiâ—h act the strangers were so brideled that they came to a reasonable point and conclusion In this season the angell noble was iust the sixt part of an ounce Troie so that six angels were iust an ounce which was fourtie shillings sterling the angell was worth two ounces of siluer so that six angels were worth twelue ounces which was but fourtie shillings in siluer By reason of the good weight and low valuation of the English coine merchants dailie carried ouer great store bicause the same was much inhanced there So that to méet with this inconuenience in September proclamation was made through all England that the angell should go for seuen shillings foure pence the roiall for eleuen shillings the crowne for foure shillings foure pence On the fift of Nouember following by proclamation againe the angell was inhanced to seuen shillings six pence and so euerie ounce of gold should be fiue and fourtie shillings and an ounce of siluer at thrée shillings and nine pence in value The king kept a solemne Christmasse at Gréenewich with reuelles maskes disguisings bankets and the thirtith daie of December was an enterprise line 10 of iusts made at the tilt by six gentlemen against all commers which valiantlie furnished the same both with speare and sword and like iusts were kept the third daie of Ianuarie where were thrée hundred speares broken That same night the king and manie yoong gentlemen with him came to Bridewell and there put him and fiftéene other all in masking apparell and then tooke his barge and rowed to the cardinals place where were at supper a great companie of lords and ladies and then the maskers dansed line 20 and made goodlie pastime and when they had well dansed the ladies plucked awaie their visors and so they were all knowen and to the king was made a great banket On the fourtéenth of Ianuarie came to the court don Hugo de Mendoza year 1527 a man of a noble familie in Spaine he came as ambassadour from the emperour put it to the kings determination whether his demands which he required of the French king line 30 were reasonable or not This noble man tarried here two yéeres ¶ This Christmasse was a goodlie disguising plaied at Graies In which was compiled for the most part by maister Iohn Roo sergeant at the law manie yeares past and long before the cardinall had any authoritie The effect of the play was that lord gouernance was ruled by dissipation and negligence by whose misgouernance and euill order ladie publike weale was put from gouernance which caused rumor populi inward grudge and disdaine line 40 of wanton souereignetie to rise with a great multitude to expell negligence and dissipation and to restore publike welth againe to hir estate which was so doone This plaie was so set foorth with rich and costlie apparell with strange deuises of maskes morrishes that it was highlie praised of all men sauing of the cardinall which imagined that the play had beene deuised of him and in a great furie sent for the said maister Roo and tooke from him his coife and sent him to line 50 the Fléet and after he sent for the yoong gentlemen that plaied in the plaie and them highlie rebuked and threatned and sent one of them called Thomas Moile of Kent to the Fléet but by means of friends maister Roo and he were deliuered at last This plaie sore displeased the cardinall and yet it was neuer meant to him as you haue heard Wherfore manie wisemen grudged to sée him take it so hartilie and euer the cardinall said that the king was highlie displeased with it and spake nothing of himselfe But what will you haue of a guiltie conscience but to suspect line 60 all things to be said of him as if all the world knew his wickednesse according to the old verse Conscius ipse sibi de se putat omnia dici The second of March were receiued into London the bishop of Tarbe Francis vicount of Thurane and master Anthonie Uescie second president of Paris as ambassadours from the French king They were lodged in Tailors hall On Shrouetuesdaie the king himselfe in a new harnesse all gilt of a strange fashion that had not béene seene and with him eight gentlemen all in cloth of gold of one sute embrodered with knots of siluer and the marques of Excester and eight with him in blew veluet and white sattin like the waues of the sea these men of armes came to the tilt and there ran manie fresh courses till two hundred fourescore and six speares were broken and then they disarmed and went to the quéenes chamber where for them was prouided a costlie banket The French ambassadours sued as was said to haue the ladie Marie daughter to the K. of England giuen in mariage to the duke of Orleance second sonne to their master the French king but that matter was put in suspense for diuerse considerations And one was for that the president of Paris doubted whether the mariage betweene the king and hir mother she being his brothers wife was lawfull or not ¶ While the French ambassadors laie thus in London it happened one euening as they were comming from the Blacke friers from supper to the Tailors hall two boies were in a gutter casting downe rubbish which the raine had driuen there and vnwares hit a lackeie belonging to the vicount of Thurane and hurt him nothing for scantlie touched it his cote But the French lords tooke the matter highlie as a thing doone in despite sent word to the cardinall Who being too hastie of credence sent for sir Thomas Seimor knight lord maior of the citie and in all hast commanded him vpon his allegiance to take the husband wife children and seruants of the house and them to imprison till he knew further of the kings pleasure and that the two boies apprentises should be sent to the Tower which commandement was accomplished without anie fauor For the man and his wife and seruants were kept in the counter till the sixt daie of Maie which was six wéekes full and their neighbours of gentlenesse kept their house in the meane time and one of the apprentises died in the Tower and the other was almost lame Of the crueltie of the cardinall and of the pride of the Frenchmen much people spake would haue béene reuenged on the Frenchmen if wise men in the citie had not appeased it with faire words On the foureteenth daie of March were conueied from London to Gréenwich by the earle of Rutland and others the lord Gabliel de Salamanca earle of Ottonburgh Iohn Burgraue of Siluerberge and Iohn
the realme of Naples The morning following vpon the point of the daie by the consideration of his case and the aduersities thereof he found there remained no other hope for his affaires than to be resolute to reléeue the afflictions of his armie and according to the opportunitie that was offered by the citie of Rome either to die or to vanquish In which resolution pushed on more and more by the murmurs and exclamations of his souldiers in whom he could not discerne which was greater either their insolencies or their necessities he drew néere the suburbs by the waie of the mounteine and Santo Spirito where he began to giue a furious assault Wherein he séemed to haue the fauour of fortune who made him present his armie in more suertie by the benefit of a thicke mist which being risen before daie and increased with degrees of fog and thicknesse became such a couer to his whole campe that his souldiers were not discerned till they were néere the place where they began to giue the assault The duke of Burbon through a last despaire of his estate aduanced before all his companies either for that he had no other expectation of refuge in case he returned not victorious or else by his owne example he thought to call on with a greater courage the lanceknights who it séemed went not resolutelie to the seruice But such was his destinie to determine his life his glorie togither or rather such the reward of his wilfull forwardnes which for the most part heapeth wretched effects vpon such as seeke not to accompanie their valour with counsell and discretion In the beginning of the assault he was striken with a bullet of an harquebuze of which wound he fell downe dead to the earth receiuing iustlie vpon his bodie and life the price of the action which contrarie to all iustice and pietie he went about to execute But much lesse that his death did abate or diminish séeing it did inflame and redouble the courage of his souldiers who fighting with a woonderfull constancie the space of two houres made waie at last by their hands and weapons to enter the suburbs wherin they were not onelie holpen by the weaknesse of the rampires which were great and generall but also they found helpe in the slender resistance which the defendants made An experience of right good doctrine to such as haue not as yet gotten by the benefit of examples past the knowledge of things present who in that action maie discerne what propertie of difference is betwéene the vertue of souldiours exercised and trained in war and armies newlie and hastilie leuied line 10 and compounded of the multitude of a people more wilfull than skilfull and by so much lesse apt to be drawen vnder discipline by how much more by their nature and custome they are seldome conformable to anie good order For there was at the defense of the suburbs one part of the youth of Rome vnder the ensignes of the people notwithstanding that manie of the Gebelins faction of Colonno desired or at least did not feare the victorie of the imperials They hoped in regard of their faction to receiue no harme line 20 or offense by the victors the same being the cause whie they procéeded so coldlie in the defense Neuerthelesse for that according to the rules of warre it is a hard matter to take townes without artilleries there died of the assailants partlie by that want and partlie through their wilfull forwardnesse about a a thousand footmen who hauing once by their valor made the waie open to enter in all the defendants fled before them as men whose feare was far aboue anie other sense or passion in them line 30 In which disorder some tooke the waie which his fortune and not his wit laid out for him some in the astonishment séeking to flie who durst no more fight were slaine by the enimie afore he could resolue vpon the waie of his safetie some either better prepared or more happilie preserued found that safetie in running away which they could not but doubt if they had longer endured the fight and some with that resolution which their present calamitie would suffer ran by heapes towards the castell where in place of rescue they found a feare conformable to line 40 their owne insomuch as all things being reduced to confusion and manifest flight the suburbs were entierlie abandoned left a preie to the victors And the person of the pope who expected with great deuotion in the palace of Uatican what would be the issue of the assault hearing that the enimies were entred had also with the others his passions of feare frailtie and in that timorous contemplation of his owne perill he fled with certeine cardinalles to the castell line 50 His feare kept him from being resolute in a perill that was so desperate neither did he thinke that with the presence and maiestie of his person though it was couered with the vaile of the highest dignitie on earth he was able to put by the danger which the valor and fidelitie of his souldiers could not defend with their weapons There he consulted with the cardinalles whether it were more for his safetie to remaine there or during the furie of the astonishment to retire with the light horssemen of his gard into some place of more suertie by the waie of line 60 Rome But he who was appointed by destinie to be an example of the calamities that maie thunder vpon popes and how fraile is the authoritie and maiestie of that sée being certified by the relation of Berard de Padoa who was fled from the armie imperiall that the duke of Burbon was dead and that the whole armie standing abated in courage for the death of their capteine desired to come to accord with him In which matter they sent out men to parlée with the principalles there he wretchedlie left there all his councelles to go awaie both he and his capteins remaining no lesse irresolute in the prouisions for defense than they had beene slow in the expeditions So that the daie following the Spaniards neither séeing order nor councell to defend the quarter beyond Tiber entred the place without anie resistance And from thence not finding anie impediments to stop their victorie the same euening they entred the citie of Rome by the bridge Xisto where except such as reapposed in the confidence of their faction and certeine cardinalles who for that they bare a name to embrace the emperours quarrell beléeued to find more suertie than the others all the residue of the court and citie as happeneth in accidents so furious was conuerted into fléeing and confusion But the souldiours being within the citie which they knew wanted nothing to make them right glorious and well satisfied of all things apperteining to their desires they began to omit no time to execute the thing they had so dearlie bought Euerie one ran to pillage with the same vnbridled
libertie which in such cases maketh souldiors both insolent and impious There was small care or regard borne either to the name of fréends factions or fauourers and much lesse was respected the authoritie of cardinalles and prelats or dignitie of temples and monasteries and lastlie not reserued from violation the holie reliks brought thither from all parts of the world yea euen things sacred and speciallie dedicated were profaned from their shrines and holie places and made subiect to the furious wils and discretion of the souldiours It is not onelie impossible to reaccount but also to imagine the calamities of that citie raised to a woonderfull greatnesse and appointed by Gods ordinance to suffer manie fortunes and directions hauing beene sacked by the Goths within ix C. and lxxx yeares It is hard to particulate the greatnesse of the preie both for the generall wealth and riches which the gréedie hands of the souldiours had made vp in heaps and for other things more rare and pretious drawne out of the store-houses of merchants and courtiers But the matter which made the spoile infinit in value was the qualitie and great number of prisoners redéemed with most rich and huge ransomes And to make vp a full tragedie of miserie and infamie the lanceknights being so much the more insolent and cruell by how much they bare hatred to the name of the church of Rome tooke prisoners certeine prelats whom with great contempt and indignitie they set vpon asses and leane mules and with their faces reuersed to the crowp of the beasts they led them thorough the citie of Rome apparelled with the habits and markes of their dignitie yea they passed manie of them to cruell torments who either died in the furie of the action or at least with the painefulnesse thereof they liued not long after first yéelding a ransome and afterwards rendering their liues The generall slaughter as well at the assault as in the rage of sacking was about foure thousand bodies All the palaces of the cardinaâ—les were sacked except some particulars who to saue the merchants that were retired thither with their goods togither with the persons and goods of manie others reserued of the generall calamitie made promise of great summes of monie To whom notwithstanding was vsed this iniquitie that some of them that had compounded with the Spaniards were afterwards sacked by the lanceknights or at least constreined to a second ransome The ladie marquesse of Mantua compounded for hir palace for the summe of fiftie thousand duckats which were paied by the merchants and others retired thither of which summe the rumor ran that Ferrand hir sonne had ten thousand for his share The cardinall of Sienna dedicated in a perpetuall deuotion to the name of the emperor after he had agreed with the Spaniards as well for him selfe as for his palace was afterwards made prisoner by the lanceknights who made bootie and preie of his palace and afterwards leading him all naked with buffets and bastanadoes into the borough he was driuen to redéeme his life out of their hands with a promise of fiue thousand duckats The cardinalles Minerua and Ponsero passed vnder almost the like line 10 calamitie who being prisoners to the lanceknights were rated at a ransome which they paied after they had béene in a vile spectacle caried in procession thorough the towne of Rome This furie of souldiours executed in a place of so great riches and profit could endure no dispensation of anie sort or qualitie of men seeing the prelats and cardinalles Spanish and Germans who made themselues assured that the souldiours of their nation would spare them from oppression and taxation line 20 were taken and passed by the same measure of miserie and calamitie as others did Right pitifull were the criengs and lamentations of the women of Rome and no lesse woorthie of compassion the calamitie of nunnes and virgins professed whom the souldiours rauished by troopes out of their houses to satisfie their lust no age no sex no dignitie or calling was frée from the violation of souldiours in whom it was doubtfull whether bare more rule the humor of crueltie to kill or the appetite of lust to defloure or line 30 lastlie the rage of couetousnesse to rob and spoile yea in the violation of these women might be discerned a confirmation of the iudgements of God hidden from mortall men for that he suffered to be deliuered vp to the vilenesse of men barbarous and bloodie the renowmed chastitie of women professed and virgins To this compassion was ioined the infinite clamors of men forced against all law of humanitie partlie to wrest from them vnreasonable ransomes line 40 and partlie to disclose their goods which 〈◊〉 had hidden from the rauine of the souldiors All 〈◊〉 things sacraments and reliks of saints whereof the churches were full being despoiled of their ornaments were pulled downe and laid vpon the earth suffring no small prophanations by the vile hands of the lanceknights And whatsoeuer remained vpon the preies and spoilings of the imperialles which were things but base and vile were raked and caried awaie by the pezants and tenants of the lands of the Colonnois whose insolencie caried them into Rome line 50 during the generall furie Onelie the cardinall of Colonno arriuing the daie after preserued in his compassion the honor of manie women that happilie were fled for rescue into his house The rumor went that the valuation and price of this sacke in gold siluer and iewels amounted to more than a millian of duckats but the matter of ransomes conteined a greater quantitie When Rome was thus taken by the imperials and the pope brought into captiuitie therewith the line 60 king was so incensed against the emperour by the instigation of the cardinall that he had determined not to spare anie treasure for the popes deliuerance There rose a secret brute in London that the kings confessor doctor Longland and diuerse other great clerks had told the king that the marriage betweene him and the ladie Katharine late wife to his brother prince Arthur was not lawfull wherevpon the king should sue a diuorse and marrie the duchesse of Alanson sister to the French king at the towne of Calis this summer and that the vicount Rochford had brought with him the picture of the said ladie The king was offended with those tales and sent for sir Thomas Seimor maior of the citie of London secretlie charging him to sée that the people ceassed from such talke But what so euer the commons talked it was determined that the cardinall should go ouer into France as high ambassadour for the king and to take with him twelue score thousand pounds to be emploied on the warres to be made by the confederats against the emperour if he would not condescend to such demands as the English ambassadours on the kings behalfe should exhibit vnto him The third of Iulie this triumphant cardinall passed thorough London with twelue hundred
the first chariot were two ladies which were the old dutchesse of Norffolke and the old marchionesse Dorset In the second chariot were foure ladies all in crimsin veluet Then rode seauen ladies in the same sute their horsses trappers and all Then came the third chariot all white with six ladies in crimsin veluet next after them came the fourth chariot all red with eight ladies also in crimsin veluet after whom followed thirtie gentlewomen all in veluet and silke in the liuerie of their ladies on whom they gaue their attendance After them followed the gard in cotes of goldsmiths worke line 10 Thus they rode foorth till they came to Fanchurch where was made a pageant all with children apparelled like merchants which welcommed hir to the citie with two proper propositions both in French and English And from thence she rode to Gratious church corner where was a costlie and a maruelous cunning pageant made by the merchants of the Stilliard for there was the mount Parnassus with the founteine of Helicon which was of white marble and foure streames without pipe did rise an line 20 ell high and met togither in a little cup aboue the founteine which founteine ran abundantlie racked Rhenish wine till night On the mounteine sat Apollo and at his feet sat Calliope and on euerie side of the mounteine sat foure muses plaieng on seuerall sweet instruments and at their féet epigrams and poeses were written in golden letters in the which euerie muse according to hir propertie praised the quéene The quéene from thence passed to Leaden hall line 30 where was a goodlie pageant with a type and a heauenlie roofe and vnder the type was a roote of gold set on a little mounteine inuironed with red roses and white out of the type came downe a falcon all white sat vpon the roote and incontinent came downe an angell with great melodie and set a close crowne of gold on the falcons head And in the same pageant sat saint Anne with all hir issue beneath hir and vnder Marie Cleoph sat hir foure children of the which children one made a goodlie oration to the queene of the fruitfulnes of saint Anne and of hir line 40 generation trusting that like fruit should come of hir Then she passed to the conduit in Cornhill where were thrée graces set in a throne afore whom was the spring of grace continuallie running wine Afore the founteine sat a poet declaring the properties of euerie grace and that doone euerie ladie by hir selfe according to hir propertie gaue to the quéene a seuerall gift of grace That doone she passed by the great conduit in chéepe which was newlie painted with armes of deuises line 50 out of the which conduit by a goodlie founteine set at the one end ran continuallie wine both white and claret all that afternoone and so she rode to the Standard which was richlie painted with images of kings and quéenes and hanged with banners of armes and in the top was maruellous swéet harmonie both of song and instrument Then she went forward to the crosse which was newlie guilt till she came where the aldermen stood and then master Baker the recorder came to hir with low reuerence making line 60 a proper and briefe proposition and gaue to hir in the name of the citie a thousand marks in a purse of gold which she thankefullie accepted with manie goodlie words and so rode to the little conduit where was a rich pageant full of melodie and song In this pageant was Pallas Iuno and Uenus and before them stood Mercurie which in the name of the thrée goddesses gaue to hir a ball of gold diuided in thrée signifieng thrée gifts which the thrée goddesses gaue to hir that is to saie wisedome riches and felicitie As she entered into Paules gate there was a pretie pageant in which sat thrée ladies richlie clothed and in a circle on their head was written Regina Anna prosperè procede regna Tâ—e ladie in the middes had a tablet in the which was written Veniamica coronaberis and vnder the tablet sat an angell with a close crowne and the ladie sitting on the right hand had a tablet of siluer in which was written Dominé dirige gressius meos the third ladie had a tablet of gold with letters azure written Confido in Domino vnder their féet was written in legible letters Regina Anna nouum regis de sanguine natum Cùm paries populis aurea seclatuis And these ladies cast downe wafers on the which the two verses were written From thence she passed to the east end of Paules churchyard against the schoole where stood on a scaffold two hundred children well apparelled which said to hir diuerse goodlie verses of poets translated into English to the honour of the king and hir which she highlie commended And when she came to Ludgate the gate was newlie garnished with gold bise And on the leads of saint Martins church stood a goodlie queere of singing men and children which soong new balads made in praise of hir After that she was passed Ludgate she procéeded toward Fléetstréet where the conduit was newlie painted and all the armes and angels refreshed the chime melodiouslie sounding Upon the conduit was made a towre with foure turrets and in euerie turret stood one of the cardinall vertues with their tokens and properties which had seuerall spéeches promising the queene neuer to leaue hir but to be aiding and comforting hir and in the middest of the towre closelie was such seuerall solemne instruments that it séemed to be an heauenlie noise and was much regarded and praised and beside this the said conduit ran wine claret and red all the afternoone So she with all hir companie and the maior rode foorth to Temple barre which was newlie painted and repared where stood also diuerse singing men and children till she came to Westminster hall which was richlie hanged with cloth of arras and new glased And in the middest of the hall she was taken out of hir litter so led vp to the higher deske vnder the cloth of estate on whose left hand was a cupbord of ten stages maruellous rich and beautifull to behold and within a little season was brought to the quéene with a solemne seruice in great standing spice plates a void of spice and subtilties with ipocras and other wines which she sent downe to hir ladies and when the ladies had dranke she gaue hartie thanks to the lords and ladies with the maior and other that had giuen their attendance on hir and so withdrew hir selfe with a few ladies to the Whitehall and so to hir chamber and there shifted hir and after went into hir barge secretlie to the king to his manour of Westminster where she rested that night On sundaie the maior â—lad in crimsin veluet and with his collar and all the aldermen and shiriffes in scarlet and the counsell of the citie
might make account of and further to haue the armor and weapons séene and viewed Nothing left he vndoone that tended to the foreséeing and preuenting of a mischiefe to insue line 10 which in a prince is counted a vertue because such prouidence and circumspection is reputed no lesse in a priuat ordinarie man as the poet Plautus saith Virtus est vbi occasio admonet dispicere Sir William Forman knight at that present maior of London was commanded to certifie the names of all the able men within the citie and liberties thereof betwéene the ages of thrée score and of sixtéene with the number of armors and weapons of all kinds of sorts Wherevpon the said maior and his brethren ech one in his ward by the oth of the line 20 common councell and constable tooke the number of men armor and weapons And after well considering of the matter by view of their bookes they thought it not expedient to admit the whole number certified for apt and able men and therefore assembling themselues againe they chose forth the most able persons and put by the residue speciallie such as had no armor nor for whom anie could be prouided But when they were crediblie aduertised by line 30 Thomas Cromwell lord priuie seale to whome the citie was greatlie beholden that the king himselfe would see the people of the citie muster in a conuenient number and not to set forth all their power but to leaue some at home to kéepe the citie then eftsoons euerie alderman repaired to his ward and there put aside all such as had iacks cotes of plate of maile and brigandines and appointed none but such as had white armor except such as should beare morish pikes which ware no armor but sculles and line 40 there was no stranger although he were a denisine permitted to be in this muster Euerie man being of anie abilitie prouided him selfe a cote of white silke and garnished their basenets with turues like caps of silke set with owches furnished with chaines of gold and feathers or caused their armor to be guilt and likewise their halberds and pollaxes Some and especiallie certeine goldsmiths had their whole armor of siluer bullion The lord maior the recorder the aldermen and euerie line 50 other officer beside were gorgeouslie trimmed as for their degrees was thought séemelie The maior had sixteene tall fellowes on foot attending on him with guilt halberds apparelled in white silke doublets and their hose and shooes were likewise white cut after the Almaine guise pounsed and pulled out with red sarsenet their ierkins were of white leather cut and chains about their necks with feathers and brooches in their caps The recorder and euerie alderman had about him foure halberders trimmed line 60 also in warlike sort The chamberleine of the citie the councellors aldermens deputies were appointed to be wiflers on horssebacke which aloft on their armor ware white damaske cotes mounted on good horsses well trapped with great chaines about their necks and proper iauelins or battell axes in their hands and caps of veluet richlie trimmed The wiflers on foot being in number foure hundred proper light persons were clad in white ierkins of leather cut with white hose and shooes euerie man with a iauelin or slaughsword in his hands to kéepe the people in arraie They had chaines about their necks and fethers in their caps The minstrels were in white with the armes of the citie and so was euerie other person at this muster without anie diuersitie the lord maior recorder and aldermen onelie excepted who had crosses of veluet or satin pirled with gold The standard bearers were the tallest men of euerie ward for whome were made thirtie new standards of the deuise of the citie beside baners Euerie alderman mustred his own ward in the fields to sée that euerie man were in furniture prouided as was requisite The eight of Maie being the daie appointed for to shew themselues before the king euerie alderman in order of battell with those of his ward came into the fields at Mile end and then all the gunners seuered themselues into one place the pikes into another and the archers into an other and likewise the bilmen and there cast themselues in rings and other formes of battell which was a beautifull sight to behold for all the fields from white Chapell to Mile end and from Bednall greene to Ratcliffe Stepnie were all couered with armour men and weapons and especiallie the battell of pikes séemed to be as it had béene a great forrest Then was euerie part diuided into thrée battels a for-ward a midle-ward and a rere-ward About seauen of the clocke marched forward the light péeces of ordinance with stone and powder After them followed the drums and fifes and immediatlie after them a guidon of the armes of the citie Then followed master Sadler capteine of the gunners on horssebacke armed and in a cote of veluet with a chaine of gold and foure halberders about him apparelled as before is recited Then followed the gunners foure in a ranke euerie one going fiue foot in sunder which shot altogither in diuerse places verie liuelie and in speciallie before the kings maiestie which at that time sat in his new gatehouse at his palace of Westminster where he viewed all the whole companie In like maner passed the other companies of all the three battels in good and séemelie order The foremost capteine at nine of the clocke in the morning by the little conduit came and entered into Paules churchyard and from thense directlie to Westminster and so through the sanctuarie and round about the parke of S. Iames and vp into the field comming home through Holborne and as the first capteine entered againe to the little conduit the last of the muster entered Paules churchyard which was then about foure of the clocke in the afternoone The number beside the wiflers and of other waiters was fiftéene thousand ¶ The eight of Iulie Griffith Clearke vicar of Wandsworth with his chapleine and his seruant frier Waire were all foure hanged and quartered at S. Thomas Waterings The tenth of Iulie sir Adrian Fortescue and Thomas Dingleie were beheaded The ninth of September the nunnerie of Clerkenwell and diuerse others were suppressed This yeare the sixtéenth of September came to London duke Frederike of Baniere the Palsgraue of the Rhine and the eightéenth of the same moneth came to London the marshall of Hans Frederike prince elector of Saxonie and the chancellor of William duke of Cleue Gulicke Gelderland and Berghen The Palsgraue was receiued and conducted to Windsore by the duke of Suffolke and the other were accompanied with other noble men and the thrée and twentith of the same moneth they all came to Windsore where eight daies togither they were continuallie feasted and had pastime shewed them in hunting and other pleasures so much as might be The Palsegraue shortlie after departed homewards
of the chandrie with seare cloths the yeoman of the skullerie with a pan of fire to heate the irons a chafer of water to coole the ends of the irons and two formes for all officers to set their stuffe on the sergeant of the cellar with wine ale and béere the yeoman of the yewrie in the sergeants stead who was absent with bason ewre and towels Thus euerie man in his office readie to doo the execution there was called foorth sir William Pickering knight marshall to bring in the said Edmund Kneuet and when he was brought to the bar the chiefe iustice declared to him his trespasse and the said Kneuet confessing himselfe to be giltie humblie submitted him to the kings mercie for this offense he was not onelie iudged to lose his hand but also his bodie to remaine in prison and his lands and goods at the kings pleasure Then the said sir Edmund Kneuet desired that the king of his benigne grace would pardon him of his right hand and take the left for quoth he if my right hand be spared I maie hereafter doo such good seruice to his grace as shall please him to appoint Of this submission and request the iustices foorthwith informed the king who of his goodnesse considering the gentle heart of the said Edmund and the good report of the lords granted him his pardon that he should lose neither hand lands nor goods but should go frée at libertie The lord Leonard Greie being indicted of certeine points of treason by him committed as was alledged against him during the season that he was the kings lieutenant in Ireland to wit for deliuering his nephew Girald Fitzgerard brother vnto Thomas Fitzgerard before executed and also for that he caused certeine Irishmen to inuade the lands of the kings friends whome he fauoured not on the fiue and twentith of Iune he was arreigned at Westminster in the kings bench and appointed to be tried by knights because he was a lord by name and no lord of the parlement but he discharged the iurie and confessed the indictement wherevpon he had iudgement and on the eight and twentith of Iune being saint Peters euen he was beheaded at tower hill where he ended his life verie quietlie and godlie This noble man as he was come of high linage so was he a right valiant and hardie personage hauing in his time doone his prince and countrie good seruice both in Ireland France and other places greatlie to his commendation although now his hap was thus to loose his head as conuicted by law and his renowme ouercast with a cloud of disgrace vanished as future chances befell to the abolishing of the present honor which sometime he inioied Howbeit his estimation he might haue preserued vnblemished had prouident circumspection vndertaken the direction of his dooings and that he had borne his eies in his forehead to foresee all afterclaps which a wise man will in no case neglect line 10 Nam sapiens in fronte oculos habet omnia spectans Omnia prudenti cum ratione videns The same daie that he suffered there was executed at saint Thomas Waterings thrée gentlemen Iohn Mantell Iohn Frowds and george Roidon they died for a murther committed in Sussex as their indictement imported in companie of Thomas Fines lord Dacres of the south The truth whereof was thus The said lord Dacres through the lewd persuasion of some of them as hath béene reported line 20 meaning to hunt in the parke of Nicholas Pelham esquire at Laughton in the same countie of Sussex being accompanied with the said Mantell Frowds and Roidon Iohn Cheinie and Thomas Isleie gentlemen Richard Middleton and Iohn Goldwell yeomen passed from his house of Hurstmonseux the last of Aprill in the night season toward the same parke where they intended so to hunt and comming vnto a place called Pikehaie in the parish of Hillingleie they found one Iohn Busbrig Iames Busbrig and Richard Sumner standing togither and line 30 as it fell out through quarelling there insued a fraie betwixt the said lord Dacres and his companie on the one partie and the said Iohn and Iames Busbrig and Richard Sumner on the other insomuch that the said Iohn Busbrig receiued such hurt that he died thereof the second of Maie next insuing Wherevpon as well the said lord Dacres as those that were there with him and diuerse other likewise that were appointed to go an other waie to méet line 40 them at the said parke were indicted of murther and the seauen and twentith of Iune the lord Dacres himselfe was arreigned before the lord Audleie of Walden then lord chancellor sitting that daie as high steward of England with other péeces of the realme about him who then and there condemned the said lord Dacres to die for that transgression And afterward the nine and twentith of Iune being saint Peters daie at eleuen of the clocke in the forenoone the shiriffs of London accordinglie as they line 50 were appointed were readie at the tower to haue receiued the said prisoner and him to haue lead to execution on the tower hill But as the prisoner should come forth of the tower one Heire a gentleman of the lord chancellors house came and in the kings name commanded to staie the execution till two of the clocke in the afternoone which caused manie to thinke that the king would haue granted his pardon But neuerthelesse at three of the clocke in the same afternoone he was brought forth of the tower line 60 and deliuered to the shiriffs who lead him on foot betwixt them vnto Tiburne where he died His bodie was buried in the church of saint Sepulchers He was not past foure and twentie yéeres of age when he came through this great mishap to his end for whome manie sore lamented and likewise for the other thrée gentlemen Mantell Frowds and Roidon But for the sad yoong lord being a right towardlie gentleman and such a one as manie had conceiued great hope of better proofe no small mone and lamentation was made the more indéed for that it was thought he was induced to attempt such follie which occasioned his death by some light heads that were then about him The first of Iulie a Welshman a minstrell was hanged and quartered for singing of songs which were interpreted to be prophesies against the king This summer the king tooke his progresse to Yorke and passed through Lincolneshire where was made to him an humble submission by the temporaltie and confessing their faults they humblie thanked him for his pardon which he had granted them The towne of Stanford gaue to him twentie pounds the citie of Lincoln fortie pounds Boston fiftie pounds that part of the shire which is called Linscie gaue thrée hundred pounds and Kesterne and the church of Lincolne presented him with fiftie pounds At his entring into Yorkeshire he was met with two hundred gentlemen of the same shire in cotes of veluet and foure
how prone the people are to rise by routs vpon occasions of discontentments how hastie and headie to vndertake dangerous enterprises how wilfull and obstinate to persist in their pernicious proceedings how cold-harted and hopelesse when they see the course of their plots of perilous policie line 60 either interrupted vndermined or ouerthrowne and finallie what a reprochfull reward redoundeth both to the ringleaders in rebellions as also what falleth to the shares of all such as shake hands and become confederats to the furthering and strengthening of riots mutinies insurrections commotions and hurlieburlies Wherby the state is disquieted that more is the prince drawne into a conceipt of suspecting his subiects loialties besides a wicked president to posterities without feare of shame remorse of conscience regard to allegiance or foresight of afterclaps to attempt the like Now it resteth that for the further truth and knowledge hereof we adde a new report new I meane in respect of the publication hauing not heretofore béene printed though old enough and sufficientlie warranted by the reporter who vpon his owne notice hath deliuered no lesse in writing than himselfe vpon verie good and infallible grounds obserued and hath left testified in the discourse following wherein there is not one word either added or inuerted but all things from point to point agreeable to the written copie The description of the citie of Excester and of the sundrie assaults giuen to the same collected and gathered by Iohn Vowell alias Hooker gentleman and chamberleine of the same Excester or Exceter is a famous and an ancient citie being the metropole and Emporium of the west parts of England situated and lieng in the prouince sometime called Dumnonia that is to saie the countrie of vallies for whereas are manie hilles as that countrie is full of hilles and mounteins there are manie vallies But neâ—â— corruptlie it is named Deuonia or Deuonshire and not Daneshire of the Danes as some would haue it Of the first foundation thereof by reason of the sundrie inuasions of forren nations who with their hostilities and cruell warres did burne and destroie the same there remaineth no certeine memoriall neither among the records of the said citie ne yet in anie one other writer But most certeine it is that it was first builded and founded by the Britons or Brutes For the names which they gaue and vsed are yet at this present had in remembrance as well among the chronographers of this land as also among the Cornish people who were sometimes one with this prouince but now in a countie of themselues and next bordering to this and in the same diocesse And they are the remanent of the bloud of Brutus For when Cadwallader king of this land by reason of a great famine and pestilence was driuen to forsake the same to flie into little Britaine named Armorica which is now vnder the dition of the French king diuers the most part of his people fled some into Wales and some into Cornwall where euer since they and after them their posteritie haue remained and continued The old chronographers searchers and writers of antiquities doo find that this citie was called Corinia and thereof the cathedrall church of the same was as Bale saith named Ecclesia Coriniensis which name if it were first giuen by Corinus as Leland writeth who after the arriuall of Brutus into this land was made the first duke of this whole west countrie of Deuon and Cornewall which were both comprised vnder the name of Corinia and wherof this citie euer hath beene and is the metropole and alwaies parcell sometime of the kingdome then of the duchie and after of the earledome and now againe of the duchie of Cornwall then out of doubt this citie is of no lesse antiquitie than the said names doo import It was also called Augusta Of this name there were diuerse cities so named by the Romans but this onelie was named Augusta Britannorum and so called as some thinke by the Romans at the conclusion of the peace made at the siege of this citie betwéene king Aruiragus and Uespasian coronell of the Romane armie vnder Claudius Augustus The Britons in their toong or language doo call this citie by sundrie names the first and eldest in remembrance is cair Penhulgoile that is to saie the prosperous chiefe towne in the wood as dooth appeere by Geffreie of Monmouth and Ponticus Virunnius It was also called Pennehaltecaire that is the chiefe citie or towne vpon the hill as dooth appéere in a trauerse betweene the bishop deane and chapiter of this citie of the one partie and the maior bailiffe and communaltie of the other partie concerning their liberties But the names which the Cornish people doo at these presents remember reteine are speciallie thrée Pennecaire Caireruth Caireiske Pennecaire line 10 signifieth and is to saie the chéefe citie Caireruth signifieth the red or reddish citie so called and taking the name of the ground and soile wherevpon it is situated which is a red earth Caireiske is the citie of Iske being so called of the riuer which the Britons name Iske and flotesh fast by the same And of this name Houeden in his chronicle maketh mention saieng thus Anno Domini 877 exercitus Danorum ab Wareham nocte quadam foedere dirupto ad Exeancestre diuerterunt quod Britannicè dicitur Caireiske line 20 Ptolomeus the famous astronomer who was about the yéere of our Lord 162 Coell being king of this land nameth this citie Isca and the riuer Isaca And Bale the searcher of antiquities following the same opinion dooth also name the citie Isca and the inhabitants therein Iscans But vnder correction be it spoken a man maie well thinke that Ptolomeus being in Alexandria and so farre distant from this land was misinformed or the print mistaken For it is most likelie that the riuer should be named Isca according to the British spéech wherein line 30 it was called Isca and which name by transposing of the two middle letters dooth at this present remaine being now named Icsa or Era. But whatsoeuer the censures and opinions of Ptolomeus and of Bale who wrote onelie vpon report be herein it is certeine that the names which the Brutes or Britons gaue were of longest continuance And this citie was called by their denominations by the space of fiftéene hundred yéeres vntill the comming line 40 of the Saxons the Picts and the Scots into this realme which was about the yéere of our Lord foure hundred and fiftie For they where and whensoeuer they preuailed in anie place did for the most part alter and change the names of all places townes accounting it a great renowme as also a perpetuall memoriall of their chiualrie to giue new names either of their owne deuises or of their owne natiue countries for so is it writen of them Picti Scoti Angli Daci Normanni in hac insula rerum
potiti cuncta immutârunt line 50 pro tropheis habentes locis à se deuictis noua imponere nomina The Saxons therfore as of all other cities townes few excepted so of this also they changed and altered the old names and called it Monketon and by which name it was so called by the space of three hundred and od yéeres and vntill the time of king Athelstane for he about the yéere of our Lord nine hundred thirtie and two being much gréeued and vnquieted with the rebellion of the Cornish people because they refused and denied to acknowledge line 60 him for their lawfull king did bend his force conduct his armie against them And hauing subdued and preuailed ouer them he returned to this citie and while he rested here he repared the same and the walles which before were but mightie ditches of earth and the banks set with great poles of timber now destroied he builded all of square stone as it is recorded Hanc vrbem primus Athelstanus in potestatem Anglorum fugatis Britonibus reductam turribus muniuit mâ—raex quadratis lapidibus randem cinxit And then he altered and changed the former names and called it after the name of the riuer Esseterra or Exeterra that is to saie Exeter For so is it written Est Exonia viâ—â— Deuoniae comitatus â—eco praecelso ad occidentem versus posita abluâ—túrque flumine Exi à quo nomen habet Others name it of the riuer â—â—oting by it which they saie is named Excestrum thus they write Clarissima vrbium est Excestria quae ab amni Excestro qui eandem praeterfluit est sic nuncupata I find it also written in an old chronicle that it is named Exancestria or Exancestâ—e which shuld seeme to be so called by the Saxons For the most part of the cities townes forts which they builded or reedified did end in cestre as Glocestre Lecestre Manchestre Winchestre Oscestre Worcestre Colchestre Cicestre Ilcestre Bicestre this citie of Excestre with others For Caire in British Cestre in Saxonish are one thing doo signifie in English a fort towre or castell This citie as is before said being walled about with stone by king Athelstane is not altogither foure square but declineth somewhat toward a roundnesse and conteineth in circuit or compasse sixteene hundred whole pases after fiue foot to a pase which accounting after the Italian maner one thousand pases to a mile it is a mile and halfe about somewhat more The situation of this citie is verie pleasant and delicate being set vpon a little hill among manie hilles For the whole countrie round about is mounteinous and full of hilles It is pendent towards the south and west parts after and in such sort that be the streets neuer so foule or filthie yet with a shoure of raine they are clensed and made sweet And albeit hilles are commonlie drie yet nature is so beneficiall to this litle hill that it is in euerie quarter full of water springs by that meanes the whole citie is throughlie furnished with wels and tirpits the great good benefit and commoditie whereof hath well appéered in sundrie times of necessitie and especiallie in the time of the late commotion which was in the yeere of our Lord 1549. For albeit the enimie by breking and spoiling of the pipes or canales whereby water was conueied to the founteins of the citie from certeine springs distant not a mile from the same did abridge them of that water yet most comfortablie they did inioy without impeachment the wels and tirpits within the walles which abundantlie floted with waters to the satisfieng of all people therein There are also within this citie certeine founteins or conduits wherevnto through certeine canales or pipes of lead the waters from certeine springs rising in the fields not far from the citie are brought and conueied And these waters are of most price because by the carriage thereof they are purified and made lighter than are the other waters springing within the citie and by that means more meet for dressing of meats Of these conduits two are speciall the one of them standeth and is within the cemiterie or churchyard of the cathedrall church of the said citie and is called saint Peters conduit the other being of great antiquitie standeth in the middle of the citie at the méeting of foure principall streets of the same and whereof somâ—times it tooke his name being called the conduit at Quatrefois or Carfox but now the great conduit At the higher end of this citie is a verie old and ancient castell named Rugemont that is to saie the red hill taking that name of the red soile or earth wherevpon it is situated The site or situation of it is eminent and aboue both the citie and countrie adioining for they doo all lie as it were vnder the lée thereof It hath a goodlie and pleasant prospect towards the seas for betweene that and it is no hill at all It is stronglie ditched round about and was first builded as some thinke by Iulius Cesar but rather and in truth by the Romans after him when they had their recourse to it for their defense refuge and abode manie yeares The same was sometimes the palace of such kings as vnto whome the kingdome of Westsex or Westsaxons was allotted vnto and after them it was the habitation of the earles of Cornewall and last of all of the dukes of Excester It was alwaies parcell and of the inheritance of the earledome but now of the duchie of Cornewall it is in great ruine and decaie and not easilie to be gotten with force if it were reedified and inuironed At the lower end and part of this citie without the wals floteth a goodlie and a pleasant riuer which the Britons called Isk Ptolomeus by misinformation line 10 nameth it Isaca but the other old writers named it Esse Exe Exa or Excestrum and these names be reteined at these presents It hath his head or spring in a certeine moore or desert distant from the citie néere about foure and twentie miles called Exmoore It floweth into the maine seas about eight miles from the citie at a place named Exmouth and by the waie it is increased with sundrie riuers brooks lakes the chiefe of which are Créedie and Collome It is well stored and is plentifull of samon front line 20 peale dace pike and other like freshwater fishes which albeit they be verie good and delicate and especiallie the samon and pike yet they are the lesse estéemed bicause the seas being so néere doâ— furnish the citie countrie verie abundantlie with sundrie kinds of sea fishes most delicate The maine seas are not distant from the citie aboue eight miles out of which commeth an arme seruing for the port of the same which as dooth appeare by certeine old and ancient
records did sometimes line 30 flow vp to the verie wals of the citie where boats and vessels were woont to be laden and vnladen of all kind of wares and merchandizes at a proper place appointed for the same which at these presents kéepeth his old and ancient name and is called the watergate The decaie thereof hapned about the yeare of our Lord 1312 by one Hugh Courtneie the third of that name and earle of Deuon who being offended and incensed against this citie his wrathfull humor could not be satisfied vntill by some meanes line 40 he did impaire and annoie the state of the common-wealth of the same And séeing that among other commodities the vse of the hauen and watercourse to the citie to be one of the chiefest he was neuer quiet vntill he had destroied the same wherefore minding to performe what he had conceiued he did in the yeare of our Lord 1313 the fift yeare of king Edward the second enterprise begin his pretended deuise and mischéefe And first whereas the ladie Isabella d◠Fortibus countesse line 50 of Aumerle and of Deuon his ancestrix had builded certeine wéers vpon the riuer of Exe the propertie and seignorie whereof did apperteine to the citie the one of the west side of the riuer of Exe in Exminster parish and the other of the east side of the same riuer in the parish of Topesham leauing betwéene the said two wéers a certeine aperture or open space of thirtie foot thorough which all boats and vessels without let or hinderance might haue and line 60 had their vsuall passage and repassage to and from the citie vnto the seas the said earle to abridge and destroie this great benefit and commoditie did leuie and build a new wéere in the said aperture or open roome stopping filling and quirting the same with great trees timber and stones in such sort that no vessell nor vessels could passe or repasse After him Edward Courtneie earle of Deuon and nephue to the said Hugh did not onelie mainteine and continue the dooings of his ancestor by his dailie reparing and defending the same but also to worke an vtter destruction for euer of anie passage or repassage to be had thensefoorth to and from the said citie vnder pretense to build and make certeine mils did erect two other weeres the one at saint Iames ouerthwart the whole riuer and the other at Lampreford by meanes whereof not onelie the citie did susteine the whole losse of the hauen but the whole countrie also was surrounded about it and in processe of time altogither and as it is at these presents couered with salt waters For which gréefs and iniuries vpon complaints made thereof diuerse sundrie writs and commissions of inquirie were awarded and granted by the king and the said earles by sundrie inquisitions and verdicts found giltie And yet notwithstanding such was their power and authoritie and such was the iniquitie of those daies as no iustice could take place nor law haue his due course against them Furthermore also the foresaid Hugh to incroch the gaine and commoditie of the lading vnlading of merchandizes within the port riuer to himselfe did build a keie and a crane in the riuer at his towne of Topesham distant from the citie about thrée miles and by power did inforce and compell all maner of merchants arriuing within that port to vnlade lade all their wares and merchandizes brought within that port to be laden and vnladen there onelie And from thense euer since all wares and merchandizes haue béene caried and recaried to and from the citie by horsse cart and waine though to the gaine of the earle and his tenants yet to the great trouble and hinderance of the citie and merchants of the same Neuerthelesse the port hath euermore and yet dooth kéepe his old and ancient name being called the port of the citie of Excester and alwaies hath béene and presentlie is paied a tribute vnto the citie by the name of the towne custome for all kind of wares and merchandizes discharged within that port or riuer or the members thereof And although the watercourse thus being destroied can hardlie be restored to his old pristinate and naturall estate for that thorough long continuance the old course can not be discerned yet now at length after manie attempts and with great expenses a watercourse and passage begun in the yeare 1564 is recouered and by certeine sluces boats and vessels of fifteene or sixtéene tuns are conueied and brought vp to the citie and there discharged at the old and ancient place called the watergate where is builded a verie faire large keie or wharfe as also an engine called a crane fit for the purpose Within the citie were somtimes but few parish churches vntill the time of Innocentius the third who when in the yeare 1198 he had established the doctrine of transubstantiation and had made it an article of the symbole as appeareth in the decretals Titulo de summa trinitate canone Firmiter then his next successor Honorius the third in the yeare 1218 did not onelie confirme the same but also by decree did establish reseruation candlelight and praieng for the dead as dooth appeare Decret tit de celebratione missarum canone Sane cum Sane cum creatura by which meanes the number of sacrificing massing priests did not onelie increase but churches also and chapels began in all places and euerie where to be builded and erected And among others in this citie in the yeare 1222 and the sixt yeare of king Henris the third the parish churches were limited and increased to the number of ninetéene churches within the citie and suburbs and were called by the name of the christianitie euen to this daie Euerie of which in times past was a sufficient and competent liuing to mainteine a massing sacrificer for such and so great was the blind deuotion of the people then in that Romish religion but the same now being abolished and the gospell preached the liuelihoods are so small as not sufficient for the most part to mainteine a poore clerke or scholar by reason thereof the most part of them doo lie void and vacant without incumbent Besides these parish churches there was also a monasterie sometimes of moonks of saint Benets order but since a cathedrall church being of a verie faire and sumptuous building of fréestone and with beautifull pillers of graie marble It standeth and is situated in the east part of the citie and as some report was first founded and built by king Etheldred the third sonne to king Ethelwolphus Some line 10 thinke that king Edgar did it True it is that euerie of them builded a house for religious persons within this citie of which the one was spoiled and burned by the Danes and the other in processe of time was vnited to the monasterie which is now the cathedrall church But the cathedrall church
it selfe was founded builded by king Athelstane the sonne to king Edward the elder for so is it recorded in the historie of the same church the words whereof are these Athelstanus line 20 subingatis Cornugualensibus reuersus est ad ciuitatem quae antiquitùs Monketon vocabatur nunc autem Exeter acibi sedens anno Dom. 932 non tam lacerata eiusdem ciuitatis moenia reparabat quin mansum quoddam dedit ad fundandum monasterium promonachis Deo sancto Petro famulantibus This king besides his great charges and expenses in building of this church which at the first was but small and that part which is now called the Ladie chapell he placed therein moonkes of S. Benets order line 30 prouided liuelihoods for them and appointed a ruler or gouernour ouer them and who was called by the name of an abbat towards whose diet and liuelihood he gaue Morkeshull and Tresurors béere and which at these presents doo remaine to the said church and are annexed to the dignitie of the treasurorship of the same The church being thus begun kings princes noble men were from time to time gladlie and willinglie verie liberall contributors to the absoluing and finishing of the same For about foure line 40 score years after king Athelstane king Knoght who was also named Cahutus or Canutus at the earnest sute of one of his dukes named Atheldred did confirme and grant to Athelwood then abbat of the said church and to his successors manie and sundrie priuileges and liberties vnder his letters patents dated the second yeare of his reigne Anno Domini 1019. After him about thirtie yeares king Edward the confessor remooued the moonkes vnto Westminster line 50 and made this church a cathedrall church and remooued the bishops sée which was then at Crediton vnto this citie making Leofricus bishop therof and whom he and his wife quéene Edith did put in possession of the same as appeareth by his letters patents dated the eight yeare of his reigne Anno Dom. 1050 Howbeit the moonke of Burie Polydorus and others doo affirme and write that this should be doone about the twelfe yeare of William the conqueror for thus they doo write Habitum est Londini sub Lanfranco line 60 autistitum sacerdotum comitium in quo decretum est quòd aliquot sedes episcopales quae in oppidulis pagis anteà fuerant in vrbibus locis celeberrimis collocarentur vnde factum est vt Bathonia Lincolnia Sarisburia Exonia Cestria Cicestria vrbes huiusmodi nouis episcoporum domicilijs sunt nobilitatae But the reuerence of these writers reserued this cannot be true concerning this church bicause the words of the charter thereof doo witnesse the contrarie and declare expresselie how that king Edward and queene Edith his wife did put Leofricus the first bishop in possession the one by the one hand and the other by the other hand leading him betweene them vp to the high altar and there put his hands vpon the same And yet it may be true that at the foresaid councell this remoouing and placing of this bishop might be ratified and confirmed Likewise William the conqueror in the third yeare of his reigne 1069 did not onelie confirme the former charter but also at the instance and request of William Warewest then his chapleine but afterwards bishop of the same sée did giue vnto it the seigniories of Plimpton Brampton and S. Stephans in Excester which the said William Warewest being afterwards bishop did distribute giuing Plimpton to the religious canons whome he placed there Brampton was annexed to the deanerie but S. Stephans was reserued alwaies to the bishop and to his successors whereby they are barons and so lords in the parlement house It was also inlarged from time to time with great possessions reuenues buildings riches priuileges and sundrie other commodities by kings princes prelats bishops and sundrie others And this one thing is to be noted that albeit there were about foure hundred yeares distant from the first foundation and building thereof vnto the ending and finishing of the same yet it is so vniformelie and decentlie compact and builded in one mould as though it had beene doone at one instant The bishop is distinct from the chanons both in house and reuenue his liuelihoods being no part nor parcell of that which apperteineth to the deane and chapter It was sometimes of great reuenues and large possessions but the more part thereof hath béene consumed and exhausted by a wastfull bishop The bishop and chanons haue verie faire houses which are situated about the church cemiterie and are inclosed euerie night by shutting fast of certeine gates by which occasion it is called a close A claudendo and which gates are to be shut euerie night except at certeine times and to be opened euerie morning at certeine hours appointed as it appeareth by a composition made for the same betwéene the communaltie of Excester and the bishop and deane of the same In the middle of the cemiterie or churchyard is a verie faire founteine or conduit of water conueied by certeine pipes of lead from out of the same féelds as is the cities conduit And albeit the springs of both waters are in the same field and not farre distant yet this dooth excell the other Out of this well or founteine waters are conueied to sundrie of the chanons houses as also of late vnto the bishops house and yet it serueth besides the whole close and citie The citie it selfe is verie populous and was sometimes chéefelie inhabited with clothiers clothworkers of broad clothes seruing much for the Spanish and south countries and which in those daies were of such goodnesse substance that the names of them doo remaine in those countries but new it is chéeflie inhabited with merchants kersie-â—â—othiers and all sorts of artificers among whom the merchants are the chéefe welthiest The gouernement of this citie was sometimes by foure bailiffes which before the conquest were called portgreues that is the chéefest lords or rulers of the towne for porta is taken for a towne and greue in Saxonie is Dominus or maior but after the conquest they were after the French toong named Prouostres that is to saie Praefecti or rulers and now stewards Not long after the conquest there was ordered and constituted a senate of six and thirtie persons but of later yeares by king Henrie the seauenth of foure twentie persons out of which number yearelie there was and is chosen one to be the chéefest gouernour for the yeare following and is called by the name of a maior whome the Saxons called Meregreue that is Maior dominus or the cheefe ruler This maior associated with the foure prouosts or bailiffes hath the hearing decerning and determining in all ciuill causes betwéene partie and partie and for which they kéepe wéekelie vpon euerie mondaie a court in the Guildhall of
the said citie but the bailiffes reteining their old and ancient custome doo kéepe the like courts and in the like causes distinctlie from the maior by themselues at all time and times the mondaies and festiuall daies excepted as it shall please them to assigne and with their court is called by the name of the prouost court Thus the maior and bailiffes both iointlie and seuerallie line 10 haue iurisdiction to decerne and determine in ciuill matters But if the matters doo touch and concerne the prince the crowne the common peace anie criminall matter or the publike state of the citie and common-wealth of the same then the same are decided by the maior and iustices or by the maior and common councell or by the maior himselfe or by some other officer or officers according to the nature and qualitie of the cause and offense But bicause it requireth a large and speciall course to describe the line 20 gouernement of this citie and common-wealth of the same the charge of euerie officer the diuersitie of officers their seuerall iurisdictions and a number of other things incident vnto their charges there is a particular booke imprinted and at large the same is set out in such order as is requisite and apperteining to the gouernement whereby euerie man may know his office and charge and what to him dooth apperteine And let it suffice that partlie through good gouernement and partlie of a good inclination line 30 the people of this citie haue béene alwaies dutifull and obedient to the king and the lawes and haue in great awe and reuerence their gouernours and magistrats for the time being And this one thing is not so strange as worthie to be noted that euen from the beginning from time to time they haue béene carefull for their common-wealth and vigilant for the preseruation of the same And as in times of peace and quietnesse the same hath beene well gouerned so in times troublesome and vnquiet line 40 it hath béene most valiantlie defended against the inuasions and assaults of the enimies as by sundrie histories it may appeare whereof for example these few may serue line 1 First Aruiragus king of this land then named Britaine minding to staie the land in his ancient estate fréedome and libertie did withdraw and denie to paie vnto the Romans the tribute which they did require and demand wherefore Claudius the emperor sent Uespasian then duke of the Romane armie line 50 into this realme with a great hoast either to recouer the tribute or to subdue the land This Uespasian is he who in the foure and twentith yeare after this his iourneie did destroie Ierusalem Wherfore this duke landing in Torrebate then named Totonesium littus came to this citie laid siege vnto it and gaue continuall assaults therevnto for eight daies continuallie togither Aruiragus the king being then in the east parts of the land and hearing of this with a great armie and power marcheth towards this citie to remooue line 60 the siege and incountereth with the enimie The Romane after long fight and not able to preuaile is contented to come to parlée and in the end a composition was concluded as if dooth appeare and is set downe and written by sundrie historiographers The chronicle of the cathedrall church of the said citie hath these words Anno Domini 49 Vespassanus cum Romano exercitu ciuitatem nunc vocatam Exeter â—cto diebus obsedit sedminimè praeualuit Aruirago rege ciuibus auxilium praestante Geffreie of Monmouth hath these words Vespasianus à Claudio missus est vt Arâ—iragum vel pacificaret vel Romanae subiectioni restitueret Cùmigitur inportu in Rutâ—pi applicare voluisset Vespasianus obuâ—aâ—it ei Aruiragus atque prohibuit nâ— portum ingrederetur Retraxit itaque se Vespasianus à portu illo retortisque velis in littore Totonesio applicuit Nactus deinde tellurem Caier â—enhulgoite quae nunc Exonia vocà tur obsessurus eandem adiuit cùmque octo diebus eandem obsedisset superuenit Aruiragus cum exercitu suo praeliùmque commisit die illa valde laceratus fuit vtrorùmque exercitus sed neuter est victoria potitus mane autem facto mediante Geâ—aâ—issa regina concordes effecti sunt Matthew of Westminster writeth Aruiragus Britannorum rex in tantam proâ—apsus est superbiaÌ„ quòd Romanae potestatis noluit diutiùs subiectiom parere Vespasianus igitur à Claudio missus cùm in Rutupi portu applicare incepisset Aruiragus illi â—buius prohibuit ne ingrederetur At Vespasianus recortis velis in Totonesio littore applicuit ciuitatem quae Britannicè Caier Penhulgoite nunc autenâ— Exonia appellatur obsedit elapsis inde septem diebus Aruiragus superuenit praeliùmque commisit vtrorùmque exercitu valde lacerato mediante Genwissa Claudij filia duces amici facti sunt In the historie intituled Noua historia de gestis Anglorum a Britonibus vsque ad Henricum sextum is written the like in effect Vespasianus à Claudio missus est vt Aruiragum pacificaret vel Romanae ditioni restitueret cui obuians Aruiragus probibuit ne terram suam ingrederetur timens Vespasianus armatorum cohortem retraxit sese retortisque velis in Totonesio littore est appulsus atque vrbem Exoniae obsedit post septem dies superuenit Aruiragus praelium committitur laceratùrque vtrorùmque exercitus sed neuter potitur victoria demum mediante Genewissa regina reconciliati sunt It was also in manie troubles and great perplexities in the vncerteine and troublesome states of this realme when sometimes the Romans sometimes the Picts sometimes the Scots sometimes the Saxons and sometimes the Danes made their incursions and warres within this land by reason whereof the records and memorials in those daies for the most part were lost and consumed And yet Matthew of Westminster writeth that it was besieged by Penda king of Mertia in the yeare line 2 of our Lord 632 in the time of Cadwallin one of the last kings of the Britons The historie is this Edwin the Saxon king of the Northumbers â—auing wars against Cadwallin or Cadwallâ— did so preuaile and had such conquests ouer him that Cadwallo was driuen to forsake his realme of Waleâ— and to flie into Ireland where he being was 〈◊〉 carefull and pensifull how to recouer his countrie againe Wherefore he repareth his armie and gathereth a new force and gaue sundrie â—ttempts to atchiue to his purpose but all was in vaine 〈…〉 could neuer set foot on land in his countrie 〈◊〉 win was alwaies at hand and in a readinesse to 〈◊〉 and resist the same for this Edwin had about him in his seruice a man named Pellitus who was a magician and verie skilfull in necromancie and who by his art and science did foreshew and declare vnto Edwin what things were a dooing and attempted against him Cadwallo hauing continuallie euill successe was in vtter despaire and distrust to
further in their attempts so that the king and the councell would not alter the religion but suffer it to remaine and tarie in the same state as king Henrie the eight left it vntill the king himselfe came to his full age Sir Peter Carew and all the residue nothing liking this answer being farre from their expectation were for the time in a great dumpe or studie but in the end misliked and discommended both the matter and the maner of their dealings insomuch that sir Peter Carew and sir Péerce Courtneie then shiriffe of Deuon openlie sharpelie and in plaine termes inueied against them for their slender or rather sinister dealings in so weightie a cause wherein they all ought rather to haue vsed all meanes to haue suppressed their outrages than to haue mainteined their follies and therefore as there was a blame in them so was there a plaine rebellion in the other But though the two knights would haue excused the matter and haue purged their sinceritie herein yet on ech side words were so multiplied that they brake asunder without anie further dealings and euerie man shifted for himselfe some one waie some an other waie The commons vnderstanding hereof stop all the high waies casting great trenches and laieng great trées ouerthwart the same and doo watch ward the same and by that meanes sundrie gentlemen suspecting no such matter and making waie to their appointed places were intrapped taken and put in prison and manie of them kept in durance during the whole time of the commotion abode great hardnesse and were in perill of life and limme manie were taken bicause they would be taken found fauour manie forsaking their houses and home were driuen to sequester and hide themselues in woods secret places In the citie none or verie few remained or taried sauing six or seuen persons then knowne of for by conference had before with the maior it was knowne that the citie was vnprouided of sufficient vittels méet for such a companie as the foresaid gentlemen were The gentlemen which taried and remained in the citie namelie sir Roger Blewet knight Iohn Beauchampe Bartholomew Fortescute Iohn Courtneie Iohn Peter customer esquiers and others did verie good seruice as well in their persons as in their good aduises and counsels sauing such as secretlie kept themselues close in certeine houses then vnknowne Sir Peter Carew verie earlie in the next morning tooke his horsse and the high waies being then not stopped he escaped and rode vnto George Henton a place of sir Hugh Paulets in Summersetshire where was the lord Russell being then newlie come from London and vnto him he gaue to vnderstand how all things had passed who foorthwith dispatched and sent him awaie to the king and councell to aduertise them of the same The king at the first hearing of the matter was verie much grieued in great perplexitie in two respects the one bicause at this instant the like tumults and rebellions though for an other cause were now raised and begun in other places the other was bicause he was inforced to leaue and giue ouer the appointed attempt for the conquest of Scotland and to imploie now those soldiors and strangers whome he had reteined for that seruice for the quenching of this fire kindled at home Neuerthelesse minding to follow the first and to appease the last he sent verie courteous letters gratious proclamations and manie mercifull offers vnto all the commons of these parties to haue pacified and satisfied them if they had had so much grace so to haue accepted it The commons being now entered in their follies and hauing driuen the gentlemen to the flight doo openlie shew themselues traitors rebels and therefore assembling themselues doo appoint out capteins to direct order both themselues and all their procéedings and as the common prouerbe is Like lips like lettice as is their cause so are the rulers the one being not so bold and euill as they wicked or woorse The capteins then are these Underhill a tailor Maunder a shoomaker Seager a labourer and Aâ—sheredge a fishdriuer with sundrie other such like the woorst men and the reffuse of all others thought most méet in this seruice Howbeit it was not long before that certeine gentlemen and yeomen of good countenance and credit both in Deuon and Cornewall were contented not onelie to be associats of this rebellion but also to carrie the crosse before this procession and to be capteins and guiders of this wicked enterprise as namelie in Deuon sir Thomas Pomeroie knight Iohn Burie and one Coffin gentlemen in Cornewall Humfrie Arundell and Winneslade esquiers Holmes a yeoman with sundrie others who for the most part were in the end executed and put to death and their facts to the memoriall of their perpetuall infamie line 10 recorded in chronicles The principall chiefe capteins in Deuon being fullie resolued by their owne power and authoritie to mainteine continue the religion according to the Romish church vtterlie to impugne the reformatision therof established by act of parlement to support the authoritie of the idoll of Rome whome they neuer saw in contempt of their true and lawfull king whome they knew and ought to obeie these I saie sent their messengers vnto the maior of this citie line 20 whose name was Iohn Blackaller to mooue and praie him to ioine with them they thinking that they hauing by these meanes the libertie to haue frée accesse to and from the citie and the helpe of the citizens should not want monie or armor or anie thing else to serue their turne the maior foorthwith aduertised vnto his brethren this motion And albeit some and the chiefest of them did like were well affected to the Romish religion yet respecting their dutie to God their obedience to the king their fidelitie to their countrie and safetie of themselues gaue their line 30 full resolute and direct answer that they would not ioine nor deale with them at all This answer was nothing liked and therefore sent they their second messenger requiring and commanding them to mainteine the old catholike religion with them and to doo as they did or else they would besiege them and perforce compell them thervnto The maior and his brethren returned their former answer adding moreouer that they in their dooings line 40 were wicked bad men they did would repute them for enimies and rebels against God their king and countrie and so renounced them The one side therefore as they prepare to besiege the citie and to worke all the extremities they can by force to take that which by words they can not obteine so on the other side the maior and his brethren vpon good aduise garded and watched the citie with sufficient men armed both by daie and by night The rebels according to their determination relieng themselues line 50 vpon a vaine hope
were led and carried and who did humble themselues he was pitifull and mercifull and did dailie pardon infinite numbers And his lordship thinking verelie that all things were now quieted the rebels pacified suddenlie newes were brought vnto him that there assembled at Sampford Courtneie both Deuonshiremen and Cornishmen and who were fullie bent to mainteine their quarrell and abide the battell These newes so troubled and tickled my lord that all businesse set apart he commandeth foorthwith the trumpet to be sounded and the drumme to be striken vp and all his armie to be foorthwith mustered which was then the greater by reason of the Welshmen and gentlemen of the countrie and of the commoners who vpon submission had obteined pardon and increased to the number of eight or ten thousand men and foorthwith he marcheth towards Sampford Courtneie where sir William Herbert requested to haue the fore-ward for that daie which was granted him And being come thither albeit the great companie of so manie good souldiers and well appointed might haue dismaied them being nothing nor in order nor in companie nor in experience to be compared vnto the others yet they were at a point they would not yéeld to no persuasions nor did but most manfullie did abide the fight and neuer gaue ouer vntill that both in the towne and in the field they were all for the most taken or slaine At which time one ap Owen a Welsh gentlman more boldie than aduisedlie giuing the aduenture to enter the rampier at the townes end was there slaine by the rebels and after carried backe to Exon where after the maner of wars he was honorablie buried in the bodie of saint Peters church few of the kings side besides him then slaine and so of a traitorous beginning they made a shamefull ending Neuerthelesse manie escaped and they fled towards Summersetshire after whom was sent sir Peter Carew and sir Hugh Paulet then knight marshall with a great companie attending vpon them and followed them as far as to King Weston in the countie of Summerset where they ouertooke them and ouerthrew them and also tooke one Coffin a gentleman their capteine prisoner and brought him vnto Excester The lord Russell himselfe minding to make all things sure taketh his iorneie and marcheth into Cornewall and following his former course causeth execution to be doone vpon a great manie and especiallie vpon the chéefe belwedders and ringleaders but the cheefe and principall capteins he kept as prisoners and brought them with him to Excester And when this lord had set all things in good order he returned to Excester remained there for a time but after departed towards London where he was receiued with great ioy and thanks and being come before the king he forgat not to commend vnto his maiestie the good seruice of this citie in this rebellion which as is before said was liberallie rewarded and considered After his departure and according to his order and appointment the chéefe capteins and principall heads of this rebellion whome he left in prison in the kings goale at Excester were caried to London and commanded to the tower and in their due time were afterwards executed to death namelie Humfreie Arundell esquier Wineslade esquier Iohn Berrie and Coffin gentlemen and Holmes yeoman which Coffin and Holmes were seruants to sir Iohn Arundell knight Of the number of them who were slaine there is no certeintie knowne but manie more be found lacke then numbred howbeit it was accounted by such as continued in the whole seruice of this commotion to be about foure thousand men But what number was of the contrarie side dispatched nothing is reported albeit it be well knowne that they escaped not scotfrée and especiallie the Burgonians who were abhorred of the one partie and nothing fauoured of the other Thus much line 10 concerning the description of the citie and of the sundrie inuasions and assaults against the same and especiallie of the last rebellion or commotion in the yeare of our Lord 1549 wherein much more might be spoken but this may suffice for this matter And for as much as the cathedrall church of this citie called by the name of S. Peters is a parcell of the citie and compassed within the wals of the same though in respect of certeine priuileges distinct from the iurisdiction thereof I thought it good to subnect herevnto line 20 the description of the said church and of the antiquitie of the same The antiquitie foundation and building of the cathedrall church of saint Peters in Excester AFter that corrupt religion and superstition was crept and receiued into the church and the people become deuout line 30 therein then began the erecting of religious houses and monasteries in euerie countrie And as this was vniuersall throughout all christendome vnder the gouernement of the Romane bishop so also was it generallie doone throughout all England in which generalitie this citie was of a particularitie for in this citie from time to time as opportunitie serued sundrie religious houses and monasteries were erected and builded of which there were thrée within the site circuit and line 40 place now called the close of S. Peters and which in time accrued and were vnited into one The first was a house for women called moniales or nuns which is now the deanes house or Kalendar haie The other was a house of moonks supposed to be builded by king Ethelred the third sonne to king Ethelwolph and these two were vnited by bishop Leofricus vnto the cathedrall church The third was a house for moonks of the order of S. Benet which was builded and founded by king Athelstane about the yeare of line 50 our Lord 932 and this is that part of the cathedrall church now called the ladie chappell For the said king hauing driuen out of this citie the Britons then dwelling therein and minding to make a full conquest both of them and of this their countrie which they then inhabited did so fiercelie follow and pursue them euen into Cornewall that in the end he conquered them and had the victorie After which he returned to this citie and here staieng and soiourning for a time did reedifie the citie incompassed it with line 60 a stone wall and founded the cathedrall church which he then appointed for a monasterie for moonks of S. Benets order For so is it written Hanc vrbem rex Adelstanus primus in potestatem Anglorum effugatis Britonibus redactam turribus muniuit muro ex quadratis lapidibus cinxit ac antiquitùs vocatam Munketon nunc Exester vocari voluit ac ibi sedens mansum quoddam dedit ad fundandum monasterium pro monachis Deo sancto Petro famulantibus Besides the charges which he was at the building of the said church he gaue also lands and reuenues vnto them sufficient for maintenance and liuelihoods whereof Morkeshull and Treasurors béere are parcell and which now are appendant
Lords goodnesse through prudent circumspection of some interrupted the course of their furious beginning For first came the kings gratious and frée pardon discharging pardoning all them and the rest of the rebels of all treasons murthers felonies other offenses doone to his maiestie before the one twentith of August 1549. Which pardon although Ombler contemptuouslie reading persisted still in his wilfull obstinacie dissuaded also the rest from the humble accepting of the kings so louing liberall pardon yet notwithstanding with some it did good who of likelihood submitted themselues assuredlie belieuing if they perseuered in their enterprise there was no way with them but one namelie deserued death wherewith there was no dispensing after the contempt of the princes pardon and refusall of his mercie so that in this heauie case they might verie well complaine and saie Funditùs occidimus nec habet fortuna regressum To make short it was not long after this but Ombler as he was riding from towne to towne twelue miles from Hummanbie to charge all the conestables and inhabitans where he came in the kings name to resort to Hummanbie by the waie he was espied and by the circumspect diligence of Iohn Word the yoonger Iames Aslabeie Rafe Twinge and Thomas Conestable gentlemen hée was had in chase and at last by them apprehended and brought in the night in sure custodie vnto the citie of Yorke to answer vnto his demerits After whome within short time Thomas Dale Henrie Barton the first chiefteins and ringleaders of the former commotion with Iohn Dale Robert Wright William Pecocke Weatherell and Edmund Buttrie busie stirrers in this sedition as they trauelled from place to place to draw people to their faction were likewise apprehended committed to ward lawfullie conuicted and lastlie executed at Yorke the one and twentith of September in the yere of our Lord 1549. Exactis iudicij publici a registro exceptis notatis Whilest these wicked commotions and tumults through the rage of the vndiscréet commons were thus raised in sundrie parts of the realme to the great hinderance of the common-wealth losse and danger of euerie good and true subiect sundrie wholsome and godlie exhortations were published to aduertise them of their dutie and to laie before them their heinous offenses with the sequele of the mischiefs that necessarilie followed thereof the which if they should consider togither with the punishment that hanged ouer their heads they might easilie be brought to repent their lewd begun enterprises and submit themselues to the kings mercie Among other of those admonitions one was penned and set forth by sir Iohn Chéeke which I haue thought good here to insert as a necessarie discourse for euerie good English subiect Wherein to a reader of iudgement and capacitie such learning and wisedome with a true loiall subiects heart bewraieth it selfe to haue béene setled in that gentleman as the verie reading of this treatise is able to turne a rebellious mind to méekenesse if reason be not altogither led awaie captiue by lust ¶ The hurt of sedition how greeuous it is to a common-wealth set out by sir Iohn Cheeke knight in the yeare 1549. The true subiect to the rebell AMong so manie and notable benefits wherewith God hath alreadie and plentifullie indued vs there is nothing more beneficiall than that we haue by his line 10 grace kept vs quiet from rebellion at this time For we see such miseries hang ouer the whole state of the common-wealth through the great misorder of your sedition that it maketh vs much to reioise that we haue béene neither partners of your doings nor conspirers of your counsels For euen as the Lacedemonians for the auoiding of drunkennesse did cause their sons to behold their seruants when they were drunke that by beholding their beastlinesse they might auoid the like vice euen so hath God like a line 20 mercifull father staied vs from your wickednesse that by beholding the filth of your fault we might iustlie for offense abhorre you like rebels whome else by nature we loue like Englishmen And so for our selues we haue great cause to thanke God by whose religion and holie word dailie taught vs we learne not onelie to feare him trulie but also to obeie our king faithfullie and to serue in our owne vocation like subiects honestlie And as for you we haue surelie iust cause to lament you as brethren line 30 and yet iuster cause to rise against you as enimies and most iust cause to ouerthrow you as rebels For what hurt could be doone either to vs priuatlie or to the whole common-wealth generallie that is now with mischiefe so brought in by you that euen as we sée now the flame of your rage so shall we necessarilie be consumed hereafter with the miserie of the same Wherefore consider your selues with some light of vnderstanding and marke this gréeuous and horrible fault which ye haue thus vilelie line 40 committed how heinous it must néeds appeare to you if ye will reasonablie consider that which for my duties sake and my whole countries cause I will at this present declare vnto you Ye which be bound by Gods word not to obeie for feare like men-pleasers but for conscience sake like christians haue contrarie to Gods holie will whose offense is euerlasting death and contrarie to the godlie order of quietnesse set out to vs in the kings maiesties lawes the breach whereof is not vnknowne to you taken line 50 in hand vncalled of God vnsent by men vnfit by reason to cast awaie your bounden duties of obedience and to put on you against the magistrats Gods office committed to the magistrats for the reformation of your pretensed iniuries In the which dooing ye haue first faulted grieuouslie against God next offended vnnaturallie our souereigne lord thirdlie troubled miserablie the whole common-wealth vndoone cruellie manie an honest man and brought in an vtter miserie both to vs the kings subiects line 60 and to your selues being false rebels And yet ye pretend that partlie for Gods cause and partlie for the common-wealths sake ye doo arise when as your selues cannot denie but ye that seeke in word Gods cause doo breake in déed Gods commandements and ye that séeke the common-wealth haue destroied the common-wealth and so ye marre that ye would make breake that ye would amend because ye neither seeke anie thing rightlie nor would amend anie thing orderlie He that faulteth faulteth against Gods ordinance who hath forbidden all faults and therefore ought againe to be punished by Gods ordinance who is the reformer of faults For he saith Leaue the punishment to me and I will reuenge them But the magistrate is the ordinance of God appointed by him with the sword of punishment to looke streightlie to all euill dooers And therefore that that is doone by the magistrate is doone by the ordinance of God whome the scripture oftentimes dooth call God because he hath the execution
an other pageant made by the Florentins verie high on the top whereof there stood foure pictures and in the middest of them and most highest there stood an angell all in gréene with a trumpet in his hand and when the line 50 trumpetter who stood secretlie in the pageant did sound his trumpet the angell did put his trumpet to his mouth as though it had béene the same that had sounded to the great maruelling of manie ignorant persons this pageant was made with three thorough faires or gates c. The conduit in Cornehill ran wine and beneath the conduit a pageant made at the charges of the citie and an other at the great conduit in Cheape and a founteine by it running wine The standard in Cheape new painted with the waits line 60 of the citie aloft theron plaieng The crosse in Cheape new washed and burnished An other pageant at the little conduit in Cheape next to Paules was made by the citie where the aldermen stood when the quéene came against them the recorder made a short proposition to hir and then the chamberleine presented to hir in the name of the maior and the citie a purse of cloth of gold and a thousand marks of gold in it then she rode foorth and in Paules church-yard against the schoole one master Heiwood sat in a pageant vnder a vine and made to hir an oration in Latine English Then was there one Peter a Dutchman that stood on the weathercâ—cke of Paules stéeple holding a streamer in his hand of fiue yards long and wauing thereof stood sometimes on the one foot and shooke the other and then knéeled on his knees to the great maruell of all people He had made two scaffolds vnder him one aboue the crosse hauing torches and streamers set on it and an other ouer the ball of the crosse likewise set with streamers torches which could not burne the wind was so great the said Peter had sixteene pounds thirtéene shillings foure pense giuen him by the citie for his costs and paines and for all his stuffe Then was there a pageant made against the deane of Paules gate where the quéeristers of Paules plaied on vials and soong Ludgate was newlie repared painted and richlie hanged with minstrels plaieng and singing there Then was there an other pageant at the conduit in Fleetstréet and the temple barre was newlie painted and hanged And thus she passed to Whitehall at Westminster where she tooke hir leaue of the lord maior giuing him great thanks for his pains and the citie for their cost On the morrow which was the first daie of October the quéene went by water to the old palace and there remained till about eleuen of the clocke and then went on foot vpon blew cloth being railed on either side vnto saint Peters church where she was solemnlie crowned and annointed by Stephan Gardiner bishop of Winchester for the archbishops of Canturburie and Yorke were then prisoners in the tower which coronation and other ceremonies and solemnities then vsed according to the old custome was not fullie ended till it was nigh foure of the clocke at night that she returned from the church before whom was then borne three swords sheathed one naked The great seruice that daie doone in Westminster hall at dinner by diuerse noblemen would aske long time to write The lord maior of London twelue citizens kept the high cupboord of plate as butlers and the quéene gaue to the maior for his fée a cupboord of gold with a couer weieng seuentéene ounces At the time of this quéenes coronation there was published a generall pardon in hir name being interlaced with so manie exceptions as they that néeded the same most tooke smallest benefit thereby In which were excepted by name no small number not onelie of bishops and other of the cleargie namelie the archbishops of Canturburie and Yorke the bishop of London but also manie lords knights and gentlemen of the laitie beside the two chiefe iustices of England called sir Edward Montacute and sir Roger Cholmeleie with some other learned men in the law for counselling or at the least consenting to the depriuation of quéene Marie and aiding of the foresaid duke of Northumberland in the pretensed right of the before named ladie Iane the names of which persons so being excepted I haue omitted for shortnesse sake As soone as this pardon was published and the solemnitie of the feast of the coronation ended there were certeine commissioners assigned to take order with all such persons as were excepted out of the pardon and others to compound with the queene for their seuerall offenses Which commissioners sat at the deane of Paules his house at the west end of Paules church and there called before them the said persons apart and from some they tooke their fees and offices granted before by king Edward the sixt and yet neuerthelesse putting them to their fines and some they committed to ward depriuing them of their states and liuings so that for the time to those that tasted thereof it seemed verie grieuous God deliuer vs from incurring the like danger of law againe The fift daie of October next following the quéene held hir hie court of parlement at Westminster which continued vntill the one and twentith daie of the said moneth In the first session of which parlement there passed no more acts but one and that was to declare queene Marie lawfull heire in descent to the crowne of England by the common lawes next after hir brother king Edward and to repeale certeine causes of treason fellonie and premunire conteined in diuers former statutes the which act of repeale was for that cardinall Poole was especiallie looked for as after ye shall heare for the reducing of the church of line 10 England to the popes obedience and to the end that the said cardinall now called into England from Rome might hold his courts legantine without the danger of the statutes of the premunire made in that case whereinto cardinall Wolseie when he was legat had incurred to his no small losse and to the charge of all the clergie of England for exercising the like power the which act being once passed foorthwith the queene repaired to the parlement line 20 house and gaue therevnto hir roiall assent and then proroged the parlement vnto the foure and twentith daie of the said moneth In which second session were confirmed and made diuerse and sundrie statutes concerning religion wherof some were restored and other repealed ¶ Sir Thomas White for this yéere maior and merchant tailor a woorthie patrone and protector of poore scholers lerning renewed or rather erected a college in Oxenford now called saint Iohns college before Bernard college He also erected schooles at Bristow line 30 and Reading Moreouer this worshipfull citizen in his life time gaue to the citie of Bristow two thousand pounds of readie monie to purchase lands to
great commodities that might insue thereof that they not onlie thought it very honorable but expedient both for the wealth of our realme and also of all our louing subiects And as touching my selfe I assure you I am not so desirous of wedding neither so precise or wedded to my will that either for mine owne pleasure I will choose where I lust or else so amorous as néeds I must haue one For God I thanke him to whome be the praise thereof I haue hitherto liued a virgine and doubting nothing but with Gods grace shall as well be able so to liue still But if as my progenitors haue done before it might please God that I might leaue some fruit of my bodie behind me to be your gouernour I trust you would not onelie reioise thereat but also I know it would be to your great comfort And certeinlie if I either did know or thinke that this marriage should either turn◠to the danger or losse of anie of you my louing subiects or to the detriment or impairing of anie part or parcell of the roiall estate of this realme of England I would neuer consent therevnto neither would I euer marrie while I liued And in the word of a quéene I promise and assure you that if it shall not probablie appéere before line 10 the nobilitie and commons in the high court of parlement that this marriage shall be for the singular benefit and commoditie of all the whole realme that then I will absteine not onelie from this marriage but also from anie other whereof perill maie insue to this most noble realme Wherefore now as good faithfull subiects plucke vp your harts and like tru◠men stand fast with your lawfull prince against these rebelles both our enimies and yours and feare them not for assure you that I feare them nothing line 20 at all I will leaue with you my lord Howard and my lord treasuror to be your assistants with my lord maior for the defense and safegard of this citie from spoile and saccage which is onelie the scope of this rebellious companie After this oration ended the citizens séeming well satisfied therewith the queene with the lords of the councell returned to White hall from whence she came and foorthwith the lord William Howard line 30 was associate with the lord maior of London whose name was sir Thomas White for the protection and defense of the citie And for more suertie as well of hir owne person as also of hir councellors and other subiects she prepared a great armie to méet with the said rebelles in the field of which armie William Herbert earle of Penbroke was made generall which earle with all spéed requisite in such a case prepared all things necessarie to such a seruice belonging The same daie sir Thomas Wiat hauing with line 40 him foureteene ensignes conteining about foure thousand men although they were accounted to be a farre greater number marched to Detford strand eight miles from Detford and within foure miles of London where vpon such aduertisement as he receiued by spiall of the quéens being in the Guild-hall the order of the people to hir wards he remained that night the next whole daie diuerse of his owne companie doubting by his longer tarrieng there than in other places and vpon other presumptions which they gathered that he would haue passed line 50 the water into Essex His prisoners Christopher Roper George Dorrell and Iohn Tucke esquiers who were kept somewhat strict for that they seemed sicklie and finding within the towne no conuenient harborough or attendance were licenced by sir Thomas Wiat vpon promise of their worships to be true prisoners to prouide for themselues out from the towne where they best might But they breaking promise with him line 60 sought waies to escape and come no more at him On saturdaie following verie earlie Wiat marched to Southworke where approching the gate at London bridge foot he called to them within to haue it opened which he found not so readie as he looked for After he had beene a little while in Southworke and began to trench at the bridge foot and set two peeces of ordinance against the gate diuerse of his soldiors went to Winchester place where one of them being a gentleman began to fall to rifling of things found in the house Wherewith sir Thomas Wiat seemed so much offended that he threatned sore to hang him euen presentlie there vpon the wharfe and so as he made others to beleeue he meant to haue doone if capteine Bret and others had not intreated for him The lord William Howard lord admerall of England being appointed by the queens commission capteine generall with the lord maior sir Thomas White watched at the bridge that night with three hundred men caused the draw bridge to be hewen downe into the Thames made rampiers and fortifications there fensing the same with great ordinance Wiat yet aduentured the breaking downe of a wall out of an house ioining to the gate at the bridge foot whereby he might enter into the leads ouer the gate came downe into the lodge about eleuen of the clocke in the night where he found the porter in a slumber and his wife with other waking and watching ouer a cole but beholding Wiat they began suddenlie to start as greatlie amazed Whist quoth Wiat as you loue your liues sit still you shall haue no hurt Glad were they of that warrant and so were quiet and made no noise Wiat and a few with him went foorth as farre as the draw bridge on the other side whereof he saw the lord admerall the lord maior sir Andrew Iud and one or two others in consultation for ordering of the bridge wherevnto he gaue diligent heed and eare a good while and was not séene This doone he returned and said to some of his companie This place sirs is too hot for vs. And herevpon falling in counsell what was best to doo some gaue aduise that it should be good to returne to Gréenewich and so to passe the water into Essex whereby their companie as they thought should increase and then assaie to enter into London by Aldgate and some were of opinion that it were better to go to Kingston vpon Thames and so further west Other there were among which sir Thomas Wiat himselfe was chiefe would haue returned into Kent to méet with the lord of Aburgauenie the lord Warden the shiriffe sir Thomas Moile sir Thomas Kempe sir Thomas Finch and others that were at Rochester comming on Wiats backe with a great companie well appointed persuading himselfe whether truelie or not I know not that he should find among them more friends than enimies But whether his desire to returne into Kent grew vpon hope he had to find aid there or rather to shift himselfe awaie it was doubted of his owne companie and some of them that knew him well except they were much deceiued reported not
London towards Rome as ambassadors sent from the king and quéene to confirme this new reconciliation to the pope A yoong stripling whose name was William Fetherstone a millers sonne about the age of eightéene yeares named and bruted himselfe to be king Edward the sixt whereof when the quéene and the councell heard they caused with all diligence inquirie to be made for him so that he was apprehended in Southworke or as other haue at Eltham in Kent the tenth of Maie line 50 and brought before the councell at Hampton court and there examined And it was demanded of him why he so named himselfe To which he counterfetting a maner of simplicitie or rather frensie would make no direct answer but praid pardon for he wist not what he said affirming further that he was counselled so to saie and to take vpon him the name whereof he accused certeine persons but his talke was not found true wherefore he was committed to the Marshalseie as a lunatike foole line 60 On the eight and twentith daie of Maie next following the aforesaid counterfet prince was brought in a cart from the Marshalseie thorough the citie of London with a paper ouer his head wherein was written that he named himselfe king Edward And from thense was conueied to Westminster being led round about the hall and shewed to all the people there and afterward he was taken out of the cart and stripped and then whipped round about the palace at the same carts taile and then thorough Westminster into Smithfield and then banished into the north in which countrie he was borne and had béene sometime lackie to sir Peter Mewtas and without more punishment was discharged and set at libertie But the next yeare following for that he had spred abroad that king Edward was aliue and that he had spoken with him he was againe apprehended and arreigned of high treason whereof being condemned he shortlie after was drawne vnto Tiburne and there hanged and quartered the thirtéenth of March ¶ Here as in a fit and conuenient place the obseruation of the daie and moneth offering no lesse it is not amisse to set downe the speech of quéene Marie vttered to sundrie of hir lords touching a motion which no doubt certeine popish prelats had put into hir mind the effect whereof followeth as I find it in master Fox Before I passe this moneth of March saith he I cannot but leaue a little memorandum of the words or consultation of quéene Marie vsed to certeine of the councell the eight twentith daie of the said moneth of March touching the restoring againe of the abbeie lands Who after she had called vnto hir presence foure of hir priuie councell the daie and moneth aforesaid the names of which councellors were these William lord marquesse of Winchester high treasuror of England sir Robert Rochester knight the queenes comptrollor sir William Peter knight secretarie sir Francis Inglefield knight master of wards the said queene Marie inferred these words the principall effect summe whereof here followeth You are here of our councell and we haue willed you to be called to vs to the intent yee might heare of me my conscience and the resolution of my mind concerning the lands and possessions as well of monasteries as other churches whatsoeuer being now presentlie in my possession First I doo consider that the said lands were taken awaie from the churches aforesaid in time of schisme and that by vnlawfull means such as are contrarie both to the law of God and of the church For the which cause my conscience dooth not suffer me to deteine them and therefore I here expresselie refuse either to claime or to reteine the said lands for mine but with all my heart fréelie and willinglie without all paction or condition here and before God I doo surrender and relinquish the said lands and possessions or inheritances whatsoeuer doo renounce the same with this mind and purpose that order and disposition thereof may be taken as shall séeme best liking to our most holie lord the pope or else his legat the lord cardinall to the honour of God and wealth of this our realme And albeit you may obiect to me againe that considering the state of my kingdome the dignitie thereof and my crowne imperiall cannot be honorablie mainteined and furnished without the possessions aforesaid yet notwithstanding I set more by the saluation of my soule than by ten kingdoms and therefore the said possessions I vtterlie refuse here to hold after that sort and title and giue most hartie thanks to almightie God which hath giuen me an husband likewise minded with no lesse good affection in this behalfe than I am my selfe Wherefore I charge and command that my chancellor with whom I haue conferred my mind in this matter before and you foure to morrow together doo resort to the most reuerend lord legat and doo signifie to him the premisses in my name giue your attendance vpon him for the more full declaration of the state of my kingdome and of the foresaid possessions accordinglie as you your selues doo vnderstand the matter and can informe him in the same This charge as the sequele gaue proofe was followed with no lesse diligence of the lords than it was imposed with willingnes vpon them by the quéene insomuch that shortlie after as anon you shall heare the performed hir promise to â—he pith But to leâ— this matter passe till due time place require a declaration of the conclusion thereof I am héere saith master Fox as occasion serueth to intreat of pope Iulius death for so much as he made his end about the latter end of this foresaid moneth of March. Concerning the déeds and acts of which pope to make a full declaration it were not so much tedious to the reader as horrible to all good eares Under this Iulius florished the archbishop of Beneuentanus a Florentine named Iohannes a Casa deane of the popes chamber and chéefe legat to the line 10 Uenetians who well declaring the fruit of that filthie see so farre forgat both honestie and nature that he shamed not onelie to plaie the filthie Sodomite himselfe and to boast openlie of the same but also tooke vpon him most impudentlie in Italian metre to all mens eares to set foorth the praise and commendation of that beastlie iniquitie saieng that he himselfe neuer vsed other and this booke was printed at Uenice by one Troianus Nauus And yet the pope could suffer this so great iniquitie and shamelesse line 20 beastlinesse euen vnder his nose in his owne chamber which could not abide the true doctrine of Christ in christian bookes Amongst other pranks and déeds of this foresaid pope in his Iubilée and in the synod of Trent and in confirming of the idoll of Lauretane this is also reported of him in his life that he delighted greatlie in porke flesh and peacocks Upon a time when he
by the duke of Guise The news whereof when they came to the French king no need to aske how ioifullie they were receiued not onelie of him and all his court but also vniuersallie through the whole realme line 30 of France For the which victorie there was as the maner is Te Deum sung and bonefiers made euerie where as it is woont to be in cases of common ioy and gladnesse for some rare benefit of God In so much that shortlie vpon the conquest there was a publike assemblie at Paris of all the estates of France who franklie in recompense of the kings charges emploied in the winning of Calis and the places aforesaid and for maintenance of his wars to be continued afterwards granted vnto him thrée line 40 millians of French crowns whereof the clergie of France contributed one millian besides their dismes And no maruell though the French did highlie reioise at the recouerie of Calis out of the Englishmens hands for it is constantlie affirmed of manie that be acquainted with the affaires of France that euer since the same towne was first woone by Englishmen in all solemne councels assembled to treat vpon the state of France there line 50 was a speciall person appointed to put them in remembrance from time to time of Calis as it were to be wished that the like were vsed in England vntill it were regained from the French ¶ And here because thus much is said of the French by waie of discourse concerning their exulting and immoderat ioyfulnesse manie waies testified somewhat being alredie written thereof before it is note-woorthie either for the increase of wit in vs if it were the fault of our follie or the aggrauating of line 60 their impudencie if they blush not to publish a most lowd and lewd lie to remember what I haue read in verses set foorth by a Frenchman wherein among manie words terms vsed touching this conquest of Calis Guisnes wherein also a prophesie of Merline of which name there were two and both prophets is introduced foretelling the reuolution of the same to be rather fatall to that nation than recoueuerable by prowesse martiall for thus he saith Námque erat in fatis redditurum haud antè Caletum Ad veteres dominos quà m se regina marito Traderet externo veterúmque propagine regum Posthabita nouus hic succederet aduena regnis Ipse Valesina venturum à stirpe nepotem Merlinus vates multo praedixerat antè Sanguinis vltorem nostri cladÃsque futurum But this is not the matter that I meant though it conteine somewhat whereat men may muse but a further reach to the rebuke of rashnesse in some if it were their déed and to the shame of others if the report be false For thus saith the same author whose verses euen now I rehearsed speaking of the Englishmen whome former victories saith he made verie venterous confident and full of heart and besides that so disdainfull and scornefull towards the French that they caused to be grauen in hard marbell aloft at the entrie of the castell or fortresse in legible letters but he telleth not in what language no more than which of the Merlins prophesie it was howbeit saith he thus much in effect in Latine Tùm demùm Francus premet obsidione Caletum Cùm ferrum plumbúmue natabit suberis instar Then shall the Frenchmen Calis win When iron and lead like corke shall swim Thus report the French but how trulie let them saie that are able vpon their owne knowledge to iudge and thus much shall suffice for that matter Now séemed euerie daie a yeare to the French king vntill he personallie had visited Calis and his new conquered countrie Wherefore about the end of Ianuarie he tooke his viage thither accompanied with no small number of his nobilitie and immediatlie vpon his arriuall there he perused the whole towne and euerie part thereof from place to place deuising with the duke of Guise for the better fortification thereof what should be added vnto the old and what should be made new and what should be taken awaie And after order taken for that businesse he placed there a noble man no lesse valiant knight of the order called monsieur de Thermes to be capteine of the towne and so departed he againe into France After the French kings departure from Calis he made great hast for the accomplishment of the marriage mooued betweene Francis his eldest sonne called the Dolphin and Marie Steward daughter sole heire of Iames the fift late king of Scotland which princesse if the Scots had bin faithfull of promise as they seldome be should haue married king Edward the sixt For the breach of which promise began all the warre betwéene England Scotland as you heard in the latter end of the life of king Henrie the eight and in the beginning of king Edward the sixt This mariage saith Grafton though it be not of my matter I thought not to omit for that manie things were meant thereby which thanks be to God neuer came to effect But one speciall point was not hidden to the world that by meanes of the same the realme of Scotland should for euermore haue remained as vnited and incorporat to the crowne of France and that as the sonne and heire of euerie French king dooth succéed to the inheritance and possession of a countrie called the Dolphin is therfore called Dolphin like as the principalitie of Wales apperteineth to the eldest son of the king of England who therefore is called the prince of Wales euen so the Dolphin heire of France should thereby haue béene king of Scotland for euermore which name and title vpon this mariage was accordinglie giuen to Francis Dolphin and heire apparant of France to be called king Dolphin The meaning whereof was vtterlie to exclude for euermore anie to be king of Scotland but onelie the eldest sonne of France This memorable marriage was solemnized in the citie of Paris the foure and twentith daie of Aprill in the yéere of Christ 1558 with most magnificall pompe and triumph and honored with the presence of the most part of the princes prelats lords and barons of both the realmes as it were for a confirmation of this new aliance Which as it was much to the aduantage and benefit of France so nothing could be more preiudice derogation to the crowne of Scotland as a deuise tending to the perpetuall abolishing and extinguishment of the name state of kings in that realme In this meane time also the quéene Dowager of Scotland had doone what in hir laie to procure the Scotish nobilitie to make warres against England but they being not willing line 10 thereto monsieur Doisell coronell of certeine bands of Frenchmen came to Aimouth within six miles of Berwike and fortified that place making sundrie rodes and inuasions into England In reuenge whereof the Englishmen made the like inrodes into
before expressed For the sight whereof hir grace caused hir chariot to be remooued backe and yet hardlie could she sée because the children were set somewhat with the furthest in But after that hir grace had vnderstood the meaning thereof she thanked the citie praised the fairenesse of the worke and promised that she would doo hir whole indeuor for the continuall preseruation of concord as the pageant did import The child appointed in the standing aboue named to open the meaning of the said pageant spake these words vnto hir grace The two princes that sit vnder one cloth of state The man in the red rose the woman in the white Henrie the seauenth and queene Elizabeth his mate By ring of marriage as man and wife vnite Both heires to both their blouds to Lancaster the king The queene to Yorke in one the two houses did knit Of whome as heire to both Henrie the eight did spring In whose seate his true heire thou queene Elizabeth doost sit Therefore as ciuill warre and shead of bloud did cease When these two houses were vnited into one So now that iarre shall stint and quietnesse increase We trust ô noble queene thou wilt be cause alone The which also were written in Latine verses and both drawen in two tables vpon the fore front of the foresaid pageant as hereafter orderlie followeth Hij quos iungit idem solium quos annulus idem Hac albente nitens ille rubente rosa Septimus Henricus rex regina Elizabetha Scilicet hâ—redes gentis vterque suae Haec Eboracensis Lancastrius ille dederunt line 10 Connubio è geminis quo foret vna domus Excipit hos haeres Henricus copula regum Octauus magni regis imago potens Regibus hinc succedis auis regÃque parenti Patris iusta haeres Elizabetha tui Sentences placed therein concerning vnitie Nullae concordes animos virer doniant Quâ— iuncti terreni deiuncti timent line 20 Discorde sinimi soâ—uubi concordes ligant Augentuâ— pâ—rua pace magna bello caâ—uâ—t Coniuncâ—◠〈◊〉 fortius tollunt â—â—us Regno pro â—â—â—â—nibus aeneis ciuium concordia Qui duc pugnant diutius lugent Dissidentes principes subdi toâ—um 〈◊〉 Princeps ad pacem natus non ad arma datus Filia concordiae copia neptis quies Dissentiens respublica hostibus patet Qui idem tenent duitius tenent line 30 Regnum diuisum facilè dissoluitur Ciuitas concors armis frustrà tentatur Omnium gèntium consensus firmat fidem c. These verses and other pretie sentences were drawen in void places of this pageant all tending to one end that quietnes might be mainteined and all dissention displaced and that by the quéenes maiestie heire to agreement and agreeing in name with hir which to fore had ioined those houses which had béene the occasion of much debate and ciuill war line 40 within this realme as maie appéere to such as will search chronicles but be not to be touched herein onelie declaring hir graces passage through the citie and what prouision the citie made therefore And yer the quéenes maiestie came within hearing of this pageant she sent certeine as also at all the other pageants to require the people to be silent For hir maiestie was disposed to heare all that should be said vnto hir line 50 When the quéenes maiestie had heard the childs oration and vnderstood the meaning of the pageant at large she marched forward toward Cornehill alwaie receiued with like reioising of the people And there as hir grace passed by the conduit which was curiouslie trimmed against that same time with rich banners adorned and a noise of lowd instruments vpon the top thereof she spied the second pageant And bicause she feared for the peoples noise that she shuld not heare the child which did expound the same line 60 she inquired what that pageant was yer that shé◠came to it and there vnderstood that there was a child representing hir maiesties person placed in a seat of gouernement supported by certeine vertues which suppressed their contrarie vices vnder their feet and so foorth as in the description of the said pageant shall hereafter appeere This pageant standing in the nether end of Cornhill was extended from the one side of the stréet to the other And in the same pageant was deuised thrée gates all open and ouer the middle part thereof was erected one chaire or seate roiall with a cloth of estate to the same apperteining wherein was placed a child representing the quéenes highnesse with consideration had for place conuenient for a table which conteined hir name and title and in a comelie wreath artificiallie well deuised with perfect sight and vnderstanding to the people In the front of the same pageant was written the name and title thereof which is The seat of worthie gouernance Which seat was made in such artificiall maner as to the appearance of the lookers on the fore part seemed to haue no staie therefore of force was staied by liuelie personages which personages were in number foure standing and staieng the forefront of the same seat roiall each hauing his face to the quéene and people whereof euerie one had a table to expresse their effects which are vertues namelie Pure religion Loue of subiects Wisedome and Iustice which did tread their contrarie vices vnder their feet that is to wit Pure religion did tread vpon Superstition and Ignorance Loue of subiects did tread vpon Rebellion and Insolencie Wisedome did tread vpon Follie and Uaine glorie Iustice did tread vpon Adulation and Briberie Ech of these personages according to their proper names and properties had not onelie their names in plaine and perfect writing set vpon their breasts easilie to be read of all but also euerie of them was aptlie anâ— properlie apparelled so that his apparell and name did agree to expresse the same person that in title he represented This part of the pageant was thus appointed anâ— furnished The two sides ouer the two side ports had in them placed a noise of instruments which immediatlie after the childs spéech gaue an heauenlie melodie Upon the top or vppermost part of the said pageant stood the armes of England roiallie purtraitured with the proper beasts to vphold the same One representing the quéenes highnesse sat in this seat crowned with an imperiall crowne and before hir seat was a conuenient place appointed for one child which did interpret and applie the said pageant as hereafter shall be declared Euerie void place was furnished with proper sentences commending the seat supported by vertues and defacing the vices to the vtter extirpation of rebellion and to euerlasting continuance of quietnesse and peace The queenes maiestie approching nigh vnto this pageant thus beautified and furnished in all points caused hir charriot to be drawne nigh therevnto that hir grace might heare the childs short oration which was this While that religion true shall ignorance suppresse
Israell At the féet of these and the lowest part of the pageant was ordeined a conuenient roome for a child to open the meaning of the pageant When the quéenes maiestie drew neare vnto this pageant and perceiued as in the other the child readie to speake hir grace required silence and commanded hir chariot to be remooued nigher that she might plainlie heare the child speake which said as hereafter followeth Iabin of Canaan king had long by force of armes Opprest the Israelites which for Gods people went But God minding at last for to redresse their harmes The worthie Debora as iudge among them sent In warre she through Gods aid did put hir foes to flight And with the dint ofsword the band of bondage brast In peace she through Gods aid did alwaie mainteine right And iudged Israell till fortie yeares were past A worthie president ô worthie queene thou hast A worthie woman iudge a woman sent for staie And that the like to vs line 10 indure alwaie thou maist Thy louing subiects will with true harts and toongs praie Which verses were written vpon the pageant the same in Latin also fixed in the face of the people Quando Dei populum Canaan rex pressit Iaben Mittitur à magno Debora magna Deo Quae populum eriperet sanctum seruaret Iudan Milite quae patrìo frangeret hostis opes Haec Domino mandante Deo lectissima fecit line 20 Faemina aduersos contudit ense viros Haec quater denos populum correxerat anno◠Iudicio bello strenua pace grauis Sic ô sic populum bellóque pace guberna Debora sis Anglis Elisabetha tuis The void places of this pageant were filled with pretie sentences concerning the same matter The ground of this last pageant was that for somuch as the next pageant before had set before hir graces eies the flourishing and desolate states of a common-weale line 30 she might by this be put in remembrance to consult for the worthie gouernement of hir people considering God oftentimes sent women noblie to rule among men as Debora which gouerned Israell in peace the space of fortie yeares and that it behoueth both men and women so ruling to vse aduise of good councell When the queenes maiestie had passed this pageant she marched toward Temple bar But at S. Dunstans church where the children of the hospitall were appointed to stand with their gouernors line 40 hir grace perceiuing a child offered to make an oration vnto hir staied hir chariot and did cast vp hir eies to heauen as who should saie I here sée this mercifull worke toward the poore whome I must in the middest of my roialtie néeds remember and so turned hir face toward the child which in Latine pronounced an oration to this effect That after the quéenes highnesse had passed through the citie and had seene so sumptuous rich and notable spectacles line 50 of the citizens which declared their most hartie receiuing and ioious welcomming of hir grace into the same this one spectacle yet rested and remained which was the euerlasting spectacle of mercie vnto the poore members of almightie God furthered by that famous and most noble prince king Henrie the eight hir graces father erected by the citie of London aduanced by the most godlie vertuous prince king Edward the sixt hir graces deare and louing brother doubting nothing of the mercie of the line 60 quéenes most gratious clemencie by the which they may not onelie be relieued and helped but also staied and defended and therefore incessantlie they would praie and crie vnto almightie God for the long life and reigne of hir highnesse with most prosperous victorie against hir enimies The child after he had ended his oration kissed the paper wherein the same was written reached it to the quéenes maiestie which receiued it gratiouslie both with words and countenance declaring hir gratious mind toward their reliefe From thence hir grace came to Temple bar which was dressed finelie with the two images of Gogmagog the Albion Corineus the Briton two giants big in stature furnished accordinglie which held in their hands aboue the gate a table wherein was written in Latine verses the effect of all the pageant which the citie before had erected which verses were these insuing Ecce sub aspectu iam contemplaberis vno O princeps populi sola columna tui Quicquid in immensa passim perspexeris vrbe Quae cepere omnes vnus hic arcus habet Primus te solio regni donauit auiti Haeres quippe tui ver a parentis eras Suppressis vitijs domina virtute Secundus Firmauit sedem regia virgo tuam Tertius ex omni posuit te parte beatam Si qua caepisti pergere velle velis Quarto quid verum respublica lapsa quid esset Quae florens staret te docuere tui Quinto magnu loco monuit te Debora missam Coelitùs in regni gaudia long a tui Perge ergo regina tuaespes vnica gentis Haec postrema vrbis suscipe vota tuae Viue diu regnáque diu virtutibus orna Rem patriam populi spem tueare tui Sic ô sic petitur coelum sic itur in astra Hoc virtutis opus caetera mortis erunt Which verses were also written in English méeter in a lesse table as hereafter plainelie followeth Behold here in one view thou maist see all that plaine O princesse vnto this thy people th'onlie staie What each where thou hast seene in this wide towne againe This one arch whatsoeuer the rest conteind dooth saie The first arch as true heire vnto thy father deere Did set thee in thy throne where thy grandfather sat The second did confirme thy seat as princesse heere Vertues now bearing swaie and vices bet downe flat The third if that thou wouldst go on as thou began Declared thee to be blessed on euerie side The fourth did open truth and also taught thee whan The commonweale stood well and when it did thence slide The fift as Debora declard thee to be sent From heauen a long comfort to vs thy subiects all Therefore go on ô queene on whom our hope is bent And take with thee this wish of thy towne as finall Liue long and as long reigne adorning thy countrie With vertues and mainteine thy peoples hope of thee For thus thus heauen is woone thus must thou perse the skie This is by vertue wrought all other needs must die On the southside was appointed by the citie a noise of singing children and one child richlie attired as a poet which gaue the queenes maiestie hir farewell in the name of the whole citie by these sweet words As at thine entrance first ô prince of high renowne Thou wast presented with toongs and hearts for thy faier So now sith thou must needs depart out of this towne This citie sendeth thee firme hope and earnest praier For all men hope in thee that
all vertues shall raine For all men hope that thou none error wilt support For all men hope that thou wilt truth restore againe line 10 And mend that is amisse to all good mens comfort And for this hope they praie thou maist continue long Our queene amongst vs here all vice for to supplant And for this hope they praie that God maie make thee strong As by his grace puissant So in his truth constant line 20 Farewell ô worthie queene and as our hope is sure That into errors place thou wilt now truth restore So trust we that thou wilt our souereigne queene endure And louing ladie stand from hensefoorth euermore While these words were in saieng and certeine wishes therein repeated for maintenance of truth line 30 and rooting out of errour she now and then held vp hir hands towards heauen and willed the people to saie Amen When the child had ended shee said Be ye well assured I shall stand your good quéene At which saieng hir grace departed foorth through Templebarre toward Westminster with no lesse showting and crieng of the people than she entered the citie with a noise of ordinance which the tower shot off at hir graces enterance first into Towerstréet The childs saieng was also in Latine verses written line 40 in a table verie faire which was hanged vp there O regina potens quum primam vrbem ingredereris Dona tibi linguas fidáque corda dedit Discedenti etiam tibi nunc duo munera mittit Omnia plena spei votáque plena precum Quippe tuis spes est in te quòd prouida virtuâ— Rexerit errore nec locus vllus erit Quippe tuis spes est quòd tu verum omni reduces Solatura bonas dum mala tollis opes Hac spe freti orant longum vt regina gubernes line 50 Et regni excindas crimina cuncta tui Hac spe freti orant diuina vt gratia fortem Et verae fidei te velit esse basin Iam regina vale sicut nos spes tenet vna Quòd vero inducto perditus error erit Sic quóque speramus quòd eris regina benigna Nobis per regni tempora long a tui Thus the queenes highnesse passed through the citie which without anie forreigne person of it selfe beautified it selfe and receiued hir grace at all places as hath beene before mentioned with most tender obedience line 60 and loue due to so gratious a queene and souereigne a ladie And hir grace likewise of hir side in all hir graces passage shewed hir selfe generallie an image of a worthie ladie and gouernour But priuatlie these especiall points were noted in hir grace as signes of a most princelike courage whereby hir louing subiects maie ground a sure hope for the rest of hir gratious dooings hereafter About the nether end of Cornehill toward Cheape one of the knights about hir grace had espied an ancient citizen which wept and turned his head backe and therewith said this gentleman Yonder is an alderman for so he tearmed him which wéepeth and turneth his face backeward how maie it be interpreted that he so dooth for sorrow or for gladnesse The quéens maiestie heard him and said I warrant you it is for gladnesse A gratious interpretation of a noble courage which would turne the doubtfull to the best And yet it was well knowne that as hir grace did confirme the same the parties cheare was mooued for verie pure gladnesse for the sight of hir maiesties person at the beholding whereof he tooke such comfort that with teares he expressed the same In Cheape side hir grace smiled and being thereof demanded the cause answered for that she heard one saie Remember old king Henrie the eight A naturall child which at the verie remembrance of hir fathers name tooke so great a ioy that all men maie well thinke that as she reioised at his name whome this realme dooth hold of so woorthie memorie so in hir dooings she will resemble the same When the cities charge without parcialitie and onelie the citie was mentioned vnto hir grace shée said it should not be forgotten Which saieng might mooue all naturall Englishmen hartilie to shew due obedience and intiernesse to their so good a queene which will in no point forget anie parcell of dutie louinglie shewed vnto hir The answer which hir grace made vnto maister recorder of London as the hearers know it to be true with melting hearts heard the same so maie the reader thereof conceiue what kind of stomach and courage pronounced the same What more famous thing doo we read in ancient histories of old time than that mightie princes haue gentlie receiued presents offered them by base and low personages If that be to be woondered at as it is passinglie let me sée anie writer that in anie princes life is able to recount so manie presidents of this vertue as hir grace shewed in that one passage thorough the citie How manie nosegaies did hir grace receiue at poore womens hands How oftentimes staid she hir chariot when she saw anie simple bodie offer to speake to hir grace A branch of rosemarie giuen hir grace with a supplication by a poore woman about Fleetbridge was séene in hir chariot till hir grace came to Westminster not without the maruellous woondering of such as knew the presenter and noted the quéens most gratious receiuing and keeping the same What hope the poore and néedie maie looke for at hir graces hand she as in all hir iournie continuallie so in hir hearkening to the poore children of Christs hospitall with eies cast vp into heauen did fullie declare as that neither the wealthier estate could stand without consideration had to the pouertie neither the pouertie be dulie considered vnlesse they were remembred as commended vnto vs by Gods owne mouth As at hir first entrance she as it were declared hir selfe prepared to passe through a citie that most intierlie loued hir so she at hir last departing as it were bound hir selfe by promise to continue good ladie and gouernor vnto that citie which by outward declaration did open their loue vnto their so louing and noble prince in such wise as she hir selfe woondered thereat But because princes be set in their seat by Gods appointing and therefore they must first and chieflie tender the glorie of him from whom their glorie issueth it is to be noted in hir grace that for somuch as God hath so woonderfullie placed hir in the seat of gouernement ouer this realme she in all hir dooings doâ—th shew hir selfe most mindfull of his goodnesse mercie shewed vnto hir And among all other two principall signes thereof were noted in this passage First in the tower where hir grace before she entred hir chariot lifted vp hir eies to heauen and said as followeth The praier of queene Elisabeth as she went to hir coronation O Lord almightie and euerlasting God I giue thee most hartie thanks that thou hast beene
vicesimo iam anno tenuimus atque vnâ cum illis hunc thesaurum quasi pignus nostrarum voluntatum facultatum Quas omnes quantae quantulaeu◠sint ad tuum arbitrium deuouimus vt si quid omni hoc foelicissimi tui temporis decursu admisimus quod amantissimos obsequentissimos amplitudinis tuae saluti coronae emolumento deuotissimos non deceat statuas de nobis nostris omnibus pro tua clementissima voluntate Sin ita clauum huius ciuitatis Deo duce reximus vt eam in portu saluam maiestati tuae conseruauerimus populum primum gloriae Dei verae religionis deinde salutis honoris voluntatis tuae studiosissimum quantum in nobis est effecerimus tum non libet nobis id à te petere quod insita tibi singularis clementia facillimè à te ipsa impetrabit Tantum obsecramus vt amplitudinem tuam Deus omnibus animi corporis bonis cumulatissimè beare velit Amen The maiors oration to the queene Englished IF our wish should be granted vnto vs by the almightie what humane thing wee would chieflie desire we would account nothing more pretious most roial prince than that the bright beame of your most chast eie which dooth so cheare vs might pearse the secret and strait corners of our hearts Then surelie should you see how great ioies are dispersed there and how the spirits and liuelie bloud tickle in our arteries small veines in beholding you the light of this realme as Dauid was of Israel now at length after long hope and earnest petitions to appeare in these coasts Trulie on mine owne part which by your highnesse authoritie and clemencie with humble thanks bee it spoken doo gouerne this famous citie and on the part of these my brethren and all these people which by your authoritie we rule speaking as they meane and as I my selfe doo thinke this onelie with all our hearts and humble praiers we desire that we maie so find your maiestie gratious and fauourable vnto vs as you for your part neuer came to anie subiects better welcome than to vs your poore subiects here For most manifest token whereof we present vnto your maiestie here these signes of honor and office which we receiued of the most mightie prince Henrie the fourth in the fift yere of his reigne then to vs granted in the name of maior aldermen and shiriffs whereas before time out of mind or mention we were gouerned by bailiffs as they tearme them which euer since haue beene both established and increased with continuall priuileges of kings and which by your onelie clemencie which with immortall thanks we shall neuer cease to declare we haue now these twentie yeares inioied and togither with those signes this treasure is a pledge of our good willes and abilitie which all how great or little so euer they be wee powre downe at your pleasure that if we haue neglected anie thing in all this course of your most happie reigne which becommeth most louing obedient and well willing subiects to performe for the preseruation of your crowne and aduancement of your highnesse you maie then determine of vs and all ours at your most gratious pleasure But if we haue God being our guide so ordered the gouernance of this citie that we haue kept the same in safetie to your maiesties vse and made the people therein as much as in vs lieth first most studious of Gods glorie and true religion and next of your maiesties health honour and pleasure then aske we nothing of you for that the singular clemencie ingraffed in your highnesse will easilie of it selfe grant that which is requisit line 10 for vs to obteine We onelie therefore desire that God would abundantlie blesse your highnesse with all good gifts of mind and bodie Which oration ended hir maiestie accepting in good part euerie thing deliuered by the maior did thankefullie answer him in these words or verie like in effect We hartilie thanke you maister maior and all the rest for these tokens of goodwill neuerthelesse princes haue no néed of monie God hath indued vs abundantlie we come not therefore but line 20 for that which in right is our owne the hearts and true allegiance of our subiects which are the greatest riches of a kingdome whereof as we assure our selues in you so doo you assure your selues in vs of a louing and gratious souereigne Wherewith was deliuered to the maior a mace or scepter which he carried before hir to hir lodging which was in the bishop of Norwich his palace two miles distant from that place The cup and monie was deliuered to a gentleman one of hir maiesties footmen to carrie line 30 The maior said to hir Sunt hîc centum librae puri auri The couer of the cup lifted vp hir maiestie said to the footmen Looke to it there is 100 pounds With that hir highnesse with the whole companie marched towards Norwich till they came to a place called the Towne close distant from the citie a good flightshot where the partie which represented Gurgunt came forth as in due maner is expressed and was readie to haue declared to hir maiestie this spéech following but by reason of a showre of raine line 40 which came hir maiestie hasted awaie the spéech not vttered But thus it was as here followeth Leaue off to muse most gratious prince of English soile What sudden wight in martiall wise approcheth neere King Gurgunt I am hight king Belins eldest sonne Whose sire Dunwallo first the British crowne did weare Whom truthlesse Gutlacke forst to passe the surging seas His falshod to reuenge and Denmarke land to spoile And finding in returne this place a gallant vent This castle faire I built a fort from forren soile To win a conquest get renowme and glorious name To keepe and vse it well deserues eternall fame When brute through cities townes the woods dales did sound line 50 Elizabeth this countrie peerelesse queene drew neere I was found out my selfe in person noble queene Did hast before thy face in presence to appeare Two thousand yeares welnie in silence lurking still Heare why to thee alone this seruice I doo yeeld Besides that at my cities sute their founder first Should gratulat most this ioifull sight in open field Foure speciall points and rare concurring in vs both This speciall seruice haue reserud to thee alone The glorie though of each in thee dooth far surmount Yet great with small compard will like appeare anon When doubtfull warres the British princes long had wroong My grandsire first vniting all did weare the crowne Of Yorke and Lancaster who did conclude those broiles Thy grandsire Henrie seuenth a king of great renowne Mine vncle Brennus eke my father ioining hands line 60 Old Rome did rase and sacke and halfe consume with fire Thy puissant father so new Rome that purple whore Did sacke and spoile
15 William Warlewast a Norman borne and line 60 chapleine both to the Conqueror and his two sons William and Henrie he was a graue and a wise man and for the same was preferred by Henrie the king to this bishoprike in the yere one thousand one hundred and seuen and was consecrated by Anselmus archbishop of Canturburie in the moneth of August the same yeare He first began to inlarge his church which at that time was no bigger than that which is now called the ladie chappell He founded and builded the monasterie of Plimpton and placed therein regular canons in his latter daies he waxed and became blind And yet notwithstanding for his wisdome the king sent him in ambassage vnto pope Paschalis the second wherein he so wiselie dealed and so discréetlie behaued himselfe in his message that he made a reconciliation betweene the pope and the king and returned with great praise and commendation Not long after his returne and hauing small ioie of the world he gaue ouer his bishoprike and became one of the religious canons in his owne house of Plimpton where he died and was buried he was bishop about twentie yeares 16 Robert Chichester deane of Sarisburie was consecrated bishop vnder Anselmus archbishop of Canturburie Anno 1128 and the eight and twentith yeare of king Henrie the first He was a gentleman borne and therefore estéemed for his zeale in religion wherein he was deuout according to those daies and thinking his labours to be best imploied that waie did eftsoons go in pilgrimage sometime to Rome sometime to one place sometime to another and euer he would bring with him some one relike or other He was a liberall contributor to the buildings of his church In his time was founded and builded the monasterie of S. Stephans in Lanceston and furthered by Reinold erle of Cornewall but vnto it this bishop was an aduersarie not for misliking the worke but for feare of an intrusion vpon his liberties Likewise at this time was builded the priorie of saint Nicholas in Excester by the abbat of Battell vnto which abbeie this priorie was a cell In this mans time also king Henrie made William Rideuers a Norman and his kinsman earle of Deuon and therewith the lordshop of Twifordton and the honor of Plimpton togither with the third pennie of his reuenues in Deuon which in the whole was then thirtie marks whereof this earle had ten Also in this mans time king Henrie died and king Stephan entred and tooke vpon him the crowne whereof insued great warres This bishop after that he had occupied the place two and twentie yeares died and was buried in his owne church But the moonke of Westminster writeth that he should be bishop seuen and twentie yeares and died in the yeere one thousand one hundred fiftie and fiue but he neuer saw the records of this church which are to the contrarie 17 Robert Warlewast nephue to William the bishop of this church deane of Sarisburie was consecrated bishop by Theobaldus archbishop of Canturburie in the yeare one thousand one hundred and fiftie he nothing degenerated from the steps of his predecessors but was altogither of the same bent and disposition In his time king Stephan died and Henrie the second was crowned king This Robert after that he had occupied this sée nine yéers or thereabout died was buried at Plimpton by his vncle 18 Bartholomeus Iscanus otherwise Bartholomew of Excester was consecrated bishop of Excester vnder Theobald archbishop of Canturburie in the yeare a thousand one hundred fiftie nine he was called Iscanus of Isca which is one of the ancientest names of this citie He was a meane citizens son but being verie apt vnto learning his parents and friends kept him to schoole and he so well profited therein that he came and prooued to be a verie well learned man and being bishop he wrote sundrie bookes as of predestination fréewill penance and others Of all men he could not brooke nor fauor Thomas Becket archbishop of Canturburie for his contempt and disobedience against the king for the which he sharplie improoued rebuked and inueighed against him openlie in the parlement house holden at Northampton and with such effectuall reasons and pithie arguments he did so temper the same that the whole parlement relied vnto his iudgement and opinion herein against Thomas Becket And after his death such was the gravitie modestie and wisedome of the man that he was speciallie chosen to be ambassador for the king vnto pope Alexander the third and so wiselie and with such discretion vsed the same that notwithstanding his cause and message had manie aduersaries yet he reconciled the pope and the king obteined the goodwill and fauour of the pope and brought his message to good effect This bishop was in great familiaritie and acquaintance with Baldwin of Excester his countriman line 10 now archbishop of Canturburie who was a poore mans sonne in this citie but for his learning aduanced to this estate In this bishops time about the yeare of our Lord one thousand one hundred thrée score and eight William Fitzralfe a citizen of this citie founded a cell for moonks within this citie and dedicated the same to saint Alexius which not long after was united to saint Iohns within the east gate of the same citie In his time also Reinold of Courtneie a nobleman of Normandie the son of Elorus line 20 the son of Lewes named Lewes le Grosse king of France came into this land and married Hawise daughter and heire to Mawd the daughter and heire to Adelis sister and heire to Richard de Briono the first vicount of Deuon and in hir right was vicount of Deuon This Bartholomew after he had béene bishop about fouretéene yeares in the yere one thousand one hundred eightie and foure died but where he died and where he was buried it dooth not appeere In this bishops time about the yeare one thousand line 30 one hundred and seuentie one Iohannes Coriniensis a Cornish man borne was a famous learned diuine he was a student at Rome and other places in Italie and by that meanes grew into great acquaintance with pope Alexander the third he wrote diuerse bookes and namelie one De incarnatione Christi against Peter Lombard who affirmed Quòd Christus secundum quod homo est aliquid non est and this he dedicated to pope Alexander 19 Iohn the chanter of the cathedrall church of line 40 this citie was consecrated and installed bishop of this church in the yeare one thousand one hundred eightie and foure he was well reported of for his liberalitie in continuing the buildings of this church wherein he was nothing inferior to his predecessors In his time king Henrie Fitzempresse died and he himselfe hauing beene bishop about six yeares died in the yeare of our Lord one thousand one hundred ninetie and one 20 Henrie Marshall archdeacon of Stafford the line 50 brother to Walter earle
béene of great valour prowesse and power and had made manie renowmed voiages and exploits of warre and that amongest others they had chosen a duke of Aniou heretofore who had béene equall with the rest in chiualrie feats of armes as their conquests and dominions witnessed that they had had their princes gentle mild gratious familiar and fauourable to their subiects and that his highnesse had in that behalfe alreadie giuen such proofes of his gentlenesse truth and soundnesse that to their seeming some ancient duke of Burgognie was raised vp againe vnto them Insomuch that in his onelie highnesse they firmelie beleued themselues to haue recouered whatsoeuer good renowme the duks of Brabant Aniou and Burgognie could haue left vnto them Wherefore insomuch as there remained no more but to proceed in the performance of the chiefe worke which it had pleased the souereigne God to put into the hands of his highnesse and of the said states to performe that daie they on their part were readie and resolute to doo him the homage fealtie dutie and obedience which loiall subiects and good vassals ought to doo to their rightfull princes of which sort they trusted in God without doubting that his highnesse was that he would promise by solemne oth vnto God so to continue Herevnto his highnesse answered in effect that intending not to hold the states with long talke but onelie to be mindfull of the honor and good will which they had vouchsafed to yéeld to him in that among so manie other great princes they had chosen him out to deliuer them from the oppression and tyrannie of the Spaniards and to rule them according to their customes lawes and priuileges he thanked them hartilie for it assuring them that the iustnesse and equitie of their case their honourable dealings in his behalfe and the loue which they had shewed him had made him to resolue with himselfe to take vpon him their protection and the reestablishing of their ancient libertie and to hazard therein whatsoeuer abilitie God had put into his hands and whatsoeuer else it should please the king his lord and brother and the queene of England of their fauour to bestow vpon him yea euen to the shedding of his owne bloud and the spending of his life This doone the foresaid monsieur Hessels told his highnesse how it was the custome there to proclame openlie before the people in the Dutch toong the points and articles of the ioifull entrance which the dukes of Brabant are bound to promise and sweare at their admission Herevpon when as one held the said articles translated into French readie to rehearse them point by point after the proclaiming of them in Dutch forsomuch as the daie was farre spent and communication had béene had thereof alreadie the monsieur to win time thought it expedient by the aduise of the prince of Orange that they should be read but onlie in Dutch Which thing was doone by the said monsieur Hessels with a new preface added to the articles conteining breeflie the reasons and causes of that dealing After the reading of the said articles it was demanded of his highnes whether he liked of them and whether he were contented to be sworne to them or whether it were his pleasure to be further satisfied of them Wherevpon he said to the prince of Orange that forsomuch as he had séene the articles and conferred of them with him as they came by ship out of Zeland he held himselfe well satisfied with them and was well contented to sweare vnto them Which spéech of his was foorthwith proclamed and with further declaration that for their better contentation his highnesse was desirous to haue them all knowne that although the said articles were read but onelie in Dutch yet would he of his owne good mind with aduised deliberation and certeine knowledge be sworne vnto them Then did the said monsieur Hessels recite vnto the people in the Dutch toong the first oth which the dukes of Brabant were of old time accustomed and bound to take for the obseruing of the said articles Which doone deliuering the booke wherein it was conteined to messier Thierreie de Leisfield chancellor line 10 of Brabant he read the same oth againe openlie in French the monsieur spake it after him word for word Then the monsieur Hessels taking the booke againe told the people that the dukes of Brabant made an other second oth to the barons noblemen cities boroughs all the inhabitants subiects of the countrie to be to them a good iust prince and not to deale with them after his owne will nor by waie of rigor but by law and iustice according to their priuileges Which oth was likewise rehearsed line 20 in the Dutch toong the booke deliuered againe to the said chancellor and the monsieur repeated the oth after him as he had doone the first Then were the mantle and bonnet of the dutchie brought vnto him which were crimosin veluet the mantle was trailed on the ground and both of them were furred with powdered ermine turned vp verie brode The prince of Orange told his highnesse that it behooued him to be apparelled in those robes And when he asked whether he must weare them into the citie It line 30 was answered yea and that it was the solemne attire of the princes and dukes of Brabant of old time Wherevnto when his highnesse had agréed the prince did first put vpon him the said mantle and fastening the button thereof said these words My lord you must keepe this button fast closed that no man may pull your mantle from you And then he set the bonnet vpon his head and said vnto him Sir I praie God you may well kéepe this attire for now you may well assure your selfe that you be duke line 40 of Brabant Then the said Hessels told him how the custome required that the states should presentlie be sworne to him againe to yéeld him fealtie Wherevpon he vttered to the people the forme of the oth and then the said chancellor required it of the barons noblemen and deputies and they pronounced it after him according to the maner of the former othes reuerentlie dooing againe their homage and promising fealtie and obedience After the taking of the othes line 50 on both sides as well by the monsieur as by the states of Brabant while his highnesse was yet still in his robes of estate the magistrates of Antwerpe commanded their recorder and councellor maister Uanderwerke to come vp vpon the stage to make him an offer of the marquesship of the sacred empire in the name of the citie of Antwerpe which thing he did as followeth Most gratious lord and prince the markegraue amptman boroughmasters and skepons the treasurors and receiuers the line 60 chiefe burgesses and quartermaisters the wardens and ancients of the handicrafts togither with the coronels wardens of guilds and capteins of the citie were
verie glad when they vnderstood of your highnesse happie arriuall in the I le of Walkeren as they haue caused to be verie largelie and with all humilitie and reuerence shewed vnto you by their deputies sent to your highnesse for the same purpose But now forsomuch as they sée your highnesse not onelie arriued in the countrie of Brabant but also receiued for duke and for their prince and lord their fore-conceiued ioie is greatlie increased and made fullie perfect trusting that by this your comming there will once insue an end of the desolations calamities and miseries whereinto the countrie hath béene brought by the vniust gouernement past and by the more vniust and wrongfull warre which the enimies hold yet still to bring the whole countrie to destruction with all maner of calamities and oppressions which they are able to deuise And therfore they giue your highnesse most humble thanks for the paines trauell which you haue vouchsafed to take to come into this countrie yeelding infinitelie like thanks vnto God for that he hath giuen sent them such a prince as not onelie is of abilitie and power but also is verie willing and well disposed to defend them from all enimies to rule and gouerne them with all good policie iustice according to the priuileges lawes and customs of the countrie For although they be ioined in league with the rest of the states of Brabant and generallie with all the states of the low countries that they haue all entred into armes iointlie togither yet their so dooing hath not béene to exempt and withdraw themselues from the iust gouernement of their lord and prince but onlie to mainteine their ancient liberties lawes and priuileges that being gouerned according to the same they might liue with all dutifull obedience in good rest peace and tranquillitie The full accomplishment of which their desires they thinke themselues to haue most happilie obteined sith it hath pleased God of his infinit grace mercie to put into your highnesse heart to take vpon you the souereigntie of these low countries the dukedome of Brabant the citie of Antwerpe and the marquesship of the sacred empire For séeing that God hath stirred them vp so great a prince the brother of a mightie king they haue no doubt at all but that your highnesse will by Gods grace soone find means to deliuer these countries from the wretched warres wherein they haue béene so long plunged The markegraue amptman boroughmaisters skepons and other members of this citie thinke it not expedient to repeat the causes of the warre and the equitie of the case whereon they stand forsomuch as it hath diuerse times heretofore béene discussed largelie enough by the generall estates and moreouer béene notablie knowne to the world and manie waies allowed by your highnesse Yet againe therfore with all humble submission and reuerence they thanke your highnesse that it hath pleased you to agree vnto them and to promise the maintenance of their priuileges lawes and customs yea and of the articles comprised in the principall composition and in the ioifull entrance into the dutchie of Brabant assuring your highnesse that the people of the citie of Antwerpe and of the marquesship of the holie empire shall be and continue right humble subiects to you euen to the spending of their bodies goods and whatsoeuer else they be able to make for the increasing of your honour and glorie Herevnto his highnesse answered verie gratiouslie that he thanked those noblemen for their good will and affection towards him and that he meant to shew them by his dooings how desirous he was to gouerne and rule the countrie with good policie and iustice And all this he did at large and with verie great grace This doone the said Uanderwerke turning himselfe to the people cried with a lowd voice that his highnesse as duke of Brabant Alanson Aniou Berreie c would be sworne to the citie of Antwerpe and the marquesship of the sacred empire desiring them to praie vnto God that by that so good and solemne deed Gods name might be sanctified the safetie and prosperitie of the countrie procured and the honour and glorie of the said duke increased Then was the oth which his highnesse should take read openlie to the people in the Flemmish toong by the same Uanderwercke Which being doone monsieur the amptman read the same oth to his highnesse in French and his highnesse made and performed the same in his hands which the boroughmaster of the towne of Antwerpe held vp bicause the receiuing of the oth at his hand belonged vnto him Also the said boroughmaster whose name was sir Philip of Schoonehouen knéeling downe before the dukes highnesse at the same time gaue him a gilt keie in token of subiection and that he might dispose line 10 of the citie as of his owne which keie was deliuered againe by his highnes to the boroughmaster to whome he said verie gratiouslie that he assured himselfe that the said boroughmaster and all the burgesses and inhabitants of the citie would kéepe the citie faithfullie for him as they had doone vntill that instant After the finishing and accomplishment of all the said solemnities the heralds of Brabant and Lotricke or in the vulgar Brabant Wallon Lothier line 20 that is to saie Lotharing or the true Lorraine cried with a lowd voice God saue the duke of Brabant And then sounding the trumpets they made a largesse casting a great sort of péeces of gold and siluer among the standers by These péeces were of two sorts the one sort had on the one side the image of the monsieur then duke of Brabant the other sort had on the one side the armes of Aniou Brabant and about the verges was written Francis of line 30 France duke of Brabant On the otherside of them all was a deuise of the sunne with the monsieurs owne inscription Cheriseth and Chaseth which is the monsieurs ordinarie posie Without the towne were three regiments of the citizens to the number of a thrée thousand men in order of battell who made a goodlie shew with their faire armours and their ensignes displaied And they neuer went out of their place vntill all the ceremonies were dispatched and that his highnesse was gone into the citie Besides line 40 these there was an infinit number of people in the citie whereof manie were strangers who maruelled greatlie at these sights and especiallie the Frenchmen who woondered to see their master in that apparell and spake diuerslie of it as is woont to be doone in matters that are new and erst vnséene But when they vnderstood how it was the dukelie apparell and that he wore it as a representation of antiquitie the like whereof is worne yet still by the electors of the sacred empire in their great ceremonies they were astonished and thought him to be a prince of more line 50 statelie countenance and maiestie than afore in somuch
entered into league with you vpon hope that the same God will of his gratious goodnesse line 40 and mercie so blesse and prosper your dealings and enterprises as that they shall out of hand sée the effect of that communication in the hiest degrée to the accomplishment of your roiall and heroicall desires both in the generall and also in the particular deliuerance of the countrie from the calamities and miseries of war whereby they shall haue the better cause to acknowlege the great good turnes and benefits receiued at your highnesse hand and to honor loue and serue you as the verie protector of the land and father of their countrie line 50 When Uanderwerke had made an end and the dukes highnesse had answered him conformablie to that which he had spoken without the towne the said Uanderwerke told the people alowd that the duke was readie to take and receiue his oth at the hand of the magistrate and of all the people and inhabiters of the citie of Antwerpe and that God had vouchsafed to send them a prince of so rare and heroicall vertues of so great puissance and the onelie brother of line 60 so great a king that they might well hope that the same God would inable him to rid these countries within a while from the great number of calamities and miseries wherwith they were oppressed And forsomuch as his highnesse had béene receiued with solemne deliberation of the states confederate yea and with solemne resolution of all the members of that citie and God had commanded men to loue honour and obeie their princes he exhorted the people to yéeld him all humble obedience according to Gods commandement To which intent the oth as well which his highnesse should make to the people as which the people should make to his highnesse should be read vnto them praieng God to giue such grace vnto his highnes as he following the same might well rule and gouerne and vnto the burgesses and citizens of Antwerpe as they might performe their obedience like good loiall and faithfull subiects that Gods name might be sanctified to the benefit prosperitie and safegard of the citie and to the great increase of the dukes puissance honour and glorie Then the same Uanderwerke read the oth which was to be made by the duke with the stile of the duke of Brabant and all his other titles Which oth was read to his highnes in French and receiued by sir Philip Schonehouen lord of Waneroe boroughmaster without the citie Which being doone the said Uanderwerke read the oth which the magistrate and people were to make which was repeated word for word by the magistrats and a great number of people which were within the hearing of it And this oth was exacted of the magistrate and people of Antwerpe by the amptman in the name and by the commandement of the duke Upon the finishing of these solemnities the duke himselfe did cast two or thrée handfuls of gold and siluer among them then the heralds cried A larges and the trumpets and drums were sounded euerie where and manie instruments of musike were plaied vpon as had béene doone afore at his first arriuall When he was come downe from the scaffold he went to the townehouse with all the princes lords and gentlemen which were verie manie where he was receiued by the worshipfull of the citie and diâ—ed openlie at a verie sumptuous and roiall feast prepared for him and so that daie passed in great ioy contentation and admiration as well of his highnes his companie as of all the rest of the people Towards night were shot off two peales of great ordinance againe and the fires of ioy were continued much greater and more in number than afore Thus ended the ioifull and roiall interteinement of the right noble prince Francis sonne and brother to the king of France by the grace of God duke of Brabant The rest of the weeke and the daies following the lords of the priuie councell the officers of the aides of the exchekers of the chambers of the accounts and of the other corporations colleges and communalties came to visit his highnes and to offer him their humble seruice promising all faithfulnes and obedience all whome he receiued verie gratiouslie to their contentation answering them so aduisedlie with so good grace fitnesse without omitting anie point of that which he had purposed that all men not onelie woondered at him but also were inforced to honour and loue him and to set foorth his praises among the people Finallie the deputies of the reformed churches of both the languages being presented vnto him by the prince of Orange were gentlie heard and they spake to him as followeth Sir we be sent vnto your highnes by the reformed churches of this citie as well of the language of low Dutchland as of the French to shew vnto you with all humilitie reuerence and subiection that we haue thanked and still doo thanke God with all our hart for vouchâ—afing to bring your highnesse so happilie hither And this our ioie is matched with the ioie of all other folks as we hope your highnesse hath vnderstood by the glad and ioifull receiuing and interteining of you Also sir we hope that as the great honour and felicitie which these countries haue atteined vnto wherein few countries are able to match them haue béene purchased vnder the souereigntie and gouernement of the right renowmed princes the dukes of Burgognie which issued out of the most noble house of France so vnder your guiding and gouernement being of the same house the ancient renowme of the same dignitie shall be recouered by your prowesse and mainteined by your wisdome It is little more than thrée hundred yeeres ago that these countries being gouerned by sundrie dukes earles and lords had not atteined the renowne which other nations haue since that time so much woondered at The first that began to giue increase to it was Philip duke of Burgognie surnamed the hardie who was brother to king Charles the fift the sonne of king Iohn and grand sonne of king Philip of Ualois of which kings your highnes line 10 is lineallie descended from the father to the sonne For the first duke of Orleance of whome your highnesse is lineallie descended from the father to the sonne was the sonne of king Charles the fift and as now there be no more heires males of the said duke of Orleance but onelie your highnes and the king your brother Whereby it falleth out that the dukes of Burgognie are great vncles to your highnes by the fathers side And therefore we doubt not but you will follow the footsteps of their vertues in restoring the state of the countrie to hir ancient renowme line 20 and dignitie and also mainteine and increase the honour wherevnto it hath beene aduanced by those noble princes your vncles The second duke vnder whom this state hath béene greatlie aduanced was Iohn
for the manifold testifications of their loue and loialtie which because they are materiall as no word nor title procéeding from so singular a souereigne is to fall to the ground vnrecorded we are in dutie bound trulie to annex them as we had them vnder publication And first a breefe oration of maister Iames Dalton one of the councellors of the citie of London in the absence of the recorder as followeth The oration of maister Iames Dalton c. RIght worshipfull my good countriemen and citizens of this most noble citie of London since the late brute and report of a most wicked traitorous conspiracie not onelie to take awaie the life of our most gratious souereigne whom God grant long to liue and reigne ouer vs but also to stir vp a generall rebellion throughout the whole realme the great and vniuersall ioie of you all of this citie vpon the apprehension of diuerse of that most wicked conspiracie of late declared and testified by manie outward acts and shewes hath wrought in the queenes most excellent maiestie such a gratious contentment that it hath mooued hir highnesse by hir letters signed with hir owne hand to signifie vnto my lord maior of this citie his brethren hir most noble and princelie acceptation thereof and that in such sort as thereby may appeare that hir highnesse hath not more no not so much reioised at the most happie escape of the wicked mischéefe intended against hir owne person as at the ioie which hir louing subiects namelie you of this citie of London tooke at the apprehension of the practisers of that intended treason By occasion whereof hir highnesse brought to a thankefull remembrance and acknowledging of Gods infinit blessings bestowed on hir comparable with anie prince or creature in the world no worldlie thing more or like accompteth of than of the heartie loue of hir louing and faithfull subiects manie waies and manie times before now but especiallie by this our great ioie in this sort at this time and vpon this occasion shewed And that hir excéeding great loue and acceptation of our reioising maie the more appeare vnto you it hath pleased hir highnesse in the same letters to declare that she desireth not longer to liue among vs than she shall mainteine continue nourish and increase the loue and goodwill of hir subiects towards hir And this hir highnesse hath willed to be made knowne vnto you all with this that she will not faile with all care and by all good means that apperteine to a christian prince to seeke the conseruation of you all so louing and dutifull affected subiects This hir maiesties pleasure in part now declared and more to be made knowne vnto you by hir owne letters which you shall heare read my lord maior and his brethren haue required me to declare vnto you all that they doo heartilie reioise thanke God for the happie daie of the good acceptation of this your great ioie my lord himselfe hath willed me to giue you all heartie thanks in his name for that in the time of his seruice your dutifull behauiours haue gotten to the citie so noble and woorthie a testimonie of dutie and loialtie of so noble and worthie a quéene Now for somuch as Gods blessings woonderfullie abound one ioie commeth vpon another let vs not be vnthankefull to God but acknowledge his goodnesse and attribute the line 10 same as in déed we ought to the sincere religion of almightie God most godlie established by the quéens most excellent maiestie which hath taught vs to know God aright our dutie to our souereigne and to loue our countrie and hath made vs dutifull and obedient subiects reioising at all good things happening to hir maiestie hir realme or to anie in hir noble seruice the true effects of a true and good religion whereas the contemners thereof and immoderat affectors of the Romish religion and superstitions line 20 being void of the true knowledge of God haue declined from God their allegiance to their prince their loue to their countrie and haue become inuenters of mischeefes bruters and spreaders abrode of false and seditious rumors such as ioie at no good thing but contrariwise reioise at euerie euill successe the badges and marks of their profession who haue before this in this realme and in other hir highnesse dominions stirred vp rebellion forren inuasion and manie times practised the verie line 30 death destruction of the quéene hir selfe the ruine subuersion of the whole realme the proper effects of their Romish religion We haue beheld all these things and seene in our daies the ruine and mischéefes inuented against others fall vpon the inuenters them selues and haue knowne the wicked and violent hands of diuerse of them diuerslie to kill and murther themselues when most traitorouslie they would and most happilie they could not slea the lords annointed line 40 As we haue knowne all these things so God bee thanked that by a better religion hauing béene better taught we haue béene no partakers of their wicked deuises but haue put to our helping hands as occasion hath serued and euer readie to ouerthrow the authors and deuisers thereof And I haue no doubt but we of this noble citie who hitherto haue béene alwaies readie dutifullie and faithfullie to serue hir maiestie vpon all occasions hir highnesse now so gratiouslie accepting onelie of our reioising line 50 at the apprehension of hir enimies euen the least part of the dutie of a good subiect to so good a quéene will be readie euerie one with all that we can make and with the vttermost aduenture of all our liues spéedilie to be reuenged vpon all such as shall villanouslie and traitorouslie attempt or put in vre anie mischéefe to hir noble person and in the meane time will haue a better eie and eare to all suspicious and miscontented persons to their saiengs and dooings to their false brutes and reports to the places and line 60 corners of their haunt and resort to their harborers companions aiders and mainteiners God vphold and continue his religion among vs and increase our zeale therein which hath made vs so louing and loiall and so beloued and acceptable subiects to so worthie a prince and root out that wicked and Romish religion that hath made so manie disloiall and traitorous subiects to whome is both odious irkesome the long life and prosperous reigne of our most noble queene Elisabeth God confound all such traitors and preserue hir highnesse long to liue and reigne oure vs. ¶ Hauing thus spoken the multitude all the while no lesse silent than attendant the speaker verie reuerentlie opened hir maiesties letters read the same with a verie distinct and audible voice as followeth To our right trustie and welbeloued the lord maior of our citie of London and his brethren the aldermen of the same RIght trustie and welbeloued we gréete you well Being giuen to vnderstand how greatlie our good and most louing
subiects of that citie did reioise at the apprehension of certeine diuelish and wicked minded subiects of ours that through the great and singular goodnesse of God haue beene detected to haue most wickedlie and vnnaturallie conspired not onelie the taking awaie of our owne life but also to haue stirred vp as much as in them laie a generall rebellion throughout our whole realme we could not but by our owne letters witnesse vnto you the great and singular contentment we receiued vpon the knowledge thereof assuring you that we did not so much reioise at the escape of the intended attempt against our owne person as to see the great ioie our most louing subiects tooke at the apprehension of the contriuers thereof which to make their loue more apparant they haue as we are to our great comfort informed omitted no outward shew that by anie externall act might witnesse to the world the inward loue and dutifull affection they beare towards vs. And as we haue as great cause with all thankfulnesse to acknowledge Gods great goodnesse toward vs through the infinit blessings he laieth vpon vs as manie as euer prince had yea rather as euer creature had yet doo we not for anie worldlie blessing receiued from his diuine maiestie so greatlie acknowledge the same as in that it hath pleased him to incline the hearts of our subiects euen from the first beginning of our reigne to carie as great loue toward vs as euer subiects carried toward prince which ought to moue vs as it dooth in verie déed to séeke with all care by all good means that apperteine to a christian prince the conseruation of so louing and dutifull affected subiects assuring you that we desire no longer to liue than while we maie in the whole course of our gouernment carie our selues in such sort as may not onelie nourish and continue their loue and good will toward vs but also increase the same We thinke méet that these our letters should be communicated in some generall assemblie to our most louing subiects the commoners of that citie Giuen vnder our signet at our castell of Windsor the eightéenth daie of August one thousand fiue hundred foure score and six in the eight and twentith yeere of our reigne But leauing this princelie president of thankefulnes to perpetuall record we will touch the next occurrence as course of time ministreth occasion About this time of the yéere returned into England sir Francis Drake knight a man of rare knowlege in nauigation and verie fortunat in the euent of his enterprises after manie feats of good seruice accomplished in forren countries as at Baion Hispaniola S. Dominico Carthagena c to the admiration of all people amongst whom he came and contrarie to the expectation of the Spaniards who vpon supposall of places impregnable grew so confident that they séemed lightlie to estéeme anie purposed force of the enimie and therefore doubted no kind of annoiance Howbeit they were as safe as he that hangeth by the leaues of a trée in the end of autumne when as the leaues begin to fall For they were so terrified at the sight of sacke and spoile as also doubting a totall wast by fire and swoord that they were glad to yeeld to composition And heere because mention is made of Hispaniola note ye that it is supposed that Salomon king of Ierusalem had his great riches of gold from hense and that his ships sailed to Ophir the old name as some affirme of Hispaniola by the gulfe of Persia called Sinus Persicus As for Sancto Dominico it is the cheefe citie in Hispaniola reported in historie as touching the building that there is no citie in Spaine Tanto line 10 pro tantâ— no not Barsalona that is to be preferred before it generallie For the houses are for the most part of stone as are they of Barsalona or of so strong and well wâ—ought earth that it maketh a singular and strong binding But leauing description of places it shall not be amisse hauing now touched though not with conuenient dignitie the last voiage of this singular gentleman to annex in this place a memoriall of a former voiage by him attempted namelie on the thirtéenth line 20 daie of December in the yere of Christ one thousand fiue hundred seuentie seuen at what time accompanied with fiue tall ships well manned appointed he sailed into the wost Indies by the same aduenture most luckilie accomplished eternised his name At what time the king of Moluccaes admiring his order astonied at the hearing of the peales of English ordinance roring like thunder which he there at his arriuall valiantlie liberallie discharged receiued him right honorablie causing foure galliasses line 30 to conduct and bring his ship into the surest harborough and him selfe with his companie to his presence In this voiage he discouered a countrie erst vnknowne which he named Noua Albion where by his courteous dealing he so allured and woone the hearts of the inhabitants that twise they crowned him king Beyond the large countrie of Chilie where it hath beene heeretofore thought that nothing had beene but continent and firme land he found sundrie Ilands the furthest wherof lieng most south line 40 he called by hir maiesties name Elisabetha Now after manie a singular note of his incomparable valorousnesse exhibited in places where he came and purposing to make his aduenture profitable he neglected no meanes that might stand with his honestie and honor returning home into England with great riches the six and twentith of September in the yéere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and eightie with one ship onelie For of the fiue wherewith at his first setting foorth he was furnished he line 50 was forced to set two on fire the third perished the fourth came backe and went not forwards at the first A voiage of great aduenture and prosperous successe contrarie to the ackward and frowning hap of sundrie woorthie gentlemen whose attempts albeit honorable and commendable yet matched with misfortune or at least defectiue in deserued and hoped issue a sore dicouragement to gentlemen of trauell and not a little impeaching the art of nauigation line 60 And now to resume our former remembrance of the conspirators you shall vnderstand that after due examination had no rigor vsed either by torture or torment the wicked wretches guiltie consciences driuing them to voluntarie confession on the seuenth daie of September certeine of them were led from the Tower of London to Westminster by water where they were indicted first for intending treason against the queens owne person secondlie for stirring ciuill wars within the realme and thirdlie for practising to bring in forren power to inuade the land Seuen of them appeared at Westminster on the thirtéenth daie of September who all pleaded giltie and therefore had no iurie but were condemned and had iudgement on the next morrow On the fiftéenth daie of September other seuen
authorities of this kind the number being so great as that they would fill vp Erotostthenes siue and to saie somewhat of seueritie that by opposition of countrie to countrie in that respect we maie sée the great difference betwéene ours and theirs It is seueritie to flea men quicke to chaine them aliue to a stake in such sort as they maie run round line 60 thereabout the fier inuironing them on all sides it is seueritie to haue collops of flesh pluckt from the bodie with hot burning tongs it is seueritie to be cast downe from a stéepe place starke naked vpon sharpe stakes it is seueritie to be torne in péeces with wild horsses and to haue the bones broken vpon a whéele All these be extremities of torments awarded by law and at this daie practised in forren regions for treason and sometime for crimes of nothing so dangerous a nature Finallie if we confer the seueritie of this execution exercised vpon rebellious and traitorous subiects in a superlatiue degree of disloialtie with that of other nations commonlie vsed namelie in principall affaires which concerne peace and warre and matters of gouernment to accept theseruice of runnagate slaues to place them in authoritie to change or depose at pleasure anie whatsoeuer yea to strangle them vpon the least suspicion or dislike our seueritie is clemencie For in this is ripe reason and iudiciall processe in the other will without wit as commonlie they saie Omnia pro imperio nihil pro officio And therefore we conclude that ingratitude being counted vnnaturall and treason a vice vomited out of hell mouth linked togither with manie knots of other shamefull sinnes and all concurring in the hearts and liues of these outragious conspirators as in a centre whie should it be thought seueritie to haue iustice iustlie administred that traitors should be drawne vpon hurdels strangled in a halter cut downe aliue dismembred their bellies ripped their bowels taken out and burned their heads chopt from their shoulders their bodies clouen in foure quarters and set ouer the gates of London for the foules of the aire to féed vpon at full Unto which fowle end maie all such come as meane anie mischiefe against good quéene Elisabeth the lords of hir highnesse councell the bodie politike of the land the slander or innouation of true religion c wherein God make prince and people of one mind and plant in all subiects a reuerend regard of obedience and contentment of present estate supported with iustice and religion least longing after nouelties it fare with them as with the frogs who liuing at libertie in lakes and ponds would néeds as misliking their present intercommunitie of life with one consent sue to Iupiter for a king and so did Whereat he woondering granted their desires and cast them an huge trunke of a trée which besides that it made a great noise in the water as it fell to their terrifieng so it was cumbersome by taking vp their accustomed passage insomuch that discontented therewithall they assaulted Iupiter with a fresh petition complaining that besides diuerse mislikes otherwise the king whom he gaue them was but a senselesse stocke and vnworthie of obedience wherefore it would please him to appoint them another indued with life Wherevpon Iupiter sent the herne among them who entring into the water deuoured vp the frogs one after another insomuch that the residue séeing their new king so rauenouslie gobling vp their fellowes lamentablie wéeping besought Iupiter to deliuer them from the throte of that dragon and tyrant But he of purpose vnchangeable made them a flat answer that will they nill they the herne should rule ouer them Whereby we are taught to be content when we are well and to make much of good quéene Elisabeth by whom we enioie life and libertie with other blessings from aboue beséeching God we maie sée a consummation of the world before the scepter of the kingdome be translated to another For as the prouerbe saith seldome commeth the better But to the purpose this execution being dispatched and the testimonies thereof dispersed and visible in diuerse places about the citie as at London bridge where the traitors heads were ranged into their seuerall classes manie rimes ballads and pamphlets were set foorth by sundrie well affected people wherein bréefelie were comprised the plot of their conspiracie the names of the traitors and their successiue suffering which growing common and familiar both in citie and countrie were chanted with no lesse alacritie courage of the singer than willinglie and delightfullie listened vnto of the hearer So that what by one meane and what by another all England was made acquainted with this horrible conspiracie not so much admiring the maner of the mischéefes intended as comforted that hir highnesse had the holie hand of God ouershadowing hir the surest protection that prince or people can haue against perill So that England is replenished with faithfull and louing subiects though here and there like darnell among wheate lurke a viper or aspe waiting opportunitie to bite or sting Now to make a complet discourse of all these heauie tragicall accidents hauing thus far continued line 10 much important matter concerning the same the reader is with due regard to peruse the addition following wherein is argument of aggrauation touching these treasons which being aduisedlie read considered and conferred with the former narration will yéeld as sound pithie and effectuall information for the knowledge of the conspirators purposed plot as anie subiect would desire and more than without gréefe or teares anie true English heart can abide to read or heare Where by the waie is to be line 20 noted that Marie the Scotish Q. was a principall It is apparant by the iudiciall confessions of Iohn Ballard preest Anthonie Babington and their confederats that the said Iohn Ballard being a preest of the English seminarie at Rheims in Lent past after he and sundrie other Iesuits and preests of his sect had trauelled throughout all parts almost of this realme labored to their vttermost to bréed in hir maiesties subiects an inclination to rebell against hir he went into France and there treated line 30 and concluded with Barnardino de Mendoza the Spanish ambassador resiant at Paris with Charles Paget Thomas Morgan two English fugitiues and inexcusable traitors for an inuasion to be made by forren forces into this kingdome And because no assurance could then be made vnto Mendoza for the interteining assisting and good landing of those whome the king his maister the pope and the house of Guise should dispatch for that seruice he sent the said Ballard into England at Whitsuntide last line 40 with expresse charge to informe the catholikes that for sundrie important considerations the king his maister had vowed vpon his soule to reforme England or to loose Spaine and for that purpose had in readinesse such forces warlike preparations as the like was neuer séene in
Armie put to flight 54 a 30. Goeth to Bristow 51 b 30. Followeth the victorie she commeth to London 53 b 40. Besieged in Arundell castell 51 b 10. Landed in England and what power she brought 51 a 50. Married to the earle of Aniou 43 a 50. True to the crowne of England 43 a 10. Confesseth hir selfe to bée naught of hir bodie 63 b 50. Hir deceasse 75 a 60 Maud duke Williams wife the daughter of earle Baldwine earle of Flanders 15 a 60. Crowned quéene 6 a 60. Hir deceasse 15 a 40 Maud daughter and heire to Robert Fitzhammon Henrie the first his base sonne 37 a 50 Maud the wife of Henrie the first a professed nun 29 a 10 Maud Henrie the first his daughter affianced to the emperor Henrie 35 a 10 Maud quéene deliuered of a daughter after hir own name 30 a 30 ¶ Sée Quéene Mauns a citie in Normandie besieged and deliuered 23 b 20. Besieged and taken 158 b 10. Lost by treason of the citizens recouered 598 a 50 b 30 Yéelded to the French king 114 a 40 Maunt citie in France burnt by duke William 14 b 40 Maupasse ¶ Sée Uernon Maximilâ—an king of Romans prisoned at Bruges by the townesmen 770 a 40. He and Henrie the seuenth agrée to plague the Frenchmen the cause of his malice he dealeth dishonestlie with the king of England to his great vexation breaketh promise with him 774 a 60 b 20 30. Incourageth his men to plaie the men 822 a 40 Meaux besieged by the English men taken by assault 581 a 50 b 50. The conditions of the surrender thereof vnto Henrie the fift 582 a 50 Mekins burnt in Smithfield 953 a 40 Mellent ¶ Sée Erle Melune vicount discouereth the purpose of Lewis and the English barons his death 193 b 10 Melune besieged by king Henrie the fift 576 b 60. Yéelded vp to Henrie the fift 577 b 20 Men barbarous brought from the new sound Ilands 789 b 60 Mendmarket ¶ Sée Umfreuill Mendoza the Spanish Ambassador ¶ Sée Throckmorton Francis Mercia an earldome 1 a 30 Mercie in a warrior note 549 b 20. 550 b 60. ¶ See Charitie Merchant of London hanged at Noringham for murthering a merchant stranger of Genoa note 428 b 30 Merchants of England receiued into Antwerpe with generall procession 783 b 40 Sore hindered by a restreint 778 a 20. Restreined out of Spaine 1206 a 10. Euillie intreated in Duch land 1263 a 10. Susteine great losse by sea 1262 b 20. Complaine vnto quéene Elisabeth of their wrongs 1262 b 40. Proclamation for their frée traffike as before c 1267 b 10. Robbed of the Danish pirats and haue great prises taken from them 485 a 10. Murther a stranger Genoa 422 b 60 Staieâ— in Spaine 905 b 60 Merchants strangers fauoured of king Richard the second their goods restored 453 b 60. A proclamation concerning them 927 a 50. Staied in England 905 b 60. Two of the stilliard doo penance for heresie 892 b 60. ¶ Sée Strangers Mesure of one length vsed thorough out England 28 b 30 ¶ Sée Weights Meta incognita ¶ Sée Frobisher Meulone a strong towne yéelded to the English 571 b 60 Meutas Hercules ¶ Sée Iusts triumphant Mice deuoure grasse in Dansiâ— hundred and how deuoured â— note 1315 a 60 b 10 Michaels mount how seated a great fortification 19 a 40 Midleton knight proclameth himselfe duke 323 a 60 Midsummer watch 1206 b 10 1208 b 30. Mainteined 1210 a 50. ¶ Sée Watch. Mildmaie knight founder of Emanuell college in Cambridge note 1396 a 10 Mile and gréene whie so called 1271 b 60 Miles Couerdale preacher in the time of Deuoushire rebellion 1023 b 60 Miles vicar of saint Brides slaine and the partie executed 914 b 30 Millain woon and rased by Richard the first 146 b 50 Millers man hanged for his maister 1007 a 30 Milnall in Suffolke burned 1210 a 20 Mines of gold siluer in England 413 a 40. ¶ Sée Siluer Ministers more fauoured than other men 1201 a 40 Minsterworth knight executed as a traitor 411 b 10. Miracles of Fitzosbert wherby he was thought to be a saint 149 a 20. Whereby Robert duke of Normandie was made king of Ierusalem 29 a 60 wrought by Woolstane to his aduantage 12 a 10 Seén forsooth in the daie of Cainpians execution 1329 a 60 Miracles of the holie maid of Kent 936 b 50 Mirth that after it commeth heauinesse note 26 b 40 50 41 b 10 Miserie vpon miserie 422 b 60 423 a 10 c. ¶ See Derth and Deth Mâ—st thicke and blind 373 a 20 Made Henrie the eight and his souldiers vnable to find the waie to his campe 823 a 60 Mistrust in murtherers one of of another 1063 b 60. Causeth carefull custodie 586 a 60 b 10. On all sides of all estates and degrées note 173 a 10. An enimie to peace 457 b 10 60. Of king Henrie the third in his officers 216 b 40 That the earls of Hereford Marshall had of Edward the first 307 a 30. Of the Flemings in the earle of Richmond 359 b 20. That the dukes of Buckingham and Glocester had in each other 736 a 50. Of duke Arthur in his vncle king Iohn 160 b 60. ¶ Sée Suspicion Mocke of Henrie the first against his brother Robert Curthose 44 b 60. At the maior of Norwich 1032 b 60 ¶ Sée Derision and Iest. Molineux constable of Chester castell 460 b 60. Knight slaine note 461 b 10 Monasteries erected in the north parts at the sute trauell of thrée moonks c 11 a 20. When none lest in all the north parts 11 a 20. ¶ Sée Abbeies and Religious houses Monie two falles thereof 1066 b 50. Henrie the sixts priuie seales for some 653 b 30. Refused to be lent purchaseth disfauor and reuenge 162 a 40. Largelie giuen to mainteine war against the Turks 164 a 20. Carried out of the realme by a legat note 170 b 10. Sutes preferred for it 187 b 20. And what practises Gualo vsed to get it 193 a 20 A perpetuall order of an hundred and â—oure pounds lent yearelie by course to certeine townes note 1092 a 60 b 10 Buâ—eth liberties and priuileges 119 b 60. And what shiâ—ts king Richard the first made for it 120 b 40. And of inquisitions to get it note 153 b 40. Gotten with extortion to procure Richard the first his ransome 139 a 60 b 10. To make it offices set to saâ—e by Richard the first 142 b 40. Great summes gotten by Richard the first without making of recompense 143 b 60 144 a 10. The practises of Richard the first to get it note 144 a 10 20. Much gotten for licences and grants of iust and turnie 145 b 60. The meanes practised to get it note 145 a 60. Purchaseth erldoms 102 a 50. Maketh marriages betwéene great states 84 b 10. Purchaseth fauor to a murtherer 98 b 40 What shifts Edward the fourth made for it 694 a 40 50. The want thereof procureth peace
redresse it for the poore peoples releefe note 1588 c. Whitegift Iohn ¶ See Archbishop Whittington college erected 540 a 50 White meates licenced to be eaten in Lent and noblemen punished for breaking the law 960 a 10 Whoore the cause of a notorious and shamefull murther note 1062 b 40 c. ¶ See Concubine Shores wife Spaniards 1126 b 60 Whoordome reprooued and the reproouer taken in the deed dooing 42. b 50. Strangelie punished by the iust iudgement of God 1353 a 60. b 10 It and murther go together 953 a 10 937. b 30 c. Whoorlepooses taken in the Thames 928 a 20 Wiat knight his insurrection his proclamation at Maidstone he commeth to Rochester meeteth with his adherents causeth much trouble 1093. b 10.30.40.50.60 Soliciteth certeine gentlemen to adhere vnto him an herald of armes sent vnto him the lord warden desirous to be tempering against him 1094. a 10.40 c. A proclamation that none should keepe in his house anie of his faction he is sent to the Tower hardlie delt with all at the lieutenants hands the furniture of his bodie 1099 a 60. b 10. Marcheth with his power and executeth â—eats of armes against the aduerse parts preuaileth against the lord Cobham 1095. b 40.50.60 His requests 1096. a 20. Marcheth to Detford Strand suffereth his prisoners to go abrode vpon their word commeth to Southworke his desperat attempt he and his complices fall to consultation at his wits end 1097 all He marcheth to Kingstone commeth vnto the parke corner and skirmisheth with the queenes power marcheth alongst the wall of S. Iames toward London submitteth himselfe to the queene 1098. all Arreigned the effect of his indictment he answereth not directlie to the question guiltie or vnguiltie his exhortation to loialtie altereth his mind touching the mariage his answers to diuerse speaking at his arreignment 1103. all His confession and execution 1104. a 20.60 Wicliffe a secular preest his conclusions the cheefest articles that he preached 411 b 40 c. He and his fellowes mainteined by certeine lords 412. a 10 His doctrine 428. b. 50.440 a 30. Fauoured of the Londoners 440. b 20. Mainteined by the learned sentence pronounced against his books 535. b 50.60 Euill spoken of and his followers reproched 419 a 20 Wicliuists increase 467. a 40. 486. a â—20 Popes letter to Richard the second against them a 60. Bewraid by some of their owne sect 521. a 10. Wrote against the clergie 481 b 60. They are complained of they increase the lords seeke that they might be surprised 482. a 10.40.60 Richard the seconds commission against them and their sectaries 483. a 50 c. Excommunicated note 484. a 10 c. ¶ See Pateshull Widow without Aldgate murthered 605. b 40. ¶ See Iest and Beneuolence Widowes prouided for and releeued by the charitie of Dauid Smith note 1375. b 50 60.1376 Wie riuer 5. a 20 Wife put awaie and taken againe 44. a 40. Robbed by hir husband and he hanged note 1561 Wilford the counterfet earle of Warwike he is executed 787 a 30 40 Wilford knight taken prisoner 996. b 30 Wilfulnesse in opinion of Thomas Becket 77. b 20 William duke of Normandie when he began his reigne 1. a 10. Crownd king on Christmas daie 1. b 20. Sworne at his coronation with the sum of his oth 1. b 30. whie he refused to be crowned at archbishop Stigands hands 1. b 20. Tooke an oth and hostages of the nobles and lords of England 1. b 10. His conditions and qualities 15. a 20. His deuise to disburthen himselfe of souldiours wages 14. a 60. What he beareth to his armes 15. a 10. His descent 1. a 10. Uanquisheth the English power 1. a 10. And wasteth certeine countries a 20.30 Seizeth vpon the Englishmens lands and renteth them out by the yeare 8 a 40. His couetous dealing and exactions note 8. b 50. Maketh a lamentable waste of the north countries 7. b 40.50.60 Hateth the Englishmen more than euer he did before 8 a 10. Subdueth certeine rebels that fled to Elie for defense 10. a 40.50 Glad to deale with the Danes by promises and faire proffers 7. b 40.50 Present at a synod wherein note his malice against the English 9. a 10. Saileth ouer sea and besiegeth Doll castle in Britaine 11. b 40. Pitcheth his tents and fighteth against the Danes and putteth them to flight 7. a 45. In a perplexitie and glad to creepe in fauour with the English note 10. a 10. His oth and promise with his crueltie and abusing of peace 10. a 20. Goeth with an huge armie against Malcolme king of Scots and whie 10. b 30. His iustice in restoring the right heire 10. b 50. Tâ—keth awaie from the English their armor 6. a 40. Subdueth the rebels of Excester 6. b 10. And Wales 12. a 20. Goeth ouer into Normandie leauing guides ouer England 5. a 10. Forced to yeeld to the Kentishmens request 2. b 20. Hateth the English nobilitie euen in the time of peace 6. a 20. His three sonnes their names and places of their birth 6. a 60. His foure sons and what he bequeathed to them 15. a 60. And fiue daughters b 10. Returneth into England and waxeth rigorous against the English 5. a 30. b 10. In possession oâ— London and his promised couetesie 1. b 10. What strangers came in with him at the conquest their names 2. b 40. His charter granted to the citie of London 15. a 60. He is politike painefull and tyrannicall against the English 6. a 10. Ouerthrowne and wounded in battell by his son Robert 12. a 40.50.60 Falleth sicke in Normandie note 14. b 20. In despaire of his life by the Kentishmen 2. a 40. Departeth this life in what yeare of his age 14 b 40 His sepulchre opened his stature and epitaph 1â— b 60. William Rufus when he began his reigne 16. a 10. Crowned king and of his munificence 16. a 40. What means he vsed for to purchase the noble mens fauour 16 a 10. Giuen to sensuall lust and couetousnesse 18. b 10. In armes against the Normans 17. b 20 Inuadeth Wales but to little effect 23. a 10. Goeth ouer into Normandie 23. b 20. A bitter enimie to the popes of Rome 24. b 20 c. Renounceth archbishop Anselme for his subiect 25. a 60. Farmeth archbishopriks bishoprikes and abbeies 26. a 40. Passeth into Normandie and whie 19. a 10. Against his brother Robert 21. a 50. Depriueth bishops 21. a 40. His great courtesie to the English to win their fauours 17. b 30. In armes against the Welshmen but with little successe 22. a 20. Suspected of infidelitie 27. b 20. Falleth sicke at Glocester 20. a 50. Where buried his conditions proportion and no issue 26. b 60.27 all William the sonne of Henrie the first made duke of Normandie 38. a 30. Drowned and how he might haue escaped 41. b 10.30 William king of Scotland alied to the earles of Britaine 7. b 30 William bishop of Durham the kings
the Lords 〈◊〉 Reseruation of the lords bodie conseâ—â—ated Holie bread and holie water The single 〈◊〉 of priests The six articles to be renewed The capteins appointed to go against the Deuonshire rebels Strangers Ric. Grafton A proclamation Hâ—â— epist. lib. â— Disorder in subiects Abusing of the kings name False causes Baptisme Sacrament of the bodie c. Disobedience to a kingâ—s disobedience to almightie God Seruice in 〈◊〉 English 〈◊〉 knowledge is 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 The masse Confirmation 〈◊〉 children Six articles The authoritie of a parlement A godlie and princelie admonition False rumors Har. in 〈◊〉 lib. 1. The rebels put from their ground Iohn Fox The capteins of the rebels taken Sir Anthonie Kingston prouost marshall The maior of 〈◊〉 hanged A millers man hanged for his maister This was a hard procéeding though the partie had beene noâ—â—nt Abr. Fl. introduction into the next narration being a new addition 〈◊〉 this rebellion The addition following being a large discourse was neuer heretofore published Dumnonia the countrie of vallies Deuonia Deuonshire Corinia Baleus lib. 1. Centuriarum Lelandus in Genethliaco Penhulgoile Pennehaltecaire Pen necaire the chéefe citie Caireruth the red citie Caireiske the citie of Exe. Houeden Ptolomeus in â—abulis Baleus centur lib. New lords new names Monketon 〈…〉 â—ibro Polydorus hist. lib. 5. Exeter Baleusceâ—â—◠〈◊〉 lib. in 〈◊〉 descriptiâ—â— Excesâ—er Exâ—ancestre Caire a fort Cestre a fort The site of Excester and circuit The citie is full of water springs The rebels breake and spoile the pipes oâ— lead for waters The conduits for water Saint Peters conduit The great conduit Castell Rugemont The site of the castell The castâ—ll builded by the Romans The riuer of Eâ—e Eâ—e riseth in Exmoore The hauen of Excester The decaie of the hauen of Excester Hugh Courtnâ—ie the first â—estroier of the 〈◊〉 Edward Courtneie Sundrie inquisitions and iuries taken against the earles of Deuon for destroieng of the hauen A keie first builded at Topesham The merchants compelled to lade and vnlade at Topesham keie The hauen is recouered and renewed againe A keie and a crane builded at Excester The parish churches first limited in Excester A monasterie of saint Benets order builded in Excester King Etheldred the first founder of the monasterie King Edgar founder of a religious house in Excester The cathedrall church was first a monasterie and founded by king Atheistane Chronica ecclesiea King Canutus confirmeth the priuileges of the monasteries K. Edward the confessor remooued the moonks vnto Westminster and made this a cathedrall church Leofricus the first bishop of Excester Polyd. hist. li. 19 Chronica chronicorum lib. 7. The charter of the church The conâ—â—eror confirmeth the charters of the church and inlargeth the possessions of it The cathâ—drall church was foure hundred yeres in building S. Peters conduit The inhabitants of this citie The gouernment of this citie Portegreues Prouostres Maiâ—r or Meregreue The maiors 〈◊〉 The prouost 〈◊〉 The good inclination and â—â—â—â—fulness of the citizens Claudius â—eâ—o the emperor sendeth Uespasian into Britaine Uespasian â—andeth in Torrebâ—â—e and lateth â—â—ge to this 〈◊〉 King Aruiragus rescueth this citie and â—ncountereth the enemie 〈◊〉 ecclesi◠〈◊〉 Flores historiarâ—m Noua historia Flores historiarum Penda king of Mertia Edwin king of Northumberland King Cadwallo is driuen to flée into Ireland Pellitus a witch droth foretell to king Edwin of things to come King Cadwallo â—aâ—leth into Armorica Brienus the kings nephue is sent to kill Pellitus Brienus killeth Pellitus King Penda besiegeth Excester Polyd. lib. 5 The Danes are ouerthrowne and their capteins are slaine Neus 〈◊〉 Flores histâ—riarum The battell at Pinnehâ— Houeden King Sweno inuadeth and spoileth the land Hugh earle of Deuon as a false maÌ„ to his countrie dooth betraie the citie King Sweno by the trecherie of the earle of Deuon besiegeth the citie kâ—ng Eldred 〈…〉 his 〈◊〉 The stoutnes â—nd courage of the citizens king Sweno entereth and â—aketh the 〈◊〉 vtterlie destroieth it 〈◊〉 Malm. 〈◊〉 Coâ—t Hen. Hunt Houeden William the Conqueror besiegeth the 〈◊〉 A league betwéene the gentlemen the citizens to resist the Conquerour The records of the citie Houeden Polychron li. 7 Githa king Harolds mother laie in the citie during the siege and secretlie fleeth awaie into Flanders Baldwin Rideuers earle of Deuon entred into this citie and resisteth against king Stephan Baldwin the earle is taken and banished Q. Mawd is friendlie to the citie Polydor. li. 20. The marques of Dublin and the earle of Suffolke come to Exon and are pursued by the dukes of York and Glocester The duches of ClareÌ„ce with others commeth to Exon being great with child lieth in the bishops palace Sir Hugh Courtneie laieth siege to the citie The maior is required to deliuer the keies of the citie and refuseth so to doo The maior and citizens doo fortifie the citie The siege raised and the citie deliuered The duke of Clarence and the Earle of Warwike came from Edgecourt field to this citie and from hence to Dartmouth Perkin Waâ—becke commeth to Excester and bâ—siegeth it The earle of Deuon sent to rescue the citie and iâ— hurt The rebellion or commotioâ— in Deuon The rebellion first began at Sampford Courtneie The cause of this rebellion was for religion The want of preaching was the cause of the rebellion Underhill and Segar 〈◊〉 first captains of the rebellion The priest was compâ—lled bâ—cause he would be compelled saie â—asse The iustices 〈◊〉 to Sampford and doo no good These gentlemen were afraid of their â—wne shadowes Sir Peter Carew and sir Gawen Carew sent into Deuon The iusticiaries doo assemble all at Excester Sir Peter Carew by the aduise of the iustices rideth to Kirton The people at Kirton doo arme themselues rampire vp the waies The barns at the townes end at Kirton are set on fire An assemblie of the people at Clift Marie or bishops Clift A cause whie they rose at bishops Clift The towne 〈◊〉 Clift is fortified and the bridge rampired Walter Raleigh esquier in danger of the rebelles Sir Peter Carew and others ride to Clift Sir Peter Carew like to be slaine The conference of the gentleman with the commons at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 towards among the serving-men This man â—as named Richard Carwithian â—â—ruant to sir Peter 〈◊〉 The agréement offered by the commoâ—ers The gentlemen depart asunder and euerie man shifteth for himselfe The high waies are stopped and intrenched Sundrie gentlemen taken and imprisoned A few gentlemen taried in the citie Sir Peter Carew rideth to the lord Russell being at George Henton Sir Peter Carew rideth to the court aduertised the king councell The king grieued to heare of the commotion The determined conquest of Scotland was hindered by the rebellion The king vseth all gentle persuasions to reduce the commoners to conformitie The first and chiefe capteins of the rebellion The rebels send to the maior of the citie to ioine with them The maior citizens refuse to
entrance heere Behold with how rich hope she leades thee to thy crowne Behold with what two gifts she comforteth thy cheere The first is blessing toongs which manie a welcome saie Which praie thou maist doo well which praise thee to the skie Which wish to thee long life which blesse this happie daie Which to thy kingdome heapes all that in toongs can lie The second is true hearts which loue thee from their root Whose sure is triumph now and ruleth all the game Which faithfulnesse haue woone and all vntruth driuen out Which skip for ioy when as they heare thy happie name Welcome therefore ô queene as much as heart can thinke Welcome againe ô queene as much as toong can tell Welcome to ioyous toongs and hearts that will not shrinke God thee preserue we praie and wish thee euer well At which words of the last line all the people gaue a great shout wishing with one assent as the child had said And the quéens maiestie thanked most heartilie both the citie for this hir gentle receiuing at the first also the people for confirming the same Here was noted in the quéenes maiesties countenance during the time that the child spake besides a perpetuall attentiuenesse in hir face a maruellous change in looke as the childs words either touched hir person or the peoples toongs and hearts So that she with reioising visage did euidentlie declare that the words tooke no lesse place in hir mind than they were most heartilie pronounced by the child as from all the hearts of hir most heartie citizens The same verses were fastened vp in a table line 10 vpon the scaffold and the Latine thereof likewise in Latine verses in another table as herafter insueth Vrbs tua quae ingressis dederit tibi munera primo O regina parem non habitura vide Ad diadema tuum te spe quà m diuite mittat Quae duo laetitiae des tibi dona vide Munus habes primum linguas bona multa precantes Quae te quum laudant tum pia vota soâ—â—ant Foelicémque diem hunc dicunt tibi sacula longa Optant quicquid denique longa potest line 20 Altera dona feres vera tui amantia corda Quorum gens ludum iam reget vna tuum In quibus est infracta fides falsumque perosa Quaeque tuo audito nomine laeta salit Grata venis igitur quantum cor concipit vllum Quantum lingua potest dicere grata venis Cordibus infractis linguisque per omnia laetis Grata venis saluam te velit esse Deus Now when the child had pronounced his oration and the quéenes highnesse so thankefullie had receiued line 30 it she marched forward toward Gratious stréet where at the vpper end before the signe of the eagle the citie had erected a gorgeous and sumptuous arch as here followeth A stage was made which extended from the one side of the stréet to the other richlie vawted with battlements conteining thrée ports and ouer the middlemost was aduanced thrée seuerall stages in degrées Upon the lowest stage was made one seat roiall wherein were placed two personages representing line 40 king Henrie the seuenth and Elizabeth his wife daughter of king Edward the fourth either of these two princes sitting vnder one cloth of estate in their seates none otherwise diuided but that the one of them which was king Henrie the seuenth procéeding out of the house of Lancaster was inclosed in a red rose and the other which was quéene Elizabeth being heire to the house of Yorke inclosed with a white rose each of them roiallie crowned and decentlie apparelled as apperteineth to princes with line 50 scepters in their hands and one vawt surmounting their heads wherein aptlie were placed two tables each conteining the title of those two princes And these personages were so set that the one of them ioined hands with the other with the ring of matrimonie perceiued on the finger Out of the which two roses sprang two branches gathered into one which were directed vpward to the second stage or degrée wherein was placed one representing the valiant noble prince king Henrie the eight which sproong line 60 out of the former stocke crowned with a crowne imperiall and by him sat one representing the right woorthie ladie quéene Anne wife to the said king Henrie the eight and mother to our most souereigne ladie quéene Elizabeth that now is both apparelled with scepters and diadems and other furniture due to the state of a king and quéene and two tables surmounting their heads wherein were written their names and titles From their seat also procéeded vpwards one branch directed to the third and vppermost stage or degrée wherein likewise was planted a seat roiall in the which was set one representing the quéenes most excellent maiestie Elizabeth now our most dread souereigne ladie crowned and apparelled as the other princes were Out of the fore part of this pageant was made a standing for a child which at the queens maiesties comming declared vnto hir the whole meaning of the said pageant The two sides of the same were filled with lowd noises of musicke And all emptie places thereof were furnished with sentences concerning vnitie and the whole pageant garnished wich red roses and white And in the fore front of the same pageant in a faire wreath was written the name and title of the same which was The vniting of the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke This pageant was grounded vpon the quéens maiesties name For like as the long warre betweene the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster then ended when Elizabeth daughter to Edward the fourth matched in mariage with Henrie the seuenth heire to the house of Lancaster so sith that the quéenes maiesties name was Elizabeth for somuch as she is the onelie heire of Henrie the eight which came of both the houses as the knitting vp of concord it was deuised that like as Elizabeth was the first occasion of concord so she another Elizabeth might mainteine the same among hir subiects so that vnitie was the end whereat the whole deuise shot as the quéenes maiesties name moued the first ground The pageant now against the quéenes maiesties comming was addressed with children representing the forenamed personages with all furniture due vnto the setting forth of such a matter well meant as the argument declared costlie and sumptuouslie set foorth as the beholders can beare witnesse Now the quéenes maiestie drew néere vnto the said pageant And for so much as the noise was great by reason of the prease of people so that she could scarse heare the child which did interpret the said pageant and hir chariot was passed so far forwards that she could not well view the personages representing the kings quéenes aboue named she required to haue the matter opened vnto hir and what they signified with the end of vnitie and ground of hir name according as is