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
the bodie of the townes and communalties of the aforesaid countries haue a firme hope that your maiestie will not sée them perish according to the desire of their enimies which make this long and cruell warre all which outrages the states of the said low countries following the diligence and band which they owe to their burgesses and citizens are to susteine repell and to turne from them by reason of the manifest tyrannie seruitude which the Spaniards attempt to bring in to laie vpon the poore people thereby to preserue their liberties rights priuileges and franchises with the exercise of the true christian religion whereof your maiestie by good right carrieth the title of protectrice and defendresse against which the said enimies and their associats alreadie haue and still doo make manie leagues deuise manie subtilties treasons and ambushes not ceasing dailie to practise and imagine them against the person of your maiestie and to the preiudice of the rest of your realme and states whome the good God hath preserued vntill this present for the wealth of the christians and sustentation of their churches Wherefore Madam it is so that for these causes reasons other considerations the said states haue assembled and concluded vpon a good and firme resolution to haue recourse vnto your maiestie sith it is an ordinarie matter amongst all people and oppressed nations in their calamities and oppressions to craue support and fauour against their enimies of kings and princes neere vnto them but especiallie of those who be indued with magnanimitie pietie iustice and other princelie vertues to which effect the states haue appointed vs to come vnto your maiestie to present vnto the same the principalitie souereigntie and iust gouernment of the said prouinces vnder certeine good and equall conditions chieflie concerning the preseruation of the exercise of the reformed religion and of the ancient priuileges liberties franchises and customs and next of the administration of the affaires policie and iustice of the warres in the said countrie And although that these countries haue susteined much hurt by these long and continuall warres and that the enimie hath taken diuers strong places and forts in the same countries yet there is besides the same in the countries of Brabant Gelderland Flanders Malmes Ouerset manie good townes and places which defend themselues against the force of the enimie and the countries of Holland Zeland Utricht and Frise be yet thanks be to God entire and whole in which there be manie great and strong townes and places faire riuers and déepe ports and hauens of the sea out of which your maiestie and your successors may receiue diuerse good seruices fruits and commodities whereof it is néedlesse here to make anie long recitall Onelie this amongst other matters deserueth good and especiall consideration that the vniting of those countries of Holland Zeland Frise and the townes of Sluze and Ostend in Flanders vnto the realmes of your maiestie importeth so much as the absolute gouernement of the great ocean sea and by consequence an assurance and perpetuall felicitie for the subiects of your woorthie maiestie Which we most humblie beséech that it will please the same to condescend vnto vs in the said points and conditions line 10 and in that which followeth which is that you will for you and your lawfull successors in the crowne of England be protectors of the reformed religion as the principall iusticer and souereigne gouernor of the said countries and consequentlie to receiue the people of the same as your most humble and most obedient subiects vnder the protection and continuall safegard of your maiestie they being a people assuredlie so faithfull and louing to their princes and lords be it spoken without vaunting as anie other line 20 nation is throughout christendome In dooing whereof Madam you shall preserue manie goodlie churches which it hath pleased God to assemble in these latter times in the same countries at this present in manie places greeuouslie afflicted and you shall deliuer the same countrie and people of late before the vniust deeds of the house of Spaine verie rich and florishing through the great commoditie of the sea ports hauens riuers traffike and merchandize whereof they be naturallie indued line 30 You shall I saie Madam deliuer them from ruine and perpetuall bondage of bodie and soule being a worke right roiall and most magnificent acceptable to God profitable to all christianitie woorthie immortall commendation answerable to the magnanimitie and heroicall vertues of your maiestie and ioined with the assurance and prosperitie of your dominions and subiects Wherevpon we present vnto your maiestie the said articles and conditions reuerentlie praieng the King of kings line 40 to preserue your maiestie from your enimies to increase your glorie and felicitie and for euer to keepe you in his holie protection ¶ This oration ended and the summe thereof considered it pleased the quéenes maiestie by direction of hir wise and politike councell to incline hir hart alwaies pitifull and replenished with commiseration to the ease and reléefe of the said oppressed people And bicause hir owne subiects should not be vtterlie line 50 vnacquainted with hir highnesse dooings in that case there was published by authoritie a booke thereof as in due place hereafter followeth On sundaie the fourth of Iulie Charles lord Howard late lord chamberleine was made lord admerall and Henrie lord Hunsdon was made lord chamberleine of houshold On the fift daie of Iulie Thomas Awfeld a seminarie priest and Thomas Weblie diar were arreigned at the sessions hall in the Old bailie found guiltie condemned and had line 60 iudgement as fellons to be hanged for publishing of bookes conteining false seditious and slanderous matter to the defamation of our souereigne ladie the quéene and to the excitation of insurrection and rebellion as more at large appeareth in their indictments These were on the next morrow to wit the sixt of Iulie executed at Tiborne accordinglie On thursdaie the sixteenth of Iulie by the sudden fall of a bricke wall in Thames stréet of London neere vnto Downegate fiue persons were ouerwhelmed and slaine to wit a man his wife the wife being great with child and two children the one their own the other a nurse child and a poore man that liued by charitie hauing no knowne dwelling place On the same sixteenth of Iulie was sir Francis Russell knight lord Russell third sonne to Francis Russell earle of Bedford slaine with a dag in the borders of Scotland beside Berwike by a Scot borne in those parts as they met vpon a true daie as more at large appeareth in the historie of Scotland On the next morrow to wit the seuentéenth of Iulie Francis Russell earle of Bedford knight of the garter and one of hir maiesties priuie councell father to the late named sir Francis lord Russell slaine on the borders of Scotland deceassed and was honorablie buried at Cheinies in
countries and so continued in all ancient times when the seuerall prouinces thereof as Flanders Holland and Zeland and other countries to them adioining were ruled and possessed by seuerall lords and not vnited togither as of late yeares they haue béene by intermarriages and at length by concurrences of manie and sundrie titles haue also béene reduced to be vnder the gouernement of their lords that succéeded to the dukedome of Burgundie whereby there hath béene in former ages manie speciall aliances and confederations not onelie betwixt the kings of England our progenitors and the lords of the said countries of Flanders Holland Zeland and their adherents but also betwixt the verie naturall subiects of both countries as the prelats noblemen citizens burgesses and other communalties of the great cities and port townes of either countrie reciprocallie by speciall obligations and stipulations vnder their seales interchangeablie for maintenance both of commerce and intercourse of merchants also of speciall mutuall amitie to be obserued betwixt the people and inhabitants of both parties as well ecclesiasticall as secular and verie expresse prouision in such treaties conteined for mutuall fauours affections and all other friendlie offices to be vsed and prosecuted by the people of the one nation towards the other By which mutuall bonds there hath continued perpetuall vnions of the peoples hearts togither and so by waie of continuall intercourses from age to age the same mutuall loue hath béene inuiolablie kept and exercised as it had beene by the worke of nature and neuer vtterlie dissolued nor yet for anie long time discontinued howsoeuer the kings and the lords of the countries sometimes though verie rarelie haue béene at difference by sinister meanes of some other princes their neighbours enuieng the felicitie of these two countries And for maintenance and testimonie of these naturall vnions of the peoples of these kingdoms and countries in perpetuall amitie there are extant sundrie authentike treaties and transactions for mutuall commerce intercourse and streict amitie of ancient times as for example some verie solemnelie accorded in the times of king Henrie the sixt our progenitor and Philip the second duke of Burgundie and inheritour to the countie of Flanders by the ladie Margaret his grandmoother which was aboue one hundred fortie yeares past the same also renewed by the noble duke Charles his son father to the king of Spaines grandmoother and husband to the ladie Margaret sister to our great grandfather king Edward the fourth and after that of new ofttimes renewed by our most noble sage grandfather king Henrie the seuenth and the archduke Philip grandfather to the king of Spaine now being and in latter times often renewed betwixt our father of noble memorie king Henrie the eight and Charles the fift emperor of Almaine father also to the present king of Spaine In all which treaties transactions and confederations of amitie and mutuall commerce it was also at all times speciallie and principallie conteined in expresse words by conuentions concords and conclusions that the naturall people and subiects of either side should shew mutuall fauours and duties one to the other and should safelie freelie and securelie commerce togither in euerie their countries and so hath the same mutuall and naturall concourse and commerce béene without interruption continued in manie ages farre aboue the like example of anie other countries in christendome to the honour and strength of the princes and to the singular great benefit and inriching of their people vntill of late line 10 yeares that the king of Spaine departing out of his low countries into Spaine hath beene as it is to be thought counselled by his councellors of Spaine to appoint Spaniards forrenners and strangers of strange bloud men more exercised in warres than in peaceable gouernement and some of them notablie delighted in bloud as hath appeared by their actions to be the chiefest gouernours of all his said low countries contrarie to the ancient lawes and customes thereof hauing great plentie of noble line 20 valiant and faithfull persons naturallie borne and such as the emperour Charles and the king himselfe had to their great honours vsed in their seruice able to haue béene imploied in the rule of those countries But these Spaniards being méere strangers hauing no naturall regard in their gouernement to the maintenance of those countries and people in their ancient and naturall maner of peaceable liuing as the most noble and wise emperor Charles line 30 yea and as his sonne king Philip himselfe had whilest he remained in those countries and vsed the counsels of the states and naturall of the countries not violating the ancient liberties of the countries but contrariwise these Spaniards being exalted to absolute gouernement by ambition and for priuat lucre haue violentlie broken the ancient lawes and liberties of all the countries and in a tyrannous sort haue banished killed and destroied without order of line 40 law within the space of few moneths manie of the most ancient and principall persons of the naturall nobilitie that were most worthie of gouernement And howsoeuer in the beginning of these cruell persecutions the pretense therof was for maintenance of the Romish religion yet they spared not to depriue verie manie catholikes and ecclesiasticall persons of their franchises and priuileges and of the chiefest that were executed of the nobilitie none was in the whole countrie more affected to that religion line 50 than was the noble and valiant countie of Egmond the verie glorie of that countrie who neither for his singular victories in the seruice of the king of Spaine can be forgotten in the true histories nor yet for the crueltie vsed for his destruction to be but for euer lamented in the harts of the naturall people of that countrie And furthermore to bring these whole countries in seruitude to Spaine these forren gouernours haue by long intestine warre with multitude of Spaniards and with some few Italians and Almains line 60 made the greater part of the said countries which with their riches by common estimation answered the emperour Charles equallie to his Indies in a maner desolat and haue also lamentablie destroied by sword famine and other cruell maners of death a great part of the naturall people now the rich townes and strong places being desolate of their naturall inhabitants are held and kept chieflie with force by the Spaniards All which pitifull miseries and horrible calamities of these most rich countries and people are of all their neighbours at this daie euen of such as in ancient time haue beene at frequent discord with them through naturall compassion verie greatlie pitied which appeared speciallie this present yeare when the French king pretended to haue receiued them to his protection had not as the states of the countrie their deputies were answered that certeine vntimelie and vnlooked for complots of the house of Guise stirred and maintained by monie out of Spaine disturbed the good and
countrie in the minoritie of the yoong king there haue risen some inward troubles which for the most part we haue in fauor of the king and his gouernors vsed meanes to pacifie so as at this daie such is the quietnesse in line 60 Scotland as the king our deare brother cousine by name Iames the sixt a prince of great hope for manie good princelie respects reigneth there in honor and loue of his people and in verie good and perfect amitie with vs and our countrie And so our actions at that time came to so good successe by the goodnesse of God as both our owne realme and that of Scotland hath euer since remained in better amitie and peace than can be remembred these manie hundred yeares before and yet nothing hereby doone by vs nor anie cause iustlie giuen but that also the French kings that haue since succéeded which haue béene thrée in number and all brethren haue made and concluded diuerse treaties for good peace with vs which presentlie continue in force on both parties notwithstanding our foresaid actions attempted for remoouing out of Scotland of the said French forces so transported by the onelie direction of the house of Guise And therefore to conclude for the declaration of our present intention at this time we hope it shall of all persons abroad be well interpreted as we know it will be of such as are not led by parcialitie that vpon the often and continuall lamentable requests made to vs by the vniuersall states of the countries of Holland Zeland Guelders and other prouinces with them vnited being desperat of the king of Spaines fauours for our succours to be yéelded to them onelie for their defense against the Spaniards and other strangers and therewith finding manifestlie by our often and importunat requests and aduises giuen to the king of Spaine no hope of reliefe of these their miseries but rather an increase thereof by dailie conquests of their townes and slaughter of their people though in verie truth we cannot impute the increase of anie late cruelties to the person of him that now hath the title of generall gouernor shewing his naturall disposition more inclinable to mercie and clemencie than it seemeth he can direct the hearts of the Spaniards vnder him that haue béene so long trained in shedding of bloud vnder the former Spanish gouernors and ioining therevnto our owne danger at hand by the ouerthrow and destruction of our neighbours and accesse and planting of the great forces of the Spaniards so néere to our countries with precedent arguments of manie troublesome attempts against our realme we did therefore by good aduise and after long deliberation determine to send certeine companies of souldiors to aid the naturall people of those countries onelie to defend them and their townes from sacking and desolation thereby to procure them safetie to the honor of God whome they desire to serue sincerelie as christian people according to his holie word and to inioie their ancient liberties for them and their posteritie and so consequentlie to preserue and continue the lawfull and ancient commerce betwixt our people and those countries and ours And so we hope our intention herein and our subsequent actions will be by Gods fauour both honorablie interpreted of all persons sauing of the oppressors themselues and their partizans in that we meane not hereby either for ambition or malice the two roots of all iniustice to make anie particular profit hereof to our selfe or to our people onelie desiring at this time to obteine by Gods fauour for the countries a deliuerance of them from warre by the Spaniards and forraines a restitution of their ancient liberties and gouernement by some christian peace and thereby a suertie for our selues and our realme to be frée from inuading neighbors and our people to inioie in those countries their lawfull commerce and intercourse of friendship merchandize according to the ancient vsage and treatâ—ies of intercourse made betwixt our progenitors and the lords and earles of those countries and betwixt our people and the people of those countries And though our further intention also is or maie be to take into our gard some few townes vpon the sea side next opposite to our realme which otherwise might be in danger to be taken by the strangers enimies of the countrie yet therein considering we haue no meaning at this time to take and reteine the same to our owne proper vse we hope that all persons will thinke it agreeable with good reason and princelie policie that we should haue the gard and vse of some such places for sure accesse and recesse of our people and souldiors in safetie and for furniture of them with vittels and other things requisit and necessarie whilest it shall be néedfull for them to continue in those countries for the aiding thereof in these their great calamities miseries and imminent danger and vntill the countries may be deliuered of such strange forces as doo now oppresse them and recouer their ancient lawfull liberties and maner of gouernement to liue in peace as they haue heretofore doone and doo now most earnestlie line 10 in lamentable manner desire to doo which are the verie onelie true ends of all our actions now intended howsoeuer malicious toongs maie vtter their cankred conceits to the contrarie as at this daie the world aboundeth with such blasphemous reports in writings and infamous libels as in no age the diuell hath more abounded with notable spirits replenished with all wickednesse to vtter his rage against professors of christian religion But thereof we leaue the reuenge to God the searcher of hearts line 20 hoping that he beholding the sinceritie of our heart will grant good successe to our intentions whereby a christian peace may insue to his diuine honor and comfort to all them that loue peace trulie and will séeke it sincerelie An addition to the declaration touching the slanders published of hir maiestie AFter we had finished our declaration there came to our hands a pamphlet written in Italian printed at Milan intituled Nuouo aduiso directed to the archbishop of Milan conteining a report of the expugnation of Antwerp by the prince of Parma by the which we found our selfe most maliciouslie charged with two notable crimes no lesse hatefull to the world than most repugnant and contrarie to our owne naturall inclinâ—â—ion line 40 The one with ingratitude towards the king of Spaine who as the author saith saued our life being iustlie by sentence adiudged to death in our sisters time the other that there were some persons procured to be corrupted with great promises and that with our intelligence as the reporter addeth in a parenthesis in these words as it was said that the life of the prince of Parma should be taken awaie And for the better proouing and countenancing of this horrible lie it is further added in line 50 the said pamphlet that it pleased the Lord God to discouer this and
his people to spoile and burne the countrie But now when the feast of Christs natiuitie commonlie called Christmas was at hand he approched to the citie of London and comming thither caused his vauntgard first to enter into the stréets where finding some resistance he easilie subdued the citizens that thus tooke vpon them to withstand him though not without some bloudshed as Gemeticen writeth but as by others it should appéere he was receiued into the citie without anie resistance at all and so being in possession thereof he spake manie fréendlie words to the citizens and promised that he would vse them in most liberall courteous maner Not long after when things were brought in order as was thought requisite he was crowned king vpon Christmas daie following by Aldred archbishop of Yorke For he would not receiue the crowne at the hands of Stigand archbishop of Canturburie bicause he was hated and furthermore iudged to be a verie lewd person and a naughtie liuer At his coronation he caused the bishops and barons of the realme to take their oth that they should be his true and loiall subiects according to the maner in that case accustomed And being required thereto by the archbishop of Yorke he tooke his personall oth before the altar of S. Peter at Westmister to defend the holie church and rulers of the same to gouerne the people in iustice as became a king to doo to ordeine righteous lawes kéepe the same so that all maner of bribing rapine and wrongfull iudgements should for euer after be abolished After this he tooke order how to keepe the realme in good and quiet gouernment fortifieng the necessarie places and furnishing them with garisons year 1067 He also appointed officers and councellers such as he thought to be wise and discréet men and appointed ships to be in the hauens by the coast for the defense of the land as he thought most expedient After his coronation or rather before as by some authours it should seeme euen presentlie vpon obteining of the citie of London he tooke his iourney towards the castell of Douer to subdue that and the rest of Kent also which when the archbishop Stigand and Egelsin the abbat of S. Augustines being as it were the chiefest lords and gouernours of all Kent did perceiue and considered that the whole realme was in an euill state that whereas in this realme of England before the comming in of the forsaid duke William there were no bondmen now all as well the Nobilitie as the Commonaltie were without respect made subiect to the intollerable bondage of the Normans taking an occasion by the perill and danger that their neighbours were in to prouide for the safegard of themselues and their countrie They caused all the people of the countie of Kent to assemble at Canturburie and declared to them the perils and dangers imminent the miserie that their neighbours were come into the pride and insolencie of the Normans and the hardnesse and griefe of bondage and seruâ—le estate Whereupon all the people rather choosing to end their vnfortunate life than to submit themselues to an vnaccustomed yoke of seruitude and bondage with a common consent determined to meet duke William line 10 and to fight with him â—or the lawes of their countâ—ie Also the foresaid Stigand the archbishop and the â—bbat Egelsin choosing rather to die in baâ—tell than to see their nation in so euill an estate being encouraged by the examples of the holie Machabees became capteins of the armie And at a daie appointed all the people met at Swanescombe and being hidden in the woods laie priuilie in wait for the comming of the foresaid duke William Now bicause it cannot hurt to take great héed line 20 and to be verie warie in such cases they agréed before hand that when the duke was come and the passages on euerie side stopped to the end he should no waie be able to escape euerie one of them as well horssemen as footmen should beare boughes in their hands The next daie after when the duke was come into the fields and territories néere vnto Swanescombe and saw all the countrie set and placed about him as it had beene a stirring and moouing wood and that with a meane pace they approched and drew neare vnto line 30 him with great discomfort of mind he woondered at that sight And assoone as the capteins of the Kentishmen sawe that duke William was inclosed in the middest of their armie they caused their trumpets to be sounded their banners to be displaied and threw downe their boughes with their bowes bent their swords drawne and their speares and other kind of weapons stretched foorth they shewed themselues readie to fight Duke William and they that were with him stood as no maruell it was sore astonied and amazed line 40 so that he which thought he had alreadie all England fast in his fist did now despaire of his owne life Therefore on the behalfe of the Kentishmen were sent vnto duke William the archbishop Stigand and Egelsin abbat of S. Augustines who told him their message in this sort My lord duke behold the people of Kent come forth to méet you and to receiue you as their liege lord requiring at your hands the things which perteine to peace and that vnder this condition that all the people of Kent enioy for euer their ancient liberties and may for euermore vse the lawes and customes of the countrie otheâ—wise they are readie presentlie to bid battell to you and them that be with you and are minded rather to die here altogither than to depart from â—he lawâ—s and customes of their countrie and to submit themselâ—â—s to bondage â—hereof as yet they neuer had experieâ—ce The duke séâ—ing himselfe to be driuen to such an exigent â—aâ—row pinch consulted a while with them that came with him prudentlie considering that if he should take anie repulse or displeasure at the hands of this people whiâ—h â—e 〈◊〉 â—ey of England all that he had done before 〈…〉 disanulled and made of none effect and all his hope and safetie should stand in danger and ieopardie not so willinglie as wiselie he granted the people of Kent their request Now when the couenant was established and pledges giuen on both sides the Kentishmen being ioyfull conducted the Normans who also were glad vnto Rochester and yéelded vp to the duke the earledome of Kent and the noble castell of Douer Thus the ancient liberties of England and the lawes and customes of the countrie which before the comming of duke William out of Normandie were equallie kept throughout all England doo through this industrie and earnest trauell of the archbishop Stigand and Egelsin abbat of S. Augustines remaine inuiolablie obserued vntill this daie within that countie of Kent ¶ Thus far Thomas Spot and after him William Thorne writeth the same Of the which the former that is Spot liued in the daies of king
Durant Drury Dabitot Dunsteruile Dunchampe Dambelton E EStrange Estuteuile Engaine Estriels Esturney F FErrerers Foluille Fitz Water Fitz Marmaduke Fleuez Filberd Fitz Roger Fauecourt Ferrers Fitz Philip Filiot Furniuens Furniuaus Fitz Otes Fitz William Fitz Roand Fitz Pain Fitz Auger Fitz Aleyn Fitz Rauff Fitz Browne Fouke Freuil Front de Boef Facunberge Fort Frisell Fitz Simon Fitz Fouk Filioll Fitz Thomas Fitz Morice Fitz Hugh Fitz Henrie Fitz Waren Fitz Rainold Flamuile Formay Fitz Eustach Fitz Laurence Formibaud Frisound Finere and Fitz Robert Furniuale Fitz Geffrey Fitz Herbert Fitz Peres Fichet Fitz Rewes Fitz Fitz Fitz Iohn Fleschampe G GVrnay Gressy Graunson Gracy Georges Gower Gaugy Goband Gray Gaunson Golofre Gobion Grensy Graunt Greile Greuet Gurry Gurley Grammori Gernoun Grendon Gurdon Gines Griuil Greneuile Glateuile Gurney Giffard Gouerges Gamages H HAunteney Haunsard Hastings Hanlay Haurell Husee Hercy Herioun Herne Harecourt Henoure Houell Hamelin Harewell Hardell Haket Hamound Harcord I IArden Iay Ieniels Ierconuise Ianuile Iasperuile K KAunt Karre Karrowe Koine Kimaronne Kiriell Kancey Kenelre L LOueny Lacy Linneby Latomer Loueday Louell Lemare Leuetot Lucy Luny Logeuile Longespes Louerace Longechampe Lascales Lacy Louan Leded Luse Loterell Loruge Longeuale Loy Lorancourt Loions Limers Longepay Laumale Lane Louetot M MOhant Mowne Maundeuile Marmilon Moribray Moruile Miriell Manlay Malebraunch Malemaine Mortimere Mortimaine Muse Marteine Mountbother Mountsoler Maleuile Malet Mountenâ—y Monfichet Maleherbâ— Mare Musegros Musard Moine Montrauers Merke Murres Mortiuale Monchenesy Mallory Marny Mountagu Mountford Maule Monhermon Musett Meneuile Manteuenant and Manfe Menpincoy Maine Mainard Morell Mainell Maleluse Memorous Morreis Morleian Maine Maleuere Manduâ— Mountmarten Mantelet Miners Mauclerke Maunchenell Mouet Meintenore Meletak Manuile Mangisere Maumasin Mountlouel Mawreward Monhaut Meller Mountgomerie Manlay Maulard Mainard Menere Martinast Mare Mainwaring Matelay Malemis Maleheire Moren Melun Marceans Maiell Morton N NOers Neuile Newmarch Norbet Norice Newborough Neiremet Neile Normauile Neofmarch Nermitz Nembrutz O OTeuell Olibef Olifant Osenel Oisell Olifard Orinall Orioll P PIgot Pery Perepount Pershale Power Painell Perche and Pauey Peurell Perot Picard Pinkenie Pomeray Pounce Pauely Paifrere Plukenet Phuars Punchardoun Pinchard Placy Pugoy Patefinc Place Pampilioun Percelay Perere Pekeny Poterell Peukeny Peccell Pinell Putrill Petiuoll Preaus Pantolf Peito Penecord Preâ—dirlegast Perciuale Q QVinci Quintiny R ROs Ridell Riuers Riuell Rous Rushell Raband Ronde Rie Rokell Risers Randuile Roselin Rastoke Rinuill Rougere Rait Ripere Rigny Richemound Rochford Raimond S SOuch Sheuile Seucheus Senclere Sent Quintin Sent Omere Sent Amond Sent Legere Someruile Siward Saunsouere Sanford Sanctes Sauay Saulay Sules Sorell Somerey Sent Iohn Sent George Sent Les Sesse Saluin Say Solers Saulay Sent Albin Sent Martin Sourdemale Seguin Sent Barbe Sent Vile Souremount Soreglise Sanduile Sauncey Sirewast Sent Cheueroll Sent More Sent Scudemore T TOget Tercy Tuchet Tracy Trousbut Trainell Taket Trussel and Trison Talbot Touny Traies Tollemach Tolous Tanny Touke Tibtote Turbeuile Turuile Tomy and Tauerner Trencheuile Trenchelion Tankeruile Tirell Triuet Tolet Trauers Tardeuile Turburuile Tineuile Torell Tortechappell Trusbote Treuerell Tenwis Totelles V VEre Vernoun Vesâ—y Verdoune Valence Verdeire Vauasour Vendore Verlay Valenger Venables Venoure Vilan Verland Valers Veirny Vaâ—uruile Veniels Verrere Vschere Veffay Vanay Vian Vernoys Vrnall Vnket Vrnafull Vasderoll Vaberon Valingford Venicorde Valiue Viuille Vancorde and Valenges W WArdebois Ward Wafre Wake Wareine Wate Watelin Wateuil Wely Werdonell Wespaile Wiuell When king William had set all things in order through the most part of the realme he deliuered the guiding thereof vnto his brother Odo the bishop of Bayeux and his coosine William Fits Osborne whom he had made erle of Hereford In Lent following he sailed into Normandie leading with him the pledges and other of the chéefest lords of the English nation among whom the two earles Edwine and Marchar Stigand the archbishop Edgar Etheling Walteof sonne to Siward sometime duke of line 10 Northumberland and Agelnothus the abbat of Glastenburie were the most famous Soone after his departing Edricke surnamed Syluaticus sonne to Alfricke that was brother to Edricke de Streona refusing to submit himselfe vnto the king rebelled and rose against such as he had left in his absence to gouerne the land Wherevpon those that laie in the castell of Hereford as Richard Fitz Scroope and others did oftentimes inuade his lands and wasted the goods of his farmors and tenants but yet so often as they attempted to inuade him they lost manie line 20 of their owne souldiers and men of war Moreouer the said Edricke calling to his aid the kings of the Welshmen Bleothgent and Rithwall about the feast of the assumption of our Ladie wasted the countrie of Hereford euen to the bridge of the riuer of Wye and obteined out of those quarters a maruellous great spoile In the winter also following and after king William had disposed his busines in Normandie he returned into England and euen then began to handle the Englishmen somewhat line 30 sharpelie supposing thereby to kéepe them the more easilâ—e vnder his obedience He also tooke awaie from diuerse of the Nobilitie and others of the better sort all their liuings and gaue the same to his Normans Moreouer he raised great taxes and subsidies through the realme nor any thing regarded th' English Nobilitie so that they who before thought themselues to be made for euer by bringing a stranger into the realme doo now sée themselues troden vnder foot to be despised and to be mocked on all sides insomuch that many of them were constreined as it were for a further testimonie of seruitude and bondage to shaue their beards to round their heare and to frame themselues as well in apparell as in seruice and diet at their tables after the Norman manner verie strange and farre differing from the ancient customes and old vsages of their countrie Others vtterlie refusing to susteine such an intollerable yoke of thralâ—â—me as was dailie laid vpon them by the Normans chose rather to leaue all both goods and lands after the maner of outlawes got them to the woods with their wiues children and seruants meaning from thencefoorth wholie to liue vpon the spoile of the countries adioining and to take whatsoeuer came next to hand Wherevpon it came to passe within a while that no man might trauell in safetie from his owne house or towne to his next neighbors and euery quiet and honest mans house became as it were an hold or fortresse furnished for defense with bowes and arrowes bils polaxes swords clubs and staues and other weapons the doores kept locked and stronglie boulted in the night season for feare to be surprised as it had beene in time of open warre and amongst publike enimies Praiers were said also by the maister of the house as though they had beene in the middest of the seas in some stormie tempest and when the windowes or doores should be shut in and closed
the horssemen and set the footmen in a battell marshalled wedgewise broad behind and sharpe before hauing with them a banner wherein the crosse was beaten The archers were ranged on either side the standard of the church went before the field gules and two keies siluer signifieng that they were souldiors line 30 of pope Urbane Moreouer the bishop had his penon there siluer and azure quarterlie a freat gold on the azure a bend gules on the siluer and bicause he was yoongest of the Spensers he bare a border gules for a difference At the approching of the battels togither the trumpets blew vp and the archers began to shoot against the battell of the Flemings the which valiantlie defended themselues fought egerlie a long time but at length they were so galled with arrowes which the archers shot at them a flanke that they line 40 were not able to indure but were compelled to giue backe They were diuided into two battels a vaward and a rereward When the vaward began to shrinke the rereward also brake order and fled but the Englishmen pursued them so fast that they could not escape but were ouertaken and slaine in great numbers Some saie there died of them in the battell and chase fiue thousand some six thousand and others write that there were nine thousand of them slaine line 50 and Thomas Walsingham affirmeth twelue thousand Manie of them fled into the towne of Dunkirke for succour but the Englishmen pursued them so egerlie that they entered the towne with them and slue them downe in the streets The Flemings in diuerse places gathered themselues togither againe as they fled and shewed countenance of defense but still they were driuen out of order and brought to confusion The préests and religious men line 60 that were with the bishop fought most egerlie some one of them slaieng sixtéene of the enimies There died of Englishmen at this battell about foure hundred The Flemings had no horssemen amongst them nor anie number of gentlemen for they stood in such dread of English bowes that they durst not come to anie battell with them but kéeping themselues out of danger set the commons of the countrie in hand to trie what they against the Englishmen were able to doo without them This battell was fought vpon a mondaie being the fifteenth of Maie The countrie was put in a woonderfull feare by this ouerthrow so that the townes and fortresses were in great doubt and some yeelded themselues to the Englishmen as Berghen and others some were woone by force as the castell of Drinchan and the towne of S. Uenant To be short the Englishmen became maisters of all the countrie alongst the sea side euen from Grauelin to Sluis and got such riches by pillage and spoile as they could not wish for greater They preuailed so much that they wan in maner all the close towns within the bailiffewéekes of Cassell of Popering Messines and Furneis with the townes of Newport Blankberke and diuerse other Also entring into the woods Nepse and Rutholt they found a great bootie of sheepe and beasts and tooke a great sort of prisoners of the countrie people which were fled into those woods for feare of the enimies but the Englishmen plaieng the part of good bloudhounds found them out sent all their booties and preie vnto Grauelin and Bruckburge On the eight daie of Iune they came before the towne of Ypres and laid siege thereto whereat they continued the space of nine wéekes Thither came to their aid twentie thousand Gauntiners vnder the leading of Francis Akreman Peter Wood and Peter Winter so that they within Ypres were streictlie besieged but there were within it in garrison diuerse valiant knights capteins which defended the towne right manfullie it was fensed with a mightie rampire and a thicke hedge trimlie plashed and woond with thornes as the manner of fortifieng townes was in ancient time amongst them in that countrie as Strabo witnesseth During the time that the siege laie before Ypres the Englishmen swarmed abroad in the countrie for when it was once knowne what good successe the first companie that went ouer had found there came dailie foorth of England great numbers to be partakers of the gaine Sir Iohn Philpot that fauoured the bishops iournie prouided them of vessels for their passage till the bishop vnderstanding that the more part of those that came thus ouer were vnarmed and brought nothing with them from home but onelie swords bowes and arrowes did write vnto the said sir Iohn Philpot that he should suffer none to passe the seas but such as were men able and likelie to doo seruice where a great number of those that were come to him were fit for nothing but to consume vittels much like the popish shauelings and the Romish rascalitie of whome the like is spoken thus Nos numerus sumus fruges consumere nati The multitude of Englishmen and Gauntiners at this siege was great so that diuerse skirmishes chanced betwixt them and such as were appointed by the earle to lie in garrisons about in the countrie against them but still the victorie abode on the English side Also there was an English préest one sir Iohn Boring that went to Gaunt with fiue hundred English archers by whose aid Arnold Hans one of the capteins of Gaunt ouercame his enimies in battell which were laid in a castell neere to the hauen of Allost and stopped that no vittels might safelie come out of Holland or Zeland to be conueied to Gaunt The earle of Flanders was not well contented in his mind that the Englishmen were thus entred into his countrie and therefore earnestlie laboured to the duke of Burgognie that had married his daughter and should be heire of all his dominions and seigniories after his deceasse to find some remedie in the matter The duke whome the matter touched so néere did so much with his nephue the French king that eftsoones he raised his whole puissance and came downe into Flanders so that the Englishmen perceiuing themselues not of power to incounter with this huge and mightie armie were constreined after a great assault which they gaue the eight of August to raise their siege from Ypres the mondaie after being S. Laurence daie and to withdraw into Bruckburge Berghen Dixmew Newport Cassell Dunkirke Grauelin and other places which they had woon But at Newport the townesmen set vp the earles banner and assailing those that were come into the towne slue diuerse of them The Englishmen being sore offended therewith came running thither with certeine Gauntiners and made great slaughter of line 10 them that had so murthered their fellowes The towne was sacked and all the goods aswell church iewels as other were sent awaie partlie by sea into England and partlie by waggons vnto Berge After this they set fire in more than thirtie places of the towne so that there remained nothing
liuing duke of Excester wherefore something is mistaken herein But was this a practise thinke you beséeming a man of worship learning and iudgement to make awaie himselfe bicause he saw a temporall interruption of his prosperitie Suerlie how much learning so euer he had in the lawes of the land litle at all or none as appeareth had he in suffering the forces of aduersitie whom the feare of it did so terrifie that it line 60 droue him to his end Wise therefore is the counsell of the comedie-writer and worthie of imitation that a man when he is in best case and highest degrée of welfare should euen then meditate with himselfe how to awaie with hardnesse with penurie perils losse banishment and other afflictions for so shall he prepare himselfe to beare them with patience when they happen as souldiers trained vp in militarie exercises at home are so much the forwarder for the field fitter to incounter their foes with lesse dread of danger when they come abroad to be tried and therefore it is wiselie to the purpose said of Virgil superando omnis fortuna ferendo est But to returne to the princes affaires When the fame was once spred abroad that K. Edward was fled the relme an innumerable number of people resorted to the earle of Warwike to take his part but all K. Edwards trustie fréends went to diuerse sanctuaries and amongst other his wife quéene Elizabeth tooke sanctuarie at Westminster and there in great penurie forsaken of all hir friends was deliuered of a faire son called Edward which was with small pompe like a poore mans child christened the godfathers being the abbat and prior of Westminster and the godmother the ladie Scroope But what might be the heauinesse of this ladies hart thinke we vpon consideration of so manie counterblasts of vnhappinesse inwardlie conceiued Hir husband had taken flight his adherents and hir fréends sought to shroud themselues vnder the couert of a new protector she driuen in distresse forsooke not that simple refuge which hir hard hap forced vpon hir and a kings wife wanted in hir necessitie such things as meane mens wines had in superfluitie a corosiue to a noble mind a prince of renowmed parentage was by constreint of vnkind fortune not vouchsafed the solemnitie of christendome due and decent for so honorable a personage The Kentishmen in this seson whose minds be euer moueable at the change of princes came to the subvrbs of London spoiled mansions robbed béerehouses and by the counsell of sir Geffrie Gates and other sanctuarie men they brake vp the kings Bench and deliuered prisoners and fell at Ratcliffe Limehouse S. Katharins to burning of houses slaughter of people and rauishing of women Which small sparkle had growne to a greater flame if the earle of Warwike with a great power had not suddenlie quenched it and punished the offendors which benefit by him doone caused him much more to be estéemed and liked amongst the commons than he was before When he had settled all things at his pleasure vpon the twelfe daie of October he rode to the Tower of London and there deliuered king Henrie out of the ward where he before was kept and brought him to the kings lodging where he was serued according to his degrée On the fiue and twentith day of the said moneth the duke of Clarence accompanied with the earles of Warwike and Shrewesburie the lord Strange and other lords and gentlemen some for feare and some for loue and some onelie to gaze at the wauering world went to the Tower and from thense brought king Henrie apparelled in a long gowne of blew veluet through London to the church of saint Paule the people on euerie side the streets reioising and crieng God saue the king as though ech thing had succéeded as they would haue had it and when he had offered as kings vse to doo he was conueied to the bishops palace where he kept his houshold like a king Thus was the principalitie posted ouer somtimes to Henrie sometimes to Edward according to the swaie of the partie preuailing ambition and disdaine still casting fagots on the fire whereby the heat of hatred gathered the greater force to the consumption of the péeres and the destruction of the people In the meane time neither part could securelie possesse the regalitie when they obteined it which highmindednesse was in the end the ouerthrow of both principals and accessaries according to the nature thereof noted in this distichon by the poet Fastus habet lites offensis fastus abundat Fastus ad interitum praecipitare solet When king Henrie had thus readepted and eftsoons gotten his regall power and authoritie he called his high court of parlement to begin the six and twentith day of Nouember at Westminster in the which king Edward was adiudged a traitor to the countrie and an vsurper of the realme His goods were confiscat and forfeited The like sentence was giuen against all his partakers and freends And besides this it was inacted that such as for his sake were apprehended and were either in captiuitie or at large vpon suerties should be extremelie punished according to their demerits amongst whome was the lord Tiptoft earle of Worcester lieutenant for king Edward in Ireland exercising there more extreme crueltie than princelie pietie and namelie on line 10 two infants being sonnes to the earle of Desmond This earle of Worcester being found in the top of an high thrée in the forrest of Waibridge in the countie of Huntington was brought to London and either for treason to him laid or malice against him conceiued was atteinted and beheaded at the Tower hill and after buried at the Blacke friers Moreouer all statutes made by king Edward were clearlie reuoked and the crownes of the realmes of line 20 England and France were by authoritie of the same parlement intailed to king Henrie the sixt and to his heires male and for default of such heires to remaine to George duke of Clarence to his heires male and further the said duke was inabled to be next heire to his father Richard duke of Yorke and to take from him all his landes and dignities as though he had béene his eldest sonne at the time of his death Iasper earle of Penbroke and Iohn earle of Oxford with diuerse other by king Edward atteinted line 30 were restored to their old names possessions and ancient dignities Beside this the earle of Warwike as one to whom the common-wealth was much bounden and euer had in great fauour of the commons of this land by reason of the exceeding houshold which he dailie kept in all countries where euer he soiourned or laie and when he came to London he held such an house that six oxen were eaten at a breakefast and euerie tauerne was full of his meat for who that had line 40 anie acquaintance in that house he should haue had as much sod
wherevnto the said Luther answered verie sharpelie nothing sparing line 40 his authoritie nor maiestie ¶ Of which booke published by the king I will not for reuerence of his roiallic though I durst report what I haue read bicause we are to iudge honourablie of our rulers and to speake nothing but good of the princes of the people Onelie this bréefe clause or fragment I will adde least I might seeme to tell a tale of the man in the moone that king Henrie in his said booke is reported to rage against the diuell and antichrist line 50 to cast out his some against Luther to rase out the name of the pope and yet to allow his law c. I suppresse the rest for shame and returne to our historie In this meane time grudges and displeasures still grew and increased betwixt the king of England and the French king so that their gréefs rankled dailie more and more till at length the duke of Albanie returned into Scotland contrarie to that which was couenanted by the league The French king in déed alleaged that he was not priuie to his line 60 going thither and wrote to the king that the said duke was entered Scotland without his assent but it was otherwise iudged knowne that he had commission of the French king to go thither Herevpon the king was sore offended and prepared for wars Musters were made of able men and a note taken of what substance men were The king also sent six ships to the sea well trimmed manned and vittelled The admerall was one Christopher Coo an expert sea man His commission was to safe gard the merchants and other the kings subiects that were greeuouslie spoiled and robbed on the sea by Frenchmen Scots and other rouers The eight of Februarie the lord Dacres warden of the marches fore aneinst Scotland entered into Scotland with fiue hundred men by the kings commandement there proclamed that the Scots should come in to the kings peace by the first of March following or else to stand at their perils the duke of Albanie being then within fiue miles with a mightie power of Scots The eleuenth of Februarie the lord of Aburgauennie was brought from the Tower to Westminster and there in the kings bench confessed his indictment of misprisâ—on The lord Montacute was about the same time restored vnto the kings fauour ¶ On the second of March certeine noble men of the empire arriued in England to passe into Spaine who were honourablie receiued and in honour of them great iusts and triumphs were made which being finished and doone they tooke their leaue and departed on their iournie Duncan Campbell a Scotish rouer after long fight was taken on the sea by Iohn Arundell an esquier of Cornewall who presented him to the king He was committed to the Tower there remained prisoner a long season All the kings ships were put in a readinesse so that by the beginning of Aprill they were rigged and trimmed readie to make saile ¶ This yeare died the lord Brooke sir Edward Poinings knight of the garter sir Iohn Pechie and sir Edward Belknap valiant capteins which were suspected to be poisoned at a banket made at Ard when the two kings met last Wheat was sold this yeare in the citie of London for twentie shillings a quarter in other places for twentie six shillings eight pence In this yeare Gawan Dowglas bishop of Dunkell fled out of Scotland into England bicause the duke of Albanie being come thither had taken vpon him the whole gouernement of the king and realme there the sequele of whose dooings the bishop sore mistrusted The king assigned vnto this bishop an honest pension to liue on And shortlie after was Clarenceaux the herald sent into Scotland vnto the duke of Albanie to command him to auoid that realme for diuerse considerations if he would not then to defie him sith contrarie to the articles of the league concluded betwixt France England he was entered Scotland without his licence The duke refused to accomplish the kings commandement and was therefore defied by the said Clarenceaux The sixt of March the French king commanded all Englishmens goods being in Burdeaux to be attached and put vnder arrest and reteined not onelie the monie due to be paid for the restitution of Tornaie but also withheld the French quéenes dower The cardinall vnderstanding that he was euill spoken of for vsing his power legantine to such aduantage as he did in selling graces dispensations he thought to bestow some part therof amongst the people fréelie without taking anie thing for the same Wherevpon when Lent drew neere he appointed the preachers at Paules crosse to declare that it should be lawfull to all persons for that Lent to eat milke butter chéese egs And to the end that none should haue anie scrupulousnesse of conscience in so dooing he by his authoritie granted remission of sins to all those that did â—at white meats knowing as it were afore hand that the people giuen to the obseruance of their religious fast would not easilie be brought to breake the same contrarie to the ancient custome vsed in their countrie Neither was he deceiued therein for so farre were the people from receiuing or accounting this as a benefit that they tooke it rather for a wicked cursed déed in those that receiued it few or almost none could he induce to breake their old order and scrupulous trade in that behalfe The king vnderstanding how his subiects were handled at Burdeaux by the French kings commandement in breach of the league the French ambassadour was called before the councell and the cardinall laid sore to his charge that contrarie to his promise at all times on the French king his maisters behalfe affirming that he ment nothing but peace and amitie to be obserued in all points with the king of England yet now the English merchants had not onelie their goods staied at Burdeaux but also they and their factors were laid in prison in full breach of all peace and amitie afore time concluded line 10 The ambassadour in woords so well as hée could excused his maister but in the end hée was commanded to keepe his house and the French hostages that were appointed héere to remaine for the monie to be paid for the deliuerie of Tornaie were committed vnto the safe kéeping of the lord of Saint Iohns sir Thomas Louell sir Andrew Windsor and sir Thomas Neuill euerie of them to haue one Herewith also all the Frenchmen in London were arrested committed to prison and put to their line 20 fines but they were more courteouslie vsed than the Englishmen were in France For after they had béene in durance ten daies they were set at libertie vpon finding suerties to appeare before the maior or else before the councell at a certeine daie and to paie the fine vpon them assessed which fine the king pardoned to diuerse
Daie appointed to be hir almoner made to hir an eloquent oration in Latine presenting to hir on the kings behalfe all the officers and seruants which oration was answered vnto by the duke hir brothers secretarie there being present which doone the ladie Margaret Dowglas daughter to the quéene of Scots the ladie marquesse Dorsset daughter to the French quéene being néeces to the king and the dutches of Ritchmond the countesses of Rutland and Hereford with diuers other ladies and gentlewomen to the number of threescore and fiue saluted and welcomed hir grace who alighted out of hir chariot in the which she had rid all hir long iourneie and with courteous demeanor louing countenance gaue to them hartie thanks and kissed them all and after all hir councellors and officers kissed hir hand which doone she with all the ladies entered the tents and there warmed them a space When the king knew that she was arriued in hir tent he with all diligence set out through the parke And first issued the kings trumpets then the kings officers sworne of his councell next after came the gentlemen of his priuie chamber after them followed line 10 barons the yoongest first and sir William Hollis lord maior of London rode with the lord Par that was the yoongest baron Then followed the bishops and immediatlie after them the earles and then the duke of Bauiere and countie Palatine of the Rhine with the liuerie of the Toison or golden fléece about his necke Then came the ambassadours of the French king and emperour next to whome followed the lord priuie seale lord Cromwell and the lord chancellour line 20 then Garter king at armes and the other officers and sargeants of armes gaue their attendance on each side the lord The lord marquesse Dorset bare the sword of estate and after him a good distance followed the kings highnesse mounted on a goodlie courser To speake of the rich and gorgeous apparell that was there to be séene that daie I haue thought it not greatlie necessarie sith each man may well thinke it was right sumptuous and as the time then serued verie faire and costlie as they that are desirous line 30 to vnderstand the same may read in maister Halles chronicle more at large which in this part I haue thought good to abridge After the king followed the lord chamberleine then came sir Anthonie Browne maister of his horsses a goodlie gentleman and of personage verie séemelie richlie mounted leading the kings horsse of estate by a long reine of gold Then followed his pages of honour riding on great coursers and lastlie followed sir Anthonie Wingfield capteine of the line 40 gard and then the gard well horssed and in their rich cotes In this order rode the king till he came to the last end of the ranke of the pensioners there euerie person that came with him placed himselfe on the one side or the other the king standing in the middest When hir grace vnderstood that the king was come she came foorth of hir tent and at the doore therof being set on a faire and beautifull horsse richlie trapped she rode foorth towards the king who perceiuing line 50 hir to approch came forward somewhat beyond the crosse on Blackheath and there staied till she came néerer then putting off his cap he made forward to hir and with most louing countenance and princelie behauiour saluted welcomed and imbraced hir to the great reioising of the beholders and she likewise not forgetting hir dutie with most amiable aspect and womanlie behauiour receiued him with manie apt words and thanks as was most to purpose Whilest they were thus talking togither the line 60 fiftie pensioners with the gard departed to furnish the hall at Gréenewich After the king had talked with hir a small while he put hir on his right hand and so with their footmen they rode togither and with their companies being thus met returned in this manner through the rankes of the knights and esquiers which stood still all this while and remooued not First hir trumpets set forward being twelue in number beside two ketledrums on horssebacke then followed the kings trumpeters then the kings councellors then the gentlemen of the priuie chamber after them the gentlemen of hir graces countrie in â—otes of veluet and all on great horsses Then the maior of London with the yoongest baron then all the barons next them the bishops then the earles with whom rode the earles of Ouerstein and Waldec hir countrimen then the dukes of Norffolke and Suffolke and the archbishop of Canturburie and duke Philip of Bauier next followed the ambassadors then the lord priuie seale and the lord chancellor then the lord marquesse Dorset that bare the sword next followed the king himselfe equallie riding with the ladie Anne and behind him rode sir Anthonie Browne with the kings horsse of estate as yée haue heard and behind him rode sir Iohn Dudleie maister of hir horsses leading hir spare horsse trapped in rich tissue downe to the ground after them followed henxmen and pages of honor Then followed the ladie Margaret Dowglas the ladie marquesse Dorset the dutches of Richmond and Suffolke the countesses of Rutland and Hertford and other countesses Then came hir chariot in which she had rid all hir iournie well carued and gilt with the armes of hir countrie curiouslie wrought couered with cloth of gold all the horsses were trapped with blacke veluet and on them rode pages of honor in which chariot rode two ancient ladies of hir countrie next after the chariot followed six ladies and gentlewomen of hir countrie verie beautifull and richlie apparelled and with them rode six ladies of England Then followed an other chariot gilt and furnished then ten English ladies and next them an other chariot couered with blacke cloth and therein rode foure gentlewomen that were hir chamberers Then followed all the remnant of the ladies gentlewomen and damosels in great number and last of all came an other chariot all blacke with thrée launders apperteining to hir grace next after followed an horslitter of cloth of gold and crimsin veluet vpon veluet paled with horsses trapt accordinglie which the king had sent to hir Then followed the seruingmen of hir traine all clothed in blacke mounted on great horsses euerie one in due place and decent order so that it was verie magnificall and more than princelie brauerie that then was exhibited to the beholders eies as the poet saith Cernitur hîc plusquam regia pompa comes In this order they rode through the rankes and through the parke till they came at the late friers wall where all men alighted except the king the two maisters of the horsse and the henxmen which rode to the hall doore the ladies rode to the court gate as they passed they might behold on the wharfe how the citizens of London were rowing vp and downe on the Thames right before them
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
and to set hir besides the cushion they themselues fell into the same snares which they had laied for others For not long after the queene by the helpe of the earle of Henauld and of sir Iohn his brother came into England with a great armie Whereof the king and the Spensers being affraied departed from London to Bristow leauing the bishop at London and made line 20 him custos of the same who requiring the keies of the gates of the citie of the maior the commoners tooke him and beheaded him as also his brother sir Richard Stapledon in Cheapside and carried his bodie to his house without Templebar there buried it in a sandhill namelie the fiftéenth of October in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred twentie and nine But the quéene forgetting all discurtesies and reuerencing his calling commanded his corps to some more honourable buriall wherevpon line 30 the same was taken vp and brought to this citie and with great solemnitie was buried in his owne church vpon the eight and twentith of March where his epitaph by the writer thereof is set Thus after that he had béene bishop about twentie yeares he ended his daies 28 Iames Barkeleie vpon the six and twentith of March in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred twentie and seauen before the buriall of his predecessor in his owne church was consecrated bishop line 40 of this citie He descended of the noble house of the lord Barkeleie and albeit he were reputed to be a verie godlie and a wise man yet he had no time to yéeld the triall thereof For he died in the fourth moneth after his consecration vpon the foure twentith daie of Iulie in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred twentie and seauen and was buried in his owne church as some say but some thinke he neuer came hither at all 29 Iohn Grandesson being in Italie with pope line 50 Iohn the two twentith After the death of Iames Barkeleie the king presented him vnto the pope who accepted the presentation consecrated him bishop of this diocesse on the eight of October Anno 1327. He was borne and descended of the ancient house of the Grandessons dukes of Burgognie his father was named Gilbert the brother of Otho the great lord Grandesson Which Gilbert comming into this land was well interteined by the king and nobilitie and had a good liking of the countrie that by meanes of Henrie earle of Lancaster with whome he came line 60 into England he married ladie Sibill daughter and one of the heires to Iohn Tregos lord of the castell of Ewas néere Hereford east and by hir had issue fiue sonnes and foure daughters of which this bishop was one and was borne in the parish of Ashperton in the diocesse of Hereford He was from his childhood verie well afftected to learning and became a good scholar and professor of diuinitie of which method he wrote two books the one intituled Pontificales maiores and the other Pontificales minores He was also verie graue wise and politike and therby grew into such credit with pope Iohn the two and twentith that he was not onelie of his priuie councell but also Nuntius apostolicae sedis and in all matters of weight and importance an ambassadour for him to the emperour to the kings of Spaine of France of England and of all others the mightiest princes of christendome And being on a time sent in an ambassage to king Edward the third he did with such wisedome and grauitie behaue himselfe that the king was rauished in loue with him and did so tenderlie loue and fauour him that he neuer ceassed vntill he had procured him from the pope and then he gaue him the archdeaconrie of Notingham and bestowed great liuings on him He made him one of his priuie councell and in the end preferred him to this bishoprike After this there being some disliking betwéene pope Clement the sixt and the king he for his approoued wisedome was sent in an ambassage to the pope in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred fortie and thrée for an intreatie of a peace and an amitie betweene them to be had and with such wisedome he did his message that he obteined his purpose and made a reconciliation After his returne home to his bishoprike he was altogither giuen in dooing some good things He builded founded the college of saint Marie Otreie and indowed the same with great and goodlie liuelihoods he was a liberall benefactor to the vicars chorall of his owne church as also to the college of Glasneie in Perrin he builded the two last arches in the west end of his church vauted the roofe of all the church and fullie performed and ended the buildings of the same and then inriched his said church with plate ornaments and great riches Also he builded a verie faire house in his sanctuarie at bishops Teington which he gaue and left full furnished unto his successors and did impropriate vnto the same the parsonage of Radwaie to the end as he setteth downe in his testament Vt haberent locum vndè caput suum reclinarent si fortè in manum regis eorum temporalia caperentur and which his halsening in the end came partlie to effect For not onelie the most part of the temporalties of this bishoprike but this new builded house and impropriation are come to be the possessions and inheritances of temporall men This bishop waxed old and féeling in himselfe a decaie of nature made his last will and testament wherein he made such large and bountious legacies to the pope emperour king queene archbishop bishops colleges churches and to sundrie persons of high estates and callings that a man would maruell considering his great and chargeable buildings works otherwise how and by what meanes he could haue atteined to such a masse of welth and riches but his wisedome and policie considered it was easie For first he sequestrateth from himselfe and out of his house the troope of manie men and horsses reteining and kéeping no more than to serue his reasonable estate his diet was frugall his receipts great his expenses no more than necessarie Moreouer he had taken and set an order with all the ecclesiasticall persons of his diocesse that at the time of their deaths they should leaue and bequeth all their goods to him or to some other in trust In pios vsus towards his chargeable buildings and so well he was beloued and his dooings liked that they all accepted this his order by meanes whereof he grew within the course of fortie yeares to infinite wealth and riches He was in all his life time a plaine man and void of all vaine glorie and pompe and preuenting that none should be vsed at his buriall commanded the same to be doone plainelie simplie and that none of his executors chapleins seruants nor none of his houshold should weare anie moorning blacke
said Henrie the lawfull emperor and in fight hauing lost his right hand he the said Rodulph lamented his case to certeine bishops who in the popes name had erected him vp and to them he said that the selfe same right hand which he had lost was the same hand wherewith he had before sworne obedience to his lord and maister the emperor Henrie and that in following their vngodlie counsels he had brought vpon him Gods heauie and iust iudgements And so Henrie the emperor preuailing by Gods power caused Gregorie the pope by a synod in Italie to be deposed as in like times before him his predecessor Otho the emperor had deposed one pope Iohn for manie heinous crimes so were also within a short time thrée other popes namelie Syluester Bennet and Gregorie the sixt vsed by the emperor Henrie the third about the yeare of our Lord one thousand fortie and seuen for their like presumptuous attempts in temporall actions against the said emperoâ—s Manie other examples might be shewed to the emperors maiestie and the princes of the holie empire now being after the time of Henrie the fourth as of Henrie the fift and Frederike the first and Frederike the second and then of Lewes of Bauar all emperors cruellie and tyrannouslie persecuted by the popes and by their buls cursses and by open wars and likewise to manie other the great kings and monarchs of christendome of their noble progenitors kings of their seuerall dominions Whereby they may sée how this kind of tyrannous autoritie in popes to make warres vpon emperors kings and to command them to be depriued tooke hold at the first by pope Hildebrand though the same neuer had anie lawfull example or warrant from the lawes of God of the old or new testament but yet the successes of their tyrannies were by Gods goodnesse for the most part made frustrat as by Gods goodnesse there is no doubt but the like will followe to their confusions at all times to come And therefore as there is no doubt but the like violent tyrannous procéedings by anie pope in maintenance of traitors and rebels would be withstood by euerie souereigne prince in christendome in defense of their persons and crownes and maintenance of their subiects in peace so is there at this present a like iust cause that the emperors maiestie with the princes of the holie empire and all other souereigne kings princes in christendome should iudge the same to be lawfull for hir maiestie being a quéene and holding the verie place of a king and a prince souereigne ouer diuers kingdoms and nations she being also most lawfullie inuested in hir crowne and as for good gouerning of hir people with such applause and generall allowance loued and obeied of them sauing a few ragged traitors or rebels or persons discontented whereof no other realme is frée as continuallie for these fiue twentie yeares past hath béene notablie séene and so publikelie marked euen by strangers repairing into this realme as it were no cause of disgrace to anie monarch and king in christendome to haue hir maiesties felicitie compared with anie of theirs whatsoeuer and it maie be there are manie kings and princes could be well contented with the fruition of some proportion of hir felicitie And though the popes be now suffered by the emperor in the lands of his owne peculiar patrimonie and by the two great monarchs the French king and the king of Spaine in their dominions and territories although by manie other kings not so allowed to continue his authoritie in sundrie cases and his glorious title to be the vniuersall bishop of the world which title Gregorie the great aboue nine hundred yeares past called a prophane title full of sacrilege and a preamble of antichrist yet in all their dominions kingdoms as also in the realme of England most notablie by manie ancient lawes it is well knowne how manie waies the tyrannous power of this his excessiue authoritie hath béene and still is restreined checked and limited by lawes and pragmatikes both ancient and new both in France and Spaine and other dominions a verie large field for the lawyers of those countries to walke in and discourse And howsoeuer the popes canonists being as his bombarders doo make his excommunications and cursses appeare fearefull to the multitude and simple people yet all great emperors and kings aforetime in their owne cases of their rights and roiall preeminences though the same concerned but a citie or a poore towne and sometime but the not allowance line 10 of some vnworthie person to a bishoprike or to an abbeie neuer refrained to despise all popes cursses or forces but attempted alwaies either by their swords to compell them to desist from their furious actions or without anie feare of themselues in bodie soule or conscience stoutlie to withstand their cursses and that sometime by force sometime by ordinances and lawes the ancient histories whereof are too manie to be repeated and of none more frequent and effectuall than of the kings of France line 20 And in the records of England dooth appeare how stoutlie the kings the baronadie of England from age to age by extreame penall laws haue so repelled the popes vsurpations as with the verie name of premunires his proctors haue béene terrified and his cleargie haue quaked as of late cardinall Woolseie did prooue But leauing those that are ancient we may remember how in this our owne present or late age it hath béene manifestlie seene how the armie of the line 30 late noble emperour Charles the fift father to king Philip that now reigneth was not afraid of his cursses when in the yeare of our Lord 1527 Rome it selfe was besieged and sacked year 1527 and the pope then called Clement and his cardinals to the number of about thirtie and thrée in his mount Adrian or castell S. Angelo taken prisoners and deteined seauen moneths or more and after ransomed by Don Vgo di Moncada a Spaniard and the marquesse of Guasto at aboue foure hundred thousand duckets besides the line 40 ransomes of the cardinals which was much greater hauing not long before time béene also notwithstanding his cursses besieged in the same castell by the familie of the Colonies and their fautors his next neighbours being then imperialists and forced to yeeld to all their demands year 1550 Neither did king Henrie the second of France father to Henrie now king of France about the yeare 1550 feare or regard the pope or his court of Rome when he made seuerall strict edicts against manie parts of the popes claimes in preiudice of the crowne and cleargie of line 50 France retracting the authoritie of the court of Rome greatlie to the hinderance of the popes former profits Neither was the armie of king Philip now of Spaine whereof the duke of Alua was generall striken with anie feare of curssing when it was brought afore Rome against the pope in the yeare of our
Bedfordshire on the eight of September next following On the three and twentith of Iulie certeine souldiers were pressed in the seuerall wards of the citie of London which souldiers being furnished for the warres and clothed in red cotes all at the charges of the companies and citizens set forth toward the seas on the thirtéenth of August and were transported ouer into Holland Zeland c as other the like souldiers out of other parts of the realme before had béene to serue for the defense of the low countries vnder generall Norris and other approoued capteins On the fourth daie of August betwixt the hours of foure and fiue of the clocke in the morning at the end of the towne called Motingham in Kent eight miles from London in a lane not farre from the houses the ground began to sinke thrée great elmes being swallowed vp the tops falling downward into a hole with the rootes vpward turning round in the falling and driuen into the earth past mans sight to the woonderfull amazement of manie honest men of the same towne being beholders of this strange sight and before ten of the clocke that present day the ground trees were soonke so low that neither the one or other might be discerned the hole or vaut being sometimes filled with water and otherwhiles neither bottome trées or water maie be perceiued the compasse of this hole is about fourescore yards and being sounded with a lead and line of fiftie fadams cannot therewith find or féele anie bottome Ten yards distant from this place there is another péece of ground soonke in like maner which parcell of ground falleth still into the high waie to the great feare of that whole towne but especiallie to the inhabitants of a house not far distant from the aforesaid places On the fiftéenth daie of September to the number of two thirtie seminaries massing priests and others late prisoners in the tower of London Marshalsée Kings bench and other places were imbarked in the Marie Martine of Colchester on the southside of the Thames right ouer against S. Katharines to be transported ouer into the coasts of Normandie to be banished this realme for euer by vertue of a commission from hir maiestie before specified in pag. 1379. A copie of the certificat written and directed into England by the said banished men WHereas vpon your honors commission directed vnto Anthonie Hall and Thomas Stockar for the transporting of vs whose names are vnder written into the coasts of Normandie who accordinglie tooke vs into a barke called the Marie Martine of Colchester on the south side of the Thames right ouer that part of saint Katharines next to London bridge the fiftéenth day of September 1585 according to the computation of England our will is to testifie vnto your good honors that they the said Anthonie Hall Thomas Stockar haue generallie so well vsed vs in all respects that we can not but acknowledge our selues much beholding as much as in them laie to so courteous louing officers Neuerthelesse comming along the sea and meeting with hir maiesties admerall in the downes who promising that we should not be disturbed in our course into the prouince of Normandie according to your honors said commission we had not from him departed two leagues when as a Flushinger with his people suddenlie entred vpon vs being peaceablie stowed vnder line 10 the hatches and in our quiet rest with their swords drawne their calleiuers and their matches fired in their hands to our great terror discomfort the most of vs being verie sore sea sicke expecting at that instant nothing but either the rigorous dint of sword or bullet of calleiuer Howbeit parlee being had by our said commissioners with them they departed after which time we considering the generall danger on the seas besought with one consent your honors commissioners to set vs on land at Calice line 20 but they in no wise yéelding therevnto at last by reason of our importunitie in such danger weakenesse yéelded to set vs on shore at Bullogne partlie by reason of the feare we were then put in partlie for that we feared afterward more vnreasonable measure but speciallie the greatest number of vs so sore sicke that verie tedious vnto vs it séemed to beare so long and dangerous a passage In witnes whereof to this our certificat we haue all subscribed our names the nineteenth of September 1585. W. line 30 Gimlets R. Fen Io. Nele Christopher Small c. ¶ Ye haue heard before that certeine souldiers out of diuers parts of this realme were transported ouer the seas into Holland and Zeland c with such conuenient and seruiceable furniture as might be presupposed necessarie for defense whom we will leaue vpon their gard and more cleerelie to set foorth the reasons of their transportation we doo meane héere as we promised before page 1413 when we line 40 came to due place to deliuer a booke published by authoritie concerning that argument the title and substance whereof in all points agréeable with the printed copie first extant doth orderlie follow A declaration of the causes moouing the queene of England to giue aid to the defense of the people afflicted and oppressed in the low countries ALthough kings and princes soueregnes owing their homage and seruice onelie vnto the almightie God the King of all kings are in that respect not bound to yéeld account or render the reasons of their actions to anie others but to God their onelie souereigne Lord yet though amongst the most ancient and christian monarchs the same Lord God hauing committed to vs the souereigntie of this realme of England and other our dominions which we hold line 60 immediatlie of the same almightie Lord and so thereby accountable onelie to his diuine Maiestie we are notwithstanding this our prerogatiue at this time speciallie mooued for diuerse reasons hereafter brieflie remembred to publish not onelie vnto our owne naturall louing subiects but also to all others our neighbors speciallie to such princes states as are our confederats or haue for their subiects cause of commerce with our countries and people what our intention is at this time and vpon what iust and reasonable grounds we are mooued to giue aid vnto our next neighbours the naturall people of the low countries being by long warres and persecutions of strange nations there lamentablie afflicted and in present danger to be brought into a perpetuall seruitude First it is to be vnderstood which percase is not perfectlie knowne to a great number of persons that there hath béene time out of mind euen by the naturall situation of those low countries and our realme of England one directlie opposit to the other and by reason of the readie crossing of the seas and multitude of large and commodious hauens respectiuelie on both sides a continuall traffike and commerce betwixt the people of England and the naturall people of those low
generall peace of France and thereby vrged the king to forbeare from the resolution he had made not onlie to aid the oppressed people of the low countries against the Spaniards but also to haue accepted them as his owne subiects But in verie truth howsoeuer they were pitied and in a sort for a time comforted kept in hope in France by the French king who also hath oftentimes earnestlie solicited vs as quéene of England both by message and writing to be carefull of their defense yet in respect that they were otherwise more streictlie knit in ancient friendship to this realme than to anie other countrie we are sure that they could be pitied of none for this long time with more cause and griefe generallie than of our subiects of this our realme of England being their most ancient alies and familiar neighbours and that in such manner as this our realme of England and those countries haue béene by common language of long time resembled and termed as man and wife And for these vrgent causes and manie others we haue by manie fréendlie messages and ambassadors by manie letters and writings to the said king of Spaine our brother and alie declared our compassion of this so euill and cruell vsage of his naturall and loiall people by sundrie his martiall gouernors and other his men of warre all strangers to these his countries And furthermore as a good louing sister to him and a naturall good neighbour to his lowe countries and people we haue often and often againe most friendlie warned him that if he did not otherwise by his wisedome and princelie clemencie restreine the tyrannie of his gouernours and crueltie of his men of warre we feared that the people of his countries should be forced for safetie of their liues and for continuance of their natiue countrie in the former state of their liberties to séeke the protection of some other forreine lord or rather to yeeld themselues wholie to the souereigntie of some mightie prince as by the ancient lawes of their countries and by speciall priuileges granted by some of the lords and dukes of the countries to the people they doo pretend and affirme that in such cases of generall iniustice and vpon such violent breaking of their priuileges they are frée from their former homages and at libertie to make choise of anie other prince to be their prince and head The proofe whereof by examples past is to be seene read in the ancient histories of diuerse alterations of the lords and ladies of the countries of Brabant Flanders Holland and Zeland and other countries to them vnited by the states and people of the countries and that by some such alterations as the stories doo testifie Philip the duke of Burgundie came to his title from which the king of Spaines interest is deriued but the further discussion hereof we leaue to the view of the monuments and records of the countries And now for the purposes to staie them from yéelding themselues in anie like sort to the souereigntie of anie other strange prince certeine yéeres past vpon the earnest request of sundrie of the greatest persons of degrée in those countries and most obedient subiects to the king such as were the duke of Ascot and the marquesse of Hauerie yet liuing and of such others as had principall offices in those countries in the time of the emperour Charles we yéelded at their importunat requests to grant them prests of monie onelie to continue them as his subiects and to mainteine themselues in their iust defense against the violence and cruelties of the Spaniards their oppressours thereby staieng them from yeelding their subiection to anie other prince from the said king of Spaine and during the time of that our aid giuen to them and their staie in their obedience to the king of Spaine we did fréelie acquaint the same king with our actions and did still continue our fréendlie aduises to him to mooue him to command his gouernours and men of warre not line 10 to vse such insolent cruelties against his people as might make them to despaire of his fauours and séeke some other lord And in these kind of persuasions and actions we continued manie yéeres not onelie for compassion of the miserable state of the countries but of a naturall disposition to haue the ancient conditions of streict amitie and commerce for our kingdoms and people to continue with the states and the people of the said dukedome of Burgundie and the appendents line 20 and namelie with our next neighbours the countries of Flanders Holland and Zeland For we did manifestlie sée if the nation of Spaine should make a conquest of those countries as was and yet is apparantlie intended and plant themselues there as they haue doone in Naples and other countries adding thereto the late examples of the violent hostile enterprise of a power of Spaniards being sent within these few yeares by the king of Spaine and the pope into our realme of Ireland with an intent line 30 manifestlie confessed by the capteins that those numbers were sent aforehand to seize vpon some strength there to the intent with other great forces to pursue a conquest thereof we did we saie againe manifestlie see in what danger our selfe our countries and people might shortlie be if in conuenient time we did not speedilie otherwise regard to preuent or staie the same And yet notwithstanding our said often requests and aduises giuen to the king of Spaine manifestlie for his owne weale and honor line 40 we found him by his councell of Spaine so vnwilling in anie sort to incline to our fréendlie counsell that his gouernours and chéefeteins in his low countries increased their cruelties towards his owne afflicted people and his officers in Spaine offered dailie greater iniuries to ours resorting thither for traffike yea they of his councell in Spaine would not permit our expresse messenger with our letters to come to the king their masters presence a matter verie strange and against the law of line 50 nations And the cause of this our writing and sending to the king procéeded of matter that was worthie to be knowne to the king and not vnméet now also to be declared to the world to shew both our good disposition towards the king in imparting to him our gréefes and to let it appeare how euill we haue béene vsed by his ministers as in some part may appeare by this that followeth Although we could not haue line 60 these manie yeares past anie of our seruants whom we sent at sundrie times as our ambassadours to the king our good brother as was meet suffered to continue there without manie iniuries and indignities offered to their families and diuerse times to their owne persons by the greatest of his councellours so as they were constreined to leaue their places and some expelled and in a sort banished the countrie without cause giuen by them or notified to vs yet we minding
to continue verie good fréendship with the king as his good sister did of long time and manie yeares giue fauourable allowance to all that came as his ambassadours to vs sauing onelie vpon manifest dangerous practises attempted by two of them to trouble our estate whereof the one was Girald Despes a verie turbulent spirited person and altogither vnskilfull and vnapt to deale in princes affaires being in amitie as at his returne into Spaine he was so there also reputed the other and last was Barnardin de Mendoza one whome we did accept and vse with great fauour a long time as was manifestlie séene in our court and we thinke cannot be denied by himselfe but yet of late yeares we know not by what direction we found him to be a secret great fauourer to sundrie our euill disposed and seditious subiects not onelie to such as lurked in our realme but also to such as fled the same being notoriouslie condemned as open rebels traitours with whome by his letters messages and secret counsels he did in the end deuise how with a power of men partlie to come out of Spaine partlie out of the low countries whereof he gaue them great comfort in the kings name an inuasion might be made into our realme setting downe in writing the manner how the same should be doone with what numbers of men and ships and vpon what coasts ports and places of our realme by speciall name and who the persons should be in our realme of no small account that should fauour this inuasion and take part with the inuadours with manie other circumstances declaring his full set purpose and labours taken to trouble vs and our realme verie dangerouslie as hath beene most cléerelie prooued and confessed by such as were in that confederacie with him whereof some are fled and now doo frequent his companie in France and some were taken who confessed at great length by writing the whole course herein held by the said ambassadour as was manifestlie of late time published to the world vpon Francis Throgmortons a principall traitours examination And when we found manifestlie this ambassadour so dangerous an instrument or rather a head to a rebellion and inuasion and that for a yeare or more togither he neuer brought to vs anie letter from the king his master notwithstanding our often request made to him that he would by some letter from the king to vs let it appeare that it was the kings will that he should deale with vs in his masters name in sundrie things that he propounded to vs as his ambassadour which we did iudge to be contrarie to the king his masters will we did finallie cause him to be charged with these dangerous practises and made it patent to him how and by whome with manie other circumstances we knew it and therefore caused him in verie gentle sort to be content within some reasonable time to depart out of our realme the rather for his owne safetie as one in verie déed mortallie hated of our people for the which we granted him fauourable conduct both to the sea and ouer the sea and therevpon we did spéedilie send a seruant of ours into Spaine with our letters to the king onelie to certifie him of this accident and to make the whole matter apparant vnto him and this was the messenger afore mentioned that might not be suffered to deliuer our message or our letters to the king And beside these indignities it is most manifest how his ministers also haue both heretofore manie times and now latelie practised here in England by meanes of certeine rebels to haue procured sundrie inuasions of our realme by their forces out of Spaine and the low countries verie hard recompenses we may saie for so manie our good offices Heerevpon we hope no reasonable person can blame vs if we haue disposed our selues to change this our former course and more carefullie to looke to the saftie of our selfe and our people and finding our owne dangers in déed verie great and imminent we haue béene the more vrgentlie prouoked to attempt and accelerat some good remedie for that besides manie other aduises giuen vs both at home from abrode in due time to withstand these dangers we haue found the generall disposition of all our owne faithfull people verie readie in this case and earnest in offering to vs both in parlements and otherwise their seruices with their bodies and bloud and their aids with their lands and goods to withstand and preuent this present common danger to our realme line 10 and themselues euidentlie séene and feared by the subuerting and rooting vp of the ancient nation of these low countries and by planting the Spanish nation and men of war enimies to our countries there so néere vnto vs. And besides these occasions and considerations we did also call to our remembrance our former fortunat procéeding by Gods speciall fauor in the beginning of our reigne in remedieng of a like mischéefe that was intended against vs in Scotland by line 20 certeine Frenchmen who then were directed onelie by the house of Guise by colour of the marriage of their néece the quéene of Scots with the Dolphin of France in like maner as the ofsprings of the said house haue euen now latelie sought to atteine to the like inordinate power in France a matter of some consequence for our selues to consider although we hope the king our good brother professing sincere friendship towards vs as we professe the like to him will moderate this aspiring greatnesse of line 30 that house that neither himselfe nor the princes of his bloud be ouerruled nor we minding to continue perfect friendship with the king his bloud be by the said house of Guise their faction disquieted or disturbed in our countries But now to returne to this like example of Scotland aforesaid When the French had in like maner as the Spaniards haue now of long time attempted in the low countries sought by force to haue subdued the people there and brought them into a seruitude to the crowne of line 40 France and also by the ambitious desires of the said house of Guise to haue procéeded to a warre by waie of Scotland for the conquest of our crowne for their néece the queene of Scots a matter most manifest to the common knowledge of the world it pleased almightie God as it remaineth in good memorie to our honor and comfort to further our tention and honorable and iust actions at that time in such sort as by our aiding then of the nation of Scotland being sore oppressed with the French and line 50 vniuersallie requiring our aid we procured to that realme though to our great cost a full deliuerance of the force of strangers and danger of seruitude and restored peace to the whole countrie which hath continued there euer since manie yeres sauing that at some time of parcialities of certeine of the noble men as hath béene vsuall in that
was foure seuerall times lord iustice of Ireland and thrée times by speciall appointment and commission sent deputie out of England at each which seuerall time he by his wisedome and good gouernement appeased and suppressed a great and an actuall rebellion the seeds whereof were for the most part sowen and the fire kindled though smoothlie and cunninglie hid and couered before his comming or in the time of his absence In his first deputation he suppressed the rebellion of Shane Oneill and floured the top of the castell of Dublin with the archrebels head In his second he suppressed the most dangerous insurrection begun and long continued by some of the Butlers In the third the commotion of the erle of Clanricard his two gracelesse hope-lost sonnes Shane and Ulike Bourke Immediatlie after his first arriuall deputie he caused the old statutes and ordinances for the abolishing of coine and liuerie â—he ancient festering sore and créeping canker of that countrie and commonwealth to be reuiued and put in due execution against sundrie persons of calling and note who were therewithall sharplie touched wherevpon followed a long time after great good to the countrie and a spéedie releefe to the poore oppressed people of that realme He deuised that the remoter prouinces should be gouerned by presidents after the imitation line 10 of the marches of Wales from whense he tooke his patterne being himselfe at that time president holding opinion that there could be neither better nor a more expedit and easie means to reforme and reduce that barbarous countrie to perfect obedience and ciuilitie than planting of presidents in the remoter prouinces to the end vniuersall iustice might be currant amongst them whereby the poore might be deliuered from the woonted eractions and tyranies of the lords and great ones by whom they were line 20 dailie spoiled and oppressed and tast the sweet benefits and pleasant fruits of peace and quietnesse the onelie singular commoditie and the most happie blessing of wise politike and discréet gouernement He both first deuised and consequentlie prudentlie executed the plot for the diuision and distribution of the Irish countries into shire ground whereby insued the currencie of hir maiesties writ which before that time was either not knowne or at least line 30 neuer vsed amongst them He in his gouernment aduanced and increased the reuenues of the crowne by waie of custome impost vpon wines compositions with the Irishrie for rent and seruice and other direct and commendable means as out of casualties creating rents certeine ten thousand pounds yearelie And by good deuise and policie he had both intended and would haue brought to passe and performed a farre greater increase if enuie spite and malice of that vnhappie countrie had not crossed him and opposed line 40 themselues all that they could by pursse or credit against his honorable worthie and commendable seruices desseins an example of rare note to be duelie followed and carefullie executed by his successors that Ireland may in short time be reduced to beare Irelands charges and made both honorable and profitable to the crowne as were to be wished He repared the castell of Dubline being vsed a long time before as a ruinous vncleane and filthie place of no reckoning and accompt stored onlie with mechanicall line 50 persons and some of woorse sort the constable and his familie excepted and left the same a conuenient and fit house for the gouernour to lie in to which vse it now serueth and is imploied He builded the bridge of Athelon ouer the riuer of Shenin arched it with masonrie and frée stone strong wall and battlement and made it of that strength togither with that spaciousnesse and bredth as two carts may in maner meet afront By building line 60 of which bridge ouer so swift great a streame the passage was set open and made frée out of the pale into Conaught which before by reason of the strenablenesse of the water was not passable which dawnted and appalled the rebels and traitors more and kept them in greater awe and due obedience than anie deuise or policie before had doone or other plot lightlie could then doo He likewise began the wasling and fortifieng of the towne of Carickfergus in Ulster reedifieng of the towne of Athenrie in Conaught the strengthening of Athelon with gates and other fortifications the foundation and plot of the bridge of Caterlagh and made a strong goale at Molingar and walled the same about with stone to imprison rebels théeues and other malefactors And likewise he begun manie other néedfull and necessarie works in sundrie other places which tended to the great furtherance and aduancement of seruice but he left them Quasi opera inchoata for he being called awaie so soone time would not permit and allow him to finish and fullie to end them or it may be by fatall appointment the time is not yet come the countrie deserueth so great a good and benefit of Gods eternall blessing He found hir maiesties records laid as it were in an open place whither anie man that vouchsafed his paines might come that would not defended but subiect to wind raine and all kind of weather and so in a sort neglected that they serued now and then as I haue by good men and good meanes crediblie heard reported in stéed of better litter to rub horsse héeles which he with great care and diligence caused to be perused and sorted and prepared an apt place within the castell of Dubline well trimmed and boorded with a chimneie in the roome where neither by the moisture of the wals nor vnseasonablenesse of the weather nor other meanes they could be subiect to harme He prepared fit conuenient places and seuerall diuisions to laie them apart according to their seuerall natures and appointed one of discretion and skill to looke to them who also for his better incoragement was assigned a conuenient fée for his labor He also caused the statutes policies and ordinances of that realme which laie hid and not knowen to manie though not destroied but kept in safetie to be searched surueied and ouer viewed by men of the best learning skill and discretion he could find or come by in that realme giuing them in expresse charge to peruse and read all and to collect such and so manie of them as they should in their discretions iudge and discerne to be expedient and necessarie to be published and knowen to the end the same might be imprinted as afterward they were that no man thensforth might pretend ignorance in the lawes statutes ordinances of his owne countrie where he was borne which euerie man by our lawes is bound to know And because he both saw and by experience found what defect grew in the administration of iustice by reason of kinred affinitie corruption parcialitie as otherwise he deuised and earnestlie sought to haue Englishmen sent ouer to supplie the chéefe places of
Hunsdon declareth how the dag was more than ordinarilie charged and how the earle dispatched him selfe Thrée bullets found vnder the point of the earls shoulder blade A slanderous report of the quéenes enimies and the earles fauourers answered The earle wanted no prospects for pleasure nor walks of conuenient libertie Sir Christopher Hatton reuealeth to the court and auditorie the gratious dealing of hir maiesâ—ie with the said earle no such fauour deseruing The quéenes maiestie mitigateth the punishmeÌ„t which the law would haue awarded against the earle The quéenes maiesties nature is to loue hir enimies O that they could change their nature and loue hir highnesse againe The earle standeth vpon termes of his innocencie all the world séeing the cause to contrarie * To this petition let all true harted Englishmen saie Amen The arriuall and interteinment of the deputies for the estates of the low countries The names of the said deputies for the estates The quéenes maiesties most gratious fauor acknowledged The distressed state of the 〈◊〉 countriâ—â—â—â—â—ter the death of the prince of Orange The hope that the low countrie people had in hir highnes helpe Spanish seruitude importable The cause whie the deputies for the states came into England and their sute vnto hir highnesse expressed The gouernement principalitie of the low countries presented to the quéenes maiestie Manie good townes and places yet remaining in the low countries defensible against the enimie The vniting of the low countries to the realmes of England c how beneficiall Protection of the reformed religion a part of their sute The loialtie and faithfulnesse of the low countrie people commanded Benefits like to insue vpon the said protection vndertaken of hir highnesse The said deputies doo present certeine articles and conditions to hir maiestie concerning their sute Aufeld and Weblie hanged for publishing of seditious bookes Fiue or rather 〈◊〉 people slain by the fall of a wall in London néere vnto Downegate Earle of Bedford and the lord Russell his sonne deceased Souldiers sent to aid the low countries of Holland Zeland c. Ground and trées soonke and swallowed vp in Kent eight miles from London Seminarie and massing priests banished Note in this certificat an acknowledgment of verie great English courtesie to the seminaries in their transportation The seminaries suddenlie assaulted and in danger of death by a Flushinger as they were passing ouer sea The seminaries are set on shore at Bullogne through their owne importunitie Kings and princes souereignes are to yéeld account of their actions onelie to almightie God the king of kings Naturall causes of the ancient continuall trafficke betwixt the people of EnglaÌ„d them of the low countries Confederatitions both betwixt the kings of England and lords of the low countries and also the subiects of both countries The people of both the countries bound by speciall obligations interchangeablie for mutuall fauours and friendlie offices Treaties extant of ancient time betwixt the kings of England and the dukes of Burgundie for the commerce betwixt their countries Conuentions for the subiects of either side to shew mutuall fauors one to th e other Spaniards and strangers latelie appointed gouernors in the low countries to the violation of the liberties of the countrie The destruction of the nobilitie and the people of the countries by the Spanish gouernement The lamentable violent death of the countie of Egmond the glorie of those countries The rich townes and strengths with the wealth thereof possessed by the Spaniards The French kings offers to haue aided and receiued to his subiection the oppressed people of the low countries The quéene of Englands coÌ„tinuall fréendlie aduises to the king of Spaine for restreining of the tyrannie of his gouernors The quéene of Englands means vsed to staie the states of the lowe countries froÌ„ yéelding their subiection to anie other forreine prince The enterprise of the Spaniards in Ireland sent by the king of Spaine and the pope The refusall of the quéenes messenger and hir letters to the king of Spaine The iust causes of dismissing of Barnardin Mendoza out of EnglaÌ„â— Two turbulent spirited persons Spaniardâ— dâ—uing what they could to set all EnglaÌ„ in a tumult Sée the voâ—luntarie confession of F. Throgmortoâ— in pages 1370 1373. The courteous dealing of hir maiestie with Mendoza a man mortallie hated departinâ— out of England The quéene of EnglaÌ„ds procéeding for the deliuerie of Scotland from the seruitude wherein the house of Guise meant to haue broght it The realme of Scotland restored to the ancient fréedome and so possessed by the present king by the meanes onelie of the quéene of England The conclusion of the causes of sending of certeine coÌ„panies of English souldiors to the defense of the oppressed people of the low countries and to withstand the attempts against this realme Thrée speciall things reasonablie desired by the quéene of England 1. The end of warres with restitution of the low countries to their ancient liberties 2. Suertie froÌ„ inuasion of hir owne realme 3. And renewing of the mutuall traffike betwéene the countries The causes of taking some townes into hir maiesties custodie The summe of a slanderous pamphlet published in the Italian toong against the quéenes maiestie The quéenes maiestie is gelous ouer the conseruation of hir reputation An answer to the first point of the said pamphlet clearing hir highnes of ingratitude The second point of the pamphlet answered to the full satisfaction of anie that is reasonable The prosecution of the warres in the low countries is not like to cease though the prince of Parma were dead This being dulie pondered all the world maie sée how vniustlie hir highnesse is slandered The nature of malice comprised in a senâ—â—nce of few 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a 〈◊〉 of few â—ords The reward â—â—at wicked and infamous â—â—bellors shall â—ape at the hands of God and men The earle of Leicesters paâ—sing ouer 〈◊〉 the low â—â—â—ntries The first shew â—f a woman â—â—presenting Leidon â—he second 〈◊〉 of faâ—e â—he third 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The fourth shew of Spanish seruituuâ— The fift shew of hope to be succored The sixt shew of aid promised The last shew of libertie victorie and triumph These verses séeme to be made by no metrician perhaps they were deuised by some of Leidon Uerses written vpon the doore of the lord lieutenaÌ„ts lodging The lord lieutenant returneth backe from Leidon to Donhage A géneráll fast proclamed and deuoutlie obserued The lord lieutenant rideth to Skeueling and is presented with a few English verses Titles of honór ascribed to the lord lieutenant with a reioising at his comming The estates sworne to the quéene of England The earle of â—eicester installed at Donhage with the maner and order thereof Persons of honor and worship The couenants betwéen the quéens maiestie and the estates read in Latine and deliuered to and fro Note what â— title and stilâ— of excellencie the states 〈◊〉 to the earle their gouernor and the honorable seâ—â—uice to him â—â—pointed The good
of them that died as Matth. Paris Matth. Westminster affirme amounted to twentie thousand persons beside fourescore of the Nobilitie that bare banners â—â—peâ—oâ—s King lowes himselfe also began to warâ— diseased and 〈◊〉 so that he was constâ—eiâ—â—s to 〈◊〉 the truce with king Henrie departed therewith home King 〈◊〉 remained at Blaie untill the feast of the assumption of 〈◊〉 ladie and then went to 〈◊〉 to visit the quéene who in this meane while was brought to bed about midsummer of a yoong 〈◊〉 whom they named Beatrice after the quéenes mother Now whilest king Henrie was thus occupied in Poictou and Gascoine William Marâ—â—ch the sonne of Geâ—â—rie Marisch by commandement â—ont from the king was put to death at London with sixtéene of his complices on the euen of S. Iames the apostle This William Marisch falling in to the kings displeasure got him to the sea and plaied the rouer kéeping the I le of Lundaie in the west countrie till finallie he was taken and brought prisoner vnto the towre where he was charged with sundrie articles of treason as that he should hire that counterfeit mad man which sought to haue murthered the king at Woodstoke as before ye haue heard Howbeit when he should die he vtterlie denied that euer he was priuie to anie such thing He was first had from Westminster to the towne from thence drawne to the gibet and there hanged till he was dead and after being cut downe had his bowels ripped out and burned and when his head was cut off the bodie was diuided into foure quarters and sent vnto foure of the principall cities of the realme His complices were also drawne through the citie of London vnto the same gibet and there hanged In the time of this warre also betwixt England and France there was much hurt doone on the sea betwixt them of the cinque ports and the Frenchmen of Normandie and other as the Caleis men and the Britons which did make themselues as strong as they could against the Englishmen by sea Wherevpon diuerse incounters chanced betwixt them but more to the losse of the Englishmen than of the Frenchmen in somuch that they of the ports were constreined to require aid of the archb of Yorke the lord gouernour of the realme About which time and after the king was withdrawen to Burdeaux diuers noble men as the earles of Norffolke and Winchester with others got licence to returne into England Soone after whose arriuall escuage was gathered through the realme towards the bearing of the kings charges Moreouer in this yeare of the king there died sundrie noble men of naturall infirmities as the earle of Warwike Gilbert de Gaunt Baldwin Wake Philip de Kime and Roger Berthram of the north with diuerse other Howbeit the king himselfe returned not home but laie all the winter time at Burdeaux meaning to attempt manie enterprises but he brought none to passe sauing that in protracting the time he spent much monie and to little purpose About the beginning of the seuen and twentith yeare of his reigne his brother the earle of Cornewall misliking the order of things which he saw dailie in the king his brothers procéedings would néeds returne backe into England but chieflie when he perceiued that his councell aduise could not be heard The king was sore offended herewith but he could not well remedie the matter nor persuade him to tarie And so the said earle of Cornewall togither with the earles of Penbroke and Hereford and diuerse other noble men tooke the sea and after manie dangers escaped in their course at length on S. Lucies daie they arriued in Cornewall though some of the vessels that were in the companie were driuen by force of the tempestuous weather vpon other contrarie coasts ¶ About this season also that is to saie on the day of S. Edmund the king there happened a maruellous tempest of thunder and lightening and therwith followed such an excéeding raine which continued many daies togither that riuers rose on maruellous heigth and the Thames it selfe which sildome riseth or is increased by land flouds passing ouer the banks drowned all the countrie for the space of six miles about Lambeth so that none might get into Westminster hall except they were set on horssebacke About the same time the king sent ouer into England line 10 to the archbishop of Yorke lord gouernour of the realme to cause prouision of graine and bakon to be conueied ouer vnto him which he appointed to be taken out of the possessions of the archbishoprike of Canturburie and other bishoprikes that were vacant and out of other such places as seemed to him good to appoint Herevpon were sent ouer to him ten thousand quarters of wheat fiue thousand quarters of otes with as manie bakons Also there was sent line 20 vnto him great prouision of other things as cloth for apparell and liueries but much of it perished in the sea by one meane or other that little thereof came to his vse who remained still at Burdeaux to his great cost and charges and small gaine sauing that he recouered certeine townes and holds there in Gascoigne that were kept by certeine rebels At which time bicause he was inclined rather to follow the counsell of the Gascoignes and other strangers than of his owne subiects year 1243 and gaue vnto them larger enterteinment not regarding the seruice of his owne line 30 naturall people he was maruellouslie euill spoken of here in England and the more in déed bicause his iournie had no better successe and was yet so chargeable vnto him and all his subiects The Noble men that remained with him as the earles of Leicester and Salisburie with other were constreined to borrow no small summes of monie to beare out their charges and so likewise the king himselfe ran greatlie in debt by taking vp monie towards the discharging of his importable expenses line 40 At length by mediation of such as were commissioners a truce was concluded betwixt him and the French king for fiue yeares and then he returned toward England but he arriued not there till the ninth of October although the truce was concluded in March vpon S. Gregories day for beside other occasions of his staie one chanced by such strife and debate as rose amongst the Gascoignes which caused him to returne to land that he might pacifie the same when he was alreadie imbarked and had hoised his line 50 saile immediatlie to set forward He left in Guien for his lieutenant one Nicholas de Mueles or Moles to defend those townes which yet remained vnder his obeisance for he put no great confidence in the people of that countrie the which of custome being vexed with continuall warre were constreined not by will but by the change of times one while to hold on the French side and an other while on the English In déed the townes namelie those that had line 60 their
situation vpon the sea coastes were so destroied and decaied in their walles and fortifications that they could not long be any great aid to either part and therefore being not of force to hold out they were compelled to obeie one or other where by their willes they would haue doone otherwise This was the cause that the K. of England oftentimes vpon trust of these townes which for the most part were readie to receiue him was brought into some hope to recouer his losses and cheefelie for that he was so manie times procured to attempt his fortune there at the request of the fickle-minded Poietouins who whilest they did seeke still to purge their offenses to the one king or to the other they dailie by new treasons defamed their credit and so by such means the king of England oftentimes with small aduantage or none at all made warre against the French king in trust of their aid that could or vpon the least occasion conceiued quickelie would doo little to his furtherance And so thereby king Henrie as well as his father king Iohn was oftentimes deceiued of his vaine conceiued hope In this seauen and twentith yeare of king Henries reigne diuerse noble personages departed this life and first about the beginning of Ianuarie deceassed the lord Richard de Burgh a man of great honour and estimation in Ireland where he held manie faire possessions by conquest of that noble gentleman his worthie father Also that valiant warriour Hugh Lacie who had conquered in his time a great part of Ireland Also the same yere on the seauenth of Maie Hugh de Albenie earle of Arundell departed this life in the middest of his youthfull yeares and was buried in the priorie of Wimundham which his ancestours had founded After his deceasse that noble heritage was diuided by partition amongst foure sisters About the same time to wit on the twelfth day of Maie Hubert de Burgh earle of Kent departed this life at his manor of Banstude and his bodie was conueied to London and there buried in the church of the Friers preachers vnto the which Friers he had beene verie beneficiall Amongst other things he gaue vnto them his goodlie palace at Westminster adioining neere to the palace of the earle of Cornewall which the archbishop of Yorke afterwards purchased The moonks of the Cisteaux were this yeare somewhat vexed by the king bicause they had refused to aid him with monie towards his iournie made into Gascoigne Also the plées of the crowne were kept and holden in the towre of London And in the night of the six and twentith day of Iulie starres were séene fall from the skie after a maruellous sort not after the common manner but thirtie or fortie at once so fast one after another and glansing to and fro that if there had fallen so manie verie starres in deed there would none haue béene left in the firmament In the eight and twentith yeare of king Henries reigne the quéenes mother the ladie Beatrice countesse of Prouance arriued at Douer on the fouretéenth day of Nouember bringing with hir the ladie Sanctia hir daughter and in the octaues of S. Martine they were receiued into London in most solemne wise the stréets being hanged with rich clothes as the maner is at the coronations of princes On S. Clements day Richard earle of Cornewall the kings brother married the said ladie Sanctia which marriage was solemnized in most roiall wise and with such sumptuous feasts and banketings as greater could not be deuised Finallie the quéens mother the countesse of Prouance being a right notable and worthie ladie was honored in euerie degrée of hir sonne in law king Henrie in most courteous and sumptuous manner and at hir departure out of the realme which was after Christmasse shée was with most rich and princelie gifts honourablie rewarded About the same time also whereas William de Ralegh was requested to remooue from the see of Norwich vnto Winchester and consenting therevnto without the kings licence obteined his confirmation of the pope the king was highlie displeased therewith bicause he ment it to another Wherevpon when the said William Ralegh was returned from Rome to be installed the king sent commandement to the maior and citizens of Winchester that they should not suffer him to enter the citie Wherevpon he being so kept out accurssed both the citie and cathedrall church with all the moonks and others that fauoured the prior which had intruded himselfe onelie by the kings authoritie and not by lawfull election and means as was supposed At length the said bishop vpon gréefe conceiued that the king should be so heauie lord vnto him year 1244 got into a ship at London and stale awaie into France where he was well receiued of the French king and greatlie cherished Also he found such means that the line 10 pope in fauour of his cause wrote letters both to the king and to the queene naming hir his coosen but which waie that kindered should come about as yet it was neuer knowen The bishop to shew himselfe thankefull for such freendship gaue the pope aboue six thousand marks as is said and the pope bicause he would not be accompted a disdainefull person turned not backe one pennie of that which was so gentlie offered him At length partlie at contemplation of the popes letters and partlie by reason the bishop line 20 humbled himselfe in answering the articles which the king had obiected against him in cause of the controuersie betwixt them he granted him his peace and receiued him into the land restoring to him all that had beene taken and deteined from him Moreouer in this meane while the pope trusting more than inough vpon the kings simplicitie and patience who indeed durst not in any case seeme to displease him had sent an other collector of monie into England named Martine not adorned with power line 30 legantine but furnished with such authorities and faculties as had not beene heard of He was lodged in the temple where he shewed what commission he had to gather vp the popes reuenues and to exact monie by sundrie maner of meanes and so fell in hand therewith vsing no small diligence therein vnto the great gréefe and hurt of conscience of manie he had power to staie the bestowing of benefices till he was satisfied to the full contentation of his mind Benefices of small value he regarded not greatlie line 40 but such as were good liuings in déed felt his heauie and rauenous hands extended towards them He had power also to excommunicate to suspend and to punish all such as should resist his will although neuer so wilfullie bent in so much that it was said he had sundrie blankes vnder the popes bulled seale bicause that vpon the sudden he brought foorth such as seemed best to serue for his purpose He vsed this his vnmeasurable authoritie to the vttermost and therein did not forget
towne a great sort were drowned Manie ran towards the towne some to the church and diuerse to the abbeie and other to other places where they thought best to saue themselues This was the last fought field or pight battell tried betwéene the potentats of this land in king Edward the fourths daies which chanced on the fourth of Maie being saturdaie in the eleauenth yeare of his reigne and in the yeare of our Lord 1471 as Anglorum praelia affirmeth saieng Vltima postremae locus est Teuxburia pugnae In the winning of the campe such as stood to it were slaine out of hand Prince Edward was taken as he fled towards the towne by sir Richard Crofts and kept close In the field and chase were slaine the lord Iohn of Summerset called marquesse Dorset Thomas Courtenie earle of Deuonshire sir Iohn Delues sir Edward Hampden sir Robert Whitingham and sir Iohn Leukener with thrée thousand others After the field was ended proclamation was made that whosoeuer could bring foorth prince Edward aliue or dead should haue an annuitie of a hundred pounds during his life and the princes life to be saued if he were brought foorth aliue Sir Richard Crofts nothing mistrusting the kings promise brought foorth his prisoner prince Edward being a faire and well proportioned yoong gentleman whom when king Edward had well aduised he demanded of him how he durst so presumptuouslie enter into his realme with banner displaied Wherevnto the prince boldlie answered saieng To recouer my fathers kingdome heritage from his father and grandfather to him and from him after him to me lineallie descended At which words king Edward said nothing but with his hand thrust him from him or as some saie stroke him with his gantlet whom incontinentlie George duke of Clarence Richard duke of Glocester Thomas Greie marquesse Dorcet and William lord Hastings that stood by suddenlie murthered for the which cruell act the more part of the dooers in their latter daies dranke of the like cup by the righteous iustice and due punishment of God His bodie was homelie interred with the other simple corpses in the church of the monasterie of blacke monks in Teukesburie After the victorie was thus atchiued the king repaired to the abbeie church there to giue God thanks for that good successe which it had pleased him to blesse him with and there finding a great number of his enimies that were fled thither to saue themselues he gaue them all his free pardon albeit there was no franchise there for rebels but that he might haue commanded them to haue béene drawen foorth without breach of anie liberties of that church He granted also that the dead bodies as well of the lords as other slaine in that battell might be buried in the same church or else where it pleased their freends or seruants without anie quartering heading or setting vp the heads or quarters in any publike places O the patience and clemencie of this good king who besides the putting vp of wrongs doone to him by violence of foes without vengeance fréelie forgaue the offendors and did so honorablie temper his affections There were found in the abbeie and other places of the towne Edmund duke of Summerset Iohn Lonstrother lord prior of S. Iohn sir Thomas Tressham sir Gerueis Clifton and diuerse other knights and esquiers which were apprehended and all of them being brought before the duke of Glocester sitting as constable of England and the duke of Norffolke as marshall in the middest of the towne they were arreigned condemned and iudged to die and so vpon the tuesdaie being the seuenth of Maie the said duke and the lord prior with the two forenamed knights and twelue other knights were on a scaffold set vp in the middle of the towne for that purpose beheaded and permitted to be buried without anie other dismembring or setting vp of their heads in anie one place or other The same tuesdaie the king departed from Teukesburie towards Worcester and by the waie had knowledge that quéene Margaret was found in a poore house of religion not far from thence into the which she was withdrawen for safegard of hir selfe on saturdaie in the morning being the daie of the battell She was after brought to London as prisoner and so kept till hir father ransomed hir with great summes of monie which he borowed of Lewes the eleuenth king of France And bicause he was not able to make repaiment thereof he sold vnto the said Lewes as the French writers affirme the kingdomes of Naples and both the Sicils with the countie of Prouance King Edward being at Worcester had aduertisements brought foorth of the north-parts that the people there were about to assemble in armour against him in fauour of king Henrie line 10 wherevpon he left the right way to London and rode to Couentrie meaning to increase the number of his people and so with a puissant armie to go northwards Herevpon comming to Couentrie the eleuenth of Maie and remaining there thrée daies he well refreshed such as had béene with him at Teukesburie field Hither was brought to him queene Margaret from whence she was conueied to London there to remaine in safe keeping as before you haue hard line 20 Whilest he was busie in sending abroad vnto his friends to leauie an armie he was aduertised that the commotion in the north was pacified For after it was knowen abroad how he obteined the victorie as well at Teukesburie as at Barnet and in manner subdued all his enimies the capteins that had stirred the people to that rebellion began to quaile and forsooke their companies Diuerse of them made sute to the earle of Northumberland that it might please him to be a mediator line 30 to the king for their pardon so that now there was no rebellion in all the north parts but that as well the citie of Yorke as all other places were at the kings commandement readie in all things to obeie him as true and loiall subiects And this was confirmed by the earle of Northumberlands owne mouth who on the fouretéenth of Maie came to the king as yet remaining at Couentrie by reason whereof it was not thought néedfull that the king should trauell anie further northward at that time line 40 either about the pacifieng of the people or to see execution doone vpon the offendors sith all was there in good tranquillitie and quiet But now when all things séemed to be at rest and no rebellion after so happie victories doubted newes came to him before his cōming to Couentrie from the lords of his bloud abiding at London that one Thomas Neuill bastard sonne to that valiant capteine the lord Thomas Fauconbridge who had latelie before beene sent to the sea by the earle of Warwike line 50 and after fallen to practise pirasie had spoiled diuerse merchants ships Portingals and others in breach of the ancient amitie that long had continued betwixt the
realms of England and Portingale and furthermore had now got to him a great number of mariners out of all parts of the land and manie traitors and misgouerned people from each quarter of the realme beside diuerse also foorth of other countries that delighted in theft and robberies meaning to worke some exploit against the king line 60 And verelie his puissance increased dailie for hauing béene at Calis and brought from thence into Kent manie euill disposed persons he began to gather his power in that countrie meaning as was thought to attempt some great and wicked enterprise After the kings comming to Couentrie he receiued aduertisements that this bastard was come before London with manie thousands of men by land and also in ships by water purposing to rob and spoile the citie Manie Kentishmen were willing to assist him in this mischieuous enterprise and other were forced against their wils to go with him or else to aid him with their substance and monie insomuch that within a short time he had got togither sixtéene or seuentene thousand men as they accompted themselues With these he came before the citie of London the twelfe of Maie in the quarrell as he pretended of king Henrie whome he also meant to haue out of the Tower to restore him againe vnto his crowne roiall dignitie And for that intent he required to enter the citie with his people that receiuing king Henrie foorth of the Tower they might passe with him through the citie and so to march streight towards king Edward whose destruction they vowed to pursue with all their vttermost indeuors But the maior and aldermen of the citie would not in anie wise agree to satisfie their request herein vtterlie refusing to receiue him or anie of his companie into the citie King Edward from time to time by posts was informed of all these dooings by aduise of his councell the foureteenth of Maie sent to the succors of the maior and aldermen fiftéene hundred of the choisest souldiers he had about him that they might helpe to resist the enimies till he had got such an armie togither as was thought necessarie meaning with all conuenient spéed to come therewith to the rescue of the citie and preseruation of the quéene prince and his daughters that were within the Tower not in verie good safegard considering the euill dispositions of manie within the citie of London that for the fauour they had borne to the earle of Warwike and desire to be partakers of the spoile cared not if the bastard might haue atteined to his full purpose and wished intent On the sixtenth of Maie king Edward set foorth of Couentrie towards London But here ye haue to vnderstand that when the bastard could not be receiued into the citie neither by gentle persuasions nor gréeuous threatnings he made semblance to passe ouer the Thames at Kingston bridge ten miles from London and thitherwards he drew with his whole power by land leauing his ships afore saint Katharines and thereabouts His pretense was to spoile and destroie Westminster and the suburbs of the citie on that side and after to assault the citie it selfe to trie if he might enter by force and so to be reuenged of the citizens that had refused to receiue him Notwithstanding all which stirring of coles proud port with hautinesse of hart violence of hand thinking to beare downe the people as an innudation or flowing of water streams dooth all before it yet he came short of his purpose pulled vpon his owne pate finall destruction though he thought himselfe a man ordeined to glorie was tickled with the like flatring persuasion that one had in his hart who said Magnum iter ascendo sed dat mihi gloria vires Now as he was onwards vpon his iornie he was aduertised that king Edward was preparing to come forwards against him assisted in manner with all the great lords of the realme and others in great number more than he had beene at anie time before By reason whereof doubting what might follow if passing the riuer he should fortune so to be inclosed that he should be driuen thereâ—y to incounter with the kings power at such ods he thought it best to alter his purpose and so returning came backe againe before London mustered his people in S. Georges field ranged and placed in one entier battell And to the intent they might worke their purposed feat before the kings comming to the rescue thâ—y resolued with all their forces to assault the citie and to enter it if they could by plaine strength that putting it to the sacke they might conueie the riches to their ships which laie in the riuer betwixt saint Katharins and Blackewall neere to Ratcliffe Herevpon hauing brought certeine peeces of artillerie foorth of their ships they planted the same alongst the water side right ouer against the citie and shot off lustilie to annoie thâ—m within so much as was possible But the citizens on the other side lodged their great artillerie against their aduersaries and with violent shot therof so galled them that they durst not abide in anie place alongst the water side but were driuen euen from their owne ordinance Yet the bastard not meaning to leaue anie waie vnassaied that might aduance his purpose appointed a great number line 10 of his retinue to set fire on the bridge so to open the passage and to enter into the citie that way forth and withall he caused aboue thrée thousand other to passe by ships ouer the Thames giuing order that when they were got ouer they should diuide themselues into two battels the one to assault Algate and the other Bishops gate which order accordinglie was executed For they did their best at both places to force the gates not sparing to bend and discharge such guns as they had brought with them against the same nor line 20 ceassing with arrowes to annoie those that there stood at defense whereby much hurt was doone as well at the one place as the other fire being set on both the gates in purpose to haue burnt them vp and so to haue entered The fire which they had kindled on the bridge little auailed them although they burnt there to the number of a thréescore houses For the citizens had laid such péeces of ordinance directlie in their waie that although the passage had béene line 30 wholie open they should haue had hard entering that waie foorth The maior aldermen and other worshipfull citizens were in good arraie and each man appointed and bestowed where was thought néedfull The earle of Essex and manie knights esquiers and gentlemen with their fréends and seruants came to aid the citizens taking great paine to place them in order for defense of the gates and walles and furthermore deuised how and in what sort they might make a sallie foorth vpon the enimies to distresse them and suerlie by the intermingling of line 40 such