without either any sensible inâ—…nding or impairing for a time At the last a Gentlewoman vnworthy to be named but accounted to be a schoole-mistresse 〈◊〉 the purpose offered her seruice assuredly to cure him in case he were committed wholly to her hand hereto the Physitians would in no case afford their aduice because as she could giue no reason either of the nature of the disease or of the part afflicted so shee would not declare the meanes whereby shee intended to worke thâ—… cuâ—… After some â—…he 〈◊〉 of deliberation among the Councell it was resolued that the Physitians should be discharged and the cure committed to her alone the apparant defect both of her iudgement and experience ioyned to the weightinesse of the aduenture caused many to maruell and some deeply to suspect that shee was but an instrument of mischiefe this surmise was strongly confirmed within a very short time ensuing when the King did fall into desperate extremities his vitall parts were mortally stuffed which brought him to a difficultie of speech and of breath his legs swelled his pulse failed his skin changed colour and many other horrid symptomes appeared Then were the Physitians called againe who espying him in that fearefull estate departed from him with a sad silence leauing him to the miserable mercy of neere approaching death some of these whispered among their priuate friends that they were called for fashion only but neither their aduice nor appliances were any deale regarded but the King had beene ill dealt with more than once and that when by the benefit both of his youth and of carefull meanes there was faire means of his recouery he was againe more strongly ouerlaid Yet as crueltie and wrong neuer stand secure so the Duke thought one thing more expedient for assuring his designes and that was to draw the Lady Mary wholly into his power to this purpose Letters were directed to her in the Kings name from the Councell willing her forth with to resort to the King as well to be a comfort to him in his sicknesse as to see all matters well ordered about him the Ladie suspecting no lurking mischiefe addressed herselfe with all speed to the iourney expressing great ioy that either her company or her seruice should be esteemed needfull to the King but as she was vpon the way and within halfe a daies â—…ourney of London her foot readie to slip into the sâ—…are shee receiued aduice both of the Kings desperate estate and of the Dukes designments against her whereupon she returned in haste to her house at Houeden where in a short time shee heard how â—…o proâ—…table her iourney would haue beene to London So the King hauing long wrastled with a lingring and tormenting sicknesse at the last his spirits yeelded to the malice of his disease which as with great patience hee did endure so with no lesse pietâ—…e did he end it many feruent prayers hee made both for himselfe and for the people of his Realmes and some when he was esteemed almost past sense and so spent his last breath in committing his sweet soule into the Almighties hands which had created it He died at Greenwich vpon Thursday the sixth day of Iuly in the yeare 1553. and in the seuenteenth yeare of his age when he had raigned six yeares fiue moneths and nine dayes two dayes his death was concealed to open a straight way for the Dukes crooked purposes his body was buried vpon the ninth of August in the same yeare in the Chappell of Saint Peters Church in Westminster and laid neere to the body of King Henry the seuenth his Grand-father THIS HISTORY I HAVE BVILT FOR THE MONVMENT OF HIS VNPERISHABLE FAME FINIS LONDON Printed for IOHN PARTRIDGE and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Sunne 1630. 1537 Plin. lib. 7. cap. 9. Plin. 16. Fest. lib. 3. Solin ca. 4. râ—…r mem Prob. in epit l. 10. Valerij Liv. dec 1. lib. 2. Sil. Ital. lib. 13. Hermo in castig Plin. loco cod Lib. 10 Lib. 7. Lib. 7. c. 53. Caes. 2. Gallic Conest 6. Deut. 20. Cap. 25. Gen. 3. 17. * Or happely yeare
and hate Herevpon the Lord Sudley was arrested and sent to the tower and in very short time after condemned by act of parliament And within few daies after his condemnation a warrant was sent vnder the hande of his brother the Duke whereby his head was deliuered to the Axe His owne fierce courage hastened his death because equally ballanced betweene doubt and disdaine he was desirous rather to dye at once then to linger long vpon curtesie and in feare The accusations against him contained much friuolous matter or terme them pittifull if you please The act of parliament expresseth these causes of his attaindor For attempting to get into his custody the person of the King and gouernment of the realme For making much prouision of mony and of victualls for endeauouring to marry the Lady Elizabeth the Kings sister for persuadinge the Kinge in his tender age to take vpō him the Rule order of himselfe The proofes might easily be made because he was neuer called to his answeare But aswell the protestations at the point of his death as the open course carriage of his life cleered him in opinion of many So doubtfull are all weighty matters whilest some take all they heare for certaine others making question of any truths posterity enlarging both D r Latymer pretending all the grauity and sincerity of a professed diuine yet content to be seruiceable to great mens ends declared in a sermon before the King that whilest the Lord Sudley was a prisoner in the Tower he wrote to the Lady Mary and the Lady Elizabeth the Kings sisters that they should reuenge his death which indeed the Lady Mary afterwards more truely did by ◅ting the Earle of Warwicke then either shee was or at that time could in particular be required Many other imputations he cast forth besides most doubted many knowne to be vntrue and so whereas Papinian a ciuill lawyer but a heathen chose rather to dye then to defend the murth◅r which the Emperor Caracalla had done vpon his brother Geta some theologians haue beene imploi◅d to defile places erected only for religion and truth by defending oppressions and factions deste◅ning their professions and the good artes which they had learned by publishing odious vntruths vpon report and credite of others O wiues The most sweete poison the most desired evill in the world Certainly as it is true as Syracides saith that there is no malice to the malice of a woman so no mischiefe wanteth where a malitious woman beareth sway a woman was first giuen to man for a comforter but not for a counsailor much lesse a controler and directer and therefore in the first sentence against man this cause is expressed because thou obeyedst the voice of thy wife And doubtlesse the protector by being thus ruled to the death of his brother seemed with his left hand to haue cut off his right For herevpon many of the nobility cryed out vpon him that hee was a bloodsucker a murtherer a parricide a villaine and that it was not sit the K. should be vnder the protection of such a rauenons wolfe Soone after it was giuen forth and belieued by many that the King was dead wherevpon he passed in great estate through the cittie of London to manifest that he was both aliue and in good health whether this speech were spread either by aduenture or by arte it is vncertaine certain it is it did something shake the strength of the Kings affection towards the Protector B◅sides many well d◅sposed mindes conceiued a hard opinion of him for that a church by strand-bridge and two Bishops houses were pulled downe to make a seat for his new building in digging the foundation whereof the ◅ones of many who had beene there buried were cast vp and carried into the fields and because the stones of those houses the church did nothing suffice for his work the sle◅ple and most part of the church of Saint Iohn of Ierusal◅m neere Smithfield most beautifully erected and adorned not long before by Docray Priour of that church was mined and ouerthrowne with powder and the stones applied to this spatious building And because the worke could not be ther with finished the cloister of Paules on the north side of the church in a place called Pardonne churchyearde and the dance of death very curiously wrought about the cloister and a chappell that stood in the midst of the church-yeard also the charnell house that stood vpon the south side of Paules now a carpenters yeard with the chappell tombes and monuments therein were beaten downe the bones of the dead carried into Finsbury fields and the stones conuerted to his building It is constantly affirmed that for the same purpose hee intended to pull downe the church of S Margaret in Westminster and that the standing thereof was preserued only by his fall assuredly as these actions were in an high degree impious so did they draw with them both open dislike from men and much secret reuenge from God And now hath the Lord Protector played the first act of the tragedie of his life namely his high and prosperous estate he is now stopping into the second act wherein he beginneth mainly to decline For the Earle of Warwicke espying opportunity shewing him selfe and knowing that in troublesome times the obedience of great persons is most easily shaken drew about 18 of the priuy counsaile to knit with him against the Lord Protector These he did so winde vp to his purpose that they withdrew from the courte fell to secret consultations and walked in the citty with many seruants weaponed and in new liueries the causes thereof many coniectured but few knew They were all desirous that the Protectors greatnesse should be taken lower but none conceiued that the Earles malice did extend vnto death But the Lord Protector as humble then as he had beene haughty before sent secretary Peeter to them in the Kings name to vnderstand the causes of their assembly and to declare vnto them that he would thanke them for hating him in case they did it in loue to the King intreating them for the Kings sake if not for his safetie yet for his quiet that they would forbeare open shew of hostility and resort vnto him peaceably that they might commune together as friends In the meane time he armed 500 men parte of the kings parte his owne the court gates were rampard and people raised both by letters and proclamation to aide the King and the more to encrease the present terror he remoued the king by mightfrō Hampton courte to Windosor with a company more resembling an army then a traine On the other side the Lords at London first taking possession of the tower sent for the Maior and Aldermen of the citty to the Earle of Warwicks lodging at Ely house in Holborne here they presented themselues secretly armed and the Lord Rich then Lord Chancellor of England a man of quicke and liuely deliuery of speech but
MAIESTY THE LIFE AND RAIGNE OF KING EDWARD THE SIXT Written by S â— Iohn Hayward 〈◊〉 D r. of Lawe London â—…inted for Iohn Partridge and are to 〈◊〉 sold at the signe of the Sunne in Paules Churchyard POWER Courteous Reader THis noble Prince whose Storie is here deliuered seemes to haue had the same aduersitie of fortune in his life and death which he had at his birth For as he was destituted of the helpes of nature at his entrance and was faine to haue his way made into the world with a knife so in his life was there continuall imployment of either Sword or Axe of that either at home against his Rebells or against his enemies abroad of this vpon his Nobles and particularly vpon his owne vncles by the mothers side of which the Duke of Somerset's case is very remarkable As his birth was violent and his reigne troublesome so was his death praemature not without suspicion of some practice of which besides vulgar rumour Cardan in calculating his scheme seemes to haue some iealous coniecture For whether he diuined it by his art in Astrology or apprehended it by the course and carriage of businesse hee made a dangerous praediction when hee foresaw that the King should shortly dye a violent death and as he reporteth fled out of the kingdome for feare of further danger Howsoeuer he was as noble a branch as euer sprung out of the Royall stocke worthy if so it had seemed good to God of a more fauourable birth a quieter reigne and a longer life But as the notable accidents in his tumultuous times doe deserue to be recorded so doth the King himselfe for his sweet condition for his minde as innocent as his yeares for his rare endowments well deserue to be commended to euerlasting memory that he may bee permanent so much the longer in the life of an history by how much the threed of his naturall life was cut shorter by the Fates And indeed as he had the birth of Caesar so had he beene worthy to haue had the fortune and fame of Caesar but a better conclusion This history is left vs from the pen of a worthy Author of whom we haue another essay in Henry the fourth This comes out into the world after the death of the father a Posthumus and is not like to finde any Patron but the loue and affection of thee fauourable Reader to which I commend it and thee to God THE LIFE AND RAIGNE OF K. EDVVARD THE SIXTH EDWARD K. of England the sixth of that name of the Norman Race was borne at Hampton court the 17 of October 1537. being the only surviving sonne of K. Henry the 8. by Iane his third wife daughter to S r. Iohn Seymer Knight And because K. Henry did take her to wife after the death of Katherine his first wife from whom he had beene divorced no question nor conceit was cast but that this Issue betweene them had right to succeede All reports do constantly runne that he was not by naturall passage delivered into the world but that his mothers body was opened for his birth and that shee dyed of the incision the fourth day following After which sort men brought forth were by the ancient Romanes esteemed fortunate and commonly proved great enterprisâ—…rs with happy successe For so Plinie writeth Auspicatius enecta matre nascuntur sicut Scipio Africanus prior natus These were called Caesones and afterwards Caesares as Plime Festus Pompeius Solinus and Titius Probus affirme Quia caeso matris vtero in lucem 〈◊〉 In this maner was Caeso Fabius borne whom Livy reporteth to haue beene thrice Consull first with Lucius Aemilius next with Sp. Furius and thirdly with T. Uirginius Thus also was Scipio borne who by reason of his braue atchieuements in Africke was surnamed Scipio Africanus prior But in that Plinie affirmeth that he was the first who was called Caesar à caeso matris vtero he seemeth to haue made a slippe â—…or before him and somewhat before the warres with the Samnites one Claudius was surnamed Caesar because he was in that fashion brought into the world In ancient times these births were esteemed sacred to Apollo as Servius noteth out of these words in Uirgill Iâ—…de Lycham ferit exectum cum matre perempta tibi Phoebe sacrum And therefore Aesculapius because he was ripped from his mothers wombe was feigned to be the sonne of Apollo as Servius vpon another place of Uirgill hath observed For this cause also in the ancient state of Rome things consecrated to Apollo were kept by the familie of the Caesars That Iulius Caesar was so borne it is an vncontrouled Report But that he was the first of the familie of Caesars who was so either named or borne It is a thicke mistie error supported chiefly by some men of excellent iudgement in their owne professions but childishly vnskilfull in anything besides Plinie writeth that his Father was surnamed Caesar who having borne the office of Praetor determined his life by suddaine death What would haue beene either the fortunes or endeavours of K. EDWARD he never attained to yeares of proofe Assuredly both for the time of his age and raigne he is rather to bee admired then commended whereby he raised an high expectation for times to ensue In one point hee was like the like borne Iulius Caesar. For as Caesar in the middest of his greatest actions wrote an exact and curious Commentary of all his notable enterprises by Armes So this Edward during all the time of his Raigne but most especially towards the end kept a most iudicious Iournall of all the most principall passages of the affaires of his estate These memorialls written with K. Edwards hand which now shall be the ground of this historie were imparted vnto me by the great Treaserer of English antiquities S. Robert Cotton Knight Baronet who as he hath beene a most industrious both collector and conseruer of choice peeces in that kinde so is he most ingenuously free to communicate the vse of them to others This young Prince was brought vp among nurses vntill he arriued to the age of sixe yeares when he had passed this weake and sappiâ—… age he was committed to D r Coxâ—… who after was his Almoner M. Iohn Cheeke men of meane birth But so well esteemed for virtue and learning by reason of the place of their employment that they might well besaid to be borne of themselues These having equall authority for instruction of the young Prince and well agreeing bare equall stroake in divers faculties D r Coxe for knowledge of Divinity Philosophy and gravitie of manners M â— Cheeke for eloquence in the Latine and Greeke tongues But for other sufficiencies so farre as it appeares by the bookes which hee wrote Pedantique enough Others also were appointed to acquaint him with the vse of the most respected forraigne languages all iointly endevouring to infuse into him knowledge and vertue by some
all the chambers which opened towards the seaffold were taken vp Here the Duke first aduowed to the people that his intentions had beene not only harmelesse in regard of particuler persons but driuing to the common benefit both of the King and of the Realme Then he exhorted them vnto obedience assuring them that no persons could iustly auouch their faith to God who were not faithfull to their King But herewith behold certaine persons of a hamlet neere who had beene warned by the Lieuetenant of the tower to attend that morning about seauen of the clocke coming after their hower through the posterne and percesuing the prisoner to be mounted vpon the seaffold began to runne and to call to their fellowes to come away The sodaine of their coming the hast that they made the weapons they carried but especially the word come away being often doubled moued many of the neerest to surmise that a power was come to receiue the Duke whereupon many cried with a high voice Away Away the cry of those and the coming on of the other cast amazement vpon the rest so much the more terrible because no man knew what he feared or wherefore euery man conceiuing that which his astonished fancie did cast in his minde some imagined that it thundred others that it was an earthquake others that the powder in the armorie had taken fire others that troopes of horsemen approached In which medly of conceits they bare downe one another and iostled many into the tower ditch and long it was before the vaine tumult could be appeased No sooner was the people setled in quiet and the Duke beginning to finish his speech but vpon another idle apprehension they fell to be no lesse riotous in ioy then they had beene in feare For S r Anthony Browne coming on horsebacke vpon the spurre gaue occasion whereby many entertained hope that he brought a pardon whereupon a great shout was raised A pardon A pardon God saue the King But the Duke expressed great constancy at both these times often desiring the people to remaine quiet that he might quietly end his life For said he I haue often looked death in the face vpon great aduentures in the field he is now no stranger to me and among all the vaine mockeries of this world I repent me of nothing more then in esteeming life more deare then I should I haue endured the hate of great persons so much the more dangerous because vniust I haue incurred displeasure from inferiors not alwaies for any great faults of mine owne albeit I was neuer free but for giuing way to the faults of others and now being constantly resolued I neither feare to dy nor desire to liue and hauing mastered all griefe in my selfe I desire no man to sorrow for me so hauing testified his faith to God and his faithfulnesse to the King he yeelded his body into the executioners hand who with one stroake of the axe cut off all his confused cogitations and cares the more pitied by the people for the knowne hate of Northumberland against him Assuredly he was a man harmelesse and faithfull and one who neuer hatched any hopes preiudiciall to the King but alwaies intended his safety and honour but hard it is for greatnesse to stand when it is not sustained by the proper strength The people whose property it is by excessiue fauour to bring great men to miserie and then to be excessiue in pitty departed away grieued and afraid and yet feared to seeme to be afraid and for this cause chiefly did neuer beare good minde to Northumberland afterwards although in shew they dissemble the contrary for nothing is more easie then to discerne when people obserue great men from the heart or when they doe it for fashion or for feare and as it often happeneth that men oppressed worke reuenge after their deaths So the remembrance of Somerset much moued the people to fall from Northumberland in his greatest attempt and to leaue him to his fatall fall whereat they openly reioyced and presented to him handkerchiefes dipped in the blood of Somerset for whom they thought he deserued rather late then vndeserued punishment So certaine it is that the debts both of cruelty and mercy goe neuer vnpaied I omit the meane scourges of conscience For assuredly a body cannot be so torne with stripes as a minde is with remembrance of wicked actions but of him more hereafter shall be said and how his greatnesse turned to be fortunes scorne But outwardly and for the present he gained a great hand ouer the nobility who soone obseruing that he was able to endanger the estate of the greatest that the more respect they did beare to him the more safely they liued the more easily aduanced to honour they all contended to creepe into his humor to watch his wordes his gestures his lookes to doe that as of themselues which they conceiued he had a desire they should doe But the King albeit at the first he gaue no token of any ill tempered passion as taking it not agreeable to maiesty openly to declare himselfe and albeit the Lordes did much helpe to dispell any dampie thoughts which the remembrance of his vnkle might raise by applying him with great variety of exercises and disportes yet vpon speech of him afterwards he would often sigh and let fall teares sometimes he was of opinion that he had done nothing that deserued death or if he had that it was very small and proceeded rather from his wife then from himselfe And where thâ—…n said he was the good nature of a nephew where was the clemency of a Prince Ah how vnfortunate haue I beene to those of my blood My mother I slew at my very birth and since haue made away two of her brothers and happily to make away for the purposes of others against my selfe Was it euer knowen before that a Kinges vnkle a Lord Protector one whose fortunes had much aduanced the honour of the realme did loose his head for felony for a felony neither cleere in law and in fact weakly proued A lasse how falsely haue I beene abused How weakly caried How little was I master ouer my owne iudgement That both his death and the enuy thereof must be charged vpon mee Not long after the death of Somerset because it was not thought fit that such a person should be executed alone who could hardly be thought to offend alone S r Ralph Uane and S r Miles Partridge were hanged on tower hill S r Michaell Stanhope and S â— Thomas Arundell were there also beheaded All these tooke it vpon their last charge that they neuer offended against the King nor against any of his counsaile God knowes whether obstinatly secret or whether innocent and in the opinion of all men Somerset was much cleered by the death of those who were executed to make him appeare faulty S r Ralph Uane was charged with conspiring with Somerset but his bold answeres termed rude and
russianlike falling into yeares apt to take offence either only caused or much furthered his condemnation For besides his naturall fiercenesse enslamed by his present disgrace he was the more free by reason of his great seruices in the field The time hath beene said he when I was of some esteeme but now we are in peace which reputeth the coward and couragious alike and so with an obstinate resolution he made choice rather not to regard death then by any submission to entreat for life indeed it was wellknowne that he had beene famous for seruice but therewith it was well knowen by whose fauour he had beene famous S Thomas Arundell was with some difficulty condemned for his cause was brought to triall about seauen of the clocke in the morning about noone the Iurors went together and because they could not agree they were shut in a house all the residue of that day and all the night following the next morning they found him guilty vnhappy man who found the doing of any thing or of nothing dangerous alike S r Miles Partridge and S r Michaell Stanhope were condemned as consociates in the conspiracy of Somerset Both reputed indifferently disposed to bad or good yet neither of them of that temper as to dare any dangerous fact either because they were so indeed or because their fauour or alliance with the dutchesse of Somerset made them to be of lesse esteeme Garter K. at armes was sent to the Lord Paget prisoner in the tower to take from him the garter and the George and to discharge him of that order The pretence of this dishonour was because he was said to be no gentleman of blood neither by Father nor by Mother The Garter and the George were Forthwith bestowed vpon the Earle of Warwicke eldest sonne to the Duke of Northumberland about this time the order was almost wholly altered as by the statutes thereof then made it appeares After these times few matters of high nature or obseruable note happened in England during King Edwards life Of these I will select such as I esteeme most fit for history both as being publique and as contained matter of some regard not alwaies obseruing the iust order of time but sometime coherence or propinquity of matter S r Philip Hobby was sent to pay 62000 pounds at Antwerp for paiment of which summe the King stood to diuers persons engaged This done he went to the Regent then lying at Brussels to declare vnto her certaine grieuances of the English merchants aduentures but he receiued nothing but faire promises which proued deceiuable Afterwards Mounsier de Couriers came from the Regent to the King to vnderstand more particularly the complaints of the Merchants and therewith to desire that her subiects ships might safely take harbour in any of the Kings hauens For the first a note of the merchants complaints was deliuered in writing but answere was deferred for want of instructions an vsuall pretence in like affaires Touching the second answere was made that the King had giuen order that Flemmish shipps should not be molested in any of his hauens which appeared in that they were there alwaies rescued from the pursuit and chase of the French But hee thought it not fit that more should enter his hauens at once then he had power to gouerne Assuredly the Merchant aduenturers haue beene often wronged and wringed to the quicke but were neuer quicke and liuely in thankes to those by whose endeauours they were freed The same merchants exhibited a bill at the counsaile table against the Merchants of the Stilliard After answere by those of the Stilliard and reply by the aduenturers it was conceiued vpon view of diuers Charters that the Merchants of the Stilliard were no sufficient corporation and that their number names and nation could not be knowen Also that when they had forfeited their liberties King Edward the fourth restored them vpon condition that they should couer no strangers goods which they had not obserued And againe whereas at the beginning they shipped not aboue 80 cloathes after that 100 afterwards 1000 after that 6000 at that time 44000 cloathes were shipped euery yeare in their names and not aboue 1100 by all strangers besides wherefore albeit certaine Embassadors from Hamborough Lubeck spake much in their behalfe yet a decree was made that they had forfeited their liberties were in the same condition with other strangers And albeit they made great moanes afterwards yet could they not procure this sentence to be reuersed A commission was granted to viii Bishops viii other Diuines viii Ciuilians and viii common Lawyers and in all xxxii to set forth ecclesiasticall lawes agreeable to the nature both of the people and of the religion then established in the Church of England but it tooke no effect For neither the number of the commissioners being many nor the quality of them being persons both in great offices and diuers farre remote could afford meetings for so great a businesse Also the difference both of porsessions of ends did of necessity raise much difference in iudgment The King had sixe Chaplaines in Ordinary touching whose attendance in court an order was made that two should remaine with the King by turnes and fower should trauaile in preaching abroad The first yeare two in Wales and two in Lincolneshire the next yeare two in the Marshes of Scotland and two in Yorkeshire The third yeare two in Deuonshire two in Hampshire The fourth yeare two in Northfolke and Essex and two in Kent Sussex so throw all the shires in England which happily did not only serue for a spirituall end namely instruction in religion but did also aduance a temporall purpose of peaceable obedience For as rude vntrained mindes are not only easily drawen but inclineable of themselues to sedition and tumult so by learning and religion men are especially both reduced and retained in ciuill quiet For better dispatch of businesse of diuers natures the body of the counsaile was diuided into seuerall commissions Some were appointed for hearing those suits which were vsually brought before the whole table to send matters of iustice to their proper courts to giue full deniall to such as they should not esteeme reasonable to certify what they thought meet to be granted and vpon allowance thereof to dispatch the parties Others were appointed to consider of penall lawes and proclamations in force and to quicken the execution of the most principall These were directed first to consider what principall lawes 〈◊〉 proclamations were most needfull to be executed Theâ—… to enquire into the countries how they were disobeyed and first to punish greatest offendors and afterwards to proceede to the rest Lastly that they should enquire what other disorders were either dangerous or offensiue in euery shire and either to punish the offendors or else to report their iudgement therein Others were appointed to attend occurrences of state at large with whom the King did sit once euery weeke to