his Raigne the King called his Parliament Wherein a man may easily guesse how absolute the King tooke himselfe to bee with his Parliament when DVDLEY that was so hatefull was made Speaker of the House of Commons In this Parliament there were not made any Statutes memorable touching publike Gouernement But those that were had still the Stampe of the Kings Wisedome and Policie There was a Statute made for the disanulling of all Patents of Lease or Grant to such as came not vpon lawfull Summons to serue the King in his Warres against the Enemies or Rebels or that should depart without the kings license With an Exception of certaine Persons of the Long-robe Prouiding neuerthelesse That they should haue the kings Wages from their House till their Returne home againe There had beene the like made before for Offices and by thin Statute it was extended to Lands But a man may easily see by many Statutes made in this kings time that the king thought it safest to assist Martiall Law by Law of Parliament Another Statute was made prohibiting the bringing in of Manufactures of Silke wrought by it selfe or mixt with any other Threed But it was not of Stuffes of whole piece for that the Realme had of them no Manufacture in vse at that time but of Knit-Silke or Texture of Silke as Ribbands Laces Caules Points and Girdles c. which the People of England could then well skill to make This Law pointed at a true Principle That where forraine materials are but Superfluities forraine Manufactures should bee prohibited For that will either banish the Superfluitie or gaine the Manufacture There was a Law also of Resumption of Patents of Gaoles and the Reannexing of them to the Sherifwicks Priuiledged Officers beeing no lesse an Interruption of Iustice than priuiledged Places There was likewise a Law to restraine the By-lawes or Ordinances of Corporations which many times were against the Prerogatiue of the King the Common-law of the Realme and the Libertie of the Subiect beeing Fraternities in Euill It was therefore Prouided that they should not bee put in Execution without the Allowance of the Chancellor Treasurer and the two Chiefe-Iustices or three of them or of the two Iustices of Circuit where the Corporation was Another Law was in effect to bring in the Siluer of the Realme to the Mint in making all clipped minished or impayred Coines of Siluer not to bee currant in payments without giuing any Remedie of weight but with an exception onely of a reasonable wearing which was as nothing in respect of the incertaintie and so vpon the matter to set the Mint on worke and to giue way to New Coines of Siluer which should bee then minted There likwise was a long Statute against Vagabonds wherein two things may bee noted The one the Dislike the Parliament had of Gaoling of them as that which was chargeable pesterous and of no open Example The other That in the Statutes of this Kings time for this of the Nineteenth yeare is not the onely Statute of that kind there are euer coupled the punishment of Uagabonds and the Forbidding of Dice and Cards and vnlawfull Games vnto Seruants and meane people and the putting downe and suppressing of Ale-houses as Strings of one Roote together and as if the One were vnprofitable without the Other As for Riot and Retainers there passed scarce any Parliament in this time without a Law against them The King euer hauing an Eye to Might and Multitude There was granted also that Parliamemt a Subsidie both for the Temporaltie and the Clergie And yet neuerthelesse ere the yeare expired there went out Commissions for a generall Beneuolence though there were no Warres no Feares The same yeare the Citty gaue fiue thousand Markes for Confirmation of their Liberties A thing fitter for the Beginnings of Kings Raignes than the latter Ends. Neither was it a small matter that the Mint gained vpon the late Statute by the Recoinage of Groats and Halfe-groats now Twelue-pences and Six-pences As for EMPSON and DVDLEY'S Mills they did grinde more than euer So that it was a strange thing to see what Golden Showres powred downe vpon the Kings Treasurie at once The last paiments of the Marriage-money from Spaine The Subsidie The Beneuolence The Recoinage The Redemption of the Cities Liberties The Casualties And this is the more to bee marueiled at because the King had then no Occasions at all of Warres or Troubles Hee had now but one Sonne and one Daughter vnbestowed Hee was Wise Hee was of an High Mind Hee needed not to make Riches his Glorie Hee did excell in so many things else saue that certainely Auarice doth euer finde in it selfe matter of Ambition Belike hee thought to leaue his Sonne such a Kingdome and such a Masse of Treasure as hee might choose his Greatnesse where hee would This yeare was also kept the Serieants Feast which was the second Call in this Kings Dayes About this time ISABELLA Queene of Castile deceased a right Noble Ladie and an Honour to her Sexe and Times and the Corner-stone of the Greatnesse of Spaine that hath followed This Accident the King tooke not for Newes at large but thought it had a great Relation to his owne Affaires especially in two points The One for Example the Other for Consequence First hee conceiued that the Case of FERDINANDO of Arragon after the death of Queene ISABELLA was his owne Case after the death of his owne Queene and the Case of IOAN the Heire vnto Castile was the Case of his owne Sonne Prince HENRY For if both of the Kings had their Kingdomes in the right of their Wiues they descended to the Heires and did not accrew to the Husbands And although his owne Case had both Steele and Parchment more than the other that is to say a Conquest in the Field and an Act of Parliament yet notwithstanding that Naturall Title of Descent in Bloud did in the imagination euen of a Wise-man breed a Doubt that the other two were not safe nor sufficient Wherefore he was wonderfull diligent to inquire and obserue what became of the King of Arragon in holding and continuing the Kingdome of Castile And whether he did hold it in his owne Right or as Administrator to his Daughter And whether he were like to hold it in Fact or to bee put out by his Sonne-in-Law Secondly hee did reuolue in his minde that the Stateof Christendome might by this late Accident haue a turne For whereas before time Himselfe with the Coniunction of Arragon and Castile which then was one and the Amitie of MAXIMILIAN and PHILIP his Sonne the Arch-Duke was farre too strong a Partie for France hee beganne to feare that now the French King who had great Interest in the Affections of PHILIP the young King of Castile and PHILIP himselfe now king of Castile who was in ill Termes with his Father-in-law about the present Gouernment of Castile And thirdly MAXIMILIAN PHILIPS Father who was euer variable and
KNESVVORTH likewise that had beene lately Maior of London and both his Sheriffes were for Abuses in their Offices questioned and imprisoned and deliuered vpon one Thousand foure hundred pounds payed HAVVIS an Alderman of London was put in Trouble and died with Thought and Anguish before his Businesse came to an end Sir LAVVRENCE AILMER who had likewise beene Maior of London and his two Sheriffes were put to the Fine of one Thousand Pounds And Sir LAVVRENCE for refusing to make payment was committed to Prison where hee stayed till EMPSON himselfe was committed in his place It is no marueile if the Faults were so light and the Rates so heauie that the Kings Treasure of store that hee left at his death most of it in secret places vnder his owne Key and keeping at Richmond amounted as by Tradition it is reported to haue done vnto the Summe of neare Eighteene hundred thousand pounds Sterling a huge Masse of Money euen for these times The last Act of State that concluded this kings Temporall Felicitie was the Conclusion of a Glorious Match betweene his Daughter MARIE and CHARLES Prince of Castile afterwards the great Emperour both beeing of tender yeares Which Treatie was perfected by Bishop FOXE and other his Commissioners at Calice the yeare before the Kings Death In which Alliance it seemeth hee himselfe tooke so high Contentment as in a Letter which hee wrote thereupon to the Citie of London commaunding all possible demonstrations of ioy to bee made for the same hee expresseth himselfe as if hee thought hee had built a Wall of Brasse about his Kingdome When hee had for his Sonnes-in-law a King of Scotland and a Prince of Castile and Burgundie So as now there was nothing to bee added to this great Kings Felicitie beeing at the top of all worldly Blisse in regard of the high Marriages of his Children his great Renowne throughout Europe and his scarce credible Riches and the perpetuall Constancie of his prosperous Successes but an opportune Death to withdraw him from any future blowe of Fortune Which certainely in regard of the great Hatred of his People and the Title of his Sonne being then come to Eighteene yeares of age and being a bold Prince and liberall and that gained vpon the People by his very Aspect and Presence had not beene impossible to haue come vpon him To crowne also the last yeare of his Raigne as well as his first hee did an Act of Pietie rare and worthy to bee taken into Imitation For hee granted forth a Generall Pardon as expecting a second Coronation in a better Kingdome Hee did also declare in his Will that his minde was that Restitution should bee made of those Summes which had beene vniustly taken by his Officers And thus this SALOMON of England for SALOMON also was too heauie vpon his People in Exactions hauing liued two and fiftie yeares and thereof Raigned three and twentie yeares and eight Moneths beeing in perfect Memorie and in a most Blessed Minde in a great Calme of a Consuming Sickenesse passed to a better World the two and twentieth of Aprill 1508. at his Palace of Richmond which himselfe had built THis King to speake of him in Tearmes equall to his Deseruing was one of the best sort of VVonders a Wonder for VVisemen Hee had parts both in his Vertues and his Fortune not so fit for a Common-place as for Obseruation Certainly hee was Religious both in his Affection and Obseruance But as hee could see cleare for those times through Superstition so he would be blinded now and then by Humane Policie Hee aduanced Church-men hee was tender in the Priuiledge of Sanctuaries though they wrought him much mischiefe Hee built and endowed many Religious Foundations besides his Memorable Hospitall of the Sauoy And yet was hee a great Almes-giuer in secret which shewed that his VVorkes in publique were dedicated rather to GODS Glorie than his owne Hee professed alwaies to loue and seeke Peace and it was his vsuall Preface in his Treaties That when CHRIST came into the World Peace was sung and when HEE went out of the World Peace was bequeathed And this Vertue could not proceede out of Feare or Softnesse for he was Valiant and Actiue and therefore no doubt it was truely Christian and Morall Yet hee knew the way to Peace was not to seeme to bee desirous to auoyde Warres Therefore would be make Cffers and Fames of Warres till hee had mended the Conditions of Peace It was also much that one that was so great a Louer of Peace should be so happie in VVarre For his Armes eyther in Forraine or Ciuill VVarres were neuer Infortunate neyther did be know what a Disaster meant The VVarre of his Comming in and the Rebellions of the Earle of Lincolne and the Lord AWDLEY were ended by Victorie The VVarres of France and Scotland by Peaces sought at his hands That of Brittaine by accident of the Dukes death The Insurrection of the Lord LOVEL and that of PERKIN at Excester and in Kent by flight of the Rebells before they came to Blowes So that his Fortune of Armes was still Inuiolate The rather sure for that in the quenching of the Commotions of his Subiects hee euer went in Person Sometimes reseruing himselfe to backe and second his Lieutenants but euer in Action and yet that was not meerely Forwardnesse but partly Distrust of others Hee did much maintaine and countenance his Lawes Which neuerthelesse was no Impediment to him to worke his VVill. For it was so handled that neyther Prerogatiue nor Profit went to Diminution And yet as hee would sometimes straine vp his Lawes to his Prerogatiue so would hee also let downe his Prerogatiue to his Parliament For Minte and Warres and Marshall Discipline things of Absolute Power hee would neuerthelesse bring to Parliament Iustice was well administred in his time saue where the King was Partie Saue also that the Councell-Table intermedled too much with Meum and Tuum For it was a very Court of Iustice during his time especially in the Beginning But in that part both of Iustice and Policie which is the Durable Part and cut as it were in Brasse or Marble which is The making of good Lawes he did excell And with his Iustice hee was also a Mercifull Prince As in whose time there were but three of the Nobilitie that suffered the Earle of Warwicke the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord AWDLEY Though the first two were in stead of Numbers in the Dislike and Obloquie of the People But there were neuer so great Rebellions expiated with so little Bloud drawne by the hand of Iustice as the two Rebellions of Black-heath and Excester As for the Seueritie vsed vpon those which were taken in Kent it was but vpon a Scumme of People His Pardons went euer both before and after his Sword But then hee had withall a strange kinde of Interchanging of large and inexpected Pardons which seuere Executions Which his Wisedome considered could not bee imputed to any
much there remayneth in Memorie that it was halfe a yeares time betweene the Creation of HENRY Prince of Wales and Prince ARTHVRS death which was construed to bee for to expect a full time whereby it might appeare whether the Ladie KATHERINE were with Child by Prince ARTHVR or no. Againe the Ladie her selfe procured a Bull for the better Corroboration of the Marriage with a Clause of vel forsan cognitam which was not in the first Bull. There was giuen in Euidence also when the cause of the Diuorce was handled a pleasant passage which was That in a Morning Prince ARTHVR vpon his vp-rising from Bed with her called for drinke which hee was not accustomed to doe and finding the Gentleman of his Chamber that brought him the drinke to smile at it and to note it hee said merrily to him That hee had been in the middest of Spaine which was an hot Region and his Iourney had made him drie and that if the other had beene in so hot a Clime hee would haue been drier than hee Besides the Prince was vpon the point of Sixteene yeares of Age when hee died and forward and able in Bodie The Februarie following HENRY Duke of Yorke was created Prince of Wales and Earle of Chester and Flint For the Dukedome of Cornewall deuolued to him by Statute The King also beeing fast handed and loath to part with a second Dowrie but chiefly being affectionate both by his Nature and out of Politicke Considerations to continue the Alliance with Spaine preuailed with the Prince though not without some Reluctation such as could bee in those yeares for hee was not twelue yeares of Age to bee contracted with the Princesse KATHERINE The secret Prouidence of GOD ordaining that Marriage to bee the Occasion of great Euents and Changes The same yeare were the Espousals of IAMES King of Scotland with the Ladie MARGARET the Kings eldest Daughter which was done by Proxie and published at PAVLES Crosse the fiue and twentieth of Ianuarie and Te Deum solemnly sung But certaine it is that the Ioy of the Citie thereupon shewed by Ringing of Bells and Bon-fires and such other Incence of the People was more than could be expected in a Case of so great and fresh Enmitie betweene the Nations especially in London which was farre enough off from feeling any of the former calamities of the Warre And therefore might bee truely attributed to a Secret Instinct and Inspiring which many times runneth not onely in the Hearts of Princes but in the Pulse and Veines of People touching the happinesse thereby to ensue in time to come This Marriage was in August following consummate at Edenborough The King bringing his Daughter as farre as Colli-Weston on the way and then consigning her to the Attendance of the Earle of Northumberland who with a great Troupe of Lords and Ladies of Honour brought her into Scotland to the King her Husband This Marriage had beene in Treatie by the space of almost three yeares from the time that the King of Scotland did first open his mind to Bishop FOX The Summe giuen in Marriage by the King was ten Thousand pounds And the Iointure and Aduancement assured by the King of Scotland was two Thousand pounds a yeare after King IAMES his Death and one Thousand pounds a yeare in present for the Ladies Allowance or Maintenance This to be set forth in Lands of the best and most certaine Reuenue During the Treatie it is reported that the King remitted the matter to his Counsell And that some of the Table in the Freedome of Counsellors the King beeing present did put the Case that if GOD should take the Kings two Sonnes without Issue that then the Kingdome of England would fall to the King of Scotland which might preiudice the Monarchie of England Whereunto the King himselfe replied That if that should bee Scotland would bee but an Accession to England and not England to Scotland for that the Greater would draw the lesse And that it was a safer Vnion for England than that of France This passed as an Oracle and silenced those that moued the Question The same yeare was fatall as well for Deaths as Marriages and that with equall temper For the Ioyes and Feasts of the two Marriages were compensed with the Mournings and Funerals of Prince ARTHVR of whom wee haue spoken and of Queene ELIZABETH who died in Child-bed in the Tower and the Child liued not long after There dyed also that yeare Sir REGINOLD BRAY who was noted to haue had with the King the greatest Freedome of any Counsellor but it was but a Freedome the better to set off Flatterie Yet hee bare more than his iust part of Enuie for the Exactions At this time the Kings Estate was verie prosperous Secured by the Amitie of Scotland strengthened by that of Spaine cherished by that of Burgundie all Domesticke Troubles quenched and all Noyse of Warre like a Thunder afarre off going vpon Italie Wherefore Nature which many times is happily contayned and refrained by some Bands of Fortune beganne to take place in the King carrying as with a strong Tide his affections and Thoughts vnto the gathering and heaping vp of Treasure And as Kings doe more easily find Instruments for their Will and Humour than for their Seruice and Honour Hee had gotten for his purpose or beyond his purpose two Instruments EMPSON and DVDLEY whom the people esteemed as his Horse-Leeches and Shearers bold men and carelesse of Fame and that tooke Toll of their Masters Grist DVDLEY was of a good Family Eloquent and one that could put Hatefull Businesse into good Language But EMPSON that was the Sonne of a Sieue-maker triumphed alwayes vpon the Deede done putting off all other respects whatsoeuer These two Persons beeing Lawyers in Science and Priuie Councellors in Authoritie as the Corruption of the best things is the worst turned Law and Iustice into Worme-wood and Rapine For first their manner was to cause diuers Subiects to bee indicted of sundrie Crimes and so farre forth to proceed in forme of Law But when the Bils were found then presently to commit them And neuerthelesse not to produce them to any reasonable time to their Answer but to suffer them to languish long in Prison and by sundrie artificiall Deuices and Terrours to extort from them great Fines and Ransomes which they termed Compositions and Mitigations Neither did they towards the end obserue so much as the Halfe-face of Iustice in proceeding by Indictment but sent forth their Precepts to attache men and conuent them before themselues and some others at their priuate Houses in a Court of Commission and there vsed to shuffle vp a Summarie Proceeding by Examination without Tryall of Iurie assuming to themselues there to deale both in Pleas of the Crowne and Controuersies Ciuill Then did they also vse to enthrall and charge the Subiects Lands with Tenures in Capite by finding False Offices and thereby to worke vpon them for Ward-ships Liueries Primier