was dissolved by the King 's Death XXXVI He says The Church of the Franciscans was opened in London 25. dayes before his death and he had said before that King Henry was 57. years of Age compleat when he dyed This Church that he represents as the Cordelier's Church was indeed opened but it was in order to the making it an Hospital and was no more the Cordeliers Church But now I will shew Mr. Varillas how just I am to him for I think I am bound to take notice that this date is right For tho it is of no great consequence yet it is the first that I have found him give true and perhaps it is true because it is of no consequence but he is above a full year wrong in a matter of greater importance which is King Henry's Age for he was born the 28. of Iune 1491. so on the 27. Ianuary or the 28. for he dyed in the night between them 1547. he wanted five moneths of six and fifty So natural is it for Mr. Varillas to mislead his Reader in every thing XXXVII He says The disorder of the Kings Marriages and the three Children that he had by three of them gave grounds to apprehend a Civil War upon his death against which he provided by putting his only Son Edward first in the Succession But out of what part of our Authors study of the Law did he find this that a Son of an unquestioned Marriage on all hands could receive any opposition from two Sisters both born in Marriages that had been questioned The Succession had been also expresly regulated by Act of Parliament and the Kings power of disposing of it by his Testament was only in default of all his own Children or of issue by them XXXVIII He gives us a character of the Duke of Somerset that shews how well he knew him he says He had an Extraordinary Capacity and a Penetration of Spirit superiour to the greatest Affairs The D. of Somerset was indeed a man of great probity but his Capacity and Penetration of Spirit were far from Extraordinary Mr. Varillas thought those strokes were magnificent so he did not trouble himself whether they were true or false XXXIX Mr. Varillas tells us that Somerset represented to the English Nobility the inconvenience of having 16. Governours for their young King as King Henry had determined it and that three parts of four of these were most zealous for reconciling England to the See of Rome and so no doubt they would breed up the King in those sentiments and by consequence as soon as the King came of Age he would annul all that his Father had done which would ruin the whole Nobility and that since it was much fitter to have only one Regent he engaged to them that if they would pitch on him he should take care of the Kings Education and should be so far from disturbing the Nobility in the possession of the Church Lands that he should grant them all the Ratifications that should be necessary all this was so well received that King Henry's true Testament was suppressed and a new one was forged by which Somerset was declared Regent and Protector which surprised all those who had the chief Interest to maintain the Government during the Minority in the state in which King Henry had left it 1. King Henry died the 28. of Ianuary upon which the young King was presently brought up to London and upon the first of February Somerset was declared Protector 2. This was not done by the Interposition of the Nobility but by the consent of the major part of the sixteen Governours whom King Henry had named and the Original Instrument of this under all their hands is yet extant 3. There was no new Will forged for that which was then published was the same that made all the sixteen equal in power and Somerset had the Title of Protector given him by these only with this express condition that he should do nothing without the Advice and Consent of the rest Nor was it ever pretended that King Henry had ordered it so by his Will so all that Negotiation with the Nobility is to pass for a Fiction of Mr. Varillas's or of some other that is about his pitch of sincerity XL. He says Vrisly the Chancellour was the only person that complained of this but that was made use of as a pretence to send him away from the Court. 1. Wriothesley the Chancellour perhaps did not like Somerset's Advancement but he signed it with the rest 2. The pretext upon which he was turned out was the passing an illegal Patent for divolving the Execution of his Office in the matters of Justice to some other persons which being contrary to Law he to redeem himself from a further Censure resigned his place XLI He says Somerset forbad the Bishops to confer Orders without the Kings permission and made them come up to London to obtain it and that he granted it only for a limited time and during pleasure and that he forced the new Preachers to take their Mission for it under the Kings Name and by this means he hindred those to preach who were able to defend the Catholick Doctrines And for the Proof of all this he cites the Ordonnances of Edward the Sixth There is a particular misfortune on Mr. Varillas in all he writes for tho there was indeed an Act of Parliament passed before the end of this Year that did very much subject the Bishops in many things to the Regal power yet there is a special exception in it of Collations or Presentations to Benefices and of Letters of Orders in which no Limits were set them 2. The Licences that were given to Preachers were only Civil things being Permissions to preach but there was nothing of Mission pretended to be in them 3. Tho the King did Licence some Preachers to preach in any part of England yet the Bishops retained still their Authority of granting them within their own Diocesses 4. That which Mr. Varillas perhaps relates to in some parts of this Period is that under King Edward the Bishops were obliged to take out new Commissions from the King such as they had taken out under King Henry for holding their Bishopricks during the Kings pleasure This Bonner and some of the other Popish Bishops had first set on foot under King Henry hoping by so abject a Submission to gain much credit with him but Cranmer prevailed so far as to get this to be quickly laid aside And now all these things shew that our Author is still as careful as he was in his Citations XLII He pretends That Cranmer set out at this time a Catechism which inclined more to the Lutheran Doctrine upon which the Protector looked down upon him not thinking it fit to carry his displeasure farther Cranmer could not know to what the Protector 's coldness was to be ascribed but fancying that a further Declaration of
Soveraign Lord's earnest Desire and express Commandment touch-the Limitation of the Succession in the Imperial Crown of this Realm and others his Majesties Realms and Dominions and having seen His Majesty's own Devise touching the said Succession first wholy written with His most Gracious Hand and after copied out in His Majesty's presence by His most high Commandment and confirmed with the Subscription of His Majesties own Hand and by His Highness delivered to certain Judges and other learned men to be written in full order do by His Majesty's special and absolute Commandment eftsoons given us agree and by these presents signed with our Hands and sealed with our Seales promise by our Oaths and Honours to observe fully perform and keep all and every Article Clause Branch and Matter contained in the said Writing delivered to the Judges and others and superscribed with His Majesty's Hand in six several places and all such other matter as His Majesty by his Last Will shall appoint declare or command touching or concerning the Limitation of the Succession of the said Imperial Crown And we do further promise by His Majesty's said Commandment never to vary or swerve during our lives from the said Limitation of the Succession but the same shall to the uttermost of our powers defend and maintain And if any of us or any other shall at any time hereafter which God forbid vary from this Agreement or any part thereof We and every of us do assent to take use and repute him for a Breaker of the Common Concord Peace and Unity of this Realm and to do our uttermost to see him or them so varying or swearving punished with most sharp punishments according to their deserts T. Cant. T. Ely Cane Winchester Northumberland I. Bedford H. Suffolk W. Northâ— F. Shrewsbury F. Huntington Pembroke E. Clynton T. Darcy G. Cobham R. Ryche T. Chene Iohn Gate William Petre. Iohn Cheek W. Cecil Edward Mountague Iohn Baker Edward Gryffin Iohn Lucas Iohn Gosnald By these Evidences it will appear that what Faults soever may be charged on the Memory of the Duke of Northumberland this of forging King Edward's Testament is none of them LXI He says the D. of Northumberland obliged all Mary and Elisabeth 's Friends to abandon them and made them be kept as close Prisoners in Hunsden-Castle as if they had been Criminals But these two Sisters were never so good Friends as to live together 2. They were both so free with their Families that Princess Mary was on her way to see King Edward and on the road she met the news of his Death LXII He says It was five moneths past from the time of Northumberland 's Son's marrying L. Jean Gray when K. Edward died on the sixth of Iuly There was but five weeks past for they were married in the beginning of Iune but on what day of Iune it is not certain for ought I know LXIII He tells us that Northumberland concealed King Edwards death as long as he could and that some days after that Jean Gray made a magnificent Entry thro London and then came on the War with Queen Mary But this whole business lasted only nine dayes from whence it is thought that the English Proverb of a Nine days wonder took its beginning So he ought to manage this time a little better Indeed this Phantasm of Lady Iean Gray as it disappeared soon so it never had force enough to pretend to any Magnificence two dayes after King Edward's Death she was conveyed secretly to the Tower of London out of which she never came for after a weeks Pageantry of her Queenship she was kept there till her Head was cut off LXIV Mr. Varillas who will always discover the secretest springs of mens thoughts pretends to tell us that the ground of the hatred that the Nation bore to the Duke of Northumberland was his rendring of Bulloigne to the French And here he tells us in his way that is with an equal measure of Ignorance and Presumption the various Reflections that the English made on that â—â—tter But as for the rendring of â—â—lloigne it was indeed necessary since 〈◊〉 Forts that covered it had been taâ—â—n and this having fallen out during â—â—merset's Ministry the blame of this â—â—ss was laid wholly on him 2. There â—â—ere several Sessions of Parliament afâ—â—r that rendition which fell out imâ—ediately upon the Duke of Somerset's all and a new one was called in the â—â—d of this Reign yet no complaint â—as ever made in Parliament upon â—â—at head 3. The Duke of Northumâ—erland was less guilty of it than any of 〈◊〉 Ministry for when the Emperour â—â—efused to assist them the Ministry 〈◊〉 that a War with France and Scotâ—â—nd was too great a load upon them 〈◊〉 a Minority in which their only â—onsiderable Ally failed them so that â—hey resolved to make a Peace by the endring of Bulloigne yet tho the Duke â—f Northumberland saw this could not â—e opposed he absented himself for â—ome days from Council and so did not â—â—gn the Peace with the other Privy Councellors who signed it and of which the Original Order was long in my Hands For the Original Couâ—â—cil-Book in which all the most Impoâ—â—tant Resolutions were signed by tâ—â— whole Board had fallen into privaâ—â— hands and was presented to me bâ—â— I delivered it in to the Clerks of tâ—â— Privy Council to be preserved by theâ— with the care that is due to the moâ—â— Authentical Remain of the last Agâ— 4. But as Mr. Varillas tells a faâ—â— ground of the Aversion that the Eâ—â—glish had to the Duke of Northumbeâ—â—land so he did not know the true one tho they are mentioned by all our Aâ—thors He was excessively haughty aâ—â—violent he was believed to be a man 〈◊〉 no Religion It was generally though that he had destroyed the Duke of Sâ—â—merset by false Witnesses he had noâ— excluded the right Heirs of the Crowâ— to set up his own Son and which wâ—â— beyond all the rest in the spirits of thâ— people it was generally believed thâ—â— King Edward was poisoned by his dâ—â—rections and here are grounds of a general dislike that were a little betteâ— founded than that feigned one for thâ— delivering up of Bulloigne three yeaâ— before but a man that will needs bâ— Writer of History in spite of so proâ—â—nd an Ignorance must ramble about 〈◊〉 conjectures and if he has as little â—â—dgment as sincerity he must make â—â—ch as Mr. Varillas does LXV He tells us that immediatly â—â—n King Edward's death â—orthumberland sent a body 〈◊〉 Horse to seise on Queen â—ary But here his Memory failed â—n too soon for he had but six paâ—s before said that both She and her â—â—ster Elisabeth were kept close prisoâ—â—rs in Hunsden so there was no ocâ—sion for seising on her person LXVI He tells us that Petre Seâ—â—tary to the D. of Northumâ—â—rland who was a Catholick â—â—he had pretended to be a Calâ—â—nist that so he might
Ecclesiae Dei comparaverat operae pretium me facturum existimavi si ordine aliquo omnia disponerem notisque additis indicarem unde à studiosis quibusque suo tempore depromi possint hoc autem meum judicium multo magis mihi probatum est cum in eadem sententia ipsum D. Martyrem fuisse intellexi Sic enim à D. Ioanne Gravilla quâ— tempore D. P. Martyris domesticus una cum multis aliis ejus consuetudine colloquiis frueretur ab illo quaesitum aliquando fuisse quare locos communes uno volumine collectos cudendos non curaret Hoc enim Ecclesiae Dei fore utilius a piis quibusque magnopere desideraxi cum iis quae dicta fuerunt annuisse idque si per otium liceret se aliquando facturum recepisse quod utinam illi prestare dedisset Dominus neque enim dubium quin limae labore addito multarum rerum accessione longe cumulatiores opes Ecclesia Dei habitura fuisset id autem cum ipsi minime licuâ—rit And if after all these discoveries Mr Varillas can find men that will still read his Books and believe them it must be said that the Age deserves to be imposed upon There is another particular set forth in this Preface that is of a piece with the former He tells us he has drawn that which is most curious in his twentieth Book out of Commendons Negotiation in England of which he gives us this account Pope Iulius the third writ to Cardinal Dandino ordering him to send some able man secretly over to England to confirm the Queen in her resolution of reconciling England again to the See of Rome He upon that sent over Commendon who went to London in disguise but by accident found one Iohn Lee a Privy Councellor who procured him a secret Audience he had many Conferences with the Queen who trusted him with her Secret which was that she believed she could never re-establish the Catholick Religion unless she married the Prince of Spain and by that means engaged the House of Austria to assist her with their Troops but tho Commendon could not doubt that the Popes Intention was that she should marry Cardinal Pool and not raise Spain too much by so great an accession yet he had been sent over in hast and had no Instructions relating to that matter so he complied with the Queens Inclinations for the Spanish Match of which she spoke to him every time that she gave him audience so that he saw into that Sectret and had credit by that means to soften most of the Articles which would otherwise have been of great prejudice to the Court of Rome Mr. Varillas can pretend no Warrant for this part of his History but Gratians Life of Commendon and if this be the most curious part of his 20. Book we may conclude what judgment we ought to make of the rest Commendon was in London when the Duke of Northumberland was executed which was the 22. August he had been sent from Brussels some days before that and by consequence he was sent by Cardinal Dandino of his own motion as Gratian represents it For King Edward died the sixth of Iuly and it was 10. dayes after that before Queen Mary was in possession so here there will not be time enough for sending notice to Rome and receiving orders from it 2. Lee was a Servant of the Queen's and no Privy Councellor 3. The Queen never mentioned the Spanish Match to Commendon on the contrary she rather intimated to him her design for Cardinal Pool for she asked him if the Pope could not dispence with his marrying since he was only in Deacons Orders which is confessed elsewhere by Mr. Varillas 4. It does not appear by Gratian that Commendon saw the Queen often for as the thing was a great secret and by consequence many audiences given by a Lady that was so scrupulous as she was could not be long concealed so on the other hand no doubt Commendon pressed a dispatch all that was possible knowing what a step such a piece of news must be to the making his Fortune in Rome 5. Nor does it appear that there was the least motion yet made in the Match with Spain and the first proposition that I could find of it was in a Letter writ by the Q. of Hungary in the Emperours name and subscribed by him for he was then lame of the Gout and dated in the beginning of November 6. Mr. Varillas represents Queen Mary very ready to discover her greatest Secrets when she would trust an unknown Man sent to her by the Legate in the Emperours Court with a matter of such Consequence There was no danger in trusting him with her design of reconciling her self to the Court of Rome for he that was a Creature of that Court was not to be suspected in that matter but it had been a strange loosness of Tongue in her to have blobb'd out such a Secret to such a Person so that the preference he gives his King to so weak a Woman will lose much of its grace And thus by this Essay it appears that Mr. Varillas holds on his Method of writing and that he does not so much as take care to write his Prefaces correctly I. Mr. Varillas will shew that he knows Genealogies as well as he does the other parts of History for he tells us that Henry the Sevenths Queen that was the Heiress of the House of York had no Kinswoman of that Family nearer to her than her Couâ—â—n-German Margaret This is strange Ignorance for she had a Sister that married to Courtney Earl of Devonshire who was Mother to the Marquis of Exeter that was executed under Henry the Eighth Now he should have known this that so he might have given a stroke upon it against the Memory of that Prince II. He sets out Cardinal Pools great vigour in speaking so freely to the King against his Divorce that he once intended to put him to death but he pardoned him in consideration of the Compliance of his Mother and Brethren and so he was sent by his Family to study at Padua All this is a Fiction that was not so much as thought on till many years after the persons concerned were dead that Cardinal in his Book had no regard neither to K. Henry's Royal Dignity nor to the relation in Blood that was between them but treated him as a Pharaoh and a Nebuchadnezzar yet he upbraided him with no such thing tho it had been a very natural Apology for all that Freedom that he then took if he could have alledged that he had expressed himself first so plainly to him in private But so far was the Cardinal from such a behaviour that â—e complied with the Clergy in acknowledging the King to be the Supream Head of the Church of England For Pool in his Book tells the King that â—e was in England when that Submission was made and adds that
the King would not accept of the Present â—hat was offered him by the Clergy unâ—ess they would likewise give him that Title Now it is agreed on by all that â—is submission was past by the whole Convocation unanimously Fisher â—eing the only man that stood out a â—hile but even he at last concurred â—ith the rest And Pool was at that 〈◊〉 Dean of Exeter and so he was a â—ember of the Convocation he also â—â—joyed his Deancy several years after â—is so that it cannot be imagined â—â—at the King would have let him go 〈◊〉 of England and have allowed 〈◊〉 a good benefice for supporting 〈◊〉 in his Studies if he had set himâ—â—â—f so vigorously to oppose him in a â—â—â—ter that touched him so near III. Mr. Varillas tells us that in the 〈◊〉 1536. the King made a Law obliging his Subjects to continue firm in the six principal Points which the Hereticks disputed most And to put his Reader out of doubt as to this matter he cites the Acts of Parliament for that year But Chronology is a study too low for so sublime a Writer and therefore since he thought the Fable would go on the better if this Law were puâ— in this year he would needs Anticipateâ— three years and put a Law that pasâ— not before the year 1539. in the yeaâ— 1536. but in this he followed his Sanders or which is all one his Florimonâ—â— de Raimond exactly IV. He reckons up the six Articles it seems as others had done before him but it is certain he never looked into our Acts of Parliament for as they would have set him righâ— as to the year so they would havâ— shewed him that the sixth Article diâ— not at all mention the seven Sacramentâ— and as to Auricular Confession it 〈◊〉 only decreed that it was expedient 〈◊〉 necessary and that it ought to be retaâ—ned in the Church For upon this theâ—â— was a great dispute most of the Cleâ—gy endeavouring to carry the matlâ—â— so far as to declare Confession necessary by the Law of God but King Henry would not consent to that and there is a long Letter yet extant all writ with his own hand in which he argues this matter liker a learned Divine than a great King V. He tells us that Arch-bishop Cranmer conferred all Benefices in the quality of Vicar General of the Church of England and that he disputed with Jesus Christ the Institution of four Sacraments But neither the one nor the other is true for he gave no Benefices but those of his own Diocess and as for his expression of disputing with Iesus Christ the Institution of four Sacraments I pass it as a Sublime of our Author 's yet even the thing is false all the ground for it is that in the first part of the Erudition of a Christian-man that was set out this year no mention was made of these four Sacraments but they were all set forth some years after this when that work was finished VI. He says that upon this the zealous Catholicks of England concluded that the King himself leaned to Heresy and that the Provinces of Lincoln and Northumberland Cambridge-Shire York-Shire and Durresm were the first that revolted and made up a body more than 50000. men Here Mr. Varillas shews us still how well he likes Rebellion by giving those Rebels no worse name than that of Zealous Catholicks and here he gives us the accomplishment of the Cardinal de Bellay's threatnings but one would have thought that a Writer who resolved to dedicate his Book to the King should have softned this part a little otherwise a Zealous Protestant may be naturally carried to make the Inference that if the Fears of the change of Religion in England might carry Catholicks to Rebel on whom no worse Character is bestowed than that of Zealous why may not Protestants oppressed and ruined contrary to the faith of irrevocable Edicts claim the same priviledge His laying of Lincoln-shire and Northumberland together and then returning to Cambridg-Shire and going back to York-Shire shews how well he knows the situation of our â—Counies and he instead of Lanca-Shire and Westmorland has out of his store put Northumberland and Cambridge-Shire in the Rebellion he also represents this rising only as a beginning whereas these were the only Counties that rebelled nor did they ever joyn together for those of Lincoln-Shire were suppressed within that County before the rising in York-Shire VII He says The King ordered the Dukes of Northfolk and Suffolk to go to the Rebels and to promise them all that they demanded upon which these Dukes undertook this Message and went to the Rebels Camp with all the shews of Humility that could have been expected from the most abject of the vanquished they desired them to put their Complaints in writing and when they saw them they thought them very just and signed a Treaty with them in the Kings Name by which they obliged him to redress all the Innovations that had been made in matters of Religion and with this they satisfied those who were in Arms who were so foolish as to lay down their Arms upon the faith of this Treaty yet the King after he had thus dispersed them did not trouble himself much with the keeping of his word to them but as he knew the names of the chief Instruments of this Sedition so he put them all in prison at several times upon some pretended Crimes with which they were charged and soon after they were proceeded against according to the forms of Law and not one of them escaped death either in secret or in publick By this Relation of this Affair one would think that the King sent those Dukes as Supplicants to the Rebels but they went both of them at the Head of the Kings Troops and both to different Armies 2. They were so far from promising every thing in the Kings Name that the Kings Answers to their Demands are yet extant in which he treats them as Brute Beasts that medled themselves in things that they did not understand the King told them their duty was to obey and not to command and that he would not at all be advised by them He did indeed promise a Pardon of what was past to those who should return to their duty but lie would not alter any thing at their sute 3. Our Author did not know that this Rebellion was after the suppression of the lesser Monasteries and that this was one of the Chief of their Grievances otherwise he had embelished it no doubt 4. He taxes them of Imprudence for trusting the Kings promises but one would have expected that in a Reign of so much submission as this is he should have rather shewed their Fidelity and Loyalty that made them so easily believe a Kings word but it seems Mr. Varillas thinks it is a piece of Imprudence to rely too much on that 5. A Prince's breaking his Faith is a thing that needs no aggravation
yet for certain reasons that our Author may guess at if he will he should not enlarge too much on this even tho the promise had been given both frequently and solemnly for this awakens ill Ideas in peoples minds and makes them conclude with the Ecclesiastes that the thing which hath been is that which shall be 6. King Henry excepted many out of the General Pardon others were presently seised on for engaging into new Conspiracies and against all these he proceeded upon no pretended Crimes but upon that of High Treason for having been in actual Rebellion against him 7. All that suffered by form of Law for those Rebellions were only two Peers six Knights and the Wife of one of them six Abbots and a Monk and sixteen men of a meanner rank now considering what a formidable Rebellion that had been this will not appear to have been a very extraordinary severity and without running too far back to things past the memory of man it were possible to instance Rebellions that were not so dreadful and yet that have ended in many more Sacrifices 8. He tells us of some that died in secret if he means that died in their Beds in Prison the thing may be very true but then it is not extraordinary but if he means the putting them to death secretly and the using them so barbarously that they languished and died under the hands of their Tormentors he must know that these are things which the English Nation knows not they may be practised by Courts of Inquisition or where Dragoons and De Rapines have the Execution of the Kings Parchment and Wax put in their hands but all Tryals and Executions in England are open and publick which is too gentle a Nation to bear the Cruelty of Torture VIII Mr. Varillas would needs have an extraordinary stroke of Providence appear here for he tells us that the last of those who suffered under the hand of the Hangman was no sooner dead then the Kings beloved Son the Duke of Richmond whom he had designed to make his Successor died suddenly of a malignant Feaver But I had warned our Author of the necessity of buying a Chronological Table for I saw what would come on it if he would not be at that charge The Duke of Richmond died the 22. of Iune 1536. and the first of all the tumults that was begun in Lincoln-Shire did not fall out before the October following so here is a lovely stroke of the Poem spoiled 2. It does not appear that the King had any such design on this Son of this for as he gave him none of the Titles of the Royal Family so he did not raise him up to any such degree of lustre as must have naturally followed on such a design IX He joyns to this Edward the sixths Birth and says That his Mother not being able to bring him forth King Henry ordered her Belly to be opened saying that he could find another Wife but that he was not sure to find another Son and that he began presently after her death to think on a fourth Marriage Again it appears that Mr. Varillas wants a Chronological Table for he joins King Edward's birth to the Duke of Richmond's death tho there was sixteen moneths between them for King Edward was born the twelfth of October 1537. and that was nine moneths after all the Executions were over 2. King Edward was born in the ordinary way and the Queen was as well a day after as any Woman in her condition could be of this there are many good Proofs extant for her Council writ Letters over all England giving notice of her safe delivery and of her good health and two days after others say three days after she was taken with a distemper ordinary to Women in her condition of which she died 3. Our Author should have considered the decorum of his Fable better than to make the King speak of a Son before he was born it had been more natural to make him speak of a Child indefinitly 4. This Queens death affected K. Henry so much that he let two years pass before he entred into any Treaty for a new Wife 5. He puts this in the year 1538. tho it fell out in the year 1537. X. He opens upon the Death a Project for Reconciling England to the Court of Rome and says That in order to the satisfying that Court it was not doubted but the Parliament of England would annual King Henry's second Marriage and declare Elisabeth a Bastard He adds That a Marriage of King Henry with Margaret Daughter to Francis the First was projected and here he shews how great a resemblance of Humours there was between them He adds That Pope Paul the Third was much pressed by the Colledge of Cardinals to fulminate against Henry since the Cardinals Hat which he had sent to Fisher had only served to precipitate his death upon which the Pope was bound both in Honour and Interest to revenge that contempt that was put on the Purple for if the persons of Cardinals were not esteemed sacred this would very much slacken their courage upon dangerous occasions The Pope therefore very dexterously resolved to shew his Thunder without discharging it So tho a new Sentence was past yet it was not published in hopes that the King for the safety of his person that was always exposed to the resentments of Zealous Catholicks or for the securing himself from those Seditions which broke out in one place as soon as they were quieted in another would at last reconcile himself to the holy See The only Project that was ever set on foot after the breach for reconciling England to the Court of Rome was almost two years before this upon Anne Bullens fall for then the Pope proposed it to Cassali that had been the Kings Ambassador at Rome but the King rejected it with so much scorn that in his next Parliament he past two Laws against all commerce with that Court severer than any of the former 2. There was no need of asking an Act of Parliament for annulling the Kings Marriage with Anne Bullen and for illegitimating the Issue for that was already done upon a confession of a Pre-contract that was drawn from her of which it is plain Mr. Varillas knew nothing tho it is in our Statute Books and these were then printed both in French and English 3. It does not appear that there was ever the least motion of a Marriage between King Henry and Margaret of France muchless that it was believ'd concluded 4. Our Author does not observe the decency of the Cardinals pressing the Pope to severity when he expressed it by his Revenging the contempt put upon the Purple It must be confessed that this is too haughty a stile for him that pretends to be the Vicar of Christ the language of Revenge does not agree with the Meekness of the Lamb of God 5. But if he makes the Cardinals speak
Heaven which reigned among them and of the discoveries made of the Instruments of coyning in several Houses and of the False Relicks and the Impostures discovered in some Images of which the Eyes and Mouth were made to move by secret Springs for these things that were laid open in the publickest parts of the Nation disposed men to bear with the dissolution which perhaps would not have been otherwise so easily brought about 4. Nor does our Author know that three years before the general dissolution all the small Monasteries were dissolved In short the great discoveries I had made of the progress of this matter might have engaged a man even of an ordinary degree of carelesness to have read what I had writ concerning it But Mr. Varillas must be an Original in every thing XIX He says This Petition was no sooner read in Parliament than on the 28. of April 1539. they appointed that all the Monasteries in England should be set open and that their Lands should be appropriated to the King for the encrease of his Revenue upon this all was seised on and there was so much wealth found among them that out of the Church of Thomas Becket alone there were six Cart load of Plate and other things carried away and for such of the Religious Persons as would not quit their Profession nor their Lands they proceeded against those who were of a meaner rank as guilty of a Contempt of an Act of Parliament and those that were more considered were attainted of Treason because some Libels that had been writ upon the Kings divorce were found among their Papers in which the Kings Amours were painted to the life for these they were accused as having not only concealed them but preserved them to posterity and by a new subtilty the Crime of lese Majesty was added to that of High Treason and here he comes over again with that of King Edward's being cut out of his Mothers belly as if the frequent repeating of Falsehoods would gain them the more credit 1. Dates are unhappy things for Mr. Varillas for this Act did not pass before the 28. of Iune 2. This Act did only confirm what was already done but did not at all threaten any that would not surrender 3. There were eighteen Abbots present when the Act was first read and seventeen when it passed in the House of Lords and yet none of them opposed it 4. There was no petition read in either House of Parliament that had been made by the Monks for this Act neither dissolved nor opened any Monasteries but only confirmed the Kings Title upon their Surrenders 5. His Author Sanders had raised up Two Chests of the Plate that belonged to Beckets Shrine to Twenty six Cart Load but it seems Mr. Varillas thought this a little too Extravagant so that he reduces it to a modester number of six but yet he should stick to his Author And here I must call to mind a passage of our Author's that had escaped me concerning Thomas Beckets Bones being raised and burnt as if the King had reviewed his Process and by a formal Sentence degraded him of his Saintship whereas this matter passed without any sort of Ceremony Becket did things that were of another nature than all that has been lately done in the business of the Regale he was not content to disobey but thundred against the King and the Clergy and the whole Nation that would not concur with him in his Violences which were such that at this day they would not pass unpunished even in Spain it self and tho he was killed without any Order of the King 's it is known not only what Pennance the King was forced to do but what a Superstition for his Memory there followed upon his Canonisation there were Two Holy Days assigned him there was a Iubily every fifty year with Plenary Indulgences to all who visited his Tomb which brought sometimes an hundred thousand persons together and his Altar was so much more valued than either Christ's or the Virgins that by the old accounts yet extant it appears that some years there were no Offerings at all made at Christ's Altar and tho there were indeed some made at the Virgin 's Altar yet those of Thomas Becket's made a sum about twenty times more So it was no wonder if King Henry put an end to this Superstition and therefore he ordered the Shrine to be broken and the Bones to be buried as our Authors say positively tho the Italians say they were burned for so it is specified in the Bull and indeed there had been no great fault if they had been burnt 6. No man could be punished for refusing to surrender for the Act of Parliament required none to do it 7. Those who were attainted of Treason had been either in the Rebellion or had sent their Plate to the Rebels 8. Our Author shews how well he understands our Law when he pretends to make a difference between High Treason and the Crime of lese Majesty for they are one and the same thing we do not use to express the highest sort of Crimes against the State by the term of Lese Majesty but only by that of High Treason 9. Those Libels of which he speaks were only found among the Carthusians and tho some of that Order were put to death upon other accounts yet these Libels were only made use of to frighten them to surrender up their House sure here are faults enough for one Paragraph XX. He gives us a long prospect of what Cromwel thought on and of what he should have thought on both being alike true and equally judicious then he goes on to tell us the Interests of the Duke of Cleves and of his Sister's Qualities and to shew us how well he was informed of her greatest Secrets he sayes that she was fit for Marriage before she was twelve year old but that tho she had been courted by many Princes her Brother was resolved to reserve her for such an Alliance as might protect him against the House of Austria She was a Lutheran which did not please Henry yet at last the Marriage was agreed on and She came to England and was married the third of Ianuary 1540. 1. She had been contracted to Prince of Lorraine and tho this was really of no force in Law yet it was afterwards pretended to dissolve her Marriage with Henry as appears by the Sentence So much is our Author a stranger to her Story tho he would make us fancy that he had Memoirs concerning her from her Chamber-maids since he tells us when she was fit for Marriage 2. I have often warned our Author to avoid the giving of Dates for he is unhappy in them all this Marriage was made the 6. of Ianuary yet it is much for him to have hit the Moneth right for he is not always so exact XXI He says The King was so well pleased with this Match that immediately upon it
Memoirs when he writ his first Volum therefore his Reader must forgive him if there is any disorder in the recital that he gives and now from all this one would he disposed to believe that there is some truth in this matter and that he has really such a Book of Memoirs in his hands but I need give no other proof to shew that all this is Imposture save that Bulloign was not taken before the 18. of September 1544. so that all this Negotiation of Richers in 1542. must have been by the spirit of Prophesy 2. The state of Denmark at that time must make this project appear very ridiculous since they were far from being in a condition to set out great fleets and make Conquests 3. At this time Francis did indeed engage the King of Scotland to make an Invasion into the North of England which was a more reasonable project and that which our Author might have more justly guess't at tho he had known nothing of it for it was an easy thing to engage the Scots to fall into England but that was too true and too natural therefore our Author who loves to elevate and surprise his Reader would needs despise the Project in Scotland and so would carry it over to Denmark 4. It is also no less clear that Francis was at that time in no condition to make a descent upon England otherwise he used the Scots very ungratefully for tho he had engaged them in the war yet he left them to be overrun by the English without giving K. Henry any considerable diversion 5. But our Authors setting on the King of Denmark to renew pretensions of five hundred year old is of a piece with the Law at Metz and when England will examin its Ancient pretensions to some Provinces in a neighbouring Kingdom as it needs not go so far back so it will not be put to found them on hostile descents and depredations which was all the pretension that the Crown of Denmark could ever claim but on clear and undisputed Rights tho I confess they have been both discontinued and renounced but I build on the modern Law that neither Prescriptions Treaties nor Oaths can cut off the Rights of a Crown which are sacred and Inalienable Thus I have gone over his third Tome and I think I have missed nothing that relates to English affairs I confess I may have passed over some particulars that may perhaps lie Involved in other Relations as this of Richers had almost escaped me I have turned all his leaves over and over again to see for any thing that might relate to England But I could not prevail with my self to read him all for I am now past the Age of reading Romances XXXIV Mr. Varillas begins his discourse concerning English Affairs in his fourth Tome with a Character of K. Henry's cruelty that deserves indeed to be put in Capitals he says that during his Sickness his Conscience had time to reproach him with the 2. Cardinals the 3. Archbishops the 18. Bishops the 14. Arch deacons the 500. Priests Abbots and Priors the 60. Canons and 50. Doctors 12. Dukes Earles or Barons 29. Knights 336. Gentlemen and almost an Infinite number of people whom he had put to death for establishing his Primacy over the Church of England And because all this was so remarkable he would not put the numbers in Ciphers but in words at large and by the exactness of his small numbers a man that is not aquainted with his Talent would be tempted to think this might be true but what will he say if of all those ten Items besides the great Et cetera of the Infinit number there is not one that is either true or near truth 1. Fisher was the only person that can be called a Cardinal that was put to death 2. There was not one Archbishop that suffered and tho the Archbishop of York concurred in the Yorkshire Rebellion yet the King included him in the Indemnity 3. There was not one Bishop that suffered unless he subdivides Fisher as he did Charles the fifth and makes both a Cardinal and a Bishop out of him 4. There is not an Archdeacon to be found among all that died in this Reign 5. For the 500 Priests Abbots and Priors there were only 9. Abbots 3. Priors 18. Priests and 9. Monks that suffered which according to my Arithmetick makes only 39 but an Imagination that multiplies as Mr. Varillas's does can swell this up to 500. 6. There is but one among all that suffered that can be thought a Canon Crofts that is designed in the Record Chancellor of Exeter 7. There is but one Doctor unless Fisher comes into the account again 8. All of the Nobility that were executed during this reign were one Duke a Marquis 3. Earls and 3. Lords which make 8. but this comes the nearest his number yet since the Marquis that suffered was K. Henry's Cosen german he might have put Marquises among the degrees of the Peers that he reckons up as well as the rest 9. There were only ten Knights that were put to death so the 19. more are of his creating 10. There are ouly 33. others that suffered of which some were only Yeomen to make up his 336. Gentlemen and now I have set down the list exactly of all that died by the hand of justice in this Reign so that there is not a man left for his c. of almost an Infinite number of people But besides this all these except only 12. persons suffered either for being in actual Rebellion or for entring into Conspiracies for the raising of one so small was the number of those who suffered for denying the Kings Supremacy and even of these a distinction is to be considered which I must explain because some have fancied that I had contradicted my self in different parts of my History having said in some places that none suffered for not acknowledging the Kings Supremacy and having set forth in other places that men died for denying it But the refusing to swear the Oath of supremacy was only punishable at first with a Premunire that is loss of liberty and Goods so that those who suffered were not condemned for refusing to swear that Oath but for their having spoken against the Supremacy now the refusing to swear it and the speaking against it are two different things which some have confounded It is true afterwards a Law was made declaring it to be High Treason to refuse to swear the Supremacy But no man ever suffered upon that Law for no man ever refused it after that Law was made And thus we see what we may expect from our Author after such a beginning XXXV He says King Henry seemed to repent of what he had done when he was near death and that he spake with Gardiner concerning it who upon that advised him to call a Parliament But the Falsehood of this is too visible for there was a Parliament then sitting which