Objection of great force from the Acts pass'd in the 21st Year of Richard the second 's Reign In the second Act of that Parliament it is said That it was first prayed by the Commons and that the Lords Spiritual and the Proctors of the Clergy did assent to it upon which the King by the assent of all the Lords and Commons did enact it The 12th Act of that Parliament was a Repeal of the whole Parliament that was held in the 11th Year of that Reign and concerning it it is expressed That the Lords Spiritual and Temporal the Proctors of the Clergy and the Commons being severally examined did all agree to it From hence it appears that these Proctors were then not only a part of the Parliament but were a distinct Body of Men that did severally from all the rest deliver their Opinions It may seem strange that if they were then considered as a part of either House of Parliament this should be the only time in which they should be mentioned as bearing their share in the Legislative Power In a matter that is so perplexed and dark I shall presume to offer a Conjecture which will not appear perhaps improbable In the 129th Page of the former part I gave the Reasons that made me think the lower House of Convocation consisted at first only of the Proctors of the Clergy So that by the Proctors of the Clergy both in the Statute of Ireland and in those made by Richard the second is perhaps to be understood the lower House of Convocation and it is not unreasonable to think that upon so great an occasion as the annulling a whole Parliament to make it pass the better in an Age in which the People payed so blind a Submission to the Clergy the concurrence of the whole Representative of the Church might have been thought necessary It is generally believed that the whole Parliament sate together in one House before Edward the thirds time and then the Inferior Clergy were a part of that Body without question But when the Lords and Commons sate a-part the Clergy likewise sate in two Houses and granted Subsidies as well as the Temporalty It may pass for no unlikely conjecture that the Clause Premonentes was first put in the Bishops Writ for the summoning of the lower House of Convocation consisting of these Proctors and afterwards though there was a special Writ for the Convocation yet this might at first have been continued in the Bishops Writ by the neglect of a Clark and from thence be still used So that it seems to me most probable that the Proctors of the Clergy were both in England and Ireland the lower House of Convocation Now before the Submission which the Clergy made to King Henry as the Convocation gave the King great Subsidies so the whole business of Religion lay within their Sphere But after the Submission they were cut off from medling with it except as they were authorized by the King So that having now so little power left them it is no wonder they desired to be put in the state they had been in before the Convocation was separated from the Parliament or at least that Matters of Religion should not be determined till they had been consulted and had reported their Opinions and Reasons The Extreme of raising the Ecclesiastical Power too high in the Times of Popery had now produced another of depressing it too much For seldom is the Counterpoise so justly ballanced that Extremes are reduced to a well-tempered Mediocrity For the third Petition it was resolved that many Bishops and Divines should be sent to Windsor to labour in the Matter of the Church-Service But that required so much consideration that they could not enter on it during a Session of Parliament And for the fourth what Answer was given to it doth not appear On the 29th of November a Declaration was sent down from the Bishops concerning the Sacraments being to be received in both kinds To which Jo. Tyler the Prolocutor and several others set their Hands and being again brought before them it was agreed to by all without a contradictory Vote 64 being present among whom I find Polidore Virgil was one And on the 17th of December the Proposition concerning the Marriage of the Clergy was also sent to them and subscribed by 35 affirmatively and by 14 negatively so it was ordered that a Bill should be drawn concerning it I shall not here digress to give an account of what was alledged for or against this reserving that to its proper place when the thing was finally setled And this is all the account I could recover of this Convocation I have chiefly gathered it from some Notes and other Papers of the then Dr. Parker afterwards Arch-bishop of Canterbury which are carefully preserved with his other MSS. in Corpus Christi Colledge Library at Cambridge To which Library I had free access by the favour of the most learned Master Dr. Spencer with the other Worthy Fellows of that House and from thence I collected many remarkable things in this History The Parliament being brought to so good a Conclusion the Protector took out a new Commission in which all the Addition that is made to that Authority he formerly had is that in his absence he is empow'red to substitute another to whom he might delegate his Power The state of Affairs in Germany And thus this Year ended in England but as they were carrying on the Reformation here it was declining apace in Germany The Duke of Saxe and the Landgrave were this Year to command their Armies apart The Duke of Saxe kept within his own Country but having there unfortunately divided his Forces the Emperor overtook him near the Alb at Mulberg where the Emperors Soldiers crossing the River and pursuing him with great fury after some resistance in which he himself performed all that could be expected from so great a Captain was taken Prisoner 1547. Apr. 24. Duke of Saxe taken and his Country all possessed by Maurice who was now to be invested with the Electoral Dignity He bore his misfortunes with a greatness and equality of mind that is scarce to be parallel'd in History Neither could the insolence with which the Emperor treated him nor the fears of death to which he adjudged him nor that tedious imprisonment which he suffered so long ever shake or disorder a Mind that was raised so far above the inconstancies of Humane Affairs And though he was forced to submit to the hardest Conditions possible of renouncing his Dignity and Dominions some few Places being only reserved for his Family yet no Entreaties nor Fears could ever bring him to yield any thing in Matters of Religion He made the Bible his chief Companion and Comfort in his sharp Afflictions which he bore so as if he had been raised up to that end to let the World see how much he was above it It seemed unimitable and therefore engaged Thuanus with the other
certainly end in another War with France he durst not any more go from Court and march himself at the Head of the Army and leave the King to the Practices of his Brother There were also great discontents in England many were offended with the Changes made in Religion the Commons complained generally of oppression and of the enclosing of Grounds of which the sad effects broke out next Year He began to labour under the envy of the Nobility the Clergy were almost all displeased with him and the state of Affairs in Germany made it necessary to joyn with the King of France against the Emperour All this made him very desirous of such a Peace with Scotland as might at least preserve the Queen from being disposed of for Ten Years In that time by Treaty and Pensions they might hope to gain their ends more certainly than by a War which only inflamed the Scots against them according to the witty Saying of one of the Scots who being asked what he thought of the Match with England said he knew not how he should like the Marriage but he was sure he did not like the way of wooing On the other hand the French pressed the Scots to send their young Queen into France in the Ships that had brought over their Forces who should be married to the Dolphin and then they might depend on the Protection of France Many were for accepting the Proposition from England particularly all those who secretly favoured the Reformation they thought it would give them present quiet and free them from all the distractions which they either felt or might apprehend from a lasting War with so powerful an Enemy whereas the sending away of their Queen would put them out of a capacity of obtaining a Peace if the War this year proved as unsuccessful as it was the last and the defence they had from France was almost as bad as the Invasions of the English for the French were very insolent and committed great disorders But all the Clergy were so apprehensive of their ruine by the Marriage with England that they never judged themselves safe till the thing was out of their power by the sending their Queen into France And it was said that when once the English saw the hopes of the Marriage irrecoverably lost they would soon grow weary of the War for then the King of France would engage in the defence of Scotland with his whole Force so that nothing would keep up the War so much as having their Queen still among them To this many of the Nobility yielded being corrupted by Money from France and the Governour consented to it for which he was to be made Duke of Chastelherault in France The Scotish Queen is sent to France and to have an Estate of 12000 Livres a year And so it was agreed to send their Queen away This being gained the French Ships set sail to Sea as if they had been to return to France but sailed round Scotland by the Isles of Orkney and came into Dunbriton Frith near to which the Queen was kept in Dunbriton Castle and receiving her from thence August Queen of Scots sent into France with an Honourable Convoy that was sent to attend on her they carried her over to Britaigne in France and so by easie Journeys she was brought to Court where her Unkles received her with great joy hoping by her means to raise and establish their Fortunes in France In the mean time the Siege of Hadingtoun The Siege of Hadingtoun was carried on with great valour on both sides The French were astonished at the courage the nimbleness and labours of the Scotch Highlanders who were half naked Thuanus but capable of great hardships and run used to on with marvellous swiftness In one Sally which the Besieged made one of those got an English Man on his Shoulders and carried him away with that quickness that nothing could stop him and though the English Man bit him so in the Neck that as soon as he had brought him into the Camp he himself fell down as dead yet he carried him off for which he was nobly rewarded by Dessie The English defended themselves no less couragiously and though a Recruit of about 1000 Foot and 300 Horse that was sent from Berwick led by Sir Robert Bowes and Sir Tho. Palmer was so fatally intercepted that they were almost all to a Man killed yet they lost no Heart Another Party of about 300 escaped the Ambush laid for them and got into the Town with a great deal of Ammunition and Provisions of which the Besieged were come to be in want But at the same time both Home Castle and Fascastle were lost The former was taken by treachery for some coming in as deserters seeming to be very zealous for the English quarrel and being too much trusted by the Governour and going often out to bring intelligence gave the Lord Home notice that on that side where the Rock was the English kept no good Watches trusting to the steepness of the Place so they agreed that some should come and climb the Rock to whom they should give assistance which was accordingly done and so it was surprized in the night The Governour of Fascastle had summoned the Country People to bring him in Provisions upon which by a common Stratagem Soldiers coming as Country-men threw down their Carriages at the Gates and fell on the Sentinels and so the Signal being given some that lay concealed near at hand came in time to assist them and took the Castle The Protector till the Army was gathered together A Fleet sent against Scotland sent a Fleet of Ships to disturb the Scots by the descents they should make in divers places and his Brother being Admiral he commanded him to go to his charge He landed first in Fife at St. Minins but there the Queens natural Brother James afterwards Earl of Murray and Regent of Scotland gathered the Country People together and made Head against them The English were 1200 and had brought their Canon to Land but the Scots charged them so home that they forced them to their Ships Many were drowned and many killed the Scots reckoned the number of the slain to be 600 and a hundred Prisoners taken The next descent they made was no more prosperous to them For landing in the night at Mountrose Aerskin of Dun gathered the Country together and divided them in three Bodies ordering one to appear soon after the former had engaged the Enemy seeing a second But was not successful and a third Body come against them apprehending greater numbers run back to their Ships but with so much loss that of 800 who had landed the third Man got not safe to the Ships again So the Admiral returned having got nothing but loss and disgrace by the Expedition But now the English Army came into Scotland commanded by the Earl of Shrewsbury though both the Scotch Writers and Thuanus say
consent This could not come in time to Rome vvhereon the 23d of that month Caraffa vvas chosen Pope who was called Paul the Fourth Paul the 4th chosen Pope and vvho vvas as different from his Predecessor as any Man could be He had put on an appearance of great strictness before and had set up a Religious Order of Monks called Theatines But upon his coming to the Popedom he put on the greatest Magnificence possible and was the highest Spirited and bloodiest Pope that had been since Julius the Second's Time He took it for a great Honour that on the day of his Election the English Ambassadors entred Rome The English Embassadors come to Rome with a great Train of 140 Horse of their own Attendants On the 23 of June in the first Consistory after he was Crowned they were heard They fell prostrate at his Feet and acknowledged the Steps and Faults of their Schism enumerating them all for so the Pope had ordered it confessing they had been ungrateful for the many Benefits they had received from that Church and humbly asking pardon for them The Pope held some Consultation whether he should receive them since in their Credentials the Queen stiled her self Queen of Ireland that Title being assumed by King Henry in the Time of Schism It seemed hard to use such Ambassadors ill but on the other hand he stood upon his Dignity and thought it belonged only to his See to erect Kingdoms therefore he resolved so to temper the Matter that he should not take notice of that Title but should bestow it as a Mark of his Favour So on the 7th of June he did in private erect Ireland into a Kingdom and conferred that Title on the King and Queen and told them that otherwise he would not suffer them to use it in their Publick Audience And it is probable it was the Contest about this that made the Audience be delaied almost a month after their Arrival This being adjusted he received the Ambassadors graciously and pardoned the whole Nation and said That in Token of his esteem of the King and Queen he gave them the Title of the Kingdom of Ireland by that Supream Power which he had from God who had placed him over all Kingdoms to supplant the Contumacious and to build new ones But in his private Discourses with the Ambassadors he complained that the Church-Lands were not restored which he said was by no means to be endured The P. presses the restoring of the Church Lands for they must render all back to the last farthing since they belonged to God and could not be kept without their incurring Damnation He said he would do any thing in his power to gratifie the King and Queen but in this his Authority was not so large as to prophane the things dedicated to God This would be an Anathema and a Contagion on the Nation which would bring after it many Miseries History of the Council of Trent therefore he required them to write effectually about it he repeated this to them every time he spake to them and told them also that the Peter-pence must be paid in England and that he would send a Collector to raise it he himself had been imployed in that office when he was young and he said he was much edified to see the forwardness of the People especially those of the meaner sort in paying it and told them they must not expect S. Peter would open Heaven to them so long as they usurped his Goods on Earth The Ambassadors seeing the Pope's haughty temper that he could endure no contradiction answered him with great submission and so gained his Favour much but knew well that these things could not be easily effected and the Viscount Montacute was too deeply concerned in the matter himself to sollicit it hard for almost his whole Estate consisted of Abby Lands Thus was this business rather laid over than fully setled But now to return to the Affairs in England Instructions sent to the Justices for earching after all susâ—ected of Heresie There came Complaints from all places that the Justices of Peace were remiss in the matters of Religion and particularly in Norfolk that these things were ill looked to So Instructions were sent thither which will be found in the Collections requiring the Justices to divide themselves into ten or twelve Districts that they might more narrowly look into all particulars Collect. Numb 19. that they should encourage the Preachers sent to instruct that County and turn out such as did not come to Church or conform in all things but chiefly the Preachers of Heresie that the Justices and their Families should be good examples to the rest that they should have one or two in every Parish to be secretly instructed for giving information of every thing in it and should look strictly to all vagabonds that wandred about and to such as spread false reports This was thought to have so much of the Inquisition in it that it was imputed to the Counsels of the Spaniards And they seem'd to have taken their pattern from the base Practices of those called Delatores that are set out by Tacitus as the greatest abuse of Power that ever was practised by the ill Emperors that succeeded Augustus who going into all companies and complying with what might be acceptable to them engaged Men into discourses against the State and then gave such Informations against them which without their discovering themselves by being brought to prove them were made use of to the ruin of the accused Persons This was certainly very contrary to the freedom of the English temper and helpt to alienate them the more from the Spaniards But it may be easily imagined that others were weary of severities when Bonner himself grew averse to them He complained Bonner grows unwilling to persecute any more that the matter was turned over upon him the rest looking on and leaving the execution of these Laws wholly to him So when the Justices and Sheriffs sent up Hereticks to him 1554. But is required to proceed by the King and Queen he sent them back and refused to meddle further Upon which the King and Qâ—een writ to him on the 24th of May complaining of this and admonished him to have from henceforth more regard to the Office of a good Pastor and Bishop and when such Offenders were brought to him to endeavour to remove them from their Errors or if they were obstinate to proceed against them according to Law This Letter he caused to be put in his Register from whence I copied it and have placed it in the Collections Coll. Number 20. Whether he procured this himself for a colour to excuse his Proceedings or whether it was sent to him by reason of his slackness is not certain but the latter is more probable for he had burnt none during five weeks but he soon redeemed that loss of time The Queens delivery is expected
He protested to Cranmer that it was the most sorrowfull Action of his whole Life and acknowledged the great Love and Friendship that had been between them and that no Earthly Consideration but the Queen's Command could have induced him to come and do what they were then about He shed so many Tears that oft he stopt and could not go on in his discourse for the abundance of them But Cranmer said his Degradation was no trouble to him at all he reckoned himself as long ago cut off from all dependance and communion with the See Rome so their doing it now with so much Pageantry did not much affect him only he put in an Appeal from the Pope to the next free General Council he said he was cited to Rome but all the while kept a Prisoner so there was no reason to proceed against him in his absence since he was willing to have gone thither and defended his Doctrine he also denied any authority the Pope had over him He is degraded or in England and therefore appealed from his Sentence But notwithstanding that he was degraded and all that ludicrous Attire was taken piece after piece from him according to the Ceremonies of Degradation which are in use in the Church of Rome But there were new Engines contrived against him Many had been sent to confer with him both English and Spanish Divines to perswade him to recant he was put in hopes of Life and Preferment again and removed out of Prison to the Dean's Lodgings at Christ-Church where all the Arguments that could be invented were made use of to turn him from his former perswasion And in conclusion as St. Peter himself had with Curses denied his Saviour so he who had resisted now almost three years was at last overcome and human infirmity the fears of Death and the hopes that were given him prevailed with him to set his Hand to a Paper He recants renouncing all the Errors of Luther and Zwinglius acknowledging the Pope's Supremacy the seven Sacraments the Corporal Presence in the Eucharist Purgatory Prayer for departed Souls the Invocation of Saints to which was added his being sorry for his former Errors and concluded exhorting all that had been deceived by his Example or Doctrine to return to the unity of the Church and protesting that he had signed it willingly only for the discharge of his own Conscience Fox and other later Writers from him have said that one reason of this Compliance was that he might have time to finish his Answer to Gardiner's Book against that which he had written concerning the Sacrament and Fox has printed the Letter which he avouches to prove this by But the good Man it seems read the Letter very carelesly for Cranmer says no such thing in it but only that he had appealed to the next General Council to try if that could procure him a longer delay in which he might have time to finish his Book and between these two there is a great difference How long this was signed before his Execution I find it no where marked for there is no Date put to his Subscription Cranmer's Recantation was presently printed and occasioned almost equally great Insultings on the one hand and Dejection on the other But the Queen was not at all wrought on by it and was now forced to discover that her private Resentments governed her in this matter which before she had disowned She was resolved he should be made a Sacrifice for giving the Judgment of Divorce in her Mother's Marriage and tho hitherto she had pretended only Zeal for Religion yet now when that could be no more alleaged yet she persisted in her Resolution of having him burnt She said since he had bin the great Promoter of Heresy that had corrupted the whole Nation that must not serve his turn which would be sufficient in other cases It was good for his own Soul and might do good to others that he repented but yet she ordered the Sentence to be executed The Writ went out the 24th of February Coll. Num. 28. which will be found in the Collection Heath took care not only to enroll the Writ but the Warrant sent to him for issuing it which is not ordinary It 's like he did it to leave it on Record to Posterity that he did it not in course as he did other Writs but had a special Order from the Queen for it The long time that passed between the date of the Writ and the execution of it makes it probable that he made the formerly mentioned Recantation after the Writ was brought down and that the fears of Death then before his Eyes did so far work on him that he signed the Writing but when the second Order was sent down to execute the former he was dealt with to renew his Subscription and then to write the whole over again which he also did all this time being under some small hopes of Life but conceiving likewise some jealousies that they might burn him he writ secretly a Paper containing a sincere Confession of his Faith such as flowed from his Conscience and not from his weak fears and being brought out he carried that along with him He was carried to S. Maries and set on a place raised higher for him to be more conspicuously seen Cole Provost of Eaton preached he ran out in his Sermon on the Mercy and Justice of God which two Attributes do not oppose or justle out one another he applied this to Princes that were Gods on Earth who must be just as well as mercifull and therefore they had appointed Cranmer that day to suffer he said it was he that had dissolved the Marriage between the Queen's Father and Mother had driven out the Pope's Authority had been the fountain of all the Heresies in England and since the Bishop of Rochester and Sir Tho. More had suffered for the Church it was meet that others should suffer for Heresy and as the Duke of Northumberland had suffered in More 's room so there was no other Clergyman that was equal or fit to be ballanced with Fisher but he Then he turned to Cranmer and magnified his Conversion which he said was the immediate Hand of God that none of their Arguments had done it but the inward working of God's Spirit He gave him great hopes of Heaven and assured him there should be Dirges and Masses said for his Soul in all the Churches in Oxford All this while Cranmer expressed great inward confusion lifting up his Eyes often to Heaven and then letting them fall downward as one ashamed of himself and he often poured out floods of tears In the end when Cole bid him declare his Faith he first prayed with many moving expressions of deep remorse and inward horror Then he made his Exhortation to the People First Not to love or set their hearts on the things of the World to obey the King and Queen out of conscience to God to live in
when they were proceeding so severely against Men for their Opinions to spare one that was guilty of so foul a Murder killing both Father and Son at the same time But it is strange that neither his Quality nor his former zeal for Popery could procure a change of the Sentence from the more infamous way of hanging to beheading which had been generally used to Persons of his Quality It has been said and it passes for a Maxim of Law That though in Judgments of Treason the King can order the Execution to be by cutting off the Head since it being a part of the Sentence that the Head shall be severed from the Body the King may in that Case remit all the other parts of the Sentence except that yet in Felonies the Sentence must be Executed in the way prescribed by Law and that if the King should order beheading in stead of hanging it would be Murder in the Sheriff and those that Execute it So that in such a Case they must have a Pardon under the Great Seal for killing a Man unlawfully But this seems to be taken up without good Grounds and against clear Precedents For in the former Reign the Duke of Somerset though condemned for Felony yet was beheaded And in the Reign of King Charles the first the Lord Audley being likewise condemned for Felony all the Judges delivered their Opinons that the King might change the Execution from hanging to beheading which was done and was not afterwards questioned So it seems the hanging the Lord Stourton flowed not from any scruple as to the Queens Power of doing it lawfully but that on this occasion she resolved to give a publick Demonstration of her Justice and Horror at so cruel a Murder and therefore she left him to the Law without taking any further care of him On the last of February he was sent from London with a Letter to the Sheriff of Wilt-shire to receive his Body and execute the Sentence given against him and his Servants which was accordingly done as has been already shewn Upon this the Papists took great advantage to commend the strictness and impartiality of the Queens Justice that would not spare so zealous a Catholick when guilty of so foul a Murder It was also said That the killing of Mens Bodies was a much less crime than the killing of Souls which was done by the Propagators of Heresie and therefore if the Queen did thus execute Justice on a Friend for that which was a lesser degree of Murder they who were her Enemies and guilty of higher Crimes were to look for no mercy Indeed as the Poor Protestants looked for none so they met with very little but what the Cardinal shewed them and he was now brought under trouble himself for favouring them too much it being that which the Pope made use of to cover his malice against him Now the War had again broken out between France and Spain and the King studied to engage the English to his assistance The Queen had often complained to the French Court that the Fugitives who left her Kingdom had been well entertained in France She understood that the practises of Wiat and of her other rebellious Subjects were encouraged from thence particularly of Ashton who went often between the two Kingdoms and had made use of the Lady Elizabeths Name to raise Seditions as will appear by a Letter that is in the Collection Collection Number 34. which some of the Council writ to one that attended that Princess She was indeed the more strictly kept and worse used upon that occasion But besides it so happened that this Year one Stafford had gone into France and gathered some of the English Fugitives together and with Money and Ships that were secretly given him by that Court had come and seized on the Castle of Scarborough from whence he published a Manifesto against the Queen that by bringing in the Spaniards she had fallen from her Right to the Kingdom of which he declared himself Protector The Earl of Westmorland took the Castle on the last of April and Stafford with three of his Complices being taken suffered as Traitors on the 28th of May. The Queen becomes jealous of the French His coming out of France added much to the Jealousie though the French King disowned that he had given him any assistance But Dr. Wotton who was then Ambassador there resolved to give the Queen a more certain discovery of the inclinations of the French that so he might engage her in the War as was desired by Philip He therefore caused a Nephew of his own to come out of England whom when he had secretly instructed he ordered him to desire to be admitted to speak with the French King pretending that he was sent from some that were discontented in England and desired the French Protection But the King would not see him till he had first spoken with the Constable So Wotton was brought to the Constable and Melvill from whose Memoirs I draw this was called to interpret The young man first offered him the Service of many in England that partly upon the account of Religion partly for the hatred they bore the Spaniards were ready if assisted by France to make stirs there The Constable received and answered this but coldly and said He did not see what Service they could do his Master in it Upon which he replied They would put Calais into his Hands The Constable not suspecting a Trick started at that and shewed great joy at the Proposition but desired to know how it might be effected Young Wotton told him there were a thousand Protestants in it and gave him a long formal Project of the way of taking it with which the Constable seemed pleased and had much discourse with him about it he promised him great Rewards and gave him directions how to proceed in the Design So the Ambassador having found out what he had designed to discover sent his Nephew over to the Queen who was thereupon satisfied that the French were resolved to begin with her if they found an opportunity Her Husband King Philip finding it was not so easie by Letters or Messages to draw her into the War came over himself about the 20th of May and stayed with her till the beginning of July And denounces War In that time he prevailed so far with her and the Council that she sent over a Herauld with a formal Denunciation of War who made it at Rhemes where the King then was on the seventh of June Soon after she sent over 8000 Men under the Command of the Earl of Pembroke to joyn the Spanish Army that consisting of near 50000 Men sate down before St. Quintin The Constable was sent to raise the Siege with a great Force and all the chief Nobility of France When the two Armies were in view of one another The great defeat given the French at St. Quintin the Constable intended to draw back his Army but by
her he told her Ambassador that the French had offered him full satisfaction in all his own concerns so that the Peace was hindered only by the Consideration of Calais and therefore unless the English would enter into a League with him for keeping up the War six years longer he must submit to the necessity of his Affairs The Queen perceiving that she was to expect no more assistance from the Spaniard who was so much engaged to the old Superstition that he would enter into no strict League with any whom he accounted an Heretick was willing to listen to the Messages that were sent her from France by the Constable and others inducing her to agree to a Peace She on the other hand complained that the Queen of Scotland and her Husband in her Right had assumed the Title and Arms of England It was answered That was done as the younger Brothers in Germany carried the Title of the great Families from whence they were descended and for Titles the Queen of England had little reason to quarrel about that since she carried the Title and gave the Arms of France A Peace with France agreed to The Queen and her Council saw it was impossible for her to carry on the War with France alone The laying heavy Impositions on her Subjects in the beginning of her Reign might render her very ingrateful to the Nation who loved not to be charged with many Subsidies and when the War should produce nothing but some Wasts on the French Coasts which was all that could be expected since it was unreasonable to look for the Recovery of Calais it might turn all the Joy they were now in at her coming to the Crown into as general a discontent It was the ruine of the Duke of Somerset that he had engaged in a War in the beginning of King Edwards Reign when he was making Changes in Religion at home therefore it was necessary to yield to the necessity of the time especially since the loss of Calais was no reproach on the Queen but on her Sister so it was resolved on to make a general Peace that being at quiet with their Neighbours they might with the less danger apply themselves to the correcting what was amiss in England both in Religion and the Civil Government At length a Peace was made on these terms That there should be free Commerce between the Kingdoms of England France and Scotland the French should keep Calais for eight years and at the end of that time should deliver it to the English and if it were not then delivered they should pay to the English 500000 Crowns for which they should give good security by Merchants that lived in other Parts and give Hostages till the Security were given but if during these years the Queen made War on France or Scotland she was to lose her Right to that Town or if the French or Scots made War on her Calais should be presently restored to which she was still to reserve her Right Aymouth in Scotland was to be razed and a Commission was to be sent down to some of both Kingdoms to agree all lesser differences On these terms a Peace was made and proclaimed between those Crowns to which many of the English that did not apprehend what the charge of a War for the regaining of Calais would have amounted to were very averse thinking it highly dishonourable that they whose Ancestors had made such Conquests in France should be now beaten out of the only remainder that they had on the Continent and thus make a Peace by which it was in effect parted with for ever For all these Conditions about restoring it were understood to be only for palliating so Inglorious a business But the Reformed cast the blame of this on the Papists and some moved that all the late Queens Council should be questioned for their Misgovernment in that Particular for it was thought nothing would make them so odious to the Nation as the charging that on them They on the other hand did cast the blame of it on the Lord Wentworth that had been Governour of Calais and was now professedly one of the Reformed and had been very gentle to these of that Perswasion during his Government But he put himself on a Trial by his Peers which he underwent on the 22d of April and there did so clear himself that he was by the Judgment of the Peers acquitted The Queens Government being thus quieted abroad The Proceedings of the Parliament she was thereby at more leisure to do things at home The first Bill that was put into the House of Lords to try their affections and disposition to a Change in the matters of Religion was that for the Restitution of the Tenths and First Fruits to the Crown It was agreed to by the Lords on the fourth of February having been put in the 30th of January and was the first Bill that was read the Arch-bishop of York the Bishops of London Worcester Landaffe Litchfield Exeter Chester and Carlisle protested against it these were all of that Order that were at the Session except the Bishops of Winchester Lincoln Ely and the Abbot of Westminster who it seems were occasionally absent On the sixth of February it was sent down to the Commons to which they readily agreed and so it had the Royal Assent By it not only the Tenths and First Fruits were again restored to the Crown but also all Impropriated Benefices which had been surrendred up by Queen Mary They address to the Queen for her marrying But the Commons reflecting on the Miseries in which they had been lately involved by Queen Maries Marriage had much debate about an Address to the Queen to induce her to marry On the fourth of February it was argued in the House of Commons and on the sixth the Speaker with the Privy-Counsellors of the House and thirty Members more were sent with their desires to the Queen They expressed the affections of the Nation to her and said That if they could hope she might be Immortal they would rest satisfied but that being a vain Imagination they earnestly besought her to choose such a Husband as might make the Nation and her self happy and by the blessing of God bring such Issue as might Reign after her death which they prayed God might be very late The Queens Answer She said She looked on that as an expression both of their affection and respect since they had neither limited Time nor Place She declared that she had hitherto lived in a single state with great satisfaction and had neither entertained some Honourable Propositions which the Lord Treasurer knew had been made to her in her Brothers time nor had been moved by the fears of death that she was in while she was under her Sisters displeasure of which she would say little for though she knew or might justly suspect by whose means it was yet she would not utter it nor would she charge it
Soveraign Lord King Edward the 6th by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and in Earth of the Church of England and also of Ireland the Supream Head And have likewise for more ample testimony of this our Opinion of and upon the Premisses put and subscribed our Names to this present Duplicate of the same here asserted in this present Act of this 6th day of the month of March accordingly Number 6. The Duke of Somerset's Commission to be Protector Ex Libro Concilii Fol. 62. EDward the 6th by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and also of Ireland in Earth the Supream Head Whereas our Council and divers of the Nobles and Prelats of this our Realm of England considering Our young and tender Age have thought meet and expedient as well for Our Education and bringing up in Knowledg Learning and Exercises of Good and Godly Manners Vertues and Qualities meet and necessary for a Prince of Our Estate and whereby We should and may at Our full Age be the more able to minister and execute the Charge of our Kingly Estate and Office committed unto Us by the Goodness of Almighty God and left and come unto Us by right Inheritance after and by the decease of Our late Soveraign Lord and Father of most famous Memory King Henry the 8th whose Soul God pardon As also to the intent that during the time of our Minority the great and weighty Causes of our Realms and Dominions may be set forth conducted passed applied and ordered in such sort as shall be most to the Glory of God our Surety and Honour and for the Weal Benefit and Commodity of Us Our said Realms and Dominions and of all Our loving Subjects of the same have advised Us to nominate appoint and authorize some one meet and trusty Personage above all others to take the special Care and Charge of the same for Us and in our Name and Behalf without the which the things before remembred could not nor can be done so well as appertaineth We therefore using their Advices and Counsels in this behalf did heretofore assign and appoint our dear and well-beloved Uncle Edward now Duke of Somerset Governour of our Person and Protector of Our said Realms and Dominions and of our Subjects and People of the same Which thing albeit We have already declared heretofore and our Pleasure therein published by Word of our Mouth in the presence of Our said Council Nobles and Prelats of Our said Realm of England and not by any Writing set forth under Our Seal for that only purpose Yet for a more perfect and manifest knowledg and further corroboration and understanding of Our determination in that behalf and considering that no manner of Person is so meet to have and occupy the said Charge and Administration and to do Us service in the same as is Our said Uncle Edward Duke of Somerset eldest Brother to our Natural most gracious late Mother Queen Jane as well for the proximity of Blood whereby he is the more stirred to have special eye and regard to our Surety and good Education in this Our said Minority as also for the long and great experience which Our said Uncle hath had in the Life-time of Our said dear Father in the Affairs of our said Realm and Dominions both in time of Peace and War whereby he is more able to Order and Rule Our said Realms Dominions and Subjects of the same and for the special confidence and trust that We have in Our said Uncle as well with the Advice and Consent of our Council and other our Nobles and Prelats as also of divers discreet and sage Men that served Our said late Father in his Council and weighty Affairs We therefore by these Presents do not only ratify approve confirm and allow all and every thing and things whatsoever devised or set forth committed or done by Our said Uncle as Governor of our Person and Protector of our said Realms and Dominions and of the Subjects of the same sith the time he was by Us named appointed and ordained by Word Governor of our Person and Protector of Our said Realms and Dominions and of the Subjects of the same as is aforesaid or otherwise any time before sithence the death of Our said late Father But also by these Presents We for a full and perfect Declaration of the Authority of Our said Uncle given and appointed as aforesaid do nominate appoint and ordain Our said Uncle Governor of Our said Person and Protector of Our said Realms and Dominions and of the Subjects of the same until such time as We shall have by the sufferance of God accomplished the Age of eighteen Years And We also do grant to Our said Uncle by these Presents full Power and Authority from time to time until such time as We shall have accomplished the said Age of eighteen Years to do procure and execute and cause to be done procured and executed all and every such Thing and Things Act and Acts which a Governor of the King's Person of this Realm during his Minority and a Protector of his Realms Dominions and Subjects ought to do procure and execute or cause to be done procured and executed and also all and every other thing and things which to the Office of a Governor of a King of the Realm during his Minority and of a Protector of his Realms Dominions and Subjects in any wise appertaineth or belongeth Willing Authorising and Commanding Our said Uncle by these Presents to take upon him the Name Title and Authority of Governor of our Person and Protector of our Realms Dominions and Subjects and to do procure and execute and cause to be done procured and executed from time to time until We shall have accomplished the said Age of eighteen Years all and every Thing and Things Act and Acts of what Nature Quality or Effect soever they be or shall be concerning our Affairs Doings and Proceedings both Private and Publick as well in Outward and Forreign Causes and Matters as also concerning our Affairs Doings and Proceedings within Our said Realms and Dominions or in any of them or concerning any Manner Causes or Matters of any of our Subjects of the same in such like manner and form as shall be thought by his Wisdom and Discretion to be for the Honour Surety Prosperity good Order Wealth or Commodity of Us or of any of Our said Realms and Dominions or of the Subjects of any of the same And to the intent Our said Uncle should be furnished with Men qualified in Wit Knowledg and Experience for his Aid and Assistance in the managing and accomplishment of Our said Affairs We have by the Advice and Consent of Our said Uncle and others the Nobles Prelats and wise Men of Our said Realm of England chosen taken and accepted and by these Presents do chuse take accept