the like whereof had not been known in former Ages should not be drawn into Example In her fortieth yeer in a Parliament at Westminster were granted her by the Clergy three entire Subsidies and by the Laity as many with six fifteenths and Tenths In her two and fortieth yeer to furnish her self with money towards the Irish War she delegated certain Commissioners to confirm the Crown Lands to the possessors that held any of controverted Titles and to take money for the Confirmation thereby to take away the troubles by concealers who at this time were very busie Of her LAVVS and ORDINANCES IN a Parliament holden in her first yeer an Act was made That every person should go to Divine Service upon Sundayes and Holy-dayes or else pay twelve pence to the poor Also it was enacted That Bishops should not let the Lands of the Church longer then for one and twenty yeers or three Lives except to the Queen or her Successors In her third yeer Proclamation was made That the Teston coyned for twelve pence and in the Raign of King Edward embased to six pence should not be currant but for four pence the Groat but for two pence and the piece of two pence but for a penny And not long after all the said base Moneyes were called in and fine Sterling money was allowed for them after the Rate For Ireland also she coyned Sterling money where nine pence in England went for twelve pence there The Queen was the first that brought certain Counties to deliver Provision at a certain rate that so they might be freed from the Purveyors Also the first that granted allowance to Judges for their Circuit In her sixth yeer in a Parliament then holden it was made Treason to refuse taking the Oath of Supremacy yet with this limitation That by it the blood should not be dishonoured nor goods confiscate nor the Oath to be required of any Baron of the Kingdom Also this yeer by a Common Councell in London It was enacted That all such Citizens as from thenceforth should be constrained to sell their houshold-stuff Leases of houses or such like should first cause the same to be cried thorow the City by a man with a Bell and then to be sold by the common Outcryer appointed for that purpose and he to receive one farthing upon the shilling for his pains In her three and twentieth yeer she represseth by Proclamation excesse in apparell Gold Chayns and Clokes which men wore down to their heels The length of Swords was limitted to three Foot and Daggers to twelve Inches besides the Hilts. Buildings likewise in the Suburbs were restrained In-mates forbidden and expresse charge set forth That no dwelling house should be new built within three miles of any of the City Gates under pain of imprisonment and losse of the materialls In her time was set on foot by Sir Thomas Smith the Law made for the serving of Colledges with provision to the great benefit of those Scholasticall Societies In her two and fortieth yeer she setteth forth Proclamations against the Transportation of Gold or Silver wrought or unwrought according to the former Acts of Parliament in that case provided This yeer also she founded the Company of the East India Merchants and allowed them ample Priviledges In her three and fourtieth yeer all Monopolies are called in by Proclamation In her four and twentieth yeer severe Laws are made against Papists some inflicting death some fine and imprisonment In her eight and twentieth yeer a Proclamation was set forth prohibiting to sow Woâ—d within eight miles of any of the Queens Houses and four miles off any Cities or Towns Corporate AFFAIRS of the CHURCH in her time ON Sunday the first of Ianuary next after the Queens coming to the Crown by vertue of her Proclamation the English Letany was read accordingly as was used in her Graces Chappell in all Churches thorow the City of London and likewise the Epistle and Gospel of the day begun to be read at Masse-time in the English Toâ—gue Also in a Parliament holden in her first yeer the first Fruits and Tenths were restored to the Crown and the Supreme Government over the State Ecclesiasticall and the book of Common-Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments in the English Tongue was restored and by degrees the Protestant Religion was established The Bishops that refused the Oath of Supremacy were all removed and Protestant Bishops placed in their room It was enacted also That all persons should go to Divine Service upon Sundayes and Holy-dayes and a Fine of twelve pence imposed upon every one that should be absent and the same to be given to the poor In her fourth yeer the Queen was solicited by Pope Pius to send her Orators to the Councell of Trent which she refused as not acknowledging it a lawfull Councell In a Parliament holden in her eighth yeer it was enacted and by a generall consent declared That the Election of the Arch-bishops and Bishops in England together with their Consecration Confirmation and Investiture which some persons slanderously called in question was lawfull and Canonicall and that they were rightly and according to the Acts and Statutes of the Kingdom chosen and consecrated In her eleventh yeer there arose in England two contrary factions in Religion on the one side Thomas Harding Nicholas Sanders and other Divines that had fled out of England began to exercise the Episcopall Jurisdiction upon the Queens Subjects which they had derived from the Sea of Rome On the other side Colman Burton Hallingham Benson and other making profession of the pure Religion would allow of nothing but what was directly taken out of the Scriptures openly condemning the received Discipline of the Church of England together with the Church Liturgy and the very Calling of Bishops as savouriâ—g too much of the Romish Religion protesting in the Pulpiâ—s That it was an impious thing to hold any thing common with the Church of Rome and used all diligence to have the Church of England reformed in every point according to the Rule of the Church of Geneva These although the Queen commanded to be committed to prison yet it is incredible how upon a sudden their followers encreased known by the envious name of Puritans This sect so mightily encreased that in her sixteenth yeer the Queen and Kingdom was extremely troubled with some of the Clergy who breathing out nothing but Evangelicall parity cryed down the Ecclesiasticall Form of Government as a thing polluted with Romane drâ—ggs and setting forth Books likewise Intituled The Admonition to the Parliament and the Defence of the Admonition they refused to resort to the Divine Service publikely in use and framed to themselves other Rites Whereupon the Queen to suppresse them whom by no means she liked commanded every where the severity of the Law touching the Uniformity of Common-Prayer to be put in execution and those books upon pain of Imprisonment to be delivered into the hands of the Bishops or some
Church was founded before the Conquest by Ingelricus and Emardus his Brother Cousins to King Edward the Confessour These were this Kings workes of Piety in England but in Normandy he Founded also an Abbey at Caen where his Wife Maude built likewise a Monastery of Nunnes He gave also to the Church of Saint Stephens in Caen two Manors in Dorsetshire one Mannor in Devonshire another in Essex much Land in Barkeshire some in Norfolke a Mansion house in Woodstreete London with many Advowsons of Churches and even he gave his Crowne and Regall Ornaments to the said Church being of his owne Foundation for the redemption whereof his Sonne Henry gave the Manour of Brydeton in Dorsetshire In this Kings time Robert sonne to Hyldebert Laâ—ie Founded the Priory of Ponâ—fraite Henry Earle Ferrers Founded a Priory within his Castle at Tutbury Alwyn Chylde a Citizen of London Founded the Monastery of Saint Saviours at Bermondsey in Southwarke and gave to the Monkes there divers Rents in London Also in this Kings time Mauricâ— Bishop of London after the firing of the former Church of Saint Paul in London began the Foundation of the new Church a worke so admirable that many thought it would never have beene finished Towards the building of the East end whereof the King gave the choyce stones of his Castle at the West end of the City upon the banke of the River Thames which Castle having beene at that time fired in place thereof Edward Kilwarby Arch-bishop of Canterbury did afterwards Found a Monastery of Blacke-fryers The King also gave the Manor of Storford to the same Maurice and to his Successours in that See after whose decease Richard his next Successour bestowed all the Rents of his Bishopricke to advance the building of this Church maintaining himselfe by his private Patrimony and yet all he could doe made no great shew but the finishing of the worke was left to many other succeeding Bishops In the fifteenth yeare of this Kings Raigne William Bishop of Durham Founded University Colledge in Oxford Also one Gylbert a Norman Lord Founded the Abbey of Merton in Surrey seven miles from London and Thomas Arch-bishop of Yorke first builded the Minster of Yorke In this Kings sixteenth yeare his Brother Duke Robert being sent against the Scots builded a Fort where at this day standeth New Castle upon Tyne but the Towne and Walls wâ—re builded afterward by King Iohn Also in this Kings time Ledes Castle in Kent was builded by Creveken and the Castle of Oxford by Robert d' Oylie two Noble men that came into England with him Osmond Bishop of Salisbury built the new Church there Also Waring Earle of Shrewesbury built two Abbeyes one in the Suburbs of Shrewesbury and another at Wenlocke Casualties happening in his time IN the twentyeth yeare of his Raigne so great a fire happened in London that from the West-gate to the East-gate it consumed Houses and Churches all the way and amongst the rest the Church of Saint Paul the most grievous fire that ever happened in that City Also this yeare by reason of distemperature of weather there insued a Famine and afterwards a miserable mortality of Men and Cattell Also this yeare in the Province of Wales upon the Sea shoare was found the body of Gawen sisters sonne to Arthur the great King of the Britaines reported to be foureteene foot in length Also in this Kings time a great Lord â—itting at a Feast was set upon by Mice and though he were removed from Land to Sea and from Sea againe to Land yet the Mice still followed him and at last devoured him Of his Wife and Children HE had to Wiâ—e and her onely Mathilde or Maude Daughter to Baldwyn Earle of Flanders She was Crowned Queene of England the second yeare of his Raigne the seventeenth yeare of his Raigne she dyed a Woman onely memorable for this that nothing memorable is Recorded of her but that she built a Nunnery at Caen in Normandy where she lies Buryed By her he had foure sonnes and fivâ— daughters His Sonnes were Robert Richard William and Henry of whom Robert the eldest called Court-cayse of his short thighes or Court-hose of his short Breeches or Courtois of his courteous behaviour for so many are the Comments upon his name succeeded his Father in the Dutchy of Normandy Richard his second Sonne was kild by mis-fortune hunting in the New-Forest William his third Sonne called Rufus succeeded his Father in the Kingdome of England Henry his youngest Sonne called Beauclerke for his Learning had by his Fathers Will five thousand pounds in money and the inheritance also of his Mother His Daughters were Cicelie Câ—nstance Adela Margaret and Elenor of whom Cicelie was Abbesse of Caen in Normandy Constance was marryed to Alan Earle of Britaine Adela to Stephen Earle of Blois Margaret affianced to Harold King of England but never marryed and dyed young Elenor betroathed to Alphonsus King of Gallitia but desiring to dye a Virgin she had her wish spending her time so much in Prayer that with continuall kneeling her knees were brawned Of his Personage and Conditions HE was but meane of stature yet bigge of body and therewithall so strong that few were able to draw his Bow growing in yeares he was bald before his beard alwayes shaven after the manner of the Normans and where in his younger time he was much given to that infirmity of Youth which grows out of strength of Youth Incontinency after he was once marryed whether out of satiety or out of Grace he was never knowne to offend in that kind Of so perfit health that he was never sicke till that sicknesse whereof he dyed Of a sterne countenance yet of an affable nature In warre as expert as valiant In Peace as provident as prudent and in all his Enterprises as Fortunate as Bold and Hardy Much given to Hunting and Feasting wherein he was no lesse pleasant then magnificent He made no great proficience in Learning as having had his education in the licentiousnesse of the French Court yet he favoured learned men and drew out of Italy Lanfranke Anselme Durand Traherne and divers others famous at that time for Learning and Piety Very devout he was and alwayes held the Clergy in exceeding great Reverence And this is one speciall honour attributed unto him that from him we beginne the Computation of our Kings of England His Places of Residence HIs Christmas he commonly kept at Glocester his Easter at Wiâ—chester and his Whiâ—sontide at Westminster and once in the yeare at one of these places would be new Crowned as though by often putting on his Crowne he thought to make it sit the easier upon his head And for the houses which the Kings of England had in those dayes in London I finde that at Westminster was a Palace the ancient habitation of the Kings of England from the time of Edward the Confessour which in the Raigne of King Henry the Eight was by casuall fire burnt downe
of Acton Burnell In the foureteenth yeare of his Raigne were made the Statutes called Additamenta Glocestriae He ordained such men to be Sheriffes in every County as were of the same County where they were to be Sheriffes He ordained that Iewes should weare a Cognisance upon their upper Garment whereby to be knowne and restrained their excessive taking of Usury In his time was also Enacted the Statute of Mortmaine In his twelfth yeare in the Quindenes of Saint Michael the Justices Itinerants beganne to goe their generall Circuits In his time new pleces of money were coyned and halfe pence of Silver came to be in use which were before of base metall In his time three men for rescuing a prisoner arrested by an Officer had their right hands cut off by the wrists In his time all Iewes were banished out of the Realme This King by Proclamation prohibited the burning of Sea-coale in London and the Suburbs for avoiding the noysome smoake In his eleventh yeare the Bakers of London were first drawne upon Hurdles by Henry Waleys Major and Corne was then first sold by weight In this Kings time the title of Baron which had before beene promiscuous to men of estate was first confined to such onely as by the King were called to have voice in Parliament Affaires of the Church in his time IN his time at a Synod holden at Reading by the Arch-bishop of Câ—nterbury it was ordained according to the Constitutions of the Generall Councell that no Ecclesiasticall person should have more then one Benefice to which belonged the Cure of soules and that every person promoted to any Ecclesiasticall Living should take the Order of Priesthood within one yeare after In his time lived and died Pope Boniface the 8. of whom his Predecessour had Prophesied Ascendes ut Vulpes Regnabis ut Leo Morieris ut Canis Workes of Piety done by him or by others in his time THis King Founded the Abbey of the Vale Royall in Cheshire of the Cisteaux Order In his time Iohn Baylioll King of Scots builded Baylioll Colledge in Oxford also in his time Walter Marton Lord Chancellour of England and after Bishop of Rochester Founded Marton Colledge in Oxford who was drowned passing over the water at Rochester being at that time no Bridge there as now there is In his time was finished the new worke of the Church of Westminster which had bâ—ene threescore and sixe yeares in building In his time was laid the Foundation of the Black-Friers besides Ludgate and of Baynards Castle also in his time his second wife Queene Margaret beganne to build the Quire of the Gray-Friers in London In his time was begunne to be made the great Conduit in London standing against the Church called Acres in Cheape In his time Henry Walleys Major of London caused the Tonne upon Cornhill to be a Prison for night-walkers and also builded a house called the Stocks for a Market of fish and flesh in the midst of the City In this Kings time Edmund Earle of Leycester the Kings brother Founded the Minories a Nunnery without Aldgate This King builded the Castle of Flint in Wales and the Castle of Beaumaris in the I le of Anglesey and the Castle of Carnarvan by Snowdon Also in this Kings time Iohn Peckham Arch-bishop of Canterbury Founded a Colledge of Canons at Wingham in Kent Casualties happening in his time IN the second yeare of this Kings Raigne there happened the greatest rot of Sheepe in England that ever was knowne which continued five and twenty years and came as was thought by one infected Sheepe of incredible greatnesse brought out of Spaine by a French Merchant into Northumberland In the fifteenth yeare of this Kings Raigne Wheate was sold for tenne Groats a Quarter where the next yeare after there was so great a Dearth that it was sold for eighteene pence the Bushell In the seventeenth yeare of his Raigne there fell so much raine that Wheate was raised from three pence the Bushell to sixteene pence and so encreased yearely till at last it was sold for twenty shillings the Quarter And this yeare the City of Carlile and the Abbey with all the houses belonging to the Friers Minors was consumed with fire In his one and twentieth yeare a great part of the Towne of Cambridge with the Church of our Lady was also burnt In the seven and twentieth yeare of his Raigne his Palace at Westminster and the Monastery adjoyning were consumed with fire The Monastery of Glocester also was burnt to the ground In this yeare also an Act of Common Counsell by consent of the King was made concerning victuals a fat Cocke to be sold for three halfe pence two Pullets for three halfe pence a fat Capon for two pence halfe penny a Goose foure pence a Mallard three halfe pence a Partridge three halfe pence a Pheasant foure pence a Hearon sixe pence a Plover one penny a Swanne three shillings â— Crane twelve pence two-Woodcocks three halfe pence a fat Lambe from Christmas to Shrovetide sixteene pence and all the yeare after for foure pence Of his Wives and Children HE had two Wives his first was Eleanor daughter to Ferdinand the third King of Spaine and was married to him at Bâ—res in Spaine who having lived with him sixe and thirty years in a journey with him towards Scotland at Herdeby in Lincolneshire she died in whose memory and as Monuments of her vertue and his affection King Edward caused Crosses with her Statue to be erected in all chiefe places where her Corps in carrying to Westminster rested as at Stamford Dunstable Saint Albons Waltham Cheapside and lastly at the place called Charing Crosse she was buried in Westminster at the feete of King Henry the third under a faire Marble Tombe adorned with her Portraiture of Copper guilt By this wife King Edward had foure sonnes and nine daughters his eldest sonne Iohn his second Henry his third Alphonsus died all young in their Fathers time his fourth sonne Edward called of Carnarvaâ— because borne there succeeded him in the kingdome Of his daughters the eldest named Eleanor was first married by Proxie to Alphonsus King of Arragon but he dying before the marriage solemniâ—ed she was afterward married at Bristow to Henry Earle of Barry in France by whom she had issue sons and daughters Ioane the second daughter of King Edward and Queene Eleanor borne at Acon in the Holy Land was married to Gylbert Clare called the Red Earle of Glocester and Hereford by whom she had issue sonnes and daughters She survived her husband and was re-married to the Lord Ralph Monthermere Father to Margaret the mother of Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury from whom the now Vicount Montacuâ—e is descended Margaret the third daughter of King Edward and Queene Eleanor was married to Iohn Duke of Brabant Berenger and Alice their fourth and fifth daughters dying young and unmarried Mary their sixth daughter at tenne yeares of her age was made a Nunne in the Monastery
of Terwyn where he strongly fortified his Tents with Ordâ—ance and other Warlike defences In which meane time the Captaine of Bulloigne knowing that many of the Garison of Callice were gone with the King thought to take advantage of â—heir absence and do some great exploit upon Callice and therupon with a thousand men came to Newâ—haâ— Bridge and killing the watchmen tooke it but afterward some of his company going to fetch Booties and coming so neere the walls of Callice that they were descried about sixscore Coopers and other Artificers issued forth and driving them back recovered againe Newnham Bridge and took divers of them prisoners especially when the gate of Callice called Bulloign gate was opened that Colepepper the under Marshal with two hundred Archers issued forth and joyned with them The French prisoners were brought to Callice and there sold in open Market amongst others a Cooper of the Town of Callice bought a prisoner that dwelt in Bulloigne and had of the prisoner for his raâ—some a hundred Crowns when the mony was paid the French man prayed the Cooper to see him safe delivered and to conduct him out of danger the Cooper was content and went himselfe alone with the French man till he came beyond the Cawsey and there would have departed but the French man perceiving that the Cooper was aged and that no rescue was nighâ— by force tooke the Cooper prisoner â—â—d caried him to Bulloigne making him pay two hundred Crownes before hâ— was delivered Whilst King Henry lay thus at the siege of Terwyn on the eleventh of Auâ—â—â—â— the Emperour Maximilian was come to Ayre which King Henry understanding went and met him between Ayre and the Campe where with great complements they saluted each other but their complements were broken off by â—â—e extreame foule weather which happened that day the morrow after the Emperour Maximilian came from Ayre to the Kings Campe wearing a Crosse of Saint George as the Kings Souldier and receiving wages of him for service an honour never done to any King of England before and yet was no disparagement to the Emperour for he was royally received and lodged in a Tent of cloath of gold that as no Emperour before had ever been souldier to a King so no souldier before was ever lodged in such a Tent. At this time the City of Terwyn being in some distresse for want of victualls the French King appointed all his horsemen to the number of eight thousand to see victualls by any means convoyed into it the charge of which Convoy was committed to Monsieur De Priennes but King Henry by advise of the Emperour Maximilian had made Bridges to passe his men over the river to the other side of the Towne where was easiest accesse in such sort that when the French Convoy came with their victualls and thought to have entred the Towne they found the English Army there ready to resist them whereupon a fierce battell was fought between them but in conclusion the French were put to flight and fled so fast that from thence it was called the battell of Spurres for that they used more their spurres in running away then theit Launces in fighting In this battell the Duke of Longuevyle the Lord of Clermont Captaine Bayard and others to the number of twelve score were taken prisoners and all brought to the Kings presence with six Standards that were likewise taken After the battell the King made Sir Iohn Pechye Banneret and Iohn Carre Knight who had both of them done great service in this encounter King Henry having obtained this victory against the French horsemen and hindred the Towne of Terwyn from reliefe of victualls and withall plying his battery more fiercely then before made the Townsmen soone fall to desire composition and upon condition that the souldiers might depart with Horse and Armour they yeelded up the Towne into the Kings hands This was done on the eighteenth of August and the Earle of Shrewsbury entred the Towne the same night and set up the Banner of Saint George in the highest place of it in signe of victory and swore all the Townsmen to be true subjects to the King of England The four and twenâ—eth of August the King himselfe entred the Towne and dined in the Bishops Palace where it was resolved that the Walls and Fortifications of Terwyn should be raced and the Towne burnt all but the Cathedrall Church and the Pallace all the Ordnance was sent to Ayre to be kept there to the Kings use After this it was concluded that the King should lay siege to the City of Tourney whereupon he set forward in three battells the Eeale of Shrewsbury led the Vangard the King and the Emperour the Battaile and the Lord Chamberlaine the Reâ—eward In this order the Kings Army marched forwards towards Tourney by the way he went and visited the yong Prince of Castile and the Lady Margaret Governesse of the Prince in the Towne of Lisle where with all Magâ—ificence or rather indeed Reverence he was entertained and after he had staied there three dayes he took his leave and being gone a mile and somewhat more out of the towne he asked where his Campe lay and no man there could tell the way and guide they had none the night was so darke and mystie by chance at last they met with a victualler comming from the Camp who was their guide and conducted them to it By which we may see to what distresse a great Prince may be brought by a little over-sight On the one and twentieth day of September the King removed his Campe towards Tourney and being come within three miles of the towne he sent Garter king of Armes to summon the towne but they though they had but few men of warre amongst them yet stood upon their guard whereupon the King begin it on all sides and made such firce batteries upon it that though it were written on the gates of the towne graven in stone Iamais tu ne as perdu ton Pucellege thou hast never lost thy Maidenhead yet now they were glad to loose it and in conclusion they sent a trumpet to require a Parley and then sued for mercy and yeelded it up and paid ten thousand pounds sterling besides for redemption of their liberties and then Master Thomas VVoolsey the Kings Almoner calling before him all the Citizens yong and old swore them to the King of England the number of whom was fourescore thousand This done the King entred into Tourney and calling into his presence Edward Guildford VVilliam Fitzwilliams Iohn Dansie VVilliam Tyler Iohn Sharpe VVilliam Hussey Iohn Savage Christopher Garnysh and some other valiant Gentlemen he gave to them the order of knighthood and then remembring the great entertainment the Prince of Castile and the Lady Margaret had given him at Lisle he would not be behinde them in such courtesie and thereupon inâ—ited them solemnly to his citie of Tourney whom at their coming he brought into the towne in great
restrained from these Games fell some to drinking some to stealing of Conies and Deere aud such other misdemeanours also in this yeere was an inhauncing of Coyne for preventing the carrying it over to places where it went at higher rate so that the Angell which went before but for seven shillings should now goe for seven and six pence and every ounce of Gold should be five aâ—d forty shillings which was before but forty and other Coynes accordingly In his twentieth yeer Sir Iames Spencer being Major of London the watch used on Mid-somer night was laid downe In his three and thirtieth yeer in a Parliament then holden an Act was made that whosoevet should poyson any person should be boyled to death by which Statute one Richard Roose who had poysoned diverâ—e persons in the Bishop of Rochester place was boyled to death in Smithfield to the terrible example of all other In his two and twentieth yeer three Acts were made one foâ— probate of Testaments another for Mortuaries the third against plurality of benefices Non-Residence buying and taking of Farmes by spirituall persons In his thirtieth yeer it was ordained by Cromwel the Kings Vicar General that in al Churches a Register should be kept of every Weddng Christning and buriall within the same Parish for ever In his one and thirtieth yeer the King first instituted and appointed fifty Gentlemen called Pensioners to waight upon his person assighning to each of them fifty pounds a yeer for the maintainance of thâ—mselvs and two horses in his six and thirtieth yeer Proclamation was made for the inhancing of Gold to eight and fortâ— shillings and silver to foure shillings the ounce also he caused to be coyned base money mingling it with brasse which was since that time called downe the fifth yeere of Edward the sixth and called in the second yeer of Queen Elizibeth In his seven and thirtieth yeer the brothell houses called the Stewes on the Bank-side in Southwarke were pâ—t downe by the Kings Commandement and was done by proclamation and sound of Trumpet In his three and twentieth yeer it was enacted that Butchers should sell their meat by weight Beef for a half-peny the pound and Mutton for three farthings also at this time forraigne Butchers were permitted their flesh in Leadenhall-market which before was not allowed in his time also the Government of the President in the North was first instituted and the first President there was Tunstall Bishop of Durham Affaires of the Church in his time IN the yeer 1517. the eighth yeer of this Kings Reigne Martin Luther of VVittemberg in Germany a Frier of the Order of the Hermisses taking occasion from the abuseâ— of Indulgences began to Preach against the Authority of the Pope and to bring in a Reformation of Religion for repressing of whom the Counsaile of Trent was called by Pope Paul the third in the yeere 1542. which continued above forty yeers but was never received in the Kingdome of Franceâ— which Counsaile by decreeing many things to be poins of faith which were not so accounted before hath made no small distraction amongst Pâ—pists themselves against this Luther King Henry wrote a booke with great bitternesse and with as great bitternesse was answered at the same time with Luther there arose also in the same Country other Reformers of Religion as Zuingliuâ— Occloampadious Melancthon who differing from Luther in some few points made the difference which is at this day of Lutherans and Protestants so called at first Auspurg for making a protestation in defence of their Doctrine which soon after spread all Christendome over King Henry in the sixth and twentieth yeer of his Reigne had excluded the Popes Authority ouâ— of his Realme but thinking the worke not sufficiently done as long as Abbeys and Prioâ—ies kept their station which were as it were his Forteresses and Pillars there wâ—s not long after meâ—nes found to have them suppressed for aspersioâ—s being lâ—id upon them and perhaps no more then truth of Adulteries and Murtherâ— they by Act of Parliâ—ment in his eight and twentieth yeer at lest neere foure hundred of them suppressed and all their lands and goods conferred upon the King In his one and thiâ—tieth yeer all the rest and lastly in his five and thirtinth yeer all Colledgeâ— Chantries and Hospitals so as the hives being now all removed there have never since any Bees or Drones been seen in the Country in this Kings time the Citty of Rome was taken and sacked by the Imperiall Army forcing the Pope to fly to his Castle Saint Angelo and there kept a prisoner till he agreed to such conditions as his Adversaries propounded In the two and twentieth yeere of this Kings reigne a Proclamation was set forth that no person should purchase any thing from the Court of Rome and this was the first blow given to the Pope in England In his three and twentieth yeer the Clergy submitting themselves to the King for being found guilty of a Praemunire were the first that called him supream head of the Church In his foure and twentieth yeere a Parliament was holden wherein one Act was made that Bishops should pay no more Annats or money for their Buls to the Pope and another that no person should appeale for any cause out of this Realm to the Court of Rome but from the Commissary to the Bishop and from the Bishop to the Archbishop and from the Archbishop to the King and all causes of the King to be tried in the upper Hoâ—se of the Convocation In his six and twentieth yeer in Iuly Iohn Frith was burnt in Smithfield aâ—d with him at the same stake one Andrew Howet a Tailor both for denying the Reall presence in the Sacrament and in a Parliament holden tâ—is yeer an Act was made which Authorized the Kings Highnesse to be supreame head of the Church of England and the Authority of the Pope to be abolished and then also was given to the King the first fruits and tenths of all Spirituall livings and this yeer were many put to deaâ—h Papists for denying the Kings Supremecy Protestants for denying the Reall presence in the Sacrament and it is incredible what numbers for thesâ— two causes were put to death in the last ten yeers of this Kings Reign of whom if we should make perticular mention iâ— would reach a great way in the Book of Martyrs in his eight and twentieth yeer the Lord Cromwell was made Viâ—aâ— General under the King over the Spiritualty and sate divers times in the Convocation House amongst the Bishops as head over them and in September thiâ— yeere he set forth injunctions commandiâ—g all Parsons and Curates to â—each their Parishoners the Paâ—er Noster the Aâ—e and Creed with the ten Commandements and Articles of the Christian Fâ—ith in the English tongue Iâ— his one and thirtieth yeer was set forth by the Bishops the Book of the six Articles condemning all for Hereticks and to be burnt that should hold 1. That the body
VERA EFFIGIES EXCELLENTISSIMI PRINCIPIS CAROLI MAG BRITAN FRAN. HIBERNIAE HAEREDIS Viuat ô Viuat Princeps CAROLINUS et Orbi Imperet inÌ„umeris decorans sua sêcla Triumphis Flourish braue Prince out shine thy Glorious Name Triumphant Laurels ever Crowne thy Fame CAROLUS inter Reges ut Lilium inter Flores VEROLAM LINCOâ—â—â— LONDON YORK A ROMAN A SAXON A DANE A NOâ—â—â—â— CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND From the Time of the ROMANS Goverment unto the Raigne of our Soveraigne LORD KING CHARLES Containing all Passages of State Church With all other Observations proper for a CHRONICLE Faithfully Collected out of Authours Ancient and Moderne digested into a new Method By Sr R. Baker Knight LONDON Printed for Daniel Frere and are to be sold at his Shop at the Red Bull in Little Brittaine 1643. To the High and Mighty Prince CHARLES Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornewall Eldest Sonne of our Soveraigne Lord CHARLES King of Great Britaine France and IRELAND SIR THE Dedication of Chronicles hath in all times been thought worthy of the greatest Princes Gulielmus Gemiticensis writ a Chronicle of the Dukes of Normandy and Dedicated it to William the Conquerour Thomas Walsingham writ a Chronicle of the Kings of England and Dedicated it to King Henry the sixth And of late time Sir Francis Bacon Viscount Saint Albans and Lord Chancellour of England writ a History of the Reigne of King Henry the seventh and Dedicated it to Your Royall Grand-Father of blessed memory King Iames For indeed as nothing makes Princes more Illustrious then Learning So no Learning makes them more Judicious then History Other Learning may fill their mindes with knowledge This onely with Judgement And seeing it is Judgement that must sit as President over all their Actions it is fit that History should sit as President over all their Studies History gives an Antedate to Time and brings Experience without gray haires Other Knowledges make You but see Quod antepedes est History is the true perspective Glasse that will make You see things afarre off And though it make not men to become Prophets yet it makes their conjectures to be little lesse then Oraclesâ— But most Illustrious Prince there accrues to your Highnesse by this Chronicle a greater benefit then all this For if it were an Excitation of great force to vertue to have it said Et Pater Aeneas Avunculus excitet Hector of how great Force must it needes be when You shall reade the Noble Acts of so many your worthy Progenitors Some Eternized for their valourous Atchievements in Warre Some for their prudent government in Peace Some Renowned for Mercy some for Justice And although the Example of your Royall Father be not amongst them yet it may be sufficient that while you have the Acts of others upon Record you have his under View by which he seemes to say unto you Disce Puer virtutem exme verumque laborem Fortunam ex aliis And if in any of your Progenitors there appeare as it were Maculae in Orbe Lunae will it not invite you to a higher Orbe that Your Actions may shine with the clearer Beames and then how happy will the eyes be that shall see you sitting in your Throne For my selfe I should account it happinesse enough that I have lived to see the dayes of your Illustrious Father if it were not a great unhappines to see them overcast with clouds yet when these clouds shal be dispel'd will it not make him shine with the greater Splendor And this as old as I am I doubt not to live my selfe to see and having once seene it shal then willingly say my Nunc Dimittis and lâ—ave the joy of your glorious times for another Age In the meane time prostrating my self humbly at your feet and wishing to your Highnesse as Dâ—iphobus did to Aeneas I Decus I Nostrum Melioribus utere Fatis Your most humble and most devoted Servant RICHARD BAKER An Epistle to the READER THis Booke I suppose will no sooner come abroad but the question will be asked why any man would take so superfluous a Labour to write that which hath been written by so many by some so copiously by some so elegantly that nothing can be added To which Objection I confesse my selfe unable to make a better Answer then by President For when many excellent men had written the Story of the Roman Emperours both accurately and eloquently yet Suetonius Tranquillus comming after them wanted not his part of Commendation For though he added nothing in the matter or substance yet be altered much in the forme and disposition distinguishing that into Classes and Chapters which the former had delivered in one continued Narration as being both lesse tedious to the Reader like a way marked out by Miles and more plainly Informing where Distinction tooke away confusion Besides many have Written the Reignes of our English Kings copiously indeed but so superfluously that much may justly be pared away Some againe Elegantly indeed but so succinctly that much as justly may be added And this if I have endevoured to doe I cannot be blamed If done it I deserve acceptance Againe where many have written the Reignes of some of our Kings excellently as in the way of History yet I may say they have not done it so well in the way of Chronicle For whilst they insist wholly upon matters of State they wholly omit meaner Accidents which yet are Materials as proper for a Chronicle as the other For my selfe if in some places I be found to set downe whole passages as they are already set downe by others and may seeme rather to transcribe then to write yet this I suppose may be excused as being all of one common stocke and no matter from whence the water comes so it come cleane to the Readers use Lastly for the Worke it selfe I dare be bold to say that it hath beene Collected out of Authours both Ancient and Moderne with so great care and diligence that if all other Chronicles should be lost yet this onely would be sufficient to informe Posterity of all passages memorable or worthy to be knowne which of any other generall Chronicle cannot perhaps be said RICHARD BAKER A CATALOGVE OF VVRITERS BOTH ANCIENT AND MODERNE Out of whom this CHRONICLE hath beene Collected 1 GIldas Britannicus surnamed the Wise was the first writer of our English Nation who amongst other his Workes writ a Treatise De Excidio Britanniae He was borne in the year 493. and dyed in the yeare 580. 2 Nennius a Monke of Bangor writ the Story of Britaine and lived about the yeare 620. 3 Venerable Bede a Saxon and a Priest writ the Ecclesiasticall Story of the English Nation from the comming in of Julius Caesar to the yeare 733. about which time he dyed 4 Ethelwardus a writer next to Bede the most ancient writ a generall Chronicle from the Creation to the end of King Edgar 5 Radulphus de Diceto
Rome where he tooke upon him the habit of a Monke and after other foure yeares dyed The tenth King was Ethelbald who at first was given to much lasciviousnesse of life but being reprehended for it by Boniface Archbishop of Ments was so farre converted that he Founded the Monastery of Crowland driving in mighty piles of Oake into that Marish ground where he laid a great and goodly building of stone and after two and forty years Raigne was slaine in a battaile by Cuthred King of the West Saxons The eleventh King was Offa who greatly enlarged his Dominions raigned nine and thirty yeares and Founded the Monastery of St. Albans The thirteenth King was Kenwolph who raigned two and twenty yeares and Founded the Monastery of Winchcombe in the County of Glocester where his body was interred The eighteenth King was Withlafe who overcome by Egbert King of the West Saxons held his Country afterward as his substitute and Tributary acknowledging Egbert as now the sole Monarch of this Island And by erection of this Mercian Kingdome were seventeene shires moâ—e lopped off from the Britaines Dominion and was a sixth and a great impairing so as now they were driven into a narrow roome The seventh Kingdome being of the East Angles THe seventh Kingdome was of the East Angles and began by Uffa in the yeare 575. containing Suffolke Norfolke Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely and continued 353. yeares during the raigne of fifteene Kings of whom the fifth was Sigebert who first brought the light of the Gospell into his Dominions and built a Schoole for education of youth but whether at Oxford or Cambridge is left a Quaere and after three yeares Raigne shore himselfe a Monke in the Abbey of Cumbreburg which himselfe had built but being afterward violently drawne from thence by his Subjects the East Angles to resist the Mercian King Penda and refusing to use any other weapon but onely a white wand was in a battaile by him slaine The seventh King was Anna who after thirteene yeares raigne was also slaine by Penda the Mercian King This King Anna was memorable chieâ—ly for the holinesse of his children of whom his sonne Erkenwald was Bishop of London and built the Abbey of Barking neere London His eldest daughter Etheldrid was twice married and yet continued a Virgin still and at last became a Nunne and is remembred to posterity by the name of St. Audrie His second daughter named Sexburg his third named Ethelburg his fourth a Naturall daughter named Withburg all entred into Monasteries and are Canonized all for Saints The foureteenth King was Ethelbert a learned and religious Prince who being invited by Offa the Mercian King to marry Elfrid his daughter came for that purpose to Offa's Court then seated at Sutton Walleys in the County of Hereford and there by him was cruelly murthered In whose memoriall notwithstanding hee afterward built a faire Church at Hereford the Cathedrall of that See as though he could expiate a murther of the living by a Monument to the dead and were not rather a Monument of his owne impiety The fifteenth King was Edmund who assaulted by the Danes for his possessions was more assaulted for his profession for continuing constant in his Christian Faith those Pagans first beat him with bats then scourged him with whippes â—nd lastly bound him to a stake and with their arrowes shot him to death whose body was buried at the Towne where Sigebert the East Anglian King one of his Predecessors had built a Church and where afterward in honour of him was built another most spatious of a wonderfull frame of Timber and the name of the Towne upon the occasion of his buriall there called to this day St. Edmunds bury This Church and place Suenus the Danish King burnt to ashes but when his sonne Canutus had gotten possession of the English Crowne terrified with a Vision of the seeming St. Edmund in a religious devotion to expiate his Fathers sacriledge hee built it anew most sumptuously and offered his owne Crowne upon the Martyrs Tombe After the death of this Edmund the East Angles Country was possest by the Danes and so continued the space of fifty yeares untill that Edmund surnamed the Elder expelled those Danes and made that Kingdome a Province to the West Saxons By that which hath beene said it plainely appeares by what degrees the Britaines lost and the Saxons got the whole possession of this Island For after that Vortigern in the yeare 455. had called in the Saxons every Britaine King that succeeded him lost some part or other of it to the Saxonâ— till at last in the yeare 689. Câ—dwâ—llader the last Britaine King lost all and then the Saxon Kings striving amongst themselves for soveraignty they still gained one upon another till at last in the yeare 818 Egbert King of the West Saxons reduced them all under his subjection and then caused all the South of the Island to bee called England according to the Angles of whom himselfe came after whom they were no longer properly called Saxon Kings but Kings of England and so continued till the Danes in the yeare 1017. made an interruption of whose succession now comes the time to speake Of the Saxons that Raigned sole Kings of this Island and may properly be called English Kings EGbert the eighteenth King of the West Saxons is now become the first of the Kings of England in whose time the Danes began first to infest the Land as thinking they might do as much against the Saxons as the Saxons had done against the Britaines but though they made divers Invasions and did great spoyle yet they were still repelled This King raigned six and thirty yeares and dying in the yeare 836. was buried at Winchester Of his issue his daughter Edith was made Governesse of a Monastery of Ladies by her planted in a place which the King her brother had given her called Pollesworth situate in Arden in the North part of the County of Warwicke where shee died and was buriâ—d and the place in memory of her called St Edyths of Pollesworth To Egbert succeeded his sonne Ethelwolph who in his youth was so addicted to a Religious life that he was first made Deacon and after Bishop of Winchester but his father dying he was intreated by his people to take upon him the Crowne and by Pope Gregory the fourth was to that end absolved of his Vow His raigne was infested with many and great Invasions of the Danes to whom notwithstanding hee gave incredible overthrowes In the time of his Raigne remembring his former Religious profession he ordained that riches and lands due to holy Church should be free from all Tribute or Regall services and in great devotion went himselfe to Rome where he lived a yeare confirmed the grant of Peter pence and agreed beside to pay yearely to Rome three hundred Markes Returning home through France and being a Widower he there marryed Iudith the beautifull daughter of Charles the Bald
unfitly be here related First for the celebration of divine Service it was ordained that all Ceremonies tending to the encrease of reverence devotion should bee used as need required Secondly that upon the Sabbath day all publike Faires Markets Synods Huntings and all secular actions should be forborne unlesse some urgent necessity should require it Thirdly that every Christian should thrice in the yeare receive the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper Fourthly that if a Minister of the Altar killed a man or committed any notorious crime he should bee deprived both of his Order and Dignity Fifthly thâ—t a married woman convict of adultery should have her nose and eares cut off Sixthly That a widow marrying within a twelvemonth after her husbands decease should lose her Joynture These and many other good lawes were made whereby the kingdome remained during all his time in a most peaceable state and government In the third yeare of his Raign he heard how the Vandales taking advantage of his absence had entred Denmarke and annoyed his subjects whereupon with a great Army of English hee passed over the Seas and gave them battaile but with ill successe the first day when preparing for the next dayes battaile the Earle Goodwyn who was Generall of the English secretly in the dead of the night set upon the Vandals Campe with a great slaughter of their souldiers made their two Princes Ulfus and Anlave to flie the field In the morning it was told Canutus that the English were fled for that their station was left and not a man of them to be found which did not a little trouble his patience but he going in person to see the truth found the great overthrow the English had given for which service ever after hee held the English and especially the Earle Goodwyn in great estimation After this returning home hee made a prosperous Expedition against Malcolme King of Scots and at last in the fifteenth yeare of his Raigne wearied with the honourable troubles of the world and out of devotion he tooke a Journey to Rome to visit the Sepulchre of St. Peter and Paul from whence he writ to the Bishops and Nobility of England that they should carefully administer Justice and never seeke to advance his profit by any undue wayes or with the detriment of any man At his returne froÌ„ Rome he built in Essex the Church of Ashdone where he got the victory against King Edmund in Norfolke the Abbey of St. Benets which Saint he greatly reverenced and in Suffolke the Monastery of St. Edmund which Saint he deadly feared To the Church of Winchester hee gave many rich Jewels whereof one was a Crosse valued to be worth as much as the whole Revenue of England amounted to in one yeare To Coventry he gave the arme of the great St. Austin which he bought at Pavia in his returne from Rome for which he payd an hundred Talents of silver and one of gold One strange Act is recorded which he did for convincing his fawning flatterers who used to tell him that his power were more then humane For being one time at Southampton he commanded that his chaire of State should be set on the shoare when the Sea began to flow and then sitting downe there in the presence of his many attendants he spake thus to that Element I charge thee that thou presume not to enter my Land nor wet these Robes of thy Lord that are about me But the Sea giving no heede to his command but keeping on his usuall course of Tyde first wet his skirts and after his thighes whereupon suddenly rising he thus spake in the hearing of them all Let all the worlds Inhabitants know that vaine and weake is the power of their Kings and that none is worthy of the name of King but he that keepes both heaven and earth and sea in obedience After which time he would never â—uffer the Crowne to be set upon his head but presently Crowned therewith the Picture of Christ on the Crosse at Winchester from which example arose perhaps the custome to hang up the Armour of Worthy men in Churches as Offerings consecrated to him who is the Lord of battaile When he had Raigned nineteene yeares he deceased at Shafteâ—bery in the County of Dorset the twelfth of November in the yeare 1035. and was buried in the Church of the old Monastery at Winchester which being after new built his bones with many other English Saxon Kings were taken up and are preserved in gilt Coffâ—rs fixed upon the wals of the Quire in that Cathedrall Church He had by his two wives three sonnes Sweyne and Harold by his first wife Alfgive and Hardicnute by his second wife Queene Emma and two daughters of whom the eldest called Guinhilda was married to the Romane Emperour Henry the third who being accused of adultery and none found to defend her cause at last an English Page adventured to maintaine her Innocency against a mighty Gyantlike-Combatant who in fight at one blow cutting the sinewes of his adversaries legge with another he felled him to the ground and then with his sword taking his head from his shoulders redeemed both the Empresses life and honour But the Empresse after this hard usage forsooke her husbands bed and tooke upon her the Veyle of a Nun in the Towne of Burges in Flanders where she devoutly spent the râ—st of her life Of the second Danish King in England KIng Canutus dying left his Kingdome of Norway to his eldest Son Sweynâ— and his Kingdome of England to his youngest Sonne Hardiknâ—te whom he had by his wife Emma but he being at the time of his Fathers death in Denmarke Harold his elder Brother by a former wife taking advantage of his absence layes claime to the Crowne For determining of which Right the Lords assembled at Oxford where Queene Emma pleaded for her sonne Hardiknute urging the Covenant of Canâ—tus at their marriage and his last Will at his death as also Earle Goodwyn of Kent did the like being left Guardian of her Children and keeper of his last Will. But Harolds presence together with the favour of the Londoners Danes and Northumbrians so wrought with the Lords that the absent Hardiknute was neglected and Harold was Proclaimed and Crowned King at Oxford by â—lnothus Arch-bishop of Canterbury in the yeare 1036. Harold having now attained the Crowne was not so jealous of his Brother Hardiknute as of his mother in Law Queene Emma and her Sonnes by King Ethelreâ— who were beyond Sea and therefore how to secure himselfe against these was his first care For effecting whereof he framed a Letter as written by Queene Emma to her two Sonnes Edward and Alfred instigating them to attempt the Crown usurped by Harold against their Right to which letter comming first to the hands of Alfred he suspecting no fraud returned Answer that he would shortly come over and follow her Counsaile And thereupon with a small Fleet and some few souldiers lent
French He commanded Robbers upon the High way to be hanged without redemption of whom a famous one at that time was one Dunne and of him the place where he most used by reason of the great Woods thereabouts is to this day called Dunstable where the King built the Borough as now it standeth Counterfeiters of money he punished with pulling out their eyes or cutting off their privy members a punishment both lesse then death and greater Affaires of the Church in his time AT his first comming to the Crowne he foâ—bore his claime to the Investitâ—res of Bishops but after he had beene King some time he claimed that both to invest Bishops and to allow or hinder appeales to Rome belonged to him In these Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury opposed him affirming that both of them belonged to the Pope The contention at last was brought to the Pope to whom King Henry sent William Warlewast elect Bishop of Exceter who saying to the Pope that his Master would not for the Crowne of his Realme lose the Authority of Investing his Prelates the Pope started up and answered Neither will I lose the disposing of Spirituall Promotions in England for the Kings head that weareth the Crowne before God said he I avow it So the contention grew long and hot and many messengers were sent to and fro about it the conclusion was which proved no conclusion that the King should receive homage of Bishops elect but should not Invest them by Staffe and Ring to which the King said noâ—hing for the present but forbore not to doe it ever the lesse for five yeares after the death of Anselme Ralph Bishop of Rochester was by the King made Arch-bishop of Canterbury and notwithstanding all former Decrees and Threatnings of the Pope he received his Investiture of the King About this time a Canon was made against the Marriage of Priests to which purpose Iohannes Cremensis a Priest Carâ—dinall by the Kings licence came into England and held a solemne Synod at London where inveighing sharpely against it affirming it to be no better then profest Adultery he was himselfe the night following taken in bed with a common harlot Even Anselme himselfe the most earnest enforcer of single life dyed not it seemes a Virgin for else he would never in his Writings make such lamentation for the losse thereof Anselme about this time dying Rodulph succeeded in the See of Canterbury and Thomas dying Thurstine succeeded in the Arch-bishopricke of Yorke betweene which two Prelates there arose great contention Rodulph would not consecrate Thurstine unlesse he would professe obedience Thurstine was content to embrace his benediction but professe obedience he would not In this contention the King takes part with Rodulph the Pope with Thurstine after many passages in the businesse upon the Popes threatning to Excommunicate the King Thurstine entred upon his Bishopricke and the King connived In the tenth yeare of his Raigne the Abbey of Ely was made a Bishops See and Cambridgeshire was appointed for the Diocesse thereof which because it belonged before to the Jurisdiction of Lincolne the King gave the Bishop of Lincolne in recompence thereof the Manor of Spalding This King also created a Bishopricke at Carlile and endowed it with many Honours In his time the Order of the Templars beganne and in the 27. yeare of his Raigne the Grey Fryers by procurement of the King came first into England and had their first house builded at Canterbury I may here have leave to tell two stories of Church-men for refreshing of the Reader Guymond the Kings Chaplaine observing that unworthy men for the most part were advanced to the best dignities of the Church as he celebrated Divine Service before him and was to read theâ—e words out of Saint Iames It rained not upon the Earth III yeares and VI moneths he read it thus It rained not upon the Earth one one one yeares and five one moneths The King observed his reading and afterwards blamed him for it but Guymond answered that he did it of purpose for that such Readers were soonest preferred by his Majesty The King smiled and in short time after preâ—erred him to the Government of Saint Frideswids in Oxford The other is this Thomas Arch-bishop of Yorke falling sicke his Physitians told him that nothing would doe him good but to company with a woman to whom he answered that the Remedy was worse then the diseaâ—e and so dyed a Virgin This King granted to the Church of Canterbury and to William and his successours the Custody and Constable-ship of the Castle of Rochester for ever Workes of Piety done by this King or by others in his time THis King Founded and erected the Priory of Dunstable the Abbey of Circester the Abbey of Reading and the Abbey of Shirborne He also new builded the Castle of Windsor with a Colledge there He made also the Navigable River betweene Torkesay and Lincolne a worke of great charge but greater use His Wife Queene Maude passing over the River of Lue was somewhat endangered whereupon she caused two stone-Bridges to be built one at the head of the Towne of Stratford the other over another Streame there called Channel-bridge and paved the way betweene them with Gravell She gave also certaine Manors and a Mill called Wyggon Mill for repairing the same Bridges and Way These were the first stone-Bridges that were made in England and because they were Arched over like a bow the Towne of Stratford was afterward called Bow This Queene also founded the Priory of the Holy Trinity now called Christs Church within the East Gate of London called Aldgate and an Hospitall of Saint Giles in the Field without the West part of the City In this Kings time Iordan Brifet Baron Founded the House of Saint Iohn of Hierusalem neare to Smithfield in London and gave 14. Acres of ground lying in the field next to Clerkenwell to build thereupon a House of Nunnes wherein he with Myrioll his Wife were buryed in the Chapter house Robert Fitsham who came out of Normandy with the Conquerour Founded anew the Church of Teukesbury and was there buryed Herbert Bishop of Norwich Founded the Cathedrall Church there The Priory and Hospitall of Saint Bartholomew in Smithfield was Founded by a Minstrell of the Kings named Reior who became first Prior there Before this time Smithfield was a Laystall of all ordure and filth and the place where Felons were put to Execution Hugh Lacy Founded the Monastery of Saint Iohn at Lanthony neare to Glocester Iuga Baynard Lady of little Dunmow Founded the Church there and gave to maintaine it halfe a Hide of Land This Lady Iuga was late Wife to Baynard that first built Baynards Castle in London Eudâ— the Kings Sewer Founded the Monastery of Saint Iohn at Colchester of blacke Chanons and those were the first of that Order in England Simon Earle of Northampton and Mande his Wife Founded the Monastery of Saint Andrew in Northhampton In the seventh yeare
not a Law yet it is an Ordinance which was first brought in by this King that the Lions should be kept in the Tower of London Affaires of the Church in his timâ— THis Kings Raigne is famous for the contention of a Subject with the Prince and though it may be thought no equall match yet in this Example we shall find it hard to judge which of them had the victory But before we come to speak of the Contention it is fit to say something of the Man and of the Quarrell The man was Thomas Becket borne in London his Father one Gilbert Becket his Mother an outlandish Woman of the Country of Syria His first rising was under Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury who taking a liking to him as one saith no man knew for what made him first Arch-deacon of Canterbury and then used meanes to have him be the Princes Tutor after that to be Chancellour of England and after the decease of the said Theobald was himselfe made Arch-bishop of Canterbury in his place One memorable thing he did at his comming to be Arch-bishop he surrendred his place of being Chancellour as not thinking it fit to sit at the Helme of the Common-wealth and of the Church both at once But now began the Contention betweene the King and him the difference was the King would have it ordained that Clergy men who were malefactors should be tryed before the Secular Magistrate as Lay men were This Becket opposed saying it was against the liberty of the Church and therefore against the honour of God Many Bishops stood with the King some few with Becket the Contention grew long and with the length still hotter till at last Becket was content to assent to the Ordinance with this clause Salvo Ordine suo the King liked not the Clause as being a deluding of the Ordinance He required an absolute assent without any clause of Reservation At last after many debatings and demurres the Arch-bishop yeelds to this also and subscribes the Ordinance and sets his hand unto it But going homewards it is said his Crosse-bearer and some other about him blamed him for that he had done but whether moved with their words or otherwise upon second thoughts the next day when they met againe he openly repented his former deed retracts his subscription and sends to the Pope for absolution of his fault which the Pope not onely granted but encouraged him to persist in the course he had begunne It may be thought a Fable yet is related by divers good Authours that one time during this Contention certaine fellows cut off the Arch-bishops horses taile after which fact all their Children were borne with tailes like horses and that this continued long in their Posterity though now long since ceased and perhaps their Families too But King Henry finding there was no prevailing with Becket by faire meanes beginnes to deale more roughly with him and first makes use of Authority upon his Temporalties and withall a censure was spoken of to be intended against his person which Becket understanding thought it his best course to flee the Realme and thereupon passing under the name of Dereman he passeth over Sea and there two yeares by the Pope and five by the King of France was maintained as it were of Almes in which misery nothing vexed him so much as that King Henry sent all his kindred Men and Women old and young into Banishment after him And now King Henry finding that Becket stood much upon his Legatine Power sent messengers to the Pope desiring him to take that power from him and to conferre it upon his Arch-bishop of Yorke but the Pope answered he would not doe so but was content the King himselfe should be his Legate and sent him Letters to that purpose which King Henry tooke in such scorne that he threw away the Letters and sent them presently backe to him againe In this meane time the King of France prevailed with King Henry to afford Becket a conference hoping to bring them to some Agreement where being together King Henry alledged before the King of France that he required nothing of Becket but his assent to an Ordinance to which in his Grandfather King Henries the first time all the Bishops of the Realme and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury that then was did give their Assent yet this moved not Becket at all but he continued his former Tenet it was against the honour of God and therefore desired to be excused See now saith King Henry the perversenesse of this man all that agrees not with his owne humour is presently against the honour of God While these things were thus a working Becket had gotten him more friends at Rome and by their meanes prevailed with the Pope to give him power to interdict some Bishops in England that had done him wrong and the Pope spared noâ— to threaten Excommunication to King Henry himselfe if he restored not Becket to his Dignity But whether awed with his threatning or wonne by the King of Frances importunity or else perhaps relenting in himselfe he was contented at last that Becket should returne home and enjoy his Bishopricke who being come to Canterbury the Bishops whom he had indicted for Crowning the young King Henry which he said was his right to have done made humble suite unto him to be released of the censure Which when the Arch-bishop would not grant but with certaine cautions and exceptions the Bishops discontented went over to the King complaining of the hard measure that was offered them by the Arch-bishop whereat the King being much moved Shall I never saith he be at quiet for this Priest If I had any about me that loved me they would find some way or other to ridde me of this trouble Whereupon foure knights standing by that heard the King make this complaint namely Reynold Fits-urse or Bereson Hugh Morvyll William Tracy and Richard Britton thinking they should doe an acceptable service to the King went shortly after into England and going to Canterbury found the Arch-bishop then at Church when upon the steps there they strucke him upon the head with their swords and slew him the thirtieth day of December in the yeare 1172. Afterward with much adoe by King Henries meanes they were pardoned by the Pope onely enjoyned Penance to goe on Pâ—lgrimage to Ierusalem as some write but others more probably that the King abhorred them ever after and that within three yeares they all dyed miserably You have heard his persecution and as some would have it called his Martyrdome now heare the honours that have beene done him and the visitations to his Tombe And first King Henry himselfe comming to Canterbury as soone as he came within sight of Beckets Church lighting off his horse and putting off his hose and shooes he went barefoot to his Tombe and for a further penance suffered himselfe to be beaten with rods by every Monke of the Cloyster A few yeares after King Lewis of France comes
into England of purpose to visite the Shrine of Saint Thomas where having paid his Vowes he makes Oblations with many rich Presents The like many Princes since that time have done and many Miracles are reported to have beene done at his Tombe which yet may be unbeleeved without unbeliefe and with Faith enough Another difference in this Kings dayes was betweene the two Arch-bishops of England about the jurisdiction of Canterbury over Yorke which being referred to the Pope he gave judgement on Canterburies side Also in this Kings dayes there was a Schisme in the Church of Rome two Popes up at once of whom Alexander the third was one which Schisme continued the space of almost twenty yeares Also in this Kings dayes one Nicholas Breakespeare borne at Saint Albans or as others write at Langley in Hartfordshire being a bondman of that Abbey and therefore not allowed to be a Monke there went beyond Sea where he so profited in Learning that the Pope made him first Bishop of Alba and afterward Cardinall and sent Legate to the Norwayes where he reduced that nation from Paganisme to Christianity and returning backe to Rome was chosen Pope by the Name of Adrian the fourth and dyed being choaked with a Fly in his drinke In his dayes also Heraclius Patriarch of Hierusalem came to King Henry desiring ayde for the Holy Land but not so much of money as of men and not so much of men neither as of a good Generall as himselfe was to whom King Henry answered that though he were willing to undertake it yet his unquiet State at home would not suffer him with which answer the Patriarch moved said Thinke not Great King that Pretences will excuse you before God but take this from me that as you forsake Gods cause now so he hereafter will forsake you in your greatest need But saith the King if I should be absent out of my kingdome my own Sonnes would be ready to rise up against me in my absence to which the Patriarch replyed No marvaile for from the Devill they came and to the Devill they shallâ— and so departed Also in this Kings dayes there came into England thirty Germans Men and Women calling themselves Publicans who denyed Matrimony and the Sacraments of Baptisme and of the Lords Supper with other Articles who being obstinate and not to be reclaimed the King commanded they should be marked with a hot iron in the forehead and be whipped which punishment they tooke patiently their Captaine called Gerard going before them singing Blessed are ye when men hate you After they were whipped they were thrust out of doores in the Winter where they dyed with cold and hunger no man daâ—ing to relieve them This King after his conquest of Ireland imposed the tribute of Peter pence upon that kingdome namely that every house in Ireland should yearely pay a penny to Saint Peter Workes of piety done by him or by others in his time THis King Founded the Church of Bristow which King Henry the eighth afterward erected into a Cathedrall He also Founded the Priories of Dâ—ver of Stoneley and of Basinwerke and the Castle of Rudlan and beganne the Stone Bridge over the Thames at London He caused also the Castle of Warwicke to be builded Maude the Empresse his Mother Founded the Abbey of Bordesly In his time also Hugh Mortimer Founded Wigmore Abbey Richard Lucye the Kings Chiefe Justice laid the Foundation of the Coventuall Church in the honour of Saint Thomas in a place which is called Westwood otherwise Lesâ—es in the Territory of Rochester in the new Parish of Southfleete He also builded the Castle of Anger in Essex Robert Harding a Burgesse of Bristow to whom King Henry gave the Barony of Barkeley builded the Monastery of Saint Augustines in Bristow In the tenth yeare of his Raigne London Bridge was new made of Timber by Peter of Cole-church a Priest Robert de Boscue Earle of Leycester Founded the monastery of Gerendon of Monkes and of Leycester called Saint Mary de Prate of Chanons Regular and his Wife Amicia Daughter of Ralph Montford Founded Eaton of Nunnes In the two and twentyeth yeare of his Raigne after the Foundation of Saint Mary Overeyes Church in Southwarke the Stone bridge over the Thames at London beganne to be Founded towards which a Cardinall and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury gave a thousand Markes Aldred Bishop of Worcester Founded a Monastery at Glocester of Benedictine Monkes Casualties that happened in his time IN the Eleventh yeare of this Kings Raigne on the six and twentyeth day of Ianuary was so great an Earth-quake in Ely Norfolke and Suffolke that it overthrew them that stood upon their feet and made the Bells to ring in the Steeples In the seventeenth yeare of his Raigne there was seene at Saint Osythes in Essex a Dragon of marveilous bignesse which by moving burned houses and the whole City of Canterbury was the same yeare almost burnt In the eighteenth yeare of his Raigne the Church of Norwich with the houses thereto belonging was burnt and the Monkes dispersed At Andover a Priest praying before the Altar was slaine with Thunder Likewise one Clerke and his Brother was burnt to death with Lightning In the three and twentyeth yeare a showre of Blood Rained in the Isle of Wight two houres together In the foure and twentyeth yeare the City of Yorke was burnt and on Christmas day in the Territory of Derlington in the Bishopricke of Durham the Earth lifted up it selfe in the manner of an high Tower and so remained unmoveable from morning till evening and then fell with so horrible a noyse that it frighted the Inhabitants thereabouts and the earth swallowing it up made there a deepe pit which is seene at this day for a Testimony whereof Leyland saith he saw the Pits there commonly called Hell-kettles Also in the same yeare on the tenth day of Aprill the Church of Saint Andrewes in Rochester was consumed with fire In the eight and twentyeth yeare of his Raigne Barnewell with the Priory neare unto Cambridge was burnt In the thirtyeth yeare the Abbey of Glastenbury was burnt with the Church of Saint Iulian. In the yeare 1180. a great Earthquake threw downe many buildings amongst which the Cathedrall Church of Lincolne was rent in peeces the five and twentieth of Aprill And on the twentieth of October the Cathedrall Church of Chichester and all the whole City was burnt This yeare also neare unto Orford in Suffolke certaine Fishers tooke in their Nets a Fish having the shape of a Man in all points which Fish was kept by Bartholomew de Glanvile in the Castle of Orford sixe moneths and more he spake not a word all manner of meates he did gladly eate but most greedily raw Fish when he had pressed out the juyce oftentimes he was brought to Church but never shewed any signe of adoration at length being not well looked to he stole to the Sea and never was seene after In the yeare 1188. on
kingdome all sorts of people were drawne so dry by the two great occasions of his Journey and his Ransome and afterward by other Taxations that the richest men had enough to doe to maintaine themselves without being at the charge to make provision for others All workes of Piety were now for the service of the Holy Land and therefore it may well passe if not for a worke of Devotion at least worthy to be remembred that William Bishop of Ely builded the outer wall of the Tower of London and caused a deepe ditch to be made about it with an intention the River of Thames should have surrounded it though it could not be effected Onely Hubert Walter who at one time was Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Popes Legat Lord Chancellour Lord Chiefe Justice and the immediate Governour under the King both in Wales and England Founded a Monastery at West Derham in Norfolke where he was borne begunne another at Wolverhampton and finished a Collegiate Church at Lambeth Of his Wifâ— and Children IN his Infancy he was contracted to a daughter of Raymond Earle of Barcelone after that affianced to Adela or Alice daughter of Lewis King of France yet married to neither of them but he married Berengaria daughter of Garsias King of Navarre whom his Mother Queene Eleanor brought unto him into Sicilie from whence passing into Cyprus their marriage was there solemnised afterward going forward to the Holy Land he carried her and his sister Iane Queene of Sicilie along with him where they remained till his returne home and then sent them to passe to Sicilie and from thence into England but that ever she came into England no mention is made neither what became of her after she parted from King Richard at the Holy Land But children certainely he had none either by his wife or by any Concubine unlesse we reckon as a Priest in Normandy did who told King Richard he had three daughters and the King marvelling who they should be seeing he knew of none he had yes saith the Priest you have three daughters Pride Covetousnesse and Lechery which the King taking merrily called to the company about him and said I am told by a Priest here that I have three daughters and I desire you to be witnesses how I would have them bestowed my daughter Pride upon the Templars and Hospitallers my daughter Covetousnesse upon the Monks of the Cistercian Order and my daughter Lechery upon the Clergy Casualties happening in his time IN his time the Towne of Mawling in Kent with the Nunnery was consumed with fire and in his time the bones of Arthur the famous King of Britaine were found at Glastenbury in an old Sepulchre about which stood two Pillars in which letters were written but could not be read Upon the Sepulchre was a crosse of Lead whereon was written Here lyâ—th the Noble King of Britaine Arthur Also in this Kings dayes for three or foure yeares together there raigned so great a dearth that a Quarter of Wheate was sold for 18. shillings 8. pence and then followed so great a mortality of men that scarce the living sufficed to bury the dead Of his Personage and Conditions HE was tall of stature and well proportioned faire and comely of face of haire bright abourne of long armes and nimble in all his joynts his thighes and legs of due proportion and answerable to the other parts of his body To speake of his morall parts his Vices for the most part were but onely upon suspition Incontinency in him much spoken of nothing proved but his Vertues were apparent for in all his actions he shewed himselfe Valiant from whence he had the appellation or surname of Caeâ—r de Lyon wise liberall mercifull just and which is most of all Religious a Prince borne for the good of Christendome if a Barre in his Nativity had not hindred it The remorse for his undutifulneesse towards his Father was living in him till he dyed for at his death he remembred it with bewailing and desired to be Buryed as neare him as might be perhaps as thinking they should meete the sooner that he might aske him forgivenesse in another world Of his Death and Buriall HE dyed of a wound with an Arrow in his Arme which neglected at first and suffered to wrankle or as others say ill handled by an unskilfull Chirurgeon in foure dayes brought him to his End But his Charity deserves to have it remembred that finding himselfe past hope of Recovery he caused the Party that had wounded him to be brought before him who being asked what moved him to doe this Fact answered that King Richard had killed his Father and two of his Brothers with his owne hand and thereforâ— would doe it if it were to doe againe Upon this Insolent answer every one looked the King should have censured him to some terrible punishment when contrary to all their expectations in a high degree of Charity he not onely freely forgave him but gave a speciall charge he should be set at liberty and that no man should dare to doe him the least hurt commanding besides to give him a hundred shillings for his paines An Act that well shewed he had beene at the Holy Land or rather indeed that he was going to it He dyed the sixth day of Aprill in the yeare 1199. when he had lived 44. yeares Raigned nine and about nine moneths and had his Body Buryed at Founteverard by his Father his heart at Roan in remembrance of the hearty love that City had alwayes borne him and his bowels at Chalons for a disgrace of their unfaithfulnesse others say at Carlile in England Of Men of Note in his time IN his time were famous Baldwyn Archbishop of Câ—nterbury who followed King Richard into the Holy Land and dyed there Hubert that succeeded him Hugh Bishop of Lincolne William Bishop of Ely a man equally famous and infamous also Baldwyn Archbishop of Canterbury a learned Writer in Divinity Daniel Morley a great Mathematician Iohn de Herham and Richard de Herham two notable Historians Guilielmus Stephonides a Monke of Canterbury who wrote much in the praise of Arch-bishop Becket also one Richard Divisiensis Nicholas Walkington and Robert de Bello Foco an excellent Philosopher Of Martiall men Robert Earle of Leycester Ranulph de Fulgers two of the Bâ—â—dolphs Hugh and Henry three Williams Marshall Brunâ—ll and Mandevill with two Roberts Rosse and Sâ—vevile THE RAIGNE OF KING IOHN KING Richard being dead the right of Succession remained in Arthur Sonne of Geoffrey Plantagenâ—t elder Brother to Earle Iohn but Iohn as thinking the title of Arthur but a Criticisme in State and not for every ones capacity at least in common sense not so plaine as his owne who was the sonne of a King and the Brother to a King ascends into the Throne as confidently as if he had no competitor Onely Hubert Arch-bishop of Canterbury went before and made an Oration in his behalfe wherein seeking to doe him
goods both of the Clergy and Laity It may be reckoned amongst his Taxations that when the Monkes of Canterbury had displeased him about the election of their Arch-bishop he seised upon all their goods and converted them to his owne use and presently after this upon the like displeasure he deputes many Bishopricks Abbeys and Priories into the hands of Lay-men and confiscates all their Revenues To these may be added that he tooke eleven thousand Markes of Silver of the King of Scots for granting him Peace Adde to these also great summes of money exacted and gathered from the Iewes among whom there was one that would not be ransomed till the King caused every day one of his great teeth to be pulled out by the space of seven dayes and then he was content to give the King tenne thousand Markes of Silver that no more might be pulled out Adde to these that at his returne out of Ireland he summoned all the Prelates of the kingdome to appeare before him of whom he extorted for their redemption the summe of an hundred thousand pounds Sterling Adde lastly to these that at his returne out of Wales he exacts of every knight that attended him not in that expedition two Markes Of his Lawes and Ordinances HE was the first that appointed the Formes of Civill Government in London and other Cities endowing them also with their greatest Franchises The first that caused Sterling money to be here Coyned The first that ordained the Honourable Ceremonies in Creation of Earles The first that setled the Rates and Measures for Wine Bread Cloath and such other necessaries of Commerceâ— The first that planted English Lawes and Officers in Ireland The first that enlarged the Royall stile with Lord of Ireland and both annexed that kingdome and fastned Wales to the Crowne of England Affaires of the Church in his time AFter the death of Hubert Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Monkes of thâ—â— Covent secretly in the night Elected one Reginold their sub-prior to succeed him and caused him to goe to Rome for confirmation but afterward doubting how the King would take it being done without his knowledge they crave leave of the King to chuse a fit man the King is content to allow them the Election but requires himselfe to have the Nomination and thereupon commends unto â—hem Iohn Grey Bishop of Norwich whom he specially favoured and accordingly the Monkes Elect him But the matter being afterward referred to the Pope which of these two Elections should stand good after many Allegations of both sides the Pope to shew himselfe indifferent to both disallowes them both and nominates a third man one Stephen Lancthon Cardinall of Saint Chrysogone an Englishman borne and a man of great learning The Monkes admit him but the King opposeth it and now as it were a Prize began to be played between the two Swords the Spirituall and the Temporall but he that used the Spirituall Sword proved so much the better Fencer that he disarmed the other and tooke away his temporall Sword from him It is true in the first Venue the King gave the Pope as good as he brought for as the Pope threatned the King to excommunicate him and to interdict the kingdome So the King threatned the Pope to nullifie his Authority and to banish Clergy men out of the Realme In the second Venue as the Pope acted as much as he had threatned for he interdicted the â—ingdome So the King performed as much as he had spoken for he drove the Monkes ouâ— of their Cloyster yet at last when Pandâ—lphus the Popes Legat came into England and made appeare to the King in what great dâ—ngers he stood Firstâ— of the King of France by Invasion and then of his owne Subjects by Rebellion for both which there was no other helpe but Reconcilement with the Pope he so touched him to the quicke that he made him leave his great words and fall to asking forgivenesse So as taking off the Crowne from his head he laid it downe at Pandâ—lphus feâ—te to be disposed of as the Pope should please And Pandulphus stucke not to â—â—ke up his Crowne and to keepe it three or foure dayes in his hands before he restored it and did not then neither but upon condition that he â—nd his Successours shoâ—ld hold the kingdome of the See of Rome at the annuall tribute of â— thousand Markes And all those three or foure dayes in which Pandulphus kept the Crowne it might be truely said the kingdome was without a King And upon this no doubt it was that Peter an Herâ—â—te in a Propheticall Rapture had given out some time before that by Ascâ—â—sion day there should be no King of England Which though in some sort it was true yet in some sort it was not true and it was in the Prerogative of the King to make his owne interpretation And so it cost the poore Hermite and his Sonne their lives and they remaine as a pillar of Salt to make men take heed of Ludere cum Sanctis and of playing the Critickes in matters of State But by this meanes the kingdome was released of the Interdiction which had continued sixe yeares three moneths and foureteene dayes During all which time there was no publique Exercise of Religion no Churches open no Ecclesiasticall Sacraments administredâ— but onely to them that were in danger of death and baptisme to children all that dyed were buryed like dogges in ditches and corners but onely such as had purchased or procured licence from the Pope In this Kings Raigne Saint Dominicke continued his Preaching ten yeares together against the Albigenses Also in his time Saint Francis renounced the world and when a Priest to whom he offered it would not take his money he cast it awayâ— and entred into a Vow of perpetuall Poverty Also in this Kings time was held the Lâ—teran Councell under Pope Innocent the Third in which was established the Popes power over Princes and in matters of Faith Auricular confession and Transubstantiation Of his Irreligion I Need not relate a Speech of his though very unchristian that having beene a little before reconciled to the Pope and then taking an overthrow in France in great anger he cryed out that nothing had prospered with him since the time he was reconciled to God and the Pope Nor another speech of his which though spoken merrily was in good earnest very irreligious that being on a time a hunting at the opening of a fat Bucke he said See how this Deere hath prospered and how fat he is and yet I dare sweare he never heard Masse It is sufficient to relate one act of his if it be true which some write that being in some distresse he â—ent Thomas Hardington and Ralph Fits Nichols knights in Embassage to Mirâ—â—mâ—malim King of Africke and Mâ—râ—cco with offer of his kingdome to him upon condition he would come and aide him and that if he prevailed he would himselfe become a Mahometanâ— and renounce the
made benefit of the vacancie of Bishopricks and Abbeys so did King Henry K. Iohn took great Fines of many for crimes not proved but onely supposed so did King Henry King Iohn made benefit of a new Seale so did King Henry King Iohn extorted great summes from the Iewes so did King Henry And one way more he had to get money which perhaps his Father had not and that was by begging as he told the Abbot of Borough It was more Almes to give money to him then to the Begger that went from doore to doore Indeed Taxations in this Kings Raigne may be reckoned amongst his Annuall Revenues for scarce any yeare passed without a Parliament and seldome any Parliament without a Taxe or if any sometimes without it was then cause of the greater Taxation some other way as when he tooke of the Londoners for having aided the Barons twenty thousand Markes Of his Lawes and Ordinances IN this Kings Raigne were ratified and confirmed the two great Charters of Magna Charâ—a and Charta de Foresta also in his time were enacted the Statutes called of Merton of Oxford and of Marleborough Also stealing of cattell which before was but Pecuniary he made capitall and the first that suffered for the same was one of Dunstable who having stollen twelve Oxen from the Inhabitants of Colne and being pursued to Redburne was by a Bailiffe of Saint Albons according to the Kings Proclamation condemned and beheaded And it may seeme strange that in these times so much bloud should be shed in the field and none upon the scaffold for till the twenty sixth yeare of this King that one William Marisc the sonne of Geoffrey Marisc a Noble man of Ireland being condemned for Piracie and Treason was hanged beheaded and quartered there is no example of that kinde of punishment to be found in our Histories Particularly in this Kings Raigne was made that Statute by which the Ward and marriage of the heires of Barons within age is given to the King Also in this Kings Raigne the Pleas of the Crowne were pleaded in the Tower of London All Weares in the Thames are in this Kings time ordained to be pluck'd up and destroyed Also the Citizens of London are allowed by Charter to passe Toll-free through all England and to have free Warren about London also to have and use a common Seale Also it was ordained that no Sheriffe of London should continue in his office longer then one yeare which they did before for many In the five and twentieth yeare of this King were Aldermen first chosen within the City of London which then had the rule of the City and of the Wards of the same and were then yearely changed as now the Sheriffes are It was in this Kings time allowed to the City of London to present their Major to the Barons of the Exchequer to be sworne which before was to be presented to the King wheresoever he were In his time the clause Noâ— obstante brought in first by the Pope was taken up by the King in his grants and writings Also in this Kings time William Bishop of Salisbury first caused that custome to be received for a Law whereby the Tenants of every Lordship are bound to owe their suite to the Lords Court of whom they hold their Tenements Affaires of the Church in his time AFfaires of the Church for matter of Doctrine were never more quiet then in this Kings Raigne for now all Heresies accounted of the time especially the Albigenses were in a manner suppressed by the Armes of the King of France not without the Vote of the King of England who forbore to make warre upon him in tendernesse to this service but for matter of manners they were never more turbulent for now Abbeys were fleeced Sanctuaries violated Clergy-men outraged Bishops themselves not spared and all for greedinesse of money or for revenge Ottobone the Popes Legat here in England lying at the Abbey of Oseney there happened a difference betweene his servants and the Schollers of Oxford in which contention a brother of his was slaine and theâ— Legat himselfe faine to fly into the Steeple for safegard of his life whereupon afterward being gotten from thence by the Kings safe conduct he thundred out curses against the Schollers and interdicted the University so as the Colledges grew desolate and the Students were dispersed abroad into other places for the space of halfe a yeare till the Monkes of Oseney and the Regent Masters of Oxford were faine to goe bare-foote and bare-head through London as farre as Durham house where the Legat lay and there upon their humble submission and great mens intercession they were absolved and the University restored to its former estate But of this Ottobone it may not be impertinent to relate a little further that going afterward out of England he came by degrees after the death of Innocent the fifth to be Pope of Rome himselfe by the name of Adrian the fifth and died within fifty dayes after his election Amongst affaires of the Church may be reckoned the Ulcers of any member of the Church such a one as in this Kings time brake out most loathsome for one procuring five wounds to be made in his body in resemblance to the five wounds in Christs body tooke upon him to be Christ and had gotten a Woman that tooke upon her to be the Virgin Mary who continuing obstinate in their madnesse were adjudged to be immured and shut up betweene two wals to the end no doubt the contagion of their filthinesse should spread no further In this Kings time a little novelty was first brought in by Pope Innocent the fourth who ordained that Cardinals should weare red Hats something perhaps for mystery and something for distictnion Workes of piety done by him or by others in his time THis King caused a chest of Gold to be made for laying up the Reliques of King Edward the Confessour in the Church of Westminster Hee builded a Church for converted Iewes in London also an Hospitall at Oxford for passengers and diseased persons also the new Coventuall Church and the Chappell of our Lady at Westminster whereof hee laid himselfe the first stone also the houâ—e of Black-Friers in Canterbury In his time Ela Countesse of Salisbury founded the Abbey of Lacok in Wiltshire Richard Earle of Cornwall founded Hayles a Monastery of Cistersian Monkes neare to Winchcombe in Glocestershire Reginold de Moun Earle of Somerset and Lord of Dunster founded the Abbey of Newham in Devonshire Ranulph the third Earle of Chester and Lord of little Britaine builded the Castles of Chartley Bestone and the Abbey of Dela Cresse Sir Iohn Mansell the Kings Chaplaine founded a house of Regular Chanons neare to Rumney in Kent William de Albineto Earle of Arundell founded the Priory of Wimondham William Brunc a Citizen of London and Rosia his wife founded the Hospitall of our Lady without Bishopsgate in London And Isabel Countesse of Arundell founded the
Nunnery of Marran neare to Linne Friers Minors first arrived at Dover nine in number whereof five remained at Canterbury and there builded the first Covent of Friers Minors that ever was in England the other foure came to London who encreasing in number had a place assigned them in Saint Nicholas Shambles which Iohn Iwyn Mercer of London appropriated to the use of the said Friers and became himselfe a Lay brother Also in this Kings time the new worke of Saint Pauls Church in London was begunne If it were piety in the Iew who falling into a Privie upon a Saterday would not be taken out that day because it was the Iewes Sabbath It was as much piety in the Earle of Glocester that would not suffer him to be taken out the next day because it was the Christian Sabbath and when the third day he was taken out dead whose piety was the greater A strange accident upon an act of piety is related in this Kings time which if true is a Miracle if not true is yet a Legend and not unworthy to be read that in a time of dearth one man in a certaine Parish who allowed poore people to relieve themselves with taking Corne upon his ground had at Harvest a plentifull crop where others that denied them had their Corne all blasted and nothing worth In this Kings time also Hugh Balsamus Bishop of Ely founded Saint Peters Colledge in Cambridge Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent was buried in the Church of the Friers Preachers in London to which Church he gave his Palace at Westminster which afterward the Arch-bishop of Yorke bought and made it his Inne since commonly called Yorke place now White-Hall Casualties happening in his time AT one time there fell no Raine in England from the first of March to the Assumption of our Lady and at another time there fell so much Raine that Holland and Holdernes in Lincolneshire were over-flowed and drowned In the seventeenth yeare of his Raign were seene five Suns at one time together after which followed so great a Dearth that people were constrained to eate horse flesh and barkes of Trees and in London twenty thousand were starved for want of foode Also in his time the Church of Saint Mildred in Canterbury and a great part of the City was burnt Also the Towne of New-Castle upon Tine was burnt Bridge and all And though it may seeme no fit place to tell it yet here or no where it must be told that in this Kings time there was sent by the King of France the first Elephant that ever was seene in England Of his Wife and Children HE marryed Eleanor the second of the five Daughters of Raymond Earle of Provence who lived his Wife thirty seven yeares his Widow nineteene dyed a Nun at Aimesbury and was buryed in her Monastery By her he had sixe Sonnes and three Daughters of his Sonnes the foure youngest dyed young and were buryed three of them at Westminster and the fourth in the New Temple by Fleetstreet His eldest Sonne Edward surnamed Longshanke of his tall and slender body succeeded him in the kingdome His second Sonne Edmund surnamed Crouch-backe of bowing in his backe as some say but more likely of wearing the signe of the Crosse anciently called a Crouch upon his backe which was usually worne of such as had vowed voyages to Hierusalem as he had done He was invested Titular King of Sicilie and Apulia and created Earle of Lancaster on whose person originally the great contention of Lancaster and Yorke was Founded He had two Wives the first was Avelin Daughter and Heire of William Earle of Albemarle by whom he left no issue The second was Queene Blanch Daughter of Robert Earle of Artois Brother of Saint Lewis King of France Widow of Henry of Champaigne King of Navarre by her he had issue three Sonnes and one Daughter His eldest Sonne Thomas who after his Father was Earle of Lancaster and having marryed Alice Daughter and Heire of Henry Lacie Earle of Lincolne was beheaded at Pomfret without issue His second sonne Henry Lord of Monmouth who after his Brothers death was Earle of Lancaster and Father of Henry the first Duke of Lancaster his third Sonne Iohn who dyed unmarryed His Daughter Mary marryed to Henry Lord Percy Mother of Henry the first Earle of Northumberland This Edmund dyed at Bay in Gascoyne in the yeare 1296. when he had lived fifty yeares whose body halfe a yeare after his death was brought over into England and entombed at Westminster Of King Henries three Daughter the eldest Margaret was marryed to Alexander the third King of Scotland by whom she had issue two Sonnes Alexander and David who dyed both before their Father without issue and one Daughter Margarâ—t Queene of Norway Wife of King Erike and Mother of Margaret the Heire of Scotland and Norway that dyed unmarryed The second Daughter of King Henry was Beatrice borne at Burdeaux marryed to Iohn the first Duke of Britaine and had issue by him Arthur Duke of Britaine Iohn Earle of Richmont Peter and Blanch marryed to Philip Sonne of Robert Earle of Artois Eleanor a Nunne at Aimesbury and Mary marryed to Guy Earle of S. Paulâ— she deceased in Britaine and was buryed at London in the Quire of the Gray Fryers within Newgate The third Daughter of King Henry named Katherine dyed young and lies buryed at Westminster in the space betweene the Chappels of King Edward and Saint Benet Of his Personage and Conditions HE was of stature but meane yet of a well compacted body and very strong one of his eyelids hanging downe and almost covering the blacke of his Eye For his inward endowments it may be said he was wiser for a man then for a Prince for he knew better how to governe his life then his Subjects He was rather Pious then Devout as taking more pleasure in hearing Masses then Sermons as he said to the King of France He had rather see his Friend once then heare from him often His minde seemed not to stand firme upon its Basis for every sudden accident put him into passion He was neither constant in his love nor in his hate for he never had so great a Favorite whom he cast not into disgrace nor so great an Enemy whom he received not into favour An example of both which qualities was seene in his carriage towards Hubert de Burgh who was for a time his greatest Favourite yet cast out afterward in miserable disgrace and then no man held in greater haâ—red yet received afterward into grace againe And it is memorable to heare with what crimes this Hubert was charged at his Arraignment and â—pecially one That to disswade a great Lady from marriage with the King he had said the King was a squint-eyed Foole and a kinde of Leper deceitfull perjuâ—ed more faint-hearted then a Woman and utterly unfit for any Noble Ladies company For which and other crimes laid to his charge in the Kings Bench where
brought to King Edward and for the love of her Prince Leolyn was content to submit himselfe to any conditions which besides subjection of his State was to pay fifty thousand pounds Sterling and a thousand pounds per annum during his life and upon these conditions the marriage with his beloved Lady was granted him and was solemnized here in England whereat the King and Queene were themselves present Three yeares Leolyn continued loyall and within bounds of obedience in which time David one of his Brothers staying here in England and found by the King to be of a stirring Spirit was much honoured by him Knighted and matched to a rich Widow Daughter of the Earle of Darby and had given him by the King besides the Castle of Denbigh with a thousand pounds per annum though as it was afterwards found he lived here but in the nature of a spy For when Prince Leolyns Lady was afterward dead and that he contrary to his Conditions formerly made brake out into rebellion then goes his Brother David to him notwithstanding all these Favours of the King and they together enter the English Borders Surprise the Castles of Flynt and Rutland with the person of the Lord Clifford sent Justiciar into those parts and in a great Battaile overthrew the Earles of Northumberland and Surrey with the slaughter of Sir William Lyndsey Sir Richard Tanny and many others King Edward advertised of this Revolt and overthrow being then at the Vyzes in Wiltshire prepares an Army to represse it but before his setting forth goes privately to his Mother Queene Eleanor lying at the Nunnery of Aimesbury with whom whilest he conferred there was one brought into the Chamber who faigned himselfe being blinde to have received his sight at the Tombe of King Henry the third Aâ—soone as the King saw the man he remembred he had seene him before and knew him to be a most notorious lying Villaine and wished his Mother in no case to beleeve him but his mother who much rejoyced to heare of this Miracle for the glory of her husband finding her sonne unwilling that his Father should be a Saint grew suddenly into such a rage against him that she commanded him to avoid her Chamber which the King obeyes and going forth meetes with a Clergy man to whom he tels the story of this Impostour and merrily said He knew the justice of his Father to be such that he would rather pull out the eyes being whole of such a wicked wretch then restore them to their sight In this meane time the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had gone of himselfe to Prince Leolin and had laboured to bring him and his brother David to a re-submission but could effect nothing for besides other reasons that swayed Prince Leolin the conceit of a Prophesie of Merlin that he should shortly be Crowned with the Diadem of Brute so overweighed him that he had no care for peace and shortly after no head for after the Earle of Pembroke had taken Bere Castle which was the seat of Prince Leolin he was himself slain in battell and his head cut off by a common Souldier was sent to King Edw. who caused the same to be Crowned with Ivie and to be set upon the Tower of London And this was the end of Leolin the last of the Welsh Princes betraied as some write by the men of Buelth Not long after his brother David also is taken in Wales and judged in England to an ignominious death First drawn at a horse taile about the City of Shrewsbury then beheaded the trunke of his body divided his heart and bowels burnt his head sent to accompany his brothers on the Tower of London his foure quarters to foure Cities Bristow Northâ—â—pton York and Winchester A manifold execution and the first shewed in that kind to this kingdome in the person of the son of a Prince or any other Noble man that we reade of in our History It is perhaps something which some here observe that at the sealing of this conquest King Edward lost his eldest son Alphonsus of the age of twelve years a Prince of great hope and had onely left to succeed him his sonne Edward lately borne at Carnarvan and the first of the English intituled Prince of Wales but no Prince worthy of either Wales or England And thus came Wales to be united to the Crowne of England in the eleventh yeare of this King Edwards Raigne who thereupon established the government thereof according to the Lawes of England as may be seene by the Statute of Rutland in the twelfth yeare of his Raigne The worke of Wales being setled King Edward passeth over into France upon notice of the death of Philip the Hardy to renew and confirme such conditions as his state in those parts required with the new King Philip the fourth intituled the Faire to whom he doth homage for Aquitaine having before quitted his claime to Normandy for ever After three yeares and a halfe being away in France he returns into England and now in the next place comes the businesse with Scotland and will hold him woâ—ke at times as long as he lives and his sonne after him Alexander the third King of Scots as he was running his horse fell horse and man to the ground and brake his necke and died immediatelyâ— by reason whereof he leaving no issue but onely a daughter of his daughter Margaret who died also soone after there fell out presently great contention about succession Ten Competitors pretend title namely Erick King of Norway Florence Earle of Holland Robert Bruce Earle of Anandale Iohn de Baylioll Lord of Galloway Iohn de Hastings Lord of Abergeveny Iohn Cummin Lord of Badenaw Patrick de Dunbarre Earle of March Iohn de Vescie Nicholas de Sulâ—s William de Rosse all or most of them deâ—cending from David Earle of Huntington younger brother to William King of Scots and great Unkle to the late King Alexander This title King Edward takes upon him to decide pretending a Right of Superiority from his Ancestours over that kingdome and proving it by authority of old Chronicles as Marianus Scotus William of Malmsbury Roger de Hoveden Henry of Huntington Ralph de Luceto and others which though the Scottish Lords who swaied the Interregnum opposed yet are they constrained for avoyding of further inconveniences to make him Arbiter thereof and the tenne Competitours bound to stand to his award Two are especially found betweene whom the â—ight lay Iohn de Baylioll Lord of Galloway and Robert Brâ—ce the one descending from an elder daughter the other from a sonne of a younger daughter of Alan who had married the eldest daughter of this David brother to King William The controversie held long twelve of either kingdome learned in the Lawes are elected to debate the same at Berwick all the best Civilians in the Universities of France are solicited to give their opinions all which brought forth rather doubts then resolutions whereupon King Edward the better to
men of that kingdome except onely Walleys once againe sweare Fealty to the King of England It seemes swearing of Fealty was with the Scots but a Ceremony without substance as good as nothing for this is now the third time they swore Fealty to King Edward yet all did not serve to make them loyall for not long after comes the newes of a new King made and Crowned in Scotland Robert Bruce Earle of Carrick sonne to that Bruce who was competitour with Baylioll escaping out of England becomes Head to the confused Body of that kingdome and perceiving Iohn Cummyn who had a title himselfe to goe about to bewray his intentions to King Edward he finding him at Dunfrayes sets upon him and murthers him in the Church Whereof as soone as King Edward heard he sends Aymer de Valence Earle of Pembroke and the Lords Clifford and Percie with a strong power to revenge the death of Cummyn and to relieve his Wardens of Scotland who upon Bruces revolt were all retired to Berwicke whilst himselfe prepares an Army to follow wherein to be the more nobly attended he caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever ought by their Paternall succession or otherwise had meanes of their owne for service should repaire to Westminster at the Feast of Pentecost to receive the Order of knighthood and a Military Ornament out of the Kings Wardrobe Hereupon three hundred young Gentlemen all the sonnes of Earles Barons and knights assemble at the day appointed and receive Purples silkes Sindons Scarffes wrought with Gold or Silver according to every mans Estate For which traine because the Kings House was too little by reason a part of it had beene lately burnt roome is made and the Apple-trees cut downe at the new Temple for their Tents where they attire themselves and keepe their Vigile The Prince whom the King then likewise knighted and gave him the Dutchy of Aquitaine kept his Vigile with his Traine at Westminster and the next day girds these three hundred knights with the Military Belt in such manner as he himselfe had received it Which done the King before them all makes a Vow that alive or dead he would revenge the death of Cummyn upon Bruce and the perjured Scots Adjuring his Sonne and all the Nobles about him upon their Fealty that if he dyed in this Journey they should carry his Corps with them about Scotland and not suffer it to be interred till they had vanquished the Usurper and absolutely brought the Country to Subjection The Prince and all the Nobles promise upon their Faith to imploy their uttermost power to performe his Vow and herewithall he sets forth with a potent Army presently after Whitsontide and makes his last Expedition into Scotland in the foure and thirtieth yeare of his Raigne The Earle of Pembroke with that power sent before and aid of the Scottish party had before the King arrived in Scotland defeated in a battaile neare Saint Iohns Towne the whole Army of the new King and narrowly missed the taking of his Person but he escaping in disguise and sheltring himselfe in obscure places was reserved for greater Battailes his Brothers Nigell Bruce and shortly after Thomas and Alexander a Priest were taken and Executed after the manner of Traytors at Berwicke And now King Edward had done for Fighting all was now for Executions and indeed his desire of Revenge made him inexorable and vow to spare none of what degree soever The Earle of Atholl though of Royall blood and allyed unto him was sent to London where all his preferment was to have a higher paire of Gallowes then the rest The Wife of Robert Bruce taken by the Lord Rosse is sent Prisoner to London and his Daughter to a Monastery in Lindsey The Countesse of Boughan who had beene ayding at Bruces Coronation is put into a woodden Cage and hung out upon the walls of Berwicke for people to gaze on But though Bruces party was thus dejected and himselfe at this time appeared not but shifted privily from place to place in a distressed manner attended onely with two Noble Gentlemen who neeer forsooke him in his misfortunes the Earle of Lenox and Gilbert Hay yet gives he not over but gathers new Forces with which he suddenly assailes the Earle of Pembroke at unawares gives him a great defeate and within three dayes after chaseth the Earle of Glocester into the Castle of Aire where he besieged him till by the Kings Forces he was driven againe to his former retire Whereupon King Edward who had spent his Winter at Carlile in Iuly following with a fresh Army enters Scotland himselfe but falling into a Dysentery or Bloody-flix at Borough upon the Sands he ended his life and thus ended King Edwards troubles with Scotland but not Englands troubles which are more to come then yet are past But though this businesse of Scotland never left King Edward till his dying day yet it had been upon him but as an Ague sometimes putting him into violent heats and sometimes leaving him in a quiet temper with such a vicissitude that when he had quietnesse with Scotland he had troubles with France whereof the time is now to speake It is well knowne that Philip King of France Father of the present King and Edward King of England were neare Cousins the Sonnes of two Sisters and it hath beene shewed before at King Edwards returning from the Holy Land and passing through France what extraordinary kindnesse and mutuall courtesie passed betweene them that one would have thought neither they noâ— theirs should ever have falne out and perhaps never should if they had beene private men and not Princes For private men may easily continue Friends as having none to consider but themselves but Princes hardly as having besides themselves their Subjects to consider And though they be the Subjects oftentimes that make the Quarrell yet they are the Princes that must maintaine it And besides betweene Princes there can never be but jealousies and where jealousies are every trifle makes a quarrell And this was the case of these two Kings certaine of the King of Englands Subjects had upon the Coast of Normandy done spoyle to some Subjects of the King of France and this difference of the Subjects made a difference betweene the Kings while each of them standing in defence of his owne fall out themselves and for a beginning the King of France summons King Edward as owing homage to that Crowne to appeare and answer it in his Court. And King Edward though voluntarily before he had done it in a way of Courtesie yet being now impetiously commanded he refuseth it upon which refusall all his Territories in France are condemned to be forfaited and an Army is presently sent to seise upon the same led by Charles de Valois and Arnold de Neele Constable of France Burdeaux with divers other Peecâ—s of importance are taken from him And now King Edward well knowing what danger it was to have so powerfull an
his favour which to entertaine and encrease King Edward sends him a whole furnish of all vessels for his Chamber of cleane Gold which great gift so wroâ—ght with the Pope that he untied the King from the Covenant made with his Subjects concerning their Charters confirmed unto them by his last three Acts of Parliâ—ment and absolved him from his Oath A safe time for Princes when they mighttye themselves in any obligation to their Subjects and afterward for a bribe to the Pope be untyed againe His Taxations and wayes for raising of money IF Taxations may suffer degrees of comparison it may not unfiâ—ly be said of these three last Kings that King Iohn was in the Positive his Sonne Henry the third in the Comparative and this King Edward in the Superlative For not onely he farre excâ—eded thâ— two former but he hath left a spell to all that come after for ever comming neare him but then under the name of Taxations wee must include the wayes he tooke for raising of profit But first in the way of Parliament In the first yeare of his Raigne was granted him a tenth of the Clergy for two years besides a fifteenth of them and the Temporalty In his fifth yeare a twentieth of their goods towards the Welsh warres In his seventh the old money was called in and new coyned in regard it had beene much defâ—ced by the Iewes for which 297. were at one time executed in London and this brought in profit of no small value In his eleventh yeare he had a thirtieth of the Temporalty and a twentieth of the Clergy for his warres in Wales In the thirteenth Escuage forty shillings of every knights Fee In his foureteenth yeare he had a thousand Markes of certaine Merchants Fined for false weights In his nineteenth the eleventh part of all movables of the Clergy and shortly after a tenth for sixe yeares In his twentieth William Marchyan then Lord Treasurer of England perceiving great riches to be in Churches and religious houses put it so into the Kings head that they were all brought into the Kings Treasury In the eighth yeare of his Raigne he sent ouâ— his Writ Quo Warrantâ— to examine by what title men held their lands which brought him in much money till Iohn Earle of Warren being called to shew his title drew out an old rusty Sword and then said He held his land by that and by that would hold it to death which though it made the King desist from his Project yet he obtained at that time a fifteenth part of the Clergy In his seventeenth yeare he Fined all his Judges for corruption Sir Ralph Higham Chiefe Justice of the higher Bench in seven thousand Markes Sir Iohn Loveton Justice of the lower Bench in three thousand Markes Sir William Brompton in sixe thousand Markes Sir Sâ—lâ—mon Rochester in foure thousand Markes Sir Richard Boyland in foure thousand Sir Walter Hopton in two thousand Sir William Saham in three thousand Robert Lithbury Master of the Rolls in one thousand Roger Leycester in one thousand Heâ—â—y Bray Escheatour and Judge for the Iewes in one thousand but Sir Adam Strattâ—â— chiefe Baron of the Exchequer in foure and thirty thousand and Thomas Wayland found the greatest Delinquent and of the greatest substance had all his goods and whole estate confiscated to the King and himselfe banished out of the kingdome In his eighteenth yeare he banished the Iewes of whom there was at that time above fifteen thousand in the kingdom who had but all their goods confiscateâ— leaving them onely meanes to beare their charges in going away In his foure and twentieth yeare he commanded a new Subsidy to be levied upon all sarplers of Wooll going out of England as likewise with Fels and Hides In his five and twentieth yeare he cals a Parliament at Saint Edmundsbery where is granted the eighth part of the goods of good Townes and of other people the twelfth As for the Clergy they desire to be excused and refuse to contribute in regard of their many late paiments as in the two and twentieth yeare of his Raigne they paied the moâ—ty of their goods and in his three and twentieth yeare he seiâ—ed into his hands all Priories aliens and their goods besides he had a loane of the Clergy which amounted to an hundred thousand pounds but notwithstanding upon this refusall of the Clergy the King puts all Clergy men out of his protection whereby they were to have no Justice in any of his Courts a straine of State beyond any of his Predecessours which so amazed them that in the end the Arch-bishop of Yorke with the Bishops of Durham Ely Salisbury and Lincolne yeelded to lay downe in their Churches the fifth part of all their goods towards the maintenance of the Kings warres whereby they appeased his wrath and werâ— received into grace But the Arch-bishop of Canterbury by whose animation the rest stood out had all his goods seised on and all the Monasteries within his Diocese taken into the Kings hands and Wardens appointed to minister onely necessaries to the Monkes conveâ—ting the rest to the Kings use at length by much suite and Abbots and Priests giving the fourth part of their goods redeeme themselves and the Kings favour In the sixe and twentieth yeare of his Raigne at a Parliament holden at Yorke is granted him the ninth penny of the goods of the Temporalty the tenth penny of the Clergy of the Diocese of Canterbury and of Yorke the fifth and in this yeare also he raised the Imposition upon every sack of Wooll from a noble to forty shillings In his two and thirtieth yeare he sends out a new Writ of Inquisition called Traile-baston for intruders on other mens lands who to oppresse the right owner would make over their land to great men for Batterers hired to beate men for breakers of Peace for Ravishers Incendiaries Murtherers Fighters false Assisours and other such Malefactours which Inquisition was so strictly executed and such Fines taken that it brought in exceeding much treasure to the King As likewise did another Commission at the same time sent forth to examine the behaviour of Officers and Ministers of Justice wherein many were found Delinquents and paid dearly for it At this time also he called his Lords to account for their stubbornnesse some yeares before in denying to attend him into Flanders which brought him in profit answerable to their greatnesse that were called After all this in his foure and thirtieth yeare there is granted him the thirtieth penny of both Clergy and Laity and the twentieth of all Merchants towards his journey into Scotland And this may be sufficient to shew his Taxations to have beene in the Superlative degree And yet besides these he had no small benefit by Silver Mines which in his time were found in Devonshire Of his Lawes and Ordinances IN the first yeare of his Raine were made the Statutes called of Westminster the first In his twelfth yeare were made the Statutes
was the marke now aimed at having taken away his kingdome openly how they might take away his life secretly be the Authours of it and not be seene in it but this must be the Contents of a Chapter hereafter Of his Taxations BY this King it appeares there is something else besides the grievance of Taxations that alienates the mindes of English Subjects from their King for never were fewer Taxations then in this Kings time yet never were the Subjects minds more alienated from their King then they were from him Before his Coronation in a Parliament holdeâ— at Westminster â—â—ere was granted him a fifteenth of the Clergy and a twentieth of the Temporalty In his fifth yeare in a Parliament at Lâ—â—don was granted him a fifteenth of the Temporalty In his fifteenth yeare was granted the sixth penâ—y of temporall mens Goods through England Ireland and Wales towards his Warreâ— with Scotland And more then these we reade not of but then at the defeate of the Earle of Lancaster there were Confiscations that supplyed the place of Taxations by which as one saith he became the richest King that had beene since the Conquest Of his Lawes and Ordinances HE Ordained that the moneyes of his Father though counted base by the People should be currant In the eight yeare of his Raigne by reason of a dearâ—h which raised the price of all Victuals it was Ordained by Parliament that an Oxe fatted with grasse should be sold for fifteene shillings fatted with Corne for twenty the best Cow for twelve shillings a fat Hogge of two yeares old three shâ—llings foure pence a fat Sheepe shorne foureteene pence with the Fleece twenty pence a fat Goose for two pence halfe-penny a fat Capon two pence a fat Hen a penny foure Pigeons a penny whosoever sold for more should forfait their Ware to the King But after these Rates imposed all kinde of Victuals grew so scarce that provision could hardly be made for the Kings house whereupon shortly after the Order was revoked and Market Folkes permitted to make the best of their Wares In this Kings time an Ordinance was made against knights Templars accused of Heresie and other crimes and they were all apprehended and committed to divers Prisons The like was done by all the Kings of Christendome at one instant being condemned in a Generall Counsell at Vienna In the 14. yeare of his Raigne on the 15. of October the Clerkes of the Exchequer went towards Yorke with the Booke called Domus Dei and other Records and Provision that laded one and twenty Carts but within halfe a yeare they were brought backe againe Affaires of the Church in his time IN the 17. yeare of his Raign the Bishop of Hereford was arrestedâ— accused of High Treason for aiding the Kings enemies in their late rebellion but he refuâ—ed to answer being a consecrated Bishop without leave of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury whose Suffragan he was and who he said was his direct Judge next the Pope or without the consent of his fellow Bishops who then all arose and humbly craved the Kings Clemency in his behalfe but finding the King implacable they tooke him away from the Barre and delivered him to the custody oâ— the Arch-bishop of Canterbury shortly after he was againe taken and convented as before which the Clergy understanding the Arch-bishops Canterbury Yorke and Dublin with tenne other Bishops all with their Crosses erected went to the place of Judgement and againe tooke him away with them charging all men upon paine of Excommunication to forbeare to lay violent hands upon him with which audacious Act the King was so much displeased that he presently commanded inquiry to be made ex Officio Iudicis concerning those Objections against the Bishop wherein he was found guilty though absent and had all his Goods and Possessions seised into the Kings hands In this Kings time the Crowchet Fryers came first into England In his time Pope Iohn the two and twentieth first Instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi begunne before by Urban the fourth Workes of piety done by him or by others in his time THis King founded Oriall Colledge and Saint Mary Hall in Oxford He builded â— Church of Fryers at his Manour of Langley where the soule of Gaveston should bâ— prayed for In this Kings twentieth yeare Richard Rothing Sheriffe of London bâ—â—lded the Parish Church of Garlickhithe in London Ralph Baldocke Bishop of London gave two thousand Markes to the building of the new Worke of the Chappell on the South side of Pauls Church And left much more by his Testament Casualties IN the eighth yeare of this Kings Raigne was so great a dearâ—h that Horses and Dogges were eaten and Theeves in prison pluckt in peeces those that were newly brought in amongst them and eate them halfe alive which continuing three yeares brought in the end such a pestilence that the living scarce sufficed to bury the dead In the fourth yeare of his Raigne the Church of Middleton in Dorsetshire with all the Monuments was consumed with Lightning the Monkes being at Mattins In this Kings time digging the Foundation of a worke about Pauls were found more then a hundred heads of Oxen and kine which confirmed the opinion that of old time it had beene the Temple of Iupiter and that there was the Sacrifice of Beasts Of his Wife and Children HE marryed Isabel Daughter of Philip the Faire King of France she being but twelve yeares of age who lived his Wife twenty yeares his Widdow thirty and dying at threescore and three yeares old at Rysings neare London was buried in the midst of the Gray Fryers Quire in London By her he had issue two Sons and two Daughters his eldest Sonne named Edward of Windsor because borne there succeeded him in the kingdome His second Sonne named Iohn of Eltham because borne there was at twelve yeares old created Earle of Cornwall he dyed in Scotland in the flowre of his Youth unmarryed His eldest Daughter Ioane being a childe was marryed in the fourth yeare of King Edward her Brother to Dâ—vid Prince of Scotland Sonne to King Robert Bruce at seven yeares old who comming afterward into England to visit her Brother dyed here and was buryed at the Gray Fryers in London His second Daughter Eleanor was marryed to Reginold the second Earle of Gelder with a portion of fifteene thousand pounds and had issue by him two Sonnes who were Earles successively Of his Personage and Conditions HE was faire of body and of great strength but given much to drinke which made him oftentimes bewray his owne Secrets For his other conditions his greatest fault was that he loved but one for if his love had beene divided it could not have beene so violent He was extreame in nothing but in loving and though love moderated be the best of affections yet the extremity of it is the worst of passions He was rather unfortunate then unhappy seeing unfortunatenesse is in the Event unhappinesse in the Cause and
Sir Iames Dowglasse the King surrenders by his Charter all his title of Soveraignty to the Kingdome of Scotland restores divers Deeds and Instruments of their former Homages and Fealties with the famous Evidence called Ragmans Roll and many ancient Jewels and Monuments amongst which was the blacke Crosse of Scotland and besides any English man is prohibited to hold lands in Scotland unlesse he were a dweller there In consideration whereof King Bruce was to pay thirty thousand Markes and to renounce his claime to the Counties of Cumberland and Northumberland and any other place possessed by him in England This was no good beginning and yet worse followed after For another Parliament being holden at Winchester Edmund Earle of Kent the Kings Unkle is there accused and condemned upon his confession for intending to restore his brother the late King Edward an intention onely without any fact yet condemned he was and brought to the Scaffold but generally so beloved of the people that he stood on the Scaffold from one a clocke till five before any executioner could be found that would doe the office till at last a silly wretch of the Marshalsey was gotten to cut off his head But the Authors of his death escaped not long themselves for in the third yeare of the Kings Raigne another Parliament is holden at Nottingham wherein the Queen hath all her great Joynture taken from her and is put to her Pension of a thousand pounds a yeare and her selfe confined to a Castle where she remained the rest of her dayes no fewer then thirty yeares a time long enough to finde that her being the daughter of a King the sister of a King the wife of a King and the mother of a King were glorious titles but all not worth the liberty of a meane estate and as for Mortimer lying then in the Castle of Nottingham and lately created Earle of the Marches of Wales he was seised on in this manner the King taking with him William Montacute Robert Holland and others goe secretly one night by Torch-light through a privie way under ground till they came to the Queenes Chamber where leaving the King without they entred and found the Queene with Mortimer ready to goe to bed then laying hands on him they led him forth after whom the Queene followed crying Bel fits â—el fits ayes pitie du gentil Mortimer good son good sonne take pity upon the gentle Mortimer suspecting that her sonne had beene amongst them this course was taken to apprehend him for avoyding of tumult he having no fewer then ninescore knights and Gentlemen besides other meaner servants continually about him But thus seised on he is committed presently to the Tower accused of divers great crimes whereof these were chiefe that he had procured the late Kings death that he had beene the author of the Scots safe escaping at Stanhope Parke corrupted with the gift of thirty thousand pounds that he had procured the late marriage and Peace with Scotland so dishonourable to the King and kingdome that he had beene too familiar with the Queene as by whom she was thought to be with child of which Articles he is found guilty and condemned and thereupon is drawne and hanged on the common Gallowes at the Elmes now called Tiburne where his body remained two dayes as an opprobrious spectacle for all beholders After these businesses in England there comes a new businesse upon him from the King in France for about this time Philippe le Bel King of France the Queens brother dying without issue the right of succession to the Crowne is devolved upon the Heire to Charles a former King wherein are competitours Philip Duke de Valois and Edward King of England Edward is the nearer in bloud buâ— drawes his Pedegree by a Female Philippe the further off but descending by all Males and because the Law Salique excluding Females was conceived as well to exclude all descendants by Females therefore is Philips title preferred before King Edwards and Philip is received and crowned King of France to which preferment of his Robert d' Arthois a Peere of great power gave no small furtherance And now as soone as Philip was Invested in the Crowne he summons King Edward to come and doe his Homage for the Dutchy of Guyenne and his other lands in France held of that Crowne according to the custome which though it were some prejudice to King Edwards claime afterward yet in regard his kingdome of England was scarce well setled and himselfe but young he was contented to doe and thereupon the sixth of Iune in the yeare 1329. King Edward in a Crimson Velvet gowne imbroidered with Leopards with his Crowne on his head his Sword by his side and golden Spurres on his heeles presents himselfe in the body of the Cathedrall Church of Amyens before King Philip sitting in his Chaire of Estate in a Velveâ— Gowne of a Violet colour imbroydered with Flowers de lys of Gold his Crowne on his head and his Scepter in his hand with all his Princes and Peeres about him The Viscount Melun Chamberlaine of France first commands King Edward to puâ— off his Crowne his Sword and his Spurres and to kneele downe which he did on a Crimson Velvet Cushion before King Philip and then the Viscount putting both his hands together betweene the hands of the King of France pronounced the words of the Homage which were these You become Liegeman to my Master here present as Duke of Aquitaine and Peere of France and you promise to beare faith and loyalty unto him Say yea and King Edward said yea and kissed the King of France in the mouth as Lord of the Fee The like Homage also he did for the Earldome of Ponthieu But this act of submission left a rancour in King Edwards heart which afterwards brake so out that it had beene good for France 〈◊〉 had never beene exacted This done King Edward returnes home and there finds a new busines with Scotland upon this occasion Edward Baylioll sonne to Iohn Baylioll sometimes King of Scotland two and thirty yeares after his fathers deposition beganne now to shew himselfe attempting the recovery of that Crowne and comming out of Fraâ—ce where he had all that while remained and getting aide under-hand in Englaâ—d with them he suddenly assailes those who had the government of Scotland during the Nonage of the young King David being at that time with the King of Fraâ—ce and in a battell overcame them with the slaugher of many Noble men and thousands of the common people and thereupon was immediatly Crowned King of Scotland at Scone But notwithstanding this great defeat King Baylioll was forced to retire him into England to get more aide of King Edward who now shewes himselfe in the action joynes with Baylioll against his brother in Law King David goes in person with a strong Army to recover Berwicke which after three moneths siege being valiantly defended by the Lord Seton was taken in and the Army
to Berwicke with a purpose to doe great matters but nothing was done for a new Truce was againe concluded for two yeares By this time Robert d' Arthois had made ready his Army and taking with him the Countesse of Montford the Earles of Pembroke Salisbury and Suffolke and many other Barons after great tempests and encounters at Sea lands safely at last neare to Vannes which was held by the French and laying â—â—ege to the City with the assistance of Walter de Manny who came unto him after many assaults at last he tooke it to the great joy of the Countesse of Montford though she held it not long for certaine resolute French knights assaulted it soone after and recovered it from the English In which action many Lords were slaine or wounded and particularly Robert de Arâ—hois himselfe who passing over into England for the better curing of his wounds soone after died and was buried in Pauls Church in Lâ—ndon And now King Edward himselfe with a strong Army passeth over into Britaine and plants his Campe before the City of Vannes where was like to have beene a cruell battell but in the instant there came from Pope Clâ—ment the sixth two Cardinals the Bishops of Preneste and Thusculum who upon certaine conditions concluded a Peace amongst other conditions this was one that the City of Vannes should be delivered to â—ing Philip and thereupon Iohn Earle of Montford should be set at liberty but yet with this charge not to goe into Britaine which promise notwithstanding he kept not but went presently and besieged a Towâ—e in Britaine though he were forced to retire and died shortly after But the Truce cracked â—hus as it were by Montford was afterward absolutely broken by King Edward though he charged the breach of it upon K. Philip and King Philip upon him But howsoever broken it was and Henry of Lancaster Earle of Derby with divers other Earles and Barons is sent into France who won many Townes in Gascoyneâ— and in the Counties of Perigort and Tholoâ—se and then went to winter at Burdeaux And afterward in May following pursuing his victories he wonne many morâ— Townes and amongst others the great Towne of Reoll After this againe he tooke Montpesat Maurore Villefranche and many other Townes and at last the great City of Angoâ—lesme and then came to winter againe at Burdeaux Of his Acts together with the Prince KING Philip informed of so many great losses assembles a mighty Army no lesse then a hundred thousand men with which he recovers Miremont and Villefranche and then proceeded to besiege Angoulesme whom the Earle of Derby having not forces sufficient to encounter King Edward leaving for Wardens of England in his absence the Lords Percie and Nevill goeth himselfe in person with an Army as Froyssard saith of fourescore thousand men at Armes and ten thousand Archers besides those out of Wales and Ireland taking with him his sonne the Prince of Wales and Duke of Guyenne being then but of the age of fifteene yeares It may be thought preposterous in King Edward to put his sonne to be a Souldier before he was come to be a man but it seemes he had a longing to try his sonnes valour in the bud and perhaps was loath to omit any thing that might give any countenance to this battell in which the two kingdomes were laid as it were at stake but howsoever taking him along with him and almost all the Lords of his kingdome he takes Shipping and lands at Normandy where at the first setting his foote on ground he tooke such a fall that the bloud gushed out at his nose which the Barons tooke for an ill signe but the King tooke it for a good saying it was a signe that the Land desired to have him and in deede he presently tooke the Townes of Harsteur Moulbourg Carenton and Saint Lo and afterward the City of Caâ—n it selfe and from thence passed to the County of Eureux saccaged and pillaged it as also the City of Gisors Vernon Meulan and Boulebourse to the City of Poyssy King Philip all this while staied about Paris as looking for King Edward to give him battell there and for that purpose had planted his Campe neare to Saint Germans but King Edward deceived him for going from Poyssy he passed into Picardie and Ponthieâ— where he tooke and burned many Townes and Castles and then passed the River of 〈◊〉 though not without danger for King Philip had sent thither Gundemar de Fay with a thousand horse and sixe thousand foote to stop his passage King Edward notwithstanding resolves to passe or perish and plungeth foremâ—â—â— into the River crying out They who love me will follow me at which voyce 〈◊〉 man strove who should be foremost and so the shoare was presently gained by the English Gunâ—emar astonished with this bold adventure astonisheth his peoâ—â—â— with his fearfull countenance so that the English encountring the French all in 〈◊〉 put them to flight King Philip enraged with this dishonour resolves to 〈◊〉 it and presently provokes King Edward to a battell King Edward had 〈◊〉 â—â—camped in a Village called Cressy his Army consisted of thirty thousand 〈◊〉 â—hich he divided into three battalions the first was led by the young Prince 〈…〉 with whom were joyned the Earle of Warwicke Geoffrey of Harecourt 〈◊〉 Hollaâ—d Ricâ—ard Stafford Iohn Chandoes Robert Nevile and many other 〈◊〉 and Gentlemen to the number of eight hundred men at Armes two thou 〈…〉 and a thousand Welsh In the second were the Earles of Northamâ—â—â—â—â—nd â—nd of 〈◊〉 the Lords Rosse Basset and others to the number of eight hun 〈…〉 Armes and twelve hundred Archers In the third the King was himâ—â—â—â—â— hâ—ving about him seven hundred men at Armes and three thousand Archers 〈◊〉 battels thus ordered mounted on a white Hobby he rode from ranke to ranke 〈◊〉 â—â—em encouraging every man that day to have regard to his right and ho 〈…〉 The French Kings Army was farre greater consisting of above sixty thou 〈…〉 well armed whereof the chiefe were Charles Duke of Alanson 〈…〉 Iohn of Luxembourg King of Bohemia Charles de Blois the Kings 〈…〉 Duke of Lorraine the Earles of Flanders Nevers Sancerre of Ba 〈…〉 and Gentlemen about three thousand The Vauntguard he commits to his â—rother the Count de Alanson the Reere to the Earle of Savoy the maine battell â—e leadâ— himselfe his heate out of confidence of victory was so great that 〈…〉 permitted time for a little counsell what was fit to be done The old King 〈…〉 advised that the Army should take some repast and that the Infantry câ—â—â—isting of Geâ—oueses which were above fifteene thousand Crossebowes and 〈◊〉 menâ— should make the first Front and the Cavallery to follow which was agreed on But the Count of Alanson contrary to this order tooke it ill that the 〈◊〉 were in the first ranke and in fury caused them to change place which 〈…〉 discontentment that it irritated them more against the
Kings Writ Affaires of the Church in his time IN the second yeere of this Kings Reigne there came messengers from the new-elected Pope Vrban to require the Kings ayd against such Cardinals as he named Schismâ—ticks that had elected another Pope whom they named Clemâ—nt which Cardinalls sent messengers likewiâ—e to crave his ayd for them but through perswasion of the Archbishop of Canterbury Vrbans request was granted and Clement rejected In his fourth year Iohn Wickliffe set forth his opinion touching the Sacrament of the Altar denying the doctrine of Transubstantiation in such sort as the Church of Rome did then teach In his sixth year Henry Spencer Bishop of Noâ—wiâ—h received Bulls from Pope Vrbâ—n to grant all priviledges of the Crusado to all such as would come over and assist him against the Anti-Pope Clement which being debated in Parliament It was after much opposition agreed that it should go forward and thereupon the Bishop not only gathered much money from such as would contribute to the expedition but drew many great Captaines to go themselves in person as namely Sir Hugh Calverley sir William Farington the Lord Henry Beauâ—â—â—t sir William Elmham sir Thoâ—as Tryvet and divers others The money raised by contribution came to 25000 Franks and the Army to 3000 Horse and 15000 Foot with which Forces the Bishop passing over into Flanders wonne the Towns of Graveling Dunkirke and Newport but at last encountred by a mighty Army of the French he was put to the worse and returned into England In the twelveth yeare of this Kings Reigne an Act was made that none should passe the Seas to purchase promotions or provisions as they tearmed them in any Church or Churches Also in this yeare Thomas late Earle of Lancaster by reason of miracles reported to be done by him was Canonized for a Saint At this time also the Wickliffs mervelously increased Preaching against Pilgrimages and Images whose greatest opposer was the Bishop of Norwich In his thirteenth yeare Proclamation was made that all Beneficed men abiding in the Court of Rome should return into England by a certain day under pain of forfeiting their Benefices and all other not Beneficed under a certain pain likewise Also about this time a Statute was made that no Ecclesiasticall person should possesse Manours Houses Lands Revenues or Rents whatsoever at the hands of the Feoffee without the Kings Licence and the chiefe Lords In his eighteenth yeare the Wickliffs were persecuted and excommunication pronounced against them by the Archbishop of Canterbury In this Schisme of the two Popes the French Clergy wrote in behalfe of Clement their Pope and sent it into England the Clergy of England on the contrary wrote in behalfe of Pope Vrban and so nothing was agreed Works of Piety in his time IN the 20th yeare of this Kings Reign William Bâ—teman Bishop of Norwich builded Trinitie Hall in Cambridge In the third year of his Reign Iohn Philpot Major of Loâ—don gave to the Citie certain Tenements for the which the Chamberlain payeth yearly to thirteen poore people to every of them seven pence the week for ever and as any of those thirteen persons dyeth the Major appointeth one to succeed and the Recorder another In the one and twentieth yeare of his Reign King Richard caused the great Hall at Westminster to be repaired both the Walls Windows and Roofe In his time Siâ—â—â— Archbishop of Canterbury slain by the Rebels upon Tower hill built the West-gate of Canterbury and from thence to the North-gate commonly called the long wall Thomas Fits-Alaâ— or Arundell being Bishop of Ely built the great Gatehouse of Ely house in Holborne and being after Bishop of Canterbury he built a faire spire steeple at the West-end of his Church there called to this day Arundell steeple and bestowed a tuneable ring of five Bells upon the same Of Casualties happening in his time IN his third yeare so great a mortality afflicted the North parts of England that the Country became almost desolate In his sixt yeare on the 24 day of May there happened so great an earthquake or as some write a watershake that it made Ships in the Havens to beat one against the other In Iuly in the year 1389. whilest the King was at Sheene there swarmed in his Court such multitudes of Flyes and Gnats skirmishing with one another that in the end they were swept away with brooms by heaps and bushels were filled with them In his twelveth yeare in March first there were terrible Windes afterward followed a great mortality and after that a great dearth that a bushelâ— of wheat was sold for thirteen pence which was then thought a great price for the years before it was sold for six pence and Wooll was sold for two shillings a stone In his fourteenth year on Christmas day a Dolphin was taken at London-bridge being ten foot long and a monstrous grown fish Ind his eighteenth year an Exhalation in likenesse of fire appeared in the night in many places of England which when a man went alone went as he went and stayed as he stayed sometimes like a wheele sometimes like a Barrell sometimes like a timberlogge but when many went together it appeared to be far off Also in a Parliament time ther was a certain Image of waxe made by Necromancie as was sayd which at an houre appointed uttered these words The Head shall be cut off the Head shall be lift up aloft the feet shall be lift up above the Head and then spake no more This happened in the Parliament called the Marvellous Parliament not long before the Parliament that wrought wonders In his one and thirtieth yeare a River not far from Bedford suddenly ceased his course so as the channell remained dry by the space of three miles which was judged to signifie the Revolting of the Subjects from their naturall Prince In his two and twentieth yeare almost through all England old Bay-trees withered and afterwards grew green againe which was supposed to import some strange event About the yeare 1380. the making of Gunnes was found by a Germaâ—e which may well be reckoned amongst casualties seeing it was found by casualty for this Germane having beaten Brimstone in a morter to powder and covered it with a stone it happened that as he struck fire a sparke chanced to fall into the powder which caused such a flame out of the morter that it raised the stone a great heigth which after he perceived he made a Pipe of iron and tempered the powder with some other ingredients and so finished that deadly Engine The first that used it were the Venetians against the inhabitans of Geneva Of his Wives KING Richard in his time had two Wives the first was Anne Daughter to the Emperour Charles the Fourth and Sister to the Emperour Wenceslaus who lived his wife ten years and dyed without issue at Sheene in Surry in the year 1392 whose death King Richard tooke so heavily that he caused the buildings of that
to deliver Mortimer but the King was deafe of that eare he could rather have wished both him and his two Sisters in heaven for then he should be free from conceal'd competitours These affronts were at this time suffered in the Welch because the King was now employed in a more dangerous service with the Scots for they taking advantage of the distraction in the kingdome as it was alwayes their custome to do had made an In-rode into the County of Northumberland and suddenâ—y one night set upon the Castle of Werke tooke and spoiled it and then returned In revenge wherof the English invaded and spoiled certain Islands of the Orknâ—ys Then the Scots set forth a Fleet under the conduct of Sir Robert Logon but before he came to any action he was encountred and the greatest part of his Fleet taken But these were but such affronts as often happen between troublesome neighbours for all this while the Peace was still in being between the Nations but at last it brake out into an open warre upon this occasion Robert King of Scots had offered to match his Son David with a Dâ—ughter of Geoâ—ge Earle of Dunbarre and had received money of him in part of her portion and afterward would neither suffer the March to proceed nor yet pay back the money but married his Son to a Daughter of Archibold Earle of Dâ—â—glasse Upon which indignity George of Dunbarre flyes into England to king Henry and with his ayd makes divers incursions into Scoâ—land Whereupon Roberâ— king of Scots sent to king Henry that if he would have the Truce between them to continue he should deliver to him George of Dunbarre King Henry answered that he had given him a safe conduct and could not now recall it with his Honor but as for continuing the Truce king Robert might do in that what he thought bestâ— Upon this answer the king of Scots presently proclaimed warre against him But king Henry as ready in that matter as he stayed not for king Roberts invading of England but himselfe with a puissant Army invaded Scotland burning Castles and Cities and not sparing Churches and Religious Houses About the end of September he besieged the Castle of Maydens in Edenbourgh where Prince David and the Earle Dowglasse were At which time Robert Duke of Albanye who in the king of Scots sicknesse managed the businesse sent an Herald to king Henry protesting upon his honor that if he would stay but six dayes he would give him battell K. Henry rewarded the Herald and stayed but six times six dayes passed but neither Duke of Albany nor any other for him appeared And now winter came on Victualls grew scant and which was worst a mortality began in the Englâ—sh Campe For which causes king Henry removed his Siege and retuâ—ned iâ—tâ— England As soone as he was gone sir Patrick Hebborne a Scottishman having a good opinion of his valour thought to do great matters and with a competent Army of the men of Lâ—â—gh-deane he invaded Northumberland making great spoile and loading his Soulâ—diers with prey and prisoners but in the Retreit marching loosely and licentiously was set upon by the Earle of Northumberland Vice-warden at a Towne called Neshye where Hebborne himselfe and all the floure of Lâ—ugh-deane were flaine sir Iohn and William Cockburne sir William Busse Iohn and Thomas Hablington Esqâ—ires and a multitude of common Souldiers taken prisoners On the Englâ—sh part few slâ—inâ— and none of any ranke or quality In revenge whereof Archibold Dowglasse with an Army of twenty thousand entred Northumberland but at a place called Homâ—ldon were encountred by the English under the leading of Henry Lord Percye sirnamed Hoâ—spuâ—â—e and George Earle of March who put them to â—light and after the slauâ—hter of ten thousand of them tooke five hundred prisoners whereof the chieft were Mordack Earle of Fife sonne of the Generall who in the fight lost one of his eyes Thomas Earle of Murrey Robert Earle of Aâ—gus the Earls of Atholl and Menliâ—â—â— and amongst the slaine were Sir Iohn Swinton Sir Adam Gourdon Sir Iohn Leviston Sir Alexander Ramsey and three and twenty other knights In this meane time Glendour of Wales had solicited the king of France for ayde who sent him twelve hundred men of quality but the windes were so contrary that they lost twelve of their ships and the rest returned home The English deriding this ill successe of the French so exasperated the French-king that presently after he sent twelve thousand who landed safely and joyned with the Welch but as soone as they heard of the English armies approach whether mistrusting their own strength or suspecting the Welch-mens faithfullnesse they ran to their ships and disgracefully went home King Henry's Ambassadors lately sent into Britaine to fetch the Lady Iane de Navarre Dutchesse of Britiane the relict of Iohn de Montford sirnamed the Conquerourâ— with whom the king by Procurators had contracted Matrimony in the beginning of February returned with her in safety The king met her at Winchester where the seventh of February the marriage was solemnized About this time some affronts were offered by the French Valerian Earle of S. Paul with seventeene hundred men landed in the Isle of Wight where hee burnt two Villages and some few Cottages but hearing the people of the Island to have assembled hee made haste to his ships and returned home Also Iohn Earle of Clermont the heire of Bourbon won from the English the Castles of S. Peter S. Mary and the New-Castle The Lord de la Brett won the Castle of Calâ—â—in places of great consequence to the English And now to make k. Henry sensible that a Crown can hardly ever sit easie upon the head if it be not set on right at first a new Conspiracy is hatching against him The Percies Earls of Northumberland and Worcester with Henry Hotspur began about thiâ— time to fall off from king Henry their reason was First because the king at their request refused to redeeme their kinsman Mortimer from Glendours slavery and then because he denied them the benefit of such prisoners as they had taken of the Scots at Homildon or Nâ—shye whereupon they went of themselves and procured Mortimer's delivery and then entred into a League offensive and defensive with Glendour and by their Proxies in the house of the Arch-deacon of Bangor they agreed upon a Tripartite Indenture under their hands and seales to divide the kingdome into three parts whereby all England from Severâ— and Trent South and Eastward was assigned for the portion of the Earle of March All Wales and the Lands beyond Severâ— VVestward were assigned to Owen Glendour And all the remainder of land from Trent Northward to bee the portion of the Lord Percy In this as Glendour perswaded them they thought they should accomplish a Prophesie as though king Henry were the Mouldwarp cursed of Gods own mouth they three were the Lyon the Dragon and the Wolfe which should divide the Land
withall made the Bishop sweare that if the said Iohn and Gaunt should at any time either directly or indirectly attempt the Crown or that rightfully through want of issue it should devolve unto him that then he should discover this matter and make it known unto the King and Councell Afterward the Queen being dead and the Bishop finding Iohn of Gaunt as he thought too much aspiring he secretly told him this relation and this adjuration of his supposed mother advising him not to seeke higher than a private state for else he was bound by oath to make it known to all the World Thus far the Bishop did well but when he saw the Son of Iohn of Gaunt not only aspiring but possessed of the Crown why did he not then discover it and joyn at least with the Bishop of Caâ—lile in opposing it Certainly we may know that either the whole relation was but a Fable or that Wickham was a Temporizer or that Iohn of Gaunt was a most patient man to suffer the affront of such an indignity with lâ—sse than the death of him that did it But howsoever it was it is certain the Duke bore a mortall grudge to the Bishop who had no way to withstand such an enemy but by making Alice Pierce his friend by whose means after two years he was restored to all his livings and afterward K. Edward being dead and Alice Pierce banished by the means of a greater friend than Alice Pierce his full ourse he obteined in the second year of k. Richard a generall pardon under the Great Seale of England and from that time forward enjoyed a quiet life and dyed in the fourth yeare of this King Henry the fourth being then of the age of above 80 years and lieth buried in the Church of St. Swithenâ— in VVinchester in a monument of his own making in his life time leaving for his heire Thomas Perrot the son of his sister Agnes married to VVilliam Perrot Another great example of the volubility of Fortune in Professors of learning was Roger VValden who dyed in the ninth yeare of this King he was at first a poor Scholler in Oxford and the first step of his rising was to be a Chaplain in the Colledge there of St. Maries from thence by degrees he got to be Dean of Yorke and after this a high step to be Treasurer of England and yet a higher after that upâ—n the banishment of Thomas Arundell to be Archbishop of Canterbury But beinâ— now at the top he came down again for in this kings time Thomas Arundell beiâ—g restored to the Archbishopricke VValden was not only put out of â—hat place 〈◊〉 was called to accompt for the Treasureâ—ship and though he shewed hiâ— quietus est yet all his Temporalties were seized and his person imprisoned till by the mediation of the now Archbishop Arundell he was made Treasurer of Calice and after promoted to be Bâ—shop of London The next place after these is justly due to Geoffry Châ—ucer and Iohn Gower two famous Poets in this time and the Fathers of English Poets in all the times after Chaâ—cer dyed in the fourth yeare of this king and lyeth buried at VVestminster Gower in this kings ninth yeare and was buried in St. Mary Overys Church in Southwarke And now come others to be remembred who lived and died in this kings time Hugh Legate born in Hartfordshire a Monke of St. Albons who wrote Scholies upon Boetius de Consolatione Nicholas Gorham born also in Hartfordshire a Dominick Frier and the French kings Confessor though an Englishman VValteâ— Disse so called of a Town in Norfolke where he was borne Confessor to the Duke of Lancaster Lawrence Holbeck a Monke of Ramsey who wrote an Hebrew Dictionary Iohn Cotton Archbishop of Armagh Richâ—rd Scroope brother to William Scroope Lord Treasurer of England made Archbishop of Yorke and writing an invective against King Henry lost his head William Thorpe an earnest follower of Iohn Wickliffe for which he was committed to Saltwood Castle where he dyed Stephen Patrington born in Yorkâ—shire and Robert Mascall a Carmelite Frier of Ludlow both of them Confessors to king Henry the fifth Boston a Monke of the Abbey of Burie in Suffolke who wrote a Catalogue of all the Writers of the Church and other Treatises Iohn Purvey who was convented for teaching Doctrine conâ—rary to the Church of Rome and compelled to recant Thomas Rudburne Bishop of S. Davids who wrote a Chronicle Nicolas Riston who considering the strife between the then Anti-popes wrote a booke De tollendo schismate Robert Wansham a Monke in Darâ—etshire who wrote a booke in verse Of the Originall and signification of Words Robert Wimbledon an excellent Preacher as appâ—arâ—th by the Sermon he made upoâ— this Text Redde rationem Villicatioâ—is tuae THE REIGNE OF KING HENRY THE FIFTH HENRY of Monmouth so called from the place in Wales where he was born eldest Son of King Henry the fourth succeeded his Father in the kingdom of England to whom the Lords of the Realm swore Homage and Allegiance before he was yet Crowned an honor never done before to any of his Predecessors and afterwards on the ninth of Aprill in the yeare 1412 he was Crowned at Westminster by Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury with all Riâ—es and Solemnities in such case accustomed And as the Scripture speaks of Saul that assoone as Samuel had annointed him King he had a new heart given him and he became another man than he was before So was it with this king Henry for presently after his Coronation he called before him all his old Companions who had been frâ—tres in malo with him strictly charging them not to preâ—ume to come within ten miles of his Court untill such time as they had given good proofe of their amendment in manners and least any of them should pretend want of maintenance to be any cause of their taking ill courses he gave to every one of them a competent meanes whereby to subsist And knowing as he did the fashion of the Scots and Welch that in times of change they would commonly take advaâ—tage to make Inroades upon the Borders he therefore caâ—sed Forts and Bulwarks in fit places to be erected and placed Garrisons in them for preventing or repelling any such incuâ—sions Immediately after this he called a Parliament where a Subsidie was granted without asking and in this Parlâ—ament the Commons began to harp upon their old string of taking away the Temporalties of the Clergie and the Bishops fearing how it might take in the kings ears thought it best to divert him by striking upon another string which they knew would be more pleasing to him which was to shew him the great right he had to the Crown of France And hereupon Chicheley Archbishop of Câ—nterbury in a long narration deduced the kings Right from Isâ—bel Daughter to Philip the fourth married to king Edward the second from whom it discended by direct line to his Majesty and no
hearing by the way of the mischiefe plotted against them they caused their Retinue to goe on-ward the way to the Court as though themselves were comming after but they provided otherwise for their safety the duke of Yorke with a Groome and a Page getting him to Wigmore Castle the Eaâ—le of Salisbury to his Castle of Middleham in the North and the Earle of Warwicke to the Sea side and so to Callis but before they parted they agreed upon an Alphabet by which they might have entercourse of letters yet their intentions kept undiscovered The king unwitting of this mischiefe intended against the duke of Yorke and his friends returneth to London where he calleth a Councell and therein of his owne accord desireth that some course might be invented for a perfect reconcilement of all parties promising upon his salvation an asseveration not usuâ—ll with him so to entertaine the duke of Yorke and his friendâ— that all discontents should be removed and a perfect amity on all parts â—stablished to which end messengers are dispatched to the duke of Yorke and all other of his party commanding them upon urgent affairs of the Realm and upon Royall promise of safe conduct to repaire to his Court at London at a day appointed The duke of Yorke accordingly came and with 400 men well apparelled lodged at his house called Baynards Castle Tâ—e Earle of Sâ—lisbury with 500 men lodged likewise at his house called the Herbour The duke of Exeter lately released and the Duke of Somerset with 800 men were lodged within Temple-Barre The Earle of Northumberland the Lord Egremont and the Lord Clifford with 1500 men were lodged in Holborne The Earle of Warwicke with 600 in red jackets with ragged staves embroydered behinde and before were lodged at the Gray Friers in London Upon the seventeenth of March the King and the Queen came to London and were lodged at the Bishops Pallace the Major having five hundred well appointed men in readinesse rode with a competent number all day long round the Citie for preservation of the Kings Peace The Lords lodging within the Citie held their Councell at Black-Friers the other at the Chapterhouse at Westminster Between both the Reverend Archbishop of Canterbâ—ry the Son of Henry Bourchier Earle of Essex with some other of the most able Prelates interceded so that by their mediation it was at last concluded that all wrongs and misdemeanours on every side should â—e forgotten and forgiven that each side should be friends to the other and both be obedient to the commands of the king Besides this in generall there were some particular Articles to be performed by the Duke of Yorke the Earles of Salisbury and Warwicke which afterward was ratified under the great Seale of England the 24 day of March in the 36 yeare of the Reigne of king Henry the Sixth Upon the publication whereof a solemne Procession was made in Pauls Church at which the king was present with his Crâ—wn on his head before him hand in hand went the Duke of Somerset and the Earle of Salisbury the Duke of Exeter and the Earle of Warwicke and so one of the one and another of the other part till they were all Marshalled behinde the king came the Queen the Duke of Yorke leading her by the hand who in going made shew of favorable countenance towards him Divine Service ended they returne to the Court in all outward appearance truly reconciled but all was dissembled as will presently appeare for presently upon this an affray fell out betweene a servant of the Earle of Warwicke and a Courtier who in the encounter is dangerously wounded the Earles man flyeth the kings servants seeing their fellow hurt and the offender escaped watch the Earles comming from the Councell Table and assaile him many are hurt but the Earle getteth a Wherry and so escapes to London the Queen incontinently commands the Earle to be committed to the Tower but hee foreseeing the danger posts to Yorkshire where he acquaints the Duke of Yorke and his father the Earle of Salisbury of all the occurrence with the palpable discovery of the Queens canker'd disposition advising them to stand upon their Guard and to provide against the approaching storme Himselfe speeds to Callis and being then Lord Admirall takes with him all the kings ships that were in readinesse and scouring the Seas meets with five great Carricks three of Genoâ—a and two of Spaine and after two dayes fight takes two of them with which hee returned to Callis where he unloaded their fraight and found it worth ten thousand pounds in Staple commodities besides the Ships and Prisoners In the meane time the Earle of Salisbury with about five thousand men marcheth through Lancâ—shire to passe that way to the king with a purpose to acquaint him with the affront offered to his Son and the inveterate malice discovered in the Queen against him The Queene with the Dukes of Buckingham and Somâ—rset hearing of his comming gave order to the Lord Audley to use means to apprehend him who thereupon levyeth ten thousand men in Cheshire and Shropshire and with them about a mile from Drayton in a plaine called Bloreheath he attended the Earle there being but a small brooke of no great depth between them Early in the morning the Earle made a seeming Retreat which the Lord Talbot observing presently causeth his Troops to passe the River but before they could be reduced againe into order the Earle with his whole strength falls upon them and with the slaughter of the Lord Audley and most of them that had passed the River he discomfited the rest and slew about 24. hundred of them Sir Iohn and sir Thomas Nevill knights the Earlâ— Sons were sorely wounded who with Sir Thomas Harrington travelling into the North Country were apprehended and sent as Prisoners towards Chester but upon a message from the Marchmen were presently released And now the Duke of Yorke thinking fit no longer to conceale his designe makeâ— preparation to take the Field the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick do the like and amongst others of approved valour whom the Earle of Warwicke had brought from Callis with him were two principall noted men Iohn Blunt and Andrew Trolloppe Likewise the King with the Dukes of Somerset and Exeter drawes his Forces to Worcester from whence Richard Beauchamp Bishop of Salisbury is sent to offer the Yorkists a full and generall Pardon if they would lay down Arms and become loyall Subjects Whereunto they answered that there was no trust to the Kings Pardons as long as the Queen had a Predominant power but if they might have assurance of safety they would expresse their loyalty and humbly render themselves at his service Hereupon the King advanceth neerer and approaching the Lords Armie caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever would abandon the Duke of Yorke should be received to mercy and have Pardon Upon this the night following Andrew Trolloppe with all the Callicians submit to the King and
Deane of Paulsâ— to be Commissioners for maâ—ing enquiry of the Offenders 〈◊〉 for assessing their Fines which they did with great severity to some with great mildnesse to others to all with equity 〈◊〉 was now the fourteenth yeer of the kings Reigne when one Sebastian â—â—bato â— Geâ—â—â—a's Sonne born â—t Bâ—iston perswaded the king to man and victuaâ—â— a ship at Bristow â—o search for 〈◊〉 stand which he said he knew to be replenished with rich Commodities who setting forth with three other small shâ—ps of London merchants returned home two yeerâ— after when he had made a large discovery westward and would have gone to 〈◊〉 if the Mariners had not forced him to return a likewise siâ— years before one Christopâ—er Columbus a Spanyard made the first discovery of America Perkin being in the Tower and carefully guarded yet found me â—s to escape and fled to the Priory of Sheen neer Richmond where discovering himselfe to the Pryor of that Monastery he begged of him for Gods sake to get the kings Pardon foâ— his life which the Prior effected but then was Perkin brought to the Court at Westminster and was one day set fettered in a paire of Stocks before Westminster-hall and there stood a whole day the next day he was set upon a like Scaffold in Cheape-side and there standing the whole day also hethen read openly his confession wrâ—tten with his own hand wherein he declared his Parentage and the place of his Birth and all the passages of his Life and by what means he was drawn to make this attempt After this he was committed againe to the Tower and care taken he should be better looked to than he was before But all the care notwithstanding once againe Perkin attempted to escape and drawing into a Confederacy with him the young Earle of Warwicke by faire words and large promises so corrupted his keepers Straâ—gwish Blâ—wet Astwood and long Roger servants to Sir Iohn Digbie Lieutenant of the Tower that they intended to have slaine their Master and set Perkiâ— and the Earle of Warwicke at liberty But this practice was soone discovered â—o that Perkiâ— and Iohn a Water sometime Major of Corke in Ireland one of Perkiâ—s chiefe founders were on the sixteenth day of November arraigned at Westminster and condemned and both of them on the two and twentieth day were drawn to Tyburne and there hanged where Perkiâ— tooke it upon his death that the Confession he had formerly made was true soon after also Blewet and Astwood two of the Lieutenants men were in the same place executed On the one and twentieth day of the same month Edward Plantagemet Earle of Warwicke was arraigned at Westminster before the Earle of Oxford then High Steward of England not for consenting to breake Prison but for conspiring with Perkin to raise Sedition and destroy the king and upon his Confession had Judgement and on the eight and twentieth day of the same month in the yeer 1499. was brought to the Scaffold on the Tower-hill and there beheaded This Earle of Warwick was the eldest Sonne of the Duke of Clarence and was the last Heire male of the name of Plantagenet and had been kept in the Tower from his very Inâ—ancy out of all company of Men and fight of Beasts so as he scarcely knew a Hen from a Goose nor one beast from another and therefore could never know how to practice his escape of himselfe but by Perkiâ—s subtlety for which cause the king favoured him so farre that he was not buried in the Tower but at Bissam by his Ancestours And thus ended the designes of Perkiâ— Warbeck which had troubled both the Kingdome and the King the space of seven or eight yeers a great part of the Kings Raigne But in the time of Perkiâ—s being in the Tower another like practice was set on foot for an Augustiâ—e Frier called Patrick in the County of Suffolk having a Scholler named Ralph Wilford a Cordwayners Sonne he caused him to take upon him to be the Earle of Warwicke lately by great chance gotten out of the Tower and they going together into 〈◊〉 when the Frier perceived some light credit to be given to him he then stuck not to declare it openly in the Pulpit desiring all men to assist him But this practice was soone discovered and both the Mr. and the Scholler were apprehended attainted the Scholler Wilford was hanged on Shrovetuesdâ—y at S. Thomas Waterings and the Frier was condemned to perpetuall Prison for at that time so much reverence was attributed to holy Orders that a Priest though â—e had commited Treason against the king yet had hâ—s life spared And this practâ—â—e was some cause to exasperate the king against the Earle of Warwicke who though innocent in himselfe yet was nocent in pretenders and besides king Ferdinand of Spaiâ—e with whom at this time there was a Treaty for marriage of his Daughter to Prince Arthur had written to the king in plaine terms that he saw no assurance of his Sonnes succession as long aâ— the Earle of Warwicke lived and thus all things unfortunately concurred to bring this innocent Prince to his end In the fifteenth yeer of his Reigne partly to avoide the danger of the Plague then raigning in England but chiefely to conferre with the Duke of Burgoigne about many important businesses the King and Queen sayled over to Callice where at an enterview between him and the Duke at Saint Peters Church without Callice the Duke offered to hold the kings sturrup at his alighting which the king by no meanes would permit but descending from horse-back they embraced wiâ—h great affection â—nd after Communication had between them the King and Queen in the end oâ— Iuâ—â— returned into England In his seventeenth yeer â—wo great Marriages were solemnized the Lady 〈◊〉 of Spaine was sent by her Father king Ferdiâ—aâ—d with a puissant Army of Sâ—â—ps into Eâ—gland where she arrived at Plimouth the second day of October and on the fourteenth of November afterâ— was espoâ—sed openly to Prince Arâ—hur both beâ—ng clad in white He of the age of â—â—fteen yeers shee of eighteen at night they were laid together in one Bed where they lay as Man and Wife all that night when â—oâ—ning appeared the Prince as his servants about him reported called for drinke which before time he had not used to doe whereof one of his Chambâ—rlaines â—sking 〈◊〉 the causeâ— he answered merrily saying I have been this night in the middest oâ— Spaâ—â—â— which is a hot Country and â—hat makeâ— me so dry though some write thaâ—â— grave Matron was laid in bed between them to hinder actuall Consummationâ—â— Tâ—e Ladies portion was two hundred thousand Duckets her joynture the 〈◊〉 part of the Principality of Wales Cornwall and Châ—ster At this Marriage was grâ—â—â— solemnity and Royall Justings during which time there came into London 〈◊〉 Earle a Bishop and divers other noble personages sent from the king of Scots 〈…〉 conclusion of a Mariage before treated of
Sir Giles Capell Thomas Cheiney and others obtained leave of the King to be at the challenge where they all behaved themselves with great valour but specially the Duke of Suffolke whose glory the Dolphyn so much envied that he got a Dutch-man the tallest and strongest man in all the Court of France secretly as another person to encounter him with a purpâ—e to have the Duke foyled but indeed it turned to his greater honour for he foiled the Dutch-man in such sort that when they came to the Barriers the Duke by maine strength took him about the neck and so prommeled him about the head that he made the blood issue out at his nose many other Princes and Lords did bravely and after three dayes the Justs ended King Henry was not long behinde to solemnize it in England also for at Greenwich the Christmas following on Newyeers night and Twelfth night he presented such strange and magnificent devices as had seldome been seene and the third of February following he held a solemne Justs where he and the Marquesse Dorset answered all commers at which time the King brake three and twenty speares and threw to the ground one that encountred him both man and horse At this time preparation was making for King Henry in person to go to Callice there to meet with the French King and Queene but death hindred the designe for before the next spring the first of Ianuary the French King dyed at the City of Paris fourscore and two dayes after his marriage teaching others by his example what it is for an old man to marry a young Lady King Henry hearing of the French Kings death sent the Duke of Suffolke Sir Richard Winkefield and Doctor West to bring over the Queene Dowager according to the Covenants of the marriage Whereupon the Queene was delivered to the Duke by Indenture who obtaining her good will to be her husband which was no hard matter that had been her first love wrote to the King her brother for his consent whereat the King seemed to stick a while but at last consented so as he brought her into England unmarried and then marry at his return but the Duke for more surety married her secretly in Paris and after having received her Dower Apparrell and Jewels came with her to Callice and there openly married her with great solemnity At their coming into England King Henry to shew his contenâ—ment with the marriage in the company of the Duke of Suffolke the Marquesse Dorset and the Earle of Essex all richly apparelled held a new kinde of Justs running courses on horseback in manner Volant as fast as one could follow another to the great delight of the beholders This yeer the King at his Mannour of Oking Woolsey Archbishop of Yorke came and shewed him letters that he was elected Cardinall for which dignity he disabled himselfe till the King willed him to take it upon him and from thenceforth called him Lord Cardinall but his Hat and Bull were not yet come after which Doctor Warham Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancelour of England finding Woolsey being now Cardinall to meddle more in his office of Chancelourship then he could well sufferâ— resigned up the Seal which the King presently gave to Woolsey About this time Cardinall Campejus was sent by Pope Leo to King Henry to solicite him to a Warre against the Turke with whom Cardinall Woolsey was joyned in Commission who hearing of the ragged retinue of his fellow Cardinell sent store of red cloath to Callice to make them fit followers of so great a Lord and when Campejus was landed at Dover Cardinall Woolsey caused the gentry of Kent to waite upon to Black-heath where he was met and received by the Duke of Norfolk and many Prelates there in a Tent of cloath of gold shifted himself into his Cardinals robes Eight Mules he had laden with necessaries but Woolsey not thinking them enough for his honour sent him twelve more But now see the shame of pride for in Cheap-side his Mules by some mischance overthrew their Carriages and Coffers on the ground whose lyds flying open shewed the world what treasure it was they carried old Breeches Boots and broken Shoos broken Meat Marybones and crusts of Bread exposing him to the laughter of all the people yet the Cardinall went joging on afore with his Crosses guilt Axe and Mace unto Pauls Church and by the way had an Oration made him by Sir Thomas Moore in name of the City and then waited on with many Bishops was conducted to Bath Place where he was lodged for his own particuler he got well by the Journey for the King gave him the Bishoprick of Salisbury but the errand he came about which was to have Ayde by mony for a Warre against the Turke he could not obtaine for it was well known to be but a devise to get money without any intention of what was pretended In his seventh yeer King Henry kept his Christmas at his Mannour of Eltham where on Twelfth night according to his custome was a stately Maske of Knights and Ladies with solemne Daunsing and a most Magnificent Banquet It was now the eight yeer of King Henryes Reigne when the new league between him and the French King was Proclaimed in the City of London and this yeer Mageret Queene of Scots eldest Sister to King Henry having before married Archibald Dowglasse Earle of Angus by reason of dissention amongst the Lords of Scotland was glad with her husband to flye into England and to seek succour at her brothers hands who assigned to her the Castle of Harbottell in Northumberland to reside in where she was delivered of a daughter named Margaret From thence the King sent for her and her husband to come to his Court and thereupon the third of May Queene Margaret riding on a white Palfrye which the Queen of England had sent her behinde Sir Thomas Parrâ— came through London to Baynards Castle and from thence went to Greenwich but her husband the Earle of Angus was secretly before departed into Scotland which when King Henry heard he onely â—aid it was done like a Scot. And now in honour of his sisters coming King Henry the nine and twentieth of May appointed two solemne dayes of Justs where the King the Duke of Sâ—ffolke the Earle of Essex and Nicholas Carew Esquire took upon them to answer all commers amongst others the King and Sir William Kinston ran together which Sir William though a strong and valourous Knight yet the King overthrew him to the ground all the rest was performed with no lesse valour then magnificence This yeer died the King of Aragon Father to the Queene of England for whom was kept a solemne Obsequie in the Cathedrall Church of Pauls and Queene Margaret after she had been a yeer in England returned into Scotland In this yeer were sent twelve hundred Carpenters and Masons with three hundred Labourers to the City of Tourney in France to build a Castle
following between three and foure a clocke in the afternoone the Queene was delivered of a daughter that was named Elizabeth the Godfather at the christning was the Archbishop of Canterbury the Godmother the old Dutchesse of Norfolke and the old Marchionesse Dorset widow and at the Confirmation the Lady Marchionesse of Excester the Christning was performed with exceeding great state and great gifts were given by the Gossips This yeere one Pavier the Town-clerke of London hanged himselfe whom Hollinshead saith he heard once sweare a great oath that if he thought the thought the King would set forth the Scripture in English rather then he would live to see that day he would cut his owne throat which I therefore relate that the judgement of God may be seene upon such unhallowed oathes A little before this time one Elizabeth Barton named the Holy Maid of Kent came to be discovered whose abettours were Richard Master a Priest Parson of Aldington in Kent Edward Bocking Doctor of Divinity a Monke of Canterbury Richard Deering a Monke Edward Thwayts Gentleman Henry Gold Parson of Aldermary Hugh Rich a Fryar observant Richard Risby and Thomas Gold Centlemen This Maid had learned to counterfeit falling into Trances in which she would deliver many strange things and amongst others said that by Revelation from God and his Saints she was informed that if King Henry proceeded to the Divorce and married another he should not be King of England one moneth after And here we may see how credulous oftentimes great Schollars are in beleeving Impostures when VVarham Archbishop of Canterbury and Fisher Bishop of Rochester were thought to give credit to this Counterfeit that we need not wonder at Saint Austin who though he gave credit to many lying Miracles yet they were such as had more probability in them then this which consisted in nothing but making of faces as upon Examination of the Maide and her Abettours was confessed and thereupon she and most of them were condemned drawne to Tyburne and there hanged In this meane time the Scots had beene troublesome and made Intodes upon the Borders till at last Commissioners being sent to treat of agreement a Peace was concluded to continue both the Kings lives which on the twentieth of May this yeer was openly Proclaimed About this time at the suit of the Lady Katherine Dowage a Bull was sent from the Pope which cursed both the King and the Realme which Bull was set up in the Towne of Dunkerke in Flanders the Messenger not daring to come neerer and because it was knowne that the Lady Dowager had procured this Curse to be sent the Duke of Suffolke was sent to her lying then at Bugden besides Huntington to discharge a great part of her houshold servants yet leaving her a convenient number like a Princesse It was now the six and twentieth yeer of King Henries reigne when in a Parliament holden an Act was made for establishing the succession in the Crown upon the Lady Elizabeth to which first all the Lords Knights and Burgesses were sworne and after Commissioners were sent into all parts of the Realm to take the oath of all men and women to the said Act. Another Act was also made which authorized the King to be Supreame Head of the Church of England and the Popes authority to be utterly abolished But Doctor Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester Sir Thomas Moore Knight and Doctor Wilson Parson of Saint Thomas Apostles in London expresly denied at Lamâ—eth before the Archbishop of Canterbury to take the Oathes of whom Doctor Wilson recanted but the other two persisting in their opinion were both of them beheaded Of these two Bishop Fisher was much lamented as reputed a man both of great learning and good life The Pope had elected him Cardinall and his Hat was come as farrâ— as Callice but before it could come into England his head was off Sir Thomas Moore was both learned and very wise but so given to a vaine of jesting and merry scoffing that he could not refrain it at the very time of his death as when he was carried to the Tower being demanded his upper garment meaning his Gowne you shall have it said he and gave them his cap saying it was the uppermost garment he had also when being upon the Scaffold the Hangman kneeled downe and asked him forgivenesse I forgive thee said he but I promise thee thou wilt never have credit by cutting off my Head my necke is so short and when he was to lay his head downe upon the blocke having a great gray beard he stroked it out and said to the Hangman I pray you let me lay my beard over the blocke lest you should cut it for though you have Warrant to cut off my head you have none to cut my beard But his Devotion was no jesting matter for he used to weare a shirt of haire next his skin for a perpetuall penâ—ance and oftentimes in the Church he would put on a Surplesse and helpe the Priest to say Masse which he forbore not to doe even when he was Lord Chancellour of England as one time the Duke of Norfolke comming to the Church found him doing it Two memorable things are recorded of him one which shewes his great integritie and the small reckoning he made of riches that having passed through so many great imployments and borne so many great Offices yet in all his time â—e never Purchased above one hundred pounds land a yeere nor left any great stocke of money behinde him when he died The other which shewes his filiall piety that being Lord Chancellour of England at the same time that his Father waâ— a Judge of the Kings Bench he would alwayes at his going to Westminster goe first to the Kings Bench and aske his Father blessing before he went to sit in the Chancery The ninth of Iuly this yeere the Lord Dacres of the North was arraigned at Westminster of high treason before the Duke of Norfolke as high Steward of England his Inditement being read he so answered every part and matter therein contained that by his Peeres he was found Not guilty a rare thing to stop a currant that ran with such violence The one and twentieth of September Doctor Taylour Master of the Roles was discharged of that Office and the ninteenth of October following Thomas Cromwell was sworne in his place This yeere the King of Scots was installed Knight of Garter by his Deputy the Lord Erskin and Stephen Gardiner who after the Cardinals death was made Bishop of Winchester was sent Embassadour Legier into France where he remained three yeeres Also in Ianuary of this yeere Katherine Princesse Dowageâ— fell into her last sicknesse to whom the King sent the Emperours Embassadour Legier desiring her to be of good comfort but she finding her death to approach caused onely one of her Gentlewoman to write a Letter to the King commending to him her Daughter and his and beseeching him to be a good Father to
then any other King did in Realities so in any distemper of his people he had no other Physicke but to open a veine but we shall do him extreame wrong to thinke that all the blood shed in his time was of his shedding they were the Bishops that were the Draco to make the bloody Laws the Bishops that were the Phalaris to put them in execution the King ofâ—entimes scarce knowing what was done Certain it is when a great Lord put a Gentlewoman the second time on the rack the King hearing of it exceedingly condemned him for such extream cruelty As for Religion though he brought it not to a full Reformation yet he gave it so great a beginning that we may truly say of that he did Dimidium plus toto They who charge him with the vice of lust let them shew such another example of continence as was seen in him to lye six moneths by a yong Lady and not to touch her for so did hee with the Lady Anne of Cleve but this is to make Nosegayes I like better to leave every flower growing upon its staulke that it may be gathered fresh which will be done by reading the Story of his Life Of his Death and Buriall IT is Recorded of him that in his later time he grew so fat and slothfull that engines were made to lift and remove him up and downe but howsoever in the six and fiftieth yeer of his age whither a dropsie or by reason of an ulcer in his leg he fell into a langâ—ishing feaver which brought him into such extreamity that his Physitians utterly despared of his life whereof yet none durst speake a word to him till Master Denny one of his Privy-chamber tooke the the boldnes to goe to him telling him of the danger he was in and withall putting him in mind to thinke of his soules health to which he answered that hee confessed his sinâ—es to be exceeding great yet had such confidence in the mercy of God through Christ that he doubted not of forgivenesse though they had been much greater and being then asked by Master Denny if he would have any Divine brought to him with whom to confer he answered he would willingly have the Archbishop Cranmer but not yet a while til he had taken a litle rest whereupon the Archbishop being then at Croydon was presently sent â—or but before he could come the King was growne speechlesse onely seeming to retain a little memory so as putting out his hand and the Archbishop desiring him to shew some signe of his faith in Christ he then wrung the Archbishop hard by the hand and immediately gave up the Ghost the eight and twentieth of Ianuary in the yeer 1547. the six and fiftieth of his age and of his reigne the eight and thirtieth his body with great solemnity was buried at Windsor under a most costly and stately Tombe begun in copper and guilt but never fiâ—ished Men of note in his time MEn famous for the sword were many in his time and in a manner all that it is hard making choice without being partiall unlesse we shal preferre Dukes of equal valour before others of meaner caling and then wil the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolk hold worthily the place first and next to them the yong Earl of Surrey who had been more fortunate if he had been lesse valiant Of men of letters in his time there were whole Armies in forraigne parts the most â—amous were Budaeus Ludovicus Vines Iohn Revolin Erasmus Roteradamuâ— Vrsinus Cornarius Sadolet Martin Bucer in England were Iohn Collet Deane of Pauls and Founder of the Schoole there VVilliam Lilly borne aâ— Odiham in Hamshire first Scholmaster of Pauls-Schoole Thomas Linaker a learned Phisitian Iohn Skelton a pleasant Poet VVilliam Horman Vice Provest of Eaten who wrote divers workes Sir Rastalâ— a Citizen and Stationer of London Christopher Saint-Germane an excellent Lawyer Sir Thomas Elyot Iohn Leland a diligent searcher of Antiquities Sir Iohn Bourchier Knight Lord Berners who translated â—he Chronocles of Froysard out of French into English Henry Standish Bishop of Saint Assaph who wâ—ote a book against Erasmus traslation of the new Testament Arnold of London who wrote certain Colections touching Historicall matters Thomas Lupset a Londoner who wrote sundry vertuous Treatises Henry Bradshaw a black Monke who wrote the life of Saint VVerborough and also a certain Chronocle Iohn Palsgrave a Londoner who wrote instructions for the perfect understanding of the French tongue Iohn Sâ—vish a Cornish-man who wrote certaine abbreviations of Chronicles with a Treatise of the wars of Troy Anthony Fitz-Herbert a Judge who wrote an Abridgment of the Law Wilfride Holme who wrot a Treatise of the rebellion in Lincolnshire Thomâ—s Lanquet who wrote an Epitomy of Chronicles and also of the winning of Bulloigne Thomas Soulman of Gernsey who wrote divers notes of History Cutbert Tunstall Bishop of Durham Robert VVhittington who wrote divers Treatises for the instruction of Grammarians Iohn Russell who wrote a Treatise entituled super jure Caesaris et Papae also commentaries in Cantica Simon Fish a Kentish-man who wrote a book called the supplication of Beggars George Bullen Lord Rochford brother to Queen Anne who wrote divers songs and sonets Francis Bigod Knight born in Yorkeshire who wrote a book against the Clergy intitled de Impropriationibus Henry Lord Morley who wrote divers Treatises as Comodies and Tragedies as the life of sectaries and certaine rimes VVilliam Botevile alias Thynne who restored the works of Chawcer Richard Turpin who serâ—ing in the Garrison of Callice wrote a Chronicle of his time and died in the â—eer 1541. Sir Thomas VViat Knight who wrote divers matters in English-meeter and translâ—ted the seven Penitentiall Psalmes and as some say the whole Psalter he died of the pestilence as he was going Embassadour to the Emperour in the yeer 1541. Henry Howard Earle of Surrey who wrote divers Treatises in English-meeter Iohn Field a Londoner who wrote a Treatise of mans Free-will de Servo homiâ—is Arbitrio and Collections of the common Laws of England Robert Shingleton borne in Lancashire who wrote a Treatise of the seven Churches and certaine Prophesies William Parry a Welsh-man who wrote a booke intitled speculum Iuvenam THE REIGNE OF KING EDWARD THE SIXTH IT was now the yeere 1547. when on the eight and twentieth of Ianuary King Henry dying Prince Edward his Sonne by his third wife the Lady Iane Seymour and the onely Sonne he left behinde him as well by right of Inheritance as by his last Will succeeded him in the Kingdome to whom as being but nine yeers old and therefore unripe for Government hee had assigned eight and twenty Councellours a fit number if agreeing amongst themselves too many if at variance and at variance they would soon fall if there were not a moderatour to keep them in concord the first worke therfore necessary to be done in this new world was to make choice of such a man as might be
Daughters which he had by Frances Daughter of Charles Brandon and Mary Queene of France were married at Durham-House the eldest Iane to the Lord Dudleyâ— fourth Soone of the Duke of Northumberland the second Katherine to Henry Sonne and heire to the Earle of Pembrooke the yoâ—gest Mary being somwhat deformed to Martyn Keyes the Kings Gentleman-Porter And then also Katherine the Duke of Northumberlands yongest daughter to the Lord Hastings eldest sonne of the Earle of Huntington And now had the Duke of Northumberland gone a great way in his design it remained to perswade King Edward to exclude his two sisters from succession in the Crowne for that doâ—e his daughter in law the Lady Ianâ— would come to have a right for as for pretenders out of Scotland or any other he made no great matter And now to worke the King to this perswasion being in a languishing sicknesse not farre from death he inculcates to him how much it concerned him to have a care of Religion that it might be preserved in purity not onely in his owne life but as well after his death which would not be if his sister the Lady Mary should succeed and she could not be put by unlesse her other sister the Lady Elizabeth were put by also seeing their rights depended one upon another but if he pleased to appoint the Lady Iane the Duke of Suffolkes eldest daughter and his owne next kinswoman to his Sisters to be his successour he might then be sure that the true Religion should be maintained to Gods great glory and be a worthy Act of his owne religious Providence This was to strike upon the right string of the yong Kings affection with whom nothing was so deere as preservation of Religion and thereupon his last Will was appointed to be drawne contrived chiefly by the Lord chiefe Justice Montague and Secretary Cecill by which Will as farre as in him lay he excluded his two sisters from the succession and all other but the Duke of Suffolkes daughters and then causing it to be read before his Councell he required them all to assent unto it and to subscribe their hands which they all both Nobility and Bishops and Judges did onely the Archbishop Cranmer refused at first Sir Iames Hales a Judge of the Common-Pleas to the last and with him also Sir Iohn Baker Chancellour of the Exchequer And now remained nothing for the Duke of Northumberlands purpose but that the King should dye which soone after he did at Greenwich the sixth of Iuly in the yeere 1553. One point of the Dukes policie must not be forgotten that fearing what troubles the Lady Mary might raise after the Kings decease if she should be at liberty he therefore seeing the King drawing on used all meanes possible to get her within his power to which end Letters are directed to her in the Kings name from the Councell willing her forthwith to repaire to the King as well to be a comfort to him in his sicknesse as to see all matters well ordered about his person whereupon the Lady suspecting nothing addressed her selfe with all speed to the journey till being upon the way she was advertised of the Dukes designe and then she returned to her House at Hoveden and so escaped the snare by whose escape the whole designe of the Duke of Northumberland was disappointed as soone after will be seene Of his Taxations IN no Kings reigne was ever more Parliaments for the time nor fewer Subsidies the greatest was in his last yeere when yet there was but one Subsidie with two fifteenes and tenths granted by the Temporalty and a Subside by the Clergie And indeed to shew how loath this King was to lay Impositions upon his people this may be a sufficient argument that though he were much in debt yet he chose rather to deale with the Foulker in the Low-Countries for money upon loane at the interest of fourteene pounds for a hundred for a yeere But his wayes for raising of money was by selling of Chantrie Lands and Houses given him by Parliament and by inquiring after all Church-goods either remaining in Cathedrall and Parish-Churches or embezeled away as Jewels gold and silver Chalices ready money Copes and other Vestments reserving to every Church one Challice and one covering for the Communion-Table the rest to be applied to his benefit He also raised money by enquiring after offences of Officers in great places in which inquirie one Beamont Master of the Rolles being convinced of many crimes surrendred all his Offices Lands and Goods into the Kings hands also one Whalley Receiver of Yorkeshire being found a delinquent surrendred his Office and payed a great fine besides also the Lord Paget Chancellour of the Dutchie convinced that he had sold the Kings Lands and Timber-woods without Commission and had applied the Kings Fines to his owne use for these and other offences surrendred his Office and was fined at foure thousand pounds which he payed in hand One thing more was done in his time for raising of money twenty thousand pounds weight of Bullion was appointed to be made so much baser that the King might gaine thereby a hundred and forty thousand pounds Of his Lawes and Ordinances IN his third yeere a Parliament was holden wherein one Act was made against spreading of Prophesies another against unlawfull Assemblies In his fourth yeere a Parliament was holden wherein Priests children were made legitimate and usury for the loane of money was forbidden In his fifth yeer it was ordained that the Lawes of England should be administred in Ireland and a king at Armes named Vlster was newly instituted for Ireland whose Province was all Ireland and he was the first fourth king of Armes and first Herauld appointed for Ireland Also in his fifth yeere base monies formerly coyned were cried downe so as the shilling went but for nine pence and shortly after but for six pence the gâ—oat but for three pence and shortly after but for two pence Affaires of the Church in his time IN the first yeeâ—e of this Kings reigne Injunctions were set forth for pulling downe aâ—d removing all Images out of Churches also certaine Homilies were appointed to be made by learned men to be read in Churches for the peoples instruction and at Easter this yeer it was ordered that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper should be ministred to the Lay-people in both kindes also Marriage was allowed to Clergie men Auricular Confession and prayer for the dead were forbidden and it is observable that the very same day that Images were pulled downe at London the great overthrow was given to the Scots at Muâ—kleborough Also at this time by the Archbishop Cranmers means divers learned Protestants came over into England and had here enteâ—tainment as Peter Martyr Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius of whom Peter Martyr was sent to read a Divinity Lecture in Oxford Bucer and Fagius in Cambridge In this Kings foutth yeer all Altars in Churches were commaâ—ded to be
and the Cardinall on their right hand all the Lords Knights and Burgesses being present the Bishop of VVinchester Lord Chancellour made a short speech unto them signifying the presence of the Lord Cardinall and that he was sent from the Pope as his Legate a Latere to doe a worke tending to the glory of God and the benefit of them all which saith he you may better heare from his own mouth Then the Cardinall rose up and made a long solemne Oration wherin he first thanked them for his restoring by which he was enabled to be a member of their society then exhorting them to returne into the bosome of the Church for which end he was come not to condemne but to reconcile not to compell but to call and require and for their first worke of reconcilement requiring them to repeale and abrogate all such Lawes as had formerly beene made in derogation of the Catholicke Religion After which Speech the Parliament going together drew up a Supplication which within two dayes after they presented to â—he King and Queene wherein they shewed themselves to be very penitent for their former errours and humbly desired their Majesties to intercede for them to the Lord Cardinall and the See Apostolicke that they might be Pardoned of all they had done amisse and be received into the bosome of the Church being themselves most ready to abrogate all Lawes prejudiciall to the See of Rome This Supplication being delivered to the Cardinall he then gave them Absolution in these words Wee by the Apostolicke authority given unto us by the most Holy Lord Pope Iulius the third Christs Vicegerent on Earth doe Absolve and deliver you and every of you with the whole Realme and Dominions thereof from all Heresie and Schisme and from all Judgements Censures and Paines for that cause incurred and also Wee doe restore you againe to the unity of our Mother the holy Church The report hereof comming to Rome was cause that a solemne Procession was made for joy of the conversion of England to the Church of Rome And now the Queene had a great desire to have King Phillip crowned but to this the Parliament would by no meanes assent In October this second yeere of her reigne a rumour was spread of the Queenes being with childe and so forward that she was quicke and thereupon were Lettes sent from the Lords of the Councell to Bonner Bishop of London that Prayers of Thanksgiving should be made in all Churches and the Parliament it selfe was so credulous of it that they entred into consideration of the education of the childe and made an Act desiring the King our of 〈◊〉 confidence they had in him that if the Queene should faile he would be pleased â—o take upon him the Rule and Government of the childe but after â—ll this in Iune following it came to be knowne that it was but a Tympany â—r at lest the Queene so miscarried that there came no childe nor the Queene likely ever after to have any But howsoever in hope of the joy that was expected in Ianuâ—ry of this yeere divers of the Councell as the Lord Chancellour the Bishop of Elye the Lord Treasurour the Earle of Shrewsbâ—ry the Controlour of the Queens house Secretary Bourne and Sir Richard Soâ—thwell Master of the Ordinance were sent to the Tower to discharge and set at liberty a great part of the Prisoners in the Tower as â—amely the late Duke of Northumberlands sonnes Ambrose Robert and Henry also Sir Andrew Dudley Sir Iames Croâ—ts Sir Nicholas Throgmorton Sir Iohn Rogers Sir Nicholas Arnold Sir George Harper Sir Edward Warner Sir William Sentlow Sir Gowen Carow William Gybbs Esquire Cutbert Vaughan and some others About this time one William Fetherstone a Millers sonne of the age of eighteene yeeres named and bruted himselfe to be King Edward the sixth for which being apprehended and examined he answered as one lunaticke and thereupon was whipped at a Carts â—ayle and banished into the North but the yeere after spreading abroad againe that King Edward was alive and that he had talked with him he was arraigned and condemned of treason and at Tyburn hanged and quartered In the moneth of March the Queene was taken with a fit of Devotion and thereupon called unto her foure of her Privie Councell namely William Marquesse of Winchester Lord Treasurour Sir Robert Rochester Comptrolour Sir William Peter Secretary and Sir Francis Englefield Master of the Wards and signified unto them that it went against her conscience to hold the Lands and Possessions as well of Monasteries aud Abbeys as of other Churches and therefore did freely relinquish them and leave them to be disposed as the Pope and the Lord Cardinall should thinke fit and thereupon charged them to acquaint the Cardinall with this her purpose Aâ—d shortly after in performance hereof Iohn Fecknam late Deane of Pauls was made Abbot of Westminster and had possession delivered him and with him fourteen Monkes received the Habit at the same time and on the twentieth of November Sir Thomas was instituted Lord of Saint Iohns of Hierusalem and was put in possession of the Lands belonging unto it And when it was told herâ— that this would be a great diminution of the Revenues of her Crowne she answered she more valued the salvation of her soule then a thousand Crownes a most religious speech and enough if there were but this to shew her to be a most pious Prince The fourth of September this yeer King Phillip waited on with the Earle of Arundell Lord Steward the Earle of Pembrooke the Earle of Huntington and others went over to Callice and from thence to Brussels in Brabant to visit the Emperour his Father who deliveâ—ing him possession of the Low Countries in March following he returned into England but then on the sixth of Iuly following by reason of wars with France he passed again over to Callicâ— and so into Flanders from whence he returned not till eighteene moneths after which made great muttering amongst the common people as though hee tooke any little occasion to be absent for the little love hee bore to the Queene In the third yeere of the Queene dyed Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester at his house in Southwarke of whose death it is memorable that the same day in which Bishop Ridley and Master Latimer suffered at Oxford he would not goe to dinner till foure a clocke in the aâ—ternoone thoâ—gh the old Duke of Norâ—olke was come to dine with him the reason was because he would first heare of their being burnt and as soon as word of that was brought him he presently said Now let us goe to Dinner where sitting downe and eating merrily upon a sudden he fell into such extremity that he was faine to be taken from the Table and carried to his bed where he continued fifteen dayes without voyding any thing either by urine or otherwise which caused his tsongu to swell in his mouth and so dyed after whose death
to a new Counter made in Woodstreet of the Citie Purchase and building the which removing was confirmed by the Common Councell of the City Affaires of the Church in her time IN the first yeere of this Queenes reigne all Bishops which had beene deprived in the time of King Edward the sixth were restored to their Bishopriks and the new removed also all Benefized men that were married or would not forsake their opinion were put out of their Livings and other of a contrary opinion put in their roomes Also this yeere on the seven and tweetieth of August the Service begun to be sung in Latine in Pauls Church Also this yeere the Popes authority was by Act of Parliament restored in England and the Masse commanded in all Churches to be used In her second yeer the Realme is Absolved and reconciled to the Church of Rome by Cardinall Poole and first Fruits and Tenths are restored to the Clergy but this was soone revoked the Councell finding the necessity of it for the Queenes support In her fourth yeere Monasteries were begun to be reedified of which number were that of Westminster that of Sheene and Sion that of the Black-fryers and the Fryers of Greenwich Of the number of those that dyed for Religion in her time there are recorded five Bishops one and twenty Divines and of all sorts of men and women two hundred threescore and seventeene Workes of Pietie done by her or others in her time THis Queen restored a great part of Abbey-lands that were in her possession and if she had lived longer very likely she would have restored more In her first yeer Sir Thomas White then Major erected a Colledge in Oxford now called Saint Iohns Colledge before Bernard Colledge he also erected Schooles at Bristow and Reading and gave two thousand pounds to the City of Bristow to purchase Lands the profits whereof to be imployed for the benefit of young Clothiers for ten yeeres and after that to be imployed in like manner to the benefit of two and twenty other shires and Cities In her third yeere dyed Sir Iohn Gresham late Major of London who founded a free School at Holt in Norâ—olke and gave to every Ward in London ten pounds to be distributed to the poore also to Maids marriages two hundred pounds Cutbert Tunstall Bishop of Duâ—ham erected a goodly Library in Cambridge storing it with many excellent both Printed and written Bookes he also bestowed much upon building at Durham at Alnewicke and at Tunbridge Casualties happening in her time IN her first yeere on the seven and twentieth of August the goodliest Ship in England called The Great Harrye being of the burthen of a thousand tun was burnt at Woolwich by negligence of the Mariners In her second yeer on the fifteenth of February appeared in the skie a Rainbow reversed the bowe turned downward and the two ends standing upward also two Sunnes shined at one time a good distance asunder which were taken for ill signes This yeere also in the moneth of August at a place in Suffolke by the Sea side all of hard stone and pibble lying betweene the Townes of Oxford and Alborough where never grasse grew not any earth was ever seene there chanced suddenly to spring up without any tillage or sowing so great abundance of Peason that the Poore gathered above an hundred quarters yet there remained some ripe and some blossoming as many as were before In her fourth yeer hot burning Agues and other strange diseases tooke away much people so as between the twentieth of October and the last of December there dyed seven Aldermen namely Henry Heardson Sir Richard Dobâ—s laâ—e Major Sir William Laxton late Major Sir Henry Hobblesterne late Majors Sir Iohn Champneys late Major Sir Iohn Aleph late Sheriffe and Sir Iohn Gresham late Major In her fourth yeer before Harvest Wheat was sold for foure Markes the quarter Mault at foure and forty shillings the quarter and Pease at six and forty shillings eight pence where after harvest Wheat was sold for five shillings the quarter Malt at six shillings eight pence Rye at three shillings foure pence the quarter In the Countrey Wheat was sold for foure shillings the quarter Mault at foure shillings eight pence and in some places a bushell of Rye for a pound of Candles which was foure pence In her fift yeer within a mile of Nottingham so mervailous a tempest of thunder happened that it beat down all the Houses and Churches in two Towns thereabouts cast the Bels to the outside of the Church-yard and some webs of Lead foure hundred foot into the field writhen as if it had been leather the riveâ— of Trent running between the two Townes the water with the mud in the bottome was carried a quarter of a mile and cast against trees with the violence whereof the trees were pulled up by the the roots and cast twelve score off also a childe was taken forth of a mans hand and carried two speares length high and then let fall two hâ—ndred foot off of which fall it dyed five or six men thereabouts were slaine and neither flesh nor skin perished also there fell some Hale-stones that were fifteen inches about This yeer also in Harvest-time was great mortality and specially of Priests so as many Churches were unserved and much corne was lost in the field for want of Workmen whereupon ensued a great scarcity so that corne was sold for fourteen shillings a quarter and Wood sold in London for thirteen shillings a thousand of Billets and Coles ten pence a sacke Also this yeer on the last of September fell so great store rain that Westminster Hall was full of water and Boats were rowed over Westminster-bridge into Kings-street Of her Personage and Conditions OF her Personage we can make no particular description only we may say she was none of the most amiable but yet without deformity but of her Conditions we may say she was not without deformity and yet was very amiable If we account her Religion a deformity yet her constancy and devotion in it we must needs count a beauty if it were a deformity to promise the Suffolke men not to alter the Religion wâ—ich King Edward had established yet it was certainly a Pious dissemâ—ling Cretizare cum Câ—etensibus and equivocation will some say was there a vertue where she deceived them into truth and did them good against their wils And as for her sister Elizabeth if she did not love her it was but a quality hereditary in her for their Mothers did not love one another before and indeed not without some cause in both for as those upbraided each others marriage so these each others birth We shall not doe her right if we deny her to be of a mercifull disposition seeing oftentimes she pittied the person where she shed the blood she could have found in her heart to have spared the Lady Ianes life if Ragion diâ—stato had not beene against itâ— and she did
of Scotland sent for aid to the Queen of England But this was matter for consultation It seemed a bad Example for a Prince to give aid to the rebellious Subjects of another Prince On the other side it seemed no lesse then impiety not to give Ayd to the Protestants of the same Religion but most of all it seemed plain madnesse to suffer adversaries to be so neer neighbours and to let the French nestle in Scotland who pretend Title to England upon such like considerations it was resolved to send them Ayd and thereupon an Army of six thousand Foot and twelve hundred Horse was sent under the Command of the Duke of Norfolk the Lord Grey of Wilton his Lievtenant Generall Sir Iames a Crofts Assistant to him the Lord Scroop L. Marshall Sir George Howard Generall of the men at Arms Sir Henry Percy Generall of the Light-horse Thomas Huggens Provost Marshall Thomas Gower Master of the Ordnance Master William Pelham Captain of the Pyoners and Master Edward Randoll Serjeant Major and divers others These coming into Scotland joyned with the Scotish Lords and set down before Leith where passed many small skirmishes many Batteries and sometimes Assaults to whom after some time a new supply came of above two thousand Foot whereof were Captains Sir Andrew Corbet Sir Rowland Stanley Sir Thomas Hesbith Sir Arthur Manwaring Sir Lawrence Smith and others yet with this new supply there was little more done then before many light skirmishes many Batteries and sometimes Assaults so long till at last the young French King finding these broyls of Scotland to be too furious for him to appease he sent to the Queen of England desiring that Commissioners might be sent to reconcile these differences whereupon were dispatched into Scotland Sir William Cecill her principall Secretary with Doctor Wotton Dean of Canterbury who concluded a Peace between England and France upon these Conditions That neither the King of France nor the Queen of Scotland should thenceforth use the Arms or Titles of England or Ireland And that both the English and the French should depart out of Scotland And a generall pardon should be enacted by Parliament for all such as had been actors in those stirs This Peace was scarce concluded when Francis the young King of France died leaving the Crown to his younger brother Charles who was guided altogether by the Queen-Mother and molested with the Civill dissentions between the Princes of Guise and Conde for whose reconcilement the Queen sent Sir Henry Sidney Lord President of VVales and shortly after an Army under the leading of the Lord Ambrose Dudley Earl of VVarwick who arriving at Newhaven was received into the Town which having kept eleven months he was then constrayned by reason of a Pestilence to surrender again upon Composition and so returned About this time when the Parliament was upon dissolving it was agreed upon by the House of Commons to move the Queen to marry that she might have Issue to succeed her to which purpose Thomas Gargrave Speaker of the House with some few other chosen men had accesse to the Queen who humbly made the motion to her as a thing which the Kingdom infinitely desired seeing they could never hope to have a better Prince then out of her loyns Whereunto the Queen answered in effect thus That she was already marryed namely To the Kingdom of England and behold saith she the Pledge of the Covenant with my husband and therewith she held out her finger and shewed the Ring wherewith at the time of her Coronation she gave her self in Wedlock to the Kingdom and if saith she I keep my self to this husband and take no other yet I doubt not but God will send you as good Kings as if they were born of me forasmuch as we see by dayly experience That the Issue of the best Princes do often degenerate And for my self it shall be sufficient that a Marble stone declare That a Queen having Raigned such a time lived and dyed a Virgin Indeed before this time many Matches had been offered her First King Philip and when he was out of hope of matching with her himself he then dealt with the Emperor Ferdinand his Unkle to commend his younger Son Charles Duke of Austria to her for a husband And when this succeeded not then Iohn Duke of Finland second Son to Gustavus King of Sweden was sent by his father to solicite for his eldest Brother Erricusâ— who was honourably received but the Match rejected Then Adolphus Duke of Holst Unkle to Frederick King of Denmark came into England upon a great hope of speeding but the Queen bestowed upon him the Honour of the Garter and a yeerly Pension but not her self Then Iames Earl of Arran was commended to her by the Protestants of Scotland but neither the man nor the motion was accepted Of meaner Fortunes there were some at home that pleased themselves with hope of her Marriage First Sir William Pickering a Gentleman of a good House and a good Estate but that which most commended him was his studiousnesse of good letters and sweet demeanour Then Henry Earl of Arundel exceeding rich but now in his declining age Then Robert Dudley youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland of an excellent feature of face and now in the flower of his age but these might please themselves with their own conceit but were not considerable in her apprehension they might receive from her good Testimonies of her Princely favour but never Pledges of Nuptiall love About this time the Earl of Feria who had married the daughter of Sir William Dormer being denyed leave of the Queen for some of his wives friends to live out of England grew so incensed that he made means to Pius the fourth then Pope to have her excommunicate as an Heretick and Usurper but the Pope inclining rather to save then to destroy and knowing that gentle courses prevail more with generous mindes then roughnesse and violence in most loving manner wrote unto her exhorting her to return to the Unity of the Catholike Church and as it is said made her great offers if she would hearken to his counsell Particularly That he would recall the Sentence pronounced against her mothers Marriage confirm the Book of Common Prayer in English and permit to her people the use of the Sacrament in both Kindes But Queen Elizabeth neither terrified with the Earl of Feria's practises nor allured with the Popes great offers according to her Motto Semper Eadem persisted constant in her resolution To maintain that Religion which in her conscience she was perswaded to be most agreeable to the Word of God and most consonant to the Primitive Church Whilst these grounds of Troubles are sowing in England France and Scotland it is not likely that Ireland will lie fallow though indeed it be a Countrey that will bring forth Troubles of it self without sowing but howsoever to make the more plentifull Harvest of troubles at this time Iohn Oneal
the Commissioners made unto her certain Propositions of Agreement First That the Treaty of Edinborough should be confirmed then That she should renounce her Right and Title to England during Queen Elizabeths life or any children of her body lawfully begotten then That she should send her sonne for a Hostage into England with other six Hostages such as the Queen should nominate then That the Castles of Humes and Fast-castle should be held by the English for three yeers with some other To which Propositions the Queen of Scots for the present gave a provident answer but referred the fuller Answer to the Biship of Rosse her Ambassadour in ENGLAND and some other Delegates who afterwards allowing some of the Propositions and not allowing others the Treaty came to nothing but the matter rested in the state it was before Aâ— this time Philip King of Spain had contracted Marriage with Anne of Austria Daughter to the Emperour Maximilian his own Neece by his Sister who was now setting Sayl from Zealand towards Spain when Queen Elizabeth to testifie her love and respect to the House of Austria sent Sir Charls Howard with the Navy Royall to conduct her thorow the Briâ—ish Sea And now was the twelfth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign finished which certain Wizards had made Papists believe should be her last but contrary as if it were but her first a new Custome began of celebrating the seventeenth day of November the Anniversary day of her Raign with ringing of Bells Tiltings and Bon-fires which Custome as it now began so it was never given over as long as she lived and is not yet forborn so long after her death At this time in Ireland Connagher ô Brien Earl of Towmond noâ— brooking the severe Government of Edward Fitton President of Connaght entred into Consultation with some few to raise a new Rebellion which being at the point ready to break forth was strangely discovered for the day before they meant to â—ake up Arms Fitton knowing not at all of the matter sent â—hâ— Earl word in friendly manner That the next day he and a few friends with him would be his Guests The Earl convinced by his own conscience imagined that his Intendments were revealed that Fitton would come as an enemy rather then a Guest Out of which feareâ— he presently set Sayle into FRANCE where repenting himselfe seriously of his fault he confessed the whole businesse to Norris the Queenes Embassadour in France and by his intercession was afterward pardoned and restored In Ianuary the thirteenth yeer of her Raigne Queen Elizabeth in royall pompe entring the City of London went to see the Burse which Sir Thomas Gresham had lately built for the use of the Marchants and with sound of trumpets and the voice of a Herald solemnly named it the Royall Exchange A few dayes after for his many great services she made Sir William Cecill Baron Burgley There were now about the Scottish affaires in the name of the King of of Scots the Earle Morton Peruare Abbot of Dumformelin and Iames Mac-Gray whom when Queen Elizabeth required to shew more clearely for what causes they had deposed the Queen they exhibited a long and tedious Commentary wherein with a certain insolent liberty they endeavoured to prove by the ancient Right of the Kingdom of Scotland that the people of Scotland were above the King and urged Calvins Authority also That Popular Magistrates are constituted for the moderation of the Licentiousnes of Princes and that it is lawfull for them both to imprison Kings and upon just causes to depose them This writing the Queen could not reade without indignation but to the Delegates she gave this Answer She saw no just cause yet why they should handle the Queen in such manner and therefore willed them to think upon some course out of hand how to allay the dissentions in Scotland Hereupon in Sir Nich. Bacons house Keeper of the Great Seal a Proposition was made to the Bishop of Rosse the Bishop of Galloway and Baron Levingston delegates for the Queen of Scots that for the security of the Kingdom and the Qu. of England it were requisite that before the Queen of Scots should be let at libertie The Duke of Castle-Herald the Earle of Huntley and Argyle the Lord Humes Heris and another of the Barons should be delivered for Hostages and the castle of Dumbriton and Hâ—â—eâ— yeelded up into the hands of the English for three yeers But they made Answer that to yeeld up great personages and such fortifications as were demanded were nothing else but to leave the miserable Queen utterly destitute of faithfull friends and naked of all places fit for guard and defence yet they offered to give two Earls and two Barons for Hostages till two yeers were expired which not being accepted they straightway gathered and spoke it openly That now they plainly perceived the English meant to keepe the Queen of Scots perpetually prisoner and likewise to break off the Treaâ—y seeing they rigorously demanded such securitie as Scotland was not able to make good And now Queen Elizabeth seeing that nothing could be done for her owne the King and Queen of Scots safety unlesse Both Factions in Scotland consented she held it fit that the Lords of Scotland should themselves appoint some chosen persons to compound the matter While matters in England proceeded in this sort the Queenes partie in Scotland was hardly used Frythâ— the strongest castle in Scotland was taken and I. Hamilton Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the Duke of Castle-Heralds brother as an accessary to the murder of Dâ—â—lye was hanged without being arraigned according to Law In England the Queen of Scots had all her servants taken from her except Tenne only and a Priest to say masse with which indignities the Queen of Scots provoked causeth a large Commentary of her Counsels with certain love-letters to the Duke of Norfolk to be carried to the Pope and the King of Spain by Ridolphuâ— which being brought first to the Duke Higford one that waited on the Duke in his bed chamber had copyed out but being commanded to burne them he hid them under a Matt in the Duke Bed-chamber and that it should seeme purposely Ridolphus to daw on the Duke to be Head of the discontented Partie in England aggravated to him the wrongs he had sufferedâ— how against all law he had been kept a long time in prison and now to his great disgrace was not Summoned to the Parliament he exhibited to him a Catalogue of such of the Nobilitie who had vowed to Assist him he shewed how the Pope so the Catholick Religion might be promoted would himself undergo all the charge of the Warre and had already layd down an hundred thousand Crownes whereof himself had distributed twelve thousand amongst the English that were fled he promised that the King of Spain would send four thousand horse and six thousand foot to his Assistance to these reasons the Bishop of Rosse added That it was an
his countenance for he was of an extraordâ—â—ary beauty with the husks of green Wall-nuts and when they were halâ— starved went to the houses of the Bellamies neer Harrow on the hill who were great Papists There they were hid in Barns and put into a Counâ—â—ey habit but notwithstanding all their shifting within ten dayes after they were discovered and brought to London The other Complices were soon after taken most of them in the Suburbs of the Citie Salisbury and Travâ—â—se in Cheshire and Iones in Wales who harboured them in his house after he knew they were Proclaimed Traitors Windsor only was never heard of Many dayes were spent in the examination of them who cut one the others throats with their own confessions All this while the Queen of Soits and her servants are so narrowly looked to by Pawlet that she knew nothing of all these passages Assoon as they were apprehended Thomas Gorge was sent to acquaint her with the whole matter which yet he did not do till she was got on horse-back to Ride a hunting and was not then suffered to return buâ— in shew of curtesie was carried up and down to see the Houses of the Gentry thereabouts In which mean while Iohn Manners Edward Acton Richard Bagot and Sir William Waad took Nave and Curle the Queen of Scâ—â—s Secretaries and the rest of her servants and delivered them to Keepers apart that they might have no speech between themselves nor with their Lady the Queen of Scots Then they break open all doors and such Desks and Boxes as they found with any papers in them they set their seals upon and sent them to the Court In which being broken open before the Queen were found a number of Letters from Forreign parts the copies likewise of Letters sent to severall persons and threescore Alphabets at least of private Characters as also Letters to her from some of the English Nobility containing great proffers of love and service which the Queen notwithstanding took no notice of but passed over in silence according to her Motto Video Taceo I see and say nothing Gifford now who had all this while served their turn is sent into France but ere he went hence left an Indenture with the French Ambassador here in England with instructions that he should deliver no Letters to the Queen of Scots or the Fugitives in France but to him that exhibited an Indenture matching with that the which he sent underhand to Sir Francis Walsingham The twentieth oâ— September seven of the forenamed Conspirators were Arraigned and pleading guilty were condemned of High-treason Two dayes after seven other were called to the Bar who pleaded not guilty but notwithstanding were found guilty by their own confessions and condemned Pollie only though he were privie to all passages yet because he had disclosed many things to Walsingham was not called in question The twentieth day of the moneth the first seven in St. Giles Fields where they were wont to meet were hanged cut down instantly their privy members cut off and themselves yet living and beholding it were in cruell manner bowelled and quartered namely Ballard Babington Savage who the roap breaking fell dowd from the Gibbet and was presently taken by the hangman his privie members cut off and bowelled while he was perfectly living Barnwell Tichburne Tilney And Abbington The next day the other seven were drawn to the same place and executed in the same fashion but in a more gentle manner by the Qâ—eens speciall charge who detested the former cruelty for they were to hand till they were quite dead Salisbery first then Dun then Iones Chernoâ—k Traverse Gage and with them Hierome Bellamâ— who had concealed Babington after he was Proclaimed Traytor whose brother being guilty of the same fact had strangled himselfe in Prison When these men were executed Nave a Frenchman and Curle a Scots-man Secretaries to the Queen of Scots were examined concerning the Letters the copies of Letters and priviate Characters found in the Queen of Scots Closet who under their own voluntary subscriptions acknowledged that they were their own hand writings dictated in French by the Queen her self taken by Nave turned into English by Curle and copied out in secret Characters Hereupon Sir Edward Wootton was sent out of hand into France to make known to the King the order of the Treason and to shew him the copies of the Queen of Scots Letters confirmed by the testimony of sundry of the English Nobility that the French King might see what dangerous plots were by Charls Paget and the English Fugitives contrived against the Queen of England And now what should be done with the Queen of Scots was a great consultation wherein the Councellours were not all of one minde some conceived That it were not good to take any rigorous course against her but only to hold her in fast custody both for that she was not Authour of the Treason but only conscious to it and because she was crazie and not likely to live long Others out of a care of Religion were of opinion To have her forthwith Arraigned and put to death according to the Law Leicester thought it better to have her poisoned and sent a Divine to Walsingham to prove it lawfull but Walsingham protested against that course A difference then arose amongst them by what Law to proceed against her Whether by the Law of the 25. of Edward the Third In which they are Pronounced guilty of Treason who plot the destruction of the King or Queen raise War in his Dominions or adhere to his Adversaries Or else by the 27. of the Queen Enacted a year since Their opinion at last prevailed who thought best to proceed against her by this latter Law as being indeed in this case provided Whereupon divers of the Lords of the Privie Councell and other of the Nobility are Authorized by the Queens Letters to enquire by vertue of that Law and passe sentence against all such as raised Rebellion Invaded the Kingdome or attempted any violence against the Queen These Commissioners therefore upon the 11. day of October repaired to Fotheringay Castle in Northamptonshire where the Queen of Scots was then held prisoner and the next day sent unto her VValter Mildmay Pawlet and Edward Barker publick Notary who delivered her the Queens Letters which having with a setled countenance read She sayd It seems to me strangeâ— that the Queen should lay her Command upon me to hold up my hand at the Bar as though I were a Subject seeing I am an absolute Queen no lesse than her selfe but howsoever I will never do any thing prejudiciall to Princes of my degree nor to my Son the King of Scotland After many meetings she standing still upon her innocency and upon her exemption from answering as being an absolute Prince and specially for yeelding to be tryed by the English Laws of which One she sayd had lately been made of purpose for her destruction It was at last told her
board and carryed away a great deale of Gold but the Vessell and Ordnance was wreck to the Governour of Calice Drake and Fencz in the mean while perceiving the Spanish Fleet to gather togethea again before Graveling set upon them with great violence to whom strâ—ightwayes Fenton Southwell Beeston Crosse and Riman joyne themselves and soon after the Admirall himself Sir Thomas Howard and the Lord Sheffield the Galleon called Saint Matthew was sorely battered by Seymor and Winter driven toward Ostend and set upon again by the Zelanders and at last was taken by the Flushingers And now the Spanish Navy having want of many necâ—ssaries and no hope of the Prince of Parma's coming they resolved to returne Northward for Spain in which passage they lost both many Ships and men the English Navy still following them close till they were faine to give them over for want of Powder Whilest these things passed at Sea the Queen â—n Person came to Tilbury to view the Army and Campe there where she shewed such undaunted Courage and Resolution that it wonderfully animated the spirits of them all And thus this Navy which was three whole Yeers in preparing in the space of a month was often beaten and at length put to flight many of their men being slain more then halfe of their Ships taken and sunk of the English not above a hundred at the most missing nor so much as a Ship but Cocks little Vessell and Sayling about all Brittaine by Scotland the Orkeneys and Ireland they returned into Spain with as much dishonour as they came out with boasting for indeed Mendoza in France by a Book in Print Triumphed before the Victory For the happy successe of this Action Queen Elizabeth appointed prayers and thanksgiving over all the Churches of England and she as it were in triumph came in Person attended with a great Troop of the Nobility into the City and went into the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul where the Banners taken from the Enemy was placed in view and there in most humble manner gave thanks to Almighty God And â—hat which increased the publike joy was the newes which Sir Robert Sidney brought out of Scotland That the King had over-past all injuries was lovingly affected towards the English and desired to imbrace sincere and perfect amitie with the Queen For as for the King of Spain he wittily told the Embassadour that he expected no other courtesie from him but such as Polyphemus promised Ulisses that he should be the last whom he would devoure And now dyed the great Earl of Leicester the fourth day of September at his Mannor of Killingworth of a violent Feaver I may well say the great Earl considering the many great Honours he enjoyed which are extant in the Story yet one honour greater then any he had before he effected even then when he was ready to go out of the world and that wasâ— To be Vice-gerent in the high Government of England and Ireland for which the Patent was already drawne and had been sealed but that Burleigh and Hatton shewed the Queen how dangerous a thing it might prove for so great Authority to reside in one Subject He was while he lived in so great favour with the Queen that some thought and himselfe not the least that she meant to marry him yet when he dyed his goods were sold at an Outcry to make payment of the debts he owed her About this time Philip Earl of Arundell who three yeers before had been cast in prison was now cited in Westminster Hall to the judgement of his Peers and Henry Earl of Derby was made High Steward of England for the time The matters layd to his charge were these That he had contracted friendship with Cardinall Allen Parsons the Jesuite and other Traytours exciting divers both abroad and at home to restore the Romish Religion promising his assistance thereunto and for that reason had a purpose to depart the Kingdom That he was privy to the Bull in which Pope Sixtus Quintus had deposed the Queen and given England to the Spaniard that being imprisoned in the Tower he caused Masse to be said for the prosperous successe of the Spanish Fleet and for that purpose had framed peculiar prayers for his own private use Being demanded whether he were guilty of these things turning himself to the Judges he asked them these questions First whether it were lawfull to heap up so many crimes together in one Bill of Indictment They answered that it was Then whether Arguments taken from presumptions were of force They answered that it was lawfull for him to interpose exceptions if he saw cause Then again if he might be Arraigned for those things which were Capitall by the Law made the thirteenth yeer of the Queen after that the time expressed in the Act was expired They promised they would proceed against him by no Law but the old Statute of Treason made in the Raigne of King Edward the Third But now again asked if he were guilty or notâ— He pleaded not guilty whereupon Puckening the Queens Sergeant at Law Popham Atturney Generall Shuttleworth Sergeant at Law and Egerton the Queens Sollicitour in their turnes urged and proved the crimes objected some whereof he denyed some he extenuated but in conclusion was by his Peers found guilty and condemned yet the Queen spared his life and was content with thus much done in terror to the Papists It was now the yeer 1589. And the two and thirtieth of Queen Elizaâ—eths Raign when to be in some sort revenged of the Spaniards for their invasion she gave leave to Sir Iohn Norris and Sir Francis Drake to underâ—ake an Expedition at their own private charges requiring nothing of her but a few Ships of War who took along with them Anthony the bastard laying clayme to the Kingdom of Portingall and of Souldidrs to the number of eleven thousand of Sea-men about fifteen hundred setting Sayle from Plimmouth the fifth day of Aprill they arrived at the Groyne in Gaâ—acia whereof with great valour they took first the Lower town and afterward the Higher and from thence sayling toward Portingall they met Robert Earl of Essex who without the Queens leave had put to Sea After two dayes they arrive at Penycha a Town of Portingall which they took and left the Castle to Don-Antonio and from thence they march by land towards Lisbon threescore miles off The Foot Companies led by Norris whom Drake promised to follow with the Fleet. Being come to the West Suburbs of Lisbon they found no body there but a few poor disarmed Portugalls who cryed out God save King Antonio The day following the Spaniards made a sayle out in which Skirmish Bret Caresley and Carre stout Commanders were slain yet did the Earl of Essex drive the Spaniards to the very gates of the Citie And now having tarryed here two dayes and seeing no signe of the Portingalls revolting which Don-Anthonio had assured them would be finding fresh supplies come
the Queen for succour to whom upon certain conditions she granted an Army of four thousand men and some great Ordnance with which Sir Iohn Norris was sent into France whom yet the French King imployed not as was agreed to the great displeasure of the Queen But as for the Prince of Parma's coming into France hee was prevented by death when hee had governed the Netherlands under the Spaniard fourteen yeers a Prince of many excellent parts and whom Queen Elisabeth never mentioned but with honour And now Queen Elizabeth considering that the King of Spaines chiefe strength was in his Gold of America sends forth Sir Walter Ralegh with a Fleet of fifteene Ships to meete with the Spanish Fleet who passing by a Promontory of Spain received certain intelligence that the Spaâ—ish Fleet was not to come forth that yeare Whereupon dividing his Navy into two parts whereof the one he committed to Sir Iohn Burâ—â—â—ghs the other to Sir Martin Forbysher he waited other opportunities when soon after a mighty Caraque came in view called The Mother of God which from the Beake to the Sterne was a hundred threescore and five foot long built with seven Decks and carrying six hundred men besides rich Merchandize This great Vessell they took and in it to the â—â—lue of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling over and above what the Commanders and Sea-men pilfered This yeare the Queene going in Progresse passed through Oxford where she was entertained by the Schollers with Orations Stage-Plâ—yes and Disputations and by the Lord Buckhurst Chancellor of the University with a sumptuous Feast At her departure She made a Latine Oration wherein she vowed a vow and gave them counsell Her vow was That as she desired nothing so much as the prosperity and flourishing estate of her Kingdome so she as much wished to see the Universities and Schools of learning to flourish likewise Her Counsell was That they would serve God above all not following the curiosity of some wits but the Lawes of God and the Kingdome That they would not prevent the Lawes but follow them nor dispute whether better Lawes might be made but observe those which were already Enacted This year dyed Anthony Browne Viscount Montacute whom Queene Mary honored with this Title because his Grandmother was Daughter and one of the Heirs of Iohn Nevill Marquesse Montacute who though he were a great Roman Catholike yet the Queen finding him faithfull alwayes loved him and in his sicknesse went to visit him There dyed at this time also Henry Lord Scroope of Bolton Knight of the Garter and long time Governour of the Westerne Border toward Scotland At this time Henry Barrow and his Sectaries condemning the Church of England to be no Christian Church and derogating from the Queens Authority in matters Ecclesiasticall he the sayd Barrow as Ring-leader of the rest was put to death in terror to all such disturbers of the peace of the Church About this time by reason of the Queens correspondence with the Turk to the end her Subjects might have free Trading in his Territories It was maliciously given out by some that she had excited the Turke to a War against the Christians which caused the Queen to write to the Emperour shewing him the falsenesse of this report wherein she gave him full saâ—â—sfaction And now a constant report came into England That the King of France had already embraced or was ready to embrace the Romish Religion which so much troubled the Queene that she presently sent Thomas Wilkes into France with reasons if it were not too late to divert him from it But before Wilkes came the King indeed had openly professed the Romish Religion at the Church of Saint Denis in Paris of which his Conversion he declared the causes to Wilkes at large shewing the necessity of it unlesse he would suffer himselfe to be utterly thrust out of the Kingdome And the French AMBASSADOR signifying as much to the Queene in great perplexity She writ to him to this effect Alas what grief what anxiety of minde hath befallen me since I heard this news was it possible that worldly respects should make you lay aside Gods feare â—â—uld you thinke That He who had hitherto upheld and kept you would now at the last leave you It is a dangerous thing to doe evill that gâ—od may come thereof But I hope your minde may alter In the meane while I will pray for you and beg of God That the hands of Esau may not hinder the blessing of Jacob. To this the KING Answered That though he had done this in his owne Person out of necessity yet He would never be wanting to those of the Reformed Religion but would take them into his speciall care and Protection And now was Richard Hasket condemned and executed for Treasoâ— being sent from the English Fugitives beyond Sea to perswade Ferdinand Earle of Derby Sonne to Henry newly deceased to assume the Title of the Kingdome by right of Descent from Mary Daughter to Henry the Seventh and threatning him that unlesse he undertooke this enterprize and withall concealed him the Abettor he should shortly dye in most wretched manner But the Earle fearing a trap was layd for him revealed the matter yet the fellows threating proved not altogether vaine for the Earle within foure Moneths dyed a most horrible death This yeare Death had his tribute payd him from the Nobility for there dyed Henry Ratcliffe Earle of Sussex and three renowned Barons Arthur Grey of Wilton Henry Lord Cromwell and Henry Lord Wentworth besides Sir Christopher Carlile whose Warlike Prowesse at Sea and land deserves to be remembred In IRELAND at this time divers great men in Connaght Rebelled and Tuâ—logh Leynigh being dead Tir-Oen assumed to himselfe the title of O-Neale which in IRELAND is more esteemed than to be called EMPEROVR But upon a sudden dissembling his disconteâ—t hee submitted himselfe to the DEPVTY and promised all obedience Iâ— was now the yeare 1594 and the seven and thirtieth of Queen ELIZABETHâ— Raigne when the good correspondence betweene the King of Scots and Queen ELIZABETH gave the Papists small hope that ever he would prove an Instrument to restore the Catholike Religion Whereupon they began to bethinke themselves of some English Papist that might succeed the Queene but finding none of their owne Sect a fit person they fixed their thoughts upon the Earl of Essex who alwayes seemed a very moderate man and him they devised to have some right to the Crowne by Descent from Thomas of Woodstocke King EDVVARD the Thirds Sonne But the English Fugitives were for the Infanta of Spaine and desiring to set the King of Scots and the Earle of Essex at ods they set forth a Book which they Dedicated to Essex under the name of Doleman but was written indeed by Parsons Dolemans bitter Adversary Cardinall Allen and Francis Englefield The scope of which Booke was to exclude from Succession all persons whatsoever and how near soever Allied
to the Crowne unlesse they were Roman Catholikes Contending further for the right of Isabella Infanta of Spaine as being descended from Constance Daughter of WILLIAM the Conquerour from Eleanor eldest Daughter to HENRY the Second Married to Alphonso the ninth King of Castile from Beatrix Daughter to King HENRY the Third Titles obsolete and which exceed the bounds of Heraldry to discusse This year the nineteenth of February was Henry Prince of Scotland born to whom the Queen was Godmother and sent Robert Earl of Sussex for her Deputy But now greater matters were in hand Plots were layd against the Queenes life some Spaniards thinking to make her away by Poison and not daring to trust any Englishman in such a businesse they treat to that purpose with Rodericke Lopes a JEVâ— and Phisitian to the Queen wiâ—h Stephen Ferreirâ— Emmanuel Loyfie and other Portugalls for divers of that Nation came into England at this time in relation to Anthonioâ— who being discovered by letters of theirs that were intercepted were Arraigned at Guildhall and by their own confessions convinced to have conspiâ—ed against the life of the Queen they were all condemned and Exeâ—â—â—ed at Tiburne LOPES professing that he loved the Queen as well as Jesus Christ which was cause of laughter to themâ— that knew him to be a JEVV The next day after them was condemned Câ—llenâ— an Irish Fencer sent hither by the English Fugitives to kill the Queen who was straightway executed though he were at that very time sick and ready to dye About this time Sir Iohn Norris having been in a hot conflict at sea against the Spaniard where Sir Martin Forbysher received his deaths wound was now called home with a purpose to send him into Ireland In which mean while Richard Hawkins Sonne of Sir Iohn Hawkins the famous sea Captain had been set forth a year since with three of the Queens ships and two hundred men in them whereof one of them at the Isle oâ— St. Anne was by chance fired another of them seperated by tempest returned into England himself in the third passed the Straights of Magellan being the sixth man in the Spanish accompt that had ever done it and being now come into the wide Southern sea he took five ships laden with Merchandize one whereof he took away the rest he suffered to redeeme themselves for two thousand Duckats But at last being set upon by Bertrandus a Castro who was sent out by the Vice-Roy of those parts with eight ships against him after three dayes battery he yeilded and though upon composition yet was neverthelesse sent into Spain and there for divers years kept prisoner But Iames Lancaster in another part of America had better successe for being set forth by some London Merchants whose goods the Spaniards had seized with three Ships and a long Boat Hee tooke nine and thirty Spanish Ships and at Fernanbucke in Brasile where the wealth of an East-Indian Caraque was lately unloden hee desperately venturing upon the Shoare Loaded Fifteene Ships with the wealth of the Indian Caraque Sugar Reed Redwood called Brasill and other Merchandize and then safely and victoriously returned home At ROME about this time dyed Cardinall ALLEN borne in Lancashire of an honest Family brought up in Oxford in Oriall Colledge In Queene Maries dayes he was Proctor of the University and after Canon of the Cathedrall Church at YORKE Upon the change of Religion in ENGLAND he left the Kingdome and was Divinity Professor at Doway in Flanders and made Canon of the Church at Cambray He procured a Seminary to be set up in Doway for the English another at Rheims and a third at Rome and through zeal of the Romish Religion forgot whose subject he was born At home at this time dyed Iohn Peers Archbishop of Yorke in whose place succeeded Matthew Hutton translated from the See of Durham There dyed also Ferdinand Stanley Earl of Derby being in the floure of his age miserably tormented and vomiting â—tuffe of a darke rusty colour being thought to have been poysoned or bewitched There was found in his chamber a little image of wax with hairs of the colour of his hairs thrust into the belly which some thought was done of purpose that men should not suspect him to be poisoned his vomit so stained the silver Andirons that it could never be gotten out and his body though put in searcloathes and wrapped in lead did so â—tinck and putrifie that for a long time none could endure to come neer where he was buried The Master of his Horse was much suspected who the same day the Earl tooke his bed took one of his best Horses and fled away About this time also dyed Gregory Fines Lord Dacres a man somewhat crazed the Son of Thomas Lord Dacres hanged in the Raign of King Henry the Eight And now Sir William Fitz Williams Lord Deputy of Ireland was called home and William Russell youngest Son of Francis Earl of Bedford was sent in his room to whom presently came the Earl of Tir-Oen and in humble manner craved pardon of his fault that he had not presented himself at the call of the late Lord Deputy Bagnall Marshall of the Irish Forces exhibited many Articles against him but he so pleaded for himself with promise of loyalty hereafter that he was dismissed But see the subdolousnesse of this man for he would never after be gotten to come again though the Deputy sent for him with many kinde messages It was now the year 1595 and the eight and thirtieth year of Queen Elizabeths Raign when Edâ—ond Yorke and Richard Williams who were formerly apprehended came to their tryall and were executed at Tiburn for being bribed to kill the Queen At this time a constant rumor was blown abroad from all parts of Europe that the Spaniards were coming again against England with a farre greater Fleet than that in Eighty Eight and that it was already under sayl whereupon Souldiers were levyed and placed on the Sea-coast Two Navies were made ready one to expect them at home in the Channell the other to go for America under Hawkins and Drake but when all came to all it was but certain Spaniards who loosed from the sea-coast of France with four Gallies which betimes in the morning landing in Cornwall fired a Church standing alone in the fields and three Villages of Fishermen Neulyne Moushole and Pensaus and then presently retyred not taking or killing any one person And these were the first and last Spaniards that in hostile manner â—ver set foot upon English ground And now mischiefs growing daily in France a great number perswaded the King to conclude a Peace with Spain and the Queen her self began to mistrust him especially having lately received intelligence out of the Popes Conclave that he was received into the bosome of the Church of Rome with the Popes Benediction and that upon conditions prejudiciall to the Protestants And therefore at this time were divers undertakings of the English against
that point These men found in the Book of the Ceremonies of the Court of Rome which according to the Canons giveth Rule to the rest as the Lady and Mistresse that amongst Kings the first place is due to the King of France the second to the King of England and the 3. to the King of Castile That the English quietly held this priviledge in the Generall Counsells of Basill Constance and others besides the Kingdome of Castile which is the Spaniards first Title is but an upstart in regard of England which had Earles but no Kings till the yeere one 1017. In like manner that Pope Iulius the third gave sentence for Henry the seaventh of England against Ferdinand who was then King of Castile At the day appointed the Delegates met at Bulloign Sir Henry Nevyll Legier Embassadour Sir Iohn Herbert Robert Beale and Thomas Edmunds for the English and other fot the King of Spaine and the Archduke The English had Instructions first concerning Precedency in no case to give way to the King of SPAINE yet if they contended to put the matter to the devision of Lots rather then the Treaty should be dissolved and for the rest to propose and mention the renewing of the ancient Burgundian League freedome of commerce c. At the meeting when the had severally shewed their coÌ„missions the English challenge the Precedency the Spaniards do the like and in soe peremptory a manner that without it they would dissolve the Treaty hereupon the English made a proposition to let passe the question of Precedency and to transact the businesse by wrighting and Messengers between them Or that the Treaty might be intermitted onely for threescore dayes not quite brooken off but all was to no purpose And at three monthes end they parted The States the meane while were so farr from regarding a Peace that at this time they thought upon reducing the Sea Coast of Flanders into their commandâ— and thereupon they landed an Army there of Fourteen thousand Foote and three thousand horse under the conduct of Maurice of Nasaw and Fifteen hundered of the English under the command of Sir Francis Vere and his Brother Horatio At which true happened the famous Bataile of Newport against the Arch-duke wherein nine thousand of the Spaniards were slaine and the Victory by the valour of the English fell to the Dutch for so forward were the English in this Battaile that of their fifteen hundred eight hundred were slaine and sore wounded eight Captaines killed and of the rest every man hurt All this year and the year past sundry quarells and complaints arose betweene the English and the French touching reprisalls of goods taken from each other by Pirates of either Nation Also touching Customes and Impositions contrary to the Treaty of Bloys and deceit in English Clothes to the great infamy of our Nation In Denmarke likewise arose controversies touching Commerce and the Fishing of the English upon the coast of Island and Norway The Queen also either time for the increase of Navigation and Commerce Founded the Company of East-India Merchants allowing them large Priviledges but whether thiâ— hath proved beneficiall to the Common-wealth there having been by this meanes such a masse of mony and great store of other commodities câ—rried out of the Kingdom and so many Marriners lost every year wise men make a question About this time also Pope Clement the eight perceiving the Queen to be in her declining age sent two Breeves into England the one to the Popish Câ—ergy the other to the Layity to suffer no person whatsoever to take the Kingdome upon him after the Queenes death but one that should promise by Oath to promote with all his might the Roman Catholick Religion how neer soever otherwise he were allyed to the Bloud Royall of the Kings of England This year by reason of intemporate weather happened a great scarcity of Corne in England and thereby many grievous complaints was occasioned The common people cast out reprochfull slaunders against the Lord Treasurer Buckhurst as the granter of Lycences for transportation of Corne but he appealing to the Queene shee forthwith defended his Innocency and made it knowne by open Proclamation imputed the fault upon the Broggers of Corne and Forestallers of Markets and gave order that the slanderers should be reprehended and punished The Earle of Essex who had now beene Prisoner six moneths in the House of the Lord Privie Sealeâ— he then began to repent in good earnest resolving to put away his perverse Councellors Cylly Merick and Henry Cuffe and then he shewed so much patience and great submission that the Queene then sent him to his owne house and to bee there confined alwayes protesting that shee would doe nothing that should bee for his ruineâ— but onely that which should bee for his amendment Neverthelesse when as the common people extolled his Innocency she could not for the removall of suspition of injustice free her self and her counsellors but bring him to a tryall not in the Star-Chamber lest the Censure should fall too heavy on him but in the house of the Lord Privie Seal where the cause should have a plain hearing before the Lords of the Councell four Earls two Barons and four Judges of the Realm The objections were That contrary to his Commission he had made the Earl of Southampton Generall of the Horse had drawn his Forces into Munster neglecting the Arch-Rebell Tir-Oen entertained a Parlee with him against the Dignity of the Queens Majesty and the person of a Vice-Roy which he represented and that the sayd Parlee was suspitious in regard it was private Some aggravations the Lawyers added from abrupt sentences in his Letter to the Lord Privie Seal written two years since as these No storme is more fierce than the indignation of an Impotent Prince What Cannot Princes erre May they not injure their Subjects and such like He falling upon his knee at the end of the Boord professed he would not contest with the Queen nor excuse the faults of his young years either in whole or in part Protesting that he alwayes meant well howsoever it fell out otherwise and that now he would bid the World farewell withall shedding many tears so as the standers by wept also Yet could he not contain himself but began to plead excuses till the Lord Privy Seal interrupted him advising him to proceed as he had begun to flie to the Queens Mercy who would not have him questioned for disloyalty but only for a contempt and that he did not well to pretend obedience in words which in deeds he had not performed At length in the name of the rest he pronounceth this Sentence against him That he should be deposed from the office of a Privy Councellor suspended from the functions of the Earl Marshall and Master of the Ordnance and be Imprisoned during the Queens pleasure She had given expresse charge not to suspend him from the office of Master of the Horse minding to
to him with whom to confer Sir William Godolphine is sent to whom he complained of cowardise and he feared treachery of the Irish and therefore although he wanted nothing to hold out the Siege and did daily expect great Forces from Spain yet was willing to make a Composition whereupon at last it was agreed The Spaniards should yeeld up Kinsale to the Deputy as also the Castles and Forts at Baltimore Bere-Haven and Castle-haven and should depart with life and goods and Colours displayed The English at a reasonable price should furnish them with Ships and provision into Spain and that they should not carry Arms against the Queen of England till they were arrived in Spain c. And now the Spaniards being driven out of Ireland the Queen to prevent their coming again sendeth out Sir Richard Levison and Sir William Mâ—â—son with eight Ships of her own and some smaller Ships of War to attempt something upon the Coast of Spain On the nineteenth of March Levisâ—n hoyseth Sayl and Monson afterward having in vain tarryed behinde for some Dutch Ships to joyn with them Levison in the mean time lighted upon the Spanish Navy of eight and thirty Ships which brought the Treasure from America and set upon them but to no purpose When Monson was come with the rest of the Fleet they had certain notice That a mighty Indian Caraque of sixteen hundred Tun and richly laden was upon the Coast of Portugall There indeed they found it but it lay close under a Fort attended with eleven Gallies and the Caraque it self appeared as big as a Castle yet they resolved to fire it if they could not take it The next day they thundered so violently against the Gallies that within seven hours the Marquesse of St. Crosse together with Portugall Gallies which he commanded withdrew themselves two of them were taken and fired and in them was great store of Powder which was going for the Low-Countries And now Levison signified to the Captain of the Caraque That the Gallies which they trusted to were driven away and therefore if they now refused mercy they must expect none hereafter After much speech to and fro it was at last agreed That the Caraque with the Ordnance and Merchandise should be yeelded up Thus the English having a fair winde returned homeward with a Booty to the value of a Million of Duckets by the Portugall account and not past five of their men lost in the Voyage At this time there arose a Contestation amongst the Popish Clergy here in England for the Jesuites and the Secular Priests made bitter Invectives in their writings one against the other The originall of the Priests quarrell was That Blackwell one wholly at the beck of the Jusuites was set over them as Arch-Presbyter who first of all despoiled them of their Faculties and when they appealed to the Pope caused them to be declared Schismaticks and Hereticks They in sundry Books extolled the Queen very highly as one that dealt mildly alwayes with the Catholikes till such time as they set all in a combustion in England and by their Treasons caused most severe Laws to be enacted against the Catholikes Parsons they traduced as a Bastard an Equivocator and a Traytor Whether they contended thus in good earnest or in jest only is hard to say but the Bishop of London politickly nourished the contention and all he gained was this That the Queen and her Councell finding them dangerous to the Common-wealth both the one and the other upon Penalty of the Laws were by Proclamation commanded to depart out of the Kingdom presently In France the Marshall Biron for entring into dangerous attempts against the publike Peace was arraigned and lost his head His confession brought some other into danger and amongst them the Duke of Bulloign of the Protestant Religion that when he was cited he durst not appear but fled into Germany Hereupon the King of France sendeth to Queen Elizabeth complaining that the Duke held his Marriage unlawfull and the Popes Dispensation nothing worth pronouncing his son Illegitimate had destined the Prince of Conde to the Succession of the Crown and conspired the destruction of the prime of the Nobility The Queen by her Legier Ambassadour adviseth the King not too credulously to entertain those reports as doubting these suggestions might proceed from some of the Spanish Faction Hereupon the King grew very angry saying The Queen held a better opinion of the Duke then he deserved and that he was one of the chief Architects of Essex his Treason and being questioned by the King about it was not able to deny it About this time also the Duke of Savoy by cunning slights and open force practised against the State of Geneva and the Queen relieved them with a great sum of money gathered amongst the Clergy and Laity all over England And now the Earl of Tyrone perceiving himself in a desperate estate resolved to sue for mercy and promised at last to submit his life and Fortunes to the Queens pleasure absolutely without condition Hereupon being admitted to the presence of the Deputy at the very entry of the room he fell on his knees and then passing on a few steps prostrated himself again saying I confesse and crave pardon for my great fault against God and a most bountifull Prince my dread Soveraign I fly to the Queens mercy as a sacred Anchor permitting her to dispose of my life and Fortunes at her pleasure Upon this his submission the Deputy commanded him to go aside and the next day took him along to Dublin with him meaning to bring him into England that the Queen might deal with him according to her Royall pleasure But before he could come into England the Queen died Her TAXATIONS IN a Parliament holden the first yeer of her Raign a Subsidy was granted of two Shillings eight pence the pound of Goods and four Shillings of Lands to be paid at two severall Payments of every person Spirituall and Temporall In her sixth yeer in a Parliament holden at Westminster one Subsidy was granted by the Clergy and another by the Laity together with two Fifteenths and Tenths In her eighth yeer in a Parliament then holden there were offered to her four Subsidies upon condition she would declare a Successor but she refused their offer and directly remitted the fourth Subsidy which they had granted saying It was all one whether the money were in her Subjects Coffers or in her own In her thirteenth yeer in a Parliament then holden towards her charges of repressing the Northern Rebellion there was granted her by the Clergy a Subsidy of six Shillings in the pound and by the Temporalty two fifteens with a Subsidy of two shillings and eight pence in the pound In her six and thirtieth yeer a Parliament was holden wherein was granted by the Clergy two whole Subsidies and by the Laity three besides six Fifteens and Tenths but it was put into the Act That this great Contribution
of the Queens Councell And this yeer were taken at Masse in their severall houses the Lord Morley's Lady and her children the Lady Guildford and the Lady Browne who being thereof indited and convicted suffered the penalty of the Law in that case provided Untill the twentieth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign the Papists in England were mercifully connived at while they solemnized their own Rites within their private houses though that also were against the Laws but when as that Thunder-bolt of excommunicating the Queen came abroad then was the Law enacted against those who brought into the Kindome any Agnâ—s Dei or hallowed Beads or reconciled any of the Queens subjects to the See of Rome yet for six whole yeers together after this Law was made it was not executed upon any Papist till Cuthbert Mayne a Priest and an obstinate maintainer of the Popes Authority against the Queen was executed at Launston in Cornwall and the Gentlemans goods that harboured him confiscate and himself adjudged to perpetuall Imprisonment In her three and twentieth yeer divers Priests and Jesuites came into England amongst whom Robert Pâ—â—sons and Edmund Campian English-men and Jesuites being now bound for England to promote the Catholike Cause at which time a Proclamation was set forth That whosoever had any children beyond the Sea should by a certain day call them home and that no person should receive or harbour any Seminary Priest or Jesuite At this time also there arose up in Holland a certain Sect naming themselves The Family of Lâ—ve who perswaded their followers That those only who were adopted into that Family were elected and no other could be saved but were all reprobates and damned and that it was lawfull for them to deny upon oath whatsoever they pleased before any Magistrate or whomsoever that were not of their Family Many of their books were printed under these titles The Gospel of the Kingdom The Lords Sentences The Prophesie of the spirit of love The publication of Peace upon earth by the Author H. N. but who this Author was they would by no means reveal at last he was found to be Henry Nicholls of Leyden who blasphemously preached That he was partaker of the Divinity of God and God of his humane Nature all which books were by Proclamation commanded to be burnt In a Parliament holden the eight and twentieth yeer of her Raign some out of a desire of a Reformation began to pick quarrells at the Clergy desiring to passe Laws for the restraint of Bishops in their granting of Faculties conferring of holy Orders Ecclesâ—asticall Censure and the Oath Ex officio They complayned likewise of the non-residency of Ministers and the like But the Queen who alwayes hated Innovation which for the most part changeth for the worse would give no ear unto them conceiving besides That these proceedings in Parâ—iament in Ecclesiasticall Affairs derogated from her Prerogative In her six and twentieth yeer the Queen gave a speciall charge to Whitgift Arch-bishop of Canterbury to settle an Uniformity in the Ecclesiasticall Discipline according to the Laws which through the connivence of Bishops and perversenesse of the Puritans lay now almost gasping Whâ—reupon he provided three Articles to which every Minister should subscribe The first That the Queen had Supreme Authority over all persons born within her Dominions of what condition soever they were and that no other Prince or Prelate or Potentate hath or ought to have any Iurisdiction Civill or Ecclesiasticall within her Realms and Dominions The second That the Book of Common-Prayer and of the Ordination of Bishops Priests and Deacons containeth nothing contrary to the Word of God but may lawfully be used and that they will use that and none other The third That the Articles agreed on in the Synod holden at London in the yeer 1562 and published by the Queens Authority they did allow of and believe them to be consonant to the Word of God It is incredible what reproaches the Arch-bishop incurred by setting forth these Articles both from factious Ministers and from some also of the Nobility yet by his patience and constancy he brought at last Peace to the Church making this his Motto Vincit qui patitur Neither did these at home onely disturb the Peace of the Church but others also from abroad as Robert Brown a young Student of Divinity in Cambridge from whom came the Sectaries called Brownists and Richard Harrison a petty School-Master These presuming to judge matters of Religion by their own private spirit by books set forth in Zealand and dispersed at this time over England condemned the Church of England for no Church and ensnared many in the nets of their new Schism Neither could they be restrayned though their books were prohibited by the Queens Authority and soundly confuted by sundry learned men and one or two of the Ring-leaders executed at S. Edmunds Berry In her one and thirtieth yeer these Puritans flames brake forth again Books are written by the names of Martin Mar-Prelate and A Demonstration of the Discipline by Penry aâ—d â—â—dall against the Government of Bishops and nothing would please them but the Discipline of Geneva Many Abettors they had Knightly and Wigstone Knights besides Cartwright the father of them Snape King Pradlow Payn and others who though called in question fined and imprisoned could never be reclaimed In her six and thirtieth yeer the Queen caused the severity of the Laws to be executed upon Henry Barrow and his Sectaries for disturbing the Church and the publike Peace by scattering of their monstrous Opinions condemning the Church of England as no Christian Church and derogating from thâ— Queens Authority in Causes Ecclesiasticall WORKS of Piety in her time THis Queen converted Westminster Abbey into a Collegiate Church and there ordained a Dean twelve Prebendaries a Master Usher and forty Schollars Vicars Singing-men and twelve Alms-men In her third yeer the Merchant-Taylors founded a notable Grammar-School in the Parish of S. Lawrence Pountney in London Also this yeer William Harper Maior of of London founded a Free-School in the Town of Bedford where he was born In her seventh yeer on the seventh of Iune Sir Thomas Gresham laid the first stone of the Royall Exchange in Cornhill which in November the yeer after at his own charges was finished being the yeer 1567. In her tenth yeer the Citizens of London builded a new Conduit at Walbrook corner neer to Dowgate the water whereof is conveyed out of the Thames Also this yeer Sir Thomas Roe Maior of London caused to be enclosed within a wall of Brick one Acre of ground neer unto Bâ—dlam without Bishops-Gatâ— to be a place of Buryall for the dead of such Parishes in London as lacked convenient ground within their Parishes He also builded a convenient room in Pauls Church-Yard on the South side of the Crosse to receive a certain number of Hearers at the Sermon time Sir William Peter having himself been born at Exceter in Devon-Shire he
gave to Exceter Colledge in Oxford a hundred pounds Lands a yeer He also builded at Ingerstone in Essex Alms-houses for twenty poor people and giving them some competent maintenance Sir Thomas Gresham had his dwelling house in Bread-strâ—et London which he dedicated to the profession of the Liberall Sciences erecting there Lectures of Divinity Civill Law Physick Geomitry Astronomy Musick and Rhetorick alotting to the Professors very competent allowance In her seventeenth yeer died Matthew Parkâ—r Arch-bishop of Canterbury who founded a Grammar School in Rochdale in the County of Lancaster He also procured to Corpus Christi Colledge in Cambridge thirteen Schollarships and built two Chambers for Schollars and the inward Library of the same Colledge and procured to it the Patronage of S. Mary Abchurch in London with many other works of like kinde Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper gave for six Schollars to be found in Benâ—t Colledge in Cambridge three pounds six shillings and eight pence a piece for ever Edmund Grindall Arch-bishop of Canterbury founded a Free-School in Cumberland where he was born and gave many Pensions to both Universities Frances Countesse of Sussex sister to Sir Henry Sidney founded Sussex-Sidney Colledge in Cambridge As likewise Sir Walter Mildmay Chancellor of the Exchequer founded Emmanuell Colledge in the same University Sir Thomas Bodley erected and furnished the famous publike Library at Oxford Alexander Nowell Dean of Pauls endowed Brasen nose Colledge in Oxford where he was brought up with two hundred pound per annum and died in the yeer 1602. Sir Roger Manhood chief Baron of the Exchequer built seven Alms-houses in Canterbury giving to every Alms-man four pounds yeerly and our worthy Countrey-man William Lambard built an Alms-house at Grâ—enwich which he called The Colledge for the poor of Queen Elizabeth CASUALTIES in her time IN the first yeer of her Raign died Sir Thomas Cheyney Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports of whom it is reported for certain That his Pulse did beat more then three quarters of an hour after he was dead as strongly as if he had been still alive In her third yeer there was found neer Keswrick in Cumberland a most rich Veyn of pure and native Brasse which had lain neglected a long time Also the Stone called Lapis Calaminaris which is of great use in Brasse Works was first brought into England at this time and that in most plentifull manner Likewise this Queen was the first that caused Gun-Powder to be made in England which before was had from forraign parts and at dear rates In her third yeer the Spiâ—e of the Cathedrall Church of Pauls being five hundred and twenty foot from the ground and two hundred and sixty from the square Steeple where it was placed and was made of wooden materialls but covered with Lead was with lightning burnt down together with the Roofs of that large Church and that within the space of five hours the Roofs were after re-edified but the Spire is yet wanting The Queen gave towards it a thousand Marks in money and a thousand load of Timber and the City granted a Benevoâ—â—â—ce and three Fifteens and the Clergy also contributed towards it Also this yeer there were many monstrous Births A Mare brought forth a Foal with two heads and a long tayl growing out between the two Heads A Sow farrowed a Pig with two Bodies eight Feet and but one Head A man-childe was born at Chichester in Sussex having arms and legs like to an Anatomy the Brest and Belly monstrous big about the neck a great coller of flesh and skin growing like the ruff of a Shirâ— In her sixth yeerâ— upon the returning of the Army from Newhaven the Pestiâ—ence war brought into England but especially into London where in oâ—e yeer there died one and twenty thousand and five hundred This yeer also in the Month of December was driven on the shore at Grimseby in Lincoln-shire a monstrous Fish in length nineteen yards his tayl fifteen foot broad and six yards between the eyes Twelve men stood upright in his mouth to get the Oyl In her seventh yeer on the one and twentieth of Deâ—ember began a Frost so extreme that on New-yeers Even people passed over the Thames on foot some played at Foot-ball some shot at pricks as if it had been firm ground Yet this great Frost the third of Ianuary at night began to thaw and by the fifth day there was no Ice at all to be seen which sudden thaw caused great Inundations In her eighth yeer within the space of ten Months there died in London seven Aldermen namely Edward Banks Richard Chamberlain Sir Martin Bowes Sir Richard Mallory Sir William Hâ—wet Sir Thomas White and Richard Lambert one of the Sheriffs for that yeer The same yeer also in the Town of Ossestry in Wales two hundred houses in the space of two hours were consumed with fire In her tenth yeer were taken in Suffolk at Downham Bridge neer to Ipswich seventeen monstrous Fishes some of them being seven and twenty foot in length And in the same yeer many Dutch flying into England to avoid the persecution of the Duke D'Alva were the first that brought into England the Art of making Bayes Sayes Serges and such woven stuffs both Woollen and Linnen In her time a rich Veyn of Copper was found in the Earl of Norâ—humberlands Grounds which she by her Prerogative seized upon In her thirteenth yeer a prodigious Earthquake happened in the East parts of Hereford-shire at a little Town called Kinnaston On the seventeenth of February at six of the clock in the evening the earth began to open and a hill with a Rock under it making at first a great bellowing noyse which was heard a great way off lifted it self up a great heighth and began to travell bearing along with it the Trees that grew upon it the Sheep-folds and Flocks of Sheep abiding there at the same time In the place from whence it was first moved it left a gaping distance forty foot broad and fourscore Ells long the whole Field was about twenty Acres Passing along it overthrew a Chappell standing in the way removed an Ewe-Tree planted in the Church-yard from the West into the East with the like force it thrust before it High-wayes Sheep-folds Hedges and Trees made tilled ground Pasture and again turned Pasture into Tillage Having walked in this sort from Saturday in the evening till Munday noon it then stood still In her fifteenth yeer in the Month of November a new Star or rather a Meteor but that it was found to be above the Moon was seen in Cathedra Cassiopeae exceeding Iupiter in brightnesse and in that place was carryed with the Diurnall motion of the Heavens sixteen Months together though after eight Months it was perceived to grow lesse and lesse In her sixteenth yeer was a great Dearth so as Wheat was sold at five and six shillings the Bushell and other things in proportion In her seventeenth yeer a vast mighty Whale
King according to an ancient custome had ayde of His Subjects thorough England for making his eldest sonne Prince Henry Knight which yet was Levied with great moderation and the Prince to shew himselfe worthy of it performed His first Feates of Armes at Barriers with wonderfull skill and courage being not yet full sixteene yeares of Age. It was now the eight yeere of King Iames His Reigne being the yeare 1610 when Prince Henry being come to the age of seventeen yeares It was thought fit He should be Initiated into Royalty and thereupon the thirtieth of May this yeare He was Created Prince of Wales in most solemne manner which was this Garter King at Armes bore the Letters Patents the Earle of Sussex the Robes of Purple Velvet the Earle of Huntington the Traine the Earle of Cumberland the Sword the Earle of Rutland the Ring the Earle of Darby the Rod the Earle of Shrewsbury the Cape and Coronet the Earle of Nottingham and North-Hampton supported the Prince being in His Surcoate only and bare-headed and in this manner being conducted to the King attended on by the Knights of the Bathe five and twenty in number all great men and great mens sons The Earle of Salisbury principall Secretary read the Letters Pattents the Prince kneeling all the while before the King and at the words accustomed the King put on him the Robe the Sword the Cape and the Coronet the Rod and the Ring and then kissed him on the cheeke and so the solemnity ended After this it was thought fit he should keep his Court by himselfe and thereupon Sir Thomas Chaloner a learned Gentleman who had before been his Governour was now made his Lord Chamberlaine Sir Edw. Philips his Chancellor and all other officers assigned him belonging to a Princes Court wherein he shewed himselfe so early ripe for Majesty that he seemed to be a King while he was yet but Prince And all mens eyes began to fix upon him King Iames had long since shut up the Gates of Ianus and was in Peace with all Princes abroad his only care now was how to keep Peace at home and to this end the three first dayes of Iune in his own person he heard the differences between the Ecclesiasticall and the Temporall Iudges argued touching Protections out of the Kingsâ—Bench and Common-Pleas to this end the eight ninth tenth of Iune he heard the manifold complaints of the abuses of the Victualers other Officers of his Navy Royall to this end the 4 of Iune 1610 he once again by Proclamation commanded all Roman Priests Seminaries and Iesuits as being the chiefe Incendiaries of troubles to depart this Kingdome by the 5 of Iuly next and not to returne upon pain of severity of the Law also all Recusants to returne home to their Dwellings and â—ot to ramaine in London â—oâ— to come within ten miles of the Court without speciall Licence aâ—â—â—r which Proclamation the Oâ—th of Allegeance was presently ministred to all sorts of people and their names certified to the Lords of the Counsell that refâ—â—ed to take it and this Hee the rather did out of consideration of the bloudy fact committed lately by one Revillâ—ck upon the person of the renowned K. of France Henry the fourth whereas Queen Elizabeth in her 43 years had granted her Letters Pattents to continue for 15 years to the East India Merchants now upon their humble petition the King was pleased to enlarge their Pateâ—â—s giving them a charter to continue for ever enabling them thereby to be a body Corporate and Politick which so encouraged the Merchants that they built a ship of twelve hundred â—un the greatest that was ever made in this Kingdome by Merchants which the King and Prince honored with going to Deptford to see it and then named it The Trades encrease and at this time gave to Sir Thomas Smith Governour of that Company a faire chaine of Gold with a Iewell wherein was his Picture But this great Ship having been in the Read Sea and returning to Banthem was there lost and most of her men cast away But then the King himselfe builded the goodliest Ship of War that was ever built in England being of the burthen of 1400 tun and carrying threescore and foure pieces of great Ordnance which he gave to his son Prince Henry who named it after his own dignity The Prince And now whereas a Parliament had been holden this year and was Prorogued to a certain day the King perhaps not finding it to comply with his designes or for some other cause known to himself on the last day of December under the grâ—â—t Sâ—ale of England dissolved it Before this time one Sir Robert Câ—rre a Gentleman of Scotland or of the bordâ—â—â— being a hunting with the King chanced with a fall off his horse to breake his leg upon which mischance he was forced for some days to keep his bed in which time the King was sometimes pleased to come and visit him and then it was first perceived that the King had begun to cast an eye of favour upon him and indeed â—roâ— that time forward as he was a very fine Gentleman and very wise many great favours were heaped upon him So as on Easter Munday in the yeare 1611 he was Created Viscount Rochester On the two and twentieth of Aprill 1612 was swoâ—ne a privy Counsellor On the fourth of November 1613 was Created Earle of Soâ—erset and the tenth of Iuly following made Lord Chamberlaine Bâ—â— this Sun-shine of Fortune lasted not long yet not by any inconstancy in the King but by the Earles own undeserving which thus fell out The Right Honourable Robert Earle of Essex had before this time married the beautifull Lady Francis Howard daughter of Thomas Earle of Suffolk who upon caâ—ses â—udicially heard were afterward Divorced and left free to marry any other Afteâ— which Divoâ—ce this great favorite the Earle of Somerset takes her for wife thâ— King gâ—acing their marriage with all demonstrations of love and favour and the Lords gracing it with a stately Masque that night and a few dayes after the Bride and Bridegroom accompanied with most of the Nobility of the Kingdome were â—easted at Merchant Taylors Hall by the Lord Major and Aldermen But see how soon this faire weâ—â—her was overcast For it hapned that one Sir Thâ—mas â—â—erbâ—ry a very ingenious Gentleman and the Earles speciall fâ—â—â—â—d who had written a witty Treâ—tise of a Wife and it seemes not thinking thâ— Lady in all points answerable to his description had been an earnest disswaâ—â—â— of the Mâ—â—â—â— and to â—â—rengthen his diâ—â—wasion layd perhaps some unjust 〈◊〉 upâ—â— the Ladyes 〈◊〉 which so incensed them both against him that 〈…〉 could not give them satiâ—â—â—ction than to take away his life So 〈…〉 saying Improbe 〈…〉 r quid non mortalia pectora cogis 〈◊〉 this they finde pretences to have the said Sir Thomas committed to the â—â—wer and there by their Instruments effect their revenge some
persons under the Conduct of Captaine Nelsâ—n After which was sent another supply of threescore and ten persons and in the yeare 1609. a third supply came of five hundred persons under a Patent granted to Sir Thomas West Lord de la Ware but conducted thither by Sir Thomas Gates Gates Sir George Sommers and others In the yeare 1611. was a fourth supply of three hundred men under the conduct of Sir Thomas Gates In the yeare 2612. two other supplies were sent of forty men in each and now was the Lotterie spoken of before granted by the King for further supplies of this Plantation After this Master Samuel Argall being appoynted Governour in in the yeare 16â—8 the Lord De la Ware came thither with a supply of two hundred people but in his stay there dyed After this in the yeare 1620. were sent thither eleven Ships with twelve hundred and sixteene persons and now they founded themselves into Corporations In the yeare 1621. Sir Francis Wiat was sent thither Governour with thirteene hundred men women and children and now they founded Schooles and Courts of Iustice and the Plantation was extended a hundred and forty miles up on the River of both sides But now when the English were secure and thought of nothing but peace the Savages came suddenly upon them and slew them three hundrâ—d and seven and forty men women and children For râ—pairing of which losse the City of London sent presently over a supply of a hundred men This massacre happened by reason they had built their Plantations remote from one another in above thirty severall places which made them now upon consultation to reduce them all to five or six places whereby they may better assist each other since which time they have alwayes lived in good security And thuâ— much for Virginia Next was the Plantation of the Island called Barmudas so called of a Spanish ship called Bermudas which was there cast away carrying Hogs to the West Indies that swam a shoare and there increased The first Englishman that entred this Isle was one Henry May in the yeare 1591 but in the yeare 1610 Sir George Sâ—mers was sent thither who dying there in memory of his Name the Isles have ever since been called Somers Isles In the yeare 1612. One Mr. Moore landed there with 60 persons and then builded the chiefe Town there called S. Georges together with 8 to 9 Forts The same yeare a supply of 30 more persons was sent thither and the yeare after 60 more under one Mr. Bartlet with a shew to survey the land but with a purpose indeed to get from thence a great lump of Amber-greece and no lesse than 80 poâ—â—d weight that had been found taken up in the Island some yeares before and was there still reteined A while after this came a Ship called the Blessing with a hundred passengers and two dayes after came the Star with a 180 more and within 14 dayes after that again came thither the Margaret and two Frigates with 130 passengers So as now they began to divide the Counâ—â—y into Tribes and the Tribes into shares In the yeare 1616 Captain Daâ—â—el Tuckard was sent from Virginia to be Governour there and now it began indeed to be a Plantation for now they began to build them houses and now was sent from thence into England a Ship fraighted with 30000 weight of Tobacco valued there but at 2 s. 6 d. the pound though sold here oftentimes for Vâ—rinos at great rates In the yeare 1619â— Captain Nathaniel Butler was sent Governour with new supplies in whose time they build them a Church held Assizes for Criminall Causes twice a yeare and began to have Parliaments as in England and now in the Ship called the Magazin came diverse Gentlemen of good fashion with their wives and families so as now their number was no fewer then fifteen hundred people Dispersed twenty miles in length In the yeare 1622 came Governouâ— M. Iohn Bernard bringing with him a supply of a 140 persons but he and his wife dying presently upon their comming M. Iohn Harrison in the yeare 1623 was chosen Governour These Isles of Bermudas are in 32 degrees of Northern latitude So as they are distant from Virginia at least 500 leagues and from Egland above three thousand three hundred This Country is of a most healthfull Ayre abounding with all sorts of Fowles Birds and Fish and where great pieces of Amber-grâ—ce are oftentimes found which is valued there at no lesse than three pounds an ounce And thus much concerning the state of Bermudas till the yeare 1624. Next comes the Plantation of New England concerning which we must first know that King Iames in the yeare 1606 granted two Letters Patents for Plantations in Virginia one to the City of London another to the City of Bristow Exceter and Plimmouth with power to plant Colonies any where between the Degrees of 38 and 44 provided there should be at least a 100 miles distance between the two Colonies So as the first Colony was from the City of London and is that which is called Virginia The Second Colony was from Bristow and the other Towns and is that which is now called New England and is scituate between the Degrees of 41 and 45 the very meane betwixt the North Pole and the Line And now to speak a little of the Country there are on the Sea Coast 25 excellent good Harbours in some whereof there is Anchorage for 500 sayle of Ships of any burthen The Earth as fruitful and the Ayre as healthfull as any part of the World abounding with all sorts of Grain Fowles and Fish Many of such kinds as aâ—e to us unknown yet excellent meat Many Voyages had been made for the perfect discovery of the Countrey Many Attempts for setling a Plantation there Many Miscariages and Disasters in making the attempts but all at last came to this that in the yeare 1624 which is the limit of ouâ— Narration there was a Plantation setled though but a small one but a few yeares after by the sending forth of new supplyes encreased to so many thousands that if God continue to prosper it as he hath begun the New England in a few ages may prove as populous as the Old and the King of England likely to have as many and greater Crowns in the Indies than he had in His Realmes of Great Brittaine and Ireland But seeing of these and all other English Plantations in the Indies whereof there are many large discourses written by divers Authors It should be more than supperfluous to speake more of them in this place It is sufficient to have shewed that King Iames had the honour to have them setled in His time and under the Influence of His peaceable Government Of the Earles and Barons made by King JAMES IN former Kings Raignes the making of Earles and Barons was but rare and therefore they are fitly set down at the severall times of their making but in King
of this Kings Raigne the first Chanons entred into the Church of our Lady in Southwarke called Saint Mary Overey Founded by William Pountlarge knight and William Dancyes Normans Robert the first Earle of Glocester the Kings base Sonne builded the Castles of Bristow and Cardyffe with the Priory of Saint Iames in Bristow And his Sonne Earle William began the Abbey of Kensham Geoffrey Clinton Treasurer and Chamberlaine to the King Founded the Priory at Kenelworth of Regular Chanons Henry Earle of Warwicke and Margaret his Wife Founded the Colledge of Saint Marâ— in the Towne of Warwicke and Roger de Belemond his Sonne and Ellyne his wife translated the same Colledge into the Castle of Warwicke in the yeare 1123. Roger Bishop of Salisbury built the Devises in Wiltshire the Castles also of Mamesbury and Shirborne He repaired the Castle of Salisbury and environed it with a wall he also built the stately Church of Salisbury destined to a longer life then any of his other workes Ralph Bishop of Durham began to build the Castle of Norham upon the banke of the River of Tweed In the 32. yeare of this Kings Raigne the Priory of Norton in Cheshire was founded by one William the sonne of Nychel and the Abbey of Cumbermere in the same Shire The Colledge of Secular Chanons also in the Castle of Leycester and the Abbey without the North gate of the same Towne called Saint Mary de Prato Also in this Kings Raigne was Founded the Monastery of Plimpton in Devonshire with the Cathedrall Church of Exetâ—r the Priory of Merton the Hospitall of Kepar the Priory of Oseney neare Oxford by Robert de Oylye Knight and the Hospitall of Saint Crosse neare Winchester by Henry Blois Bishop there also Robert Earle of Ferrers Founded the Abbey of Merivall and indeed so many in his time were built that one would thinke the Inhabitants of England to be all Carpenters and Masons that were able to finish so many great buildings in so short a time as this Kings Raigne â— Casualties happening in his time IN this Kings dayes all the foure Elements were guilty of doing much mischiefe but chiefely the water For King Henry returning into England after his conquest of Normandy left his sonne William with his sister Mary Countesse of Perche Richard his sonne by a Concubine the Earle of Chester with his wife Lucie the Kings Neece by his sister Adela and other Lords and Ladies and passengers to the number of 180. to follow after him who taking Shipping and â—he best Ship the King had whether by carelesnesse or drunkennesse of the Saylours were all drowned The Prince indeed was got into the Ship-boate and out of danger but hearing the lamentable cries of his sister compassion wrought so in him that he turned about his boate to take her in which over-charged with the multitude over-turned and they all perished none escaped but onely one Saylour who had been a Butcher who by swimming all night upon the Mast came safe to Land An accident not more grievous then exemplary for amongst other conclusions from hence we may gather that no state is so uncertaine as prosperity no fall so sudden as into adversity and that the rule He that stands let him take heed he fall not cannot alwayes be observed because a man happens sometimes to fall before it is possible for him to take heed Another great mischiefe was in this Kings dayes wrought by the water for by the breaking in of the Sea a great part of Flanders was drowned whereupon a great number of Flemmings being Suiters to King Henry for some place to inhabit he assigned them a part in Walâ—â— neare the Sea called Pembrokeshire where they have inhabited to this day the King by this one action working two good effects both shewing compassion to distressed strangers and putting a bridle upon unquiet Natives But the water had another way to doe mischiefe as much by defect as this was by excesse for upon the tenth of October the River of Medway many miles together did so faile of water that in the midst of the Channell the smallest vessels could not passe and the same day also in the Thames betweene the Tower of London and the Bridge men waded over on foote for the space of two dayes also at another time the River of Trent at Notingham was dryed up a whole day Now for the Earth though naturally it be without motion yet it moves sometimes when it is to do mischiefe specially being assisted by the Aire as in this Kings dayes it moved with so great a violence that many buildings were shaken downe and Malmesbery saith that the house wherein he sate was lifted up with a double remove and at the third time setled againe in the proper place Also in divers places it yeelded forth a hideous noyse and cast forth flames at certaine rifts many dayes together which neither by water nor by any other meanes could be suppressed But yet the active Element of Fire was busiest of all for first Chichester with the principall Monastery was burnt downe to the ground From West-cheape in London to Aldgate a long tract of buildings was consumed with fire Worcester also and Rochester even in the Kings presence then Winchester Bathe Glocester Lincolne Peterborough and other places did also partake of this calamity that there could be nâ— charging the fire with any partiality and to speake of one forraine casualty because a strange one In Lombardy this yeare was an Earthquake that continued forty dayes and removed a Towne from the place where it stood a great way off Of his Wives and Children AT his first comming to the Crowne he married Matild or Maude sister to Edgar then King of Scotland and daughter to Malcolme by Margaret the sister of Edgar Etheling This Matild if she were not a veyled Nun she was at least brought up in a Nunnery and thereby growne so averse from marriage that when the motion was first made her to marry with King Henry she utterly refused it as resolved though perhaps not vowed to die a Virgin till at last importuned and even forced by the authority of her brother she rather yeelded then consented for she did it with so ill a will that it is said she prayed if ever she had issue by the marriage that it might not prosper and indeed it prospered but untowardly as will be seene in the sequell But though she made this imprecation before she knew what it was to be a Mother yet when she came to be a Mother she shewed her selfe no lesse loving and tender of her children then loyall and obsequious to her husband And to make amends for this seeming impiety towards her children there is a story related of her reall piety towards the poor for a brother of hers comming one morning to visit her in her chamber found her sitting amongst a company of Lazar people washing and dressing their ulcers and sores and then kissing them afterward when