there were arraigned at the Kings-bench the Lord VVilliam Howard and the Lady Margaret his wife Katherin Tilney and Alice Restwold Gentlewomen Ioane Bulmer wife to Anthony Bulmer Gentliman Anne Howard wife to Henry Howard Esquire and brother to the Queene with divers others who were all condemned for misprision of treason for concealing the Queens misdemeanor and adjudged to forfeit all their lands and goods during life and to remaine in perpetuall prison The sixteenth of Ianuary the Parliament began at VVestminster where the Lords and Commons pâ—â—itioned the King that he woâ—ld not vex himselfe with the Queenes offence and that both she and the Lady Rochford might be attainted by Parliament and that to avoid protracting of time he would give his royal assent unâ—o it under the great Seale without staying for the end of the Parliament Also that Derham and Colepepper having beene attained before by the Common-Law might be attainted likewise by Parliament all which was assented to by the King and after on the thirteenth of February the Queen and the Lady Rochâ—ord were beheaded on the-greene within the Tower where they confessed their offences and dyed penitently yet something to take off the offences of this Queene it is certainly said that after her condemnation she protested to Doctor VVhite Bishop of VVinchester her last Confessour that as for the Act for which she was condemned she tooke God and his holy Angels to witnesse upon her soules salvation that she died guiltlesse Before this on the three and twentieth of Ianuary King Henry was proclaimed King of Ireland where as before this â—ime the Kings of England were onely entituled Lords of Ireland and this title was given him both by the Parliament here and by the Parliament holden in Ireland before Sir Anthony Seintleger knight the Kings Deputy there About this time Arthur Plantagenet Visconnt Lisle base sonne to King Edward tha fourth having beene imprisoned upon suspition of a practice for betraying of Callice to the French whilst he was the Kings Lievtenant there was now found to be innocent of the Fact and thereupon the King to make him some reparation for his disgrace sent him a Ring and a very gracious message by Sir Thomas VVriothsley his Secretary whereat the said Viscount tooke so great joy that the night following of that very joy he died so deadly a thing is any passion even joy it selfe if it be extream After his death Sir Iohn Dudley his wives Sonne was creaâ—ed Viscount Lisle This Sir Iohn Dudley was sonne to Edmund Dudley beheaded in the first yeere of this Kings reigne and was made Viscount Lisle in right of his Mother During this Parliament one George Ferrers Gentleman servant to the King and Burgesse for the town of Plimmouth in Devonshire in going to the Parliament House was arrested in London by a Processe out of the Kings Bench for a Debt wherein he was late afore condemned as surety for one Welden at the suit of one White which arrest being signified to Sir Thomas Moyle knight â—peaker then of the Parliament and to the Knights and Burgesses there order was â—aken that the Serjeant of the Parliament called Saint Iohn should be sent to the Counter in Bredstreet whither the said Ferrers was carried and there demand to have him delivered but the Officers of the Counter not onely refused to deliver him but gave the Serjeant such language that they fell at last to an affray at which time the Sheriffes comming they also tooke their Officers part so as the Serjeant was faine to returne without the prisoner which being signified to the Speaker and the Burgesses they tooke the matter in so ill part that they would sit â—o more without their Burgesse and thereupon rising up repaired to the Upper House where the whole Case was declared by the Speaker before Sir Thomas Audeley Lord Chancellour and the Lords and Judges there assembled who judgeing the contempt to be very greaâ— referred the punishment thereof to the House of Commons it selfe whereupon returning to their places againeâ— upon new debate of the Case they tooke order that tâ—eir Serjeâ—nt shouâ—d once more repâ—ire to the Sheriffe of London and demand â—â—e prisoner witâ—out carryiâ—g any Writ or Warrant for the matter It is truâ—â— the Lord Chancellour offered to grant a Writ but the House of Commonâ— refused it being of a cleâ—re opinion that all Commandements from the nether House were to be executed by their Serjeant without Writ onely by shewing his Mace which is his Warrant but before the Serjeants returne into London the Sheriffes better advised became more mild and upon the second demand delivered the prisoner without any deniall but then the Serjeant had further in charge to command the Sheriffs and Clerkes of the Counter to appeare personally the next morning before the House of Commons where appearing they were charged by the Speaker with their contempt and compelled to make immediate answere without being admitâ—ed â—o any counsaile Sir Roger Chomley Recorder of London offered to speak in the cause but wâ—s not suffered nor any other but the pâ—rties themselves in conclusion the Sheriffes and White who had caused the Arrest were committed to the Tower the Officer that did the Arrest with foure other Officers to Newgate but after two or three dayes upon the â—umble suiâ—e of the Major were set at liberty and because the said Ferrers being in execution upon a condemnation of debt and set at large by priviledge of Parlaiment was not by law to be brought againe into execution and so the creditour without remedy for his debt against him as his principâ—ll debtour therefore after long debate by the space of nine or ten dayes together they at last resolved to make an Act of purpose to revive the execution of the said debt against Welden who was principall debtour and to discharge Ferrers that was but surerâ— wherein notwithstanding the house was devided and the Act passed but by fourteen voyces the King being adverâ—ised of this proceeding called before him the Lord Chancelour and the â—udges the Speaker and divers of the lower House to whom he declaâ—ed his Opinion to this effect first commending their wiâ—dome in maintaining the priviledges of tâ—eir house which hee would â—oâ— have to be infringed in any point he alleaged that â—e being head of the Parliament and attending in his owne person upon the businesse tâ—ereof ought in reason to have Priviledge for himselfe and all his servants attending upon him so as if the said Ferrers had been no Burgesse but onely hiâ— servant yet in that respect he was to have the priviledge as well as any other for I understand saith he that you not onely for your owne persons but also for your necessâ—ry servants even to your Cookes and Hors-keepers injoy the sâ—me pâ—iâ—iledgeâ— iâ— so much as my Lord Chancelour here present hath informed uâ— that whilst he was Speaker of the Parliament the Cook of the Temple was Arrested iâ— London and in
the yeare 1290. in the time of King Edward the first 44 Thomas Langford an Englishman a Dominican Fryer of Chemsford in Essex writ an Universall Chronicle from the beginning of the world to his owne time and lived in the yeare 1320. in the time of King Edward the second 45 Radulphus de Rizeto an Englishman writ a Chronicle of the English Nation and lived about the yeare 1210. in the time of King John 46 Robertus Montensis a benedictine Monke writ a Chronicle from the yeare 1112. to the yeare 1210. at which time he lived 47 Johannes Burgensis an Englishman a benedictine Monke writ Annals of the English Nation 48 Thomas Spotâ—ey an Englishman a benedictine Fryer of Canterbury writ the Chronicles of Canterbury and lived about the time of King Edward the second 49 Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis called Florilegus for collecting Flores Historiarum chiefly of Briâ—aine containing from the beginning of the world to the yeare 1307. about which time he lived 50 Ranulphus Higden a benedictine Monke of Chester writ a Booke which he called Polychronicon containing from the beginning of the world to the sixteenth yeare of King Edward the third in whose time he lived 51 Matthew Paris a benedictine Monke of Saint Albans writ a History chiefly Ecclesiasticall of the English Nation from William the Conquerour to the last yeare of King Henry the third and lived about the time of King Edward the third 52 William Pachenton an Englishman writ a History of the English Nation and lived about the timâ— of King Edward the third 53 Bartholmeus Anglicus a Franciscan Fryer writ a Booke Intituled De Proprietatibus rerum and a Chronicle of the Scots and lived in the yeare 1360. in the time of King Edward the third 54 Nicholas Trivet borne in Norfolke of a worshipfull Family became a Domidican Fryer writ many excellent workes in Divinity and Philosophy also Annals of the English Kings from King Stephen to King Edward the second and lived in the yeare 1307. in the time of King Edward the third 55. Alexander Essebiensis Pryor of a Monastery of Regular Canons writ divers learned workes amongst other an Epitome of the British History and lived in the yeare 1360. in the time of King Edward the third 56 John Froyssart borne in the Low Countries writ a Chronicle in the French tongue containing seventy foure yeares Namely beginning with King Edward the third and â—nding with King Henry the fourth in whose time he lived whose Chronicle Sir John Bourchier knight translated into English and John Sleyden a French man hath lately contracted into an Epitome 57 Thomas de la Moore borne in Glocestershire in the time of King Edward the first by whom as having twenty pounds land holden by knights service he was made a Knight and afterward being very inward with King Edward the second writ a History of his life and death 58 Thomas Rodbourne an Englishman and a Bishop writ a Chronicle of his Nation and lived in the yeare 1412. in the time of King Henry the fourth 59 John Trevisa borne in Glocestershire a Priest translated Polychronicon into English adding to it an Eighth Book Intituled De Memorabilibus eorum temporum containing from the yeare 1342. to the yeare 1460. He writ also of the Acts of King Arthur and Descriptions both of Britaine and Ireland and lived in the time of King Edward the fourth 60 John Harding a Gentleman of a good Family in the North writ a Chronicle in verse of the Kings of England to the Reigne of King Edward the fourth whâ—rein he allâ—dgeth many Records which he had got in Scotland that testifie the Scottish Kings submissions to the Kings of England he lived in the yeare 1448. in the time of King Henry the sixth 61 John Capgrave borne in Kent an Hermit Fryer writ many learned workes in Divinity and a Catalogue of the English Saints and lived in the yeare 1464. in the time of King Edward the fourth 62 John Lydgate Monke of Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke writ divers workes in verse and some in prose as the lives of King Edward and King Ethelstan of the round Table of King Arthur and lived in the yeare 1470. in the time of King Edward the fourth 63 John Weathamstead Abbot of Saint Albans in his worke of English Affaires accuseth Geoffrey of Monmouth of meere Fabulousnesse and lived about the yeare 1440. 64 Gulielmus Elphinston a Scotchman Bishop of Aberdene writ the Antiquitiâ—s of Scotland and the Statutes of Councells and lived in the yeare 1480. in the time of James the third King of Scotland 65 George Buchanan a Scotchman writ the story of Scotland from Fergusius to Queene Mary in whose time he lived 66 William Caxton an Englishman writ a Chronicle to the three and twentyeth yeare of King Edward the Fourth which he cals Fructus Temporum also a Description of Britaine the life of Saint Edward and the History of King Arthur and lived in the yeare 1484. 67 Thomas Walsingham borne in Norfolke a Benedictine Monke of Saint Albans writ two Histories One shorter the other larger the first beginning from the yeare 1273. and continued to the yeare 1423. The other beginning at the comming in of the Normans and continued to the beginning of King Henry the sixth to whom he Dedicated his worke 68 Robert Fabian a Sheriffe of London writ a Concordance of Histories from Brute the first King of the Britaines to the last yeare of King Henry the second and another worke from King Richard the first to King Henry the seventh in whose time he lived 69 Sir Thomas Moore borne in London Lord Chancellour of England besides many other learned workes writ the Life of King Richard the third and dyed for denying the Kings Supremacy in the Reigne of King Henry the Eight in the yeare 1535. 70 Hector Boethius a Scotchman writ a Catalogue and History of the Kings of Scotland also a Description of that kingdome and lived in the yeare 1526. in the time of James the fifth King of Scotland 71 Polydor Virgill an Italian but made here in England Arch-deacon of Wells amongst other his learned workes writ the History of England from its first beginning to the thirtyeth yeare of King Henry the Eighth to whom he Dedicated his Worke. 72 Edward Hall a Lawyer writ a Chronicle which he cals the Union of the two Roses the Red and the White containing from the beginning of King Henry the fourth to the last yeare of King Henry the eighth and dyed in the yeare 1547. 73 John Leland a Londoner amongst divers other workes writ a Booke of the Antiquity of Britaine and of the famous men and Bishops in it and lived in the yeare 1546. in the time of King Henry the Eighth 74 John Rogers first a Papist and afterward a Protestant amongst other his learned workes writ a History from the beginning of the world and lived most in Germany in the yeare 1548. in the time of King Edward the sixth
the very day and houre in which he should have done the businesse as he went up the staires towards the upper House he suddenly fell down and dyed having been merry and well before to all mens judgements About this time the Lord Scroope was deposed from the Chancellourship for refusing to seale some Grants which the King had made and the King receiving the great Seale at his hands kept it a certaine time and sealed with it such Grants and Writings as he pleased till at length it was delivered to Robert Braybrooke Bishop of London who was made Lord Chancellour Henry Spenser Bishop of Norwich had lately with the Kings leave raised an Army and was gone into France in behalfe of Pope Vrban against the Anti-pope Clement and entring first into Flaâ—ders he tooke and sacked many Townes at last besieged Ypres till by an Army of French greater then was thought could have been raised in France he was forced to raise his siege and then passing divers places he came to Grâ—â—eling from whence he writ to King Richard that if ever he meant to try battell with the French now was the time The King was at that time at Dayntrie in Northâ—mptonshire and being at supper when the word was brought him he instantly rose from the Table got to horse-back and rode in Post with such speed that he came to St. Albans about midnight where making no stay but while he borrowed the Abbots Gelding he hasted forth till he came to Westminster as though he had meant never to rest till he had given battell to the French-men but after he had taken councell of his pillow his minde was altered and hâ— thought it better to imploy some other then to goe himselfe so the Duke of Lancaster is thought the fittest man but he protracted the time so long in making preparation thâ—t before he could be gone the Bishop was come away And this indeed is the condition of many to spend so much time in preparing that they utterly lose all opportunity of acting like to men that are putting on their cloathes so long till it be time to put them off againe Shortly after a Truce was concluded between Fraâ—ce and England to endure till the Feast of St. Michael which should be in the yeere 1384. Of Acts done after He came of Age. THe Scots in this meane time had made Roades into England and taken and burnt divers Townes upon the Borders whereupon the Duke of Lancaster with his Brother the Earle of Buckingham is sent with a mighty Army to represse them but having entred Scotland and not able to draw the Scots to a Battell they onely burnt certaine Townes and then returned About this time an Irish Frier of the Order of the Carmelites charged the Duke of Lancaster with heynous crimesâ— as that he intended to destroy the King and usâ—rpe the Crowne shewing the time the place and other circumstances of the whole plot But the Duke called to his Answer so cleered himselfe aâ— least gave such colours of cleering that the Accuser was committed to the custody of Iohn Holland the kings halfe-brother till a day appointed for further tryall The niâ—ht before which day the said Lord Holland and Sir Henry Greene are said to have come to this Frier and putting a cord about his neck tyed the other end about his privy members and after hanging him up from the ground laid a stone upon his belly with the weight whereof his very back-bone burst asunder thereby putting him to a most tormenting death An act not more inhumane then unadvised for though it took away the Accuser yet it made the Accusation more suspitious At this time though a Truce had been made with the Scots yet they would not be quiet but entred and wonne the Castle of Barwick whereof the Earle of Northumberland was Captaine but had committed the keeping of it to another for which being blamed he went against them with an Army but took an easier course for with the summe of two thousand markes he bought them out and had the Castle surrendâ—ed into his hands againe The king upon some new displeasure being now incensed against the Duke of Lancaster had a purpose to have him arrested and arraigned of certaine points of Treason before Sir Robert Tresilian Chiefe Justice though he ought to be tryed by his Peeres but the Duke having intimation hereofâ— got him to his Castle of Pomfret and stood upon his guard till the Kings mother notwithstanding her indisposition of body by reason of her corpulency riding to and fro betwixt them pacified the King and made them friends In the ninth yeere of K. Richards Reigne the French-king sent the Admirall of France into Scotland with a Thousand men of Armes besides Crosse-bowes and others to ayde the Scots against the English with which ayde the Scots encouraged enter the English Borders whereof K. Richard advertised himselfe with a mighty Army enters Scotland and comming to Edingborough and finding all the people fledâ— he set fire on the houses burnt the Church of S. Giles onely Holy-Rood-house was spared at the Duke of Lancasters suit in remembrance of friendship he had formerly received in that house The Scots by no meanes could be drawn to any Battell buâ— to divert the Kings Army they entred Cumberland and besieged Carlile whereby the valour of Sir Lewis Clifford and Sir Thomas Musgrave they were repelled and hearing of the Kings Army comming towards them and fearing to be inclosed they drew back into Scotland and the King returned into England But in this meane while the English of Callis tooke many prizes of French ships at Sea and many Booties also by land at one time foure thousand sheep and three hundred head of great Cattell This yeere the King called a Parliament at Westminster where he created two Dukes one Marquesse and five Earles Edmund of Langly Earle of Cambridge the Kings Unkle was created Duke of Yorke Thomas of Woodstock Earle of Buckingham his other Unkle Duke of Glocester Robert Veere Earle of Oxford was made Marquesse of Dublin Henry of Bullingbrooke sonne of Iohn of Gaunt was created Earle of Darby Edward Plantagenet sonne to the Duke of Yorke was made Earle of Rutland Michael de la Poole Chancellour of England was created Earle of Suffolke and Thomas Mowbray Earle of Nottingham was made Earle Marshall Also by aâ—thority of this Parliament Roger Mortimer Earle of March sonne and heire of Edmund Mortimer and of the Lady Philip eldest daughter and heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence third sonne to king Edward the Third was established heire apparent to the Crowne of the Realme and shortly after so Proclaimed but going into Ireland to his Lordship of Vlster was there by the wilde Irish slaine This Roger Earle of March had issue Edmund Roger Anne Alice and Eleanor which Eleanor was made a Nun The two sonnes dyed without issue Anne his eldest daughter was maried to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund of
horse-loafe out a Bakers basket as he passed in the streets and ran with it into his Lords house the Citizens thereupon assaulted the house and would not be quieted till the Major and Aldermen were faine to come and with much adoe appeased them Upon complaint hereof urged against the Citizens by the Bishop of Salisbury L. Treasurer and Thomas Arundell Archbishop of York L. Chancellour the Major and Aldermen and divers other substantiall Citizens are arrested the Major is committed to the Castle of Windsor and the other to other Castles the liberties of the City are seized into the Kings hands and the authority of the Major utterly ceased the king appointing a Warden to governe the City first Sir Edmund Derligrug and afterward Sir Baldwin Radington till at length by speciall suit of the Duke of Glocester the king was contented to come to London to so great joy of the Citizens that they received him with foure hundred on horse-back clad all in one livery and presented the king and Queene with many rich gifts yet all gave not satisfaction to have their liberties restored till they afterwards paid Ten thousand pounds This it is to provoke a Lyon It may be fortune enough to us if by any meanes we can but keepe him quiet for if once we provoke him to lay his paw upon us it will be hard getting from him and not be torne in pieces In his Sixteenth yeere the Dukes of Lancâ—ster and Glocester are once againe sent into France to treat of a Peace but when they could not agree with the French-Commissioners upon Articles propoâ—nded there was onely a Truce concluded for foure yeeres though perhaps a further Agreement had then been made but that the king of France fell newly againe into his old fit of Frensie which called away the French Commissioners from further Treaty In his Eighteenth yeere a Proclamation was set forth That all Irish men should avoyd this Realme and returne home The occasion was because so many Irish were come over that Irelaâ—d in a manner was left unpeopled in so much that where K. Edward the Third had received from thence yeerely the summe of Thirty thousand pounds the king now laid forth as much to repell Rebels Whereupon at Michaelmas K. Richard went himself into Ireland attended with the Duke of Glocester the Earles of March Nottingham and Rutland the Lord Thomas Percy L. Steward and divers others of the English Nobility to whom came in the Great Oâ—eale king of Meth Bryan of Thomond king of Thomond Arthur Macmur king of Leymster and Câ—nhur king of Cheveney and Darpe and there K. Richard stayed all that winter and after Christmas called a Parliament at which time also the Duke of Yorke Lord Warden of England in the Kings name called a Parliament at Westminster to the which was sent forth of Ireland the Duke of Glocester that he might declare to the Commons the Kings great occasions for supply of money whose words so farre prevailed that a whole Tenth was granted by the Clergie and a Fifteenth by the Laytie In his Twentieth yeere was the famous Enterview between the two Kings of England and France There was set up for K. Richard a rich Pavilion a little beyond Guysnes within the English pale and another the like for the French King on this side Arde The distance betwixt the two Tents was beset on either side with Knights armed with theiâ— swords in their hands foure hundred French on one side and foure hundred English on the other The two Kings before their meeting took a solemne Oath for assurance of their faithfull and true meaning to observe the sacred Lawes of Amity one toward another in this Enterview After the two Kings were come together it was accorded that in the same place where they met there should be builded at both their costs a Chappell for a perpetuall memory which should be called The Chappell of our Lady of Peace On Simon and Iudes day the kings talked together of Articles concerning the Peace and having concluded them they received either of them an Oath upon the holy Evangelists to observe and keepe them This done the French king brought his daughter Isabel and delivered her to K. Richard who shortly after at Callis maried her and upon the 17. of January following she was Crowned Queen at Westminster A Match of great honour but of little conveniency and lesse profit for the Lady being but eight yeeres of age there could be no hope of issue a long time which was K. Richards greatest want and as little supply of his wants otherwise her Portion perhaps scarce paying the charges of his journey to fetch her which cost him three hundred thousand markes The Duke of Lancaster in the thirteenth yeere of K. Richards Reigne had been created Duke of Aquitaine but when the Gascoigners would not receive him shewing reasons why that Dukedome ought not to be separated from the Crown of England his Grant was revoked and so it remained still in Demesne of the Crown At this time in a Parliament the Duke of Lancaster caused to be legitimated the issue he had by Katherine Swinford before he maried her of whom Thomas Beaufort was created Earle of Sommerset This yeere also the king receiviug the money back which had been lent to the Duke of Britaine upon Brest delivered up the Towne unto him and thereupon the English souldiers that were there in Garrison were all discharged and sent home who at a Feast which the king kept at Westminster comming in companies together into the Hall as soone as the king had dined and was entring into his Chamber the Duke of Glocester asked him if he did marke those men that stood in such troops in the Hall Yes marry said the king who were they They were said the Duke those souldiers who by your rendring up of Brest have been sent home and now must either starve or steale and therewithall very unadvisedly in words taxed the king with unadvisednes of his deed To whom the king in great anger reply'd Why Unkle doe you thinke me either a Merchant or a Foole to sell my land By S. Iohn Baptist no But could I refuse to render the Town when tender was made of the money lent upon it Indeed nothing could more discover the Duke of Glocesters either weaknesse if he knew not that Brest was but onely a Morgage or injustice if knowing it he would have had the king though the money were tendred to have kept it still but such is the course of many to take part with the Politicks against the Ethicks work their ends by doing unjustly when doing justly ought to be their chiefest end How-ever it was the multiplying of words about this matter kindled in the King such a displeasure against the Duke that it could never afterward be quenched but by his blood And first he complained to his other two Unkles the Dukes of Lâ—ncaster and Yorke of his undutifull behaviour towards him who
a King and for a sacrifice than a Priest and he could not choose but dye a Martyr who all his life had beene a Confessor He had one immunity peculiar to himself that no man could ever be revenged of him seeing he never offered any man injury By being innocent as a Dove hee kept his Crown upon his head so long but if he had been wise as a Serpent he might have kept it on longer But all this is not sufficient if we expresse not in particular his severall virtues So modest that when in a Christmas a shew of women was presented before him with their breasts layd out he presently departed saying fie fie for shame forsooth you be to blame So pittifull that when he saw the quarter of a Traytor over Cripplegate he caused it to be taken down saying I will not have any Christian so cruelly handled for my sake So free from swearing that he never used other oath but forsooth and verily So patient that to one who strooke him when he was taken prisoner he onely sayd forsooth you wrong yourselfe more than me to strike the Lords annointed So devout that on principall Holy-dayes he used to weare sackcloth next his skinne Once for all let his Confeâ—â—or be heard speak who in ten years confession never found that he had done or sayd any thing for which he might justly be injoyned Pennance For which causes King Henry the Seventh would have procured him to be Cannonized for a Saint but that he was prevented by deathâ— or perhaps because the charge would have been too great the Canonization of a king being much more costly than of a private person Of men of Note in his time THere were men of valour in this Kings Reigne of extraordinary eminencie as first Iohn Duke of Bedford Regent of France whom when a French Lord upbraided that his sword was of lead he made him answer and made him feel that it was of steele Next him was Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury whose very name was a sufficient charme to daunt a whole French Army Then the next was Iohn Lord Talbot so great a terror to the French that when the women would still their children from crying they would use to say Talbot comes Then was Richard Nevill Earle of Warwicke so much greater than a king as that which makes is greater than that it makes and such a one was he Many other besides these not much inferior to these that we may truly say there never was a more heroicall King of England than Henry the Fifth nor ever a King of England that had more heroicall Subjects than Henry the Sixth And though Arms and Letters seem to be of different conditions yet they commonly grow up and flourish together as in this kings Reigne were Iohn Leland sirnamed the Elder who wrote divers Treatises for instruction of Gramarians William White a Priest of Kent professing the Doctrine of Wickliffe for which he suffered Martyrdome by fire Alexander Carpenter who wrote a booke called Destructorium vitiorum against the Prelates of that time Peter Basset Esquire of the Privy Chamber to king Henry the Fifth whose life he wrote Iohn Pole a Priest who wrote the life of St. Walhorayle an English woman Also Thomâ—s Walden alias Netter who wrote divers Treatises against the Wickliffifts Peâ—er Clerke a Student in Oxford and a defender of Wickliffes doctrine for which he fled and was put to death beyond Sea Thomas Walsingham born in Norfolk a diligenâ— Historiographer Thomas Ringstead the younger an excellent Preacher who wrote divers Treatises Thomas Rudborn a Monke of Winchester and an Historiographer Peter Pâ—yne an earnest professor of Wickliffes doctrine for which he fled into â—â—beâ—â—â— Nicholas Vpton a Civilian who wrote of Heraldry of colours in Armory and of the duty of Chivalry Iohn Capgrâ—ve born in Kent an Augustine Frier who wrote many excellent Treatises particularly the Legend of English Saints Humphry Duke of Glocester Protector of the Realm well learned in Astrologie whereof he wrote a speciall Treatise intiâ—uâ—ed Tabula Directionum Iohn Whethamstead otherwise called Frâ—mentariuâ— Abbot of St. Albâ—ns who wrote divers Treatises and amongst others a booke of the Records of things happening whiles he was Abbot which book Holinshead had seen and in some passages of his time followed Roger Oâ—lâ—y accused of Treason for practising with the Lady Elâ—â—nor Cobham by sorcery to make the king away and therof condemned and dyed for it he wrote one Treatise intituled Contra â—â—lgi superstitiones and another De sua Innocentia Henry Walsingham a Carmelite Frier oâ— Norwich who wrote sundry Treatises in Divinity Lidgateâ— Monke of Bury who had travelled France and Italy to learne languages and wrote many workes in Poetry Thomas Beckington Bishop of Bath who wrote against the Law Salique of France Michael Trigurie born in Cornwâ—ll whom for his excellent learning king Henry the Fifth made Governor of the Universitie of Caâ—n in Normandy after he had conquered it Reynold Peacocke Bishop of Chichester who wrote many Treatises touching Christian Religion Robert Fleming who wrote a Dâ—ctionary in Greeke â—â—d Latine and a worke in verse of sundry kindes Nicholas Mâ—ntacute an Historiographer Iohn Stow a Monke of Norwich and Doctor of Divinity in Oxfâ—rd Nichâ—lâ—â— Buâ—geie born in a Town of Norfolke of that name who wrote an History called Adâ—â—â—tiâ—nes Chronicorum Robert â—alsâ—cke who wrote a booke De â—e Militâ—ri Thomas Dâ—â—dâ— a Carmelite Frier of Mâ—rleborough who wrote the life of Alphred king of the West-Saxons Robert Bâ—le â—irnamed the Elder Recorder of London who gathered a Chronicle of the Customs Laws Foundations Changes Offices Orders and publique Assemblies of the Citie of London with other matters touching the perfect discription of the same Citie he wrote other workes also touching the state of the same Citie and the Acts of King Edward the third THE REIGNE OF KING EDWARD THE FOURTH EDWARD Earle of March born at Roane in Normandy sonne and heire of Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke slaine in the battell at Wakefield succâ—eded his Father in the Right but exceeded him in the possession of the Crown of England and that by virtue of an act of Parliament lately made wherein the said Duke of York not only was declared heire apparent to the Crown and appointed Protector of the King and Kingdome but it was further enacted that if King Henry or any in his behalfe should attempt the disanulling of this Act that then the said Duke or his heire should have the present Possession which because his friends attempted to doe therefore justly doth Edward Earle of March his sonne by virtue of this act take possession of the Crown and is Proclaimed king of England by the name of Edward the fourth through the City of London on the fifth day of March in the yeer 1460. But before he could have leasure to be Crowned he was forced once againe to try his fortune in the field by battell For King Henry
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
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 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
destined to his bed and for this purpose the Earle of Carlile and the Earle of Holland were sent into France to treat of a marriage with a younger daughter of the Great Henrie the fourth King of France deceased and sister to the present King Lewis which marriage afterward took effect but was not accomplished in King Iames his dayes who dyed soon after the agreement It was now the yeare 1623. in which in Michaelmas Terme there was a Call of fifteene Sarjeants at Law who kept their Feast in the Middle-Temple Hall Some Passages of small moment I confesse are omitted by me in this Raigne of King Iames as whereof for want of knowing the particulars I dare not venture upon making the Relation which if some men would have done the truth of our Chronicles should not have been mingled with so many falsities Of his TAXATIONS IN his second yeare in the moneth of September he sent Privie Seales to the wealthiest Citizens of London for monies to bee borrowed of them and in October following the customes of Merchandises both outward and inward were raised and then were letten out to Farme In a Parliament holden at Westminster the third yeare of his Reigne there were given him three entire Subsidies and six fifteens by the Temporalty and by the Clergie foure entire Subsidies This yeare also Henry Lord Mordant convicted in the Star-Chamber for divers misprisions was fined to pay ten thousand Marks and Edward Lord Sturtâ—n for the like offence to pay six thousand Marks and Henry Earle of Northumberland for offences laid to his charge to pay thirty thousand pounds and some yeares after Sir Iohn Bennet Iudge of the Prerogative Court was fined to pay twenty thousand pounds In his fourth yeare he repayed threescore thousand pounds to the Citizens of London which the Londoners had lent to Queen Elizabeth three yeares before her death an act by which he got more love than hee payed money In his seventh yeare hee had ayd throughoâ—t England for making his eldest Son Prince Henrie Knight which though levied with great moderation brought him in great summes of money In his eighteenth yeaâ—e in a Parliament holden at Westminster the Temporalty gave him two Subsidies and the Clergie three and in another Parliament in the yeare 1623. the Temporalty gave him three subsidies and three fifteens the Clergy foure Subsidies Besides these Subsidies hee sent abroâ—d many great Privie Seales and had also a benevolence throughout the Realme not without some grudging but without any just cause for it should have been remembred that he took it not out of covetousnesse to gather wealth but out of very necessity to supply wants For by his imploying many Embassadours in Ordinary many Extraordinarie by his necessarie bounty to his followers and by his charge of keeping severall Courts none of all which hee could avoyd His expences were farre greater than any of his Predecessors had ever beene Of his Lawes and Ordinances THE day of his removing from Charter-house at his first comming into England he caused Proclamation to be made that all Monopolies and Protections should cease as likewise all oppressions done by Salt-Peeter men by Purveiers and Carters On the 26. of May following hee set forth a Proclamation restraining all persons under great penalties from killing of Deere or any kind of Fowle used for Hawking The seventeenth of May Proclamation was made against Robberies on the borders and on the nineteenth of May another for â—niting the people inhabiting about the borders of England and â—câ—â—land to live in love â—nd quiâ—tnesse In this first yeare in a Parliament â—hen holdenâ— it was Enacted that neither Arch-bishop nor Bishop should Alienate Grant or Demise or in any sort convey no not to the King himselfe â—â—y of the Honours Lands Tenements or Hereditaments being parcell of the possessions of his Arch-biâ—â—op or Bishoprick and if any were it should be utterly voyd and of no effect notwithstanding any former Law Act or Ordinance to the contrarie He then also caused himself by Proclamation to be Enstyled King of Great Britaine that the division of England and Scotland might be no more remembred In his second yeare by his Letters Patents he incorporated the Felâ—-makers of London by the name of Master Wardens and Communalty of the Art or Mysterie of the Felt-makers granting them divers privileges and liberties for their good government of their Corporation In Novem. of his second yeare were Proclaimed in London certaine new pieces of coyne both of gold and silver with the true valuation and weights of them according to the Mint of both Nations English and Scottish In a Parliamenâ— holden the 3. year of his Reigne the Oath of Allegiance was devised and ordained and soon after minâ—â—tred to all sorts of people This yeere also hee mâ—de Proclamation to redresse the misimployment of Lâ—â—ds or goods given to 〈◊〉 uses Also this yeare he set forth a Proclamation for beariâ—g of 〈◊〉 in Sâ—ips to be in this manner that from thenceforth all the Subjects of greâ—â— â—rittâ—â—â—â— should beaâ—e in their mayne top the Red-Crosse coâ—monly called the 〈◊〉 Geâ—â—ges Crâ—sse and the 〈◊〉 Crosse commonly callâ—d St. Andreâ—â—â— Crâ—sse joynâ—d togeâ—her and the Subjects of South-Britâ—â—â—â—â— should caâ—â—y in their Foretop only the Red-â—roâ—se as they were wont and 〈◊〉 â—ubjects of North-Briâ—â—â—ine only the White-Croâ—se In this â—ourth yeare on the 〈…〉 he set â—orth a Proclamation commanding all Iesuiâ—s Seminâ—ry 〈…〉 to depaâ—â— the Realme before the first of August following and 〈…〉 returne upon paâ—ne of death according to diverse Statutes in that 〈◊〉 â—rovided In his second yeare he had set forth a Proclamation against 〈…〉 increase of new buildings which being little regarded Now in his fourâ—â— yâ—â—re he renewed the said Proclamationâ— adding withall that the 〈◊〉 and windowes of all new buildings should be either of Brick oâ— stone◠〈◊〉 â—â—sobeying whereof many were called in the Star-chamber and there fined◠〈…〉 yeare he gave order for planting of Mulberry Trees and breeding of 〈◊〉 wormes that England might be a Country as well of silke as Cloath In his â—â—venth yeare he instituted the Order of the Baronets which hath much degeâ—â—â—ated â—ince his institution and thereby having been devised for the benefit of 〈◊〉 hath caused but little contentment unto England This yeare also the â—ing himselfe in person came to the Star-chamber where he had appointed the 〈◊〉 men to meetâ— and there for the better keeping of Coynes of Gold within 〈◊〉 Realmeâ— he raised the prizes of them ordayning the price called the Vnity which went before but for twenty shillings to bee curâ—ant now for twâ— and twenâ—y the double Crowne and all other peeces to encrease in the lâ—ke proportion in his fifteenth year he granted to the Apothecaries of London to be a Corporation for themselves and their successours for ever and by Letters Paâ—enâ—s made them a Body Politick and corporate In his time by his appointment â— strict decree passed in the Star-chamber
who lived about the yeare 685. 6 Segebert King of the East Angles writ an Institution of Lawes in his later dayes became a Monke and was slaine by Penda King of the Mercians in the yeare 652. 7 Cymbertus Bishop of Lindsey in the kingdome of Mercia writ the Annals of that Country lived about the yeare 730 8 Daniel Wentanus a Bishop writ the History of his Province and the Acts of the South Saxons and dyed in the yeare 746. 9 Asserius Menevensis borne in Pembrokeshire Bishop of Salisbury writ the Story of Britaine and the Acts of King Alphred and lived about the yeare 890. 10 Alphredus the great King of the Angles â—ourth sonne of King Ethelwolph writ besides many other workes a Collection of Chronicles and dyed at Winchester in the yeare 901. 11 Osbernus a Benedictine Monke writ the life of the Arch-bishop Dunstan and other workes and lived about the yeare 1020. 12 Colmanâ—us Anglicus writ a Chronicle and a Catalogue of the English Kings and lived about the yeare 1040. in the time of King Harold the first 13 Gulielmus Gemeticensis a Norman and a Monke writ the lives of the Dukes of Normandy to William the Conqueror to whom he Dedicated his Worke and after enlarged it to the death of King Henry the first in the yeare 1135. at which time he lived 14 Marianus Scotus a Monke writ Annals from the beginning of the world to his own time and dyed in the yeare 1086. 15 Alphredus a Priest of Beverly writ a History from the first Originall of the Britaine 's to his owne time and lived about the yeare 1087. in the time of William the Conquerour 16 Veremundus a Spaniard and a Priest but who lived much in Scotland writ the Antiquities of the Scottish Nation and lived about the yeare 1090. 17 Lucianus a Monke and an English writer and lived in the first times of the Normans 18 Ingulphus Abbot of Croyland writ from the yeare 664. to the yeare 1066. and lived in the time of William the Conquerour whose Secretary he had beene 19 Turgotus an Englishman first Deane of Durham and afterward Bishop of Saint Andrewes in Scotland writ a History of the Kings of Scotland also Chronicles of Durham Annals of his own time and the life of King Malcolm and lived in the yeare 1098. in the time of King William Rufus 20 Gâ—lielmus Pictaviensis writ a Treatise of the Life of William the Conquerour 21 Gualterus Mappaeus writ a Booke De Nugis Curialium and lived about the Conquerours time 22 William of Malmesbury a Benedictine Monke writ a History of the English Nation from the first comming of the Saxons into Britaine to his owne time which Worke he Dedicated to Robert Duke of Glocester base Sonne of King Henry the First and lived to the first yeares of King Henry the Second 23 Florentius Bravonius a Monke of Worcester compiled a Chronicle from the Creation to the yeare 1118. in which yeare he dyed his Worke was continued by another Monke to the yeare 1163. 24 Eadmerus a Monke of Canterbury writ the lives of William the Conquerour William Rufus and King Henry the First in whose time he lived 25 Raradocus borne in Wales writ the Acts of the Britaine Kings from Cadwallader to his owne time and lived in the time of King Stephen 26 Gervasius Dorobernensis a Benedictine Monke writ a History of the English Nation lived about the yeare 1120 27 Johannes Fiberius commonly called De Bever writ short Annals of the English Nation and lived about the yeare 1110. in the time of King Henry the first 28 Henry Arch-deacon of Huntington writ a History of the Kings of England to the Reigne of King Stephen in whose time he lived 29 Geoffrey of Monmouth a Benedictine Monke and afterward Bishop of Asaph writ a History of the Britaines and was the first that makes mention of Brute and of Merlins Prophecies for which he is much taxed by divers Authours of his owne time and after he lived about the yeare 1150. in the time of King Stephen 30 William of Newborough borne at the beginning of King Stephens Reigne writ a History of the English Nation and bitterly inveighes against Geoffrey of Monmouth as a Deviser of Fables 31 Sylvester Gyraldus borne in Wales and thereof called Cambrensis after long travaile abroad was called home and made Secretary to King Henry the Second and after was sent Tutour to his Sonne John into Ireland he writ the History of that Nation very exquisitely also an Itinerarium of Wales and Britaine the Life of Henry the Second the Acts of King John and a Chronicle of the English Nation and lived about the yeare 1190. in the times of King Richard the First and King John 32 John of Hagulstad a Towne in the North a Benedictine Monke in Durham writ the most memorable things from the ninth yeare of King Henry the Second to the first yeare of King Richard the first in whose time he lived about the yeare 1190. 33 Roger Hoveden a Priest of Oxford writ the Annals of the Kings of England and the memorable passages under the Romans Picts Saxons Danes and Normans he lived in the time of King Richard the first and dyed in the time of King John 34 Johannes Tilberiensis a secular Priest writ a History of the English Nation and lived in the time of King Richard the first 35 Richardus Canonicus travelled with King Richard the first into Palestine and writ of his Iourney and Acts there 36 Aluredus Rivallensis or de Rivallis a Cistersian Monke in the Diocesse of Yorke writ the Life of Edward King of England and David King of Scots and dyed in the yeare 1166. 37 Simon Dunelmensis a Benedictine Monke writ a History of the English Nation from the death of Venerable Bede to the yeare 1164. and lived in the time of King Henry the second 38 John de Oxenford first Deane of Salisbury and after Bishop of Norwich writ the British History and continued it to his own time wherin he agreeth much with Geoffry of Monmouth and lived about the yeare 1174. in the timâ— of King Henry the second 39 Johannes Sarisberiensis writ an excellent Book De Nugis Curialium and lived about the yeare 1182. in the time of King Henry the second 40 Gulielmus Parvus a Canon Regular in the Province of Yorke writ a History of the Norman Kings and liâ—ed about the yearâ— 1216. in the time of King John 41 Johannes Campobellus a Scotch man writte the History of the Scots from the first Originall of the Nation to his owne time and lived in the yeare 1260. 42 John Breton an Englishman Bishop of Hereford writ a Booke De Juribus Anglicanis and lived in the yeare 1270. in the time of King Henry the third 43 Thomas Wyke an Englishman a Canon Regular of Osney neere Oxford writ a short History from the commâ—ng in of William the Conquerour to his owne time and lived in
75 Philip Commines a knight of Flanders writ the lives of Lewis Charles the Eighth Kings of France wherein he handles many passages betweene them and the Kings of England their contemporaries Of the Moderne These 76 Richard Grafton a Citizen of London writ a Chronicle from the beginning of the world to the beginning of the Reign of Queene Elizabeth in whose time he lived 77 Raphaell Holinshed a Minister writ a large Chronicle from the Conquest to the yeare 1577. and was continued by others to the yeare 1586. 78 Doctor Goodwin Bishop of Hereford writ the Lives of King Henry the eight King Edward the sixth and Queen Mary lived in the time of Qu. Elizabeth 79 Doctor Heyward writ the History of the first Kings William the Conquerour William Rufus and Henry the first also the Reigne of King Henry the fourth and Edward the sixth and lived to the time of King James 80 Samuel Daniel writ a Chronicle of the Kings of England to the end of King Edward the third and is continued by John Trussell to the beginning of King Henry the seventh 81 Sir Francis Bacon Viscount Viscount S. Albans hath written a History of the Reigne of King Henry the seventh in a most elegant stile and lived in the time of King James 82 John Fox writ three large Volumes of the Acts and Monuments of the Church particularly treating of the English Martyrs in the Reignes of King Henry the eighth and Queene Mary and lived in the time of Queene Elizabeth 83 Thomas Cowper Bishop of Winchester writ Chronicle Notes of all Nations specially of England from the beginning of the world to his owne time and lived in the time of Queene Elizabeth 84 William Camden King at Armes writ the life of Queene Elizabeth and a Description of Britaine and lived in the time of King James 85 William Martin Esquire writ the Reignes of the Kings of England from William the Conquerour to the end of King Henry the eighth to which was afterward added the Reignes of King Edward the sixth Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 86 Francis Biondi an Italian Gentleman and of the Privy Chamber to King Charles hath written in the Italian tongue the Civill Warres between the two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke from King Richard the second to King Henry the seventh Translated elegantly into English by Henry Earle of Monmouth now living 87 Henry Isaacson a Londoner hath written a Chronology of all kingdoms from the beginning of the world to the yeare 1630. being the fifth yeare of King Charles his Reigne 88 Nicholas Harpsefield Arch-deacon of Canterbury hath written a Chronicle of all the Bishops of England to which Edmund Campian the Iesuite made an Addition 89 John Stow Citizen of London writ a Chronicle from Brute to the end of Qu. Elizabeth and is continued to this present time being the 18. yeare of King Charles by Edmund Howe 's a Londoner 90 John Speed a Londoner writ the Story of Britaine from the first beginning to the yeare 1605. being the second yeare of King James 91 William Abington Esquire hath written the Reign of King Edward the fourth in a very fine stile and is yet living 92 Thomas Fuller Batchelour of Divinity and Prebendary of Sarum hath written the Holy Warre in very fine language wherein he relates the Acts of our Kings of England in the Holy Land and is now living 93 Andre du Chesne a Frenchman Geographer to the King of France hath written the History of England Scotland Ireland from their first beginnings to the seventeenth yeare of our present Soveraigne Lord King Charles The end of the Catalogue of Authors A CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND from the time of the Romans Government unto the Raigne of King CHARLES Of the first knowne times of this Island ALthough we begin the Aera of our Computation from William called the Conquerour as though he were the first King of our English Nation Yet before him were many other excellent Kings and their Acts perhaps as worthy to bee knowne if they could be knowne But seeing after ages can know nothing of former times but what is Recorded by writing It hath followed that as the first Writers were Poets So the first writings have been Fictions and nothing is delivered to Posterity of the most ancient times but very Fables Such as is the story of Albina of whom they say this Island was called Albion though others say ab albis rupibus of the white cliffes that shee should beâ— the eldest of the two and thirty daughters of Dioclesian King of Syria such as never was who being marryed to two and thirty Kings in one night killed all their husbands for which fact they were put in a shippe themselves alone without any Pyloâ— so to try their adventure and by chance arrived in this Island of whom Gyants were begotten And if you like not of this then have you the story of Albion the sonne of Neptune of whom the Island tooke its name But when these are exploded there followes another with great Attestation and yet as very a Fable as these namely the story of the Trojan Brute of whom the Island they say was called Britaine though many other causes are given of the name as likewise the story of Brutes cosin Corinaeus of whom they say the Country of Cornwall had its name to whom it was given for overcomming the Giant Gogmagog and that Brute having three sonnes Lectrine Albanact and Camber he gave at his death to his eldest sonne Locrine all the land on this side Humber and called it Loâ—gria to his second sonne Albanact all the land beyond Humber of whom it was called Albania now Scotland and to his youngest sonne Camber all the land beyond the river of Severne of whom it was called Cambria now Wales with other such stuffe which may please children but not riper Judgements and were first broached by Geoffry Archdeacon of Monmouth for which all the Writers of his time cryed shame upon him and yet can scarce keepe many at this day from giving credit to his Fictions And when we are once gotten out of Fables and come to some truth yet that truth is delivered in such slender draughts and such broken pieces that very small benefit can be gotten by the knowing it and was not till the time of Iulius Caesar a thousand yeares after the Fable of Brute at which time the Island was yet but in manner of a Village being without Walls as having no shipping which are indeed the true Wals of an Island but onely certaine small vessels made of boards and wicker And as they had no ships for defence without So neither had they any Forts for defence within scarce any houses but such as were made of stakes and boughes of trees fastned together Neither was it yet come to be a Kingdome but was Governed by a number of petty Rulers So as Kent onely had in it as Caesar calleth them foure Kings
still besieged by the Danish ships but King Edmund hearing of his departure followed him and with small adoe removed the siege and in Triumphant manner entred the City After this neere unto Otford in Kent was another great battaile fought in which Canutus lost foure thousand five hundred men and King Edmund onely six hundred the rest of the Danes saving themselves by â—light whom if King Edmund had purâ—ued it is thought that day had ended the warres betweene these two Nations for ever But the ever traiterous Edrick kept King Edmund from pursuing them by telling him of Ambushes and other dangers So as Canutuâ— had leisure to passe over into Essex but thither also King Edmund followed him where at Ashdone three miles from Saffron Walden another battaile was fought in which â—he Danes being at the point to be overthrowne the traiterous Edrick with all his Forces revoulted to their side by which treachery the English lost the day There died of King Edmunds Nobility Duke Alfred Duke Goodwyn Duke Athelward Duke Athelwyn Earle Urchill Codnoth Bishop of Lincolne Woolsey Abbot of Ramsey with many other The remembrance of which battaile is retained to this day by certaine small hils there remaining whence have beene digged the bones of men Armour and horsebridles After this at Dereherst neere to the river Severnâ— another battaile was ready to be fought when suddenly a certaine Captaine steps forth and for saving of blood uâ—ed great perswasions that either they should try the matter by single Combat or else divide the Kingdome betwixt them Upon this the Combat is agreed on and the two Princes entering into a small Island called Alney adjoyning to the City of Glocester in compleat Armour assayled each other at first on horsebacke and after on foote when Canutus having received a dangerous wound and finding himselfe overmatched in strength desired a Compromise and with a loud voyce used these words What necessity should move us most Valiant Prince for obtaining of a Title to endanger our lives were it not better to lay malice aside and condescend to a loving agreement let us therefore become sworne brothers and divide the Kingdome between us This motion was by King Edmund accepted and thus was the Kingdome divided betweene these two Princes Edmund enjoying that part which lies upon the coast of France and Canutus the rest But now Duke Edrick hath his last and greatest Act of treachery to play for King Edmund being retired to a place for natures nâ—cessity he thurst from under the draught a sharpe speare into his body and then cutting off his head presented it to Canutus with these fawning words All hayle thou sole Monarch now of England for here behold the head of thy Copartner which for thy sake I have adventured to cut off Canutus though ambitious enough of soveraignty yet abaâ—hed at so disloyall a fact replyed and vowed that in reward of that service his own head should bee advanced above all the Peeres of his Kingdom which soone after he performed for by his command the false Edricks head was cut off and placed upon the highest gate in London The death of this King in this manner some say was acted at Oxford other that he died of naturall sicknesse in London but howsoever he came to his death his Raigne was but onely seven months his body was buried at Glastenâ—ury neere to his Grandfather King Edgar This King Edmund had by his wife Algytâ— two sonnes the eldest named Edward surnamed the Outlaw because he lived out of England in Hungary as a banished man for feare of King Canutus but when his Uncle King Edward the Confessor had obtained the Crowne he was recalled and honourably entertained till he died He married Agatha sister to Queene Sophia wife to Salomon King of Hungarie and daughter to the Emperour Henry the second by whom he had Edgar surnamed Atheling the right Heire of the English Crowne though he never enjoyed it King Edmund had also two daughters Margaret and Christian of whom the younger became a Veyled Nunne at Ramsey in Hampshire the elder Margaret after sole Heire to the Saxon Monarchie married Malcolme the third King of Scotland from which Princely bed in a lineall Descent our High and Mighty Monarch King Iames the first doth in his most Royall person unite the Britaines Saxons Normans and Scottish Imperiall Crownes in one Of the first Danish King in England CAnutus being possest of halfe the Kingdome by composition with King Edmund now after his death seised upon the whole and to prevent all further question he called a Councell of the English Nobility wherein it was propounded whether in the agreement betwixt Edmâ—nd and him any claime of Title to the Crowne had beene reserved for King Edmunds brethren or sonnes to which not daring to say otherwise they absolutely answered no and thereupon tooke all of them the Oath of Allegeance to Canutus Being thus cleered of all Opposites he prepared with great solemnity for his Coronation which was performed at London by the hands of Levingus surnamed Elstane Archbishop of Canterbury in the yeare 1017. being the first Dane that Raigned Monarch of England But Canutus not thinking himselfe sufficiently safe as long as any that might pretend were in the peoples eye caused first Edwyn the sonne of King Ethelred and brother of Edmund to abjure the Realme who was yet afterward recalled and treacherously murthered by his owne men and his body buried at Tavestock in Devonshire Next were the two sonnes of Edmund Ironside Edward and Edmund whom to the end the people might not see him shed the blood of Innocents he sent to his halfe brother King of Sweden to be made away Then remained Edward and Alfred the sonnes of King Ethelred and them their mother Queene Emma had sent away before to her brother the Duke of Normandie there to be in safety so as none of the Royall blood was now left in the land to give Canutus any feare of competition After this he tooke to wife the vertuous Lady Emma the Relict of King Ethelred by which match he procured to himselfe three great benefits one that hee wonne the love of the people by marrying a Lady whom they so entirely loved another that he got the Alliance of the Duke of Normandiâ— a neighbouâ—ing Prince of great power the third that by marrying the mother hee secured himselfe against the sons as likewise Queene Emma was not unwillingly perswaded to the match upon agreement to make her issue if he had any by her to inherit the Crowne of England And to winne the love of the people more hee caused great numbers of his Danes who pestered the Country to return home bestowing amongst them for their satisfaction foure score and two thousand pounds And to winne the love of the people yet more he now set himselfe to the making of good lawesâ— in a Parliament at Oxford whereof for a Patterne of those times some that concerne Religion may not
she had done who wondring at it saying to her How could she think the King should like to kisse that mouth which had kissed such filthy ulcerous people she answered she had a greater King to kisse who she knew would like her never the worse for it By this Queen Matild King Henry according to some Writers had foure children but as the received opinâ—on is onely two a sonne named William and a daughter called Mawde of whom the sonne at foureteene yeares old had fealty sworne to him by the Nobility of Shrewsbury at seventeene married the daughter of Fâ—lke Earle of Anjou and at eighteene was unfortunately drowned as hath beene shewed The daughter lived to be an Empresse and afterwards a Dutchesse but could never come to be a Queene though borne to a Kingdome as shall be shewed hereafter She survived her second husband seventeene yeares living a Widow and at Râ—an in Normandy died and was buried there in the Abbey of Bec though there be â— Tradition that she was buried at Reading in the Abbey there beside her Father but â—t appeares to have beene a custome in those dayes for great personages to have their Monuments erected in divers places After the death of this Queene Matild who died at Westminster in the eighteenth yeare of his Raigne King Henry married Adeâ—za the daughter of Godfry Duke of Lorraine who though she were a beautiful and accomplisht Lady yet had he never any issâ—e by her When she was to be Crowned Ralph Arch-bishop of Canterbury who was to doe the office came to King Henry sitting Crowned in his chaire of State asking him who had set the Crowne upon his head the King answering he had now forgotten it was so long since Well said the Arch-bishop whosoever did it did me wrong to whom it belonged and as long as you hold it thus I will doe no office at this Coronation Then saith the King doe what you thinke good whereupon the Arch-bishop tooke the Crowne off from the Kings head and after at the peoples intreaty set it on againe and then proceeded to Crowne the Queene By Concubines King Henry had many children it is said seven sonnes and as many daughters of whom some perished in the great Ship-wrack of the rest two of the sonnes Reynold and Robert were made Earles Reynold of Cornwall Robert of Glocester and was a great assister of his sister Mawde in her troubles with King Stephen who after many acts of valour performed by him in the twelfth yeare of King Stephen died and was buried at Bristow The daughters were all married to Princes and Noble men of England and France from whom are descended many worthy Families particularly one of those daughters by Anâ—e Câ—â—bet was married to Fits-herbert Lord Chamberlaine to the Kingâ— from which Fits-â—erbert our Family absit iâ—vidia verbo is by Females descended passing by the naâ—es of Cummin Chenduit Brimpton Stokes Foxcote Dyneley and so to Bâ—ker Of his Incontinency OF this enough hath beene said in saying he had so many children baselyâ— begotten but if comparison be madâ— betweene his brother â—ufus and him it may be said that howsoever they might be equall in loosenesse of life yet in that loosenesse William Rufus was the baser and King Henry the more Noble for King Henry had certaine selected Concubines to whom he kept hâ—mselfe constant where King William tooke onely such as he found constant to the pleasure but not to the persons His course for establishing the succession in Mawde and her issue HE married his onely daughter Mawde being but sixe yeares old to the Emperour Henâ—y the fourth but he leaving her a Widow without issueâ— he married her againe to Gâ—â—ffrey Plantagenet sonne to Fulke Duke of Anjoâ— not the greatest Prince that was a Suitour for her but the fittest Prince for King Henries turne for Anjou was neighbouring upon Normandy a great security to it if a friend and as great a danger if an enemy And having thus placed her in marriâ—â—â— hâ— now considers how to establish her succession in the Crowne of Englandâ— whereuâ—on he cals his Nobility together and amongst them Dâ—vid King oâ— Scots and causeth them to give their Oaths of Allegeance to her and her issue and aâ— thinking â—e could never maâ—e her succession â—ure enough he causeth his Lords the yeare â—â—ter againe to takâ— the like Oath and after that a third time also as conceiving that being doubled and trebled it would make the tye of Allegeance the stronger wherein nothing pleased him so much as that Stephen Earle of â—loiâ— was the first man that tooke the Oath because he was knowne to be at least knownâ— he might be a Pretender But the King should have considered that Regâ—iâ— and therefore no Oath though never so often iterated sufficient to warrant loyalty in persons so deeply interessed as Stephen was yet providence could doe no more and the King was well satisfied with it especially when hee saw his daughter a mother of two sonnes for this though it gave him not assuâ—ance yet it gaâ—e him assured hope to have the Crowne perpetuated in his Posteâ—ity Of Ireland in his time THe King of England as yet had nothing to doe with Ireland the 〈◊〉 was governed by its owne Kings and the people of both Nations◠〈◊〉 they were neâ—ghbours yet divided by a rough Sea but little â—â—quaiâ—ted but now beganne entercourse to be more frequented and Murcâ—â—â—dâ—â—h châ—â—fe King of the Irish bore such awfull respect to King Henry that he would doe nothing but by his counsell and with his good liking Whom King Henry used as his Vicegerent in his absence HE was absent sometimes in Normandy three or foure yeares together during which times he committed commonly the care of the Realme to Roger Bishop of â—alisbury a politick Prelate and one as fit to be the second in government as King Henry to be the first His persâ—â—â—ge aâ—d conditions HE was a person tall and strong â—â—â—ad breasted his limbes well kniâ— and fully furnished with â—lesh his face well fâ—shioned his colour cleare his eyes large and faire his eye-browes large and thick his hairâ— black and â—omewhat thinâ—â— towards his forehead his countenance pleasanâ— specially when hâ— was disposed to mirth A private man vilified and thought to have but little in him but come to the Crowne never any man shewed more excellent abilities so true is the saying Magistratus indicat virum His naturall affection in a direct line was strong in an oblique but weake for no man ever loved children more noâ— a brother lâ—â—â—e Though a King in act yet he alwayes acâ—ed not a King but in baâ—â—â—ls someâ—â—mâ—s the part of a common Souldier though with more then common valouâ—â—s at a baâ—tell in France where he so farre hazarded himselfe that though he lost not his life yet he lost his bloud Of his death and buriall A Discontent of minde upon some differences between him and his sonne in law the Earle
received in all places as she went peaceably and at London joyfully where Queene Matild made humble suite unâ—o her for the liberty of King Stephen her husband and that he might but be allowed to live a private life the Londoners also made suite to have the Lawes of King Edward restored but the Empresse not onely rejected both their suites but returned them answers in harsh and insulting language Indeed most unseasonably and which gave a stop to the current of all her fortunes for Queene Matild finding thereby how high the Empresse pulses did beate sent presently to her Sonne Eustace being then in Kent to raise Forces with all speed with whom the Londoners as much discontented as she doe afterwards joyne and Henâ—y Bishop of Winchester as much discontented as either of them fortifies his Castles at Waltham and Farnham and specially Winchester where he stayes himselâ—e attending upon what Coast the next wind of the Empresse would blow Of all these things the Empresse had intelligence and thereupon secretly in the night she fled to Oxford sending streight charge to have King Stephen more narrowly watched more hardly used put as some write into fetters and fed with very bare and poore Commons withall she sends to her Unkle David Kings of Scots to come unto her with all speed possible who comming accordingly they fall into consultation what is first to be done the lot fals upon Winchester as being their greatest adversary now no lesse in apparence then in power so Winchester they besiege which Queene Matild hearing she with her Sonne Eustace and the Londoners come presently to the succour where a fierce battell being fought the end was that the party of Queene Matild prevailed and the Empresse to make her escape was faine to be laid upon a Horse backe in manner of a dead Corps and so conveyed to Glocester while Earle Robert her brother disdaining to flie was taken Prisoner whom Queene Matild caused to be used the more hardly in retaliation of the hard usage which the Empresse before had shewed to King Stephen Things standing in these termes propositions were made by the Lords for pacification but such were the high spirits of the Empresse and her brother Robert that no conditions would please them unlesse the Empresse might enjoy the Crowne But after long debate whether by agreement betweene themselves or by connivence of the keepers both King Stephen and Earle Robert got to be at liberty When the first thing King Stephen did was to looke out the Empresse to requite the kindnesse she had shewed him in prison and hearing her to be at Oxford he layes siege to the Towne and brings the Empresse to such distresse that she had no way to free her selfe but by flight and no way to flee but with manifest danger yet she effected it by this devise It was in the Winter season when frost and snow covered all the ground over she therefore clad her selfe and her foure servants that were with her in white cloathes which being of the colour of Snow made her passe the Watches without being discerned and by this meanes came safe to her friends at Wallingford Yet Mamesbury who lived at that time confesseth he could never learne certainely by what meanes she made her escape But howsoever she escaped this present danger yet it left such an impression of feare upon her that she never after had any mind to appeare upon this stage of Warre but left the prosecution of it to her Sonne Henry who was now about sixteene yeares of age and being forward of his age and able to beare Armesâ— was by his great Unkle David King of Scots Knighted to make him more forward It was now the ninth yeare of King Stephens Raigne when Ralph Earle of Chester keeping possession of the City of Lincolne was in the night time assaulted by the King but the Earle perceiving the Kings Forces to be but small suddenly issued forth and repelled the King with the slaughter of fourescore of his men Yet two yeares after this the Earle was reconciled to the King and came of his owne accord to waite upon him when perfidiously he was detained by the King and not set at liberty till he had surrendred into the Kings hands all the Castles that were in his possession which though it brought the King some present benefit yet it wrought him a greater future losse for it lost him his credite with all men and no man afterward would trust his word Now was Duke Henry come to the age of nineteene yeares and was in possession of the Dukedome of Anjou by the death of his Father Geoffrey Plantagenet and not long after this he marryed Eleanor the Daughter and Heire of William Duke of Guyen by whom he had that Dutchy and also the Earledome of Poicton Normandy he had by his Mother but more by the peoples inclination So as being possest now of foure great Principalities this greatnesse of Estate added to the greatnesse of his spirit made him aspiring to recover his Right in England and over he comes bringing with him but small Forces but promising himselfe great from the people of this kingdome and many indeed resorted to him with whom he fell presently and besieged Marleborough but by the Kings greater Forces was repelled After this their Armies continued in the field still rather watching advantages to be doing then doing any thing sometimes advancing when no Enemy was neare and then retiring when the Enemy came till at last it was like to come to a set Battell when suddenly Eustace King Stephens onely Sonne unfortunately dyed Unfortunately for himselfe but fortunately for the kingdome For now King Stephen being left destitute of issue to succeed was the more easily drawne to conditions of Peace as likewise the Empresse Maude having lately lost her Brother Robert Earle of Glocester and Miles Earle of Hereford her two best Champions was no lesse willing of Peace then he which being furthered by the Lords of both sides was at last concluded upon these conditions that Stephen should hold the kingdome of England during his life and adopt Duke Henry as his Heire to succeed him And this agreement thus made and in a Parliament at Winchester confirmed Duke Henry ever after accounted King Stephen no lesse then a Father and King Stephen Duke Henry no lesse then a Sonne and well he might if it be true which some write that the Empresse when a Battell was to be fought betweene King Stephen and her Sonne went privily to him asking him how he could find in his heart to fight against him that was his owne Sonne could he forget the familiarity he had with her in her firt Widow-hood But this was no matter for the Writers of that time to deliver It touched too neare the interest of Princes then in being and Princes must not be touched while they live nor when they are dead neither with uncertainties as this could be no other But howsoever it was certaine
Geoffrey of Monmouth Bishop of Saint Asaph in Wales Also Hugo Carthusianus a Burgundian but made Bishop of Lincolne here in England THE LIFE and RAIGNE OF KING HENRY THE SECOND KING Stephen being dead Henry Duke of Anjou by his Father Geoffry Plantagenet succeeded him in the Kingdome of England by agreement whom he preceded by right as being Sonne and Heire of Mawde sole daughter and Heire of King Henry the first and was crowned at Westminster by Theâ—bald Arch-Bishop of Canterbury on the seventeenth of December in the yeare 1155. and was now a greater Prince then any of his Ancestours had beene before and indeed the Kingdome of England the Dukedome of Normandy and the Dukedome of Anjou in his owne right and in the right of his wife Queen Eleanor the Duchy of â—uyen and the Earldome of Poictou bâ—ing all united in his person made him a Dominion of a larger extent then any King Christian had at that time He was borne at Ments in Normandy in the yeare 1132. a great joy to his Father Geoffry Duke of Anjou a greater to his Mother Mawde the Empresse but so great to his Grandfather King Henry the first that it seemed to make amends for his sonne William whom unfortunately he had lost before by Shipwrack The yeares of his childhood were spent at home under the care of his Parents at nine yeares old or there abouts he was brought by his Unkle Robert Earle of Glocester into England and placed at Bristow where under the tuition of one Matthew his Schoolemaster to instruct him in learning he remained foure yeares after which time he was sent into Scotland to his great Unkle David King of Scots with whom he remained about two yeares initiated by him in the Principles of State but chiefely of his owne estate and being now about fifteene yeares of age was by him Knighted and though scarce yet ripe for Armes yet as a fruit gathered before its time was mellowed under the discipline of his Unkle Robert one of the best Souldiers of that time And now the Duke his Father not able any longer to endure his absence sent with great instance to have him sent over to him for satisfying of whose longing Earle Robert provided him of passage and conducted him himselfe to the Sea side where he tooke his last farewell of him Being come into Anjou his Father perhaps over-joyed with his presence not long after died leaving him in present possession of that Dukedome being now about nineteene yeares of age when shortly after he married Eleanor late the wife of Lewis King of France but now divorced A yeare or two after he came againe into England where after some velitations with King Stephen they were at last reconciled and his succession to the Crowne of England ratified by Act of Parliament Not long after he went againe into France and presently fell to besiege a Castle which was detained from him by the French King in the time of which siege newes was brought him of King Stephens death which one would have thought should have made him hasten his journey into England yet he resolved not to stirre till he had wonne the Caste which resolution of his being knowne to the Defendants they surrendred the Castle but yet no sooner but that it was sixe weekes after before he came into England when he was now about the age of three and twenty yeares His first Acts after he came to the Crowne He beganne his Raigne as Solomon would have begunne it if he had beene in his place for first he made choyce of wise and discreet men to be his Consellours then he banished out of the Realme all strangers and especially Flemmings with whom the Kingdome swarmed as of whom King Stephen had made use in his warres amongst whom was William of Ypres lately before made Earle of Kent Castles which by King Stephens allowance had beene built he caused to be demolished of which there were said to be eleven hundred and fifteene as being rather Nurseries of rebellion to the subject then of any safety to the Prince He appointed the most able men of that profession to reforme abuses of the Lawes which disorder of the wars had brought in He banished many Lords who against their Oath had assisted King Stephen against him as thinking that men oncâ— perjured would never be faithfull and to the end he might be the lesse pressing upon the people with Taxations he resumed all such Lands belonging to the Crown which had any way beene aliened or usurped as thinking it better to displease a few then many and many other things he did which in a disjoynted State were no lesse profitable and expedient then requisite and necessary His Troubles during his Raigne HE had no Competitors nor Pretenders with him for the Crowne and therfore his troubles at first were not in Capite strooke not at the roote as K. Stephens did but were onely some certaine niblings at inferiour parts till at last he brought them himselfe into his own bowels For what was the trouble in his first yeare with the Welsh but as an exercise rather to keep him in motion then that it needed to disquiet his rest for though they were mutinous for a time while they looked upon their owne Bucklers their Woods and Mountainous passages yet as soone as K. Henry did but shew his sword amongst them they were soone reduced to obedience for the present and to a greater awfulnesse for the future It is true Henry Earle of Essex that bore the Kings Standard was so assaulted by the Welsh that he let the Standard fall to the ground which encouraged the Welsh and put the English in some feare as supposing the King had beene slaine but this was soone frustrated to the Welsh and punished afterward in the Eaâ—le by condemning him to be shorne a Monke and put into the Abbey of Reading and had his lands seised into the Kings hands And what was his trouble with Malcolme King of Scots but a worke of his owne beginning for if he would have suffered him to enjoy that which was justly his owne Cumberland and Huntingtonshire by the grant of King Stephen and Northumberland by the gift of his Mother Maude the Empresse he might have staied quietly at home and needed not at all to have stirâ—ed his foote but he could not endure there should be such parings off from the body of his Kingdome and therefore went with an Army into the North where he wonne not but tooke Northumberland from him with the City of Carlâ—ill and the Castles of Newcastle and Bamberg and meerely out of gratefulnesse in remembrance of the many coâ—rtesies done him before by David King of Scots he left him the County of Huntingâ—on but yet with condition to owe fealâ—y and to doe homage to him for it And what was his trouble with his brother Geoffrey but a Bird of his owne hatching For his Father Geoffrey Duke of Anjou had three sonnes Henry
aggravate his breach of promise and to acquaint him with all the disorders of the kingdome with whose remonstrance the King is so moved that after he had tried the Londoners and found them also to partake with the Lords he cals a Parliament aâ— London whither the Lords come armed for their own safety where after long debating the King taking his Oath to referre the matter to certaine grave men of the kingdome Articleâ— are drawne sealed and publikely set up to the view of all with the seales of the Legat and divers great men but before it came to be effected the Earle of Cornwall by the working of Simon Montford hath his edge rebated and is brought to be unwilling to meddle in the matter any more which the other Lords seeing they also grow cold and so for that time it rested and no more was done in it And now is the Kings turne to play his part in using his authority which he failes not to doe to the uttermost for upon a small-occasion he causeth the gates of Gilbert now Earle of Pembroke the third sonne of VVilliam the great Marshall to be shut against him at VVinchester whereupon the Earle retires into the North. Also Simon Norman Master of the Kings Seale and his greatest Favorite is thrown out with disgrace and his brother Geoffrey a knight Templar is put out of the Counsell both of them for not yeelding to passe a Grant from the King made unto Thomas Earle of Flanders the Queenes Unkle of foure pence upon every sack of Wooll And now that load enough is laid upon those of the Laity comes a new load to be laid upon the Clergy for the Pope nothing dainty to make use of the power he had in the King sends over three hundred Romans requiâ—ing to have the first Benefices that should be vacant bestowed upon them which seemed so unreasonable a request and to the Clergy of England so dammageable that it made Edmund Arch-bishop of Canterbury to give over all and betake himselfe to a voluntary Exile in the Abbey of Pontiniac in France yet to shew his respect to the Pope gave him eâ—ght hundred Markes before his departure And to lay more weight upon the Clergy great summes are also required of them for maintenance of the Popes warre against the Emperour which though the Clergy opposed and shewed many good reasons of their opposition both to the King and the Legat yet by promises or threatnings they were won or forced to yeeld unto it And now comes the Earle of March and once againe solicits the King to make another journey into France which being yeelded to by the King and assented to in Parliament an aide presently was demanded towards it but this demand was not onely opposed but all the Kings Taxations and aides before granted were now repeated and thereupon an absolute deniall to grant any more Upon this the King comes to the Parliament himselfe in person earnestly and indeed humbly craving their aide for this once but all prevailed not they had made a vow to the contrary and the King is driven to get what he could of particular men of whom partly by gift and partly by â—oane he gets so much that he carries over with him thirty Barrels of Sterling money This expedition had no better successe then the former for after a whole yeares stay the King was driven to make a dishonourable Truce with the King of France and returne home At his returne he puts the Iewes to another redemption and the Londoners to another exaction and to helpe on his charge his wives mother the Countesse of Provence comes now to visit him who bringing her daughter Zanchia with her a marriage is solemnised betweene her and Richard Earle of Cornwall whose wife was lately dead and he returned from the Holy warres The old Countesse at her returne is presented with many rich gifts having besides received an Annuall Pension of foure thousand Markes out of England for five yeares past in consideration of a pact made that King Henry after her decease should have the Earledome of Provence but shortly after her returne she disappoints him of that and bestowes it upon her youngest daughâ—er Beatrix married to Charles the French Kings brother who was after King of Naples and Sicilieâ— so as this Countesse lived to see all her foure daughters Queenes Richard Earle of Cornwall comming after to be elected King of the Romans Upon thâ—se profusions a consultation is had for new supplies and no way thought so fit as by Parliament hereupon a Parliament is againe assembled at Westminster whithâ—r the King comes againe himselfe in person urging his necessities yet nothing wouâ—d be granted without the assurance of reformation and due execution of the Lawes And here they desire to have it ordained that foure of the most grave and discreet Peeres should be chosen as conservatours of the kingdome and sworne of the Kings Councell both to see Justice administred and the treasure issued and these or two of them at least should ever attend about the King Also that the Lord Chiefe Justiciar and the Lord Chancellour should be chosen by the generall voyces of the States assembled or else be one of the number of those foure Besides they propound that there might be two Justices of the Benches two Barons of the Exchequer and oâ—e Justice for the Iewes and those likewise to be chosen by Parliament But while these things were in debating comes one Martin a new Legat from the Pope with a larger Commission then ever any before to exact upon the State but at the same time Letters comming from the Emperour Fredericke to intreat that the Pope might have no more supplies out of England the Popes Mandate is rejected and his Agent Martin disgracefully sent home This businesse took up so much time that nothing else was done in this Parliament but onely an aide granted to the King for the marriage of his daughter to Alexander King of Scots twenty shillings of every knights Fee and that with much adoe and repetition of his former aides The Winter following he assembles another Parliament wherein he moves for an ayde upon a designe he had upon Wales and to pay his debts which were urged to be so great that he could not appâ—are out of his Chamber for the infinite clamour of such to whom he owed for his Wine Waxe and other necessaries of house but they all to his face refused to grant him any thing whereupon other violent courses are taken an ancient quarrell is found out against the City of London for which they are commanded to pay fifteene thousand Markes and Passeleve the Clerk is imployed with others in a most peremptory commission to inquire of all such Lands as had beene inforested and either to fine the occupyers thereof at their pleasure or else to take it from them and sell the same to others wherein such rigour was used that multitudes of people were undone But now to shew
the King the estate of his kingdome and the oppressions of Popes inquiry was made of the Revenues which the Romans and Italians had in England which were found to be annually sixty thousand Markes being more then the yearely Revenues of the Crowne which so moved the King that he caused the same to be notifyed with all other Exactions to the Generall Councell now Assembled at Lyons and this with the ill usage of his Agent Martin so vexed the Pope that he is said to have uttered these words It is time to make an end with the Emperour that we may crush these petty Kings for the Dragon once appeased or destroyed these lesser Snakes will soone be trodden downe But upon the Popes rejecting the consideration of these grievances of England and despiâ—ing the Kings message who he said began to Frederize it was absolutely here ordained under great penalty that no contribution of money should be given to the Pope by any Subject of England and the King for a time assents unto it but being of an irresolute and wavering nature and afraid of threats he soone gave over what he undertooke so as the Pope continued his former rapine and though he had promised never to send any more Legats into England yeâ— sent he other Ministers under the title of Clerkes that had as great power as Legats and effected as much And now for the other part of the State new occasions also of complaint were offered Peter of Savoy Earle of Richmond comes into England bringing with him certain Maides to be marryed to young Noble men of this Countrey the Kings Wards of whom Edmund Earle of Lincolne hath one and Richard de Burgh another and the same yeare three of the Kings Brothers by the Mother Guy de Lusignan William de Valence and Athelmar Clerke are sent over to be provided of Estates in England also Thomas of Savoy sometimes Earle of Flanders by Right of his Wife comes with his sister Beatrix Countesse of Provence the Queenes Mother who are againe Feasted and Gifted for which the King is taxed the next Parliament in Candlemas Terme and besides sharply reprehended for his breach of Promise having Vowed and Declared by his Charter never more to injure the State in that kinde also for his violent taking up of provision of Waxe Silke Roabes and specially of Wine contrary to the will of the sellers and many other grievances they complaine of all which the King patiently heares in hope to obtaine his desire but yet nothing is effected and the Parliament being Prorogued till Midsummer following and the King growing more obdurate then before it afterward brake up in discontent But the Parliament not supplying him he is advised to furnish his wants with sale of his Plate and Jewels of the Crowne being told that though they were sold yet they would revert againe unto him and having with great losse received money for them he askes who had bought them Answer is made the City of London That City said he is an inexhaustible Gulph If Octavius Treasure were to be sold they surely would buy it And now to vexe them he appoints a Faire to be kept at Westminster forbidding under great penalty all exercise of Merchandise within London for fifteene dayes and all other Fayres in England and namely that of Ely but this Novelty came to nothing the Inconvenience of the place as it was then and the foulenesse of the weather brought more affliction then benefit to the Traders That Christmas also he requires Newyeares gifts of the Londoners and shortly after writes unto them his Letters imperiously deprecatory to ayde him with money and thereby gets of them twenty thousand pounds for which the next yeare after he craves pardon of them And notwithstanding his continuall taking up all Provisions for his House yet he lessens his House-keeping in no honourable manner And then seeing he could get nothing of the States together he calls unto him or writes to every Nobleman apart declaring his poverty and how he was bound by Charter in a debt of thirty thousand pound to those of Burdeaux and his Gascoynes who otherwise would not have suffered him to depart home at his last being in France but faâ—ling herein of Temporall Lords he addresseth his Letters to the Prelates of whom he findes as little reliefe by much importunity and his owne presence he got of the Abbot of Ramsey a hundred pound but the Abbot of Borough had the face to deny him though the King told him it was more Almes to give money to him then to a Begger that went from doore to doore The Abbot of Saint Albons yet was more kind and gave him threescore Markes To such lownesse did the necessity of this indigent King through his profusion bring him The Iewes ever exposed to his will feele the weight of these his wants One Abraham found a Delinquent redeemes himselfe for seven hundred Markes and Aaron another Iew protests the King had since his last being in France taken from him at times thirty thousand Markes of Silver besides 200. Markes of Gold given to the Queene But now the Lords assemble againe at London and presse him with his promise made unto them that the Chiefe Justiciar Chancellour and Treasurer should be appointed by the Generall Councell of the kingdome but by the absence of Richard Earle of Cornwall which was thought to be done of purpose they returne frustrate of their desire And now the Bishopricke of Winchester falling void the King sends presently to the Monkes of the Cathedrall Church to Elect his Brother Athelmar and because he would not be denyed he goes thither himselfe in person and there enters the Chapter house as a Bishop or Prior gets up into the Presidents Chaire beginnes a Sermon and takes his Text Iustice and Peace have kissed each other and thereupon useth these words To me and other Kings who are to governe the people belongs the rigour of Judgement and Justice to you who are men of quiet and Religion Peace and Tranquillity and this day I heare you have for your owne good beene favourable to my request with many such like words whereby the Monkes finding the earnestnesse of his desire held it in vaine to deny him and Athelmar is Elected but with this reservation if the Pope allow it Shortly after followes the memorable Case of Sir Henry de Bathe a Justiciar of the kingdome and a speciall Counsellour to the Kingâ— who by corruption had attained to a mighty Estate and is said in one Circuit to have gotten two hundred pound land per annum He is accused by Sir Philip Dâ—rcy of falsehood in the Kings Court and the King is so incensed against him that in the Parliament at this time holden in London Proclamation is made that whosoever had any Action or Complaint against Henry de Bathe should come and be heard One of his fellow Justiciars accused him of acquiting a malefactor for a bribe The King seeing Henry
Office should pay him againe So Earle Richard having given infinitely to compasse this Advancement looked to helpe himselfe againe by the Place and this and the desire he had to revenge himselfe upon those thaâ— had opposed his Electionâ— made him take such violent courses that he came soone to be dispossessed forsaken and forced to returne into England a poorer King then he went out an Earle Acts done in the câ—ntention betweene the King and his Barons NOw King Henry very proud to have his younger sonne a King as well as his brother cals a Parliament wherein he brings forth his sonne Edmund clad in Sicilian habit and â—els the Parliâ—ment that for advancing this sonne of his to the kingdome of Sicilie he had bound himselfe under covenant of losing his kingdome in the summe of an hundred and forty thousand Markes and hoped they would not thinke much to aide him with money for so great an advancement but the Parliament stood firme to their usuall condition of Margna Charta so as that might be confirmed they were content to give two and fifty thousand Marks but this gave the King no satisfaction The yeare after another Parliament is holden at London wherein upon the Kings pressing them againe for meanes to pay his debts to the Pope the Lords tell him plainely they will not yeeld to give him any thing for any such purpose and give their reasons and withall repeate their owne grievances his breach of promise the insolencie of his brothers and specially William de Valence who had given the lie to the Earle of Leycester and no right done him in it and many such things which the King hearing and not able to deny humbles himselfe and tels them how he had often by ill counsell beene seduced but promiseth by his Oath which he tooke on the Tombe of Saint Edward to reforme all those errours But the Lords not well knowing how to deale in this businesse as being divided betweene a desire to satisfie the King and a desire to be satisfied themselves and knowing withall the variablenesse of the Kings nature they get the Parliament to be adjourned to Saint Barnabies day and then to assemble at Oxford In which meane time the Earles Glocester Leycester Hereford the Earle Marshall Bigod Spenser and other great men confederate and provide by Armes to effect their desire and here is the foundation laid of those bloudy wars that ensued betweene King Henry and his Barons And now the King being put to his shifts for money gets the Abbot of Westminster to put his Seale and that of his Covent to a Deed Obligatory as a surety for two hundred Markes making account that by his example others would be drawne to doe the like but his trusty servant Simon Passeleve being imployed to other Monasteries and telling them amongst other reasons to perswade them that the King was Lord of all they had they onely answered they acknowledged indeed the King to be Lord of all they had but yet so as to defend not to destroy the same and this was all he could get of them The Prince also in no lesse want then his Father is driven to morgage his Towne of Stamford Brahan and many other things to William de Valence a Poictouin wherby appeared the disorder of the time when the Prince was in want and strangers had such plenty And now is the Parliament assembled at Oxford whither the Lords come attended with large traines and here they beginne with the expostulation of the former Liberties requiring that the Chiefe Justiciar the Chancellour and Treasurer may be ordained by publike choyce and that the twenty foure Conservaâ—ours of the kingdome may be confirmed twelve by the election of the Lords and twelve by the King with whatsoever else made for their imagined security The King seeing their strength and in what manner they required these things sweares solemnly againe to the confirmation of them and causeth the Prince to take the same Oath But the Lords left not here the Kings brethren the Poictouins and other strangers must presently be removed and this also though with some little opposition was at last concluded and thereupon the Kings brethren and their followers are despoyled of all their fortunes and â—xiled by proscription under the Kings owne hand directed to the Earles of Hereford and Surrey But now sicknesse and mortality happening to many great ones it is imputed to poysons supposed to have beene prepared by those strangers proscribed the Earle of Glocester in a sicknesse suddenly lost his haire his teeth his nailes and his brother hardly escaped death which made many to suspect their nearest servants and their Cookes Walter Scoynie the Earle Steward is strictly examined committed to prison and afterward without confession is upon presumptions onely executed at Winchester Elias a converted Iew is said to have confessed that in his house the poyson was confected but it was when he was a Iew and not a Christian. Every man that had received any wrong by those strangers now put up their complaints and are heard Guydo de â—â—chfort a Poictouin to whom the King had given the Castle of Rochester is banished and all his goods confiscate William Bussey Steward to William de Valence is committed to the Tower of London and most reproachfully used Richard Gray whom the Lords had made Captaine of Dover Castle is set to intercept whatsoever the Poictouins convaied that way out of England and much treasure of theirs and of the elect of Winchester is by him taken besides great summes committed to the new Temple are found out and seised for the King And now the new Chiefe Justiciar Hugh Bigod brother to the Earle Marshall chosen this last Parliament by publike voyce procures that foure knights in every Shire should inquire of the oppressions of the poore done by great men and certifie the same that redresse might be made Also order was taken against corrupting of justice when yet notwithstanding this pretended care of the publike it is noted by the Writers and Records of that time how the Lords were themselves but as â—otidem tyranni enforcing the services of the Kings tenants that dwelt neare them But to make their cause the more popular it was rumored that the King stood upon it that his necessity must be supplied out of the estates of his people whether they would or no which the King hearing sends forth Proclamation declaring how certaine malitious persons had falsely and seditiously reported that he meant unlawfully to charge his subjects and subvert the Lawes and Liberties of the kingdome and by these false suggestions averted the hearts of his people from him and therefore desires them not to give credit to such perâ—urbers for that he was ready to defend all Rights and Customes due unto them and that they might rest of this secured he caused his Letters to be made Patents But now Montford Glocester and Spenser inforce the King to call a Parliament at London where
sway this businesse by his presence takes a journey Northward where being come as farre as Lincolnshire he lost his beloved wife Queene Eleanor and thereupon going backe to see her Funerall performed at Westminster that done he returnes presently to his Scottish businesse And now sixe yeares were passed since the death of King Alexander and yet nothing concluded in this controversie whereupon King Edward deals privately with Bruce who had the weaker Title but the more friends and promiseth him if he would sweare fealty and homage to the Crowne of England he would Invest him in that of Scotland But Bruce answers he was not so dâ—sirous to rule as thereby to infringe the liberties of his Countrey Whereupon with the like offer he sets upon Baylioll who having better right but lesse love of the people and more greedy of a kingdome then honour accepts the condition and thereupon is Crowned King at Scone hath fealty done him by all the chiefe Nobility except Bruce comes to New-Castle upon Tyne where King Edward then lay and there with many of his Nobles sweares fealty and doth homage to him as his Soveraigne Lord. Which act done to secure him overthrew him for being little beloved before hereby he became lesse such as stood for Bruce and others of the Nobility tender of the preservation of their Countries liberty took stomach against him and not onely for this but shortly after for his injustice in the case of the Earle of Fife one of the sixe Governours in the time on the Interregnum who had beene slaine by the Family of Alberneth the brother of which Earle prosecuting Law before King Baylioll in his high Court of Parliament and having no right done him King Baylioll giving judgement of the side of the Alberneths he appeales to the Court of the King of England whereupon King Baylioll is summoned appeares sits with King Edward in his Parliament till his cause was to be heard and then is cited by an Officer to arise and to stand in the place appointed for pleading then he craves to answer by a Procuratour but is denied and thereupon descends to the ordinary place and defends his cause himselfe which indignity as he tooke it so incenseth him that he returnes home with a breastfull charged with indignation meditates revenge renues the ancient league with France confirmes it with marriage of his sonne Edward to a daughter of Charles brother to King Philip glad in regard of late offences taken against the King of England to embrace the same which done Baylioll defies King Edward renounceth his Allegeance as unlawfully done being not in his power without consent of the State to doe any such Act. Hereupon brake out that mortall dissension betweene the two Nations which consumed more Christian bloud and continued longer then ever quarrell we reade of did between any two people in the world For he that beganne it could not end it but it lasted almost three hundred yeares and was never throughly abolished till the late blessed union wrought by him in whom Wisdome and Vertue Right and Power concurred all to make it firme And now the fatall Chaire in which the Kings of Scotland used to be Inaugurated seemes to recover its secret operation according to antient Prophesie that whither soever that Chaire should be removed the kingdome should be removed with it and this Chaire King Edward caused to be brought out of Scotland to Westminster and to be placed there amongst the Monuments where it still continues But now King Baylioll being summoned to appeare at New-Castle and refusing to come King Edward enters Scotland with an Army consisting of foure thousand horse and thirty thousand foot besides five hundred horse and one thousand foote of the Bishop of Durham Berwicke is first wonne with the slaughter of fifteene thousand Scots our Writers say more and after that the Castles of Dunbarre Roxborough Edinbough Sterliâ—g and Saint Iohns Towne and now King Balioll sues for Peace submits himselfe takes againe his Oath of Fealty to King Edward as his Soveraigne Lord which done a Parliament for Scotland is held at Berwicke where the Nobility likewise did Homage to him confirming the same by their Charter under their hands and seales onely William Dowglasse refuseth content rather to endure the misery of a Prison then yeeld to the subjection of the King of England But King Baylioll notwithstanding his submission is sent prisoner into England after his foure yeares Raigne in Scotland and King Edward returnes home leaving Iohn Warren Earle of Sussex and Surrey Warden of all Scotland Hugh Cressingham Treasurer and Ormesloy Chiefe Justice with Commission to take in his name the Homages and Fealties of all such as held Lands of that Crowne But this continued not long for King Edward being absent in France the Scots fell upon the Officers he had left slew Sir Hugh Cressingham with sixe thousand English recovered many Castles and regained the towne of Berwick and all by the animation and conduct of one William Walleys a poore private Gentleman though Nobly descended who seeing his Countrey without a Head and thereby without a Heart all the great men either in captivity or subjectionâ— assembles certaine of as poore and desperate estate as himselfe and leads them to attempt upon whatsoever advantages they could finde to annoy the English and having therein good successe it so encreased both his courage and company that he afterward came to be the generall Guardian of the whole kingdome and was in possibility to have absolutely redeemed his Countrey from the subjection of the English if the speedy comming of King Edward had not prevented him For now King Edward to bring his worke neare together removes his Exchequer and Courts of Justice to Yorke where they continued above sixe yeares and thither he cals a Parliament requiring all his subjects that held of him by knights service to be ready at Roxborough by a peremptory day where there assemble three thousand men at Armes on barded horses and foure thousand other armed men on horse without bards with an Army of foote answerable consisting most of Welsh and Irish besides five hundred men at Armes out of Gascoyne and with this power he makes his second expedition into Scotland the Earles of Hereford and Norfolke with the Earle of Lincolne led his Vauntgard at the famous battell of Fonkirke where the shouts of the Scots were so great that King Edwards horse frighted withall cast him off and brake two of his ribs which notwithstanding he gets up againe goes on and gets the victory wherein are reported to be slaine two hundred knights and forty thousand foot of the Scots but William Walleys with some few escaped to make more work And here againe that kingdome might seeme as if quite overthrowne Most of the estates of the Earles and Barons of Scotland with their titles that had stood out were bestowed on the English and a Parliament is called at Saint Andrewes where all the great
Adversary endevours first to strengthen himselfe with Friends abroad seekes to match his Sonne Edward with a Daughter of Guy Earle of Flanders Marries one of his Daughters to the Dâ—ke of Barrâ— who pretended Title to Champaigne another to Iohn Duke of Braâ—ant sends fifteene thousand pounds Sterling to Adolph de Nassaw the Emperour for recovery of certaine Lands which he claimed in France and with all these and many other conâ—ining Princes he sets upon the King of France and then sends over his Brother Edmund Earle of Lancaster the Earles of Lincolne and Richmond with eight and twenty Banners seven hundred men at Armes and a Navy of three hundred and sixty Saile In the meane time the King of France having had intelligence of the intended alliance betweene King Edward and Guy Earle of Flanders sends for the said Earle as if knowing nothing thereof to come with his Wiâ—e and Daughter to make merry with him at Paris where instead of Feasting him he makes him Prisoner and takes from him his Daughter in regard he sought being his Vassall to match her with his capitall Enemy The Earle excuseth it the best he could and by much mediation is released himselfe but not his Daughter whereupon the Earle presuming upon aide from King Edward takes Armes and defies the King of France who thereupon comes with an Army of sixty thousand against him which caused King Edward with all speed possible to relieve this distressed Earle and so leaving the Government of the kingdome in his absence to the Bishop of London the Earle of Warwicke and the Lords Reynold Grey and Clifford with five hundred Saile and eighteene thousand men at Armes he passeth over into France but finding the Country distracted into many popular Factions and the King of France daily getting upon them having already won Lisle Doway Courtray Burges and Dam and the Emperour Adolph failing to send him aide as he had promised he fell into great perplexity and having stayed the whole Winter at Gaunt where by reason of many outrages committed by his Souldiers he was so affronted by the Gauntois that his owne person was not without some danger He thereupon in the Spring of the yeare concludes a Truce with the King of France for two yeares takes his sister Margaret to Wife and affianceth the Daughter of the same King to his Sonne Prince Edward and so returnes into England And these were all the troubles King Edward had with France But now must something be spoken of troubles with his Lords at home whereof this was the beginning In a Parliament at Salisbury the five and twentieth yeare of his Raigne the King requires certaine of his Lords to goe to the Warres in Gascoyne which needed a present supply by reason of the death of his Brother Edmund but the Lords make all their excuses every man for himselfe Whereupon the King in great rage threatned they should either goe or he would give their Lands to others that should Upon this Humfrey Bohun Earle of Hereford High Constable and Roger Bigod Earle of Norfolke Marshall of England make their Declaration that if the King went in Perâ—on they would attend him otherwise not Which answer offended the King more and being urged againe the Earle Marshall protested he would willingly goe thither with the King and march before him in the Vauntguard as by right of inheritance he ought to doe But the King told him plainely he should goe with any other though he weâ—â— not himselfe in Personâ— I am not so bound saith the Earle neither will I take tâ—â—t journey without you The King swore by God Sir Earle you shall either goe or hâ—â—â—â— And I sweare by the same Oath said the Earle I will neither goe noâ— hangâ— and so without leave departs Shortly after the two Earles assemble many Noble men and other their Friends to the number of thirty Bannereâ—s so as they were fifteen hundred men at Armes well appointed and stood upon their Guâ—â—dâ— The King like a prudent Prince who knew his times prosecuâ—es them not as then bâ—â— lets the matter passe in regard that his businesse called him presently into Flanders when being ready to take ship the Arch-bishops Bishops Earles Barons and the Commons send him a Roll of the Grievances of his Subjects concerning his Taxes Subsidies and other Impositions with his seeking to force their services by unlawfull courses to which the King sends answer that he could not aâ—tâ—r any thing without the advice of his Councell who were not now about him and therefore required them seeing they would not attend him in his Journey which they absolutely refused to doe though he went in Person unlesse he had gone into France or Scotland that they would yet doe nothing in his absence prejudiâ—iall to the peace of the kingdome and that at his returne he would set all things in good order to their contentment But having taken his Journey and being held there with long delayes to his exceeding great expenses he was forced to send over for more supply of Treasure and thereupon gave order for a Parliament to be held at Yorke by the Prince and because of his Minority for he was then but sixteene yeares of age by such as had the manage of the kingdome in his absence and to the end he would not be disappointed of aide he condescends to all such Articles as were demanded concerning the great Charter Promising from thenceforth never to charge his Subjects otherwise then by their consents in Parliament and to pardon all such as had denyed to attend him in this Journey After this in the 27. yeare of his Raigne a Parliament is called at Westminster wherein the promised Confirmation of the two Charters and the allowance of what disafforestation had heretofore beene made was earnestly urged and in the end with much adoe Granted and that with omission of the Clause Salva Iure Coronae nostrâ— which the King laboured to have inserted but the people by no meanes would agree and the perambulation of the Forests of England was then committed to three Bishops three Earles and three Barons But some yeares after in the two and thirtieth yeare of his Raigne King Edward begunne to shew his resentment of the stubborne behaviour of his Nobles towards him in times past and so terrifies Roger Bigod Earle Marshall that to recover his favor the Earle made him his Heireâ— in Possession though he had a Brother of his owne living reserving onely to himselfe a thousand pounds per annum during his life Of others likewise he goâ— great summes for the same offence The Earle of Hereford escaped his fine by death But the Arch-bishop of Canterbury whom he accused to have disturbed his Peace in his absence he sends over to Pope Clement the fifth who succeeded Bonifacâ— that he might be crusht with a double power This Pope was Native of Burdeaux and â—o the more regardfull of the Kings desire and the Kingâ— the more confident of
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
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
of the Scots which came to the rescue thereof at Hallidowne-hill utterly defeated where were slaine seven Earles ninety knights and Bannerets foure hundred Esquires and about two and thirty thousand common Souldiers as our Writers report as theirs but foureteene thousand and with this effusion of bloud is Baylioll returned to his miserable kingdome and to hold good correspondence with the King of England hereafter doth him Homage for his Realme of Scotland and the Ilands adjacent But though he had a kingdome yet he had not quietnesse for many of the Scots aided by the French made warre upon him divers yeares after during all which time King David with his wife remained in France If any man marvell why King Edward would aide Bailioll against King David who had married his sister he may consider that Alliances how neare soever weigh but light in the Scales of State About this time the I le of Man is conquered by William Montacute Earle of Sâ—lisbury for which service King Edward gave him the Title of King of Man Of his Acts after he came of age ANd now Robert of Arthois banished out of France comes into England whom King Edward makes Earle of Richmond and of his Counsell This Robert perswades King Edward to make warre upon France to which Crowne he said he had more right then he that held it with whose perswasions King Edward is at last resolved to undertake the enterprise and to furnish himselfe of Noble Chiefetaines he at one time in a Parliament at Westminster the eighth yeare of his Raign creates sixe Earles Henry of Lancaster he made Earle Dâ—rby William Montacute he made Earle of Salisbury Hugh Audeley Earle of Glocester William Clinton Earle of Huntington and Robert Clifford or Ufford Earle of Suffolke also twenty knights of whom Thomas de la Moore who writ the life of the Kings Father was one withall he enters League of amity with many Princes abroad with the Dukes and Eâ—rles of Gelders Iulyers Cleves Heynault and Brabant and with the Arch-bishop of Colen and Valeran his brother as on the other side the King of France got to take his part the Bishop of Liege Iohn King of Bohemia Earle of Luxemburg Henry Count Palatine Aubert Bishop of Mets Otho Duke of Austria Ame Earle of Geneva with many other Princes and Captaines out of Germany Spaine and other Countries King Edward thus resolved in himselfe and furnished with friends abroad goes over into Flanders with his Queene and children makes his residence at Antwerp where by perswasion of the Flemings he takes upon him the Stile Title and Armes of the King of France for by this they accounted themselves disobliged of the Bond of twenty hundred thousand crownes which they had entred into never to beare Armes against the King of France and hereupon the League was established betweene them and King Edward And now King Edward for a beginning to put his claime in execution sets upon Cambray and enters France by the way of Vermandois and Thierach on the other side King Philip seiseth on the Dutchy of Guienne and sends thither the Conte d' Eu Constable of France with the Earles of Foix and Armigniack At last both Armies came so neare together that a fight was appointed the Friday after but upon better consideration the English thought it no discretion to give battell to an Army so much greater then their owne if they could avoid it and the French thought it as little discretion for them to hazard the person of their Prince within his owne kingdome and perhaps were not a little moved with the warning given them by Robert King of Sicilie a great Astronomer that he fore-saw by the Starres some great misfortune to threaten the French if they should that day fight with the Engliâ—h King Edward being present and thus both Armies having their severall reasons to decline the battell they parted without doing any thing onely an accident happened scarce worth remembring yet must be remembred A Hare starting out before the head of the French Army caused a great shout to be made whereupon they who saw not the Hare but onely heard the shout supposing it to be the onset to the battell disposed themselves to fight and foureteene Gentlemen for encouragements sake as the custome is were knighted called afterward in merriment knights of the Hare But now King Edward must a little looke home and therefore leaving the Queen in Brabant he passeth himselfe into England about Candlemas having beene in Brabant about a yeare and landing at the Tower about midnight and finding â—t unguarded was so much displeased that he presently sends for the Major of â—ondon commanding him to bring before him the Chancellour and Treasurer with Sir Iohn Saint Paul Michael Watch Philp Thorpe Henry Stratford Clergy men who it seemes were Officers for his Receipts and Iohn Sconer Justice of the Bench all which except the Chancellour were apprehended and committed to prison as were afterward in like manner divers Officers of Justice and Accomptants upon inquiry made of their unjust proceeding During the Kings abode in England William Montacute Earle of Salisbury and Robert Ufford Earle of Suffolke leâ—t in Flanders to oppose the French having performed divers great eâ—ploits were aâ— last in an encounter about Lisâ—e so overlaid by multitude as they were both taken and sent prisoners to Paris Besides about this time two accidents happened that were thought would be great rubs in King Edwards proceeding one that his Wives Father William Earle of Haynâ—ult dying and leaving his sonne to succeed this son left his brother King Edward and fell to take part with the King of France the other that the Duke of Normandy thinking himselfe as strong as ever William Duâ—â— of Normandy was that conquered England he saw no reason but he might conquer it as well as that William and thereupon makes preparation by Sea and Land to attempt the enterprise but these were but vapours that never came to be winds at least brought no stormes for Iohn Earle of Haynault had quickly enough of the King of France and was soone after reconciled to his brother King Edward and the Duke of Normandy went no further then preparations for indeed King Edwâ—â—d prosecuted his courses against France with such heate that all the neighbouring Princes seeing a fire kindled so neare their owne borders were glad to looke â—o themselves at home But now to impeach the King of Englands returne into Fraâ—ceâ— King Philip had provided a mighty Navie in the Haven of Sluce consisting of twâ— hundred saile of Ships besides many Gallies and two thousand armed men in thâ— Port ready to encounter him upon his landing whereof King Edward being adveâ—tised prepares the like number of Ships and sets out to Sea upon Midsommer Eve is mâ— the morrow after with a Navy likewise from the North parts conducted by Sir â—â—bert Morley and encounters his enemy who lay to intercept him with such force and courage and such
Blake a Lawyer Shortly after the Parliament began called afterward The Parliament that wrought wonders On the first day whereof were arrested as they sate in their places all the Justices but onely Sir William Skipwith as Sir Roger Fulthorpe Sir Robert Belknappe Sir Iohn Cary Sir Iohn Holt Sir William Brooke and Iohn Alacâ—on the kings Serjeant at Law and were all sent to the Tower for doing contrary to an Agreement made the last Parliament Also in the beginning of this Parliament Robert Veere Duke of Irelâ—nd Alexander Nevill Archbishop of York Michael de la Poole Earle of Suffolke and Sir Robert Tresilian Lord Chiefe Justice of England were openly called to answer Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester Richard Earle of Arundell Henry Earle of Darby and Thomas Earle of Nottingham upon certaine Articles of high Treason and because none of them appeared It was ordained by whole consent of Parliament they should be banished for ever and all their landâ— and goods â—eized into the Kings hands their intailed lands onely excepted Shortly after the Lord Chief Justice Robert Tresilian was found in an Apothecaries house in Westminster where being taken he was brought to the Duke of Glocester who caused him the same day to be had to the Tower and from thence drawne to Tyburne and there hanged On the morrow after Sir Nicolas Brember was brought to his Answer who being found guilty was beheaded with an Axe which himselfe had caused to be made for beheading of others After this Sir Iohn Salisbery and Sir Iames Berneys lusty young men were drawne and hanged as also Iohn Beâ—â—champ L. Steward of the Kings house Iohn Blake Esquire and lastly Sir Symon Burley sonne to the great Sir Iohn Burley Knight of the Garter was beheaded on Tower-hill whose death the King tooke more heavily and more heynously then all the rest Also all the Justices were condemned to dye but by the Queenes intercession they were onely banished the Realme and all their lands and goods confiscate onely a small portion of money was assigned them for their sustentation Finally in this Parliament an Oath was required and obteined of the King that he should stand unto and abide such Rule and Order as the Lords should take and this Oath was required also of all the Inhabitants of the Realme In the later end of the Kings eleventh yeere the Earle of Arundell was sent to Sea with a great Navy of ships and men of warre with whom went the Earles of Nottingham and Devonshire Sir Thhmas Percy the Lord Clifford the Lord Camoiâ— Sir William Elmham and divers other Knights to ayde the Duke of Britaine against the king of France but before they came the Duke of Britaine was reconciled to the king of France and so needing not their ayde all this great Fleet returned with doing nothing And it was indeed a yeere of doing nothing unlesse we reckon some petty Inroades of the Scots and that Sir Thomas Tryvet dyed with a fall off his horse and that Sir Iohn Holland the Kings brother by the mother was made Earle of Huntington and that there was Contention in Oxford between the Northerne and the Southerne Scholars which was pacified by the Duke of Glocester In his twelveth yeere Commissioners were appointed to meet at Balingham betwixt Calliâ— and Bulloigne to treat of a Peace betweene the Realmes of England France and Scotland and after long debating a Truce was at last concluded to begin at Midsomer next and to last three yeeres But now the king to shew his plenary authority of being at full age removed the Archbishop of York from being Lord Chancellor and put in his place William Wickham Bishop of Winchester also he removed the Bishop of Hereford from being Treasurer and put another in his place The Earle of Arundell likewise unto whom the Government of the Parliament was committed and the Admiralty of the Sea was removed and the Earle of Huntington put in his roome About this time the Lord Iohn Hastings Earle of Pembrooke as he was practising to learne to Just was stricken about the Privy parts by a knight called Sir Iohn St. Iohn of which hurt he soone after dyed In whose Family it is memorable that for many Generations together no sonne ever saw his father the father being alwaies dead before the sonne was borne The Originall of this Family was from Hastings the Dane who in the Reigne of K. Alured long before the Conquest about the yeere 890. came with Rollo jâ—to England But howsoever in this Iohn Hastings ended the then Honorable Titles of the Hastings for this man dying without issue his Inheritances were dispersed to divers persons The Honour of Pembrooke came to Francis at Court by the kings Gift the Baronies of Hastings and Welford came to Reynold Gray of Ruthin the Barony of Aburgâ—veny was granted to William Beaâ—â—hamp of Bedford About this time Iohn Duke of Lancaster was created Duke of Aquitaine receiving at the Kings hands the Rod and the Cap as Investitures of that Dutchy Also the Duke of York's sonne and heire was created Earle of Richmond In his thirteenth yeere a Royall Justs was Proclaimed to be holden within Smithfield in London to begin on Sunday next after the Feast of S. Michael which being published not onely in England but in Scotland in Almaigne in Flanders in Brabant and in France many strangers came hither amongst others Valeran Earle of S. Poll that had maried king Richards Sister and William the young Earle of Ostervant sonne to Albert de Bavâ—ere Earl of Hollond and Heynoult At the day â—ppointed there issued forth of the Tower about three a clock in the afternoone sixty Coursers apparrelled for the Justs and upon every one an Esquire of Honour riding a soft pace After them came forth foure and thirty Ladies of Honour Froyssard saith threescore mounted on Palfries and every Lady led a knight with a chaine of Gold These knights being on the Kings part had their armour and apparell garnished with white Hearts and Crownes of Gold aboâ—â— their necks and so they came riding through the streets of London unto Smithfield The Justs lasted divers dayes all which time the King and Queen lay at the Bishops Palace by Pauls Church and kept open house for all Commers In his Fifteenth yeere the Duke of Lancaster went into France having in his traine a thousand horse and met the king of France at Aâ—iens to treat of a Peace between the two kingdomes but after long debate a Truce onely was concluded for a yeere About this time also the King required the Londoners to lend him a Thousâ—nd pounds which they refused â—o doe and not onely so but they abused an Italian Merchant for offering to lend it This moved the King to some indignation to which was added the complaint of a Ryot committed by the Citizens against the servants of the Bishops of Saliâ—bury L. Treasurer for that where one of the Bishops servants named Walter Roman had taken a
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
thousand men at Arms and foure and twenty thousand Archers whom about the middle of May he followeth himselfe and safâ—ly aâ—riving at Câ—lliâ— hasted to relieve Charters which the Dolphin with seven thousand men had besieged but hearing of the kings comming was retired to Tours The king of Scots with the Duke of Glocester about the eighth of Iuly besieged Dreux which agreed if it were not relieved by the twentieth of that moneth then to surrender it no reliefe comming it was surrendred The king pursuâ—d the Dolphin from place to place but could not overtake him but in the way surprized the Towne of Bâ—wgâ—â—cy where all that craved it he â—ooke to mercy as likewise he did at Roâ—gemoâ—t from thence he went to Orleance and from thence to Vigneâ— St. Toâ— and from thence to Paris where having fitted himselfe with supplies he went and sate downe before Menixe in Brye which after some opposition he also tooke and thereby had possession of all the Fortresses in the Isle of France in 〈◊〉 in â—rye and in Champaigne Upon St. Nicholas day in the yeare 1422 Queen Katherine was brought to bed of a Son at Windsor who was by the Duke of Bedford and Henry Bishop of Winchester and the Countesse of Holland Christned by the name of Henry whereof when the king had notice out of a Propheticke rapture he sayd Good Lord I Henry of Monmouth shall small time Reigne and much get and Henry borne at Windsor shall long time Reigne and lose all but Gods will be done About this time the Dolphin layd siege to Cosney which the king was intentive to relieve as being a Town of the Duke of Burgoignes and therefore tendredit more than if it had beene hiâ— owne and making over-hasty journeys he over-heat himselfe with travell and comming to Sâ—â—lys found himselfe so ill at ease that he was forced to remaine there and to send his brother the Duke of Bedford to prosecute his designe which the Duke performed and the Dolphin upon his approach retired into Berry whereof in mockage he was after called the king of Berry But the kings Feaver and flâ—â— increasing he was removed to Boys de Vincens where growing worse and worse within a few dayes he dyed But somewhat before his departure he had made his Brother the Duke of Bedford Lievetenant Generall of Norâ—â—â—dy and Regent of the kingdome of France and his Brother the Duke of Glocester he had made Protector of England and of his Sons Person Exhorting all to be true and faithfull to the Duke of â—urgoâ—gâ—e to be at unitie amongst themselves to be loyall to their young Prince to be serviceable to his dearly beloved Queene to hold aâ—d preserve what he by his valour and Gods assistance had wonne and never to conclude contract of amitie with the Dolphin or Duke of Alanson untill they had submitted themselves to the kings Gracâ— And so giving God thanks for all his favors and blessings bestowed upon him in the midst of saying a Psalme of David he departed this life who might justly have prayed God with David Take me â—ot away in the midst of my dayes for he dyed about the age of five or six and thirty years which in Davids account is the midst of the number of the dayes of mans life but though he dyed in the midst of his dayes yet he dyed in the fulnesse of his Glory and of whom it may he said Iamque arce potitus Ridet anhelâ—â—tes durâ— ad fastigâ—â— montis When he had Reigned nine yeares and five moneths Of his Taxations IN his first yeere an incredible sum of money was given him by the Clergy to diâ—ert him from a motion propounded to take away their Temporalties And in the same yeere a Subsidie was granted him both by the Clergy and the Laity In his fourth yeere was granted him towards his warres in France two whole Tenths of the Clergy and a fifteenth of the Laity which being farre too short to defray his great charge he was forced to pawne his Crowne to the Bishop of Beauford his Uncle for a great sum of money as also certain Jewels to the Lord Major of London for ten thousand markes In his ninth yeere in a Parliament at Weâ—â—minster for revenge of the Duke of Clarence death two tenths of the Clergy and one fifteenth by the Laity which because the haste of the businesse could not stay the usuall course of collection the Bishop of Winchester brought in presently twenty thousand pounds to receive it againe when the Subsidie should be gathered The same yeere also the Duke of Bedford in the kings absence called a Parliament wherein was granted towards his warres one fifteenth to be paid in such money as was at that time current These are all the Subsidies that were given him notwithstanding his many and great atchievements by which it appeares what great matters a moderate Prince may doe and yet not grieve his subjects with Taxations Of Lawes and Ordinances made by him or in his â—ime HE ordained the king of Heralds over the English which is called Gâ—rter In his ninth yeare in a Parliament holden at Westminster It was ordained that no man should offer Gold in payment unlesse it were weight and thereupon were appointed ballances and weights An act made in the thirteenth yeare of king Richard the Second which disabled the Alien Religious to enjoy any Bâ—nefices within England was in the beginning of this kings Reigne put in execution and further this king excluded also the French from all preferments Ecclesiasticall and those Priors Aliens Conventuall who had institution and induction were bound to put in security not to disclose or cause to be disclosed the Counsell and secreâ—s of the Realme Affaires of the Church in his tiâ—e IN the beginning of his Reigne the Wickliffs increased greatly of whom Sir Iohn Oldcastle was a Chiefe who by mariage of a kinswoman of the Lord Cobhamâ— of Câ—â—ling in Kent obtained that Title This knight being very valorous and in great favour with the king was in a Synod at London accused for maintaining of Wickliffâ— doctrine whereof the king being informed sent for him and instantly dealt with him to submit himselfe to the censure of the Church But Sir Iohn Oldcastle told the King that he owed his subjection onely to his Majestie and as for others he would stand for the truth against them to the uttermost of his life Upon this he was served by Processe to appeare in the Archbishops Court and not appeaâ—ing was condemned of Contumacy and afterwards in a Synod at Rochester was by the Archbishop pronounced to be an Heretick who then enacted that Decree That the Holy Scriptures ought not to be translated into the English tongue But marke the judgement that fell upon his owne tongue whoâ—e rootes and blade shortly after as is recorded grew so bigge in his mouth and throat that he could neither speake nor swallow downe meat but in horrour lay languishing till at last
his Sons only King Heâ—ry the Fifth to be his eldest And now that in him the heroicall nature was come to the height it degenerated againe in King Henry the Sixth which must needs be attributed to the mothers side who though in her selfe she were a Princesse of a noble spirit yet being the issue of a crazie father what marvell if she proved the mother of a crazie issue and yet even this issue of hers a Prince no doubt of excellent parts in their kinde though not of parts kindly for a Princâ— in a private man praise-worthy enough but the sword of a King required a harder mettall than the soft temper of King Henry the sixth was made of and in him we may see the fulfilling of the Text Vae genti cujus Rex est puer Woe to that Nation whose King is a Childe for he was not above eight moneths old when he succeeded his father in the Kingdome although that Text perhaps is not meant so much of a child in years for which there may be helps by good Protectors as of a childe in abilities of ruling whereof though possibly there may yet probably there can be no sufficient supply of which in this King we have a pregnant example for as long as he continued a childe in yeares so long his Kingdomes were kept flourishing by the Providence of his carefull Uncles but assoone as he left being a Childe in years and yet continued a childe in ability of Ruling then presently began all things Iâ— pejus ruere retro sublapsa referri all things went to wracke both in France and England And thus much was necessary to be sayd by way of a Preface to that great fall as it were of Nilus in King Henry the Sixth Henry called of Windsor because borne there the only childe of King Henry the Fifth as yet scarce nine moneths old succeeded his Father and was Proclaimed King of England on the last of August in the yeare 1422 by reason of whose infancie King Henry his Father had before by his Will appointed and now the Lords by their consent confirmed the Regency of France to Iohn Duke of Bedford the Government of England to Humphry Duke of Glocester the Guard of his Person to Thomas Duke of Exeter and Hâ—nry Beauford Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor wherein it was wisely provided that one man should not rule all lest it should prove a spurre to aspiring and withall stay them from envying one another when many were alike placed in the highest forme of authoriâ—y and indeed they all carried themselves so uprightly and carefully in their places that it well appeared the trust reposed in them by the dying King had made a strong impression of love and loyalty towards his Son The Duke of Bedford Regent of France was to keepe that by the sword which King Henry the Fifth by his sword had gotten wherein he had many and great assistants specially the two terrours of France Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury and Iohn Lord Talbot and amongst the French themselves the Duke of Burgoigne a friend no lesse powerfull than firme unto him The Dolphin also now crowned king at Poytiers and called Charles the seventh of France his father being newly dead within little more than a moneth after king Henry had likewise great assistants the Duke of Alanson and many other Peers of France and of the Scoâ—s many and some perhaps of the English that tooke part with him by meanes whereof the game of Fortune was a long time played betweene them with great variety The first act of the Duke of Bedfords Regency was an Oration which he made to the French in Paris which wrought this good effect that king Henry is Proclaimed king of England and of France and such French Lords as were present did their Homages and tooke their oathes to be true unto him The first act of hostility was performed by the new king of France who sends the Lord Granvile to Pont Meulan who surprized it putting all the English Souldiers to the sword but the Regent sending thither Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury so strongly beleaguered it that the Lord Granvile not only surrendred it but swore allegiance though he kept it not to the king of England From thence the Earle marched to Seyne which hee tooke by assault and put all the Souldiers except the Captain Sir William Maryn to the sword At this time the Regent the Duke of Burgoigne Iohn Duke of Brittaine and his brother in law the Earle of Râ—chmond who revolted afterward to the new king of France and was by him made Constable of France met at Amyens and there not only renewed the old League but further enlarged it to be offensive and defensive respectively and to make the friendship the more firme the Regent married Anne the Sister of the Duke of Burgoigne at Troys In this meane time the Parisians taking advantage of the Regents absence conspired to have let in the new king into Paris but the day before the night appointed for his admission the Regent with his power entred apprehended the Conspirators and put them to publicke execution That done he furnished all the Forts and places of strength with Englishmen and sent Sir Iohn Falstaffe who tooke in Pacye and Coursay two strong Castles whil'st himselfe with his forces tooke in Trayâ—els and Brâ—y upon Seyne The Constable of France the meane while with the new kings forces layd siege to Cravant in Burgoigne but the Regent sent thither the Earle of Salisbury who set upon the French and after a long fight putting them to flight slew about 1800 knights and gentlemen of noteâ— and three thousand common Souldiers Scots and French tooke prisoners the Constable himselfe the Earle of Ventadour Sir Alexâ—â—der Alerdyn Sir Lewis Ferignye and two and twenty hundred Gentlemen Of the English part were slaine Sir Iohn Gray Sir William Hall Sir Gilbert Halsall Richard â—p Maddocke and one and twenty hundred Souldiers From thence the Eâ—rle led his forces to Montaguillon and sate downe before it which after five moneths Siege he took whil'st the Duke of Suffolke took in the two strong Castles of Cowcye and le Roche Whil'st these things are done in France in England the Protectour Ransomed and inlarged the young king of Scots Iames the first who by the space of eighteene yeares had been kept a Prisoner which he did out of opinion thâ—t he might withdraw the Scots out of France taking Homâ—ge and fealty of him for the Crown of Scotland in these words Iâ—ames â—ames Sâ—eward King of Scotâ— shall be true and faithfull to you Lord Henry King of England and France the Superiour Lord of Scotlandâ— and to you I make my fidelitie for the sayd Kingdome which I hold and claime of you and shall do you service for the same so God me helpe and these holy Evangelists and therewithall with consent of all the Nobility the Protector gave him to Wife Iane Daughter to the
deceased Duke of Somerset and Cosen Germane to the King with a large Dowry and married them at St. Mary-Overys in Southwarke yet all this curtesie could not keep him afterward from being unfaithfull and unthankfull And now the Protector sent over to the Regent ten thousand wel furnished Souldiers with which fresh succour he wonne many Townes and places of strength which the French seeing and finding themselves too weak by plaine force to withstand the English they sought by subtilty to compasse their ends and first they worke upon the inconstancie of the Duke of Brittaine and his brother Arthur by King Henry the fifth created Earle of Yewry whom by gifts and promises they suborned perfidiously to deliver over into their possession the Castles of Crotoye and Yerney but the English before the French Garrisons were setled fell upon Crotoye and recovered it and that done the Regent besieged Yerney and by secret mining and violent Batteries so shooke the Walls that they agreed to yeild it up if not relieved by a certaine time whereupon the Duke of Alaâ—son with sixteene thousand French came to the rescue but perceiving the English to be prepared to receive them he wheeled about to Verâ—oyle and swore to the Townsmen that hee had put the Regent to flight and rescued Yerney which they believing rendrâ—d up Vernoyle to him but the Regent followed him thither when by the encouragement of some fresh Companies of Scots come to his succour he came to a battell in the field where the English with the losse of two thousand one hundred common Souldiers and two of the Nobility the Lord Dudley and the Lord Charleton got the honor of the day and slew of their enemies five Earles two Viscounts twenty Barons and above seven thousand other of the French besides two thousand seven hundred Scots lately arrived and tooke Prisoners the Duke of Alanson himselfe the Lord of Herâ—ys and divers other French and Sir Iohn Tourâ—â—ull and two hundred Gentlemen besides common Souldiers This battell was fought the eight and twentieth day of August in the yeare 14â—4 and thereupon Vernoyle was presently redelivered After this the Earle of Salisbury with ten thousand men taketh in the strong Towne of Mâ—â—â—ts the Towne of St. Susan the Fort Sâ— Bernard and others from thence he went to Aâ—jou where he performed such heroicke Acts that his very name grew terrible in all France as for instance the new High-Constable perfidious Richmond with forty thousand men layd Siege to the good Town of St. Iames in Benyoâ— the Garrison whereof consisted but of six hundred English who being driven to some extremity sallied forth crying Saâ—nt George a Salisbury which word of Salisbury so frighted the French thinking hee had been come to rescue them that casting away their weapons they ran all away saving some few that yielded themselves prisoners leaving all their Tents fourteen Peeces of Ordnance forty Barrels of Powder three hundred Pipes of Wine much Armour and some treasure behinde them After which other Castles as that of Beamâ—â—t of Vicount Tenney Gilly Osce Rusey Vasicke and many more were taken in by Sir Iohn Monâ—gomery and Sir Iohn Falstaffe so as once againe the French are glad to betake themselves to their old course of fraud they compounded with a Gascoigne Captaine for delivery of Alâ—â—son to them whereof the Regent having notice he sent the Lord Willoughby and Sir Iohn Falstaffe to prevent it who encountering with Charles de Villiers that with two hundred horse and three hundred foot was come to the place appointed for entry tooke and slew them all except some few horse which saved themselves by flying After which the Earle of Salisbury tooke in and demolished above forty Castles and strong Piles for which there was publique thanksgiving to God in London Whil'st these things were done in France an unkinde variance fell out betweene the Protector and his brother the Bishop of Winchester Lord Chancellor for appeasing whereof the Regent having substituted the Earle of Warwick Lievtenant Generall in his absence came into England where in a Parliament he compounded all differences between them in honour whereof king Henry kept a solemne feast at which time the Regent dubbed the King knight not yet above foure yeares old and then the King presently invested with that dignity many of his servants and Edmund Mortimer the last Earle of March at this time dying his Inheritance descended to Richard Plantagenet sonne and heire to Richard Earle of Cambridge beheaded at Southampton who was now created Duke of York was afterward father to king Edward the fouâ—h and at this time also Iohn Mowbray sonne and heire to Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk banished before by king Richard the second was restored to the Title of Duke of Norfolk And now all things peaceably setled in England the Regent with the Bishop of Winchester returned into France where at the intercession of the Duke of Burgoigne the Duke of Alanson was ransomed for two hundred thousand Crownes and the Bishop of Winchester returned to Callice where he was invested with the dignity and Hat of a Cardinall which his brother the Regent put upon his head About this time the Duke of Glocester Protector tooke some blemish in his honour by marying another mans wife Iâ—queline Countesse of Haynoult Holland and Zealand who was maried before to Iohn Duke of Brabant yet living and had lived with him ten moneths as his lawfull wife but at that time upon some discontent gone from him intending to be divorced at which injury offered to the Duke of Brabaâ—t the Duke of Burgoigne being his Cosin tooke so great offence that first by friendly letters he admonished the Duke of Glocester of it and that not prevailing they grew to termes of challenge and a Combat between them was appointed but in the meane time the Lady betrayed was caried to the Duke of Burgoigne who conveyed her to Gaunt from whence by friendship of a Burgonian knight in mans apparell she escaped into Holland and there made a defensive warre against her husband the Duke of Brabant and the Duke of Burgoigne To her ayd the Duke of Glocester sent the Lord Fitzwater with a Power of a thousand men but she being discomfited by the Duke of Brabant and the Pope also pronouncing the first mariage legall the Duke of Glocester deserted her and then tooke for a second wife Eleanor daughter of the Lord Cobham of Sterborough his old mistresse and the Lady Iaqueline after the death of Iohn Duke of Brabant maried a meane Gentleman whom the Duke of Burgoigne imprisoned and brought herselfe to live in much trouble And now in France the Constable with forty thousand men besieged the Town of S. Iames de Benuron and having made a breach fit for assault whilst his Captaines stood streining of courtesie which of them should first enter Sir Nicolas Burdet with all his forces sallied forth crying aloud A Salisbury a Suffolk whose names struck such
the Dutchesse of Bedford and the Lady Scoleâ— to intercede for hâ—m to the Queen and to excuse his not using force considering how dangerous it might be in these doubtfull times to stirre their fury that would not easily be aâ—layed It was well advised to send women to intreate a woman for by this means they prevailed that some of the Lords of the Counsell with a guard of foure hundred good souldiers were appointed to goe for London to enquire and certifie of these things when suddenly news was brought that the Earle of March with a great Arâ—y was marching towards them for the Earle of VVarwicke having gathered together his scattered troops and joyned with the Earle of March they hasted towards Loâ—don and were joyfully received upon the eight and twentieth day of February and upon Sunday the second of March the Earle of Warwick mustred all his army in S. Iohn's field and having cast them into a ring read unto them the agreement of the last Pâ—â—liament and then demanded whether they would have King Henry to raign still who all cryed no no then he asked them whether they would have the Earle of March eldest sonne of the Duke of Yorke by that Parliament proclaimed King to raigne over them who with a great clamor cryed yea yeaâ— Then went there certaine Captaines and others of the Citty to the Earle of March at Baynards Castle to acquaint him with wâ—at was passed who at first seemed to excuse himselfe aâ— unable to execâ—â—e so greaâ— a charge but animated by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London and Exeter and the Earle of VVarwick he at last consented to take it upon him and thereupon the next morning he wept in Procession at Pauls and offered there and after Te Deum sung he was in great state conveyed to VVestminster and there in the great Hall seated in the Kings seat with the Scepter of St. Edwâ—â—d in his hand and then again the people of whom there was a great concourse were aloud demanded if they would acknowledge him to be their King to which with great willingnesse they all cried yea yea Then taking homage of divers Noblemen there present he was with Procession and great solemnity conveyed to the Abbey and placed in the Quiâ—e as King whil'st Te Deum was singing That done he offered at St. Edâ—ards Shrine and then returned by water to Pauls and was lodged in the Bishops Pallace and upon the fouâ—th of March he was generally Proclaimed King by the name of Edward the Foâ—râ—h And here in the course of all Writers ends the Reigne of King Heâ—ry the Sixth that it may be truly sayd never any came to be King so soone â—fter his birth nor left to be King so long before his death for he came to be King at eight monâ—ths old and he left to be King living twelve years after There was indeed in that space of time a certaine Vicissitude sometimes a King and sometimes no King the passages wher of must be related in the following Kings Reigne Of hiâ— Taxatioâ—s IN the first yeare of his Reigne a Parliament was holden at London where the Queen Mother with the young king in her lap came and sate amongst the Lords and there was then granted a Subsidie of five Nobles upon every sacke of wooll that should passe out of the Land for three years but if carried out by Merchant strangers then to pay three and forty shillings for every sacke In the third year of his Reigne a Parliament was holden at Westminster wherein was granted a Subsidie of twelve pence in the pound of all Merchandize comming in or passing out of the Realme and three shillings of a Tonne of Wine for the terme of three years In his sixth year in a Parliament at Wesâ—â—inster was granted a Subsidie of every Tonne of Wine three shillingsâ— and of other Merchandize except Wooll Fell and Cloth twelve pence in the pound Also of every Parish through the Realme except Cities and Boroughes the Benefice being in value ten Markes Tenne of thâ—t Parish shall pay sixe shillings eight pence and of every Benefice of the value of ten pounds ten Parishioners should pay thirteen shillings foure peâ—ce and so rateably of every Benefice from the lowest to the highest And for the Inhabitants of Cities and Boroughes every man being worth twenty shillings above his housholdstuffe and the apparell of him and his wife should pay foure pence and so after that rate to the richest Of Lâ—wes and Ordiâ—ances in his time IN this kings time the Lord Major of Londâ—â— first began to go by water â—o Loâ—doâ— where before they used to go by land Also in this Kings Reigne the Art of Printing waâ— first found at Mogâ—â—ce in Germaâ—y by a knight called Iohn Cuttenbergheâ— and brought into England by William Caxton of Loâ—don Mercer who first practised the same in the Abbey at Westminster in the yeare 1471. In the 23 yeare of his Reigne in a Parliament then holden it was Enacted that when Wheat was soâ—d for six shillings eight pence the quarter Rye for foâ—â—e shillings and Barley for three shillings It should be lawfull for any man to carry the sayd kindes of Corn into the parts beyond the Sea without license so it were not to the kings enemies or Rebelâ— which Act was afterward confirmed by king Edward the Fourth Affaâ—â—es of the Church in his time A Great Schisme was in the Church in this kings time by reason of Anti-popes for remedy whereof a Councell is called at Coâ—staâ—ce to which the Emperors of Constantiâ—ople and Trabizâ—nd send their Ambaâ—â—adors In this Councell Iohâ— the three and twentieth is convented condemned deposed and imprisoned Grâ—gory the twelveth and Benedict the thirteenth are deprived and Otho Colonnâ— by the name of Martin the fifth is chosen Pope During these confusions in the Westerne Church the Christians in the Easterne Church are utterly ruinated The Emperor smothered to death in a prease of people and the great City of Constantinople wonne by the Turke made ever since the seate of his Empire In the sixâ— and thirtieth yeare of this king Reynold Peacocke Bishop of Chichester who had laboured many yeares in Translating the holy Scripture into English was accused and convicted for holding and publishing certaine opinions at that time held Hereticall which at last openly at Pauls Crosse he revoked That he had held there was no necessity to believe that Christ descended into Hell also no necessity to believe in the communion of Saints or that the Universall Church cannot erre in matters of Faith or that it is necessary to believe and hold whatsoever a Generall Councell shall determine Also that he had held that spirituall persons ought to have no Temporall Possessions and that personall Tythes were not due by Gods Law these Points he openly renounced but was notwithstanding deprived of his Bishopricke only a certaine Pension was assigned him to live on in an Abbey where soone after he dyed
the Duke of Glocester his brother the L. Hastings his Chamberâ—â—â—â—â— who having married the Earle of VVarwickâ— sister yet coâ—tinued ever true to 〈◊〉 Edward and the Lord Scales brother to the Queen he departed into Liâ—colâ—shire and câ—mming to Lyn he found there an English Ship and two Hulâ—s of Holland ready to make sayle whereupon he with the forenamed Lords and about seven or 〈◊〉 hundred persons entred the Ship having no provision with him but only the apparell they wore and so bare of money that he was faine to reward the Master of 〈◊〉 Ship with one of his Garments and thus making course towards the Duke of 〈◊〉 Country they were presently chased by eight great Ships of Easterlings opâ—n Enemies both to England and France which drove him before a Towne in the Country called Alquemare belonging to the Duke of Burgoigne where by châ—nce the Lord Grunture Governour of that Country at that time was who defended them from the Easterlings and brought them to the Hâ—ge in Holland where they had all things ministred to them by order from the Duke of Burgoigne At this time upon news of the Earle of VVarwickâ— approach Queen Elizâ—beth foâ—saketh the Tower and secretly taketh sanctuary at VVestminster where in great pâ—nury forsaken of all her friends she was brought a bed of a sonne called Edward who like a poore mans childe was Christened the Godfathers being the Abbot and Pâ—yâ—r of Westminster and the Lady Scroope Godmother And now the Earle of Warwicke entring the Tower removes king Heâ—ry out of his hold of durance wheâ—e he had been almost nine years into his own lodging where he was served according to his Estate which the Earâ—e did more congratulate then tâ—e king himselfe Upon this sixth day of October king Henry accompanied with â—he Archbishop of Yorke the Pryor of S. Iohns the Bishop of London the Duke of Clâ—rence the Earle of Warwicke and other Noblemen apparelled in a long gown of â—lew Velvet was conducted through London â—o the Bishops Palace where he rested â—ill the thirteenth of â—hat moneth on which day he went in solemne procesâ—â—â—â—â—bout Paulâ— Church wearing his Imperiall Crown the Earle of Warâ—ick bearing up his trayne and the Earle oâ— Oxford the sword before him The next day in all usuall places about London king Edward was Proclaimed an Usurper 〈◊〉 all his partakers Traytors to God and the king whereof Iohn Lord Tipâ—ofâ— Earle of Worcester as a partaker with king Edward was made the first example Thiâ— Lord had been Lievtenant for King Edâ—ard in Ireland where having done something 〈◊〉 which he fled he was afterward found on the top of a high Tree in the Forresâ— of VVâ—â—bridge in the County of 〈◊〉 â—nd being there taken was brought to Loâ—doâ— Attainâ—ed and 〈…〉 the Tower hill and afâ—er buried at the Blackfryâ—rs About this time happenâ—◠〈…〉 to be related Sir Williâ—â— Hâ—â—kesford knightâ— one of 〈…〉 Jusâ—iâ—â—s â—t the Lâ—wâ— who dwelt at Annoâ—y in Dâ—voâ—sâ—ire a man of grea◠〈◊〉 and â—â—ving no soâ—ne â—he Lord Fitzâ—aâ—reâ— Siâ— Ioâ—â— Sâ—â—â—â—eger and Sir Williâ—◠〈◊〉 mâ—rried his dâ—ughteâ—â— and were his heiresâ— This mâ—n grew into such â— degâ—â—â— of Melancholyâ— thâ—t one 〈◊〉 he called to him the Keeper of hiâ— Parâ— châ—â—ging him 〈◊〉 nâ—gligence in suffering his Deere to be stoln and thereupon commâ—nded him â—hat if he met any man in his circuit in the night-time that would not stand or 〈◊〉 he shoâ—ld not sparâ— to kill him whatsoever he wereâ— The knight having thâ—â— laâ—d hiâ— foundâ—tion and meaning to end his dolefull dayes in â— certaine darke night seâ—â—â—â—ly conveyd himselfe out of his house â—nd walked alone in his Pâ—râ— The Keeper in hiâ— night-walk â—eâ—ring one stirring and comming towaâ—ds him asked who was there but no answer being made he willed him to standâ— which when he would not doe the Keeper shot and kâ—lled him and comming to see who he was foâ—â—d him to be hiâ— Master On the twentieth dâ—y of 〈◊〉 a Pâ—rliâ—ment is held at VVestmiâ—ster wherein King Edward and all his pâ—rtakâ—â—â—â—re â—ttainâ—ed of high Treason and alâ— their Lands and Goods seized on to King 〈◊〉 use Geâ—â—ge Plâ—â—tâ—geneâ— Duke of Clarence is by authority of this Parliament adjudged heire to Richard Duke of Yorke his father and that Dutchy setled upon him and his heires notwithstanding the Primogeniture of Edward upon him also waâ— entailed the Crown of England in case heires males of the body of King Heâ—ry fâ—iled Iasper Earle of Pembrooke and Iohn Earle of Oxford are fully restored â—o their Lands â—nd Honourâ— and VVaâ—wick and Clâ—rence are made Governours of the King and kingdomeâ— To this Parliament came the Mâ—rquesse Montacute eâ—cusing himselfe that â—or â—eare of deaâ—h he had taken King Edwards part which excuse was accepted Queâ—n Margaret iâ— sent for into France but by reason of contrary windes was kept back all that Winter About this time Iasper Earle of Pembrooke going into VVales to view his lands in Pembrookeshire found there the Lord Henry borne of Margaret the onely daughter and heire of Iohâ— the first Duke of Somâ—rset not being then full ten years of age kept in manner like a captive but honourably brought up by the Lady Herbert him he brings with him to Loâ—doâ— and pâ—esents him to King Henry whom when the Kiâ—g had a good while beheld he said to the Lords about him Loe this is he to whom both we and our adversaries leaving the possession of all things shall hereafter give place Which if it be true It shews a very Propheticall Spirit to have been in King Henry that could so long beforeâ— foretell a thing so unlikely to happen for this was he that was afterward King Hâ—â—ry the Seventh before whom at that time there were many lives in being of boâ—h the housâ—â— of Yorke and Lâ—ncaster Shortly after this by the Duke of Burgoignes means King Edward is furnished with eighteen tall ships two thousand Dutchmen and fifty thousand florens of gold and thus furnished he took to Sea and landed at Ravenspurre in Yorkeshire where he found but cold entertainment neverthelesse he made a wary march to Yorke where likewise he found no great expression of welcome so as he was forced to change his pretence swearing deeply and receiving the Sacrament upon it that he came not to disturbe King Henry but only to recover his own inheritance and for the more shew thereof wearing an Estrichâ— feather Prince Edwards livery which â—roposition seemed so â—easonable that many who resisted him before were as ready to assist him now and if he be blamed for breaking his Oath it must be considered It was Regâ—i causa to recover his Kingdome which perhaps was the Inheritance he meant when he took his Oath that he intended nothing but to recover his Inheritance and so he brake not his Oath neither From Yorke he marched towards Wakefiâ—ld and Sendall leaving the Castle of Pomfret upon his left handâ— where the Marquesse Montacute with his Army
Ireland from Dublin where the Duke was born is in his Masters absence by the procurement underhand of the Duke of Glocester indicted â—rraigned condemned and executed at Tyburne for a Conjurer and all within the space of two dayes and the Duke of Glocester to make shew that he had no hand in this fellows death set on the Duke of Clarence to complaine of it to King Edward and in the mean time finds matter at least colour of matter to make him be committed to the Tower â—nd then againe to make shew he had no hand in his imprisonment bids him be of good cheere for it should not be long ere he would see him released and he kept his word for not long after by his procurement he was drowned in a But of Malmesey and this was his releasement and then laid in his bed to make the people believe that he died of discontent whose death King Edward though perhaps consenting to it so much resented that afterwards when he was sued unto for any mans Pardon he would â—ighing break out into such words Oh unfortunate brotherâ— for whose life not one man would open his mouth Being dead he was buried at Tewkesbury in Glocestershire by the body of his Dutchesse who great with childe dyed of Poyson a little before It was now the two and twentieth yeere of King Edwards Reigne when Iames King of Scotland sent Ambassadors to treate of a Mariage between his eldest sonne Iames Duke of Rothsay and Cicely king Edwards second daughter This overture for a March was by the king and his Councell readily imbraced and a great part of the Portion was delivered to the Scots with this Proviso That if the mariage diâ— not proceed the Provost and Merchants of Edenbourgh should be bound to repâ—y it againe But the Scotish king who had other fantasies in his head and would take counsell of none but his owne will and diverted also perhaps by the king of France not onely dallyed the proceeding in the maâ—ch but affronted those of the Nobility thâ—t perswaded him to it in so much that his Brother the Duke of Albany was enforced to abandon the Country and to flie for refuge into England by whom king Edward being informed of king Iames his fickle disposition was so much incensed that under the conduct of the Duke of Glocester accompanied with the Duke of Albany he sent an Army of twenty thousand against Scotland who in their way took in Barwick and besieged the Castle which being resolutely defended by the Earle Bothwell the Duke left the Lord Stanley to continue the siege whil'st he wiâ—h the rest of the Army marched towards Edenbourgh where within the Castle of Maydens king Iames had immur'd himselfe But the Nobility of Scotland seeing the danger they were in endeavoured by humble submission to procure a peace at least a cessation from war which with much importunity they obtained upon these Conditions That full satisfaction should be presently given for all dammages sustained by the late incursions That the Duke of Albany should be fully restored to grace and place with an abolition of all discontents between his brother king Iames and him That the Castle of Barwicke which had been now out of the Possession of the English one and twenty yeers should immediately be surrendred into the Generals hands and from thence no reduction of that or the Town attempted That all such summes of money as upon the proposition of the marriage had been delivered should be repaid All which except the first Article were accordingly pâ—â—formed When this busines with Scotland was indifferently accomodated King Edward receivâ—s intelligence from his Ambassadour-Leidger in France that the French King not only denied the payment of the annuall Tribute of fifty thousand crowns agreed upon and sworn to upon the ratification of the late concluded Peace but had also married the Dolphin of France to the Lady Margaret daughter of Maximillâ—n Sonne of the Emperour which so much incensed K. Edward that he resolves to revenge it and by the advise of his Counsell open warre was presently Proclamed against France but whil'st King Edward is making preparation and intentive to the busines he is attached by the hand of death and upon the ninth of April in the yeer 1483 at Westminster ended this mortall life Of his Taxations IN his second yeer he sent his Privy Seale through England to move men to give him a certaine summe of money towards resisting the Scots whâ—ch was granted and given liberalâ—y In his seventh yeer in a Parliament at Westminster were â—â—sumed all manner of gifts which the King had given from the first day he tooke possession of the Realm to that time In his eighth yeer at a Parliament were grantâ—d two Fifteens and a Demy In his thirteenth yeer a Parliament was holden wherein a Subâ—idie was granted and the yeer following towards warre to be undertaken in France a new way of raysing money is devised called a Benevolence by which great summes of money were gotten of the Subject and it is not unworthy the relating what an old rich Widdow at this time did whom King Edward amonstothers having called before him merrily asked what she would willingly give him towards his great charges By my troth quoth shee for thy lovely countenance thou shalt have even twenty pounds The King looking scarce for half that summe thanked her and lovingly kist her which so wrought with the old widdow that she presently swore he should have twenty pound more and payd it willingly Noâ— long before his death he was by ill Counsellours put upon a distastefull course for raysing of mony which was by fining men for delinquencies against Penall Statures by which course some money was gathered but before it came to full execution he dying that also dyed with him Of his Lawes and Ordinances IN his fourth yeer he newly devised the Coyne both of Gold and Silver as aâ— this day it is the Gold he named Royals and Nobles the Silver Groats and 〈◊〉 Groats the new Groate weighing scantly three pence and the Noble of six shillings eight pence appointed to goe for eight shillings foure pence In his fifth yeer it was Proclamed in England that the Beakes or Pykes of Shooes and Bootes should not passe two Inches upon paine of Cursing by the Clergie and forfeiting twenty shillings to be paid one noble to the King another to the Cordwayners of London and the third to the Chamber of London and for other Countries and Towns the like order was taken Before this time and since the yeer 1382. the Pykes of Shooes and Bootes were of such length that they were faine to be tyed up to the Knees with chaines of Silver and gilt or at least with silken laces Affaires of the Church in his time IN this Kings time the Jubile which was before but every fiftieth yeer was by Pope Sixâ—â—â— the fourth brought to be every five and twenty yeer Also where before this time
as â—he Parliament was dissolved he fled secretly into Flâ—nders to his Aunt the Lady Margaret Dâ—tchesse of Burgoigne between whom it was concluded that he and the Lord Lâ—vell should goe into Ireland and there attend upon the Counterfeit Warwicke and honour him as kingâ— and with the power of the Irishmen bring him into England but it was concluded withall that if their actions succeededâ— then the Counterfeiâ— Warwicke should be deposed and the true be delivered out of prison and anoynted King And to this purpose the Earle of Lincolâ— by the aide of the Lady Margaret had gotten together two thousand Almaines with one Martin Swart a valiant and expert Captaine to be their leader With this power the Earle sayled into Ireland and at the City of Dublin caused young Lambert the Counterfeit Warwicke in most solemne manner first to be Proclaimed and after to be Crowned king of Eâ—gland and then with a great number of beggerly and unarmed Irishmen under the Conduct of the Lord Thomas Gerardine Earle of Kildâ—re they sayled into England and landed at a place called the Pile of Fowdray not farre from Lancaster hoping there by the meanes of Sir Thomas Broughton a powerfull man in that Country to have their Army both furnished and increased King Henry hearing that the Earle of Lincolne was landed at Lancaster assembled a great Army Conducted by the Duke of Bedford and the Earle of Oxford and with these he marched to Nottingham and there by a little wood called Bowres he pitched his field whither there came unto him the Lord George Talbot Earle of Shrewsbury â—he Lord Strange Sir Iohn Cheyney and divers other Knights and Gentlemen In which mean time the Earle of Lincolne being entred into Yorkeshire passed quietly on his journy without doing spoile or hurt unto any trusting thereby to have won the people to come to his aide but when he perceived few or none to resort unto him he then determined to venture a battell with the Army he had already and thereupon tooke his way from Yorke to Newarke upon Trent King Henry understanding which way he took came the night before the battell to Newarke and going three miles further neer to a little Village called Stoke there waited the approach of the Earle of Lincolne So the next day they joyned battell where after a long fight of at the least three houres though the Almaines and specially their Captaine Martin Swart behaved themselves most valiantly yet their Irâ—sh being in a manner but naked men were at last overthrown foure thousand slaine and the rest put â—o flâ—ght but not one of their Capâ—aines for the Earle of Lincolne the Lord Lâ—vell Sir Thomas Broughton Martin Swart and the Lord Gerardine were all found dead in the very place where they had stood fighting that though they lost the battell yet they wonne the reputation of hardy and stout souldiers Onely of the Lord Lovell some report that attempting to save himselfe by flight in passing over the river of Trent was drowned On the kings part though some were slaine yet not any mâ—n of note This battell was fought on a Saturday observed as alwayes fortunate to king Henry being the sixteenth of Iune in the second year of king Henries reigne The young Lambert and his Master Simond the Priest were both taken and both had their lives saved Lambert because but a Childe Sâ—mond becâ—use a Priest yet Symoâ—d was kept in prison Lambert was taken into the kings kitchin to turn the spit in the turne of his fortune and at last made one of the kings Fauâ—kners In the beginning of his third yeer king Henry having been in Yorkeshire to settle the mâ—ndes of that people about the midst of August came to Newcastle upon Tine and from thence sent Ambassadours into Scotland Richard Fox lately before made Bishop of Exceter and Sir Richard Edgecombe Comptroller of his House to conclude a Peace or Truce with Iames king of Scots A Peace by reason of the peoples backwardnes could not be obtained but a Truce was concluded for the term of seven yeers with a promise from the king that it should be renued before the first seven yeers should be expired At this time Ambassadours came from the king of Franceâ— to king Henry who declared that their Master king Charles was now at warre with Francis Duke of Britaiâ—e for that he succoured the Duke of Orleance and other Rebels against the Realme of France and therefore requested that for the old familiarity that had been between them he would either aâ—â—ist him or not assist the Duke but stand Neâ—ter King Heâ—ry answered that having received courteâ—ies from them both he would doe his uttermost endeavour to make them friends and to that end as soon as the French Ambassadours were departed he sent Christopher Vrswick his Chaplain over into France who should first goe to the French king and after to the Duke of Britaine to mediate a Peace between them In the time of Vrswicks Ambassage king Henry caused his Wife the Lady Elizabeth to be Crowned Queen on Saiâ—t Katherines day in November with all solemnity and at the same time delivered the Lord Thomas Marquesse Dorset out of the Tower and received him againe into his former favour Vrswick travelled between the two Princes to procure a Peace but they though making a shew to incline to Peace yet prepared for warre and offers on neither side would be accepted In which time Edward Lord Woodâ—ile Uncle to the Queen made suite to the king for leave to goe over with a power of men in aide of the Duke of Britaine which suâ—e though the king denied yet the Lord Woodvile would venture it and with a power of â—oure hundred able men got secretly over and joyned with the Britaine 's against the French This the French king took ill at king Henries hand but being informed that it was against the kings will he seemed satiâ—fied and a Peace was concluded between Frâ—â—â—e and England to endure for twelve months But in conclusion king Henry finding that the French king dealt not râ—ally with him but only held him on with pretencesâ— he called his high Court of Parliamenâ— requiring their advice what was fit to be done where it was conâ—â—uded that the Duke of Britaine should be aided and to that end great â—ummes of money were by Parliament granted This Determination of the Parliament king Henry signifies to the French king hoping it would have wrought him to some terms of Peaceâ— But the king of France little regarding it proceeded on in his violent courâ—es against the Britaines so as at last on â—he eight and twentieth day of Iuly the Britaines gave battell to the French neer to a Town called 〈◊〉 having apparelled seventeen hundred of the Britaiâ—â— in Coâ—â— with â—ed â—rosseâ— after the English fashion to make the Frenchmen believe â—hey were all English although in â—eed they had no more English than the foure hundred of the Lord Woodvile But
accompaniâ—d with his sonne in law the Lord Clinton Sir Matthew Browne Sir Iohn Digâ—y Iohn Werton Richard Wetherill and others to the number of fifteen hundred took shipping at Sandwich and passing over to the said Lady Regent did her there great service for which Iohn Norton Iohn Fogge Iohn Scott and Thomas Lynde were knighted and then with many thanks and rewards returned not having lost in all the Journey by warre or sicknesse above an hundred men In the third yeer of King Henryes Reigne one Andrew Barton a scottish Pirate was grown so bold that he robbed English-men no lesse then other Nationsâ— till the King sent his Admirall Sir Edward Howard to represse him who in a fight so wounded the said Barton that he died and then taking two of his ships brought the men prisoners to London and though their offence deserved no lesse then death yet the King was so mecifull as to pardon them all provided they departed the Realme within twenty dayes The King of Scotts hearing the death of Barton and taking of his ships sent to King Henry requiring restitution but King Henry answered his Herauld that he rather looked for thanks for sparing their lives who so justly had deserved death In the third yeer also of King Henryes Reigne the French King made sharpe Warre against Pope Iulius the second whereupon King Henry wrote to the French King requiring him to desist from his Warre against the Pope being his friend and confederate but when the King of France little regarded his request he then sent him word to deliver him his Inheritance of the Dutchy of Normandie and Guyen and the Countryes of Angiou and Mayne as also his Crown of France or else he would recover it by the sword But when the King of France was not moved with this threatning neither King Henry then joyning in league with the Emperour Maximilian with Ferdinand King of Spaine and with divers other Princes resolved by advise of his Councell to make warre on the King of France and to that end made preparation both by Sea and Land This yeer the King kept his Christmas at Greenwich in a most Magnificent manner On New-yeers day was presented one of his Joviall Devises which onely for a Patterne what his showes at other times were I thinke fit to set downe at large In the Hall was made a Castle garnished with Artillery and weapons in a most warlike fashion and on the Front of the Castle was written la Forteresse Dangerense within the Castle were six Ladies clothed in russet Sattin laid all over with leaves of gold On their heads Coyfes and Caps of gold After this Castle had been carried about the Hall and the Queen had beheld it in came the King with five other apparelled in Coates one halfe of russet-Satten with spangles of fiâ—e gold the other halfe of rich cloath of gold on their heads Caps of russet Sattin embrodered with works of fine gold These six assaulted the Castle whom the Ladies seeing so lusty and couragious they were contented to solace with them and upon further communication to yeeld the Castle and so they came downe and daunced a long space after that the Ladyes led the Knights into the Castle and then the Castle suddenly vanished out of their sights On Twelfth day at night the King with eleven more were disguised after the maner of Italie called a Maske a thing not seen before in England They were apparelled in garments long and broad wrought all with gold with Vysors and Caps of gold And after the banket done these Maskers came in with six Gentlemen disguised in silke bearing staffe Torches and desired the Ladyes to dance and after they had danced and communed together tooke their leave and departed The five and twentieth of Ianuary began the Parliament of which was speaker Sir Robert Sheffield knight where the Archbishop of Canterbury shewed the wrong which the King of France did to the King of England in with-holding his Inheritance from him and thereupon the Parliament concluded that Warre should be made on the French King and his Dominions At this time King Ferdinand of Spaine having Warre with the French King wrote to his Sonne in law King Henry that if he would send over an Army into Biskey and invade France on that side he would aid them with Ordnance Horses and all other things necessary whereupon Thomâ—s Gray Marquesse Dorset was appointed to go and with him the Lord Howard Sonne and heiâ—e to the Earle of Sâ—rry the Lord Brooke the Lord Willoughby the Lord Ferrers the Lords Iohn Anthony and Leonard Grey all brothers to the Marquesse Sir Grisseth ap Ryce Sir Maurice Barkeley Sir William Sands the Baron of Bâ—râ—ord and Sir Richard Cornwall his brother William Hussey Iohn Melton William Kingstâ—n Esquires and Sir Henry Willoughby with divers others to the number of ten thousand who taking ship at Southampton oâ— the sixteenth of Maâ—â— the third of Iune they landed on the coast of Biskey whither within three dayes after their arrivall came from the King a Marquesse and an Earle to welcome them but of such necessaries as were promised there came â—one so as the English being in some want of victualls the King of Navarre offered to supply them which they accepted and promised thereupon not to molest his Territories After the Army had lyen thirty dayes looking for aid and provision from the King of Spaine at last a Bishop came from the King desiring theâ— to have patience a while and very shortly he would give them full contentmeâ—t In the mean time the Englishmen forced to feed much upon Garlick and 〈◊〉 drink of hoâ—t Wines fell into such sicknesse that many of them dyed at least eighteen hundred persons which the Lord Marquesse seeing he sent to the King to know his pleasure who sent him answer that very shortly the Duke of Alvâ— should come with a great power and joyne with him and indeed the Duke of Alva came forward with a great Army as if he meant to joyne with him as was promised but being come within a dayes Journey he suddenly turned towards the Realme of Navarre and entring the same chased out the King and Conquered the Kingdom to the King of Spaines use This Spanish policie pleased not the English who finding nothing but words from the King of Spain and being weary of lying so long idle they fell upon some small Townes in the border of Guyen but for want of Horses as well for service as draught were unable to performe any great matter at which time being now October the Lord Marques fell sick and the Lord Howard supplied his place of General to whom the King of Spaine once again sent excusing his present coming and requiring him seeing the time of yeer was now past that he would be pleased to break up his Army and disperse his Companies into Townes thereabouâ— till the nexâ— spring when he would not faile to make good all his promises
great to enter the Bay he caused certaine Boaâ—es to be manned forth thinking thereby to toule out the French but when this neither would draw them to come abroad he then called a Councell where it was determined that first they should assayle Prior Iohn and his Gallies lying in Blankesable Bay and after set upon the rest of the French Fleeâ—e in the Haven of Brest and it was further appointed that the Lord Ferrers Sir Stephen Bull and others should go on land with a convenient number to assault the Bulworkes which the French had there made while the Admiâ—all with Row Bâ—rges and little Gallies entred into the Bay that so the Frenchmen might at once be assailed both by sea and land But though this were determined by the Councell of Warre â—et the Lord Admirall had a trick by himselfe for by the advise of a Spanish Knight called Sir Alphonso Charunt affirming that he might enter the Bay with little danger he called to him William Fiâ—s-VVilliams VVilliam Cooke Iohn Colley and Sir VVolston Browne as his most trusty friends making them privy to his intent which was to take on him the whole enterprize with their assistance only and so confident he was of successe that he wrote to the King to come thither in person to have the honour of the enterprize himselfe but it seemes the King had better Fates at least went not and thereupon on Saint Marks day the Admirall put himselfe in a small row Bâ—rge and appointing three other small row Ships and his own Ship-boat to attend him and therewith on a sudden rowed into the Baâ— where Pryor Iohn had moored up his Gallies just to the ground which Gallies with the Bulworks on the land shot most cruelly yet the Admirall went on and comming to the Gallies drove out the French-men The Bay was shallow and the other ships by reason the Tide was spent could not enter which the French-men perceiving they entred the Gallies againe with Morris Pikes and began a new fight whereupon the Admirall attempting to returne back into his row Bâ—rge which by violence of the Tide was driven downe the streame with a Pike was throwne over boord and drowned the just issue of his head-strong enterprize the forenamed Alphonso was also there slaine upon which sorrowfull accident the Lord Ferrers with the rest returned into England After whose departure Pryor Iohn came forth with his Gallies and coasting over the borders of Sussex burnt certaine poore Cottagesâ— but the King made suddenly a new Admirall the Lord Thomas Howard eldest Brother to him that was drowned sonne and heire of the Earle of Surrey who so skowrd the seas that the French were no more to be seen on any coast of England King Henry had hitherto performed Acts of Armes though in Jest yet with great magnificence he will not performe them with lesse being now in earnest and especially to deale with so potent aa adversary and therefore when it was concluded by Parliament that he should make a Warre in France himselfe in pâ—rson he sent before to prepare the way for him George Talbot Earle of Shâ—ewsbury high Steward of his Houshold accompanied with the Lord Thomas Stanley Earle of Derby the Lord Dowckeroy Pryor of Saint Iohns Sir Robert Ratcliffe Lord Fitswater the Lord Hastings the Lord Cobham Sir Riceap Thomas Sir Thomas Blunt Sir Richad Sacheverell Sir Iohn Digby Sir Iohn Askew Sir Lewis Bagot Sir Thomas Cornwall and others to the number of eight thousand who arrived at Callice about the middle of May after him in the end of May followed Sir Charles Somerset Lord Herbert Lord Chamberline accompanied with the Lord Percy Earle of Northumberland the Lord Gray Earle of Kent the Lord Stafford Earle of Wiltshire the Lord Dudley the Lord Delaware Sir Edward Hussey Sir Edward Dimmock Sir David Owen with others to the number of six thousand These Generalls joyning together issued out of Callice and on the two and twentieth day of Iune sate downe before the strong Towne of Terwin which City was strongly fortified and in it was Governour the Lord Poultreny who had with him six hundred Horsemen and five and twenty hundred Almans besides the Inhabitants Here at the very first happened two disasters to the English one that the Baron Carew was slaine with a shot from the Towne the other that Sir Nicholas Vaâ—x and Sir Edward Belknappe coming from Guysâ—es with four and twenty Carts of Provision were set upon by the Duke of Vendosme Lieutenant of Picardie and many of the English slaine and the Provision taken In this state was the English Campe at Terwin when King Henry the last day of Iune came himselfe to Callice and on the one and twentieth of Iuly took the field having in his Army of fighting men not above nine thousand but with Pyoners and others that attended the Cariages eleven thousand and three hundred men His foreward was led by Charles Brandon Viscount Lisle his maine Battaile by himselfe and Sir Henry Guildford carried his Standard and in this order he marched forward to the siege of Terwin entring upon the French ground the five and twentieth of Iuly On the morrow after by negligence of the Carters that mistook the way a great Gunne called the Iohn Evangelist was overthrowne in a deep Pond of water aud could not at that time be recovered but a few dayes after the Master Carpenter taking with him a hundred labourers went and weyed it up but having carted it ready to bring away was set upon by eight hundred French and the most of his company slaine the Gunne was taken by the French and carried to Bulloyne In the French Army were to the number of eleaven thousand footmen and four thousand Horse whereof were Captaines the Lord De la Palyce the Lord De Priennes the Duke De Longuevyle the Earle of Saint Paul the Lord of Floringes the Lord of Clermont and Richard De la Poole an English man sonne to Iohn Duke of Suffolke The Armies were come within two miles one of another and some light skirmishes passed between them specially one on a day called the dry Wednesday for the day was wonderfull hot and the King with his Army stood in order of battaile from six a clock in the morning till three in the afternoone after this the King removed towards Terwyn and as the Army marched another of the Kings Bombards of Iron called the Redde Gunne was overthrowne in a lane and there left which the French understanding went with a great power to fetch it away as they had done the other but the Lord Berners Captaine of the English Pyoners prevented them and though set upon by the French to the number of nine or ten thousand yet by the valour of the Earle of Essex and Sir Riceap Thomas with the bold adventures of Sir William Tyler and Sir Iohn Sharpe they recovered it and brought it safe to the Campe. On the fourth of August K. Henry came before the city
to come on land was to have disswaded the King from any Enterview with the French King but when he saw him â—o forward in that jourâ—ey he then onely endeavoured to perswadâ— him that he should put no trust in the French Kings words and with great guiâ—ts and promises prevailed with the Cardinall to joyne with him in this perswasion The last of May the Emperour tooke his leave and the same day the King made saile from Dover and landed at Callice together with the Queen and many Lords and Ladies The fourth of Iune the King and Queen removed from Callice to his Princely lodging beside the Towne of Guysnes the most Royall Building that was eâ—er seene likewise Francis the French King had his lodging prepared close to the Towne of Ard in a strange but most magnificent fashion Both Kings had given authority and power to the Cardinall to affirme and confirme â—o bind or unbind whatsoever should be in difference betweene them no lesse an honour to the Cardinall then a confidence in the Kings On Thursday the seavenâ—h of Iune the Kings met in the vale of Andren so magnificently attired both themselves and all their followers that from thence it was called â—he campe of cloath of Gold Heere they spent that day in loving complements and at night departed the one to Guysnes the other to Ard. On Satureday the ninth of Iune were set up in a place within the English pale two Trees of honour with stately roomes and stages for the Queens and thither the two Kings came most Royally accompanâ—ed wherein most magnificent manner they performed Acts of valour both on fooâ—e and horseback and after them all the great Lords both of France and England did the like this solemnity of Justs and Maskes was continued to the foure and twentieth day of Iune at which time the Kings and Queenes tooke leave of each other the French King and Qâ—eene removed to Ard the King and Queene of England to Callice where he remained till the tenth of Iuly and then ridings â—oward Graveling was by the way met by the Emperour and by him conducted thithet and there in most royall manner enteâ—tained whereof when the French King heard he began from that day forward to have King Henry in a kinde of jelousie as though to love him and the Emperour both were inconsistent and could not stand together On Wednesday the eleventh of Iuly the Emperor and his Aunt the Lady Margaret Dutchesse of Savoy came with the King of England to the town of Callice and there continued with Feasting Dancing and Masking till the fourteenth of Iuly In which time all the Articles of the league tripartito betweene the Emperour and the Kings of England and France were reviewed to which the King of France had so fully condiscended that he had sent Monsieur de Roche to the Emperor with Letâ—ers of credence that in the word of a Prince he would inviolably observe and keepe them all all which notwithstanding he dispenced with his conscience afterward in breaking them all On Saturday Iuly 14. the Emperor tooke his leave and went to Graveling the King with his Queene returned into England It was now the twelfth yeer of King Henries reigne when being returned from Callice he kept his Christmas at Greenwich with great magnificence on twelfth day he and the Earl of Devonshire maintained a solemn Justs against al commers The Cardinal had long born a grudg against the Duke of Buckingham for speaking certain words in his disgrace and now hath made his way for reveng for the Earl of Surrey Lord Admirall who had maried the Dukes daughter the Cardinall had caused to be sent Deputy into Ireland and the Earle of Northumberland the Dukes speciall friend he had caused upon certain suggested crimes to be Imprisoned so as the Duke having his friends sequestred from him he lay now open to accusations and accusations shall not long be wanting for the Duke having some time before put from him in displeasure one Charles Knevet that had been his Surveyar and inward with him him the Cardinall gets to him to see what he could get out of him against the Duke And whether it was out of desire of revenge or out of hope of reward or that the matter was so indeed this Knevet confessed to the Cardinall that the Duke had once fully determined to make away the King being brought into a hope to be King himselfe by a vaine Prophesie which one Nicholas Hopkins a Monke of an house of the Chartnar Order besides Bristow called Henton somtimes his Confessor had opened to him and as for the Cardinall that he had often heard the Duke sweare he would punish him soundly for his manifold misdoings And now had the Cardinall matter enough for Accusation which he so aggravated to the King that the King bid him do with him according to Law Hereupon the Duke is apprehended and brought to the Tower by Sir Henry Marney Captain of the Guard the fifteenth of April and shortly after in Guild-hal before Sir Iohn Brugge then Lord Major was indited of divers points of High-treason the substance whereof was that in the second yeer of the Kings reign and at divers times before and after he had imagined and compassed the Kings death at London and at Thornbery in Glocestershiâ—e and that in the sixth yeer of the Kings reign he went in person to the Priory of Henton and there had conference with the foresaid Nicholas Hopkins who told him he should be King and that he had often said to the Lord Aburgayne who had maried his daughter that if King Henry died without issue he would look to have the Crown himself Vpon these points hee was arraigned in Westminster-hall before the Duke of Norfolk sitting then as high Steward of Englaâ—d the Duke of Suffolk the Marquesse Dorset the Earls of VVorcester Devonshire Essex Shrewsbury Kent Oxford and Darby the Lords of Saint Iohns de la ware Fitz-water Willoughby Brook Cobhaâ— Herbert Morley The Duke pleaded for himself til he swet again but al booted â—ot for by these Peeres he was found guilty and condemned and so on Friday the seventeenth of May was led by Iohn Keyme and Iohn Skevington Sheriffes of London to the scaffold on Tower-hill and there beheaded The Augustine Friers took his body and head and buried them This Edward Bohun Duke of Buckingham was the last high Constable of England the greatest place next the high Steward in the kingdome whose Power extended to restrain some actions of the King He was also Earl of Hereford Stafford and Northampton he maried Elianor the daughter of Henry Earle of Northumberland and had issue Henry Lord Stafford Father to Henry Lord Stafford laâ—e living and three daughters Elizabeth maried to Thomas Hâ—ward Earl of Surrey Katherine maried to Ralph Nevil Earl of Wesâ—merland and Mary maried to George Nevill Lord of Abuâ—gaâ—enie In this meane while a new Warre was begun between the Emperour and
Lord Berners Lieutenant of the Towne On Munday he tooke ship at Callice and landed at Dover where the Cardinall with three hundred Lords Knights and Gentlemen received him and in great State brought him to the Castle where he was lodged On Wednesday being Ascention Even the King came to Dover and there with great joy and gladnesse the Emperour and he met On Friday in the afternoone they departed from Dover and came that night to Canterbury and from thence next day to Greenwich where the Queene received her Nephew with all the joy that might be Here to honour the Emperours presence Royall Justs and Turneys were appointed where the King the Earle of Dâ—vonshire and ten Aydes kept the place against the Duke of Suffolke the Marquesse Dorset and other ten Aydes on their part On Friday the sixth of Iune the Emperour and the King with all their companies went to London where the City received them with Pageants and other as rare deviceâ— as at a Coronation and the Emperour was lodged at the Blackfâ—yers and all his Lords in the new Palaces of Bridewell On VVhitsunday the King and the Emperour rode to the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul where the Cardinall sung Mâ—sse and had his Traverse and his Cupboord Before Masse two Barons gave him water and after the Gospel two Earles and at the last Lavatory two Dukes which pride the Spaniards much disdained After many Feastings in other places at last they rode to VVindsor where they stayed a whole weeke and there on Corpus Chrisâ—i day the Emperour wore his Mantle of the Garteâ— and sate in his owne Stall On the same day both the Princes received the Sacrament and took their oathes to observe the League concluded betweene them On the morrow after they came to Winchester before whose comming thither there was come to Hampton the Earle of Surrey Admirall of England with all the Kings Navy and with him the Lord Fitz-Water the Barron Curson Sir Nicholas Carew Sir Richard Winkâ—â—eld Sir Richard Ierningâ—am Francis Brian Sir William Barentine Sir Adrian Foskew Sir Edward Donne Sir Edward Chamberlaine Sir Richard Cornwall Sir Antony Poynes Sir Henry Shirborn and the Viceadmirall Sir William Fitz-Williams Sir Edmund Bray Sir Giles Capell Sir William Pirton Iohn Cornwallis Sir Iohn Walloppe Sir Edward Ichingham Sir VVilliam Sidney Anthony Browme Giles Husâ—ey Thomas Moore Iohn Rusâ—el Edward Bray Henry Owen George Cobham Thomas Oldâ—all Thomas Lovell Robert Ichingham Anthony Knevet Sir Iohn Tremaile Sir VVilliam Skevington Master of the Ordinance and Iohn Fabian Serjant at Armes by whom chiefly a dissâ—gne was moved though now noised onely that it was but to scowre the seas for the safe conducting of the Emperour For the Earle of Surrey having wafted the Emperour over to the coâ—st of Biskay upon his returne made to the coast of Brittaine and there landing seven thousand of his men marched to the Towne of Morleys and by assault took it having â—onne this Towne the Eâ—rle called to him certaine Gentlemen and made them Knights as Sir Francis Brian Sir Anthony Browne Sir Richard Cornwall Sir Thomas Moore Sir Giles Husâ—ey Sir Iohn Russell Sir Iohn Rainsford Sir George Cobham Siâ— Iohn Cornwallis Sir Edward Ridgley and some others and after the Earle had lien a while on the Coast of Brittaine he was commanded home by the Kings letters who thereupon brought back his whole fleet to a place caâ—led the Cow under the Isle of Wight and then went on land leaving diverse of of his ships under the Governaâ—ce of the Vice-admirall Sir William Fitz-VVilliams In this meane time diverse exploits were atchieved between them of the Garrison in the marches of Callice and the French men of Bulloigne where the French commonly had the worst but being of no great moment may well be passed over without relating Likewise at the same time the Lord Rosse and the Lord Dacres of the North appointed to keepe the Borders against Scotland burnt the Towne of Kelsie and fourescore Vilages and overthrew eighteene Towers of stone withall their Bulwarkes King Henry intending now to goe seriously on with his warres in France levied an Army which under the conduct of the Earle of Surrey he sent over to Câ—llice whither the Earle being come he divided his Army into three battailes the first was led by Sir Robert Ratcliffe Lord Fitz-water the middle-ward by himselfe and his brother the Lord Edmund Howard the reare-ward by Sir VVilliam Sands and Sir Richard VVinkfield both of them Knights of the Gaâ—ter and Sir Edward Guildford was Captaine of the horsemen In this order the Earle entred the French ground the second of September and took his Journey â—owards Hedring By the way there came to him a great Power of â—â—rgognias sent by the Lady Margaret according to the Articles of the League All the Townes Villages and Castles in the Countrey through which they passed they burnt and sacked as the Towne and Castle of Selloys the Towne of Brunâ—rigge Senekerke Botington and Manstier with divers others On the sixteenth of September they came before the Castle of Heding and laid siege unto it but the Castle being wel fortified the Earle having not battering Ordnance which by reason of the foule weather he could not bring with him after eleven dayes he raised his siege and passing from thence to Dorlens burnt the Towne and raced the Castle as also the Towne of Dortyer and then the yeer being farre spent came back to Callicâ— the sixteenth of October At this time the Duke of Albany being established Governour of Scotland raised an Army of fourscore thousand men with which he approached the bâ—â—ders but made no Invasion as thinking perhaps that the onely report of his great Army would fright the English but yet this stayed not the Lord Marquesse Dorset Warden of the east and middle Marches to enter into Tividale and so forward ten miles into Gallaway burning all townes and Villages on every side as he passed All that night he tarried within the Scottish ground and the next day being good-Friday withdrew back into England with a head of four thousand cattell having burned Grimseley Mowhowse Donford Myles Ackforth Crowling and many other Townes and Villages In King Henries fourteenth yeer on the fifteenth of Aprill began a Parliament which was holden at the Blackfryers whither the King came and there sate downe in his Royall Seate at his feet on the right side sate the Cardinall of Yorke and the Archbishop of Canterbury and at the Raile behinde stood Doctor Tunstall Bishop of London who making an Oration told there the causes of calling this Parliament which were as he said for remedying of mischiefs by the common Law as Recoveries Forraigne Vouchers and corrupt Triallsâ— and for making new Lawes for the good of the Common-wealth whereof notwithstanding no one word was spoken all the time of the Parliament nor any other thing done but a Subsedie granted but howsoever being commanded to chuse their Speaker they
chose Sir Thomas Moore who at first disabling himselfe at last made two Petitions to the King one for himselfe that if he should be sent by the Commons to the King on a Message and mistake their intenâ— he might then with the Kings pleasure resort again to the Commons to know their meaning The other for the House of Commons that if in communication and reasoning any man should speake more largely then of duty he ought to do yet all such offences should be pardoned and that to be entred of Record Which Petitions were granted and then the Parliament began where at first a Subsidie was demanded but as there was much adoe in the House of Commons about it so there was no lesse amongst the Clergey in the Convocation House for Richard Bishop of VVinchester and Iohn Bishop of Rochester were much against it but most of all one Rowland Philips Vicar of Croyden and a Canon of Pauls but the Cardinall taking him aside dealt so with him that he took him off so as he came no more to the Houseâ— and then the Bel-weather as one saith giving over his hold the rest soon yelded and so was granted the half of all their spiritual yeerly Revenues to be paid in five yeers following The Clergey being thus brought on on the nine twentieth of April the Cardinall came into the House of Commons to work them also and there shewing the great charges the King was necessarily to be at in his present Wars demanded the sum of eight hundred thousand pounds to be raised of the fifth part of every mans Goods and Lands which was four shillings of every pound This demand was enforced the day after by the Speaker Sir Thomas Moore but the Burgesses were all against it shewing that it was not possible to have it gathered in money for that men of Lands had not the fifth part thereof in Coyne And further alleadged that there be not many parishes in England one with another able to spare a hundred Marks except Cities and Townes and seeing there were not above thirteen thousand Parishes in the Kingdome at this day there are but 9285. how could such a summe be raised Hereupon certaiâ—e of the House were sent to move the Cardinall to be a meanes to the King to accept of a lesser summe but the Cardinall answered he would rather have his tongue plucked out of his mouth with a paire of Pinsors then make to the King any such motion Whereupon the Cardinall came again inâ—o the House and desired that he might reason with them that were against the demand to which it was answered that the order of that house was to heare and not to reason except amongst themselves When the Cardinall was gone the Commons after long debating the mâ—tter at last agreed of two shillings in the pound from twenty pounds upward and from forty shillings to twenty pounds of every twenty shillings twelve pence and under forty shillings of every head of sixteene yeeres and upwards foure pence to be paid in two yeeres when this was told to the Cardinall he was much offended so that to please him the Gentlemen of fifty pound Land and upward by the motion of Sir Iohn Hussey a Knight of Lincolneshire were charged with twelve pence more in the pound to be paid in three yeeres The Cardinall to move them to it bore them in hand that the Lords had agreed to foure shillings of the pound which was untrue for the Lords had granted nothing but stayed to see what the Commons would doe whereof when the King heard he reproved the Cardinall for it saying withall that ere it were long he would looke to things himselfe without any Substitute Which speech of the Kings though it daâ—ted the Cardinall for a while yet he soone recovered his Spirits and now as peremptory afterwards as he had been before After this the Parliament was prorogued till the tenth of Iune during with prorogation the Common people said to the Burgesses we heare say you will grant foure shillings of the pound we advise you â—o doe so that you may goe home with many like threatnings At this time the Cardinall by his power Legant me dissolved the Convocation at Pauls convoked by the Archbishop of Canterbury calling him and all the Clergy to his Convocation at Westminster which was never seene before in England saith Hall The one and thirtieth of Iuly the Parliament was adjourned to Westminster and there continuing till the thirteenth of August was that day at nine of the clock at night dissolved About this time the Bishop of Durham died and the King gave that Bishoprick to the Cardinall who resigned the Bishoprick of Bath to Doctor Iohn Clerke Master of the Rolles and Sir Henry Marney that was Vice-chamberlain was made Lord Privy Seale and shortly after was created Lord Marney also during this Parliament Sir Arthur Plantagenet bastard sonne to King Edward the fourth at Bridewell was created Vicount Lisle in right of his wife who was wise before to Edmund Dudley Beheaded The fifteenth of Iune in the fifteenth yeere of the Kings Reigne Christian King of Denmarke with his Queene driven out of his own Country came into England and was lodged at Bath place who after he had been feasted by the King and by the Citty of London and received great guifts of both returned again into Flanders where he remained as a banished man some yeers after King Henry sent Doctor Henry Standish Bishop of Saint Assaph and Sir Iohn Baker Knight into Denmarke to perswade the people to receive him againe into his Kingdome but they could not prevaile he was so much hated for his cruelty About this time the Earle of Kildare having recovered againe the favour of the Cardinall was sent Deputy into Ireland as he had bin before where he reduced the wilde Irish to indifferent conformity All this while had England warres both with the French and with the Scots In Scotland the Marquesse of Dorset threw downe the Castles of Wederborne of Nesgate of Blackater of Mackwals and burnt to the number of seven and thirty Villages yet never came to skirmish In France the Lord Sands Treasurer of Callice with twelve hundred men went before Bulloigne where he skirmished with the Enemie and after taking divers Churches and Castles in the Enemies Countreâ— returned backe to Callice with the losse onely of a dozen men King Henry being advertised that the Duke of Albanie was providing of Forces in France with which to returne into Scotland sent forth his Vice-admirall Sir William Fitz-williams with divers great Shippes to intercept him but when he could not meet with him he then landed in the Haven of Treporâ— where with seaven hundred men hee beat six thousand French that sought to impeach his landing took their Bulworks and much Ordnance in themâ— burned the suburbs of the town of Treport and all in five houres and then returned All this while King Henry had but played with the French
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
of Heraulds therein But this notwithstanding being no Lord of the Parliament he was tried by a common Jurie and by them was found guilty and thereupon had judgement of death and the nineteenth of Ianuary was beheaded on the Tower-hill The Duke was attainted by Parliament and kept in prison â—ill in the first yeer of Queen Mary the Attaindour was reversed The death of this Earle might lay an imputation of cruelty upon King Henry if a just jealousie growing from the many circumstances of the Earles greatnesse in the tender age of his owne Sonne did not excuse him Soone after the death of this Earle the King himselfe died having made his last Will in which he tooke order that his Sonne Edward should succeed him in the Crowne and he dying without issue his daughter Mary and she dying without issue his daughter Elizabeth although another order of succession had passed before by Act of Parliament The Executors of his last Will were these sixteene Thomas Cranmor Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Wriothsley Lord Chancellour Sir William Pawlet Lord Saint Iohn and great Master of the Houshold Sir Edward Seymor Earle of Hartford and high Chamberlin of England Sir Iohn Russell Lord Privie Seale Sir Iohn Dudley Viscount Lisle Lord Admirallâ— Cutbert Tunstall Bishop of Durham Sir Anthonie Browne Master of the Horse Sir Edmund Montacute Lord chiefe Justice of the Common-Pleas Sir Thomas Bromley one of the Justices of the Kings Bench Sir Edward North Chancellour of the Augmentation Sir William Paget Knight of the Order Sir Anthonie Dennie Sir William Herbert Sir Edward Wootton Treasurour of Callice and Nicholas VVootton Deane of Canterbury and Yooke To whom were adjoyned as assistance these twelve Henry Fitz Allan Earle of Arundell VVilliam Par Earle of Essex Sir Thomas Cheyney Treasurour of the Houshold Sir Iohn Gage Controlour Sir Anthony VVingfield Vice-chamberlaine Sir VVilliam Peter Principall Secretary Sir Richard Rich Sir Iohn Baker of Sissingherst in Kent Chancellour of the Exchequer Sir Ralph Sadler Sir Thomas Seymour Sir Richard Southwell and Sir Edward Peckham And it was not without need to leave a full Councell Table considering in what termes he left the Kingdome when he died Abroad in league with the Emperour at Peace with the King of France but whether these were not personall onely and no longer binding then King Henry lived might be doubted with the Scots at deadly send with the Pope at utter defiance from both which coasts there could be expected but little faire weather at home the frame of Religion extreamly disioynted and the Clergie that should set it in frame out of frame themselves the mindes of the people extreamly distracted and the Nobility that should cyment them scarce holding themselves together And in this stare was the Kingdome when King Henry the eight dyed in the yeer 1547. the fifty sixth of his life and of his Reigne the eight and thirtieth Of his Taxations IN his fourth yeer in a Parliament at Westminster was granted to the King two Fifteens of the Temporalty and two Tenths of the Clergie and Head-money of every Duke ten marke an Earle five pound a Barron â—oure pound a Knight foure markes and every man valued at eight hundred pounds in goods to pay â—oure markes and so after that rate till him that was valued at forty shillings and he paid twelve pence and every man and woman of fifteen yeers upward four pence In his sixth yeer a Parliament was holden wherin divers subsidies were granted to the King towards the charges of his wars in France in his fourteenth yeer order was taken by the Cardinall that the true value of all mens substance might be knowne and he would have had every man swom to tell what they were worth and required a â—enth part thereof towards the Kings charges in his present wars as the spiritualty had granted a fourth part this the Londoners thought very hard and thereupon were excused for taking oath and were allowed to bring in their bils upon their honesties but when all was done after much labouring by the Cardinall the Clergy granted one halfe of all their yeerly Spirituall Revenues for five yeers and the Temporalty two shillings in the pound from twenty pounds upwards and from forty shillings to twenty pounds of every twenty shillings twelve pence and under forty shillings of every head of sixteen yeers and upwards four pence to be paid in every two yeers in his sixteenth yeer the Cardinall of his owne head attempted by Comission to draw the People to pay the sixth part of every mans substance in plate or monie but this was generally opposed and the People in many Countries rise upon it so as comming to the Kings knowledg â—e utterly disavowed it and blamed the Cardinall exceedingly for attempting it In his foure and twentieth yeer in a Parliament then holden a fifteenth was granted to the King towards his charges of making fortifications against Scotland In his one and thirâ—ieth yeer a Subsidie of two shillings in the pound of lands and twelve of goods with foure fifteenes were granted to the King towards his charges of making Bulwarks In his five and thirtieth yeer a Subsidie was granted to be paid in three yeers every English-man being worth in goods twenty shillings and upwards to five pounds to pay four pence of every pound and from five pounds to ten pounds eight pence from ten pounds to twenty pound six penceâ— from twenty pounds and upwards of every pound two shilings strangers as wel denizens as others being inhabitants to pay double and for lands every English-man paid eight pence oâ— the pound from twenty shillings to five pounds from five pounds to ten pounds sixteen pence and from ten pounds to twenty pouâ—dâ— two shillings and from twenty pounds and upwards of every pound three shillings strangers double the Clergy six shillings in the pound of Benefices and every Priest having no Benifice but an Anual stipend six shillings eight pence yeerly during three yeers Of Lawes and Ordinances in his time IN a Parliament holden in his sixth yeere diverse Lawes were made but two most spoken of one for Apparell another for Labourers In his twelvth yeere he caused the Statutes against Inclosures to be revived and Commanded that decaied houses should be built up againe and that inclosed grounds should be laid open which though it did some good yet not so much as it might have done if the Cardinall for his owne benefit had not procured liberty for great men to keep up their inclosures to the oppression of poor men In his seventeenth yeer the King lying at Eltham diverse ordinances were made bâ— the Cardinall touching the Governance of the Kings House and were long after called the Statutes of Eltham In his eighteenth yeere in the month of May Proclamation was made against all unlawfull games so that in all places tables dice cards and Bowles were taken and burnt but this order continued not long for young men being
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
Bishop of London late restored and there in presence for a Sermon by him made foure yeeres before in the same place and upon the same Text had unjustly beene cast into the vile prison of the Marshalsey which Speech so offended some of the Auditory that they cried Pull him downe pull him downe and had certainly done him violence for a Dagger was throwne at him if Master Bradford a Protestant Preacher had not stept into his place and appeased the tumult and Master Rogers another Protestant Minister who were both afterward burnt for Religion had not shifted away Bourne into Pauls Schoole Hitherto Queene Maries reigne had beene without blood but now the Cataracts of seventy will be opened that will make it raine blood for now on the eighteenth of August Iohn Dudley Duke of Northumberland VVilliam Parre Marquesse of Northamptâ—n and Iohn Earle of VVarwicke soâ—ne and heire to the Duk were arraigned at VVestminster-hall before Thomas Duke of Nâ—â—folke as high Steward of England where the Duke of Northumberland after his Indictment read required the opinion of the Court in two points first whither a man doing any Act by authority of the Princes Counsâ—â—le and by warrant of the great Seale of England might for any such Act be charged with treason secondly whither any such persons as were equally culpable and by whose commandements he was directed might be his Judges and passe upon his triall whereunto was answered that concerning the first the great Seale which he alleaged for his warrant was not the Seale of the lawfull Queene of the Realm but of an Usurper and therfore could be no warrant for him and as to the second it was resolved that if any were as deeply to be touched in the case as himself yet so long as no Attainder were of record against them they were persons able in law to passe â—pon his triall and not to be challenged but at the Princes pleasure After which answers the Duke used few words but confessed the Indictment and accordingly had judgment to dye By whose example the other prisoners arraigned with him confessed the Indictments and therupon had judgment the ninteenth of August Sir Andrew Dudley Sir Iohn and Sir Henry Gates brethren and Sir Thomas Palmer Knights were arraigned at VVestminster who câ—nfessing their Indictments had judgment which was pronounced by the Marquesse of VVinchester Lord high Treasuâ—er sitting that day as chiefe Justice after these condemnations followed the executions for on the two and twentieth of August Iohn Duke of Northumâ—erland was brought to the Tower-hill and there beheaded being upon the scaffold in a gowne of green coloured damaske he put it off and then made a long Speech wherein he asked the Queen forgivenesse whom he acknowledged to have grievously offended and then making profession of his Faith that he died a true Catholick meaning a Papist he said the Psalmes of Miserere and De Profundis the Pater noster and six of the first verses of the Psalme In te Domine speravi ending with this verse Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit and this said he looked about him as looking for a Pardon but none comming he laid his head downe upon the blocke and at one blow had it strucken off his body with the head was buried in the Tower by the body of Edward late Duke of Somerset mortall enemies while they lived but now lying together as good friends so as there lyeth before the high Altar in Saint Peters Church â—wo Dukes between two Queens namely the Duke of Somerset and the Duke of Northumberland between Queen Anne and Queene Katherine all foure beheaded Of what religion this Duke was may well be doubted seeing at his death he professed himself a Papist when lately before he had importuned King Edward to make the Lady Iane his successour lest the Papall religion should be restored it seems he was not greatly of either but for other ends a Protestant then when it was to make his daughter in law Queen now a Papist when it was to save his life for it was thought he had Pardon promised if he would recant At the same time and place were beheaded Sir Iohn Gates and Sir Thomas Palmer who were no such temporizers but persisted and dyed in the Protestant Religion which they had alwayes professed After this a sprinkling of mercy came from the Queene for on the third of September the Lord Ferrers of Chartley the two chiefe Justices Sir Roger Cholmley and Mountague Sir Iohn Cheeke and others were delivered out of the Tower whether before they had been committed but a shower of severity followed soon after for on the fifteenth of September Master Latimer and Doctor Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury were sent to the Tower and on the third oâ— November following the said Archbishop Cranmer the Lady Iane late Queene and the Lord Guildford her husband with the Lords Ambrose and Henry sonnes to the late Duke of Northumberland were all arraigned at the Guild-hall found guilty and had judgement to dye All this while Queen Mary had contented her selfe to be Queene by Proclamation but now that things were something setled she proceeds to her Coronation for on the last of September she rode in her Chariot through London towards VVestminster in this order first rode a number of Gentlemen and Knights then Doctors then Judges then Bishops then Lords then the Councell after whom followed the Knights of the Bath thirteene in number in their Robes then the Bishop of VVinchester Lord Chancellour and the Marquesse of VVinchester Lord high Treasurer next came the Duke of Norfolke and after him the Earle of Oxford who bore the sword then the Major of Londâ—n in a Gowne of Crimson Velvet who bore the Scepter of Gold after came the Queenes Chariot and then followed another Chariot wherein sat the Lady Elizabeth her sister and the Lady Anne of Cleeve and then came Ladies and Gentlewomen riding on horses trapped with red velvet c. In this order they came through London to VVestminster where in many places by the way were Pagents and stately shewes and many rich presents given to the Queene The next day she went by water to the old Palace and remained there till eleven of the clock and then went on foot upon blew cloth being railed on either side to Saint Peters Church where she was Crowned and Anointed by the Bishop of VVinchester the two Archbishops being then in the Tower with all Rites and Ceremonies of old accustomed After her Coronation a generall pardon was published in her name but interlaced with so many exceptions of matters and persons that very few tooke benefit by it for after the pardon published there were Commissioners assigned to compound with such persons as were excepted from some of whom they tooke away their Fees and Offices some they fiâ—ed and some they deprived of their estates and livings About this time Sir Iames Hales one of the Justices of the Common Pleas who
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
Spain where for England was employed the Earl of Arundell Thursbey Bishop of Ely and Doctor Wootton Dean of Canterbury with whom William Lord Howard of Effingham was joyned by a new Commission As soon as King Philip heard of the death of his wife Queen Mary paâ—â—ly out of considerations of State and partly out of affection of love he solicited Q. Elizabeth by his Ambassadour the Earl of Feria to joyniâ— Marriage with himself which was no more for two sisters to have successively one husband then was done before for two brothers to have successively one wife and for this he promised to procure a Dispensation from the Pope To which motion the Queen though she well knew That to allow a Dispensation in this case to be sufficient were to make her own Birth Illegitimate yet to so great a Prince and who in her sisters time had done her many favours she would not return so blunt an Answer but putting the Ambassadouâ— off for the present in modest tearms She conceived there would be no better way to take him off clean from further sute then by bringing in an Alteration of Religion which yet she would not do all at once and upon the sudden as knowing the great danger of sudden changes but by little and little and by degrees as at first she permitted onely Epistles and Gospels the Ten Commandments the Lords Prayer and the Creed to be read to the People in the English Tongue in all other matters they were to follow the Romane Rite and Custome untill order could be taken for establishing of Religion by Authority of Parliament and a severe Proclamation was set forth prohibiting all Points of Controversie to be medled with by which means she both put the Protestants in hope and put not Papists out of hope Yet privately she committed the correcting of the Book of Common Prayer set forth in the English Tongue under King Edward the sixth to the care and diligence of Doctor Parker Bill May Cox Grindall Whitehead and Pilkington Divines of great Learning with whom she joyned Sir Thomas Smith a learned Knight but the matter carryed so closely that it was not communicated to any but â—o the Marquesse of Northampton the Earl of Bedford and Sir William Cecile The two and twentieth of March the use of the Lords Supper in both kindes was by Parliament allowed The four and twentieth of Iune the Sacrifice of the Masse was abolished and the Liturgy in the English Tongue established though as some say but with the difference of six voyces In Iuly the Oath of Supremacy was propounded to the Bishops and others And in August Images were removed out of Churches and broken or burnt By these degrees the Religion was changed and yet the change to the wonder of the world bred no disturbance which if it had been done at once and on the sudden would hardly at least not without dangerous opposition have been admitted During this time a Parliament had been summoned to begin at Westminster upon the fifteenth of Ianuary and now the Queen for satisfaction of the people appointed a Conference to be held between the Prelates of the Realm and Protestant Divines now newly returned who had fled the Realm in the time of Queen Mary for the Prelates were chosen Iohn White Bishop of Winchester Ralph Bayne Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield Thomas Watson Bishop of Lincolne Doctor Cole Dean of Pauls Doctor Langdell Arch-deacon of Lewis Doctor Harpsefield Arch-deacon f Canterbury and Doctor Chadsey Arch-deacon of Middlesex For the Protestant side were appointed Doctor Scory Doctor Cox Doctor Sands Doctor Whitehead Doctor Grindall Master Horne Master Guest Master Elmer and Master Iuell The place was prepared in Westminster Church where besides the Disputants were present the Lords of the Queens Councell with other of the Nobility as also many of the Lower House of Parliament The Articles propounded against the Prelates and their adherents were these First That it is against the Word of God and the Custome of the ancient Church to use a Tongue unknown to the people in common Prayer and in the Administration of the Sacraments Secondly That every Church hath authority to appoint and change Ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall Rites so they be to edification Thirdly That it cannot be proved by the Word of God that there is in the Masse a Sacrifice Propitiatory for the living and the dead For the manner of their Conference it was agreed it should be performed in writing and that the Bishops should deliver their Reasons in writing first The last of March was the first day of their meeting where contrary to the Order the Bishops brought nothing in writing but said They would deliver their mindes onely by Speech This breaking of Order much displeased the Lords yet they had it granted Then rose up Doctor Cole and made a large Declaration concerning the first Poynt when he had ended the Lords demanded if any of them had more to say who answered No Then the Protestant Party exhibited a written Book which was distinctly read by Master Horne This done some of the Bishops began to affirm they had much more to say in the first Article This again much displeased the Lords yet this also was granted them to do at their next meeting on Munday next but when Munday came so many other differences arose between them that the Conference broke off and nothing was determined But in the Parliament there was better Agreement for there it was enacted That Queen Elizabeth was the lawfull and undoubted Queen of England notwithstanding a Law made by her Father King Henry the eighth that excluded both her and her sister Mary from the Crown seeing though the Law be not repealed yet it is a Principle in Law That the Crown once gained taketh away all defects Also in this Parliament First fruits and Tenths were restored to the Crown and the Title of Supreme Head of the Church of England was confirmed to the Queen with so universall consent that in the Upper House none opposed these Laws but onely the Earl of Shrewsbury and Sir Anthony Brown Viscount Mountague and in the Lower House only some few of Papall inclination murmured saying That the Parliament was packt and that the Duke of Norfolk the Earl of Arundel and Sir William Cecill for their own ends had cunningly begged voyces to make up their Party The Supremacie thus confirmed to the Queen the Oath was soon after tendred to the Bishops and others of whom as many as refused to take it were presently deprived of their livings And that we may see how inclining the Kingdom at this time was to receive the Protestant Religion It is said that in the whole Realm wherein are reckoned above Nine thousand Spirituall Promotions there were no more that refused to take the Oath but onely fourscore Parsons fifty Prebendaries fifteen Masters of Colledges twelve Archdeacons twelve Deans six Abbots and fourteen Bishops indeed all that were at that time
be with childe by Edward Seymoure Earl of Hertford who being at that time in France was presently sent for and being examined before the Archbishp of Canterbury and affirming they were lawfully married but not being able within a limited time to produce witnesses of their marriage they were both committed to the Tower where she was brought to Bed and after by the Connivence or Corruption of their Keepers being suffered sometimes to come together Shee was with childe by him again which made the Queen more angry then before so as Sir Edward Warner Lieutenent of the Tower was put out of his place and the Earle was fined in the star-chamber five thousand pounds and kept in prison nine yeers after Though in pleading of his Case One Iohn Hâ—les argued They were lawfull man and wife by virtue of their owne bare Consent without any Ecclesicsticall Ceremonie The Lady a few yeers after falling through grief into a mortall Sicknesse humbly desired the Queens Pardon for having married without her knowledge and commending her children to her clemency dyed in the Tower At this time the King being under Age dissentions amongst the Peeres grew hot in Erance of which there were two Factions Both pretending the cause of Religion of the One the Duke Guise a Paipst was Head of the other the Prince of Conde a Protestant but while Delirant Reges Plectunter Achiui while these Princes are at variance the people suffer for it and chiefly as being under the weaker protection the Protestant Party where upon Queene Elizabeth having well learned the Lesson Tum tua res agitur partis cum proximus ardetâ— and fearing least the flaim of their dissention might kindle a fire within her owne Kingdome sent over Sir Henry Sidney Lord Presiden of Wales into France to endeavour by all possible means their reconcilement which when hee could not effect and perhaps it was never meant he should effect it but onely to see what invitations would be made to the Queen for her assistance she thereupon at the moan of the afflicted Protestants sent over an Army of six thousand Souldiers under the Conduct of the Earl of Warwick in assistance of the Prince of Conde and other Protestant Lords who delivered to him the Town of Newhaven to hold in the King of France his name untill such time as Calice were restored But the Prince of Conde marching to joyn with the English Forces was by the Duke of Guise interrupted and taken prisonerâ— which had been a great disappointment to the English but that the Duke of Colin joyned with him besieged Caen in Normandy and took it togeâ—her with Bayeux Faleise and Saint Lo. The French Hostages that were pledges for the payment of five hundred thousand Cowns if Calice were not restored were remaining still in England who perceiving there was like to be War with France prepared secretly to get away but being ready to take Shipping were discovered and brought back again In the mean while the Prince of Conde drawn on with a hope to marry the Queen of Scots and to have the chief Government in France during the Kings Minority concluded a Peace with the King and with the Guises so as now all French as well Protestants as Papists required to have Newhaven delivered up But the Earl of Warwick perceiving the â—icklenesse of the French Protestants First to make suâ—e to draw him into France and now upon so slight occasion to require him to be gone he shutteth all â—rench both Protestants and Papists oâ—t of the Town and layes hold of their Ships the French on the other side make ready to set upon the Town saying They fought not now for Religion but for their Countrey wherefore it was meet that both Protestants and Papists should joyn their Forces seeing they had already concluded a Peace betwixt themselves And hereupon the Duke of Memorancy sent a Trumpetter to the Earl of Warwick commanding him yeeld the Town who making answer by Sir Hugh Pawlet That he would never yeeld it without the Queens leave he thereupon besieged the Town and with great violence of Battery sought to get it by force Which Queen Elizabeth hearing she sent a Commission to the Earl of Warwick to yeeld it up if upon honourable Conditions which soon after was accordingly done after the English had held it eleven months and then the Earl without any dishonour for yeelding up a Town which the Pestilence made him no lesse unwilling then unable to hold he returned into England but that which was more dolefull then the losse of Newhaven he brought the Pestilence with him into England The recovery of this Town not onely made the French to triumph but hereupon the Chancellor of France pronounced openly That by this Warre the English had lost all their Right to Calice and were not to require it any more seeing it was one of the Conditions That neither of the Nations should make Warre upon the other which was the Point stood upon by the King of France and his mother when Queen Elizabeth sent Sir Thomas Smith to demand Calice to be restored At this time there were such crosse designes amongst the Princes of Christendome that a very good Polititian could hardly understand their Ayms The Duke of Guise being slain in the Civill Warre the Queen of Scots Dowry was not paid her in France and the Scots were put off from being the Kings Guard This exceedingly displeased the Queen of Scots but then to please her againâ— and for fear lest hereupon she should apply her self to the friendship of the English her Unkle the Cardinall of Lorrain solicites her afresh to marry Charls Duke of Austria offering her for her Dowry the County of Tyroll The Queen of Scots to make use of her Unkles fear and perhaps to bring Queen Elizabeth into an opinion of depending upon her acquaints her with this motion and therein requires her advice Queen Elizabeth not willing she should marry with any forraign Prince perswades her to take a husband out of England and particularly commended to her the Lord Robert Dudley whose wife a little before had with a fall broke her neck promising withall that if she would marry him she should then by Authority of Parliament be declared her successour in case she dyed without issue But when her Unkles and the Queen-Mother were informed of this motion they so much disdained the Marriage with Dudley that so she would refuse that Match and perseverein the friendship of the French they offered to pay her the Dowry money that was behinde and to restore the Scots to all their former liberties in France And as for the King of Spain he had indeed a Ligier Embassadour here in England but rather by way of complement and to watch advantages then for any sincere love which he began now to withdraw from the English as suspecting them to intend a Trade to the West Indies And now the French Protestants may see what they brought upon
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
all which the Duke made colourable answers but most of them being proved by sufficient testimony he asked upon occasion Whether the subjects of another Prince who is confederate and in league with the Queen are to be accounted the Queens enemiesâ— to which Catiline answered They were and that the Q. of England might wage War with any Duke of France yet hold firm Peace with the French King When it grew towards night the L. high Steward demanded of the Duke if he had any more to say for himself who answered I rely upon the equity of the Laws After this the Lords withdrawing a while and then returning the Lord Steward beginning at the lowermost asked them My Lord de la Ware Is Thomas Duke of Norfolk guilty of these crimes of High Treason for which he is called in question He rising up and laying his hand upon his breast answered guilty in like manner they answered all After this the Lord Steward with teares in his eyes pronounced sentence in forme as is used A few dayes after were Barnes and Mather executed who conspired with one Herle to make away certaine of the Councellors and to free the Duke but Herle revealed the businesse presently to whom Barnes when hee saw his Accuser brought forth smilingly said Herle thou wert but one houre before mee else I had beene in thy place for the accuser and thou in my roome to be hanged at the same time with them was hanged also Henry Rolfe for counterfeiting the Queens hand But though the Duke were now condemned yet the Queen was so tender of his case that it was foure Moneths after before he was executed at last on the second of June at eight of the clock in the morning he was brought to the Scaffold upon the Tower-Hill and there beheaded At this time and upon this occasion a Parliament was Assembled wherein amongst other Lawes it were Enacted that if any man shall go about to free any person imprisoned by the Queens expresse Commandementâ— for Treason or suspition of Treason and not yet Arraigned he shall lose all his goods for his life time and be imprisoned during the Queens pleasure if the said person have beene Arraigned the Rescuer shall forfeit his life if condemned he shall be guilty of Rebellion In the time of this Parliament the Queen created Walter Devereux Earl of Essex being before but Viscount Hereford because he was descended by his Great-grand-mothers from the Bourchiers and made the Lord Clinton who had large Revenues in Lincolnshire Earl of Lincoln Also she called forth Iohn Paulet of Basing the Marquesse of Winchester's son Henry Compton Henry Cheyney and Henry Morris for Barons by Summons Within ten dayes after the Dukes death William Lord De-la-ware Sir Ralph Sadler Thomas Wilson Doctor of the Laws and Thomas Brumley the Queens Solicitour were sent to the Queen of Scots to expostulate with her That shee had usurped the Title and Arms of the Kingdom of England and had not renounced the same according to the agreement of the Treaty at Edinburgh That shee had endeavoured the marriage of the Duke of Norfolke without acquainting the Queene and had used all forcible meanes to free him out of prison had raised the Rebellion in the North had relieved the Rebels both in Scotland and in the Low-Countries had implored Aids from the Pope the King of Spaine and others had conspired with certaine of the English to free her out of Prison and Declare her Queen of England Lastly that she had procured the Popes Bull against the Queen and suffered herself to be publikely named the Queen of England in Forreigne Countries All which accusations she either absolutely denyed or else fairly extenuated and though as she said she were a free Queen and not subject to any creature yet she was content and requested that she might make her personall answer at the next Parliament About this time the King of Spain by his Embassadour here complained to the Queen that the Rebels of the Netherlands were harboured and entertained in England contrary to the Articles of the League whereupon the Queen set forth a severe Proclamation That all the Dutch who could any wayes be suspected of Rebellion should presently depart the Realm which yet turned little to D'Alva's or the King of Spains benefit For hereupon Count Vander-Mark and other Dutch going out of England surprized the Brill first then Flushing and afterwards drew other Towns to Revolt and in a short time excluded the Duke D'Alva in a manner from the Sea And this errour to suffer the Protestant party to get possession of the Sea-towns hath been the cause they have been able to hold out even all this long time against the King of Spain And now many military men having little to do at home got them into the Netherlands some to Duke D'Alva but the far greater number to the Prince of Orenge The first of whom was Thomas Morgan who carryed three hundred English to Flushing then followed by his procurement nine Companies more under the conduct of Humphry Gilbert and afterward it became the Nursery of all our English Souldiers At this time Charls the French King setting his mind wholly at least seeming so upon the Low-Country War concluded a peace and entred into a league with Queen Elizabeth which was to remain firm not only during their two lives but between their successors also if the sâ—ccessor signifie to the surviver within a yeer that he accepteth it otherwise to be at liberty It was likewise agreed what aid by Sea or Land they should each of them afford to other upon occasion and for ratification of this League Edward Clinton Earl of Lincoln and Admirall of England was sent into France with whom went the Lord Dacres Rich Talbot Sands and others The French King likewise sent the Duke of Memorancy and Paul Foix iâ—to England with a great train that the Queen in the presence of them and the Embassador in Ordinary might sweare to the league which she did at Westminster the seaventeenth of May in the yeer 1572. The day after she made Memorancye Knight of the Garter Memorancye whilst he tarryed in England made intercession in his Kings name that what favour could be without danger might be shewed to the Queen of Scots and then made much a do again about the marriage with the Duke of Angiou but being hopelesse to make conclusion thereof by reason of the diversity of Religion he returned into France for now was great provision making ready for the mariage between Henry King of Navarre and the Lady Margeret the French Kings Sister to which solemnity with notable dissimulation the Queen of Navarre and the chief of all the Protestants were allured being born in hand that there should be a renovation of love and a perpetuall peace established The Earl of Leicester likewise and the Lord Burleigh were invited out of England and out of Germany the sons of the Prince Elector Palatine under
colour of honour but indeed that they might be intrapped and they and together with them the Protestant Religion at one blow if not clean cutt off yet receiveâ— deadly wound For the marriage being celebrated there presently followed that cruell Massacre at Paris and the terrible slaughter of the Protestants throughout all the Cities of France but to set a shew of equity upon the fact Edicts and Proclamations were presently set forth that the Protestants had plotted a wicked conspiracy against the King the Queen Mother the Brethren the King of Navarre and the Princes of the blood Royall and to keep the thing in memory Coyne was presently stamped upon the one side whereof was the Kings picture with this Inscription Virtus in Rebelles on the other side Pietas excitavit justitiam But the King of France notwithstanding all the shew hee made of Piety escaped not the Divine revenge for before the yeer came about hee fell sick of a bloody Flixe and afterwards with long and grievous torments ended his life A little before this Mota Fenell Embassador to the King of France being in England by vertue of an order from the Queen Mother of France propoundeth to Queen Elizabeth at Kenelworth two dayes before the Massacre in that Kingdome the marriage of her youngest sonne Francis Duke of Alenson for the Queen Mother had been told by some cunning men that all her sons should be Kings and she knew no way for it but this Bâ—t Queen Elizabeth by reaâ—on of the disparity of age modestly excused her self For he was scarce â—eventeen yeers old and she was now past eight and thirty yet she promised to consider of it and Alenson did not leave to prosecute the â—â—it At tâ—is time Thomas Percy Earl of Northâ—mberland who first Rebelled and afterwards fled into Scotland was for a sum of money delivered by the Earl of Morton to the Lord Hunsdon Governour of Barwick and a while afâ—er was beheaded â—t York And now as these two great Personages the Duke of Norfolkâ— and the Earl of Northumberland were taken away by a violent death so three other great Personages were at this time tâ—ken away by a naturall death First Wâ—llâ—am Paulet who from a private man came by degree to be Marquesse of Winchester lived to the age of within three yeers of a hundred and could reckon a hundred and three of his children and his childrens issue after he had held the pâ—ace of Lord Treasurer of England above twenty yeers in whose roome succeeded Sir Wâ—lliam Cecill Lord Burleigh then dyed Edmund Earle of Darby famous as well for his hospitality and good house-keeping as for his skill in Surgery and Bone-setting then dyed Sir William Peter who being descended from an honest stock at Exceter in Devonshire was Privy Counsellor and Secretary to King Henry the Eight Kiâ—g Edward the Sixth Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth who plantâ—d himself in Essex where he purchased greaâ— possessions whose son Iohn was by King Iames made Baron of Writle in that Country And now Qâ—een Elizabeth having formerly borrowed money oâ— her Subjects she thankfully repayd it which wonne her no lesse love then if she had given it and more love she gained also at this time by two Proclamations by one of which she commanded Noble men to observe the Law of keeping Retâ—iners by the other she restrained Informers who under colour of spying out Crown Land concealed by private persoâ—s sacralegioâ—sly seized upon the Lands of Parish-Churches and Alms-Houses piously endowed by the Queens Ancestors And more Love and Honour also she gained at this time by two acts of Justice the one that she satisfied the English Merchants out of the goods which were detâ—ined belonging to the Dutch and restored the rest to the Duke D' Alva and make a full transaction with the Merchants of Geneva for the monâ—y intercepted the other that she freed England at this time of the debts which her Father and her Brother had run into in forraign partâ— and were increased by yeerly interest and caused the obligations of the City of London which had so often been renued to be given in to the great rejoycing of the Citizens The Spanish affairs growing now very turbulent in the Netherlands Flushing lost the towns of Holland revolted and the Spanish Navy vanquished by the Zelanders Duke D'Alva against his will began to shew more kindnesse towards the English so as in the month of Ianuary the trade which in Anno 1568. had been forbidden was now allowed again between the Dutch and the English for two yeerâ— but those two yeers expired the English removed their trading to the confederates Stateâ— The last yeer in the month of November a daughter was born to the French King to whom he requested Queen Elizabeth to be God-mother who theâ—eupon sent William Somerset Earl of Worcester into France with a Font of massy Gold to stand as her Deputy at the Christning Hereupon and for that the Queen promised to observe the League strictly the French King and the Queen mother began to affect her more and more and the Duke D'Alenson wrote sundry love-letters to her the French King and His Mother interceding for the mariage with all earnestnesse It is true the Queen conceived divers reasons why it was fit for her to marry but the Courtiers for their own ends disswaded her as much from it at last the Queen Mother of France was wonderfull importunate that her sonne Alenson might have leave to come and see herâ— whereunto being wearyed with continuall Letters and Messages she gave her consent but upon condition that hee should not take it for any disgrace to him if hee returned without obtaining his suit But as soon as Queen Elizabeth had notice that his brother Henry was elected King of Poland and that the King of France was very sick shee gave intimation to Alenson by Edward Horsey Governour of the Isle of Wight that hee should not make too much haste into England but should first procure a peace by some meanes or other in France and declare by some notable Argument his good will towards the Protestants thereby to be the more welcome Ghest into England Hereupon a peace was concluded in France and in certain places the Protestants were allowed to exercise their Religion and then again the French King and the Queen Mother used all their endeavour to have the marriage go forward for they were very desirous thâ—t Alenson who was of a crooked and perverse disposition and prone to raise tumults might bee removed out of France and withall they requested of Queen Elizabeth that if the Duke of Angiou took his voyage into Poland by Sea hee might have publike caution to sail through the British Ocean To this last request she not only consented with all alacrity but also made offer of a Fleet to conduct him thither In the mean while Alenson fell sick of the Meazles which his mother signified to Queen Elizabeth by Count Rhets excusing him
Grand-father had lyen asleep for fifty yeers together At this time many particular Rebellions were in Ireland The O Câ—nors and O Moors took Arms and committed many outrages In Munster Iames Fitzmorris and Fitz Edmund did the like but by the industry of Sir Iohn Perrot President of Munster were suppressed In Ulster Bryan Mac Phelym burnt Knockfergus and many other joyned in Rebellion with him Against these Walter Devereux whom the Queen had lately created Earl of Essex desired leave to go which Sir William Fitz-Williams Deputy of Ireland opposed as fearing that the glory of so great an Earl vvould ecclipse his light But for this the Queen findes a remedy by appointing Essex to take a Parent of the Deputy whereby to be made Governour of Ulster But this remedy for Fitz-Williams might have made a sore in the minde oâ— Eâ—sex to receive his Authority from his inferiour but that the noblenesse of his minde made him more to regard the vertue then the glory And so in the end of August hee landed at Knockfergus having with him the Lords Darcy and Rich and Sir Henry Knowles and his four Brothers Michael and Iohn Carves Henry William and Iohn Norreses At his landing Bryan Mac Pheliâ— welcomed him tendring unto him all manner of dutifulnesse and service but presently aâ—ter falls from him and joyns with Turlogh Leynigh After this revolt the Eaâ—l of Essex finding many difficulties in the businesse and himself not well provided of skilfull Souldiers makes suit to the Queen for leave to come home which the Earl of Leicester who liked his room better then his company opposed till after expence of a yeerâ— time and much treasure hee at last obtained leave and returned home The next yeer being 1574. and the seventeenth yeer of Queen Elisabeths Raign the Duke of Alenson grew more importunate in his suit then at any time before so as hee obtained of the Queen to come into England any time before the twentieth of May and this she the rather did because shee perceived him now to bee really bent against the Guyses her sworn Enemies But before this Answer was brought him Valentine Dale Doctor of the Civil Law the Queens Embassâ—dour in France gave intimation to the Qâ—een That Alenson and Navarre were in restraint and committed to Keepers For the Guyses had suggested that Alenson held intimate friendship with Admirall Colin the chief Leader of the Protestants in France and indeed Alenson being examined freely confessed that hee had now for a good while desired the marriage of the Queen of Englandâ— and conceiving that good correspondence with Colin might be usefull to him to that end hee had thereupon had conference with him thereabout and concerning the Low-Country Warre In the mean time Thomas Wâ—lks Dales Secretary got cunningly to Alenson and in the Queens name made promise both to him and to Navarre that she would omit no opportunity of procuring their inlargement For which the subtle Queen-Mother so complained of him to Queen Elisabeth that hee was fain to go into France and there to crave pardon for his fault But Navarre not unmindfull of this kindnesse in Wilks when about five and twenty yeers after being King of France hee saw him in Normandy hee Knighted him Hereupon the Queen sent Thomas Randoll into France to the Queen-Mother that if it were possible hee might gain Reconciliation for Alenson her sonne and for the King of Navarre But before hee was landed in France Charles the then French King dyed whose Funerall Rites were solemnly performed in Saint Pauls Church in London Assoon as Henry the third King of France was come from Poland Roger Lord North was sent into France to congratulate his return and his happy Inauguration into the Kingdom who thereupon together with the Queen-Mother did forthwith send their joynt Letters into England strongly soliciting the businesse of marriage between Alenson and the Queen In the mean time notwithstanding they used all possible devices and left no means unsought to get the yong King of Scotland to bee sent into France and to deprive Morton who was the Regent of his Authority whereof the Queen of Scots also was very desirous shee being perswaded that if her sonne were once gotten safely into France shee and the Catholicks in England should bee more mildly used At which time an aspersion was cast upon the Queen of Scots as if she had made the match between Charles Unckle to the Queen of Scots who had lately the Earldom of Lenox confirmed to him by Parliament and Elizabeth Cavendish the Countesse of Shrewsburie's daughter by a former husband upon which ground both their mothers and some others also were kept in Prison for a time and being doubted whereunto this marriage should tend Henry Earle of Huntington President of the Councell in the North is authorized with secret Instructions to examine it It will be fit here to say something of this place of Government in the North which from small beginnings is now become so eminent as it is at this day whereof this was the Originall When as in the Raigne of Henry the Eight after that the Rebellion in the Northerne parts about the subversion of Abbyes was quieted the Duke of Norfolke tarryed in those quarters and many complaints of injuries done were tendered unto him whereof some he composed himself and others hee commended under his Seale to men of wisdome to determine Hereof when King Henry heard he sent down a peculiar Seal to be used in these cases and calling home the Duke committed the same to Tunstall Bishop of Durham and Constituted Assistants with Authority to heare and determine the complaints of the poor and he was the first that was called President and from that time the authority of his successours grew in credit It was now the yeer One thousand five hundred seventy five and the Eighteenth yeer of Queen Elisabeths Raign vvhen Henry the third King of France being returned from Poland and Crowned at Rheims was carefull to have the League of Blois confirmed which in the Yeer 1572. had been concluded betweene his Brother Charles and that most Illustrious Queen ELIZABETH Now therefore hee confirmed it with His owne Subscription and delivered it to Dale the Queen 's Legier as the Queen like wise ratified it at Saint-James neere Westminster But a little after he demanded by Letters whether the mutuall defence against all persons mentioned in the League was intended to comprehend the case of Religion also Whereunto she answering that it did comprehend it hee thereupon hearing this from the Queen began presently to prepare Warre against the Protestants and Alenson being drawne to the Adverse party there was no speech of the marriage for a long time In the Netherlands at this time Lodovicke Zuinga who was successor unto Duke D'Alva was wholly bent to recover the Command of the Seas which D'Alva had neglected but not being sufficiently provided of a Navy he sent Boischott into England that with
Steward Earle of Lenox the Kings grandfather and had denomination from Aubigny in France which title Charles the seaventh King of France had antiently conferred upon Iohn Steward of the Familie of Lenox who being constable of the Scottish Army in France vanquished the English in one battile and was slain by them in another and from that time the title belonged to the younger descent of that house This Esme Steward the King embraced with exceeding great love made him Lord Chamberlaine of Scotland and Captain of the Castle of Dumbriton and created him first Earle and then Duke of Lenox The feare from this man was because he was deuoted to the Guises and the Popish religion and that which encreased the feare from this man because he applied himselfe to Mortons adversaries and mediated to have Thomas Carre Lord of Fernishurst called home who of all men was most addicted to the Queen of Scots About this time Queen Elizabeth at the request of William Harbouâ—ne an Englishman procured a grant from the Turkish Emperour for the English merchants to exercise free traffick in all places of his dominions as well as Venetians Polanders and other neighbouring Nations whereupon they set up first the Companie of Turkie Merchants managing a most gainfull Trade at Constantinople Alexandoria Egypt Aleppo Cyprus and other parts of Asia bringing home Spices Perfumes unwrought Silks Tapistry Indico Corrants and the like This yeer died Sir Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper of the Great Seal but who by vertue of an Act of Parliament alwayes exercised the Jurisdiction of Lord Chancellor a very fat man but singularly wise and a chief prop of the Queens Privy Councell In whose place succeeded Sir Thomas Bromley the Queens Solicitor with the Title of Lord Chancellor of England In Ireland at this time in the Province of Munster Iames Fitz Morris kindled a new fire of Rebellion for after his former submission upon his knees vowing all Obedience to the Queen he stole away into France and promised the French King if he would lend him assistance to make him King of Ireland But being by him slighted he went into Spain and made the like offer to the King there The King of Spain sent him to the Pope from whom by means of Nicholas Sanders an English Priest and Alan an Irishman both Doctors of Divinity he obtained a little money a Legats Authority for Sanders a consecrated Banner and Letters of Commendation to the Catholike King And returning from Spain with those Divines three Ships and a few men he landed at Smerwick Kerry a Demy Island in the West part of Ireland about the first day of Iuly where the place being first of all consecrated by the Priests he built a Fort and brought the Ships close under it but these were presently set upon and carryed away by Thomas Courtney and thereby the Spaniards deprived of their opportunity of coming thither by Sea But now Iohn and Iames brothers to the Earl of Desmond gathering together a small number of Irish joyn themselves presently with their kinsman Fitz Morris Yet the Spaniards seeing that but a very few Irish and those unarmed came unto them they began to distrust the estate they were in and to cry out That they were undone whom Fitz Morris heartened the best he could telling them that Supplyes were presently to come And going himself to get more company he passed thorow the Land of his Cosin William a Burgh who though he had been a Rebell before yet was now grown loyall so as there fell out a Skirmish between them in which Fitz Morris being strucken thorow with a Pike and shot into the head with a Leaden Bullet died in the place and most of his Company with him but withall two of William Burghs sons were in that Skirmish slain also when the Queen to comfort him for the losse of his sons adorned him with the Dignity of Baron of Castle Conell and rewarded him with a yeerly Pension besides which favours so overwhelmed him with joy that he lived but a short while after And now Sir William Drury the Deputy growing very sick appointed Sir Nicholas Malby then Governour of Connaght to be President of Munster and Generall of the Army at which time the Earl of Desmond who had all this while made a shew of Loyalty breaks openly ouâ— into Rebellion when now Drury the Deputy dying at Waterford and by his death Malbyes Authority ceasing Sir William Pelham is by the Counsell chosen Justice of Ireland with Authority of Vice-Roy untill such time as a Deputy were appointed and the Earl of Ormond is made President of Munster Pelham goeth into Munster and sendeth for the Earl of Desmond who refusing to come is thereupon proclaymed Traytor and an enemy to the State and this being published the Justice committed the following the War to the Earl of Ormond who slaying most of the Spaniards and adherents to Desmond compelleth him to send his wife to the Justice to beg his pardon The Lord Justice Pelham now certified that Arthur Lord Grey was landed with authority to be Deputy of Ireland at Munster delivereth the Army to George Bourâ—hier the son of Iohn second Earl of Bathe of that name and himself returneth to Dublin to deliver up the Province to his Successor The Lord Grey at his landing before he received the Sword hearing where the Rebells had their Randevouz marcheth towards them who presently betake themselves to Glandilough a grassie Valley and beset thick with Trees where they who dwell neer scarce know the winding out yet the Deputy taking one Câ—sbie an old man well acquainted with the place to be is leader entred into it where he lost divers of his men namely Peter Carew the younger George Moore Audeley and Cosbie himself thâ—t was his Leader A short time after there landed at Smerwick in Kerry under the command of San Ioseph an Italian about seven hundred Italian souldiers who fortifie the place and name it Fort del Or. Whereupon the Deputy sent a Trumpetter to the Fort to demand who they were what they had to do in Ireland and who sent them withall commanding them to depart immediately But they replyed That some of them were sent from his Holinesse other from the Catholike King upon whom the Pope had bestowed the Kingdome of Ireland for that Queen Elizabeth by reason of heresie hath forfeited the Right unto her and therefore what they had gotten they would maintain Upon this the Deputy prepares for Battery le ts flie his Ordnance four dayes together in which time the Spaniards once or twice make sallyes out to their own losse much but not an English-man slain but onely Iohn Cheek a couragious young Gentleman son to Sir Iohn Cheek a learned Knight And now San Ioseph who commanded the Fort a white-liver'd souldier terrified with the continuall Battery and having no hope of relief either from the King of Spain or Desmond contrary to the will of all his souldiers he set
plainly by the Chancellour and Treasurer That if she refused to answer to such crimes as should be objected they would then proceed against her though she were absent Being brought at last with much ado to consent the Commissioners came together in the Presence Chamber a Chaire of Estate was set for the Queen of England in the upper end of the Chamber under a Canopy beneath over against it was placed a Chair for the Queen of Scots on both sides of the Cloth of Estate stools were set upon which on the one side sate the Lord Chancellor the Lord Treasurer the Earls of Oxford Kent Derby Worcester Rutland Cumberland Warwicke Pembrooke Lincolne and Viscount Mountacuteâ— On the other side sate the Lords Aburgavany Zouch Morley St. Iohn of Bletsho Compton and Cheyney Next to these sate the Knights that were Privie Councellors Sir Iames Crofts Sir Christopher Hatton Sir Francis Walsingham Sir Ralph Sadler Sir Walter Mildâ—â— and Sir Amis Pawlet Foreward before the Earls sate the two Chiefe Justices and the Lord chiefe Baron on the other side the two Barons and the other Justices Dale and Foord Doctors of the Civill Law at a Table in the midst Popham the Queens Atturney Generall Egerton her Solicitor â—â—â—die her Serjeant at Law the Clerk of the Crown and two Notaries When the Queen of Scots was come and had placed her selfe silence being made Bromely Lord Chancellor turning towards her sayd That the Queen had appointed these Commissioners to hear what she could Answer to crimes layd to her charge assuring her that nothing would be cause of more joy to the Queen then to hear that she had proved her selfe innocent Upon this she rising up sayd That although being an absolute Prince she could not be compelled to appear before the Deâ—egates yet to manifest her innocency she was now content to appear Then Gawdie opened every speciality of the Law lately made against which she had taken excception shewing By Babingtons confession by Letters passed between them by the confessions of Ballard and Savage by the confessions of her Secretaries Nave and Curle that she was privy to their Treasons and consented to the Invasion of England and destruction of the Queen To which she answered That Letters might be counterfeited her Secretaries might be corrupted and rest in hope of life might be drawn to confesse that which was not true In this she stood peremptorily That she never consented to any Attempt against the Queens Person though for her own delivery she confessed she did After many other charges by the Commissioners and replies by the Queen of Scots At last she requested that she might be heard in a full Parliament or before the Queen her selfe and her Councell But this request prevailed not for on the 25. day of October following at the Star-Chamber in Westminster the Commissioners met again and there pronounced sentence against her Ratifying by their Seals and subscriptions that after the 1. day of Iune in the seven and twentieth year of our Soveraign Lady Queen Elizabeth divers matters were compassed and imagined in this Kingdom by Anthony Babington and others with the privity of Mary Queen of Scots pretending Title to the Crown of England tending to the hurt death and destruction of the Royall Person of our sayd Soveraigne Lady the Queen After a few dayes a Parliament was holden at Westminster the which was begun by Authority from the Queen derived to the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Treasurer and the Earl of Derby and the same not without some Presidents At this Parliament the Proscriptions of the Lord Paget Charls Paget Francis Inglefield Francis Throgmorton Anthony Babington Thomas Salisbury Edward Iones Chydâ—ock Tichburne Charles Tilney and the other complices was confirmed and their goods and possessions adjudged confiscate Also the Peers of the Kingdom with an unanimous consent exhibit a Petition to the Queen by the Lord Chancellor that for the preservation of the true Religion and safety of the Queen of themselves and their Posterity the Sentence passed against Mary Queen of Scots might according to Law be presently Promulged They put the Queen in minde of the fearfull examples of Gods Judgements extant in Scripture upon King Saul for sparing of Agag and upon Ahab for not putting Benhadad to death But the Queen answereth them to this effect First acknowledging Gods miraculous preservation of her and then their constant affections towards her for whose sakes onely she desires to live Otherwise when she calls to minde things past beholds the present and expects what may happen in time to come that she accounts them most happy who go soonest hence That the Law lately made by which the Queen of Scots is condemned was not made as some maliciously have imagined to ensnare her but contâ—ariwise to forewarn and deterre her from attempting any thing against it which though it had not been made yet were there other ancient Laws enough to condemne her Nothing could have been more grievous to me than that a Prince and one so neer Allied unto me should deserve the Sentence pronounced against her and seeing the matter is of rare example and of a very weighty consequence I hope you will not expect that I should at this present determine any thing Yet that there may be no danger in delayâ— I will in due time signifie my minde unto you and in the meane time would have you to expect from me whatsoever good Subjects may looke for from a Gracious Prince Twelve dayes after having deeply weighed the matter in her minde she sent the Lord Chancellor to the Peers and Puckering to the Lower House entreating them to advise more diligently concerning so weighty a matter and to bethinke themselves of some wholesome remedy by which the life of the Queen of Scots might be spared and their security also provided for They when they had a long time in most serious manner deliberated hereof Return at last this Verdict That the Queenes life could not be in safety while the Queen of Scots lived unlesse she either repented and acknowledged her crimes or were kept in straight custody or bound by her oath and obligations or gave Hostages or lastly departed the Kingdome And seeing none of these were likely to be remedies It remained that only her death would be a remedy Repentance in her they could little hope for who would not so much as acknowledge her self faulty Close Imprisonment Obligations Oath and Hostages they accounted as nothing which all vanished if the Queens life were once taken away and if she departed the Kingdom they feared she would straightway go about to Invade it again These things the Lord Chancellor and Puckering the Speaker of the Lower-House declared to the Queen at large and urged her in their names to have the Sentence put in execution Hereupon the Queen after a short pawse spake at last to this effect I protest my chief desire hath been that for your security and my own safety some other
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
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