being read there once it was like to have raised such debates that it being resolved to end the Session before Christmas the Lords laid it aside But while the Parliament was sitting The Convocation meets they were not idle in the Convocation though the Popish Party was yet so prevalent in both Houses that Cranmer had no hopes of doing any thing till they were freed of the trouble which some of the great Bishops gave them The lower House made some Petitions Number 16. The most important thing they did was the carrying up four Petitions to the Bishops which will be found in the Collection 1. That according to the Statute made in the Reign of the late King there might be Persons empow'red for reforming the Ecclesiastical Laws The second That according to the ancient Custom of the Nation and the Tenor of the Bishops Writ to the Parliament the inferior Clergy might be admitted again to sit in the House of Commons or that no Acts concerning matters of Religion might pass without the sight and assent of the Clergy The third That since divers Prelates and other Divines had been in the late Kings time appointed to alter the Service of the Church and had made some progress in it that this might be brought to its full perfection The fourth That some consideration might be had for the maintenance of the Clergy the first year they came into their Livings in which they were charged with the First-fruits to which they added a desire to know whether they might safely speak their minds about Religion without the danger of any Law For the first of these four Petitions an account of it shall be given hereafter As to the second it was a thing of great consequence and deserves to be farther considered in this place Anciently all the free Men of England The Inferior Clergy desire to be admited to have Representatives in the House of Commons or at least those that held of the Crown in chief came to Parliament and then the inferior Clergy had Writs as well as the Superior and the first of the three Estates of the Kingdom were the Bishops the other Prelates and the Inferior Clergy But when the Parliament was divided into two Houses then the Clergy made likewise a Body of their own and sate in Convocation which was the third Estate But the Bishops having a double capacity the one of Ecclesiastical Prelature the other of being the Kings Barons they had a Right to sit with the Lords as a part of their Estate as well as in the Convocation And though by parity of reason it might seem that the rest of the Clergy being Freeholders as well as Clarks had an equal Right to choose or be chosen into the House of Commons yet whether they were ever in possession of it or whether according to the Clause Premonentes in the Bishops Writ they were ever a part of the House of Commons is a just doubt For besides this assertion in the Petition that was mentioned and a more large one in the second Petition which they presented to the same purpose which is likewise in the Collection Number 17. I have never met with any good reason to satisfie me in it There was a general Tradition in Queen Elizabeths Reign that the Inferior Clergy departed from their Right of being in the House of Commons when they were all brought into the Praemunire upon Cardinal Wolsey's Legatine Power and made their submission to the King But that is not credible for as there is no footstep of it which in a time of so much writing and printing must have remained if so great a change had been then made so it cannot be thought that those who made this Address but 17 years after that Submission many being alive in this who were of that Convocation Polidore Virgil in particular a curious observer since he was maintained here to write the History of England none of them should have remembred a thing that was so fresh but have appealed to Writs and ancient Practises But though this design of bringing the Inferior Clergy into the House of Commons did not take at this time yet it was again set on foot in the end of Queen Elizabeths Reign and Reasons were offered to perswade her to set it forward Which not being then successful these same Reasons were again offered to King James to induce him to endeavour it The Paper that discovers this was communicated to me by Dr. Borlace the Worthy Author of the History of the Irish Rebellion It is corrected in many places by the Hand of Bishop Ravis then Bishop of London a Man of great Worth This for the affinity of the matter and the curiosity of the thing I have put into the Collection Number 18. with a large Marginal Note as it was designed to be transcribed for King James But whether this Matter was ever much considered or lightly laid aside as a thing unfit and unpracticable does not appear certain it is that it came to nothing Upon the whole matter it is not certain what was the Power or Right of these Proctors of the Clergy in former times Some are of opinion that they were only assistants to the Bishops Coke 4. Inst 3.4 but had no Voice in either House of Parliament This is much confirmed by an Act pass'd in the Parliament of Ireland in the 28th Year of the former Reign which sets forth in the Preamble That though the Proctors of the Clergy were always summoned to Parliament yet they were no part of it nor had they any right to Vote in it but were only Assistants in case Matters of Controversie or Learning came before them as the Convocation was in England which had been determined by the Judges of England after much enquiry made about it But the Proctors were then pretending to so high an Authority that nothing could pass without their consents and it was presumed they were set on to it by the Bishops whose Chaplains they were for the most part Therefore they were by that Act declared to have no right to Vote From this some infer they were no other in England and that they were only the Bishops Assistants and Council But as the Clause Premonentes in the Writ seems to make them a part of the Parliament so these Petitions suppose that they sate in the House of Commons anciently where it cannot be imagined they could sit if they came only to be Assistants to the Bishops for then they must have sate in the House of Lords rather as the Judges the Masters of Chancery and the Kings Council do Nor is it reasonable to think they had no Voice for then their sitting in Parliament had been so insignificant a thing that it is not likely they would have used such endeavours to be restored to it since their coming to Parliament upon such an account must have been only a charge to them There is against this Opinion an
to emply his Money in the way of Trade or Manufacture for which they were sure to have vent since they lay near Tyre and Sidon that were then the chief Places of Traffick and Navigation of the World and without such Industry the Soil of Judea could not possibly have fed such vast numbers as lived on it So that it seemed clear that this Law in the Old Testament properly belonged to that policy Yet it came to be looked on by many Christians as a Law of perpetual obligation It came also to be made a part of the Canon Law and Absolution could not be given to the breakers of it without a special faculty from Rome But for avoiding the severity of the Law the invention of Mortgages was fallen on which at first were only Purchases made and let back to the owner for such Rent as the use of the Money came to so that the use was taken as the Rent of the Land thus bought And those who had no Land to sell thus fell upon another way The Borrower bought their Goods to be payed within a Year for instance an hundred and ten Pound and sold them back for a Sum to be presently laid down as they should agree it may be a hundred Pound by this means the one had a hundred Pound in hand and the other was to have ten Pound or more at a years end But this being in the way of Sale was not called Usury This Law was look'd on as impossible to be observed in a Country like England and it could not easily appear where the immorality lay of lending Money upon moderate gain such as held proportion to the value of Land provided that the perpetual Rule of Christian Equity and Charity were observed which is not to exact above the proportion duly limited by the Law and to be merciful in not exacting severely of Persons who by inevitable accidents have been disabled from making payment This digression I thought the more necessary because of the scruples that many good and strict Persons have still in that matter Another Act passed both Houses against all Simoniacal Pactions A Bill against Simony the reservation of Pensions out of Benefices and the granting Advowsons while the Incumbent was yet alive It was agreed to by the Lords the Earls of Derby Rutland and Sussex the Viscount Hereford and the Lords Mounteagle Sands Wharton and Evers dissenting But upon what reason I do not know the Bill was not assented to by the King who being then sick there was a Collection made of the Titles of the Bills which were to have the Royal Assent and those the King Signed and gave Commission to some Lords to pass them in his Name These abuses have been oft complained of but there have been still new contrivances found out to elude all Laws against Simony either bargains being made by the Friends of the Parties concerned without their express knowledge or Bonds of Resignation given by which Incumbents lie at the mercy of their Patrons and in these the faultiness of some Clergy-men is made the colour of imposing such hard terms upon others and of robbing the Church oftentimes by that means There was a private Bill put in about the Duke of Somersets Estate which had been by Act of Parliament entailed on his Son in the 23d Year of the last Kings Reign A Repeal of the Entail of the Duke of Somersets Estate On the third of March it was sent to the House of Commons Signed by the King it was for the Repeal of that Act. Whether the King was so alienated from his Unkle that this extraordinary thing was done by him for the utter ruine of his Family or not I cannot determine but I rather incline to think it was done in hatred to the Dutchess of Somerset and her Issue For the Estate was entailed on them by that Act of Parliament in prejudice of the Issue of the former Marriage of whom are descended the Seimours of Devon-shire who were disinherited and excluded from the Duke of Somersets Honours by his Patents and from his Estate by Act of Parliament partly upon some jealousies he had of his former Wife but chiefly by the power his second Wife had over him This Bill of Repeal was much opposed in the House though sent to them in so unusual a way by the King himself And though there was on the 8th of March a Message sent from the Lords that they should make hast towards an end of the Parliament yet still they stuck long upon it looking on the breaking of Entails that were made by Act of Parliament as a thing of such consequence that it dissolved the greatest security that the Law of England gives for property It was long argued by the Commons and was fifteen several days brought in At last a new Bill was devised and that was much altered too it was not quite ended till the day before the Parliament was dissolved But near the end of the Session a Proviso was sent from the Lords to be added to the Bill confirming the Attainder of the Duke and his Complices It seems his Enemies would not try this at first till they had by other things measured their strength in that House and finding their interest grew there they adventured on it but they mistook their measures for the Commons would not agree to it In conclusion the Bill of Repeal was agreed to But whereas there had been some Writings for a Marriage between the Earl of Oxfords Daughter and the Duke of Somersets Son and a Bill was put in for voiding these upon a division of the House the 28th of March there were sixty eight that agreed and sixty nine that rejected it so this Bill was cast out By this we see what a thin House of Commons there was at that time the whole being but 137 Members But this was a natural effect of a long Parliament many of those who were at first chosen being infirm and others not willing to put themselves to the charge and trouble of such constant and long attendance It is also from hence clear how great an interest the Duke of Somerset had in the affections of the Parliament The Commons refuse to attaint the Bishop of Duresme by Bill Another Bill gave a more evident discovery how hateful the Duke of Northumberland was to them The Bishop of Duresme was upon some complaint brought against him of misprision of Treason put into the Tower about the end of December last year What the Particulars were I do not find but it was visible that the secret reason was that he being Attainted the Duke of Northumberland intended to have had the Dignities and Jurisdiction of that Principality conferred on himself so that he should have been made Count Palatine of Duresme Tonstall had in all Points given obedience to every Law and to all the Injunctions that had been made but had always in Parliament protested against the changes in
that would be too little if the Danes and Swedes which they were afraid of should joyn against them There was also great want of Ammunition and Ordnance of which they had lost vast quantities in Calais and Guisnes All this would rise to above 520000 l. and they doubted much whether the People would endure such Impositions who were now grown stubborn and talked very loosely So they did not see how they could possibly enter into any Action this Year One Reason among the rest was suggested by the Bishops they saw a War would oblige them to a greater moderation in their Proceedings at home they had not done their Work which they hoped a little more time would perfect whereas a slack'ning in that would raise the drooping Spirits of those whom they were now pursuing So they desired another Year to prosecute them in which time they hoped so to clear the Kingdom of them that with less danger they might engage in a War the Year after Nor did they think it would be easie to bring new raised Men to the hardships of so early a Campagne and they thought the French would certainly work so hard in repairing the breaches that they would be in a good condition to endure a strait and long Siege All this they wrote over to the King on the first of February as appears from their Letter which will be found in the Collection Collection Number 37. A Parliament is called The Parliament was opened on the 20th of January where the Convocation to be a good Example to the two Houses granted a Subsidy of eight Shillings in the Pound to be paid in four Years In the House of Peers the Abbot of Westminster and the Prior of St. John of Jerusalem took their Places according to their Writs Tresham that had given great assistance to the Queen upon her first coming to the Crown was now made Prior. But how much was done towards the endowing of that House which had been formerly among the richest of England I do not know On the 24th of January the Lords sent a Message to the Commons desiring that the Speaker with ten or twelve of that House should meet with a Committeâ— of the Lords which being granted the Lords proposed that the Commons would consider of the defence of the Kingdom What was at first demanded does not appear but after several days arguing about it they agreed to give one Subsidy a Fifteenth and a Tenth and ordered the Speaker to let the Queen know what they had concluded who sent them her hearty Thanks for it Then Complaints being made of some French-men that were not Denizens it was carried that they should go out of the Kingdom and not return during the War The Abbot of Westminster finding the Revenues of his House were much impaired thought that if the old Priviledges of the Sanctuary were confirmed it would bring him in a good Revenue from those that fled to it so he pressed for an Act to confirm it He brought a great many ancient Grants of the Kings of England which the Queen had confirmed by her Letters Patents but they did not prevail with the House who proceeded no further in it In this Parliament the Procurers of wilful Murder were denied the Benefit of Clergy which was carried in the House of Lords by the greater number as it is in their Journals The Bishops did certainly oppose it though none of them entred their dissent Sir Ambrose and Sir Robert Dudley two Sons of the late Duke of Northumberland were restored in Blood The Countess of Sussex's Joynture was taken from her for her living in Adultery so publickly as was formerly mentioned In the end of the Session a Bill was put in for the confirming of the Queens Letters Patents It was designed chiefly for confirming the Religious Foundations she had made As this went through the House of Commons one Coxley said He did not approve such a general Confirmation of those she had given or might give lest this might be a colour for her to dispose of the Crown from the right Inheritors The House was much offended at this and expressed such dislike at the imagination that the Queen would alienate the Crown that they both shewed their esteem for the Queen and their resolution to have the Crown descend after her death to her Sister Coxley was made to withdraw and voted guilty of great irreverence to the Queen He asked pardon and desired it might be imputed to his youth yet he was kept in the Serjeants Hands till they had sent to the Queen to desire her to forgive his offence She sent them word that at their sute she forgave it but wished them to examine him from whence that motion sprung There is no more entred about it in the Journal so that it seems to have been let fall The Parliament was on the seventh of March prorogued to the seventh of November Soon after this the King of Sweden sent a Message secretly to the Lady Elizabeth The King of Sweden treats a Marriage with the Lady Elizabeth who was then at Hatfield to propose Marriage to her King Philip had once designed to marry her to the Duke of Savoy when he was in hope of Children by the Queen but that hope vanishing he broke it off and intended to reserve her for himself How far she entertained that motion I do not know but for this from Sweden she rejected it since it came not to her by the Queens direction But to that it was answered the King of Sweden would have them begin with her self judging that fit for him as he was a Gentleman and her good liking being obtained he would next as a King address himself to the Queen But she said as she was to entertain no such Propositions unless the Queen sent them to her so if she were left to her self she assured them she would not change her state of Life Upon this the Queen sent Sir Tho. Pope to her in April to let her know how well she approved of the Answer she had made to them but they had now delivered their Letters and made the Proposition to her in which she desired to know her mind She thanked the Queen for her favour to her but bade Pope tell her that there had been one or two noble Propositions made for her in her Brother King Edwards time and she had then desired to continue in the state she was in which of all others pleased her best and she thought there was no state of Life comparable to it She had never before heard of that King and she desired never to hear of that Motion more She would see his Messenger no more since he had presumed to come to her without the Queens leave Then Pope said he did believe if the Queen offered her some Honourable Marriage she would not be averse to it She answered What she might do afterwards she did not know but protested solemnly that as
the Stream to sink it but or ere it sunk it came near to one Bank where the Bulloners took it out and brought the Stones to reinforce the Peer Also at Guines was a certain Skirmish in which there was about an 100 Frenchmen slain of which some were Gentlemen and Noblemen In the mean season in England rose great Stirs like to increase much if it had not been well foreseen The Council about nineteen of them were gathered in London thinking to meet with the Lord Protector and to make him amend some of his Disorders He fearing his state caused the Secretary in My Name to be sent to the Lords to know for what Cause they gathered their Powers together and if they meant to talk with him that they should come in a peaceable manner The next morning being the 6th of October and Saturday he commanded the Armour to be brought down out of the Armoury of Hampton-Court about 500 Harnesses to Arm both his and My Men with all the Gates of the House to be Rampeir'd People to be raised People came abundantly to the House That night with all the People at nine or ten of the Clock of the night I went to Windsor and there was Watch and Ward kept every night The Lords sat in open Places of London calling for Gentlemen before them and declaring the Causes of Accusation of the Lord Protector and caused the same to be proclaimed After which time few came to Windsor but only Mine own Men of the Guard whom the Lords willed fearing the Rage of the People so lately quieted Then began the Protector to treat by Letters sending Sir Philip Hobbey lately come from his Ambassage in Flanders to see to his Family who brought in his return a Letter to the Protector very gentle which he delivered to him another to Me another to my House to declare his Faults Ambition Vain-Glory entring into rash Wars in my Youth negligent looking on New-Haven enriching of himself of my Treasure following of his own Opinion and doing all by his own Authority c. Which Letters were openly read and immediately the Lords came to Windsor took him and brought him through Holborn to the Tower Afterward I came to Hampton-Court where they appointed by My consent six Lords of the Council to be Attendant on Me at least two and four Knights Lords the Marquess of Northampton the Earls of Warwick and Arundel the Lords Russel St. John and Wentworth Knights Sir Andr. Dudley Sir Edw. Rogers Sir Tho. Darcy and Sir Tho. Wroth. After I came through London to Westminster The Lord of Warwick made Admiral of England Sir Thomas Cheiney sent to the Emperor for Relief which he could not obtain Master Wotton made Secretary The Lord Protector by his own Agreement and Submission lost his Protectorship Treasureship Marshalship all his Moveables and more 2000 l. Land by Act of Parliament The Earl of Arundel committed to his House for certain Crimes of suspicion against him as plucking down of Bolts and Locks at Westminster giving of My Stuff away c. and put to fine of 12000 l. to be paid 1000 l. Yearly of which he was after relieved Also Mr. Southwell committed to the Tower for certain Bills of Sedition written with his Hand and put to fine of 500 l. Likewise Sir Tho. Arundel and six then committed to the Tower for Conspiracies in the West Places A Parliament where was made a manner to Consecrate Priests Bishops and Deacons Mr. Paget surrendring his Comptrolership was made Lord Paget of Beaudesert and cited into the Higher House by a Writ of Parliament Sir Anthony Wingfield before Vicechamberlain made Comptroller Sir Thomas Darcy made Vicechamberlaine Guidotty made divers Errands from the Constable of France to make Peace with us upon which were appointed four Commissioners to Treat and they after long Debatement made a Treaty as followeth Anno 1549. Mart. 24. Peace concluded between England France and Scotland By our English side John Earl of Bedford Lord Privy Seal Lord Paget de Beaudesert Sir William Petre Secretary and Sir John Mason On the French side Monsieur de Rochepot Monsieur Chastilion Guilluart de Mortier and Boucherel de Sany upon these Conditions That all Titles Tribute and Defences should remain That the Faults of one Man except he be punished should not break the League That the Ships of Merchandize shall pass to and fro That Pirats shall be called back and Ships of War That Prisoners shall be delivered of both sides That we shall not War with Scotland That Bollein with the pieces of New Conquest and two Basilisks two Demy-Cannons three Culverines two Demy-Culverins three Sacres six Faulcons 94 Hagbutts a Crook with Wooden Tailes and 21 Iron Pieces and Lauder and Dunglass with all the Ordnance save that that came from Haddington shall within six months after this Peace proclaimed be delivered and for that the French to pay 200000 Scutes within three days after the delivery of Bollein and 200000 Scutes on our Lady Day in Harvest next ensuing and that if the Scots raizd Lauder and we should raze Roxburg and Heymouth For the performance of which on the 7th of April should be delivered at Guisnes and Ardres these Hostages Marquess de Means Monsieur Trimoville Monsieur D'anguien Monsieur Montmorency Monsieur Henandiere Vicedam de Chartres My Lord of Suffolk My Lord of Hartford My Lord Talbot My Lord Fitzwarren My Lord Martavers My Lord Strange Also that at the delivery of the Town Ours should come home and at the first Payment three of theirs and that if the Scots raze Lauder and Dunglass We must raze Roxburgh and Heymouth and none after fortify them with comprehension of the Emperor 25. This Peace Anno 1550 proclaimed at Calais and Bollein 29. In London Bonefires 30. A Sermon in Thanksgiving for Peace and Te Deum sung 31. My Lord Somerset was delivered of his Bonds and came to Court April 2. The Parliament prorogued to the second day of the Term in October ensuing 3. Nicholas Ridley before of Rochester made Bishop of London and received his Oath Thomas Thirlby before of Westminster made Bishop of Norwich and received his Oath 4. The Bishop of Chichester before a vehement affirmer of Transubstantiation did preach against it at Westminster in the preaching place Removing to Greenwich from Westminster 6. Our Hostages passed the Narrow Seas between Dover and Calais 7. Monsieur de Fermin Gentleman of the King 's Privy Chamber passed from the French King by England to the Scotch Queen to tell her of the Peace An Ambassador came from Gustave the Swedish King called Andrew for a surer Amity touching Merchandize 9. The Hostages delivered on both the sides for the Ratification of the League with France and Scotland for because some said to Monsieur Rochfort Lieutenant that Monsieur de Guise Father to the Marquess of Means was dead and therefore the delivery was put over a day 8. My Lord Warwick made General Warden of
and Temporalty did without compulsion give their assent he remembers her what opposition the stiff-necked Papists gave him and what Rebellions they raised against him which he wonders how she came so soon to forget Adding that death had prevented him before he had finished these Godly Orders which he had designed and that no kind of Religion was perfected at his death but all was left so uncertain that it must inevitably bring on great disorders if God did not help them and that himself and many others could witness what regret their late Master had when he saw he must die before he had finished what he intended He wond'red that she who had been well bred and was learned should esteem true Religion and the knowledge of the Scriptures Newfangledness or Fantasie He desired she would turn the Leaf and look on the other side and would with an humble Spirit and by the assistance of the Grace of God consider the matter better Thus things went on till the Parliament met The Parliament meets which was summoned to meet the fourth of November The day before it met Novemb. 3. the Protector gave too publick an instance how much his prosperous success had lifted him up For by a Patent under the Great Seal Rot. Pat. 1. Reg. 7. Part. he was warranted to sit in Parliament on the Right Hand of the Throne under the Cloath of State and was to have all the Honours and Priviledges that at any time any of the Unkles of the Kings of England whether by the Fathers or Mothers side had enjoyed with a Non obstante to the Statute of Precedence The Lord Rich had been made Lord Chancellor on the 24th of October but whether the Protector or he opened the Parliament by any Speech does not appear from the Journal of the Lords House On the 10th of Decemb. Decemb. 10. a Bill was brought in for the repealing several Statutes It was read the second time on the 12th and the third time on the 16th day On the 19th 19. some Provisoes were added to it and it was sent down to the Commons who sent it up the 23d of December 23. Dec. to which the Royal Assent was given The Commons had formed a new Bill for repealing these Statutes which upon some Conferences they were willing to let fall only some Provisoes were added to the old one upon which the Bishops of London Duresme Ely Hereford and Chichester dissented An Act repealing former severe Laws The Preamble of it sets forth That nothing made a Government happier than when the Prince governed with much clemency and the Subjects obeyed out of love Yet the late King and some of his Progenitors being provoked by the unruliness of some of their People had made severe Laws but they judging it necessary now to recommend the Kings Government to the affections of the People repealed all Laws that made any thing to be Treason but what was in the Act of 25 of Edw. the 3d as also two of the Statutes about Lollardies together with the Act of the six Articles and the other Acts that followed in explanation of that All Acts in King Henry the 8th's time declaring any thing to be Felony that was not so declared before were also repealed together with the Acts that made the Kings Proclamations of equal Authority with Acts of Parliament It was also Enacted That all who denied the Kings Supremacy or asserted the Popes in words should for the first offence forfeit their Goods and Chattels and suffer Imprisonment during pleasure For the second offence should incur the Pain of Praemunire and for the third offence be attainted of Treason But if any did in Writing Printing or by any overt Act or Deed endeavour to deprive the King of his Estate or Titles particularly of his Supremacy or to confer them on any other after the first of March next he was to be adjudged guilty of High Treason and if any of the Heirs of the Crown should usurp upon another or did endeavour to break the Succession of the Crown it was declared high Treason in them their Aiders and Abettors And all were to enjoy the Benefit of Clergy and the Priviledge of Sanctuary as they had it before King Henry the 8th's Reign excepting only such as were guilty of Murder Poisoning Burglary Robbing on the High-way the stealing of Cattel or stealing out of Churches or Chappels Poisoners were to suffer as other Murderers None were to be accused of Words but within a Month after they were spoken And those who called the French King by the Title of King of France were not to be esteemed guilty of the Pains of translating the Kings Authority or Titles on any other In Ch. Coll. Camb. among Parkers Papers This Act was occasioned by a Speech that Arch-bishop Cranmer had in Convocation in which he exhorted the Clergy to give themselves much to the study of the Scripture and to consider seriously what things were in the Church that needed Reformation that so they might throw out all the Popish trash that was not yet cast out Upon this some intimated to him that as long as the six Articles stood in force it was not safe for them to deliver their Opinions This he reported to the Council upon which they ordered this Act of Repeal By it the Subjects were delivered from many fears they were under and had good hopes of a mild Government when in stead of procuring new severe Law the old ones were let fall The Council did also free the Nation of the jealousies they might have of them by such an abridgment of their own Power But others judged it had been more for the interest of the Government to have kept up these Laws still in force but to have restrained the execution of them This Repeal drew on another which was sent from the Commons on the 20th of December and was agreed to by the Lords on the 21st It was of an Act in the 28th year of the last King by which all Laws made while his Son was under 24 years of Age might be by his Letters Patents after he attained that Age annulled as if they had never been Which they altered thus That the King after that Age might by his Letters Patents void any Act of Parliament for the future but could not so void it from the beginning as to annul all things done upon it between the making and annulling of it which were still to be lawful Deeds The next Bill of a publick nature was concerning the Sacrament Act about the Communion Which was brought in and read the first time on the 12th of Novemb. the second time on the 15th and was twice read on the 17th And on the 24th a Bill was brought in for the Communion to be received in both kinds on the third of December it was read the second time and given to the Protector on the 5th read again and given to two
Heath of Worcester and Day Bishop of Chichester Heath and Day turned out of their Bishopricks were put out of their Bishopricks For Heath it has been already said that he was put in prison for refusing to consent to the Book of Ordinations But for Day whether he refused to submit to the new Book or fell into other transgressions I do not know Both these were afterwards deprived not by any Court consisting of Church-men but by Secular Delegates of whom three were Civilians and three Common Lawyers as King Edwards Journal informs us Dayes Sentence is something ambiguously expressed in the Patent that Scory Bishop of Rochester had to succeed him which bears date the 24th of May and mentions his being put there in the room of George late Bishop of that See who had been deprived or removed from it In June following upon Hollbeach Bishop of Lincoln's death Taylour that had been Dean of Lincoln was made Bishop This Year the Bishoprick of Glocester was quite suppressed and converted into an exempted Arch-deaconry and Hooper was made Bishop of Worcester In the December before Worcester and Glocester had been united by reason of their Voicinage and their great poverty and that they were not very populous so they were to be for ever after one Bishoprick with two Titles as Coventry and Litchfield and Bath and Wells were and Hooper was made Bishop of Worcester and Glocester But now they were put into another method and the Bishop was to be called only Bishop of Worcester In all the vacancies of Sees there were a great many of their best Lands taken from them and the Sees that before had been profusely enriched were now brought to so low a condition that it was scarce possible for the Bishops to subsist and yet if what was so taken from them had been converted to good uses to the bettering the condition of the poor Clergy over England it had been some mitigation of so hainous a Robbery but these Lands were snatched up by every hungry Courtier who found this to be the easiest way to be satisfied in their pretensions and the World had been so possessed with the opinion of their excessive Wealth that it was thought they never could be made poor enough This Year a Passage fell out relating to Ireland The Affairs of Ireland which will give me occasion to look over to the Affairs of that Kingdom The Kings of England had formerly contented themselves with the Title of Lords of Ireland which King Henry the 8th in the 33d Year of his Reign had in a Parliament there changed into the Title of a Kingdom But no special Crown or Coronation was appointed since it was to follow the Crown of England The Popes and the Emperors have pretended that the conferring Titles of Sovereign Dignity belonged to them The Pope derived his claim from what our Saviour said That all Power in Heaven and in Earth was given to him and by consequence to his Vicar The Emperors as being a dead shadow of the Roman Empire which Title with the designation of Caesar they still continued to use and pretended that as the Roman Emperors did anciently make Kings so they had still the same right though because those Emperors made Kings in the Countreys which were theirs by Conquest it was an odd stretch to infer that those who retained nothing of their Empire but the Name should therefore make Kings in Countries that belonged not to them and it is certain that every entire or independent Crown or State may make for or within it self what Titles they please But the Authority the Crown of England had in Ireland was not then so entire as by the many Rebellions that have fallen out since it is now become The Heads of the Clans and Names had the Conduct of all their several Tribes who were led on by them to what designs they pleased And though within the English Pale the King was obeyed and his Laws executed almost as in England yet the native Irish were an uncivilized and barbarous Nation and not yet brought under the Yoke and for the greatest part of Vlster they were united to the Scots and followed their Interests There had been a Rebellion in the second Year of this Reign But Sir Anthony St. Leiger then Deputy being recalled and Sir Edw. Bellinghame sent in his room he subdued O-Canor and O-More that were the chief Authors of it and not being willing to put things to extremities when England was otherwise distracted with Wars he perswaded them to accept of Pensions of 100 l. a-piece and so they came in and lived in the English Pale But the Winter after there was another Rebellion designed in Vlster by O-Neal O-Donnel O-Docart and the Heads of some other Tribes who sent to the Queen Dowager of Scotland to procure them assistance from France and they would keep up the disorders in Ireland The Bishop of Valence being then in Scotland was sent by her to observe their strength that he might accordingly perswade the King of France to assist them He cross'd the Seas and met with them and with Wauchop a Scotch-man who was the Bishop of Armagh of the Popes making and who though he was blind was yet esteemed one of the best at Riding Post in the World They set out all their greatness to the French Bishop to engage him to be their friend at the Court of France but he seemed not so well satisfied of their ability to do any great matter and so nothing followed on this One passage fell out here which will a little discover the temper of that Bishop When he was in O-Docarts House he saw a fair Daughter of his whom he endeavoured to have corrupted but she avoided him carefully Two English Gray-Friars that had fled out of England for their Religion and were there at that time observing the Bishops inclinations brought him an English Whore whom he kept for some time She one night looking among his things found a Glass full of somewhat that was very odoriferous and poured it all down her Throat which the Bishop perceiving too late fell into a most violent passion for it had been presented to him by Soliman the Magnificent at his leaving that Court as the richest Balm in Egypt and was valued at 2000 Crowns The Bishop was in such a rage that all the House was disturbed with it whereby he discovered both his lewdness and passion at once This is related by one that was then with him and was carried over by him to be a Page to the Scotch Queen Sir James Melvil who lived long in that Court under the Constable of France and was afterwards much employed by the Prince Elector Palatine in many Negotiations and coming home to his own Country was sent on many occasions to the Court of England where he lived in great Esteem He in his old Age writ a Narrative of all the Affairs that himself had been concerned in which is one of
Recorder of London told the Earl of Leicester the secret of this in Queen Elizabeth's Time who writ down his Discourse and from thence I have copied it There was one that had been Cromwell's Servant and much employed by him in the suppression of Monasteries he was a Man of great Notions but very busy and factious so having been a great stickler for the Lady Jane he was put in the Fleet upon the Queen's first coming to the Crown yet within a month he was discharged but upon the last Rising was again put up and indicted of High Treason He had great Friends and made application to one of the Emperor's Ambassadors that was then the Chancellor of the Dutchy of Milan and by his means he obtained his Liberty Being brought to him he shewed him a new Plat-form of Government which he had contrived for the Queen She was to declare her self a Conqueror or that she having succeeded to the Crown by Common Law was not at all to be limited by the Statute Laws since those were only restrictions upon the Kings but not on the Queens of England and that therefore all those Limitations of the Prerogative were only binding in the Persons of Kings but she was free from them Upon this he shewed how she might establish Religion set up the Monasteries raise her Friends and ruin her Enemies and Rule according to her Pleasure The Ambassador carried this to the Queen and seemed much pleased with it but desired her to read it carefully and keep it as a great Secret As she read it she disliked it and judged it contrary to the Oath she had made at her Coronation and thereupon sent for Gardiner and charged him as he would answer before the Judgment-Seat of God at the general Day of the Holy Doom that he would consider the Book carefully and bring her his Opinion of it next day which fell to be Maundy Thursday So as the Queen came from her Maundy he waited on her into her Closet and said these words My good and most gracious Lady I intend not to pray your Highness with any humble Petitions to name the Devisers of this new invented Plat-form but here I say That it is pity that so noble and vertuous a Lady should be endangered with the pernicious Devices of such lewd and subtil Sycophants for the Book is naught and most horrible to be thought on Upon this the Queen thanked him and threw the Book into the Fire and charged the Ambassador that neither he nor any of his Company should receive more such Projects from any of her People This made Gardiner apprehended that if the Spaniards began so soon to put such Notions into the Queen's Head they might afterwards when she was in their Hands make somewhat of them and therefore to prevent such Designs for the future he drew the Act in which though he seemed to do it as an Advantage to the Queen for the putting of her Title beyond dispute yet he really intended nothing by it but that she should be restrained by all those Laws that the former Kings of England had consented to And because King Henry the Seventh though his best right to the Crown flowed from his Marriage to the Heir of the House of York had yet taken the Government wholly into his own hands he fearing lest the Spaniards should pretend to such a Power by the Authority which Marriage gives the Husband over the Wife got the Articles of the Marriage to be ratified in Parliament by which they not only confirmed those agreed on but made a more full explanation of that part of them which declared the entire Government of the Kingdom to belong only to the Queen To this the Spaniards gave too great an occasion Great Jealousies of the Spanish Power by publishing King Philip's Pedigree whom they derived from John of Gaunt They said this was only done to conciliate the favour of the Nation by representing him not a stranger but a Native But this gave great offence concerning which I have seen a little Book that vvas then printed It was there said That King Henry the Seventh came in pretending only to marry the Heir of the House of York But he was no sooner on the Throne than he declared his own Title and kept it his whole Life So it vvas said the Spaniard vvould call himself Heir of the House of Lancaster and upon that Pretension would easily wrest the Power out of the Queen's hands who seemed to mind nothing but her Devotions This made Gardiner look the better to the securing of the Liberties of the Crown and Nation so that it must be acknowledged that the preserving of England out of the hands of the Spaniards at that time seems to be almost vvholly owing to him In this Parliament the Marquess of Northampton vvas restored in Blood And the Act for restoring the Bishoprick of Duresm The Bishoprick of Duresm restored not having gone through the last Parliament vvhen it vvas dissolved vvas now brought in again The Town of Newcastle opposed it much vvhen it came down to the Commons But the Bishop of Duresm came to them on the 18th of April and gave them a long account of all his Troubles from the Duke of Northumberland and desired that they would dispatch his Bill There vvere many Proviso's put into it for some that vvere concerned in Gateside but it vvas carried in the House That instead of these Proviso's they should send a Desire to him recommending those Persons to his Favour So upon a Division there vvere 120 against it and 201 for it After this came the Bill confirming the Attainders of the Duke of Suffolk and fifty eight more vvho vvere attainted for the late Rebellion The Lords put in a Proviso excepting Entailed Lands out of their Forfeitures but the Commons rejected the Proviso and passed the Bill Then did the Commons send up a Bill for reviving the Statutes made against Lollardy vvhich being read twice by the Lords vvas laid aside The Commons intended next to have revived the Statute of the Six Articles but it did not agree vvith the Design at Court to take any notice of King Henry's Acts so this vvas let fall Then they brought in another Bill to extirpate Erroneous Opinions and Books but that vvas at the third reading laid aside After that they passed a particular Bill against Lollardy in some Points as the eating of flesh in Lent but that also being sent up to the Lords was at the third reading laid aside by the major part of the House so forward were the Commons to please the Queen or such Operation had the Spanish Gold on them that they contrived four Bills in one Session for the prosecution of those they called Hereticks But to give some content on the other hand they passed a Bill that neither the Bishop of Rome nor any other should have any Power to Convene or trouble any for possessing Abbey Lands This was sent up to
Queen declares she will force no Conscience pag. 245. A Tumult at Pauls ibid. A Proclamation against Preaching ibid. Censures passed upon it pag. 246. She uses those of Suffolk ill ibid. Consultations among the Reformed pag. 247. Judge Hales barbarously used ibid. Cranmer declares against the Mass pag. 248. Bonners insolence ibid. Cranmer and Latimer sent to the Tower pag. 250. Forreigners sent out of England ibid. Many English fly beyond Sea ibid. The Queen rewards those who had served her pag. 251. She is Crowned and discharges a Tax ibid. A Parliament summoned pag. 252. The Reformed Bishops thrust out of the House of Lords ibid. Great disorders in Elections ibid. An Act moderating severe Laws pag. 253. The Marriage of the Queens Mother Confirmed ibid. Censures passed upon it pag. 254. The Queen is severe to the Lady Elis. ibid. King Edwards Laws about Religion repealed pag. 255. An Act against injuries to Priests ibid. An Act against unlawful assemblies ibid. Marquess of Northamptons 2d Marriage broken pag. 256. The Duke of Norfolks Attaindor annulled ibid. Cranmer and others attainted pag. 257. But his See is not declared void ibid. The Queen resolves to reconcile with Rome ibid. Cardinal Pool sent Legate pag. 258. But is stopt by the Emperor pag. 259. The Queen sends to him ibid. His advice to the Queen pag. 260. Gardiners methods are preferred pag. 261. The House of Commons offended with the Queens Marriage then treated about ibid. The Parliament is dissolved ibid. 1200000 Crowns sent to corrupt the next Parliament pag. 262. Proceedings in the Convocation ibid. Disputes concerning the Sacrament ibid. Censures passed upon them pag. 283. 1554. Ambassadors treat with the Queen for her Marriage ibid. Articles agreed on ibid. The Match generally disliked p. 284. Plots to oppose it are discovered ibid. Wiat breaks out in Kent ibid. His Demands p. 286. He is defeated and taken ibid. The Lady Jane and her Husband Executed p. 271. Her preparations for Death ibid. The Duke of Suffolk is Executed p. 272. The Lady Elis is unjustly suspected p. 273. Many severe proceedings ibid. The Imposture in the Wall ibid. Instructions for the Bishops p. 274. Bishops that adhere to the Reform deprived ibid. The Mass every where set up pag. 276. Books against the married Clergy pag. 277. A New Parliament ibid. The Queens Regal Power asserted ibid. The secret Reasons for that Act. ibid. Great jealousies of the Spaniards pag. 279. The Bishoprick of Duresm restored ibid. Disputes at Oxford pag. 280. With Cranmer pag. 281. And Ridley pag. 282. And Latimer pag. 283. Censures passed upon them ibid. They are all Condemned ibid. The Prisoners in London give reasons why they would not dispute pag. 284. King Philip Lands pag. 286. And is Married to the Queen ibid. He brings a great Treasure with him ibid. Acts of favour done by him pag. 287. He preserves the Lady Elizabeth ibid. He was little beloved pag. 288. But much Magnifyed by Gardiner ibid. Bonners carriage in his Visitation ibid. No reordination of those Ordained in King Edward's time pag. 289. Bonners rage pag. 290. The Sacrament stollen pag. 291. A New Parliament ibid. Cardinal Pools Attaindor repealed ibid. He comes to London pag. 292. And makes a speech to the Parliament ibid. The Queen is believed with Child ibid. The Parliament petition to be reconciled pag. 293. The Cardinal absolves them ibid. Laws against the See of Rome repealed pag. 294. A Proviso for Church Lands ibid. A Petition from the Convocation ibid. An Address from the inferior Clergy pag. 295. Laws against Hereticks revived pag. 296. An Act declaring Treasons ibid. Another against seditious words ibid. Gardiner in great esteem pag. 297. The fear of losing the Church Lands ibid. Consultations how to deal with Hereticks pag. 298. Cardinal Pool for moderate courses pag. 299. But Gardiner is for violent ones ibid. To which the Queen is inclined pag. 300. 1555. They begin with Rogers and others ibid. Who refusing to comply are judged pag. 301. Rogers and Hooper burnt pag. 302. Sanders and Taylor burnt pag. 303. These cruelties are much censured pag. 304. Reflections made on Hoopers Death ibid. The Burnings much disliked pag. 305. The King Purges himself ibid. A Petition against persecution ibid. Arguments to defend it pag. 306. More are Burnt pag. 307. Ferrar and others Burnt pag. 308. The Queen gives up the Church Lands ibid. Pope Julius dies and Marcellus succeeds pag. 309. Paul the 4th succeeds him pag. 310. English Ambassadors at Rome ibid. Instructions sent for persecution pag. 311. Bonner required to Burn more pag. 312. The Queens delivery in vain expected ibid. Bradford and others Burnt pag. 313. Sir Thomas Mores works Published pag. 316. His Letter of the Nun of Kent ibid. Ridley and Latimer Burnt pag. 318. Gardiners Death and Character pag. 320. The temper of the Parliament is much changed pag. 322. The Queen discharges tenths and first fruits ibid. An Act against those that fled beyond Sea rejected pag. 323. An Act debarring a Murderer from the benefit of Clergy opposed ibid. Sir Anthony Kingston put in the Tower pag. 324. Pool holds a Convocation ibid. The heads of his Decrees ibid. Pools design for Reforming of abuses pag. 326. Pool will not admit the Jesuits to England pag. 327. Philpots Martyrdome pag. 328. Forreign affairs ibid. Charles the 5ths Resignation pag. 329. Cranmers Tryal pag. 332. He is degraded pag. 333. He recants ibid. He repents of it pag. 334. His Martyrdome pag. 335. His Character ibid. Others suffer on the like account pag. 337. A Child born in the Fire and burnt ibid. The Reformation grows pag. 338. Troubles at Frankfort among the English there pag. 339. Pool is made Arch-bishop of Canterbury pag. 340. Some Religious Houses are endowed ibid. Records are razed pag. 341. Endeavours for the Abbey of Glassenburg ibid. Forreign Affairs pag. 342. The Pope is extravagantly proud ibid. He dispenses with the French Kings Oath pag. 343. And makes War with Spain pag. 344. 1557. A Visitation of the Vniversities pag. 345. The Persecution set forward pag. 346. A Design for setting up the Inquisition pag. 347. Burnings for Religion pag. 348. Lord Stourton hanged for Murder pag. 350. The Queen is jealous of the French pag. 351. The Battel at St. Quintin pag. 352. The Pope offended with Cardinal Pool ibid. He recalls him pag. 353. The Queen refuses to receive Cardinal Peito ibid. A Peace between the Pope and Spain pag. 354. A War between England and Scotland ibid. The Affairs of Germany pag. 355. A Persecution in France pag. 356. 1558. Calais is besieged ibid. And it and Guisnes are taken pag. 357. Sark taken by the French pag. 358. And retaken strangely pag. 359. Great discontents in England ibid. A Parliament is called pag. 360. King of Sweden courts the Lady Elizabeth pag. 361. But is rejected by her ibid. She was ill used in this Reign pag. 362. The Progress of the Persecution pag. 363. The Methods of it pag.
Men was but for his own defence He did not determine to kill the Duke of Northumberland the Marquess c. but spoke of it and determined after the contrary and yet seemed to confess he went about their Death The Lords went together The Duke of Northumberland would not agree that any searching of his Death should be Treason So the Lords acquitted him of High-Treason and condemned him of Treason Fellonious and so he was adjudged to be hang'd He gave thanks to the Lords for their open Trial and cried Mercy of the Duke of Northumberland the Marquess of Northampton and the Earl of Pembrook for his ill-meaning against them and made suit for his Life Wife Children Servants and Debts and so departed without the Ax of the Tower The People knowing not the Matter shouted half a dozen of times so loud that from the Hall-Door it was heard at Charing-Cross plainly and rumours went that he was quit of all 2. The Peace concluded by the Lord Marquess was ratified by Me before the Ambassadour and delivered to him Signed and Sealed 3. The Duke told certain Lords that were in the Tower that he had hired Bertivill to kill them which thing Bertivill examined on confessed and so did Hammond that he knew of it 4. I saw the Musters of the new Band-men of Arms 100 of my Lord Treasurers 100 of Northumberland 100 Northampton 50 Huntingtoun 50 Rutland 120 of Pembrook 50 Darcy 50 Cobham 100 Sir Thomas Cheyney and 180 of the Pensioners and their Bands with the old Men of Arms all well-armed Men some with Feathers Staves and Pensils of their Colours some with Sleeves and half-Coats some with Bards and Staves c. The Horses all fair and great the worst would not have been given for less than 20 l. there was none under fourteen handfull and an half the most part and almost all Horses with their Guider going before them They passed twice about St. James's Field and compassed it round and so departed 15. Then were certain Devices for Laws delivered to my Learned Council to Pen as by a Schedule appeareth 18. It was appointed I should have six Chaplains ordinary of which two ever to be present and four always absent in preaching one Year two in Wales two in Lancashire and Darby next Year two in the Marches of Scotland two in Yorkshire the third Year two in Devonshire two in Hampshire fourth Year two in Norfolk and Essex and two in Kent and Sussex c. These six to be Bill Harle Perne Grindall Bradford * The other name dasht 20. The Bishop of Duresme was for concealment of Treason written to him and not disclosed at all till the Party did open him committed to the Tower 21. Richard Lord Rich Chancellor of England considering his sickness did deliver his Seal to the Lord-Treasurer the Lord great Master and the Lord Chamberlain sent to him for that purpose during the time of his sickness and chiefly of the Parliament 5. The Lord Admiral came to the French King and after was sent to the Queen and so conveied to his Chamber 6. The Lord Admiral christned the French King's Child and called him by the King's commandment Edward Alexander All that day there was Musick Dancing and Playing with Triumph in the Court but the Lord Admiral was sick of a double Quartane yet he presented Barnabe to the French King who took him to his Chamber 7. The Treaty was delivered to the Lord Admiral and the French King read it in open Audience at Mass with Ratification of it The Lord Admiral took his leave of the French King and returned to Paris very sick The same day the French King shewed the Lord Admiral Letters that came from Parma how the French Men had gotten two Castles of the Imperialists and in the defence of the one the Prince of Macedonia was slain on the Walls and was buried with triumph at Parma 22. The Great Seal of England delivered to the Bishop of Ely to be Keeper thereof during the Lord Rich's sickness The Band of 100 Men of Arms which my Lord of Somerset of late had appointed to the Duke of Suffolk 23. Removing to Greenwich 24. I began to keep Holy this Christmass and continued till Twelve-tide 26. Sir Anthony St. Legier for Matters laid against him by the Bishop of Dublin was banished my Chamber till he had made answer and had the Articles delivered him 28. The Lord Admiral came to Greenwich 30. Commission was made out to the Bishop of Ely the Lord Privy-Seal Sir John Gates Sir William Petre Sir Robert Bowes and Sir Walter Mildmay for calling in my Debts January 1. Orders were taken with the Chandlers of London for selling their Tallow-Candles which before some denied to do and some were punished with Imprisonment 3. The Challenge that was made in the last Month was fulfilled The Challengers were Sir Henry Sidney Sir Henry Nevel Sir Henry Gates Defendants The Lord Williams The Lord Fitzwater The Lord Ambrose The Lord Roberts The Lord Fitzwarren Sir George Howard Sir William Stafford Sir John Parrat Mr. Norice Mr. Digby Mr. Warcop Mr. Courtney Mr. Knolls The Lord Bray Mr. Paston Mr. Cary. Sir Anthony Brown Mr. Drury These in all ran six Courses a-piece at Tilt against the Challengers and accomplished their Courses right-well and so departed again 5. There were sent to Guisnes Sir Richard Cotton and Mr. Bray to take view of Calais Guisnes and the Marches and with the advice of the Captain and Engineers to devise some amendment and thereupon to make me Certificate and upon mine Answer to go further to the Matter 4. It was appointed that if Mr. Stanhop left Hull then that I should no more be charged therewith but that the Town should take it and should have 40 l. a Year for the repairing of the Castle 2. I received Letters out of Ireland which appear in the Secretary's Hand and thereupon the Earldom of Thowmount was by Me given from O-Brians Heirs whose Father was dead and had it for term of Life to Donnas Baron of Ebrecan and his Heirs Males 3. Also Letters were written of Thanks to the Earls of Desmond and Clanrikard and to the Baron of Dunganan 3. The Emperor's Ambassador moved me several times that my Sister Mary might have Mass which with no little reasoning with him was denied him 6. The foresaid Challengers came into the Tournay and the foresaid Defendants entred in after with two more with them Mr. Terill and Mr. Robert Hopton and fought right-well and so the Challenge was accomplished The same Night was first of a Play after a Talk between one that was called Riches and the other Youth whether of them was better After some pretty Reasoning there came in six Champions of either side On Youth's side came My Lord Fitzwater My Lord Ambrose Sir Anthony Brown Sir William Cobham Mr. Cary. Mr. Warcop On Riches side My Lord Fitzwarren Sir Robert Stafford Mr. Courtney Digby Hopton Hungerford All
in the possession of the Temporality that it may please your good Lordships by your discreet Wisdoms to foresee and provide that by this our Grant nothing pass which may be prejudicial or hurtful to any Bishop or other Ecclesiastical Person or their Successors for or concerning any Action Right Title or Interest which by the Laws of this Realm are already grown or may hereafter grow or rise to them or any of them and their Successors for any Lands Tenements Pensions Portions Tithes Rents Reversions Service or other Hereditaments which sometime appertained to the said Bishops or other Ecclesiastical Persons in the Right of their Churches or otherwise but that the same Right Title and Interest be safe and reserved to them and every of them and their Successors according to the said Laws And further whereas in the Statute passed in the first Year of Edward the Sixth for the suppressing of all Colleges c. Proviso was made by the said Statute in respect of the same Surrender that Schools and Hospitals should have been erected and founded in divers parts of this Realm for the good education of Youth in Vertue and Learning and the better sustentation of the Poor and that other Works beneficial for the Common-Weal should have been executed which hitherto be not performed according to the meaning of the said Statute it may please your good Lordships to move the King 's and the Queen 's most Royal Majesty and the Lord Cardinal to have some special consideration for the due performance of the Premises and that as well the same may the rather come to pass as the Church of England which heretofore hath been hononourably endowed with Lands and Possessions may have some recovery of so notable Damages and Losses which she hath sustained It may please their Highness with the assent of the Lords and Commons in this Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same to repeal make frustrate and void the Statute of Mortmayn made in the seventh Year of Edward the First otherwise intituled de Religiosis and the Statute concerning the same made the 15th Year of King Richard the Second And all and every other Statute and Statutes at any time heretofore made concerning the same And forasmuch as Tythes and Oblations have been at all times assigned and appointed for the sustentation of Ecclesiastical Ministers and in consideration of the same their Ministry and Office which as yet cannot be executed by any Lay Person so it is not meet that any of them should perceive possess or enjoy the same That all Impropriations now being in the hands of any Lay Person or Persons and Impropriations made to any secular use other than for the maintenance of Ecclesiastical Ministers Universities and Schools may be by like Authority of Parliament dissolved and the Churches reduced to such State as they were in before the same Impropriations were made And in this behalf we shall most humbly pray your good Lordships to have in special Consideration how lately the Lands and Possessions of Prebends in certain Cathedral Churches within this Realm have been taken away from the same Prebends to the use of certain private Persons and in the lieu thereof Benefices of notable value impropriated to the Cathedral Churches in which the said Prebends were founded to the no little decay of the said Cathedral Churches and Benefices and the Hospitality kept in the same Farther Right Reverend Fathers we perceiving the godly forwardness in your good Lordships in the restitution of this noble Church of England to the pristine State and Unity of Christ's Church which now of late Years have been grievously infected with Heresies perverse and schismatical Doctrine sown abroad in this Realm by evil Preachers to the great loss and danger of many Souls accounting our selves to be called hither by your Lordships out of all parts of the Province of Canterbury to treat with your Lordships concerning as well the same as of other things touching the State and Quietness of the same Church in Doctrine and in Manners have for the furtherance of your godly doing therein devised these Articles following to be further considered and enlarged as to your Lordships Wisdoms shall be thought expedient Wherein as you do earnestly think many things meet and necessary to be reform'd so we doubt not but your Lordships having respect to God's Glory and the good Reformation of things amiss will no less travel to bring the same to pass And we for our part shall be at all times ready to do every thing as by your Lordships Wisdoms shall be thought expedient 1. We design to be resolved Whether that all such as have preach'd in any part within this Realm or other the King and Queen's Dominions any Heretical Erroneous or Seditious Doctrine shall be called before the Ordinaries of such Places where they now dwell or be Benefic'd and upon examination to be driven to recant openly such their Doctrine in all Places where they have preach d the same And otherwise Whether any Order shall be made and Process to be made herein against them according to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church in such Case used 2. That the pestilent Book of Thomas Cranmer late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury made against the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and the Schismatical Book called The Communion Book and the Book of Ordering of Ecclesiastical Ministers all suspect Translations of the Old and New Testament the Authors whereof are recited in a Statute made the Year of King Henry the Eighth and all other Books as well in Latin as in English concerning any Heretical Erroneous or Slanderous Doctrine may be destroyed and burnt throughout this Realm And that publick Commandment be given in all Places to every Man having any such Books to bring in the same to the Ordinary by a certain day or otherwise to be taken and reputed as a favourer of such Doctrine And that it may be lawful to every Bishop and other Ordinary to make enquiry and due search from time to time for the said Books and to take them from the Owners and Possessors of them for the purpose abovesaid 3. And for the better repress of all such pestilent Books That Order may be taken with all speed that no such Books may be printed uttered or sold within this Realm or brought from beyond the Seas or other parts into the same upon grievous pains to all such as shall presume to attempt the contrary 4. And that the Bishops and other Ordinaries may with better speed root up all such pernicious Doctrine and the Authors thereof We desire that the Statutes made Anno quinto of Richard the Second Anno secundo of Henry the Fourth and Anno secundo of Henry the Fifth against Hereticks Lollards and false Preachers may be by your Industrious Suit reviv'd and put in force as shall be thought convenient And generally that all Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Ordinaries may be restored to their Pristine
for it but the Author's word and Poets must make Circumstances as well as more signal Contrivances to set off their Fables But there was no occasion for Bucer's saying this since he never declared against the Corporal Presence but was for taking up that Controversy in some general Expressions So it was not suitable to his Opinion in that Matter for him to talk so loosely of the Scriptures And is it credible that a Story of this nature should not have been published in Queen Mary's Time and been made use of when he was condemned for an Heretick and his Body raised and burnt But our Author perhaps did not think of that 15. He says Pag. 191. Peter Martyr was a while in suspence concerning the Eucharist and stayed till he should see what the Parliament should appoint in that Matter P. Martyr argued and read in the Chair against the Corporal Presence four Years before the Parliament medled with it For the second Common-Prayer Book which contained the first publick Declaration that the Parliament made in this Matter was enacted in the fifth Year of King Edward and Peter Martyr from his first coming to England had appeared against it 16. He said The first Parliament under King Edward Pag. 193. appointed a new Form to be used in ordaining Priests and Bishops who till that time had been Ordained according to the Old Rites save only that they did not swear Obedience to the Pope This is a further Evidence of our Author's care in searching the printed Statutes since what was done in the Fifth Year of this Reign he represents as done in the First His Design in this was clear he had a mind to possess all his own Party with an Opinion that the Orders given in this Church were of no force and therefore he thought it a decent piece of his Poem to set down this Change as done so early since if he had mentioned it in its proper place he knew not how to deny the validity of the Orders that were given the first four Years of this Reign which continued to be conferred according to the old Forms 17. He says The Parliament did also at the same time Ibid. confirm a new Book of Common-Prayer and of the Administration of the Sacraments This is of a piece with the former for the Act confirming the Common-Prayer Book which is also among the Printed Statutes passed not in this Session of Parliament but in a second Session a Year after this These are Indications sufficient to shew what an Historian Sanders was that did not so much as read the Publick Acts of the Time concerning which he writ 18. He says They ordered all Images to be removed Ibid. and sent some lewd Men over England for that effect who either brake or burnt the Images of our Saviour the Blessed Virgin and the Saints therein declaring against whom they made War and they ordered the King's Arms three Leopards and three Lillies with the Supporters a Dog and a Serpent to be set in the place where the Cross of Christ stood thereby owning that they were no longer to worship Jesus Christ whose Images they broke but the King whose Arms they set up in the room of those Images In this Period there is an equal mixture of Falshood and Malice 1. The Parliament did not order the removal of Images It was done by the King's Visitors before the Parliament sat 2. The total removal of Images was not done the first Year only those Images that were abused to Superstition were taken down and a Year after the total removal followed 3. They took care that this should be done regularly not by the Visitors who only carried the King's Injunctions about it but by the Curats themselves 4. They did not order the King's Arms to be put in the place where the Cross had stood It grew indeed to be a custom to set them up in all Churches thereby expressing that they acknowledged the King's Authority reached even to their Churches but there was no Order made about it 5. I leave him to the Correction of the Heraulds for saying the King's Arms are Three Leopards when every Body knows they are three Lions and a Lion not a Dog is one Supporter and the other is a Dragon not a Serpent 6. By their setting up the King's Arms and not his Picture it is plain they had no thought of worshipping their King but did only acknowledg his Authority 7. It was no less clear that they had no design against the Worship due to Jesus Christ nor that inferiour respect due to the Blessed Virgin and Saints but intended only to wean the People from that which at best was but Pageantry but as it was practised was manifest Idolatry And the painting on the Walls of the Churches the Ten Commandments the Creed the Lord's Prayer with many other passages of Scripture that were of most general use shewed they intended only to cleanse their Churches from those mixtures of Heathenism that had been brought into the Christian Religion Pag. 193. 19. He says They took away the Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ that they might thereby give some colour to the converting of the Sacred Vessels to the King's use They took away no part of the Institution of Christ for they set it down in the Act past about it and recited all the words of the first Institution of the Sacrament they only condemned private Masses as contrary to Christ's Institution They did not convert the Holy Vessels to the King's use nor were they taken out of the Churches till five Years after this that the Necessities of the Government either real or pretended were alleged to excuse the taking away the superfluous Plate that was in Churches But this was not done by Act of Parliament but by Commissioners empowred by the King who were ordered to leave in every Church such Vessels as were necessary for the Administration of the Sacraments Ibid. 20. He says The Parliament ordered the Prayers to be in the Vulgar Tongue and upon that he infers that the Irish the Welsh and the Cornish-men were now in a much worse condition than before since they understood no English so that the Worship was to them in a Tongue more unknown than it had formerly been The Parliament made no such Order at this Time the Book of Common Prayer was set out first by the King's Authority and ratified by the subsequent Session of Parliament There was also a Design which though it was then accomplished yet it was done afterwards of translating the Liturgy into these Tongues but still the English was much more understood by all sorts of Men among them than the Latin had been 21. He says The Office of the Communion Pag. 194. appointed by this Parliament differed very little from the Mass save that it was in English The Error of the Parliaments appointing the new Offices runs through all he says on this
with a hot Iron on their Breast A great many Provisoes follow concerning Clerks so convict which shew that this Act was chiefly levelled at the idle Monks and Friars who went about the Country and would betake themselves to no employment but finding the People apt to have compassion on them they continued in that course of life Which was of very ill consequence to the State For these Vagrants did every where alienate the Peoples Minds from the Government and perswaded them that things would never be well setled till they were again restored to their Houses Some of these came often to London on pretence of suing for their Pensions but really to practise up and down through the Country To prevent this there was a Proclamation set out on the 18th of September requiring them to stay in the Places where they lived and to send up a Certificate where they were to the Court of Augmentations who should thereupon give order for their constant payment Some thought this Law against Vagabonds was too severe and contrary to that common liberty of which the English Nation has been always very sensible both in their own and their Neighbours particulars Yet it could not be denied but extream Diseases required extream Remedies and perhaps there is no punishment too severe for Persons that are in health and yet prefer a loitering course of life to an honest employment There followed in the Act many excellent Rules for providing for the truly poor and indigent in the several Places where they were born and had their abode Of which this can only be said That as no Nation has laid down more effectual Rules for the supplying the Poor than England so that indeed none can be in absolute want so the neglect of these Laws is a just and great reproach on those who are charged with the execution of them when such numbers of poor Vagabonds swarm every where without the due restraints that the Laws have appointed On the 6th of December the Bill for giving the Chantries to the King was brought into the House of Lords An Act giving the Chantries to the King It was read the second time on the 12th the third time on the 13th and the fourth time on the 14th of that Month. It was much opposed both by Cranmer on the one hand and the Popish Bishops on the other The late Kings Executors saw they could not pay his Debts nor satisfie themselves in their own pretensions formerly mentioned out of the Kings Revenue and so intended to have these to be divided among them Cranmer opposed it long For the Clergy being much empoverished by the Sale of the impropriated Tithes that ought in all reason to have return'd into the Church but upon the dissolution of the Abbies were all sold among the Laity he saw no probable way remaining for their supply but to save these Endowments till the King were of Age being confident he was so piously disposed that they should easily perswade him to convert them all to the bettering of the Condition of the poor Clergy that were now brought into extream misery And therefore he was for reforming and preserving these Foundations till the Kings full Age. The Popish Bishops liked these Endowments so well that upon far different Motives they were for continuing them in the state they were in But those who were to gain by it were so many that the Act passed the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Duresme Ely Norwich Hereford Worcester and Chichester dissenting So it being sent down to the House of Commons was there much opposed by some Burgesses who represented that the Boroughs for which they served could not maintain their Churches and other publick Works of the Guilds and Fraternities if the Rents belonging to them were given to the King for these were likewise in the Act. This was chiefly done by the Burgesses of Linn and Coventry who were so active that the whole House was much set against that part of the Bill for the Guild-Lands Therefore those who managed that House for the Court took these off by an assurance that their Guild-Lands should be restored to them And so they desisted from their opposition and the Bill passed on the promise given to them which was afterwards made good by the Protector In the Preamble of the Act it is set forth That the great superstition of Christians rising out of their ignorance of the true way of Salvation by the death of Christ in stead of which they had set up the vain conceits of Purgatory and Masses satisfactory was much supported by Trentals and Chantries And since the converting these to godly uses such as the endowing of Schools Provisions for the Poor and the augmenting of Places in the Universities could not be done by Parliament they therefore committed it to the care of the King And then reciting the Act made in the 37th year of his Fathers Reign they give the King all such Chantries Colledges and Chappels as were not possessed by the late King and all that had been in being any time these five years last past as also all Revenues belonging to any Church for Anniversaries Obits and Lights together with all Guild-Lands which any Fraternity of Men enjoyed for Obits or the like and appoint these to be converted to the maintenance of Gramar-Schools or Preachers and for the encrease of Vicarages After this followed the Act giving the King the Customs known by the Name of Tonnage and Poundage besides some other Laws of Matters that are not needful to be remembred in this History Last of all came the Kings general Pardon with the common mon Exceptions among which one was of these who were then Prisoners in the Tower of London in which the Duke of Norfolk was included So all business being ended the Parliament was Prorogued from the 24th of December to the 20th of April following Acts that were proposed but not carried But having given this account of these Bills that were passed I shall not esteem it an unfruitful piece of History to shew what other Bills were designed There were put into the House of Lords two Bills that were stifled The one was for the use of the Scriptures which came not to a second reading The other was a Bill for erecting a new Court of Chancery for Ecclesiastical and Civil Causes which was committed to some Bishops and Temporal Lords but never more mentioned The Commons sent up also some Bills which the Lords did not agree to One was about Benefices with Cure and Residence It was committed but never reported Another was for the Reformation of divers Laws and of the Courts of Common-Law and a third was that married Men might be Priests and have Benefices To this the Commons did so readily agree that it being put in on the 19th of December and read then for the first time it was read twice the next day and sent up to the Lords on the 21st But
be found in the Collection In end Sentence was given allowing the second Marriage in that Case and by consequence confirming the Marquess of Northampton's Marriage to his second Wife who upon that was suffered to cohabit with him Yet four years after he was advised to have a special Act of Parliament for confirming this Sentence of which mention shall be made in its due time and Place Some further advance in the Reformation The next thing that came under consideration was the great contradiction that was in most of the Sermons over England Some were very earnest to justifie and maintain all the old Rites that yet remained and others were no less hot to have them laid aside So that in London especially the People were wonderfully distracted by this variety among their Teachers The Ceremonies of Candlemass and their observance of Lent with the Rites used on Palm-Sunday Good-Friday and Easter were now approaching Those that were against them condemned them as superstitious Additions to the Worship of God invented in the dark Ages when an outward Pageantry had been the chief thing that was looked after But others set out the good use that might be made of these things and taught that till they were abolished by the Kings Authority they ought to be still observed In a Visitation that had been made when I cannot learn only it seems to have been about the end of King Henry's Reign it had been declared that Fasting in Lent was only a Positive Law Several Directions were also given about the use of the Ceremonies and some hints as if they were not to be long continued and all Wakes and Plough-Mondays were suppressed since they drew great Assemblies of People together which ended in drinking and quarrelling These I have also inserted in the Collection Number 21. having had a Copy of the Articles left at the Visitation of the Deanry of Doncaster communicated to me by the favour of a most learned Physitian and curious Antiquary Dr. Nathaniel Johnston who sent me this with several other Papers out of his generous zeal for contributing every thing in his power to the perfecting of this Work The Country People generally loved all these Shews Processions and Assemblies as things of diversion and judged it a dull business only to come to Church for Divine Worship and the hearing of Sermons therefore they were much delighted with the gayity and cheerfulness of those Rites But others observing that they kept up all these things just as the Heathens did their Plays and Festivities for their Gods judged them contrary to the gravity and simplicity of the Christian Religion and therefore were earnest to have them removed This was so effectually represented to the Council by Cranmer that an Order was sent to him about it He sent it to Bonner who being Dean of the Colledge of Bishops in the Province of Canterbury was to transmit all such Orders over the whole Province By it the carrying of Candles on Candlemass day of Ashes on Ash-Wednesday and Palms on Palm-Sunday were forbid to be used any longer And this was signified by Bonner to Thirleby Bishop of Westminster on the 28th of June as appears by the Register After this on the 6th of February A Proclamation against those who Innovated without Authority a Proclamation was issued out against such as should on the other hand rashly innovate or perswade the People from the old accustomed Rites under the Pains of Imprisonment and other Punishments at the Kings pleasure excepting only the formerly mentioned Rites to which are added the creeping to the Cross on Good-Friday taking Holy Bread and Water and any other that should be afterwards at any time certified by the Arch-bishop of Canterbury to the other Bishops in the Kings Name to be laid aside And for preventing the mischiefs occasioned by rash Preachers none were to preach without Licence from the King or his Visitors the Arch-bishop of Canterbury or the Bishop of the Diocess where they lived excepting only Incumbents preaching in their own Parishes Those who preached otherwise were to be imprisoned till Order were given for their punishment and the inferior Magistrates were required to see to the execution of these Orders This Proclamation which is in the Collection Number 22. was necessary for giving Authority to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury's Letters which were censured as a great presumption for him without any publick Order to appoint changes in Sacred Rites Some observed that the Council went on making Proclamations with arbitrary Punishments though the Act was repealed that had formerly given so great Authority to them To this it was answered That the King by his Supremacy might still in matters of Religion make new Orders and add Punishments upon the Transgressors yet this was much questioned though universally submitted to The general taking away of all Images Number 23. On the 11th of Feb. there was a Letter sent from the Council to the Arch-bishop for a more considerable Change There were every where great Heats about the removing of Images which had been abused to superstition Some affirming and others denying that their Images had been so abused There were in the Churches some Images of so strange a nature that it could not be denied that they had been abused Such was the Image of the Blessed Trinity which was to be censed on the day of the Innocents Processionale in Festo Innocentium by him that was made the Bishop of the Children This shews it was used on other days in which it is like it was censed by the Bishop where he was present How this Image was made can only be gathered from the Prints that were of it at that time In which the Father is represented sitting on the one hand as an old Man with a Triple Crown and Rayes about him the Son on the other hand as a young Man with a Crown and Rayes and the Blessed Virgin between them and the Emblem of the Holy Ghost a Dove spread over her Head So it is represented in a fair Book of the Hours according to the use of Sarum printed Anno 1526. The impiety of this did raise horror in most Mens Minds when that unconceivable Mystery was so grosly expressed Besides the taking the Virgin into it was done in pursuance to what had been said by some blasphemous Friars of her being assumed into the Trinity In another Edition of these it is represented by three Faces formed in one Head These things had not been set up by any publick Warrant but having been so long in practice they stood upon the general Plea that was for keeping the Traditions of the Church for it was said that the Promises made to the Church were the same in all Ages and that therefore every Age of the Church had an equal Right to them But for the other Images it was urged against them that they had been all consecrated with such Rites and Prayers that it was certain
a Park there what they did should be no prejudice to him There was also a Commission issued out to enquire about Inclosures and Farms and whether those who had purchased the Abbey-Lands kept Hospitality to which they were bound by the Grants they had of them and whether they encouraged Husbandry But I find no effect of this And indeed there seemed to have been a general design among the Nobility and Gentry to bring the Inferior sort to that low and servile state to which the Peasants in many other Kingdoms are reduced In the Parliament an Act was carried in the House of Lords for imparking Grounds but was cast out by the Commons yet Gentlemen went on every where taking their Lands into their own Hands and enclosing them Many are easily quieted In May the Commons did rise first in Wilt-shire where Sir William Herbert gathered some resolute Men about him and dispersed them and slew some of them Soon after that they rose in Sussex Hamp-shire Kent Glocester-shire Suffolk Warwick-shire Essex Hartford-shire Leicester-shire Worcester-shire and Rutland-shire but by fair perswasions the fury of the People was a little stopt till the matter should be represented to the Council The Protector said he did not wonder the Commons were in such distempers they being so oppressed that it was easier to die once than to perish for want and therefore he set out a Proclamation contrary to the mind of the whole Council against all new Inclosures with another indempnifying the People for what was past so they carried themselves obediently for the future Commissions were also sent every where with an unlimited Power to the Commissioners to hear and determine all Causes about Inclosures High-ways and Cottages The vast Power these Commissioners assumed was much complained of the Landlords said it was an Invasion of their Property to subject them thus to the pleasure of those who were sent to examine the Matters without proceeding in the ordinary Courts according to Law The Commons being encouraged by the favour they heard the Protector bore them and not able to govern their heat or stay for a more peaceable issue did rise again but were anew quieted Yet the Protector being opposed much by the Council he was not able to redress this Grievance so fully as the People hoped So in Oxford-shire and Devon-shire they rose again and also in Norfolk and York-shire Those in Oxford-shire were dissipated by a Force of 1500 Men led against them by the Lord Gray Some of them were taken and hanged by Martial Law as being in a state of War the greatest part ran home to their Dwellings In Devon-shire the Insurrection grew to be better formed But those of Devon-shire grew formidable for that County was not only far from the Court but it was generally inclined to the former superstition and many of the old Priests run in among them They came together on the 10th of June being Whit-Munday and in a short time they grew to be 10000 strong At Court it was hoped this might be as easily dispersed as the other Risings were but the Protector was against running into extremities and so did not move so speedily as the thing required He after some days at last sent the Lord Russel with a small Force to stop their Proceedings And that Lord remembring well how the Duke of Norfolk had with a very small Army broken a formidable Rebellion in the former Reign hoped that time would likewise weaken and dis-unite these and therefore he kept at some distance and offered to receive their Complaints and to send them to the Council But these delays gave advantage and strength to the Rebels who were now led on by some Gentlemen Arundel of Cornwall being in chief Command among them and in answer to the Lord Russel they agreed on fifteen Articles the Substance of which was as follows 1. That all the General Councils Their Demands and the Decrees of their Forefathers should be observed 2. That the Act of the Six Articles should be again in force 3. That the Mass should be in Latin and that the Priests alone should receive 4. That the Sacrament should be hanged up and worshiped and those who refused to do it should suffer as Hereticks 5. That the Sacrament should only be given to the People at Easter in one kind 6. That Baptism should be done at all times 7. That Holy Bread Holy Water and Palms be again used and that Images be set up with all the other ancient Ceremonies 8. That the new Service should be laid aside since it was like a Christmas Game and the old Service again should be used with the Procession in Latin 9. That all Preachers in their Sermons and Priests in the Mass should pray for the Souls in Purgatory 10. That the Bible should be called in since otherwise the Clergy could not easily confound the Hereticks 11. That Dr. Moreman and Crispin should be sent to them and put in their Livings 12. That Cardinal Pool should be restored and made of the Kings Council 13. That every Gentleman might have only one Servant for every hundred Marks of yearly Rent that belonged to him 14. That the half of the Abbey and Church-Lands should be taken back and restored to two of the chief Abbeys in every County and all the Church Boxes for seven years should be given to such Houses that so devout Persons might live in them who should pray for the King and the Common-wealth 15. And that for their particular grievances they should be redressed as Humphrey Arundel and the Major of Bodmyn should inform the King for whom they desired a safe conduct These Articles being sent to the Council the Arch-bishop of Canterbury was ordered to draw an Answer to them which I have seen corrected with his own Hand Cranmer drew an Answer to them Ex MS. Col. C. C. Cantab. The Substance of it was That their Demands were insolent such as were dictated to them by some seditious Priests they did not know what General Councils had decreed nor was there any thing in the Church of England contrary to them though many things had been formerly received which were so and for the Decrees they were framed by the Popes to enslave the World of which he gave several Instances For the Six Articles he says They had not been carried in Parliament if the late King had not gone thither in Person and procured that Act and yet of his own accord he slackened the execution of it To the third it was strange that they did not desire to know in what terms they worshiped God and for the Mass the ancient Canons required the People to communicate in it and the Prayers in the Office of the Mass did still imply that they were to do it For the hanging up and adoring the Host it was but lately set up by Pope Innocent and Honorius and in some Places it had never been received For the fifth the Ancient
Church received that Sacrament frequently and in both kinds To the sixth Baptism in Cases of necessity was to be administred at any time but out of these Cases it was fit to do it solemnly and in the Ancient Church it was chiefly done on the Eves of Easter and Whit-Sunday of which usage some Footsteps remained still in the old Offices To the seventh these were late superstitious devices Images were contrary to the Scriptures first set up for remembrance but soon after made Objects of Worship To the eight The old Service had many ludicrous things in it the new was simple and grave If it appeared ridiculous to them it was as the Gospel was long ago foolishness to the Greeks To the ninth The Scriptures say nothing of it it was a superstitious Invention derogatory to Christs death To the tenth The Scriptures are the Word of God and the readiest way to confound that which is Heresie indeed To the eleventh These were ignorant superstitious and deceitful Persons To the twelfth Pool had been attainted in Parliament for his spiteful Writings and Doings against the late King To the thirteenth It was foolish and unreasonable one Servant could not do a Man's business and by this many Servants would want employment To the fourteenth This was to rob the King and those who had these Lands of him and would be a means to make so foul a Rebellion be remembred in their Prayers To the fifteenth These were notorious Traitors to whom the Kings Council was not to submit themselves After this they grew more moderate and sent eight Articles They make new Demands 1. Concerning Baptism 2. About Confirmation 3. Of the Mass 4. For reserving the Host 5. For Holy Bread and Water 6. For the old Service 7. For the single Lives of Priests 8. For the Six Articles and concluded God save the King for they were His both Body and Goods To this there was an Answer sent in the Kings Name on the 8th of July so long did the Treaty with them hold in which Which were also rejected after Expressions of the Kings affection to his People he taxes their rising in Arms against him their King as contrary to the Laws of God He tells them That they are abused by their Priests as in the Instance of Baptism which according to the Book might necessity requiring it be done at all times that the Changes that had been set out were made after long and great consultation and the Worship of this Church by the advice of many Bishops and Learned Men was reformed as near to what Christ and his Apostles had taught and done as could be and all things had been setled in Parliament But the most specious thing that misled them being that of the Kings Age it was shewed them that his Blood and not his Years gave him the Crown and the state of Government requires that at all times there should be the same Authority in Princes and the same Obedience in the People It was all penned in a high threatning Style and concluded with an earnest Invitation of them to submit to the Kings Mercy as others that had risen had also done to whom he had not only shewed Mercy but granted Redress of their just grievances otherwise they might expect the utmost severity that Traitors deserved But nothing prevailed on this enraged Multitude whom the Priests inflamed with all the Artifices they could imagine and among whom the Host was carried about by a Priest on a Cart that all might see it But when this Commotion was thus grown to a Head The Rebellion in Norfolk headed by Ket a Tanner the Men of Norfolk rose the 6th of July being led by one Ket a Tanner These pretended nothing of Religion but only to suppress and destroy the Gentry and to raise the commons and to put new Councellors about the King They encreased mightily and became 20000 strong but had no Order nor Discipline and committed many horrid outrages The Sheriff of the County came boldly to them and required them in the Kings Name to disperse and go home but had he not been well mounted they had put him cruelly to death They came to Moushold Hill above Norwich and were much favoured by many in that City Parker afterwards Arch-bishop of Canterbury came among them and preached very freely to them of their ill Lives their Rebellion against the King and the Robberies they daily committed by which he was in great danger of his Life Ket assumed to himself the Power of Judicature and under an old Oak called from thence the Oak of Reformation did such Justice as might be expected from such a Judge and in such a Camp The Marquess of Northampton was sent against them but with Orders to keep at a distance from them and to cut off their Provisions for so it was hoped that without the shedding much Blood they might come to themselves again When the news of this Rising came into York-shire the Commons there rose also A Rising in York-shire being further encouraged by a Prophecy That there should be no King nor Nobility in England that the Kingdom should be ruled by four Governours chosen by the Commons who should hold a Parliament in commotion to begin at the South and North Seas This they applied to the Devon-shire Men on the South Seas and themselves on the North Seas They at their first rising fired Beacons and so gathered the Country as if it had been for the defence of the Coast and meeting two Gentlemen with two others with them they without any provocation murdered them and left their naked Bodies unburied The French fall into the Bullognese At the same time that England was in this Commotion the News came that the French King had sent a great Army into the Territory of Bulloigne so that the Government was put to most extraordinary straits A Fast at Court where Cranmer preached Ex MS. Col. C. C. Cantab. There was a Fast proclaimed in and about London Cranmer preached on the Fast-day at Court I have seen the greatest part of his Sermon under his own Hand and it is the only Sermon of his I ever saw It is a very plain unartificial Discourse no shews of Learning or conceits of Wit in it but he severely expostulated in the Name of God with his Hearers for their ill Lives their Blasphemies Adulteries mutual Hatred Oppression and Contempt of the Gospel and complained of the slackness in punishing these sins by which the Government became in some sort guilty of them He set many Passages of the Jewish Story before them of the Judgments such sins drew on and of Gods Mercy in the unexpected deliverances they met with upon their true Repentance But he chiefly lamented the scandal given by many who pretended a zeal for Religion but used that for a Cloak to disguise their other Vices He set before them the fresh Example of Germany where People generally
Son about the Towns in Flanders and Brabant with the many Ceremonies and Entertainments that followed it made it not easie for him to consider of Matters that required such deep consultation He put him off from Brussels to Gaunt and from Gaunt to Bruges But Paget growing impatient of such delays since the French were marched into the Bulloignese the Bishop of Arras Son to Granvell that had been long the Emperors chief Minister who was now like to succeed in his Fathers room that was old and infirm and the two Presidents of the Emperors Councils St. Maurice and Viglius came to Sir William Paget and had a long communication with him and Hobbey Collection Number 39. an account whereof will be found in the Collection in a Dispatch from them to the Protector He meets with the Emperors Ministers They first treated of an explanation of some ambiguous words in the Treaty to which the Emperors Ministers promised to bring them an Answer Then they talked long of the Matters of the Admiralty the Emperors Ministers said no justice was done in England upon the Merchants complaints Paget said every Mariner came to the Protector and if he would not sollicite their business they run away with a Complaint that there was no Justice whereas he thought that as they medled with no private matters so the Protector ought to turn all these over upon the Courts that were the competent Judges But the Bishop of Arras said There was no Justice to be had in the Admiralty Courts who were indeed Parties in all these Matters Paget said There was as much Justice in the English Admiralty Courts as was in theirs and the Bishop confessed there were great corruptions in all these Courts So Paget proposed that the Emperor should appoint two of his Council to hear and determine all such Complaints in a Summary way and the King should do the like in England For the Confirmation of the Treaty the Bishop said the Emperor was willing his Son should confirm it but that he would never sue to his Subjects to confirm his Treaties and he said when it was objected that the Treaty with France was confirmed by the three Estates that the Prerogative of the French Crown was so restrained that the King could alienate nothing of his Patrimony without the Parliament of Paris and his three Estates He believed the King of England had a greater Prerogative he was sure the Emperor was not so bound up he had fifteen or sixteen several Parliaments and what work must he be at if all these must descant on his Transactions When this general discourse was over the two Presidents went away but the Bishop of Arras staid with him in private Paget proposed the Business of Bulloigne but the Bishop having given him many good words in the general excepted much to it as dishonourable to the Emperor since Bulloigne was not taken when the League was concluded between the Emperor and England so that if he should now include it in the League it would be a breach of Faith and Treaties with France and he stood much on the Honour and Conscience of observing these Treaties inviolably So this Conversation ended in which the most remarkable Passage is that concerning the Limitations on the French Crown and the Freedoms of the English for at that time the Kings Prerogative in England was judged of that extent that I find in a Letter written from Scotland one of the main Objections made to the marrying their Queen to the King of England was That an Union with England would much alter the constitution of their Government the Prerogatives of the Kings of England being of a far larger extent than those in Scotland Two or three days after the former Conversation the Emperors Ministers returned to Pagets Lodging with answer to the Propositions which the English Ambassadors had made of which a full account will be found in the Collection in the Letter which the Ambassadors writ upon it into England Collection Number 40. The Emperor gave a good answer to some of the Particulars which were ambiguous in former Treaties For the Confirmation of the Treaty he offered that the Prince should joyn in it but since the King of England was under Age he thought it more necessary that the Parliament of England should confirm it To which Paget answered That their Kings as to the Regal Power were the same in all the Conditions of Life and therefore when the Great Seal was put to any agreement the King was absolutely bound by it If his Ministers engaged him in ill Treaties they were to answer for it at their Perils but howsoever the King was tied by it They discoursed long about the Administration of Justice but ended in nothing And as for the main business about Bulloigne the Emperor stood on his Treaties with the French which he could not break upon which Paget said to the Bishop that his Father had told him they had so many Grounds to quarrel with France that he had his Sleeve full of them to produce when there should be occasion to make use of them But finding the Bishops Answers were cold and that he only gave good words he told him that England would then see to their own security and so he took that for the Emperors final Answer and thereupon resolved to take his leave which he did soon after and came back into England But at home the Councils were much divided of which the sad Effects broke out soon afterward It was proposed in Council that the War with Scotland should be ended For it having been begun and carried on Debates in Council concerning Peace only on design to obtain the Marriage since the hopes of that were now so far gone that it was not in the power of the Scots themselves to retrieve them it was a vain and needless expence both of Blood and Money to keep it up and since Bulloigne was by the Treaty after a few more years to be delivered up to the French it seemed a very unreasonable thing in the low state to which the Kings Affairs were driven to enter on a War in which they had little reason to doubt but they should lose Bulloigne after the new expence of a Siege and another years War The Protector had now many Enemies who laid hold on this conjuncture to throw him out of the Government The Earl of Southampton was brought into the Council but had not laid down his secret hatred of the Protector and did all he could to make a Party against him The Earl of Warwick was the fittest Man to work on him therefore he gained over to his side and having formed a confidence in him he shewed him that he had really got all these Victories for which the Protector triumphed he had won the Field of Pinkey near Musselburgh and had subdued the Rebels of Norfolk and as he had before defeated the French so if he were sent over thither new
of some Opinions should be declared Felony it passed with them but was laid aside by the Lords 1550. A Bill for the Form of Ordaining Ministers was brought in to the House of Lords and was agreed to the Bishops of Duresme Carlisle Worcester Chichester and Westminster protesting against it The Substance of it was An Act about the Forms of giving Orders That such Forms of Ordaining Ministers as should be set forth by the advice of six Prelates and six Divines to be named by the King and authorized by a Warrant under the Great Seal should be used after April next and no other On the second of January a Bill was put in against the Duke of Somerset An Act about the Duke of Somerset of the Articles formerly mentioned with a Confession of them Signed by his Hand This he was prevailed with to do upon assurances given that he should be gently dealt with if he would freely confess and submit himself to the Kings mercy But it was said by some of the Lords that they did not know whether that Confession was not drawn from him by force and that it might be an ill President to pass Acts upon such Papers without examining the Party whether he had subscribed them freely and uncompelled so they sent four Temporal Lords and four Bishops to examine him concerning it And the day following the Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield made the Report that he thanked them for that kind Message but that he had freely subscribed the Confession that lay before them He had made it on his Knees before the King and Council and had Signed it on the 13th of December He protested his offences had flowed from rashness and indiscretion rather than malice and that he had no treasonable design against the King or his Realms So he was fined by Act of Parliament in 2000 l. a year of Land and he lost all his Goods and Offices Upon this he wrote to the Council acknowledging their favour in bringing off his Matter by a Fine he confess'd that he had fall'n into the frailties that often attend on great Places but what he had done amiss was rather for want of true Judgment than from any malicious meaning he humbly desired they would interpose with the King for a moderation of his Fine and that he might be pardoned and restored to favour assuring them that for the future he should carry himself so humbly and obediently that he should thereby make amends for his former follies This was much censured by many as a sign of an abject Spirit others thought it was wisely done in him once to get out of Prison on any terms since the greatness of his former condition gave such jealousie to his Enemies that unless he had his pardon he would be in continual danger as long as he was in their hands So on the 6th of February he was set at liberty giving Bond of 10000 l. for his good behaviour and being limited that he should stay at the Kings House of Sheen or his own of Zion and should not go four Miles from them nor come to the King or the Council unless he were called He had his Pardon on the 16th of February and carried himself after that so humbly that his behaviour with the Kings great kindness to him did so far prevail that on the 10th of April after he was restored into favour and sworn of the Privy-Council And so this storm went over him much more gently than was expected but his carriage in it was thought to have so little of the Hero that he was not much considered after this The Reformation is set on vigorously But to go on with the business of the Parliament reports had been spread that the old Service would be again set up and these were much cherished by those who still loved the former superstition who gave out that a change was to be expected since the New Service had been only the Act of the Duke of Somerset Upon this the Council wrote on Christmas day a Letter to all the Bishops of England to this effect That whereas the English Service had been devised by Learned Men according to the Scripture and the use of the Primitive Church therefore for putting away those vain expectations all Clergy-men were required to deliver to such as should be appointed by the King to receive them all Antiphonales Missals Grayles Processionals Manuals Legends Pies Portuasses Journals and Ordinals after the use of Sarum Lincoln York or any other private use requiring them also to see to the observing one uniform Order in the Service set forth by the common consent of the Realm and particularly to take care that there should be every where provision made of Bread and Wine for the Communion on Sunday This will be found in the Collection But to give a more publick declaration of their zeal Collection Number 46. an Act was brought into Parliament about it and was agreed to by all the Lords except the Earl of Darby the Bishops of Duresme Coventry and Litchfield Carlisle Worcester Westminster and Chichester and the Lords Morley Stourton Windsor and Wharton By it not only all the Books formerly mentioned were to be destroyed but all that had any Image that had belonged to any Church or Chappel were required to deface it before the last of June and in all the Primers set out by the late King the Prayers to the Saints were to be dashed out There was also an Act for a Subsidy to be payed in one year for which there was a Release granted of a Branch of the Subsidy formerly given Last of all came the Kings general Pardon out of which those in the Tower or other Prisons on the account of the State as also all Anabaptists were excepted Thus were all Matters ended and on the first of February the Parliament was prorogued Only in the House of Commons there was a Debate that deserves to be remembred It seems that before this time the Eldest Sons of Peers were not Members of the House of Commons and Sir Francis Russel becoming by the death of his elder Brother Heir apparent to the Lord Russell it was on the 21st of Jan. carried upon a Debate That he should abide in the House as he was before So it is entred in the Original Journal of the House of Commons which was communicated to me by Mr. Surle and Mr. Clark in whose Hands it is now and is the first Journal that ever was taken in that House But it may be expected that I should next give an account of the Forms of Ordination now agreed on Twelve were appointed by the Council to prepare the Book among whom Heath Bishop of Worcester was one but he would not consent to the Reformations that were proposed in it So on the 8th of February he was called before the Council and required to agree to that which all the rest had consented to But he could not be
Religion which he thought he might with a good Conscience submit to and obey though he could not consent to them Only in the matter of the Corporal Presence he was still of the old Perswasion and writ about it But the Latine Stile of his Book is much better than the Divinity and Reasonings in it So what he would have done if he had been required to subscribe the Articles that were now agreed on did not appear for he was all this while Prisoner There was a constant good correspondence between Cranmer and him Though in many things they differed in opinion yet Tonstall was both a Man of candor and of great moderation which agreed so well with Cranmers temper that no wonder they lived always in good terms So when the Bill for Attainting him as guilty of Misprision of Treason was passed in the House of Lords on the 31st of March being put in on the 28th Cranmer spake so freely against it that the Duke of Northumberland and he were never after that in friendship together What his Arguments were I could not recover but when he could do no more he protested against it being seconded only by the Lord Stourton How it came to pass that the other Popish Lords and Bishops that protested against the other Acts of this Parliament did not joyn in this I cannot imagine unless it was that they were the less concerned for Tonstall because Cranmer had appeared to be so much his friend or were awed by their fear of offending the Duke of Northumberland But when the Bill was carried down to the Commons with the Evidences against him which were some Depositions that had been taken and brought to the Lords they who were resolved to condemn that practise for the future would not proceed upon it now So on the fifth of April they ordered the Privy-Counsellors of their House to move the Lords that his Accusers and he might be heard face to face and that not being done they went no further in the Bill By these Indications the Duke of Northumberland saw how little kindness the House of Commons had for him The Parliament is Dissolved The Parliament had now sate almost five years and being called by the Duke of Somerset his Friends had been generally chose to be of it So that it was no wonder if upon his Fall they were not easie to those who had destroyed him nor was there any motion made for their giving the King a Supply Therefore the Duke of Northumberland thought it necessary for his Interest to call a new Parliament And accordingly on the 15th of April the Parliament was dissolved and it was resolved to spend this Summer in making Friends all over England and to have a new Parliament in the opening of the next Year The Convocation at this time agreed to the Articles of Religion that were prepared the last Year which though they have been often printed yet since they are but short and of so great consequence to this History I have put them into the Collection as was formerly told Thus the Reformation of Doctrine and Worship were brought to their perfection and were not after this in a tittle mended or altered in this Reign nor much afterwards only some of the Articles were put in more general words under Queen Elizabeth Another part of the Reformation was yet unfinished A Reformation of Ecclesiastical Courts considered and it was the chief work of this year that was the giving Rules to the Ecclesiastical Courts and for all things relating to the Government of the Church and the exercise of the several Functions in it In the former Volume it was told that an Act had passed for this effect yet it had not taken effect but a Commission was made upon it and these appointed by King Henry had met and consulted about it and had made some progress in it as appears by an Original Letter of Cranmers to that King in the Year 1545. in which he speaks of it as a thing then almost forgotten and quite lâ—id aside for from the time of the six Articles till then the design of the Reformation had been going backward At that time the King began to re-assume the thoughts of it and was resolved to remove some Ceremonies such as the creeping to the Cross the ringing of Bells on St. Andrews Eve with other superstitious Practises for which Cranmer sent him the draught of a Letter to be written in the Kings Name to the two Arch-bishops and to be by them communicated to the rest of the Clergy In the Postscript of his Letter he complains much of the sacrilegious wast of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury where the Dean and Prebendaries had been made to alienate many of their Mannours upon Letters obtained by Courtiers from the King as if the Lands had been desired for the Kings use upon which they had surrendred those Lands which were thereupon disposed of to the Courtiers that had an Eye upon them This Letter should have come in in the former Volume but I had not seen it then so I took hold on this Occasion to direct the Reader to it in the Collection Collection Number 61. It was also formerly told that an Act had passed in this Reign to empower thirty two Persons who should be named by the King to make a Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws which was to be finished within three years But the revolutions of Affairs and the other more pressing things that were still uncompleated had kept them hitherto from setting to that work On the first of November last year a Commission was given to eight Persons to prepare the matter for the review of the two and thirty that so it might be more easily compiled being in a few hands than could well be done if so many had been to set about it These eight were the Arch bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Ely Dr. Cox and Peter Martyr two Divines Dr. May and Dr. Taylor two Doctors of the Law and John Lucas and Richard Goodrick two Common Lawyers But on the 14th of November the Commission was renewed and the Bishop of London was named in the room of the Bishop of Ely one Traheron in the room of May and Gosnald in Goodrick's room These it seems desiring more time than one year to finish it in for two of the years were now lapsed in the last Session of the Parliament they had three years more time offered them But it seems the Work was believed to be in such a forwardness that this continuation was not judged necessary for the Royal Assent was not given to that Act. After the Parliament was ended they made hast with it But I find it said in the Preface to the Book as it was printed in Queen Elizabeths Reign that Cranmer did the whole Work almost himself which will justifie the Character some give of him that he was the greatest Canonist then in England Dr. Haddon that was
afraid of burdening her Conscience by assuming that which belonged to them and that she was unwilling to enrich her self by the spoils of others But they told her all that had been done was according to the Law to which all the Judges and Counsellors had set their Hands This joined with their Persuasions and the Importunities of her Husband who had more of his Fathers temper than of her Philosophy in him at length prevailed with her to submit to it Of which her Father-in-Law did afterwards say in Council She was rather by enticement of the Counsellors and force made to accept of the Crown then came to it by her own seeking and request Upon this order was given for proclaiming her Queen the next day And an Answer was writ to Queen Mary signed by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellor the Dukes of Suffolk and Northumberland the Marquesses of Winchester and Northampton the Earls of Arundel Shrewsbury Huntington Bedford and Pembrook the Lords Cobham and Darcy Sir Thomas Cheyney Sir Robert Cotton Sir William Petre Sir William Cecil Sir John Cheek Sir John Mason Sir Edward North and Sir Robert Bowes in all one and twenty Council writes to Q. Mary letting her know That Queen Jane was now their Soveraign according to the Ancient Laws of the Land and the late King's Letters Patents to whom they were now bound by their Allegiance They told her That the Marriage between her Father and Mother was dissolved by the Ecclesiastical Courts according to the Laws of God and of the Land That many noble Universities in Christendom had consented to it That the Sentence had been confirmed in Parliaments and she had been declared illegitimate and uninheritable to the Crown They therefore required her to give over her Pretences and not to disturb the Government and promised that if she shewed her self Obedient she should find them all ready to do her any Service which in Duty they could The day following they proclaimed Queen Jane Lady Jane proclaimed Queen Collection Number 1. The Proclamation will be found in the Collection It sets forth That the late King had by his Letters Patents limited the Crown that it should not descend to his two Sisters since they were both illegitimated by Sentences in the Spiritual Courts and Acts of Parliament and were only his Sisters by the Half-Blood who though it were granted they had been legitimate are not inheritable by the Law of England It was added That there was also great cause to fear that the King's Sisters might marry Strangers and so change the Laws of the Kingdom and subject it to the Tyranny of the Bishops of Rome and other Forreign Laws For these Reasons they were excluded from the Succession and the Lady Frances Dutchess of Suffolk being next the Crown it was provided that if she had no Sons at the death of the King the Crown should devolve immediately on her eldest Daughter Jane and after her and her Issue to her Sisters since she was born within the Kingdom and already married in it Therefore she was proclaimed Queen promising to be most benign and gracious to all her People to maintain God's Holy Word and the Laws of the Land requiring all the Subjects to obey and acknowledg her When this was proclaimed great multitudes were gathered to hear it but there were very few that shouted with the Acclamations ordinary on such Occasions And whereas a Vintner's Boy did some-way express his scorn at that which was done it was ordered that he should be made an Example the next day by being set on a Pillory and having his Ears nail'd to it and cut off from his Head which was accordingly done a Herauld in his Coat reading to the multitude that was called together by sound of Trumpet the nature of his Offence Censures past upon it Upon this all People were in great distraction The Proclamation opening the new Queen's Title came to be variously descanted on Some who thought the Crown descended by right of Blood and that it could not be limited by Parliament argued that the King having his Power from God it was only to descend in the natural way of Inheritance therefore they thought the next Heir was to succeed And whereas the King 's two Sisters were both by several Sentences and Acts of Parliament declared Bastards and whether that was well judged or not they were to be reputed such as the Law declared them to be so long as it stood in force therefore they held that the Queen of Scotland was to succeed who though she pretended this upon Queen Mary's Death yet did not claim now because by the Papal Law the Sentence against Queen Mary was declared Null Others argued that though a Prince were named by an immediate appointment from Heaven yet he might change the course of Succession as David did preferring Solomon before Adonijah But this it was said did not belong to the King 's of England whose right to the Crown with the extent of their Prerogative did not come from any Divine Designation but from a long Possession and the Laws of the Land and that therefore the King might by Law limit the Succession as well as he and other Kings had in some Points limited the Prerogative which was clearly Sir Thomas More 's Opinion and that therefore the Act of Parliament for the Succession of the King's Sisters was still strong in Law It was also said That if the Kinâ—'â— Sisters were to be excluded for Bastardy all Charles Brandon's Issue were in the same predicament since he was not lawfully married to the French Queen his former Wife Mortimer being then alive and his Marriage with her was never dissolved for though some English Writers say they were divorced yet those who wrote for the Queen of Scots Title in the next Reign denied it But in this the difference was great between them since the King's Sisters were declared Bastards in Law whereas this against Charles Brandon's Issue was only a Surmise Others objected That if the Blood gave an Indefeasible Title How came it that the L. Jane's Mother did not Reign It is true Maud the Empress and Margaret Countess of Richmond were satisfied that their Sons Henry the Second and Henry the Seventh should reign in their Rights but it had never been heard of that a Mother had resigned to her Daughter especially when she was yet under Age. But this was imputed to the Duke of Suffolk's weakness and the Ambition of the Duke of Northumberland That Objection concerning the Half-Blood being a Rule of Common Law in the Families of Subjects to cut off from Step-Mothers the Inclinations and Advantages of destroying their Husbands Children was not thought applicable to the Crown Nor was that of Ones being born out of the Kingdom which was hinted at to exclude the Queen of Scotland thought pertinent to this Case since there was an Exception made in the Law for the King's Children which was thought to
had yet received of him only 300000 Crowns but he had good security for the rest and the Merchants were bound to pay him 100000 lib. Sterling and therefore he demanded a little more time of them All this was printed soon after at Strasburgh by the English there in a Book which they sent over to England in which both the Address made by the Commons in Parliament and this Answer of the Emperour 's to the Towns is mentioned And that whole Discourse which is in the form of an Address to the Queen the Nobility and the Commons is written with such gravity and simplicity of Stile that as it is by much the best I have seen of this time so in these publick Transactions there is no reason to think it untrue For the things which it relates are credible of themselves and though the sum there mentioned was very great yet he that considers that England was to be bought with it will not think it an extraordinary price In that Discourse it is further said that as Gardiner corrupted many by Bribes so in the Court of Chancery Common Justice was denied to all but those who came into these Designs Having thus given an account of what was done in the Parliament I shall next shew how the Convocation proceeded The Proceedings of the Convocation Bonner being to preside in it as being the first Bishop of the Province of Canterbury appointed John Harpsfield his Chaplain to preach who took his Text out of the twentieth of the Acts verse 20 Feed the Flock He run out in his bidding Prayers most profusely on the Queens Praises comparing her to Deborah and Esther with all the servilest flatteries he could invent next he bid them pray for the Lady Elizabeth but when he came to mention the Clergy he enlarged in the praises of Bonner Gardiner Tonstal Heath and Day so grosly that it seems the strains of flattering Church-men at that time were very course and he run out so copiously in them as if he had been to deliver a Panegyrick and not to bid the Beads In his Sermon he inveighed against the late Preachers for not observing Fasts nor keeping Lent and for their Marriages which he severely condemned Weston Dean of Westminster was presented Prolocutor by the lower House Disputes concerning the Sacrament and approved of by Bonner Whether any of the Bishops that had been made in King Edwards time sat among them I do not know But in the lower House there was great opposition made There had been care taken that there should be none returned to the Convocation but such as would comply in all points But yet there came six Non-compliers who being Deans or Arch-Deacons had a right to sit in the Convocation These were Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester Philips Dean of Rochester Haddon Dean of Exeter Cheyney Arch-deacon of Hereford Ailmer Arch-deacon of Stow and Young Chanter of St. Davids Weston the Prolocuter proposed to them on the 18th of October that there had been a Catechism printed in the last year of King Edwards Reign in the name of that Synod and as he understood it was done without their consents which was a pestiferous Book and full of Heresies There was likewise a very abominable Book of Common Prayer set out it was therefore the Queens pleasure that they should prepare such Laws about Religion as she would ratifie with her Parliament So he proposed that they should begin with condemning those Books particularly the Articles in them contrary to the Sacrament of the Altar and he gave out two questions about it Whether in the Sacrament upon the Sanctification of the Bread and Wine all their substance did not vanish being changed into the Body and Blood of Christ and Whether the natural Body of Christ was not corporally present in the Eucharist either by the Transubstantiation of the Elements into his Body and Blood or by the Conjunction of Concomitance as some expressed it The House was adjourned till the 20th on which day every Man was appointed to give in his Answer to these Questions All answered and subscribed in the affirmative except the six before mentioned Philpot said whereas it was given out that the Catechism was was not approved by the Convocation though it was printed in their name it was a mistake for the Convocation had authorised a number of Persons to set forth Ecclesiastical Laws to whom they had committed their Synodal Authority So that they might well set out such Books in the name of the Convocation He also said that it was against all order to move Men to subscribe in such points before they were examined and since the number of these on the one side was so unequal to those on the other side he desired that Dr. Ridley Mr. Rogers and two or three more might be allowed to come to the Convocation This seemed very reasonable So the lower House proposed it to the Bishops They answered that these persons being Prisoners they could not bring them but they should move the Council about it A Message also was sent from some great Lords that they intended to hear the Disputation so the House adjourned till the 23d There was then a great appearance of Noblemen and others The Prolocutor began with a Protestation that by this Dispute they did not intend to call the Truth in doubt to which they had all subscribed but they did it only to satisfie the objections of those few who refused to concur wtih them But it was denied to let any Prisoners or others assist them for it was said that that being a Dispute among those of the Convocation none but Members were to be heard in it Haddon and Ailmer foreseeing they should be run down with clamour and noise refused to dispute Young went away Cheyney being next spoke to did propose his Objections that St. Paul calls the Sacrament Bread after the Consecration that Origen said it went into the Excrement and Theodoret said the Bread and Wine did not in the Sacrament depart from their former Substance Form and Shape Moreman was called on to answer him He said that St. Paul calling it Bread was to be understood thus the Sacrament or Form of Bread To Origens Authority he answered nothing but to Theodoret he said the word they render Substance stood in a more general signification and so might signifie accidental Substance Upon this Ailmer who had resolved not to Dispute could not contain himself but said the Greek Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 could not be so understood for the following words of Form and Shape belonged to the Accidents but that only belonged to the Substance of the Elements Upon this there followed a Contest about the signification of that word Then Philpot struck in and said the occasion of Theodorets writing plainly shewed that was a vain Cavil for the Dispute was with the Eutychians whether the Body and humane Nature of Christ had yet an Existence distinct from the Divine
the Ashes were the Body of Christ or what it was that was burnt To all this Harpsfield made a long Answer concerning Gods Omnipotence and the weakness of mens understandings that could not comprehend Divine Mysteries But Cheyney still asked what it was that was burnt Harpsfield replied it was either the Substance of Bread or the Body of Christ and afterwards said it was a Miracle At that Cheyney smiled and said then he could say no more Weston asked whether there was not enough said in answer to these mens Objections Many of the Clergy cried out Yes Yes But the multitude with repeated cries said No No Weston said he spake to those of the House and not to the rude Multitude Then he asked those Divines whether they would now for three days answer the Arguments that should be put to them Haddon Cheyney and Ailmer said they would not But Philpot offered to do it Woston said he was a mad man and fitter to be sent to Bedlam Philpot said he that had carried himself with so much Passion and so little Indifferency deserved a Room there much better Weston neglecting him turned to the Assembly and said they might see what sort of men these were whom they had now answered three days but tho they had promised it and the Order of Disputation did require it that they should answer in their turn three days they now declined it Upon that Ailmer stood up and answered that they had made no such Promise nor undertaken any such Disputation but being required to give their Reasons why they would not subscribe with the rest they had done it but had received no Answer to them and therefore would enter into no further Disputation before such Judges who had already determined and subscribed those Questions So the House was adjourned to the 30th and then Philpot appeared to answer but desired first leave to prosecute his former Argument and urged that since Christ as man is like us in all things without sin therefore as we are restrained to one place at a time so is Christ but in one place and that is Heaven for St. Peter says the Heavens must contain him till the Restitution of all things To this it was answered that Christ being God his Omnipotence was above our understanding and that to shut him in one place was to put him in Prison Philpot said he was not speaking of his Divine Nature but that as he was man he was like us And for their saying that Christ was not to be imprisoned in Heaven he left to all men to judge whether that was a good answer or not Much discourse following upon this the Prolocutor commanded him to come no more into the House He answered he thought himself happy to be out of their Company Others suggesting to the Prolocutor that it would be said the meetting was not free if men were put out of the House for speaking their minds He said to him he might come so he were decently Habited and did not speak but when he commanded him To this he answered that he had rather be absent altogether Weston concluded all by saying you have the Word but we have the Sword Truly pointing out wherein the strength of both Causes lay This was the Issue of that Disputation which was soon after Printed in English and in Latin by Volerandus Polanus Censures past upon it and is inserted at large in Fox's Acts and Monuments What account the other side gave of it I do not find But upon all such occasions the prevailing party vvhen the inequality vvas so disproportioned used to carry things vvith so much noise and disorder that it vvas no vvonder the Reformers had no mind to engage in this Dispute And those vvho reflected on the vvay of proceeding in King Edwards time could not but confess things had been managed vvith much more Candor and Equality For in this very Point there had been as vvas formerly shewn Disputes for a Year together before there vvas any Determination made so that all men vvere free at that time to deliver their Opinions vvithout any fear and then the Disputes vvere in the Universities vvhere as there vvere a great Silence and Collection of Books so the Auditors vvere more capable of being instructed by them But here the Point was first determined and then disputed And this vvas in the midst of the disorder of the Town vvhere the Privy Council gave all possible encouragement to the prevailing Party The last thing I find done this year was the restoring Veisey to be Bishop of Exeter which vvas done on the 28th of December In his Warrant for it under the great Seal it is said that he for some just troubles both in Body and Mind had resign'd his Bishoprick to King Edward to which the Queen now restored him And thus ended this year Forreign Affairs did not so much concern Religion as they had done in the former Reign vvhich as it made me give some account of them then so it causes me now not to prosecute them so fully In the beginning of the next year 1554. Ambassadors sent from the Emperour for the marriage the Emperour sent over the Count of Egmont and some other Ambassadours to make the Proposition and Treaty of Marriage betwixt his Son and the Queen In the managing of this Treaty Gardiner had the chief hand for he was now the Oracle at the Council-board He had thirty years Experience in Affairs a great Knowledge of the Courts of Christendome and of the State of England and had great Sagacity vvith a marvelous Cunning vvhich vvas not always regulated by the Rules of Candor and Honesty He in drawing the Articles of the Marriage had a double design the one vvas to have them so framed that they might easily pass in Parliament And the other was to exclude the Spaniards from having any share in the Government of England vvhich he intended to hold in his own hands The Articles agreed So the Terms on which it was agreed vvere these The Queen should have the vvhole Government of England vvith the giving of Offices and Benefices in her own hands so that tho Philip was to be called King and his Name was to be on the Coin and the Seals and in Writts yet her hand vvas to give force to every thing vvithout his Spaniards should not be admitted into the Government nor to any Offices at Court 1553. The Laws should not be altered nor the Pleadings put into any other Tongue The Queen should not be made to go out of England but upon her own desire The Children born in the Marriage should not go out of England but by the consent of the Nobility If the Queen out-lived the Prince She should have 60000 l. a year out of his Estate 40000 out of Spain and 20000 of it out of the Netherlands If the Queen had Sons by him they should succeed both to her own Crowns and the Netherlands and Burgundy
And if the Arch-duke Charles Philip's only Son died they should succeed to all Her and His Dominions If she had only Daughters they should succeed to her Crowns and the Netherlands if they married by their Brothers consent or otherwise they should have such Portions as was ordinarily given to those of their Rank But if the Queen had no Issue the King vvas not to pretend to any part of the Government after her death but the Crown vvas to descend according to the Laws of England to her Heirs There vvas to be a perpetual League betwixt England and Spain but this was not to be in prejudice of their League with France vvhich vvas still to continue in force These were the Conditions agreed on and afterwards confirmed in Parliament by vvhich it appears the Spaniards vvere resolved to have the Marriage on any Terms reckoning that if Prince Philip vvere once in England he could easily enlarge his Authority vvhich vvas hereby so much restrained The Match generally disliked It was now apparent the Queen vvas to Marry the Prince of Spain vvhich gave an universal discontent to the vvhole Nation All that loved the Reformation saw that not only their Religion vvould be changed but a Spanish Government and Inquisition vvould be set up in its stead Those vvho considered the Civil Liberties of the Kingdom vvithout great regard to Religion concluded that England would become a Province to Spain and they saw how they governed the Netherlands and heard how they ruled Milan Naples and Sicily but above all they heard the most Inhumane things that ever any Age produced had been Acted by them in their new conquest in the West-Indies It was said what might they expect but to lye at the mercy of such Tyrannical Masters who would not be long kept within the Limits that were now prescribed All the great conditions now talked of were but the guilding the Pill but its operation would be fatal if they once swallowed it down These things had Influence on many But the chief Conspirators were the Duke of Suffolk Plots to oppose it Sir Thomas Wiat and Sir Peter Carew The one was to raise the Mid-land Counties the other to raise Cornwal and Wiat was to raise Kent Hoping by rising in such remote places so to distract the Government that they should be able to engage the Commons who were now as much distasted with the Queen as they had been formerly fond of her Are discovered But as Carew was carrying on his Design in the West it came to be discovered and one that he had trusted much in it was taken upon that Carew fled over into France Wiat was in Kent when he heard this but had not yet laid his Business as he intended Therefore fearing to be undone by the Discovery that was made he gathered some Men about him and on the 25th of January went to Maidston There he made Proclamation Wiat breaks out that he intended nothing but to preserve the Liberty of the Nation 1554. and keep it from coming under the Yoke of Strangers which he said all the Council one or two excepted were against and assured the People that all the Nobility and chief Men of England would concur with them He said nothing of Religion but in private assured those that were for the Reformation that he would declare for them One Roper came and declared him and his Company Traitors but he took him with some Gentlemen that were gathering to oppose him From thence he went to Rochester and writ to the Sheriff of Kent desiring his Assistance against the Strangers for there were already as he said an hundred Armed Spaniards landed at Dover The Sheriff sent him word That if he and those with him had any Suits they were to make them to the Queen on their knees but not with Swords in their hands and required them to disperse under pain of Treason Wiat kept his Men in good order so that they did no hurt but only took all the Arms they could find At the same time one Isley and Knevet gathered People together about Tunbridg and went to join with Wiat. The Queen sent down a Herald to him with a Pardon if he would disperse his Company in 24 hours but Wiat made him deliver his Message at the end of Rochester Bridg and so sent him away The High Sheriff gathered together as many as he could and shewed them how they were abused by Lyes there was no Spaniards landed at all and those that were to come were to be their Friends and Confederates against their Enemies Those that he brought together went to Gravesend to meet the Duke of Norfolk and Sir Hen. Jerningham who were come thither with 600 Men from London and they hearing that Knevet was in his way to Rochester went and intercepted and routed him sixty of his Men were killed the rest saved themselves in the Woods The News of this disheartned Wiat much who was seen to weep and called for a Coat which he stuffed with Angels designing to have escaped But the Duke of Norfolk marching to Rochester with 200 Horse and 600 Foot commanded by one Bret they were wrought on by a pretended Desertor Harper who seemed to come over from Wiat he persuaded the Londoners The Londoners revolt that it was only the preservation of the Nation from the Spaniards that they designed and it was certain none would suffer under that Yoke more than they This had such an effect on them that they all cried out We are all English Men and went over to Wiat. So the Duke of Norfolk was forced to march back And now Kent was all open to Wiat who thereupon sent one to the Duke of Suffolk pressing him to make haste and raise his Country but the Bearer was intercepted Upon that the Earl of Huntington was sent down with some Horse to seize on him The Duke was at all times a mean-spirited Man but it never appeared more than now For after a faint endeavour to raise the Country he gave it over and concealed himself in a privat House but was betrayed by him to whom he had trusted himself into the hands of the Earl of Huntington and so was brought to the Tower Wiat's Party increasing they turned towards London As they came to Debtford Sir Edward Hastings and Sir Thomas Cornwallis came to them in the Queen's Name to ask what vvould content them Wiat desired that he might have the Command of the Tower that the Queen might stay under his Guard and that the Council might be changed Upon these extravagant Propositions Wiat's Demands there passed high words and the Privy Counsellors returned to the Queen After this she vvent into Guild-hall and there gave an account of her Message to Wiat and his Answer And for her Marriage she said she did nothing in it but by advice of her Council and spoke very tenderly of the love she bore to her People and to that City
writ a Letter full of severe expostulations and threatnings for his Apostacy but it had no effect on him It is of an extraordinary strain full of Life in the Thoughts and of Zeal if there is not too much in the expressions The Night before her Execution she sent her Greek Testament which she had always used to her Sister with a Letter in the same Language in which in most pathetick Expressions she sets out the value that she had of it and recommended the study and practice of it earnestly to her She had also composed a very devout Prayer for her Retirements and thus had she spent the last moments of her Life She expressed great tenderness when she saw her Husband led out first but soon overcame it when she considered how closely she was to follow him He had desired to take leave of her before he died but she declined it since it would be rather an encrease of Grief than any addition of Comfort to them She said she hoped they would shortly meet and be united in a happier State and with a setled Countenance she saw them bring back the beheaded Body to the Chappel where it was to be buried When she was brought to the Scaffold which was raised for her within the Tower to prevent the compassion which her dying more publickly might have raised she confessed she had sinned in taking the Queen's Honour when it was given her she acknowledged the Act was unlawful as was also her consenting to it but she said it was neither procured nor desired by her She declared that she died a true Christian and hoped to be saved only by the Mercy of God in the Blood of Christ She acknowledged that she had too much neglected the Word of God and had loved her self and the World too much for which that punishment had come justly to her from God but she blessed him that had made it a means to lead her to Repentance Then having desired the Peoples Prayers she kneeled down and repeated the 51 Psalm Then she undressed her self and stretched out her Head on the Block and cried out Lord into thy hands I recommend my Spirit and so her Head was cut off EFFIGIES IANAE GRAIAE HENRICI VIII PRONEPTIS EX SORORE R. White sculp Nata 1537. cc Guildfordice Dudley Conjugata 1553. Maij Regina Declaritur 1553 Iul 10. Capite Plectitur 1553 4. Feb 12. Printed for Richd. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Pauls Church yard The Earl of Devonshire and the Lady Elizabeth The Lady Elizabeth unjustly suspected for Plotting came to be suspected of the Plot as if the rising in the West had been set on by the Earl with design if it had succeeded to have married the Lady Elizabeth and put her in the Queen's Room Wiat did at his death clear them of any occasion to his Confederacies Yet the Queen who was much alienated from her Sister upon old Scores was not unwilling to find a pretence for using her ill so she was made a Prisoner And the Earl of Devonshire had upon the account formerly mentioned offended the Queen who thought her kindness ill requited Many deserve proceedings when she saw he neglected her and preferred her Sister so he was again put into Prison Sir Nicholas Throgmorton was also charged with that same Guilt and broughr to his Trial which lasted Ten hours But was acquitted by the Jury Upon which they were cast into Prison and severely Fined some in 2000 l. and some in a 1000 Marks This was fatal to his Brother Sir John who was cast by the Jury upon the same Evidence that his Brother had been acquitted But he protested his innocence to the last Sir John Cheek had got beyond Sea finding he was also suspected and sought after and both Sir Peter Carew and he hoping that Philip would be glad at his first admission to the Crown of England to shew Acts of Favour went into Flanders where upon assurances given of Pardon and Mercy they rendered themselves But upon their coming into England they were both put into the Tower Carew made his escape and was afterwards employed by Queen Elizabeth in her Affairs in Ireland Cheek was at this time discharged but upon some new Offence he was again taken in Flanders in May 1556. and was prevailed upon to renounce his Religion and then he was set at liberty but was so sadly affected at the unworthiness of that Action that it was believed to have cast him into a Languishing of which he soon after died There was a base Imposture set up at this time of one that seemed to speak from a Wall with a strange sort of voice Many seditious things were uttered by that voice which was judged of variously Some called it the Spirit of the Wall The Imposture of the Spirit in the Wall Some said it was an Angel that spake And many marvellous things were reported of it But the matter being narrowly enquired into it was found to be one Elizabeth Crofts a Girle who from a private hole in the Wall with the help of a Whistle had uttered those words She was made to doe Pennance openly at Pauls for it But by the account then Printed of it I do not find any Complices were found except one Drake to whom no particular Character is added So it seems it was a Trick laid Betwixt these two for what purpose I cannot find Sure enough in those Times it was not laid to the charge of the Preachers of the Reformation Which I the rather take notice of because of the Malignity of one of our Historians who has laid this to the charge of the Zuinglian Gospellers tho all the proof he offers for casting it on them is in these words For I cannot consider this but as a Plot of theirs And sets it up in opposition to the notorious Imposture of the Maid of Kent mentioned in the former Volume and sayes Let not the Papists be more charged with that since these were now as faulty The two instructions to the Bishops Col. Number 10. The Nation being now settled the Queen did next give Instructions to the Bishops to proceed to visit the Clergy according to some Articles which she sent them which will be found in the Collections In those after a long and invidious Preamble of the disorders that had been in the time of King Edward she commanded them to execute all such Ecclesiastical Laws as had been in force in her Father's Reign That the Bishops should in their Courts proceed no more in the Queen's Name That the Oath of Supremacy should be no more Exacted of any of the Clergy That none suspect of Heresie should be admitted to Orders That they should endeavour to repress Heresie and punish Hereticks That they should suppress all naughty Books and Ballads That they should remove all married Clergy men and separate them from their Wives but for those that renounced their Wives they might put
if he had turned so heartily as the Strain of that Book runs that he would have been quite thrown out especially since he had never Married so I rather look on it as a Forgerie cast on his Name to disgrace the Reformation He fled beyond Sea where he lived till the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and then it seems there was some offence taken at his former behaviour for he was not restored to Bath and Wales but put into Chichester that was a much meaner Bishoprick Thus I have given a clear account and free of all Partiality or Reservation of the changes made in the most of the Sees in England The two Arch-Bishops Cranmer and Holgate the Bishops Ridley Poinet Scory Coverdale Taylor Harvey Bird Bush Hooper Ferrar and Barlow were all removed Rochester was void and Griffins was put into it this April Goddrick dying now Thirleby succeeded him and Sampson of Coventry and Litchfield dying soon after Bayn succeeded him So here were sixteen new Bishops brought in which made no small change in the Church The Mass every where set up When this done the Bishops went about the executing of the Queen's Injunctions The New Service was every-where cast out and the Old Ceremonies and Service were again set up In this Business none was so hot as Bonner for the Act that repealed King Edward's Laws being agreed to by the Commons to whom the Lords had sent it he without staying for the Royal Assent did that very Night set up the Old Worship at Pauls on St. Katherines day and it being the custom that on some Holy Days the Quire went up to the Steeple to sing the Anthems that fell to be on that Night which was an antick way of beginning a form of Worship to which the People had been long disused And the next Day being St. Andrew's he did officiate himself and had a solemn Procession The most eminent Preachers in London were either put in Prison or under Confinement and as all their Mouths had been stopt by the prohibiting of Sermons unless a License were obtained so they were now to be fallen on for their Marriages Parker estimates it that there were now about 16000 Clergy-Men in England and of these 12000 were turned out upon this account some he says were deprived without Conviction upon common Fame some were never cited to appear and yet turned out Many that were in Prison were cited and turned out for not appearing though it was not in their Power Some were induced to submit and quit their Wives for their Livings They were all summarily deprived Nor was this all but after they were deprived they were also forced to leave their Wives which piece of severity was grounded on the Vow that as was pretended they had made though the falshood of this Charge was formerly demonstrated To justify this severity of Procedure many were set to write against the Marriage of the Clergy Books against the marriage of the Clergy Smith of whom I made mention in the former Book that had then so humbly recanted and submitted did now appear very boldly and reprinted his Book with many Additions But the most studied Work was set out by Martin a Doctor of the Laws It was certainly for most part Gardiner's Work and I have seen the Proof Sheets of a great part of it dasht and altered in many places by Gardiner's hand This Martin had made his Court to Cranmer in former times He had studied the Law at Bourges where Francis Balduin one of the celebrated Lawyers of that time had publickly noted him for his lewdness as being not only over-run himself with the French Pox but as being a Corrupter of all the University which Balduin certified in a Letter to one in England that took care to print it It was also printed that Bonner had many Bastards and himself was believed to be the Bastard of one Savage a Priest in Leicestershire that had been Bastard to Sir John Savage of Cheshire Which Priest by Elizabeth Frodshum the Wife of one Edmond Bonner had this Edmond now Bishop of London and it seems his Mother did not soon give over those her lewd Courses for Wymsly Arch-Deacon of London was another of her Bastards That Kennel of the uncleanness of the Priests and Religious Houses was again on this occasion racked and exposed with too much indecency for the married Priests being openly accused for the impurity and sensuality of their Lives thought it was a just piece of self-defence to turn these Imputations back on those who pretended to Chastity and yet led most irregular Lives under that appearance of greater strictness This was the state in which things were when the New Parliament A New Parliament met on the 2d of April Gardiner had before-hand prepared the Commons by giving the most considerable of them Pensions some had 200 and some a 100 l. a Year for giving their Voices to the Marriage The first Act that passed seemed of an odd nature and has a great Secret under it The Speaker of the House of Commons brought in a Bill declaring That whereas the Queen had of right succeeded to the Crown but because all the Laws of England had been made by Kings The Regal Power asserted to be in a Queen as well as a King and declared the Prerogatives to be in the King's Person from thence some might pretend that the Queen had no right to them it was therefore declared to have been the Law that these Prerogatives did belong to the Crown whether it were in the hands of Male or Female and whatsoever the Law did limit and appoint for the King was of right also due to the Queen who is declared to have as much Authority as any other her Progenitors Many in the House of Commons wondered what was the intention of such a Law and as People were at this time full of jealousie The Secret Reasons for that Act. one Skinner a Member of the House who in Queen Elizabeth's time took Orders and was made Dean of Duresm said he could not imagine why such a frivolous Law was desired since the thing was without dispute E M. SS D. Gul. Petyt and that that which was pretended of satisfying the People was too slight he was affraid there was a trick in these words That the Queen had as great Authority as any of her Progenitors on which perhaps it might be afterwards said She had the same Power that William the Conqueror exercised in seizing the Lands of the English and giving them to Strangers which also Edward the First did upon the conquest of Wales He did not know what relation this might have to the intended Marriage therefore he warned the House to look well to it so a Committee being appointed to correct it such words were added as brought the Queen's Prerogative under the same Limitations as well as it exalted it to the height of her Progenitors But one Fleetwood afterwards
new Titles Philip and Mary King and Queen of England France Naples Jerusalem and Ireland Princes of Spain and Sicily Defendors of the Faith Arch-Dukes of Austria Dukes of Milan Burgundy and Brabant Counts of Habspurg Flanders and Tirol Spain having always delighted in a long enumeration of pompous Titles It was observed how happy Marriages had been to the Austrian Family who from no extraordinary Beginnings had now in eighty Years time been raised by two Marriages first with the Heir of Burgundy and the Netherlands and then with the Heir of Spain to be the greatest Family in Christendom and the Collateral Family by the Marriage of the Heir of Bohem and Hungary was now the greatest in the Empire And surely if Issue had followed this Marriage the most extraordinary success possible would have seemed to be entailed on them But there was no great appearance of that for as the Queen was now far advanced in Years so she was in no good state of Health a long course of Discontent had corrupted both the health of her Body and the temper of her Mind Nor did the Matter alter much by her Marriage except for the worse The King 's wonderful Gravity and Silence gained nothing upon the English but his Magnificence and Bounty was very acceptable He brought after him a vast Mass of Wealth He brings a great Treasure with him to England seven and twenty Chests of Bullion every Chest being a Yard and some Inches long which were drawn in twenty Carts to the Tower after which came ninety nine Horse and two Carts loaded with coined Gold and Silver This great Wealth was perhaps the Sum that was formerly mentioned which was to be distributed among the English for it is not improbable that though he empowred his Ambassadors and Gardiner to promise great Sums to such as should promote his Marriage yet that he would not part with so much Mony till it was made sure and therefore he ordered this Treasure to be brought after him I mention it here yet it came not into England till October and January following He made his entry into London with great state At his first setling in England he obtained of the Queen Act of Favour done by him that many Prisoners should be set at Liberty among whom the chief were the Arch-Bishop of York and ten Knights with many other Persons of Quality These I suppose had been committed either for Wiat's Rebellion or the Business of the Lady Jane for I do not believe any were discharged that were imprisoned on the account of Religion As for this Arch-Bishop though he went along in the Reformation yet I find nothing that gives any great Character of him I never saw any Letter of his nor do I remember to have seen any honourable mention made of him any where so that he seems to have been a soft and weak Man and except those little Fragments of his Opinions in some Points about the Mass which are in the Collection I know no remains of his Pen. It seems he did at this time comply in Matters of Religion for without that it is not probable that either Philip would have moved for him or that the Queen would have been easily entreated The Intercessions that Philip made for the Lady Elizabeth He preserves the Lady Elizabeth and the Earl of Devonshire did gain him the Hearts of the Nation more than any thing else that he ever did Gardiner was much set against them and studied to bear down the declaration that Wiat had made of their Innocency all that he could but it was made so openly on the Scaffold that it was not possible to suppress it Before in his Examinations Wiat had accused them hoping to have saved himself by so base an Action but he redeemed it all he could at his Death This had broken Gardiner's Design who thought all they did about Religion was but half work unless the Lady Elizabeth were destroyed For he knew that though she complied in many things yet her Education had been wholly under the Reformed and which was more to him who judged all People by their Interest he reckoned that Interest must make her declare against the Papacy since otherwise she was a Bastard if ever she should out-live her Sister Philip opposed this at first upon a generous Account to recommend himself by obtaining such Acts of Favour to be done by the Queen But afterwards when the hopes of Issue failed him by his Marriage he preserved her out of Interest of State for if she had been put out of the way the Queen of Scotland that was to be married to the Dolphin was to succeed which would have made too great an Accession to the French Crown and besides as it afterwards appeared he was not without hopes of persuading her to marry himself if her Sister should die without Issue For the Earl of Devonshire he more easily obtained his freedom though not till some months had passed That Earl being set at liberty finding he was to lie under perpetual Distrusts and that he might be perhaps upon the first Disorder again put into the Tower to which his Stars seemed to condemn him resolved to go beyond Sea but died within a Year after as some say of Poison All this I have laid together though it fell not out all at once that I might give a full account of all the Acts of Grace that Philip did in England He was little beloved by the English But for the rest of his Behaviour it was no way acceptable to the People for as he engaged the Nation in all his Interests so that henceforth during this Reign England had no share in the Consultations of Europe but was blindly led by him which proved fatal to them in the conclusion by the ignominious loss of Calais So his temper and way of deportment seemed most ridiculous and extravagantly formal to the English Genius which naturally loves the mean between the excessive jollity and talkativeness of the French and the sullen staiedness of the Spaniard rather enclining more to the briskness of the one than the superciliousness of the other And indeed his Carriage was such here that the acting him and his Spaniards was one of the great Diversions of Queen Elizabeth's Court. The Hall of the Court was almost continually shut all his Time and none could have access unless it were first demanded with as much formality as Ambassadors use in asking Audience So that most of the Nobility left the Court few staying but the Officers of the Houshold Gardiner magnifies him much in a Sermon Gardiner had now the Government put entirely in his Hands And he to make his Court the better with the new King preached at St. Paul's the 30th of September where after he had inveighed long against the Preachers in King Edward's Time which was the common Subject of all their Sermons he run out much in commendation of the King affirming him to
be as wise sober gentle and temperate as any Prince that ever was in England and if he did not prove so he was content that all his Hearers should esteem him an impudent Lyar. The State of the Court continued in this posture till the next Parliament But great Discontents did now appear every-where The severe Executions after the last rising the Marriage with Spain and the overturning of Religion concurred to alienate the Nation from the Government This appeared no where more confidently than in Norfolk where the People reflecting on their Services thought they might have the more leave to speak There were some malicious Rumours spread that the Queen was with Child before the King came over This was so much resented at Court that the Queen writ a Letter to the Justices there which is in the Collection to enquire into those false Reports and to look to all that spread false News in the County Coll. Numb 14. The Earl of Sussex upon this examined a great many but could make nothing out of it It flowed from the officiousness of Hopton the new Bishop of Norwich who thought to express his Zeal to the Queen whose Chaplain he had long been by sending up the Tales of the Country to the Council Table not considering how much it was below the Dignity of the Government to look after all vain Reports Bonner's Carriage in his Visitation This Summer the Bishops went their Visitations to see every thing executed according to the Queen's Injunctions Bonner went his with the rest He had ordered his Chaplains to draw a Book of Homilies with an Exposition of the Christian Religion He says in his Preface to it that he and his Chaplains had compiled it but it is likely he had only the Name of it and that his Chaplains composed it Yet the greatest and indeed the best part of it was made to their hands for it was taken out of the Institution of a Christian Man set out by King Henry only varied in those Points in which it differed from what they were now about to set up So that concerning the Pope's Power since it was not yet established he says nothing for or against it The Articles upon which he made his Visitation will be found in the Collection Coll. Numb 15. and by these we may judg of all the other Visitations over England In the Preface he protests he had not made his Articles out of any secret grudg or displeasure to any but meerly for the discharge of his Conscience towards God and the World The Articles were Whether the Clergy did so behave themselves in Living Teaching and Doing that in the judgment of indifferent Men they seemed to seek the Honour of God of the Church and of the King and Queen Whether they had been Married or were taken for Married and whether they were Divorced and did no more come at their Wives or whether they did defend their Marriages Whether they did reside keep Hospitality provide a Curat in their absence And whether they did devoutly celebrate the Service and use Processions Whether they were suspect of Heresy Whether they did haunt Ale-houses and Taverns Bowling-Allies or suspect Houses Whether they favoured or kept company with any suspect of Heresy Whether any Priest lived in the Parish that absented himself from Church Whether these kept any privat Conventicles Whether any of the Clergy was Vicious blasphemed God or his Saints or was guilty of Simony Whether they exhorted the People to Peace and Obedience Whether they admited any to the Sacrament that was suspect of Heresy or was of an ill Conversation an Oppressor or Evil-Doer Whether they admitted any to preach that were not licensed or refused such as were Whether they did officiate in English Whether they did use the Sacraments aright Whether they visited the Sick and administred the Sacraments to them Whether they did marry any without asking the Banes three Sundays Whether they observed the Fasts and Holy-Days Whether they went in their Habits and Tonsures Whether those that were ordained schismatically did officiate without being admitted by the Ordinary Whether they set Leases for many Years of their Benefices Whether they followed Merchandise or Usury Whether they carried Swords or Daggers in Times or Places not convenient Whether they did once every quarter expound to the People in the Vulgar Tongue the Apostles Creed Ten Commandments the Two Commandments of Christ for loving God and our Neighbour the Seven Works of Mercy Seven deadly Sins Seven principal Vertues and the Seven Sacraments These were the most considerable Heads on which he visited One thing is remarkable that it appears both by these No Reordination of those ordained in King Edwards Time and the Queen's Injunctions that they did not pretend to re-ordain those that had been ordained by the New Book in King Edward's Time but to reconcile them and add those things that were wanting which were the Anointing and giving the Priestly Vestments with other Rites of the Roman Pontifical In this Point of re-ordaining such as were ordained in Heresy or Schism the Church of Rome has not gone by any steady Rule For though they account the Greek Church to be guilty both of Heresy and Schism they receive their Priests without a New Ordination Yet after the time of the Contests between Pope Nicolaus and Photius and much more after the outragious heats at Rome between Sergius and Formosus in which the dead Bodies of the former Popes were raised and dragged about the Streets by their Successors they annulled the Ordinations which they pretended were made irregularly Afterwards again upon the great Schism between the Popes of Rome and Avignon they did neither annul nor renew the Orders that had been given But now in England though they only supplied at this time the Defects which they said were in their former Ordination yet afterwards wheâ— they proceeded to burn them that were in Orders they went upon the old Maxim That Orders given in Schism were not valid 〈◊〉 they did not esteem Hooper nor Ridley Bishops and therefore only dâ—grâ—ded them from Priesthood though they had been ordained by their own Forms saving only the Oath to the Pope but for those who were ordained by the new Book they did not at all degrade them supposing noâ—â—hey had no true Orders by it Bonner in his Visitation took great care to see all things were every where done according to the old Rules which was the main thing intended other Points being put in for form When he came to Hadham he prevented the Doctor who did not expect him so soon by two hours so that there was no ringing of Bells which put him in no small disorder And that was much encreased when he went into the Church and found neither the Sacrament hanging up nor a Rood set up thereupon he fell a railing swearing most intemperately calling the Priest an Heretick a Knave with many other such goodly words The
by them declared legitimate 3. ' That all Institutions into Benefices might be confirmed 4. ' That all Judicial Processes might be also confirmed A Proviso for Church-Lands And finally That all the Settlements of the Lands of any Bishopricks Monasteries or other Religious Houses might continue as they were without any trouble by the Ecclesiastical Censures or Laws And to make this pass the better a Petition was procured from the Convocation of Canterbury A Petition from the Convocation about it setting forth That whereas they being the Defenders and Guardians of the Church ought to endeavour with all their strength to recover those Goods to the Church which in the Time of the late Schism had been alienated yet having considered well of it they saw how difficult and indeed impossible that would prove and how much it would endanger the publick Peace of the Realm and the Unity of the Church therefore they preferring the publick Welfare and the Salvation of Souls to their own privat Interests did humbly pray the King and Queen to intercede with the Legat that according to the Powers given him by the Pope he would settle and confirm all that had been done in the alienation of the Church and Abbey Lands to which they for their Interests did consent and they added an humble Desire That those things which concerned the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Liberty might be re-establish'd that so they might be able to discharge the Pastoral Cure committed to them Upon this the Cardinal granted a full Confirmation of those things ending it with a heavy charge on those who had the Goods of the Church in their hands that they would consider the Judgments of God that fell on Belshazar for his prophane using the Holy Vessels though they had not been taken away by himself but by his Father And he most earnestly exhorted them that at least they would take care that out of the Tithes of Parsonages or Vicarages those who served the Cures might be sufficiently maintain'd and encouraged This was confirmed in Parliament where also it was declared That all Suits about these Lands were only to be in the Queen's Courts and not in the Ecclesiastical Courts and if any should upon the pretence of any Ecclesiastical Authority disturb the Subjects in their possession they were to fall into a Premunire It was also declared that the Title of Supream Head never of right belonged to the Crown yet all Writings wherein it was used were still to continue in force but that hereafter all Writings should be of force in which either since the Queen 's coming to the Crown or afterwards that Title should be or had been omitted It was also declared that Bulls from Rome might be executed that all Exemptions that had belonged to Religious Houses and had been continued by the Grants given of them were repealed and these Places were made subject to the Episcopal Jurisdiction excepting only the Privileges of the two Universities the Churches of Westminster and Windsor and the Tower of London But for encouraging any to bestow what they pleased on the Church the Statutes of Mortmain were repealed for twenty Years to come provided always that nothing in this Act should be contrary to any of the Rights of the Crown or the Ancient Laws of England but that all things should be brought to the State they were in at the 20th Year of her Father's Reign and to continue in that condition For understanding this Act more perfectly An Address made by â—he Inferior Clergy I shall next set down the Heads of the Address which the Lower House of Convocation made to the Upper for most of the Branches of this Act had their first rise from it I have put it in the Collection Coll. Numb 16. having found it among Arch-Bishop Parker's Papers In it they petitioned the Lords of the Upper House of Convocation to take care that by their consent to the settlement of the Church Lands nothing might be done in prejudice of any just Title they had in Law to them as also it being said in the Grant of Chantries to King Edward that Schools and Hospitals were to be erected in several parts of the Kingdom they desired that some regard might be had to that Likewise that the Statutes of Mortmain might be repealed and whereas Tithes had been at all times appointed for the Ecclesiastical Ministry therefore they prayed that all Impropriations might be dissolved and the Tithes be restored to the Church They also proposed 27 Articles of things meet to be considered for the Reformation of the Church Namely That all who had preached any Heretical Doctrine should be made openly to recant it that Cranmer's Book of the Sacrament the late Service Books with all Heretical Books should be burnt and all that had them should be required to bring them in otherwise they should be esteemed the favourers of Heresy That great care should be had of the Books that were either printed or sold That the Statutes made against Lollards might be revived and the Church restored to its former Jurisdiction That all Statutes for Pluralities and Non-residence might be repealed that so Beneficed Men might attend on their Cures That Simoniacal Pactions might be punished not only in the Clergy that made them but in the Patrons and in those that mediated in them that the Liberties of the Church might be restored according to the Magna Charta and the Clergy be delivered from the heavy Burdens of First-Fruits Tenths and Subsidies That there might be a clear explanation made of all the Articles of the Premunire and that none should be brought under it till there were first a Prohibition issued out by the Queen in that Particular and that disobedience to it should only bring them within that Guilt That all Exemptions should be taken away all Usury be forbid all Clergy Men obliged to go in their Habits The last was That all who had spoiled Churches without any Warrant might be obliged to make restitution The Laws against Hereticks revived The next Act that was brought in was for the reviving the Statutes made by Richard the Second Henry the Fourth and Henry the Fifth against Hereticks of which an account was given in the first Book of the former Part. The Act began in the House of Commons who as was observed in the former Parliament were much set on Severities It was brought in on the 12th of December and sent up to the Lords on the 15th who pasied it on the 18th of that month The Commons put in also another Bill for voiding all Leases made by married Priests It was much argued among them and the first Draught being rejected a new one was drawn and sent up to the Lords on the 19th of December but they finding it would shake a great part of the Rights of the Church Lands that were made by Married Priests or Bishops laid it aside Thus did the servile and corrupted House of Commons
but in vain At this time the Nation was in expectation of the Queen's Delivery And on the third of May the Bishop of Norwich writ a Letter to the Earl of Sussex of which I have seen the Original that news was brought him from London that the Queen had brought forth a Noble Prince for which he had Te Deum solemnly sung in his Cathedral and in the other Churches thereabout He adds in the Postscript that the News was confirmed by two other Hands But tho this was without any ground the Queen continued still in her opinion that she was with Child and on the 29th of May Letters were written by the Council to the Lord Treasurer to have Money in readiness that those who were appointed to carry the joyful news of the Queens happy Delivery might be speedily dispatched In the beginning of June she was believed to be in Labour and it flew over London again that she had brought forth a Son The Priests had setled all their hopes on that so they did every where sing Te Deum and were transported into no small Extasies of Joy One more officious than the rest made a Sermon about it and described all the lineaments of their young Prince but they soon found they were abused It was said that they had been deceived and that the Queen had no great Belly But Melvil in his Memoirs says he was assured from some of her Women that she did cast forth at several times some Moles and unformed pieces of flesh So now there was small hopes of any Issue from her This encreased the sowrness of her temper and King Philip being so much younger than she growing out of conceit with her did not much care for her but left her some months after He saw no hope of Children and finding that it was not possible for him to get England in his hands without that gave over all his Designs about it so having lived with her about fifteen months after their first Marriage he found it necessary to look more after his Hereditary Crown and less after his Matrimonial one and henceforth he considered England rather as a sure Ally that was to adhere firmly to his Interests than as a Nation which he could ever hope to add to his other Crowns All these things concurred to encrease the Queen's Melancholy Humours and did cast her into an ill state of Health so that it was not probable she could live long Gardiner upon that set himself much to have the Lady Elizabeth put out of the way but as it was formerly said King Philip preserved her Proceedings against Hereticks And thus Affairs went on as to Civil matters till the meeting of the next Parliament in October following But I now return to the Proceedings against the poor men called Hereticks who were again after a short intermission brought to new Sufferings John Cardmaker 1555. that had been Divinity-Reader at S. Pauls and a Prebendary at Bath and John Warne an Upholster in London were both burnt in Smithfield on the 30th of May for denying the Corporal presence being proceeded against ex Officio On the 4th of June there was a piece of Pageantry acted on the Body of one Tooly who being executed for a Robbery did at his death say something that savoured of Heresy upon which the Council writ to Bonner to enquire into it and to proceed according to the Ecclesiastical Laws He thereupon form'd a Process cited the dead Body to answer the Points objected to him but he to be sure neither appearing nor answering was condemned and burnt After this on the 10th of June Thomas Hawkes a Gentleman in Essex who had lived much in the Court was also burnt at Coxhall and on the same day John Simpson and John Ardeley two Husbandmen were also burnt in Essex Thomas Watts a Linen-Draper was burnt at Chelmsford On the 9th Nicholas Chamberlain a Weaver was burnt at Colchester and on the 15th Thomas Osmond a Fuller was burnt at Manning-tree and the same day William Bamford a Weaver was burnt at Harwich These with several others had been sent up by the Earl of Oxford to Bonner because they had not received the Sacrament the last Easter and were suspected of Heresie and Articles being given to them they were upon their Answers condemned and sent to be burnt in the places where they had lived But upon this occasion The Council writ to the Lords in Essex to gather the Gentry and assist at these Burnings the Council fearing some Tumult or violent Rescue writ to the Earl of Oxford and the Lord Rich to gather the Country and to see the Hereticks burnt The Earl of Oxford being some way indisposed could only send his People to the Lord Rich who went and obeyed the Orders that had been sent him for which Letters of Thanks were written to him and the Council understanding that some Gentlemen had come to the burning at Colchester that had not been writ to but as the words of the Letter have it had honestly and of themselves gone thither writ to the Lord Rich to give them the Council's thanks for their Zeal I find in the Council Books many Entries made of Letters writ to several Counties to the Nobility and Gentry to assist at these Executions and such as made excuses were always after that looked on with an ill eye and were still under great jealousy After these followed the Execution of Bradford in July Bradford's Martyrdome He had been condemned among the first but was not burnt till now He had been a Prebendary of St. Pauls and a celebrated Preacher in the end of King Edwards days He had preserved Bourn in the tumult at Pauls-Cross and that afternoon preaching at Bow-Church he severely reproved the people for the disorder at Pauls but three days after was put in Prison where he lay removed from one Prison to another near three years where-ever he came he gained so much on the Keepers that they suffered Preach and give the Sacrament to his Fellow Prisoners He was one of those that were carried before the Council on the 22d of January where Bonner accused him of the Tumult at Pauls though all he pretended to prove it by was that his way of speaking to the People shewed he thought he had some Authority over them and was a presumption that he had set on the Sedition Bradford appealed to God that saw his Innocency and how unworthily he was requited for saving his Enemies who rendered him evil for good At last refusing to conform himself to the Laws he was condemned with the rest on the 31. of Jan. where that Rescue was again laid to his Charge together with many Letters he had written over England which as the Earl of Darby informed the Parliament had done more hurt than he could have done if he had been at liberty to Preach He said since he understood that they acted by a Commission which was derived from
Bill It was long argued some said the Clergy would rob the Crown and the Nation both and that the Laity must then support the Dignity of the Realm It was particularly committed to Sir William Cecil and others to be examined by them On the 13th of December the House divided about it 126 were against it and 193 were for it There was a Bill sent down against the Countess of Sussex Against thosâ— that had fled beyond-Sea rejected who had left her Husband and gone into France where she lived openly in Adultery and bare Children to others A Bill was put in to the same purpose in the first Parliament of this Reign to take her Jointure from her and declare her Children Bastards and was then cast out by the Commons and had now again the same fate Another Bill was put in against the Dutchess of Suffolk and others who had gone beyond Sea to require them to return under severe punishments but tho it was agreed to by the Lords yet upon a division of the House of Commons it was carried in the Negative The greatest and wealthiest of those who favoured the Reformation seeing in how ill a condition they must be in if they stayed in England vvere gone beyond Sea so it was now endeavoured to force them to return or to make them lose their Estates but the Commons thought they had already consented to too severe Laws against them and therefore would add no more The Dutchess of Suffolk had been persecuted while she was in the Netherlands but narrowly escaped Another Bill was put in for the incapacitating of several Persons from being Justices of Peace but was cast out by the Commons at the first reading This was chiefly against such as were suspected of remissness in the prosecuting of Hereticks but the Commons would do nothing to encourage that nor was it necessary since it was in the Queen's power to leave out of the Commission such as she excepted to but it shewed the Zeal of some who had a mind to recommend themselves by such motions There vvas a Complaint put into the House of Commons An Act debarring one from the benefit of Clergy by the Wife of one Rufford against Bennet Smith vvho had hired two Persons to kill her Husband and which as the Act passed about it says was one of the most detestable Murders that had ever been known in England But Smith that had hired and afterwards paid the Murderers might by the Law claim and have the benefit of Clergy It is and hath been an ancient custom in this Nation that for some Crimes those who can read are not to suffer Death This was at first done vvith a declaration that either they had vowed or vvere then resolved to enter into Orders vvhich vvas the cause that no Bigami that is none that had been twice married or such as married Widows vvere capable of it because such could not receive Orders and the Reading vvas only to shew that they vvere in some sort qualified for Orders tho aftervvards the Reading without any such Vow or Promise was all that was required to give one the benefit of Clergy This was granted as an Appendix of the Ecclesiastical Immunity for the Churchmen were not satisfied that their own Persons should be exempted from punishment but would needs have all that resolved to come among them be likewise preserved from the punishment due to those Crimes which they had formerly committed ted So Rufford's Wife petitioning that Smith might by Act of Parliament be debarred that benefit they sent her to the Queen to beg That she would order Smith to be brought from the Tower where he was then kept to the Bar of their House which being done the other Partners and Actors confessed all and tho he at first denied yet he afterwards confessed So the Bill was sent up by the Commons to the Lords where it was much opposed by the Clergy who would not consent that any diminution should be made of their ancient Privileges but the heinousness of the Fact wrought so much on the greater part that it was passed The Earls of Arundel and Rutland the Bishops of London Worcester Norwich and Bristol the Lords Abergaveny Fitzwater and Lumley protesting Pates was now Bishop of Worcester upon Heath's translation to York He was as some say designed to be Bishop of that See by King Henry upon Latimer's Resignation but being engaged in a correspondence with the Pope and Cardinal Pool he fled beyond Sea But the truth is that upon the Death of Jerome de Ghinuci he was at Rome made Bishop of Worcester by the Pope and was thereupon Attainted But his Attainder had bin repealed by the former Parliament and so he was restored to that See On the 9th of December the Parliament was dissolved And the day following Sir Anthony Kingston Sir Anthony Kingston put in the Tower for his behaviour in the House of Commons Ex Lib. Concil who had bin a main Stickler in it and had one day taken the Keyes of the House from the Serjeant which it seems was not displeasing to the major part of the House since they did nothing upon it was sent to the Tower and that same day as it is in the Council Books the Bishop of Ely delivered to the Lord Treasurer the Popes Bull confirming the King and Queens Title to Ireland bearing date the 7th of June Kingston lay in the Tower till the 23d of the month and then he submitted and asked pardon and was discharged But he was next year accused to have engaged in a Design with some others to have robbed the Exchequer of 50000 lib. Whereupon six of them Vdal Throgmorton Petham Daniel Stanton and White were Executed for Felony What Evidence was brought against them I do not know But Kingston died on his way to London Card. Pool in Convocation makes Canons for Reforming the Clergy Rot. Pat. 1st Par. 3. Reg. From the Parliament I turn next to the Convocation where the Cardinal was now at more liberty being delivered from Gardiners Jelousies and Opposition He obtained of the Queen on the 2d of November a Warrant under the great Seal giving him Licence to hold a Synod The Licence he had formerly taken out is made mention of and to avoid all ambiguities which might arise from the Laws or Prerogatives of the Crown she authorised him to call that or any other Synod after and to decree what Canons he should think fit she also authorised the Clergy to meet consent to and obey those Canons without any danger of the Law This was thought safe on both sides both for preserving the Rights of the Crown and securing the Clergy from being afterwards brought within the statute of Premunire as they had been upon theiâ—â—â—nowledging Cardinal Woolseys Legatine power To this Convocation Pool proposed a Book he had prepared which was afterwards printed with the Title of The Reformation of England by the Decree of Cardinal Pool
from Rome This Storm against Pool went soon over by the Peace that was made between Philip and the Pope of which it will not be unpleasant to give the Relation The Duke of Guise having carried his Army out of Italy the Duke of Alva marched towards Rome and took and spoiled all Places on his way When he came near Rome all was in such confusion that he might have easily taken it but he made no assault The Pope called the Cardinals together and setting out the danger he was in with many Tears said he would undauntedly suffer Martyrdome which they who knew that the trouble he was in flowed only from his restless ambition and fierceness could scarce hear without laughter The Duke of Alva was willing to treat A Peace made between the Pope and the King of Spain The Pope stood high on the Points of Honour and would needs keep that entire though he was forced to yield in the chief matters he said rather than lose one jot that was due to him he would see the whole World ruined pretending it was not his own Honour but Christs that he sought In fine the Duke of Alva was required by him to come to Rome and on his Knees to ask pardon for invading the Patrimony of the Church and to receive Absolution for himself and his Master He being superstitiously devoted to the Papacy and having got satisfaction in other things consented to this So the Conqueror was brought to ask pardon and the vain Pope received him and gave him Absolution with as much haughtiness and state as if he had been his Prisoner This was done on the 14th of September and the news of it being brought into England on the 6th of October Letters were written by the Council to the Lord Major and Aldermen of London requiring them to come to St. Pauls where high Mass was to be said for the Peace now concluded between the Pope and the King after which Bonfires were ordered One of the secret Articles of the Peace was the restoring Pool to his Legatine Power The beginnings of a War between England and Scotland War being now proclaimed between England and France the French sent to the Scotish Queen Regent to engage Scotland in the War with England Hereupon a Convention of the Estates was called But in it there were two different Parties Those of the Clergy liked now the English Interest as much as they had been formerly jealous of it and so refused to engage in the War since they were at Peace with England They had also a secret dislike to the Regent for her kindness to the Heretical Lords On the other hand those Lords were ready enough to gain the protection of the Regent and the favour of France and therefore were ready to enter into the War hoping that thereby they should have their Party made the stronger in Scotland by the entertainment that the Queen Regent would be obliged to give to such as should fly out of England for Religion Yet the greater part of the Convention were against the War The Queen Regent thought at least to engage the Kingdom in a defensive War by forcing the English to begin with them Therefore she sent D'Oisel who was in chief command to fortifie Aymouth which by the last Treaty with England was to be unfortified So the Governour of Berwick making Inroads into Scotland for the disturbing of their Works upon that D'Oisel began the War and went into England and besieged Warke Castle The Scotish Lords upon this met at Edenburgh and complained that D'Oisel was engaging them in a War with England without their consent and required him to return back under pain of being declared an Enemy to the Nation which he very unwillingly obeyed But while he lay there the Duke of Norfolk was sent down with some Troops to defend the Marches There was only one Engagement between him and the Kers but after a long dispute they were defeated and many of them taken The Queen Regent seeing her Authority was so little considered writ to France to hasten the Marriage of her Daughter to the Dolphin for that he being thereupon invested with the Crown of Scotland the French would become more absolute Upon this a Message was sent from France to a Convention of Estates that sate in December to let them know that the Dolphin was now coming to be of Age and therefore they desired they would send oversome to treat about the Articles of the Marriage They sent the Arch-bishop of Glasgow the Bishop of Orkney the Prior of St. Andrews who afterwards was Earl of Murray the Earls of Rothes and Cassils the Lord Fleeming and the Provosts of Edenburgh and Mountrose some of every Estate that in the Name of the three Estates they might conclude that Treaty These Wars coming upon England when the Queens Treasure was quite exhausted it was not easie to raise Money for carrying them on They found such a backwardness in the last Parliament that they were afraid the supply from thence would not come easily or at least that some favour would be desired for the Hereticks Therefore they tried first to raise Money by sending Orders under the Privy Seal for the borrowing of certain Sums But though the Council writ many Letters to set on those Methods of getting Money yet they being without if not against Law there was not much got this way so that after all it was found necessary to summon a Parliament to assemble on the 20th of January In the end of the Year the Queen had Advertisements sent her from the King that he understood the French had a design on Calais but she either for want of Money or that she thought the place secure in the Winter did not send these Supplies that were necessary and thus ended the Affairs of England this Year In Germany there was a Conference appointed The Affairs of Germany to bring matters of Religion to a fuller settlement Twelve Papists and twelve Protestants were appointed to manage it Julius Pflugius that had drawn the Interim being the chief of the Papists moved that they should begin first with condemning the Heresie of Zuinglius Melancthon upon that said it was preposterous to begin with the condemnation of errors till they had first setled the Doctrines of Religion Yet that which the Papists expected followed upon this for some of the fiercer Lutherans being much set against the Zuinglians agreed to it This raised heats among themselves which made the Conference break up without bringing things to any issue Upon this occasion Men could not but see that Artifice of the Roman Church which has been often used before and since with too great success When they cannot bear down those they call Hereticks with open force their next way is to divide them among themselves and to engage them into Heats about those lesser matters in which they differ hoping that by those animosities their endeavours which being united would
Deputies from the Towns one from every Town only Edenburgh sends two were the third Estate Anciently all that held Lands of the Crown were summoned to Parliaments as well the greater as the lesser Barons But in King James the first 's time the lesser Barons finding it a great charge to attend ou such Assemblies desired to be excused from it and procured an Act of Parliament exempting them and giving them power to send from every County two three four or more to represent them but they afterwards thought this rather a Charge than a Priviledge and did not use it so that now the second Estate consisted only of the Nobility But the Gentry finding the prejudice they suffered by this and that the Nobility grew too absolute procured by King James the sixth's favour an Act of Parliament restoring them to that Right of sending Deputies two from every County except some small Counties that send only one But according to the Ancient Law none has a Vote in the Elections but those who hold Lands immediately of the Crown of such a value The difference between a Parliament and a Convention of Estates is that the former must be summoned forty days before it sits and then it meets in State and makes Laws which are to be prepared by a Committee of all the Estates called the Lords of the Articles but a Convention may be called within as few days as are necessary for giving notice to all parts of the Nation to make their Elections They have no Power of making Laws being only called for one particular Emergent which during the division of the Island was chiefly upon the breaking out of War betwixt the two Nations and so their Power was confined to the giving of Money for the occasion which then brought them together In the Convention now held after much debate and opposition whether they should consent to the demand made by the Ambassador sent from France it was carried that the Dolphin should be acknowledged their King great assurances being given that this should be only a bare Title and that he should pretend to no Power over them So the Earl of Argile and the Prior of St. Andrews who had been the main sticklers for the French Interest upon the promises that the Queen Regent made them that they should enjoy the free exercise of their Religion were appointed to carry the Matrimonial Crown into France But as they were preparing for their Journey a great revolution of Affairs fell out in England A Session of Parliament in England The Parliament met on the fifth of November On the seventh the Queen sent for the Speaker of the House of Commons and ordered him to open to them the ill condition the Nation was in for though there was a Treaty begun at Cambray yet it was necessary to put the Kingdom in a posture of defence in case it should miscarry But the Commons were now so dissatisfied that they could come to no resolution So on the 14th day of November the Lord Chancellor the Lord Treasurer the Duke of Norfolk the Earls of Shrewsbury and Pembroke the Bishops of London Winchester Lincoln and Carlisle the Viscount Mountacute the Lords Clinton and Howard came down to the House of Commons and sate in that place of the House where the Privy-Counsellors used to sit The Speaker left his Chair and he with the Privy-Counsellors that were of the House came and sate on low Benches before them The Lord Chancellor shewed the necessity of granting a Subsidy to defend the Nation both from the French and the Scots When he had done the Lords withdrew but though the Commons entred both that and the two following days into the debate they came to no issue in their Consultations The Queen had never enjoyed her health perfectly since the false conception that was formerly spoken of The Queens sickness upon which followed the neglect from her Husband and the despair of Issue that encreased her Melancholly and this receiving a great addition from the loss of Calais and the other misfortunes of this Year she by a long declination of Health and decay of her Spirits was now brought so low that it was visible she had not many days to live and a Dropsie coming on her put a conclusion to her unhappy Reign And death and unfortunate Life on the 17th of November in the 43d Year of her Age after she had reigned five Years four Months and eleven Days At the same time Cardinal Pool Cardinal Pool dies as if one Star had governed both their Nativities was also dying and his end being hastened by the Queens death he followed her within sixteen hours in the 59th Year of his Age. He left his whole estate to Aloisi Prioli a Noble Venetian with whom he had lived six and twenty years in so entire a friendship that as nothing could break it off so neither was any thing able to separate them from one anothers company Prioli being invited by Pope Julius to come and receive a Cardinals Hat preferred Pools company before it and as he had supplied him in his necessities in Italy so he left his Country now to live with him in England Pool made him his Executor But Prioli was of a more Noble temper than to enrich himself by his Friends Wealth for as he took care to pay all the Legacies he left so he gave away all that remained reserving nothing to himself but Pools Breviary and Diary And indeed the Cardinal was not a Man made to raise a Fortune being by the greatness of his Birth and his excellent Vertues carried far above such mean designs He was a Learned His Character Modest Humble and good natured Man and had indeed such Qualities and such a Temper that if he could have brought the other Bishops to follow his Measures or the Pope and Queen to approve of them he might have probably done much to have reduced this Nation to Popery again But God designed better things for it so he gave up the Queen to the Bloody Councils of Gardiner and the rest of the Clergy It was the only thing in which she was not led by the Cardinal But she imputed his Opinion in that Particular rather to the sweetness of his Temper than to his Wisdom and Experience and he seeing he could do nothing of what he projected in England fell into a languishing first of his mind that brought after it a decay of his Health of which he died I have dwelt the more copiously on his Character being willing to deny to none of whom I write the Praises that are due to them and he being the only Man of that whole Party of whom I found any reason to say much good I was the more willing to enlarge about him to let the World see how little I am biassed in the account I give by Interest or Opinion So that if I have written sharply of any others that have been mentioned in
the Lord Chancellor conferred on him and his not being raised to that high Title perhaps flowed from his own modesty for as he was one of the most Learned most Pious and Wisest Men of the Nation so he retained in all his greatness a Modesty equal to what the Ancient Greeks and Romans had carried with them to their highest advancement He was Father to the great Sir Francis Bacon Viscount St. Albans and Lord Chancellor of England that will be always esteemed one of the greatest Glories of the English Nation The Queens Coronation The Queen was now to be Crowned and having gone on the twelfth of January to the Tower she returned from thence in State on the thirteenth As she went into her Chariot she lifted up her Eyes to Heaven and blessed God that had preserved her to see that Joyful Day and that had saved her as he did his Prophet Daniel out of the Mouth of the Lyons She acknowledged her Deliverance was only from him to whom she offered up the Praise of it She passed through London in great Triumph and having observed that her Sister by the sullenness of her behaviour to the People had much lost their affections therefore she always used as she passed through Crowds but more especially this day to look out of her Coach cheerfully on them and to return the respects they paid her with great sweetness in her Looks commonly saying God bless You my People which affected them much But nothing pleased the City more than her behaviour as she went under one of the Triumphal Arches There was a rich Bible let down to her as from Heaven by a Child representing Truth She with great Reverence kissed both her Hands and receiving it kissed it and laid it next her Heart and professed she was better pleased with that Present than with all the other Magnificent ones that had been that day made her by the City This drew Tears of Joy from the Spectators Eyes And indeed this Queen had a strange Art of insinuating her self by such ways into the affections of her People Some said she was too Theatrical in it but it wrought her end since by these little things in her deportment she gained more on their affections than other Princes have been able to do by more real and significant Arts of Grace and Favour The day following she was Crowned at Westminster by Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle all the other Bishops refusing to assist at that Solemnity He and the rest of that Order perceived that she would change the Religion then established and looked on the Alterations she had already made as Pledges of more to follow and observed by the favour that Cecil and Bacon had with her that she would return to what had been set up by her Brother They had already turned so oft that they were ashamed to be turning at every time Heath Tonstall and Thirleby had complied in King Edwards time as well as in King Henry's and though Thirleby had continued in credit and favour with them to the last yet he had been one of those who had gone to Rome where he made such publick Professions of his respect to the Apostolick See and he had also assisted at the degradation and condemnation of Cranmer so that he thought it indecent for him to return to that Way any more Therefore he with all the rest resolved to adhere to what they had set up in Queen Maries time There were two of King Edwards Bishops yet alive who were come into England yet the Queen chose rather to be consecrated by a Bishop actually in Office and according to the old Rites which none but Oglethorp could be perswaded to do After that she gave a general Pardon according to the Common Form On the 23d of January The Parliament meets being the day to which the Parliament was summoned it was Prorogued till the 25th and then it was opened with a long Speech of the Lord Bacons in which he laid before them the distracted estate of the Nation both in matters of Religion and the other Miseries that the Wars and late Calamities had brought upon them all which he recommended to their care For Religion the Queen desired they would consider of it without heat or partial affection or using any reproachful term of Papist or Heretick and that they would avoid the Extreams of Idolatry and Superstition on the one hand and contempt and irreligion on the other and that they would examine matters without Sophistical Niceties or too subtil Speculations and endeavour to settle things so as might bring the People to an Uniformity and Cordial Agreement in them As for the state of the Nation he shewed the Queens great unwillingness to lay new Impositions on them upon which he run out largely in her commendation giving them all assurance that there was nothing she would endeavour more effectually than the advancing of their Prosperity and the preserving their affections He laid open the loss of Calais with great reflections on those who had been formerly in the Government yet spoke of it as a thing which they could not at that time hope to recover and laid before them the charge the Government must be at and the necessities the Queen was in adding in her Name that she would desire no Supply but what they did freely and cheerfully offer One of the first things that the Commons considered was whether the want of the Title of Supream Head which the Queen had not yet assumed was a Nullity in the Summons for this and other Parliaments in which it had been omitted but after this had been considered some days it was judged to be no nullity for the annulling of a Parliament except it had under a force or for some other error in the Constitution was a thing of Dangerous Consequence But leaving the Consultations at Westminster I shall now give an account of the Treaty of Peace at Cambray The Treaty at Cambray That at which things stuck most was the rendring of Calais again to the English which the French did positively refuse to do For a great while Philip demanded it with so much earnestness that he declared he would make Peace on no other terms since as he was bound in Point of Honour to see the English who engaged in the War only on his account restored to the condition that they were in at the beginning of it so his Interest made him desire that they might be Masters of that Place by which it being so near them they could have the Conveniency of sending over Forces to give a diversion to the French at any time thereafter as their Alliances with him should require But when Philip saw there was no hope of a Marriage with the Queen and perceived that she was making alterations in Religion he grew less careful of her Interests and secretly agreed a Peace with the French But that he might have some colour to excuse himself for abandoning
they should not be made necessary parts of Worship that they should not be too many nor dumb and vain nor should be kept up for gain and advantage These were the Arguments used on both sides But the Reformed being superiour in number the Bill passed in the House of Lords the Archbishop of York the Marquess of Winchester the Earl of Shrewsbury the Viscount Mountacute the Bishops of London Worcester Ely Coventry Chester and Carlisle and the Lords Morley Stafford Dudley Wharton Rich and North and the Abbot of Westminster dissenting By this Act the new Book was to take place by St. John Baptist's day Another Act passed That the Queen might reserve to her self the Lands belonging to Bishopricks as they fall void giving the full value of them in Impropriated Tithes in lieu of them To this the Bishops dissented on the 7th of April when it passed in the House of Lords But when this came to the Commons there was great opposition made to it Many had observed that in Edward the 6th's time under a pretence of giving some Endowments to the Crown the Courtiers got all the Church-Lands divided amongst themselves so it was believed the use to be made of this would be the robbing of the Church without enriching the Crown After many days Debate on the 17th of April the House divided and 90 were against it but 133 were for it and so it passed On the 5th of May another Bill passed with the like opposition It was for annexing of all Religious Houses to the Crown After that there followed some private Acts for declaring the deprivation of the Popish Bishops in K. Edward's Time to have been good When they were restored by Q. Mary the Sentences passed against them were declared to have been void from the beginning and so all Leafes that were made by Ridley Poinet and Hooper and the Patents granted by the King of some of their Lands were annulled It was particularly remembred in the House of Commons that Ridley had made the confirming of these Leases his last desire when he was going to be tied to the Stake The ground on which the Sentences were declared void was because the Parties had appealed though in the Commission by virtue of which the Delegates deprived them they were impowered to proceed notwithstanding any Appeal To this not only the Bishops but the Marquess of Winchester and the Lords Stafford Dudley and North dissented It shews the great Moderation of this Government that this Marquess notwithstanding his adhering to the Popish Interest in the House of Lords was still continued Lord Treasurer which employment he held fourteen Years after this and died in the 97th Year of his Age leaving 103 issued from his own Body behind him He was the greatest instance of good Fortune and Dexterity that we find in the English History who continued Lord Treasurer in three such different Reigns as King Edward's Queen Mary's and Queen Elizabeth's were There was a Subsidy and two Tenths and two Fifteenths given by the Parliament with the Tonnage and Poundage for the Queen's Life and so on the 8th of May it was dissolved There were three Bills that did not pass in the House of Commons Bills that were proposed but not passed but upon what account they were laid aside it does not appear The one was for the Restoring of the Bishops that had been deprived by Q. Mary There were but three of these alive Barlow Scory and Coverdale the first of these had resigned and the last being old had no mind to return to his Bishoprick So perhaps it was not thought worth the while to make an Act for one Man's sake especially since there were so many vacant Bishopricks in the Queen's hands and more were like to fall The other Bill was for the restoring of all Persons that were deprived from their Benefices because they were married This the Queen odered to be laid aside of which Sands complained much in his Letter to Parker But yet the Queen took no notice of the Laws formerly made against their Marriage and promoted many married Priests particularly Parker himself There was no Law now in force against Clergy-mens marrying for Queen Mary had only repealed the Laws of Edward the 6th which allowed it but had made none concerning that Matter So there was nothing but the Canon Law against it and that was resolved to be condemned by continuing that Article of Religion concerning the Lawfulness of their Marriage among those that should be set out The next Bill that came to nothing was a new Act for giving Authority to 32 Persons to revise the Ecclesiastical Laws and digest them into a Body it was laid aside at the second Reading in the House of Commons and has slept ever since The Bishops refuse the Oath of Supremacy When the Parliament was over the Oath of Supremacy was soon after put to the Bishops and Clergy They thought if they could stick close to one another in refusing it the Queen would be forced to dispence with them Vita Parkeri and would not at one stroke turn out all the Bishops in England It does not appear how soon after the Dissolution of the Parliament the Oath was put to them but it was not long after for the last Collation Bonner gave of any Benefice was on the 6th of May this Year The Oath being offered to Heath Arch-Bishop of York to Bonner of London Thirleby of Ely Bourn of Bath and Wells Christopherson of Chichester Bain of Litchfield White of Winchester and Watson of Lincoln Oglethorpe of Carlisle Turbervile of Exeter Pool of Peterburgh Scot of Chester Pates of Worcester and Goldwell of St. Asaph they did all refuse to take it So that only Kitchin Bishop of Landaff took it There was some hope of Tonstall so it was not put to him till September but he being very old chose to go out with so much Company more for the decency of the thing than out of any scruple he could have about the Supremacy for which he had formerly writ so much They were upon their refusal put in Prison for a little while but they had all their Liberty soon after except Bonner White and Watson There were great Complaints made against Bonner that he had in many things in the prosecution of those that were presented for Heresy exceeded what the Law allowed so that it was much desired to have him made an Example But as the Queen was of her own nature Merciful so the Reformed Divines had learned in the Gospel not to render Evil for Evil nor to seek Revenge and as Nazianzen had of old exhorted the Orthodox when they had got an Emperor that favoured them not to retaliate on the Arrians for their former Cruelties So they thought it was for the honour of their Religion to give this real demonstration of the Conformity of their Doctrine to the Rules of the Gospel and of the Primitive Church by avoiding all Cruelty and
their disorders was the Queen's breaking her Word to them in the matters of Religion He carried Melvil to the King and in his presence gave him Instructions to go to Scotland and see what was the true cause of all these disorders and particularly how farre the Prior of St. Andrews afterwards the Earl of Murray was engaged in them and if he by secret Ways could certainly find there was nothing in it but Religion that then he should give them Assurances of the free Exercise of it and press them not to engage any further till he was returned to the French Court where he was promised to find a great Reward for so important a Service but he was not to let the Queen Regent understand his business He found upon his going into Scotland that it was even as he had formerly heard that the Queen Regent was now much hated and distasted by them but that upon an Oblivion of what was passed and the free Exercise of their Religion for the future all might be brought to peace and quiet But before he came back the King of France was dead the Constable in disgrace and the Cardinal of Lorrain governed all But is killed So he lost his Labour and Reward which he valued much less being a generous and vertuous Man than the Ruine that he saw coming on his Country The Lords that were now united against the Queen Mother came and took St. Johnstoun From thence they went to Stirling and Edinburgh and every where they pulled down Monasteries all the Country declared on their side so that the Queen Regent was forced to fly to Dumbar-Castle The Lords sent to England for Assistance which the Queen readily granted them They gave out that they desired nothing but to have the French driven out and Religion settled by a Parliament The Queen Regent seeing all the Country against her and apprehending that the Q. of England would take advantage from these Stirrs to drive her out of Scotland was content to agree to a Truce A Truce agreed to in Scâ—â—lâ—â—d to summon a Parliament to meet on the 10th of January But the new King of France sent over Mr. de Croque with a high threatning Message that he would spend the whole Revenue of France rather then not be revenged on them that raised these Tumults in Scotland The Lords answered that they desired nothing but the Liberty of their Religion and that being obtained they should be in all other things his most obedient Subjects The Queen Regent having gotten about 2000 Men from France fortified Leith and in many other things broke the Truce There came over also some Doctors of the Sorbonne to dispute with the Ministers because they heard the Scotish Clergy were scarce able to defend their own Cause The Lords gathered again and seeing the Queen Regent had so often broke her Word to them they entred into Consultation to deprive her of her Regency Their Queen was not yet of Age and in her Minority they pretended that the Government of the Kingdom belonged to the States and therefore they gathered together many of her Maleadministrations for which they might the more colorably put her out of the Government The Queen Regent is deposed The things they charged on her were chiefly these That she had without Law begun a War in the Kingdom and brought in Strangers to subdue it had governed without the consent of the Nobility embased the Coin to maintain her Souldiers had put Garrisons in five Towns and had broke all Promises and Terms with them Thereupon they declared her to have fallen from her Regency and did suspend her Power till the next Parliament So now it was an irreconciliable Breach The Lords lay first at Edinburgh and from thence retired afterwards to Sterling Upon which the French came and possessed themselves of the Town and set up the Mass again in the Churches Greater Supplies came over from France under the Command of the Marquess of Elbeuf one of the Queen Regent's Brothers who though most of his Fleet were dispersed yet brought to Leith 1000 Foot so that there were now above 4000 French Souldiers in that Town But what Accession of strength soever the Queen Regent received from these she lost as much in Scotland for now almost the whole Country was united against her and the French were equally heavie to their Friends and Enemies They marched about by Sterling to waste Fife where there were some small Engagements between them and the Lords of the Congregation But the Scots The Scots implore the Q. of Englands Aid seeing they could not stand before that force that was expected from France the next Spring sent to Queen Elizabeth to desire her Aid openly for the secret Supplies of Mony and Ammunition with which she hitherto furnished them would not now serve the Turn The Counsel of England apprehended that it would draw on a War with France yet they did not fear that much for that Kingdom was falling into such Factions that they did not apprehend any great Danger from thence till their King was of Age. So the Duke of Norfolk was sent to Berwick to treat with the Lords of the Congregation who were now headed by the Duke of Chattelherhault On the 27th of February they agreed on these Conditions They were to be sure Allies to the Queen of England and to assist her both in England and Ireland as she should need their help She was now on the other hand to assist them to drive the French out of Scotland after which they were still to continue in their obedience to their Natural Queen This League was to last during their Queen's Marriage to the French King and for a Year after and they were to give the Queen of England Hostages who were to be changed every six Months This being concluded and the Hostages given the Lord Gray marched into Scotland with 2000 Horse and 6000 Foot Upon that the Lords sent and offered to the Queen Regent that if she would send away the French Forces the English should likewise be sent back and they would return to their Obedience This not being accepted they drew about Leith Leith is besieged by the English to besiege it In one Sally which the French made they were beaten back with the loss of 300 Men. This made the English more secure thinking the French would no more come out but they understanding the ill order that was kept sallied out again and killed near 500 of the English This made them more watchful for the future So the Seige being formed a Fire broke out in Leith which burnt down the greatest part of the Town the English playing all the while on them distracted them so that the Souldiers being obliged to be on the Walls the Fire was not easily quenched Hereupon the English gave the Assault and were beaten off with some loss but the Duke of Norfolk sent a supply of 2000 Men more with the
assurance of a great Army if it was necessary and charged the Lord Gray not to quit the Seige till the French were gone Ships were also sent to lye in the Frith to block them up by Sea The French apprehending the total loss of Scotland sent over Monluc Bishop of Valence to London to offer to restore Calais to the Queen of England if she would draw her Forces out of Scotland She gave him a quick Answer on the sudden her self that she did not value that Fish-Town so much as she did the quiet of Brittain But the French desiring that she could mediate a Peace between them and the Scots she undertook that and sent Secretary Cecil and D. Wotton into Scotland to conclude it As they were on the Way the Queen Regent died The Queen Regent of Scotland dies in the Castle of Edinburgh on the 10th of June She sent for some of the chief Lords before her Death and desired to be reconciled to them and asked them pardon for the Injuries she had done them She advised them to send both the French and English Souldiers out of Scotland and prayed them to continue in their Obedience to their Queen She also sent for one of their Preachers Willock and discoursed with him about her Soul and many other things and said unto him that she trusted to be saved only by the Death and Merits of Jesus Christ and so ended her Days which if she had done a Year sooner before these last Passages of her Life she had been the most universally lamented Queen that had been in any time in Scotland For she had governed them with great Prudence Justice and Gentleness and in her own Deportment and in the order of her Court she was an Example to the whole Nation but the Directions sent to her from France made her change her Measures break her Word and engage the Kingdom in War which rendred her very hateful to the Nation Yet she was often heard to say that if her Counsels might take place she doubted not to bring all things again to perfect Tranquillity and Peace The Treaty between England France and Scotland A Peace is concluded was soon after concluded The French were to be sent away within Twenty Days an Act of Oblivion was to be confirmed in Parliament the Injuries done to the Bishops and Abbots were referred to the Parliament Strangers and Church-men were no more to be trusted with the chief Offices a Parliament was to meet in August for the confirming of this During the Queen's absence the Nation was to be governed by a Council of Twelve of these the Queen was to name seven and the States five the Queen was neither to make Peace nor War but by the Advice of the Estates according to the Ancient Custom of the Kingdom The English were to return as soon as the French were gone and for the matter of Religion that was referred to the Parliament and some were to be sent from thence to the King and Queen to set forth thier desires to them and the Queen of Scotland was no more to use the Arms and Title of England All these Conditions were agreed to on the 8th of July and soon after both the French and English left the Kingdom In August thereafter the Parliament Reformation is setled in Scotland by Parliament met where four Acts passed one for the abolishing of the Pope's Power A second For the repealing of all Laws made in favour of the former Superstition A third For the punishing of those that said or heard Mass And the fourth was A Confirmation of the Confession of Faith which was afterwards ratified and inserted in the Acts of Parliament held Anno 1567. It was penned by Knox and agrees in almost all things with the Geneva Confession Of the whole Temporalty none but the Earl of Athol and the Lords Somervile and Borthick dissented to it They said they would believe as their Fathers had done before them The Spiritual Estate said nothing against it The Abbots struck in with the Tyde upon assurance that their Abbies should be converted to Temporal Lordships and be given to them Most of the Bishops seeing the Stream so strong against them complied likewise and to secure themselves and enrich their Friends or Bastards did dilapidate all the Revenues of the Church in the strangest manner that has ever been known and yet for most of all these Leases and Alienations they procured from Rome Bulls to confirm them pretending at that Court that they were necessary for making Friends to their Interest in Scotland Great numbers of these Bulls I my self have seen and read So that after all the noise that the Church of Rome had made of the Sacriledge in England they themselves confirmed a more entire waste of the Churches Patrimony in Scotland of which there was scarce any thing reserved for the Clergy But our Kings have since that time used such effectual endeavours there for the recovery of so much as might give a just encouragement to the Labours of the Clergy that universally the inferior Clergy is better provided for in no Nation than in Scotland for in Glebe and Tythes every Incumbent is by the Law provided with at least 50 l. Sterling a Year which in proportion to the cheapness of the Country is equal to twice so much in most parts of England But there are not among them such Provisions for encouraging the more Learned and deserving Men as were necessary When these Acts of the Scotish Parliament were brought into France to be confirmed they were rejected with much scorn so that the Scots were in fear of a new War Francis the 2d died But the King of France dying in the beginning of December all that Cloud vanished their Queen being now only Dowager of France and in very ill tearms with her Mother-in-Law Queen Katherine de Medici who hated her because she had endeavoured to take her Husband out of her Hands and to give him up wholly to the Counsels of her Uncles So she being ill used in France was forced to return to Scotland and govern there in such manner as the Nation was pleased to submit to Thus had the Queen of England separated Scotland entirely from the Interests of France and united it to her own And being engaged in the same Cause of Religion she ever after this had that influence on all Affairs there that she never received any disturbance from thence during all the rest of her glorious Reign In which other Accidents concurred to raise her to the greatest Advantages in deciding Forreign Contests that ever this Crown had In July after she came to the Crown Henry the Second of France The Civil Wars of France was unfortunately wounded in his Eye at a Tilting the Beaver of his Helmet not being let down so that he died of it soon after His Son Francis the Second succeeding was then in the 16th Year of his Age and assumed
364. An Expedition against France pag. 365. Many strange Accidents ibid. A Treaty of Peace pag. 366. The Battel of Graveling ibid. Many Protestants in France ibid. Dolphin marries the Queen of Scots pag. 367. A Convention of Estates in Scotland ibid. A Parliament in England pag. 368. The Queens Sickness and Death pag. 369. Cardinal Pool dies ibid. His Character ibid. The Queens Character pag. 370. BOOK III. Of the Settlement of the Reformation of Religion in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign QVeen Elizabeth succeeds pag. 373. And comes to London pag. 374. She sends a Dispatch to Rome ibid. But to no effect ibid. King Philip Courts her pag. 375. The Queens Council ibid. A Consultation about the Change of Religion pag. 376. A Method proposed for it pag. 377. Many forward to Reform pag. 378. Parker named to be Arch-Bishop of Canterbury ibid. 1559. Bacon made Lord Keeper pag. 380. The Queens Coronation ibid. The Parliament meets pag. 381. The Treaty at Cambray pag. 382. A Peace agreed on with France ibid. The Proceedings of the Parliament pag. 383. An Address to the Queen to marry pag. 384. Her Answer to it ibid. They Recognise her Title pag. 385. Acts concerning Religion ibid. The Bishops against the Supremacy pag. 386. The beginning of the High Commission pag. 387. A Conference at Westminster pag. 388. Arguments for the Latin Service pag. 389. Arguments against it pag. 390. The Conference breaks up pag. 391. The Liturgy corrected and explained pag. 392. Debates about the Act of Vniformity pag. 393. Arguments for the Changes then made pag. 394. Bills proposed but rejected pag. 395. The Bishops refuse the Oath of Supremacy pag. 396. The Queens gentleness to them ibid. Injunctions for a Visitation pag. 397. The Queen desires to have Images retained ibid. Reasons brought against it ibid. The Heads of the Injunctions pag. 398. Reflections made on them pag. 399. The first High Commission pag. 400. Parkers unwillingness to accept of the Archbishoprick of Canterbury pag. 401. His Consecration pag. 402. The Fable of the Nags-head confuted pag. 403. The Articles of Religion prepared pag. 405. An Explanation of the Presence in the Sacrament ibid. The Translation of the Bible pag. 406. The beginnings of the Divisions pag. 407. The Reformation in Scotland ibid. Mills Martyrdome pag. 408. It occasions great discontents pag. 409. A Revolt at St. Johnstoun pag. 410. The French King intends to grant them liberty of Religion pag. 411. But is killed ibid. A Truce agreed to ibid. The Queen Regent is deposed pag. 412. The Scots implore the Queen of England's Aid ibid. Leith besieged by the English ibid. The Queen Regent dies pag. 413. A Peace is concluded ibid. The Reformation setled by Parliament ibid. Francis the second dies ibid. The Civil Wars of France pag. 415. The Wars of the Netherlands pag. 416. The misfortunes of the Queen of Scotland pag. 417. Queen Elizabeth deposed by the Pope pag. 418. Sir Fr. Walsinghams Letter concerning the Queens proceeding with Papists and Puritans ibid. The Conclusion pag. 421. FINIS A COLLECTION OF RECORDS AND Original Papers WITH OTHER INSTRUMENTS Referred to in the SECOND PART OF THE History of the Reformation OF THE Church of England LONDON Printed by J.D. for Richard Chiswell 1680. The Journal of King EDWARD'S Reign written with his own Hand The Original is in the Cotton Library Nero C. 10. THe Year of our Lord 1537 was a Prince born to King Henry the 8th by Jane Seimour then Queen who within few days after the Birth of her Son died and was buried at the Castle of Windsor This Child was Christned by the Duke of Norfolk the Duke of Suffolk and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Afterwards was brought up till he came to six Years old among the Women At the sixth Year of his Age he was brought up in Learning by Master Doctor Cox who was after his Almoner and John Cheeke Master of Arts two well-learned Men who sought to bring him up in learning of Tongues of the Scripture of Philosophy and all Liberal Sciences Also John Bellmaine Frenchman did teach him the French Language The tenth Year not yet ended it was appointed he should be created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwal and Count Palatine of Chester At which time being the Year of our Lord 1547 the said King died of a Dropsie as it was thought After whose Death incontinent came Edward Earl of Hartford and Sir Anthony Brown Master of the Horse to convoy this Prince to Enfield where the Earl of Hartford declared to him and his younger Sister Elizabeth the Death of their Father Here he begins anew again AFter the Death of King Henry the 8th his Son Edward Prince of Wales was come to at Hartford by the Earl of Hartford and Sir Anthony Brown Master of the Horse for whom before was made great preparation that he might be created Prince of Wales and afterward was brought to Enfield where the Death of his Father was first shewed him and the same day the Death of his Father was shewed in London where was great lamentation and weeping and suddenly he proclaimed King The next day being the _____ of _____ He was brought to the Tower of London where he tarried the space of three weeks and in the mean season the Council sat every day for the performance of the Will and at length thought best that the Earl of Hartford should be made Duke of Somerset Sir Thomas Seimour Lord Sudley the Earl of Essex Marquess of Northampton and divers Knights should be made Barons as the Lord Sheffield with divers others Also they thought best to chuse the Duke of Somerset to be Protector of the Realm and Governour of the King's Person during his Minority to which all the Gentlemen and Lords did agree because he was the King's Uncle on his Mothers side Also in this time the late King was buried at Windsor with much solemnity and the Officers broke their Staves hurling them into the Grave but they were restored to them again when they came to the Tower The Lord Lisle was made Earl of Warwick and the Lord Great Chamberlainship was given to him and the Lord Sudley made Admiral of England all these things were done the King being in the Tower Afterwards all things being prepared for the Coronation the King being then but nine Years old passed through the City of London as heretofore hath been used and came to the Palace of Westminster and the next day came into Westminster-Hall And it was asked the People Whether they would have him to be their King Who answered Yea yea Then he was crowned King of England France and Ireland by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and all the rest of the Clergy and Nobles and Anointed with all such Ceremonies as were accustomed and took his Oath and gave a General Pardon and so was brought to the Hall to Dinner on Shrove-sunday where he sat with the Crown on his Head with the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury
for his Furnishment besides his Diet and Barnabe 800. 20. The Countess of Pembrook died 18. The Merchant-Adventurers put in their Replication to the Stiliards Answer 23. A Decree was made by the Board that upon knowledg and information of their Charters they had found First That they were no sufficient Corporation 2. That their Number Names and Nation was unknown 3. That when they had forfeited their Liberties King Edward the 4th did restore them on this condition That they should colour no Strangers Goods which they had done Also that whereas in the beginning they shipped not past 8 Clothes after 100 after 1000 after that 6000 now in their Name was shipped 44000 Clothes in one Year and but 1100 of all other Strangers For these Considerations sentence was given That they had forfeited their Liberties and were in like case with other Strangers 28. There came Ambassadors from Hamburgh and Lubeck to speak on the behalf of the Stiliard Merchants 29. A Flemming would have searched the Falcon for Frenchmen the Falcon turned shot off boarded the Fleming and took him Paiment was made of 63500 l. Flemish to the Foulcare all saving 6000 l. which he borrowed in French Crowns by Sir Philip Hobbey March 2. The Lord of Burgaveny was committed to Ward for striking the Earl of Oxford in the Chamber of presence The Answer for the Ambassadours of the Stiliard was committed to the Lord Chancellor the two Secretaries Sir Robert Bowes Sir John Baker Judge Montague Griffith Sollicitor Gosnald Goodrick and Brooks 3. It was agreed for better dispatch of things certain of the Council with others joined with them should over-look the Penal Laws and put certain of them in execution Others should answer Suitors Others should oversee my Revenues and the Order of them also the superfluous Paiments heretofore made Others should have Commission for taking away superfluous Bullwarks First Order was given for defence of the Merchants to send four Barques and two Pinaces to the Sea 4. The Earl of Westmoreland the Lord Wharton the Lord Coniers Sir Tho. Palmer and Sir Tho. Chaloner were appointed in Commission to meet with the Scotch Ambassadors for equal division of the Ground that was called the Debatable 6. The French Ambassador declared to the Duke of Northumberland how the French King had sent him a Letter of Credit for his Ambassadry After delivery made of the Letter he declared how Duke Maurice of Saxony the Duke of Mecklenburgh the Marquess of Brandenburgh the Count of Mansfield and divers other Princes of Germany made a League with his Master Offensive and Defensive the French to go to Strasburg with 30000 Footmen and 8000 Horsemen the Almains to meet with them there the 25th of this month with 15000 Footmen and 5000 Horsemen Also the City of Strasburg had promised them Victual and declared how the French would send me Ambassadors to have Me into the same League Also that the Marquess of Brandenburg and Count of Mansfield had been privately conveied to the French King's Presence and were again departed to leavy Men and he thought by this time they were in the Field 10. He declared the same thing to Me in the same manner 9. It was consulted touching the Marts and it was agreed that it was most necessary to have a Mart in England for the enriching of the same to make it the more famous and to be less in other Mens danger and to make all things better cheap and more plentiful The time was thought good to have it now because of the Wars between the French King and the Emperor The Places were the meetest Hull for the East parts Southampton for the South Parts of England as appeareth by two Bills in my Study London also was thought no ill place but it was appointed to begin with the other two 11. The Bills put up to the Parliament were over-seen and certain of them were for this time thought meet to pass and to be read other of them for avoiding tediousness to be omitted and no more Bills to be taken 15. Those that were appointed Commissioners for the Requests or for the execution of Penal Laws or for overseeing of the Courts received their Commissions at my Hand 18. It was appointed that for the paiment of 14000 l. in the end of April there should be made an Anticipation of the Subsidy of London and of the Lords of my Council which should go near to pay the same with good Provision 20. The French Ambassador brought me a Letter of Credit from his Master and thereupon delivered me the Articles of the League betwixt the Germans and him desiring Me to take part of the same League which Articles I have also in my Study 23. The Merchants of England having been long staied departed in all about 60 Sail the Woolfleet and all to Antwerp They were countermanded because of the Mart but it was too late 24. Forsomuch as the Exchange was stayed by the Emperor to Lions the Merchants of Antwerp were sore afraid and that the Mart could not be without Exchange liberty was given to the Merchants to exchange and rechange Mony for Mony 26. Henry Dudley was sent to the Sea with four Ships and two Barks for defence of the Merchants which were daily before robbed who as soon as he came to the Sea took two Pirats Ships and brought them to Dover 28. I did deny after a sort the Request to enter into War as appeareth by the Copy of my Answer in the Study 29. To the intent the Ambassador might more plainly understand My meaning I sent Mr. Hobbey and Mr. Mason to him to declare him mine intent more amply 31. The Commissioners for the Debatable of the Scotch side did deny to meet except a certain Castle or Pile might be first razed whereupon Letters were sent to stay our Commissioners from the Meeting till they had further word 10. Duke Maurice mustered at Artnstat in Saxony all his own Men and left Duke August the Duke of Anhault and the Count of Mansfield for defence of his Country chiefly for fear of the Bohemians The Young Lansgrave Reiffenberg and others mustered in Hassen 14. The Marquess Albert of Brandenburg mustered his Men two leagues from Erdfort and after entered the same receiving of the Citizens a Gift of 20000 Florins and he borrowed of them 60000 Florins and so came to Steinfurt where Duke Maurice and all the German Princes were assembled April 2. I fell sick of the Measels and Small Pox. 4. Duke Maurice with his Army came to Augusta which Town was at the first yielded to him and delivered into his Hands where he did change certain Officers restored their Preachers and made the Town more free 5. The Constable with the French Army came to Metz which was within two days yielded to him where he found great provision of Victuals and that he determined to make the Staple of Victual for his Journey 8. He came to a Fort wherein was an Abbey called
Soveraign Lord King Edward the 6th by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and in Earth of the Church of England and also of Ireland the Supream Head And have likewise for more ample testimony of this our Opinion of and upon the Premisses put and subscribed our Names to this present Duplicate of the same here asserted in this present Act of this 6th day of the month of March accordingly Number 6. The Duke of Somerset's Commission to be Protector Ex Libro Concilii Fol. 62. EDward the 6th by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and also of Ireland in Earth the Supream Head Whereas our Council and divers of the Nobles and Prelats of this our Realm of England considering Our young and tender Age have thought meet and expedient as well for Our Education and bringing up in Knowledg Learning and Exercises of Good and Godly Manners Vertues and Qualities meet and necessary for a Prince of Our Estate and whereby We should and may at Our full Age be the more able to minister and execute the Charge of our Kingly Estate and Office committed unto Us by the Goodness of Almighty God and left and come unto Us by right Inheritance after and by the decease of Our late Soveraign Lord and Father of most famous Memory King Henry the 8th whose Soul God pardon As also to the intent that during the time of our Minority the great and weighty Causes of our Realms and Dominions may be set forth conducted passed applied and ordered in such sort as shall be most to the Glory of God our Surety and Honour and for the Weal Benefit and Commodity of Us Our said Realms and Dominions and of all Our loving Subjects of the same have advised Us to nominate appoint and authorize some one meet and trusty Personage above all others to take the special Care and Charge of the same for Us and in our Name and Behalf without the which the things before remembred could not nor can be done so well as appertaineth We therefore using their Advices and Counsels in this behalf did heretofore assign and appoint our dear and well-beloved Uncle Edward now Duke of Somerset Governour of our Person and Protector of Our said Realms and Dominions and of our Subjects and People of the same Which thing albeit We have already declared heretofore and our Pleasure therein published by Word of our Mouth in the presence of Our said Council Nobles and Prelats of Our said Realm of England and not by any Writing set forth under Our Seal for that only purpose Yet for a more perfect and manifest knowledg and further corroboration and understanding of Our determination in that behalf and considering that no manner of Person is so meet to have and occupy the said Charge and Administration and to do Us service in the same as is Our said Uncle Edward Duke of Somerset eldest Brother to our Natural most gracious late Mother Queen Jane as well for the proximity of Blood whereby he is the more stirred to have special eye and regard to our Surety and good Education in this Our said Minority as also for the long and great experience which Our said Uncle hath had in the Life-time of Our said dear Father in the Affairs of our said Realm and Dominions both in time of Peace and War whereby he is more able to Order and Rule Our said Realms Dominions and Subjects of the same and for the special confidence and trust that We have in Our said Uncle as well with the Advice and Consent of our Council and other our Nobles and Prelats as also of divers discreet and sage Men that served Our said late Father in his Council and weighty Affairs We therefore by these Presents do not only ratify approve confirm and allow all and every thing and things whatsoever devised or set forth committed or done by Our said Uncle as Governor of our Person and Protector of our said Realms and Dominions and of the Subjects of the same sith the time he was by Us named appointed and ordained by Word Governor of our Person and Protector of Our said Realms and Dominions and of the Subjects of the same as is aforesaid or otherwise any time before sithence the death of Our said late Father But also by these Presents We for a full and perfect Declaration of the Authority of Our said Uncle given and appointed as aforesaid do nominate appoint and ordain Our said Uncle Governor of Our said Person and Protector of Our said Realms and Dominions and of the Subjects of the same until such time as We shall have by the sufferance of God accomplished the Age of eighteen Years And We also do grant to Our said Uncle by these Presents full Power and Authority from time to time until such time as We shall have accomplished the said Age of eighteen Years to do procure and execute and cause to be done procured and executed all and every such Thing and Things Act and Acts which a Governor of the King's Person of this Realm during his Minority and a Protector of his Realms Dominions and Subjects ought to do procure and execute or cause to be done procured and executed and also all and every other thing and things which to the Office of a Governor of a King of the Realm during his Minority and of a Protector of his Realms Dominions and Subjects in any wise appertaineth or belongeth Willing Authorising and Commanding Our said Uncle by these Presents to take upon him the Name Title and Authority of Governor of our Person and Protector of our Realms Dominions and Subjects and to do procure and execute and cause to be done procured and executed from time to time until We shall have accomplished the said Age of eighteen Years all and every Thing and Things Act and Acts of what Nature Quality or Effect soever they be or shall be concerning our Affairs Doings and Proceedings both Private and Publick as well in Outward and Forreign Causes and Matters as also concerning our Affairs Doings and Proceedings within Our said Realms and Dominions or in any of them or concerning any Manner Causes or Matters of any of our Subjects of the same in such like manner and form as shall be thought by his Wisdom and Discretion to be for the Honour Surety Prosperity good Order Wealth or Commodity of Us or of any of Our said Realms and Dominions or of the Subjects of any of the same And to the intent Our said Uncle should be furnished with Men qualified in Wit Knowledg and Experience for his Aid and Assistance in the managing and accomplishment of Our said Affairs We have by the Advice and Consent of Our said Uncle and others the Nobles Prelats and wise Men of Our said Realm of England chosen taken and accepted and by these Presents do chuse take accept
it What say you quoth I how do you understand this Article It should seem yes quoth d' Arras but we will speak with the Emperor in it and bring you an answer The words be plain quoth I and cannot be avoided Then in the seventh Article where it is said That the Prince requiring for his Aid Mony instead of Men must if the Invasion made by the Enemy cease restore the Mony again which remaineth And afterwards says That though the Invasion cease yet if he will follow the Enemy he may use the Aid for the time appointed in the Treaty saying in generality eo casu subsidiis auxiliaribus c. I asked Whether in those general words they mean not the Mony as well as the Men Wherupon they seemed to doubt and took a Note thereof to know the Emperor's Pleasure in the same In the ninth Article where it is treated for redress of Injuries done by one Subject to the other there we fell into a brawl of half an hour upon a Question that I moved viz. When they took Justice to be denied And their Answer was That we used none at all And here at length I fell into their manner of Arresting of one whole Nation upon a Knave Mariner's Complaint And he What Thieves our Nation was upon the Sea and Lawless People and that they never proceed to such Extremities but when their Subjects had been in England and Justice was denied That hath never been seen quoth I but if any of your Subjects think himself grieved streight he runneth to Monsieur le Protecteur and he by and by setting all the King's Affairs apart must attend to the Affairs of Monsieur le Mariniure or else home runneth he with open cry That he cannot have Justice in England and you streight believe and thereupon cometh these often Blusters And do you think it reason that Monsieur G. or you should attend to every private Man's Complaint you should then have a goodly Office No you send them to the ordinary Justices and so let that take place and way as it will but you will never impeach your self more with the Matter And reason quoth he but the Cause is not alike with you in England for there quoth he all things come to the Lord Protector 's Hand there is none other Judg or Justice used or cared for in the Realm no and his Letters sometimes not esteemed and that our Subjects fear full often and therefore of force they must resort to Monsieur Protecteur And this is not true quoth I and that Monsieur Hobbey knoweth my Lord Protector nor none of the Privy-Council meddle with no private Matters whosoever it be but only meddle with Matters of State leaving all other things to the ordinary course of Justice except only many times to gratify your Ambassador and to shew himself glad to nourish the Amity he troubleth himself with the Complaints of your Subjects which by St. Mary by my advice he shall do no more seeing it is so little considered but shall refer them to the common Justice Whither is that quoth he To the Admiralty quoth I. Marry a goodly Justice quoth he for so shall the poor Man's Cause be tried before his Adversary And why not tried in our Admiralty quoth I as well as in yours Nay quoth he both be naught indeed they were very ordinary Courts at the beginning of the redress of Matters upon the Sea but now they feel the sweet of the Gain such as they care little for Justice And here as well for relief of poor Men spoiled and robbed upon the Seas as to avoid Arrests and such other troublesome Proceedings on either side we fell to devising and came to this Point If the Princes for their parts upon their advertisement to the Emperor and we to your Grace shall like it that Commission sufficient be given by the Emperor to two of his Privy-Council to hear and determine by their discretion summary de pleno all Complaints by the King's Subjects here for criminal Causes upon the Sea and the King's Majesty to do the like to two of his Privy-Council for the Complaints in like case of the Emperor's Subjects And this was all was passed in open Conference saying That in the Discourse for the Confirmation in the Treaty by the Prince and their Countries as they seemed to shew the Emperor's readiness but yet not so resolved that the Prince should confirm the Treaty and that further any other thing should be done that he might reasonably do to declare his good Will to the entertainment and augmentation of his Amity and Affection to the King's Majesty So he alleaged divers Reasons why the Emperor should not seek to his Subjects to confirm his Treaties with Forreign Princes We alleaged the Example of the King and the French King in times past and what was said in that Case at C. _____ in the presence of himself de C. _____ and Chap. _____ Whereunto he answered That the State of France was more restrained than the Emperor's and that the French King could give no piece of his Patrimony nor bind his Country without the consent of his Parliament at Paris and the three Estates but he thought the King of England to have a greater Prerogative and the Emperor he was sure had a greater Prerogative and so had all his Ancestors and therefore would be loath now to put himself so far in their danger They were he said fifteen or sixteen Parliaments and if a thing should be proposed unto them whereof they had never heard the like before they would not only muse much at the Matter but they would have also the scanning of it and what would come of it the Emperor could not tell peradventure dash the Matter and so prejudice his Prerogative with them Yet now where he and his Ancestors do and have always passed Treaties with other Princes and bind their Subjects thereby without making them privy thereto it would by this means come to pass that from henceforth their Subjects would look to be privy to every Treaty which were not convenient marry for the Prince which shall succeed to confirm the Treaty he thought the Emperor could not take it but reasonable and doubted not to bring a good Answer in the same So as we see for this Point it will come to the confirmation of the King and the Prince and upon any condition or interpretation of the Treaty to them also wherein we intend to go forwards for so our Instruction beareth us unless that before the conclusion and shutting up of the Matter we hear from your Grace to the contrary The things being thus far passed and our open Talk at a Point and they ready to depart Monsieur d' Arras taking occasion as it seemed to stay because of the Rain took me aside and asked me if I would command him any other Service I answered No Service but Friendship and the continuance of his good Will to the King's
That against Law he held a Court of Request in his House and did enforce divers to answer there for their Freehold and Goods and did determine of the same 8. That being no Officer without the advice of the Council or most part of them he did dispose Offices of the King's Gift for Mony grant Leases and Wards and Presentations of Benefices pertaining to the King gave Bishopricks and made sales of the King's Lands 9. That he commanded Alchimie and Multiplication to be practised thereby to abase the King's Coin 10. That divers times he openly said That the Nobility and Gentry were the only cause of Dearth whereupon the People rose to reform Matters of themselves 11. That against the mind of the whole Council he caused Proclamation to be made concernig Inclosures whereupon the People made divers Insurrections and destroyed many of the King's Subjects 12. That he sent forth a Commission with Articles annexed concerning Inclosures Commons High-ways Cottages and such-like Matters giving the Commissioners authority to hear and determine those causes whereby the Laws and Statutes of the Realm were subverted and much Rebellion raised 13. That he suffered Rebels to assemble and lie armed in Camp against the Nobility and Gentry of the Realm without speedy repressing of them 14. That he did comfort and encourage divers Rebels by giving them Mony and by promising them Fees Rewards and Services 15. That he caused a Proclamation to be made against Law and in favour of the Rebels that none of them should be vexed or sued by any for their Offences in their Rebellion 16. That in time of Rebellion he said That he liked well the Actions of the Rebels and that the Avarice of Gentlemen gave occasion for the People to rise and that it was better for them to die than to perish for want 17. That he said The Lords of the Parliament were loath to reform Inclosures and other things therefore the People had a good cause to reform them themselves 18. That after declaration of the Defaults of Bulloign and the Pieces there by such as did survey them he would never amend the same 19. That he would not suffer the King's Pieces of Newhaven and Blackness to be furnished with Men and Provision albeit he was advertised of the Defaults and advised thereto by the King's Council whereby the French King was emboldned to attempt upon them 20. That he would neither give Authority nor suffer Noblemen and Gentlemen to suppress Rebels in time convenient but wrote to them to speak the Rebels fair and use them gently 21. That upon the 5th of October the present Year at Hampton-Court for defence of his own private Causes he procured seditious Bills to be written in counterfeit Hands and secretly to be dispersed into divers parts of the Realm beginning thus Good People intending thereby to raise the King's Subjects to Rebellion and open War 22. That the King's Privy-Council did consult at London to come to him and move him to reform his Government but he hearing of their Assembly declared by his Letters in divers places that they were high Traitors to the King 23. That he declared untruly as well to the King as to other young Lords attending his Person That the Lords at London intended to destroy the King and desired the King never to forget but to revenge it and desired the young Lords to put the King in remembrance thereof with intent to make Sedition and Discord between the King and his Nobles 24. That at divers times and places he said The Lords of the Council at London intended to kill me but if I die the King shall die and if they famish me they shall famish him 25. That of his own head he removed the King so suddenly from Hampton-Court to Windsor without any provision there made that he was thereby not only in great fear but cast thereby into a dangerous Disease 26. That by his Letters he caused the King's People to assemble in great numbers in Armour after the manner of War to his Aid and Defence 27. That he caused his Servants and Friends at Hampton-Court and Windsor to be apparelled in the King's Armour when the King's Servants and Guards went unarmed 28. That he intended to fly to Gernsey or Wales and laid Post-horses and Men and a Boat to that purpose Number 47. A Letter written by the Council to the Bishops to assure them That the King intended to go forward in the Reformation By the KING RIght Reverend Father in God Right trusty and well-beloved Regist Cran. Fol. 56. we greet you well Whereas the Book entituled the Book of Common Prayers and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church after the use of the Church of England was agreed upon and set forth by Act of Parliament and by the same Act commanded to be used of all Persons within this our Realm Yet nevertheless we are informed that divers unquiet and evil-disposed Persons sithence the apprehension of the Duke of Somerset have noised and bruited abroad That they should have again their old Latin Service their Conjured Bread and Water with such-like vain and superfluous Ceremonies as though the setting forth of the said Book had been the only Act of the said Duke We therefore by the advice of the Body and State of our Privy-Council not only considering the said Book to be our Act and the Act of the whole State of our Realm assembled together in Parliament but also the same to be grounded upon the Holy Scripture agreeable to the Order of the Primitive Church and much to the re-edifying of our Subjects to put away all such vain expectation of having the Publick Service the Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies again in the Latin Tongue which were but a preferment of Ignorance to Knowledg and Darkness to Light and a preparation to bring in Papistry and Superstition again have thought good by the advice aforesaid to require and nevertheless straitly do command and charge you That immediately upon the receipt hereof you do command the Dean and Prebendaries of your Cathedral Church the Parsons Vicar or Curat and Church-wardens of every Parish within your Diocess to bring and deliver unto you or your Deputy any of them for their Church or Parish at such convenient place as you shall appoint all Antiphonals Missals Graylles Processionals Manuels Legends Pies Portasies Journals and Ordinals after the use of Sarum Lincoln York or any other private use And all other Books of Service the keeping whereof should be a lett to the using of the said Book of Common Prayers and that you take the same Books into your hands or into the hands of your Deputy and them so to deface and abolish that they never after may serve either to any such use as they were provided for or be at any time a lett to that godly and uniform Order which by a common Consent is now set forth And if
plain words of Scripture overthroweth the nature of a â—acrament and hath given occasion to many Superâ—â—itions The Body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper only after an Heavenly and Spiritual Manner And the mean whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith but it is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture and hath given occasion to many Superstitions Since the very Being of humane Nature doth require that the Body of one and the same Man cannot be at one and the same time in many places but of necessity must be in some certain and determinate place therefore the Body of Christ cannot be present in many different places at the same time And since as the Holy Scriptures testify Christ hath been taken up into Heaven and there is to abide till the end of the World it becometh not any of the Faithful to believe or profess that there is a Real or Corporeal presence as they phrase it of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Holy Eucharist The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's Ordinance reserved carried about lifted up or worshipped XXIX Of the Wicked which eat not the Body of Christ in the Lord's Supper The wicked and such as be void of a lively Faith altho they do carnally and visibly press with their Teeth as St. Augustine saith the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the Sign or Sacrament of so great a thing XXX Of both Kinds The Cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the Lay-people For both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament by Christ's Ordinance and Commandment ought not to be ministred to all Christian People alike XXX Of the one Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross The Offering of Christ once made is a perfect Redemption Propitiation and Satisfaction for all the Sins of the whole World both Original and Actual and there is none other Satisfaction for Sin but that alone Wherefore the Sacrifices of Masses in which it was commonly said That the Priests did offer Christ for the Quick and the Dead to have remission of Pain or Guilt were * blasphemous Fables and dangerous Deceits XXXI A single Life is imposed on none by the Word of God Bishops Priests and Deacons are not commanded by God's Law either to vow the estate of a single Life or to abstain from Marriage Therefore it is lawful for them as for all other Christian Men to Marry at their own discretion as they shall judg thâ— same to serve better to Godliness XXXII Excommunicated Persons are to be avoided That Person which by open Denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the Unity of the Church and Excommunicated ought to be taken of the whole Multitude of the Faithful as an Heathen and Publican until he be openly reconciled by Penance and received into the Church by a Judg that hath Authority thereunto XXXIII Of the Tradition of the Church It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one and utterly alike for at all times they have been divers and may be changed according to the diversities of Countries Times and Mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word Whosoever through his private judgment willingly and purposely doth openly break the Traditions and Ceremonies of the Church which be not repugnant to the Word of God and be ordained and reproved by common Authority ought to be rebuked openly that others may fear to do the like as he that offendeth against the common Order of the Church and hurteth the Authority of the Magistrate and woundeth the Consciences of the weak Brethren Every Particular or National Church hath Authority to ordain change or abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained onely by Man's Authority so that all things be done to edifying XXXIV Of the Homilies The second Book of Homilies the several Titles whereof we have joined under this Article doth contain a godly and wholesome Doctrine and necessary for the Times as doth the former Book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward the 6th and therefore we judg them to be read in Churches by the Ministers diligently and distinctly that they may be understood of the People The Names of the Homilies Of the Right Use of the Church Of Repairing Churches Against the Peril of Idolatry Of Good Works c. The Homilies lately delivered and commended to the Church of England by the King's Injunctions do contain a godly and wholsome Doctrine and fit to be embraced by all Men and for that cause they are diligently plainly and distinctly to be read to the People XXXV Of the Book of Common Prayer and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England The Book lately delivered to the Church of England by the Authority of the King and Parliament containing the manner and form of publick Prayer and the Ministration of the Sacraments The Book of Consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the time of King Edward the Sixth and confirmed at the same time by Authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Ordering Neither hath it any thing that of it self is superstitious and ungodly And therefore whosoever are Consecrated and Ordered according to the Rites of that Book since the second Year of the afore-named King Edward unto this time or hereafter shall be Consecrated or Ordered according to the same Rites we decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully Consecrated and Ordered in the said Church of England as also the Book published by the same Authority for ordering Ministers in the Church are both of them very pious as to truth of Doctrine in nothing contrary but agreeable to the wholsome Doctrine of the Gospel which they do very much promote and illustrate And for that cause they are by all faithful Members of the Church of England but chiefly of the Ministers of the Word with all thankfulness and readiness of mind to be received approved and commended to the People of God XXXVI Of the Civil Magistrates The King of England is after Christ The Queens Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all Cases doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any Forreign Jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which Titles we understand the minds of some slanderous Folks to be offended We give not to our Princess the Ministry either of God's Word or of the Sacraments the which thing the Injunctions lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie but that only Prerogative which we see to
chuse And as for our own Persons we shall bestow with all that ever we have to the death where and however it shall please him submitting our selves to his Majesty's Judgment in this Matter and to the execution and doing of that whatsoever either his Majesty or any other Man shall devise to be done better than we have said in this Answer and more for the honour and surety of their Majesties and Common-Wealth of this their Realm Feb. 1. 1577. Number 37. Sir Thomas Pope's Letter concerning the Answer made by the Lady Elizabeth to a proposition of Marriage sent over by the Elected King of Sweden FIrst Ex M. S. D G. Petyt After I had declared to her Grace how well the Queen's Majesty liked of her prudent and honourable Answer made to the same Messenger I then opened unto her Grace the Effect of the said Messengers Credence which after her Grace had heard I said The Queen's Highness had sent me to her Grace not only to declare the same but also to understand how her Grace liked the said Motion Whereunto after a little pause taken her Grace answered in form following Master Pope I require you after my most humble Commendations to the Queen's Majesty to render unto the same like thanks that it pleased her Highness of her Goodness to conceive so well of my Answer made to the same Messenger and here withal of her Princely Consideration with such speed to command you by your Letters to signify the same unto me who before remained wonderfully perplexed fearing that her Majesty might mistake the same for which her Goodness I acknowledg my self bound to honour serve love and obey her Highness during my Life Requiring you also to say unto her Majesty That in the King my Brother's time there was offered me a very honourable Marriage or two and Ambassadors sent to treat with me touching the same whereupon I made my humble Suit unto his Highness as some of Honour yet living can be testimonies that it would like the same to give me leave with his Grace's favour to remain in that Estate I was which of all others best liked me or pleased me And in good Faith I pray you say unto her Highness I am even at this present of the same mind and so intend to continue with her Majesty's favour and assuring her Highness I so well like this Estate as I perswade my self there is not any kind of Life comparable unto it And as concerning my liking the said Motion made by the said Messenger I beseech you say unto her Majesty That to my remembrance I never heard of his Master before this time and that I so well like both the Message and the Messenger as I shall most humbly pray God upon my Knees that from henceforth I never hear of the one nor of the other assure you that if it should eft-soons repair unto me I would forbear to speak to him And were there nothing else to move me to mislike the Motion other than that his Master would attempt the same without making the Queen's Majesty privy thereunto it were cause sufficient And when her Grace had thus ended I was so bold as of my self to say unto her Grace her pardon first required that I thought few or none would believe but that her Grace could be right-well contented to marry so there were some honourable Marriage offered her by the Queen's Highness or her Majesty's Assent Whereunto her Grace answered What I shall do hereafter I know not but I assure you upon my Truth and Fidelity and as God be merciful unto me I am not at this time otherwise minded than I have declared unto you no though I were offered the greatest Prince in all Europe And yet percase the Queen's Majesty may conceive this rather to proceed of a maidenly shamefastness than upon any such certain determination Tho. Pope FINIS A COLLECTION OF RECORDS c. BOOK III. Number 1. The Device for Alteration of Religion in the first Year of Queen Elizabeth offered to Secretary Cecill Question 1. WHen the Queen's Highness may attempt to reduce the Church of England again to the former purity Ex M. SS Nob. D. Grey dc Ruthen and when to begin the Alteration Answer At the next Parliament so that the Dangers be foreseen and Remedies provided for the sooner that Religion is restored God is the more glorified and as we trust will be more merciful unto us and better save and defend her Highness from all Dangers Quest 2. What Dangers may ensue thereof Answ 1. The Bishop of Rome all that he may will be incensed he will Excommunicate the Queen's Highness Interdict the Realm and give it in Prey to all Princes that will enter upon it and stir them up to it by all manner of means 2. The French King will be encouraged more to the War and make his People more ready to fight against us not only as Enemies but as Hereticks He will be in great hope of Aid from hence of them that are discontented with this Alteration looking for Tumults and Discords He will also stay concluding of Peace upon hope of some alteration 3. Scotland also will have the same Causes of boldness and by that way the French King will seem soonest to attempt to annoy us Ireland also will be very difficultly stayed in the Obedience by reason of the Clergy that is so addicted to Rome 4. Many People of our own will be very much discontented especially all such as governed in the late Queen Mary's Time and were chosen theâ—â—to for no other Causes or were then most esteemed for being hot and earnest in that other Religion and now remain unplaced and uncalled to Credit will think themselves discredited and all their Doings defaced and study all the ways they can to maintain their own Doings destroy and despise all this Alteration 5. Bishops and all the Clergy will see their own ruin and in Confession and Preaching and all other means and ways they can will persuade the People from it they will conspire with whomsoever will attempt and pretend to do God a Sacrifice in letting the Alteration though it be with murder of Christian Men and Treason Men which be of the Papists Sect which of late were in a manner all the Judges of the Land the Justices of the Peace chosen out by the late Queen in all the Shires such as were believed to be of that Sect and the more earnest therein the more in estimation These are most like to join and conspire with the Bishops and Clergy Some when the Subsidy shall be granted and Mony levied as it appeareth that necessarily it must be done will be therewith offended and like enough to conspire and arise if they have any heed to stir them to do it or hope of Gain or Spoil 6. Many such as would gladly have Alteration from the Church of Rome when they shall see peradventure that some old Ceremonies be left still