the kyng and haue the greatest offices Thus were our countreymen the Britaynes remoued from their king straungers placed in all offices and holdes and at leynght the lande was ouerrunne and possessed of Straungers And the mane of Britayne put awaye and the realme called Englande The Danes after vnderstanding how fertile and pleyntifull England was sought meanes by litle and litle to place themselues in Englande and after a king of DeÌmarke in his owne persone inuaded EnglaÌd in the Northe aÌd made woÌderfull cruell warres they spared none they burned and wasted Yorkeshire Northumberlande and all places so that the enhabitauntes were forced to sue for peace at the Danes han des Then built they the towne of Dancastre that is the Castle of the Danes and whiles they had peace sent for moo Danes and whan they thought their for ce and power bigge ynough they passed not vpon promyses and leagues that they had made but renued the warres killed burned aÌd spoiled in euery place til thei came to Excestre the people and realme was most miserably tormented and made tributarie to them Diuerse of the nobilitie of England vpon light yea no occasiones but only bicause they were thought not to fauour the Danes were taken their nose trilles most villanously slytted their handes cut of ⪠Ah good God who can remembre these thinges without weping Who that feareth thy wrathe lorde will not amââ¦de his life aÌd call to thee for mercie What naugh tie nobilitie were that that wolde oppresse the commo nes and afterward be vsed and oppressed them selues by straungers as their predecessours haue ben before tyme What deuillis he CoÌmones might that be called that wolde repyne or rebelle against the nobilitie and gentilmen and than to be ouerrunne them selues with priestes and forayners and to be pyned with suche miserie as ye heare that our auncettours were and all bicause the gentilmen and coÌmones agred not among them selues Who is a natural Englishe man that will not in tyme forsee and considre the miserie towarde his countreye and him selfe aÌd by all meanes seke to let it who is it that caÌ hope for quietnesse pea ce healthe pleyntie and such like giftes of God without Goddes fauour and mercie And how is it possible that God should vse mercie with them that beare inwarde hatred and grudge one to an other aÌd will vse no merci with others If ye forgeue other meÌ their offenses that thei coÌmitte agaiÌst you saieth Christ your heauenly father will forgeue thoffenses that ye haue coÌmitted against him But if ye doo not forgeue other meÌ their faultes neither will your father forgeue you your faultes No whilest ye saye the lordes praier aÌd be full of raÌcour malice hatred aÌd eÌuie towarde your neighbour ye coÌdemne your selues and desire Goddes plages and vengeaunce to fall on your selues for ye meane veÌgeauÌce to your neighbours aÌd wishe all euill to fall on them And so it dothe fall on you as ye see by experieÌce of the playes aÌd miseries that are aÌd shall come to you But from inwarde sedicion and ciuile discorde that briedeth so muche mischief let vs come to outwarde warres and inuasiones made by strauÌgers But ye will saye ye haue no warres with any forain prince It is true but shall ye haue none yes yes the tyme is not yet come all is not hatched that is vnder the henne Your winges must be dubbed your fethers must be pulled your coÌbes must be cut you must be cleane piked your substaunce shalbe gotten by littel and littell out of your handes by taxes and subsidies by beneuolences and loanes and so froÌ a litell to more and froÌ more to more and at leynght all the marchauntes goodes to be confiscate in Flaunders by an inquisitioÌ and others in England by an opeÌ excoÌmunicatioÌ And whan ye be ones cleane stripped of your stoare and thus weakened out of courage aÌd your harte in your hose as they saie than shall your king returne to his welbeloued wife England with great poÌpe aÌd power and shall coÌpell you in despight of your hartes to reÌ dre and deliuer her holly in to his handes Than shall the easter linges vpon hope to recouer their olde and greater priuileges aide him with meÌ money and ship pes as allready they haue offred and promised as diuerse credible lettres haue declared ThaÌ shall they in uade Englande and shalbe by shiploades if no worse happeÌ vnto you caried in to newe Spaine aÌd ther not lyue at libertie but bicause ye are a stubburne and vn faithfull generacioÌ ye shalbe tyed in chaynes forced to rowe in the galie to digge in the mynes aÌd to pike vp the golde in the hotte sande And so with soro we to your soppes your three maÌnes song shall be Alas and Weale awaye Than shall ye knowe the pride aÌd lorde lynesse of the Spanyardes though for a while til they maie get the ouer hande they crepe and crouche fede men with swete wordes Baso las manos and women with confettes swete wynes pleasaunt pfumes gaye apparail and suche like vayne to yes but whââ¦n they be ones alofte ther is no nacioÌ vnder the cope of Christ like theÌ in pride crueltie vnmercifulnesse nor so farre froÌ all humanitie as the Spanyardes be which thig the realme of Naples the Dukedome of Milane the citie of Siena many partes of Duchelande and the lande of Iulike Cleuelande and Geldre lande can to theyr coste right well testifie And maie it not be thought that the FreÌche kìg whaÌ he seeth oportunitie wil set in a fote makìg clayme to Englande in the right of the Quene of Scottes as heire to hing HeÌry theight by his eldest syster And maie it not be suspected that the pope to doo the Frenche king a pleasure shall saye the Diuorce betwene king Henry and the dowager was by the canon lawes laufull and shall excommunicate the realme onles they reuoke thacte of parliament wherby the Dyuorce of late was iudged vnlaufull RemeÌbre remembre good countrey men and true English hartes the miserie that folowed in our poore countrey vpon the conquest made by thambicious William Duke of NormaÌdie vpon how small a title he entred aÌd how tyraÌnously he vsed him self His only colour was a bequest or promise made to him by king Edward brother to Cauntus and Heraldus kinges of England whaÌ he was a banished man in Normandie if he should dye without issue as he did At his first en trie he had a great batail with the newe choseÌ king of EnglaÌd aÌd slewe hì aÌd tweÌtie thousauÌt of our couÌtreye meÌ which put suche a feare in all men the Nobilitie the cleargie the LoÌdoners aÌd others the coÌmons that it mââ¦de theÌsue for peace aÌd to geue pledges for their ââ¦delitie whom he sent in to Normandie At the first he made theÌ many fayre promises of peace quietnesse aÌd iustice wherwith the folishe foÌde people were sone begyleâ⦠They thought they had
punished as a traitour for that by necessitie and extremitie of force he reÌdred vp Boloigne to king HeÌry theight and did not die in the defense of it But thou wilt saie he did it without commaundement of his mââ¦ister and these shall doo it by coÌmaundement of their maistres But what if the commaundement be not laufull doest thou not saie thy self it is not to be obeied Thou saiest to others that non maie do that is not laufull for any commaundement But thou wilt saie it is the Quenes owne and she maye laufully doo with her owne what she lusteth What if it be denyed to be her owne But thou wilt saie she hathe the crowne by enheritaunce and maie dispose of the realme and euery parte of the Realme as pleaseth her But I answer that albeit she haue it bi enheritaunce yet she hathe it with an othe lawe and condicion to kepe and mayn tene it not to departe with it or diminishe it If she ha ue no more right to the Realme than her father hade and her father as muche as euer ani king of Englande what neded he to require the consent of the Nobilitie and commons by parliament to geue the Crowne to his daughter or any other But thou will saie it was more than neded for without consent of the parliameÌt he might doo with the Realme aÌd eueripte therof what it pleased him Take hede what thou sayest If that be true that king Henry might do with it without coÌsent of the parliament how is the Ladi mari Quene Why might not King Edwarde his some a prince borne in laufull matrimonie and right heire to the Crowne bequeathe the Crowne wher he wolde and as he did Take hede what thou doest If the king and Quene geue thee a thousauÌt perdones yet shalt thou be foun de a ranke Traitour to the Realme of Englande For albeit the king or Quene of a reaââ¦me haue the Crowne neuer ãâã iustly yet maye they not dispose of the Crowne or realme as it pleaseth them They haue the Crowne to minister iustice but the Realme being a bodi of free men and not of bondemen he nor she can not geue or sell them as slaues and bondemen No they can not geue or sell awaye the holdes and fortes as Calese and Barwike or suche like without the consent of the Commones for it was purchaced with their blood aÌd moneie Yea aÌd thine owne popes lawes wherby thou measurest all thiÌges to be laufull or not laufull saie that if a kiÌg or gouernour of any realme goo about to diminishe the regalities aÌd rightes of his crowne he ought to be deposed Thus did Pope Honorius the thrid coÌmaunde tharchebishop of Collossa aÌd his suffraganes to depriue a kiÌg of Vngarie which weÌt about to waste sell aÌd geue awaye the Regalities aÌd rightes of his crowne oââ¦les in tyme he ceassed aÌd called backe that he hade done It is so plaine thou canst not denie it But I see Boner I haue chafed thee to muche thi chekes blushe aÌd swell for very aÌgre M. D. Cheadsei M. D. PeÌdletoÌ M. Cosins or soÌ of you Chaplaines get my lorde a cup of secke to coÌ fort his spirites My lorde aÌd I agree almost like belles we iarre soÌwhat but not muche his lordship meaneth that meÌ ought to be alwaies but not at all tymes honest But I saie thei must be honest alwaies aÌd at al tymes His lordeship wolde fayne haue a placarde or prouiso for hiÌ aÌd his that they might soÌtimes that is froÌ the begiÌniÌg to theÌde of the weke plaie their partes But Isaie albeit his lordship haue suche a priuilege yet maie no honest maÌ at any tyme doo that is not honest iuste aÌd laufull bi kaisers kiÌges Quenes no neither his coÌmaundement For if those thinges which only in mennes opiniones seme to be vnlaufull maye by no autoritie be done and those that doo theÌ be no lesse to be punisshed than if they had done them without autoritie how muche lesse maye suche thinges by any commaundement be committed that are in dede vnlaufull but shalbe punished according to the desertes by what so euer power or autoritie they be executed Men therfore ought to take hede that by going about to come out of the smoke they fall not in to the fire and by pleasing of men they runne not in to the displeasure of God If mennes ordinaunces and lawes or the gouernours autoritie and commaundement were a sufficient discharge for men to doo what so euer were prescribed or coÌmaunded vnto theÌ tell me I beseche thee why did Esaias the Prop het suffre rather to be sawed in pieces than to folowe the procedinges of Manasses why did Daniel not folowe king Darius and his counsailles commaundement forbearing to worship the true God but was content to be cast to the lyones why did not the three children Sadrach Mesach and Abednego obeye Nabuchadnesar in worshipping the golden idole aÌd so auoide the hotte burniÌg fornace why did Eleazarus submitte him self to deathe and not dissemble why did he not eate his owne meat aÌd absteyne froÌ porke fleshe that the king coÌmaunded the Iewes to eat coÌtrary to the lawes aÌd saye that he hade eateÌ it as his olde trustye freÌdes of the court couÌsailed hiÌ whi did he not sue for a bul or perdoÌ of Antiochus that he might vse his owne religioÌ as our En glishe haltiÌg gospellers doo of the pope coÌfessing his autoriti which is the thiÌg that he oÌly passeth vpoÌ aÌd ââ¦areth not how many soules be ledde to the deuil why did not the seuen brethreÌ and their mother obeie the kinges commaundement and saue their lyues and goodes as thauncient Catharistes and newe puri stes doo saieng all thinges be pure to the pure and no Idolatrie nor filthynesse can infecte him that is pure and cleane Or why did they not saie as the Priscianistes and Papistes did in tyme past and as the marchauntes Hill and Petresonne with their double tongued traine aÌd dissembling secte at this present saie that it is laufull and no sinne to saye one thing and meane another to lye with the lyppes so they haue the truthe in the heart to denye God in wordes and workes so they ceÌfesse him in thought aÌd mynde to daunce with the deuil all daye and lodge with Christ at night why did Paule suffre so many imprisonmeÌtes so muche beating scourgeing and tormenting And why at leinght did he not saue his life and folowe Kaiser Neroes commaundement why did not the Prophetes thapostles and so many thousauntes of martirs folowe the wicked tirannes commaundemeÌtes and procedinges but resisted them and with their blood testiââ¦ied that they allowed theÌ not But all these holy meÌnes doiÌges in confessiÌg aÌd obeieÌg the highest power God aÌd not thinferiour powers in wicked aÌd euil thiÌges are coÌmeÌded aÌd lefte bi the holy gooste to vs in holischrift to folowe aÌd doo the like If meÌnes lawes aÌd coÌmaundementes were a sufficient warauÌt to meÌ
ye passed nothing on it but as the Iewes being downed in sinne mocked scorned and murthred the prophetes of God which long before prophecied vnto them their captiuities and vtter destruction so ye laughed and iested at your preachers wordes nothing regarding the threattes of God but conteÌnyng theÌ yea increaceiÌg in your wickednesse aÌdnowat leyn ght murthering most cruelly the ministers of God And seing wordes of warnyng toke no place with you God for his louing mercie hathe warned you also by monstrous maruailes on the earthe and horrible wonders in thelement to put you beside all maner of excuses What wonderfull monstres haue ther now lately ben borne in Englande What celestial signes most horrible A childe borne besides Oxforde in the yeare M. D. LII with two heades and two partes of two euil shaped bodyes ioyned in one A childe borne at Couentree in the yeare M. D. LV without armes or legges A childe borne at FulhaÌ by LondoÌ euen now this yeare with a great head euil shaped the armes with bagges hanging out at the Elbowes and heles and fete lame A childe newe borne at LoÌdoÌ furthewith speaking as a prophet and mes sager of God An horrible Comete this year besides diuerse eclipses whiche folowe But what were these only bare signes No certaynly they doo and must signifie the great wrathe and indignacion of God Not long after the passion of our saueour Christ whan the Britaines our coÌtreymen went about to re couer their libertie and to be despeched of the most cruel seruitude and miserie which the Romaines kept theÌ in wherein no Britayn was certayn of wife childreÌ goodes no not of their liues all thigs were so in boÌdâ⦠ge of the cruel Romaynes pleasur ther were of our couÌtreymeÌ slayne at one tyme three score aÌd ten thousauÌt meÌ aÌd at an other tyme thrittie thousauÌt Before which slaughters ther were many woÌders sene in Eng laÌd Thimage of the Idole which the Romaines hade in their teÌple called Victorie was turned backe as though she gaue place to thenenies The sea was like blood ymages of meÌnes bodyes founde on the sea syde And womeÌ were out of their wittes aÌd cried destructioÌ at haÌde destructioÌ at haÌde so that the Britaynes were in great hope aÌd the Romaynes in great feare Before Britayn now called EnglaÌd came in to the full power of the Danes kiÌg EdmuÌde the soÌne of Ethelberte beiÌg slayne ther were diuerse strauÌge thinges wherby all men gessed that an alteration of the Realme was towarde but chiefly they gessed the great calamitie by the sodain swelling of the sea without any euideÌt cause which so brake in to the lande that it destroyed many townes and people Before that great slaughter of Englishe men and NormaÌdes which was by reason of the warres that were in Normandie betwene king HeÌri the furst king of EnglaÌde and Robert Duke of Normandie his brother at which tyme Normandie was ioyned to Englande the ryuer of Trent did not runne one hole daye together but was so emptie that men passed ouer on fote and at that tyme a sowe brought furthe a monstre with the face of a man and a henne a foure foted monstre So that by that that is past ye maye the boldlier diuine of that that is to come The childe by Oxforde what did it betoken but that our one swete head king Edwarde should be taken awaye as he was in dede and that ther should be in his place two headdes diuerse gouernours and a towarde diuision of the people but not all together which so manyfestly folowed that no man can denye it or two people should be knytte together but not in god proporcion nor agrement The childe of Couentrie without the principal membres to helpe and defende the bodye must nedes signifie that the natural body that is the people of Englande shalbe helpeles ready to be troden vnder the fote of euery creature and non to releue or succour it The childe of Fulham what can it signifie but that the natural body of England shalbe weake the chief membres tharmes and legges which is the nobilitie so clogged with chaynes of golde and bagges of money that the hande shall not be hable to drawe out the sweorde nor the heles to spurre the horse to helpe and defende the body that is the commones And as the head of it is the greatest part and greater than it ought to be with to muche superfluitie of that it should not haue wherfore it must pull from the other membres to confort it and lacke of that good proporcion it ought to haue so shall the gouernours and headdes of Englande sucke out the wealth and substaunce of the people the politike body and kepe it bare so that it shall not be hable to helpe it self yet shall the head neuer come to that nature requireth What is to be gathered of the yoÌg chil de I doo not saie it is true bicause the father was forced onles he wold haue lost his life to rââ¦cant it but might it not be true Is ther not as muche to be saied for it as for the popes traÌsubstaÌciacion Dothe not Eusebius Pamphili a man of as good credite as Thomas Aquinas Scotus Gratianus and suche other the inueÌtours and mainteners of transubstanciacion write that a lambe contrary to nature and possibilitie did in plaine wordes before declare the nature and disposicion of Bochorus king of Egipt They that write the cronicles of the Romaines saie that a dogge a serpent and oxen did speake But scripture plainly saieth that Baalams asse a creature vnreasonable without possibilitie to speake did saie to his maister why beatest thou me And Iohn the baptist contrary to the common course of nature lept and reioiced in his mothers wombe whan Christes mother being with childe came to see Elizabeth his mother If men that beleued not the miracles which the gogle ââ¦ied Roode of Boxley the Idole of walsinghaÌ the bawde of willesdoÌ which euery foole might see to be deceates and open illusions were condemned and burned for heretikes how should they be taken that doo not beleue the manifest workes of God The horible Comete and blasing starre that was sene this yeare greater in Englande than elles wher what elles dothe it betoken but the great displeasure of God and therfore famin pestileÌce warres sedicioÌ deathe of princes inuasion of forain naciones destruction of som or many cities and countreies and the alteracion and chaungeing of the state and gouernement For if it be laufull for man to diuine of Goddes wonderfull workes and by the like thinges past coniecture those that be to come why should we not affirme that these plages will folowe Before the great warres made by Xerses against the Grecianes and the ouerthrowing of the hole state of Grece ther was a blasing starre sene of the shape of an horââ¦e and an eclipse of the sunne Before the last and vtter destruction of the citie of Ierusalem ther was sene hanging in thelement ouer