and of France the Pope the Venetians Florentines and Suisses called the Holy League for the common libertie of Italy The Embassadours much amazed and seeing small hopes of the Dutchy of Burgorgne for which they came returne into Spaine and advertise the Emperour that if he will bee content with a pecuniarie ranson and free the two Princes the King was willing to pay it other Conditions he was like to have none In the meane time SOLYMAN not forgetting to make his profit of these horrible confusions invaded Hungary with a great Army overthrew the Hungarians slew King LEWIS the Emperours Brother in law and conquered the greatest part of the Kingdome For the obtaining of this victorie our Rashnesse was more availeable to him then his owne Forces The Hungarians in comparison of their Enemies were but a handfull but having formerly beene many times victorious over the Turkes they persuaded the young King that hee should not obscure the ancient glory of so warlike a Nation that not expecting the aides of Transylvania he should encounter the Enemy even in the open fields where the Turkes in regard of their multitudes of horse might be thought invincible The event shewed the goodnesse of this counsell The Army consisting of the chiefe strength and Nobilitie of the Countrey was overthrowne a great slaughter made and the King himselfe slaine with much of the Nobility and chiefe Prelates of the Realme and among them TOMORAEVS Archbishop of Colâ—cza the chiefe authour of this ill advised attempt I cannot omit an oddeiest at the same time occasioned by WOLSEY his arnbition It was but falsly rumoured that Pope CLEMENT was dead The Cardinall had long beene sicke of the Pope and the King lately of his Wife WOLSEY persuades the King there was no speedier way to compasseâ—his desires then if Hee could procure him to be chosen Pope CLEMENT being now dead STEPHEN GARDINER a stirring man one very learned and that had a working spirit did then at Rome solicit the Kings Divorce from Queene CATHARINE Wherein although vsing all possible meanes and that CLEMENT was no friend to the Emperour yet could hee not procure the Popes favour in the King's behalfe Nay whether he would not cut off all meanes of reconciliation with the Emperour if need were or whether being naturally slow hee did not vsually dispatch any matter of great moment speedily or peradventure whereto the event was agreeable that he perceived it would be for his profit to spin it out at length or which some alledge that he was of opinion that this marriage was lawfully contracted so that he could not giue sentence on either side without either offence to his Conscience or his Friend the Pope could not be drawne to determine either way in this businesse These delayes much vexed the King If matters proceed so slowly vnder CLEMENT on whom hee much presumed what could hee expect from another Pope one perhaps wholy at the Emperours devotion Hee therefore resolved to endevour the advancement of WOLSEY to the Chaire from whom hee promised to himselfe a successe answerable to his desires HENRY therefore sends away speedy Posts to GARDINER with ample instructions in the behalfe of WOLSEY willing him to worke the Cardinals some with promises others with guifts some with threats others with persuasions and to omit no meanes that might be any way availeable But this was to build Castles in the aire The messenger had scarce set forth when report that had made CLEMENT dead had againe revived him Anno Dom. 1527. Reg. 19. THe sixt of May Rome was taken and sacked by the Imperials vnder the conduct of the Duke of Bourbon who was himselfe slaine in the assault marching in the head of his troupes The Pope Cardinals Embassadours of Princes and other Nobles hardly escaping into the Castle of Saint Angelo were there for some dayes besieged At length despairing of succours and victuals failing the Pope for feare hee should fall into the hands of the Lansquenets for the most part seasoned with LVTHERS doctrine and therefore passionate enemies to the Sea of Rome agreeth with the Prince of Auranges after the death of the Duke of Bourbon chosen Generall by the Army yeilding himselfe and the Cardinals to him who kept them close Prisoners in the Castle Rome was now subiect to all kind of crueltie and insolencies vsuall to a conquered Citie intended for destruction Beside Slaughter Spoile Rapes Ruine the Pope and Cardinals were the sport and mockerie of the licentious multitude HENRY pretended much griefe at this newes but was inwardly glad that such an occasion was offred whereby he might oblige CLEMENT in all likelihood as he had iust cause offended with the Emperour for this so insolent and harsh proceeding Whereupon hee dispatcheth WOLSEY into France who should intimate to the King his perpetuall Ally what a scandale it was to all Christendome that the Head of it should bee oppressed with Captivitie a thing which did more especially concerne FRANCIS his affaires The Cardinall set forth from London about the beginning of Iuly accompanied with nine hundred Horse among which were many Nobles The Archbishop of Dublin the Bishop of London the Earle of Derby the Lords SANDS MONTEGLE and HARENDON besides many Knights and Gentlemen WOLSEY found the French King at Amiens where it is agreed that at the common charge of both Princes warre shall be maintained in Italy to set the Pope at libertie and to restore him to the possessions of the Church HENRY contributing for his part thirtie thousand pounds sterling a moneth Vpon the returne of the Cardinall FRANCIS sent into England MONTMORENCY Lord Steward and Mareschall of France for the confirmation of this League and to invest the King with the Order of Saint MICHAEL Hee arriued in England about the middle of October accompanied with â—OHN BELLAY Bishop of Bayeux afterward Cardinall the Lord of Brion and among others MARTIN BELLAY the Wriâ—er of the French Historie who in this manner describes the passages of this Embassage MONTMORENCY arriving at Dover was honourably received by many Bishops and Gentlemen sent by the King who brought him to London where he was met by twelue hundred horse who conducted him to his lodging in the Bishop of Londons Palace Two dayes after hee went by water to Greenwich fower miles beneath London where the King oft resideth There hee was very sumptuously entertained by the King and the Cardinall of Yorke Having had Audience the Cardinall having often accompanied him at London and Greenwich brought him to a house which he had built a little before ten miles aboue London seated vpon the bankes of Thames called Hampton Court. The Cardinall gave it afterward to the King it is this day one of the King 's chiefest houses The Embassador with all his Attendants was there feasted by him foure or fiue dayes together The Chambers had hangings of wonderfull value and euery place did glitter with innumerable vessels of gold and
of Scripture The eight of December the King graced three noble and worthy men with new titles of honour THOMAS BOLEN Viscount Rochfort the King 's future Father in law was created Earle of Wiltshire ROBERT RATCLIF Viscount Fitz-Walter of the noble Family of the FITZ-WALTERS Earle of Sussex in which honour his sonne THOMAS his nephevves THOMAS first then HENRY brother to THOMAS and now ROBERT the sonne of HENRY have succeeded him And GEORGE Lord Hastings was made Earle of Huntingdon who left it to his son FRANCIS Father of HENRY who deceased without issue and GEORGE Grandfather to HENRY the now Earle by FRANCIS who died before his Father Anno Dom. 1530. Reg. 22. WILLIAM TINDALL having translated the New Testament into English and procured it to be printed at Antwerp had secretly dispersed many copies thereof throughout England Whereat the Bishops and Clergy especially those that were most addicted to the Doctrine of Rome stormed excedingly saying that this Translation was full of errours and that in the prefaces and else where it contained many things contrary to the Truth The King being angry with the Pope had long since determined to free himselfe from his vsurped power And therefore admonished the murmuring Clergy to correct this booke not to suppresse it for it was a most profitable worke and very necessary for the discovery of the deceits of the Court of Rome the tyranny whereof was become intolerable to all the Princes of Christendome Whereupon he giveth order to the Bishops and some other learned men to set forth a new Translation which his subiects might reade with safety and profit The hope of prevailing with the Pope by the French King's meanes had drawne HENRY to send on a second Embassage to the Pope the Earle of Wiltshire Doctour STOKESLEY Elect of London and EDWARD LEE WOLSEY his Successor in Yorke They found the Pope at Bononia with the Emperour but had no other answer to their demands then that his Holinesse when he came to Rome would indevour to do the King iustice Till then he could do nothing Faire meanes not prevailing the King runs another course â—y publique Proclamation throughout the Kingdome he forbids all commerce betweene his subiects and the Bishop of Rome commanding that no man should receive any thing from or send any thing especially money vnto him either by exchange or any other meanes calling him Tyrant the Harpy of the World the common Incendiary and deeming him vtterly vnworthy of that glorious title which he had vaingloriously vsurped Christs Vicar This in September But the wealth of the Clergy being very great and considering how they had in the Raignes of his Predecessors strongly sided with the Pope the King was some what iealous of them To curbe them hee condemnes the whole Clergy throughout the Kingdome in a Praemunire for that without licence from his Maiesty they had beene obedient to the authority of the Pope in acknowledging WOLSEY for his Legate The Clergy of the Province of Canterbury being assembled in Convocation buy their pardon at a hundred thousand pounds and in this Synode he is with much ado by the Clergy of both Provinces declared next vnder Christ Supreme Head of the Church of England and all foraine power or authority whatsoever disclaimed The Province of Yorke is moreover fined at eighteene thousand eight hundred forty pounds So this one fault if it may be so accompted it being certaine that WOLSEY was licenced to exercise his authority Legantine cost the Clergy a hundred and eighteene thousand eight hundred and forty pounds Anno Dom. 1531. Reg. 23. THe only publique memorable occurrents of this yeare were that the Laity for the most part as deepe in a Praemunire as the Clergy were by Act of Parliament pardoned In which assembly Sir THOMAS MORE Lord Chancellour and other remarkable speakers related at large the Conclusions of the Vniversities concerning the vnlawfulnesse of the Kings marriage And yet perhaps the notorious villany of RICHARD ROSE Cooke to the Bishop of Rochester might crave a place in this History who with poysoned broth killed sixteene of the Bishops servants The Bishop himselfe who was especially aimed at that day contrary to his accustomed diet forbearing broth escaped The poisoner according to a Law lately enacted was throwne into a cauldron of boyling water But the offence deserved tortures of a most exquisite straine Anno Dom. 1532. Reg. 24. ON the three and twentieth of August died WILLIAM WARHAM Archbishop of Canterbury to whom THOMAS CRANMER at that time in Germany about the Kings affaires was appointed Successor He was not so ambitious as to aspire to such a dignity and some reasons made him vnwilling to accept it being offred He knew before he could be consecrated he must sweare obedience to the Pope which with a safe conscience he could not He feared what would be the issue of this abrupt seperation from the Sea of Rome Hee knew the King's disposition to be violent such sudaine changes to be full of danger and the Court although hee had not yet purchased the acquaintance of it to be a meere schoole of fraud and dissembling The Kings pleasure must necessarily be obeyed and if he slipped neuer so little enuy the mischievous attendant of great felicity would helpe him forward to a breake-necke CRANMER also having long since lost his Wife whom he had married in his youth had taken a liking to a certaine maide neipce to OSIANDERS wife whom he intended to make his second wife yet hee knew that the Canon Law permitted not Priests to marry and made them vncapable of holy Orders who had beene twice married These considerations made him linger in Germany six whole moneths after the dispatch of his businesle hoping that his absence might afford meanes to some other to worke a way to the Archbiâ—hopricke But the times were such that they to whom desert might give greatest hopes of attaining it did abhorre this still â—ottering and slippery dignity and even they who were already advanced to the like indeavoured to betake themselves to the safety of meaner fortune As did Sir THOMAS MORE the Lord Chancellour who by his continuall ernest petitions obtained leave of the King on the fifteene of May to resigne his place and Sir THOMAS AWDLEY on the fourth of Iune was in his steed made Lord Keeper CRANMER having privately married his wife at Norimberg at length returned into England where the Kings importunity prevailing beyond all scrupulous difficulties CRANMER is though much against his will made Archbishop of Canterbury the Pope also by his Bull confirming the Election He refusing the Arbishopricke because hee must take an oath to the Pope delivered the Bull to the King protesting that hee would never accept of any Bishopricke in England but from the King who was Supreme Head of the Church of England and that he would not take any oath that should any way derogate from the King's
of his Father and birth a Welchman comming to the Crowne as if they had recouered their liberty whereto they so long aspired they obeied him as their lawfull Prince So the English being freed of their former jealousies permitted them to partake of their Priuiledges since common to both Nations the good whereof equally â—edounded to both I could wish the like Vnion with Scotland That as wee all liue in one Island professing one Faith and speaking for the most part one Language vnder the gouernment of one and the same Prince so we may become one Nation all equally acknowledging our selues Britans and so recouer our true Countrey Britaine lost as it were so many hundreds of yeares by our divisions of it into England Scotland and Wales Anno Dom. 1535. Reg. 27. THe Coronation of the new Queene and other passages of entertainment had exhausted the Treasury The Pope and the Emperour were both enemies of HENRY watchfully attending all opportunities to do him mischiefe Neither in regard that so many sided with the Pope were all things safe at home The King was therefore forced to a course seemingly rash and full of dangerous consequences but very necessary for the time Hee resolves to demolish all the Monasteries throughout England Hee is content the Nobility should share with him in the spoile so inriching and strengthening himselfe by their necessary revolt from the Popish faction To this end they that were thought more especially in maintaining the Popes authority to withstand the Kings proceedings were condemned of high Treason and they that refused to acknowledge the King vnder CHRIST Supreme Head of the Church of England are hanged For this cause on the third of May were executed IOHN HOVGHTON Prior of the Charterhouse in London AVGVSTINE WEBSTER Prior of Bevaley and THOMAS LAWRENCE Prior of Exham and with them RICHARD REIGNALDS a Monke and Doctor of Divinity and IOHN HALES Vicar of Thistlehurst On the eighteenth of June EXMEW MIDDLEMORE and NVDIGATE all Charterhouse Monkes suffered for the same cause And foure dayes after IOHN FISHER Bishop of Rochester a man much reverenced by the People for his holy life and great learning was publiquely beheaded and his head set over London bridge Our Histories hardly afford a president of the execution of such a man But the Pope was the occasion of his death who to ease the burthen of his now a yeares imprisonment by the addition of a new title had on the one and twentieth of May created him Cardinall The newes whereof hastened him to a scaffold The sixth of Iuly Sir THOMAS MORE for the same stifnesse in opinion with Bishop FISHER suffered the like death This was that MORE so famous for his Eutopia and many other Workes both in English and Latin As for his conversation the most censorious fault him in nothing but his too too jesting I will not say scoffing wit to which he gaue more liberty then did beseeme the grauity of his person not tempering himselfe in the midst of his calamity no not at the very instant of death After his condemnation hee denied to giue any thing to the Barber that trimmed him affirming That head about which he had bestowed his paines was the Kings if he could prove it to be his that did â—eare it hee would well reward him To his Keeper demanding his vpper garment as his fee hee gaue his Hat Going vp the scaffold he desired him that went before him to lend him his hand to helpe him vp as for comming downe he tooke no care Laying his head vpon the blocke hee put aside his beard which was then very long saying The Executioner was to cut off his head not his beard The executions of so many men caused the Queene to be much maligned as if they had beene done by her procurement at least the Papist would haue it thought so knowing that it stood her vpon and that indeed â—hee endeavoured that the authority of the Pope of Rome should not againe take footing in England They desired nothing more than the downefall of this vertuous Lady which shortly after happening they triumphed in the overthrow of Innocence In the meane time they who vndertooke the subversion of the Monasteries invented an Engine to batter them more forcibly then the former course of torture and punishment They send abroad subtle headed fellowes who warranted by the Kings authority should throughout England search into the liues and manners of religious persons It would amaze one to consider what villanies were discouered among them by the meanes of CROMWELL and others Few were found so guiltlesse as to dare withstand their proceedings and the licentiousnesse of the rest divulged made them all so odious to the people that neuer any exploit so full of hazard and danger was more easily atchieued then was the subversion of our English Monasteries Anno Dom. 1536. Reg. 28. THis yeare began with the end of the late Queene CATHARINE whom extremity of griefe cast into a disease whereof on the eighth of January she deceased Queene ANNE now enioyed the King without a Rivall whose death not withstanding not improbably happened too soone for her For the King vpon May day at Greenwich beholding the Viscont Rochfort the Queenes brother HENRY NORRIS and others running a tilt arising suddenly and to the wonder of all men departing thence to London caused the Viscont Rochfort NORRIS the Queene her selfe and some others to be apprehended and committed The Queene being guarded to the Tower by the Duke of Norfolke AVDLEY Lord Keeper CROMWELL Secretary of Estate and KINGSTON Lieutenant of the Tower at the very entrance vpon her knees with dire imprecations disavowed the crime whatsoeuer it were wherewith shee was charged beseeching God so to regard her as the iustnesse of her cause required On the fifteenth of May in the hall of the Tower she was arraigned the Duke of Norfolke sitting high Steward to whom were adioined twenty six other Peeres and among them the Queenes Father by whom she was to be tried The Accusers hauing giuen in their evidence and the Witnesses produced she sitting in a chaire whether in regard of any infirmity or out of honour permitted to the Wife of their Soueraigne hauing an excellent quicke wit and being a ready speaker did so answer to all obiections that had the Peeres giuen in their verdict according to the expectation of the assembly shee had beene acquitted But they among whom the Duke of Suffolke the Kings brother in Law was chiefe one wholly applying himselfe to the Kings humor pronounce Her guilty Whereupon the Duke of Norfolke bound to proceed according to the verdict of the Peeres condemned Her to death either by being burned in the Greene in the Tower or beheaded as his Maiesty in his pleasure should thinke fit Her brother GEORGE Viscont Rochford was likewise the same day condemned and shortly after HENRY NORRIS WILLIAM BRIERTON and FRANCIS WESTON
matters Ecclesiasticall this last she could not for a while obtaine the other was assented vnto vpon conditions That PHILIP should not advance any to any publique Office or Dignity in England but such as were Natives of England and the Queenes Subiects He should admit of a set number of English in houshold whome he should vse respectively and not suffer them to be inâ—â—red by Forainers He should not transport the Queene out of England but at her intreaty nor any of the Jssue begotten by her who should have their education in the Realme and should not be suffered but vpon necessity or some good reasons to go out of the Realme nor then neither but with the consent of the English The Queene deceasing without Children PHILIP should not make any claime to the Kingdome but should leave it freely to him to whome of right it should belong Hee should not change any thing in the Lawes either publique or private the Jmmunities and Customes of the Realme but should be bound to confirme and keepe them He should not transport any Iewells or any part of the Wardrobe nor alienate any of the Revenues of the Crowne He should preserve our Shipping Ordnance and Munition and keepe the Castles Forts and Blocke-houses in good repaire and well manned Lastly that this Match should not any way derogate from the League lately concluded betweene the Queene and the King of France but that the Peace betweene the English and the French should remaine firme and inviolate onely it should be lawfull for PHILIP out of other Kingdomes and Dominions belonging to his Father the Emperour to send aides vnto him either for propelling iniuries or taking revenge for any already received All things being thus transacted and no further impediment interposing betweene these Princes PHILIP setting saile from the Groine on the sixteenth of Iuly with a good Southerne gale within three dayes arrived at Southampton with a Fleet of one hundred and sixty saile wherof twenty were English and other twenty Flemings Having rested himselfe there the space of three dayes attended by a great company of the English and Spanish Nobility on the fower and twentieth of Iuly being a very wet day he came to the Queene at Winchester The feast day of S. Iames the tutelary Saint of Spaine was destined for the Nuptialls which were celebrated at Winchester with great pompâ— There Don IVAN FIGVEROA for the Emperor resigned the Kingdomes of Naples Sicily and conferred all his right thereto on PHILIP and the Heralds proclaimed their titles in Latine French and English About the beginning of August these two Princes came to Basing and thence to Windsore where the King was installed Knight of the Garter On the eleventh of August they came to London where the Citizens received them with most magnificent solemnity Oâ— the eleventh of November another Parliament began at Westminster about the beginning wherof Cardinall POOLE who by King HENRY had beene proclaimed enemy to the Estate was created Cardinall by PAVL the Third had himselfe beene Pope if he had but consented in time and in the opinion of many was thought a fit Husband for the Queene arrived in England Having beene put beside the Papacy by others default more then his owne craving leave of the new Pope IVLIVS he withdrew himself to a Monastery in the territory of Verona called Maguzano the Religious whereof were Benedictine Monkes of which Order hee himselfe while hee continued at Rome had beene Patron Having decreed there to hide himselfe and spend the remainder of his dayes the fame of King EDWARD'S death and Queene MARY'S advancement to the Crowne drew him againe out of the Cloister to Rome He was not ignorant how MARY stood affected to the Sea of Rome and therefore hoped not without good cause that IVLIVS who much favoured him having by his delaies attained the Papacy would send him into his Countrey with the honorable title and authority of a Legate And now he fained to himselfe a double hope of a Kingdome if not secular at least Ecclesiasticall by vertue of his authority Legatine and the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury Queene MARY had her education for some yeares vnder MARGARET Countesse of Salisbury the Mother of POOLE who was then a childe and that by Queene CATHARINES meanes who intended as it was thought to marry her Daughter the Lady MARY to one of the Countesses Sonnes thereby to strengthen her Daughters claime to the Crowne if it should happen that HENRY should decease without other lawfull issue the Countesse being Daughter to GEORGE Duke of Clarence who was brother to EDWARD the Fourth The Cardinall whether for this or some other reasons knowing himselfe to be in deere esteeme with the Queene was confident if not of the Crowne by marriage yet at least of all advantages of her favour Neither was he therein deceived for MARY having obtained the Crowne earnestly sued vnto him to restore himselfe to his Countrey and the Pope not ignorant how much he would advantage the Apostolique Sea at the Queenes request dispatched him with most ample authority But the Emperour having a proiect on foot for his Sonne was somewhat jealous of the Cardinall and therefore began seriously to treat with Cardinall DANDINO the Popes Legat with him for the conclusion of a Peace betweene him and the French that so he might give a stop to POOLE whose comming into England the Emperors affaires being not yet setled might peradventure make all fly asunder DANDINO to gratify CHARLES by FRANCISCO COMMENDONO sends Letters to POOLE advising him not to set forth as yet forasmuch as this Legacy vndertaken without the Emperours consent was displeasing and the English Nation for the most part especially the Londoners did so hate the name of the Pope of Rome that his Legacy would be held in contempt among them a Legate therfore was not to be emploied vnto them vntill persuasions had brought them to a better temper POOLE having received these letters in his Cloister thought it fitting to expect his Holinesse pleasure The Pope not brooking the increase of the Emperors greatnes by the addition of such Estates and fretting that DANDINO had presumed to stay the Cardinall recalled DANDINO and conferred on POOLE alone the Legacy both into England for the one affaire and to the Emperour and the French for the treaty of a Peace He willingly vndertaking it presently set forward from Trent certifying the Emperour and the French of his large Commission The Emperour perceiving that these devises would be no longer availeable sent Don IVAN de Mendoza vnto him with letters wherin he plainly discovered his feare that the Cardinalls premature arrivall in England might prove an obstacle to his proceedings there which were great and hopefull wherfore it was his desire that hee should either there attend his pleasure or if hee would needs go further he might come to Liege and there expect the event of his designes The Cardinall vpon receipt
to be judged by the new Bishop MORGAN by whome he was condemned and burned at Carmarden the third of March He was a man rigid and of a rough behaviour which procured him much trouble vnder King EDWARD and now I beleeve proved his bane For having been by the Duke of Somerset advanced to that Dignity after his death this good and learned man by his sower behaviour drawing neere to arrogance which with that Nation is a great indignity raised against himselfe many accusers two whereof vnder Queene ELIZABETH became Bishops who after the death of the Duke of Somerset easily prevailed with the adverse Faction for his imprisonment Being found in prison when MARY came to the Crowne and brought before the Bishop of Winchester he might I beleeve by pleasing answers and a little yeelding to the season have honestly escaped their bloudy hands as did many others who having not waded too far in Lady IANE'S cause nor otherwise given any grand affront to any of the Popish Prelates by this meanes without impediment going into voluntary exile or being taken had their liberty easily procured at the intercession of Friends But FERRAR according to his innate tartnesse answering freely I will not say waiwardly to his interrogatories did so inrage the Bishop of Winchester that I do not much wonder at the hard proceedings against him Beside these ROLAND TAILOR Doctor of Divinity suffered at Hadley the ninth of February LAVRENCE SANDERS an excellent Preacher on the eighth at Coventrey IOHN CARDMAKER Chancellor of the Church of Wells on the last of May at London where also on the first of Iuly that godly and learned man IOHN BRADFORD vnderwent the tortures of his martyrdome But not to go to a particular enumeration of all that suffered for their Faith the number of them was almost incredible the greater part whereof were executed out of BONER'S butchery But among others we cannot omit those Worthies RIDLEY and LATIMER who having beene condemned the yeare before were now on the sixteenth of October conducted to execution and at Oxford in the aspect of the Academiques were in the Towne ditch neere Balioll Colledge tied to a stake and burned CRANMER is reported from the higher part of his prison to have beheld this dolefull spectacle and with bended knees and elevated hands to have praied for their constancy of Hope and Faith as also for himselfe who was shortly hee knew to tread their path But his execution was for a time deferred by the Bishop of Winchesters meanes and that not out of pitty but ambition and reguard of his owne profit On the foure and twentieth of March died IVLIVS the Third after whose death the Conclave elected MARCELLO CERVINO a man of excellent learning wisedome and â—anctity of life and vnder whom there was great hope of the reformation of that Church whose that memorable saying was That he did not see how it was possible for a Pope to be saved who having sate two and twenty dayes only died and left the Chaire to Cardinall CARAFFA of whose contention with POOLE we have spoken already who succeeded him by the name of PAVL the Fourth GARDINER being not ignorant of this contention and the differences betweene them deales vnderhand with this new Pope to honour him with a Cardinalls Hat and to transfer on him the authority Legatine by IVLIVS conferred on POOLE The Pope in reguard of his hatred to POOLE easily condiscended thereto determining also to cite him to Rome there to force him to acquit himselfe of Heresy and to suffer as did Cardinall MORONO POOLE'S great Friend whome this Pope detained in prison as long as himselfe lived Hereby GARDINER well hoped to attaine to be Archbishop of Canterbury the revenues of which Bishopricke POOLE received as a Sequestratour and would no otherwise as long as CRANMER lived This was the reason that CRANMER'S execution was deferred to worke meanes that POOLE might not be invested in the Archbishopricke which hee himselfe for the former reasons hoped to attaine But while GARDINER was wholy intent to this proiect death had a proiect on him and cut him of by the extremity of a Dropsie which swelling from his feet and legs vp to his belly dispatched him on the twelfth of November who was with great solemnity interred in his Cathedrall at Winâ—hester The Emperour CHARLES the Fiâ—t having determined to resigne the Empire and his Kingdome on the five and twentieth of October at Brussels where all the Estates of his Realmes were assembled transferred all his Kingdomes and Dominions on his Son PHILIP whom he had formerly made King of Naples and Sicily and betooke himselfe to the rest of a priuate life Anno Dom. 1556. Reg. Mariae 3. 4. Philippi 2. 3. TO begin the yeare with its first day on the first of Ianuary NICHOLAS HEATH Archbishop of Yorke was made Lord Chancellour In March a Comet in the twentieth degree of Libra was seene from the fift to the seventeenth of the same moneth On the thirteenth of March a counterfait EDWARD whose true name was WILLIAM FETHERSTONâ— was executed for a Traitor he being a Millers sonne in stature and lineaments of bodie not much vnlike the deceased King EDWARD and his age also agreeable had beene the last yeare publiquely whipped through London for affirming himselfe to be the King But not sufficiently terrified by the smart of this punishment hee againe betakes him to the same imposture privately affirmes himselfe to be King EDWARD and causes letters to be cast abroad that King EDWARD was alive for which he was at length deservedly hanged And now we are at length come to the narration of the memorable Martyrdome of the Archbishop CRANMER STEPHEN GARDINER Bishop of Wincheâ—ter being dead Cardinall POOLE as yet the Pope's Legate appointed IAMES BROOKE Bishop of Gloueester for CRANMER'S triall forasmuch as they iudged it vnlawfull to punish an Archbishop but by leave from his Holinesse IOHN STORY and THOMAS MARTIN Doctours of Law Commissioners for the Queene accompanied the Bishop to Oxford that the Authority Royall might countenance the Delegates proceeding In Saint Maries Church they had high seates purposely erected for them BROOKE sitting vnder the place where the consecrated Host did vsually hang in a Pixe beside him sate MARTIN and STORY but a little lower and CRANMER habited like a Doctour of Divinite not like a Bishop was brought before them Being told that there were those who represented not only her Maiesties person but also of the most holy Father the Pope hee with due reverence saluted STORY and MARTIN but would not so much as vouchsafe to cast his eyes toward BROOKE and that not as he afterward confessed of contempt of the man whom hee formerly loved but that hee might not seeme to acknowledge the Popes authoritie hee having by oath to King HENRY obliged himselfe to the contrary especially in England where hee could make no pretence of right Then each of them exhorted him to change his opinion and returne to the vnity of the Church but hee not reguarding their admonition they cite him to appeare within fourescore dayes before his Holinesse which with her Maiesties consent he promised he would But the Pope not
seeme a miracle and is a great argument both of rare vertue in the succeeding King and of a right iudgement in the subject For this great Lady was so farre beyond example that even the best Princes come short of her and they who most inveigh against that Sexe contend that Woman is incapable of those vertues in her most eminent Wisdome Clemency Learning variety of Languages and Magnanimity equall to that of Men to which I adde feruent Zeale of Piety and true Religion But in these things peraduenture some one or other may equall her What I shall beyond all this speake of her and let me speake it without offence to my most excellent Soueraigne IAMES the Paterne of Princes the Mirrour of our Age the Delight of Britaine no age hath hitherto paraleld nor if my Augury faile not none ever shall That a Woman and if that be not enough a Virgin destitute of the helpe of Parents Brothers Husband being surrounded with enemies the Pope thundring the Spaniard threatening the French scarce dissembling his secret hate as many of the neighboring Princes as were devoted to Rome clashing about her should containe this warlike Nation not only in obedience but in peace also and beyond all this Popery being profligated in the true Divine worship Hence it comes to passe that England which is among the rest of it selfe a Miracle hath not these many yeares heard the noise of war and that our Church which she found much distracted transcends all others of the Christian world For you shall at this day scarce finde any Church which either defiled with Popish superstitions or despoiled of those Revenues which should maintaine Professors of the Truth hath not laid open a way to all kinde of Errors grosse Ignorance in learning especially Divine and at length to Ethnique Barbarousnesse But to what end do I insist on these or the like they beeing sufficiently knowne even to the Barbarians themselves and Fame having trumpetted them throughout the world Which things when and how they were done how bountifully she aided and relieved her Allies how bravely she resisted brake vanquished her Enemies I have a desire in a continued History to declare and will God willing declare if I can attaine to the true intelligence of the passages of those times have leasure for the compiling it and that no other more able then my selfe which I wish may happen in the meane time ingage themselves therein LAVS DEO Errata PAg. 4. Lin. 20. read five dayes p. 6. l. 36. wearying p. 11. l. 36. dele of p. 26. l. 27. for crave read renew p. 27. l. 7. after her part read the good of the. p. 31. l. 9. into Scotland p. 32. l. 31. this debt p. 38. l. 13. Tournay lin 24. sixtieth p. 41. l. 13. oblations at Beckets tombe p. 51. l. 1. these p. 64. l. 6. mutemque l. 7. Falsus p. 72. l. 12. doth p. 95. l. 2. for Protector read Proctor pag. 97. lin 8. Ziâ— p. 133. l. 12. sticklers p. 139. l. 14 31. SMETON p. 142. l. 12. for just read vnjust p. 193. l. 33. MEVTAS p 198. l. 34. for passed r. posted p. 214 l. 20. Heads p. 223. l. 13. sictitious p. 227. l. 3. for of r. by p. 238. l. 21. for greatly r. gently p. 2â—6 l. 28. disceptation p. 2â—8 l. 14. dele and. ibid. read could hardly p. 318. l. 30. read out of contempt p. 319. l 1 for vnity read vnion p. 3â—0 l. 13. read vnion Henry 8. 1509. His priuie Counsaile The funerals of Henry the 7. S. Stephens Chappell The Coronation of Henry the 7. His marriage The death of Lady Margaret Countesse of Richmond Empson and Dudley An expedition into Afrique Into Gueldres Barton a Pirat takâ—n Warre with France Afruitlesse Voyage into Spaine The Spaniard seâ—seth on Navarrâ— The Lord Admirall drowned Terouenne besieged The battaile of Spurres Terouenne yeilded Maximilian the Emperor serveth vnder King Henry The siegâ— of Tournay Tournay yeilded Wolsey Bishop of Tourney The King of Scots slaine Flodden field The descent and honours of the Howards Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke Charles Somerset Earle of Worcester Peace with Frauce The Ladie Mary the Kings sister married to Levis 12. K. of France Cardinall Wolsey A breach with France The Starre-chamber and The Court of Requests instituted by Wolsey Ill May day The sweating sickenesse Peace with France The death of the Emperor Maximilian The Emperour Charles the in Fifth England Canterburie Enterview betwixt the Kings of England and France Henry visits the Emperor at Graueling The Duke of Buckingham accused of treason King Henry writeth against Luther Luthers departure from the Church Rome The Kings of England by the Pope stiled Defenders of the Faith The death of Leo the Tenth Cardinall Wolsey and others sent embassadors to the Emperour and French King The Emperor Charles the second time in Enland Windsore The Conditions of the League concluded with the Emperor Rhodes taken by the Turke Christierne King of Denmarke The Duke of Bourbon reuolts The death of Adrian the Sixth Clement the Sâ—uenth succeedeth and Wolsey suffereth the repulse Wolsey persuades the King to a diuorce Richard Pacey Deane of Pauls falleth mad The battel of Pavy Money demanded and commanded by Proclamation The King fals in Loue with Anne Bolen A creation of Lords Wolsey to build two Colledges Demolisheth fou Monasteries Sacrileoge punished Luther writes to the King The Kings answer A breach with the Emperor The King endevours to râ—lieve the French King A League concluded with the French King The French King set at liberty The King of Hungary slaine by the Turkes Wolsey seâ—kes to bee Pope Sede nondum vacante Rome sacked Montmorency Embassadour from France War proclaimed against the Emperor The inconstancie of the Pope Cardinall Campegius sent into England The Kings Speech concerning his Divorce The suite of the Kings Divorce The Queens speech to the King before the Legates The Queene depart th Reasons for the Divorre Reasons against the Divorce The Popes inconstancy Wolsey fals The Legates repaire to the Queene Their conference with her Her answer Cardinall Campegius his Oration Wolsey discharged of the great Seale Siâ— Thomas Moore Lord Câ—ancell our Thâ— Câ—rdinall accused of treâ—son Wolseyes speech to the Iudges Christ Church in Oxford Wolsâ—y falls sickâ— Wolsâ—y is confined to Yorke The 〈◊〉 â—s apprehended His lâ—st words He dieth And is buried His greatnesse His buildings The peace of Cambray The first occasion of Cranmers rising Creation of Earles The Bible translated into English An Embassie to the Pope All commerce with the Sea of Rome forbiddâ—n The Clergy fined The King declared Supreme Head of the Church The death of William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer though much against his will succeedoth him Sir Thomas More resignes the place of Lord Chanceâ—lour An enterview betweene the Kings of England and France Catharina de Medices married to the Duke of Orleans The King marrieth Anne Bâ—len The
haughtie in regard of their former navall victories obtained vnder the command of this young Lord. After him came the Lords DACRES CLIFFORD SCROPE LATIMER CONIERS LVMLEY and OGLE besides Sir NICHOLAS APPLEYARD Master of the Ordinance Sir W. PERCIE Sir WILLIAM SIDNEY Sir WILLIAM BVLMER Sir IOHN STANLEY Sir WILLIAM MOLINEVX Sir THOMAS STRANGWAYES Sir RICHARD TEMPEST and many other Knights These sitting in Counsell thought it best to send an Herald to the King to expostulate with him concerning these out-rages committed to complaine that He had without all right or reason spoyled the Countrey of a Prince not onely Allied vnto Him but also His Confederate and therefore to certifie Him that they were readie by battaile to revenge the breach of League if so bee Hee durst awaite their comming but a few dayes in a ground that might be fitting for the meeting of both Armies The King makes answere by writing wherein Heeretorts the violation of the League calling God to witnesse that King HENRY had first by his many iniuries showne evident signes of an alienated mind For the English Hee pretended robbed all along the Marches of Scotland without restitution or punishment ANDREW BARTON a stout and honest man had beene vniustly slaine by the Kings command and one HERON who had murdered ROBERT CAR a Scottish Nobleman vaunted himselfe openly in England the King taking no notice of so hainous a fact Of these things Hee had often complained by his Embassadours but without effect There was therefore no other way for Him but to betake Himselfe to Armes for the common defence of Himselfe and his Kingdome against the Kings iniustice As for the meeting hee signified that he accepted of it and appointed both Time and Place for the battaile Neither partie failed the prefixed day The Scot seekes to animate his men by taking away all hope of safeguard by flight commanding them I know not how wisely but the event shâ—wed how vnhappily for thme to forsake their horses forasmuch as they were to trust to their hands not to their horses heeles and by his owne example shewing what hee would haue done hee alights and prepares himselfe to fight on foote The rest doing the like the whole Army encountred Vs on foote to whom after a long and bloudy fight the fortune of the victorie inclined The Scots had two and twentie Peeces of great Ordinance which stood them in no steed For our men climing vp a hill where the Enemy sate hovering over Vs the shot passed over our heads Our chiefe strength were our Archers who so incessantly played vpon foure wings of Scots for the King divided his Army into fiue Battalions that were but lightly armed that they forced them to flie and leave their fellowes who yet stood stoutly to it But the maine Battaile where the King was consisting of choice men and better armed against our sâ—ot was not so easily defeated For the Scots although they being inclosed as it were in a toyle were forced to fight in a ring made most desperate resistance and that without doubt so much the rather because they not onely heard their King incouraging them but saw him also manfully fighting in the foremost rankes vntill having received would vpon wound heâ—el down dead The say there fell with him the Archbishop of Saint ANDREWES his naturall Sonne two other Bishops two Abbots twelve Earles seventeene Barons and of common Souldiers eight thousand The number of the Captives is thought to haue beene as many They lost all their Ordinance and almost all their Ensignes insomuch that the victorie was to bee esteemed a very great one but that it was somewhat bloudie to Vs in the losse of fifteene hundred This field was fought the ninth of September neere Flodon hill vpon a rising banke called Piperdi not farre from Bramston I am not ignorant that the Scotish Writers constantly affirme the King was not slaine in the field but having saved himselfe by flight was afterwards killed by his owne people and that the body which was brought into England was not the Kings but of one ALEXANDER ELFINSTON a young Gentleman resembling the King both in visage and stature whom the King that hee might delude those that pursued him and might as with his owne Presence animate them that fought else-where had caused with all tokens of Royaltie to be armed and apparelled like himselfe But to let passe the great number of Nobilitie whose carcases found about him sufficiently testifie that they guarded their true King and consequently that the counterfaite fought else-where it is manifest that his body was knowne by many of the Captives who certainly affirmed that it could bee no other then the Kings although by the multitude of wounds it were much defaced For his necke was opened to the midst with a wide wound his left hand almost cut off in two places did scarce hang to his arme and the Archers had shot him in many places of his body Thus was IAMES the Fourth King of Scots taken away in the flower of his youth who truly in regard of his Princely Vertues deserved a longer life For hee had a quicke wit and a maiesticall countenance he was of a great spirit courteous milde liberall and so mercifull that it was observed hee was often forced against his will to punish offenders These vertues endeared him to his people in his life time and made them so much lament the losse of him being dead that as all Historians report they seemed to have lost onely him in the whole succession of their Kings which sufficiently argues the improbabilitie of the subiects pretended Parricide But he had not fallen into this misery if he would haue hearkened to the advice of those who perswaded him to have returned home before the fight contented with what hee had alreadie performed in the expedition that he should not vpon so weake forces hazard the estate oâ— his Kingdome hee had wonne glory enough and abundantly fulfilled his friends request But the French Agent and some of the Kings Mignons corrupted by the French vrging to the contrarie this haughtie Prince even otherwise very desirous to give proofe of his valour was easily perswaded to awaite our great Forces already marching His body if at least that were his not ELFINSTON'S being enclosed in Lead and brought into England was by our Kings I will not say cruell but certainly inhumane command cast in some by corner or other without due Funerall Rites saying that it was a due punishment for one who had periurously broken his League whereas if wee examine the premisses we shall find he wanted not probable pretexts for what hee vndertooke Anno Dom. 1514. Reg. 6. THe next yeare having begunne his course THOMAS HOWARD Earle of Surrey hee who had beene victorious over the Scots was created Duke of Norfolke the title and dignitie of his Ancestors IOHN his Father deriving his pedigree from THOMAS de Brotherton Sonne to King EDWARD the First the SEGRAVES and
the MOWBRAYES who had beene all Dukes of Norfolke enioyed this Honour by right of Inheritance But because in Bosworth field where hee was slaine hee tooke part with the Vsurper both he and his Posteritie were deprived of that Honour This THOMAS dying in the yeare 1524. his Sonne of the same name succeeded him who deceased in the yeare 1554. His Sonne HENRY a young Lord of great hopes his Father then living was beheaded towards the end of this Kings Raigne Hee left Issue THOMAS the last Duke of Norfolke who also lost his head the yeare 1572. and HENRY at nurse when his Father died a very learned and wise man whom King IAMES no good man repining thereat created Earle of Northampton THOMAS Duke of Norfolke had three Sonnes that survived him PHILIP THOMAS and WILLIAM PHILIP Earle of Surrey and by his Mother of Arundell condemned the yeare 1589. and after dying in prison left Issue THOMAS then a little one who by King IAMES his favour succeeded his Father in his Honors His Vncle THOMAS out of the same fountaine of Royall Goodnes was created Earle of Suffolke with addition of the dignity of Lord Chamberlaine Beside these this Family hath CHARLES Earle of Nottingham Lord Admirall of England Nephew by the Lord WILLIAM his father to THOMAS Duke of Norfolke that famous Triumpher ouer the Scots This is he who in emulation of his grandfathers glory in the yeare 1588. vnder the fortune of Queene ELIZABETH most happily ouerthrew that vainely called Inuincible Armada of Spaine THOMAS also Viscount Bindon is deriued from THOMAS Duke of Norfolke by his sonne the Lord THOMAS So this noble House latély afflicted now gloriously flourishing hath foure Earles and a Viscount all braue and famous men and of whom there will be occasion of much to be spoken hereafter I therefore thought it good in briefe to set downe their Genealogie lest I should trouble the Reader with too often repetition of their Race vpon each mention of the Name At the time of this Dukes creation others were also honored with new titles CHARLES BRANDON made Duke of Suffolke and CHARLES SOMERSET Earle of Worcester and EDWARD STANLEY Lord Mountegle Sir WILLIAM BRANDON Standard bearer to HENRY the seuenth in Bosworth field and there slaine by the hand of RICHARD the Third was father to this new Duke of Suffolke of whose education he then a little one King HENRY hauing obtained the Crowne was verie carefull and made him rather a companion than a seruant to the young Prince of whose household hee was The Prince so greatly fauored him partly for his fathers deserts chiefely for his owne that he being afterward King created him Viscount Lisle and intending at least many were so persuaded to giue him to wife the Ladie MARY his sister who afterward was married to the King of France thought it first good to honour him with the Duchie of Suffolke which this yeare at the feast of Candlemas was performed But how he was frustrated of his hopes and afterward beyond all hope enioyed her shall be declared hereafter SOMERSET the naturall sonne of HENRY of the House of Lancaster the last Duke of Somerset tooke his surname of his fathâ—rs Honour whereas he should haue beene called BEAVFORT or rather PLANTAGENET according to the antient name of our English Kings Heâ— being Couzen german to HENRY the Seuenth whose mother was MARGARET Sister to the Duke of Somerset and famous for his many vertues of which that King was a quicke and exact Iudge was by him made L. high Chamberlaine of England But hauing behaued himself very valiantly in this last expedition against the French wherein GVICCIARDIN vntruly reporteth him to haue been slaine HENRY the eighth added this new title which his posteritie still inioyes to his antient honors He was great grandfather by his son HENRY nephew WILLIAM to EDWARD the now Earle who being one of his Maiesties most honorable priuy Counsel Lo. Priuy Seale doth by his vertues much more ennoble his so noble Ancestors The French King hearing of the ouerthrow of the Scots perceiuing himselfe depriued of such a frieud confederat seeing his kingdom on fire about his ears and none to relie vpon but himselfe determined if so he might fairely and with credit to craue his League with vs. Pope IVLIVS 2. the Incendiarie of Christendoine was lately dead and the French king himselfe was now a widower He therefore intends to try whither by marrying the lady MARY the kings sister he might secure himselfe from war on our side and by so neere alliance gaine the assured friendship of so potent a Prince LEO 10. succeeding IVLIVS 2. did openly side with the French against the Spaniard He therefore earnestly soliciting a reconciliation a Peace was cluded profitable to the French acceptable to vs and on the 9 of October the nuptials were with great pompe solemnised The French king was well stricken in yeres his wife a tender virgin of some 16. or 18. yeares of age but wonderfull beautifull Besides the forementioned reasons the desire of children for he had no masle issue on His part on Her part the publique weale the authoritie of her brother so willing and which beares chiefest sway in a womans heart the supremacy of honor in the title of a Queen were motiues to match so Vneuen a Paire But many not without cause were persuaded that she had rather haue made choice of BRANDON for her husband so her power had been answerable to her wil than the greatest Monarch in the world neither was it long before she enioyed her desire For the king as it often happens to elderly men that apply theÌ„selues to yong womeÌ„ died the last of Febr. hauing scarce 3 months suruiued his wedding The queenâ— might then lawfully according to the articles of agreemeÌ„t return into England which she earnestly desiring the Duke of Suffolke was sent to conduct her who becomming a fresh suitor vnto her so far easily preuailed that before their departure from Paris they were there priuatly married The marriage was afterward by the kings consent celebrated at Greenwich the 13 day of May of the ensuing yeare And now we must speake something of VVOLSEY'S sudden and for these our times incredible rising who hauing as we haue related before beene inuested in the Bishopricke of Tournay was within the yeare preferred to two other Bishopricks That venerable Bishop of Lincolne WILLIAM SMITH was lately deceased who beside many other monuments of his piety hauing begun in Oxford a Colledge for students called Brasen nose Colledge was immaturely taken away before he could finish so good a work So the Sea being vacant it is conferred on WOLSEY now high in the Kings fauour Hee was of verie meane parentage a Butchers sonne and Jpswiâ—h a towne in Suffolke but of Norwich Diocesse where hee afterward laid the foundation of a stately Colledge was the place of his birth He was brought vp at Oxford in
MAGDALEN Colledge and afterward became Master of the free Schoole thereto belonging Among other schollers the sonnes of the Marquis of Dorset were committed to his trust and for his care ouer them the Paâ—sonage of Limington in Somersetshire no verie meane one was bestowed on him As soone as he had set footing there he was very disgracefully entertained by Sir AMIAS POWLET who clap't him in the stockes a punishment not vsually inflicted vpon any but beggars and base people What the matter was that so exasperated him against WOLSEY a man not of least account I know not This I know that WOLSEY beeing afterward made Cardinall and Lord Chancellor of England so grieuously punished this iniurie that Sir AMIAS POWLET was faine to dance attendance at London some yeares and by all manner of obsequiousnesse to currie fauour with him There remaines to this day a sufficient testimonie her of in a building ouer the gate of the middle Temple in London built by the Knight at the time of his attendance there decked round about very sumptuously with the Cardinalls Armes hoping thereby somewhat to alay the wrath of the incensed Prelate But these things were long after this yere WOLSEY whether that hee could not brooke this disgrace or bearing a minde that look't beyond this poore Benefice left it and became domestique Chaplaine to Sir IOHN NAFANT Treasurer of Calais by whose meanes hee was taken notice of by FOX Bishop of Winchester a man that knew rightly how to iudge of good wits He finding this young man to be verie â—prightfull of learning sufficient and verie actiue in dispatch of affaires so highly commended him to king HENRY the Seuenth who relied much vpon FOXES faith and wisedome that hee thought it good forthwith to imploy him in affaires of great moment What need many words he so far pleased the King that in short time he became a great man and was first prefer'd to the Deanrie of Lincolne and then made the Kings Almoner But HENRY the Eighth a young Prince comming to the Crowne was wholly taken with his smooth tongue and pliable behauiour For when all the rest of his friends aduised Him to sit euerie day in person at the Counsell Table that so by experience and daily practise He might reape wisedome and to accustome Himselfe to the managing of affaires of Estate WOLSEY aduised Him to follow His pleasures saying That His youth would not be able to brooke their tedious Consultations euerie Age of man had its Seasons and Delights agreeable They did not do well that would force the King to act an Old Man before His time Youth being vtterly auerse from wrinckled Sâ—ueritie It would come to passe hereafter if God were so pleased that what was now troublesome to him would not be disagreeable to riper Yeares nay prooue perhaps a great pleasure Vntill that time came He should enioy the present and not by hearkening to others needlesse persuasions any way interrupt the course of that felicitie which the largenesse of His Dominions would easily affoord Him He should hawke and hunt and as much as Him list vse honest recreations If so bee Hee did at any time desire suddenly to become an Old Man by intermedling with Old Mens Cares He should not want those meaning himselfe that would in the euening in one or two wordes relate vnto Him the effect of a whole daies Consultation This speech hitting so pat with the Kings humour made WOLSEY so powerfull that whereas the King before fauored him as much as any other he onely was now in fauour with and next the King with whon e there was nothing to bee done but by him For he was the man that was made choice of who like another MERCVRY should passe betweene this our IOVE and the Senate of the lesser Gods offering their petitions to Him and to them returning his pleasure therein Wherefore he was euen at the first sworne of the Priuie Counsell and besides the late collation of Tournay vpon the death of SMITH he was also made Bishop of Lincolne In the gouernement of which Church he had not fully spent six moneths before he was translated from Lincolne to the Archbishopricke of Yorke then vacant by the death of Cardinall BAMBRIDGE at Rome Shortly after that I may at once shew all his honors WILLIAM WARHAM Archbishop of Caterâ—urie leauing the place he was by the King made Lord Chancellor of England and by the Pope Legate a latere Yet he stayed not there but as if the Archb shopricke of Yorke and the Chancellorship of England had not beene sufficient to maintaine the port of a Cardinall besides many other lâ—uings he procured of the King the Abbey of Saint Albanes and the Bishopricke of Bath and Wells And not content with these leauing Bath and Wells he addeth the Bishopricke of Durham to that of Yorke and then leauing Durhamâ—eazeth â—eazeth on Winchester at that time of greatest reuenue of any Bishopricke in England You now see WOLSEY in his height rich his Princes Fauourite and from the bottom raised to the top oâ— Fortunes wheele What became of him afterward you shall know hereafter Anno Dom. 1515. Reg. 7. THe League lately made with LEWIS the French King was confirmed by FRANCIS his Successor and published by Proclamation in London the ninth day of Aprill Anno Dom. 1516. Reg. 8. BVt the French King hauing taken into his protection the young King of Scots sent IOHN STVART Duke of Albanie in Scotland to be Gouernour both of the kings Person and kingdome The first thing this Duke vndertook was either to put to death or banish those whom he any way suspected to fauor the English Insomuch that the Queene Dowager who by this time was matried to ARCHIBALD DOVGLIS Earle of Aagus forced to saue herselfe by flight came into England to her Brother with whom she stayed at London a whole yeare the Earle her husband after a moneth or two without leaue returning into Scotland King HENRY being displeased at these French practises deales vnderhand with the Emperour MAXIMILIAN with whome the French then contended for the Dutchie of Milane and lends him a great summe of money whereby he might hire the Suisâ—es to aid him in the expelling the French out of Italie But the Emperour although he had leuied a sufficient Armie returned home without doing any thing He was indeed accompted a wise Prince but vnhappy in the managing of his affaires whether it were that Fortune waiwardly opposed him or that he was naturally slow in the execution of his wel plotted designes But shortly after hee intendes a second triall of his Fortune Wherefore by his Embassadour the Cardinall of Suisserland hee yet boroweâ— more mony of the King which was deliuered to certaine Merchants of Genua to bee by a set day payed to the Emperour in Italie But they whether corrupted by the French or not of sufficient abilitie to make returne deceiued him and so his second designes vanished also into
the night in the morning hearing the Kings forces to approach most of them slipt away onely some thrâ—e hundred remained whereof eleuen were women and being apprehended supplied their places whom theybefore had freed They were all arraigned onely thirteene designed for death whereof nine suffered on diuers gibbets purposely erected in diuers parts of the Citie LINCOLNE SHERWIN and two brethren named BETS Chiefetaines in this sedition were carried to Cheapside where LINCOLNE was deseruedly hanged The Executioner readie to turne off another was preuented by the Kings gracious Pardon The minde of man beeing prone to pittie wee may imagine that others were well pleased at the newes but certainely the condemned had cause to reioice The Queenes of England the two Dowagers of of France and Scotland both of them the Kings Sisters and then at Court became incessant Petitioners to his Maiestie and that on their knees in the behalfe of these condemned persons and at length WOLSEY consenting by whome the King was wholly swayed their Petitions were graunted to them and to the poore men their liues This was the last scene of this tragicall tumult the like whereof this well gouerned Citie had not knowne in manie ages For the Lawes verie well prouided in that case do vnder a great penaltie forbid Assemblies especially of armed men if not warranted by publicke Authoritie In August and September the sweating sicknesse termed beyond Sea Sudor Anglicus or the English sweat began a disease vtterly vnknowne to former ages Of the common sort they were numberlesse that perished by it Of the Nobilitie the Lords CLINTON and GREY of Wilton The symptomes and cure you may finde in Polydore Virgill in Anno. 1. HENR 7. who as confidently as I beleeue truely maintaines That this disease was neuer till then knowne to bee much lesse to bee mortall As if there were a concatenation of euills one euill seldome commeth alone A Pestilence succeeded this former mortalitie and so raged the whole Winter season in most parts of the Realme that the King for feare of infection attended by a few was faine euery day to remoue his Court from one place to another The eleuenth of Februarie was borne the Ladie MARY afterwards Queene of England Anno Dom. 1518. Reg. 10. THe Peace so long treated of betweene vs and the French was now in September at length concluded on these Conditions That the DAVLPHIN should marrie the Ladie MARIE the Kings only Châ—lde and not yet two yeares old That Tournay should bee restored to the French That the French should pay King HENRY foure hundred thousand Crownes viz. two hundred thousand for his charge in building the Cittadell for the Artillerie Powder and Munit on which hee should leaue there and other two hundred thousand crownes partly for the expence of that warre wherein the Citie was taken and partly in regard of other Pensions that were due vnto him For the paiment of which summes the French gaue eight hostages so saith BELLAY But our Writers speake of a farre different summe viz. Six hundred thousand crownes for the Citie and foure hundred thousand crownes for the Cittadell besides three and twenty thousand pounds Tournois which the City of Tournay ought the King and an annual Pension of a thousand Markes assigned to Cardinall WOLSEY for renouncing all claime and title to the Bishopricke of Tournay For the confirmation of these Articles the Earle of Worcester and the Bishop of Ely with some others were sent into France where both by the King and Princes of the Realme they were magnificently entertained Anno Dom. 1519. Reg. 11. THis yeare on the twelfth of Ianuarie in the three and sixtie yere of his age died the Emperor MAXIMILIAN hauing to preuent a disease to which hee thought himselfe inclining vnseasonably taken a Medicine of vncertaine opperation His death bred an equall desire in the mindes of two great Princes who became Competitours for the Empire FRANCIS King of France and CHARLES King of Spaine But CHARLES although King of Spaine yet being by birth borne at Gand and discent a German at the age of nineteene yeares was chosen Emperour of Germanie with the full consent and sufferages of all the Princes Electors This Election how euer other slight matters were pretended was vndoubtedly the cause of the ensuing dreadfull war betweene these Princes The French King taking this repulse impatiently meditates nothing but reuenge And that his designes might no way be crossed by vs he labors amain for the confirmation of the peace lately agreed vpon betweene HENRY and him Therefore by the Admirall BONIVET he deales with WOLSEY that at an enteruiew betweene the two Kings the League might be ratified To this end HENRY intends to come to Guisnes FRANCIS to Ardres and a conuenient place betweene both is made choice of for their enteruiew Anno Dom. 1520. Reg. 12. HEreupon the King setting forward towards France by easy iourneis comes to Canterbury intending there to keepe his Whitsontide The next day after being the twenty sixth of May the new created Emperor CHARLES the fifth in his return from Spaine arriues at Douer distant twelue miles from Canterbury The King gladly entertaines the newes and although it were midnight takes horse and within little more than an houre comes by torch light to Douer Castle where the Emperour lay who seaweary was then asleepe But being certified of the Kings arriuall hee suddenly apparelled himselfe and met the King at the top of the staires They embraced and saluted one another they long conferred together and the next morning beeing Whitsonday they rode together to Canterburie the Emperour alway keeping the right hand and the Earle of Derby bearing the Sword before them both Canterburie is a Citie more famous for antiquitie than for moderne beauty To let passe that it was aboue a thousand yeares since made an Archiepiscopall Sea our Chronicles do sufficiently testify that both in respect of priuate mens faire houses and the magnificent structure of it's Churches it antiently excelled the brauest cities of England But within these few yeares it hath lost so much of it's greatnesse and beautie that a man shall finde little of Canterburie beside the name Why it should so much in so short space decay many reasons may be alledged As the vicinity of London which swelling like the spleene suckes both bloud and moisture from all the other languishing Cities of the Kingdome Likewise the subuersion of Saint AVGVSTINES Monasterie the losse of Calais and the pulling downe of Archbishop BECKET his Shrine things which occasioned a great concourse of people and did by their losse and ouerthrow much impaire this Cities splendor One only Ornament therof suruiues which is the Cathedrall and Metropoliticall Church with such a Maiesty piercing the skies saith ERASMVS that it a far off fills the beholder with deuout amazement This Church being at first dedicated to our Sauiour CHRIST a few ages past degenerated into the nickname of S. THOMAS
This THOMAS surnamed BECKET hauing obstinatly opposed HENRY the second was in this Church slain by certaine soldiers and being afterward canonized for a Saint his sepulchre mightily encreased the glory of the place For from those times euen almost to our dayes all sorts of people from all parts of Europe superstitiously frequented the Shrine of this vpstart Saint with rich oblations indeuoring to procure his fauor Hence the Monastery was so inriched that of it and the Church ERASMVS said That euery place was enlightened with the lustre of most pretious and huge stones and the Church throughout abounded with more than Royall Treasure But the Shrine especially that contained the reliques of this Saint was so embossed with jewels that gold was the meanest thing about it Hither accompanied with King HENRY came the Emperor CHARLES but whether out of deuotion or curiositie I cannot say But this is certaine that the Cardinall and the Clergie going in procession to the Church they went directly where a great deale of time was spent in Ceremonious worship and ablations at BECKETS Tome not onely by the Emperour but euen by Him who shortly after defaced the Monument and seised vpon that infinite Treasure heaped vp by the deuout follie of many preceding ages From the Church they went to the Archbishops Palace where the Queene Aunt to the Emperour awaited them and very ioyfully welcommed her Nephew Three dayes were spent in banketing pastimes and then the Emperour went to his Nauy at Sandwich the King and Queene to Douer from whence they passed to Calais that the intended interuiew of the two Kings might worke it's due effects The seuenth of Iune was the appointed day The place betweene Ardres and Guisnes There the two Kings mounted on Spanish Gennets attended by such a multitude of Nobilitie as the occasions of a hundred yeres before had not at once brought together the like incountred each other both in the floure of their age the goodliest Princes of the world and most expert in all kinde of combates both on horse and foot It were needlesse to set forth the magnificence of these Princes when the brauerie of their attendants was such that the place was thence named The golden campe Hauing embraced each other on horseback they alight and betake themselues to a Pauilion there purposely pitched HENRY attended on by the Cardinall of Yorke and the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke FRANCIS by the Admirall BONIVET the Chancellour du PRAT and some other Counsellors Hauing had familiar conference concerning some priuate matters they gaue order for erecting a Theater and enclosing a ground for a Tilt-yard that so they might solace themselues whiles their Counsell treated of grauer matters the conclusion whereof they might at leisure euery day know by relation Fourteene dayes these Princes gaue each other the meeting with great concourse of most famous soldiers HENRY then entertained the French King at Guisnes in a house made of timber framed partly in England partly in Holland and thence brought thither wherein there were foure Mansions The out side was couered with cloth so painted that it would haue deceiued the beholders for squared stone the in side was hung with most rich Arras so that it euery way seemed a most artificiall and stately Building The forme of it was much like that of the Exchange at Calais It being afterward taken asunder was transported into England and so stood the King in little or nothing saith BELLAY Whereas wee know and that by Records that there were sent ouer out of England for this Worke three hundred Masons six hundred Carpenters two hundred Painters Glasiers and other Artificers in all eleuen hundred which for the space of two moneths laboured continually on this fabricke The day ensuing the French King prepares a banquet the banqueting house was a Canopy euery way extended sixtie foot which without was couered with cloath of Tissue within with blew velvet pouldred with golden floures de Lys. At each corner was a Pauilion of the same workes the cords were of blew silke twisted with gold of Cyprus which was of great esteeme But a most impetuous and tempestuous winde broke asunder the cords and laid all this brauerie in the dirt Patience par force The French King suddenly makes another banquetting house in that place where there is now a Fort that takes it's name from this banquet The preparations were extraordinary and the magnificence outstripped the reach of humane iudgement There wanted neither houses woods nor fields for disport for many men brought them entire on their backes But pleasures must haue their intermission and Kings if not by their Greatnesse are by their Affaires seuered HENRY therefore returnes to Calais and FRANCIS to Boloigne The tenth of the ensuing moneth the King gallantly attended visited the Emperour at Graueling The Emperour in requitall accompanied him backe to Calais Shewes and banquets are Princes vsuall entertainments To this end the King so commanding a round building is made in the forme of an Amphiteatre eight hundred foot in compasse The sides were of plankes in the middle was a pillar made of eight great masts tied together This pillar supported the weight not onely of the roofe of the whole fabricke whither as into a lower Heauen the Moone and Stars had descended but Organs also and places for the receipt of all sorts of musicke in aboundance These places were adorned with tapestrie statues and curious pictures insomuch that the most fault finding could not complaine of any want in that kinde All things were now prepared for the entertainment of such a guest and the banquet readie to be serued in when the same mischance that befel the French Canopy made our English Heauen and Earth meet together God as displeased with the mad prodigality of these two Kings sent a tempest the violence whereof scattered this counterfeit heauen blew out aboue a thousand wax tapers defaced the glorious thrones prepared for these Princes frustrated the expectation of the people and forced the King to the necessitie of another place But to lec passe the tilting maskes and gorgeous feasts during the six dayes the Emperor stayed at Calais In these seueral enterviewes betweene all these Princes there was no one serious thing done but this that a firme Peace a perpetuall League faithfull Friendship seemed to be concluded on all sides For who would haue thought that it had been possible for discord it selfe to haue disolued this knot where CHARLES FRANCIS attributed so much to HENRY that they made him Vmpier of all controuersies that should arise betweene thē But that there is seldom any heed to be giuen to the Agreements of Princes where they are tied by no other bands as of Religion Affinity or manifest Vtility than that weake one of their plighted Troth those foule dissentions and bloudy wars which afterwards rent all Christendome and opened a way for that cōmon enemy of our Faith may be a sufficient example
he vnderstood was captiously cavilled at by some Sophisters And hauing occasion to speake of the Cardinall of Yorke he called him the Caterpillar of England He vnderstood the King did now loath that wicked sort of men and in his minde to fauour the Truth Wherefore he craueth pardon of his Majesty beseeching him to remember that wee being mortall should not make our enmities immortall If the King would be pleased to impose it hee would openly acknowledge his fault and blazon his Royall Vertues in another Booke Then hee wished him to stop his eares against those slanderous tongues that branded him with Heresy for this was the summe of his Doctrine That wee must bee saued through Faith in Christ who did beare the punishment of our sinnes in every part and throughout his whole body who dying for vs and rising againe raigneth with the Father for euer That he taught this to be the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and that out of this position hee shewed what Charity was how we ought to behave our selues one towards another that we are to obey Magistrates to spend our whole life in the profession of the Gospell If this Doctrine containe any Jmpiety or Errour why do not his Aduersaries demonstrate it Why do they condemne him without either lawfull hearing or confutation In that he inveigheth against the Pope and his Adherents hee doth it not without good reason forasmuch as for their profits sake they teach things contrary to what Christ and the Apostles did that so they may domineere ouer the Flocke maintaine themselues in Gluttony Idlenes That this was the marke at which their thoughts and deeds aimed and that it was so notorious that they themselues could not deny it That if they would reform themselues by chāging their idle and filthy course of life maintained by the losse and wrong of others the differences might easily be composed That his Tenets were approued by many Princes and Estates of Germany who did reverently acknowledge this great blessing of God amongst whom he wonderfully desired he might ranke his Maiesly That the Emperour and some others opposed his proceedings he did not at all wonder for the Prophet DAVID had many ages since foretold That Kings and Nations should conspire against the Lord and against his Christ and cast away his yoke from them That when he did consider this and the like places of Scripture he did rather wonder that any Prince did fauor the doctrine of the Gospell And to conclude he craued a fauorable answer The King made a sharpe reply to LVTHERS letter accusing him of base inconstancy He stands in defence of his Booke which hee said was in great esteeme with many Religious and Learned men That he reuiled the Cardinall a Reuerend Father was to be regarded as from him from whose impiety neither God nor man could be free That both Himselfe and the whole Realme had found the profitable and wholsome effects of the Cardinalls endeavours who should reape this fruit of LVTHERS railing that whereas he loued him very well before hee would now favour him more than ever That among other of the Cardinalls good deeds this was one that he tooke especiall care that none of LVTHERS leprosy contagion and heresy should cleaue to or take roote in this Kingdome Then he vpbraided him with his incestuous marriage with a Nunne a crime as hainous and abhominable as any At this answer which the King caused to be printed LVTHER grieued much blaming his friends that had occasioned it saying That he writ in that humble manner only to please his Friends and that he now plainely saw how much he was mistaken That he committed the like errour in writing friendly at the request of others to Cardinall CAIETAN GEORGE Duke of Saxony and ERASMVS the fruits whereof were that he made them the more violent That the shewed himselfe a foole in hoping to find Piety and Zeale in Princes Courts in seeking Christ in the Kingdome of Satan in searching for IOHN BAPTIST among the Cloathed in Purple But being he could not prevaile by faire meanes he would take another course The late mention of ERASMVS puts me in minde of a Booke written by him either this or the yeare passed at the entreaty of the King and the Cardinall as he himselfe in an Epistle confesseth entituled De Libero Arbitrio Whereto LVTHER made a quicke reply writing a booke De Servo Arbitrio Anno Dom. 1526. Reg. 18. MAny reasons might move the Emperour to seeke the continuation of a Peace with England The French although they concealed it their King beeing not yet at liberty intend to revenge their late ouerthrow The Turke prepares for Hungary the King whereof LEWIS had married ANNE the Emperors Sister Almost all Italy by the Popes meanes combined against CHARLES whose power is now becom formidable And Germany it self the Boors hauing lately bin vp in arms being scarce pacified do yet every where threaten new tumults In this case the enmity of HENRY must necessarily much impeach his proceedings But many things againe vrge him on the other side his Aunts disgrace for of this he long since had an inkling The late League concluded vnder hand with the French But that which swaied aboue all was the dislike of his promised match with the Kings Daughter That the Queene his Aunt might be reconciled to her Husband there might yet be some hope The League with France especially the French Kings case being now so desperate might be as easily broken as it was made But this Match did no way sort to his minde which he had either for loue or for some other private respects setled els where ISABELLA Sister to IOHN King of Portugall was a brave beautifull Lady and had a Dowry of nine hundred thousand Duckets MARY was neither marriageable nor beautifull yet her by agreement must he marry without any other Dowry then those foure hundred thousand crownes which he had borrowed of HENRY The wars had drawne his Treasury dry and his Subjects in Spaine being required to relieve their Prince doe plainly perhaps not without subornation of some principall persons deny it vnlesse hee marry ISABELLA one in a manner of the same Linage of the same Language and Nation and of yeares sufficient to make a mother By way of seruice Custome growing to a Law they are to giue their King at his marriage foure hundred thousand Duckets if hee will in this be pleased to satisfie their request they promise to double the vsuall summe For these reasons when HENRY sent Embassadours to treate againe whether sincerely or no I cannot say concerning the renewing of the League the marriage of the Ladie MARY and of warre in France to bee maintained at the common charge of both CHARLES answered but coldly and at last even in the very nuptiall solemnities sends to excuse his marriage to the King whereunto the vndeniable desires of his subiects had in a manner forced him
silver There were two hundred and fourescore Beds the furniture to most of them being silke and all for the entertainment of Strangers onely Keturning to London we were on Saint MARTINS day invited by the King to Greenwich to a Banquet the most sumptuous that ever I beheld whether you consider the dishes or the Markes and Playes wherein the Ladie MARY the Kings Daughter acted a part To conclude the King and MONTMORENCY having taken the Sacrament together the King for himselfe MONTMORENCY in the behalfe of FRANCIS swore the observation of the League The King bestowed great gifts on euery one and dismissed MONTMORENCY who left the Bishop of Bayeux Leiger for his King to endevour the continuance of the amitie begun betweene these Princes Shortly after were sent into France Sir THOMAS BOLEN Viscount Rochfort and Sir ANTHONY BROWNE Knight who together with IOHN CLERRE Bishop of Bath and Wells Leiger in France should take the French King's Oath not to violate the late League in any part and to present him with the Order of the Garter We had now made France ours Nothing remained but to let the Emperour know the effects of the late Confederacy To this end Sir FRANCIS POINTZ and Clarentieux King at Armes are dispatched away to the Emperonr to demand the moitie of the bootie gotten in the battaile of Pavie and the Duke of Orleans one of the French Kings Sonnes left Hostage for his Father to be delivered to HENRY who had borne a share in the charges of that war and therefore expected to partake in the gaines To command him to draw his Army out of Italy and not to disturbe the peace of Christendome by molesting CHRIST'S Vicar This if he refused to do neither was there expectation of any thing else they should forthwith defie him They execute their Commission and perceiving nothing to be obtained Clarentieux and a certaine French Herald being admitted to the Emperous presence do in the names of both Kings proclaime war agaiust him CHARLES accepts it chearefully But the Embassadors of France Venâ—ce and Florence craving leave to depart are committed to safe custodie vntill it be knowne what is become of his Embassadours with these Estate The report hereof flies into England and withall that Sir FRANCIS POINTZ and Clarentieux were committed with the rest Whervpon the Emperour's Embassador is detained vntill the truth be knowne as it shortly was by the safe returne of them both But Sir FAANCIS POINTZ about the beginning of the next Summer died fudainly in the Court being infected with the sweating sicknesse The same happening to divers other Courtiers and the infection spreading it selâ—e over London the Terme was adiourned and the King faine to keepe a running Court But these were the accidents of the ensuing yeare Anno Dom. 1528. Reg. 20. POpe CLEMENT was of himselfe naturally slow but his owne ends made him beyond the infirmity of his nature protract time in this cause concerning the Kings Divorce Bearing himselfe as neuter betweene the Emperor and the French King hee makes them both become iealous of him And war being renewed in Italy hee perceives himselfe likely againe to become a prey to the Conquerour Which if it should happen hee must betake himselfe to the King of England of whose helpe hee was certaine as long as his cause did vncertainly hang in suspence But if hee should determine in the behalfe of the King would he in gratitude be as beneficiall as hope or feare of offending had made him That he much doubted These thoughts possessing the Pope CAESAR'S affaires in Italy began to decline almost all the Townes throughout the Realme of Naples out of hatred to the insolent Spaniard and affection to the French making offer of their Keyes and receiving Garisons of French CLEMENT therefore did not now much stand in awe of the Emperour much against whose minde he was intreated to send a Legate into England LAWRENCE CAMPEGIVS Cardinall and Bishop of Salisbury who together with the Cardinall of Yorke should have the hearing of this Cause so long controverted to no purpose And the more to testifie his affection to the King he did by a Decretall Bull but privately drawne pronounce the Kings marriage with CATHARINE to bee void This Bull was committed to the Legate with these instractions That having shewed it to the King and the Cardinall of Yorke Hee should withall signifie to them that he had authoritie to publish it but not to give sentence vntill hee received new instructions telling him that he was content the King should enioy the benefit of it and it may be hee was then so minded but that it stood him vpon to haue this businesse delayed vntill he had sufficiently secured himselfe from the Emperour These were the pretences of the old Fox to the Legate But his meaning was to make vse of all seasons and to turne with the weather The ninth of October to London comes the Legate the King having given order to the Citie for his solemne entertaiment But the old mans infirmitie frustrated their preparations hee was grievously tormented with the gout and would bee privately brought into the Citie After a few dayes rest carried in a chaire he was brought to the King's presence to whom his Secretary made a Latin Oration wherein having much complained of the extreme crueltie of the Imperials in the sacking of Rome he vsed many words to signifie that the Kings pious bounty shewed in his liberally relieving them in so needfull a season was most acceptable to the Pope and the whole Colledge of Cardinals To this speech EDWARD FOX afterward Bishop of Hereford returned an answere in Latine wherein he declared That his Maiestie was much grieved at his Holinesse calamitie forasmuch as man is naturally touched with a feeling of anothers miseries That He had not onely performed what could bee expected from him as a man but had also done the part of a friend for a friend and what was due from a Prince to CHRIST'S Vicar on earth He did therefore hope that in reguard of his filiall obedience to the Holy Sea if it should happen that He should stand in need of its assistance and authoritie his Holinesse would be pleased readily to grant those things which it might beseeme a Sonne to crave of the common Mother Thus much passed in publique The King and the Legates conferring in private CAMPEGIVS assured the King of the Popes forwardnesse to pleasure him CAMPEGIVS was indeed no bad man and spake truly what hee thought For CLEMENT knowing how difficult a matter it was to deceive a man that was no foole by one conscious of the guile and that was not deceiued himselfe made the Legate beleeue that in this matter of the Divorce hee would be readie to doe for the King whatsoeuer hee should demand After these passages the Legates spent sixe whole moneths in consultation only concerning their manner of proceeding in the Kings Divorce In the meane time the
had the esteeme of a very learned man All things being thus formally ordered the Apparitor willed by the Register to cite the King cried HENRY King of England come into the Court who answered Here I am The Queene being likewise cited CATHARINE Queene of England come into the Court made no answere but rising from her seate went directly to the King to whom on her knees purposely raising her voice that every one might heare her shee is reported to have spoken to this effect Sir J humbly beseech your Maiestie so to deale with me at this present that I may neither have cause to complaine of Iniustice nor that you have debarred me the favour of your wonted Clemency J am here a Woman and a Stranger destitute of Friends and Counsaile so that plead for my selfe J cannot and whom J may else employ J know not My kindred and Friends are farre off neither can J safely rely on any here in a matter of so great consequence They that are here retained for mee are no other then whom you have beene pleased to appoint and are your owne Subiects who if they would deale vprightly which few will beleeve they dare do yet can they not here withstand your determinate will and pleasure But what have wretched J committed that after twenty yeares spent in peaceable wedlocke and having borne you so many Children you should now at length thinke of putting me away I was J confesse the Widow of your Brother if at least she may be accompted a Widow whom her husband never knew For I take Almighty God to witnesse and J am perswaded you cannot be ignorant of it that I came to your bed an vnspotted Virgin from which time how J haue behaved my selfe I am content to appeale even to them whosoever they are that do wish mee least good Certainly whatsoever their Verdict may be you have alwayes found me a most faithfull servant I may better say then wife having never to my knowledge withstood your pleasure so much as in shew J alwayes loved those whom J thought you favoured without questioning their deserts J so carefully farthered and procured your pleasures that I rather feare I have offended God in too much indeavouring your content then that I have any way failed in the least performance of my duty By this my observance vnto you if so be you ever thought it worthy of reguard by our common Issue by the memory of my Father whom you sometimes held deare I do humbly beg that you would be pleased to defer the farther hearing of this cause vntill having sent into Spaine I may thence be advised by my Friends in this case what course to take If then in Iustice it shall be thought meet to rend me from you a part of whom I have so long beene the apprehension whereof doth more terrifie me then death I will even in this continue my long observed course of obedience But as often as I bethinke me of the wisdome of Our Parents by whose indevours and consent this Match was ratified J cannot but hope very well of my cause Your Father was for his admirable wisdome accompted a second Salomon neither can Spaine throughout the whole Successions of the Kings of so many Kingdomes produce any one who may parallell my Father Ferdinand and what kinde of Counsailours must we thinke these Princes had that all should as it were conspire to hurle Vs into the miseries of an incectuous Marriage No question was then made concerning the lawfulnesse of this Match and yet those times afforded learned men yea and whereof to my harme I have had experimentall knowledge in holinesse of life and love of the Truth far surpassing the Flatterers of these times VVhich last wordes shee therefore spake because shee had heard that all the Bishops of the Realme had by a common Decree pronounced against the Marriage And indeed such a Decree subscribed and sealed by each of them was afterward in the presence of the King read publiquely in the Court Fisher Bishop of Rochester excepting against it who denied that hee had assented to it and obiected forgery to the Archbishop of Canterbury for putting to it in steed of Bishop Fishers a false Seale and a counterfeit hand The Queene having spoken thus much arising after her due obeisance to the King when every one expected shee would have returned to her seate made hast out of the Court Every one amazedly wonders what the Queene intends But before shee had gone far the King commanded the Apparitor to call her backe againe The Apparitor obeying the Gentleman who supported her told her she was called to whom shee replied I heare it very well but go you on I cannot hope for iustice in this Court let them proceed against me in what manner they will I am resolved not to stay So away shee went and would never after be persuaded to make her appearance either personally or by a Protector After she was gone the King commended her in those termes that might befit a great affection and her excellent vertues withall protesting how desirous he was to continue in that estate so that neither his soule nor the Common-wealth might be endangered by it Here WOLSEY interrupted him beseeching his Maiestie that forasmuch as it was bruited that hee had persuaded Him to this Divorce His Maiesty would vouchsafe to signifie to the present Assembly how farre this report was true The King although that hee knew that in this fame lied not yet to secure his Favourite from the generall hate of the people affirmed the Bishop of Bayeux having first made scruple of it to have first advised him to this course and that the Bishop of Lincolne his Confessor and other Bishops with whom he had conferred did the like These were the Acts of the first day This case was for a moneth or two held in controuersie the Kings Advocates alledging that It was not in the Popes power to ratifie this Marriage which as prohibited by the Law of Nature the Scripture had pronounced vnlawfull That Catharine had beene lawfully married to Prince Arthur the King 's elder Brother and that the Nuptials were publiquely solemnized no man could deny and many circumstances did manifest the consummation of the Marriage by a carnall coniunction On the otherside the Queenes Advocates maintained The Law which forbad the Iewes to marrie their Brothers wife to bee Iudiciall and not Morall and therefore abrogated by Christ but so far forth as the Church had retained it it was by the authority of the same Church dispensable especially being they were confident that the forealledged consummation could no way be proved Thus each side pleaded and time passed on The King observes Cardinall CAMPEGIVS to go more coldly to worke then he was wont from whom Hee before this expected the promised decision But fortune had since that turned her wheele The Emperours affaires prospered in Italy and CLEMENT knew it was not
the way to wipe out the remembrance of an old offence by committing a new Hee found some other pretence to send one FRANCIS CAMPANA into England but his chiefe errand was to will CAMPEGIVS to burne the Bull whereby the King's marriage had before beene pronounced void and to returne to Rome with speed But the newes of the Popes sicknesse at the same time made him deferre the execution of his Mandate For if CLEMENT should die the Cardinall might with safetie gratifie the King who had conferred on him the Bishopricke of Sarisbury and to whom the Cardinall had promised successe answerable to his desires And if hee should permit the King to be thus illuded he feared he might be accompted not onely ingratefull but also treacherous But hee shortly vnderstood the Pope was well whose Mandate he must obey and the Bull as if for Hereâ—ie must be condemned to the fire In the meane time the King who was deeply in loue with ANNE BOLEN according to the nature of Lovers counting each minute by the houre quickly resented this change and never rested vntill hee knew the whole carriage of the matter Then first fell his wrath like thunder on WOLSEY whose wit had hitherto made all his proiects feasible And hee could not beleeve but that it was in his power to effect this also Here I cannot choose but cry out with Comoedian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IOVE and yee Gods how hard a thing It is to serve a raging King Full twenty yeares had WOLSEY served the King behaving himselfe so that hee grew powerfull and wealthy beyond a private fortune and to the rest of the King's Titles had procured the addition of that rich one of a good Prince For as often as I consider how laudably HENRY had hitherto ruled and behold the calamities of ensuing times I cannot but accord with them who ascribe the sway which he did beare over all the Princes of Christendome to the excellency of WOLSEY his counsailes But WOLSEY being taken away to whom shall we impute those effects of Lust Tyrannie and Avarice two Wives killed two put away so many and among them many of the greater sort put to death for their Religion only extremitie only differing in the manner vsed by Hanging against Papists by Fire against Heretiques these were the termes of those dayes the Church or rather the Common-wealth horribly spoiled and robbed of her Patrimony Certainly had WOLSEY sate at the Sterne the King had never like a Ship destitute of a Pilot beene carried to and fro with such contrary and vncertaine motions But inordinate greatnesse is alwayes a burthen to it selfe the waight whereof is augmented by the vsuall attendance of publique enny and hatred the misbegotten Elfes of long and powerfull happinesse WOLSEY the King once offended began presently to totter and at his first frowne as at the roaring of a Lion before any harder course was taken with him was so deiected that although he after seemed a little to lift vp his head yet was hee never able to stand on his feet Nay the King being once alienated from him would never after admit him to his presence Behold power of base Detraction yet I will not exclude the the greatnesse of the Cardinals wealth already devoured in conceit which wipes away the remembrance of the faithfull service of so many yeares and the consideration of so great glory purchased to the King by WOLSEY'S labours I am not ignorant what things were obiected against him But they carry so little shew of probability that I should much suspect his iudgement that would give any credit to them Vntill it was knowne that the King inraged at the slow proceedings in the cause of his Divorce did day and night breath out against him threats and revenge no man ever preferred Bill against him which considering the vsuall severe courses held by our Parliaments must needs acquit him of Abuse of Power As for the causes of the King's anger wee will derive them rather from his owne discontents then WOLSEY'S faultinesse The King by this time knew the treachery of the dissembling Pope Hee had neere five yeares wandered in the Labyrinth of the Court of Rome and could find no clue to lead him out He therefore determined to make a way where he could not find one and like ALEXANDER by force to vndoe that Gordian knot which by wit and labour hee could not To WOLSEY therefore hee communicated his intent of marrying another whether the Pope were willing or no wishing him withall to finde out some course or other whereby CAMPEGIVS his Colleague notwithstanding the late Mandates to the contrary might be drawne to give sentence on his side Many things might be pretended to excuse the deed but chiefly the feare of the King 's high displeasure which peradventure hee should feele too vnlesse hee assented to the King 's iust request WOLSEY his answer to this I cannot relate But this is certaine that WOLSEY whether for that he did not approve of the King 's intended course seeming as the times were then full of rashnesse and insolence or that he would not vndertake the attempting of his Colleague or that as SLEIDAN writes the King had notice that the Cardinall had advised the Pope not to approve of the Divorce from CATHARINE forasmuch as the King was then resolved to marry another infected with Lutheranisme WOLSEY I say was so sharply taken vp and threatned by the King that even then you might reade in his face and gestures the symptomes of his waining fortune For the Cardinall at that time returning from the Court by water the Bishop of Carlile being with him in the same Barge complained of the heate which was then extraordinary to whom WOLSEY replied My Lord if you had beene but now in my place you would have found it hot indeed And as soone as hee came home he put off his clothes and went sicke to bed Before hee had reposed himselfe an houre and halfe the Viscount Rochfort came to him and in the King's Name willed that hee and his Colleague should instantly repaire to the Queene and exhort her not to contend any longer with the King for that it would be more for her good and the honour of them both to submit herselfe to the King's pleasure then to vndergo the disgrace of a publique iudgement For it was now brought to that push that longer deferred it could not be The Cardinall advertised of the King's pleasure did arise and with his Colleague went to the Queene who having notice of their comming went forth and met them After mutuall salutations the Cardinals desired shee would vouchsafe a few words in private but the Queene refused to entertaine any conference with them but where she might have witnesses of what passed WOLSEY then began to speake in Latine but the Queene interrupted him willing that although she vnderstood Latin yet hee should speake in English So in the
names of both Legates he began a speech in English wherein hee professed a great deale of observance and dutie to her and that they came to no other end but to advise her for her good The Queene answered them much after this manner As for your good will I thanke you as for your advise I will give you the hearing But the matter I beleeve about which you come is of so great importance that it will require a great deale of deliberation and the helpe of a braine surpassing that of feminine weaknesse You see my employments shewing them a skaine of white thred hanging about her necke in these I spend my time among my Maides which indeed are none of the greatest Counsailers yet I have none other in England and Spaine where they are on whom I dare relie God wot is farre enough hence yet I am content to heare what you have to say and will give you an answere when we can conveniently So taking the Cardinall by the hand she brought them into a withdrawing roome where having attentively heard out their message shee made this reply That now after twenty yeares the lawfulnesse of my marriage should be questioned I cannot sufficiently wonder especially when I consider who were the Authours of it Many of them are yet alive both in England and Spaine and what kind of men the rest were who are now dead the world knowes Henry and Ferdinand our Parents the most sage Princes of their time and their Counsaile such without doubt who for their wisdome were approved of as fit servants for so iudicious Masters besides the Pope whose Dispensation J have to shew and which was procured by my Father at no small rate But what thing is there so sincere and firme which enuy will not seeke to blast Of these my miseries I can accuse none but you my Lord of Yorke Because I could not away with your monstrous pride excessive riot whoredome and intolerable oppression therefore do I now suffer And yet not only for this for some part of your hatred I am beholding to my Nephew the Emperour whom for that he did not satisfie your insatiable ambition by advancing you to the Papacy you have ever since maligned You threatned to be revenged on him and his Friends and you have performed your promise for you have beene the onely incendiarie and plotter of all the mischiefe and wars against him these late yeares And J am his Aunt whom how you have persecuted by raising this new doubt God only knowes to whose iudgement only I commend my cause This Shee spake in French as it seemed very much moved and would not endure to heare WOLSEY speake in defence of himselfe but courteously dismissed CAMPEGIVS It was now Iune and the Harvest drawing on the Legates thought it high time to make an end of this suite A day therefore being prefixed many of the Nobility and a multitude of the Commonaltie repaired to the Court verily expecting that iudgement should have beene given for the King HENRY having I know not how conceived some hope of the Legates good intents caused a seat to bee placed for himselfe behind the hangings vnder the covert wherof he might vnseene heare whatsoever was spoken or passed in Court The Cardinals being seated the King's Advocates earnestly requiring that sentence might be given on their side CAMPEGIVS made this Oration well beseeming the constancy of a man not vnworthy of the place he supplied J have heard and diligently examined whatsoever hath beene alledged in the King's behalfe And indeed the arguments are such that I might and ought pronounce for the King if two reasons did not controll and curbe my desires of doing his Matestie right The Queene you see withdrawes her selfe from the iudgement of this Court having before vs excepted against the partialitie of the place where she saith nothing can be determined without the consent of the Plaintife Moreover his Holinesse who is the fountaine and life of our authoritâ—e hath by a messenger given vs to vnderstand that hee hath reserved this cause for his owne hearing so that if wee would never so faine proceed any farther peradventure wee cannot J am sure wee may not Wherefore which only remaineth I doe heere dissolve the Court Other then this as the case stands I cannot do and I beseech them whom this Cause concernes to take in good part what I have done Which if they will not although it may trouble me yet not so much as to reguard the threats of any one I am a feeble old man and see death so neere me that in a matter of so great consequence neither hope nor feare nor any other respect but that of the Supreme Iudge before whom I finde my selfe ready to appeare shall sway me How the King was pleased at this you may easily conceive It is reported that the Duke of Suffolke knowing the King to be present and conscious of his infirmitie in a great rage leaping out of his chaire bountifully bestowed a volley of curses vpon the Legates saying It was never well with England since it had any thing to doe with Cardinalls To whom WOLSEY returned a few wordes saying That it was not in his power to proceed without Authoritie from the Pope and that no man ought to accuse them for not doing that whereto their power did not extend But the Kings implacable anger admitted of no excuse WOLSEY himselfe must become a sacrifice to appease it As for CAMPEGIVS hee tasted neverthelesse of the King's bountie and had leave to depart But at Calais his carriages were searched by the King's command The pretence was that WOLSEY intending an escape had by CAMPEGIVS convaied his treasures for Rome But the Bull was the Treasure so much sought after The King could not beleive it was burned and if it were found it was enough to countenance his second marriage But found it was not no nor scarce so much money in all the Cardinals carriages as had beene given him by the King WOLSEY his rising and his fall were alike sodaine neither of them by degrees but as the Lion gets his prey by leapes Shortly after the departure of his Colleague vpon the eighteene of October the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke in his Maiesties name commanded him to surrender the Great Seale But he pleaded That the King had by Patent made him Lord Chancellour during terme of life and by consequence committed the custodie of the great Seale to him Neverthelesse hee would resigne his place if his Maiestie so commanded But hee thought it not fit having received the Seale from the King to deliver it to any other but vpon especiall Command The Lords returning to Windsore where the Court then was the next day brought the King's Letters whose Mandate the Cardinall forthwith obeied In this Dignitie the six and twentieth of October Sir THOMAS MORE succeeded whose admirably generall learning is so well knowne to the world that I
Eight his Chappell in the Church of Windsore That three of his Children raigning after him none of them vndertooke by perfecting it to cover the as it were vnburied bones of their Father what may wee thinke but that the excessive charge of it deterred them But vpon a further ininquiry we may more iustly ascribe it to the especiall iudgement of the Divine Providence who had decreed that he who had so horribly spoiled the Church should alone be debarred the honor afforded to each of his Predecessours in the Church And thus much concerning WOLSEY who died the thirtieth of November 1530. In the meane time in Iune Anno 1529. after long debating the matter to and fro by the mediation of Louyse the French Kings Mother and MARGARET Aunt to the Emperour these two Princes are drawne to an accord a Peace is concluded betweene them at Cambray thence commonly called The Peace of Cambray but by vs The Peace of Women The chiefe Conditions whereof and that any way concerned vs were That the French King should giue to the Emperour for the freedome of his Children who had beene three yeares Hostages in Spaine for their Father two Millions of Crownes whereof he should pay foure hundred thousand due from the Emperor by the League made Anno 1522. to Henry and his Sister Mary Dowager of France Beside which huge summe he should also acquit the Emperor of fiue hundred thousand which he did owe to our King for the indemnity of the marriage betweene the Emperour and the Lady Mary the Kings Daughter whom having beene long since contracted hee left to marry with the Daughter of Portugall And that hee should vngage and restore to the Emperour the Flower de Lys of gold enriched with precious stones a piece of our Saviours Crosse which Philip truly called The Good Duke of Burgoigne the Emperours Father being driven into England by contrary windes had ingaged to Henry the Seventh for fifty thousand Crownes So that the summe to be paid to HENRY amounted to nine hundred and fifty thousand Crownes besides sixteene hundred thousand more to be payed to the Emperour at the very instant of the delivery of the French King's Children The totall summe was two millions fiue hundred fifty thousand Crownes which of our money make seven hundred sixty five thousand pounds FRANCIS not knowing which way sudainly to raise so huge a masle by his Embassadours intreated our King to be pleased to stay some time for his moneyes But HENRY was much moved that he had not beene made acquainted with this Treaty notwithstanding his secret designes made him temper his choler nay and with incredible liberality to grant more then was demanded For hee absolutely forgave him the five hundred thousand Crownes due for the not marrying his Daughter hee gave the Flower de Lys to his Godsonne HENRY Duke of Orleans and left the other foure hundred thousand to be payed by equall portions in five yeares The Pope had lately by his Legates deluded HENRY who was therevpon much discontented not knowing what course to run And this is thought to be the cause of his so extraordinary liberality toward the French The King being then in progresse and hunting at Waltham it happened that STEPHEN GARDINER Principall Secretary of Estate after Bishop of Winton and FOX the King's Almoner after Bishop of Hereford were billeted in the house of a gentleman named CRESSEY who had sent his two sons to be brought vp at Cambridge vnder the tutelage of THOMAS CRANMER Doctour in Divinity a man both very learned and vertuous The plague then spreading it selfe in Cambridge CRANMER with his two Pupils betooke himselfe to Master CRESSEY their father his house Where GARDINER and FOX among other table talke discoursing of the Kings Suite concerning his Divorce which had so many yeares depended in the Court of Rome vndecided CRANMER said that he wondred the King required not the opinions of the most famous learned men that were any where to be found of whom the world had many far more learned then the Pope and followed not their iudgements What CRANMER had as it were let fall by chance they report to the King who sudainly apprehending it said that this fellow whosoever he was had hit the naile on the head and withall demanding his name caused CRANMER to be sent for whom he commended for his but too late advise which course if he had taken but five yeares before hee should now have had an hundred thousand pounds in his purse which he had vnprofitably in this suite cast away on the Court of Rome he commands CRANMER to write a Tract concerning this question wherein having drawne together what reasons hee could for the confirmation of his advice hee should conclude with his owne opinion CRANMER did it very readily and is therevpon with Sir THOMAS BOLEN lately created Earle of Wiltshire CARNE STOKESLEY and BE NET Doctours of Law with others sent on an Embassie to Rome CRANMER'S booke is to be presented to his Holinesse and they are commanded to challenge the Court of Rome to a disputation wherin the Contents of that book should be maintained the argument whereof was That by the authority of holy Scripture ancient Fathers and Councels it was vtterly vnlawfull for any man to marry his Brothers Widow and that no such marriage could bee licenced or authorized by the Popes Dispensation This being done the King's intent was they should procure the opinions of all the Vniversities throughout Europe by whom if he found his former marriage condemned then without farther expecting the approbation of the Sea of Rome he was resolved to run the hazard of a second To this the amity of the French seeming very conducible the King had by his former liberality sought to oblige him The Embassadours came to Rome had audience were promised a publique disputation whereof they were held so long in expectation that perceiving their stay there to bee to little purpose they all returned into England except CRANMER who with the same instructions that hee had formerly beene sent to the Pope was to go to the Emperour whose Court was then in Germany There this good learned man hitherto no friend to LVTHER while he defends his owne booke and the King's Divorce against the most learned either of Protestants or Papists is thought to have beene seasoned with the leaven of that doctrine for which after he had beene twenty yeares Archbishop of Canterbury he was most cruelly burned While CRANMER thus laboured abroad the King at home deales with LANGEY the French Embassadour by whose meanes with the forcible Rhetoricke saith one of some English Angels hee obtained of the Vniversities of Paris with the rest throughout France Pavia Padua Bononia and others this Conclusion That the Pope who hath no power over the Positive Law of God could not by his Dispensation ratifie a marriage contracted betweene a Brother and a brothers Widow it being forbidden by the expresse words
declared void and incestuous and a Law enacted wherein all Appeales to Rome were forbidden and that none should stile CATHARINE other then Princesse of Wales and Widow or Dowager of Prince ARTHVR By vertue and authority of the same Law the Archbishop of Canterbury accompanied with some other Bishops comming to Dunstable six miles from Ampthill where CATHARINE then resided caused her to be cited before Him next vnder the King chiefe Iudge in all Ecclesiasticall causes within the Province of Canterbury to shew what reasons could be alleaged why the marriage not lawfully contracted betweene the King and her should not be disanulled and pronounced impious incestuous and consequently void To these things by one of her servants she answered that it beseemed not the Archbishop to thrust his sickle into anothers harvest this Cause did yet depend vndecided before the Pope CHRIST'S Vicar on earth whose Decree she would obey and other Iudge would shee acknowledge none Being called fifteene dayes together and not appearing Shee is pronounced Contumax and for her contumacie separated from the Kings bed and company Wherevpon the Lady ANNE proclaimed Queene throughout the Kingdome on Easter eve shewed her selfe publiquely as Queene and was at Whits ontide crowned with as great pompe and solemnitie as ever was Queene The particulars I will let passe excepting that propheticall Disticke vpon one of the triumphant Arches purposely erected in London where shee was to passe Regina ANNA paris Regis de sanguine Natam Et paries populis aurea secla tuis In English ANNE thou a daughter bearest to our King And to thy people golden dayes shalt bring Wafers also with the same impression were throwne about saith STOW But I rather beleeve that this Disticke was made after the Queenes deliverie Whensoever it were hee that truely considers the feâ—icitie of the foure and fortie yeares raigne of this Queenes Daughter will thinke this Oracle could not proceed from any but a Delphian APOLLO For the Queene at the time of her Coronation was great with childe whereof the seventh of September shee was delivered at Greenwich which was that ever famous Queene ELIZABETH who after the death of her Brother and Sister so gloriously ruled this Kingdome The Pope was certified of all these passages that his authoritie in England was abrogated that the late Queene CATHARINE was put away that ANNE BOLEN as Queene was taken to the Kings bed that the King stiled himselfe Supreme Head of the Church of England that the Archbishop of Canterbury executed all those offices which formerly the Pope only did and that not as the Popes Legate but as Primate of England who vnder the King claimed chiefe authority in Ecclesiasticall affaires throughout his whole Province Wherwith being neâ—ed hee seemed to breath nothing but threats and revenge But knowing himselfe to have beene the motive of it and doubtfull of the event he was easily persuaded by the French King as yet not to proceed by excommunication against HENRY vntill he had made triall of some milder course Wherevpon FRANCIS by BELLAY Bishop of Paris entreates HENRY not to withdraw himselfe wholy from the obedience of Rome for as much as it was a matter of great danger Hee would therefore advise him once more by Embassadours to Rome to signifie that he was not vtterly averse from a râ—conciliation which if hee did hee made no doubt but all things would succeed to his minde HENRY was certaine of enioying his Love and let the Pope decree what he list was resolved to keepe her Hee had beene formerly abused by the Court of Rome and was loath to make farther triall of their dilatory proceedings Yet had BELLAY prevailed so faâ—re with him that Hee would be content once more to submit himselfe to the Church of Rome if hee could bee assured of the Popes intention to do him equity The Bishop conceiving some hopes of a peace although it were in the winter time goes himselfe to Rome gives the Pope an account of his actions and certifies him that the matter was not yet desperate Wherevpon a day is appointed by which a Post returning from the King was to give notice of an intended Embassie But the Consistory gave so short a time to have an answere that the Post came short two dayes at his returne The terme expired they proceed hastily to the confirmation of their Censures notwithstanding the Bishops instance to obtaine six dayes more for as much as contrary windes or some other chance might hinder the messenger and six dayes would be no great matter considering the King had wauered six whole yeares before hee fell The more moderate thought the Bishop demanded but reason but the preposterous haste of the greater sort preuailed Two dayes were scarce past after the prefixed time but the Post arriuing with ample authority and instructions from England did greatly amaze those hasty Cardinalls who afterwards would faine but could not finde any meanes to mend what they had so rashly marred For the matter to please the Emperor was so hudled vp as that which could not ritely bee finished in three Consistories was done in one So the King and the whole Realme was interdicted the Bull whereof the Messengers not daring to come neerer was brought to Dunkirk The report hereof comming to the King hee laies all the blame on the Lady CATHARINE Whereupon the Duke of Suffolke was sent to lessen her Houshold They who might be any way suspected to haue been imploied by her in this businesse are turned away the rest are commanded to take their oathes to serve her as Princesse of Wales not as Queene of England They that refuse are caâ—hiered and they that are content to sweare are by her cast off so that for a time shee had few or no Attendants In the meane time on the three and twentieth of June died MARY Queene of France the Kings Sister and was buried in the Abbey of Saint Edmundsbury Anno Dom. 1534. Reg. 26. ABout this time was discouered the grand imposture of ELIZABETH BARTON which brought her to a deserued end Shee had formerly beene sicke of a strange disease which not only afflicted her inwardly but as often as her fit tooke her so wonderfully distorted her mouth and other parts of her body that most were of opinion it could not peoceed from any naturall cause But Custome growing to a second Nature the continuance of the Disease had taught her to distort her body after her recouery in the fame manner as when she was sicke Hoping to make a profit of this her counterfeit Convulsion she imparted the secret to the Curate of the Parish by whose deuice after â—ong deliberation betweene them it was agreed that she should often faine her selfe to be in an ecstasie and whereas shee was wont when the fit seased her to ly still without motion as if she had been dead shee should now sometimes vtter some godly sentences inveigh against the wickednesse of the times but
especially against Heretiques and broachers of new Opinions and should relate strange visions revealed by God to her in the time of her ecstasie By these jugling trickes not only among the Vulgar who termed the holy Maid of Kent but among the wiser sort such as were Archbishop WARHAM Bishop FISHER and others her sanctity was held in admiration The Imposture taking so generally her boldnesse increased Shee prefixeth a day whereon she shall be restored to perfect health and the meanes of her recouery must be procured forsooth by a pilgrimage to some certaine Image of our Lady The day came and shee beeing brought to the place by the like cousenage deceiued a great number of people whom the expectation of the miracle had drawne thither and at last as if she had iust then shaken off her disease shee appeares whole and straight vnto them all saying That by especiall command from God shee must become a Nunne and that one Doctor BOCKING a Monke of Canterbury there present was ordained to bee her Confessor which office hee willingly vndertooke vnder pretext whereof this Nunne liuing at Canterbury BOCKING often resorted to her not without suspition of dishonesty The intended Divorce from CATHARINE and marriage with ANNE BOLEN had much appalled most part of the Clergy for then a necessity was imposed on the King of a divorce from the Papall Sea in which the Church and all Ecclesiasticall persons were likely to suffer The apprehension whereof wrought so with BOCKING that making others conscious of the intent hee persuaded ELIZABETH BARTON by denuntiation of Gods revealed judgements to deterre the King from his purposed change Shee according as shee was instructed proclaimes it abroad That the King aduenturing to marry another CATHARINE surviving should if in the meane time hee died not some infamous death within one moneth after be depriued of his Kingdome The King heares of it and causeth the Impostrix to be apprehended who vpon examination discouered the rest of the conspirators who were all committed to prison vntill the next Parliament should determine of them ELIZ. BARTON BOCKING MASTERS the afore mentioned Curate of the Parish DEERING and RISBEY Monkes with GOLD a Priest are by the Parliament adiudged to dy The Bishop of Rochester and ADESON his Chaplaine one ABEL a Priest LAVRENCE the Archdeacon of Canterbury his Register and THOMAS GOLD Gentleman for hauing heard many things whereby they might guesse at the intents of the Conspirators and not acquainting the Magistrate with them are as accessory condemned in a Praemunire confiscation of their goods and perpetuall imprisâ—nment ELIZABETH BARTON and her Companions hauing each of them after a Sermon at Pauls Crosse publiquely confessed the Imposture are on the twentieth of Aprill hanged and their heads set ouer the gates of the City By the same Parliament the authority of the Convocation to make Canonicall Constitutions vnlesse the King giue this Rovall assent is abrogated It is also inacted That the Collocation of all Bishoprickes the Seas being vacant should henceforth be at the Kings dispose and that no man should be chosen by the Chapter or consecrated by the Archbishop but he on whom the King by his Congé D'eslire or other his Letters had conferred that Dignity And wheras many complained that now all commerce with Rome was forbidden all meanes were taken away of mitigating the rigour of the Ecclesiasticall Lawes of Dispensation Papall authority is granted to the Archbishop of Canterbury the King reserving to himselfe the power of dispensing in causes of greater moment And that all Appeales formerly wont to be made from the Archbishop to the Pope should now bee from the Archbishop to the King who by Delegates should determine all such suites and controversies Furthermore the Kings marriage with the Lady CATHARINE is againe pronounced incestuous the Succession to the Crowne established on the Kings Issue begotten on Queene ANNE And all aboue the age of sixteen yeares throughout the Kingdome are to be bound by oath to the obseruance of this Law whosoeuer refused to take this oath should suffer losse of all their goods and perpetuall imprisonment Throughout all the Realme there were found but two who durst refractoâ—ily oppose this Law viz FISHER Bishop of Rochester and Sir THOMAS MOORE the late Lord Chancellor men who were indeed very learned but most obstinate stickers in the behalfe of the Church of Rome who being not to be drawne by any persuasions â—o be conformable to the Law were committed to prison from whence after a yeares durance they were not freed but by the losse of their liues But the King fearing that it might be thought That hee tooke these courses rather out of a contempt of Religion than in regard of the tyrannie of the Court of Rome to free himselfe from all suspition either of favouring LVTHER or any authors of new Opinions began to persecute that sort of men whom the Vulgar called Heretiques and condemned to the cruelty of that mercilesle Element Fire not only certaine Dutch Anabaptists but many Professors of the Truth and amongst others that learned and godly young man IOHN â—RITH who with one HEWET and others on the two and twentieth of July constantly endured the torments of their martyrdome The fiue and twentieth of September died CLEMENT the Seuenth Pope in whose place succeeded ALEXADER FARNESE by the name of PAVLVS the Third who to begin his time with some memorable Act hauing called a Consistory pronounced HENRY to be fallen from the Title and Dignity of a King and to be deposed re-iterating withall the thunder of Excommunication with which bug-beare his predecessor CLEMENT had sought to affright him But this peradventure happened in the insuing yeare after the death of FISHER and MORE A Parliament is againe called in November wherein according to the Decree of the late Synod the King was declared Supreme Head of the Church of England and the punishment all crimes which formerly pertained to the Ecclesiasticall Courts is made proper to him So the Kingdome is vindicated from the vsurpation of the Pope who before shared in it and the King now first began to raigne entirely Also all Annates or first Fruits formerly paid to the Pope are granted to the King And Wales the seat of the remainder of the true antient Britans hitherto differing from vs compounded of Normans and Saxons as well in the forme of their gouernment as in Language is by the authority of this Parliament to the great good of both but especially that Nation vnited and incorporated to England EDWARD the First was the first who subdued this Countrey yet could hee not prevaile over their mindes whome the desire of recouering their lost liberty animated to many rebellions By reason whereof and our suspitions being for two hundred yeares oppressed either with the miseries of seruitude or war they neuer tasted the sweet fruits of a true and solid peace But HENRY the Seuenth by bloud in reguard
faire sprouts to the blast of vnseasonable hopes and nature denying any at least lawfull issue to the rest the name and almost remembrance of this great Family hath ceased Of which hereafter Scotland had beene long peaceable yet had it often administred motives of discontent and jealousy IAMES the Fifth King of Scots Nephew to HENRY by his Sister having long liued a Bachelor HENRY treated with him concerning a marriage with his then only Childe the Lady MARY a Match which probably would have vnited these neighbour Kingdomes But God had reserved this Vnion for a more happy time The antient League betweene France and Scotland had alwaies made the Scots affected to the French and IAMES prefer the alliance with France before that of England where the Dowry was no lesse than the hopes of a Kingdome So he marrieth with MAGDALEN a Daughter of France who not long surviving hee againe matcheth there with MARY of Guise Widow to the Duke of Longueville HENRY had yet a desire to see his Nephew to which end he desired an enterview at Yorke or some other oportune place IAMES would not condiscend to this who could notwithstanding vndertake a long and dangerous voyage into France without invitation These were the first seeds of discord which after bladed to the Scots destruction There having been for two yeares neither certaine peace nor a iust War yet incursions from each side Forces are assigned to the Duke of Norfolke to represse the insolency of the Scots and secure the Marches The Scot vpon newes of our being in Armes sends to expostulate with the Duke of Norfolke concerning the motives of this war and withall dispatcheth the Lord GORDON with some small Forces to defend the Frontiers The Herauld is detained vntill our Army came to Berwick that hee might not give intelligence of our strength And in October the Duke entring Scotland continued there ransacking the Countrey without any opposition of the Enemy vntill the middle of November By which time King IAMES having levied a great Army resolved on a battaile the Nobility persuading the contrary especially vnwilling that hee should any way hazard his Person the losse of his Father in the like manner being yet fresh in memory and Scotland too sensible of the calamities that ensued it The King proving obstinate they detaine him by force desirous rather to hazard his displeasure than his life This tendernesse of him in the language of rage and indignation hee termes cowardise and treachery threatening to set on the Enemy assisted with his Family only The Lord MAXWELL seeking to allay him promised with ten thousand only to invade England and with far lesse then the English Forces to divert the war The King seemes to consent But offended with the rest of the Nobility he gives the Lord OLIVER SAINTCLARE a private Commission not to be opened vntill they were ready to give the onâ—et wherein hee makes him Generall of the Army Having in England discovered five hundred English horse led by Sir THOMAS WHARTON and Sir WILLIAM MVS GRAVE the Lord SAINTCLARE commanded his Commission publiquely to be read the recitall whereof so distasted the Lord MAXWELL and the whole Army that all things were in a confusion and they ready to disband The oportunity of an adioining hill gave vs a full prospect into their Army and invited vs to make vse of our advantages Wee charge them furiously the Scots amazedly fly many are slaine many taken more plunged in the neighbouring fens and taken by Scotish Freebooters sold to vs. Among the Captives were the Earles of Glencarne and Cassells the Lords SAINTCLARE MAXWELL Admirall of Scotland FLEMING SOMERWELL OLIPHANT and GRAY besides two hundred of the better sort and eighthundred common souldiers The consideration of this overthrow occasioned as hee conceived by the froward rashnesse of his owne Subiects and the death of an English Herauld slaine in Scotland so surcharged him with rage and griefe that hee fell sicke of a Fever and died in the three and thirtieth yeare of his age and two and thirtieth of his raigne leaving his Kingdome to the vusally vnhappy governement of a Woman a Childe scarce eight dayes old The chiefe of the captives being conveied to the Tower were two dayes after brought before the King's Counsaile where the Lord Chancellour reprehended their treachery who without due denunciation of war invaded and spoiled the territories of their Allies and committed many outrages which might excuse any severe courses which might in iustice be taken with them Yet his Maiesty out of his naturall Clemency was pleased to deale with them beyond their deserts by freeing them from the irkesomenesse of a strict imprisonment and disposing of them among the Nobles to beby them entertained vntill He should otherwise determine of them By this time King IAMES his death had possessed HENRY with new hopes of vniting Britaine vnder one Head England had a Prince and Scotland a Queene but both so young that many accidents might dissolve a contract before they came to sufficiency Yet this seeming a course intended by the Divine Providence to extirpate all causes of enmity and discord betweene these neighbouring Nations a marriage betweene these young Princes is proposed With what alacrity and applaufe the proposition was on both sides entertained wee may conceive who have had the happinesse to see that effected which they but intended Which being a matter of so sweet a consequence it is to be wondred at that the conspiracy of a few factious spirits should so easily hinder it The hope of it prevailed with the King for the liberty of the Captives conditionally that they should leave hostages for their returne if peace were not shortly concluded which as also the furtherance of this so wished coniunction they faithfully promised Anno Dom. 1543. Reg. 35. AFter their short Captivity the Scottish Lords having beene detained onely twelve dayes at London on New yeares day began their iourney towards Scotland and with them ARCHIBALD DOVGLAS Earle of Angus whom his Sonne in law King IAMES had a little before his death intended to recall Fifteene yeares had hee and his brother GEORGE lived exiles in England HENRY out of his Royall Bounty allowing to the Earle a pension of a thousand markes and to his brother of five hundred The sudaine returne of these captive Lords caused in most as sudaine a ioy Only the Cardinall of Saint ANDREWS who had by forgery made himselfe Regent and his faction could willingly have brooked their absence They came not as freed from a Captivity but as Embassadours for Peace by them ernestly persuaded which by the happy coniunction of these Princes might be concluded to perpetuitie But the Cardinall with his factious Clergy the Queene Dowager and as many as were affected to the Flower de Lys interposed themselves for the good of France Yet notwithstanding the Cardinals fraud being detected hee is not only deposed from his Regency and IAMES HAMILTON
who rallying themselves seemed desperately resolved to renue the fight But the proposall of a Pardon made them cast away iheir armes and peaceably to depart The number of the chiefe authors of this Commotion who were hanged was great But ROBERT KET a Tanner who in those times and by that trade had gathered a fortune of a brace of thousands was above all as in Fault so in Execution remarkable He had beene the Chieftaine in this Rebellion and was not in reason to be obscured among the common sort wherfore it being thought fit that he should surmount them in the glory of a more notorious punishment he was fairely hanged in chaines on the verv top of Norwich Castle While the Easterne parts of the Kingdome were thus possessed the Westerne parts were not lesse tormented with the same Furies Devonshire and Cornwall with some additions out of Somersetshire had on the same pretences armed fifteene thousand men who after they had licentiously ransacked the Countrey at length sate downe before the famous City of Excester Forty dayes they besieged it and were repulsed by the Inhabitants though vtterly destitute of warlike provision On the sixt of August IOHN Lord Russell after Earle of Bedford entring the City with forces and munition disassieged it pursued the Rebells slew some tooke others to the number of foure thousand whereof many were after executed but especially HVMFREY ARVNDELL Captaine of S. Michaels Mount in Cornwall a man of antient descent and sufficiently ample revenues so that I cannot sufficiently wonder what madnesse drave him to associate himselfe with this desperate and vnruly rabble With him were hanged ROBERT BOCHIN IO. TOMSON ROGER BARRET IO. VLCOCKE WILL. ASA IAMES NORTON IO. BARON and RICHARD BENET Priests and besides them IOHN and IAMES ROSOGAN IO. PAYNE THO. VNDERHILL and IO. SOLMAN all prime incendiaries and chiefe authors of this tumult The City of Excester in memory of this their delivery hath ever sithence with an anniversary solemnity kept the sixt of August holy As for the other Counties infested with the reliques of this rebellion the evill being tempestively supprest before it spred it selfe and the ringleaders punished they were quickely reduced to their former temper Neither were our affaires more peaceable abroad then at home For HENRY King of France taking advantage of our domestique sedition not reguarding the League concluded betweene vs and his Father invaded Boloignois where his successe was such that he was animated to greater attempts He sets forth a Fleet for the taking in of the Isles of Iersey and Guarnesey the sole portions remaining to the English of the Duchy of Normandy At these Isles the French are with great losse driven abord their ships At the landing they lost a thousand men and we very few About Bouloigne Mont Lambert Sellaque and Ambleteul were lost Sellaque was defended by two Ensignes But having beene battered by the Enemy while we vnwarily parley with MONTMORENCY was on the five and twentieth of August forced by them At Ambleteul were six Ensignes of Foote who for some dayes made good the place But finding themselves vnable long to hold out against so great forces vpon no other termes then grant of lives yeelded the Fort to the French The losse of these places so daunted the Garrison at Blanconet that having beene scarce saluted by the Enemies Cannon vpon condition of life and goods they quitted the place Neither was this the last important effect of our conceived terrour for the English at Mont-Lambert not so much as attending the comming of the Enemie fired their lodgings made their provision vnusefull and retreated to Guisnes The Fort at the Tower of Ordre fortified both by nature and art gave a period to this yeares successe standing resolutely vpon defence vntill the extremity of Winter forced the French to raise their siege The losse of these small pieces set the Protector in the wane of the vulgar opinion and afforded sufficient matter for Envy to worke on Among the Lords of the Privy Counsaile the most eminent was the Earle of Warwickâ— a man of a vast spirit which was the more inlarged by the contemplation of his great Acts performed both abroad and at home He had long looked asquint vpon Somersets greatnesse whom in a favorable esteeme of himselfe he deemed far beneath him and was withall persuaded that could he but remove the Duke due reguards would cast the Protectorship on him The consideration also of the Dukes nakednesse disarmed of that metalsome peice the Admirall En quo discordia Fratres Perduxit miseros made his hopes present themselves in the more lively shapes He seekes about for sufficient matter wherewith to charge the Duke who could not be long ignorant of these practises against him The Duke finding himselfe aimed at but not well discerning whether the Earle intended a legall or military processe against him on the sixt of October from Hampton-Court where the King then resided sent letters to the City of London requiring from thence an aid of a thousand men who should guard the King and him from the treacherous attempts of some ill-affected Subiects And in the meane time presseth in the adiacent Countrey where having raised a reasonable company he the same night carried away the King attended by some of the Nobility and some of the Counsaile from thence to Windsore a place because fortified more safe and convenient for resistance But the Earle had made a greater part of the Counsaile who accompanied him at London To them he makes a formall complaint against the Protector beseeching them by their assistance to secure him from the Protectors malice who sought to intrap him for his life These Lords send a contre-letter to the Londoners demanding aids of them for the delivery of the King out of the hands of his Enemy for so they were pleased to terme the Duke Then they send abroad Proclamations wherein they insert the chiefe heads of their accusation as that By sowing seeds of discord the Duke had troubled that setled and peaceable estate wherin King HENRY had left this Kingdome and had beene the chiefe cause that it had lately beene ingaged in Ciuill wars to the losse of many thousand lives That many Forts conquered by HENRY with hazard of his Person were by the Dukes either cowardise or treachery regained by the Enemy That he reguarded not the advice of the rest of the Lords of the Counsaile and had plainely neglected King HENRY'S instructions concerning the governement of the Kingdomes of England and Irland That his chiefe studies and wherein he was most seene were to rake vp wealth to maintaine a Faction among the Nobility and yet comply with both parties for his owne advantages to build stately Palaces far exceeding the proportion of a Subiect and that even in the very instan that the Estate did shrinke vnder the burthen both of intestine and foraine wars The Duke certified of their proceedings and seeing himselfe forsaken
The Lord Paget not long before had beene sent to the Emperor to signifie how we were distressed on the one side by the Scots and on the other by the French and miserably rent at home by intestine dissensions that our necessities required speedy succours or would force vs to condescend to an inconvenient Peace with France But perceiving nothing was to bee obtained of him wee stroke hands with the French vpon these conditions That Boloigne and all the Forts in Boloignois should be surrendred to the French together with the Artillery and other military provision That in lieu thereof the King of France should pay vnto EDVVARD foure hundred thousand crownes by equall portions at two payments That the English should restore to the Scots Lauder and Douglas and if the Queene of Scots should desire it should rase their Fortifications in Haymon and at Roxburgh The Emperour was on both sides comprehended in the League and the Queene of Scots by the French The two Kings presented each other with their military Orders and as one writeth it was on both parts agreed on that EDWARD should marry one of the Daughters of France For the ratification of the Articles on the eight of Aprill Hostages were given By Vs The Duke of Suffolke The Earle of Hertford Sonne to the Duke of Somerset The Earle of Arundell The Earle of Derby The Earle of Bath By the French IOHN of Bourbon Duke of Anguien CLAVD of Loraine Marquis of Mayenne FRANCIS Sonne to the Constable MONTMORENCY LEWIS of Tremoville FRANCIS of Vendosme Vidame of Chartres CLAVD d' Annebalt This Peace betweene vs and France was on the third of March solemnely proclaimed in London and on the five and twentieth of Aprill Bouloigne being accordingly surrendred to the French our Hostages were returned On the thirtieth of Iuly died the Lord WRIOTHSLEY Knight of the Garter late Lord Chancellour of England and Earle of Southampton He had about the beginning of this Kings Raigne delivered vp the Seale the Custody wherof was committed to the Lord Rich. But having beene about halfe a yeare past removed as was also the Earle of Arundell but for what cause is vncertaine from the Counsaile Table he at length whether out of griefe or some other cause fell sicke and died He was father to HENRY the second Earle and Grandfather to HENRY the third Earle of Southampton not long since deceased who having tasted of both fortunes did hertofore as generously behave himselfe in adversity as he did since moderately in prosperity whereto by the Clemency of our late Soveraigne he was restored Anno Dom. 1551. Reg. 5. MEntion hath formerly beene made concerning the Sweating Sickenesse a disease to which England hath given a name as well in reguard of it's originall as of the knowne disposition of our bodies to admit of this virulent contagion England had beene formerly afflicted with it but never so mortally as this present yeare Shrewsbury was now the first place acquainted with this Pestilence there it began in Aprill and thence diffusing it selfe over the most part of the Kingdome at length it vanished away in the North about the beginning of October The fury of it was such as if it would never end but by it's proper cruelty when it should not have left subiects wheron to feed The dead whome it swept away were numberlesse In London only eight hundred was scarce a seven nights stint It made it's first entry into this Island in the Reigne of HENRY the Seventh Anno 1486. and from hence it tooke it's progresse to other Nations The Infected flowed away and within the space of twenty foure houres when this malignant disease was most mercifull in it's execution peradventure within twelve did sweat out their soules Women children and old men it for the most part overpassed and wreaked it selfe on the robustious youth and well compact middle age who if in the beginning of their sickenes did but slumber perished instantly If it seized on any that were full gorged the recovery was in a manner desperate Nay and of others whatsoever they were scarce one of a hundred escaped vntill time had found out a remedy the manner wherof was thus If any be taken in the day time hee must without shifting of his apparell betake himselfe to bed If by night and in bed let him not stir thence vntill twenty foure howers be run In the meane let the coverture be such that it provoke not sweat but that it may gently distill of it selfe if it be possible for him so long to forbeare let him not eat nor drinke more then may moderately serve to extinguish thirst But above all let him so patiently endure heat that hee vncover not any part of his body no not so much as a hand or a foot The strangenesse of this disease I do not so much admire for that PLINY in his twenty sixt Booke the first Chapter witnesseth and daily experience teacheth vs that every age produceth new and Epidemicall diseases But that which surpasseth the search of humane reason is this that this Pestilence afflicted the English in what part of the world soever without touching the Natives but in England alone This dire contagion promiscuously impoverisht the Land of people of all sorts among those of especiall note were HENRY Duke of Suffolke and his Brother who were the Sonnes of CHARLES BRANDON and the Kings Couzins germane young Noblemen of great and lively hopes by the death of HENRY the Duchy was for some few howers devolved to the younger Brother who had the vnhappy honour but to be seized of the Title and dy The Lord Gray Marquis of Dorset having married FRANCIS the eldest Daughter of CHARLES BRANDON in the right of his Wife made claime to the Duchy and was on the eleventh of October invested in it At what time also IOHN DVDLEY Earle of Warwicke was created Duke of Northumberland WILLIAM POWLET Earle of Wiltshire Marquis of Winchester and Sir WILLIAM HERBERT Lord Cardif Master of the Horse Earle of Pembroke The masculine Line of DVDLEY and GRAY hath beene long since extinct Of the Family of the POWLETS we have spoken already the Lord HERBERT Brother in law to Queene CATHARINE PARR derived himselfe from WILLIAM HERBERT in the time of EDWARD the Fourth Earle of Pembroke and was succeeded in the Earledome by his Sonne HENRY Father to WILLIAM the moderne Earle whose mature wisedome and gravity even in his greener yeares long since ranked him in the sage Senate of the Privy Counsaile to two successive Kings and to PHILIP by King IAMES created Earle of Montgomery Then also were knighted Sir IOHN CHEEKE the King's Schoolemaster Sir HENRY DVDLEY Sir HENRY NEVILL and whome I cannot mention but with due honor Sir WILLIAM CECILL CECILL I say who then Secretary of Estate was afterward by all Europe held in admiration for his wisedome whome Queene ELIZABETH made Lord Treasurer of England and Baron of Burleigh and was whilest he
above navell high through the dikes to the wall which wee little feared could be done without resistance finding the place void of defendants they easily make themselves masters of the Castle and had as easily taken the Towne if Sir ANTHONY AGER Marshall of the Towne had not with some few others made head against them and forced them to retreat to the Castle in which conflict that valiant Knight was slaine The Lord WENTWORTH Governour of the Towne seeing little hopes of keeping the Towne craved parley which was granted and at length yeilded the Towne vpon these Conditions That the common souldiers and inhabitants should depart without transporting or carrying away any thing with them and that the Lord WENTWORTH with fifty others such as the Duke of Guise should appoint should remaine captives to be put to ranson So was Calais lost which had continued English above two hundred yeares neither was the siege long the Enemy sitting downe before iâ— on Newyeares day and having it yeilded vp on Twelfe day Seven dayes after the Duke marcheth toward Guisnes which Towne he tooke without any difficultie but the Castle which the Lord GRAY commanded not so easily But that and Hames Castle were at length taken also and dismantled so that of all the Kingdome of France the greatest part whereof was for a long time held by our Kings and whereof HENRY the Sixt had beene crowned King at Paris Anno 1431. nor in the Duchies of Normandie and Aquitaine the ancient inheritance of the Kings of England our Kings possesse nothing but the Isles of Iersey and Guarnesey which have proved loyall to vs ever since the Conquest While the French proceeded thus in Picardie the Queene certified thereof with great diligence prepares her Fleet to transport succours for Calais but contrary windes kept them backe so long vntill Calais was irrecoverably lost You shall not easily read of any action wherein God hath by more manifest signes declared how displeasing those wars are to him which vndertaken for ambition or profit do dissolve the publique peace PHILIP to begin with him against whom HENRY and the Pope did most vniustly conspire inlarged himselfe with a double victorie each whereof were great and memorable The Cardinall CARAFFA and the Duke of Paliane who for their owne ends had persuaded the doting Pope to throw the ball of discord betweene these Princes were after for this very thing beheaded by PIVS the Fourth who immediately succeeded PAVL PAVL himselfe in the meane time the French being overthrowne at Saint Quintin was exposed to the mercy of the Spaniard whom he had irritated the French being forced to withdraw his Army out of Italy The rash violation of the League by MARY was punished with the losse of Calais and through griefe thereof according to common beliefe of life also What happened to the French who by the Pope's instigation first brake the five yeares Truce wee have already declared And least it might be conceived that his losses at and of Saint QVINTIN were repaired by the taking of Calais another overthrow given him within few moneths after will take away much from the content of that victory In Iune the Marshall De Termes who succeeded STROSSY lately slaine Governour of Calais breaketh into Arthois and Flanders with an Army consisting of neere about eleven thousand men leaving Graveling and Burburg at his backe attempts Berghes takes it sackes it and so opens a way to Dunkirk which hee also takes and spoiles and the Countrey all about for they feared not the French there and the Townes which the Spaniard held thoroughout that Tract were ill furnished lying open to their mercy they ransacke it most miserably and march as far as Newport PHILIP was affrighted with this Tempest fearing especially least the Duke of Guise then in Armes should joine with TERMES but having intelligence that the Duke spent his time about Arlon and Vireton hee resolves to intercept the French in their returne In this enterprise hee employes Count EGMOND his Lieuetenant generall in the Netherlands who having speedily out of the neighbour Garrisons of Betune Saint Omer Aires Burburg and others assembled an Army of fifteene thousand puts himselfe betweene Dunkirk and Calais TERMES had hitherto expected the Duke of Guise but vpon notice that the Countrey was vp in Armes he somewhat too late bethought himselfe of a retreate Hee was now every way inclosed and passage not to be gained but by dint of sword The French therefore valiantly charge their Enemies and overthrow some Squadrons of Horse indeed dispaire animated them to do wonders and the Flemings were set on fire by the desire of revenging late injuries The Spanish Troupes renew the fight which was with equall order long maintained on both sides in the heate whereof ten English Men of War fortunately sailing by for De TERMES had for his security betaken him to the shore hoping that way with much lesse hazard to have gained passage vpon discovery of the French Colours let fly their Ordnance furiously among the French making such a slaughter that they began to give ground were at last routed and overthrowne The French in this battaile lost five thousand Their chiefe Commanders were almost all taken the Marshall himselfe was hurt and taken with D'ANNEBALT the Son of CLAVD the late Admirall the Earle of Chaune SENARPONT VILLEBON Governour of Picardy MORVILLIERS and many others Two hundred escaped to our Ships whome they might have drowned but giving them Quarter they were brought Captives into England This battaile was fought on the thirteenth of Iuly The Queene desirous by some action or other to wipe out the staine of the ignominious losse of Calais about the same time set forth a fleet of one hundred and forty Saile whereof thirty were Flemings the maine of the expedition being from Brest in Bretaigne But the Lord Clinton Lord high Admirall of England finding no good to be done there set saile for Conquet where he landed tooke the Towne sacked it and set it on fire together with the Abbey and the adiacent villages and returned to his ships But the Flemings somewhat more greedy after prey disorderly piercing farther into the Countrey and reguardlesse of martiall discipline which commands obedience to their Generall being incountred by the Lord of Kerâ—imon came fewer home by five hundred PHILIP about the same time lodging neere Amiens with a great Army HENRY with a far greater attended each motion of his They incampe at last HENRY on the North of the river Somme PHILIP on the South of the river Anthy so neere to one another that it might be thought impossible for two such spirited Princes commanding so great Armies to depart without a battell But divers considerations had tempered their heat PHILIP being the weaker of the two saw no reason why to ingage himselfe HENRY had an Army which had twice felt the other victorious and was therefore loath on them to adventure his already shaken estate
Wherefore they so intrenched themselves and fortified their Campes with Artillery as if they expected a siege from each other Some moneths thus passed without any other exploits then inrodes and light skirmishes At length they mutually entertaine a motion of peace both of them considering that their Armies consisting of strangers the fruits of the victory would be to the Aliens only but the calamity and burthen of the defeat would light on the shoulders of the vanquished or which comes all to one passe of the subiects These motives drew together for a treaty on HENRY'S side the Constable the Marshall of S. Andrew the Cardinall of Loraine MORVILLIERS Bishop of Orleans and AVBESPINE Secretary of Estate for PHILIP the Duke of Alva the Prince of Orange RVYZ GOMES de Silva GRANVELL Bishop of Arras and others Much altercation was had about the restoring of Calais which the French were resolved to hold and PHILIP would have no peace vnlesse it were restored to MARY whom in point of honour he could not so forsake But this difference was ended by the death of MARY a little before whome on the one and twentieth of September died also the Emperour CHARLES the Fift which occasioned both the change of place and time for another Treaty And if the continuall connexion of other memorable affaires had not transported me I should ere this have mentioned the marriage celebrated at Paris with great pompe on the eight and twentieth of Aprill betweene the Daulphin FRANCIS and MARY Queene of Scots But the fruits thereof were not lasting For two yeares after died FRANCIS the Crowne by the death of his Father HENRY having beene first devolved to him and left his bed to a more auspicious husband HENRY the eldest Sonne to the Earle of Lenox Of these Parents was borne our late Soveraigne of ever sacred memory who was Nephew by his Mother to IAMES the Fift by MARGARET the eldest Daughter Nephew to that wise King HENRY the Seventh who the Issue of HENRY the Eight being extinct as the next vndoubted Heire most happily vnited the Crownes of England Scotland and Irland But now at length to draw neerer home this Autumne was very full of diseases Fevers especially quartane raigning extraordinarily in England wherby many chiefely aged persons and among them a great number of the Clergy perished Of the sole Episcopall ranke thirteene died either a little before the Queene or some few moneths after her Among the rest Cardinall POOLE scarce survived her a day who having beene for some weekes afflicted by this kinde of disease and brought to extreme weakenesse of body as if he had at the newes of the Queenes death received his deaths wound expired at three a clocke the next morning His corps inclosed in lead was buried in his Cathedrall at Canterbury with this briefe Elogy on his Tombe in steed of an Epitaph Depositum Cardinalis POLI. He was a man admirably learned modest milde of a most sweet disposition wise and of excellent dexterity in the managing of any affaires so that hee had beene incomparable if corrupted with the Religion of the Church of Rome he had not forced his nature to admit of those cruelties exercised vpon the Protestants The Queene died at S. Iames on the seventeenth of November some few houres before day She was a Lady very godly mercifull chaste and every way praise-worthy if you reguard not the errors of her Religion But her Religion being the cause of the effusion of so much innocent bloud that of the Prophet was necessarily to be fulfilled in her Bloud-thirsty men c. shall not finish halfe their dayes For she was cut off in the two and fortieth yeare of her age hauing raigned onely fiue yeares foure moneths and eleuen dayes wheras her Sister who succeeded her most happily in a more milde gouernement ruled nine timesas long and almost doubled her age Concerning the cause of Queen MARIE'S death there are divers conjectures To relate what I finde in approoved Authors it is reported that in the beginning of her sickenesse her friends supposing that she grieved at the absence of her husband whome she saw so ingaged in wars abroad that she could not hope for his speedy returne vsed consolatory meanes and indevored to remove from her that fixed sadnesse wherewith she seemed to be oppresled But she vtterly averse from all comfort and giving her selfe over to melancholy told them That she died but that of the true cause of her death they were ignorant which if they were desirous to know they should after her death dissect her heart and there they should finde Calais Intimating thereby that the losse of Calais had occasioned this fatall griefe which was thought to have beene increased by the death of the Emperor her Father-in-law But the truth is her liver being over-cooled by a Mole these things peradventure might hasten her end which could not otherwise be far from her and cast her by degrees into that kinde of Dropsy which Physitians terme Ascites This Dropsy being not discovered in time deceived her Physitians who beleeved that she had conceived by King PHILIP whereas she alas did breed nothing but her owne death So mature remedies being not applied and she not observing a fit diet she fell into a Fever which increasing by little and little at last ended in her death She lieth interred at Westminster in the midst of that Chappell which is on the North side of her Grandfather HENRY the Seventh his Monument where her sister Queene ELIZABETH was after buried with her and over both by the pious liberality of that most munificent Prince King IAMES hath since beene erected a most stately Monument well befitting the Majesty of such great Monarchs Queene ELIZABETH Anno 1558. HAving thus briefely run over the Reignes of these three Princes Queene ELIZABETH'S times in the next place offer themselves which deservedly requiring a more accurate stile I will here set a period to this worke not so much with intent to pretermit them as reserving them for a more exact labour In the meane time to give some satisfaction to the Reader I will make this short addition Some few houres after the decease of Queene MARY the Estates then assembled in Parliament on the seventeenth of November declared her Sister the Lady ELIZABETH Queene who was Daughter to HENRY the Eighth and ANNE BOLEN Having most gloriously reigned forty foure yeares foure moneths and seven dayes she ended her life and Reigne on the foure and twentieth of March Anno 1603 the Crown being by her death devolved to the renouned King of Scots IAMES the Sixt to whome it was so far from feeling it a burthen to have succeeded so good a Princesse that never was any Prince received with greater applause and gratulation of his People Many thinke their condition happy if they exchange a CALIGVLA for a CLAVDIVS or a NERO for a VITELLIVS or an OTHO But that any Mortall should please after ELIZABETH may
Gentlemen of the Kings Priuy Chamber and MARKE SVETON a Musitian either as Partakers or accessory were to run the same fortune The King greatly favoured NORRIS and is reported to be much grieved that he was to dy with the rest Whereupon he offered pardon to him conditionally that he would confesse that whereof hee was accused But hee answered resolutely and as it became the progenitor of so many valiant Heroes That in his conscience he thought her guiltlesse of the obiected crime but whether she were or no he could not accuse her of any thing and that he had rather vndergo a thousand deaths then betray the Innocent Vpon relation whereof the King cryed out Hang him vp then Hang him vp then Which notwithstanding was not accordingly executed For on the thirteenth of May two dayes after his condemnation all of them viz. the Viscont Rochfort NORRIS BRIERTON and SVETON were beheaded at Tower hill NORRIS left a sonne called also HENRY whom Queene ELIZABETH in contemplation of his Fathers deserts created Baron of Ricot This Lord NORRIS was father to those great Captaines WILLIAM IOHN THOMAS and EDWARD in our dayes so famous throughout Christendome for their braue exploits in England France Irland and the Netherlands On the nineteenth of May the Queene was brought to the place of execution in the greene within the Tower some of the Nobility and Companies of the City being admitted rather to be witnesses than spectators of her death To whom the Queene hauing ascended the scaffold spake in this manner Friends and good Christian people J am here in your presence to suffer death whereto J acknowledge my selfe adiudged by the Lawes how iustly J will not say for I intend not an accusation of any one J beseech the Almighty to preserue his Maiâ—sty long to raigne ouer you a more gentle or milde Prince neuer swayed Scepter his bounty and clemency towards me I am sure hath beene especiall If any one intend an inquisitiue survey of my actions J intreat him to iudge favourably of me and not rashly to admit of any hard censorious conceit And so I bid the world farewell beseeching you to commend mee in your Prayers to God To thee O Lord do J commend my Soule Then kneeling downe shee incessantly repeated these words CHRIST haue mercy on my soule Lord IESVS receive my soule vntill the Executioner of Caâ—ais at one blow smote off her head with a sword Had any one three yeares before at what time the King so hot in the pursuit of his loue preferred the enioying of this Lady beyond his Friends his Estate his Health Safeguard and his onely Daughter prophetically foretold the vnhappy fate of this Princesse he should haue beene beleeued with CASSANDRA But much more incredible may all wise men thinke the vnheard of crime for which shee was condemned viz. That fearing least her Daughter the Lady ELIZATETH borne while CATHARINE survived should bee accompted illegitimate in hope of other especially masle Issue whereof shee despaired by the King now neere fifty yeares old shee had lasciviously vsed the company of certaine young Courtiers nay not therewith content had committed incest with her owne Brother A strange ingratitude in one raised from so low degree euen to the height of honour I will not derogate from the Authority of publique Records But an Act of Parliament against her shall not worke on my beliefe Surely it carried so little shew of probability with foraine Princes that they alwaies deemed it an act of inhumane cruelty Especially the Estates of Germany Confederates for the defence of the Reformed Religion who having often treated with FOX Bishop of Hereford and other Embassadours had decreed to make HENRY Head of their League and had designed an Embassy by IOHN STVRMIVS who should haue brought with him into England those excellent Divines PHILIP MELANCTHON and MARTIN BVCER with one GEORGE DRACO who should endeavour that and the Reformation of our Church But having heard of the lamentable and vnworthy as they iudged it end of the Queene loathing the King for his inconstancy and cruelty they cast off all farther thought of that matter I will not presume to discusse the truth of their opinion But freely to speake what I my selfe thinke There are two reasons which sway much with mee in the behalfe of the Queene That her Daughter the Lady ELIZABETH was seated in the Royall Throne where shee for so many yeares ruled so happily and triumphantly What shall we thinke but that the Divine Goodnesse was pleased to recompence the iust calamity of the Mother in the glorious prosperity of the Daughter And then consider but the Kings precipitated Nuptialls the very next day after the death of his former Wife yet scarce interred and with whose warme bloud his imbrued hands yet reaked consider this I say and you shall easily be persuaded with mee that the insatiable Prince glutted with the satiety of one and out of the desire of variety seeking to enioy another did more willingly giue eare to the treacherous calumnies of the malicious Popelings than either befitted an vpright Iudge or a louing husband For it seemeth wonderfull strange to mee that either the fault of the one or the pleasing conditions and faire language of the other Wife should so far possesse the King as that hee should procure his daughter ELIZABETH to be by Act of Parliament declared illegitimate the matrimony contracted with both the former Queenes CATHARINE and ANNE to be pronounced invalid and the Crowne to be perpetually established on the posterity of the third wife or if the King had no Issue by her that then it should bee lawfull for him by Will and Testament to transfer it on whome hee pleased Parliaments were not then so rigid but that they could flatter the Prince and condescend to his demands though vniust even in cases which most neerely concerned the publique Weale But servile Feare is oft times more ready then Loue which slowly moves by apprehension of Good as the other is quickely forced by the apprehension of Danger On the twentieth of May the King married IANE SEIMOVR Daughter of Sir IOHN SEIMOVR who on the nine and twentieth of May being Whitsonday clad in royall habiliments was openly shewed as Queene So that the Court of England was now like a Stage whereon are represented the vicissitudes of ever various Fortune For within one and the same moneth it saw Queene ANNE flourishing accused condemned executed and another assumed into her place both of bed and honour The first of May it seemeth shee was informed against the second imprisoned the fifteenth condemned the seventeenth deprived of her Brother and Friends who suffered in her cause and the nineteenth executed On the twentieth the King married IANE SEIMOVR who on the nine and twentieth was publiquely shewed as Queene The death of this innocent Lady God seemed to revenge in the immature end of the Duke of Richmond the Kings only but naturall
Earle of Arren substituted but also committed to custody whence afterwards making an escape hee was the authour of more garboiles In the meane time the marriage of the young Queene and other conditions proposed to the Estate of Scotland by Sir RALPH SADLER the Kings Embassadour are fully assented vnto and hostages promised for the performance of them But the adverse Faction became so prevalent that the hostages were not delivered at the day neither did the Captive Nobility render themselves in England Only GILBERT KENNEDA Earle of Cassels like another REGVLVS had rather commit himselfe to the mercy of his enemies then prostitute his Honour to the fowle taint of base infidelity His brethren had become pledges for his returne the importunity nay violence of his friends could not deterre him from redeeming them So to London he caâ—â—e where the bountifull King duly honouring him for his constancy in steed of receiving a ranson gave him one dismissing him and his brothers fraught with honour and rewards The Scots falling off from their late agreement the King commandeth stay to bee made of all their ships and confiscateth their goods sends letters full of threats and iust complaints to the Estates at Edinborough blaâ—â—ing them for arrogantly reâ—ecting his Alliance the want whereof must needs be preiudiciall to them neither had they onely reiected it but vnmindfull of former benefitâ— had sowen seeds of new warre and forced him to armes But letters proving in effectuall Scotland is by the frontier Garisons invaded in three severall places forty Scots making resistance are slaine five and fifty Villages burned five hundred and sixtie prisoners taken and a booty brought into England of three thousand five hundred head of cattell eight hundred horses and seven thousand sheepe beside great provision of houshold stuffe But this obstinacy of the Scots proceeded not onely from themselves France and Scotland were ever combined against England so that to invade one was to draw on a war with both Wee had beene often victorious in France wherof many portions anciently belonged to Vs if we should make any claime to all or part of our Inheritance Scotland would serve either to distract our forces or to transfer the seat of the war neâ—rer home The vniting of England and Scotland would by securing vs at home facilitate our enterprises vpon France These were motives sufficient for FRANCIS notwithstanding the long inviolate amity betweene him and HENRY secretly to crosse our designes in Scotland Whereof HENRY could not long be sensible and not revenge Wherefore hee proclaimes open hostility with France as he had already with Scotlaâ—â— and reconciles himselfe with the Emperour before thought irreconciliable in reguard of his Aunts disgrace who professed that all causes of difference betweene them were buried with her yet is it certaine that vnto the Pope he accused HENRY to have dispatched her by poison But now they are become Confederates and an aide of ten thousand English sent to ioyne with Imperialls Landrecy a towne lately taken from the Emperour by the French is the first exercise of our Armes The Emperour also comming in Person it is invested with forty thousand men is furiously battered and the souldiers brought to the distresse of halfe a provant loafe of bread a day and to drinke water FRANCIS being certified of their wants assembles his forces drawesneere the Emperour feeding him with hope of a Battaile entertaining him with skirmishes relieves the besieged and without any more adoe vnder the covert of the night retreats Let vs now conclude the yeare at home And to begin with the Church In February the people by Proclamation is licenced to eate White Meates in Lent but vnder a great penalty enioyned to abstaine from Flesh The third of Iune MOROGH O BRIEN a Nobleman of Irland descended from the Kings of Limrick submitted himselfe to the King and was shortly after made Earle of Twomond which honour his posteritie at this day enioyeth having given ample proofe of their loyalty to succeeding Princes The twelf of Iuly the King married his sixt Wife the Lady CATHARINE PARR Widow to the Lord LATIMER and sister of WILLIAM PARR lately created Earle of Essex in the right of his Wife sole Daughter and heire to the late Earle HENRY BOVRCHIER At what time another of the same name Vnckle to the Queene and the Earle was created Lord Parr and Chamberlaine to the Queene The eight and twentieth of Iuly for the profession of their Faith were ANTHONY PARSONS ROBERT TESTWOOD and HENRY FILMER burned at London MARBECK was also condemned but afterward pardoned Anno Dom. 1544. Reg. 36. THe Lord THOMAS AVDLEY Chancellour of England deceasing the last of Aprill the Lord WRIOTHSLEY chiefe Secretary of Estate is designed his successor And the Earle of Hertford made Lieutenant of the North is sent thither with an Army to represse the incursions of the Scots The Viscount Lisle Admirall of England with a Navy of two hundred saile entred the Forth of Scotland landed ten thousand men forced the rich towne of Leith and then marched toward Edenburg the Metropolis of the Kingdome The Regent was there with the Cardinall at whose dispose hee now wholy was and many other Nobles guarded with six thousand horse and a great number of foote who vpon sight of an invading Army betooke themselves to flight and left the City voide of defendants The Provost craving parley offred to yeild the city vpon condition of departure with Bag and Baggage and saving the towne from fire But the breach of League and insolencies of the inhabitants of Leith and Edenburg had inspired vs with revenge so that no Conditions were to be admitted but what the Victor should impose This drives the Provost to a desperate resolution of defence The English give a furious assault enter at the Canygate put the inhabitants to the sword pillage and fire it The like calamitie felt the Country round about fire and sword cruelly feeding vpon Villages Castles and Noblemens houses Leith had hitherto beene reprived from the like misery but at our returne to the Navy it is made its owne funerall pile and the Peere of the haven vtterly consumed New imployments call home our Admirall HENRY resolves once more to transport his Armes into France there to ioyne with the Earles of Reux and Bares Imperiall Commanders It was agreed betweene the Emperour and the King that the one should invade Champaigne the other Picardy and having vnited their forces which should amount to fourescore thousand foote and eighteene thousand horse to march directly to Paris thereby either to force the French to fight with disadvantage or to suffer the ruine of his Countrey HENRY lands at Calais and finds Picardy vnfurnished of men FRANCIS having withdrawne his forces towards Champaigne to oppose them against the Emperour Hee therefore sends the Duke of Norfolke with the Earles of Reux and Bures to beseege Montrueil The Marshall of Biez
The Parliament had alreadie granted him great Subsidiâ—â— so that thence hee could expect no more Yet moneyes must be had HENRY therefore resolves on an honesâ— kind of rapine The Intreaties of Princes little differ from Commands vnlesse perhaps in this that they worke more subtilly and render them pliable with whom Commands would not have prevailed Which manifestly appeared in the execution of this proiect He had twenty yeares since commanded money by Proclamation a course so far from taking as wâ—â— desired that it had like to have beene the cause of much mischiefe but now by some fit Commissioners informing his subiects of his necessities and desiring the richer sort one by one to contribute towards his support hee quickly replenished the Exchequer The Commissioners begin first with the Citizens of London among whom two were more straight laced then the rest viz. RICHARD READ and WILLIAM ROCH but their parsimony shall cost them deare For READ being an old man and vtterly vnexpert of Martiall Discipline is commanded to serve in person in the wars of Scotland is taken by the Scots and forced to ranson himselfe at a high rate ROCH as having vsed some vncivill language before those of his Maiesties Counsaile who sate Commissioners was for some moneths punished with straight imprisonment and at length not improbably bought his libertie In the meane time Boloigne was a great eyesore to the French They try to regaine it by stratagems and surprisals but in vaine They betake themselves to force with the like successe The Marshall of Biez Governour of Boloignois comes with a great Army to the Port a Towne two miles from Boloigne and begins to build a Fort on this side the river vpon the point of the Tower of Ordre but is by the Earle of Hertford forced away and leaves his Castle in the Aire His intent was by this Fort to have kept the garrison of Boloigne within their wals to have commanded the haven so to cut off all succours by sea and from Calais by land Which being done FRANCIS resolved in Person to besiege Guisnes and there to fortifie thereby to famish Boloigne and to keepe Calais and the land of Oye in subiection But these designes proving fruitlesse he prepares his navall forces giving forth that he intended to invade England hoping that this alarme would have made vs have a care of the maine and neglect those pieces abroad so that Boloigne for lack of aide should easily be reduced The noise of an invasion made HENRY arme who having gathered together a sufficient Fleet awaited the Enemie at Portsmouth intent to all occasions Neither did the French onely intend an alarme landing in three severall places in England but were every where with losse driven aboard their ships Two dayes after they fall downe to the Channell that divideth the Isle of Wight from the rest of Britaine they seeme to threaten Portsmouth where the King then was and seeke to draw our Fleet to fight The French beside a sufficient Fleet of other ships had twenty five Gallies no way probably vsefull in these â—empestuous and rough seas not brooking this flat kinde of shipping but by their bulke and number to terrifie vs yet at this time an vnusuall calmnesse of the sea without winde or current put them in hope of effecting wonders by their Galleyes But our Fleet was not to be drawne to fight much lesse to bee forced without apparent danger to the Enemy who must slâ—p downe a narrow Channell where but few ships could go in front and the like number opposed might easily defend it where they could not enter but with the tide and winde and the first ships repulsed in their falling backe would have disordered the rest of the Fleet where of necessitie they must fight vnder the favour of our Forts and Cannon which would easily have hindred their approach The Enemy being put off heere consult of fortifying the Isle of Wight where at Saint Helens point they land two thousand men resolve forsooth to make that the seate of the warre and there to build three Forts but the valour of the inhabitants made them change their designe and forced them againe to their ships Thus every where affronted to their losse without any memorable act they set saile for Normandie The French Fleet consisted of a hundred and three saile of all sorts ours of only sixtie so that it was no way sae for vs to incounter them Some light proffers were made on both sides wherein we alwayes came of with the better As for the Mary Rose a ship which with her losse buried Sir GEORGE CAROW the Captaine and seven hundred men the French do well to make vse of casualties to their owne glory But it was not the valour of the French or fury of their Cannons that sunke her but the supine negligence of the Marinets being wracked in the very haven in the presence of the King Boloigne was not idle the while Vpon hope of a Fort to be built by the Marshall of Biez FRANCIS had made great preparations for an enterprize vpon Guisnes but was diverted by the death of the Duke of Orleans his younger Sonne and the lost hopes of his intended Fort neere Boloigne and having for a while encamped at Mont-Lambert retired at last toward Amiens The neernesse of the Kings Campe at Mont-Lambert did daily invite both Nations to make triall of their valour the English sometimes sometimes the French having the better One day among the rest the English hotly charging the French the Duke of Aumale comes to relieve them who being strooken with a Lance vnder his right eye it breakes in pieces and leaves the tronchion halse a foot within his head It was a token of an excellent spirit in this young Nobleman that for so rough a charge hee lost not his stirrups and endured the torture whereto they put him in drawing out the three square head with such an invincible constancy as if they had picked a thorne from out his finger and beyond all expectation of the Chirurgians recovered The victory remained to the English Who could not long bragge of it afterward seeking to cut off a Convoy of the Enemies defeated by the Ringrave with the losse of sixteene Captaines and seven or eight hundred men The Earle of Surrey who led them saved himselfe by flight And were it not discourtesie in vs not to requite the late visit of the French The Lord Admirall therefore landed six thousand men at Treport in Normandie burned the Towne and Abbey with thirtie Ships and a Barke in in the Haven and returned with the losse of only fourteene men Neither were our imployments lesse or fewer in Scotland then among the French Scotland had so many enemies at home that it needed not any abroad But their homebred dissentions had caused war from vs and the way to set them at peace was to invade them In the beginning of March Sir RALPH EVERS by the death of his
expecting his comming within twenty dayes after by letters to the King and Queene commanded him to be condemned and committed to the Secular power After the intercourse of a few dayes new authoritie is by the Pope granted to BONER Bishop of London and THIRLBY Bishop of Ely for CRANMERS degradation from Orders both Presbyteriall and Archiepiscopall and he then to be delivered over to the secular Magistrate to suffer for heresie which was accordingly performed on the fourteenth of February Those saintlike men CRANMER RIDLEY and LATIMER as long as they lived did by letters exhort each other to a generous constancie for the maintenance of the truth of the Christian faith But the other two Champions having made their way to heaven and left him alone not plied with such firme exhortations out of desire of longer life his constancy began at length to be shaken and that by the subtilty and daily persuasions of a Spanish Frier So being seduced with hope of pardon he retracts what ever he had before written in defence of his Religion which retractation was after printed published But that little availed him For whether that POOLE would not be longer excluded from the possession of the Archbishopricke or that which seemes more probable the Queenes inveterate hate and desire of revenge for her Mothers Divorce which could not bee otherwise satiated then with the bloud of this grave man were the cause he being now confident of life is presently rapt to the place of execution and there cruelly burned where RIDLEY and LATIMER had five moneths before beene crowned with Martyrdome On the day appointed for his execution a Sermon by the appointment of the Cardinall was preached by Doctor COLE Thither was CRANMER brought and placed conveniently neere the Pulpit where COLE exhorted him to a constancy in that faith which hee was now content to acknowledge and that even vnto death which was now by the appointment of the Magistrate to be inflicted on him this very day Gods wrath for the death of FISHER and MORE could not otherwise be appeased but by his bloud But before his death would he by a publique confession testifie his sincere conversion to the vnitie of the Church hee should do an act most acceptable to God and men If with this vnexpected newes CRANMER were amazed I do not at all wonder But he recollecting himselfe stood vp and without any signe of feare made a quicke Oration to the assembly wherein having premised many things concerning morality and amendment of life he repeates the principall points of his doctrine briefly explaines his Faith affirmeth that vnder the authoritie Papall the Kingdome of Antichrist was contained and established and lastly demonstrates how much hee had offended God by the abnegation of the Truth Hee professeth therefore that he had resolved that his right hand wherewith he had so horribly sinned by subscribing to the doctrine proposed by the enemies of Truth should first feele the smart of punishment when hee would have proceeded to speake more the multitude of Romanists whose expectation he had so finely deluded with clamors and scofs interrupted him hurried him away presently to the place of execution There was then to be seene a sad spectacle and such as would I will not say have extorted pittie from his very enemies but have expressed teares from a flint the chiefe Prelate of the Realme lately flourishing by reason of his power and favour of Princes a man of most holy conversation for his age aspect feature learning gravitie and rare guifts of minde deservedly most Reverend clad out of intent to expose him to mockery in an obsolete garment for so had the Papists purposely arraied him and bitterly taunted at to be dragged to death and that death by the horrid tortures of fire Being now fastned to the stake as soone as ever the flame began to ascend lifting vp his left hand to heaven he thrust forth his right hand into the flame and there with admirable constancie continued it vntill it were consumed only once drawing it in and with it stroaking his beard At length the raging flame spreding it selfe lifting vp his eyes toward heaven hee cried out Lord receive my spirit and his bodie abiding as immovable as the stake whereto hee was fastened hee patiently indured the fines violence vntill hee at last expired His bodie being consumed to ashes his heart was found intire and vntouch't Had any of the Romanists found the like in any one of their faction it should have beene recorded for a miracle and that miracle sufficed to have Sainted him Give me leave though it be contrary to the method of Historie to insert a few verses written by RALPH SKINNER concerning this great mans Martyrdome Succubuit sanctus Praesul CRANMERVS iniqud Pontificum rabie fraude doloque perit Quòd Verbi in victo deiecer at Ense Papatum Quòd docnâ—t purâ quaerere mente Deum Quòdque Antichristi subverter at impia regna Regna pijs Auglis heu tolerata diù Hinc pius clemens â—rudeli addicitur igni Dantur innocui membra â—remanda viri Huc vbi iam ventum est Dextram proiecit in ignem Proiectamque tenens talia dicta dedit Primùm peccasti primùm sentire dolorem Debes ah Christo dextra inimica meo Immotamque tenet dum deflagaverat omnis In â—ineres totam dum cecidisse videt Caetera cùm pereant flammâ mirabile dictu Cor manet illaesum post vbi flamma perit Ecce invicta fides cor inviolabile servat Nec medijs flammis cor da perire sinit Which Verses may thus be rendred in English Through Papists rage fraud good CRANMER di'd Because he put their doctrine to the Sword The two-edg'd Sword of Scripture and descri'd CHRIST'S Foe instructing England with the Word For this meeke man he had a Martyrs hire His Soule was burnt with Zeale his Corps with Fire But when he came vnto the stake he thrust His right hand in the flames Thou first he said Because thou first didst sinne here suffer must Thou first thy Lord and Master hast betraid There held he it his eyes did see it fall Soone afterward he sent those eyes withall But lo a wonder Heav'ns sacred Oracle Had sure decreed that so admir'd a creature Should not be put to death Sans Miracle His Bodie burnt his Heart in perfect feature Was found vnsing'd See See the Faith he cherisht Once in that Heart preferv'd it still vnperisht Beside CRANMER the crueltie of those times did the same yeare devoure many professors of the same Religion Of both sexes no fewer then eighty foure were this yeare 〈◊〉 by fire Neither did their crueltie exercise it selfe on
the living only the bones of MARTYN BVCER and PAVL PHAGIVS long since dead were digged vp formally accused of heresie and no man vndertaking their cause as who durst condemned and publiquely burned in the market place at Cambridge And PETER MARTYR'S wife who died at Oxford was disinterred and with barbarous and inhumane cruelty buried in a dunghill To BVCER and PHAGIVS Queene ELIZABETH did afterward with great solemnitie restore their memorie and honour And as for PETER MARTYR'S wife shee caused her bones to be translated from that vncleane place to be reinterred in the Church and commixed with the reliques of FRIDESWID by Papists reputed a Saint that the like occasion of mockage might not againe be offered On the same day whereon CRANMER thus ended his life Cardinall POOLE was ordered Priest at Greenwich and the next day NABOTH being dead tooke possession of his Vineyard being consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury Three dayes after being the Feast of the Annunciation accompanied by many Nobles POOLE with great solemnitie received the Pall at Bow-Church About the same time a notable conspiracie was detected some having proiected to rob the Exchequer at that time full of Spanish coine to the value of fiftie thousand pounds The names of the conspirators were VDALL THROCKMORTON PECHAM DANIEL STANTON and besides others that fled for it WHITE who discovered his fellowes The rest were all taken and suffred as Traitors Sir ANTHONY KINGSTON as partaker in their intentions was also apprehended but died before he could reach London In Iuly new tumults begunne to be set on foot in Norfolke were maturely suppressed CLEBER and three brothers called LINCOLNE the authours of it suffering for their seditious attempt On the one and twentieth of November IOHN FECKNAM Deane of Pauls was installed Abbot at Westminster which HENRY the Eighth had erected to an Archiepiscopall Sea There being at that time no Monkes in England fourteene were found who were content with FECKNAM to take the Religious habit of Benedictines Anno Dom. 1557. Reg. Mariae 4. 5. Philipi 3. 4. NOw after foure or five yeares we found the effect of our Northerne Navigation set on foot by CABOTA About the beginning of this yeare arrived in England OSEP NAPEA Embassadour from BASILIWITZ Emperour of Russia for the Treatie of a perpetuall League betweene our Kings and his Prince On the Scottsh coast hee had suffered wracke and beside merchandize of infinite value hee lost those Presents which were from the Emperour destinated to their Maiesties But the losse of RICHARD CHANCELLER was beyond all these inestimable who being a most expert Pilot first discovered the passage into those Northerne Regions and now more sollicitous of the Embassadours safeguard then of his owne this man most worthy of immortall memory was swallowed vp in the Seas insatiate gulfe I thinke the intertainment of any Embassadour with vs was never more royall On the five and twentieth of May PHILIP having about seven dayes before returned out of Flanders he was admitted into the presence of the Kings declared the purport of his Embassie and continued in London vntill the third of May and having then got a convenient season laden with guifts he set saile for his Countrey On the sixt of March CHARLES Lord STOVRTON for having in his house cruelly murthered one HARGILL and his sonne with whom he had long beene at variance was by a wholesome example to posterity hanged at Sarisbury with foure other of his servants who were not only conscious but actors in the cruelty After hee had beaten them downe with clubs and cut their throats hee buried their carcases fiâ—teene foot deep in the ground hoping by such sure worke to stop the voice of bloud crying for revenge or if perad venture it were discovered the reguard of his zealous persistance in the Religion of Rome would he hoped procure the Queenes pardon But murther is a sinne that God hath by many memorable examples manifested that iâ— shal not remaine vndetected and the Queene although blindly misled in matter of Religion was so exact a fautrix of iustice that she was vtterly averse from all mention of pardon So this Nobleman had the punishment due to his offence only in this preferred before other murtherers and parricides that he was not strangled with an halter of hempe but of silke The seven and twentieth of Aprill THOMAS STAFFORD landing in the Northerne parts of the Realme having raked together a small company of exiles and some forainers surprised Scarborough castle then as in time of peace vtterly destitute of provision for resistance having thus seized on a place of defence he makes Proclamation that Queene MARY having her selfe no right to the Crowne had betraied it to the Spaniard exhorting the people with him to take armes for the recovery of their lost liberty But by the diligence of NICHOLAS WOTTON Deane of Canterbury then Embassadour for their Maiesties with the French all his designes were revealed to the Counsaile before his arrivall in England So by the industry of the Earle of Westmerland hee was within six dayes taken brought to London and on the eight and twentieth of May beheaded STRECHLEY PROCTOR and BRADFORD the next day following him but in a more due punishment being drawne hanged and quartered whom they had followed in their treacherous attempts The Emperour CHARLES having bequeathed the inheritance of his hate to France with his Crowne MARY could not long distinguish her cause from her Husband 's Wherefore on the seventh of Iune the Queene set forth a Proclamation to this effect that Whereas the King of France had many wayes iniured her by supporting the Duke of Northumberland and Wyat in their Rebellions against her and that his Realme had beene a receptacle for Dudley and Ashton who with the privity of his Embassadour had in his house contrived their treacherous designes and after their escape into France had beene relieby Pensions from the King as also for having lately aided Stafford with shipping men money and munition thereby if it were possible to dispossesse her of the Crowne She gave her subiects to vnderstand that they should not entertaine traffique with that Nation whose Prince she accompted her Enemy and against whom vpon farther grievances shee determined to denounce war Although these things were true yet had shee abstained from denunciation of warre had not the five yeares Truce betweene PHILIP HENRY by the Popes instigation beene lately broken by the French and so warre arising betweene them shee would not make her selfe her Husband two For the Pope having long since maligned the Emperour knowing that he after the resignation of his Estates to his Son PHILIP had withdrawne himselfe into Spaine by the Cardinall of Loraine still sollicited the French King to armes against the Spaniard promising to invest him in the Kingdome of Naples HENRY vpon these faire hopes vndertakes it and MARY resolves to assist her Husband That MARY tooke
birth of Queene Elizabeth Mary Queen of France dieth No Canons to be constituted without the Kings assent The King to collate Bishopricks The Archbishop of Canterbury hath Papall authority vnder the King Fisher and More imprisoned Persecution Pope Clement dâ—â—th First fruits granted to the King Wales vnited to England The King begins to subvâ—rt religious houses Certaine Priors Monks executed The Bishop Rochester beheaded Made Cardinall vnseasonably Sir Thomas Moore beheaded Religious Housâ—s visited The death of Queene Catharine Queene Anne the Viscont Rochford and others committed The Queene condemned with her Brother and Norris Her execution Lady Elizabeth disinherited The King marrieth Iane Seimour Death of the Duke of Somerset the Kings naturall Sonne Bourchier Earle of Bathe Cromwells Honor Dignity The beginning of Reformation The subuersion of religious houses of lesse note Commotion in Lincolneshire Insurrection in Yorkeshire Scarborough Castle besieged Rebellion in Irland Cardinall Poole Rebels executed Cardinall Poole writes against the King The birth of Prince Edward Seimour Earle of Hertford Fitz-William Earle of Southampton Powlet and Russell rise The abuse of Images restrained Beckets shrine demolish d. * Vniones The Image of our Lady of Walsingham Frier Forest makes good a Prophecy Saint Augustines as Canterbury Battaile Abbey and others suppressed The Bible translated The Marquis of Excester and others beheaded Lambert convented burned Margaret Countesse of Salisbury condemned The subversion of Religious Houses Some Abbots executed Glastonbury A catalogue of the Abbots who had voices among the Peeres New Bishoprickes erected The Law of the Six Articles Latimer and Schaxton resigne their Bishoprickes The arrivall of certaine Princes of Germany in England for the treatise of a Match betweene the King Lady Anne of Cleve The King marrieth the Lady of Cleve Cromwell created Earle of Essex and within three months after beheaded Lady Anne of Cleve repudiated The King marrieth Catharine Howard Protestants and Papists alike persecuted The Prior of Dancaster fox others hanged The Lord Hungerford hanged Beginnings of a Commotion in Yorke-shire Lord Leonard Grey beheaded The Lord Dacres hanged Queene Catharine beheaded Irland made a Kingdoms The Viscont Lisle deceased of a surfeit of ioy Sir Iohn Dudley made Viscont Lisle War with Scotland The Scots overthrowne The death of Iames the Fift King of Scotland Hopes of a match betweâ—ne ` Prince Edward and the Queene of Scots The Scottish captives set at liberty The Earle of Angus returneth into Scotland The league and match concluded The Scottish shipping detained War with Scotland War with France A League with the Emperour Landrecy besieged but in vaine The people licensed to eat White Meates in Lent The Kings sixt marriage Will am Parr Earle of Essex Another of the same name made Lord Parr The Lord Chancellour dieth An expedition into Scotland * Alias Bonlamberg The Earle of Hertford Protector King Henry's Funerals The Coronation The death of Francis King of France Musselburgh Feild Reformation in the Church The Scots French besiege Hadinton The Queene of Scots transported into France Humes Castle and Fasteastle gained by the Enemy Gardiner Bishop of Winchester committed to the Tower anddeprived Boner Bishop of London committed also Discord betweene the Duke of Somerset and his Brother the Lord Admirall The Lord Admirall beheaded An Insurrection in Norfolke and in Devonshire Some Forts lost in Boloignois * Corruptly Bonlamberg Enmity betweene the Protector the Earle of Warwick The Protector committed The death of Paul the Third Pope Cardinall Poole elected Pope The Duke of Somerset set at liberty Peace with the Scots and French The Sweating Sickenesse The death of the Duke of Suffolke A creation of Dukes and Earles The descent of the Earles of Pembroke Enmity betweene the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland revived Certaine Bishops deprived Some of the Seruants of the Lady Mary committed An Arrian burned An Earthquake The Queene of Scots in England The Earle of Arundell the Lord Paget committed The Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor The Duke of Somerset beheaded A Monster The King sickeneth His Will wherin he disinheriteth his Sisters He dieth His Prayer Cardanus Lib. de Genituris Sir Hugh Willoughby frozen to death Commerce with the Muscovite Lady Mary flies into Suffolke Lady Iane proclaimed Queene Northumberland forced to be Generall * L. quiâ—â—e provinci◠§ Divus ff de Rit Nupt. L. â— C. d. Jncest Nupt. Gloâ— ibid. â— â—um inâ—er c. ex tâ—nore Extr. qui sil sint legit Northumberland forsaken by his souldiers The Lords resolue for Queene Mary And to supprâ—sse Lady Iane. Northumberland proclaimes Mary Queene at Cambridge Northumberlaud and some other Lords taken Queene Mary comes to London Gardiner made Lord Chancellour Deprived Bishops restored King Edward's Funerall The Duke of Northumberland the Earle of Warwicke the Marquis of Northampton condemned The Duke of Northumberland beheaded Bishops imprisoned Peter Martyâ— The Archbishop Cranmer Lady Iane Lord Guilford Lord Ambrose Dudley condemned The Coronation A Disputation in the Convocation house Popery restored The Queene inclines to marry The Articles of the Queenes marriage with Philip of Spaine * Which as I conceive would have fallen in the yeare 1588. Sir Thomas Wyats rebellion Sir Iohn Cheeke is taken and diâ—th Bret with 500. Londoners revolts to Wyat. The Duke of Suffolke persuades the people to Armes in vaine The Queens oration to the Londoners Wiat is taken The Lady Iane beheaded The Duke of Suffolke beheaded Wiat executed and Lord Thomas Grey A Disputation at Oxford Cranmer Ridley and Latimer condemned Additions to the former Nuptiall Compacts Philip arriveth in England and is marrâ—ed to the Queene Cardinall Poole comes into EnglaÌ„d Cardinall Pooles Oration to the Farliament The Realme freed from Interdiction The Queene thought to be with childe Lords created Lady Elizabeth and Marquis of Excester set at liberty Iohn Rogers burned and Bishop Hooper Bishop Farrar many others and Bishop Ridley and Latimer The death of Pope Iulius the Third Paul the Fourth succeedeth Gardiner suâ—th to be Cardinall Gardiner dieth Charles the Emperour resignes his Crownâ—s The Archbishop of Yorke Lord Chancellour A Comet A counterfâ—it Edward Archbishop Cranmer burned This yeare eighty foure burned The exhumation of Bucer and Phagius Cardinall Poole consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury An Embassage to Muscovia The Lord Stourton hanged Thomas Stafford indevouring an insurrection is taken and beheaded War against France proclaimed P Ole's 〈◊〉 Legantine abrogated and restored The French overthrowne at S. Quâ—ntin S. Quintin taken A 〈◊〉 Rainbow Calais besiâ—ged by the French Calais yeilded The battaile of Graueling The French overthrowne Conquet taken and burned by the English The Daulphin married to the Queene of Scots The death of Cardinall Poole The Queene dieth
forasmuch as the Commissioners demanded it after an impudent and shamelesse manner they in most places incurred the dislike and indignation of the people especially in Germany where they saw this facultie of redeeming soules from Purgatory was either solde for little or nothing or played away in their Tauernes But what speake I of the Commissioners That which made the Germans most impatient was that the heedlesse Pope had giuen to his sister MAGDALEN the profit of the exactions of Indulgences in many parts of Germany and that so openly that euery one must needs know it For all Germany spake it that this money was not gathered for the Pope or the Treasurie of the Church whereby peraduenture some part of it might be employed to good vses but was exacted to satisfie the greedinesse of a woman At that time liued MARTIN LVTHER a Doctor of Diuinity and an Augustine Monke one who vnder a religious Habit did not consecrate himselfe to idlenesse but to God It is reported how truly I know not that recreating himselfe in the fields his companion with whom he then discoursed was suddenly stricken dead with thunder He therupon falling into due consideration of the vncertaintie of death and of iudgment left the study of the Ciuill Law to which he then applied himselfe and renouncing the world betooke himselfe to a Cloister where for his deportment he was beyond exception for learning especially diuine he was scarce matchable Vpon this horrible abuse of the authority of the Keyes being inflamed with a pious zeale he could not containe himselfe but boldly and bitterly inueighed against this grosse impiety Neither staied he there but storme the Pope neuer so much proceeds to other enormities in the Church of Rome some whereof that Church hath since reformed the rest religious Princes by LVTHER awakened out of their dead sleepe of superstition notwithstanding the practises of Rome haue God be thanked exploded New opinions especially in matters of Religion are of themselues alwayes odious HENRY being offended with LVTHERS new as the world then deemed them Tenets thought it would proue to his honor by writing against LVTHER to manifest his learning and pietie to the world Herupon vnder his name a book was set forth better beseeming some antient and deep Diuine than a youthfull Prince whom although he earnestly endeauoured it yet his affaires would not permit to bury himselfe among his books which many thought to haue beene compiled by Sir THO. MOORE some by the Bishop of Rochester and others not without cause suspected to be the worke of some other great Scholler Whosoeuerwrit it LVTHER repli ed in such sort that although his holy zeale were approved by many yet those many could haue wished him more temperate and respectiue of the Maiesty of Kings This Booke was so acceptable to the Pope that according to the example of ALEXANDER the Sixt who entituled the King of Spaine Catholique and of that Pope whosoeuer he were that gaue the French King the title of Most Christian he decreed to grace King HENRY and his Successors with that honorable one of Defender of the Faith Which severall titles are by these Princes retained to this day But LEO long surviued not his gift about the end of the yeare dying as is suspected by poison In the meane time the exulcerated mindes of the Emperour and the French King according to the nature of ambitious hatred that for it 's owne ends makes all causes iust burst out into open wars for the composing whereof each of them had formerly agreed to refer themselues if any differences should arise to the arbitrement of HENRY He therefore sends to each of them Embassadours the Cardinall of Yorke the Earle of Worcester and others who should if it were possible reconcile these inraged Princes All they could do proued but an endeavor for when they thought they had compassed their desires sudden newes came That the Admirall BONIVET had by force taken Fuentaraby a Towne of the Emperours in Biscay The Emperour would not then ratify the Agreement vnlesse this towne were redeliuered which the French denying to do all fell to pieces againe and the War was renewed After their deuoir in this cause our Embassadours went directly to Bruges to the Emperour of whom for a fortnight which was the time of their stay there they had royall entertainment But he held the Cardinall in so great esteeme that it was apparant hee was not ignorant how powerfull the Cardinall was with his Prince And here perhaps it would not be amisse in reguard of those times to let the Reader know the pompe and state of this Cardinall how many Gentlemen attended him apparrelled with velvet and adorned with gold chaines then how many were cloathed in skarlet coats the skirts whereof were guarded with veluet the full bredth of a hand But let him guesse HERCVLES stature by the length of his foot Such was the brauerie of his attendants that in CHRISTIERNE King of Denmarke and other Princes then residing at Bruges it bred amazement It was also reported that he was by Gentlemen of the best ranke serued on the knee a kinde of state which Germany had yet neuer knowne He spent a huge masse of money in that Embassage and that as it is thought not against his will For he by all meanes sought the Emperors fauour hoping that LEO although much younger either cut off by treachery or his owne intemperance might leaue the world before him And then were it no hard matter for him being vnderpropped by the Emperour and our King to be aduanced to the Papacy Wherefore at the first bruit of his death hee posted away PACEY the Deane of Pauls into Italy with Mandates to certaine Cardinalls whom he thought respected him that they should do their best in his behalfe But before hee could reach Rome he was certainely informed that ADRIAN sometimes Tutor to the Emperour and then Viceroy of Spaine was already elected by the name of ADRIAN the Sixt. Anno Dom. 1522. Reg. 12. WOLSEY neuerthelesse was as full of ambitious hope as euer For ADRIAN was a decrepit weake old man and therefore not likely as indeed he did not to survive him In the mean time he might make an ascent by which his ambition might clime He therefore seeks to aduance the Emperors designes more than ever to that end he persuadeth HENRY to denounce war against the French for that he denied to surrender Fuentaraby had broken the Couenants made between them in not standing to the arbitrement of HENRY as both CHARLES FRANCIS had compromised at what time it was likewise decreed that HENRY should declare himself an enemy to the obstinate refuser The French discerning the storme before it came arrests all English ships commits the Merchants to prison and seizeth their goods to His own vse stops all Pensions due either to HENRY for Tournay or to his Sister the Dowager of France for her Ioincture The French
ships and Merchants in England find the like entertainment the Hostages giuen by the French for the foresaid sums are committed to close prison and the French Embassadour confined to his house Levies are made throughout England great preparatioÌ„s for another expedition into France To which the King being wholly bent Embassadors suddenly arrive from the Emâ—erour whose request was That He would joine his forces with the Imperialls and that if it so pleased Him CHARLES would within few dayes be in England that so they might personally confer aduise what course they were best to run Many reasons mooued the Emperour by the way to touch at England His Grandfather FERDINAND being dead his presence was necessarily required in Spaine whither he must passe by England He feared lest this breach betwixt vs France might easily be made vp he being so far distant He had an Aetna in his brest which burned with extreame hatred toward the French and was confident that his presence would raise our sparkle to a flame They might personally treat conclude more safely securely than by Agents Posts of whom in matters of moment no wise man would make vse vnles forced by necessity But the chiefe cause as I coniecture of this his second coÌ„ming into England was that he was weary of WOLSEY with whom he saw it was impossible long to continue friend For the Cardinall by his importunity one while for the Papacy another while for the Archbishopricke of Toledo did much molest him who had determined to afford him nothing but good words He disdained not in his letters to a Butchers son to vse that honorable compellation of Couzen whether present or absent he afforded him all kind of honor whatsoeuer But when the Cardinall craued any ernest of his loue some excuse or other was found out to put him by yet so as still to entertaine him with hopes But WOLSEY was subtill and of a great spirit And these deuises were now growne so stale that they must needs be perceiued CHARLES therfore neglecting his wonted course by WOLSEY studies how to be assured of the King without him For this no fitter means could be thought of then this interview The King was naturally courteous loued the Emperour exceedingly and reposed great confidence in him CHARLES therefore hoped that by the familiarity of some few weekes hee might make the King his owne But HENRY he thought would not long continue so vnlesse he could some way lessen his fauor toward the Cardinall This he hoped might be effected by admonishing the King that he was now past the yeares of a childe and needed no Tutor that it was not fit he should suffer himselfe to be swaied by a Priest one in all reason better skilled in the mysteries of the Altar than of State against which in this respect besides the abuse of his power he must needs be some way though perhaps vnwillingly faulty The addition of some aspersions withalâ— were thought not to be amisse which if not true should at least carrie a shew of truth That the Emperour practised something in this kinde the consequences make it more than probable HENRY being a noble Prince and one that scorned money as much as any one breathing was very glad of the Emperors comming yet was his Treasury very bare and so great a Guest could not be entertained without as great expences CHARLES vpon notice of the Kings pleasure attended by the Marquis of Dorset the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield the Lord De La-ware others of the English Nobility comes from Graueling to Calais from whence he passed to Douer where he was receiued by the Cardinall who was accompanied with two Earles ten Bishops ten Abbots thirty six Knights 100 Gentlemen thirty Priests all these apparelled in velvet and at least seuen hundred seruants Two daies he staied at Douer before the King came At length he came and welcommed him with all Princely entertainment professing that no greater happinesse could betide him on earth then the inioying his Maiesties most desired company though but for so short a time From Douer taking Canâ—erbury in the way they came to Greenwich where the Queene awaited the longed for presence of her Nephew FroÌ„ thence to London where they werereceiued by the Citisens with the solemnities vsuall at the Coronation of our Kings At Whitsontide both Princes came to Pauls where they heard the Cardinall say Masse Sports agreeable to the entertainement of such a Guest were not wanting But when mention was made of renewing the League Windsore was thought fittest for the Treaty it being not aboue twenty miles from London and a place altogether as it were composed for pleasure Windsore is situated in a large Plaine vpon the bankes of the riuer Thames The Castle being the chiefest in England for strength comparable to that of Douer but far exceeding it in greatnesse and beauty is built on a hill This Castle containes besides the Kings Court a goodly Church by EDWARD the Third dedicated to the blessed Virgin and Saint George adioining to which is the Colledge where are the houses of the Deane Prebendaries and Vicars Chorall where also liue twelue Souldiers discharged of the wars called Knights and hauing pensions who in their habits are bound daily to frequent the Church there to pray vnto God for the Knights of the Illustrious Order of the Garter Of this Order the Castle is the Seat where according to the first Institution the Knights are to be installed on certaine dayes are to offer and to do some other duties Here vpon Corpus Christi day these Princes hauing on the robes of the Order in their stalls heard Masse and receiuing the Sacrament bound themselues by oath inuiolably to obserue the Conditions of this new League the chiefe Articles whereof were these That they should with joint and as great forces as they could inuade France That the Emperor should yearely pay to the King as much as was due to Him and his Sister from the French viz. 133000 crownes That the Emperor should at conuenient yeares take to Wife his Cousin german the Lady MARY the Kings onely Childe who after raigned and at age of fortie yeares was married to PHILIP the Emperors son That he by whose default it should happen that this match should not succeed should pay the other fiue hundred thousand crownes and for assurance of this the Emperour should put Saint Omers and Aires into the Kings hands One would haue thought it had passed the reach of human policy to haue dissolued this band But shortly after broken it was and could neuer after be firmely knit againe After eight dayes stay at Windsore these Princes went to Winchester and from thence to Southampton where was the Emperors Fleet consisting of a hundred and eighty ships Here on the first of Iuly the Emperor tooke ship and made for Spaine In the meane time the Earle of Surrey hauing gathered a Fleet landed neere Morleys
Some doe farther adde that concerning that part of the Embassage of warre against France our demands were such as if they had beene purposely coined by WOLSEY to force the Emperour to the prioritie of an apparent breach For the King demanded no smaller share in the conquest then Picardie Normandie Guien Gascoigne with the title of King of France and that the Emperour partaking both of Perill and Charge should himselfe serve in Person But CHARLES wanting money and tired with continuall perill if he regard either his safetie and ease or his profit must not give his assent especially considering that the Captive King made larger offers and those with Peace then these yea although he became victorious with Warre the event whereof being alwayes doubtfull no man can assure himselfe of wished successe Neither indeed did HENRY expect any other issue of his Embassie then a flat refusall For at the same time he deales with the Regent the Captive Kings Mother to send over some trustie person with whom he might consult of the maine chance which she gladly did dispatching away the Lord of Brion President of Rouen and IOHN IOACHIM with a large Commission and Instructions by all submissive and faire Language to perswade the King to persist in the prosecution of this new League For indeed shee much feared least the consideration of his advantages over the tottering Estate of France might make him flie off againe France was already distressed what would it bee if the Emperour pressing hard on the one side and the Duke of Bourbon a homebred enemy revolting besides many other occasions the English should infest it on the other side In England these Agents found their entertainment such that they could not but hope well especially making meanes to the Cardinall who yet swayed the King WOLSEY long since disaffected the Emperour but now made his hate apparant CHARLES before the baâ—taile of Pauy sent no letters to the Cardinall but intirely written by himselfe and subscribed Your Sonne and Couzen CHARLES After this victorie he sent one or two subscribed barely with his Name without the vsuall solemne forme or any signification of favour or respect These were evident tokens of an alienated minde and WOLSEY durst view hates with him Neither did he deale otherwise with HENRIE then as one beneath him being now puffed vp with the conceipt of that great victory for the obtaining whereof HENRIE did beare a part in the charge though in deed not so great as he promised The Kings affaires now stood vpon those termes that renouncing the strict alliance with the Emperour hitherto by so many ties kept inviolable he must make a party with the French Brion therefore at the Counsaile Table having Audience deplores his Princes calamitie and the miseries inflicted vpon his Countrey by their late overthrow He calleth to minde what Trophies the English erected in France when the Estate of it was most flourishing withall acknowledging that France being now as it were in the Sun-set of its Fortune occasion was offred of advancing the English Colours farther then ever But it would neither beseeme so magnanimous a King nor would it be for the good of England at this time to invade it A generous minde scorneth to insult over one already deiected Neither would the victorie beside the fortune of warre want its dangers being to be communicated with one alreadie become so potent that no lesse then the vnited Forces of all Europe would serve to stop the current of his fortune which must necessarily be done vnlesse we could be content willingly to vndergoe the miseries of a Spanish servitude Hee therefore craved of his Maiestie that leaving the Emperour who puffed vp with his late successe contemned his best Friends Hee would vouchsafe to make a League with the King his Master whom in this so great a time of need if He would bee pleased to raise as it were from the ground He should by so great a benefit oblige him to a faithfull Friendship which hee should vpon all occasions be readie to manifest vnlesse for foule Jngratitude hee had rather vndergo the censure of the Christian World Having delivered thus much in Latine Sir THOMAS MORE afterward Lord Chancellor returned this answer in Latine likewise That the King was well pleased that the French acknowledged Hee wanted not power to revenge old iniuries that having felt his Force they should also tast of his Bounty that Hee would do the vtmost of his indeuour to set their Captive King at libertie Which if Hee effected Hee hoped when Hee had occasion to make vse of their King hee would not be vnmindfull of so good a turne freely done in so vrgent a season Jn the meane time Hee was content to make a perpetuall Peace with them As for the Emperour He would consider what to determine of him So a most firme League is concluded with the French the Regent vndertaking for her Sonne and a separation from the Emperour so openly made that the first thing concluded betweene them was That it should not bee lawfull for the French King in lieu of his ranson to consigne any part of his Kingdome to the Emperour The French were glad of this League who now began to conceiue some hope of good being secure of England Indeed it made so great an impression in the heart of FRANCIS that in his care of our affaires for many yeares together hee shewed himselfe mindfull of so great a benefit These things were done in the winter season A little after FRANCIS having beene a yeare Prisoner in Spaine was vpon these Conditions at length set at liberty That as soone as he came into France hee should consigne the Dutchie of Burgoigne to the Emperour That hee should quit the Soueraignette of Flanders and Arthois That hee should renounce all his right pretended to the Dutchy of Milan and Kingdome of Naples That he should restore to his honours the Duke of Bourbon and the rest that had revolted with him That he should marrie Eleonor the Emperour's Sister Queene of Portugall That he should pay the whole summes of money heretofore due to the King of England his Sister the Queene of France and Cardinall VVolsey The payment whereof the Emperour had vndertaken that wee might not be endammaged by partaking with him For the performance of these and other things of lesse moment FRANCIS not onely bound himselfe by Oath but also delivered his two Sonnes FRANCIS the Dolphin and HENRY Duke of Orleans who should remaine Hostages in Spaine vntill all things were duly performed FRANCIS as soone as hee entred into his Realme ratified all the Articles of the Treaty but that concerning the Dutchie of Burgoigne which hee pretended he could not alienate without the consent of his subiects Having therefore assembled the Estates of the Countrey for the debating of this matter vpon a sudaine in the presence of the Emperours Embassadours is publiquely proclaimed the League made betweene the Kings of England