shortlie after Ashbie was executed for the supremacie In the raigne of the noble Prince King Edward the sixt IN the month of Maie by meanes of a Proclamation for enclosures the commons of Sommersetshiere and 〈…〉 made a commotion but Sir Willam Herberd slew and executed many of the rebelles Also the commons of Cornewall and Deuonshiere rose against the Noblemen and Gentlemen and besieged the Cittie of Excester which was valiantlie defended Against these Rebelles was sent Iohn Lord Russell Lord priuie Seale with a number of Soldiours who entred the Cittie of Excester the fift day of August where they slewe and tooke prisoners of the Rebelles more then foure thousand and after hanged diuerse of them in the Town and Countrie about Diuers persons were apprehended as aiders of the foresaid Rebels of the which one was hanged within Algate and an other at the Bridge foote toward Southwarke both on Marie Magdalens day The Rebelles in Norfolke and Suffolke encamped them selues at Mount Surrey in a wood called Saint Nicholas Wood néere vnto Norvvich against whome Sir Iohn Dudley Earle of VVarvvicke went with an Armie where both he and a great number of Gentlemen méeting with the Rebelles were in such daunger as they thought all to haue died in that place But God that confoundeth the purpose of Rebelles brought it so to passe that as well there as in all other places they were partlie by power constrained partlie by promise of their pardon perswaded to submit themselues to their Prince The Earle of Warvvicke entred the Cittie of Norwich the seuen and twentie day of August when he had slaine aboue fiue thousand of the Rebelles and taken their chéefe Captaine Robert Ket of VVindham Tanner who might dispend in landes fiftie poundes by yéere and was woorth in mooueables aboue a thousand Markes and when he had put to execution diuers of the Rebelles in sundrie places about Norwich he returned About this time also a commotion began at Semer in the North-riding of Yorkeshiere and continued in the East-riding there ended the principall raisers whereof were William Ombler of East-hesterton Yeoman Thomas Dale parish Clarke of Semer and Steuenson of Semer. They being preuented by the Lord President from rising at Wintringham they drewe to a place at Semer by the Sea coast and there by night rode to the Beacon at Staxton and set it on fire and so gathered together a rude route Then they went to Maister Whites house and tooke him and Clopton his wiues brother Sauadge a merchant of Yorke and Berie seruaunt to Sir Walter Mildmay which foure they murdered a mile from Semer and there left them naked their number increasing to thrée thousand On the one and twentie day of August the Kinges pardon was offered which Ombler and other refused who were shortlie after taken and brought to Yorke where Thomas Dale and other were executed the one and twentie of September The seuen and twentie day of Ianuarie Humfrey A rundell Esquier Thomas Holmes Winslowe and Berie Captaines of the Rebelles in Deuonshiere were hanged and quartered at Tiborne The tenth of Februarie one Bell a Suffolke man was hanged and quartered at Tiborne for moouing a new rebellion in Suffolke and Essex Richard Lion Goddard Gorran and Richard Ireland were executed the fouretéenth day of Maie for attempting a new rebellion in Kent In the raigne of Queene Marie WIlliam Constable alias Fetherstone who caused Letters to be cast abroad that King Edward was aliue and to some he had shewed himselfe to be King Edward was arraigned at the Guild Hall of London hauing béene once before whipped for the same behauiour and deliuered but now he was condemned and the thirtéenth daye of March he was drawne hanged and quartered at Tiborne One Clober who sometime kept a Schoole at Dys in Norfolke with thrée brethren whose names were Lincoln made a conspiracie and being driuen to flight one Maister Shirman pursued and tooke him at a Towne called Eye in Suffolke where he was kept in prison till the next Sessions at Saint Edmundsburie whether his thrée mates being brought to him they were altogether drawne hanged and quartered Quéene Marie deceassing Elizabeth our most gratious and soueraigne Ladie second Daughter to the noble and victorious Prince King Henrie the eight to the great comfort of England enioyed her lawfull right and iust title being proclaimed Quéene of England Fraunce and Ireland defender of the Faith c. Now ceased the time of greuous vexation both in soule and body and the swéete comfort that euerie godlie minde desired did shewe it selfe shining in glorie and maiestie the greater cause haue we therefore to loue and honour that gratious Ladie who brought with her such aboundaunce of happines as neither tongue can woorthelie expresse it nor any pen sufficientlie set it downe Thankes be to God who preserued her Grace so woonderfullie in the time of many threatned troubles and daungers which by his prouidence she happilie escaped to our no small ioye and perfect consolation which troublesome time of her Graces suffering I haue héerto annexed according as it is set downe by that woorthy man Maister Iohn Fox in his Actes and Monuments the remembrance whereof may whet vs to be more duetifull vnto her then a number are and reioyce in God for our deliueraunce by her admirable patience ¶ The myraculous preseruation of Lady Elizabeth now our most dread and grations Queene of England from extreme calamitie and daunger of life in the time of Queene Marie her Sister BUt when all hath béene saide and told what soeuer can be recited touching the admirable working of Gods present hand in defending and deliuering any one person out of thraldome neuer was there since the memorie of our Fathers any example to be shewed wherein the Lordes mightie power hath more admirablie and blessedly shewen it selfe to the glorie of his owne name to the comfort of all good hearts and to the publique felicitie of this whole Realme then in the miraculous custodie and outscape of this our soueraigne Ladie now Quéene then Ladie Elizabeth in the straite time of Quéene Marie her Sister In which storie we haue first to consider in what extreme miserie sicknesse feare and perill her Highnesse was into what care what trouble of minde and what daunger of death she was brought First with great routes bands of Armed men and happy was he that might haue the carrying of her being fetcht vp as the greatest traitour in the world clapt in the Tower and againe tossed from thence from house to house from prison to prison from post to piller at length also prisoner in her owne house and garded with a sort of cutthroates which euer gaped for the spoile whereby they might be fingering on somewhat Secondlie to consider againe we haue all this notwithstanding how strangely or rather miraculouslie from daūger she was deliuered what fauour and grace she
peace the common and equall distribution of Iustice the familiar cherishing of Nobilitie the good preseruing and loue of the Commonaltie the mutuall and tender kindnes at home the amitie and awe abroade the swéete enioying of all these happie commodities match héerewith the danger and feare of loosing them how can it then be but that the minde shalbe meruailouslie distracted Great and full of diuersities are the fittes of a passioned Louer but yet greatest where reason rulest least Farre greater to a good minde must be the panges of consideration in this case but yet greatest where reason ruleth most The sillie Louer is transported as they complaine poore soules in their ditties sometime with ioy of his enioying sometime with feare of his foregoing there is no meane or order of his excessiue affection and all is because the abused creature hath set his felicity in a wrong conceite But if such vaine short repentable and féeble delight of fancie haue such force vpon the minde of man howe much more ought the déepe wise naturall and true impression of the eternall comfort of the soule the good and safe estate both of the common weale and of the priuate hauiour of himselfe and of those thinges and persons that he holdeth dearest yea and of his posteritie for euer worke more mighty violent continuall effects in the mind of an honest good man that setteth his thoughtes vpon iust and assured groundes All these contemplations cannot but fill a good Christians and a good Subiects eie with sight and knowledge how vnestimable a treasure our noble and vertuous Quéene Elizabeth is to the Realme of England and the same cannot but pierce his heart with strong feare care for her preseruation so farre as surely it were able as in the dumbe borne sonne of Cresus breake the stringes of a tyed tongue to drawe spéeche out of the most barbarous and rudest Subiect to crie out at her Highnesse peryll and with such noyse as he is able to make though it were but as a Goose of the Capitole to giue warning to the watchmen of the Tower of our safetie This hath mooued me to forget how vnskylfull and how vnapt I am to treate of matters so farre aboue me and only to remember how méet it is for all men to thinke of those things that touch them so néerely when they haue from point to point made due examination of them to ring out the larum bell of good councell to their Country or giue them some watch-word of passed perils wherby they may the better preuent imminent extremities wherein they may both manifest the care they haue of theyr Princes safetie as also the vnfeined affection they beare to theyr Countrie It hath béene and yet remayneth extant to be séene the many and sundrie disordered attemptes which haue threatned daunger to her Maiesties most royall person and perill to the whole state ingenerall whereby many good mindes haue béene greatlie discomforted and those bad spirites which haue thirsted and laboured in these vnduetifull actions haue béene encouraged to runne on in their disloyall determinations A thing much to be lamented that in the Sun-shine of so many happy blessinges whereof this Realme so long time together neuer héeretofore tasted such wicked and malitious natures should bréede amongst vs both to ouerthrowe our selues and the quietnesse of a number well affected It is good for such wilfull heads to take héede in time and that the ouerthrowe of such seditious practises wherewith this Realme from time to time hath béen too much troubled may remaine for a warning to them and in middest of their secret confederacies to remember this that to exalt their hearts against Gods annointed is the verie ready way to bring themselues to confusion The onely roote and originall of such vnnaturall humours in men is Treason which of all other things is most odious in the sight of God and amongst men hath least prosperous successe for proofe whereof and because this Watch-word may the more déepelie enter the thoughts and cogitations of them to whose handes it shall happen it shall not be much amisse for mée to make repetition of former tretcherous practises and withall to declare their end and successe which happilie may cause some men to alter their bad affections and séeing the accidentes that hath héeretofore chaunced in their owne Countrie they may forsake those contrarie natures whereby they are gouerned and so in time shew themselues more vehement in duetie In the raigne of King Richard the first THere was one William Fitz Osbert a Cittizen of London a man but of poore and meane degrée yet endued with a quicke witte and an eloquent tongue as many of these secrete perswaders are he perswaded the people to séeke liberty and fréedome and so prouided himselfe of two and fiftie thousand Londoners to rise against the King And to maintaine his traiterous enterprise he tooke the Stéeple of Bowe Church in Chepe and fortified it with Munition and victualles but in the end the Church was assaulted by the Cittizens and William with his Complices were taken and so brought to the Archbishoppe in the Tower where he was condemned by the héeles drawne from thence to a place called the Elmes where he was hanged with nine of his fellowes In the raigne of King Henry the thirde KIng Henrie the third lying at UUoodstocke a Scholler of Oxforde fayning himselfe mad enterprised to haue slaine the King in his Chamber but he was taken and after long imprisonment was torne in péeces with horsses at Couentrie In the raigne of King Edward the second THere was one Iohn Poydras a Tanners sonne of Excester who in diuers places of England named himselfe the Sonne of King Edward the first and saide that by a false Nurse he was stollen foorth of his Cradle and Edward that then was King put in his place but shortly after he was conuict of his vntrueth when he confessed that he did it by the motion of a familiar spirite which he had in his house in the likenesse of a Catte whome he had serued for thrée yéeres as all Traitours els forget God and serue the deuill but for this his seruice he was not long after hanged at North-hampton Edward de Bruis the King of Scottes Brother who for the space of thrée yéeres had assaulted Ireland and vniustly vsurping the King of Englands title crowned himself King thereof was at length taken by the King of Englands subiectes and was beheaded at Dundalke The Towne of Bervvicke was betrayed to the Scots through the Treason of Peter Spalding and other English men whome the King of Scottes in reward of their tretcherie caused to be hanged for being Traitours to their owne Countrie Thomas Earle of Lancaster hauing prouided himselfe of a great number of his confederacie rebelled against King Edward the second wherevppon the King pursued the Rebelles and at Borowbridge the saide Earle of Lancaster with
haue come vnto vs the more boldlie And when we had prouided our selues of a sufficient multitude we would haue suddenlie put to death in euerie Countrie the Lordes and Maisters of the common people in whome might appeare to be eyther councell or resistaunce against vs. And speciallie we would haue kylled the Knightes of Saint Iohns lastlie we would haue kylled the King himselfe and all men that had béene of any possession Bishoppes Monkes Chanons Parsons to be bréefe we would haue dispatched all such onelie begging Friers should haue liued that might haue suffised for ministring the Sacraments through the whole Realme And we would haue made Kings at our pleasure as Wat Tiler in Kent and in euerie Shiere one but because this our purpose was hindred by the Archbishoppe we studied how we might shortlie bring him to his ende Against the same daye that Watte Tyler was kylled we purposed that euening because the poore people of London séemed to fauour vs to sette fire in foure corners of the Cittie so to haue burnt it and to haue deuided the ritches at our pleasure amongst vs. He added that these thinges they purposed to haue doone as God should helpe him at the ende of his life After this his confession he was beheaded and his head set on London Bridge by Watte Tylers and many other When these Rebelles burned the Sauoy one of them tooke a goodlie Siluer péece and hid it in his bosome but an other had spied him and tolde his fellowes who hurled him and the péece of Plate together into the fire Two and thirtie of them entring the Seller of the Sauoy drunke so much of swéete wines that they were not able to come out againe but were shutte in with wood and stones that mured vp the doore they called and cried seuen dayes after and were heard of many but none came to helpe them so they died there After a number had sacked the new Temple what with labour and excéeding drinking of white Wine they laye downe vnder the walles and houses and were slaine lyke Swine hatred and contention so arose amongst them as they cruellie murdered one an other and others also made quicke dispatch of them thus the iust iudgement of GOD brought the Traytors to their deserued end Iohn Ball Priest who encouraged these traytors in their rebellion was brought to Saint Albones and there before the King was hanged and quartered he would not aske the King forgiuenesse as all traytors doo the like but vtterlie despised him The principall leaders of the Commons in rebellion were Wat Tyler Iack Strawe Iohn Kirkbie Allen Threder Thomas Scot and Ralphe Rugge these with other were leaders of the Kentishe and Essex men At Mildenhall and Burie in Suffolke was Robert Westbrome that made himselfe King and was most famous after Iohn Wraw who being Priest would not set crowne vpon crowne but left the name and crowne to the saide Robert At Norvvich Iohn Leicester a Dyer exercised the name and power of a King tyll he was taken and hanged for his paines and so were most of them in many places Iohn Wraw who was leader of them that rose at Mildenhall and Burie was drawne and hanged though many thought he should haue béene redéemed with money In the raigne of King Henry the fourth KIng Henrie the fourth enioying the Crowne of England and kéeping his Christmasse in his Castell at Windsore Iohn Holland late Duke of Excester and Earle of Huntington Thomas late Duke of Surrie and Earle of Kent Edward late Duke of Aumerle and Earle of Rutland sonne to the Duke of Yorke Iohn Montacute Earle of Salisburie Thomas Spencer Earle of Glocester Sir Ralphe Lumley Sir Thomas Blunt Sir Benedic Cely Knights with other that ioyned with them conspired against King Henrie and appointed priuilie to murder him vnder the couller of Iusting and other Pastimes pretended But the King vnderstanding of theyr pretence by the Mayor of London left VVindsore and came in his company to London so that they missed of him when they came to VVindsore where they entred the Castell with foure hundred men When they sawe how they were deceyued they came to Sunning where the Quéen that was wife to King Richard deposed lay where they perswaded the houshold that King Richard who before was deposed from his aucthoritie and kept prisoner in Pomfret Castel was as then escaped out of prison and they would goe to him From thence they went to Wallingford afterward to Abington warning the people to take Armes vppon them and to goe méete their olde King Richard Then they came to Circester where they bruted that King Richard was in company with them and to make their words of the better credite they had gotten a Chaplaine of King Richards called Madeleine so like him in all proportion and fauour as the one could hardlie he knowne from the other This Chaplaine they had put in Armour with a Crowne on his Helmette that all men might take him for King Richard but the people of the Towne remembring their duetie to their Prince mislyked of their procéedings wherevpon they fought against them and at length tooke the chéefest of them and led them to the Abbay there where they put them in a fayre chamber vnder safe custodie Then the Lordes séeing the people so vehement in duetie to their King stoode in great feare and imagined by what meanes they might escape foorth of their handes so they caused some of their seruauntes to set fire on certaine houses in the Towne thinking the people would haue such regard to slake the fire as they would be glad to forsake them but it chaunced farre contrarie for the people then increased more and more in rage against them and drew them by violence into the Market place where they beheaded the Duke of Excester and the Earle of Salisburie and six and twentie of their attendants were led to Oxforde where they were beheaded in the Castell also Sir Thomas Blunt Knight was beheaded with them The wéeke next following Thomas Spencer Earle of Glocester was beheaded at Bristowe and at the same tyme Iohn Holland Earle of Huntington and brother to King Richard on the Mothers side was beheaded at Plashie in Essex and at London was beheaded Sir Barnard Brocas Iohn Madeleine the Priest that was so like King Richard and an other Priest called VVilliam Feribe and thus the traytors sped for rebelling against their King There was found in the Kinges bedde cloathes an yron with thrée sharpe pikes slender and round standing vpright layde there by some traytour that when the King should haue layde him downe he might haue thrust himselfe vppon them but by Gods assistaunce he escaped that trayterous deuise A Priest of VVarwicke who conspired against King Henrie was drawne hanged and quartered Also VValter VValdocke Priour of Laude in Leicester sheyre for trayterous spéeches against the King was hanged and headed Moreouer one Richard Friseby