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A29737 A chronicle of the Kings of England, from the time of the Romans goverment [sic] unto the raigne of our soveraigne lord, King Charles containing all passages of state or church, with all other observations proper for a chronicle / faithfully collected out of authours ancient and moderne, & digested into a new method ; by Sr. R. Baker, Knight. Baker, Richard, Sir, 1568-1645. 1643 (1643) Wing B501; ESTC R4846 871,115 630

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intention to passe into Hungary the Country where he was borne but by cont●ary winds was cast upon the Coast of Scotland where the King Malcolme not onely most kindly entertained him but for a stricter bond of kindnesse tooke his Sist●r Margaret to Wife by whom he had many Children out of which in the second Generation after a match was found by which in the person of King Henry the second the Sax●n and Norman blood were conjoyned the union whereof continues in the race of our Kings of England to this day Not long after to Edgar in Scotland came the two great Earles Edwyn and Marchar brothers to Agatha the late King Harolds Wife also Hereward Gospatrick and Syward with many other Lords and shortly after Stigand and Aldred Arch-bishops with divers of the Clergy And these Lords being together in Scotland did but watch opportunity to recover that which for want of taking opportunity they had lost And assisted by the Scots they invaded the North parts spoyling the Country and killing many for the fault they had themselves committed but all they could do was but to forrage the Country and so returne After this in the third yeare of his Raigne the two sonnes of Swayne King of Denmarke Harold and Canutus with a Fleet of 240. ships entered Humber and invaded the North parts with whom the English Lords in Scotland joyned and ●orraged all the Country till they came neere to Yorke When the Normans that were in the Towne to save the City set fire on the suburbs but the fire not so contented by assistance of a violent winde tooke hold of the City it selfe burning a great part of it and which perhaps was more worth then the City a Library of excellent Bookes and the Normans that were left in defence of the City to the number of three thousand were all slaine King William hearing hereof was so much incensed that with all speed he raised an Army and entred Northumberland wasting the Country that already lay wast and yet for all his great rage was contented with a great summe of money to purchase the Danes departure By these devastations in many Shires of the Kingdome but especially in Northumberland so great a Dearth and Famine followed that men were glad to eate horses and dogges cats and rats and what el●e is most abhorrent to nature and betweene Yorke and Durham the space of 60. miles for nine yeares together there was so utter desolation as that neither any house was left standing nor any ground tilled Many other insurrections there were in his Raigne as at Exceter at Oxford in the Isle of Ely and many times by the Scots in the Northerne parts but all these were easily supprest for they were but scattered Forces Et dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur whereas if they had united themselves into an Army they might perhaps have made it a Warre which now were little more then Routs and Riots Yet some write that King William granted Cumberland to Malcolme King of Scots to hold from him conditionally that the Scots should not attempt any thing prejudiciall to the Crowne of England for which Grant King Malcolme did him Homage The greatest and last was an Insurrection raised in Normandie by his sonne Robert the more dangerous because unnatural for by the instigation and assistance of Philip King of France emulous now of K. Williams greatnesse he entred Normandie claimed it as in his owne right His father indeede had made him a promise of it long before but Robert impatient of delay as counting so long staying to bee little better then disinheriting endeavoured by strong hand to wrest it from his father But his father King William hearing hereof with a strong Army passeth over into Normandie where in a battaile meeting hand to hand with his sonne was by him unhorsed and hurt in the arme but his sonne perceiving him by his voyce to bee his father suddenly leapes off his horse takes up his father casts himselfe downe at his feete and humbly intreats his pardon which as a father he easily grants embraceth his sonne and ever after the sonne from the father had fatherly love and the father from the sonne a filiall obedience But though his father did thus pardon him yet it seemes there is a Nemesis or to say better a Divine Providence that did not pardon him for after this it is observed he never prospered in any thing hee undertooke It cannot perhaps be discovered whether the Kings severity begat his subjects Insurrections or his subjects Insurrections the Kings severity but which of them soever was the mother it is certaine they were nurses each of them to other His aptnesse to forget Injuries CErtainly there is no such goodnesse of nature as aptnesse to be reconciled of which vertue it seemes King William had a large proportion for he seldome remembred injuries after submission Edric the first that rebelled against him he placed in Office neere about him Gospatric who had beene a factious man and a plotter of conspiracies against him he made Earle of Glocester and trusted him with managing a War against Malcolme King of Scots Eustace Earle of Boleyne who in the Kings absence in Normandy attempted to seise upon Dover Castle he received afterward into great favour and respect The Earles Marchar Syward with Wolnoth the brother of Harold a little before his death he released out of prison Edgar who as next heire to the Saxon Kings had often attempted by Armes to recover his right he not onely after twice defection pardoned but gave him also allowance as a Prince It is said twenty shillings a day or rather a pound weight of silver and other large livings besides so as Edgar finding the sweetnesse of safety and the pleasures of a Country life spent the rest of his dayes which were many retired from Court neither envying nor being envyed Only Waltheoff Earle of Northumberland and Northam●ton of all the English Nobility was put to death in all the time of this Kings Raigne and not he neither till hee had twice falsified his Oath of Allegeance Of new Acquests to this Kingdome by this Kings meanes IN the thirteenth yeare of his Raigne he subdued Wales and made it tributary to him as before in the seaventh yeare of his Raigne he brought Malcolme King of Scots to do him Homage and thereupon to give him Hostages that if England made him greater then he was before a King of a Duke he no lesse made England greater then it was before three Kingdomes in one Of his Exactions and courses for raysing of money AS his Taxations were many in number so they were various in kinde not alwayes bringing in money directly but sometimes obliquely saving it The first taxe he laid upon his subjects was in the first yeare of his Raigne after his returne out of Normandie a grievous taxe all writers say but none what taxe it was In the third yeare of his Raigne he ransacked all
accusing sometimes one of his Lords sometimes another as 〈◊〉 it w●re their fault that he had lost these Townes in France● and upon 〈…〉 made many of them pay great summes of money which brought 〈…〉 into hatred at home but into contempt abroad for the King of 〈◊〉 ●n●●●standing his unworthy courses proceeds more violently in his Invasi●ns 〈…〉 getting Falai● Damfr●nt and all the good Townes of Normandy but onely Roan and at last though R●an was a Towne strongly fortifyed with Walls and more strongly with the faithfull hearts of the Inhabi●ants yet finding no hope of succour from King Iohn it was forced for want of Victuals to submit it selfe to the King of France whose example all the other Cities followed and so all Normandy returned to the subjection of the French after three hundred and sixteene yeares that Roll● the Dane had first possest it It was now the yeare 1205. and the fourth of King Iohns Raigne about which time the two props of his Estate or rather indeed the two Bridles of his intemperancy dyed his Mother Queene Eleanor whose vertues had oftentimes qualifyed the vices of her Sonne and Hubert Arch-bishop of Canterbury who repented him at his death of nothing more then that he had beene an Instrument of bringing him to the Crowne And now King Iohn being a Substantive of himselfe hath a devise in his head to make his subjects as willing to give him money as he was to have it for knowing the great discontentment they all had for his losses in France he gives it out that he would presently rais● an Army for recovery of those losses if he might have money to goe about it whereupon never was money given with more alacrity and as soone as he had it he instantly went to Portesmouth and there took Shipping before it was possible for his Lords and others to be in readinesse to accompany him and sayling forward some certaine Leagues into the Sea upon a sudden he returnes backe againe and then laies the fault upon his Lords that had not followed him and for this backwardnesse of theirs imposed afterwards great Fines upon them by which meanes he got money no lesse by pretence of his not going then he had done before by pretence of his going About this time died Geoffrey Fits-Peter Justitiar of England who while he lived kept the King in some awe in so much as hearing he was dead he swore by the feete of God that now at length he was King of England and with great rejoycing said to some Lords about him Now when this man comes into Hell let him salute the Arch-Bishop Hubert whom certainely he shall finde there But Philip King of France intending to leave the English nothing on that side the Sea invadeth Chinon and takes it and in it the valiant Captaine Roger Lacie which had given a period to King Philips victories had not Guido the husband of Constantia Prince Arthurs Mother revolted to King Iohn who with his assistance once againe leavies an Army besiegeth Mount Auban a Castle thought impregnable and within fifteene dayes takes it which Charles the Great could not get with his seven yeares siege where so great a number of French Lords were taken prisoners that King Iohn sent a Catalogue of their names into England for a memoriall of so great a victory After this he taketh the strong Towne of Angiers and utterly defaceth it for which afterward he was sorry as being the Towne where he was borne But now when the two Kings were ready to meete and to give battell intercession was made by friends of both sides and thereupon a Peace concluded for two yeares and King Iohn returned into England King Iohn being returned performes no lesse worthy acts at home then he had done in France for first he invades the Borders of Scotland and brings Alexander King of Scots to doe him homage and then understanding many of the Irish to be revolted he passeth over to Dublin and reduceth them to his obedience and then placing Iohn Bishop of Norwich Governour there he returnes into England where passing through Wales he subdueth certaine Rebels there and takes eight and twenty children of the best Families for pledges of their future loyalty but not long after hearing they grew mutinous and rebelled againe he was so incensed that he would not goe to dinner till he had seene those twenty eight children to be all hanged before his face so inconsiderate a thing is the desire of revenge that it makes no difference betweene innocency and guiltinesse though indeed a thing oftentimes must be done for example which considered in it selfe would be forborne And it was the yeare 1214. and the fourteenth of K. Iohns Raign when he going to Angiers strongly repaires it and the Province of Poictou revolted to him which Lewis King Philips sonne understanding comes upon them with a mighty Army and using much severity upon the Authors of the revolt takes prisoners Reynold Earle of Boleigne and William Earle of Salisbury with many others of King Iohns Captaines and defeateth his whole Army whereof when King Iohn was certified he grew in a manner desperate and as a man dejected makes a new Truce upon any conditions with the King of France and returnes into England where he findes a worse businesse ready to entertaine him for the Lords of the Realme having often required their ancient Rights and Liberties and finding nothing but delusions endure no longer to be abused but meeting at Saint Edmundsbery they there conferre how they may finde a remedy to redresse this evill and at la●t concluded to goe to the King themselves in person and make their Demands whereof a Charter was produced that had beene formerly granted in King Henry the firsts time whereupon comming to the King after Christmas lying then in the New Temple and acquainting him with their Demands he gives them this faire Answer that within a few dayes he would give them satisfaction and causeth the Bishops of Canterbury and Ely with William Marshall Earle of Glocester to passe their words for him that it should be performed But the King meaning nothing lesse then to doe as he said fals presently a leavying of Souldiers which the Lords understanding they also doe the like and going to the Bishop of Canterbury deliver him a Copy of their Demands and require the Kings Answer But the Bishop shewing it to the King and humbly intreating him to give the Lords a satisfactory Answer he swore a great Oath they might as well demand the Kingdome and that he would die before he would yeeld to any such demands Whereupon the Lords knowing now what they were to trust to fall to besiege Northampton and after that Redford which is yeelded to them and withall they are sent to by the Londoners to signifie their readinesse to joyne with them At this time the King was at Windsor providing an Army but hearing the Londoners were joyned with the Lords he thought it no
brought to King Edward and for the love of her Prince Leolyn was content to submit himselfe to any conditions which besides subjection of his State was to pay fifty thousand pounds Sterling and a thousand pounds per annum during his life and upon these conditions the marriage with his beloved Lady was granted him and was solemnized here in England whereat the King and Queene were themselves present Three yeares Leolyn continued loyall and within bounds of obedience in which time David one of his Brothers staying here in England and found by the King to be of a stirring Spirit was much honoured by him Knighted and matched to a rich Widow Daughter of the Earle of Darby and had given him by the King besides the Castle of Denbigh with a thousand pounds per annum though as it was afterwards found he lived here but in the nature of a spy For when Prince Leolyns Lady was afterward dead and that he contrary to his Conditions formerly made brake out into rebellion then goes his Brother David to him notwithstanding all these Favours of the King and they together enter the English Borders Surprise the Castles of Flynt and Rutland with the person of the Lord Clifford sent Justiciar into those parts and in a great Battaile overthrew the Earles of Northumberland and Surrey with the slaughter of Sir William Lyndsey Sir Richard Tanny and many others King Edward advertised of this Revolt and overthrow being then at the Vyzes in Wiltshire prepares an Army to represse it but before his setting forth goes privately to his Mother Queene Eleanor lying at the Nunnery of Aimesbury with whom whilest he conferred there was one brought into the Chamber who faigned himselfe being blinde to have received his sight at the Tombe of King Henry the third A●soone as the King saw the man he remembred he had seene him before and knew him to be a most notorious lying Villaine and wished his Mother in no case to beleeve him but his mother who much rejoyced to heare of this Miracle for the glory of her husband finding her sonne unwilling that his Father should be a Saint grew suddenly into such a rage against him that she commanded him to avoid her Chamber which the King obeyes and going forth meetes with a Clergy man to whom he tels the story of this Impostour and merrily said He knew the justice of his Father to be such that he would rather pull out the eyes being whole of such a wicked wretch then restore them to their sight In this meane time the Arch-bishop of Canterbury had gone of himselfe to Prince Leolin and had laboured to bring him and his brother David to a re-submission but could effect nothing for besides other reasons that swayed Prince Leolin the conceit of a Prophesie of Merlin that he should shortly be Crowned with the Diadem of Brute so overweighed him that he had no care for peace and shortly after no head for after the Earle of Pembroke had taken Bere Castle which was the seat of Prince Leolin he was himself slain in battell and his head cut off by a common Souldier was sent to King Edw. who caused the same to be Crowned with Ivie and to be set upon the Tower of London And this was the end of Leolin the last of the Welsh Princes betraied as some write by the men of Buelth Not long after his brother David also is taken in Wales and judged in England to an ignominious death First drawn at a horse taile about the City of Shrewsbury then beheaded the trunke of his body divided his heart and bowels burnt his head sent to accompany his brothers on the Tower of London his foure quarters to foure Cities Bristow North●●pton York and Winchester A manifold execution and the first shewed in that kind to this kingdome in the person of the son of a Prince or any other Noble man that we reade of in our History It is perhaps something which some here observe that at the sealing of this conquest King Edward lost his eldest son Alphonsus of the age of twelve years a Prince of great hope and had onely left to succeed him his sonne Edward lately borne at Carnarvan and the first of the English intituled Prince of Wales but no Prince worthy of either Wales or England And thus came Wales to be united to the Crowne of England in the eleventh yeare of this King Edwards Raigne who thereupon established the government thereof according to the Lawes of England as may be seene by the Statute of Rutland in the twelfth yeare of his Raigne The worke of Wales being setled King Edward passeth over into France upon notice of the death of Philip the Hardy to renew and confirme such conditions as his state in those parts required with the new King Philip the fourth intituled the Faire to whom he doth homage for Aquitaine having before quitted his claime to Normandy for ever After three yeares and a halfe being away in France he returns into England and now in the next place comes the businesse with Scotland and will hold him wo●ke at times as long as he lives and his sonne after him Alexander the third King of Scots as he was running his horse fell horse and man to the ground and brake his necke and died immediately● by reason whereof he leaving no issue but onely a daughter of his daughter Margaret who died also soone after there fell out presently great contention about succession Ten Competitors pretend title namely Erick King of Norway Florence Earle of Holland Robert Bruce Earle of Anandale Iohn de Baylioll Lord of Galloway Iohn de Hastings Lord of Abergeveny Iohn Cummin Lord of Badenaw Patrick de Dunbarre Earle of March Iohn de Vescie Nicholas de Sul●s William de Rosse all or most of them de●cending from David Earle of Huntington younger brother to William King of Scots and great Unkle to the late King Alexander This title King Edward takes upon him to decide pretending a Right of Superiority from his Ancestours over that kingdome and proving it by authority of old Chronicles as Marianus Scotus William of Malmsbury Roger de Hoveden Henry of Huntington Ralph de Luceto and others which though the Scottish Lords who swaied the Interregnum opposed yet are they constrained for avoyding of further inconveniences to make him Arbiter thereof and the tenne Competitours bound to stand to his award Two are especially found betweene whom the ●ight lay Iohn de Baylioll Lord of Galloway and Robert Br●ce the one descending from an elder daughter the other from a sonne of a younger daughter of Alan who had married the eldest daughter of this David brother to King William The controversie held long twelve of either kingdome learned in the Lawes are elected to debate the same at Berwick all the best Civilians in the Universities of France are solicited to give their opinions all which brought forth rather doubts then resolutions whereupon King Edward the better to
sway this businesse by his presence takes a journey Northward where being come as farre as Lincolnshire he lost his beloved wife Queene Eleanor and thereupon going backe to see her Funerall performed at Westminster that done he returnes presently to his Scottish businesse And now sixe yeares were passed since the death of King Alexander and yet nothing concluded in this controversie whereupon King Edward deals privately with Bruce who had the weaker Title but the more friends and promiseth him if he would sweare fealty and homage to the Crowne of England he would Invest him in that of Scotland But Bruce answers he was not so d●sirous to rule as thereby to infringe the liberties of his Countrey Whereupon with the like offer he sets upon Baylioll who having better right but lesse love of the people and more greedy of a kingdome then honour accepts the condition and thereupon is Crowned King at Scone hath fealty done him by all the chiefe Nobility except Bruce comes to New-Castle upon Tyne where King Edward then lay and there with many of his Nobles sweares fealty and doth homage to him as his Soveraigne Lord. Which act done to secure him overthrew him for being little beloved before hereby he became lesse such as stood for Bruce and others of the Nobility tender of the preservation of their Countries liberty took stomach against him and not onely for this but shortly after for his injustice in the case of the Earle of Fife one of the sixe Governours in the time on the Interregnum who had beene slaine by the Family of Alberneth the brother of which Earle prosecuting Law before King Baylioll in his high Court of Parliament and having no right done him King Baylioll giving judgement of the side of the Alberneths he appeales to the Court of the King of England whereupon King Baylioll is summoned appeares sits with King Edward in his Parliament till his cause was to be heard and then is cited by an Officer to arise and to stand in the place appointed for pleading then he craves to answer by a Procuratour but is denied and thereupon descends to the ordinary place and defends his cause himselfe which indignity as he tooke it so incenseth him that he returnes home with a breastfull charged with indignation meditates revenge renues the ancient league with France confirmes it with marriage of his sonne Edward to a daughter of Charles brother to King Philip glad in regard of late offences taken against the King of England to embrace the same which done Baylioll defies King Edward renounceth his Allegeance as unlawfully done being not in his power without consent of the State to doe any such Act. Hereupon brake out that mortall dissension betweene the two Nations which consumed more Christian bloud and continued longer then ever quarrell we reade of did between any two people in the world For he that beganne it could not end it but it lasted almost three hundred yeares and was never throughly abolished till the late blessed union wrought by him in whom Wisdome and Vertue Right and Power concurred all to make it firme And now the fatall Chaire in which the Kings of Scotland used to be Inaugurated seemes to recover its secret operation according to antient Prophesie that whither soever that Chaire should be removed the kingdome should be removed with it and this Chaire King Edward caused to be brought out of Scotland to Westminster and to be placed there amongst the Monuments where it still continues But now King Baylioll being summoned to appeare at New-Castle and refusing to come King Edward enters Scotland with an Army consisting of foure thousand horse and thirty thousand foot besides five hundred horse and one thousand foote of the Bishop of Durham Berwicke is first wonne with the slaughter of fifteene thousand Scots our Writers say more and after that the Castles of Dunbarre Roxborough Edinbough Sterli●g and Saint Iohns Towne and now King Balioll sues for Peace submits himselfe takes againe his Oath of Fealty to King Edward as his Soveraigne Lord which done a Parliament for Scotland is held at Berwicke where the Nobility likewise did Homage to him confirming the same by their Charter under their hands and seales onely William Dowglasse refuseth content rather to endure the misery of a Prison then yeeld to the subjection of the King of England But King Baylioll notwithstanding his submission is sent prisoner into England after his foure yeares Raigne in Scotland and King Edward returnes home leaving Iohn Warren Earle of Sussex and Surrey Warden of all Scotland Hugh Cressingham Treasurer and Ormesloy Chiefe Justice with Commission to take in his name the Homages and Fealties of all such as held Lands of that Crowne But this continued not long for King Edward being absent in France the Scots fell upon the Officers he had left slew Sir Hugh Cressingham with sixe thousand English recovered many Castles and regained the towne of Berwick and all by the animation and conduct of one William Walleys a poore private Gentleman though Nobly descended who seeing his Countrey without a Head and thereby without a Heart all the great men either in captivity or subjection● assembles certaine of as poore and desperate estate as himselfe and leads them to attempt upon whatsoever advantages they could finde to annoy the English and having therein good successe it so encreased both his courage and company that he afterward came to be the generall Guardian of the whole kingdome and was in possibility to have absolutely redeemed his Countrey from the subjection of the English if the speedy comming of King Edward had not prevented him For now King Edward to bring his worke neare together removes his Exchequer and Courts of Justice to Yorke where they continued above sixe yeares and thither he cals a Parliament requiring all his subjects that held of him by knights service to be ready at Roxborough by a peremptory day where there assemble three thousand men at Armes on barded horses and foure thousand other armed men on horse without bards with an Army of foote answerable consisting most of Welsh and Irish besides five hundred men at Armes out of Gascoyne and with this power he makes his second expedition into Scotland the Earles of Hereford and Norfolke with the Earle of Lincolne led his Vauntgard at the famous battell of Fonkirke where the shouts of the Scots were so great that King Edwards horse frighted withall cast him off and brake two of his ribs which notwithstanding he gets up againe goes on and gets the victory wherein are reported to be slaine two hundred knights and forty thousand foot of the Scots but William Walleys with some few escaped to make more work And here againe that kingdome might seeme as if quite overthrowne Most of the estates of the Earles and Barons of Scotland with their titles that had stood out were bestowed on the English and a Parliament is called at Saint Andrewes where all the great
of the Scots which came to the rescue thereof at Hallidowne-hill utterly defeated where were slaine seven Earles ninety knights and Bannerets foure hundred Esquires and about two and thirty thousand common Souldiers as our Writers report as theirs but foureteene thousand and with this effusion of bloud is Baylioll returned to his miserable kingdome and to hold good correspondence with the King of England hereafter doth him Homage for his Realme of Scotland and the Ilands adjacent But though he had a kingdome yet he had not quietnesse for many of the Scots aided by the French made warre upon him divers yeares after during all which time King David with his wife remained in France If any man marvell why King Edward would aide Bailioll against King David who had married his sister he may consider that Alliances how neare soever weigh but light in the Scales of State About this time the I le of Man is conquered by William Montacute Earle of S●lisbury for which service King Edward gave him the Title of King of Man Of his Acts after he came of age ANd now Robert of Arthois banished out of France comes into England whom King Edward makes Earle of Richmond and of his Counsell This Robert perswades King Edward to make warre upon France to which Crowne he said he had more right then he that held it with whose perswasions King Edward is at last resolved to undertake the enterprise and to furnish himselfe of Noble Chiefetaines he at one time in a Parliament at Westminster the eighth yeare of his Raign creates sixe Earles Henry of Lancaster he made Earle D●rby William Montacute he made Earle of Salisbury Hugh Audeley Earle of Glocester William Clinton Earle of Huntington and Robert Clifford or Ufford Earle of Suffolke also twenty knights of whom Thomas de la Moore who writ the life of the Kings Father was one withall he enters League of amity with many Princes abroad with the Dukes and E●rles of Gelders Iulyers Cleves Heynault and Brabant and with the Arch-bishop of Colen and Valeran his brother as on the other side the King of France got to take his part the Bishop of Liege Iohn King of Bohemia Earle of Luxemburg Henry Count Palatine Aubert Bishop of Mets Otho Duke of Austria Ame Earle of Geneva with many other Princes and Captaines out of Germany Spaine and other Countries King Edward thus resolved in himselfe and furnished with friends abroad goes over into Flanders with his Queene and children makes his residence at Antwerp where by perswasion of the Flemings he takes upon him the Stile Title and Armes of the King of France for by this they accounted themselves disobliged of the Bond of twenty hundred thousand crownes which they had entred into never to beare Armes against the King of France and hereupon the League was established betweene them and King Edward And now King Edward for a beginning to put his claime in execution sets upon Cambray and enters France by the way of Vermandois and Thierach on the other side King Philip seiseth on the Dutchy of Guienne and sends thither the Conte d' Eu Constable of France with the Earles of Foix and Armigniack At last both Armies came so neare together that a fight was appointed the Friday after but upon better consideration the English thought it no discretion to give battell to an Army so much greater then their owne if they could avoid it and the French thought it as little discretion for them to hazard the person of their Prince within his owne kingdome and perhaps were not a little moved with the warning given them by Robert King of Sicilie a great Astronomer that he fore-saw by the Starres some great misfortune to threaten the French if they should that day fight with the Engli●h King Edward being present and thus both Armies having their severall reasons to decline the battell they parted without doing any thing onely an accident happened scarce worth remembring yet must be remembred A Hare starting out before the head of the French Army caused a great shout to be made whereupon they who saw not the Hare but onely heard the shout supposing it to be the onset to the battell disposed themselves to fight and foureteene Gentlemen for encouragements sake as the custome is were knighted called afterward in merriment knights of the Hare But now King Edward must a little looke home and therefore leaving the Queen in Brabant he passeth himselfe into England about Candlemas having beene in Brabant about a yeare and landing at the Tower about midnight and finding ●t unguarded was so much displeased that he presently sends for the Major of ●ondon commanding him to bring before him the Chancellour and Treasurer with Sir Iohn Saint Paul Michael Watch Philp Thorpe Henry Stratford Clergy men who it seemes were Officers for his Receipts and Iohn Sconer Justice of the Bench all which except the Chancellour were apprehended and committed to prison as were afterward in like manner divers Officers of Justice and Accomptants upon inquiry made of their unjust proceeding During the Kings abode in England William Montacute Earle of Salisbury and Robert Ufford Earle of Suffolke le●t in Flanders to oppose the French having performed divers great e●ploits were a● last in an encounter about Lis●e so overlaid by multitude as they were both taken and sent prisoners to Paris Besides about this time two accidents happened that were thought would be great rubs in King Edwards proceeding one that his Wives Father William Earle of Hayn●ult dying and leaving his sonne to succeed this son left his brother King Edward and fell to take part with the King of France the other that the Duke of Normandy thinking himselfe as strong as ever William Du●● of Normandy was that conquered England he saw no reason but he might conquer it as well as that William and thereupon makes preparation by Sea and Land to attempt the enterprise but these were but vapours that never came to be winds at least brought no stormes for Iohn Earle of Haynault had quickly enough of the King of France and was soone after reconciled to his brother King Edward and the Duke of Normandy went no further then preparations for indeed King Edw●●d prosecuted his courses against France with such heate that all the neighbouring Princes seeing a fire kindled so neare their owne borders were glad to looke ●o themselves at home But now to impeach the King of Englands returne into Fra●ce● King Philip had provided a mighty Navie in the Haven of Sluce consisting of tw● hundred saile of Ships besides many Gallies and two thousand armed men in th● Port ready to encounter him upon his landing whereof King Edward being adve●tised prepares the like number of Ships and sets out to Sea upon Midsommer Eve is m● the morrow after with a Navy likewise from the North parts conducted by Sir ●●bert Morley and encounters his enemy who lay to intercept him with such force and courage and such
his Sons only King He●ry the Fifth to be his eldest And now that in him the heroicall nature was come to the height it degenerated againe in King Henry the Sixth which must needs be attributed to the mothers side who though in her selfe she were a Princesse of a noble spirit yet being the issue of a crazie father what marvell if she proved the mother of a crazie issue and yet even this issue of hers a Prince no doubt of excellent parts in their kinde though not of parts kindly for a Princ● in a private man praise-worthy enough but the sword of a King required a harder mettall than the soft temper of King Henry the sixth was made of and in him we may see the fulfilling of the Text Vae genti cujus Rex est puer Woe to that Nation whose King is a Childe for he was not above eight moneths old when he succeeded his father in the Kingdome although that Text perhaps is not meant so much of a child in years for which there may be helps by good Protectors as of a childe in abilities of ruling whereof though possibly there may yet probably there can be no sufficient supply of which in this King we have a pregnant example for as long as he continued a childe in yeares so long his Kingdomes were kept flourishing by the Providence of his carefull Uncles but assoone as he left being a Childe in years and yet continued a childe in ability of Ruling then presently began all things I● pejus ruere retro sublapsa referri all things went to wracke both in France and England And thus much was necessary to be sayd by way of a Preface to that great fall as it were of Nilus in King Henry the Sixth Henry called of Windsor because borne there the only childe of King Henry the Fifth as yet scarce nine moneths old succeeded his Father and was Proclaimed King of England on the last of August in the yeare 1422 by reason of whose infancie King Henry his Father had before by his Will appointed and now the Lords by their consent confirmed the Regency of France to Iohn Duke of Bedford the Government of England to Humphry Duke of Glocester the Guard of his Person to Thomas Duke of Exeter and H●nry Beauford Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor wherein it was wisely provided that one man should not rule all lest it should prove a spurre to aspiring and withall stay them from envying one another when many were alike placed in the highest forme of authori●y and indeed they all carried themselves so uprightly and carefully in their places that it well appeared the trust reposed in them by the dying King had made a strong impression of love and loyalty towards his Son The Duke of Bedford Regent of France was to keepe that by the sword which King Henry the Fifth by his sword had gotten wherein he had many and great assistants specially the two terrours of France Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury and Iohn Lord Talbot and amongst the French themselves the Duke of Burgoigne a friend no lesse powerfull than firme unto him The Dolphin also now crowned king at Poytiers and called Charles the seventh of France his father being newly dead within little more than a moneth after king Henry had likewise great assistants the Duke of Alanson and many other Peers of France and of the Sco●s many and some perhaps of the English that tooke part with him by meanes whereof the game of Fortune was a long time played betweene them with great variety The first act of the Duke of Bedfords Regency was an Oration which he made to the French in Paris which wrought this good effect that king Henry is Proclaimed king of England and of France and such French Lords as were present did their Homages and tooke their oathes to be true unto him The first act of hostility was performed by the new king of France who sends the Lord Granvile to Pont Meulan who surprized it putting all the English Souldiers to the sword but the Regent sending thither Thomas Montacute Earle of Salisbury so strongly beleaguered it that the Lord Granvile not only surrendred it but swore allegiance though he kept it not to the king of England From thence the Earle marched to Seyne which hee tooke by assault and put all the Souldiers except the Captain Sir William Maryn to the sword At this time the Regent the Duke of Burgoigne Iohn Duke of Brittaine and his brother in law the Earle of R●chmond who revolted afterward to the new king of France and was by him made Constable of France met at Amyens and there not only renewed the old League but further enlarged it to be offensive and defensive respectively and to make the friendship the more firme the Regent married Anne the Sister of the Duke of Burgoigne at Troys In this meane time the Parisians taking advantage of the Regents absence conspired to have let in the new king into Paris but the day before the night appointed for his admission the Regent with his power entred apprehended the Conspirators and put them to publicke execution That done he furnished all the Forts and places of strength with Englishmen and sent Sir Iohn Falstaffe who tooke in Pacye and Coursay two strong Castles whil'st himselfe with his forces tooke in Tray●els and Br●y upon Seyne The Constable of France the meane while with the new kings forces layd siege to Cravant in Burgoigne but the Regent sent thither the Earle of Salisbury who set upon the French and after a long fight putting them to flight slew about 1800 knights and gentlemen of note● and three thousand common Souldiers Scots and French tooke prisoners the Constable himselfe the Earle of Ventadour Sir Alex●●der Alerdyn Sir Lewis Ferignye and two and twenty hundred Gentlemen Of the English part were slaine Sir Iohn Gray Sir William Hall Sir Gilbert Halsall Richard ●p Maddocke and one and twenty hundred Souldiers From thence the E●rle led his forces to Montaguillon and sate downe before it which after five moneths Siege he took whil'st the Duke of Suffolke took in the two strong Castles of Cowcye and le Roche Whil'st these things are done in France in England the Protectour Ransomed and inlarged the young king of Scots Iames the first who by the space of eighteene yeares had been kept a Prisoner which he did out of opinion th●t he might withdraw the Scots out of France taking Hom●ge and fealty of him for the Crown of Scotland in these words I●ames ●ames S●eward King of Scot● shall be true and faithfull to you Lord Henry King of England and France the Superiour Lord of Scotland● and to you I make my fidelitie for the sayd Kingdome which I hold and claime of you and shall do you service for the same so God me helpe and these holy Evangelists and therewithall with consent of all the Nobility the Protector gave him to Wife Iane Daughter to the
the yeare 1290. in the time of King Edward the first 44 Thomas Langford an Englishman a Dominican Fryer of Chemsford in Essex writ an Universall Chronicle from the beginning of the world to his owne time and lived in the yeare 1320. in the time of King Edward the second 45 Radulphus de Rizeto an Englishman writ a Chronicle of the English Nation and lived about the yeare 1210. in the time of King John 46 Robertus Montensis a benedictine Monke writ a Chronicle from the yeare 1112. to the yeare 1210. at which time he lived 47 Johannes Burgensis an Englishman a benedictine Monke writ Annals of the English Nation 48 Thomas Spot●ey an Englishman a benedictine Fryer of Canterbury writ the Chronicles of Canterbury and lived about the time of King Edward the second 49 Matthaeus Westmonasteriensis called Florilegus for collecting Flores Historiarum chiefly of Bri●aine containing from the beginning of the world to the yeare 1307. about which time he lived 50 Ranulphus Higden a benedictine Monke of Chester writ a Booke which he called Polychronicon containing from the beginning of the world to the sixteenth yeare of King Edward the third in whose time he lived 51 Matthew Paris a benedictine Monke of Saint Albans writ a History chiefly Ecclesiasticall of the English Nation from William the Conquerour to the last yeare of King Henry the third and lived about the time of King Edward the third 52 William Pachenton an Englishman writ a History of the English Nation and lived about the tim● of King Edward the third 53 Bartholmeus Anglicus a Franciscan Fryer writ a Booke Intituled De Proprietatibus rerum and a Chronicle of the Scots and lived in the yeare 1360. in the time of King Edward the third 54 Nicholas Trivet borne in Norfolke of a worshipfull Family became a Domidican Fryer writ many excellent workes in Divinity and Philosophy also Annals of the English Kings from King Stephen to King Edward the second and lived in the yeare 1307. in the time of King Edward the third 55. Alexander Essebiensis Pryor of a Monastery of Regular Canons writ divers learned workes amongst other an Epitome of the British History and lived in the yeare 1360. in the time of King Edward the third 56 John Froyssart borne in the Low Countries writ a Chronicle in the French tongue containing seventy foure yeares Namely beginning with King Edward the third and ●nding with King Henry the fourth in whose time he lived whose Chronicle Sir John Bourchier knight translated into English and John Sleyden a French man hath lately contracted into an Epitome 57 Thomas de la Moore borne in Glocestershire in the time of King Edward the first by whom as having twenty pounds land holden by knights service he was made a Knight and afterward being very inward with King Edward the second writ a History of his life and death 58 Thomas Rodbourne an Englishman and a Bishop writ a Chronicle of his Nation and lived in the yeare 1412. in the time of King Henry the fourth 59 John Trevisa borne in Glocestershire a Priest translated Polychronicon into English adding to it an Eighth Book Intituled De Memorabilibus eorum temporum containing from the yeare 1342. to the yeare 1460. He writ also of the Acts of King Arthur and Descriptions both of Britaine and Ireland and lived in the time of King Edward the fourth 60 John Harding a Gentleman of a good Family in the North writ a Chronicle in verse of the Kings of England to the Reigne of King Edward the fourth wh●rein he all●dgeth many Records which he had got in Scotland that testifie the Scottish Kings submissions to the Kings of England he lived in the yeare 1448. in the time of King Henry the sixth 61 John Capgrave borne in Kent an Hermit Fryer writ many learned workes in Divinity and a Catalogue of the English Saints and lived in the yeare 1464. in the time of King Edward the fourth 62 John Lydgate Monke of Saint Edmundsbury in Suffolke writ divers workes in verse and some in prose as the lives of King Edward and King Ethelstan of the round Table of King Arthur and lived in the yeare 1470. in the time of King Edward the fourth 63 John Weathamstead Abbot of Saint Albans in his worke of English Affaires accuseth Geoffrey of Monmouth of meere Fabulousnesse and lived about the yeare 1440. 64 Gulielmus Elphinston a Scotchman Bishop of Aberdene writ the Antiquiti●s of Scotland and the Statutes of Councells and lived in the yeare 1480. in the time of James the third King of Scotland 65 George Buchanan a Scotchman writ the story of Scotland from Fergusius to Queene Mary in whose time he lived 66 William Caxton an Englishman writ a Chronicle to the three and twentyeth yeare of King Edward the Fourth which he cals Fructus Temporum also a Description of Britaine the life of Saint Edward and the History of King Arthur and lived in the yeare 1484. 67 Thomas Walsingham borne in Norfolke a Benedictine Monke of Saint Albans writ two Histories One shorter the other larger the first beginning from the yeare 1273. and continued to the yeare 1423. The other beginning at the comming in of the Normans and continued to the beginning of King Henry the sixth to whom he Dedicated his worke 68 Robert Fabian a Sheriffe of London writ a Concordance of Histories from Brute the first King of the Britaines to the last yeare of King Henry the second and another worke from King Richard the first to King Henry the seventh in whose time he lived 69 Sir Thomas Moore borne in London Lord Chancellour of England besides many other learned workes writ the Life of King Richard the third and dyed for denying the Kings Supremacy in the Reigne of King Henry the Eight in the yeare 1535. 70 Hector Boethius a Scotchman writ a Catalogue and History of the Kings of Scotland also a Description of that kingdome and lived in the yeare 1526. in the time of James the fifth King of Scotland 71 Polydor Virgill an Italian but made here in England Arch-deacon of Wells amongst other his learned workes writ the History of England from its first beginning to the thirtyeth yeare of King Henry the Eighth to whom he Dedicated his Worke. 72 Edward Hall a Lawyer writ a Chronicle which he cals the Union of the two Roses the Red and the White containing from the beginning of King Henry the fourth to the last yeare of King Henry the eighth and dyed in the yeare 1547. 73 John Leland a Londoner amongst divers other workes writ a Booke of the Antiquity of Britaine and of the famous men and Bishops in it and lived in the yeare 1546. in the time of King Henry the Eighth 74 John Rogers first a Papist and afterward a Protestant amongst other his learned workes writ a History from the beginning of the world and lived most in Germany in the yeare 1548. in the time of King Edward the sixth
75 Philip Commines a knight of Flanders writ the lives of Lewis Charles the Eighth Kings of France wherein he handles many passages betweene them and the Kings of England their contemporaries Of the Moderne These 76 Richard Grafton a Citizen of London writ a Chronicle from the beginning of the world to the beginning of the Reign of Queene Elizabeth in whose time he lived 77 Raphaell Holinshed a Minister writ a large Chronicle from the Conquest to the yeare 1577. and was continued by others to the yeare 1586. 78 Doctor Goodwin Bishop of Hereford writ the Lives of King Henry the eight King Edward the sixth and Queen Mary lived in the time of Qu. Elizabeth 79 Doctor Heyward writ the History of the first Kings William the Conquerour William Rufus and Henry the first also the Reigne of King Henry the fourth and Edward the sixth and lived to the time of King James 80 Samuel Daniel writ a Chronicle of the Kings of England to the end of King Edward the third and is continued by John Trussell to the beginning of King Henry the seventh 81 Sir Francis Bacon Viscount Viscount S. Albans hath written a History of the Reigne of King Henry the seventh in a most elegant stile and lived in the time of King James 82 John Fox writ three large Volumes of the Acts and Monuments of the Church particularly treating of the English Martyrs in the Reignes of King Henry the eighth and Queene Mary and lived in the time of Queene Elizabeth 83 Thomas Cowper Bishop of Winchester writ Chronicle Notes of all Nations specially of England from the beginning of the world to his owne time and lived in the time of Queene Elizabeth 84 William Camden King at Armes writ the life of Queene Elizabeth and a Description of Britaine and lived in the time of King James 85 William Martin Esquire writ the Reignes of the Kings of England from William the Conquerour to the end of King Henry the eighth to which was afterward added the Reignes of King Edward the sixth Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth 86 Francis Biondi an Italian Gentleman and of the Privy Chamber to King Charles hath written in the Italian tongue the Civill Warres between the two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke from King Richard the second to King Henry the seventh Translated elegantly into English by Henry Earle of Monmouth now living 87 Henry Isaacson a Londoner hath written a Chronology of all kingdoms from the beginning of the world to the yeare 1630. being the fifth yeare of King Charles his Reigne 88 Nicholas Harpsefield Arch-deacon of Canterbury hath written a Chronicle of all the Bishops of England to which Edmund Campian the Iesuite made an Addition 89 John Stow Citizen of London writ a Chronicle from Brute to the end of Qu. Elizabeth and is continued to this present time being the 18. yeare of King Charles by Edmund Howe 's a Londoner 90 John Speed a Londoner writ the Story of Britaine from the first beginning to the yeare 1605. being the second yeare of King James 91 William Abington Esquire hath written the Reign of King Edward the fourth in a very fine stile and is yet living 92 Thomas Fuller Batchelour of Divinity and Prebendary of Sarum hath written the Holy Warre in very fine language wherein he relates the Acts of our Kings of England in the Holy Land and is now living 93 Andre du Chesne a Frenchman Geographer to the King of France hath written the History of England Scotland Ireland from their first beginnings to the seventeenth yeare of our present Soveraigne Lord King Charles The end of the Catalogue of Authors A CHRONICLE OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND from the time of the Romans Government unto the Raigne of King CHARLES Of the first knowne times of this Island ALthough we begin the Aera of our Computation from William called the Conquerour as though he were the first King of our English Nation Yet before him were many other excellent Kings and their Acts perhaps as worthy to bee knowne if they could be knowne But seeing after ages can know nothing of former times but what is Recorded by writing It hath followed that as the first Writers were Poets So the first writings have been Fictions and nothing is delivered to Posterity of the most ancient times but very Fables Such as is the story of Albina of whom they say this Island was called Albion though others say ab albis rupibus of the white cliffes that shee should be● the eldest of the two and thirty daughters of Dioclesian King of Syria such as never was who being marryed to two and thirty Kings in one night killed all their husbands for which fact they were put in a shippe themselves alone without any Pylo● so to try their adventure and by chance arrived in this Island of whom Gyants were begotten And if you like not of this then have you the story of Albion the sonne of Neptune of whom the Island tooke its name But when these are exploded there followes another with great Attestation and yet as very a Fable as these namely the story of the Trojan Brute of whom the Island they say was called Britaine though many other causes are given of the name as likewise the story of Brutes cosin Corinaeus of whom they say the Country of Cornwall had its name to whom it was given for overcomming the Giant Gogmagog and that Brute having three sonnes Lectrine Albanact and Camber he gave at his death to his eldest sonne Locrine all the land on this side Humber and called it Lo●gria to his second sonne Albanact all the land beyond Humber of whom it was called Albania now Scotland and to his youngest sonne Camber all the land beyond the river of Severne of whom it was called Cambria now Wales with other such stuffe which may please children but not riper Judgements and were first broached by Geoffry Archdeacon of Monmouth for which all the Writers of his time cryed shame upon him and yet can scarce keepe many at this day from giving credit to his Fictions And when we are once gotten out of Fables and come to some truth yet that truth is delivered in such slender draughts and such broken pieces that very small benefit can be gotten by the knowing it and was not till the time of Iulius Caesar a thousand yeares after the Fable of Brute at which time the Island was yet but in manner of a Village being without Walls as having no shipping which are indeed the true Wals of an Island but onely certaine small vessels made of boards and wicker And as they had no ships for defence without So neither had they any Forts for defence within scarce any houses but such as were made of stakes and boughes of trees fastned together Neither was it yet come to be a Kingdome but was Governed by a number of petty Rulers So as Kent onely had in it as Caesar calleth them foure Kings
he resolved to set his whole state at stake and either to redeeme his disgrace or to forfeit his life So returning into Normandy he useth all his force in raising of Forces but King Henry suspecting his intentions and not using to give Insurrections time to ripen came upon him so suddenly with a mighty Army that he drew him to a battell before he was halfe ready to fight Yet desire of revenge so animated the Duke and the Duke his Souldiers that never battell was more fiercely fought and the Normans seemed at first to have the better till King Henry shewing himselfe in the Army put such courage into his Souldiers that they quickly made good the advantage they had in number and King Henry obtained a compleate victory both in slaughter of men of whom there wer● slaine above ten thousand and in taking of prisoners to the number of foure hundred amongst whom besides divers other Great ones as the Earle of Mortaigne William Crispine and William Ferreis was Duke Robert himselfe whom the King having first taken order for all things in his new State of Normandy brought over with him into England and committed him to the Castle of Cardyffe in Wales where he remained a prisoner till he dyed used for a time with reasonable liberty for Recreation till attempting to make an esc●pe it was thought fit to put out his eyes which though it encreased his misery yet it shortned not his life for he lived many yeares after in all from the time of his first imprisonment sixe and twenty And thus this great Duke who in his birth was the joy of Nature in his life was the scorne of Fortune and it is not unworthy the observing that the English wonne Normandy the very same day forty yeare the Normans had wonne England Such Revolutions of fortune there are in kingdomes and so unstable is the state of all worldly Greatnesse And now is King Henry as great as ever his Father was and as Greatnesse draws envy as much envyed as ever his Father was and as Envy makes Enemies as much opposed as ever his Father was for now Fulke Earle of Angio● and Baldwyne Earle of Flanders upon small occasions and Lewis the grosse King of France upon none but such as envy suggested seeking to place William Sonne to Duke Robert in his Right to Normandy assaulted the Kings Dominions perhaps to try whether Greatnesse had not made him unwieldy but King Henry to shew that Greatnesse had made him more Active went over into Normandy with a mighty Army and at Nice encountred the French King where a bloody Battell was fought with exceeding valour on both sides but at last King Henry repelled the French King and recovered Nice and after many other conflicts betweene them with variety of Fortune at l●st the King made peace with the Earle of Angiou confirmed by a marriage of the Earles Daughter with his Sonne William● and upon this also the two Kings grow to a peace in which William Son to King Henry being about seventeene yeares of age was invested into the Dutchy of Normandy doing homage for the same to the King of France From whence it was afterward a Custome that the King of Englands eldest Sonne as long as Normandy remained in their hands was made alwayes Duke of Normandy After this Charles Earle of Flanders being slaine at Bruxels by a conspiracy of his owne people and leaving no issue behind h●m Lewis King of France invested William Sonne to D●ke Robert in the Earledome of Flanders as descended from Ea●le Baldwyn whose Daughter Maude was wife to King William the first and Grandmother to this William so as William now having gotten this steppe of advanc●ment seekes to goe on and to recover Normandy and was thereof by assist●●ce of the King of France in a faire possibility when in a certaine light con●l●ct receiving a wound in his hand the thread of his faire possibility was upon a suddaine cut off and of that light wound he shortly after dyed King Henry now in perfect peace abroad was not without some little disquietings at home and marching thorow Powis-land in South Wales to represse some Insurrections of the Welsh he came to certaine Straights where his maine Army could not passe in which place the King was smitten with an Arrow full upon the breast whereat he swore by our Lords death his usuall Oath that it was no Welsh arme had shot that Arrow yet in this dist●esse for a thousand head of Cattell he had the passage left open and came safely off And these were his troubles of Armes both at home and abroad during all his Raigne His Taxations and wayes for raising of money TOwards the marriage of his Daughter Maude with the Emperour he obtained at his first Parliament at Salisbury three shillings upon every Hide of Land throughout the kingdome which was afterward drawne to a custome to receive ayde from the Subjects whensoever the King gave his eldest Daughter in marriage Besides this he had no more in all his Raigne but onely one supply for his Warres in France but he kept Bishoprickes and Abbeyes voyd in his hands and that of Canterbury five yeares together By an Act of Parliament or rather by a Synod of Bishops holden at London he was authorised to punish marriage and incontinency of Priests which the Bishops afterwards repented for he suffered Priests to have Wives for Fines or rather tooke Fines of them whether they had wives or no b●cause they might have them if they would Punishments which before his time were mutilation of Member he made Pecuniary And the Provisions of his house which were used to be paid in kind were in his time rated at certaine prizes and received in money By this Chapter and the next before it appeares there were in this Kings dayes but few troubles at home nor but few Taxations whereo● the one may be thought to be cause of the other the first perhaps of the second but certainely the second of the first Lawes first instituted in his t●me HE first instituted the forme of the High Court of Parliament for before his time onely certaine of the Nobility and Prelates of the Realme were called to consultation about the most important affaires of State but he caused the Commons also to be assembled by Knights and Burgesses of their owne appointment and made the Court to consist of three parts the Nobility the Clergy and the Common people representing the whole body of the Realme and appointed them to sit in severall Chambers the King the Bishops and Lords of the Realme in one Chamber and the Commons in another to conferre together by them●elves Other Orders of that Court he Ordained as they are in use at this day The first Councell of this sort was held at Salisbury on the 19. day of Aprill in the 16. yeare of his Raigne He forbad the wearing of long haire which at that time was frequent after the manner of the
Geoffrey of Monmouth Bishop of Saint Asaph in Wales Also Hugo Carthusianus a Burgundian but made Bishop of Lincolne here in England THE LIFE and RAIGNE OF KING HENRY THE SECOND KING Stephen being dead Henry Duke of Anjou by his Father Geoffry Plantagenet succeeded him in the Kingdome of England by agreement whom he preceded by right as being Sonne and Heire of Mawde sole daughter and Heire of King Henry the first and was crowned at Westminster by The●bald Arch-Bishop of Canterbury on the seventeenth of December in the yeare 1155. and was now a greater Prince then any of his Ancestours had beene before and indeed the Kingdome of England the Dukedome of Normandy and the Dukedome of Anjou in his owne right and in the right of his wife Queen Eleanor the Duchy of ●uyen and the Earldome of Poictou b●ing all united in his person made him a Dominion of a larger extent then any King Christian had at that time He was borne at Ments in Normandy in the yeare 1132. a great joy to his Father Geoffry Duke of Anjou a greater to his Mother Mawde the Empresse but so great to his Grandfather King Henry the first that it seemed to make amends for his sonne William whom unfortunately he had lost before by Shipwrack The yeares of his childhood were spent at home under the care of his Parents at nine yeares old or there abouts he was brought by his Unkle Robert Earle of Glocester into England and placed at Bristow where under the tuition of one Matthew his Schoolemaster to instruct him in learning he remained foure yeares after which time he was sent into Scotland to his great Unkle David King of Scots with whom he remained about two yeares initiated by him in the Principles of State but chiefely of his owne estate and being now about fifteene yeares of age was by him Knighted and though scarce yet ripe for Armes yet as a fruit gathered before its time was mellowed under the discipline of his Unkle Robert one of the best Souldiers of that time And now the Duke his Father not able any longer to endure his absence sent with great instance to have him sent over to him for satisfying of whose longing Earle Robert provided him of passage and conducted him himselfe to the Sea side where he tooke his last farewell of him Being come into Anjou his Father perhaps over-joyed with his presence not long after died leaving him in present possession of that Dukedome being now about nineteene yeares of age when shortly after he married Eleanor late the wife of Lewis King of France but now divorced A yeare or two after he came againe into England where after some velitations with King Stephen they were at last reconciled and his succession to the Crowne of England ratified by Act of Parliament Not long after he went againe into France and presently fell to besiege a Castle which was detained from him by the French King in the time of which siege newes was brought him of King Stephens death which one would have thought should have made him hasten his journey into England yet he resolved not to stirre till he had wonne the Caste which resolution of his being knowne to the Defendants they surrendred the Castle but yet no sooner but that it was sixe weekes after before he came into England when he was now about the age of three and twenty yeares His first Acts after he came to the Crowne He beganne his Raigne as Solomon would have begunne it if he had beene in his place for first he made choyce of wise and discreet men to be his Consellours then he banished out of the Realme all strangers and especially Flemmings with whom the Kingdome swarmed as of whom King Stephen had made use in his warres amongst whom was William of Ypres lately before made Earle of Kent Castles which by King Stephens allowance had beene built he caused to be demolished of which there were said to be eleven hundred and fifteene as being rather Nurseries of rebellion to the subject then of any safety to the Prince He appointed the most able men of that profession to reforme abuses of the Lawes which disorder of the wars had brought in He banished many Lords who against their Oath had assisted King Stephen against him as thinking that men onc● perjured would never be faithfull and to the end he might be the lesse pressing upon the people with Taxations he resumed all such Lands belonging to the Crown which had any way beene aliened or usurped as thinking it better to displease a few then many and many other things he did which in a disjoynted State were no lesse profitable and expedient then requisite and necessary His Troubles during his Raigne HE had no Competitors nor Pretenders with him for the Crowne and therfore his troubles at first were not in Capite strooke not at the roote as K. Stephens did but were onely some certaine niblings at inferiour parts till at last he brought them himselfe into his own bowels For what was the trouble in his first yeare with the Welsh but as an exercise rather to keep him in motion then that it needed to disquiet his rest for though they were mutinous for a time while they looked upon their owne Bucklers their Woods and Mountainous passages yet as soone as K. Henry did but shew his sword amongst them they were soone reduced to obedience for the present and to a greater awfulnesse for the future It is true Henry Earle of Essex that bore the Kings Standard was so assaulted by the Welsh that he let the Standard fall to the ground which encouraged the Welsh and put the English in some feare as supposing the King had beene slaine but this was soone frustrated to the Welsh and punished afterward in the Ea●le by condemning him to be shorne a Monke and put into the Abbey of Reading and had his lands seised into the Kings hands And what was his trouble with Malcolme King of Scots but a worke of his owne beginning for if he would have suffered him to enjoy that which was justly his owne Cumberland and Huntingtonshire by the grant of King Stephen and Northumberland by the gift of his Mother Maude the Empresse he might have staied quietly at home and needed not at all to have stir●ed his foote but he could not endure there should be such parings off from the body of his Kingdome and therefore went with an Army into the North where he wonne not but tooke Northumberland from him with the City of Carl●ill and the Castles of Newcastle and Bamberg and meerely out of gratefulnesse in remembrance of the many co●rtesies done him before by David King of Scots he left him the County of Hunting●on but yet with condition to owe feal●y and to doe homage to him for it And what was his trouble with his brother Geoffrey but a Bird of his owne hatching For his Father Geoffrey Duke of Anjou had three sonnes Henry
Nunnery of Marran neare to Linne Friers Minors first arrived at Dover nine in number whereof five remained at Canterbury and there builded the first Covent of Friers Minors that ever was in England the other foure came to London who encreasing in number had a place assigned them in Saint Nicholas Shambles which Iohn Iwyn Mercer of London appropriated to the use of the said Friers and became himselfe a Lay brother Also in this Kings time the new worke of Saint Pauls Church in London was begunne If it were piety in the Iew who falling into a Privie upon a Saterday would not be taken out that day because it was the Iewes Sabbath It was as much piety in the Earle of Glocester that would not suffer him to be taken out the next day because it was the Christian Sabbath and when the third day he was taken out dead whose piety was the greater A strange accident upon an act of piety is related in this Kings time which if true is a Miracle if not true is yet a Legend and not unworthy to be read that in a time of dearth one man in a certaine Parish who allowed poore people to relieve themselves with taking Corne upon his ground had at Harvest a plentifull crop where others that denied them had their Corne all blasted and nothing worth In this Kings time also Hugh Balsamus Bishop of Ely founded Saint Peters Colledge in Cambridge Hubert de Burgh Earle of Kent was buried in the Church of the Friers Preachers in London to which Church he gave his Palace at Westminster which afterward the Arch-bishop of Yorke bought and made it his Inne since commonly called Yorke place now White-Hall Casualties happening in his time AT one time there fell no Raine in England from the first of March to the Assumption of our Lady and at another time there fell so much Raine that Holland and Holdernes in Lincolneshire were over-flowed and drowned In the seventeenth yeare of his Raign were seene five Suns at one time together after which followed so great a Dearth that people were constrained to eate horse flesh and barkes of Trees and in London twenty thousand were starved for want of foode Also in his time the Church of Saint Mildred in Canterbury and a great part of the City was burnt Also the Towne of New-Castle upon Tine was burnt Bridge and all And though it may seeme no fit place to tell it yet here or no where it must be told that in this Kings time there was sent by the King of France the first Elephant that ever was seene in England Of his Wife and Children HE marryed Eleanor the second of the five Daughters of Raymond Earle of Provence who lived his Wife thirty seven yeares his Widow nineteene dyed a Nun at Aimesbury and was buryed in her Monastery By her he had sixe Sonnes and three Daughters of his Sonnes the foure youngest dyed young and were buryed three of them at Westminster and the fourth in the New Temple by Fleetstreet His eldest Sonne Edward surnamed Longshanke of his tall and slender body succeeded him in the kingdome His second Sonne Edmund surnamed Crouch-backe of bowing in his backe as some say but more likely of wearing the signe of the Crosse anciently called a Crouch upon his backe which was usually worne of such as had vowed voyages to Hierusalem as he had done He was invested Titular King of Sicilie and Apulia and created Earle of Lancaster on whose person originally the great contention of Lancaster and Yorke was Founded He had two Wives the first was Avelin Daughter and Heire of William Earle of Albemarle by whom he left no issue The second was Queene Blanch Daughter of Robert Earle of Artois Brother of Saint Lewis King of France Widow of Henry of Champaigne King of Navarre by her he had issue three Sonnes and one Daughter His eldest Sonne Thomas who after his Father was Earle of Lancaster and having marryed Alice Daughter and Heire of Henry Lacie Earle of Lincolne was beheaded at Pomfret without issue His second sonne Henry Lord of Monmouth who after his Brothers death was Earle of Lancaster and Father of Henry the first Duke of Lancaster his third Sonne Iohn who dyed unmarryed His Daughter Mary marryed to Henry Lord Percy Mother of Henry the first Earle of Northumberland This Edmund dyed at Bay in Gascoyne in the yeare 1296. when he had lived fifty yeares whose body halfe a yeare after his death was brought over into England and entombed at Westminster Of King Henries three Daughter the eldest Margaret was marryed to Alexander the third King of Scotland by whom she had issue two Sonnes Alexander and David who dyed both before their Father without issue and one Daughter Margar●t Queene of Norway Wife of King Erike and Mother of Margaret the Heire of Scotland and Norway that dyed unmarryed The second Daughter of King Henry was Beatrice borne at Burdeaux marryed to Iohn the first Duke of Britaine and had issue by him Arthur Duke of Britaine Iohn Earle of Richmont Peter and Blanch marryed to Philip Sonne of Robert Earle of Artois Eleanor a Nunne at Aimesbury and Mary marryed to Guy Earle of S. Paul● she deceased in Britaine and was buryed at London in the Quire of the Gray Fryers within Newgate The third Daughter of King Henry named Katherine dyed young and lies buryed at Westminster in the space betweene the Chappels of King Edward and Saint Benet Of his Personage and Conditions HE was of stature but meane yet of a well compacted body and very strong one of his eyelids hanging downe and almost covering the blacke of his Eye For his inward endowments it may be said he was wiser for a man then for a Prince for he knew better how to governe his life then his Subjects He was rather Pious then Devout as taking more pleasure in hearing Masses then Sermons as he said to the King of France He had rather see his Friend once then heare from him often His minde seemed not to stand firme upon its Basis for every sudden accident put him into passion He was neither constant in his love nor in his hate for he never had so great a Favorite whom he cast not into disgrace nor so great an Enemy whom he received not into favour An example of both which qualities was seene in his carriage towards Hubert de Burgh who was for a time his greatest Favourite yet cast out afterward in miserable disgrace and then no man held in greater ha●red yet received afterward into grace againe And it is memorable to heare with what crimes this Hubert was charged at his Arraignment and ●pecially one That to disswade a great Lady from marriage with the King he had said the King was a squint-eyed Foole and a kinde of Leper deceitfull perju●ed more faint-hearted then a Woman and utterly unfit for any Noble Ladies company For which and other crimes laid to his charge in the Kings Bench where
at Armes he is challenged at a Turneament with a pretence to solemnize his presence but with a purpose indeed to disgrace his person and though Prince Edward in many respects might justly have refused it yet the noblenesse of his mind would not suffer him to passe by any occasion of shewing his valour and in this 〈…〉 as he made it appeare that ●ame had beene no 〈…〉 the report it ma●e of hi● And here a great part of his English Nobility met 〈◊〉 from whence he passeth into France where the King Philip his ●eare Cou●● as being Sister Sonnes entertaines him with great solemnity and graceth his solemnity with so much courtesie that it wonne Prince Edward vol●ntarily to do him homage for the Territories he held in France this voluntarines in Prince Edward won the King of France againe to grant quietly unto him all the Lands in France that belonged to him and so these two great Kings by reciprocall courtesie effected that which thei● Predecessours by force could never effect From her 〈◊〉 passeth through A●uitaine and having there taken homage of his Subjects and set all things in order he set Saile and arrived in England above a yeare after the death of his Father a long time for plotting of mischiefe and a strong temptation to plotters of mischiefe if all the causes of quietnesse had not concurred but such was the worthinesse of Prince Edwards person and such the undoubtednesse of his Title that as there could be no Competitour so there would be no Oppugner● And indeed the Divine Providence had shewed a speciall care over him from his Child-hood whereof one or two Examples will not be unfit to be related One was this that being yet but young and playing one time at Chesse with a Friend in the midst of his game without any apparent occasion he removed himselfe from the place where he sate when suddenly there fell from the roofe of the house a great stone which if he had stayed in the place but never so little had beaten out his braines Another Example of the Divine Providence over him though it happened afterwards was this Having prepared a great Fleete of Ships for a journey into Flanders and being at Winchelsey where the Ships were to meete it happened that riding about the Harbour his Horse frighted with the noyse of a Windmill which the wind drove violently about skrambled up and leapt over the Mud●wall of the Towne so as neither the King nor the Horse was to be seene but every one judged the King could not chuse but be throwne and killed yet such was the Divine Providence over him that the Horse lighted upon his feet and the King keeping the Saddle returned safe And under the wing of this Divine Providence he had now passed all the dangers of his tedious Journey and being safely come to London was on the fifteenth day of August in the yeare 1274. Crowned at Westminster together with his Wife Queene Eleanor by Robert Kilwarby Arch-bishop of Canterbury where five hundred great Horses were let loose for any that could take them and yet the outward solemnity was not more great then the inward joy was universall every man rejoycing not onely at a change which of it selfe is pleasing but at a change so much for the better as this was like to be Of his Acts done after he was Crowned THe Acts of this King after he was Crowned may not unfitly be divided into five parts His Acts with his Temporall Lords His Acts with his Clergy Then with Wales Then his Acts with Scotland And lastly with France And first concerning his Lords he gave them good contentment in the beginning of his Raigne by enlarging their liberties and granting them easier Lawes for which purpose he called a Parliament wherein were made the Statutes called of Westminster the first so as he had no difference with them till toward the end of his Raigne as shall be shewed hereafter In the next place concerning his Acts with his Clergy he began with them betimes for having lived to be of good age three or foure and thirty yeares old in his Fathers Raigne he observed in that time that their power was too predominant and therefore thought fit to clip their wings at least to keepe them from farther growing which he did by these meanes First in the sixth yeare of his Raigne he deprived many chiefe Monasteries of their Liberties and tooke from the Abbot and Covent of Westminster the Returne of Writs granted them by the Charter of his Father King Henry the third The next yeare after he got to be enacted the Statute of Mortmaine to hinder the encrease of their Temporall Possessions In the second Statute of Westminster he defalked the Jurisdiction of Ecclesiasticall Judges and growing more upon them he required the moity of all their Goods as well Temporall as Spirituall for one yeare Then cals he a Parliament of his Nobles at Salisbury without admission of any Church-men in it And it is worth the noting that Marchian his Treasurer acquainting him that in Churches and Religious houses there was much treasure to be had if it might be taken he made no scruple of it but caused it to be taken and brought into his Exchequer But finding his Prelates not well contented with it to please them againe he bids them aske something of him wherein they should see how much he favoured them And they asking of him to repeale the Statute of Mortmaine that had beene made so much to their hinderance He answered that this was a Statute made by the whole body of the Realme and therefore was not in his power who was but one Member of that Body to undoe that which all the Members together had done and perhaps whatsoever they should have asked else he would have had an answer to redeeme his Offer And thus much concerning his Clergy In the next place are the Welsh who had themselves begun with the King For their Prince Leolyn being summoned to attend at his Coronation refused to come and afterward at more leisure being required to come and doe his Homage he stood upon termes of safe conduct pretending doubt to be used as his Father Gryffin had beene who upon hard usage in the Tower seeking to make escape fell from the Walls and brake his necke But indeed it was alwayes a Custome with this Nation at every change of Princes in England to try conclusions hoping at one time or other to have a day of it and to change their yoke of bondage into liberty for which they were never better Provided then now especially which is the greatest matter in Warre having a Valiant Prince to be their Leader But there happened an accident which tooke off their edge at this time For the Lady Eleanor a Daughter of the late Earle Simon Montford whom Prince Leolyn extreamely loved being passing out of France into Wales was by the way upon the Sea taken by English ships and
men of that kingdome except onely Walleys once againe sweare Fealty to the King of England It seemes swearing of Fealty was with the Scots but a Ceremony without substance as good as nothing for this is now the third time they swore Fealty to King Edward yet all did not serve to make them loyall for not long after comes the newes of a new King made and Crowned in Scotland Robert Bruce Earle of Carrick sonne to that Bruce who was competitour with Baylioll escaping out of England becomes Head to the confused Body of that kingdome and perceiving Iohn Cummyn who had a title himselfe to goe about to bewray his intentions to King Edward he finding him at Dunfrayes sets upon him and murthers him in the Church Whereof as soone as King Edward heard he sends Aymer de Valence Earle of Pembroke and the Lords Clifford and Percie with a strong power to revenge the death of Cummyn and to relieve his Wardens of Scotland who upon Bruces revolt were all retired to Berwicke whilst himselfe prepares an Army to follow wherein to be the more nobly attended he caused Proclamation to be made that whosoever ought by their Paternall succession or otherwise had meanes of their owne for service should repaire to Westminster at the Feast of Pentecost to receive the Order of knighthood and a Military Ornament out of the Kings Wardrobe Hereupon three hundred young Gentlemen all the sonnes of Earles Barons and knights assemble at the day appointed and receive Purples silkes Sindons Scarffes wrought with Gold or Silver according to every mans Estate For which traine because the Kings House was too little by reason a part of it had beene lately burnt roome is made and the Apple-trees cut downe at the new Temple for their Tents where they attire themselves and keepe their Vigile The Prince whom the King then likewise knighted and gave him the Dutchy of Aquitaine kept his Vigile with his Traine at Westminster and the next day girds these three hundred knights with the Military Belt in such manner as he himselfe had received it Which done the King before them all makes a Vow that alive or dead he would revenge the death of Cummyn upon Bruce and the perjured Scots Adjuring his Sonne and all the Nobles about him upon their Fealty that if he dyed in this Journey they should carry his Corps with them about Scotland and not suffer it to be interred till they had vanquished the Usurper and absolutely brought the Country to Subjection The Prince and all the Nobles promise upon their Faith to imploy their uttermost power to performe his Vow and herewithall he sets forth with a potent Army presently after Whitsontide and makes his last Expedition into Scotland in the foure and thirtieth yeare of his Raigne The Earle of Pembroke with that power sent before and aid of the Scottish party had before the King arrived in Scotland defeated in a battaile neare Saint Iohns Towne the whole Army of the new King and narrowly missed the taking of his Person but he escaping in disguise and sheltring himselfe in obscure places was reserved for greater Battailes his Brothers Nigell Bruce and shortly after Thomas and Alexander a Priest were taken and Executed after the manner of Traytors at Berwicke And now King Edward had done for Fighting all was now for Executions and indeed his desire of Revenge made him inexorable and vow to spare none of what degree soever The Earle of Atholl though of Royall blood and allyed unto him was sent to London where all his preferment was to have a higher paire of Gallowes then the rest The Wife of Robert Bruce taken by the Lord Rosse is sent Prisoner to London and his Daughter to a Monastery in Lindsey The Countesse of Boughan who had beene ayding at Bruces Coronation is put into a woodden Cage and hung out upon the walls of Berwicke for people to gaze on But though Bruces party was thus dejected and himselfe at this time appeared not but shifted privily from place to place in a distressed manner attended onely with two Noble Gentlemen who neeer forsooke him in his misfortunes the Earle of Lenox and Gilbert Hay yet gives he not over but gathers new Forces with which he suddenly assailes the Earle of Pembroke at unawares gives him a great defeate and within three dayes after chaseth the Earle of Glocester into the Castle of Aire where he besieged him till by the Kings Forces he was driven againe to his former retire Whereupon King Edward who had spent his Winter at Carlile in Iuly following with a fresh Army enters Scotland himselfe but falling into a Dysentery or Bloody-flix at Borough upon the Sands he ended his life and thus ended King Edwards troubles with Scotland but not Englands troubles which are more to come then yet are past But though this businesse of Scotland never left King Edward till his dying day yet it had been upon him but as an Ague sometimes putting him into violent heats and sometimes leaving him in a quiet temper with such a vicissitude that when he had quietnesse with Scotland he had troubles with France whereof the time is now to speake It is well knowne that Philip King of France Father of the present King and Edward King of England were neare Cousins the Sonnes of two Sisters and it hath beene shewed before at King Edwards returning from the Holy Land and passing through France what extraordinary kindnesse and mutuall courtesie passed betweene them that one would have thought neither they no● theirs should ever have falne out and perhaps never should if they had beene private men and not Princes For private men may easily continue Friends as having none to consider but themselves but Princes hardly as having besides themselves their Subjects to consider And though they be the Subjects oftentimes that make the Quarrell yet they are the Princes that must maintaine it And besides betweene Princes there can never be but jealousies and where jealousies are every trifle makes a quarrell And this was the case of these two Kings certaine of the King of Englands Subjects had upon the Coast of Normandy done spoyle to some Subjects of the King of France and this difference of the Subjects made a difference betweene the Kings while each of them standing in defence of his owne fall out themselves and for a beginning the King of France summons King Edward as owing homage to that Crowne to appeare and answer it in his Court. And King Edward though voluntarily before he had done it in a way of Courtesie yet being now impetiously commanded he refuseth it upon which refusall all his Territories in France are condemned to be forfaited and an Army is presently sent to seise upon the same led by Charles de Valois and Arnold de Neele Constable of France Burdeaux with divers other Peec●s of importance are taken from him And now King Edward well knowing what danger it was to have so powerfull an
was the marke now aimed at having taken away his kingdome openly how they might take away his life secretly be the Authours of it and not be seene in it but this must be the Contents of a Chapter hereafter Of his Taxations BY this King it appeares there is something else besides the grievance of Taxations that alienates the mindes of English Subjects from their King for never were fewer Taxations then in this Kings time yet never were the Subjects minds more alienated from their King then they were from him Before his Coronation in a Parliament holde● at Westminster ●●ere was granted him a fifteenth of the Clergy and a twentieth of the Temporalty In his fifth yeare in a Parliament at L●●don was granted him a fifteenth of the Temporalty In his fifteenth yeare was granted the sixth pen●y of temporall mens Goods through England Ireland and Wales towards his Warre● with Scotland And more then these we reade not of but then at the defeate of the Earle of Lancaster there were Confiscations that supplyed the place of Taxations by which as one saith he became the richest King that had beene since the Conquest Of his Lawes and Ordinances HE Ordained that the moneyes of his Father though counted base by the People should be currant In the eight yeare of his Raigne by reason of a dear●h which raised the price of all Victuals it was Ordained by Parliament that an Oxe fatted with grasse should be sold for fifteene shillings fatted with Corne for twenty the best Cow for twelve shillings a fat Hogge of two yeares old three sh●llings foure pence a fat Sheepe shorne foureteene pence with the Fleece twenty pence a fat Goose for two pence halfe-penny a fat Capon two pence a fat Hen a penny foure Pigeons a penny whosoever sold for more should forfait their Ware to the King But after these Rates imposed all kinde of Victuals grew so scarce that provision could hardly be made for the Kings house whereupon shortly after the Order was revoked and Market Folkes permitted to make the best of their Wares In this Kings time an Ordinance was made against knights Templars accused of Heresie and other crimes and they were all apprehended and committed to divers Prisons The like was done by all the Kings of Christendome at one instant being condemned in a Generall Counsell at Vienna In the 14. yeare of his Raigne on the 15. of October the Clerkes of the Exchequer went towards Yorke with the Booke called Domus Dei and other Records and Provision that laded one and twenty Carts but within halfe a yeare they were brought backe againe Affaires of the Church in his time IN the 17. yeare of his Raign the Bishop of Hereford was arrested● accused of High Treason for aiding the Kings enemies in their late rebellion but he refu●ed to answer being a consecrated Bishop without leave of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury whose Suffragan he was and who he said was his direct Judge next the Pope or without the consent of his fellow Bishops who then all arose and humbly craved the Kings Clemency in his behalfe but finding the King implacable they tooke him away from the Barre and delivered him to the custody o● the Arch-bishop of Canterbury shortly after he was againe taken and convented as before which the Clergy understanding the Arch-bishops Canterbury Yorke and Dublin with tenne other Bishops all with their Crosses erected went to the place of Judgement and againe tooke him away with them charging all men upon paine of Excommunication to forbeare to lay violent hands upon him with which audacious Act the King was so much displeased that he presently commanded inquiry to be made ex Officio Iudicis concerning those Objections against the Bishop wherein he was found guilty though absent and had all his Goods and Possessions seised into the Kings hands In this Kings time the Crowchet Fryers came first into England In his time Pope Iohn the two and twentieth first Instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi begunne before by Urban the fourth Workes of piety done by him or by others in his time THis King founded Oriall Colledge and Saint Mary Hall in Oxford He builded ● Church of Fryers at his Manour of Langley where the soule of Gaveston should b● prayed for In this Kings twentieth yeare Richard Rothing Sheriffe of London b●●lded the Parish Church of Garlickhithe in London Ralph Baldocke Bishop of London gave two thousand Markes to the building of the new Worke of the Chappell on the South side of Pauls Church And left much more by his Testament Casualties IN the eighth yeare of this Kings Raigne was so great a dear●h that Horses and Dogges were eaten and Theeves in prison pluckt in peeces those that were newly brought in amongst them and eate them halfe alive which continuing three yeares brought in the end such a pestilence that the living scarce sufficed to bury the dead In the fourth yeare of his Raigne the Church of Middleton in Dorsetshire with all the Monuments was consumed with Lightning the Monkes being at Mattins In this Kings time digging the Foundation of a worke about Pauls were found more then a hundred heads of Oxen and kine which confirmed the opinion that of old time it had beene the Temple of Iupiter and that there was the Sacrifice of Beasts Of his Wife and Children HE marryed Isabel Daughter of Philip the Faire King of France she being but twelve yeares of age who lived his Wife twenty yeares his Widdow thirty and dying at threescore and three yeares old at Rysings neare London was buried in the midst of the Gray Fryers Quire in London By her he had issue two Sons and two Daughters his eldest Sonne named Edward of Windsor because borne there succeeded him in the kingdome His second Sonne named Iohn of Eltham because borne there was at twelve yeares old created Earle of Cornwall he dyed in Scotland in the flowre of his Youth unmarryed His eldest Daughter Ioane being a childe was marryed in the fourth yeare of King Edward her Brother to D●vid Prince of Scotland Sonne to King Robert Bruce at seven yeares old who comming afterward into England to visit her Brother dyed here and was buryed at the Gray Fryers in London His second Daughter Eleanor was marryed to Reginold the second Earle of Gelder with a portion of fifteene thousand pounds and had issue by him two Sonnes who were Earles successively Of his Personage and Conditions HE was faire of body and of great strength but given much to drinke which made him oftentimes bewray his owne Secrets For his other conditions his greatest fault was that he loved but one for if his love had beene divided it could not have beene so violent He was extreame in nothing but in loving and though love moderated be the best of affections yet the extremity of it is the worst of passions He was rather unfortunate then unhappy seeing unfortunatenesse is in the Event unhappinesse in the Cause and
Sir Iames Dowglasse the King surrenders by his Charter all his title of Soveraignty to the Kingdome of Scotland restores divers Deeds and Instruments of their former Homages and Fealties with the famous Evidence called Ragmans Roll and many ancient Jewels and Monuments amongst which was the blacke Crosse of Scotland and besides any English man is prohibited to hold lands in Scotland unlesse he were a dweller there In consideration whereof King Bruce was to pay thirty thousand Markes and to renounce his claime to the Counties of Cumberland and Northumberland and any other place possessed by him in England This was no good beginning and yet worse followed after For another Parliament being holden at Winchester Edmund Earle of Kent the Kings Unkle is there accused and condemned upon his confession for intending to restore his brother the late King Edward an intention onely without any fact yet condemned he was and brought to the Scaffold but generally so beloved of the people that he stood on the Scaffold from one a clocke till five before any executioner could be found that would doe the office till at last a silly wretch of the Marshalsey was gotten to cut off his head But the Authors of his death escaped not long themselves for in the third yeare of the Kings Raigne another Parliament is holden at Nottingham wherein the Queen hath all her great Joynture taken from her and is put to her Pension of a thousand pounds a yeare and her selfe confined to a Castle where she remained the rest of her dayes no fewer then thirty yeares a time long enough to finde that her being the daughter of a King the sister of a King the wife of a King and the mother of a King were glorious titles but all not worth the liberty of a meane estate and as for Mortimer lying then in the Castle of Nottingham and lately created Earle of the Marches of Wales he was seised on in this manner the King taking with him William Montacute Robert Holland and others goe secretly one night by Torch-light through a privie way under ground till they came to the Queenes Chamber where leaving the King without they entred and found the Queene with Mortimer ready to goe to bed then laying hands on him they led him forth after whom the Queene followed crying Bel fits ●el fits ayes pitie du gentil Mortimer good son good sonne take pity upon the gentle Mortimer suspecting that her sonne had beene amongst them this course was taken to apprehend him for avoyding of tumult he having no fewer then ninescore knights and Gentlemen besides other meaner servants continually about him But thus seised on he is committed presently to the Tower accused of divers great crimes whereof these were chiefe that he had procured the late Kings death that he had beene the author of the Scots safe escaping at Stanhope Parke corrupted with the gift of thirty thousand pounds that he had procured the late marriage and Peace with Scotland so dishonourable to the King and kingdome that he had beene too familiar with the Queene as by whom she was thought to be with child of which Articles he is found guilty and condemned and thereupon is drawne and hanged on the common Gallowes at the Elmes now called Tiburne where his body remained two dayes as an opprobrious spectacle for all beholders After these businesses in England there comes a new businesse upon him from the King in France for about this time Philippe le Bel King of France the Queens brother dying without issue the right of succession to the Crowne is devolved upon the Heire to Charles a former King wherein are competitours Philip Duke de Valois and Edward King of England Edward is the nearer in bloud bu● drawes his Pedegree by a Female Philippe the further off but descending by all Males and because the Law Salique excluding Females was conceived as well to exclude all descendants by Females therefore is Philips title preferred before King Edwards and Philip is received and crowned King of France to which preferment of his Robert d' Arthois a Peere of great power gave no small furtherance And now as soone as Philip was Invested in the Crowne he summons King Edward to come and doe his Homage for the Dutchy of Guyenne and his other lands in France held of that Crowne according to the custome which though it were some prejudice to King Edwards claime afterward yet in regard his kingdome of England was scarce well setled and himselfe but young he was contented to doe and thereupon the sixth of Iune in the yeare 1329. King Edward in a Crimson Velvet gowne imbroidered with Leopards with his Crowne on his head his Sword by his side and golden Spurres on his heeles presents himselfe in the body of the Cathedrall Church of Amyens before King Philip sitting in his Chaire of Estate in a Velve● Gowne of a Violet colour imbroydered with Flowers de lys of Gold his Crowne on his head and his Scepter in his hand with all his Princes and Peeres about him The Viscount Melun Chamberlaine of France first commands King Edward to pu● off his Crowne his Sword and his Spurres and to kneele downe which he did on a Crimson Velvet Cushion before King Philip and then the Viscount putting both his hands together betweene the hands of the King of France pronounced the words of the Homage which were these You become Liegeman to my Master here present as Duke of Aquitaine and Peere of France and you promise to beare faith and loyalty unto him Say yea and King Edward said yea and kissed the King of France in the mouth as Lord of the Fee The like Homage also he did for the Earldome of Ponthieu But this act of submission left a rancour in King Edwards heart which afterwards brake so out that it had beene good for France 〈◊〉 had never beene exacted This done King Edward returnes home and there finds a new busines with Scotland upon this occasion Edward Baylioll sonne to Iohn Baylioll sometimes King of Scotland two and thirty yeares after his fathers deposition beganne now to shew himselfe attempting the recovery of that Crowne and comming out of Fra●ce where he had all that while remained and getting aide under-hand in Engla●d with them he suddenly assailes those who had the government of Scotland during the Nonage of the young King David being at that time with the King of Fra●ce and in a battell overcame them with the slaugher of many Noble men and thousands of the common people and thereupon was immediatly Crowned King of Scotland at Scone But notwithstanding this great defeat King Baylioll was forced to retire him into England to get more aide of King Edward who now shewes himselfe in the action joynes with Baylioll against his brother in Law King David goes in person with a strong Army to recover Berwicke which after three moneths siege being valiantly defended by the Lord Seton was taken in and the Army
himselfe● and first marching through 〈◊〉 where he takes in many Townes he plants his si●ge afterward before 〈◊〉 but having spent there sixe or seven weekes without effecting any thing he ●asseth thence and takes in the Cities of Sens Nevers the Dutchy of B●rgoyne redeemes it self from spoil with paying two hundred thousand Flo●ens of gold then he marcheth up to ●aris and plants his Camp within two small Leagues of the Tow●● where ●e honoured 400. Esquires and Gentlemen with the Order of knighthood but when Sir Walter de Manny had made a Bravado before the Gates of the City and the King saw that the Daulphin would by no provocations be drawne out to battell he raiseth his siege and returnes into Bri●aine to refresh his Army from thence he marcheth towards Char●res with a purpose to besiege that City and though great offers were made him by the French and Commissioners from the Pope solicited him with all earnestnesse to accept them yet neither they nor the Duke of Lancasters perswasions could prevaile with him till a terrible ●torme of haile with thunder and lightning fell upon his Army which so terrified him being a warning as it were from Heauen that he presently vowed to make Peace with the French King upon any reasonable conditions as shortly after he did at a Treaty of Britigny neare to Chartres upon these Articles that the Fiefs of Thouars and Belleville the Dutchy of Guyenne comprising Gascoyne Poictou San●ogne Limo●sin Perigort Quercie Rhodes Angoulesme and Rochell together with the Counties of Guysnes and Callice and some other places with the Homages of the Lords within those Territories should be to the King of England who besides was to have three Millions of crownes of gold● whereof sixe hundred thousand in hand foure hundred thousand the yea●e following and the rest in two yeares after and for this the King of England and his sonne the Prince of Wales for them and their successours for ever should renounce all their right pretended to the C●owne of France the Dutchy of Normandy the Countries of Touraine Anjou Mayne the Homage and Soveraignty of Britaine and the Earledome of Flanders and within three weekes King Iohn to be rendred at Callice at the charge of the King of England except the expenses of his house For assurance of which accord should be given into his hand five and twenty of the greatest Dukes and Lords of France for Hostages The Scots not to be aided by the French King nor the Flemmings by the English This accord and finall Peace signed by both Kings was ratified by their two eldest sonnes Edward and Charles and sworne unto by the Nobility of both kingdomes The Hostages are delivered to King Edward who brought them into England and thereupon King Iohn is honourably conducted to Callice after he had remained prisoner in England neare about five yeares but being come to Callice he was detained there above three moneths till the money which he was to pay in hand could be provided and for providing the rest he was put to hard shifts being faine to give the Iewes leave to dwell in France for twenty yeares paying twelve Florins a man at the entry and sixe every yeare after At this time the Prince by dispensation marries the Countesse of Kent daughter to Edmund brother to Edward the second and his Father investing him with the Dutchy of Aquitaine he was now Prince of Wales Duke of Aquitaine Duke of Cornwall and Earle of Chester and Kent and not long after with the Princesse his wife he passeth over into France and keepes his Court at Burdeaux This was now the yeare 1362. and the fiftieth yeare of King Edwards age wherein for a Iubilee he shewes himselfe extraordinarily gracious to his peopl● freely pardoning many offences relesing prisoners revoking exiles with many other expressions of his love and bounty The yeare following was famous for three Kings comming into England Iohn King of France Peter King of Cyprus and D●vid King of Scots The King of Cyprus came to solicite King Edward to joyne with other Princes in the Holy Warre but receives onely royall entertainment and excuses The King of Scots came for businesse and visitation but why the King of France came is not so certaine whether it were about taking order for his Hostages or to satisfie King Edward for breach of some Articles or else for love to the Countesse of Salisbury or perhaps out of a desire to let England see his Majesty being at liberty which had beene darkened before by the cloud of captivity but whatsoever the cause of his comming was the cause of his staying at least of longer staying then he meant was a mortall sicknesse whereof having lien all the Winter at the Savoy in March or Aprill following he died and his body convaied over into France was buried at Saint Donis with his Ancestours The Prince of Wales was now growne famous all the Christian world over and the man to whom all wronged Princes seemed to appeale and to flie for succour for which end there came at this time to his Court Iames King of Majorque and happened to come at a time when the Princesse lay in and thereupon he and Richard King of Navarre were taken to be Godfathers to his sonne Richard For the like assistance also there came at the same time to him Peter King of Castile driven out of his kingdome by the French in favour to Peter King of Aragon and Prince Edward partly out of charity to succour a distressed Prince and partly out of policy to keepe his Souldiers in exercise undertakes the enterprise and was so prosperous in it that with one battell having but thirty thousand against a hundred thousand hee put King Peter in possession of his kingdome though he was ill rewarded for his labour for the ungratefull King would not so much as pay his Souldiers An unfortunate journey for the Prince for though he came back with victory yet he brought backe with him such an indisposition of body that he was never throughly well after not perhaps by poyson nor given him by his brother the Duke of Lancaster though both were suspected but there were causes of distempering him enough besides the Countrey the season the action it selfe and it may be more marvelled that his Souldiers came home so well then that he came so ill but howsoever being now returned there was presently to his indisposition of body added discontentment of minde for not having meanes to pay his Souldiers which forced him to winke at that which he could not chuse but see and seeing grieve at how they preyed upon the Countrey and thereupon how the Countrey murmured against him and now to stop this murmuring his Chancellour the Bishop of Rhodes devised a new Imposition of leavying a Frank for every Chimney and this to continue for five yeares to pay the Princes debts but this Imposition made the murmuring the more for though some part of his Dominions
Blake a Lawyer Shortly after the Parliament began called afterward The Parliament that wrought wonders On the first day whereof were arrested as they sate in their places all the Justices but onely Sir William Skipwith as Sir Roger Fulthorpe Sir Robert Belknappe Sir Iohn Cary Sir Iohn Holt Sir William Brooke and Iohn Alac●on the kings Serjeant at Law and were all sent to the Tower for doing contrary to an Agreement made the last Parliament Also in the beginning of this Parliament Robert Veere Duke of Irel●nd Alexander Nevill Archbishop of York Michael de la Poole Earle of Suffolke and Sir Robert Tresilian Lord Chiefe Justice of England were openly called to answer Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester Richard Earle of Arundell Henry Earle of Darby and Thomas Earle of Nottingham upon certaine Articles of high Treason and because none of them appeared It was ordained by whole consent of Parliament they should be banished for ever and all their land● and goods ●eized into the Kings hands their intailed lands onely excepted Shortly after the Lord Chief Justice Robert Tresilian was found in an Apothecaries house in Westminster where being taken he was brought to the Duke of Glocester who caused him the same day to be had to the Tower and from thence drawne to Tyburne and there hanged On the morrow after Sir Nicolas Brember was brought to his Answer who being found guilty was beheaded with an Axe which himselfe had caused to be made for beheading of others After this Sir Iohn Salisbery and Sir Iames Berneys lusty young men were drawne and hanged as also Iohn Be●●champ L. Steward of the Kings house Iohn Blake Esquire and lastly Sir Symon Burley sonne to the great Sir Iohn Burley Knight of the Garter was beheaded on Tower-hill whose death the King tooke more heavily and more heynously then all the rest Also all the Justices were condemned to dye but by the Queenes intercession they were onely banished the Realme and all their lands and goods confiscate onely a small portion of money was assigned them for their sustentation Finally in this Parliament an Oath was required and obteined of the King that he should stand unto and abide such Rule and Order as the Lords should take and this Oath was required also of all the Inhabitants of the Realme In the later end of the Kings eleventh yeere the Earle of Arundell was sent to Sea with a great Navy of ships and men of warre with whom went the Earles of Nottingham and Devonshire Sir Thhmas Percy the Lord Clifford the Lord Camoi● Sir William Elmham and divers other Knights to ayde the Duke of Britaine against the king of France but before they came the Duke of Britaine was reconciled to the king of France and so needing not their ayde all this great Fleet returned with doing nothing And it was indeed a yeere of doing nothing unlesse we reckon some petty Inroades of the Scots and that Sir Thomas Tryvet dyed with a fall off his horse and that Sir Iohn Holland the Kings brother by the mother was made Earle of Huntington and that there was Contention in Oxford between the Northerne and the Southerne Scholars which was pacified by the Duke of Glocester In his twelveth yeere Commissioners were appointed to meet at Balingham betwixt Calli● and Bulloigne to treat of a Peace betweene the Realmes of England France and Scotland and after long debating a Truce was at last concluded to begin at Midsomer next and to last three yeeres But now the king to shew his plenary authority of being at full age removed the Archbishop of York from being Lord Chancellor and put in his place William Wickham Bishop of Winchester also he removed the Bishop of Hereford from being Treasurer and put another in his place The Earle of Arundell likewise unto whom the Government of the Parliament was committed and the Admiralty of the Sea was removed and the Earle of Huntington put in his roome About this time the Lord Iohn Hastings Earle of Pembrooke as he was practising to learne to Just was stricken about the Privy parts by a knight called Sir Iohn St. Iohn of which hurt he soone after dyed In whose Family it is memorable that for many Generations together no sonne ever saw his father the father being alwaies dead before the sonne was borne The Originall of this Family was from Hastings the Dane who in the Reigne of K. Alured long before the Conquest about the yeere 890. came with Rollo j●to England But howsoever in this Iohn Hastings ended the then Honorable Titles of the Hastings for this man dying without issue his Inheritances were dispersed to divers persons The Honour of Pembrooke came to Francis at Court by the kings Gift the Baronies of Hastings and Welford came to Reynold Gray of Ruthin the Barony of Aburg●veny was granted to William Bea●●hamp of Bedford About this time Iohn Duke of Lancaster was created Duke of Aquitaine receiving at the Kings hands the Rod and the Cap as Investitures of that Dutchy Also the Duke of York's sonne and heire was created Earle of Richmond In his thirteenth yeere a Royall Justs was Proclaimed to be holden within Smithfield in London to begin on Sunday next after the Feast of S. Michael which being published not onely in England but in Scotland in Almaigne in Flanders in Brabant and in France many strangers came hither amongst others Valeran Earle of S. Poll that had maried king Richards Sister and William the young Earle of Ostervant sonne to Albert de Bav●ere Earl of Hollond and Heynoult At the day ●ppointed there issued forth of the Tower about three a clock in the afternoone sixty Coursers apparrelled for the Justs and upon every one an Esquire of Honour riding a soft pace After them came forth foure and thirty Ladies of Honour Froyssard saith threescore mounted on Palfries and every Lady led a knight with a chaine of Gold These knights being on the Kings part had their armour and apparell garnished with white Hearts and Crownes of Gold abo●● their necks and so they came riding through the streets of London unto Smithfield The Justs lasted divers dayes all which time the King and Queen lay at the Bishops Palace by Pauls Church and kept open house for all Commers In his Fifteenth yeere the Duke of Lancaster went into France having in his traine a thousand horse and met the king of France at A●iens to treat of a Peace between the two kingdomes but after long debate a Truce onely was concluded for a yeere About this time also the King required the Londoners to lend him a Thous●nd pounds which they refused ●o doe and not onely so but they abused an Italian Merchant for offering to lend it This moved the King to some indignation to which was added the complaint of a Ryot committed by the Citizens against the servants of the Bishops of Sali●bury L. Treasurer for that where one of the Bishops servants named Walter Roman had taken a
to deliver Mortimer but the King was deafe of that eare he could rather have wished both him and his two Sisters in heaven for then he should be free from conceal'd competitours These affronts were at this time suffered in the Welch because the King was now employed in a more dangerous service with the Scots for they taking advantage of the distraction in the kingdome as it was alwayes their custome to do had made an In-rode into the County of Northumberland and sudden●y one night set upon the Castle of Werke tooke and spoiled it and then returned In revenge wherof the English invaded and spoiled certain Islands of the Orkn●ys Then the Scots set forth a Fleet under the conduct of Sir Robert Logon but before he came to any action he was encountred and the greatest part of his Fleet taken But these were but such affronts as often happen between troublesome neighbours for all this while the Peace was still in being between the Nations but at last it brake out into an open warre upon this occasion Robert King of Scots had offered to match his Son David with a D●ughter of Geo●ge Earle of Dunbarre and had received money of him in part of her portion and afterward would neither suffer the March to proceed nor yet pay back the money but married his Son to a Daughter of Archibold Earle of D●●glasse Upon which indignity George of Dunbarre flyes into England to king Henry and with his ayd makes divers incursions into Sco●land Whereupon Rober● king of Scots sent to king Henry that if he would have the Truce between them to continue he should deliver to him George of Dunbarre King Henry answered that he had given him a safe conduct and could not now recall it with his Honor but as for continuing the Truce king Robert might do in that what he thought best● Upon this answer the king of Scots presently proclaimed warre against him But king Henry as ready in that matter as he stayed not for king Roberts invading of England but himselfe with a puissant Army invaded Scotland burning Castles and Cities and not sparing Churches and Religious Houses About the end of September he besieged the Castle of Maydens in Edenbourgh where Prince David and the Earle Dowglasse were At which time Robert Duke of Albanye who in the king of Scots sicknesse managed the businesse sent an Herald to king Henry protesting upon his honor that if he would stay but six dayes he would give him battell K. Henry rewarded the Herald and stayed but six times six dayes passed but neither Duke of Albany nor any other for him appeared And now winter came on Victualls grew scant and which was worst a mortality began in the Engl●sh Campe For which causes king Henry removed his Siege and retu●ned i●t● England As soone as he was gone sir Patrick Hebborne a Scottishman having a good opinion of his valour thought to do great matters and with a competent Army of the men of L●●gh-deane he invaded Northumberland making great spoile and loading his Soul●diers with prey and prisoners but in the Retreit marching loosely and licentiously was set upon by the Earle of Northumberland Vice-warden at a Towne called Neshye where Hebborne himselfe and all the floure of L●ugh-deane were flaine sir Iohn and William Cockburne sir William Busse Iohn and Thomas Hablington Esq●ires and a multitude of common Souldiers taken prisoners On the Engl●sh part few sl●in● and none of any ranke or quality In revenge whereof Archibold Dowglasse with an Army of twenty thousand entred Northumberland but at a place called Hom●ldon were encountred by the English under the leading of Henry Lord Percye sirnamed Ho●spu●●e and George Earle of March who put them to ●light and after the slau●hter of ten thousand of them tooke five hundred prisoners whereof the chieft were Mordack Earle of Fife sonne of the Generall who in the fight lost one of his eyes Thomas Earle of Murrey Robert Earle of A●gus the Earls of Atholl and Menli●●● and amongst the slaine were Sir Iohn Swinton Sir Adam Gourdon Sir Iohn Leviston Sir Alexander Ramsey and three and twenty other knights In this meane time Glendour of Wales had solicited the king of France for ayde who sent him twelve hundred men of quality but the windes were so contrary that they lost twelve of their ships and the rest returned home The English deriding this ill successe of the French so exasperated the French-king that presently after he sent twelve thousand who landed safely and joyned with the Welch but as soone as they heard of the English armies approach whether mistrusting their own strength or suspecting the Welch-mens faithfullnesse they ran to their ships and disgracefully went home King Henry's Ambassadors lately sent into Britaine to fetch the Lady Iane de Navarre Dutchesse of Britiane the relict of Iohn de Montford sirnamed the Conquerour● with whom the king by Procurators had contracted Matrimony in the beginning of February returned with her in safety The king met her at Winchester where the seventh of February the marriage was solemnized About this time some affronts were offered by the French Valerian Earle of S. Paul with seventeene hundred men landed in the Isle of Wight where hee burnt two Villages and some few Cottages but hearing the people of the Island to have assembled hee made haste to his ships and returned home Also Iohn Earle of Clermont the heire of Bourbon won from the English the Castles of S. Peter S. Mary and the New-Castle The Lord de la Brett won the Castle of Cal●●in places of great consequence to the English And now to make k. Henry sensible that a Crown can hardly ever sit easie upon the head if it be not set on right at first a new Conspiracy is hatching against him The Percies Earls of Northumberland and Worcester with Henry Hotspur began about thi● time to fall off from king Henry their reason was First because the king at their request refused to redeeme their kinsman Mortimer from Glendours slavery and then because he denied them the benefit of such prisoners as they had taken of the Scots at Homildon or N●shye whereupon they went of themselves and procured Mortimer's delivery and then entred into a League offensive and defensive with Glendour and by their Proxies in the house of the Arch-deacon of Bangor they agreed upon a Tripartite Indenture under their hands and seales to divide the kingdome into three parts whereby all England from Sever● and Trent South and Eastward was assigned for the portion of the Earle of March All Wales and the Lands beyond Sever● VVestward were assigned to Owen Glendour And all the remainder of land from Trent Northward to bee the portion of the Lord Percy In this as Glendour perswaded them they thought they should accomplish a Prophesie as though king Henry were the Mouldwarp cursed of Gods own mouth they three were the Lyon the Dragon and the Wolfe which should divide the Land
King of France making a slight answer the Regent marcheth apace towards him and as fast the King of France marcheth away The Regent followed him but could not overtake him till he came neere Se●lys there both the Armies encamped and embattelled yet only some light skirmishes p●●●ed between them and a night or two after the French king fled with his Army to Br●y which the Duke thinking to be but a plot to draw him further off from Paris of whose fidelity he had no great assurance followed him no further but returned thither At which time the Regents brother the Cardinall having prepared forces to assist Pope Martin in Bohemia the Regent borrowed them of him for a present expedition and with them marched into Champaigne where he found the French king encamped upon the Mount Pihall whose number being twice as many as the Regents yet by no provocations could he be drawn to battell but secretly fled to Crispis whereupon the Regent also returned to Paris Whil●st these things are done in France In England upon St. Leonards day the 6. of November 1429 King Henry not yet eight yeers old was with great solemnity Crowned at Westminster at whose Coronation were made six and thirty Knights of the Bathe and after the solemnity a feast and if any man desire to know so much Cookery hee may read in Fabian all the dishes of meate that were served at that feast About this time in France a strange Impostor ariseth a maid called la Pucelle taking upon her to be sent from God for the good of France and to expell the English and some good indeed she did for by her subtle working the King was received into Champaigne and many Townes were rendred to him whil'st the Lord L●nguevile tooke by surprize the Castle of Aumarle and slew all the English that were in it But all these were but petty acquests to the king of France there is a knot of friendship between the Dukes of Bedford and Burgoigne which must be broken or he will never be able to compasse his designes He therefore labours by all meanes possible to disunite them wherein he so little prevailed that the Duke of Burg●ig●e acquaints the Regent with all the practises who thereupon with many thanks exhorteth him to continue fi●me of which he should never have cause to repent him And because Normandy was a principall part of the English strength in France he goeth thither and by many reasons perswades them as their Ancestors had alwayes been to be faithfull to the Crown of England In this time of the Regents absence from Paris the King of France drew all his forces thither using all meanes possible by Escalado Battery and burning the gates to enter the City but was so withstood by the vigilancy of the Citizens that he was glad to sound Retreat leaving his slaine and maimed souldiers behind him all but the Pucelle who being hurt in the legge and almost stifled with myre in the ditch was by a servant of the Duke of Alanson drawne up and conveyed after the King to Berry who by the way received the submission of the Inhabitants of L●ig●ye Some other services were performed on both sides by the Duke of Suffolk and Sir Thomas Kyriell for the English by the Bastard of Orleance and Sir Stephe● le Hye for the French but of no great importance till at last the Pucelle who a little before had caused an English Captaines head to be cut off because he would not humble himselfe to her upon his knee was by Sir Iohn of Lu●zemburgh taken and presented to the Duke of Burgoigne who sent her to the Regent and he to the Bishop of the Diocesse who judicially proceeding against her as a Sorceresse and deceiver of the King and his subjects she was after many delayes of promise to discover secret practises and lastly of her feigning to bee with childe publickly burnt at Roan And now the Regent finding how much the Crowning of the French king had furthered his designes he made account the like effect would follow the Crowning of King Henry in France whereupon he is sent for to come over and comming to Paris was by his Uncle the Bishop of Winchester and Cardinall of Eusebius not yet above nine yeares old with all usuall ceremonies Crowned King of France receiving the oaths of Homage and Fealty of all the French Nobility that were present and of all the Inhabitants of Paris and of the places adjacent Upon this Pope Eugenius laboured a Reconcilement between the two Kings but could effect nothing but onely a Truce for six yeeres which agreed upon King Henry re●urn● into England and landeth at Dover the eleventh of February But the six-yeares● Truce was scarce openly Proclaimed when the French had cunningly possessed themselves of divers Castles and places of strength justifying their actions affirming● That what was politickly obtained without blowes was no infringement of the Truce and afterwards they perfidiously conveyed two hundred men into the Castle of Roan with intent to have surprized it but being discovered they were all taken and either ransomed or put to execution Upon this the Regent whose wife the Sister of the Duke of Burgoig●e being lately dead and he maried againe to Iaquelin● the Earle of S. Pauls daughter with whom he went over into England returned againe to Paris to whom the Lord Talbot having now paid his ransome commeth bringing with him seven hundred tryed souldiers and with them the Regent takes the field where the French Army lay but the French slun● away in the dark as not daring to abide the hazard of a battell About this time the Duke of Bourbon taken at the battell of Agincourt after eighteen yeares imprisonment paying eighteen thousand pounds for his Ransome the same day he was enlarged dyed at London And now a very great effect was produced out of a very small cause There had been sparks of unkindnesse between the two great Dukes of Bedford and Burgoig●● which brake out into a flame upon this occasion A time and place was appointed where they should meet to compound some differences that were between them The place agreed upon was St. Omers a Town in Burgoigne When the time came they stood upon this nice point Which of them should first come to the place as thinking that he which did so should thereby acknowledge himselfe to be the meaner person The Duke of Bedford thought he had no reason to doe it seeing he was Regent of France and therefore superiour to any subject in the Kingdome And the Duke of Burgoigne thought he had no reason to doe it seeing it was to be done in his own Dominions where he was himselfe the Soveraigne Lord. Upon this nice point they parted without meeting and the unkindnesse grew afterward to so great hatred that the Duke of Burgoigne chose rather to be friends with him th●t had murthered his father than ever to have any more commerce with the Duke of Bedford Thus
and heire Sir Humfry Bo●rchier sonne and heire to the Lord Berners and divers other knights and gentlemen On the Earls part were slaine the Earle himselfe the Marqu●ss● Montacute and three and twenty knights of whom Sir William Tyrrell was one The Duke of Somerset and the Earle of Oxford fled into VVales to Iasper Earle of Pembro●ke The Duke of Exceter being strucken down and so wounded that he was left for dead amongst other the dead bodies because he was not k●own but comming to himselfe he got up and escaped to VVestminster and there took Sanctuary The dead bodies of the Earle and Marquesse were brought to London in a Coffin and by the space of three dayes lay open-faced in the Cathedrall Church of St. Paul and then buried with their Ancestours in the Priory of Bissam This Earle of VVarwick was Richard Nevill sonne and heire of Richard Nevill Earle of Salisbury who married the daughter of Richard Beauchamp the sixth Earle of Warwick and in her right was Earle of Warwick in his own of Sali●bury he was also Lord Monthermer great Chamberlaine and high Admirall of England Lord Warden of the North Marches towards Scotland and high Steward of the Dutchy of La●caster he had issue two Daughters Isabell married to George Duke of Clarence and Ann● ●●rst married to Prince Edward king Henry the sixths Sonne and after to Richard Duke of Glocester Wee may here observe a Constellation of disastrous influences concurring all to the overthrow of this great Warwicke whereof if any one had been missing the wheele of his fortune had perhaps not turned For if the City of Yorke had not too credulously believed king Edwards Oath not to d●sturbe king Henry or if the Marquesse Mo●tacute had stopped as he might his passage at Pomfret or if the Duke of Clarence had not at the very point of the battell at St. Albans deserted his party and joyned with king Edwards● or if Qu●en Margaret had not by tempest been kept from comming into E●gla●d in time or if the Londoners had not been retrograde and deceived his expectation he had never perhaps been overthrown as he was But Fata viam invenient destiny will finde waies that were never thought of will make way where it findes none and that which is ordained in heaven shall be effected by means of which Earth can take no notice Queen Margaret when it was too late accompanied with Iohn Longstrother Prior of Saint Iohns and the Lord Wenlock with divers Knights and Esquires tooke shipping at Harflew the foure and twentieth of March but by tempest was kept back till the thirteenth of April and then with her sonne Prince Edward shee landed at Weymouth and from thence went to an Abby hard by called Ceern and then to Bewly in Hampshire whither there came unto her Edmund Duke of Somerset and Thomas Courtney Earle of Devonshire with divers others amongst whom it is resolved once more to try their fortune in the field but then the Queen would have had her sonne Prince Edward to be sent into France there to remaine in safety till the next battell were tryed but they being of a contrary minde and specially the Duke of Somerset shee at length consented though afterward she repented it From Bewly she with her sonne and the Earle of Somerset passeth on to Bristow intending with what power they could raise in Glocestershire to march into Wales to joyn with I●sper Earle of Pembrooke who was there making preparation of more forces King E●ward hearing of these things resolves to crosse this Conjunction and followes Queen Margaret with a great Power so close that neere Tewkesbury in Glocestershire he overtakes her forces who resolutely turn and make head against him where Somerset on the Queens part leading the Vaunt-guard performed the part of a valiant Commander but finding his souldiers thro●gh wearines begin to faint and that the Lord Wenlock who had the conduct of the battaile on the Queens part moved no the rode unto him and upbrayding him with cowardise or treachery never staid but with his Pollaxe beat out his brains and now before he could bring in his men to the rescue their Vaward was routed and Iohn Earle of Devonshire with above three thousand of the Queens part were slaine The Queen her selfe Iohn Beaufort the Duke of Somersets brother the Prior of Saint Iohns Sir Gervis Clifton and divers others were taken prisoners all which except the Queen were the next day beheaded At which time Sir Richard Crofts presented to king Edward king Henries Son Edward whom he had taken prisoner to whom king Edward at first shewed no uncourteous countenance but demanding of him how he durst so presumptuously enter into his Realm with Arms and he answering though truly yet unseasonably To recover my Fathers Kingdome and Heritage King Edward with his hand thrust him from him or as some say strooke him with his Gantlet and then presently George Duke of Clarence Richard Duke of Glocester Thomas Grey Marquesse Dorset and William Lord Hastings standing by fell upon him in the plac● and murdred him His body was homely interred with other ordinary Corpses in the Church of the Monastery of the Black-fryers in Tewkesbury After the Victory thus obtained king Edward repaired to the Abbey Church of Tewkesbury to give God thankes for his good successe and finding there a great number of his enemies that were fled thither to save themselves he gave them all free Pardon onely Edmuud Duke of Somerset 〈◊〉 Longstrother Pryor of Saint Iohns Sir Thomas Tressham Sir Gervi● Clifton and divers other Knights and Esquires who were apprehended there and brought before the Duke of Glocester sitting that day as Constable of England and the Duke of Norfolk as Marshall were all arraigned condemned and judged to Dye and accordingly upon the Tuesday being the seventh of May they were all and twelve other knights more on a Scaffold set up in the middle of the Town beheaded but not dismembred● and permitted to be buried The same day Queen Margaret was found in a poore house of Religion not farre from thence into which she was fled for safeguard of her life but she was after brought to London and there kept a Prisoner till her Father ransomed her with great summes of money This was the last pitcht battell that was fought in England in king Edward the fourths dayes which happened on the fourth of May being Saturday in the Eleventh yeere of his reigne and in the yeere of our Lord 1471. King Edward being assured that as long as any partakers of king Henry lived and were at liberty he should never be free from plots against his life sent Roger Vaugha● a Gentleman much reckoned of in his own Country to entrape Iasper Earle of Pembrooke who had escaped from the last encounter but he having notice of the plot before prevented it by striking off Vaughans head After these great Clouds were thus dispersed there arose a little Cloud which gave the
Ireland from Dublin where the Duke was born is in his Masters absence by the procurement underhand of the Duke of Glocester indicted ●rraigned condemned and executed at Tyburne for a Conjurer and all within the space of two dayes and the Duke of Glocester to make shew that he had no hand in this fellows death set on the Duke of Clarence to complaine of it to King Edward and in the mean time finds matter at least colour of matter to make him be committed to the Tower ●nd then againe to make shew he had no hand in his imprisonment bids him be of good cheere for it should not be long ere he would see him released and he kept his word for not long after by his procurement he was drowned in a But of Malmesey and this was his releasement and then laid in his bed to make the people believe that he died of discontent whose death King Edward though perhaps consenting to it so much resented that afterwards when he was sued unto for any mans Pardon he would ●ighing break out into such words Oh unfortunate brother● for whose life not one man would open his mouth Being dead he was buried at Tewkesbury in Glocestershire by the body of his Dutchesse who great with childe dyed of Poyson a little before It was now the two and twentieth yeere of King Edwards Reigne when Iames King of Scotland sent Ambassadors to treate of a Mariage between his eldest sonne Iames Duke of Rothsay and Cicely king Edwards second daughter This overture for a March was by the king and his Councell readily imbraced and a great part of the Portion was delivered to the Scots with this Proviso That if the mariage di● not proceed the Provost and Merchants of Edenbourgh should be bound to rep●y it againe But the Scotish king who had other fantasies in his head and would take counsell of none but his owne will and diverted also perhaps by the king of France not onely dallyed the proceeding in the ma●ch but affronted those of the Nobility th●t perswaded him to it in so much that his Brother the Duke of Albany was enforced to abandon the Country and to flie for refuge into England by whom king Edward being informed of king Iames his fickle disposition was so much incensed that under the conduct of the Duke of Glocester accompanied with the Duke of Albany he sent an Army of twenty thousand against Scotland who in their way took in Barwick and besieged the Castle which being resolutely defended by the Earle Bothwell the Duke left the Lord Stanley to continue the siege whil'st he wi●h the rest of the Army marched towards Edenbourgh where within the Castle of Maydens king Iames had immur'd himselfe But the Nobility of Scotland seeing the danger they were in endeavoured by humble submission to procure a peace at least a cessation from war which with much importunity they obtained upon these Conditions That full satisfaction should be presently given for all dammages sustained by the late incursions That the Duke of Albany should be fully restored to grace and place with an abolition of all discontents between his brother king Iames and him That the Castle of Barwicke which had been now out of the Possession of the English one and twenty yeers should immediately be surrendred into the Generals hands and from thence no reduction of that or the Town attempted That all such summes of money as upon the proposition of the marriage had been delivered should be repaid All which except the first Article were accordingly p●●formed When this busines with Scotland was indifferently accomodated King Edward receiv●s intelligence from his Ambassadour-Leidger in France that the French King not only denied the payment of the annuall Tribute of fifty thousand crowns agreed upon and sworn to upon the ratification of the late concluded Peace but had also married the Dolphin of France to the Lady Margaret daughter of Maximill●n Sonne of the Emperour which so much incensed K. Edward that he resolves to revenge it and by the advise of his Counsell open warre was presently Proclamed against France but whil'st King Edward is making preparation and intentive to the busines he is attached by the hand of death and upon the ninth of April in the yeer 1483 at Westminster ended this mortall life Of his Taxations IN his second yeer he sent his Privy Seale through England to move men to give him a certaine summe of money towards resisting the Scots wh●ch was granted and given liberal●y In his seventh yeer in a Parliament at Westminster were ●●sumed all manner of gifts which the King had given from the first day he tooke possession of the Realm to that time In his eighth yeer at a Parliament were grant●d two Fifteens and a Demy In his thirteenth yeer a Parliament was holden wherein a Sub●idie was granted and the yeer following towards warre to be undertaken in France a new way of raysing money is devised called a Benevolence by which great summes of money were gotten of the Subject and it is not unworthy the relating what an old rich Widdow at this time did whom King Edward amonstothers having called before him merrily asked what she would willingly give him towards his great charges By my troth quoth shee for thy lovely countenance thou shalt have even twenty pounds The King looking scarce for half that summe thanked her and lovingly kist her which so wrought with the old widdow that she presently swore he should have twenty pound more and payd it willingly No● long before his death he was by ill Counsellours put upon a distastefull course for raysing of mony which was by fining men for delinquencies against Penall Statures by which course some money was gathered but before it came to full execution he dying that also dyed with him Of his Lawes and Ordinances IN his fourth yeer he newly devised the Coyne both of Gold and Silver as a● this day it is the Gold he named Royals and Nobles the Silver Groats and 〈◊〉 Groats the new Groate weighing scantly three pence and the Noble of six shillings eight pence appointed to goe for eight shillings foure pence In his fifth yeer it was Proclamed in England that the Beakes or Pykes of Shooes and Bootes should not passe two Inches upon paine of Cursing by the Clergie and forfeiting twenty shillings to be paid one noble to the King another to the Cordwayners of London and the third to the Chamber of London and for other Countries and Towns the like order was taken Before this time and since the yeer 1382. the Pykes of Shooes and Bootes were of such length that they were faine to be tyed up to the Knees with chaines of Silver and gilt or at least with silken laces Affaires of the Church in his time IN this Kings time the Jubile which was before but every fiftieth yeer was by Pope Six●●● the fourth brought to be every five and twenty yeer Also where before this time
of himselfe oftentimes of others He had made the White Rose to flourish as long as Henry the Fourth made the Red if he had not made it change colour with too much blood He had been fortunate in his children if he had not been unfortunate in a brother but he was well enough served that would thinke a Wolfe could ever be a good Shepheard He had an excellent art in improving his favours for he could doe as much with a small courtesie as other men with a great benefit And that which was more he could make advantage of disadvantages for he got the love of the Londoners by owing them money and the good will of the Citizens by lying with their wives Of his Death and Buriall WHether it began from his minde being extreamely troubled with the injurious dealing of ●he King of France or from his body by intemperance of dyet to which he was much given he fell into a sicknesse some say a Catarche some a Feaver but into a sicknesse whereof he dyed In the time of which sicknesse at the very point of his death Sir Thomas Moore makes him to make a speech to his Lords which I might thinke to be the speech of a sick man if it were not so sound and of a weake man if it were not so long but it seemes Sir Thomas Moore delivers rather what was fit for him to say than what he sayd the Contents being onely to exhort his Lords whom he knew to be at variance to be in love and concord amongst themselves for that the welfare of his children whom he must now leave to their care could not otherwise be preserved but by their agreement And having spoken to this purpose as much as his weaknes would suffer him he found himselfe sleepy and turning on one side he fell into his long sleep the ninth of April in the yeere 1483. when he had lived one and forty yeeres Reigned two and twenty and one mo●eth and was buried at Windsor in the new Chappell whose foundation himselfe had laid Of men of Note in his time MEN of valour in his time were many but himselfe the chiefest the rest may be observed in reading his story For men of letters we may have leave at this time to speake of some strangers having been men of extraordinary fame as Iohānes de Monte Regi● Purbachiu● and Bl●●chinu● all great Astronomers Ludovicus Pontanus Paulus Castrensis and A●thonius Rossellanus all great Lawyers Servisanus Sava●arola and Barzizius all great Phisitians Bessarion and Cusanus both great Cardinalls Argyr●pole Philelphus Datus Leonardus Aretinus and Poggius all great men in humane lit●rature And of our own Countrimen Iohn Harding an E●quire borne in the North parts who wrote a Chronicle in English verse and among o●her speciall points therein touched hath gathered all the Submissions and Homages made by the Scottish kings even from the dayes of King Athelstan whereby it may evide●●●y appeare how the Scottish kingdome even in manner from the first Establish●ng thereof here in Britaine hath been appertaining unto the kings of England and holden of them as their chiefe and superiour Lords Iulian Bemes a Gentlewoman of excellent gifts who wrote certaine Treatises of Hawking and Hunting also a book of the L●wes of Armes and knowledge pertaining to Hera●lds Iohn For●●scue a Judge and Chancellour of England who wrote divers Treatises concerning the Law and Politick Government Rochus a Charterhouse-Monk born in London who wrote divers Epigrams Walter H●nt a Carmelite Fryer who for his excellent learning was sent from the whole body of the Realme to the Generall Counsell h●ld●● fir●● at Ferr●ra and after at Florence by Pope E●genius the fourth where ●e am●ngs● others dis●uted with the Greekes i● defence of the Order and Ceremo●●es o● the Latine Church William Caxton who wrote a Chronicle called Fructu● Temporum and an Appendix unto Trevisa besides divers other bookes and translations Iohn Milverton a Carmelit● Frier of Bristow and provinciall of his Order who because he defended such of his Order as preached against endowments of the Church with Temporall possessions was committed to prison in the Castle of Saint Angel● in Rome where he continued three yeers David Morgan a Welshman who wrote of the Antiquities of Wales and a description of the Country Iohn Tiptoft a nobleman born who wrote divers Treatises but lost of his head in the yeer 1471. Robert Huggon born in Norfolk who wrote certaine vaine Prophesies Thomas Norto● born in Bristow an Alchymist● Scoga●● a learned Gentleman and a Student for a time in Oxford who for his plesant wit and merry conceits was called to Court But most worthy of all to be remembred Thomas Littleton a reverend Judge of the Common Ple●s who brought a great part of the Law into a Method whic● lay before confusedly dispersed and his book called Littletons Tenures THE REIGNE OF KING EDWARD THE FIFTH KING Edward the Fourth being dead his eldest Sonne Edw●●● scarce yet eleven yee●● old succeeded in the kingdome but not in the Crown for he was Proclaimed king but never Crowned and indeed it may not so properly be called the Reigne of E●●●●d●he ●he fifth as the Tyranny of Richard the Third for from the time of king Edward● death though not in Name yet in effect● he not onely ruled as king but raged as a Tyrant Prince Edwa●● when his Father dyed was at Ludlow in Wales where he had lived some time before the better by his presence to keep the Welsh in awe He had about him of his Mothers kindred many but Sir Anthony Woodvile the Earle Rivers his Uncle was appointed his chiefe Counsellour and directour The Duke of Glocester was at this time in the North but had word presently sent him from the Lord Hastings Lord Chamberlaine of his brother king Edwards death who acquainted him withall that by his Will he had committed the young king his Queen and other children to his care and government and thereupon putting him in minde 〈◊〉 necessary it was for him speed●ly to rep●ir● to London But the Duke of Gloce●●er needed no spurre to set him forward who was already in a full cariere for he had long before projected in his minde how he might come to attaine the Crown and now hee thought the way was made him For as it is said the very night in which king Edward dyed one Misselbrooke long ere morning came in great haste to the house of one Potter dwelling in Red-crosse-streete without Cripplegate where he shewed unto Potter that king Edward was departed to whom Potter answered By my troth man then will my Master the Duke of Glocester be king what cause he had so to thinke is hard to say but surely it is not likely he spake it of nought And now the young king was comming up to London with a strong guard partly to make a first expression of his greatnesse and partly to oppose any disorders that might be offered But the Duke
Frontiers forraged the Bishoprick of Durham and at last besieged the castle of Norham whereof Richard Fox then Bishop of Durham was owner who thereupon sent presently to the Earle of Surrey acquainting him with this Invasion Whereupon the Earle taking with him Ralph Earle of Westmerland Thomas Lord Barnes Ralph Lord Nevill George Lord Strange and many other Lords and knights and an Army of little lesse then twenty thousand men besides a Navy whereof the Lord Brooke was Admirall set forward against the Scots and not only forced the Scots to raise their siege of Norham Castle but followed them also into Scotland where he overthrew and defaced the Castle at Cawdestraynes the Tower of He●e●hall the Tower of Edington the Tower of Fulden and at last by composition tooke the strong Castle of Hayton and rased it to the ground At the Earles being at Hayton the King of Scots sent to him Marchemont and another Herald requiring him at his election either to fight with him with their whole Armies or else they two to fight in single combat upon condition that if the victory fell to the Scotish king the Earle should deliver for his Ransome the Towne of Barwick Whereunto the Earle made answer that the Town of Barwick was the King his Masters and therefore not for him to dispose of but for his offer of single combat he willingly accepted it and thought himselfe highly honored by such a match But King Iames of Scotland had no meaning to performe either one or other but privily in the night fled back into Scotland and then the Earle returned to Barwick In the meane time one Peter Hyal●s a man of great learning and policie was sent Ambassadour to the King of Scots from the King of Spaine to mediate a Peace between the two kings of of England and Scotland who finding the King of Scots conformable to his motion found after the King of England who was never averse from Peace upon honourable Conditions no lesse enclining to it and so a Truce was concluded for certaine yeeres upon conditition that Perkin Warbeck should be sent out of the Scotish Dominions About this time the Lord of Camphyre and others sent from Philip Archduke of Austria and Duke of Burgundy came to king Henry for a conclusion of Amity and to procure the English merchan●s resort againe to his Country for king Henry some time before upon displeasure with the Flemings but specially with the Lady Margaret for abetting Perkin Warbeck not onely had banished all Flemish wares and merchandizes out of his Dominions but had also restrained all English merchants from having any traffick in any of their Territories causing the Mart for all English commodities to be kept at Callice but now upon this invitation and having found it had been a great hinderance to his owne Merchant-adventurers and thereupon some insurrections had risen he willingly condiscended to their Request and so the English resorted againe into the Archdukes Dominions and were received into Antwerp with generall Procession so glad was that Towne of the Engglish-mens returne In this eleventh yeere of the Kings Reigne dyed Cicely Dutchesse of Yorke mother to king Edward the fourth at her Castle of Berkhamstead being of extreme age who had lived to see three Princes of her body Crowned and foure Murthered she was buried at F●dri●g●am by her Husband Shortly after the Truce concluded between England and Scotland Perkin Warbeck was commanded to depart out of the Scotish Dominions who thereupon with his wife and familie sayled into Ireland where understanding that the Cornish-men were ready to renue the warre againe he thought best not to let p●sse so faire an occasion and thereupon having with him foure small ships and not above six-score men he sailed into Cornwall and there landed in the moneth of September and came to a Town called Bodmyn where with faire words and large promises he so prevailed with the people that he had gotten to him above three thousand persons to take his part and then made Proclamations in the name of King Richard the Fourth as sonne to King Edward the Fourth and by the advice of his three Counsellors Iohn Heron a bankrupt Mercer Richard Skelton a Tailour and Iohn Astley a Scrivener determined to attempt first the winning of Exceter which with great violence he assaulted and the Townsmen with as great valiantnes defended whereof when the King heard he sent the Lord Dawbeny to their rescue but before he came the Lord Edward Courtney Earle of Devonshire and the valiant Lord William his sonne accompanied with Sir Edmund Carew Sir Thomas Trenchard Sir Courtney● Sir Thomas Fulford Sir Iohn Hal●well Sir Iohn Croker Walter Court●ey Peter Edgecombe William St. Maure with others came to their ayde upon whose comming Perkin left the siege and retired to Taunton where he mustered his men as though he meant to prepare for battell but finding his number to be much diminished fo● of six thousand which he had at Exceter many were fled from him when they saw no Great ones to take his part he began to distrust his case and he●●ing withall that the king with a great Power was at hand about midnight with threescore horse-men in his company he departed in post from Taunton and tooke Sanctuary in a Town called Beauly neere to Southampton When king Henry he●rd that Perkin was fled he sent after him to the Sea-side to stop his passage and apprehend him But the messengers that were sent when they came to St. Michaels 〈◊〉 though they found not Perkin yet there they found his wife the Lady Katherine Gourdon whom they presently brought to the king a beautifull young Lady to whom in honour of her birth and commiseration of her beauty the king allowed a competent maintenance which she enjoyed during the kings life and m●ny yeeres after king Henry being come to Exceter stayed there a few dayes about examination of the Rebellion and execution of the chiefe Offendours of whom there being a great multitude and all of them craving pardon the king caused them all to be assembled in the Church-yard of St. Peter where they all appeared bar●-headed in their shirts and halters about their necks whom the king viewing out of a window made for the purpose after he had paused a while made a speech unto them exhorting them to obedience and then in hope they would afterward be dutifull Subjects he pardoned them all whereat they made a great shout crying 〈◊〉 God save king Henry though some of them afterward like ungratefull wretches fell into new Rebellions All this whi●e Perkin was in Sanctuary and the King thinking himselfe in danger as long as he was in safety set a Guard about the place to keepe him for escaping whereby Perkin was so restrained that at last hee submitted himselfe to the kings mercy and was thereupon sent to the Tower to b● there in s●fe custodie This do●e king Henry appointed Thomas Lord D●rcy Sir Amy●s Pawle● and Robert Sherb●●●●
between the Lady Margaret the 〈◊〉 eldest daughter and him where the Earle by Proxie in the name of king Iames 〈◊〉 Mas●er affied and contracted the said Ladie which Contract was published at 〈◊〉 Crosse● the day of the Conversion of Saint Paul for joy whereof Te Deum 〈…〉 and great fires were made through the City of London and if such joy we●e made when the match was made what joy should be made now at the issue of the match when by the Union of those persons is made an Union of these kingdomes and England and Scotland are but one great Britaine The Ladies portion was ten thousand pounds her joynture two thousand pounds a yeer after king Iames his death and in present one thousand When this match was first propounded at the Connsell Table some Lords opposed it objecting that by this means the Crown of England might happen to come to the Scottish Nation To which King He●ry answered what if it should It would not be an accession of England to Sco●la●d but of Scotland to England and this answer of the kings passed for an Oracle ●nd so the match proceeded and in August following was Consummate at Edi●b●rgh conducted thither in great State by the Earle of Northumberland Prince Arthur after his marriage was sent againe into Wales to keep that Count●y in good order to whom were appointed for Counsellours Sir Richard Poole hi●●insman and chiefe Chamberlaine Sir Henry Vernon Sir Richard Crof●s Sir David 〈◊〉 Sir William Vdall Sir Thomas Englefield Sir Peter Newton Iohn Walleston 〈◊〉 Marton and Doctor William Smith President of his Counsell but within five moneths after his marriage at his Castle of Ludlow he deceased and with great sole●●ity was buried in the Cathedrall Church at Worcester His Brother Henry Du●e of Yorke was stayed from the title of Prince of Wales the space of halfe a yeer till to women it might appeare whether the Lady Katherine the Relict of Prince Ar●●●● were with childe or no. The towardlines in learning of this Prince Arthur is ve●y memorable who dying before the age of sixteen yeers was said to have read over al● or most of the Latine Authours besides many other And now Prince Arthur being dead and the Lady Katherine of Spaine left a young widdow King Henry loath to part with her dowry but chiefely being desirous 〈◊〉 continue the Alliance with Spaine prevailed with his other Sonne Prince Henry though with some reluctation such as could be in those years for he was scarce ●welv● years of age to be contracted with the Princesse Katherine his bro●h●rs widdow for which marriage a dispensation by advice of the most learned men at that 〈◊〉 in Christendome was by Pope Iulius the second granted and on the five and twentieth day of Iune in the Bishop of Salisbury●s house in Fleet-street th● marriage was solemnized A little before this time 〈…〉 Earle of S●ffolke Son to Iohn Duke of Suffolke and Lady Eliz●b●t● Sister ●o king Edward the ●ourth had in his fury kill'd a mean person● and was thereupon I●dighted of Murther for which although he had the kings Pardon yet because he was brought to th● Kings-bench-b●rr● and there arraigned he took it for so great 〈…〉 his honour that in great rage he fled into Flanders to his Aun● the Lad● M●●garet where having stayed a while when his p●ssion was over he return●d againe ●ut after the marriage between Prince Arthur and the Lady 〈◊〉 w●●ther it were that in that solemnity he had run himselfe in debt or 〈◊〉 he were ●rawn to doe so by the Lady Margare● he passed over the second time with his b●other Richard into Fl●nder● This put the king into some doubt of his intention● whereupon he hath recourse to his usuall course in such cases and Sir 〈…〉 Captaine of Hamme● Castle to feigne himselfe one of that Conspiracy the●●by to learn the depth of their intentions And to take away all susp●●ion of his imployment ●he first Sunday of November he caused the said Earle and Sir Robert C●rson with five others to be accursed openly at Pauls Crosse as Enemies to him and his Realme In conclusion Sir Robert Curson acquainted the king with divers of that faction amongst whom Willia● Lord Court●ey and Willia● de la Poole brother to the foresaid Earle of Suffolke who were taken but upon suspition yet held long in prison but Sir Iames Tyrrell the same that had murthered the two young Princes in the Tower and Sir Io●● Windham who were proved to be Traytor● were accordingly attainted and on the sixth day of May at the Tower-hill beheaded Whereof when the Earle heard despairing now of any good successe he wandred about all Germany and Fr●●c● where finding no succour he submitted himselfe at last to Philip Duke of Austria by whom afterward he was delivered to king Henry by this occasion Ferdi●a●d king of Aragon by his Wife Isabella Queen of C●stile had onely two Daughters the eldest whereof named Ioa●e was married to this Philip Duke of Austria the younger named Katherine to Arthur Prince of England and now Queen Isabella being lately dead by whose death the kingdome of Castile descended in Right of his Wife to this Duke Philip they were sayling out of Germany into Sp●ine to take possession of the kingdome but by tempest and contrary windes were driven upon the coast of England and landed at VVeymouth in Dorsetshire where desiring to refresh themselves a little on shore they were invited by Sir Thomas Tre●cha●d a principall knight of that Country to his house who presently sent word to the king of their arrivall King Henry glad to have his Court honoured by so great a Prince and perhaps upon hope of a courtesie from him which afterward he obtained ●ent presently the Earle of Arundell to waite upon him till himselfe might follow and the Earle went to him in great magnificence with a gallant troope of three hundred Horse and for more State came to him by Torch-light Upon whose Me●●●ge though king Philip had many re●sons of haste on his journey yet not to give king He●ry distaste and withall to give his Queen the comfort of seeing the Lady Katherine her Sister he went upon speed to the king at VVindsor while his Queen followed by easie journeys After great magnificence of entertainment king Hen●y taking a fit opportunity and drawing the king of Castile into a roome where they two onely were private and laying his hand civilly upon his arme said unto him Sir you have been saved upon my Coast I hope you will not suffer me to wrack upon yours The king of Castile asking him what he meant by that speech I mean it saith the king by that haire-brain'd fellow the Earle of Suffolke who being my subject is protected in your Country and begins to play the foole when all others are weary of it The king of Cas●ile answered I had thought Sir your felicity had been above those thoughts but if it trouble you I will
was of Body leane and spare yet of great strength of statu●e somewhat higher than the common sort his Eyes gray his Teeth single his Haire thinne of a faire complexion and pleasing countenance Concerning his Conditions ●e had in him the virtue of a Prince and of a private man affable yet reserved We might say he was Politick if not rather that he was Wise for though he used 〈◊〉 of Cunning sometimes yet solid Circumspection more He loved not Warre but in case of necessity alwayes Peace but with conditions of Honour Never ●●y Prince was lesse addicted to bodily pleasures of any kinde than he Three pleasures he had but in three Cares One for Safety another for Honour and the third for Wealth in all which hee attained his end His great respect of the Church was seen by his great imployment of Church-men for through the hands of Bishop Morton Bishop Foxe and his Chaplaine Vrswick the greatest part of all his great negotiation passed He was Frugall from his youth not Covetous till ancient and sickly and therefore what defect he had in that kinde must be attributed to age and weaknesse This City of London was his Paradise for what good fortune 〈◊〉 befell him he thought he enjoyed it not till he acquainted them with it His Parliament was his Oracle for in all matters of importance he would aske their advice and he put his very Prerogative sometimes into their hands He was no great lover of women yet all his great fortune both Precedent and Subsequent came by women His own title to the Crown was by a woman His Confirmation in the Crown was by a woman His Transmission of the Crowne to his Posterity was by a woman The first by the Lady Margaret descended from Ioh● of Gaunt the second by the Lady Elizabeth eldest Daughter of King Edward the fourth the third by the Lady Margaret eldest Daughter of himselfe King of England and maried to Iames the Fourth King of Scotland by meanes whereof as he was the Prince that joyned the two Roses in one so he was the Founder of joyning the two Kingdomes in one And lastly it may be said of him as was said by one of August●● Caesar Hic ●ir hic est ti●i quem promitti saepius audis for Cadwalloder last king of the Britaines seven hundred yeeres before had Prophesied of him and of later time King He●ry the Sixth plainly fore-shewed him Of his Death and Buriall IN the two and twentieth yeer of his Reigne he began to be troubled with the Goute but a Defluction also taking into his Breast wasted his Lungs so that thrice in a yeer and specially in the Spring he had great fits and labours of the Tissick which brought him to his end at his Palace of Richmond on the two and twentieth day of April in the yeer of 1508. when he had lived two and fifty yeers Reigned three and twenty and eight moneths Being dead and all things necessary for his Funerall prepared his Corps was brought out of his Privy Chamber into the great Chamber where it rested three dayes and every day had there a Dirge and Masse sung by a Plelate Mitred and from thence it was conveyed into the Hall wherein it remained also three dayes and had a like service there and so three daies in the Chappell Upon Wednesday the nineth of May the Corps was put into a Chariot and over the Corpes was a Picture of the late King laid on Cushions of Gold and the Picture was apparelled in the Kings rich Robes with a Crown on the head and a Ball and Scepter in the hands when the Chariot was thus ordered the Kings Chappell and a great number of Prelates set forward praying then followed all the kings Servants in Black then followed the Chariot and after the Chariot nine Mourners and on every side were carried Torches to the number of six hundred and in this order they came from Richmond to St. Georges field where there met with it all the Priests and Religious men within the City and without the Major and Aldermen with many Commoners all cloathed in Blacke met with the Corpes at London-bridge and so the Chariot was brought throught the City to the Cathedrall of St. Paul where the Body was taken out and carried into the Quire and set under a goodly Hearse of Wax where after a solemne Masse was made a Sermon by the Bishop of Rochester The next day the Corps in like manner was removed to Westminster Sir Edward Haword bearing the kings Banner In Westminster was a curious Hearse full of lights which were lighted at the comming of the Corps and then was the Corpes taken out of the Chariot by six Lords and set under the Hearse which was double railed when the Mourners were set Gart●r king at Armes cryed For the Soule of the Noble Prince king Henry the seventh late king of this Realme The next day were three Masses solemnly sung by Bishops and after the Masses was offered the kings Banner and Courser his Coat of Arms his Sword his Target and his Helm and at the end of the Masse the Mourners offered up rich Palls of Choath of Gold and Bodkin and when the Quire sang Liber● me the Body was put into the Earth then the Lord Treasurer Lord Steward Lord Chamberlaine the Treasurer and Comptroller of the kings houshold brake their Staves and cast them into the Grave Then Gartar cryed with a loud voice Vive le ●oy Henry le ●●itiesme Roy d'Angleterre de France syre d' Irlande and thus ended the Funerall Of men of Note in his time OF Men of Valour and Armes they are to be seene in the History of this Kings Reigne For men of letters in his time of forreigners were Sancts Pagui●●s a great Hebrician Leonicenus Gattinaria Cabellus and Optatus Phisitians Augustinus Niphus Iacobus Faber Stapulensis and Pighius Philosophers Bembus● and the famous Clerke Rheudin who restored againe the knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue Of our own Country there lived in his time George Rippley a Carmelite Frier of Boston who wrote divers Treatises in the Mathematicks and after his death was accounted a Necromancer Iohn Erghom borne in Yorke a Black-Frier studious in Prophesies as by the Title of the workes he wrote may appeare Thomas Mallorie a Welshman who wrote of King Arthur and of the round Table Iohn Rouse borne in Warwickshire a diligent searcher of Antiquities and wrote divers Treatises of Historicall Argument Thomas Scroope sirnamed Bradley of the Noble family of the Scroopes entred into divers orders of Religion and after withdrew himselfe to his house where for twenty yeeres he lived the life of an Anchorite and after comming abroad againe was made a Bishop in Ireland and went to the Rhodes in Ambassage from whence being returned he went bare-footed up and downe in N●rfolk teaching the ten Commandements and lived till neere a hundred yeeres old Iohn Ton●eys an Augustine Frier in Norwich who
Sir Giles Capell Thomas Cheiney and others obtained leave of the King to be at the challenge where they all behaved themselves with great valour but specially the Duke of Suffolke whose glory the Dolphyn so much envied that he got a Dutch-man the tallest and strongest man in all the Court of France secretly as another person to encounter him with a purp●e to have the Duke foyled but indeed it turned to his greater honour for he foiled the Dutch-man in such sort that when they came to the Barriers the Duke by maine strength took him about the neck and so prommeled him about the head that he made the blood issue out at his nose many other Princes and Lords did bravely and after three dayes the Justs ended King Henry was not long behinde to solemnize it in England also for at Greenwich the Christmas following on Newyeers night and Twelfth night he presented such strange and magnificent devices as had seldome been seene and the third of February following he held a solemne Justs where he and the Marquesse Dorset answered all commers at which time the King brake three and twenty speares and threw to the ground one that encountred him both man and horse At this time preparation was making for King Henry in person to go to Callice there to meet with the French King and Queene but death hindred the designe for before the next spring the first of Ianuary the French King dyed at the City of Paris fourscore and two dayes after his marriage teaching others by his example what it is for an old man to marry a young Lady King Henry hearing of the French Kings death sent the Duke of Suffolke Sir Richard Winkefield and Doctor West to bring over the Queene Dowager according to the Covenants of the marriage Whereupon the Queene was delivered to the Duke by Indenture who obtaining her good will to be her husband which was no hard matter that had been her first love wrote to the King her brother for his consent whereat the King seemed to stick a while but at last consented so as he brought her into England unmarried and then marry at his return but the Duke for more surety married her secretly in Paris and after having received her Dower Apparrell and Jewels came with her to Callice and there openly married her with great solemnity At their coming into England King Henry to shew his conten●ment with the marriage in the company of the Duke of Suffolke the Marquesse Dorset and the Earle of Essex all richly apparelled held a new kinde of Justs running courses on horseback in manner Volant as fast as one could follow another to the great delight of the beholders This yeer the King at his Mannour of Oking Woolsey Archbishop of Yorke came and shewed him letters that he was elected Cardinall for which dignity he disabled himselfe till the King willed him to take it upon him and from thenceforth called him Lord Cardinall but his Hat and Bull were not yet come after which Doctor Warham Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancelour of England finding Woolsey being now Cardinall to meddle more in his office of Chancelourship then he could well suffer● resigned up the Seal which the King presently gave to Woolsey About this time Cardinall Campejus was sent by Pope Leo to King Henry to solicite him to a Warre against the Turke with whom Cardinall Woolsey was joyned in Commission who hearing of the ragged retinue of his fellow Cardinell sent store of red cloath to Callice to make them fit followers of so great a Lord and when Campejus was landed at Dover Cardinall Woolsey caused the gentry of Kent to waite upon to Black-heath where he was met and received by the Duke of Norfolk and many Prelates there in a Tent of cloath of gold shifted himself into his Cardinals robes Eight Mules he had laden with necessaries but Woolsey not thinking them enough for his honour sent him twelve more But now see the shame of pride for in Cheap-side his Mules by some mischance overthrew their Carriages and Coffers on the ground whose lyds flying open shewed the world what treasure it was they carried old Breeches Boots and broken Shoos broken Meat Marybones and crusts of Bread exposing him to the laughter of all the people yet the Cardinall went joging on afore with his Crosses guilt Axe and Mace unto Pauls Church and by the way had an Oration made him by Sir Thomas Moore in name of the City and then waited on with many Bishops was conducted to Bath Place where he was lodged for his own particuler he got well by the Journey for the King gave him the Bishoprick of Salisbury but the errand he came about which was to have Ayde by mony for a Warre against the Turke he could not obtaine for it was well known to be but a devise to get money without any intention of what was pretended In his seventh yeer King Henry kept his Christmas at his Mannour of Eltham where on Twelfth night according to his custome was a stately Maske of Knights and Ladies with solemne Daunsing and a most Magnificent Banquet It was now the eight yeer of King Henryes Reigne when the new league between him and the French King was Proclaimed in the City of London and this yeer Mageret Queene of Scots eldest Sister to King Henry having before married Archibald Dowglasse Earle of Angus by reason of dissention amongst the Lords of Scotland was glad with her husband to flye into England and to seek succour at her brothers hands who assigned to her the Castle of Harbottell in Northumberland to reside in where she was delivered of a daughter named Margaret From thence the King sent for her and her husband to come to his Court and thereupon the third of May Queene Margaret riding on a white Palfrye which the Queen of England had sent her behinde Sir Thomas Parr● came through London to Baynards Castle and from thence went to Greenwich but her husband the Earle of Angus was secretly before departed into Scotland which when King Henry heard he onely ●aid it was done like a Scot. And now in honour of his sisters coming King Henry the nine and twentieth of May appointed two solemne dayes of Justs where the King the Duke of S●ffolke the Earle of Essex and Nicholas Carew Esquire took upon them to answer all commers amongst others the King and Sir William Kinston ran together which Sir William though a strong and valourous Knight yet the King overthrew him to the ground all the rest was performed with no lesse valour then magnificence This yeer died the King of Aragon Father to the Queene of England for whom was kept a solemne Obsequie in the Cathedrall Church of Pauls and Queene Margaret after she had been a yeer in England returned into Scotland In this yeer were sent twelve hundred Carpenters and Masons with three hundred Labourers to the City of Tourney in France to build a Castle
the King of France for composing whereof the Cardinall of Yorke was sent attended with the Earle of Worce●ter Lord Chamberline the Lord of Saint Iohns the Lord Ferrers the Lord Herbert the Bishop of Du●ham the Bishop of Ely the Primate of Armagh Sir Thomas Bullen Sir Iohn Pechye Sir Iohn Hussey Sir Richard Winkfield Sir Henry Guild●ord and many other Knights Gentlemen and Doctors On the twelfth of Iuly he arrived at Callice whether came to him the Cha●cellour of France and the Count de Palice attended with four hundred horse as Embassadours from the French King and from the Emperour the like with Commissions to treat and conclude of Peace There were also Embassadours from the Pope whom the Cardinall moved to have the Pope be a party also in their League but they wanting Commission Letters were presently sent to Rome about it and in the time till answer might be had the Cardinall went to Bruges to speak with the Emperour with whom having stayed thirteene dayes after most Royall entertainment he returned back to C●llice and then fell presently to the treaty of Peace with the French Commissioner but was colder in the matter then he was before as having had his edge taken off by some dealings with the Emperour so as nothing was concluded but that Fishermen of both the Princes might freely Fish on the Seas without disturbance till the end of February following whereof he sent advertisement to both the Princes to the Emperour by the Lord of Saint Iohns and Sir Thomas Bullen to the French King by the Earle of Worcester and the Bishop of Ely During all which time of the Cardinalls stay in Callice all Writs and Pa●ents were there by him sealed and no Sheriffe could be chosen for lack of his presence having the Great Seal there with him and full power in things as if the King had been there in person Before he returned he made a new League with the Emperour and intimated to the French King that he doubted the King of England would not hereafter be so much his friend as heretofore he had been whereat though the King of France were much offended yet he signifyed by his Letters perhaps dissemblingly that he would continue the King of Englands friend asmuch as ever onely he enveighed against the Cardinall as a man of no truth withdrew many Pensions which he had before given to some English Presently upon this was Tourney besieged by the Lord Hugh de Moncada a Spaniard and though the French King sent great Forces to succour it yet it was rendred up to the Emperour the last of November in the thirteenth yeer of King Henries Reigne This yeer Pope Leo died the first of December suspected to be poysoned by Barnabie Malespina his Chamberlaine whose office was alwayes to give him drinke After whose death Doctor Pace was sent to Rome to make friends in behalfe of the Cardinall of Yorke who was brought into a hope through the Kings favour to be elected Pope but that hope was soon quailed for before Doctor Pace could get to Rome Adrian the sixth was chosen Pope This Doct. Pace was a very learned and religious man yet thorow crosses in his imployment fell mad and dyed in whose place of Imployment succeeded Doct. Stephen Gardyner On the second of February King Henry being then at Greenwich received a Bull from the Pope whereby he had the Title given him to be defender of the Christian Faith for him and his successours for ever which Title was ascribed ●o him for writing a Booke against Luther of which Booke saith Holings●eard I will onely say ●hus much that King Henry in his Booke is reported to rage against the Devill and Antichrist to cast out his foame against Luther to race out the Name of the Pope and yet to allow his Law which Booke Luther a●swered with as little respect to the King as the King had done to him In this meane time many displeasures grew between the two Kings of England and France specially two one that French-men seized upon English ships as they passed for remedy whereof one Christopher Cee an expert seaman was sent with six ships to safeguard the Merchants Another that the Duke of Albanye was returned into Scotland contrary to that which was Covenanted by the league which though the King of France denied to be done with his privity yet King Henry knew the Duke of Albanye had Commission from the French King to returne which did the more exasperate him and hereupon were Musters made in England and a note taken of what substance all men were This yeere died the Lord Brooke Sir Edwad Poynings Knight of the Gar●er Sir Iohn Pechy and Sir Edward Belknappe all valient Captaines suspected to have poysoned at a Banquet made at Ard when the two Kings met last At this time Owen Dowglas Biship of Dunkell fled out of Sco●lnad into England because the Duke of Albanye being come thither had taken upon him the whole Government of the King and Kingdome whereupon Clarentiaux the Herald was sent into Scotland to command the Duk of Albany to avoid that Realm which he refusing the Herald was ●ommanded to defie him Thereupon the French King seized all English-mens goods in Burdeaux and impisoned their persons and retained not onely the money to be paid for the restitution of Tourney but also with-held the French Queenes Dower whereof when King Henry understood he called the French Embassadour residing in England to give account thereof who though he gave the best reasons he ●ould to excuse it yet was commanded to keep his house and the French Hostages remayning here for the money to be paid for the delivery of Tourney were restrained of their liberty and committed to the custody of the Lord of Sa●t Iohns Sir Thomas Lovell Sir Andrew Windsor and Sir Thomas Nevyle each of them to keep one and withall all French-men in London were committed to prison and put to their Fines and all Scots-men much more There were then also sent to sea under the conduct of Sir William Fitz-Williams Viceadmirall eight and twenty great ships and seven more towards Scotland who set fire on many Scottish-ships in the Haven and at length tooke many prisoners and returned King Henry hearing that the Emperour would come to Callice so to passe into England as he went into Spaine appointed the Lord Marquesse Dorsett to go to C●llice there to receive him● and the Cardinall to receive him at Daver● The Cardinall taking his Journey thither on the tenth of May rode thorow London accompanied with two Earles six and thirty Knights and a hundred Gentlemen eight Bishops ten Abbots thirty Chaplains all in Velvet and Sattin and Yeomen seven hundred The five and twentieth of May being Sunday the Marquesse Dorset with the Bishop of Chichester the Lord de Law●re and divers others at the water of Graveling received the Emperour and with all honour brought him to Callice where he was received with Procession by the
Sir Edward Baynton and others The last of October the Duke of Albonye sent two or three thousand men over the water to bes●edge the Castle of VVarke who by battery of their Ordnance won the ou●ermost Ward called the Barnekins and continuing their battery won the second Ward but then Sir William Lisle that was Captaine of the Castle issuing forth with those few he had left drove the Fr●nch-m●n from the place and slew of them to the number of three hundred a memorable service and for which the Earle of Surrey afterwards gave him great thankes The Earle would gladly have followed his enemies in●o their owne Borders but that his Commission was onely to defend England and not to invade Scotland Shortly after the Quee●e of Scots Mother to the King sent to her Brother the King of England for an abstinence from Warre till a further communication might be had which being gra●●ed the English Army brake up and the Earle of Surrey returned to the Court. And now for a while we must be co●●ent to heare of pet●y Occurrances because greater did not happen which if it make us like the Story the worse it may make us like the times the better seeing they are ever the best times that afford lest matter to be talked of but this time will las● but a while for shortly we shall come to hear Occurrances that have been matter of talk to this day whereof the like have never scarce been seen and will hardly be beleeved when they are heard a Marriage dissolved after twenty yeeres co●summation houses built in Piety under pretence of Piety demolished a King made a captive● a Pope held a prisoner● Queenes taken out of love put to death out of loathing and the Church it selfe so shaken that it hath stood in distraction ever since At this time the Emperou● Charles sent to the King of England two M●ses trapped in crimson Velvet richly embridered also eleven goodly Je●its trapped with russe● Velvet richly wrought foure Speares and two Javelins of strange timber and worke richly garnished and five brace of Greyho●nd● To the Queene he sent two Mules richly trapped and high Chai●es after the Spanish fashion which Presents were thankfully received both of the King and Queene At this time in the moneth of October the Cardinall sent out Commissions that every man being worth forty pounds should pay the whole Subsedie before granted out of hand which he called an Anticipation which fine new word he thought would make them pay their money the more willingly but they loved their money better then any words he could devise In this yeere the King sent the Lord Morley Sir VVilliam Hussey knight and Doctor Lee his Almoner to F●rdinand Archduke of Austria with the Order of the Garter which he received in the towne of Norimberg to his great contentment In this yeere through Bookes of Prognosticat●ons foreshewing much hurt to come by waters and ●●oods many persons withdrew themselves to high grounds for feare of drowning specially one Bolton Prior of Sain● Barthol●mewes in Smithfield builded him an House upon Harrow on the Hill and thither wen● and made provision for two moneths These great waters should have fallen in February but no such thi●● happeni●g the Astronomers excused themselves by saying that in the computa●ion they had miscounted in their number an hundred yeeres In this meane time many enterpri●es were attempted betweene the Englishmen of Callice and Guy●●es and the Frenchmen of Bulloigne and the Fro●●tiers of Picard●● and still Sir VVilliam Fitz Williams Captaine of Guysnes Sir Robert I●rningham Captaine of Newnham Bridge Sir Iohn Walloppe and Sir Iohn Gage were the men that did the French most hurt This yeere the first of September was Docter Thomas Hannibell Master of the Rolles receaved into London by Earles Bishops and diverse Lords and Gentlemen as Embassadours from Pope Clement who brought with him a Rose of gold for a present to the King● on the day of the Nativity of our Lad● after a solemne Masse sung by the Cardinall of Yorke the said present was delivered to the King which was a Tree forged of fine Gold and with branches leaves and flowers resembling Roses About the beginning of Winter the advent●rers called Kr●ekers being not above two hundred and of them five and twenty horsmen made an attempt to fetch some booty from a Village not farre from Mattrell wherof the Earle of D●mmartine having notice he set upon them with a far greater number and slew most of them and this was the end of the Kreekers as brave men as ever served any Prince In December this yeere there came to London diverse Embassadours out of Scotland about a peace to be had● and a mariage to be concluded between the King of Scots and the Lady Mary daughter to the King of England At this time the Lord Leonard Gray and the Lord Iohn Gr●y brothers to the Lord Marquesse Dorset Sir George Cobham sonne to the Lord Cobham VVillia● Carye Sir Iohn Dudley Thomas VVyat Francis Poynts Francis Sid●●y Sir Anthony Browne Sir Edward Seymor Oliver Manners Percivall Hart Sebasti●● Nudigat● and Thomas Calen Esquires of the Kings Household made a challenge of Arms against the Feast of Christmas which was proclaimed by Windsor the Herauld and performed at the time appointed very Nobly at Tilts T●rneys Barriars and the assault of a Castle erected for that purpose i● the Tilt-yard at Greenwich where the King held his Christmas that yeer with great State and magnificence About this time Iohn Iokyn Steward of the Household to the French Kings Mothe● came into England and was received in secret man●er into the House of one Doctor Larke a Prebrendary of Saint Stephens who oftentimes talked with the Cardinall about a Peace to be concluded between the two Kings of ●ngland and France of whose often meetings Monsieur de Brate the Emperours Embassadour grew very jealous The four and twentieth of Ianuary Monsie●r Brynion President of Roan came to London as Embassadour from the French King and was lodged with the said Iohn Iokyn which small things should not be related but that they were preparatives to great matters afterward On Sunday the fifth of March were received into London Monsieur de Beuer Lo●d of Campher Admirall of Flanders Monsieur Iohn de la Coose President of 〈◊〉 Master Iohn de la Gache as Embassadours from the Lady Margaret in the name of the Emperour who required three things First they demanded the Lady Mary the Kings only daughter to be presently delivered and she to be n●●ed Empresse and as Governesse take possession of all the Low-Countryes Secondly that all such summes of money as the King should give with her in ma●riage should be paid incontinently Thirdly that the King of England should passe the sea in person and make Warre in France the next Summer The ●●rst two demands were not agreed too for certaine causes and as to the third the King said he would take time
and with it the Towne also had beene taken but that Sir Anthony Ager with the losse of his owne life and his eldest sonnes valiantly defended it and for that time repelled the French but their numbers increased so fast upon the Towne that the Lord Wentworth the Deputy seeing no other way of safty demanded Parlee where a composition was made that the Towne should presently be yeelded to the French King the lives of the Inhabitants onely saved with safe conduct to passe away saving the Lord Deputy with fifty other such as the Duke should name And here to be quit with the English for their hard usage at Saint Quintins the Duke caused Proclamation to be made that all and every person of the Towne should bring their money jewels and plate to the value of a groat and lay it downe upon the high Altar of the Church by which meanes an inestimable sum of treasure was there offered enough ●o enrich an Army which had before enriched a Towne and now to make it appeare how unable the Towne was to hold out against so great an Army It is said there were in it but onely five hundred souldiers of ordinary and scarce two hundred more of able fighting men but of other people men women and children foure thousand and two hundred all which were suffered to depart saving the Lord We●tworth the Deputy Sir Ralph Chamberlaine Captaine of the Castle Iohn Hu●●ston Captaine of Ricebruke Nicholas Alex●nder Captain of New●hambridge Edward Grimston the Controlour Iohn Rogers the Surveyour with others to the number of fifty who were al caried prisoners into France And thus Callice which had bin in possession of the English above two hundred yeers was won from the English in eight dayes which King Edward the third had not won from the French in lesse then a yeer The Lord Wentworth was suspected and in Queen Elizabeths time arraigned for betraying it was acquitted by his Peeres Callice thus won the Duke with his Army marched to Guysnes five miles distant whereof was Captaine the Lord Gray of Wilton who held out the siedge and batteries five or six dayes with so great valour and resolution that he appeared in nothing inferiour to the Enemy but in multitude yet a● last overlaid with their numbers and importunde by his souldiers much again●● his owne will he made composition that the Towne and Castle should be wholly rendered himselfe and all Officers remaine prisoners all other to depart with their Armour and Baggage The Lord Gray afterward ransomed for foure and twenty thousand crownes And now the Duke of Guise considering that Guysnes would be too costly a Castle to be kept and too dangerous a neighbour to Callice if it should be recovered raced it with the Bulwarkes and Fortifications to the ground Guysnes thus won there remained nothing within the English pale but the little Castle of Hammes whereof was Captaine the Lord Edward Dudley who considering that though it were naturally strongly scituate as being invironed with Fens and Marshes yet it had but little helpe● by Art of Fortifications and being assured that the Duke of Guyse would speedily come upon him he secretly in the night with all his garrison departed into Flanders so as the Castle was not won but taken by the Duke of Guyse and with the losse of this Castle the English lost all their footing in Terra firma and the Kings of England all the reality of their Title in France having nothing left but nudum nomen Presently after this the French King caused the mariage between his eldest sonne Francis the Dolphin and Mary Steward sole heire of Iames the fift King of Scotland to be solemnized whereupon great wars insued soon after between England and Scotland Queen Mary being infinitely troubled in minde for the losse of Callice sent presently forth her Admirall the Lord Clinton with a Fleet of more then a hundred sayle to recover at lest reparation in honour by doing some exploit upon France who not finding opportunity to set upon Brest as he was appointed fell upon the towne of Conquest which he tooke and bur●t and also divers Villages thereabouts and then returned In which meane time many great conflicts having been between King Phillip and the King of France at last by mediation of the Dutchesse of Lorraigne a treaty of Peace is agreed on where all things seemed to be well accorded but onely that King Phillip by all meanes required restitution of Callice to which by no means the French would assent but whilst they stood upon these termes it happened that first the Emperour Charles King Phillips father dyed and shortly after Queene Mary and the day after her Cardinall Poole and shortly after Sir Iohn Baker of Sissingherst in Kent who had been a Privie Councellour to Henry the eight Edward the sixth a●d Queen Mary And so our Story hath no further relation to either War or Peace between the two Kings of France and Spaine Of her Taxations SHEE began with a rare Example for in the first yeer of her Reign wa● pardoned by Proclamation the Subsidie of foure shillings the pound of Land and two shillings the pound of goods granted in the last Parliament of King Edward the sixth In her second yeer in a Parliament then holden was granted to the King and Queen a Subsidie of the Layitie from five pounds to ten pounds of eight pence in the pound from ten pounds to twenty pounds of twelve pence in the pound and from twenty pounds upwards sixteen pence in the pound all Strangers double and the Clergie six shillings in the pound If this were all then upon the matter in all her time there came to new charge upon her people for one Subsidie r●mit●ed and one received made but even In her last yeer she borrowed twenty thousand pounds of the City of London and paid twelve pounds a yeer interest for every ●undred pou●d Lawes and Ordinances in her time IN her first yeere on the fourth of September were proclaimed certaine new Coynes of gold and silver a Soveraigne of gold of thirty shillings the halfe Soveraigne fifteene shillings an Angell often shillings the halfe Angell five shillings Of silver the groat the halfe groat and penny all these Coynes to be currant as before In her second yeer Proclamation was made forbidding the shooting in Hand-guns and bearing of weapons The yeer in which she was married to King Phillip a straight charge was to all Victuallers Taverners and Alehouse-keepers that they should sell no Meat nor Drinke nor any kinde of Victuals to any Serving-man whatsoever unlesse he brought a testimoniall to shew whole servant he was Also in a Parliament holden this yeere amongst other Acts the Statute Ex Officio and other Lawes made for the punishment of Heresies were revived but chiefly the Popes Bull of Dispensation of Abbey Land was there confirmed In her second yeere on Michaelmas Eeven the Prisoners that lay in the Counter in Bredstreet were removed
of Scotland sent for aid to the Queen of England But this was matter for consultation It seemed a bad Example for a Prince to give aid to the rebellious Subjects of another Prince On the other side it seemed no lesse then impiety not to give Ayd to the Protestants of the same Religion but most of all it seemed plain madnesse to suffer adversaries to be so neer neighbours and to let the French nestle in Scotland who pretend Title to England upon such like considerations it was resolved to send them Ayd and thereupon an Army of six thousand Foot and twelve hundred Horse was sent under the Command of the Duke of Norfolk the Lord Grey of Wilton his Lievtenant Generall Sir Iames a Crofts Assistant to him the Lord Scroop L. Marshall Sir George Howard Generall of the men at Arms Sir Henry Percy Generall of the Light-horse Thomas Huggens Provost Marshall Thomas Gower Master of the Ordnance Master William Pelham Captain of the Pyoners and Master Edward Randoll Serjeant Major and divers others These coming into Scotland joyned with the Scotish Lords and set down before Leith where passed many small skirmishes many Batteries and sometimes Assaults to whom after some time a new supply came of above two thousand Foot whereof were Captains Sir Andrew Corbet Sir Rowland Stanley Sir Thomas Hesbith Sir Arthur Manwaring Sir Lawrence Smith and others yet with this new supply there was little more done then before many light skirmishes many Batteries and sometimes Assaults so long till at last the young French King finding these broyls of Scotland to be too furious for him to appease he sent to the Queen of England desiring that Commissioners might be sent to reconcile these differences whereupon were dispatched into Scotland Sir William Cecill her principall Secretary with Doctor Wotton Dean of Canterbury who concluded a Peace between England and France upon these Conditions That neither the King of France nor the Queen of Scotland should thenceforth use the Arms or Titles of England or Ireland And that both the English and the French should depart out of Scotland And a generall pardon should be enacted by Parliament for all such as had been actors in those stirs This Peace was scarce concluded when Francis the young King of France died leaving the Crown to his younger brother Charles who was guided altogether by the Queen-Mother and molested with the Civill dissentions between the Princes of Guise and Conde for whose reconcilement the Queen sent Sir Henry Sidney Lord President of VVales and shortly after an Army under the leading of the Lord Ambrose Dudley Earl of VVarwick who arriving at Newhaven was received into the Town which having kept eleven months he was then constrayned by reason of a Pestilence to surrender again upon Composition and so returned About this time when the Parliament was upon dissolving it was agreed upon by the House of Commons to move the Queen to marry that she might have Issue to succeed her to which purpose Thomas Gargrave Speaker of the House with some few other chosen men had accesse to the Queen who humbly made the motion to her as a thing which the Kingdom infinitely desired seeing they could never hope to have a better Prince then out of her loyns Whereunto the Queen answered in effect thus That she was already marryed namely To the Kingdom of England and behold saith she the Pledge of the Covenant with my husband and therewith she held out her finger and shewed the Ring wherewith at the time of her Coronation she gave her self in Wedlock to the Kingdom and if saith she I keep my self to this husband and take no other yet I doubt not but God will send you as good Kings as if they were born of me forasmuch as we see by dayly experience That the Issue of the best Princes do often degenerate And for my self it shall be sufficient that a Marble stone declare That a Queen having Raigned such a time lived and dyed a Virgin Indeed before this time many Matches had been offered her First King Philip and when he was out of hope of matching with her himself he then dealt with the Emperor Ferdinand his Unkle to commend his younger Son Charles Duke of Austria to her for a husband And when this succeeded not then Iohn Duke of Finland second Son to Gustavus King of Sweden was sent by his father to solicite for his eldest Brother Erricus● who was honourably received but the Match rejected Then Adolphus Duke of Holst Unkle to Frederick King of Denmark came into England upon a great hope of speeding but the Queen bestowed upon him the Honour of the Garter and a yeerly Pension but not her self Then Iames Earl of Arran was commended to her by the Protestants of Scotland but neither the man nor the motion was accepted Of meaner Fortunes there were some at home that pleased themselves with hope of her Marriage First Sir William Pickering a Gentleman of a good House and a good Estate but that which most commended him was his studiousnesse of good letters and sweet demeanour Then Henry Earl of Arundel exceeding rich but now in his declining age Then Robert Dudley youngest son of the Duke of Northumberland of an excellent feature of face and now in the flower of his age but these might please themselves with their own conceit but were not considerable in her apprehension they might receive from her good Testimonies of her Princely favour but never Pledges of Nuptiall love About this time the Earl of Feria who had married the daughter of Sir William Dormer being denyed leave of the Queen for some of his wives friends to live out of England grew so incensed that he made means to Pius the fourth then Pope to have her excommunicate as an Heretick and Usurper but the Pope inclining rather to save then to destroy and knowing that gentle courses prevail more with generous mindes then roughnesse and violence in most loving manner wrote unto her exhorting her to return to the Unity of the Catholike Church and as it is said made her great offers if she would hearken to his counsell Particularly That he would recall the Sentence pronounced against her mothers Marriage confirm the Book of Common Prayer in English and permit to her people the use of the Sacrament in both Kindes But Queen Elizabeth neither terrified with the Earl of Feria's practises nor allured with the Popes great offers according to her Motto Semper Eadem persisted constant in her resolution To maintain that Religion which in her conscience she was perswaded to be most agreeable to the Word of God and most consonant to the Primitive Church Whilst these grounds of Troubles are sowing in England France and Scotland it is not likely that Ireland will lie fallow though indeed it be a Countrey that will bring forth Troubles of it self without sowing but howsoever to make the more plentifull Harvest of troubles at this time Iohn Oneal
whose father King Henry the eighth made Earl of Tyrone to prevent the punishment of a private Out-rage upon a Brother broke into open Rebellion against the Prince and though his attempts were maturely made frustrate by timely opposition yet this was he that in the beginning of the Queens Raign sowed the seeds of that trouble in Ireland which afterward took so deep root that till the ending of her Raign it could never thorowly be rooted out though this man a yeer or two after came into England and casting himself at the Queens feet acknowledged his fault and obtained pardon The Treaty of Edinburgh should by promise have been confirmed by Francis the French King while he lived he not having done it Queen Elizabeth requires his Dowager the Queen of Scots to confirm it but she solicited often to it by Throgmorton the Queens Ligier in France made alwayes answer She could not do it without the counsell of her Nobility in Scotland whereupon Queen Elizabeth suspecting that this answer was but to hold her in amuzement while some mischief was practising against her sent Sir Thomas Randoll into Scotland to perswade the Lords there to enter into a League of mutuall amity with her and other Protestant Princes● and further by no means to permit their Queen now a widow to marry again to any forraign Prince for which she alleadged many great reasons In the mean while the Queen of Scots purposing to return into Scotland sent before-hand D'Oysette a French Lord to intreat Queen Elizabeth that with her leave she her self might passe by Sea into Sco●land and D'Oysette might passe by Land But Queen Elizabeth openly denyed both the one and the other unlesse she would confirm the Treaty of Edinburgh saying It was no reason she should do the Queen of Scots courtesie if the Queen of Scots would not do her right The Queen of Scots much troubled with this answer expostulates the matter with her Ligier Throgmorton and much complains of the unkindenesse but in the mean time providing Shipping she loosed from Calice and under covert of a mist notwithstanding that Ships were laid to intercept her she arrived safe in Scotland where she intreated her subjects in so loving a manner that she gave great contentment to the whole Kingdom as well to the Protestant Party as the other and then sent Letters to Queen Elizabeth proferring all observance and readinesse to enter League with her so she might by Authority of Parliament be declared her Successor which was but her Right To this Queen Elizabeth answered That though she would no way derogate from her Right yet she should be loth to endanger her own security and as it were to cover her own eyes with a Grave-cloth while she was alive but fell again to her old Admonition requiring her to confirm the Treaty of Edinburgh And now to shew the respect she bore her when her Unkles the Dukes D'A●male D' Albeufe and other Lords of France that had brought her home returned thorow England she gave them most bountifull and loving entertainment These two Queens indeed were both of great Spirits and both very wise but these grew such Jealousies of State between them the Queen of Scots doubting lest Queen Elizabeth meant to frustrate her Succession Queen Elizabeth doubting lest the Queen of Scots meant to prevent her succession that it kept them more asunder in love then they were neer in blood and was cause of many unkinde passages between them in all which though the Queen of Scots were a very neer Match to the Queen of England in the abilities of her minde yet in the favours of Fortune she was much her inferiour But now for all the courtesie which Q. Elizabeth shewed to the Queen of Scots Unkles at their returning thorow England yet new practises were again set on foot against her at Rome the Duke of Guise especially labouring to have her be Excommunicate but Pope Pius still averse from such roughnesse meant now to try the Queen another way and thereupon sent the Abbot Martinengi● and when he might not be admitted to enter England then caused the Bishop of Viterbo his Nuntio in France to deal earnestly with the Queens Ligier Throgmorton that she as other Princes had done would send her Orators to the Councell of Trent which he before had called But the Queen nothing tender in this point made peremptory answer That a Popish Assembly she did not acknowledge to be a Generall Councell nor did think the Pope to have any more Right or Power to call it then any other Bishop This Answer not only exasperated the Pope but so alienated also the King of Spain's minde from her that he was never after so kinde a friend to her as he had been and none of her Embassadours ever after had any great liking to be employed to him And now at this time as the Abbot Martinengi was the last Nuntio that ever was sent from the Pope into England so Sir Edward Carne now dying at Rome was the last Ligie● that was ever sent to the Pope from the Kings of England And now Queen Elizabeth knowing well that she had drawn many ill willers against her State she endeavoured to strengthen it by all the means she could devise She caused many great Ordnance of Brasse and Iron to be cast She repaired Fortifications in the Borders of Scotland She encreased the number of her Ships so as England never had such a Navy before She provided great store of Armour and Weapons out of Germany she caused Musters to be held and youth to be trayned in exercises of Artillery and to please the people whose love is the greatest strength of all she gave leave to have Corn and Grayn transported and called in all base Coyns and Brasse Money It was now the Fifth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raine when diverse great persons were called in question Margaret Countesse of Lenox Neece to to King Henry the eight by his eldest sister and her husband the Earle of Lenox for having had secret conference by letters with the Queen of Scots were delivered prisoners to Sir Richard Sackvile Master of the Rolles and with him kept a while in custody Also Arthur Poole and his brother whose great grand-father was George Duke of Clarnce brother to King Edward the fourth Antony Fortescue who had married their sister and other were arraigned for conspiring to withdraw themselves to the Duke of Guise in France and from thence to return with an Army into Wales to Declare the Queen of Scots Queen of England and Arthur Poole Duke of Clearnce which particulars they confessed at the Barre and were thereupon condemned to die but had their lives spared in regard they were of the Blood Royall Also the Ladie Katherine Grey daughter to Henry Grey Duke of Suffolke by the eldest daughter of Brandon● having formerly been married to the Earle Pembrookes eldest sonne and from him soone after lawfull divorced was some yeers after found to
France to m●le●t Scotland with any War not to think any more of Bothwells love or meditate revenge upon Bothwells adversaries Murray being now proclaimed Regent of Scotland he bindeth himself under his Hand and Seal to do nothing which shall concerne War or Peace the Kings Person or his marriage or the Liberty of the Queen without the consent of the confedera●es and then gives Throgmorton warning by Lyding●on not to make any further intercession for the Queens Liberty for that he and the rest had rather run any hazard then to suffer it Soon after he puts to death Iohn H●pburn Daglish and others that were Bothwells servants for having a hand in the murther of the King But they which he little expected when they were at the Gallows ready to dye protested before God and his holy Angells that Bothwell had told them that Morton and M●rray were the first authors of the murther They freed the Queen from all suspition like as Bo●hwell himself being prisoner in Denmark both living and dying often protested with deep asse●erations that the Queen was innocent And fourteen yeers after Morton going to execution confessed that Bo●hwell dealt with him to consent to the murther of the King which when he refused utterly unlesse the Queen under her hand writing would allow of it Bothwell made answer that could not be but the fact must be done without her knowledge A little before this time upon one and the same day dyed two of the Privy Councell Sir Iohn Mason Treasurer of the Queen● Chamber a grave and learned man but a great Usurper and Encroacher upon Ecclesiasticall Livings and Sir Richard ●ac●vile Vice-Treasurer of the Exchequer a man both prudent and provident and allyed to the Queen by her mother An●e Bol●● In his room succeeded Walter Mildmay a man of wisdom and integrity In Masons Office came Sir Francis Knowles who married Katherine Car●e the daughter of Mary Bolen the Queens Mothers Sister It was now the yeer 1567. And the tenth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign when the Earl of Stolberg came into England from the Emperour Max●millian to treat of the mariage of the Queen with the Archduke Charls upon which very occasion the Queen a little before had sent the E. of Sussex to the Emperor with the Order of the Garter But in the Treaty of marriage there fell out so many difficulties about Religion maintenance of the Duke about the Royall Title and concerning succession that after it had been treated of seven whole yeers together it came at last to nothing and the Duke not long after marryed Mary daughter to Albert the fifth Duke of Bavaria yet both he and the Emperour continued ever after a good correspondence with the Queen About this time there came from Iohn Basil Emperour of Russia and Muscovia Stephen Twerdic● and Theodore P●gorella with a Present of rich Furs of Otter Miniver and the like tendering all service and obsequiousnesse to the Queen and the English The Merchants by vertue of a Grant from Queen Mary had combined themselves into a Society which they called the Muscovie Company and having large Priviledges granted them from the Emperour went thither with a Navie yeerly making a very gainfull Voyage but then it proved most gainfull when for the Queens sake they obtained at the Emperours hands in the yeer 1569. That none but the English of that Company should Traffique in the North-parts of Russia With these Russian Embassadours there returned into England Anthony Ienkinson who in his Travels had made curious Observation of Russia set forth a Geographicall Description of it and was the first of the English that sailed through the Caspian Sea And this yeer the 8. of June Sir Thomas Sackvile was created Baron of Buckhurst at Whitehall We have seen before the first Act of the Queen of Scots Tragedy Now comes in the second having been 11 Moneths kept a prisoner at last by the help of George Dowglas to whose Brother she was committed she made escape from Loch-levyn to Hamiltons castle where upon the testimonies of Robert Melvyn and others in a meeting of a great part of the Nobility there was drawn a sentence declaratory That the Grant extorted from the Queen in prison which is Iustus metus was actually void from the beginning Upon which Declaration great multitudes ●locked to her so as within a day or two she had gotten an Army of at least six thousand but when they joyned battell with Murray being but raw and unexpert Souldiers they were soon defeated In this case the Queen sought to save her self by flight journeying in one day threescore miles and coming at night to the house of Maxwell Lord Heris from thence she sent Iohn Beton to Queen Elisabeth with a Diamond Ring which she had fo●merly received from her as a Pledge of mutuall Amity intimating that she would come into England and implore her aid if her Subjects offered to prosecute her any further Queen Elisabeth returned answer that she should expect from her in abundant manner all loving and friendly offices But before the Messenger was returned she contrary to the advice of her friends entred into a small Bark with the Lords Heris and Flemming and a few others landed at Wickinton in Cumberland neer the mouth of the River of Decwent the seventeenth day of May and the same day wrote Letters to the Queen in French with her own hand the effect whereof was That having made an escape from the the hands of her insolent and rebellious Subjects she was now come into England upon certain hope of her approved clemencie and therefore humbly desiring she might forthwith be conducted to her presence Queen Elisabeth sending Letters by Sir Francis Knolles comforted her and promised her aid and defence according to the equity of her cause but denyed her accesse for that she was held guilty of many crimes giving command to have her brought to Carlile as a place of better safety The Queen of Scots receiving this answer and finding accesse to the Queen denyed her maketh request again by Letter that she might have leave both to unfold the injuries she had received and to answer the crimes objected in her own presence humbly intreating her that either she might be admitted to have conference and assistance or else have free leave to depart out of England to gain supply elswhere and not be held a prisoner in the Castle at Carlile● for ●s much as she came voluntarily into England relying upon her love so often professed Upon thes● Letters Queen Elisabeth exceedingly commisera●ed her case and could have fo●nd in her heart to admit her to her presence but that her Councellours conceived it to be matter for consultation what to do in this case To detain her in England had many mischiefs attending on it to send her into France as many to send her back into Scotland many more so as in conclusion the most were of opinion to have her detained as one
Leicester makes delayes and pretends causes to put it off● which Cecill seeing he adviseth the Duke to go and acquaint the Queen with it himself This councell Leicester opposed promising to open it to the Queen as she went in Progresse At length at Farnham the Duke standing by as the Queen sate at Table she gave him a tart Admonition That he were best take heed upon what pillow he rested his head After this at Tichfield Leicester fell sick or at least counterfeited to whom the Queen coming and bidding him be of good cheer hee with sighs and tears craved pardon for his fault and unfolded to her the whole story from the very beginning Whereupon the Queen called the Duke into the Gallery reproving him sharply for going about the Marriage without acquainting her and commanding him upon his Allegiance to desist The Duke made her a free and hearty promise of obedience and spared not to say as if he little regarded the Qu. of Scots that his Revenues in England were not much lesse then hers in Scotland and that when he was at his house in Norwich he thought himself in a sort not inferior to some kings but notwithstanding finding the Queens anger by her countenance and perceiving Leicester to be in a manner quite alienated most of the Nobility also as scarcely saluting him when they met him he grew extremely dejected and prepared presently to leave the Court meaning to stay at Norfolk till by his friends intercession and his own submissive Letters the Queens heart might be mollified towards him Mean while the Court was suspitously fearfull lest he should raise Rebellion and they say it was concluded that if he did so the Qu. of Scots should presently be made away And now the Duke who held secret commerce by Letters with the Bishop of Ross Throgmorton and Leicester for they were sent to and fro in bottles being examined touching the marriage of the Qu. of Scots and certain secret conferences with the Bishop of Rosse confessed most of the Objections and was thereupon committed to the Tower under the custody of Sir Henry Nevill within two dayes after the Bishop of Rosse likewise is examined and together with the Florentine Robert Ridolph is delivered to the custody of Sir Francis Walsingham the Earl of Pembroke is confined to his house and examined privately but his confession was not committed to writing It being his request because he could not write himself At this time the rumor of Insurrection in the North begun in Autumne before grew very strong by reason of some frequent meetings of the Earls of Northumberland Westmerland and others who thereupon being upon their Allegiance sent for to repaire presently to the Queen they make delayes for they stayed waiting for supplies both from the Scots and from the Duke D'Alva when the Earl of Northumberland doubtfull what to do was frighted of purpose by his servants telling him that men in Arms were neer at hand to apprehend him Who thereupon in a tempestuous night riseth out of his bed and in great fear gets into his Park at Topcliffe and the night following to Branspith to the Earl of Westmerlands house where a great many were met that were acquainted with the Enterprise Here they brake forth into an open Rebellion being pressed forward by one Nicholas Morton a Romish Priest sent by the Pope to pronounce Queen Elizabeth an Heretick and therefore to have utterly lost all Right of Soveraignty By and by they send forth a writting wherein they declare that they had taken Arms for no other end b●t that the Religion of their fore-fathers might be restored wicked Counsellors removed from the Queen the Duke of Norfolk and others of the loyall Nobility relieved who were now in disgrace but towards the Queen professing themselves most dutifull Subjects withall they send Letters to the Papists all the Kingdom over requiring them to come to their assistance● but they were so far from joyning with them that many sent both the Letters and the bearers of them to the Queen and afforded their aides and purposes against them no lesse then the best Protestants even the Duke of Norfolk himself was not backward in it These Rebells go first to Durham where th●y tear in pieces all the Bibles and Books of Common Prayer they could finde in Churches of the English tongue when they had been twelve dayes in Rebellion they numbered their Army and could not reckon above 600 horse and 4000 foot wherupon being certainly informed that the E of Sussex with 7000 and the E of Warwick with 12 were setting out against them they betook themselves to Rabie the chief house of the E of Westmerl●●d going from thence they besieged Bernards castle which for lack o● provision was yeelded to them At which time being proclaimed Traitors and he●ring afresh of the great forces that were coming against them th● two Earls with a small company get presently into Scotland hard by where the Earl of Northumberland hid himself at Harclow in a poor Cottage amongst the Grayhams famous Robbers who afterwards betrayed him to the Earl Murray Westmerland made a shift to get into the Low-Countryes where he had a slender Pension from the King of Spain and there lived even to old age Of the rest for terrour and examples sake there were hanged at Durham threescore and six of the chief amongst whom Plomtree a noted Priest At York were executed Simon Digby Iohn Fulthrop Thomas Bishop Robert Penyman and at London a few months after Christopher and Thomas and some other in other places After this the heads of the Rebels being convict of High Treason were proscribed namely Charles Earl of Westmerland Thomas Earl of Northumberland Anne Countesse of Northumberland Edward Dacres of Morton Iohn Nevill of Leversege Iohn Swinborn Thomas Markenfield Egremond Ratcliffe brother to the Earl of Sussex Christopher Nevill Richard Norton Christopher Marmaduke Robert and Michael Tempest George Stafford and forty others of good account Out of the ashes of this Rebellion a new fire was kindled at Naworth in Cumberland by Leonard Dacres second son to the Lord Dacres of Gyllisland He was a Party with the Earls in their Rebellion but they breaking forth sooner then he expected and he at that time being at the Court and there admitted to kisse the Queens hand tendered his service to go against them and to that purpose was sent home but in his Journey branding himself with a double disloyalty he consulted with the Rebels and encouraged them to go on and by vertue of Letters of Credence from the Queen he surprised the Castle of Greystock and other houses of the Dacres and gathered together an Army of three thousand men But being encountred by the Baron of Hunsdon after a great fight wherein though he were crook-backt he behaved himself valiantly he was put to flight and fled into Scotland from whence soon after he passed over into the Low-Countryes and in great misery and poverty died
Grand-father had lyen asleep for fifty yeers together At this time many particular Rebellions were in Ireland The O C●nors and O Moors took Arms and committed many outrages In Munster Iames Fitzmorris and Fitz Edmund did the like but by the industry of Sir Iohn Perrot President of Munster were suppressed In Ulster Bryan Mac Phelym burnt Knockfergus and many other joyned in Rebellion with him Against these Walter Devereux whom the Queen had lately created Earl of Essex desired leave to go which Sir William Fitz-Williams Deputy of Ireland opposed as fearing that the glory of so great an Earl vvould ecclipse his light But for this the Queen findes a remedy by appointing Essex to take a Parent of the Deputy whereby to be made Governour of Ulster But this remedy for Fitz-Williams might have made a sore in the minde o● E●sex to receive his Authority from his inferiour but that the noblenesse of his minde made him more to regard the vertue then the glory And so in the end of August hee landed at Knockfergus having with him the Lords Darcy and Rich and Sir Henry Knowles and his four Brothers Michael and Iohn Carves Henry William and Iohn Norreses At his landing Bryan Mac Pheli● welcomed him tendring unto him all manner of dutifulnesse and service but presently a●ter falls from him and joyns with Turlogh Leynigh After this revolt the Ea●l of Essex finding many difficulties in the businesse and himself not well provided of skilfull Souldiers makes suit to the Queen for leave to come home which the Earl of Leicester who liked his room better then his company opposed till after expence of a yeer● time and much treasure hee at last obtained leave and returned home The next yeer being 1574. and the seventeenth yeer of Queen Elisabeths Raign the Duke of Alenson grew more importunate in his suit then at any time before so as hee obtained of the Queen to come into England any time before the twentieth of May and this she the rather did because shee perceived him now to bee really bent against the Guyses her sworn Enemies But before this Answer was brought him Valentine Dale Doctor of the Civil Law the Queens Embass●dour in France gave intimation to the Q●een That Alenson and Navarre were in restraint and committed to Keepers For the Guyses had suggested that Alenson held intimate friendship with Admirall Colin the chief Leader of the Protestants in France and indeed Alenson being examined freely confessed that hee had now for a good while desired the marriage of the Queen of England● and conceiving that good correspondence with Colin might be usefull to him to that end hee had thereupon had conference with him thereabout and concerning the Low-Country Warre In the mean time Thomas W●lks Dales Secretary got cunningly to Alenson and in the Queens name made promise both to him and to Navarre that she would omit no opportunity of procuring their inlargement For which the subtle Queen-Mother so complained of him to Queen Elisabeth that hee was fain to go into France and there to crave pardon for his fault But Navarre not unmindfull of this kindnesse in Wilks when about five and twenty yeers after being King of France hee saw him in Normandy hee Knighted him Hereupon the Queen sent Thomas Randoll into France to the Queen-Mother that if it were possible hee might gain Reconciliation for Alenson her sonne and for the King of Navarre But before hee was landed in France Charles the then French King dyed whose Funerall Rites were solemnly performed in Saint Pauls Church in London Assoon as Henry the third King of France was come from Poland Roger Lord North was sent into France to congratulate his return and his happy Inauguration into the Kingdom who thereupon together with the Queen-Mother did forthwith send their joynt Letters into England strongly soliciting the businesse of marriage between Alenson and the Queen In the mean time notwithstanding they used all possible devices and left no means unsought to get the yong King of Scotland to bee sent into France and to deprive Morton who was the Regent of his Authority whereof the Queen of Scots also was very desirous shee being perswaded that if her sonne were once gotten safely into France shee and the Catholicks in England should bee more mildly used At which time an aspersion was cast upon the Queen of Scots as if she had made the match between Charles Unckle to the Queen of Scots who had lately the Earldom of Lenox confirmed to him by Parliament and Elizabeth Cavendish the Countesse of Shrewsburie's daughter by a former husband upon which ground both their mothers and some others also were kept in Prison for a time and being doubted whereunto this marriage should tend Henry Earle of Huntington President of the Councell in the North is authorized with secret Instructions to examine it It will be fit here to say something of this place of Government in the North which from small beginnings is now become so eminent as it is at this day whereof this was the Originall When as in the Raigne of Henry the Eight after that the Rebellion in the Northerne parts about the subversion of Abbyes was quieted the Duke of Norfolke tarryed in those quarters and many complaints of injuries done were tendered unto him whereof some he composed himself and others hee commended under his Seale to men of wisdome to determine Hereof when King Henry heard he sent down a peculiar Seal to be used in these cases and calling home the Duke committed the same to Tunstall Bishop of Durham and Constituted Assistants with Authority to heare and determine the complaints of the poor and he was the first that was called President and from that time the authority of his successours grew in credit It was now the yeer One thousand five hundred seventy five and the Eighteenth yeer of Queen Elisabeths Raign vvhen Henry the third King of France being returned from Poland and Crowned at Rheims was carefull to have the League of Blois confirmed which in the Yeer 1572. had been concluded betweene his Brother Charles and that most Illustrious Queen ELIZABETH Now therefore hee confirmed it with His owne Subscription and delivered it to Dale the Queen 's Legier as the Queen like wise ratified it at Saint-James neere Westminster But a little after he demanded by Letters whether the mutuall defence against all persons mentioned in the League was intended to comprehend the case of Religion also Whereunto she answering that it did comprehend it hee thereupon hearing this from the Queen began presently to prepare Warre against the Protestants and Alenson being drawne to the Adverse party there was no speech of the marriage for a long time In the Netherlands at this time Lodovicke Zuinga who was successor unto Duke D'Alva was wholly bent to recover the Command of the Seas which D'Alva had neglected but not being sufficiently provided of a Navy he sent Boischott into England that with
Ambassadours proof out of History That the Kings of Scots born in Scotland did anciently without question hold the Earldome of H●ntington by Right of Inheritance Yet she commanded a Sequestration to be made of the Revenues of those Lands by B●rleigh Master of the Wards and willeth the King That out of the goods of the Earl of Lenox in Scotland satisfaction might be made to his Grand-mothers Creditors here For she too● it in ill part that the King had recalled the In●●o●●ment of the Earldom of Lenox made to his Unkle Charl● and his Heirs after the death of Charles to the prejudice as was suggested to her of Arbella although indeed it be a Priviledge of the Kings of Scotland That they may recall Donations made in their minor●ty The Earl of Morton in the mean while not enduring the disgrace to be outed of his Regency regarded not the prescript Form of Government lately set down but drew the Administration of all matters to himself and kept the King in his own power at the Castle of Sterling admitting none to his presence but whom he pleased At this presumption the Lords growing angry made the Earl of Atholl their Captain and in the Kings Name levyed a great Army and were ready to encounter Morton but by the intercession of Robert Bowes the English Ambassadour they were stayed from fighting and Morton presently betook himself home and the Earl of Atholl soon after died not without suspition of being poysoned At this time the King of Spain and Pope Gregory the thirteenth held secret Consultation to invade at once both England and Ireland and to work the absolute ruine of Queen Elizabeth The Pope to gain the Kingdom of Ireland for his son Iames Buen of Compagno whom he had made Marquesse of Vincola The King of Spain secretly to relieve the Irish Rebells as Queen Elizabeth did the Dutch while friendship in words was upheld on both sides and being known That the greatest strength of England consisted in the Navy Royall and Merchants Ships it was advised that the Italian and Dutch●Merchants should hire these Ships for long Voyages to the end that while they were absent the Queens Navy might be surprized with a greater Fleet and at that time Thomas Stukeley an English fugitive should joyn himself to the Irish Rebells with new Forces For he making great boast and promising the Kingdom of Ireland to the Popes bastard son had so insmuated himself into grace with the ambitious old man that he adorned him with the Titles of Marquesse of Leinster Earl of Wexford and Caterlogh Viscount M●rogh and Baron of Rosse the principall dignities of Ireland and made him Commander over eight hundred Italian Souldiers to be employed in the Irish War With which Forces Stuckeley setting Sayl from 〈◊〉 Vecchia arrived at length in Portingall where he and his Forces● were by the divine providence diverted another way For S●●a●●ia● King of Porti●gall to whom the chief Command in this Expedition against England was assigned being first to dispatch a War in Africa in Ayd of Mahomet Abdall son to the King of Fesse perswaded Stukeley to go along with him into Maure●ania together with his Italian Souldiers and then afterward they would go together against Ireland To this motion Stukeley soon agreed and therein agreed with his destiny for in that memorable Battell where three Kings were slain both he and Sebastian lost their lives At this time Sir Henry Sidney who had been Deputy of Ireland at severall times eleven yeers delivered up his Deputy-ship to Sir William Drury President of Munster Such a Deputy for good Government that if any have equalled him none have exceed him It was now the yeer 1579 and the two and twentieth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign when Iohn Casimire son of Frederick the third Count Pala●ine of the Rhyne came into England where after he had been entertained with Tiltings and Justs made Knight of the Garter the Queen tying the Garter about his leg and rewarded with a yeerly Pension he returned And now was Alexander ●●rnise Prince of Parma made Governour of the Netherlands by the King of Spain and Queen Elizabeth supplied the States with a great Sum of money for which William Davyson brought into E●gland the ancient precious Habilliments of the Family of Burgundy and their costly Vessells laid to pawn by Matthew of Austria and the States Si●ier in the mean time herein England cea●eth not by all amorous devices to perswade the Queen to marry Alanson wherein he drew her so far that the Earl of Leicester gave ou● He crept into the Queens affection by love Potions and unlawfull Arts and Simier on the other side endeavoured by all means to cast down Leicester discovering his mariage with the Earl of Essex widdow whereat the Queen grew so angry that she consined him to the Castle at Greenwich and had meant to have him Committed to the Tower but that the Earl of Sussex though his greatest Adversarie disswaded her telling her that none ought to be molested for contracting lawfull Matrimonie But Leicester notwithstanding was so provoked for his confining that he was bent to revenge it and if it be true as some said● he had suborned on Teud●r a Yeoman of the Guard to murder Simier sure it is the Queen by Proclamation commanded that no person should offer injury to the Embassadour or any of his servants At which time it fell out that as the Queen together with Simier the Earle of Lincolne and Hatton Vice-Chamberlaine were rowed in a barge to Greenwich a young man shooting off a Harquebus out of a boate shot one of the rowers in the Queenes Barge thorough the arme with a bullet who was presently taken and ledde to the Gallowes but upon solemne Protestation that he did it unwillingly and out of no malicious Intent he was let go and Pardoned Some would have perswaded the Queen that was purposely suborned to shoote either her or the French Embassadour but she was so far from suspecting her Subjects that she would often say She would not believe any thing against them which a mother would not believe against her children After a few dayes Alanson himself came privately into England with only on or two attendants and came to the Queen at Greenwich at a time when she thought not of it they had secret conference together all parties being sent away after which being seen of very few he returned home but within a moneth or two after the Queen enjoyned the Lord Burleigh treasurer the Earle of Sussex Leicester Hatton and Walsingham seriously to weigh both the dangers and the Commodities likely to arise from the marriage with him and to consult with Simier concerning the marriage Covenants As in England there was some feare of this Frenchman So in Scotland at this time of another Frenchman called Esme Steward Lord of Aubigny who came now into Scotland to visit the King his cosen He was the sonne of Iohn Steward brother to Matthew
Davis with two Ships at the charges of William Sanderson and other Citizens of London found out away to the East-Indies ●y the higher part of America under the Frigid Zone At the end of this yeere the Earle of Leicester is sent Generall of the Queenes Forces into Holland accompanied with the Earle of Essex the Lords Audley and North Sir William Russell Sir Thomas Shirley Sir Arthur Basset Sir Walter Waller Sir Gervase Clifton and divers other Knights besides five hundred Gentlemen Landing at Flushing he was first by Sir Philip Sidney the Governour his Nephew and after by the Townes of Zeland and Holland entertained in most magnificent manner ●nd comming to the Hague in Ianuary the States by Patent committed to him the command and absolute authority over the united Provinces with the Titles of Governour and Captain Generall of Holland Zeland and the Confederate Provinces So as being now saluted with the Title of his Excellency he began to assume unto him Princely spirits But the Queene tooke him soone off from further aspiring Writing to him in most peremptory manner That she wondred how a man whom ●he had raised out of the dust could so contemptuously violate her commands and therefore charged him upon his Allegiance to put in ●xecution the Injunctions she sent him by HENNAGE her VICE-CHAMBERLAINE Withall in Letters apart She expostulateth with the States that to her great disparagement they had cast upon the ●arle of Leicester her Subject the absolute command over the united PROVINCES without her privity which she her selfe had utterly refused and therfore willeth them to Devest him of that absolute authority to whom she had set bounds which he should not passe The States returne Answer That they are heartily sorry they should incurre her displeasure by conferring upon the Earle that absolute Authority not having first made her acquainted but they beseeched her to consider the necessity of it seeing that for avoyding of confusion that Authority must needs be cast upon some one or other Neither was there any great matter in the word Absolute seeing the Rule and Dominion resided still in the people By these Letters and Leicesters own submissive writing the Queen was soon satisfied Leicester all this while receiveth Contributions and Rewards from all Provinces maketh Martiall Laws and endeavouring likewise to raise new Customs upon Merchandizes incurred great dislike amongst the common people His first service was to relieve Grave a Town in Brabant which the Prince of Parma by Count Mansfield had besieged Hither he sent the Count Hohenlo a German and Norris Generall of the English Foot but notwithstanding all the great service they did there the Town in the end was taken but Hemart the Governor for his cowardly yeelding it up lost his head From hence the Prince of Parma marched into Gelderland and pitched his Tents before Venlow where Skenkic a Friezlander and Roger Williams a Welshman performed great service yet that Town in a short time was taken also But in the mean while the Lord Willoughby Governor of Bergen ap Zome cut off the enemies Convoyes and took away their victualls and Sir Philip Sidney and Maurice the Prince of Oranges Son upon a sudden on-set took Axale a Town in Flanders From Venl● the Prince of Parma goes to Berke where there were twelve thousand English under the command of Colonell Morgan he notwithstanding layd Siege to the Town which the Earl of Leicester came to raise but finding his Forces to weak to raise it he seeks to divert it by Beleaguering Duisbourgh which before the Prince of Parma could come to relieve he tooke And now the Prince of Parma fearing least Zutphin should come in danger commandeth victualls to be carried thither which the Spaniards carrying along in a fogge the English by chance lighted on them vanquished a Troop of their Horse slew Hannibal Gonzaga and divers other bat then on the English side was one slain more worth than all the English and Spaniards put together Sir Philip Sidney who having his horse slain under him and getting upon another was shot into the thigh and 25 dayes after in the ●loure of his age dyed A man of so many excellent parts of Art and Nature of Valour and Learning of Wit and Magnanimity that as he had equalled all those of former Ages so future Ages wil hardly be able to equal him His Funeralls were in sumptuous manner solemnized at St. Pauls Church in London Iames King of Scotland made his Epitaph and both Universities celebrated his death with Funerall Verses After this Leicester assaulteth Zutphen where setting upon a Fort he takes it in this manner Edward Stanley of the Stanlies of Elford catching hold of a Spaniards Launce which was brandished at him held it so fast that by it he was drawn into the very Fort whereupon the Spaniards being affrighted as thinking all the enemies were comming up forsook the place Leicester knighted Stanly for this act gave him forty pounds in present money and yeerly Pension of an hundred Marks during his life And now though in this forwardnesse to winne the Town yet winter being already come on he thought it unseasonable to besiege it any longer especially so many English Garrisons lying round about it which were in nature of a siege but returned to the H●g●e where the States entertained him with complaints that their money was not carefully husbanded that the number of the English supplies was not full that forreign souldiers were levyed without their consent that the priviledges of the united Provinces were set at nought and new devises for contribution invented for all which evills they entreat him to provide some present remedy To which complaints having a purpose to go for England he gave a friendly answer but upon the very day in which he was to depart he committeth the government of the Province to the deliberation of the States and the same day made another private instrument of writing where he reserved to himself the whole authority over the Governours of the severall Provinces Cities and Forts and more than this taketh away the wonted jurisdiction ●rom the States Councell and Presidents of the Provinces and came into England the third day of December And thus passed the affairs of the Nether-lands for this yeare But in England Philip Earle of Arundel who had lyen in Prison a whole year was at last brought to the Starchamber and being charged with fostering of Priests and having correspondence with Allen and Parsons the Jesuit and offering to depart the Kingdom without licence was fined ten thousand pounds and imprisonment during the Queens p●easure At this time the Queen by Sir Horatio Palavicino supplied with a large summe of money the King of Navarr● thorow whose side the Guyses opposed the reformed Religion in Scotland but her most intentive care was how to unite England and Scotland in a solid friendship To which end she sent Thomas Randoll into Scotland who making Propositions to the King
States sent for out of England to succour it the Town was furiously a●saulted with seventeen thousand great shot and a mighty breach was made into it which neverthelesse Roger Williams Franis Vere Nicholas Baskervile with the Garrison of the English and Wallons were valiantly defended for a while but at last were enforced to yeild it up● Leicester that came to relieve it finding himself too weak for the Besiegers being gone away And indeed the States would not commit any great Army to his Command who they knew had a determination to se●ze L●yden and some other Towns into his own hands and had a purpose to surprize the absolute Government Whereupon the States used means that Leicester was called home gave up the Government to the States and in his roome succeeded Maurice of Nassaw Son to the Prince of Orange b●ing now but twenty years of age Peregrine Lord Willonghby was by the Queen made Gene●all of the English Forces in the Low-Countries to whom she gave command to reduce the English Factions into the States obedience the which with the help of Prince Maurice he easily effected Leicester being now come home and perceiving that an accusation was preparing against him by Buckhurst and others for his unfaithfull managing of affairs in Holland privately with tears he cast himself down at the Queens feet entreating her that she would not receive him with disgrace at his return whom she had sent forth with honor and so far prevailed with her that the next day being called to examination before the Lords he took his place amongst them not kneeling down at the end of the Table as the manner of Delinquents is and when the Secretary began to read the heads of his Accusation he interrupted him saying That the publick instructions which he had received were limited with private restriction and making his appeal to the Queen eluded the whole crimination with the secret indignation of his Adversaries This year was famous for the death of many great Personages In the moneth of February dyed Henry Nevill Lord of Aburgaveny great Grand-childe to Edward Nevill who in the Reign of King Henry the Sixth got this Title in the right of his Wife only Daughter and Heir to Richard Beauchamp Earl of Worcester and Lord of Aburgaveny In which right when as the only Daughter of this Henry Wife to Sir Thomas Fane challenged the Title of Baronesse of Aburgaveny a memorable contention arose concerning the Title between her and the next Heir Male to whom by Will and the same confirmed by Authority of Parliament the Castle of Aburgaveny was bequeathed This question being a long time debated at last in a Parliament holden in the second year of King Iames the matter was tryed by voyces and the Heir Male carried the Lordship of Aburgaveny and the Barony Le Dispencer was ratified to the Female This year also in the moneth of Aprill dyed Anne Stanhope Dutchesse of Somerset ninety years old who being the Wife of Edward Seymer Duke of Somerset and Protector of England contended for precedency with Katherine Parre Queen Dowager to King Henry the Eight There dyed also Sir Ralph Sadler Chancellor of the Dutchy of Lancaster the last Baneret of England with which dignity he was adorned at the Battell of Musselborough in Scotland After him dyed Thomas Bromley Lord Chancellor of England and six dayes after He whom the Queen meant should have succeeded him Edward Earl of Rutland but he now fayling Sir Christopher Hatton was made Lord Chancellor who though he were a Courtier yet the Queen knowing him to be an honest man thought him not unfit for that place where conscience hath or should have more place than Law although some were of opinion That it was not so much the Queens own choice as that she was perswaded to it by some that wisht him not well both thereby to be a cause of absenting him from the Court and thinking that such a sedentary place to a corpulent man that had been used to exercise would be a means to shorten his life and indeed he lived not full out three years after This yeer Sir Iohn Perot was called home out of Ireland and left all in 〈◊〉 quiet to Fits Williams his Successor For hitherto the English 〈◊〉 it no hard matter to vanquish the Irish by reason of their unskil●ulnesse in Arms eight hundred Foot and three hundred Horse was ●●ld an invincible Army but after that by Perots command they were ●●●●cised in Feats of Arms and taught to discharge Muskets at a Mark 〈◊〉 had in the Low-Countries learned the Art of Fortification they held the English better to it and were not so easily overcome And now we are come to the one and twentieth yeer of Queen Eliza●●●●s Raign being the yeer 1588 long before spoken of by Astrologers 〈◊〉 be a wonderfull yeer and even the Climactericall yeer of the World And yet the greatest Wonder that happened this yeer was but the wonderfull Fleet that Spain provided for invading of ENGLAND if the defeat of that wonderfull Fleet were not a greater Wonder It is true there was at this time a Treaty of Peace between England and Spai● and the Earl of Derby the Lord Cobham Sir Iames Crofts Dale and Rogers Doctors of Law Commissioners for the Queen for the Prince of Parma the Count Aurenberg Champignie Richardot Ma●s and Garvyer Doctors had many meetings about it neer to Ostend but it seemed on the p●rt of Spain rather to make the English secure that they should not make provision for War than that they had any purpose of reall proceeding seeing they accepted not of any reasonable Conditions that were offered but trifled out the time till the Spanish Navy was come upon the Coast and the Ordnance heard from Sea and then dismissed the English Delegates The Spanish Navy consisted of one hundred and thirty Ships whereof Galeasses and Galleons seventy two goodly Ships like to floating Towers in which were Souldiers 19290 Marriners 8350 Gally-slaves 2080 Great Ordnance 2630 For the greater holinesse of their Action twelve of their Ships were ca●led The twelve Apostles Chief Commander of the Fleet was Don Alphonso Duke of Medina and next to him Iohn Martin Recalde a great Sea-man The twentieth of May they weighed Anchor from the River Tagus but were by Tempest so miserably disperst that it was long ere they m●t again but then they sent before to the Prince of Parma That he with his Forces consisting of fifty thousand old Souldiers should be ready to joyn with them and with his Shipping conduct them into England and to land his Army at the Thames Mouth The Queens Preparation in the mean time was this The Lord Charles Howard Lord Admirall with all her Navy and Sir Francis Drake Vice-Admirall to be ready at Plimouth and the Lord Henry Seymor second son to the Duke of Somerset with forty English and Dutch Ships to keep the Coasts of the Netherlands to hinder the Prince of Parma's
offended that credit should be given to such a one and themselv●s neglected she raised Thomas Smith the customer from thirteen thous●nd pounds yeerly to two and forty thousand pounds and at last to fifty thousand It was now the yeer 1590. and the three and thirtieth of Queen Elizabeths Raigne in which the Earl of Cumberland made a Voyage to the Indies where he laid levell to the ground the Fort of the Isle of ●iala and brought away eight and fifty Pieces of great Ordnance This yeer was fatall to many Noble personages first dyed Ambrose Dudley Earl of Warwick son to Iohn Duke of Northumberland without issue After him Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary a man more skilfull in the Politicks then in the Oeconomicks more cunning in managing matters of the publick State then of his own private estate which he left so mean and dyed so much indebted that he was fain to be buryed by night without a●y Funerall pomp in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul leaving behinde him one onely daughter famous for her three husbands all of them the goodliest men of their time the first Sir Philip Sidney the second Robert Earl of Essex the third Richard Burgh Earl of Clanricard by King Charls made Earl of Saint Albans Within two Moneths after W●lsingham dyed Sir Thomas Randol● who had been fourteen times sent in Embassage to severall Princes yet was never rewarded with any greater dignities then the Chamberlainship of the Exchequer and the Postmastership of England Soon after him dyed Sir Iohn Crof●s who had done good service in Scotland in Edward the sixths time in Queen Mary's time was condemned of high Treason in Queen Elisabeths time set at liberty and made Comptroller of her house After him dyed George Talbot the seventh E. of Shrewsbury of this house he was made Earl Marshall of England and left behinde him a memoriall of Wisdom and Integrity Lastly dyed Thomas Lord Wentworth the last of the English that had been Governour of Calice In Ireland at this time Hugh Gaveloc so called because he had been long kept in Fetters the naturall son of Shan O Neale accused Hugh Earl of Tir-Oen for holding private consultations with certain Spaniard who in 88 were by Shipwrack cast upon the coast of Ireland Tir-Oen to prevent the Accusation took the said Hugh and when others refused to do it took a cord and with his own hands strangled him Hereupon he was sent for into England and came and upon pardon obtained solemnly undertook in presence of the Queen at Greenwich to maintain the peace with Turlogh Leynigh Not to usurpe the Title of O-Neale nor any authority over the Gentry about him to reduce the Territory of Tir-Oen to the form of a County and civil behaviour and many such matters giving hostages for his true performance and indeed for a time he observed all things very duly This trouble allayed another arose for soon after this Hugh Roe Mac-Mahon a Potentate in the Territory of Monaghan compelled those under his jurisdiction to pay him tribute whereupon the Deputy caused him to be taken and tryed by a Jury of common Souldiers and then to be hanged up dividing his lands amongst certain English and some of the Mac-Mahons reserving a certain yeerly Rent to the Crown of England by this means thinking to extinguish the Power and Title of Mac-Mahon But hereupon O-Rork fearing hee should be served in like manner took up Arms against the Queen whom Bingham President of Connacht soon distressed and drave into Scotland and at the Queens request was by the King delivered up into his hands It was now the yeer 1591. and the Four and thirtieth of Queen Elisabeths Raign when she carefull lest Britain should come into the Spaniards hands sent Edmund York into France to advertise the King to take care thereof and promising to send him Forces to that end if he would some Towns where they might be in safety Hereupon he named Cherburg Granvile or Brest as the fittest and it was agreed that Three thousand English should be sent into Brittainy and Picardy but in the mean time Henry Palmer was sent to Sea with certain Ships who seized upon Thirteen Spanish Ships as they were returning from Nova Francia And now Roger Williams with a Company of Six hundred Souldiers passeth over to Diepe in Normandy and Sir Iohn Norris with the rest of the Forces hasted into Britain soon after Roger Williams with his own Six hundred and the help of Charter Governour of Diepe put to rout the Confederates that had blocked up the passages whose valour the French King in his Letters to the Queen highly extolled Whereupon growing more couragious and not minding his charge which was to stay at Diepe he accompanyed the King to the very Suburbs of Paris where in honour of his Nation he sent a Challenge to the Spaniards to encounter Two hundred Pikemen of the English and a hundred Musquetiers with as many Spaniards in open Field After this the King of France acquainted the Queen that he had a purpose to set upon Roan or New-haven before the Prince of Parma should come into France and thereupon requested her to send Four thousand English into Normandy which upon certain conditions she willingly did and sent them under the Command of Robert Earl of E●sex accompanyed with Sir Thomas Leighton and Sir William Killegrew as his Counsellours When the Earl came into France he found that the King was at Noyon and in Normandy no preparation for the War at all which seemed strange and much troubled him but by and by Sir Roger Williams comes to him from the King requesting him to come to Noyon that they might confer concerning a course of War Thither the Earl made a tedious journey and being come thither the King told him he was now of necessity to go himself into Champaigne but promiseth to send Marshall Biron and the Duke of Montpensier forthwith to him to lay siege to Roan Hereupon the Earl returned to his Tents expecting their coming but neither of th●m ●●me which troubled the Earl more then before so as being weary now 〈◊〉 doing nothing he made himself one approach to Roan where hi● Brother W●lt●● Devereux was unfortunately slain Indeed the affairs of the ●ing of Fr●nce were at this time upon so uncertain terms that before he could ●●t 〈◊〉 h● had resolved something still intervened that diverted him for which by his Letters he excused himself to the Queen of England and by the mediation of the Ea●l and Mornay Lord du Plessie whom to that end he sent into England obtained new supplies and then besieged Roan At this time was memorable the prodigious cariage of one Hacket born at Oundale in Northamptonshire a mean fellow of no learning whose first prank was this That when in shew of Reconciliation to one with whom he had been at variance he imbraced him he bit off his Nose and the man desiring to have his Nose again that it might
indeed fit to give a vent to the passage of Honour which during Queene Elizabeths Raigne had been so stopped that scarce any County of England had Knights enow in it to make a Iury. Before we goe further it will not be amisse to shew what great men attended King Iames out of Scotland as namely the Duke of Lenox the Earle of Marre the Lord Hame and many other great Lords and many other whom he afterward made great Lords as bring in his speciall favour first Sir George Hame made afterward Earle of Dunbarre then Sir Thomas Erskin made Earle of Kelly then Sir Iohn Ramsey made Earle of Holdernesse which two last had the fortune to come first in to his rescue against the Gowries then Sir Iames Hay made afterward Earle of Carlile and then Sir Richard Preston made Earle of Kildare in Ireland but whose great fortune by marrying the Heire of that Earledome was afteward the occasion of his great misfortune for comming out of Ireland he was unfortunately cast away and drowned But though King Iames was now safely come himselfe to London yet he accounted himselfe but halfe come untill his Queene and children were come to him and therefore there are now appointed to goe to conduct them of Lords and Earle of S●ssex the Earle of Lincolne the Lord Compton the Lord Norris and Sir George Carow Knight Lord President of Munster of Ladies the Countesse of Worcester the Countesse of Kildare the Lady Anne Herberts daughter to Henry Earle of Pembrooke the Lords Scroopes Lady the Lady Rich wife to the Lord Rich and the Lady Walsingham one of the late Queenes bedchamber But although these only were appointed to goe yet many other Lords and great Ladies went of themselves to attend her Majesty as the Countesse of Bedford the Lady Hastings the Lady Cecill the Lady Hatton the Lady Harington and divers other and with this Princely attendance the Queene with two of her children namely Prince Henry of the age of nine yeares and the Lady Elizabeth on the eleventh of Iune came to Yorke where resting themselves some few dayes on the seven and twentieth of Iune they came to Easton in Northamptonshire a house of Sir George Fermors where the King met them at dinner and afterward they rode together to a house of Sir Iohn Fortescue and so to London The Kings younger sonne Charles Duke of Albany came not at this time as being not three yeeres old and therefore not thought able to endure such a journey but the yeare following falling sick of a feavor Doctor Atkins one of the Kings Physitions was sent to conduct him who in six weekes cured him of his feavour and the first weeke of October brought him safe to Windsor where the King then lay for which service he was so well rewarded that together with the gayn●s of his usuall practice● hee grew to a greater wealth then was usuall for Physitions King Iames had distributed the meaner Order of Knightho●d very plentifully now he thinks fit to raise his distributions to a higher degree and therupon on the twentieth of May he made Sir Robert Cecil Baron of Esindon Sir Robert Sidney Baron of Penshurst Sir William Knowles Baron of Greyes and Sir Edward Wooten Baron of Morley and not long after hee made the Lord Henry Howard Earle of North-Hampton and Thomas Sackvile Lord Buckhurst he made Earle of Dorset The King had by this time found the love and affection of his own people but the affection of neighbouring Princes towards him stood yet in suspence when now to take away that doubt came first in the beginning of Iune an Embassador from the Palsgrave of Rhyne presently after another from the States of Holland and Zeland another from the Arch-Duke of Austria another from the King of Spaine from the Seignory of Venice another another from the Duke of Florence and lastly on the eight of Iune Mon●ieur de Rhosny from the King of France all congratulating his happy comming to the Crowne of England for entertainment of which Embassadors and all other that should come after the King had erected an Office by the name of Master of the Ceremonies allowing him two hundred pounds a yeer Fee and the first that had the place was Sir Lewis Lewkenor a Gentleman who besides other good parts was very skilfull in the neighbouring languages Vpon the seventeenth of May this yeere were made fourteene Serjeants at Law whereof eleven had received Writs the last yeare of Queene Elizabeth namely Thomas Coventry Robert Haughton Lawrence Tanfield Iohn Crooke Thomas Foster Edward Philips Thomas Harris Iames Altham Henry Hubbard Augustine Nicholls and Robert Perker to whom the King added three new Iohn Sherley George Snygge and Richard Hutton who all kept their Feast together in the Middle Temple Hall One would thinke that by this time all Offences against Queene Elizabeth had been forgotten but King Iames more tender of wrongs done to her than to himselfe would not suffer Valentine Thomas so to escape who after he had lyen many yeeres prisoner in the Tower was on the fourth of ●une arraigned at the Kings Bench-Barre and for conspiracy against the late Queene and some of her Counsell was on the seventh of Iune after six a clock at night drawne to S●● Thomas Waterings and there hanged and quartered About this time the Honourable Charles Lord Montj●y returned out of Ireland bringing alone with him Hugh O Neale Earle of Teroen at whose comming to the King the Lord Montjoy was sworne of the Kings Privie Counsell and the Earle of Teroen who had beene the cause of so much English bloud shed was yet pardoned and Proclamation made that by all men he should be used with respect and honour All this while the King had moved within his own Spheare and had done nothing out of the Realme his first Imployment abroad was now in Iune to his brother the King of Denmark to whom he sent in Embassage the Earle of Rutland upon two occasions the one to be Godfather to his sonne who was named Christianus the other to present him with the Order of the Gar●er upon the like imployment soone after he sent the Lord Spen●er to Frederick Duke of Wirtenberg which Lords saw the said Princes Invested with the Garter and after honourable entertainment returned home It was now a time that every man might sit under his Vine and enjoy the happinesse of a peaceable Government when suddenly like a storme in a faire Somers day brake forth a Treason of a strange Composition for where in all Treasōs commonly they are all of some one Faction in this there were people of all sorts Priests and Laymen Papists and Protestants Noblement Knights and Gen●lement that one would think it should be a well mannaged Treason and yet was the shallowest that was ever set on foot so shallow that it could scarce be observed either what the Authors of it ayled or what it was they would h●ve done Indeed the great
King according to an ancient custome had ayde of His Subjects thorough England for making his eldest sonne Prince Henry Knight which yet was Levied with great moderation and the Prince to shew himselfe worthy of it performed His first Feates of Armes at Barriers with wonderfull skill and courage being not yet full sixteene yeares of Age. It was now the eight yeere of King Iames His Reigne being the yeare 1610 when Prince Henry being come to the age of seventeen yeares It was thought fit He should be Initiated into Royalty and thereupon the thirtieth of May this yeare He was Created Prince of Wales in most solemne manner which was this Garter King at Armes bore the Letters Patents the Earle of Sussex the Robes of Purple Velvet the Earle of Huntington the Traine the Earle of Cumberland the Sword the Earle of Rutland the Ring the Earle of Darby the Rod the Earle of Shrewsbury the Cape and Coronet the Earle of Nottingham and North-Hampton supported the Prince being in His Surcoate only and bare-headed and in this manner being conducted to the King attended on by the Knights of the Bathe five and twenty in number all great men and great mens sons The Earle of Salisbury principall Secretary read the Letters Pattents the Prince kneeling all the while before the King and at the words accustomed the King put on him the Robe the Sword the Cape and the Coronet the Rod and the Ring and then kissed him on the cheeke and so the solemnity ended After this it was thought fit he should keep his Court by himselfe and thereupon Sir Thomas Chaloner a learned Gentleman who had before been his Governour was now made his Lord Chamberlaine Sir Edw. Philips his Chancellor and all other officers assigned him belonging to a Princes Court wherein he shewed himselfe so early ripe for Majesty that he seemed to be a King while he was yet but Prince And all mens eyes began to fix upon him King Iames had long since shut up the Gates of Ianus and was in Peace with all Princes abroad his only care now was how to keep Peace at home and to this end the three first dayes of Iune in his own person he heard the differences between the Ecclesiasticall and the Temporall Iudges argued touching Protections out of the Kings●Bench and Common-Pleas to this end the eight ninth tenth of Iune he heard the manifold complaints of the abuses of the Victualers other Officers of his Navy Royall to this end the 4 of Iune 1610 he once again by Proclamation commanded all Roman Priests Seminaries and Iesuits as being the chiefe Incendiaries of troubles to depart this Kingdome by the 5 of Iuly next and not to returne upon pain of severity of the Law also all Recusants to returne home to their Dwellings and ●ot to ramaine in London ●o● to come within ten miles of the Court without speciall Licence a●●●r which Proclamation the O●th of Allegeance was presently ministred to all sorts of people and their names certified to the Lords of the Counsell that ref●●ed to take it and this Hee the rather did out of consideration of the bloudy fact committed lately by one Revill●ck upon the person of the renowned K. of France Henry the fourth whereas Queen Elizabeth in her 43 years had granted her Letters Pattents to continue for 15 years to the East India Merchants now upon their humble petition the King was pleased to enlarge their Pate●●s giving them a charter to continue for ever enabling them thereby to be a body Corporate and Politick which so encouraged the Merchants that they built a ship of twelve hundred ●un the greatest that was ever made in this Kingdome by Merchants which the King and Prince honored with going to Deptford to see it and then named it The Trades encrease and at this time gave to Sir Thomas Smith Governour of that Company a faire chaine of Gold with a Iewell wherein was his Picture But this great Ship having been in the Read Sea and returning to Banthem was there lost and most of her men cast away But then the King himselfe builded the goodliest Ship of War that was ever built in England being of the burthen of 1400 tun and carrying threescore and foure pieces of great Ordnance which he gave to his son Prince Henry who named it after his own dignity The Prince And now whereas a Parliament had been holden this year and was Prorogued to a certain day the King perhaps not finding it to comply with his designes or for some other cause known to himself on the last day of December under the gr●●t S●ale of England dissolved it Before this time one Sir Robert C●rre a Gentleman of Scotland or of the bord●●● being a hunting with the King chanced with a fall off his horse to breake his leg upon which mischance he was forced for some days to keep his bed in which time the King was sometimes pleased to come and visit him and then it was first perceived that the King had begun to cast an eye of favour upon him and indeed ●ro● that time forward as he was a very fine Gentleman and very wise many great favours were heaped upon him So as on Easter Munday in the yeare 1611 he was Created Viscount Rochester On the two and twentieth of Aprill 1612 was swo●ne a privy Counsellor On the fourth of November 1613 was Created Earle of So●erset and the tenth of Iuly following made Lord Chamberlaine B●● this Sun-shine of Fortune lasted not long yet not by any inconstancy in the King but by the Earles own undeserving which thus fell out The Right Honourable Robert Earle of Essex had before this time married the beautifull Lady Francis Howard daughter of Thomas Earle of Suffolk who upon ca●ses ●udicially heard were afterward Divorced and left free to marry any other Afte● which Divo●ce this great favorite the Earle of Somerset takes her for wife th● King g●acing their marriage with all demonstrations of love and favour and the Lords gracing it with a stately Masque that night and a few dayes after the Bride and Bridegroom accompanied with most of the Nobility of the Kingdome were ●easted at Merchant Taylors Hall by the Lord Major and Aldermen But see how soon this faire we●●her was overcast For it hapned that one Sir Th●mas ●●erb●ry a very ingenious Gentleman and the Earles speciall f●●●●d who had written a witty Tre●tise of a Wife and it seemes not thinking th● Lady in all points answerable to his description had been an earnest disswa●●● of the M●●●● and to ●●rengthen his di●●wasion layd perhaps some unjust 〈◊〉 up●● the Ladyes 〈◊〉 which so incensed them both against him that 〈…〉 could not give them sati●●●ction than to take away his life So 〈…〉 saying Improbe 〈…〉 r quid non mortalia pectora cogis 〈◊〉 this they finde pretences to have the said Sir Thomas committed to the ●●wer and there by their Instruments effect their revenge some
Cingetorix Carvilius Taximagulus and Segonax which division as it made the Britaines the more easie to be conquered so it made the Romans the longer in conquering For if they had beene one united body one or two battailes might have made a conquest of the whole where being thus divided there was need to be as many battailes as there were divisions So as it was many yeares before the Romanes could conquer the whole Island even from the time of Iulius Caesar to the time of the Emperour Domitian not much lesse then two hundred yeares It is true after Caesars first comming the Island grew sensible of this defect of their division and thereupon by consent of a great part made choyce of Cassibelan King of the Trinovants who had his seate at Verulam to be Generall of their warres which made indeed some little stoppe to the Romanes proceedings but after the losse of a battaile or two they fell againe into a relapse of their former defect and thought it better to secure every one his owne by his owne meanes then by a generall power to hazard all at once whereby it came afterward to be true Dum singuli pugnant universi vincuntur Yet before the Cou●try could bee wholly Conquered at first by reason of the Nations valour seeking to keepe themselves free and afterward by reason of the insolency of the garrison souldiers that sought to make them slaves many great oppositions were made amongst which the most memorable was that of Voadicia a certaine Queene of the Country who having beene by the Romane souldiers herselfe abused and her daughters ravished used meanes to levy an Army of six score thousand men whom she led herselfe into the field and set upon the Romanes in their chiefe townes which were London Verulam and Camalodunum now Malden in Essex of whom she flew above seventy thousand but then in a second battaile had fourescore thousand of her owne Army slaine after which defeate for avoyding of slavery she poysoned herselfe This Island for a long time was so much esteemed of the Romanes that their Emperors sometimes came hither in person as first the Emperor Adrian in the yeare 124. who made a great wall of earth betweene England and Scotland and having set the Country in order returned After him sometime Severus the Emperor in the yeare 212. came over into Brit●ine to represse the Incur●ions of the Picts and Scots by whom in a battaile neere Yorke he was wounded and thereof dyed or as others say he dyed of age and sicknesse Afterward in the yeare 305. Constantius the Emperor came into Britaine and ended his life at Yorke making that City famous for the death and buriall of two great Emperors and yet more famous for the honor done to Constantine the Great sonne of Constantius who in that City was first saluted Emperor But notwithstanding the great estimation the Romanes a long time made of this Island yet at last after five hundred yeares they had kept it in subjection they voluntarily left it the charge of keeping it being greater then the benefit for to keepe it in subjection they maintained no fewer than fourescore thousand souldiers in pay and when warres grew amongst themselves at home they could no longer spare so many abroad but recalled them home but then though they left Britaine yet they left not the Britaines but carried them at least a great part of them away with them of whom the most were slaine in their service and the rest planted in that part of France which of them was afterward and is to this day called Britaine And now one would thinke the Island should be in good case being freed from them that kept them in subjection but it proved to bee in worse case being at liberty then it was before in servitude for being deprived of their ablest men and at the same time their King Lucius happening to dye without issue they were left as a few loose sticks without the bond of a Governour which the Picts and Scots observing thought now was the time to make the Country their owne and thereupon made invasions upon it with all their Forces Whereupon the Britaines having none left of their Native Kings to succeed and knowing they could ill manage the Body of an Army without a Head they make choyce of Vortigerne Earle of Cornwall one extracted from the British Line and he whether so advised by his Cabinet Counsellor the Propheticall Merlin or as finding his owne strength too weake to make resistance implores first ayde of the Romanes and they making answer they had businesse enough to do of their owne and leaving them to themselves he then fled to the Saxons for ayde a warlike people of Germany and who had greater swarmes then their hives would well hold And here we may plainly see how dangerous a thing it is for a Nation to call in strangers to their ayd and especially in any great number for though they come at first but mercenaries yet once admitted and finding their owne strength they soone grow Masters as here it proved with the Saxons But before we speake further of the comming in of the Saxons who were at that time Infidels and brought with them their two Idols Woden and Frya whereof two of our weeke dayes Wednesday and Friday take their names it will be fit to say something of the state of the Christian Church in this Island First then it is recorded that in the yeare 63. what time Arviragus raigned here Ioseph of Arim●thea who buried the body of Christ came into this Island and laid the foundation of the Christian Faith in the Westerne parts at a place called then Hvalon now Glastenbury and that there came with him Mary Magdalen Lazarus and Martha and more then this that Simon Zelotes one of the Apostles suffered martyrdome here in Britaine and more then this that both St. Peter and St. Paul came into this Island and Preached the Gospell all which and more to this purpose is Recorded by Authors of good Account though it be hard believing That persons and specially women of so great age as these must needes be at this time should take so long a journey But howsoever it was certaine it is that the doctrine of Christianity was about this time planted in this Island though it made afterwards but small progresse and that with some persecution as in which time St. Alban suffered martyrdome at Verulam and at Liechfield shortly after no fewer then a thousand After this in the yeare 180 what time Lucius was King of this Island Eleutherius then Bishop of Rome sent Faganus and Damianus to him upon whose preaching the Temples of the Heathenish Flamins and Arch-flamins one and thirty in number were converted to so many Bishops Sees whereof London Yorke and Caerleyn now St. Davids were made the Metropolitans of the Province And there is a Table remaining at this day in the Parish Church of St. Peter on Cornhill London which
many Ie●es were hurt and some slaine and thereupon a rumour was suddenly spread abroad that the King had commanded to have all the Iewes destroyed Whereupon it is incredible what rifling there was of Iewes houses and what cutting of their throats and though the King signified by publike Declaration that he was highly displeased with that which was done yet there was no staying the fury of the multitude till the next day so often it fals out that great solemnities are waited on with great dysasters or rather indeed as being connaturall they can hardly be asunder Of his first Acts after he was Crowned HE beganne with his Mother Queene Eleanor whom upon her Husbands displeasure having been kept in Prison sixteen yeares he not onely set at liberty but set in as great authority as if she had beene left the Regent of the kingdom The next he gratifies was his brother Iohn to whom he made appeare how much the bounty of a Brother was better then the handnesse of a Father For he conferred upon him in England the Earledomes of Cornwall Dorset Somerset Nottingham Darby and Leycester and by the marriage of Isabel daughter and heire to the Earle of Glocester he had that Earledome also as likewise the Castles of Marleborough and Lutgarsall the Honours of Wallingford Tichill and Eye to the value of 4000. Markes a yeare an estate so great as were able to put a very moderate mind into the humour of aspiring of which Princes should have care Concerning his affianced Lady Adela it may be thought strange that having desired her so infinitely when he could not have her now that he might have her he cared not for her but the cause was knowne and in every mans mouth that she was now but his Fathers leavings yet he would not send her home but very rich in Jewels to make amends if it might be for the losse of her Virginity though this was something hard on his part when the Father had taken all the pleasure that the sonne should afterward pay all the charges But by this at least he made a quiet way for his marriage now concluded and shortly after to be consummated in Sicilie with Berengaria the daughter of Garsyas King of Navarre And now his minde is wholly set upon his long intended voyage to the Holy Land for which he thinkes not the treasure left by his Father to be sufficient which yet amounted to nine hundred thousand pounds but forecasting with himselfe the great charge it must needs be to carry an Army so long a journey he seekes to enlarge his provision of money by all the means he can devise Not long before Hugh Pudsey had been advanced to the Bishopricke of Durham and now for a great summe of money he sold him the Earledome and then said merrily amongst his Lords Doe yee not thinke me a cunning man that of an old Bishop can make a young Earle From the Londoners also he drained great summes of money and made them recompence in Franchises and Liberties which they had not before He made also greatsales to the the King of Scots he sold the Castles of Berwick and Roxborough for ten thousand pounds to Godfryde Lucie Bishop of Winchester the Manors of Weregrave and Ments to the Abbot of Saint Edmundsbery the Manor of Mildhall for one thousand Markes of silver to the Bishop of Durham the Manor of Sadborough and when it was marvelled that he would part with such things he answered that in this case he would sell his City of London if he could finde a Chapman But the worst way of all was that pretending to have lost his Signet he made a new and made Proclamation that whosoever would safely enjoy what under the former Signet was granted should come to have it confirmed by the new whereby he raised great summes of money to himselfe but greater of discontentment in his subjects By these and such like meanes he quickly furnished himselfe with money and now it remained onely to consider to whose care he should commit the government of the Kingdome in his absence and after deliberation he made choyce for the North parts of Hugh Bishop of Durham joyning in Commission with him Hugh Baldulph and William Brunell and for the South parts he appoints William Longshampe Bishop of Ely and Chancellour of England and for his greater strength causeth the Pope to make a Legat of all England and Scotland and for Normandy and Aquitaine Robert Earle of Leycester all men eminent for prudence and uprightnesse and which is most of all for loyalty and indeed to make a man fit for such imployment all these vertues must concurre As for his brother Iohn he knew very well his aspiring minde and therefore would have tied him to live in Normandy and not to come into England till his returne but that their Mother Queene Eleanor interceded and passed her word for him and that nothing might be left unprovided for he appointed his Nephew Arthur the sonne of his brother Geoffrey Duke of Britaine to be his Successor if himselfe should faile And now Undique convenere vocat jam carbasus auras every man is ready to take Shipping and no stay now but for a Wind onely some say that King Richard before his departing calling his Lords and Knights unto him and swearing them to be true gave to overy of them a blew riband to be knowne by from whence the first occasion of the Order of the Garter is thought to beginne Of his journey into the Holy Land KING Richard having prepared an Army of thirty thousand foote and five thousand horse and having appointed to meete Philip King of France in Sicilie at the latter end of Iune in the yeare 1190. sets forward himselfe by Land to Marseillis and there stayes till his Ships should come about but his Navy being driven by tempest to other parts and the King weary of long staying after sixe weekes he hireth shipping for himselfe and his company and passeth forward to Messana in Sicilie where arrived also the King of France and not long after his owne Navy In this Iland the King William now lately dead had married Iane King Richards sister from whom Tancred the present King with-held her Dower and therefore though he shewed King Richard faire countenance yet he dealt secretly with the Messanians to use all meanes to get him gone whereupon the Messanians taking a small occasion set suddenly upon the English and thrust them out of their Towne with which King Richard justly offended who had his Campe without the Towne prepares himselfe to revenge the affront when Tancred sending to him to signifie that the affront was offered without his knowledge and much against his liking so pacified him that for the present he remained satisfied but understanding afterward that the Messanians did but waite their opportunity till the Spring when King Richard should be going he resenting their intention staies ●ot their leisure but assaulting the Towne with fire
the very day and houre in which he should have done the businesse as he went up the staires towards the upper House he suddenly fell down and dyed having been merry and well before to all mens judgements About this time the Lord Scroope was deposed from the Chancellourship for refusing to seale some Grants which the King had made and the King receiving the great Seale at his hands kept it a certaine time and sealed with it such Grants and Writings as he pleased till at length it was delivered to Robert Braybrooke Bishop of London who was made Lord Chancellour Henry Spenser Bishop of Norwich had lately with the Kings leave raised an Army and was gone into France in behalfe of Pope Vrban against the Anti-pope Clement and entring first into Fla●ders he tooke and sacked many Townes at last besieged Ypres till by an Army of French greater then was thought could have been raised in France he was forced to raise his siege and then passing divers places he came to Gr●●eling from whence he writ to King Richard that if ever he meant to try battell with the French now was the time The King was at that time at Dayntrie in North●mptonshire and being at supper when the word was brought him he instantly rose from the Table got to horse-back and rode in Post with such speed that he came to St. Albans about midnight where making no stay but while he borrowed the Abbots Gelding he hasted forth till he came to Westminster as though he had meant never to rest till he had given battell to the French-men but after he had taken councell of his pillow his minde was altered and h● thought it better to imploy some other then to goe himselfe so the Duke of Lancaster is thought the fittest man but he protracted the time so long in making preparation th●t before he could be gone the Bishop was come away And this indeed is the condition of many to spend so much time in preparing that they utterly lose all opportunity of acting like to men that are putting on their cloathes so long till it be time to put them off againe Shortly after a Truce was concluded between Fra●ce and England to endure till the Feast of St. Michael which should be in the yeere 1384. Of Acts done after He came of Age. THe Scots in this meane time had made Roades into England and taken and burnt divers Townes upon the Borders whereupon the Duke of Lancaster with his Brother the Earle of Buckingham is sent with a mighty Army to represse them but having entred Scotland and not able to draw the Scots to a Battell they onely burnt certaine Townes and then returned About this time an Irish Frier of the Order of the Carmelites charged the Duke of Lancaster with heynous crimes● as that he intended to destroy the King and us●rpe the Crowne shewing the time the place and other circumstances of the whole plot But the Duke called to his Answer so cleered himselfe a● least gave such colours of cleering that the Accuser was committed to the custody of Iohn Holland the kings halfe-brother till a day appointed for further tryall The ni●ht before which day the said Lord Holland and Sir Henry Greene are said to have come to this Frier and putting a cord about his neck tyed the other end about his privy members and after hanging him up from the ground laid a stone upon his belly with the weight whereof his very back-bone burst asunder thereby putting him to a most tormenting death An act not more inhumane then unadvised for though it took away the Accuser yet it made the Accusation more suspitious At this time though a Truce had been made with the Scots yet they would not be quiet but entred and wonne the Castle of Barwick whereof the Earle of Northumberland was Captaine but had committed the keeping of it to another for which being blamed he went against them with an Army but took an easier course for with the summe of two thousand markes he bought them out and had the Castle surrend●ed into his hands againe The king upon some new displeasure being now incensed against the Duke of Lancaster had a purpose to have him arrested and arraigned of certaine points of Treason before Sir Robert Tresilian Chiefe Justice though he ought to be tryed by his Peeres but the Duke having intimation hereof● got him to his Castle of Pomfret and stood upon his guard till the Kings mother notwithstanding her indisposition of body by reason of her corpulency riding to and fro betwixt them pacified the King and made them friends In the ninth yeere of K. Richards Reigne the French-king sent the Admirall of France into Scotland with a Thousand men of Armes besides Crosse-bowes and others to ayde the Scots against the English with which ayde the Scots encouraged enter the English Borders whereof K. Richard advertised himselfe with a mighty Army enters Scotland and comming to Edingborough and finding all the people fled● he set fire on the houses burnt the Church of S. Giles onely Holy-Rood-house was spared at the Duke of Lancasters suit in remembrance of friendship he had formerly received in that house The Scots by no meanes could be drawn to any Battell bu● to divert the Kings Army they entred Cumberland and besieged Carlile whereby the valour of Sir Lewis Clifford and Sir Thomas Musgrave they were repelled and hearing of the Kings Army comming towards them and fearing to be inclosed they drew back into Scotland and the King returned into England But in this meane while the English of Callis tooke many prizes of French ships at Sea and many Booties also by land at one time foure thousand sheep and three hundred head of great Cattell This yeere the King called a Parliament at Westminster where he created two Dukes one Marquesse and five Earles Edmund of Langly Earle of Cambridge the Kings Unkle was created Duke of Yorke Thomas of Woodstock Earle of Buckingham his other Unkle Duke of Glocester Robert Veere Earle of Oxford was made Marquesse of Dublin Henry of Bullingbrooke sonne of Iohn of Gaunt was created Earle of Darby Edward Plantagenet sonne to the Duke of Yorke was made Earle of Rutland Michael de la Poole Chancellour of England was created Earle of Suffolke and Thomas Mowbray Earle of Nottingham was made Earle Marshall Also by a●thority of this Parliament Roger Mortimer Earle of March sonne and heire of Edmund Mortimer and of the Lady Philip eldest daughter and heire to Lionell Duke of Clarence third sonne to king Edward the Third was established heire apparent to the Crowne of the Realme and shortly after so Proclaimed but going into Ireland to his Lordship of Vlster was there by the wilde Irish slaine This Roger Earle of March had issue Edmund Roger Anne Alice and Eleanor which Eleanor was made a Nun The two sonnes dyed without issue Anne his eldest daughter was maried to Richard Earle of Cambridge sonne to Edmund of
Lieutenant of the English pale they were forced to retire and flye The Earle of S. Paul escaped to S. Omers but left many of his men of quality behind him and more taken Prisoners After this Thomas Duke of Clarence the Kings second sonne and the Earle of Kent with competent Forces entred the Haven of Sluce where they burnt foure ships riding at anchour and then returned to the reliefe of Callis besieged at that time by the French and in the way tooke three Carricks of G●noua richly laden and brought them into the Chamber of Rye And these were the troubles of this King abroad But now at home the Reliques of the former Northerne Rebellion began to revive for now Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland Richard Scroope Archbishop of Yorke Thomas Mowbray Earle Marshall the Lords Hastings Fawconbridge and Bardolfe with divers others conspired at a time appointed to meet upon Yorkswould-Downes and there to bid defiance to king Henry Articles of Grievances were framed and set up in all publick places which drew multitudes to be partakers of the enterprize But now Ralph Nevill Earle of Westme●land with the Lord Iohn the Kings third sonne the Lords Henry Fitz-Hughes Ralph Evers and Robert Vmphrevile make head against them and comming into a Plaine in the Forrests of Galltree they sate down right against the Archbishop and his Forces which were twenty thousand and Westmerland perceiving the Enemies forces to be farre more than theirs he used this policie he sent to the Archbishop demanding the reason why he would raise Forces against the king who answering that his Armes were not against the king but for his owne defence whom the king upon the instigation of Sycophants had threatned withall he sent him a scrowle of their grievances which Westmerland read and seemed to approve and thereupon desired a conference with him The Archbishop more credulous then wise perswaded the Earle Marshall to goe with him to the place appointed to conferre the Articles are read and allowed of and thereupon Westmerland seeming to commiserate the souldiers● having beene in armour all day and weary wished the Archbishop to acquaint his Party as he would his with this their mutuall agreement and so shaking hands in most Courtly friendship dranke unto him whereupon the souldiers were willed to disband and repaire home which they had no sooner done but a Tro●p of horse which in a colourable manner had made a shew to depart wheeled about and afterwards returned and being come in ●ight the Earle of Westmerland arrested both the Arcbishop and the Earle Marshall and brought them both Prisoners to the king at Po●fret who passing from thence to York the Prisoners likewise were carried thither and the next day both of them beheaded At Durham the Lords Hastings and F●wconbridge with two knights were executed Northumberland with the Lord Bardolfe fled first to Barwick and after into Scotland where they were entertained by David Lord Flemming whereupon the king gave summons to the Castle of Barwick which at first they refused to obey but upon the planting and discharging of a Piece they presently yeelded without composition and here William Greystock Henry Baynton and Iohn Blink●nsop knights and five other were presently put to execution and many others committed to severall Prisons About this time Iames sonne and heire of Robert king of Scotland a childe of nine yeares old attended by the Earle of Orkney as he was sailing into France was taken by certaine Mariners of Norfolk who brought him to the King at Windsor the 30. of March 1408. and the King sent them to the Tower of London Northumberland and Bardolfe after they had been in Wales France and Flanders to raise a Power against King Henry returned back into Scotland and after a yeere with a great Power of Scots entred England and came into Yorkshire making great spoyle and waste as they passed but Sir Thomas Rokesby Sheriffe of Yorke levying the forces of the County upon Bramham-moore gave them battell in which Northumberland was slaine Bardolfe taken but wounded to death and the rest put to flight About this time also Sir Robert Vmphrevile Vice-admirall of England with ten men of warre entred Scotland burnt their Gally●t and many other ships over against Lieth and brought away with him fourteen tall ships laden with corne and other staple commodities which at his returne he sent into the Markets round about and thereby brought down the prizes of all things and purchased to himselfe the name of Mend-market The Prince had been a Student In Queenes Colledge in Oxford under the tuition of his Unkle Henry Beaufort Chancellor of that University afterwards Bishop of Lincol●e and Winchester and lastly made a Cardinall by the title of Eusebius From Oxford the Prince was called to Court and the Lord Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester was made his Governour but comming afterward to be at his owne disposing whether being by nature valorous and not yet well stayed by time and experience o● whether incited by ill companions and emboldened by the opinion of his owne greatnesse he ranne into many courses so unworthy of a Prince that it was much doubted what he would prove when he came to be Prince Once it is said he lay in wait for the Receivers of his fathers Rents and in the person of a Thiefe set upon them and robbed them Another time when one of his companions was arraigned for felony before the Lord Chiefe Justice he went to the Kings Bench barre and offered to take the Prisoner away by force but being withstood by the Lord Chiefe Justice he stepped to him and struck him over the face whereat the Judge nothing abashed rose up and told him that he did not this affront to him but to the King his father in whose place he sate and therefore to make him know his fault he commanded him to be committed to the Fleete You would have wondred to see how calme the Prince was in his own cause who in the cause of his companion had been so violent for he quietly obeyed the Judges sentence and suffered himselfe to be led to Prison This passage was not a little pleasing to the King to thinke that he had a Judge of such courage and a Sonne of such submission but yet for these and such other pranks he removed him from being President of the Councell and placed in it his third sonne Iohn This made the Prince so sensible of his fathers displeasure that he thought it necessary to seek by al means to recover his ●ood opinion which he endeavored to doe by a way as strange as that by which he lost it for attiring himselfe in a garment of blew Sattin wrought all with Eylet-holes of black silke at every hole the needle hanging by which it was sowed and about his arme a thing in fashion of a hounds collar studded with SS of gold he came to the Court at Westminster to whom the King though not well in health caused himselfe in
Sonne two Abbots twelve Earles and seventeene Lords of Knights and Gentlemen very many in all about eight thousand and almost as many taken prisoners as Paulu● Iovius saith amongst whom was Sir William Scot Chancellour to the said King and Sir George Forman his Sergiant Porter the Lord Hume and the Earle Huntley got horses and escaped Neither was the Battaile without blood to the English for there was slaine at lest a thousand and that which in a Defeat was strange many also taken prisoners for many in pursuing the Scots went rashly so farre● that they knew not which way ●o returne and by Bands of Scots that had not fought that day were set upon and ●aken When the field was done the Lord Generall called to him certaine Lords and Gentlemen and made them Knights as Sir Edward Howard his Son the Lord Scroope Sir William Percy Sir Edward Gorge and others This Battaile was fought on Friday the ninth of September in the yeere 1513. called by some Bramston by some ●lodden Field King Iames heere slaine was the same that had maried the Lady Margaret eldest Daughter of King Henry the seaventh and sister to the present King Henry and might have enjoyed many happy dayes if he had kept himselfe firme to his alliance but being carried away with the inveterate spleen betweene the two Nations and propension to France he ended his life though honorably yet miserably under many wounds It is a very memorable but s●arce credable thing which from the mouth of a very credible person who saw it George Buchanan relates concerning this King that intending to make a warre with England a certaine old man of venerable aspect and clad in a long blew garment came unto him and leaning familiarly upon the chaire where the King sat said I am sent unto thee O King to give thee warning that thou proceed not in the warre thou art about for if thou doe it will be thy ruine and having so said he pressed thorow the company and vanished out of sight for by no inquiry it could be knowne what became of him But the King was too resolute to be frighted with Phantosmes and no warning could divert his Destinie which had not been Destiny if it could have been diverted The day after the Battaile his Body though disfigured with wounds was knowne by the Lord Dacres and others to be his and thereupon bowelled embalmed and wrapped in lead was brought to the Monastery of Sheene in Surrey and there interred but at the dissolution of that House was taken up and thrown into a waste roome amongst timber and stone which Iohn Stow saith he so saw and further relateth that the servants of Launcelot Young Glasier to Queene Elizabeth being at Sheene in new Glazing the windowes either upon a foolish pleasure or desire of the lead cut the head from the rest but smelling the sweet perfums of the Balms gave it to their Master who opening the lead found therin the head of a man retaining favour though the moisture were cleane dried up whose haire both of head and beard was red which afterward he caused to be buried at Saint Michaels Church in Woodstreet where he dwelled But notwithstanding this relation of Stow Iohn Lesly Bishop of Rosse affirmeth that it was held for certaine the Body thus found was the Body of the Lord Bouchard slaine in that B●ttaile Buchanan saith of Alexander Elfinston who in countenance and statu●e was like the King and that King Iames was seene alive the same night at Kelso whence he passed to Hierusalem and there spent the rest of his dayes in holy contemplation but howsoever it was he was never seen any more in Scotland King Henry being now returned from Tourney into England and finding the great services done in his absence against the Scots on the day of the Purification of our Lady at Lambeth he created the Earle of Surrey Duke of Norfolke with an augmentation of the Armes of Scotland Sir Charles Brandon Viscount Lisle he created Duke of Suffolke the Lord Howard high Admirall hee made Earle of Surry Sir Charles Somerset Lord Herbert his chiefe Chamberlaine Earl of Worcester and shortly after Sir Edward Stanly he made Lord Monteagle and in March following Master Thomas Woolsey his Almoner was made Bishop of Lincolne Here before we goe further it will be fit ●o ●ay something of this man that he be not a rub afterward in the way of the Story He was borne at Ipswich in Suffolke the sonne of a Butcher sent to Oxford by reason of his pregnancy of wit so soone that taking there the first degree of Art he was called the Boy Batchelour proceeding in learning he was made Fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford and afterward Schoolemaster of the Schoole there at which time the Marquesse Dorset committed three of his Sonnes to be Instructed by him and having a Benefice fallen in his gift sent for him one Christmas and bestowed it upon him whereof Woolsey going to take possession at his being there for what misdemeanour is not delivered he was by Sir Amyas Pawlet set by the heeles which afterward he remembred to Sir Iam●s his no small trouble for he made him attend his pleasure five or six yeeres all which time lying in the Middle-Temple where he re-edified the Gate-house next the street very sumptuously setting the Cardinals Armes upon it to appease him After this disgrace he went over-sea where he fell in acquaintance with Sir Iohn Naphant treasurer of Callice and by him was preferred to be King Henry the sevenths Chaplaine and now being by this meanes in the Kings eye he so diligently carried himselfe that he soone got into the Kings heart One time it happened the King had occasion to send a Messenger to the Emperour Maximilian about a businesse that required haste for which imployment no man was thought more fit then Woolsey whereupon the King called him gave him his Errand and bad him make all the speed he could Woolsey departed from the King at Richmond about noone and by the next morning was got to Dover and from thence by noone that day was come to Callice and by night was with the Emperour to whom declaring his Message● and having a present dispatch he rode that night backe to Callice and the night following came to the Court at Richmond The next morning he presented himselfe before the King who blamed him for not being yet gone the ma●ter requiring haste to whom Woolsey answered that he had beene with the Emperour and had dispatched the businesse and for proofe shewed the Emperours lines the King wondred much at his speed but then asked him if he met not his Pursuivant whom he sent after to advertise him of a speciall matter hee had forgotten whereto Woolsey answered May it please your Grace I met him yester-day upon the way but that businesse I had dispatched before taking the boldnesse so to doe without commission as knowing it to be of speciall consequence
chose Sir Thomas Moore who at first disabling himselfe at last made two Petitions to the King one for himselfe that if he should be sent by the Commons to the King on a Message and mistake their inten● he might then with the Kings pleasure resort again to the Commons to know their meaning The other for the House of Commons that if in communication and reasoning any man should speake more largely then of duty he ought to do yet all such offences should be pardoned and that to be entred of Record Which Petitions were granted and then the Parliament began where at first a Subsidie was demanded but as there was much adoe in the House of Commons about it so there was no lesse amongst the Clergey in the Convocation House for Richard Bishop of VVinchester and Iohn Bishop of Rochester were much against it but most of all one Rowland Philips Vicar of Croyden and a Canon of Pauls but the Cardinall taking him aside dealt so with him that he took him off so as he came no more to the House● and then the Bel-weather as one saith giving over his hold the rest soon yelded and so was granted the half of all their spiritual yeerly Revenues to be paid in five yeers following The Clergey being thus brought on on the nine twentieth of April the Cardinall came into the House of Commons to work them also and there shewing the great charges the King was necessarily to be at in his present Wars demanded the sum of eight hundred thousand pounds to be raised of the fifth part of every mans Goods and Lands which was four shillings of every pound This demand was enforced the day after by the Speaker Sir Thomas Moore but the Burgesses were all against it shewing that it was not possible to have it gathered in money for that men of Lands had not the fifth part thereof in Coyne And further alleadged that there be not many parishes in England one with another able to spare a hundred Marks except Cities and Townes and seeing there were not above thirteen thousand Parishes in the Kingdome at this day there are but 9285. how could such a summe be raised Hereupon certai●e of the House were sent to move the Cardinall to be a meanes to the King to accept of a lesser summe but the Cardinall answered he would rather have his tongue plucked out of his mouth with a paire of Pinsors then make to the King any such motion Whereupon the Cardinall came again in●o the House and desired that he might reason with them that were against the demand to which it was answered that the order of that house was to heare and not to reason except amongst themselves When the Cardinall was gone the Commons after long debating the m●tter at last agreed of two shillings in the pound from twenty pounds upward and from forty shillings to twenty pounds of every twenty shillings twelve pence and under forty shillings of every head of sixteene yeeres and upwards foure pence to be paid in two yeeres when this was told to the Cardinall he was much offended so that to please him the Gentlemen of fifty pound Land and upward by the motion of Sir Iohn Hussey a Knight of Lincolneshire were charged with twelve pence more in the pound to be paid in three yeeres The Cardinall to move them to it bore them in hand that the Lords had agreed to foure shillings of the pound which was untrue for the Lords had granted nothing but stayed to see what the Commons would doe whereof when the King heard he reproved the Cardinall for it saying withall that ere it were long he would looke to things himselfe without any Substitute Which speech of the Kings though it da●ted the Cardinall for a while yet he soone recovered his Spirits and now as peremptory afterwards as he had been before After this the Parliament was prorogued till the tenth of Iune during with prorogation the Common people said to the Burgesses we heare say you will grant foure shillings of the pound we advise you ●o doe so that you may goe home with many like threatnings At this time the Cardinall by his power Legant me dissolved the Convocation at Pauls convoked by the Archbishop of Canterbury calling him and all the Clergy to his Convocation at Westminster which was never seene before in England saith Hall The one and thirtieth of Iuly the Parliament was adjourned to Westminster and there continuing till the thirteenth of August was that day at nine of the clock at night dissolved About this time the Bishop of Durham died and the King gave that Bishoprick to the Cardinall who resigned the Bishoprick of Bath to Doctor Iohn Clerke Master of the Rolles and Sir Henry Marney that was Vice-chamberlain was made Lord Privy Seale and shortly after was created Lord Marney also during this Parliament Sir Arthur Plantagenet bastard sonne to King Edward the fourth at Bridewell was created Vicount Lisle in right of his wife who was wise before to Edmund Dudley Beheaded The fifteenth of Iune in the fifteenth yeere of the Kings Reigne Christian King of Denmarke with his Queene driven out of his own Country came into England and was lodged at Bath place who after he had been feasted by the King and by the Citty of London and received great guifts of both returned again into Flanders where he remained as a banished man some yeers after King Henry sent Doctor Henry Standish Bishop of Saint Assaph and Sir Iohn Baker Knight into Denmarke to perswade the people to receive him againe into his Kingdome but they could not prevaile he was so much hated for his cruelty About this time the Earle of Kildare having recovered againe the favour of the Cardinall was sent Deputy into Ireland as he had bin before where he reduced the wilde Irish to indifferent conformity All this while had England warres both with the French and with the Scots In Scotland the Marquesse of Dorset threw downe the Castles of Wederborne of Nesgate of Blackater of Mackwals and burnt to the number of seven and thirty Villages yet never came to skirmish In France the Lord Sands Treasurer of Callice with twelve hundred men went before Bulloigne where he skirmished with the Enemie and after taking divers Churches and Castles in the Enemies Countre● returned backe to Callice with the losse onely of a dozen men King Henry being advertised that the Duke of Albanie was providing of Forces in France with which to returne into Scotland sent forth his Vice-admirall Sir William Fitz-williams with divers great Shippes to intercept him but when he could not meet with him he then landed in the Haven of Trepor● where with seaven hundred men hee beat six thousand French that sought to impeach his landing took their Bulworks and much Ordnance in them● burned the suburbs of the town of Treport and all in five houres and then returned All this while King Henry had but played with the French
to the Counsailors a Moderator a protectour to the King and in his minority to the Kingdome To this place by common consent of the King and Counsaile Edward Seymour Earl of Hartford the Kings Unckle was chosen to hold the place untill the King should accomplish the age of eighteene yeeres In which Office the first thing he did was to make the young King Knight who presently thereupon made Henry Hobblethorne Major of London Knight and then King Henries Obsequies being solemnly performed on the seaventeenth of February were raised in Honour the Earl of Hartford Protectour to be Duke of Somerset William Par Earle of Essex to be Marquis of Northampton Dudly Viscount Lisle to be Earle of Warwick Wriothsley Lord Chancelour to be Earle of Southampton Sir Thomas Seymour the Protectours brother was made Lord of Sudeley and Admirall of England Sir Richard Rich was made Lord Rich Sir VVilliam Willoughby was made Lord Willoughby and Sir Edmund Sheffield was made Lord Sheffield of Butterwick on the nineteenth of February the King in great state rode from the Tower to the Pallace of Westminster where the day following he was Crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury with all rites accustomed in great solemnity At which time a generall pardon was Proclaimed for all offenders six onely excepted namely the Duke of Norfolke Cardinall Poole Edward Courtney eldest sonne to the Marquis of Excetur Master Fortescue Master Throgmorton and Doctor Pa●es Bishop of VVorcester who was fled to Rome to avoid taking the oath of Suprem●cy all which six continued unpardo●ed till the first yeere of Queene Mary and then were restored A few dayes after the Earle of Southampton Lord Chancelour for be●ng contumacious to the rest of the Lords in matters of Counsaile was removed both from his Office of being Chancelour and from his place in Counsaile and the great Seale was delivered to Sir William Pawlet Lord Saint-Iohn and Lord great Master of the Kings Huoshold Within two months after the death of King Henry died Francis King of France also for whom solemne Obsequies were kept in Pauls Church as hee likewise had kept before at Paris for King Henry these two Kings were of so consenting natures that they had certainly been great friends while they lived if they had not been Kings and that jelousie of state had not made them oftentimes not to be themselves King Henry before his death had left in charge with the Lords of his Counsaile by all meanes possible to procure a proceeding in the mariage with the young Queen of Scots and now in discharge therof the Lord Protectour himselfe with an Army of twelve thousand foot and six thousand horse besides Labourers and Pioners thirteen hundred entred Scotland the third of September at which time also Edward Lord Clinton with a fleet of threescore saile assisted by sea but before he would doe any hostile Act he caused Proclamation to be made that his comming was onely to have performance of the Articles heretofore agreed on fo● the mariage tending to the good of both Kingdomes if they would yeeld unto he would then returne in peaceable manner and the more to draw them on w●ere before it was demanded to have the Queen brought into England and there to be brought up the Protectour was content she should remaine in Scotland till yeers of consent● this demand the more moderate sort of the Scots accou●ted very reasonable but those of the French and Papal faction who were the greatest persons and the greatest number strongly opposed wherupon the Lord Protectour presently put his Army into Array the Lord Gray and Sir Francis Brian with eight hundred Light-horse were sent before to provide lodging for the Army and to give advertisement of the enemies approaches then followed the Avant-guard in number between three and foure thousand foot one hundred men at Armes and six hundred Light-horse led by the Earle of VVarwick then followed the maine Battaile consisting of above six thousand foot six hundred men at Armes and one thousand Light-horse led by the Protecter himself lastly followed the Arrear wherein were between three and foure thousand foot one hundred men at Armes and six hundred Light-horse u●der the conduct of the Lord Dacres upon one wing the Artillery was drawne being sixteen pieces of great Ordinance the other wing was made by men at Armes and Demilances for the Avant-guard and halfe the battaile ridi●g about two flight shoot from their side the other halfe of the battaile and th● whole flanke of the Arrear was closed by the carraiges being nine hundred ●arts besides Waggons ●he rest of the men at Armes and the Demilances marched behinde In this order they marched two dayes taking in three Castles ●s they went with little resistance where it is memorable what a suddaine device the Defendants of one of them used to save themselves for finding they w●re no longer able to defend themselves and that their obstinacy had excluded a●● hope of pardon they made suite they might not presently be slain but have some time to commend their soules to God and afterwards be hanged which respite being obtained thei● pardon afterward did more easily ensue so much doth the winning of time oftentimes prevaile more then any other policy T●e Governour of Scotland hearing of the Protectours approch and having no sufficient Army ready to resist him sent his Heralds abroad into all parts of the R●alm and commanded the fire-crosse to be carried an antient custome in cases of importance which was two firebrands set in fashion of a crosse and pitched upon the point of a speare and therewith Proclamation to be made that all above sixteen yeers of age and under sixty should resort forthwith to Musselborough bring convenient provision of victuals with them By this meanes having gotten a sufficient Army he set forward towards the English who were now come to a River called Linne and here the Earle of Warwick being too ●enterous was like to have bin entrapped but by his valour came off bravely and now the Scottish Horse-men began to hover about the English Army and to come pricking towards them sometimes within length of their staves using provoking words to draw the English from their strength but the Protector not moved with their provocations maintained a close march till he came to Salt-presion by the Frith where he incamped within two miles of the Scottish Army and here the Scots having gotten the advantage of a Hill came upon the English with the number of twelve hundred Horse besides five hundred foot that lay in ambush behind the Hill at which time the Lord Gray and Sir Francis Brian impatient of such bravaries obtained leave of the Gene● to encounter them and so as they came scattered upon the spurre within a stones cast of the English and were beginning to wheele about the Lord Gray with some troops of Light hors-men charged them home and was forthwith seconded by certaine numbers of Demilances and both
of them backed with a thousand men at Armes yet the Scots resolutely maintained the fight three houres and more but in the end overlaid with number they were put to flight and chased almost to the edge of their Camp In this fight the chiefest force of the Scottish Hors-men was defeated the Lord Hume by a fall from his Horse lost his life his sonne and Heire with two Priests and six Gentlemen were taken prisoners and about fifteene hundred slaine the next day the Protectour and the Earle of Warwick rode towards the place where the Scottish Army lay to view the manner of their incamping As they returned an Herauld and a Trumpeter from the Scots overtook them who having obtained Audience the Trumpeter said that the Lord Huntley his Master to spare effusion of Christian blood would fight upon the whole quarel either with twenty against twenty or with ten against ten or else try it between the Lord Generall and himselfe the Protectour answered that for number of Combatants it was not in his power to conclude any bargaine and as for himselfe that being in publick charge it was not fit he should hazard himselfe against a man of private Conditions which otherwise he would most willingly accept here the Earle of Warwick intreated the Lord Generall that he might accept the Challenge and Trumpeter saith he bring me word that thy Master will performe the Combat with me and thou shalt have an hundred Crownes for thy paines nay rather saith the Lord Generall bring me word that thy Master will abide and give us battaile and thou shalt have a thousand Crownes for thy paines and thereupon when no other agreement could be made a generall battaile was resolved on in the Army of the Scots were five or six and thirty thousand men in the Avant-guard commanded by the Earle of Angus about fifteen thousand in the Battaile over whom was the Lord Governour about te● thousand and in the Arreare as many led by the valiant Gourdon Earle of Hackbutters●hey ●hey had none nor men at Armes bur about two thousand Hors-men Prickers as they terme them the rest were all on foote we'●l furnished with Jack and Scull pikes daggers Bucklers made of boord a●d slicing swords broad and thin every man had a long Kirchiffe folded twic● or thrice about his neck and many of them had cheines of Lattin drawne th●ee or foure times along their hoses and doublet-sleeves they had also to affright the enemies Horses great ●attles covered with parchment or paper and small stones within put upon staves three ells long And now both Armies joyned in battaile where a long fight and much variety of fortune on both sides at length the victory fell to the English in this fight divers of the Nobility of Scotland were slain of the inferior sort about ten or as some say fo●rteen thousand of the English were slain onely one and fifty Horse-men a●d on footmen but many hurt the Lord Gray was dangerously thrust with a pike in the mouth which struck two inches into his neck the Scottish prisoners accounted by the Marshals booke were about fifteene hundred the chiefe whereof were the Earle of Huntley the Lords Yester Hobley and Hamilton the Master of San●-Poole and the Lord of Wimmes the Earle of Huntley being asked whilst he was a prisoner how he stood affected to the marriage made this answer that he liked the mariage wel enough but he liked not this kinde of woing This victory of Muskelborough against the Scots was on the tenth of December the very same day on which thirty yeers before a victory had bin had against them at Flodden field so as it seems this day was fatall to the Scots and confirms the opinion of Astologers that there are dayes to some men fortunate unfortunate to others if they could be known This victory strook such a terror into many of the Scots that the Earl Bothwel and divers chiefe Gentlemen of Tividale and Meers submitted themselves to the King of England and were received by the Prorectour into his protection after this the English army took many towns and Castles and then for want of Provision returned into England having not stayed above five and twenty dayes in Scotland and not lost above threescore men But notwithstanding this great overthrow at Muskelborough the Governour of Scotland would not yet be quiet but assembling the people made unto them a long Oration exhorting them to defend the liberty of their Countrie and not to be daunted with any event of warre In this mean time many distractions and troubles hapned in England partly in matters of Religion and partly about Inclosures ●nd first for inclosures the Lord Protector caused Proclamation to be set forth commanding they who had Inclosed any Lands accustomed to lye open should upon a certain pain before a day assigned lay them open again and then in matter of Religion certain Injunctions were set forth for removing of Images out of Churches and divers Preachers were sent with Instructions to disswade the people from praying to Saints or for the dead from use of Beads Ashes Processions from Masses Durges praying in any unknown tongue and for defect of Preachers Homilies were appointed publickly to be red in Churches many for offering to maintaine these Ceremonies were either punished or forced to recant Edmund Bonner Bishop of London was committed to the Fleet for refusing to receive these Injuctions Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester was likewise committed first to the Fleet and after to the Tower for that he had preached It were well these changes in Religion should be stayed untill the King were of yeers to govern by himselfe for the like causes Tunstall Bishop of Durham Heath Bishop of Rochester and Day Bishop of Chichester were in like manner committed to prison and all of them dispossessed of their Bishopricks and that which was worse the Bishopricks themselves were dispossessed of their Revenues in such sort that a very smal pa●t remained to the Bishops that came after And now a Parliament was held in the first yeer of the King and by Prorogation in the second wherein divers Chantries Colledges free Chappels Fraternities and Guildes with all their Lands and goods were given to the King which being sold at a low rate enriched many and ennobled some and thereby made them firme in maintaining the change also it was then ordered that no man should speak against receiving the Eucharist in both kindes and that Bishops should be placed by Collation of the King under his Letters Patents without any election preceding or confirmation insuing and that all Processes Ecclesiasticall should be made in the Kings name as in Writs at the Common-Law and that al Persons exercising Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction should have the Kings Armes in the Seales of their Office and further the Statute of the six Articles and other Statutes concerning punishment of Lollards were repealed and the Kings Supremacy over the Church of England was confirmed
Mary the Kings eldest sister To his offer of aide answer was made that the Kings warres were ended and touching the marriage with the Lady Mary ●hat the King was in speech for her marriage with the Infanta of Portugall which if it succeeded not he should then be favourably heard Upon this the Emperours Embassadour demanded of the King that the Lady Mary might have free exercise of the Masse which the King not onely constantly denied but thereupon Sermons were exercised at Court and order taken that no man should have any Benefice from the King but first he should Preach before him and shortly after under pretence of preparing for Sea-matters five thou●and pounds were sent to relieve Protestants beyond the Seas At this time also an Embassadour came from Gustanu● King of Sweden to enter league with the King for entercourse of Merchants and charge was then also given that the Lawes of England should be administred in Ireland About this time the Queene Dowager of Scotland going from France to her Countrey passed thorow England having first obtained a safe Conduct she arrived at Portesmouth and was there met by divers of the English Nobility conducted to London she was lodged in the Bishops-Pallace after four dayes staying having beene feasted by the King at Whitehall she departed being waited on by the Sheriffes of Counries to the borders of Scotland And now was one Steward a Scot apprehended in England and imprisoned in the Tower for intending to poyson the yong Queene of Scots whom the King delivered to the French King upon the frontiers of Callice to be by him justiced at his pleasure At ●his time certaine Ships were appointed by the Emperour to transport the Lady Mary either by violence or by stelth out of England to Antwerpe whereupon Sir Iohn Gates was sent with Forces into Essex where the Lady lay and besides the Duke of Somerset was sent with two hundred men the Lord Privie Seale with other two hundred and Master Sentleger with foure hundred more to severall coasts upon the Sea and the Lord Chancellour and Secretary Peter were sent to the Lady Mary who after some conference brought her to the Lord Chancellours house at Lyee in Essex and from thence to the King at Westminster Here the Councell declared unto her how long the King had permitted her the use of the Masse and considering her obstinacy was resolved now no longer to permit it unlesse she would put him in hope of some conformity in short time To which she answered that her soule was Gods and touching her faith as she could not change so she would not dissemble it Reply was made that the King intended not to constraine her faith but to restrain the outward profession of it in regard of the danger the example might draw After some like enterchange of speeches the Lady was appointed to remain with the King when there arived an Embassadour from the Emperor with a threatning message of warre in case his cousin the Lady Mary should be denied the free exercise of the Masse hereupon the King presently advised with the Archbishop of Canterbury and with the Bishop of London and Rochester who gave their opinion that to give licence to sin was sin but to connive at sinne might be ●llowed so it were not too long nor without hope of reformation then answere was given to the Embassadour that the King would send to the Emperour within a month or two and give him such satisfaction as should be fit And now the King being uncertaine of the faith both of his Subjects and of his Confederates intended by alliance to strengthen himselfe and thereupon sent one Bartwicke to the King of Denmarke with private instructions to treat of a mariage betweene the Lady Elizabeth the Kings youngest sister and the King of Denmarks eldest son but when it came to the point this Lady could not be induced to entertaine mariage with any After this the Marquesse of Northampton was sent Embassadour to the French King as well to present him with the Order of the Garter as to treat with him of other secret affaires with him were joyned in Commission the Bishop of Elye Sir Philip Hobbie Sir William Pickering Sir Iohn Mason and Master Smith Secritary of State also the Earle of Worcester Rutland and Ormond were appointed to accompany them as likewise the Lords Lisle Fitzwater Bray Aburgavenie and Evers with other Knights and Gentlemen of note to the number of six and twenty and for avoiding of immoderate traine order was given that every Earle should have but foure attendants every Baron but three every Knight and Gentlem●n but two onely the Commissioners were not limited to any number Being come to the Court of France they were forthwith brought to the King being then in his Bedchamber to whom the Marquesse presented the Order of the Garter wherewith he was presently invested then the Bishop of Elye in a short Speech declared how the King of England out of his love and desire of amitye had sent this Order to his Majestie desiring with all that some persons might be authorized to treat with them about some other m●tters of importance whereupon a Commission went forth to the Cardinall of Lorraigne Chastillion the Constable the Duke of Guysae and others At the first the English demanded that the yong Queene of Scots might be s●nt into England for perfecting of marriage betweene King Edward and her But to this the French answered That conclusion had beene made long before for her marriage with the Dolphin of France Then the English proposed a marriage betweene King Edward and the Lady Eliza●eth the French Kings eldest daughter to this the French did cheerfully incline but when they came to talke of Portion the English demanded at first fifteen hundred thousand crownes then fell to foureteene and a● last to eight hundred thousand the French offered at first one hundred thousand crownes then rose to two hundred thousand and higher they would not be drawne saying it was more then ever had bin given with a daugh●er of France Shortly after Monsieur the Marshall and other Commissioners were sent by the French King to deliver to the King of England the Order of Saint Michael and then was further treaty about the marriage and because the French could be s●rued no higher then two hundred thousand crownes it was at last accepted and the agreement was reduced into writing and delivered under Seale on both sides And now King Edward supposing his state to be most safe when indeed it was most unsure in testimo●y both of his joy and love advanced many to new titles of honou● the Lord Marquesse Dorset who had maried the eldest daughter of Charles Brandon was created Duke of Suffolke the Earle of Warwicke Duke of Northumberland the Earle of Wiltshire was created Marquesse of Winchester Sir William Herbert Lord of Cardisse and Master of the Horse was created Earle of Pembrooke also William Cecill the Kings
her inclination being grown so apparent that there was no concealing it she sent Lydington to Queen Elizabeth desiring her consent But she through the suggestions of the Earl of Murray being induced to believe that the Queen of Scots intention was by this Marriage to get the Crown of England and to bring in Popery entred into consultation with her Privy Councell what was fit to be done to hinder the Marriage who all concluded that these were the best wayes First To have a Company of Souldi●rs levyed for terrour ●ake about the Borders towards Scotland then to commit to prison the Countesse of Lenox the Lord Darlies Mother and to recall from Scotland the Earl of Lenox and his ●on Darly upon pain of the losse of all their goods in England then that the Scots who were known to be averse from the Marriage should be relieved and assisted and lastly That Katherine Grey with the Earl of Hertford should be received into some grace about whom onely it was thought the Queen of Scots was most solicitous as being her Rivall to the English Crown Hereupon Sir Nicholas Throgmorton was sent to the Queen of Scots to counsell her in the Queens name not to proceed in this Marriage and to shew her the many inconveniences that would accrew unto her by it But she returned answer That the matter was too far passed to be recalled and that Queen Elizabeth had no cause to be displeased with i● seeing herein she followed her advice Not to match with ● stranger but with an English man born Queen Elizabeth being informed of her answer calleth home the Earl of Lenox and the Lord D●rly his son commanding them upon their Allegiance to return The Father modestly by Letters excu●eth himself the son humbly intrea●eth her not to be a hinderance to his preferment which he vows to employ in her Majesties Service to the uttermost of his power And now to make him the fitter match for her the Queen of Scots honoured him first with Knighthood then with the Dignities of the Lord Armanack Earl of Rosse and Duke of Rothsay which Dukedom by Bir●h pertaineth to the eldest sons of the Kings of Scotland After this when he had not been above five months in Scotland she marryed him and with the consent of most of the Peers declared him King At this the Earl of M●rray and other whom he drew to his pa●ty extremely fretted and fell to moving of turbulent questions Whether it were lawfull to admit a Papist King Whether the Queen of Scots might choose a husband at her own pleasure and whether the Peers of the Kingdom might not out of their Authority impose one upon her But howsoever they raised Arms and had disturbed the Nuptialls but that the Queen levyed an Army to encounter them with which she pursued them so closely that they were fain to fly into Engl●●d for protection where Queen Elizabeth made no ●cruple to receive them seeing the Queen of Scots had received Yareby Sta●don and Walsh that were fled out of England but the Ea●l of Murray especially who had alwayes been found addicted to the English Queen Elizabeth perhaps was not much troubled at this Marriage partly as knowing the milde disposition of the Lord Darly and how little accesse of strength it brought ●o ●he Queen of Scots but most of all 〈◊〉 plain●y ●eeing ●here wo●ld ●●ouble● 〈◊〉 in Scotland upon it and the troubles of Scotland would be the q●i●tnes●e of England which as a good Mother of her Co●●●rey was the ●ark she aymed at yet she made ● shew of being offended with it but rather to co●ceal her aym then that ●he was offended with it indeed At this time the Emperour Maximlian sent to Queen Elizabeth his Embassadour Adam Smiricote renewing the former sute for his brother Charles of Austria for which Marriage the Earl of Sussex was very earnest the Earl of Leicester as much against it so as it grew to a quarrell between them and the Court was divided into factions about it but the Queen who never liked the dissentions of her Peers though it be a Rule with some Divide and Raign made them friends at least in countenance We may now leave Scotland a while and see the Honour done at this time to Queen Elizabeth not much inferiour to the Honour done to Solomon by the Queen of Saba for now Cecile the sister of Errick King of Sweden and wife of Christopher Marquesse of Baden being great with childe came from the farthest part of the North a long Journey thorow Germany of purpose to see her for the great fame she had heard of her Wisedom At her being here she was delivered of a childe to whom in requitall of her kindenesse Queen Elizabeth was God-mother and named him Edward●s Fortunatus giving to her and her husband besides Royall Entertainment a yeerly Pension At this time also for the great Fame of her wisedome Donald mac Carty More a great Potentate of Ireland came and delivered up into her hands all his most ample Territories and then receiving them again from her to hold them to him and his Heirs males lawfully begotten and for want of such Issue to remain to the Crown of England The Queen in requitall invested him with the honour of Earl of Glenkarne and Baron of Valence and besides many Presents given him paid the charges of his Journey It was now the eighth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign when Sir Nicholas Arnold a Knight of Gloucestershire Governing Ireland under the title of a Justice was called home and Sir Henry Sidney placed in ●his room And here by the way it is to be noted That the Governours of Ireland after it came under the English were at first called Justices of Ireland afterwards Lievtenants and their Vice-gerents were called Deputies Afterwards at the Princes pleasure sometimes Deputies sometimes Justices and sometimes Lievtenants which last Title though it be of greatest honour yet in power is in a manner but the same Si● Henry Sidney at his coming into Ireland found the Province of Munster in much disorder● by reason of strife between Gyrald Earl of Desmond and Thomas Earl of Ormond whereupon the Queen sending for the Earl of Desmond into England ordained a new Government in that Province appointing a President to administer Justice together with an Assistant on the Bench two Lawyers and a Notary and the first President she made in this place was Sir William Sent-leger And now Queen Elizabeth in a Progresse went to Oxford where she took pleasure in viewing the Colledges in hearing Orations in seeing of Comedies till the Comedy of Palemon and Arcett turned to a Tragedy for by the fall of a wall through the multitude of people that pressed in to see it three men were slain At her coming away she made an Oration in Latine to the Schollars a sufficient recompence for all the Orations they had made to her And this yeer was a call of seven new Serjeants at Law who
King had a while grew sensible he meant to be revenged of Murray who had counselled him to do it which Murray understanding prevented it with causing the like to be done to him as will presently be seen For the Queen having been delivered of a Son and the day appointed for the Christning being come where the God-fathers were Charles King of France and Philibert Duke of Savoy Queen Elizabeth being requested to be God-mother sent thither the Earl of Bedford as her Deputy and a Font of Massie Gold for a Present in value 1043 l. but gave him expresse Command That he should not honour Darly with the Title of King But before a month or two after the Christning were passed The King in a stormy and tempestuous night was strangled in his Bed and then cast forth into the Garden and the house immediately blown up with Gun-powder The rumour of this murther being spread abroad the common Fame laid it upon Murray and Morton and their Confederates Murray and Morton upon the Queen But we must not here give ear to that which BUCHANAN writes who to curry favour with the Earl MURRAY layes most impudent scandalls upon the Queene whereof before his death he repented himself extremely The King thus murthered and the QUEENE left alone to her self she is counselled to marry with some that might be able to assist her against all her opposites IAMES Hepburn Earl of Bothwell being then greatly in her favour and of great eminencie for his valour And though he were the man that had acted the murther yet is he by Murray and his confederates commended to the Queen to which motion as being destitute of friends and not knowing whom to trust she at last consents but upon these conditions That above all things respect might be had to her yong Sonne and that Bothwell might be legally quitted both from the bond of his former marriage and also of the Kings murther Hereupon a course is plotted by which Bothwell is called to the Barre and Morton being his Advocate by the Sentence of Judges he is cleerly acquitted Upon this he is created Duke of Orken●y and by consent of many of the Nobility is marryed to the Queen which bred a suspition in many that the Queen was conscious of the murther which was the thing that by the marriage they intended And the suspition once raised they seek by all means to increase that they may have the better colour against her and so the very same man who had absolved Bothwell and consented to the marriage now takes Arms against her as a Delinquent in both force him to flee and then seize upon the Queen whom cl●d in a very homely garment they thrust into prison in Loch-levyn under the custody of Murray's mother who had been the Harlot of King Iames the fifth but boasting her self to have been his lawfull wife and her son his lawfull Issue Queen Elisabeth having at length notice hereof sent Sir Nicholas Throgmorton into Scotland to expostulate with the Confederates touching this insolent usage of the Queen and to consult by what means shee might be restored to her liberty But Throgmorton coming into Scotland found the Confederates in more insolent terms then had been reported being divided in opinion what to do with the Queen some would have her banished perpetually into England or France some would have her questioned before the Judges committed to perpetuall custody and her son proclaimed King others more inhumane would have her at once deprived of Princely Authority of life and all and this Knox and some other Ministers thundred out of the Pulpits Throgmorton on the other side alleaged many passages out of the holy Scriptures touching Obedience to the higher Powers maintaining That the Queen was subject to no Tribunall but that in Heaven That no Judge upon Earth might call her in question That there was no Office nor Jurisdiction in Scotland which was not derived from her Authority and revokeable at her pleasure They again opposed the peculiar Right of the Kingdom of Scotland and that in extraordinary cases they were to proceed besides order taking up Buchanans Arguments who in those dayes by instigation of Murray wrote that damned Dialogue De Iure Regni apud Scotos wherein against the verity of the Scottish History he indeavours to prove That the People have power both to create and to depose their King After all their debating all that Throgmorton could get of them was a Writing without any Subscription wherein they protested They had shut up the Queen for no other intent but to keep her apart from Bothwell whom she loved so desperately that to injoy him she regarded not all their ruines willing him to rest satisfied with this Answer till such time as the rest of the Peers met together And notwithstanding all he could say they shut up the Queen daily in more straight custody though with tears she besought them to deal more mildly with her and to let her but once have a sight of her son which would not be granted her At last when fair perswasions would not serve to make her freely give over the Kingdom they threatned to question her openly for incontinent living for the Kings murder and for Tyranny so as through feare of death they compelled Her unheard to set her hand to three Instruments In the first whereof she gave over the Kingdom to her young son at that time scarce thirteen Months old In the second she constituted Murray Vice-Roy during the minority of her son In the third in case he refused the charge these Governours were nominated Iames Duke of Chasteau Herald Giles Spike Earl of Argile Matthew Earl of Lenox Iohn Earl of Atholl Iames Earl of Mo●ton Alexander Earl of Glencarn and Iohn Earl of Mar. And presently she signified to Queen Elizabeth by Throgmorton that she had made these grants by compulsion through the counsell of Throgmorton telling her that a grant extorted from one in prison which is a just fear is actually void and of no effect Five dayes after the Queen had made this Resignation Iames the sixth the Queens Son was Anointed and Crown'd King Iohn Knox preaching at the same time but a Protestation was then put in by the Hamiltons that all this ought to be no prejudice to the Duke of Chasteau Herald in his Right of succession against the Family of Lenox but Queen Elisabeth had forbidden Throgmorton to be at the Action that she might not seem by the presence of her Embassador to approve their proceeding in displacing of the Queen Fifteen dayes after this transaction Murray himself returned ou● of France into Scotland and within three dayes went to the Queen with some other of the confederates who charged her with many crimes and wished her if she tendered her Life and Honor to observe these prescriptions Not to disturb the peace of the Kingdom nor desire to be at Liberty not to stir up the Queen of England or the King of
taken by right of War and not to be dismissed till she had made satisfaction for assuming the Title of England and for the death of Darly her husband who was born one of the Queens Subjects In this diversity of opinions Queen Elisabeth out of her own judgement sent word by Middemore to the Regent of Scotland that he should come himself in person or else depute some fit persons to answer the complaints of the Queen of Scots against him and his confederates and render sufficient reasons wherefore they had deprived her otherwise● she would forthwith dismisse her and with all the forces she could settle her in her Kingdom To this Summons Murray obeys and comes to York the place appointed for this Treaty accompanied with seven more of his intimate friends who stood Delegates for the Infant King namely Iames Earl of Morton Ad●m Bishop of the Ork●neys Robert of Dunferm Patrick Lord of Lyndsey Iames Mac-gylly and Henry ●adinary and with these Lydington the Secretary and Ge●rge Buchanan And the very same day came thither Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk Thomas Ratcliff Earl of Sussex and Sir Ralph Saedler a Privie-Councellour appointed Commissioners for Queen Elisabeth For the Queen of Scots who took it hainously that Queen Elisabeth would not hear the caus● h●r self but refer h●r to Subjects being an absolute Prince and not ty●d to their proc●edings there appeared Iohn Lesley Bishop of Ross William Lord Levyng●●on Robert Lord Boyde Ga●●● of Kilwynnin Iohn G●urd●n and Iames Cock●urn Being met Lydingto● turning himself to the Scots in a wondrous liberty of Speech gave them this advice Maturely to consider what prejudice they should draw upon themselves by accusing th● Queen of Scots and calling her Reputation in question publikely before the English professed enemies of the Scottish Nation Likewise wha● account they shall be able to give hereof to the King when he shall grow to ●iper y●●rs and shall see what an injury this was to the Kingdom his Mother and his own per●on Wherefor● said he it seemeth requisite to forbear this businesse al●ogether unlesse the Queen of England will enter into a ●u●uall league of Offence and Defence against all those which under this pretenc● shall go about ●o molest us Upon this Speech of his the D●l●gates of the Que●n of Scots made Protestation That although it pleased the Qu●●n of Scots to have the cause between her and her disloyall Subjects d●●●ted befo●● the English yet she being a free Prince and obnoxious to no earthly Prince whatsoever did not thereby yeeld her self subject to th● Jurisdiction and command of any person On the contrary the English pro●est●d That they did in no wise admi● that Protestation in pr●judice to the right which the Kings of England have anciently challenged as superiou● Lords of the Kingdom of Sco●land The day after the Queen of Sco●s Delegates s●t forth at large the injurious dealing of Morton Murray Marre Gle●car● 〈◊〉 and others against the Queen and how they had compelled h●r for fear of death to resign her Crown which therefore they said was of no ●or●● Murray and his confederates make answ●r That they had done nothing but by consent of the Peers in Parliament and tha● in pros●cu●ing o● Bothwell the author of the Kings murther whom the Queen protected and as for her resignation ●hat it was voluntarily and freely done All this the Queen of Scots Delega●es answered and confuted affirming in particular That where there are 100 Earls Bishops and Barons more or lesse that have voices in the Parliament of Scotland there were not in that tum●ltous assembly they speak of above four Earls one Bishop an Abbot or two and six Barons wherefore their earnest request was that the Q●een of England would be ●●nsible of these indignities offered her and take some course for a speedy rednesse After this some new Commissioners from Queen Elizabeth were added to the former to some of whom the Queen of Scots took exception unlesse the French and Spanish Embassadors might be taken in and her self admitted into the presence of the Queen and them publickly to defend her own innocency and that Murray might be detained and ●ited whom she affirmed she was able to prove to have been the chief Plotter of the murther of her husband Darley This was held to be a just demand by the Duke of Norfolk the Earls of Arundell Sussex Leicester and the Lord Clinton But Queen Elizabeth waxing somewhat angry openly said that the Queen of Scots should never want an Advocate as long as Norfolk lived It was seen here which is said that the heart of the King is inscrutable for how Queen Elizabeth stood affected in this case of the Queen of Scots no man could well discern● she detested the insolency of her Subjects in deposing her and yet gave no assistance to restore her After long agitation of this businesse and nothing concluded Murray a little before his return into Scotland slyly propounded the mariage of the Queen of Scots to the Duke of Norfolk which he with a modest answer rejected as a thing full of danger But withall Murray the more to alienate Queen Elizabeths mind from the Queen of Scots gave ou● that she had passed away to the Duke of Andyn her Right to the Crown of England and that the transaction was confirm'd at Rome he shewd Letters also which the Queen of Scots had written to some friends whom she trusted wherein she accused the Queen for not dealing with her according to promise and boasted of succours she expected from some others This last clause something troubled Queen Elizabeth neither could she conjecture from whence any such succour should come seeing both France with the Civill Wars and the King of Spain in the Low-countries had eno●gh to do at home But at last it brake out that one Robert Ridolph a Florentine under the habit of a Merchant in London was suborned by Pope ●ius the fifth to make a secret commotion of the Papists in England against the Queen which he performed indeed with a great deal of secrecy and much cunning whereupon the Queen of Scots was removed from Bolton a Castle of the Lord Scroops where all the neighbouring people were Papists● to Tutbury more toward the heart of the Country under the custody of George Earl of Shrewsbury About this time the Guises in France and the Duke D'Alva in the Low-countries began to endeavour the utter extirpation of the Protestant Religion In France the Ministers of the Gospell are commanded within a limitted time to depart the Kingdom when Queen Elizabeth forgetting the ●icklenesse of the Protestants at New-haven once again takes upon her their protection supplyes them with two hundred thousand Crowns in money besides Munition in abundance and with all humanity receives the French that fled into England the rather for that they made solemn protestation they took not up Arms against their Prince but only stood upon their own defence In the Low-countries
the Commissioners made unto her certain Propositions of Agreement First That the Treaty of Edinborough should be confirmed then That she should renounce her Right and Title to England during Queen Elizabeths life or any children of her body lawfully begotten then That she should send her sonne for a Hostage into England with other six Hostages such as the Queen should nominate then That the Castles of Humes and Fast-castle should be held by the English for three yeers with some other To which Propositions the Queen of Scots for the present gave a provident answer but referred the fuller Answer to the Biship of Rosse her Ambassadour in ENGLAND and some other Delegates who afterwards allowing some of the Propositions and not allowing others the Treaty came to nothing but the matter rested in the state it was before A● this time Philip King of Spain had contracted Marriage with Anne of Austria Daughter to the Emperour Maximilian his own Neece by his Sister who was now setting Sayl from Zealand towards Spain when Queen Elizabeth to testifie her love and respect to the House of Austria sent Sir Charls Howard with the Navy Royall to conduct her thorow the Bri●ish Sea And now was the twelfth yeer of Queen Elizabeths Raign finished which certain Wizards had made Papists believe should be her last but contrary as if it were but her first a new Custome began of celebrating the seventeenth day of November the Anniversary day of her Raign with ringing of Bells Tiltings and Bon-fires which Custome as it now began so it was never given over as long as she lived and is not yet forborn so long after her death At this time in Ireland Connagher ô Brien Earl of Towmond no● brooking the severe Government of Edward Fitton President of Connaght entred into Consultation with some few to raise a new Rebellion which being at the point ready to break forth was strangely discovered for the day before they meant to ●ake up Arms Fitton knowing not at all of the matter sent ●h● Earl word in friendly manner That the next day he and a few friends with him would be his Guests The Earl convinced by his own conscience imagined that his Intendments were revealed that Fitton would come as an enemy rather then a Guest Out of which feare● he presently set Sayle into FRANCE where repenting himselfe seriously of his fault he confessed the whole businesse to Norris the Queenes Embassadour in France and by his intercession was afterward pardoned and restored In Ianuary the thirteenth yeer of her Raigne Queen Elizabeth in royall pompe entring the City of London went to see the Burse which Sir Thomas Gresham had lately built for the use of the Marchants and with sound of trumpets and the voice of a Herald solemnly named it the Royall Exchange A few dayes after for his many great services she made Sir William Cecill Baron Burgley There were now about the Scottish affaires in the name of the King of of Scots the Earle Morton Peruare Abbot of Dumformelin and Iames Mac-Gray whom when Queen Elizabeth required to shew more clearely for what causes they had deposed the Queen they exhibited a long and tedious Commentary wherein with a certain insolent liberty they endeavoured to prove by the ancient Right of the Kingdom of Scotland that the people of Scotland were above the King and urged Calvins Authority also That Popular Magistrates are constituted for the moderation of the Licentiousnes of Princes and that it is lawfull for them both to imprison Kings and upon just causes to depose them This writing the Queen could not reade without indignation but to the Delegates she gave this Answer She saw no just cause yet why they should handle the Queen in such manner and therefore willed them to think upon some course out of hand how to allay the dissentions in Scotland Hereupon in Sir Nich. Bacons house Keeper of the Great Seal a Proposition was made to the Bishop of Rosse the Bishop of Galloway and Baron Levingston delegates for the Queen of Scots that for the security of the Kingdom and the Qu. of England it were requisite that before the Queen of Scots should be let at libertie The Duke of Castle-Herald the Earle of Huntley and Argyle the Lord Humes Heris and another of the Barons should be delivered for Hostages and the castle of Dumbriton and H●●e● yeelded up into the hands of the English for three yeers But they made Answer that to yeeld up great personages and such fortifications as were demanded were nothing else but to leave the miserable Queen utterly destitute of faithfull friends and naked of all places fit for guard and defence yet they offered to give two Earls and two Barons for Hostages till two yeers were expired which not being accepted they straightway gathered and spoke it openly That now they plainly perceived the English meant to keepe the Queen of Scots perpetually prisoner and likewise to break off the Trea●y seeing they rigorously demanded such securitie as Scotland was not able to make good And now Queen Elizabeth seeing that nothing could be done for her owne the King and Queen of Scots safety unlesse Both Factions in Scotland consented she held it fit that the Lords of Scotland should themselves appoint some chosen persons to compound the matter While matters in England proceeded in this sort the Queenes partie in Scotland was hardly used Fryth● the strongest castle in Scotland was taken and I. Hamilton Archbishop of Saint Andrewes the Duke of Castle-Heralds brother as an accessary to the murder of D●●lye was hanged without being arraigned according to Law In England the Queen of Scots had all her servants taken from her except Tenne only and a Priest to say masse with which indignities the Queen of Scots provoked causeth a large Commentary of her Counsels with certain love-letters to the Duke of Norfolk to be carried to the Pope and the King of Spain by Ridolphu● which being brought first to the Duke Higford one that waited on the Duke in his bed chamber had copyed out but being commanded to burne them he hid them under a Matt in the Duke Bed-chamber and that it should seeme purposely Ridolphus to daw on the Duke to be Head of the discontented Partie in England aggravated to him the wrongs he had suffered● how against all law he had been kept a long time in prison and now to his great disgrace was not Summoned to the Parliament he exhibited to him a Catalogue of such of the Nobilitie who had vowed to Assist him he shewed how the Pope so the Catholick Religion might be promoted would himself undergo all the charge of the Warre and had already layd down an hundred thousand Crownes whereof himself had distributed twelve thousand amongst the English that were fled he promised that the King of Spain would send four thousand horse and six thousand foot to his Assistance to these reasons the Bishop of Rosse added That it was an
thereupon for not coming into England as he had determined The Count found the Queen at Canterbury where she gave him Royall intertainment and Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury Royall intertainment to them both All this while since the death of the Earl of Marre there had been no Regent in Scotland but now by the procurement of Queen Elizabeth chiefly Iames Dowglas Earl of Morton is made Regent who when his Authority in a Parliamentary Assembly was established Enacted many profitable Laws for the defence of Religion against Papists and Hereticks in the name of the King But the pro●ection and keeping of the Kings Person hee confirmed to Alexander Areskin Earl of Marre to whom the custody of the Kings in their tender yeers by speciall priviledge belongeth though hee were himself in his Minority Upon these conditions That no Papists nor factious persons should be admitted to his presence An Earl should come with onely two servants attending him A Baron with onely one All other single and every one unarmed The French King in the mean time sent his Embassadour Mounsier Vyriar to corrupt the Earls of Atholl and H●ntley with large promises to oppose the Regent Queen ELISABETH as much laboured to defend him but though by the ministery of Killigrew shee had drawn Iames Hamilton Duke of Castle-Herald and George Gourdon Earl of Huntley and the most eminent of that Faction upon indifferent conditions to acknowledge the Regent yet VVilliam K●r●●ld Lord Gra●nge whom Murray when hee was Rege●t had made Gove●nour of Edingborough Castle The Lord Hum●s Lydington the Bishop of Dunkeld and others would by no meanes admit of the Regents Government but held that Castle and fortified it in the Queen of Scots name having Lydington for their Counsellor herein and trusting to the naturall strength of the place and to the Duke D' Alva's and the F●e●ch Kings promises to send them supplies both of men and money Now when these persons could by no meanes drawne to accept of conditions of peace and to deliver up the Castle to the Regent Queen Elizabeth who could in no case endure the French in Scotland suffered her self at length to be intreated by the Regent to send Forces Gunnes and Ammunition for assaulting of the Castle upon certain conditions whereof one was that ten Hostages should be sent into England to be security fo● returning the men and Munition unlesse by the common hazard of War they should chance to miscarry The conditions being argued on William Drury Marshall of the Garrison at Barwick with some ●reat Ordnance and Fifteen hundred Souldiers amongst whom were some noble Voluntiers George Carie Henry Carie Thomas Cecill He●ry Lee William Knolles Sutton Cotton Kelway VVilliam Killigrew and others entred into Scotland and besieged the Castle which after three and thirty dayes siege was delivered up to the Regent for the Kings use with all the persons that were in it amongst whom Kircald Lord Grange and Iames his brother Musman and Cook gold-smiths who had counterfeited Coyne in the Castle were hanged although to redeem Granges life a hundred of the Family of the Kircalds offered themselves to be in perpetuall servitude to the Regent besides an annuall Pension of three thousand Marks and twenty thousand pounds of Scottish money in present and to put in caution that from thence forth he should continue in duty homage to the King but it would not bee accepted Humes and the rest were spared through Queen Elizabeths mercifull intercession Lydington was sent to Leith where hee dyed and was suspected to bee poysoned A man of the greatest understanding in the Scottish Nation and of an excellent wit but very variable for which George Buchanan called him the Camelion And now from this time Scotland began to take breath after long Civill Warres and as well the Captaines of both parties as the Souldiers betook themselves into Swedeland France and the Low-Countries where they valorously behaved themselves and wonne great commendation As for Iohn Lesle Bishop of Rosse he was now set at liberty but commanded to depart presently out of England and being beyond the Sea he continued still to sollicite his Mistresse the Queen of Scots cause with the Emperour the Pope the French King and the German Princes of the Popish Religion who all led him on with faire promises but performed nothing For indeed he in whom he had greatest confidence which was the Duke D' Alva was at that time called away partly out of Jealousie of State as being thought to grow too great and partly out of opinion that by his cruelty he made the people to revolt and therefore in his place was sent Ludovicus Zuinga a man of great Nobility in Spain ●ut of a more Peaceable disposition then D' Alva ●ow this man did all good Offices to win Queen Elizabeth to him and minding his owne Affairs only would not intermeddle with the Scottish or English matters About this a frentick Opinion was held by one Peter Bourche● a Gent●eman of the Middle-Temple that it was lawfull to kill them that opposed the truth of the Gospell and so far was he possest with this opinion that he assaulted the famous Seaman Captain Hawkins and wounded him with a dagger taking him for Hutton who at that time was in great favour with the Queen and of her privy Counsell whom he had been informed to be a great Adversary to Innovations The Queen grew so angry hereat that she commanded Marshiall Law should be executed upon him presently till her Counsell advised her that Marshiall Law was not to be used but in the Field and in turbulent times but at home and in time of Peace there must be Legall proceedings Hereupon Bourchet was sent to the Tower where taking a brand out of the fire he strook it into the brains of one of his keepers named Hugh Longwroth and killed him for which fact he was condemned of murther had his right hand cutt off and nayled to the Gallows and then himselfe hanged After the violent death of this Varlet we may speake of the naturall death of two great persons First William Lord Howard of Effingham Son of that warlike Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk by his second wife Agnes Tilney This William was made a Baron by Queen Mary and Lord High Admirall of England and by Queen Elizabeth Lord Chamberlain till such time that being taken with age he yeelded up that place to the Earl of Sussex and was then made Keeper of the Privy Seal which is the fourth degree of honour in England His Son Charles succeeded him in the Dignity of his Barony who was after made Lord Chamberlain to the Queen and then Lord High Admirall of England A while after him dyed Reginold Grey Earl of Kent whom the Queen a yeer before of a private man had made Earl of Kent when as that Title from the death of Richard Grey Earl of Kent who had wasted his Patrimony and was elder brother to this mans
the Queens leave he might take up Ships and Marriners to goe against the Hollanders and Zelanders but this she would not grant Then hee made suite that the Queen would please not to take it in evill part if the banished persons of the English in the Low-Countries served the King of Spaine in a Sea-Fight against the Hollanders and that they might have free accesse to the Ports of England to buy provision for ready money But this shee would not grant neither Then he made request that the Dutch who were Rebels against the King of Spaine might be put out of England but neither would shee grant this as being an Action voide of Humanity and against the Lawes of Hospitality yet because shee would not be thought to violate the old Burgundian Law shee Commanded by Proclamation that the Shipps of the Dutch which were made ready should not go forth of the Haven nor yet the Dutch who had taken up Armes against the King of Spaine enter into the Ports of England and by name the Prince of Orenge and Fifty other the prime of that Faction and this shee did the more willingly because Zuinga at the intercession of Wilson the English Embassador had removed the Earle of Westmerland and other English Fugitives out of the Dominions of the King of Spaine and had also dissolved the English Seminary at Doway though in stead thereof the Guises through the procurement of Pope Gregory the thirteenth set up another Seminary at Rhemes And at this time the Prince of Orenge perceiving his Forces but small and thinking himself too weake for the King of SPAINE and little hope of ayde from England he entered into Consultation with the Confederate States to whose protection they were best and in the most security to betake themselves The Princes of Germany they knew were not all of one minde parted from money very hardly and did not every way nor would not by no meanes possible accord and concurre with them in their Religion and therefore they were not so fit Then the French they saw were intangled in a Civill War and so had enough of their owne to do besides the old grudges and heart-burnings that vvere between the French and Dutch and therefore neither were they so fit There remained then the English as the fittest of any if it might be obtained seeing they were Neighbouss of the same Religion and of a Language not much different strong in shipping and rich in Merchandize Hereupon considering the commodiousnesse of the English Nation they send into England Philip Marnizie of S. Aldegond Ianus Dowsa William Nyvell and Doctor Melsen who in an honourable Ambassage offer the Countries of Holland and Zealand to be possessed or protected by the Queen forasmuch as she was descended from the Princes of Holland by Philip wife of Edward the third daughter of William of Bavaria Count of Hanonia and Holland by whose other sister the hereditary Right of ●hose Provinces came to the King of Spain To this offer the Queen takes time to answer and at last having maturely advised of the matter her Answer was this That as yet she conceived not how with safety of her honour and an upright conscience she could receive those Provinces into her protection much lesse assume them into her possession but promised She would deal earnestly with the King of Spain that a well conditioned Peace might be concluded Presently upon this Zuinga Governour of the Low-Countries died after whose death the States of Brabant Flanders and the other Provinces took upon them the ancient Administration and Authority in the Common-wealth which the King of Spain was fain to confirm to them till such time as Iohn of Austria were come whom he determined to make Governour there In the mean time Queen Elizabeth in behalf of the King of Spain sent William Davyson in Ambassage to those Provinces to exhort them to be peaceable and quiet which yet by reason the Spanish Souldiers were so outragious little prevailed In England all was calm and quiet for all this yeer onely a difference fell out between Sir Iohn Forster Governour of Berwick and Iohn Cormichill Keeper of Liddesdale in Scotland In composing whereof the Regent of Scotland having given Queen Elizab●th some discontentment was fain to come unarmed before the Earl of Huntington appointed the Legate for England at Bonderod and so the matter was taken up and the Regent ever after continued constant in observing the Queen and to his great commendation restrayned the Freebooters of the Borders to the great good of both Kingdomes This yeer there died in Scotland Iames Hamilton Duke of Castle-Herald and Earl of Arran who was great Grand-childe to Iames the second King of Scots by his daughter appointed Tutor to Mary Queen of Scots and designed Heir and Governour of the Kingdom during her minority At this time the Earl of Essex is come into Ireland again wh●re having done good services and being in the midst of Victory he was on a sudden commanded to resigne his Authority in Ulster and as though he were an ordinary Commander is set over three hundred Souldiers which disgrace was wrought by his adversaries in Court to the continuall pe●plexing of his milde spirit And now is Sir Henry Sidney the third time sent Deputy into Ireland who going into Ulster there came to him and submitted themselves Mac Mahon Mac Guyre Turlogh Leynigh the O Conors and O Moors the Earl of Desmond and the rebellious sons of the Earl of Clanricard all whom he received into favour and with great commendation administred the Province At this time the Spaniard in the Low-Countries began to deal roughly with the people and haryed the Inhabitants with all manner of spoyl and injury Antwerp the most famous Town of Traffick in all Europe was miserably pillaged the English Merchants houses rifled insomuch that the States were enforced to take up Arms and Messengers were sent to all neighbouring Princes and to Q. Elizabeth was sent Monsieur Aubig●y both to shew her upon how necessary and just causes they had taken up Arms and also to borrow of her a great sum of money the better to enable them to resist the Spaniard But she being certainly informed That they first sued to the French King for help denieth the request yet promiseth to intercede earnestly with the King of Spain● for peace And in that imployment she addressed into Spaine Iohn Smith cosen German to King Edward the sixth a man of Spainsh behaviour and well knowne to the King of Spaine who was liberally received by the King and with such wisdome retorted the contumelious speech of Gasper Quiroga Archbishop of Toledo and the Spanish Inquisitors who would not admit in the Queenes Title the Attribute of Defendor of the Faith that he had gained great thankes from the King of Spaine himself who requested him not to speake of it to the Queen and gave severe command That the Title should be admitted And now by this time
to the Queen of England his deer Sister and doth now willingly make profer of the same Walsingham now dealt with him farther not to lay to the Queens charge what broyls had lately fallen out in Scotland sheweth how beneficiall to him and to both kingdoms Amity had been hitherto and would be in time to come also so it were not neglected and that the same might the better be confirmed if the variance between the Nobility were layd asleep by a Law of oblivion Enacted in Parliament The Peers which now were removed from the Court called back again Religion looked into and a firm League concluded between both kingdoms The King made answer that he gladly embraced Amity with England and that he would constantly defend the Religion already established Afterward he lovingly dismissed Walsingham though he held him no good friend to him and his Mother and carefully looking to matters with undestanding even above his yeers proposed and profered reconciliation to those that had surprized him if within a limited time they asked Pardon which they were so far from doing that the entred into new consultations to surprize him again whereupon they are commanded within a set time to leave the kingdom of which number Marre Glames Paslet and some other betook themselves into Ireland Boyde Zester Weeme Lochlevin into the Low-Countries Dumfermilin into France the Earle of Angus is confined to his Earldome Gowry onely to his owne ruine stayeth behinde after the limited time hatching new devises About this time happened a difference and thereupon a Warre between the Emperors of Muscovia and the King of Sweden when Iohn King of Sweden doubting himself to be no fit Match for the Emperour sent a Roy●●l Ambassage to Queen Elizabeth requesting her to intercede for him to ●●e Emperour which she did without delay and by her Ambassadour drew the Muscovian to a Peace upon reasonable Conditions B●t the Muscovian●●ortly ●●ortly after dying and Theodorus his Successor granting free Traffique to ●●rchants of all Nations that would come thither the Queen importuned him to admit of none but English Merchants requiring him to confirm the Priviledges which his Father had granted them Whereto by way of Answer he demanded Free Trading for all the English saying It was not fit that a small Company should exercise a Monopoly and all other be ●estrayned But as for Customes he promised to take lesse by one half of that Company then of any other because they first opened the way thither The next Summer Albertus Alasco a Palatine of Poland of a comely personage and great learning came into England to see the Queen who was nobly entertained both by her and the Nobility as also by the Scholl●rs of Oxford with learned Orations and other Recreations but having ●●rryed here four Months and run i●to much debt he secretly withdrew himself and departed This man I saw my self afterward in Crakow very bare though it was reported of him That he had in a Dowry with a wife fif●y Castles of great value but what Myne can bear the charges of prodigality This yeer proved fatall to divers great men for there died this yeer ●●●st Thomas Ratcliffe the third E●rl of Sussex of this Family a man of grea● spirit and great faithfulnesse to his Countrey There died also Henry Wriothsley Earl of Southampton one exceedingly devoted to the Romish Religion and a great favourer of the Queen of Scots which cost him Queen Elizabeths displeasure and imprisonment besides There died also Sir Humphrey Gilbert who was cast away at Sea in his return from the North p●rt of America whither he lately sayled with five Ships having sold his Patrimony in hope to plant a Colony t●ere There died also Edmund Grindall Arch-●ishop of Canterbury being blinde through age a gra●e and pious P●elate who stood highly in the Queens favour for a long time till he lost 〈◊〉 last by favouring as was said the Puritans Conventicles but the ●●ue cause indeed was for disallowing the Marriage of Iuli● an Italian Physitian with another mans wife against the Earl of Leicester's pleasure Grind●ll dying Iohn Whiteguyft succeeded in the See of Canterbury being transla●ed thither from the See of Worcester At this time certain popish Books written against the Queen and Princes Excommunicate withdrew divers from their Allegiance and particularly so intoxicated one Somervile an English Gentleman that he went privately ●o the Court and breathing out nothing but blood and death against all Protestants set upon one or two by the way with his drawn Sword Being apprehended he stuck not to say That he would murder the Queen with his own hands Hereupon he and upon his intimation Arden●is ●is father in Law a man of an ancient House in Warwick-shire Ardens wife their daughter Somerviles wife and Hall a Priest were brought to the Bar and all condemned Somervile as principall the rest as accessaries Th●ee dayes after Somervile was found strangled in the prison Arden was ●●●cuted and quartered the women and the Priest were spared Many pi●ied the old Gentleman Arden as misled by the Priest and as it was gen●rally believed brought to his end through the envy of Leicester whom he used to call Whore-master Upstart and many such opprobrious ●●mes In the Netherlands the English Garrison at Alost in Flanders being neglected the Governour Pigot and the other Captains for want of pay upon Composition yeelded up the Town to the Spaniard and then fearing disgrace at home joyned themselves to the Prince of Parma at whose hands finding themselves slighted by degrees they stole all away and came all to unlucky ends In Ireland the famous Rebell Gyrald-Fitz Gyrald the eleventh Earl of Desmond of this Family having a long time in lurking places escaped the English was now by a common Souldier found out in a poor Cottage and slain His head was sent into England and set upon London-Bridge This end had this great Lord descended from Ma●rice the son of Gyrald of W●ndsore an English-man famous amongst those who first set upon Ireland in the yeer 1170. He possessed whole Countries together with the County Palatine of Kerry and had of his own Name and Race at least five hundred Gentlemen at his command All whom and his own life also he lost within the space of three yeers very few of his House being left alive And this disaster he fell into by proving Trayterous to his Prince at the instigation of certain Popish Priests Of whom the chief was one Nicholas Sanders an English-man who at the same time died miserably of Famine being starved to death when as being forsaken and running mad upon his ill successe he roamed up and down the Mountains and Groves finding nothing to sustain him In his Scrip were found certain Orations and Letters written to hearten the Rebells and promising large rewards from the Pope and King of Spain Upon the Rebells ill successe Iames Fitz Eustace Viscount Baltinglas fled into Spain where he pined away with grief He
the due Solemnity which he kindely accepted and at Evening Prayer was invested with them At this time a Parliament was assembled at Westminster wherein William Parrie a Welsh-man a Doctor of the Laws when in the Lower House a Bill was read against the Jesuites he alone stood up and exclaimed that it was a cruell and bloody Law and being asked his reason he stoutly refused unlesse he were required by the Lords of the Councell Hereupon he was sent to the Gate-house but upon submission was received into the House again Soon after he was accused by Edward Nevill for holding secret consultations about making the Queen away Who thereupon apprehended upon his examination confessed in effect thus much That out of discontent he went beyond the Sea where by the encouragement of Campegio the Popes Nuntio at Venice and grant of a plenary Indulgence from the Pope he undertook to kill the Queen but coming into England to that intent he altered his minde and disclosed to the Queen the whole matter After this he received a Letter from the Cardinall of Com● perswading him to go forward with the Enterprise and this Letter also he shewed the Queen After this he chanced to see a Book of Doctor Allens written contra Iustitiam Britannicam wherein was declared That Princes who were for heresie excommunicate might lawfully be deprived of their life and Kingdom This book wonderfully confirmed him and he read it to Nevill who though he took an oath of secrecy yet now upon a hope of the Earldom of Westmerland● betrayed him This was his confession before Baron Hunsdon Sir Christopher Hatt●n and Sir Francis Walsingham as likewise in his Letters to the Queen to the Lord Burleigh and the Earl of Leicester acknowledging his fault and craving mercy A few dayes after he was called to the Bar in Westminster-Hall where he confessed himself guilty and thereupon was condemned After the Sentence of death pronounced he furiously cited the Queen to Gods Tribunall five dayes after he was laid upon a Hurdle and dragged thorow the City to Westminster where at the Gibbet he made a vain-glorious boasting of his faithfulnesse to the Queen but not so much as in a word commended himself to God and in the great Palace at Westminster was executed as a Traytor the Nobility and Commons sitting then in Parliament In this Parliament the Association before spoken of was universally approved and enacted in this Form That four and twenty or more of the Queens Privy Councell and Peers of the Realm should be selected and authorized under the Great Seal of England To make enquiry of all such persons as shall attempt to 〈◊〉 the Kingdom or raise Rebellion or shall attempt any evill against the Queens Person f●r whomsoeve● and by whomsoever that layeth any claim to the Crown of England and that person for whom or by whom they shall ●ttempt ●ny such thing shall be altogether uncapable of the Crown and more to this purpose Laws also for the Queens safety were enacted against Jesuites and Popis● Priests and against all that shall receive or relieve them These Laws ter●ified many and particularly out of fear of them Philip Ea●l of Arundel the Duke of Norf●lks eldest son purposed with himself to travell beyond Seas● for having been once or twice cited before the Lords of the Councell and confined to his house and after six months set at liberty he ●hereupon wrot● a Letter to the Queen That for the Service of God and hi● souls health he purposed to leave his Countrey but not his loyall ●ffection towards her● but as he was taking Shipping by his own servants treachery he was discovered apprehended and laid in the Tow●r At the same time lay in the Tower Henry Percy Earl of Northumberland● a man of a lofty spirit being suspected by rea●on of secret consultation 〈◊〉 Throgmorton the Lord Paget and the Guises about the invading of Eng●●●●● and freeing of the Queen of Scots whose cause he ever highly favou●●d but in the m●neth of Iune he was found dead in his bed shot into the body with three bullets under his right pappe and the door bolted on the ●●de The Corroners Inquest examining the matter found and pronoun●●d that he had killed himselfe Three dayes after the Lords meeting in ●he Star-chamber Bromeley Lord Chancellor declared this fact of the Earls ●nd then commanded the Atturney Generall to shew the causes of his im●●●sonment and the manner of his death whereupon Popham first and then Egerton the Queens Solicitor in long Orations lay open all his Treasons and how for feare of the Law he had layd violent hands upon himselfe And now the Queen knowing that the seeds of these Treasons proceeded from the Duke of Guise and his adherents she sought for the strengthning of her selfe to enter into League with the Princes of Germany and to this end she sent Sir Thomas B●dley to the King of Denmarke to the Count Elector Palatine of the Rhine to the Duke of Saxony Wittenberg Brunswicke L●●ceburg the Marquesse of Brandenburg and the Lant grave of Hessia and into Scotland she sent Sir Edward Wootton to let the King understand how sincerely she was affected towards him and withall to draw the King if he could into a League of mutuall defence and offence and to commend to him the Match of the King of Denmarks Daughter The King was very inclinable to the matter of the League but for the present the businesse was interrupted by the death of Francis Russell Son to the Earl of Bedford slain at a meeting to compound a difference between the Borderers by a sudden tumult of the Scots but who it was that slew him was not known The English layd it upon the Earl of Arran and the Lord Fernihurst Governour of the middle Borders whereupon at the Queenes complaint the Earl of Arran was confined and Fernihurst committed to prison at Dundee where he dyed a man of great valour and resolution and one that was alwayes f●rm for the Queen of Scots But Queen Elizabeth not thus satisfied gave leave by way of connivance to the Scottish Lords that were fled into England namely the Earl of Angus the Hamiltons Iohn and Cladius the Earl of M●rre Glames and other that they should steal away into Scotland she sup●lying them with money there to master and subdue the Earl of Arran For Maxwell who was lately made Earl of Bothwell Baron Humes Coldingkn●lls and other in Scotland had already promised them their assistance even ●n the very Court Sir Patrick Grey Arrans great Rivall for the Kings favour Belenden and Secretary Maitland by Woottons craft were made against Arran These men upon their first entry into Scotland command all persons in the Kings name to ayd them for conserving the truth of the Gospell for freeing the King from corrupt Councellors and for maintaining of Amity with the English so as there presently joyned with them ●bout eight thousand men The Earle of Arran hearing hereof
indeed more guilty of the fact than Davyson were none of the number Before these Delegates Popham the Queens Atturney layeth to Davysons charge Contempt of the Queen Majesty violating of his trust and neglect of his duty laying open all particulars of his fact which after Egerton the Queens Solicitor Gawdy and Puckering her Serjeants at Law urged also against him with great aggra●ation To which Davyson mildely answered That he would not contest with the Queen only protests That if he had done any thing otherwise than he ought it was out of ignorance and mistaking and not out of any purpose to disobey her Majesty It seems the Queen had carried her selfe as one that would have it done and yet was loth to do it scarce knowing her one minde and yet would have another know it meaning to make it the work of mistaking rather than of purpose that so at least she might leave some place of satisfaction to her selfe that it was not absolutely of her doing The Pleadings ended the Commissioners went to censure Manwood began and gave his opinion That Davyson for the inconsideratnesse of his fact● should be fined ten thousand pounds and Imprisonment during the Queens pleasure the rest went on in that Sentence only the Lord Grey excused Davyson so far That he tho●ght him worthy of reward rather than of punishment The conclusion was the first Sentence for his Fine and Imprisonment was by Wray keeper of the Privy Seal confirmed and Davyson never after recovered the Queens favour though she relieved him sometimes in his necessity A man ingenious indeed but not throughly acquainted with the wayes of the Court and thought to have been raised to this place of purpose to Act this part and for nothing else By this time Sir Robert Cary Son to the Lord Hunsdon who was sent to excuse the Queen was come to the Borders but being come thither was not suffered to set foot in Scotland The King would scarce hear him by another and with much adoe received his Letters He called home his Ambassador out of England and thought of nothing but revenge But the Queen still laying the fault upon Davyson and the unadvised credulity of her Councellros by little and little allayeth his passion and expecting till time had somewhat asswaged his griefe that it would endure to be touched at length by her Agents in Scotland And soon after by the Lord Hunsdon Governor of Berwicke She admonished him How dangerous it would be for him to break out into War against England and what little help he could justly expect from either Spain or France but if he persisted in the amity with England he might be sure the Queen of England would most lovingly account him for her Son And to the end that he should assure himself that the Queen his Mother was put to death without her privity she sent him the Sentence against Davyson under the Seals of all the Delegates and attested under the Great Seal of England and another Instrument likewise signed with the hands of the Judges of England in which they averre That the Sentence against the Queen of Scots could in no wise be prejudice to his right in the Succession Having now by these and the like courses somewhat asswaged the King of Scots indignation to prevent the War which they foresaw was imminent from the King of Spain they send forth Drake with four of the Queens ships and others unto the Coast of Spain to set upon their ships in the Have●s and to intercept their Munition Drake entring into the Port of Cales sunck took and fired about an hundred ships wherein was great store of Munition and Victualls Then returning to the Cape of St. Vincent he set up three Forts and compelled them to yeild Thence setting sayl towards the Western Islands called Azores under the great Meridian by great good fortune he happened upon an huge and wealthy Carack called St. Philip returning from the East-Indies and easily vanquished it Wherupon the Mariners on both sides from the name of Philp portended no good luck to Philip King of Spain At the same time Thomas Cavendish of Suffolke in the other part of the World who two years before had set sayl from England with three ships passing thorough the Straights of Magellan in the Coast of Chily Peru and Nu●va Hispania fired a great number of Spanish Towns took and pillaged ninteen great ships and amongst them a wealthy ship of the Kings nigh unto Caliphornia in North America and so by the Philippine Isles the Mol●cce the Cape de Bone Esperance and the Island of St. Helene returned home the next year being the third after Magellan that sayled about the World As Drake and Cavendish at this time gained great fame and renown● so two other men in the Netherlands Stanley and Yorke purchased as great infamy and disgr●ce This Yorke was a Londoner a bold fellow and of loose behaviour famous for bringing first into England the manner of turning the point upon the Adversary in single Combats whereas the English till this time were wont to be armed with Bucklers and swords and to strike with edge and it was held no manhood to turn the point or strike below the girdle He suffering some affront from the Earl of Leicester fled away and for a time served under the Spaniards in the Netherlands till at length being reconciled to Leicester he was sent over the Fort near Zutphen but being bribed he not only yeilded up the place to the Enemy but drew to the like villany one Stanley who with great valour had served in an Irish expedition to yeild up Daventry to the Spaniards a wealthy and well Fortified Town But what got they by their treachery The Spaniards set Yorke and Stanley at variance they poison Yorke and seize upon his goods his carkasse was three years after digged up by the States commandment and hanged upon a Gibbet till it rotted away● Stanley went into Spain where there was no credit given to him for the Spaniards have a saying It is lawfull to give honor to a Traytor sometimes but never to trust him These late treacheries wrought the Earl of Leicester much envy with the Confederate Netherlands because the Traytors were very intimate with him whereupon the States in large letters to the Queen accuse Le●cester for his ill managing of the Weal-Publick in the matter of money Merchandize and Military affairs and to his credulity They impute the harm which accrewed by Yorke and Stanley The Queen for the narrow sifting of the matter and composing it sent thither Thomas Sackvile Lord Buckehurst lately taken i●to her Privie Councell in Leicesters absence Norris and Bartholmew Clerke B●t when as the officious diligence of Buckhurst seemed to trench upon Leicesters re●utation his grace with the Queen proved so forcible that Buckhurst at his return was for certain moneths confined to his house Afterward Sluce being beleaguered by the Prince of Parma Leicester was by the
longer served her it was evident by the lifting up of her hands and eyes that her thoughts were fixed upon him And so on the four and twentieth day of March being the last day of the yeer 160● she yeelded up her soul to God when she had lived threescore and nine yeers six months and seventeen dayes Raigned four and forty yeers four months and seven dayes Her Body was embalmed wrapped in Lead and brought to White-hall from whence on the eight and twentieth of April following in great solemnity it was carried into the Collegiate Church of S. Peters at Westminster and there interred in the Vault of her Grand-father K. Henry the seventh in his magnificent Chappell where our renowned Soveraign K. Iames hath built her a Princely Monument inscribed with Epitaphs to her eternall glory At her Funerall were said to be Mourners in black to the number of on● thousand and six hundred persons MEN of NOTE in her time THe Ocean is not more boundlesse then the number of men of note in her time but though all of them cannot be reckoned yet some of them must not be omitted And to begin with Sates-men An exquisite States-man for his own ends was Robert Earl of Lèicester and for his Countries good Sir William Cecill Lord B●rleigh as also Sir Francis Walsingham that great underminer of Conspirators Famous Sea-men were the Earl of Cumberland the Lord Thomas Howard afterward Earl of Suffolk and of meaner Rank Sir Iohn Hawkins Sir Martin Forbys●er Sir Walter Raleigh Cavendish Preston Ryman and to name the worthiest last Sir Francis Drake who though he were but a short square bodied man yet his great Acts have made the Spaniards believe that he was some goodly Personage Great Commanders by Land were Robert Earl of Essex the Lord Willoughby the Lord Grey of Wilton Sir Francis Vere Sir Roger Williams Baskervile Savage and the Honour of his Family and our English Nation Sir Iohn Norris Learned Gentlemen and Writers were Sir Thomas Chaloner employed by Queen Elizabeth as her Ligier in Spain who wrote five books of the restoring of the English Common-wealth in elegant Verses while as he said he lived in a Stove in Winter and in a Barn in Summer Roger Askam born in York-shire notably skilfull in the Greek and Latin Tongues who had sometime been School-master to Queen Elizabeth and her Secretary for the Latin Tongue but taking too great delight in Gaming and Cock-fighting he both lived and died in mean estate yet left behinde him sundry Monuments of Wit and Industry Sir Thomas Smith born at Saffron Walden in Essex sometime Secretary to K. Edward the 6 who wrote an imperfect Work of the English Common-wealth a singular Book of the Orthography of the English Tongue and another of the Pronunciation of the Greek the first man that set on foot the Law for serving the Colledges with Provision Sir Henry Savill Provost of Eaton and Reader to Queen Elizabeth who set forth all S. Chrysostomes works in Greek and by translating of Cornelius Tacitus deserved as much of the English Tongue as he of the Latin But above all the admirable sir Philip Sidney who by writing in a light Argument shewed how excellently and beyond all comparison he could have done in a grave Learned Divines were Iohn Iewell born in Devon-shire a Student in Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford in Queen Maries time an Exile by Queen Elizabeth made Bishop of Salisbury who wrote an Apologie for the Protestant Doctrine and died at scarce fifty yeers of age in the fourteenth yeer of Queen Elizabeth Iohn Whitaker Master of S. Iohns Colledge in Cambridge who learnedly answered all the books of Bellarmine Bilson Bishop of Winchester sometimes Fellow of New Colledge in Oxford who amongst his other learned Works hath written notably of Christs descent into hell Richard Hooker Preacher at the Temple who with too much meeknesse smoothered his great Learning yet hath something discovered it in his five Books of Ecclesiasticall Discipline and died in the yeer 1599. Alexander Nowel Dean of Pauls who forbearing deeper Works set forth a Catechism according to the Doctrine of the English Church and died in the yeer 1602. After such men it might be thought ridiculous to speak so Stage Players but seeing excellency in the meanest things deserves remembring and Boscius the Comedian is recorded in History with such commendation it may be allowed us to do the like with some of our Nation Richard Bourbidge and Edward Allen two such Actors as no age must ever look to see the like and to make their Comedies compleat Richard Tarleton who for the Part called the Clowns Part never had his match never will have For Writers of Playes and such as had been Players themselves William Shakespeare and Benjamin Iohnson have specially left their Names recommended to posterity THE RAIGNE OF King Iames. IAMES the fourth King of Scotland marryed Margaret eldest daughter of Henry the 7 K. of England by whom he had Iames the 5 who had one only child Mary Q. of Scots who had one only son Iames the 6 who from Iames the fourth had undoubted right to the Kingdome of Scotland● and from Margaret King Henry the 7 eldest daughter the male line being cleane extinct unquestionable title to the Crown of England whereupon Q. Eliz. being dead about 10 a clock in the morning K. Iames the 6 K. of Scotland was the very same day M. Secretary Cecill himself reading his Title and Q. Eliz. Will proclaimed K. of Eng. Scot. and Ireland by sound of Trumpet first at White-Hall and then in Cheapside in presence of all the Lords and the Counsell and other of the Nobility with a generall acclamation of all sorts of people that we may truly say sorrow was never more deceived than at this time for where upon the death of Q. Eliz. It was expected there would be nothing for a long time but sorrowing and lamenting Now that very sorrow was swallowed up of joy her death bringing with it no other alteration but only of sex in all other points in a manner the same the like wisdome the like learning the like Iustice the like religiousnesse in them both only bettered in this that we changed a Q. of 70 years old whom we could not look to keepe long for a K. of 36 whom we might well hope to enjoy many years Q. Eliz. was not sooner dead● but Sir Robert Cary a younger son of the Late L. Hunsdon posted away unsent to K. Ia●es in Scotland informing him of the accident● for bringing which news the K. afterwards rewarded him with making him a Ba●on of the Realm and L. of Leppington But though it were sufficient for the K. information that he heard the news by Sir Robert Carye yet it was not sufficient for the Lords of the Counsell in discharge of their duty if he heard it not from them and therefore within a very few dayes as soon as they could provide fit men they sent
first Sir Charles Percy and Mr. Thomas Somerset and after them Sir Thomas Lake Clerk of the Signet a man well acquainted with the State of the Kingdome both to acquaint him with the generall applause of all the Realme to receive him for their Soveraigne and also informe him in what termes the State of the Kingdom stood that so he might not come altogether a stranger when he came into it Q. Elizabeth indeed had left him not only a Kingdom but a Kingdom without incombrance No wars abroad no sedition at home and not only so but a kingdom furnished with all the fruits of Peace plenty of all things necessary and of all necessary things the chiefest a wise Cousell for the left Sir Thomas Egerton L. Chanselor Thomas L. Buckhurst L. Treasurer Charles E. of Nottingham L. Admiral Sir Rob. Cecill principall Secretary Foure such men that the meanest of them were sufficient to sit at the Helme of any Kingdom Yet to these and 〈◊〉 other besides all wh●● the K. now by his letters authorizeth to exerc●●●●●eir severall places ●s formerly they had done he addeth certaine new ones of his own choosing as namely the E. of Northumberland and Cumberland● the L. Th● Howard and then after the L. Henry Howard the one the brother the other the son of the late D. of Nor●olk who had suffered so much that at last he suffered for the Q. his mother But although the calling of these two last to such place was done no doubt out of ●avour to that house yet one of them being known the other doubted to be a Papist it was presently apprehended as a fa●vour to that sid● and the Catholicks were not a little confident of his good inclination to them all in generall And it was indeed but necessary they should at this time have such a conceit for in the late Q. sicknes a little before her death Pope Clement the 8 had written two Brieves to the Catholicks in England to admit of none to succeed in the Kingdom when that miserable woman should happen to dye so he pl●ased to s●il● the most glorious Q. that ever lived but such a one of whose good inclination to the See of Rome they should at least be well perswaded And now K. Iames having setled the Government of his Kingdom of Scotland and made convenient preparation for his journey on the 5 of Aprill 1603 he set forward and rode that day from Edinburgh to Dunglasse and from then●● the next day to ●●rwick who having stayed two days● the 8 of Aprill he r●de to With●rington● a house of Sir Robert Caries from thence the 9 to Newcastle wh●re he stayed Sunday and heard the Bish. of Durham preach and so joyfull w●re the Townsmen of his being there that all the time of his stay they bore the charg● o● his houshold The 13 of Aprill he set forward to Durham and from thence the 14 to Walt●orth the 15 towards York where his traine encreased to such a multitude that he was faine to publish an inhibition of the peoples resort and flocking to him At York it was a question to whom it belonged to beare the sword before the K● in that place for both the E. of Cumberland claimed it as her●ditary to his House and the President of the North claimed it as belonging to his place but it was adjudged to George E. of Cumberland who accordingly did it●●rom York the 18 day the K. r●de to Grimston to a house of Sir Edw. Stanhopes the 19 to P●●f●● and so to Duncaster where he lodged at the signe of the Beare and Sun● The 20● of Aprill●e ●e rode towards Worsuppc a house of the E. of Shrews●●ri●s from thence the 21 to Ne●●rk upon Trent where a Cutpurse being taken in the fact was by the K. warrant hāged a most unseasonable delinqēnt who would force the K. to commit Iustice at a time when hee intended nothing but mercy the as to Beaver Castle a house of the E. of Rutlands hunting all the way as he rode From Beaver the 23 to Burleigh who having stayd 2 or 3 days the 27 he removed to Hitchinbr●●k a house of Sir Oliver Cromwels where the heads of the Vniversity of Cambridge met him● From thence he rode towards Royston and as he passed thorough Godmanchester a Town close by Huntington the Bayliffes of Town presented him with 70 Teeme of horse all traced to faire new Ploughs● at which the K. wondring they said it was their ancient custome so to do when any K. of England passed thorough their Town and by which as being the K. tenants they held their Land At Royston he lodged that night at M. Chesters house at his own charge which he had not done before since his comming into Eng. The ●0 of Aprill he rode to Stand●● a house of S. Thomas Sadlers where he stayd Sunday and heard the Bish. of London preach The 2 of May he removed to Brosbourne a house of S● Henry Cocks cofferer to the late Q. and now to the K. where ●●t him the L. Keeper the L● Treasurer the L. Admirall divers other Lords The 3 of May he came to Theobalds a house of Sir Robert Cecils when all the Lords of th● late Queenes most honorable Privy Counsell presented themselves and th●r● the Lord Keeper made a grave Oration At this house the fourth of 〈◊〉 the King made diverse Noblemen of Scotland of his Privy Counsell here in England namely the Duke of L●n●x the Earle of Marre the Lord 〈◊〉 Sir ●●●rg● 〈◊〉 Treasurer of Scotland S. Iames Elphingston his Secretary and the Lord of Kinlosse made afterward Mr. of the Rolles Saterday the se●●●th of May he rode towards London where by the way the Sheriffe Swyn●er●●● and the Aldermen met him and by their Oratour Mr. Richard Martin made him an eloquent Oration and then he rode on to the Charter-house nee●e Smithfield a house belonging to the Lord Thomas Howard where he stayed foure dayes and at his departing from thence made the Lord Zouche● and the Lord Burgley of his privie Counsell But wee must here omit that from the Kings first setting forth of Scotland● as hee was in all places received with most Royall entertainment and rich presents so he againe carryed himselfe most affable and distributed his favours in most plentious manner in some places discharging all prisoners but such as lay for Treason or murther but specially in conferring the order of Knighthood of which sort the first he made was Mr. Iohn Peyton son to Sir Iohn Peyton Leiutenant of the Tower After him divers Scots in sundry places at Theobalds eight and twenty of which number the compiler of this worke though the unworthiest was one at Charter-house above fourescore and not many dayes after no fewer than at least a hundred and before the yeare went about God knowes how many hundreds that one would wonder what the King would doe with so many Milites having no warre to●ard But it wa●
by Coach to the King at Hampton Court where foureteen dayes together they were feasted and royally entertained and then returned But these Festivalls were follwed with a little disturbance for in May the yeare after great Assemblies were gathered together in Northampton-shire Warwickshire and Leicester-shire throwing downe Inclosures at first without any particular head but at last rose up a base fellow called Iohn Reynolds whom they named Captaine Pouch because he had a great leather Pouch hanging by his side who affirmed to the Company that in that Pouch he had sufficient to defend them against all cummers but when hee was afterward apprehended and his Pouch searched there was nothing found in it but a piece of green Cheese Proclamation was made commanding them to surcease their disorder But this prevailed nothing till the King sent Henrie Earle of Huntington Thomas Earle of Exceter Edward Lord Zouch and Sir Edward Co●ke Lord Chiefe Iustice of England to suppresse them by force of Armes and to punish the Levellers according to the nature of their offences some by Death as for Treason some by Fines as for Routs but Captaine Pouch was made exampler On Friday the twelfth of Iune his Majesty attended with divers Lords dyned with the Lord Major Sir Iohn Wats who after dinner presented him with a purse full of Gold and humbly besought his Majestie that he would be pleased to bee free of his Company the Cloath-workers To which the KING graciously condiscended and thereupon called to Sir William Stone Master of the Company and said Stone give me thy hand and now I am a Cloath-worker And in token of my speciall favour to this fraternity I doe here give to this Company a brace of Bucks yearely for ever against the time of the Election of the Master and Wardens at which time also many Lords and Gentlemen were made Free of the Cloath-workers On Thursday the 16. of Iuly the King and Prince with many Lords dined at Merchant T●l●rs-Hall where the Master and Warden of that Society presented the King with a Purse of Gold giving him humble thankes for gracing their Fraternity with his ●oyall presence● and therewithall shewed him a Roll wherein were Registred the names of seven Kings one Queene 17 Princes and Dukes two Dutchesses one Archbishop one and thirty Eearles threescore and six Barons seven Abbots seven Pryors with a great number of Knights and Esquires who had been free of that Company which His Majesty graciously accepted but told them that he himselfe was already free of another Company but the Prince his son should be free of theirs and that he would see the Garland put on his head whereupon the Master presented the Prince also with a purse of Gold which he graciously accepted and said that not only Himselfe would bee free of the Merchant Tailors● but the Lords also that were with him should do the like all which was performed with great solemnity The fourth of Iuly this yeare Sir Thomas ●nevet was called by Writ to the Parliament by the name of Baron of Estrick the next day Sir Iulius Caesar Chancelor of the Exchecker was sworne a Privy Counsellor and the sixteenth of November fallowing Sir ●ervis Clyfton Knight was called to the Parliament by Writ by the name and title of Baron of Layton Brameswold whose only daughter and heire was soon after married to Eysme Steward Baron of Aubigny in France sole brother of the Duke of L●nox whom he afterward succeeded in that Dignity About this time Hugh Earle of Tervon most ungratefully and utterly forgetfull of the Kings great clemency to him together with Te●rconell Hugh Baron of Dungaunon and divers other Irish Lords fled into the parts beyond Sea with a purpose to solicite forreign Princes against the King and to offer the Kingdom of Ireland to the Pope which was presently signified to the Realm by Proclamation On the Eleventh of Aprill this year George Iervis a Seminary Priest and the three and twentieth of Iune● following Thomas G●rnet a Iesuit were both executed at Tybourn Thom●● Garnet having the favour offered him to be pardoned if he would but take the Oath of Allegeance which he refused The nineteenth of Aprill at Whitehall died Thomas Earle of Dorset Lord Treasurer whose death because he dyed suddenly as he sate at the Counsell-Table was by some untowardly interpreted but being dead and his head opened there were found in it certain little bags of water which whither by the strayning of his study the night before in which he sate up till eleven a clock or otherwise by their own maturity suddenly breaking and falling upon his braine caused his suddain death So certain it is that death comes not always by determinate steps but sometimes per saltum and we all cary about us the causes of suddain death though unsensible of them till we be unsensible This Lord was of excellent parts and in his place exceeding Industrious and I have heard many Checker men say there never was a better Treasurer both for the Kings profit and the good of the subject The twentith of May at Windsor were made two Knights of the Ga●ter George Earle of Dun●arre and Philip Earle of Mo●●g●mery but the Earle of Dunbarra within a yeare or two after left both his honor and his life but not his life without honour having been a faithfull servant and a wise Counsellor to the King and was honorably Interred in the Church at Westminster About this time were many famous English Pirates that stuck not some of them to turne Turks and lived in great state at Tunis of whom the chiefe were W●rd Bishop Sir Francis Verney and Gl●●●●le whom after many depredations and outragious acts at Sea partly the King of Spaine suppressed and partly the King of Eng. and 19 of their associ●tes being taken were hanged a● Wapping Also at this time in the Strand on the North side of Durham house where ●●ood an old long stable Robert Earle of Salisbury now Lord Treasurer of Eng●●●d caused to be erected a stately Building which upon Tuesday the tenth of Aprill in the yeare 1609 was begun to be richly furnished with wares and the next day after the King the Queene and Prince with many great Lords and Ladies came to see it and then the King gave it the name of Britteines ●urse On the eight of May this year the King by Proclamation prohibited all forreine Nations that after August they should not fish upon any of the Coasts of England Scotland or Ireland nor the Isles adjacent without the speciall Licence from the Commissioners in that behalfe Ordained At this time the making of Allum which heretofore with great charges had been fetched from forreigne parts was by diverse that laboured in it and now lastly by Sir Iohn Burchier brought to perfection in England and therupon the King prohibited upon paine of confiscation any Allum to be brought from beyond the Seas and took the whole traffick therof to himself And now the
persons but afterward all sorts of men without any difference were admitted that it came almost to bee doubted whether the Dignity of the Order did more grace the persons or the meanesse of the persons disgrace the Order and indeed when the Lawes of an Institution are not in some measure observed it seemes to make a kind of nullity in the collation About this time on Sunday the ●4 of October an exemplar pennance was imposed upon Sir Peck●all Br●●kas Knight which was to stand at Pauls Crosse in a white sheet holding a stick in his hand having been formerly convicted before the high Commissioners for many notorious Adulteries with divers women This yeare 1614. in the month of Iuly Christianus King of Denmark out of his love to his sister and King Iames came the second time into England but as being now secure of himselfe privately and with a small company so as he came to the Queen at Somerset house unexpected and before any knowledge was had of his comming but K. Iames being then in progresse in Bedford-shire and hearing of it came presently back and after he had entertained him here with Hunting Hawking running at Ring Bear-baiting Plays Fire-works● and Fencing on the first of August Prince Charles brought him aboard his Ship who then took his leave and returned home In Octob. this yeare was a call of Sarjeants at Law being 11. in number namely George Wild Wil Towes Rich● Bawtrie Henry Finch Th●● Chamberlain Francis Mo●r● Thomas Attow Iohn Mo●re Francis Harvie Charles Chibbourn and Tho. Richardson and in Trenity Terme before there had two other been called namely Sir Randal Cre● of Lincol●s Inne and Sir Robert Hitcham of Grayes Inne Knights About this time an Embassador came from the young Emperour of Russia to King Iames desiring his continuall love and amity and to be a means of making attoneme●● between him and the K. of Swethland and withall presented him with a rich present of Furs which was no smal honour to the K. of great Britain to have so great a Potentate as the Emperor of Russia a solicit him to be his mediator Though King Iames out of all naturall goodnesse was addicted to peace yet out of providence he neglected not to be prepared for war and thereupon in the yeare 1610. had granted priviledges to a society called of the Millitarie Garden and this year 1614 caused a Muster of men to be presented before him which was performed to his great liking and to the great commendation of the City About this time a memorable Act was performed by M. Hug. Middleton Citizen and Gold-smith of London and borne in Den●igh-shire who having an Act of Parliament for his Warrant with infinite cost and indefatigable labour brought water to the City of London from the two great springs of Chadwell and Amwell in Hartfort-shire having cut a Channell from thence to a place neere Islington whither he conveyed it to a large Pan and from thence in pipes of young Elmes to all places of the City for as the Poeth saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nothing is so commodious for the life of man as water Another memorable Act was about this time done on the North side on Lon. called Moore-fields which being before invironed with deep stinking ditches and noysome common showers was now not only made faire sweet but so levelled into walkes and let with trees that it is the pleasantest place of all the City The next yeare being 1615 another memorable Act for the benefit and beauty of the City of London was performed for Smith-field which was before a rude dirty place was now paved all over and strong railes sequestring the middle part of it were set up to make it a faire walking place and fit for Market or any other use The Lady Arbella a neare kinsewoman of the Kings had sometime before without the Kings privity secretly married Master William Seymour younger son of the Earle of Hartford now Earle of Hartford himselfe for which they were both committed to the Tower and now this yeare on the seven and twentieth day of Sep. she ended her lif there and was buried in the Chappell Royall at Westminster This yeare also in Iuly were Enstalled Knights of the Garter Francis Earle of Rutland Sir George Villers Master of the Horse and Sir Robert Sidney Viscount Lis●● and in another kind of Honour the Earle of Arundell the Lord Carews and Doctor Andrews Bishop of Ely were sworne Privie Counsellours Wales by the death of Prince Henry had been a good while without a Prince and now to supply that place Prince Charles is Created Prince of Wales In Ioy whereof the Town of Ludlow in Shropshire and the City of London performed great Triumphs and the more to honour his Creation There were made five and twenty Knights of the Bathe all them Lords or Barons sons and yet more to honour it there were forty selected Gentlemen of the Innes of Court that performed a solemne Iusts at Barries with great magnificence This yeare was a Censure of divers great Delinquents for first Sir Edward Cook● was upon displeasure discharged from being Lord Chiefe Justice of the Kings Bench and two dayes after his discharge Sir Henry Montag●e the Kings Sergeant at Law was placed in his room Next to him the Lord Egerton whyther disabled by sicknesse or age to exercise the place or upon displeasure also had the Sele taken from him which was delivered to Sir Francis Bacon the King's Attourney he made first Lord Keeper and the Lord Egerton dying soon after Lord Chancellour Not long after him Sir Henry Yelverton the Kings Attourney for adding new priviledges to the Londo●ers Charter without the Kings privity was in displeasure put from his place and in his room was placed Sir Thomas Coventry the Kings Sollicitor But awhile after Sir Henry ●elverton was made a puny Iudge of the Common Pleas having indeed the reputation of an excellent Lawyer And yet this work of Censuring stayed not here for much about this time Thomas Earle of Suffolk Lord Treasurer of England had the staffe of his Office taken from him which was soon after delivered to Sir Henry Montag●● Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Kings Be●ch If Sir Iohn Benet Iudge of the Prerogative Court had made a little more haste he mihght have made one in this number of Delinquents but he came short three or foure yeares and then being charged by his own servant with brybery he was put from his place and censured in the Starre-Chamber to pay twenty thousand pounds and in his roome was placed Sir William Byrde a man of more integrity Though King Iames upon the death of Queene Elizabeth came to reside in England yet ●e forgot not that Scotland was his native Countrey and therefore after he had spent some yeares in England to acquaint himselfe with the State of the Kingdome In March this yeare one thousand six hundred and sixteent● he made a Iourney into Scotland for though
he had left very able men to sit at the Helme there in his absence yet he knew that as it is the Masters Eye that makes the Horse fat So it is the Prince's presence sometimes that keeps out many distempers in a State that would otherwise creep in● and now when in his staying six Months there he had seen all things well setled both in the Ecclesiasticall State and in the Temporall and made it appeare that he resided not in England out of any neglect of Scotland but to the end he migt be in the place of most conveniency to both Kingdoms on the fifteenth of September he returned to London not more to the griefe of the Scots to leave him than to the joy of the English to receive him so much was King Iames as a just and wise Prince beloved of both the Nations Now comes to be related a matter of speciall observation Sir Walter R●wlegh had lived a condemned man many yeares in the Tower and now his Destiny brought him to his end by liberty which it could not do by imprisonment for out of a longing for liberty he propounded a project to the King upon which as he was a well spoken man and of a great capacity he set such coulours of probability especially guilding it over with the Gold he would fetch from a Mine in Guyana and that without any wrong at all to the King of Spa●ne if he might be allowed to go the Iourney that the King if he gave not credit that he could performe it at least gave way that he should undertake it and thereupon with diverse ships accompanied with many Knights and Gentlemen of quality he set forward on the Voyage but when after long search or shew of search no such place of Treasure or no such treasure could be found whether it were that he thought it a shame to returne home with doing nothing or that his Malus Genius thrust him upon the Designe He fell upon Saint Th●m● a Towne belonging to the King of Spaine sacked it pillaged it and burnt it and here was the first part of his Tragicall Voyage acted in the death of his eldest son the last part was Acted in his own death at his returne For Gundomore the Spanish Lieger did so aggravate this fact of his to the King against him that it seemed nothing would give satisfaction but Rawlegh's head without which he doubted there would follow a breach of the League between the two Nations Rawlegh excused it by saying that he was urged to it by the Spaniards first assaulting of him and besides that he could not come at the Myne without winning this Town but Gundomor was too strong an Adversary for him and the King preferring the publique Peace before the life of one man already condamned gave way to have the Sentence of his former Condemnation executed upon him and thereupon brought to the Kings Bench Ba●●e he was not newly Arraigned or Indicted as being already M●rtuus in Lege but only hath the former Sentence averred against him and so carryed to the Gate-house and from thence the next morning to the Parliament Yard a Scaffold was there erected upon which after fourteen yeares reprivall his head was cut off at which time such abundance of bloud issued from his v●i●es that shewed he had stock of Nature enough left to have conti●ued him many yeares in life ●hough now above threescore yeares old if it had not been taken away by the hand of Violence And this was the end of the great Sir Walter Rawlegh great sometimes in the ●●vour of Queene Elizabeth and next to Drake the great scourge and hate of the Spaniard who had many things to be commended in his life but none more than his constancy at his death which he tooke with so undaunted a resolution that he might perceive he had a certaine expectation of a better life afte● it so farre he was from holding those Atheisticall opinions an aspersion whereof some traducing persons had cast upon him About this time King Iames made a progresse to the Vniversity of Cambridge who delighted with the Disputations and other scholasticall exercises he stayed three whole dayes and could have been content to have stayed as many yeares for next being a King he was made to be a Scholler In the yeare 1619. being the seventeenth yeere of King Iames his Raigne that knot of love which above twenty yeares had beene tyed betweene him and his Queene was by death dissolved for on Tuesday this yeere the second of March Queen Anne dyed at Hampton Court whose Corps was brought to Denmark house and from thence conveighed to Westminster wherein the Royall Chappell with great solemnity it was interred a Princesse very memorable for her vertue and not a little for her Fortune who besides being a Queene was so happy as to be Mother of such admired children as she brought into the World But the dissolving of this knot cast the King into an extreame sicknesse and after some recovery into a Relaps from which notwithstanding it pleased God to deliver him as having yet some great worke to doe This yeare on Munday the third of May one Mr. Williams a Barrister of the Middle Temple was arraigned at the Kings Bench for civilling and for writing Bookes against the King and upon Wednesday following was hanged and quartered at Charing Crosse. But an action of another nature was performed this yeare the seventeenth of Iuly not unworthy the relating which was this that one Bernard Calvert of Andover rode from St. Georges Church in Southwarke to Dover from thence passed by Barge to Calice in France and from thence returned back to Saint Georges Church the same day setting out about three a clock in the morning and returned about eight a clock in the Evening fresh and lusti● In the yeare 1621. a Parliament was holden at Westminster wherein two great examples of Iustice were shewed which for future terrour are not unfit to bee here related One upon Sir Gyles Montpesson a Gentleman otherwayes of good parts but for practising sundry abuses in erecting and setting up new Innes and Alehouses and e●acting great summes of money of people by pretence of Letters Patents granted to him for that purpose was sentenced to bee degraded and disabled to beare any office in the Common-wealth though he avoyded the execution by flying the Land but upon Sir Erancis Michell a Iustice of Peace of Middlesex and one of his chiefe Agents the sentence of Degradation was executed and he made to ride with his face to the horse tayle thorough the City of London The other example was of Sir Francis Bacon Viscount St. Albans Lord Chancelour of England who for bribery was put from his place and committed to the Tower but after some few dayes enlarged in whose place Doctor Williams Deane of Westminster was made Lord Keeper The Count Palatine being now strengthned with the allyance of the King of Great Brittaine was thought a fit
destined to his bed and for this purpose the Earle of Carlile and the Earle of Holland were sent into France to treat of a marriage with a younger daughter of the Great Henrie the fourth King of France deceased and sister to the present King Lewis which marriage afterward took effect but was not accomplished in King Iames his dayes who dyed soon after the agreement It was now the yeare 1623. in which in Michaelmas Terme there was a Call of fifteene Sarjeants at Law who kept their Feast in the Middle-Temple Hall Some Passages of small moment I confesse are omitted by me in this Raigne of King Iames as whereof for want of knowing the particulars I dare not venture upon making the Relation which if some men would have done the truth of our Chronicles should not have been mingled with so many falsities Of his TAXATIONS IN his second yeare in the moneth of September he sent Privie Seales to the wealthiest Citizens of London for monies to bee borrowed of them and in October following the customes of Merchandises both outward and inward were raised and then were letten out to Farme In a Parliament holden at Westminster the third yeare of his Reigne there were given him three entire Subsidies and six fifteens by the Temporalty and by the Clergie foure entire Subsidies This yeare also Henry Lord Mordant convicted in the Star-Chamber for divers misprisions was fined to pay ten thousand Marks and Edward Lord Sturt●n for the like offence to pay six thousand Marks and Henry Earle of Northumberland for offences laid to his charge to pay thirty thousand pounds and some yeares after Sir Iohn Bennet Iudge of the Prerogative Court was fined to pay twenty thousand pounds In his fourth yeare he repayed threescore thousand pounds to the Citizens of London which the Londoners had lent to Queen Elizabeth three yeares before her death an act by which he got more love than hee payed money In his seventh yeare hee had ayd througho●t England for making his eldest Son Prince Henrie Knight which though levied with great moderation brought him in great summes of money In his eighteenth yea●e in a Parliament holden at Westminster the Temporalty gave him two Subsidies and the Clergie three and in another Parliament in the yeare 1623. the Temporalty gave him three subsidies and three fifteens the Clergy foure Subsidies Besides these Subsidies hee sent abro●d many great Privie Seales and had also a benevolence throughout the Realme not without some grudging but without any just cause for it should have been remembred that he took it not out of covetousnesse to gather wealth but out of very necessity to supply wants For by his imploying many Embassadours in Ordinary many Extraordinarie by his necessarie bounty to his followers and by his charge of keeping severall Courts none of all which hee could avoyd His expences were farre greater than any of his Predecessors had ever beene Of his Lawes and Ordinances THE day of his removing from Charter-house at his first comming into England he caused Proclamation to be made that all Monopolies and Protections should cease as likewise all oppressions done by Salt-Peeter men by Purveiers and Carters On the 26. of May following hee set forth a Proclamation restraining all persons under great penalties from killing of Deere or any kind of Fowle used for Hawking The seventeenth of May Proclamation was made against Robberies on the borders and on the nineteenth of May another for ●niting the people inhabiting about the borders of England and ●c●●land to live in love ●nd qui●tnesse In this first yeare in a Parliament ●hen holden● it was Enacted that neither Arch-bishop nor Bishop should Alienate Grant or Demise or in any sort convey no not to the King himselfe ●●y of the Honours Lands Tenements or Hereditaments being parcell of the possessions of his Arch-bi●●op or Bishoprick and if any were it should be utterly voyd and of no effect notwithstanding any former Law Act or Ordinance to the contrarie He then also caused himself by Proclamation to be Enstyled King of Great Britaine that the division of England and Scotland might be no more remembred In his second yeare by his Letters Patents he incorporated the Fel●-makers of London by the name of Master Wardens and Communalty of the Art or Mysterie of the Felt-makers granting them divers privileges and liberties for their good government of their Corporation In Novem. of his second yeare were Proclaimed in London certaine new pieces of coyne both of gold and silver with the true valuation and weights of them according to the Mint of both Nations English and Scottish In a Parliamen● holden the 3. year of his Reigne the Oath of Allegiance was devised and ordained and soon after min●●tred to all sorts of people This yeere also hee m●de Proclamation to redresse the misimployment of L●●ds or goods given to 〈◊〉 uses Also this yeare he set forth a Proclamation for beari●g of 〈◊〉 in S●ips to be in this manner that from thenceforth all the Subjects of gre●● ●ritt●●●● should bea●e in their mayne top the Red-Crosse co●monly called the 〈◊〉 Ge●●ges Cr●sse and the 〈◊〉 Crosse commonly call●d St. Andre●●● Cr●sse joyn●d toge●her and the Subjects of South-Brit●●●●● should ca●●y in their Foretop only the Red-●ro●se as they were wont and 〈◊〉 ●ubjects of North-Bri●●●ine only the White-Cro●se In this ●ourth yeare on the 〈…〉 he set ●orth a Proclamation commanding all Iesui●s Semin●ry 〈…〉 to depa●● the Realme before the first of August following and 〈…〉 returne upon pa●ne of death according to diverse Statutes in that 〈◊〉 ●rovided In his second yeare he had set forth a Proclamation against 〈…〉 increase of new buildings which being little regarded Now in his four●● y●●re he renewed the said Proclamation● adding withall that the 〈◊〉 and windowes of all new buildings should be either of Brick o● stone● 〈◊〉 ●●sobeying whereof many were called in the Star-chamber and there fined● 〈…〉 yeare he gave order for planting of Mulberry Trees and breeding of 〈◊〉 wormes that England might be a Country as well of silke as Cloath In his ●●venth yeare he instituted the Order of the Baronets which hath much dege●●●ated ●ince his institution and thereby having been devised for the benefit of 〈◊〉 hath caused but little contentment unto England This yeare also the ●ing himselfe in person came to the Star-chamber where he had appointed the 〈◊〉 men to meet● and there for the better keeping of Coynes of Gold within 〈◊〉 Realme● he raised the prizes of them ordayning the price called the Vnity which went before but for twenty shillings to bee cur●ant now for tw● and twen●y the double Crowne and all other peeces to encrease in the l●ke proportion in his fifteenth year he granted to the Apothecaries of London to be a Corporation for themselves and their successours for ever and by Letters Pa●en●s made them a Body Politick and corporate In his time by his appointment ● strict decree passed in the Star-chamber
Iames His Raigne there were so many made that it may not be unfit to set them down in a Cathalogue together In His first yeare were made foure Earles and nine Barons namely Henry Howard yonger brother of the last Duke of Norfolk was made Earle of Northampton Thomas Sackvile Lord Buckhurst was made Earle of Dorset and shortly after Charles Blount Lord Montjoy was made Earle of Devonshire and Thomas Howard Baron of Walden was made Earle of Suffolk Henry Grey was made Lord Grey of Groby afterward by King Charles made E. of Stamford Henry Danvers was made Baron of Dansley afterwards by K. Charles made Earle of Danby Sir Iohn Peter of Essex was made B. of Writtle Sir W. Russell was made Baron of Thornaugh Sir Thomas Gerard was made Baron of Gerards Bromly in Stafford-shire Sir Robert Spencer was made B. of Wormelayton in the County of Warwick Sir Thomas Egerton was made B. of Elesmore and Sir Robert Cecill was created B. of Henden in Rutlandshire and Sir Iohn Harington was made Baron of Ex●on In His second yeare on the 20 of May were made foure Barons and one Viscount Sir Robert Sidney was made Baron of Penshurst Sir William Knowles Baron of Grayes Sir Edw. Wotton Baron of Marley and Mildmay Fanc Lord de Spencer and in August the same yeare Sir Robert Cecill Baron of Essenden was created Viscount Cranbourne In His third yeare of the 4 of May were created three Earles and one Viscount and foure Barons namely Sir Robert Cecill Viscount Cranbourne was created E. of Salisbury● Sir Thomas Cecill his elder brother L. Burghley was created E. of Exeter and Sir Philip Herbert younger brother to the E. of Pembrok was created E. of Montgomery Robert Sidney Baron of Penshurst was created Viscount of Lisle Sir Iohn Stanhope was made Baron of Harington Sir George Carew Baron of Clopton Mr Thomas Arundell of Devonshire● Baron of Warder and Master William Cavendysh Baron of Hardrick● In his fourth yeare on the fourth of Iuly Sir Thomas Kneve●t was called by writ to the Parliament by the name of B●ron of Estrick● and was thereby Baron of that Title and on the seventh of September Sir Iervys Clifton was likewise called by writ to the Parliament by the name of Baron of Layton Bromsensold and was thereby Baron of that Title In his ninth yeare upon Easter-munday Sir Robert Carre was created Viscount Rochester and In his tenth yeare an the fourth of November was created Earle of Somersett In his eleventh yeare Lewis Steward Duke of Lenox was made Earle of Richmond and after Duke of Richmond In his thirteenth yeare on the 29. of Iu●e Sir Iames H●y of Scotland was created Baron of Sawley and about three yeares after was made Viscount Doncaster and Sir ●obert Dor●er was created Ba●on of Wyng afterward by K. Charles made Earle of Car●arvan In his fourteenth yeare on the 9. of Iuly Sir Iohn Hollis was created Baron of Haughton and Sir Iohn Roper of Ken●● was made Baron of Tenham and on the 17. of August Sir George Villiers was created Baron of Whadden and Viscount Villiers and on the 7. of November Thomas Egerton L. Elsemore was created Viscount Brackley and he dying soon after his sonne Iohn was created Earle of Bridgewater William L. Knowles was created Viscount Wallingford and Sir Philip Stanhope was created Baron of Shelford On the 5 of Ianuary the Viscount Villiers was created Earle of Buckingham and on the third of March Sir Edward Noell of Rutland-shire was made Baron of Rydlington In his fifteenth yeare on New-yeares day Sir George Villiers Earle of Buckingham was created Marquis of Buckingham and on the 12 of Iuly Sir Francis Bacon Lord Chancellour of England was created Baron of Verulam and not long after Viscount Saint Albans Also in the Summer of this year the King created foure Earles and one Countesse namely the Viscount Lisle was made Earle of Leycester the Lord Compton was made Earle of Northampton the Lord Rich was made Earle of Warwick the Lord Cavendish was made Earle of Devonshire and the lady Compton wife to Sir Thomas Compton and mother of the Marquis of Buckingham was created Countesse of Buckingham In his sixteenth yeare on the 25 of November Sir Iohn Digby Vice chamberlaine to the King was created Baron of Shirbourne by Patent to him and his heires Males In his seventeenth yeare in the moneth of Iune Esme steward Lord d' Aubigny younger brother Duke of Lenox was created Earle of March Iames Marquis Hammilton was created Earle of Cambridge and Sir Iohn Villiers brother to the Marquis of Buckingham was Baron of St●k and Viscount Purbeck In his eighteenth yeare William C●vendish was created Viscount Mansfield afterward by King Ch●rl●s m●de Earle of Ne●castle and on Munday the fourth of Dec●mber Sir Henry M●●tague being first made Lord Treasurer was created Baron of Kimbolton and Viscount M●●devile and not long after Earle of Manchester and Sir Iohn Ramsey Viscount Haddington of Scotland was created Earle of Holdernesse and William Fielding was created Baron of Newhen●●● and Viscount Fielding In his ninteenth yeare Henry Cary was made Lord Cary of L●ppington afterward by King Charles made Earle of Manmouth Sir Edward Mountague elder Brother to the Viscount M●●devile was made Baron of Boulton the Lord Darci● of Essex was created Viscount Colchester afterward by King Charles made Earle R●vers the Lord Hu●sdo● was created Viscount Rochford afterward by King Charles made Earle of D●ver Sir Lyonell Cranfield Master of the Wardes was created Baron of Cranfield in Bedford-shire and Sir Howard● second sonne to Thomas Earle of Suffolke● was created Baron Chorleton and Viscount Andover afterward by King Charles made Earle of Barke-shire In his twentyth yeare in the moneth of September the Viscount Doncaster was created Earle of Carlile the Viscount Fielding was created Earle of Denhigh the Lord Digby was made Earle of Bristow the Lord Cranfield was created Earle of Middlesex and Sir Henry Rich was made Baron of Kensington In his one and twentyth yeare the Marquis of Buckingham being then in Spaine with Prince Charles had his Patent sent him to be Duke of Buckingham William Grey was created Baron of Warke Elizabeth the widdow of Sir Moyle Fynch of Kent was created Viscountesse Maidestone afterward by K. Charles made Countesse of Winchelsly ●his two and twentieth year the Earle of Clanricard of Ireland was created Viscount Tunbridge in Kent afterward by King Charles made Earle of Saint Albans Sir Iohn Hollis Baron of Haughton was created Earle of Clare Sir 〈…〉 Ri●h Baron of Kensington was created Earle of Holland the Lord 〈…〉 Baron of Say and Seale was made Viscount Say and Seale Sir 〈…〉 ●ane was created Earle of Westmerland Oliver Lord St. Iohn of Blet●●● 〈◊〉 made Earle of Bullinbrook Sir Christopher Villers brother to the Duke of B●ckingham was made Earle of Anglesey and Sir Iames Ley was made 〈…〉 afterward by King Charles made Earle of Marlborough Also this year●● Sir Francis Leak was made Baron of Deincourt and Sir Richard Roberts was made Lord Roberts of Truro in Cornwall And this was the number of all the Earles and Barons made by King Iames● but in his time also began another sort of Nobility to bee made in England which had none of the Priviledges of English Barons but had onely Title to bee called Lords of some place either in Scotland or Ireland although they possessed not a foot of Land in either Of which ●o●t the number being great I forbeare to rehearse them lest I should be tedious or otherwise bee thought to encroach too much upon the Heralds office It is sufficient to have shewed that King Iames advanced so many in honour that in a kind it might be said of him as was said of Augustus Caesar That he left Rome of Marble which hee found built of Brick The beginning of THE RAIGNE OF KING Charles KING Iames being deceased on the 27 day of March in the forenoon the same day in the afternoone Charles Prince of Wales His only son then living was Proclaimed King of Great-Brittain France and Ireland with the Generall acclamation of all sorts of People as being a Prince of admirable endowments both of mind and body He was now about the age of 25 yeares whereof the most part of one he had spent in Spaine where although he was frustrated of the end for which he went yet it gave him a tincture of Travaile and Expe●ience more worth perhaps then the end he went for For by this meanes he attain●● to a greater degree of that which made Ulysses so famous Quod mores hominum multorum vidit urbes The first thing he did after his Coronation was to proceed in the marriage agreed upon in His Fathers time with the beautiful vertuous Lady Henrieta Maria yonger daughter of the Great Henry the 4● K. of France after which marriage we have only to say that he was happy in the Wife of His bosome Happy in His hopefull Issue Happy in the love of His people Happy in the Peace and tranquility of his Kingdomes● and Happy in the continu●nce of all these Happinesses for 15 years together and might have so continued still if it had not been for Discordia Demens Viperiu●s crinem vitti● innexa cruentis But of that which happened afterward I dare not take upon me to be a Register Neither is it indeed safe to begin a Narration which I must be faine to breake off in amaz●ment as having nothing left me to say but Omnia in malu●●●ere and so far from any apparance of humane remedy that our only Anchor must be this supersunt● Yet our hope is It will be but a fit and the storme once past faire weather again and fairer perhaps than it was before and then with Ioy we shall resume our stile Laetumque choro Poeana canemus In the meane time comforting our selves with the words of the Prophet David Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all Carolus en Rex magnus in armis major in ermis Quid mirum Imperio magnus amore magis FINIS
deceased Duke of Somerset and Cosen Germane to the King with a large Dowry and married them at St. Mary-Overys in Southwarke yet all this curtesie could not keep him afterward from being unfaithfull and unthankfull And now the Protector sent over to the Regent ten thousand wel furnished Souldiers with which fresh succour he wonne many Townes and places of strength which the French seeing and finding themselves too weak by plaine force to withstand the English they sought by subtilty to compasse their ends and first they worke upon the inconstancie of the Duke of Brittaine and his brother Arthur by King Henry the fifth created Earle of Yewry whom by gifts and promises they suborned perfidiously to deliver over into their possession the Castles of Crotoye and Yerney but the English before the French Garrisons were setled fell upon Crotoye and recovered it and that done the Regent besieged Yerney and by secret mining and violent Batteries so shooke the Walls that they agreed to yeild it up if not relieved by a certaine time whereupon the Duke of Ala●son with sixteene thousand French came to the rescue but perceiving the English to be prepared to receive them he wheeled about to Ver●oyle and swore to the Townsmen that hee had put the Regent to flight and rescued Yerney which they believing rendr●d up Vernoyle to him but the Regent followed him thither when by the encouragement of some fresh Companies of Scots come to his succour he came to a battell in the field where the English with the losse of two thousand one hundred common Souldiers and two of the Nobility the Lord Dudley and the Lord Charleton got the honor of the day and slew of their enemies five Earles two Viscounts twenty Barons and above seven thousand other of the French besides two thousand seven hundred Scots lately arrived and tooke Prisoners the Duke of Alanson himselfe the Lord of Her●ys and divers other French and Sir Iohn Tour●●ull and two hundred Gentlemen besides common Souldiers This battell was fought the eight and twentieth day of August in the yeare 14●4 and thereupon Vernoyle was presently redelivered After this the Earle of Salisbury with ten thousand men taketh in the strong Towne of M●●●ts the Towne of St. Susan the Fort S● Bernard and others from thence he went to A●jou where he performed such heroicke Acts that his very name grew terrible in all France as for instance the new High-Constable perfidious Richmond with forty thousand men layd Siege to the good Town of St. Iames in Benyo● the Garrison whereof consisted but of six hundred English who being driven to some extremity sallied forth crying Sa●nt George a Salisbury which word of Salisbury so frighted the French thinking hee had been come to rescue them that casting away their weapons they ran all away saving some few that yielded themselves prisoners leaving all their Tents fourteen Peeces of Ordnance forty Barrels of Powder three hundred Pipes of Wine much Armour and some treasure behinde them After which other Castles as that of Beam●●t of Vicount Tenney Gilly Osce Rusey Vasicke and many more were taken in by Sir Iohn Mon●gomery and Sir Iohn Falstaffe so as once againe the French are glad to betake themselves to their old course of fraud they compounded with a Gascoigne Captaine for delivery of Al●●son to them whereof the Regent having notice he sent the Lord Willoughby and Sir Iohn Falstaffe to prevent it who encountering with Charles de Villiers that with two hundred horse and three hundred foot was come to the place appointed for entry tooke and slew them all except some few horse which saved themselves by flying After which the Earle of Salisbury tooke in and demolished above forty Castles and strong Piles for which there was publique thanksgiving to God in London Whil'st these things were done in France an unkinde variance fell out betweene the Protector and his brother the Bishop of Winchester Lord Chancellor for appeasing whereof the Regent having substituted the Earle of Warwick Lievtenant Generall in his absence came into England where in a Parliament he compounded all differences between them in honour whereof king Henry kept a solemne feast at which time the Regent dubbed the King knight not yet above foure yeares old and then the King presently invested with that dignity many of his servants and Edmund Mortimer the last Earle of March at this time dying his Inheritance descended to Richard Plantagenet sonne and heire to Richard Earle of Cambridge beheaded at Southampton who was now created Duke of York was afterward father to king Edward the fou●h and at this time also Iohn Mowbray sonne and heire to Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk banished before by king Richard the second was restored to the Title of Duke of Norfolk And now all things peaceably setled in England the Regent with the Bishop of Winchester returned into France where at the intercession of the Duke of Burgoigne the Duke of Alanson was ransomed for two hundred thousand Crownes and the Bishop of Winchester returned to Callice where he was invested with the dignity and Hat of a Cardinall which his brother the Regent put upon his head About this time the Duke of Glocester Protector tooke some blemish in his honour by marying another mans wife I●queline Countesse of Haynoult Holland and Zealand who was maried before to Iohn Duke of Brabant yet living and had lived with him ten moneths as his lawfull wife but at that time upon some discontent gone from him intending to be divorced at which injury offered to the Duke of Braba●t the Duke of Burgoigne being his Cosin tooke so great offence that first by friendly letters he admonished the Duke of Glocester of it and that not prevailing they grew to termes of challenge and a Combat between them was appointed but in the meane time the Lady betrayed was caried to the Duke of Burgoigne who conveyed her to Gaunt from whence by friendship of a Burgonian knight in mans apparell she escaped into Holland and there made a defensive warre against her husband the Duke of Brabant and the Duke of Burgoigne To her ayd the Duke of Glocester sent the Lord Fitzwater with a Power of a thousand men but she being discomfited by the Duke of Brabant and the Pope also pronouncing the first mariage legall the Duke of Glocester deserted her and then tooke for a second wife Eleanor daughter of the Lord Cobham of Sterborough his old mistresse and the Lady Iaqueline after the death of Iohn Duke of Brabant maried a meane Gentleman whom the Duke of Burgoigne imprisoned and brought herselfe to live in much trouble And now in France the Constable with forty thousand men besieged the Town of S. Iames de Benuron and having made a breach fit for assault whilst his Captaines stood streining of courtesie which of them should first enter Sir Nicolas Burdet with all his forces sallied forth crying aloud A Salisbury a Suffolk whose names struck such
All this while the warres in Scotland continued and were managed by the Lord Gray of Wilton with variable successe and now about this time was sent to him in aide the Earle of Shrewsbury with fifteen thousand men against him in aid of the Scots was sent the Rhinegrave with ten thousand French who entring into consul●ation how to remove the yong Queene out of the reach of the English provided a Fleet and sailing round about Scotland notwithstanding the English Fleet lay in wait to impeach their passage yet conveyed her safely into France being then but six yeers old accompanied in the journey with Iames her base brother Iohn Erskin and William Leviston and in April following was married to Francis the Dolphin of France You heard before the alterations now heare the troubles for when the Injunctions were sent abroad into the Countrey and Commissioners appointed to see them executed one Master Bodye a Commissioner as he was pulling down Images in Cornwall was suddenly by a Priest stabbed into the body with a knife Hereupon the people flocked together in divers parts of the sheere taking Armes and beginning to commit outrages and although the chiefe Offendour was hanged and quartered in Smithfield and many of his complices executed in divers parts of the Realme and withall a Pardon proclaimed to all that would lay downe Armes yet neither could that severity nor this lenity restraine them from their insolencies but in divers Countries as Sussex Hampshire Kent Glostershire Warwickshire Wostershire but specially in Semersetshire and Devonshire great assemblies of people gathered to a head whose chiefe Leaders were Humfrey Arundel and about six others of inferiour note but many Priests Some of these we may say were Commonwealth mutiners and some mutined for religion they who were for the Common-wealth could agree upon nothing some would have no Justices some no Gentlemen some no Lawyers nor ordinary Courts of Justice but above all Inclosures must down but whether all or which or how to be imployed none could tell The religious Mutiners were not altogether so various in their voyces as having some few amongst them by whom they were guided these in name of the people hamered up these Ar●icles following upon granting of which they pro●essed that both their bodies and goods should be at the Kings devotion 1. That Curates should administer Baptisme at all times of necessity a● well o● week-dayes as on holy-dayes 2. That their children might be confirmed by the Bishop 3. That the Masse might be celebrated no man communicating with the Priest 4. That they might have reservation of the Lords body in their Churches 5. That they might have holy-bread and holy-water in remembrance of Christs precious body and blood 6. That Priests might live unmarried 7. That the six Articles set forth by King Henry the eight might be continued at lest till the King should come to full age Upon these demands the King although he knew that Reasons would little prevaile with unreasonable men yet to discharge the place he held he sent them in writing Answers to them all and withall a generall pardon if they would desist and lay downe armes But the sedicious growing the more outragious the fairer they were intreated and finding themselves unable to subsist with their owne estates began to thinke upon the spoyle of Cities and first they came to Excetour and demanded entrance which the Citizens refusing they fell to set fire on the ga●es but the Citizens prevented this by casting in wood and maintaining the fire till they had cast up a halfe moone within upon which when the Seditious attempted to enter they were presently hewen and cut in peeces After this they mined the wals laid powder and rammed the mouth but the Citizens prevented this also by making a countermine whereinto they poured such plenty of water that the wet powder could not be fired All this while the Lord Russell Lord Privie Seale who had beene sent downe to suppresse the Commotion lay at Huntington expecting more Forces whilst these Citizens of Excetour for twelve dayes together endured so great famine that they were faine to eat horses and make bread of course bran moulded in cloathes for that otherwise it would not cleave together At last the Lord Gray came to the Lord Russell with supply of Forces who after many conflicts with the Rebels forced them to raise their siedge at Excetour and thereby freed the City from many miseries to whom the King afterward gave the Mannour of Evyland in reward for their loyalty After this the Rebels rallying their Force● were againe set upon by the Kings Army and the greatest part of them slaine the rest fled many were taken and executed by Martiall Law the chiefe Leaders were sent to London and there executed The sedition being thus suppressed it is memorable what sport Sir William Kingston the Provost Marshall made by vertue of his Office upon men in misery One Boyer Major of Godmin in Cornwall had bin amongst the Rebels not willingly but enforced to him the Provost sent word he would come and dine with him for whom the Major made great provision a little before dinner the Provost took the Major aside and whispered him in the eare that an execution must that day be done in the town and therefore required to have a paire of Gallows set up against dinner should be done the Major failed not of his charge presently after dinner the Provost taking the Major by the hand intreated him to lead him to the place where the Gallowes was which when he beheld he asked the Major if he thought them to be strong enough yes said the Major doubtlesse they are well then said the Provost get you up speedily for they are provided for you I hope answered the Major you mean not as you speak in faith said the Provost there is no remedy for you have bin a busie Rebell and so without respit or defence he was hanged to death a most uncurreous part for a guest to offer his host Neere the said place dwelled a Millar who had bin a busie actor in that Rebellion who fearing the approach of the Marshall told a sturdy fellow his servant that he had occasion to go from home and therefore bid him that if any man came to enquire after the Millar he should not speak of him but say that himselfe was the Millar and had bin so for three yeers before So the Provost came and called for the Millar when out comes the servant and saith he was the man the Provost demanded how long he had kept the Mill these three yeeres answered the servant then the Provost commanded his men to lay hold on him and hang him on the next tree At this the fellow cryed out that he was not the Millar but the Millars man nay Sir said the Provost I will take you at your word and if thou beest the Millar thou art a busie knave if thou beest nor thou art a false
her self with all her Forces to compell them While Wilkes in Spain unfoldeth the●e matters Iohn of Austria sendeth to Queen Elizabeth in most grievous manner accusing the States for disobedience and making a large declaration of the causes for which he had taken up Armes again Thus Queen Elizabeth like a fortunate Princesse sate as an Honourable Arbitresse between the Spanish the French and the States insomuch that it was not untrue which one wrote That France and Spaine were Ballances in the Scale of Europe and England the Beame to turne them either way for they still got the better to whome she adhered About this time when the Judges sate at the Assizes in Oxford and one ●owland I●nkes a Book-seller was questioned for speaking approbrious words against the Queen suddenly they were surprised with a pestilent favour whether rising from the noysome smell of the prisoners or from the dampe of the ground is uncertaine but all that were there present almost every one within forty hours died except Women and children and the Contagion went no further There died Robert Bell Lord chief Baron Robert D'Oylie Sir William Babington D'Olye Sheriffe of Oxford-shire Harcourt Weynman Phetiplace the most noted men in this Tract Barham the famous Lawyer almost all the Jurours and three hundred other more or lesse This yeer the title of the Lord Latimer which had flourished in the Familie of the Nevills ever since the dayes of King Henry the sixth was extinct in Iohn Nevill who died without issue male and left a faire estate to four daughters whereof the eldest marryed Henry Earl of Northumberland the second Thomas Cecill who was afterward Earl of Exceter the third Sir William Cornwallis and the fourth Sir Iohn Daverse In Ireland the O-Moores and O-Conors and others whose Ancestours the Earl of Sussex in Queen Maries dayes had for their rebellion deprived of their Patrimonie in Loyse and Oph●li● did now break forth into a new Rebellion under the conduct of Rori● Oge that is Roderick the younger set on fire the village of Naasse assault L●chlin from whence being driven back by the valour of George Care● the Governour he was afterward slain Out of England at this time there went into the Low-countries Iohn North the Lord Norths eldest sonne● Iohn Norris second son to the Lord Norris Henry Cavendish and Thomas Morgan Colonells with many voluntaries to learn Militarie experience Thither also came Caesamire the Elector Palatines sonne with an Army of German Horse and foot at the Queenes charges upon the●e Don Iohn assisted by the Prince of Parma Mondragon and other the best Commanders of Spain confident of victorie flyeth furiously before they expected him yet after a long fight was forced to retreat but then turning again and thinking to breake through the Hedges and Brakes where the English and Scottish voluntaryes had placed themselves was again repulsed for the English and Scottish were so hot upon the matter that casting away their garments by reason of the hot weather they fought in their shirts which they made fast about them In this battell N●●●●● fought most valiantly and had three horses s●ain under him as also 〈◊〉 the Scot Bingham and William M●r●ham Now for comfort ●o the afflicted Provinces there came at that ●●me into the Netherlands the Count Sw●●zenberg from the Emperour M●nsie●● Be●●●●●re from the French King and from the Queen of England the Lord Cobham and Wal●ingham with Commission to procure conditions of Peace but returned without doing any thing for that Don Iohn refused to admit the Pro●estan● Religion and the Prince of Orange refused to return into Holland About this time Egr●m●●d R●●cliffe son to Henry Earl of Susse● by his second wife who had been a prime man in the rebellion of the North and served now under Don Iohn was accused by the English fugitives that he was sent under hand to kill Don Iohn which whether true or false he was thereupon taken and put to death The Spaniards have affirmed That Ratcliffe at his last end confessed voluntarily That he was freed out of the Tower of London and moved by Walsinghams large promises to do this Fact but the English that were present at his death deny that he confessed any such thing though the English Rebells did all they could to wrest this confession from him At this very time Don Iohn in the flower of his age died of the Pestilence or as some say of grief as being neglected by the King of Spain his brother a man of an insatiable Ambition who aymed first at the Kingdom of Tunis and after of England and who without the privity of the French King or King of Spain had made a league with the Guises for the defence of both Crowns Alanson although very busie about the Belgick War yet now began again to pursue the Marriage with Queen Elizabeth for renewing of which suit first was Bachervyle sent to the Queen and soon after Ramboulet from the French King and within a month after that Simier a neat Courtier and exquisitely learned in the Art of Love accompanied with a great number of the French Nobility whom the Queen at Richmond entertained in such loving manner that Leicester began to rage as if his hopes were now quite blasted Certainly a little before when Ashley a Lady of the Queens Bed-chamber mentioned the Earl of Leicester to her for husband she with an a●gry countenance replyed Dost thou think me so unlike my self and so forgetfull of Majestie as to prefer my servant whom I my self have advanced before the greatest Princes of the Christian world But it is now time to return to the Scottish Affairs The Earl of Morton Regent of Scotland though a man of great wisedome and valour yet was now so overcome of covetousnesse that he grew universally hated and thereupon with the joynt consent of the Nobility the Administration of the Common-wealth was translated to the King though he was yet but twelve yeers old and twelve of the chief Lords were appointed to attend him in Councell three of them by course for three months amongst whom the Earl of Morton for one that they might not seem to cast him quite off The King having taken upon him the Administration sent presently the Earl of Dumformelin to Queen Elizabeth acknowledging her great deserts towards him and requesting to have the Treaty of Edinburgh agreed on in the yeer 1559 to be confirmed for the more happy restraining the robbers about the borders and withall That his ancient Patrimony in England namely the Lands granted to his Grand-father Ma●●hew Earl of Lenox and the Countesse his Grand-mother might be delivered into his hands● who was the next Heir The Queen readily promised the former demands but stuck a little at the last concerning the Patrimony For she would not grant That Arbella the daughter of Charles the King of Scots Unkle Born in England was the next Heir to the Lands in England neither would she grant the