at this time he bent his force against mée not for any hurt I did him but because I surpast him in hearty affection to my Souereigne Lord and with the poore Widow offered all I had to serue my Prince and Country It were happy for England said the Quéen if in euery market Towne there were a Iybbet to hang vp curres of that kinde who like Aesops dogge lying in the Manger will doe no goodhimselfe nor suffer such as would to doe any This spéech being ended the Quéene caused her Army to be set in order and in warlike manner to march toward Flodden where King Iames had pitcht his field But as they passed along with Drum and Trumpet there came a Past from the valiant Earle of Surrey with tydings to her Grace that now shée might dismisse her Army for that it had pleased God to grant the noble Earle victory ouer the Scotts whom hee had by his wisedome and valiancy vanquished in fight and slaine their King in battell Upon which newes her Maiestie discharged her forces and ioyfully tooke her iourney to London with a pleasant countenance praysing God for her famous victory and yéelding thankes to all the noble Gentlemen and Souldiers for their readinesse in the action giuing many gifts to the Nobilitie and great rewards to the Souldiers among whom shée nothing forgot Iacke of Newbery about whose necke she put a rich chaine of gold at what time he with all the rest gaue a great shout saying God saue Katharine the noble Queen of England Many Noble men of Scotland were taken prisoners at this battell and many more slaine so that there neuer came a greater foile to Scotland than this for you shall vnderstand that the Scottish King made full account to bée Lord of this Land watching opportunity to bring to passe his faithlesse and trayterous practise which was when our King was in France at Turney and Turwin in regard of which warres the Scots vaunted there was none left in England but shepheards and ploughmen who were not able to lead an Army hauing no skill in martiall affaires In consideration of which aduantage hée inuaded the Countrey boasting of victory before he had wonne which was no small griefe to Quéene Margaret his wife who was eldest sister to our noble King Wherefore in disgrace of the Scots and in remembrance of the famous atchieued victory the Commons of England made this Song which to this day is not forgotten of many THE SONG KIng Iamie had made a vowe keep it well if he may That he will be at louely London vpon Saint Iames his day Vpon Saint Iames his day at noon at faire London will I be And all the Lords in merry Scotland they shall dine there with me Then bespake good Queene Margaret the teares fell from her eies Leaue off these wars most noble King keep your fidelity The water runs swift and wondrous deep from bottome vnto the brimme My brother Henry hath men good enough England is hard to winne Away quoth he with this silly foole in prison fast let her lie For she is come of the English bloud and for these words she shall dye With that bespake Lord Thomas Howard the Queenes Chamberlaine that day If that you put Queen Margaret to death Scotland shall rue it alway Then in a rage King Iamie did say away with this foolish Mome He shall be hanged and the other be burned so soone as I come home At Flodden Field the Scots came in which made our Englishmen faine At Bramstone-greene this battell was seen there was King Iamie slaine Then presently the Scots did flie their Cannons they left behinde Their ensignes gay were worne all way our Souldiers did beate them blinde To tell you plaine twelue thousand were slaine that to the fight did stand And many prisoners tooke that day the best in all Scotland That day made many a fatherlesse childe and many a widow poore And many a Scottish gay Lady sate weeping in her bowre Iacke with a feather was lapt all in leather his boastings were all in vaine He had such a chance with a new morrice dance he never went home againe FINIS CHAP. III. How Iacke of Newberie went to receiue the King as he went in progresse into Barkshire and how he made him a banquet in his owne house ABout the tenth yeare of y e kings reigne his Grace made his progresse into Barkshire against which time Iack of Newbery cloathed 30. tall fellowes being his houshold seruants in blew coates faced with Scarcenet euery one hauing a good sword buckler on his shoulder himselfe in a plaine russet coate a paire of white kersie bréeches without welt or guard and stockens of the same péece sowed to his slops which had a great codpéece whereon he stucke his pinnes who knowing the King would come ouer a certaine meadow neere adioining to the Lowne got himselfe thither with all his men and repairing to a certaine Ant-hill which was in the field took vp his seate there causing his men to stand round about the same with their swords drawne The King comming neer the place with the rest of his Nobility and séeing them stand with their drawne weapons sent to know the cause Garret King at Armes was the Messenger who spake in this sort Good fellowes the Kings Maiesty would know to what end you stand here with your swords and bucklers prepared to fight With that Iacke of Newbery started vp and made this answer Harrold quoth he returne to his Highnesse it is poore Iacke of Newbery who being scant Marqnesse of a Mole-hill is chosen Prince of Ants and here I stand with my weapons and Guard about mee to defend and kéep these my póore and painefull subiects from the force of the idle Butterflies their sworne enemies lest they should disturbe this quiet Common-wealth who this Summer season are making their Winters prouision The messenger returning told his Grace that it was one Iacke of Newbery that stood there with his men about him to guard as they say a company of Ants from the furieus wrath of the Prince of Butterflies With this newes the King heartily laught saying Indéed it is no maruell he stands so well prepared considering what a terrible tyrant he hath to deale withall Certainly my Lords quoth hée this séemes to bée a pleasant fellow and therefore we will send to talke with him The messenger being sent told Iacke he must come speak with the King Quoth he his Grace hath a horse and I am on foote therefore will him to come to mée beside that while I am away our enemies might come and put my people in hazzare as the Scots did England while our King was in France How dares the Lambe be so bold with the Lyon quoth she Herald Why quoth hée if there be a Lyon in the field here is neuer a cocke to feare him and tell his Maiesty hée might thinke me a very bad Gouernour that would walke aside
vpon pleasure and leaue my people in perill Herald quoth hée it is written He that hath a charge must looke to it and so tell thy Lord my King The Message being done the King said My Lords seeing it will bee no other wee will ride vp to the Emperour of Ants that is so carefull in his gouernment At the Kings approach Iacke of Newbery and his seruants put vp all their weapons and with a ioyfull cry flung vp their caps in token of victory Why how now my masters quoth the King is your wars ended Let mée sée where is the Lord Generall of this great Campe With that Iacke of Newbery with all his seruants fell on their knées saying God saue the King of England whose sight hath put our foes to flight and brought great peace to the poore labouring people Trust mee quoth our King here bée pretty fellowes to fight against Butterflies I must commend your courage that dares withstand such mighty gyants Most dread Soueraigne quoth Iacke not long agoe in my conceit I saw the most prouident Nation of the Ants summoned their chiefe Péeres to a Parliament which was held in the famous city Dry Dusty the one and twentith day of September whereas by their wisdomes I was chosen their King at what time also many bills of complaint were brought in against diuers il members in the common-wealth among whom the Moule was attainted of high treason to their State and therefore was banished for euer from their quiet Kingdome so was the Grashopper and the Catterpiller because they were not onely idle but also liued vpon the labours of other men amongst the rest the Butterflie was very much misliked but few durst say any thing to him because of his golden apparell who through sufferance grew so ambitious and malapert that the poore Ant could no sooner get an egge into her nest but he would haue it away and especially against Easter which at length was misliked This painted asse tooke snuffe in the nose and assembled a great many other of his owne coate by windie warres to roote this painefull people out of the land that hée himselfe might bée seated aboue them all These were proud Butterflies quoth the King Whereupon I with my men quoth Iack prepared our selues to withstand them tili such time as your Maiestles royall presence put them to flight Tush said the King thou must think that the force of flies is not great Notwithstanding quoth Iacke their gay gownes make poore men affraid I perceiue quoth Cardinall Wolsie that you being a King of Ants doe carry a great grudge to the Butterflies I quoth Iacke wée bée as great foes as the Foxe and the Snake are friends for the one of them being subtle loues the other for his craft but now I intend to be nolonger a Prince because the maiesty of a King hath eclipst my glory so that looking like the Peacocke on my blacke féet makes mée abase my vaine-glorions feathers and humbly yéeld vnto his Maiesty all my Souereigne rule and dignity both of life and goods casting my weapons at his féete to doe any seruice wherein his Grace shall command me God a mercy good Iack quoth the King I haue often heard of thée and this morning I mean to visite thy house Thus the King with great delight rode along vntill hée came to the Townes end where a great multitude of people attended to sée his Maiesty where also Quéen Katharine with all her traine met him Thus with great reioycing of the Commons the King and Queen passed along to this iolly Clothiers house where the good wife of the house with threescore maidens attending on her presented the King with a Bée-hiue most richly gilt with gold all the Bées therein were also made of gold curiously by Art and out of the top of the same Hiue sprung a flourishing gréen trée which bore golden Apples and at the roote thereof lay diuers Serpents seeking to destroy it whom Prudence and Fortitude trode vnder their féet holding this inscription in their hands Loe here presented to your Roiall sight The figure of a flourishing Common-wealth Where vertuous subiects labour with delight And beate the drones to death which liue by stealth Ambition Enuie Treason loathsome serpents be Which seeke the downefall of this fruitfull tree But Lady Prudence with deep searching eye Their ill intended purpose doth preuent And noble Fortitude standing alwaies nye Disperst their power prepar'd with bad intent Thus are they foild that mount with meanes vnmeet And so like slaues are troden vnder feet The King fauourably accepted this Embleme and receiuing it at the womens hands willed Cardinall Wolsie to look thereon commanding it should be sent to Windsor Castle This Cardinall was at that time Lord Chancellor of England and a wonderfull proud Prelate by whose meanes great variance was set betwixt the King of England and the French King the Emperour of Almaine and diuers other Princes of Christendome whereby the trafficke of those Merchants was vtterly forbidden which bred a generall woe through England especially among Clothiers in so much that hauing no sale for their cloath they were faine to put away many of their people which wrought for them as hereafter more at large shall be declared Then was his Maiesty brought into a great Hall where foure long tables stood ready couered and passing through that place the King and Queene came into a faire and large Parlour hung about with goodly Tapistry where was a Table prepared for his Highnesse and the Quéenes Grace All the floore where the King sate was couered with broad cloathes in stead of gréene rushes these were choice péeces of the finest wooll of an Azure colour valued at an hundred pound a cloath which afterward was giuen to his Maiestie The King being set with the chiefest of the Councell about him after a delicate dinner a sumptuous banquet was brought in serued all in glasse the description whereof were too long for mee to write and you to read The great Hall was also filled with Lords Knights and Gentlemen who were attended by no other but the seruants of the house The Ladies of Honour and Gentlewomen of the Court were all seated in another Parlour by themselues at whose table the maidens of the house did waite in decent sort The Seruing men by themselues and the Pages footmen by themselues vpon whom the prentices did attend most diligently During the Kings abiding in this place there was no want of delicates Rhenish wine Claret wine Sarke was as plentifull as small Ale Thus from the highest to the lowest they were serued in such sort as no discontent was found any way so that great commendations redownded vnto the goodman of the house The Lord Cardinall that of late found himselfe galde by the Allegory of the Ants spake in this wise to the King If it should please your Highnesse quoth hée but to note the vain-glory of these Artificers you should finde
reliefe of the poore that dwelt all about and in the end the Brides Father and Mother came to pay their Daughters portion which when the Bridegroome had receiued hée gaue them great thankes Notwithstanding hée would not suffer them yet to depart and against they should goe home their sonne in law came vnto them saying Father and Mother all the thankes that my poore heart can yéeld I giue you for your good will cost and courtesie and while I liue make bold to vse mée in any thing that I am able and in requitall of the gift you gaue mée with your daughter I giue you here twenty pound to bestow as you finde occasion and for your losse of time and charges riding vp and downe I giue you here as much broadcloath as shall make you a cloake and my mother a holiday gowne and when this is worne out come to me and fetch more O my good zonne quoth the old woman Christs benizon bée with thée euermore for to tell thée true we had zold all our kine to make money for my daughters marriage and this zeauen yeare we should not haue béen able to buy more Notwithstanding we should haue zold all that euer wée had before my poore wench should haue lost her marriage I quoth the old man I hud haue zold my coate from my backe and my bed from vnder mée before my gyrle should haue gone without you I thanke you good father and mother said the Bride and I pray God long to kéepe you in health then the Bride knéeled downe and did her duty to her parents who wéeping for very ioy departed Not long after this it chanced while our noble king was making warre in France that Iames king of Scotland falsly breaking his oath inuaded England with a great Army and did much hurt vpon the Borders whereupon on the sudden euery man was appointed according to his ability to bée ready with his men and furniture at an houres warning on paine of death Iacke of Newberie was commanded by the Iustices to set out sixe men foure armed with Pikes and two Caliuers and to meet the Queen in Buckinghamshire who was there raising a great power to goe against the faithlesse king of Scots When Iacke had receiued this charge hée came home in all haste cut out a whole broadcloath for horsemens coates and so much more as would make vp coates for the number of a hundren men in short time hée had made ready fifty tall men well mounted in white coates and red caps with yellow Feathers Demilances in their hands and fifty armed men on foote with Pikes and fifty shotte in white coates also euery man so expert in the handling of his weapon as few better were found in the field Himselfe likewise in complet armour on a goodly Barbed Horse rode foremost of the company with a Lance in his hand and a faire plume of yellow Feathers in his crest and in this sort he came before the Iustices who at the first approach did not a little wonder what he should be At length when hée had discouered what hée was she Iustices and most of the Gentlemen gaue him great commendations for this his good and forward minde shewed in this action but some other enuying hereat gaue out words that hée shewed himselfe more prodigall than prudent and more vaine-glorious than well aduised séeing that the best Nobleman in the Country would scarce haue done so much and no maruell quoth they for such a one would call to his remembrance that the King had often occasions to vrge his subiects to such charges and therefore would doe at one time as they might be able to doe at another but Iacke of Newberie like the Stork in the Spring-time thinks the highest Cedar too lowe for him to build his nest in and ere the yeare be halfe done may be glad to haue his bed in a bush These disdainfull spéeches being at last brought to Iacke of Newberies eare though it grieued him much yet patiently put them vp till time conuenient Within a while after all the souldiers of Barkshire Hampshire and Wiltshire were commanded to shew themselues before the Quéene at Stonny Stratford where her Grace with many Lords Knights and Gentlemen were assembled with tenne thousand men Against Iacke should goe to the Quéene hée caused his face to bée smeared with bloud and his white ceate in like manner When they were come before her Highnesse she demanded aboue all the rest what those white coats were Whereupon Sir Henry Englefield who had the leading of the Barkshire men made answer May it please your Maiesty to vnderstand that hee which rideth foremost there is called Iack of Newbery and all those gallant men in white are his owne seruants who are maintained all the yeare by him whom hee at his owne cost hath set out in this time of extremity to serue the King against his vaunting Foe and I assure your Maiesty there is not for the number better souldiers in the field Good sir Henry quoth the Queene bring the man to mee that I may sée him which was done accordingly Then Iacke with all his men allighted and humbly on their knées fell before the Queen Her Grace said Gentleman arise and putting forth her lilly white hand gaue it him to kisse Most gracious Queene quoth hee Gentleman I am none nor the sonne of a Gentleman but a poore Clothier whose lands are his Loomes hauing no other Rents but what I get from the backes of little sheepe nor can I claime any cognisance but a wadden shuttle Neuerthelesse most gratious Queene these my poore seruants and my selfe with life and goods are ready at your Maiesties command not onely to spend our blouds but also to lose our liues in defence of our King and Country Welcome to mee Iacke of Newberie said the Queene though a Clothier by trade yet a Gentleman by condition and a faithfull subiect in heart and if thou chance to haue any sute in Court make account the Queene will bée thy friend and would to God the King had many such Clothiers But tell mee how came thy white coate besmeared with bloud and thy face so bescratcht May it please your Grace quoth hee to vnderstand that it was my chance to méete with a monster who like the people Cynomolgy had the proportion of a man but headed like a dogge the biting of whose teeth was like the poysoned téeth of a Crocodile his breath like the Basilisks killing afarre off I vnderstand his name was Enuie who assailed mee inuisibly like the wicked spirit of Mogunce who flung stones at men could not bee séene and so I come by my scratcht face not knowing when it was done What was the cause this monster should afflict thée aboue the rest of thy company or other men in the field Although most Souereigne Quéen quoth hée this poysoned curre snarleth at many and that few can escape the hurt of his wounding breath yet
dignities by wisedome learning and diligence I would wish you to imitate the like vertues that you might attaine the like honours for which of you doth know what good fortune God hath in store for you there is none of you so poorely borne but that men of baser birth haue come to great honours The idle hand shall euer goe in a ragged garment and the sloathfull liue in reproach but such as doe lead a vertuous life and gouerne themselues discréetly shall of the best be estéemed and spend their daies in credit CHAP. VI How all the Clothiers in England ioined together with one consent complained to the King of their great hindrance sustained for want of Traffique into other Countries whereupon they could get no sale for their Cloath BY meanes of the warres which our King had with other countries many Merchant strangers were prohibited for comming to England as also our owne Merchants in like sort were forbidden to haue dealings with France or the Low-countries by meanes whereof the Clothiers had most of their cloath lying on their hands and that which they sold was at so low a rate that the money scantly paid for the wooll an workemanship Whereupon they sought to ease themselues by abating the poore workemens wages And when that did not preuaile they turnd away many of their people Weauers Shearmen Spinsters and Carders so that where there was a hundred Looms kept in one towne there was scant fifty and hée that kept twenty put downe tenne Many a poore man for want of worke was hereby vndone with his wife and children and it made many a poore widow to sit with a hungry belly This bred great woe in most places in England In the end lacke of Newberie intended in the behalfe of the poore to make a Supplication to the King and to the end hee might doe it the more effectually hee sent Letters to all the chiefe cloathing townes in England to this effect The Letter VVElbeloued friends and brethren hauing a taste of the generall griefe and féeling in some measure the extremitie of these times I fell into consideration by what meanes we might best expell these sorrowes and recouer our former commodity When I had well thought hereon I found that nothing was more néedefull herein than a faithfull vnity among our selues This sore of necessity can no way be cured but by concord for like as the flame consumes the candle so men through discord waste themselues The poore hate the rich because they will not set them on worke and the rich hate the poore because they séeme burdenons so both are offended for want of gaine When Belinus and Brennus were at strife the Quéen their mother in their greatest fury perswaded them to peace by vrging her conception of them in one wombe and mutuall cherishing of them from their tender yeares so let our Art of Cloathing which like a kinde mother hath cherished vs with the excellence of her secrets perswade vs to an vnity Though our Occupation be decaied let vs not deale with it as men doe by their old shooes which after they haue long borne them out of the myre doe in the end fling them on the dunghill or as the Husband-man doth by his Bées who for their Honey burnes them Deare friends consider that our Trade will maintaine vs if wée will vphold it and there is nothing base but that which is basely vsed Assemble therefore your selues together and in euery towne tell the number of those that haue their liuing by meanes of this Trade note it in a Bill and send it to mée And because sutes in Court are like Winter nights long and wearisome let there be in each place a wéekely collection made to defray charges for I tell you Noble mens Secretaries and cunning Lawyers haue flow tongues and deafe eares which must bée daily noynted with the swéete oyle of Angells Then let two honest discréet men bee chosen and sent out of euery towne to méete mee at Black well Hall in London on All Saints Eeue and then we will present our humble petition to the King Thus I bid you heartily farewell Copies of this Letter being sealed they were sent to all the cloathing Townes of England and the Weauers both of linnen and woollen gladly receiued them so that when all the Bills were brought together there were found of the Clothiers and those they maintained threescore thousand and sixe hundred persons Moreouer euery cloathing Towne sending vp two men to London they were found to bee an hundred and twelue persons who in very humble sort fell downe before his Maiesty walking in S. Iames his Parke and deliuered to him their Petition The King presently perusing it asked if they were all Clothiers Who answered as it were one man in this sort Wee are most gracious king all poore Clothiers and your Maiesties faithfull subiects My Lords quoth the king let these mens complaint bee throughly lookt into and their griefs redressed for I account them in the number of my best Common-wealths men As the Clergy for the soule the Souldier for defence of his countrey the Lawyer to execute iustice the Husbandman to féede the belly so is the skilfull Clothier no lesse necessary for the cloathing of the backe whom we may reckon among the chiefe Yeomen of our Land and as the christall sight of the eye is tenderly to be kept from harmes because it giues the whole body light so is the Clothiers whose cunning hand prouides garments to defend our naked parts from the Winters nipping frost Many more reasons there are which may moue vs to redresse their griefes but let it suffice that I command to haue it done With that his Grace deliuered the Petition to the Lord Chauncellor and all the Clothiers cryed God saue the king But as the king was ready to depart hee suddenly turned about saying I remember there is one Iacke of Newberie I muse hée had not his hand in this businesse who profest himselfe to bee a defender of true Labourers Then said the Duke of Sommerset It may bee his purse is answerable for his person Nay quoth the Lord Cardinall all his treasure is little enough to maintaine warres against the butterflies With that Iacke shewed himselfe vnto the king and priuately told his Grace of their griefe anew To whom his Meiesty said Giue thy attendance at the Councell Chamber where thou shalt receiue an answer to thy content And so his Highnes departed Finally it was agreed that the Marchants should fréely traffique one with another and that Proclamation thereof should bee made as well on the other side the Sea as in our Land but it was long before this was effected by reason the Cardinall being Lord Chancellor put off the matter from time to time And because the Clothiers thought it not best to depart before it was ended they gaue their daily attendance at the Cardinalls house but spent many dayes to no purpose sometime they were