the queene of France of whome as he said he had receiued fiue thousand marks to hinder his proceedings In this heat if the earle of Chester and other had not béene at hand he had suerlie slaine the chéefe iustice euen there with his drawne sword who was glad to auoid his presence till his angrie mood was somwhat ouerpassed In the meane time there arriued Henrie earle of Britaine on the ninth of October which should haue conducted the king into his countrie But sith winter was come vpon them he aduised him to stay till the next spring and so he did Then euerie man was licenced to depart home and the earle of Kent reconciled againe into fauour The erle of Britaine in like maner did homage to the king for Britaine and the king restored him to all his rights in England and further giuing him fiue thousand marks to defend his countrie against the enimies sent him home againe in most courteous and louing maner In this yeere of our Lord 1230 king Henrie held his Christmasse at Yorke togither with the king of Scots whome he had desired to come thither at that time that they might make merrie and so for the space of thrée daies togither there was great banketting and sport betwéene them On the fourth day they tooke leaue either of other the king of Scots with rich gifts returning towards his countrie and the king of England towards London Upon the fiue and twentith day of Ianuarie also while the bishop of London was at high masse within the church of S. Paule in London a sudden darknesse ouershadowed the quiere and therewith such a tempest of thunder and lightning that the people there assembled thought verelie the church and stéeple had come downe vpon their heads There came moreouer such a filthie sauour and stinke withall that partlie for feare and partlie for that they might not abide the sauour they voided the church falling on heapes one vpon another as they sought to get out of the same The vicars and canons forsooke their deskes so that the bishop remained there onelie with one deacon that serued him at masse Afterward when the aire began to cleare vp the people returned into the church and the bishop went forward and finished the masse In the meane time the king leuied a great summe of monie of the prelats of his land towards his iournie into France he had also a great reléefe of the citizens of London And the Iewes were constreined to giue to him the third part of all their moueable goods In the moneth of Aprill Leolin prince of Wales caused William de Breuse whom he had taken prisoner long before as aboue is mentioned to be hanged on a paire of gallowes for that he was taken as was reported in adulterie with the wife of the said prince And on the last day of Aprill the king with a puissant armie tooke the sea at Portesmouth and landed at saint Malos in Britaine on the third day of May where he was right ioifullie receiued of Henrie earle of that countrie After he was thus arriued in Britaine he entered into the French dominions with the said earle and the earle of Marsh his father in law dooing much hurt within the same His armie dailie increasing by the great numbers were beaten downe on all parts and vtterlie vanquished with losse of 20 thousand men as it was crediblie reported The king of Connagh was also taken and committed to prison In the meane time king Henrie hauing spent a great deale of treasure in his iournie made into France year 1221 there was granted vnto him a fiftéenth of the temporaltie with a disme and a halfe of the spiritualtie towards the furnishing out of a new power of men to be sent into Spaine against the Saracens which made sore warres vpon the christians in line 10 that countrie wherevpon king Henrie being required of the K. of Aragon to aid him with some number of souldiers he sent a great power thither with all speed and so likewise did the French king By means whereof the Spaniards being ioined with Englishmen and Frenchmen obteined a noble victorie in vanquishing those their enimies Thus saith Polydor. But other write that the king on the seauen and twentith of Ianuarie holding a parlement line 20 at Westminster where the Nobles both spirituall and temporall were assembled demanded escuage of all those that held any baronies of him that is to saie forren knights fée fortie shillings or thrée marks Moreouer the archbishop of Canturburie as they say stood against the king in this demand mainteining that the cleargie ought not to be subiect vnto the iudgement of laie men sith this escuage was granted in the parts beyond the seas without their line 30 consent Wherevpon the matter as touching the bishops was deferred till the quindene of Easter albeit that all the laitie and other of the spiritualtie consented to the kings will ¶ About this time also there chanced to rise a great strife and contention betwixt Richard the archbishop of Canturburie and Hubert the earle of Kent who as gardian to the yoong erle of Glocester had got into his hands the castell of Tunbridge with the towne and certeine other possessions which belonged to the archbishops sée and therefore line 40 did the archbishop complaine to the king of the iniurie which he susteined Now when he perceiued no hope likelie to come for any redresse a◠the kings hands he tooke an other way and first by his pontificall authoritie accursed all those that withheld the same possessions and all their mainteiners the king excepted and therewith appealing to the pope he went to prosecute his appeale at Rome whither the king and the earle sent also their procurators and made the pope their arbitratour line 50 to iudge of the matter In the end pope Gregorie hauing heard the whole processe of the controuersie iudged the right to remaine with the archbishop who hauing then obteined his desire hasted toward England but as he was returning homewards he died by the way not farre from Rome whereby the popes iudgement tooke no place for whilest the sée was void there was none that would follow the suit and such was the end of this controuersie for this time line 60 After the deceasse of this archbishop Richard the moonks elected Ralfe Neuill bishop of Chichester the kings chancellor an vpright man and of iust dealing in all his dooings In whome also it is to be noted he would not giue one halfepenie to the moonks towards the bearing of their charges in their iournie to Rome which they should take vpon them from thence to fetch his confirmation according to the manner least he should burthen his conscience with the crime of simonie which he greatlie abhorred although some imputed this to proceed rather of a cloked spice of couetousnesse Which practise of his maketh greatlie
dailie to be leâ—ied of the English clergie Howbeit in hope to haue his purpose the rather against the moonks of Canturburie with whom he was at variance he first granted to the legats request made on the popes behalfe in a synod holden at Reading for the hauing of the fift part of spirituall mens reuenues and so by his example others were inforced to doo the like Furthermore he gaue eight hundred marks to the pope but whether of his owne free will or by constreint I cannot saie but now vtterlie misliking all things doone by the legat contrarie to his mind after he had doone and said what he could for redresse and when he saw no hope at hand for anie reformation either in the king or legat who estéemed not his words as a man not longer able to see his countrie so spoiled he went ouer into France and got him vnto Pontney there to remaine in voluntarie exile after the example of his predecessour Thomas Becket whose dooings he did follow in verie manie things Uerelie the collections of monie which the pope in these daies by his legats gathered here in this realme were great and sundrie so that as it appeareth by historiographers of this time the cleargie and other found themselues sore grieued and repined not a little against such couetous dealings and vnmeasurable exactions in so much that they spake to the king of it and said Right famous prince whie suffer you England to be made a prey and desolation to all the passers by as a vineyard without an hedge common to the waifaring man and to be destroied of the bores of the field sith you haue a sufficient priuilege that no such exactions should be made in this kingdome And suerlie he is not worthie of a priuilege which abuseth the same being granted The king answered those that went thus about to persuade him that he neither would nor durst gainsaie line 10 the pope in any thing and so the people were brought into miserable despaire There be that write how that there were other occasions of the archbishops departure out of the relme of the which this should be one when he saw religion not to be regarded and that préests were had in no honor neither that it laie in his power to reforme the matter sith the king gaue no eare to his admonitions he determined to absent himselfe till the king warned by some mishap should repent him of his line 20 errours and amend his misdooings Other ioine an other cause herevnto which was this whereas the king by the insample of other kings begun by William Rufus vsed to keépe bishops sees and other such spirituall possessions in his hands during the vacation till a conuenient person were to the same preferred the archbishop Edmund for that he saw long delaies made oftentimes yer any could be admitted to the roome of those that were deceassed or by any other means depriued he was in hand with the king that line 30 the archbishop of Canturburie might haue power onlie to prouide for successors in such roomes as chanced to be vacant aboue the tearme of six moneths which thing the king for a certeine summe of monie granted but afterward perceiuing what hinderance he susteined thereby he reuoked that grant so much to the displeasure of the archbishop that he thought good no longer to continue in the realme At his comming to Pontney he so séemed to despise all worldlie pompe and honor giuing himselfe line 40 wholie to diuine contemplation to fasting and praier that the former opinion which men had conceiued of his vertues was maruellouslie confirmed At length being sore vexed with sicknesse supposing that he might recouer helth by changing of aire and place he caused himselfe to be conueied into an other house of religion named Soisie two daies iournie from Pontney where finallie he died the sixtéenth of Nouember and his bodie was brought againe to Pontney and there buried where also through sundrie miracles line 50 shewed as they say at his graue he was reputed a saint and at length canonized by pope Innocent the fourth He was borne at Abingdon beside Oxenford and thereby some named him saint Edmund of Abingdon and some S. Edmund of Pontney after the place where he was inshrined The see of Canturburie was void more than three yeares after his decease till at length by the kings commandement the moonks of Canturburie elected one Boniface of Sauoie vncle to quéene Elianor being the line 60 45 archbishop which ruled that church ¶ There was this yeare a certeine person of honest conuersation and sober representing in habit one of the Carthusian moonks taken at Cambridge being accused for that he refused to come to the church to heare diuine seruice and vpon his examination bicause he answered otherwise than was thought conuenient he was committed to secret prison and shortlie after sent vp to the legat to be of him examined This man openlie protested that Gregorie was not the true pope nor head of the church but that there was another head of the church and that the church was defiled so that no seruice ought to be said therein except the same were newlie dedicated and the vessels and vestments againe hallowed and consecrated The diuell said he is losed the pope is an heretike for Gregorie which nameth himselfe pope hath polluted the church Herevpon in the presence and audience of the abbat of Euesham maister Nic. de Fernham and diuerse other worshipfull personages the legat said vnto him being thus out of the waie Is not power granted to our souereigne lord the pope from aboue both to lose and bind soules sith he executeth the roome of S. Peter vpon earth Now when all men looked to heare what answer he would make beléeuing his iudgement to depend vpon the same he said by way of interrogation and not by way of assertion How can I beléeue that vnto a person spotted with simonie and vsurie and haplie wrapt in more greeuous sins such power should be granted as was granted vnto holie Peter who immediatlie followed the lord as soone as he was made his apostle and followed him not onelie in bodilie footsteps but in cleerenesse of vertues At which word the legat blushed said to some of the standers by A man ought not to chide with a foole nor gape ouer an ouen In this season the king sent his iustices itinerants in circuit about the land the which vnder pretext of iustice punished manie persons and so leuied great summes of monie to the kings vse Sir William of Yorke prouost of Beuerley was assigned to visit the south parts and sir Robert de Lexinton the north parts Also Richard earle of Cornewall the kings brother with a nauie of ships sailed into Syria where in the warres against the Saracens he greatlie aduanced the part of the christians There went ouer with him the earle of Salisburie William Long espee and William
he had of the said archbishop of Yorke within one yeare nine thousand and 500 markes besides the expenses which he was at whilest he laie there and so when this archbishop was returned into England through pouertie he was driuen to gather monie of the persons préests and religious men within his prouince at two sundrie times in one yeare as first in name of a courtesie and gratious beneuolence and the second time by waie of an aid line 40 Moreouer pope Clement ordeined Anthonie bishop of Durham patriarch of Ierusalem dispensing with him so as he held still the bishoprike of Durham notwithstanding his other promotion and this was bicause the bishop was rich and the pope poore For this bishop might dispend in yearelie reuenues by purchases inheritances besides that belonged to his miter aboue fiue thousand marks and he gaue great rewards to the pope and to his cardinals by means whereof he obteined in suit against the prior line 50 of Durham so that he had the charge and ouersight of the monasterie of Durham both the spirituall gouernement and temporall through informing the pope that the prior was not able in discretion to rule the house At his returning home he caused a crosse of siluer and gilt adorned with an image of the crucifix to be borne afore him But where he appointed certeine persons as his deputies to enter into the priorie of Durham and to take charge thereof in place of the prior the moonks line 60 shut the gates against them appealing to the pope and pretending the kings protection which they had purchased But those that thus came in the bishops name accursed the moonks so departed The king héerewith was highlie offended so that he caused them to answer the matter afore the iustices of his bench and for their presumption in pronouncing the cursse without making the king priuie to their dooings they were put to their fines And whereas the bishop was summoned to appeare before the king in person at a certeine daie he made default and departing out of the realme got backe againe to the pope contrarie to the kings prohibition wherevpon the liberties of the see of Durham were seized into the kings hands and the king placed his iustices and chancellor there and in the yeare next insuing he exacted of the tenants of the archbishoprike the thirtéenth penie of their goods and otherwise vexed them with sundrie talages The conclusion of this matter was this that the prior was cited by the pope to appeare at his consistorie whither he went hauing the kings letters in his fauour directed to the pope wherevpon when the pope had examined the matter and heard the prior speake in his owne person he perceiued him to be otherwise than he was informed a sober and discréet man and therefore restored him againe to the gouernment of his house but he remained in the popes court till after the kings death and finallie died there himselfe in the yeare 1307. But now to returne to other dooings of king Edward We find that whilest he lay still at Lauercost he gaue to the earle of Warwike Bernards castell the which he had by escheat through forfeiture thereof made by Iohn Balioll late king of Scotland He also tooke and seized into his hands Penreth with the appurtenances In the octaues of S. Hilarie the king held a parlement at Carleill in the which by the peeres of the realme great complaint was made of the oppressions doone to churches abbeies and monasteries by reason of paiments latelie raised and taxed by one maister William or Guilelmo Testa the â—â—pes chapleine Commandement therefore was giuen to the same chapleine that from thencefoorth he should not leauie anie such paiments and for further remedie messengers were made foorth vnto the pope to declare vnto him the inconuenience thereof This Testa was sent from pope Clement into England with bulles in the contents whereof it appeared that the pope had reserued to himselfe the first fruits of one yeares reuenues of euerie benefice that fell void by anie manner of meanes within the realme of England Scotland Wales and Ireland and likewise of all abbeies priories and monasteries so that it may well be said of him his retinue according to the processe of all their actions as it was said of old Curia Romana non quaerit ouem sine lana But the king and lords of the land thought it against reason that the pope should take and receiue the profits of those abbeies and monasteries which had beene founded by their predecessors for the seruice of God and the maintenance of almesdeeds and good hospitalitie to be kept and so the pope changed his purpose touching abbeies but granting to the K. the tenth of the English churches for two yéers he obteined the first fruits of the same churches for himselfe as before he required In the same parlement were statutes made concerning religious men which had their head and chéefest houses in forren regions There came also at the same time a cardinall from the pope named Petrus Hispanus to procure the consummation of the mariage betwixt the prince of Wales and the French kings daughter for the same was delaied by reason that all couenants were not kept on the French kings behalfe touching the deliuerie of the townes in Gascoine For whereas in times past the French king had giuen one of those townes that were taken from the Englishmen named Mauleon vnto a French knight he kept the same still and would not deliuer it now at the French kings commandement where-through as was said the marriage had béene hitherto deferred The same cardinall by vertue of his bull would haue had of euerie cathedrall church colledge abbeie and priorie twelue marks of sterling monie and of euerie person of parish churches eight pence of euerie marke of his reuenues But the English cleargie appealed from this exaction so that by the king and his councell it was ordeined that he should haue no more than in times past cardinall Othobon did receiue that is to saie the halfe of his demand Moreouer this cardinall being at Carleill and hauing made a sermon in praise of peace vpon the conclusion of marriage betwixt the prince of Wales and the French kings daughter in the end he reuested himselfe and the other bishops which were present line 10 and then with candels light and causing the bels to be roong they accursed in terrible wise Robert Bruce the vsurper of the crowne of Scotland with all his partakers aiders and mainteiners Neuerthelesse Robert Bruce in this meane while slept not his businesse but ranging abroad in the countrie flue manie that would not obeie him and sent foorth his two brethren Thomas that was a knight and Alexander that was a préest with part of his armie into an other quarter of the countrie to allure line 20 the people vnto his obedience
Barton the Scotish pirat 426 b 20. Incountreth the lord Howard he is slaine 811 a 20 c. Bastard of Burgogne ambassadour into England iusts betwixt him and the lord Sâ—ales 669 a 10 20 Bastard to a king made a bishop 99 b 60 Bastards made legitimat 487 b 10 Bath taken by the bishop of Constance 17 a 40. It and Welles when and by whome vnited 27 b 50 Battell of Agincourt 552 b 60 553 a 10 c. At Barnet 684 a 10 c. 685 a 10 c. Of Bloreheath 649 a 50 60 b 10. Of S. Edmundsbuâ—ie 90 b 20. Of Northhampton 654 b 20. Of Palmesundaie 664 a 40. Of Saxton ¶ Sée Palmesundaie At Hedgcote or Banberie 672 b 30. At Exham 666 b 10. At Teukesburie 687 b 60. The first at saint Albons 643 a 60 644 a 20. At Wakefield 659 b 10. Of thrée long houres betwéene the English French great losse on the English side 601 b 30. Second at saint Albons 660 a 60. Of Mortimers crosse 660 a 20. Of Uerneull 588 a 50 b 40. Of Ferribrig the thirtéenth of March one thousand foure hundred thrée score and one wherein twentie thousand were slaine most knights and gentlemen 1234 a 50. Betwéene duke William and his sonne Robert note 12 a 40. Betwéene the Danes and Normans verie fierce 7 a 40. Begun with praier note 371 a 60. At Kenils crosse 376 a 20. Of Aulrâ—ie 396 b 10 c. Of Sluise where the English were victors 358 b 10. Of Baâ—okesburie 322 a 40. Called the White battell and why 325 a 10. Of Borroughbridge 341 a 10. Of Câ—meran in Uister 322 b 60. At Dunbar betwéene the English and Scots in Edward the first time 299 b 30. Betwéene the earle of Lincolne and the earle of Arthois 302 b 30 40 c. Of Fowkirke 307 b 30. Betwéene Henrie the third and his barons note 267 b all Of Euesham 270 a 50. Of Chesterfield 272 a 40. Betwéene king Richard the third and the earle of Richmond called Bosworth field 758 b 60. At Stoke néere to Newarke betwéene the earle of Lincolne c and Henrie the seuenth 766 b 40 50 767 a 10 20. Of saint Aulbin in Britaine betwéene the duke of Britaine and the French king 769 a 30. At Black-heath 782 b 10. Of Spurs 822 a 50. At Floddon betwéen the English and the Scotish 426 427 428. Of Pauia 884 a 60 b 10 c. At Muskleborrow ¶ Sée Leith and Scotland Staied by Gods prouidence note 943 a 30. Of the bridge of Bouins 183 a 60. Sharpe and bloudie betwéene duke Robert and Henrie the first brethren 33 a 10 20 c. Thrée things to be forséene by them that shall giue it 52 b 50 60. Of Monadmore in Ireland 59 b 10 Battell betwixt fishes 225 b 60. Of herrings 600 a 40. Betwixt flies and gnats 465 b 60. Their slaughter 466 a 10. ¶ Sée warres Battell abbeie why so called and by whome built 15 a 40. The church to what saint dedicated 21 a 40. Their abbie roll 3 4 5 Baulbason a French knight valiant fightâ—th with Henrie the fift hand to hand 577 a 10 60 Becket Thomas archdecon of Canturburie 64 b 20. Lord chancellour 65 a 40. Sent into France 67 a 50. His Henrie the seconds first falling out 68 b 20. His authoritâ—e 69 a 10. A better courtier than a preacher 69 a 30. Practiseth secret treason 69 b 10. Receiueth an oth 70 b 10. Repenteth him thereof and would haue fled the realme 70 b 20 c. Cited to appéere before the king and sentence against him 70. b 60. Condemned in fiue hundred markes 71 a 10. Called to an account 71 a 20. Will not be persuaded to submit himselfe to the king appealeth to Rome goeth to the court is reputed a traitor and disallowed to be archbishop 71 all His stout courage 72 a 10. His flight by night 72 a 40. His complaint to the pope 72 b 50. Resigneth his pall 73 a 50. His cursse 74 b 20. An edict against him 74 a 20. Six years in exile 77 a 30. His arrogancie and wilfulnesse in opinion in fauour with the French king reconcâ—led to Henrie the second the king of England 77 b all Is aduised by the French king returneth into England is complained of to Henrie the second by the archbishop of Yorke he is killed 78 all 79 all His death discussed 82 b 50. The king purgeth himselfe of his death 83 b 30. Canonized a saint his holie daie and collect for the same 85 b 10 20. His toome visited by the French king 103 a 60. His toome visited by the archbishop of Cullen 107 b 60. His shrine visited by the earle of Flanders 152 a 60. His sword in the ministration of an oth 303 b 40. His shrine taken awaie and his dead bones burnt 945 b 50 Becons and the vse of them in countries néere the sea 752 a 30 Bedford castell besieged 206 b 20. Deliuered to the barons 185 a 60 Bele doctor an vndiscréet and seditious preacher 841 a 10 20 Belesme ¶ Sée Erle Bell a seditious préest arreigned condemned his prophesie his sermon to the rebels his seditious letter his execution at saint Albons 437 a 40 c. Bell roong at eight of the clocke at night by whom appointed and whie 6 a 50. ¶ Sée Chime Bell castell assaulted and yeélded vp to the English 879 b 30 Belman ¶ Sée Common crier Benbrike doctor poisoned at Rome 835 b 50 Benefices belonging to strangers their valuation taken 236 b 40. The value of them in strangers hands 247 b 20. Bestowed without consent of patrones 224 a 10. Impropriat 214 b 60. With request to the pope that he would not meddle with their reseruations 408 b 60 409 c. Inhibited by the king how note 363 b 60. The best in strangers hands 365 a 60. A proclamâ—tion that all English beneficed men in Rome should returne into England 474 b 50 60. ¶ Sée Adbeies Bishops Churches Clergie Pope Sequestrâ—tion Beneuolence granted to Edward the fourth 694 a 50. Put into Henrie the seuenths head to be leuied ouer the whole land 792 a 20. An exaction of monie of whose deuise 771 b 60. ¶ Sée Subsidie Beneuolence of the French king to the earle of Richmond note 745 a 40 Beningfield knight his churlish vsing of the ladie Elisabeth his prisoner and in his kéeping 1117 b 40. He is too streict and seuere in his office against the ladie Elisabeth 1155 b 10 c. He grudgeth at the gentle interteinement of hir his rude and vngentle behauiour 1156 a 60 b 10 20 c. 60. His cruell dealing towards hir 1157 a 30 Berebeating on sundaie reuenged by Gods iust iudgment note 1353 a 30 Berds shauen and rounded haire in vse with the Normans 5 b 10 Berengaria daugther to the king of Nauarre king Richard the firsts wife 126 b 40 127 a 40 Berkhamstéed castell surrendred 198 a 60 Bertie husband to
plead their causes whither he promised shortlie to send his ambassadours and so he did appointing for the purpose Herbert bishop of Norwich and Robert bishop of Lichfield being both of his priuie councell and William Warlewast of whom mention is made before who went on their waie and came to Rome according to their commission After them also folowed Anselme archbishop of Canturburie Gerard archbishop of Yorke William the elect of Winchester whom the pope receiued with a courteous kind of interteinement But Anselme was highlie honored aboue all the residue whose diligence and zeale in defense of the ordinances of the sée of Rome he well inough vnderstood The ambassadours in like maner declaring the effect of their message opened vnto the pope the ground of the controuersie begun betweene the king and Anselme with good arguments went about to prooue the kings cause to be lawfull Upon the otherside Anselme and his partakers with contrarie reasons sought to confute the same Whervpon the pope declared that sith by the lawes of the church it was decreed that the possession of any spirituall benefice obteined otherwise than by meanes of a spirituall person could not be good or allowable from thencefoorth neither the king nor any other for him should challenge any suth right to apperteine vnto them The kings ambassadours hearing this were somwhat troubled in their minds wherevpon William Warlewast burst out and said with great vehemencie euen to the popes face Whatsoeuer is or may be spoken in this maner to or fro I would all that be present should well vnderstand that the king my maister will not lose the inuestitures of churches for the losse of his whole realme Unto which words Paschall himselfe replieng said vnto him againe If as thou saiest the king thy maister will not forgo the inuestiture of churches for the losse of his realme know thou for certeine and marke my words well I speake it before God that for the ransome of his head pope Paschall will not at any time permit that he shall enioie them in quiet At length by the aduise of his councell the pope granted the king certeine priuileges and customes which his predecessours had vsed and enioied but as for the inuestitures of bishops he would not haue him in any wise to meddle withall yet did he confirme those bishops whom the king had alreadie created least the refusall should be occasion to sowe any further discord This businesse being in this maner ordered the ambassadours were licenced to depart who receiuing at the popes hands great rewards and Gerard the archbishop of Yorke his pall they shortlie after returned into England declaring vnto the king the popes decrée and sentence The king being still otherwise persuaded and looking for other newes was nothing pleased with this matter Long it was yer he would giue ouer his claime or yéeld to the popes iudgement till that in processe of time ouercome with the earnest sute of Anselme he granted to obâ—ie the popes order herein though as it should appeare right sore against his will In this meane time â—he king had seized into his hands the possessions of the archbishop of Canturburie and banished Anselme so that he staied at Lions in France for the space of one yeare and foure moneths during which time there passed manie letters and messages to and fro The pope also wrote to king line 10 Henrie in verie courteous maner exhorting him to call Anselme home againe and to release his claime to the inuestitures of bishops wherevnto he could haue no right sith it apperteined not to the office of any temporall magistrate adding furthermore if the king would giue ouer that vngodlie and vsurped custome that he would shew such fréendlie fauour in all things as by the sufferance of God in any wise he might be able to performe and further would receiue not onelie him but also his yoong sonne William line 20 whom latelie it had pleased God to send him by his vertuous wife queene Maud into his protection so that who so euer did hurt either of them should be thought to hurt the holie church of Rome In one of the letters which the said pope wrote vnto Anselme after that the king was contented to renounce the inuestitures aforesaid he willed Anselme according to the promise which he had made to assoile as well from sinne as from penance due for the same both the king and his wife queene Maud line 30 with all such persons of honour as in this behalfe had trauelled with the king to induce him to be agréeaable to his purpose year 1104 Moreouer the earle of Mellent and Richard de Riuers who had counselled the king to stand stoutlie in the matter and not to giue ouer his title of such inuesritures sith his ancestors had vsed them so long a time before his daies by reason whereof in renouncing his right to the same he should doo a thing greatlie preiudiciall to his roiall estate and princelie maiestie line 40 were now earnest labourers to agree the king and the pope in so much that in the end the king was persuaded by Anselme and them to let go his hold resigning the inuestitures with staffe and ring notwithstanding that he reserued the right of elections and such other roialties as otherwise apperteined to to his maiestie so that such bishops as had doone homage to the king were not disabled thereby but quietlie permitted to receiue their iurisdictions About this time Robert duke of Normandie came line 50 into England to see his brother who through the sugred words and sweet enterteinment of the king released the yeerelie tribute of 3000. markes which he should haue had out of the realme vpon agreement as before ye haue heard but cheefelie indéed at the request of the queene being instructed by hir husband how she should deale with him that was knowne to be frée and liberall without any great consideration what he presentlie granted Now hauing béene here a certeine time and solaced line 60 himselfe with his brother and sister he returned into Normandie where shortlie after he began to repent him of his follie in being so liberall as to release the foresaid tribute wherevpon he menaced the king and openlie in his reproch said that he was craftilie circumuented by him and flatlie couzened Diuerse in Normandie desired nothing more than to set the two brethren at square and namelie Robert de Belesme earle of Shrewsburie with William earle of Mortaigne these two were banished the realme of England The earle of Shrewesburie for his rebellious attempts as before you haue heard and the earle of Mortaigne left the land of his owne willfull and stubborne mind exiling himselfe onelie vpon hatred which he bare to the king For being not contented with the earledome of Mortaigne in Normandie and the earledome of Cornewall in England he made sute also for the earledome of Kent
it selfe againe in his due place Moreouer at the verie same time also fire burst out of certeine riffes of the earth in so huge flames that neither by water nor otherwise it could be quenched In the 34. yeare of his reigne his brother Robert Curthose departed this life in the castell of Cardiff It is said that on a festiuall daie king Henrie put on a robe of scarlet the cape wherof being streict he rent it in striuing to put it ouer his head and perceiuing it would not serue him he laid it aside and said Let my brother Robert haue this robe who hath a sharper head than I haue Which when it was brought to duke Robert and the rent place not sowed vp he perceiued it and asked whether any man had worne it before The messenger told the whole matter how it happened Wherewith duke Robert tooke such a greefe for the scornefull mocke of his brother that he waxed wearie of his life and said Now I perceiue I haue liued too long that my brother shall cloth me like his almes man with his cast and rent garments Thus cursing the time of his natiuitie he refused from thencefoorth to eat or drinke and so pined awaie and was buried at Glocester King Henrie remaining still in Normandie rode round about a great part of the countrie shewing no small loue and courtesie to the people studieng by all meanes possible to win their fauours and bring merie amongst them Howbeit nothing reioised him more than that his daughter Maud the empresse at the same time was deliuered of hir second sonne named Geffrey so that he saw himselfe prouided of an assured successour But whilest he thus passed the time in mirth and solace he began soone after to be somewhat diseased and neuer could perceiue any euident cause thereof Wherefore to driue his greese away he went abrode to hunt and being somewhat amended thereby as he thought at his comming home he would néeds line 10 eat of a lamprey though his physician counselled him to the contrarie but he delighting most in that meat though it be in qualitie verie hurtfull to health would not be dissuaded from it so that his stomach being annoied therewith he fell immediatlie into an ague and so died shortlie after on the first day of December being as then about 67. yeares of age after he had reigned 35. yeres foure moneths lacking foure daies His bodie was conueied into England and buried at Reading within the abbey church line 20 which he had founded and endowed in his life time with great and large possessions It is written that his bodie to auoid the stench which had infected manie men was closed in a buls hide and how he that clensed the head died of the sauour which issued out of the braine ¶ Thus we sée that euen princes come to the like end by as base meanes as other inferiour persons according to that of the poet Dant alios furiae toruo spectacula Marti Exitio est auidis mare nautis line 30 Mista senum ac iuuenum densantur funera nullum Saeua caput Proserpina fugit And here we haue to note the neglect of the physicians counsell and that same ill disposition in diet which the king chose rather to satisfie than by restraining it to auoid the danger whereinto he fell But this is the preposterous election of vntoward patients according to that Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimúsque negata Touching his issue he had by his first wife a sonne line 40 named William drowned as ye haue heard in the sea also a daughter named Maud whome with hir sonnes he appointed to inherit his crowne and other dominions He had issue also by one of his concubins euen a sonne named Richard and a daughter named Marie who were both drowned with their brother William By an other concubine he had a sonne named Robert who was created duke of Glocester line 50 He was strong of bodie fleshie and of an indifferent stature blacke of haire and in maner bald before with great and large eies of face comelie well countenanced and pleasant to the beholders speciallie when he was disposed to mirth He excelled in three vertues wisedome eloquence and valiancie which notwithstanding were somewhat blemished with the like number of vices that reigned in him as couetousnesse crueltie and fleshlie lust of bodie His couetousnesse appeared in that he line 60 sore oppressed his subiects with tributes and impositions His crueltie in that he kept his brother Robert Curtehose in perpetuall prison and likewise in the hard vsing of his coosine Robert earle of Mortaigne whome he not onelie deteined in prison but also caused his eies to be put out which act was kept secret till the kings death reuealed it And his fleshlie lust was manifest by kéeping of sundrie women But in his other affaires he was circumspect in defending his owne verie earnest and diligent Such wars as might be auoided with honourable peace he euer sought to appease but when such iniuries were offered as he thought not meet to suffer he was an impatient reuenger of the same ouercomming all perils with the force of vertue and manlie courage shewing himselfe either a most louing fréend or an extreame enimie for he would subdue his foes to the vttermost and aduance his fréends aboue measure With iustice he ruled the commons quietlie and enterteined the nobles honorablie Théeues counterfeiters of monie and other transgressors he caused to be sought out with great diligence and when they were found to be punished with great seueritie Neither did he neglect reformations of certeine naughtie abuses And as one author hath written he ordeined that théeues should suffer death by hanging When he heard that such peeces of monie as were cracked would not be receiued amongest the people although the same were good and fine siluer he caused all the coine in the realme to be either broken or slit He was sober of diet vsing to eat rather for the quailing of hunger than to pamper himselfe with manie daintie sorts of banketting dishes He neuer dranke but when thirst mooued him he would sléepe soundlie and snore oftentimes till he awaked therewith He pursued his warres rather by policie than by the sword and ouercame his enimies so neere as he could without bloudshed which if it might not be yet with as little slaughter as was possible To conclude he was not inferiour to any of the kings that reigned in those daies in wisedome and policie and so behaued himselfe that he was honoured of the Nobles and beloued of the commons He builded diuerse abbeies both in England and Normandie but Reading was the chéefe He builded the manour of Woodstocke with the parke there wherein beside the great store of deere he appointed diuerse strange beasts to be kept and nourished which were brought and sent vnto him from forren countries farre
This yeare was Thomas Becket preferred to be the kings Chancellor The king holding his Christmas at Worcester in great royaltie year 1158 sat in the church at seruice with his line 40 crowne on his head as the kings vsed in those daies to doo on solemne feasts but as soone as masse was ended he tooke his crowne from his head and set it downe vpon the altar in signe of humblenes so that he neuer after passed for the wearing of a crowne The same yeare also the king altered his coine abrogating certeine peeces called basels In the moneth of August he went ouer into Normandie and came to an enteruiew with the French king neere to the riuer of Eata where they intreated line 50 of a league and of a marriage which was after agréed vpon betwixt Henrie the sonne of king Henrie and the ladie Margaret daughter to the French king at which time Thomas Becket then being the kings chancellor was sent to Paris in great araie to fetch hir who among other furnitures had nine long charrets as Matthew Paris writeth Now when this ladie was deliuered to Thomas Becket the lord chancellor and brought from Paris she was appointed from thencefoorth to remaine in the house line 60 of Robert de Newburge a Noble man of great honor vntill such time as the mariage should be solemnized After the two kings were departed in sunder K. Henrie prepared an armie against Conan duke of Britaine who had seized the citie of Naunts into his hands after the decease of Geffrey the kings brother who was earle of Naunts At length the same Conan perceiuing himselfe not able to resist the king of England vpon the daie of the feast of saint Michael the archangell came to king Henrie and surrendred the citie of Naunts into his hands with all the whole countrie therevnto belonging Soone after which resignation and vpon the 24. of August Geffrey the kings fourth sonne was borne of his wife queene Elianor In December following Theobald earle of Blois was accorded with king Henrie to deliuer to him two of his castels Likewise Petroke earle of Perch surrendred two castels vnto king Henrie which he had vsurped of the demeanes of Normandie in the daies of king Stephan one of which castels the king gaue him againe receiuing homage of him for the same Moreouer king Henrie and Raimond earle of Barzelone met togither at Blaime where they concluded a league by waie of allegiance so that Richard the sonne of king Henrie should take to wife the daughter of the said Raimond in time conuenient and that the king of England should giue vnto the said Richard the duchie of Aquitane the countie of Poictow This earle Raimond had married the daughter and heire of the king of Aragon In the meane time a secret grudge that had long depended betwéene king Henrie and king Lewes of France did still continue and though there was a friendship agreed betweene them as ye haue heard to haue extinguished the same yet was it but a fained friendship for vpon euerie new occasion they were readie to breake againe as it came to passe shortlie after William duke of Aquitane grandfather to queene Elianor married the daughter and heire of the earle of Tholouze and going vnto the warres of the holie land he engaged that earledome vnto Raimond the earle of saint Giles and died before he could returne His sonne William father to quéene Elianor suffered his earledome to remaine still vnredéemed either for want of sufficiencie or through negligence and carelesnesse so that the earle of saint Giles kéeping possession thereof vnto his dieng daie left it to his sonne Raimond who inioyed it likewise Now when king Lewes hauing married the foresaid Elianor demanded restitution as in the right of his wife earle Raimond flatlie at the first denied to restore it but after considering his lacke of power to resist the kings puissance he plied the K. with humble petitions and so preuailed by faire words that in the end king Lewes granted him his sister Constance in marriage which Constance as ye haue heard was married before vnto Eustace the sonne of king Stephan with hir granted him libertie to reteine the earldome of Tholouze as it were by waie of endowment whereto the other accorded Howbeit king Henrie hauing maried the foresaid quéene Elianor after the diuorse had betwixt hir and king Lewes made claime to the said countie of Tholouze in the right of his wife Herevpon earle Raimond trusting now to the aid of his brother in law king Lewes denied to restore it so that king Henrie determined to recouer it by force and entring by and by into Gascoine with an armie he drew towards the countrie of Tholouze began to inuade the same with great force and courage Diuers great lords of those parties ioyned with king Henrie in his war which he attempted against the earle of saint Giles as the earle of Barzelone and the lord William Trencheuile a man of great power in those quarters hauing vnder his rule manie cities castels and townes notwithstanding that he had of late lost many of them by violence of the foresaid earle of Tholouze but now by the aide of king Henrie he recouered them all Malcolme also king of Scotland came vnto king Henrie whilest he was foorth in this iournie to associate him in this businesse The earle hearing of king Henries comming with an armie was put in great feare and therevpon wrote letters to his brother in law king Lewes requiring him with all spéed possible to come vnto his aid King Lewes vpon receipt of the letters vnderstanding the present danger of the earle made such hast in continuing his iournie both daie and night that he came to Tholouze before king Henrie could arriue there Which when king Henrie vnderstood and perceiued how he was preuented he changed his purpose of besieging the citie and fell to spoiling of the countrie thereabouts at which time he line 10 recouered certaine places that latelâ—e before had reuolted from his gouernment amoâ—gst the rest the citie of Cahors which he furnished with men 〈◊〉 on and vittels appointing his chancellor Thomas Becket to the custodie and keeping thereof he forâ—â—fied other places also which he had gotten placing capteines and men of warre to looke vnto the defense of the same Whilest the king was thus abrode on his iournie in the parties of Aquitaine William earle of Bullongne and Mortaine the sonne of king line 20 Stephan and Hannon earle of Glocester departed this life which two earles went thither with him Finallie when he had set things at a staie in those parties he returned towards Normandie and comming to the citie of Toures he gaue the order of knighthood vnto Malcolme king of Scotland and so in the moneth of October he came backe into Normandie and there augmenting his armie with new supplies entred
he required by way of a tallage eight thousand marks of the Iewes charging them on paine of hanging not to deferre that paiment The Iewes sore impouerished with gréeuous and often paiments excused themselues by the popes vsurers and reprooued line 10 plainelie the kings excessiue taking of monie as well of his christian subiects as of them The king on the other side to let it be knowne that he taxed not his people without iust occasion and vpon necessitie that droue him thereto confessed openlie that he was indebted by his bonds obligatorie in thrée hundred thousand marks and againe the yearelie reuenues assigned to his sonne prince Edward arose to the summe of fifteene thousand marks and aboue where the reuenues that belonged vnto the crowne were line 20 greatlie diminished in such wise that without the aid of his subiects he should neuer be able to come out of debt To be short when he had fléeced the Iewes to the quicke he set them to farme vnto his brother earle Richard that he might pull off skin and all but yet considering their pouertie he spared them and neuerthelesse to relieue his brothers necessitie vpon a pawne he lent him an huge masse of monie These shifts did the king vse from time to time not caring with what exactions and impositions he burthened line 30 the inhabitants of his land whereby he procured vnto himselfe the name of an oppressor and couetous scraper But what woonder is it in a king sith Maxima paris hominum morbo iactatur eodem About the same time Lewes the French king sent vnto king Henrie for a present an elephant a beast most strange and woonderfull to the English people sith most seldome or neuer any of that kind had béene séene in England before that time The French queene also sent for a present vnto the king of England line 40 an ewer of pearle like to a peacocke in forme and fashion garnished most richlie with gold siluer and saphires to furnish him foorth in all points of fine and cunning workemanship to the verie resemblance of a liuing peacocke ¶ Manie woonders chanced about this time The sea rose with most high tides riuers were so filled with abundance of water by reason of the great continuall raine that maruellous flouds followed therevpon A comet also appeared and manie high buildings were striken by force of line 50 tempests The death of Walter archbishop of Yorke followed these prodigious wonders who had gouerned that sée the space of fortie yeares After him succeeded one Seuall the 34 archbishop of that citie About the feast of S. Etheldred the ladie Elianor wife of prince Edward the kings son came to London where she was honorablie receiued of the citizens conueied through the citie to S. Iones without Smithfield and there lodged for a season and yer long she remooued to the Sauoy It was not long line 60 after that the king seized the liberties of the citie of London into his hands for certeine monie which the quéene claimed as due to hir of a certeine right to be paid by the citizens so that about the feast of S. Martine in Nouember they gaue vnto the king foure hundred marks and then had their liberties to them againe restored and the kings vnder-treasuror discharged which for the time was made custos or kéeper of the citie About the same time came another legat from the pope namelie one Ruscand a Gascoigne borne to whom with the archb of Canturburie and the bishop of Hereford the pope had granted authoritie to collect and gather the tenths of the spiritualtie within England Scotland and Ireland to the vse of the pope and the king notwithstanding all priuiledges for what cause or vnder what forme of words so euer the same had passed This Ruscand also absolued the king of his vow made to go into the holie land to the end he might go against Manfred king of Sicill He also preached the crosse against the same Manfred promising all those remission of their sins which should go to war against Manfred as well as if they should go into the holie land to warre against Gods enimies there whereat faithfull men much maruelled that he should promise as great méed for the shedding of christian bloud as the bloud of infidels The craftie and slie fetches which were vsed in this season by this Ruscand the bishop of Hereford and other their complices to get monie of the prelats and gouernors of monasteries within this realme were wonderfull verie greeuous to those that felt themselues oppressed therewith and namelie for the debt which the said bishop of Hereford had charged them with they being not priuie to the receipt nor hauing any benefit thereby Ruscand called a councell at London propounded great causes why the prelats ought to aid the pope and so therevpon demanded great summes of monie Amongst other summes he demanded six hundred marks of the house of S. Albons To conclude his demands were estéemed vnreasonable so that the bishops and abbats were in a maruellous perplexitie perceiuing into what miserable state by reason of immoderate exactions the church of England was brought The bishop of London sticked not to saie that he would rather lose his head than consent that the church should be brought to such seruitude as the legat went about to inforce And the bishop of Worcester openlie protested that he would sooner suffer himselfe to be hanged than to sée the church subiect to such oppression by their examples Other also taking a boldnesse vnto them affirmed that they would follow the steps of Thomas sometime archbishop of Canturburie which for the liberties of the church suffered himselfe to haue his braines cut out of his head Yet were those prelats euill troubled for the king was against them on the one side and the pope gaping after monie was become their vtter enimie on the other neither were the Noble men much mooued with pitie towards the church their mother as the terme then went now thus in miserie Finallie the prelats appealed from Ruscand vnto the popes presence and would not obeie the wilfull and violent oppressions of the same Ruscand so that much adoo there was and a great complaint made to the king by Ruscand of the stubborne disobedience of the prelats and namelie of the bishop of London The king was in a great chafe with him and threatned that he would cause the pope to punish him according to â—hat he well deserued but the bishop answered thereto Let the pope and king saith he which are stronger than I am take from me my bishoprike which by law yet they cannot doo let them take awaie my miter yet an helmet shall remaine This yeare after S. Lukes daie the king assembled a great number of the nobilitie at London and thither came the bishop of Bologna la grasse from the pope bringing with him a
gift as that which he thought not to be sufficient ¶ Truelie it shoâ—ld séeme that there was a great vntowardlie disposition in the subiects of that time for the helping of their king with necessarie aid of monie towards such great charges as he had béene diuers waies occasioned to be at since his first comming to the crowne But bicause it was perceiued that he bestowed no small quantitie of his treasure to the aduancing of his kinsfolke and aliance namelie strangers and againe defraied great summes in vaine hope to obteine the kingdoms of both the Sicils which the pope offered to him fréelie inough in words as before yee haue heard the English subiects conceiued a great misliking of the whole gouernement and namelie for that he séemed to be led and ruled by the aduise and counsell of those strangers who being not throughlie acquainted with the nature of the English people nor fullie instructed in the lawes and customes of the realme caused him to doo manie things that procured both to him and them much ill will as well of the hie states as of the commons which as occasion serued they were readie inough to discouer and therefore they were verie inquisitiue both to learne what he receiued and also in what sort he bestowed that which he did receiue and take It was therefore knowne that since he first began to waste his treasure his charges amounted vnto the summe of 950000 marks as the bookes of accompts remaining in the hands of the clearks of his closet plainelie witnessed and yet of all those vaine expenses no great aduantage was growne thereby to the king or realme but rather disaduantage as the most part of men then tooke to and no maruell for there was such hart-burning amongst the nobilitie one enuieng an others aduancement repining at each others dooings that it was not possible to bring any good drift forward amongst men so far at ods togither But we will let this passe as a thing manifest inough to them that shall well consider the course of that time and will returne to the parlement aboue mentioned Before the end of this solemne assemblie of states the archbishop of Cullen with a duke an other bishop came ouer out of Almaine vnto their elect king Richard to whome they did fealtie and homage as to their souereigne liege lord and gouernor which thing once doone he gaue to the said archbishop fiue hundred marks to beare his charges with a rich miter set with stones furnished with plates of beaten gold which miter when the archbishop had set it vpon his head He hath saith he giuen a rich gift to me and to my church and verelie euen as I haue put this miter line 10 on my head so will I set on his head the crowne of the kingdome of Almaine he hath mitered me and I will crowne him The other lords of Almaine which at the same time did homage vnto earle Richard were also presented with great and rich gifts Héere is further to be noted that there were present at this parlement six archbishops Canturburie Yorke Dubline Messina Tarento and Cullen The archbishop of Messina was come to the king to set him on dotage for the businesse about the conquest of line 20 Naples and Sicill At the feast of Ester next following the archbishop of Cullen returned into his countrie and the third day after Easter the elect king of Almaine tooke his leaue and departed toward Yarmouth where he purposed to take the sea to saile ouer into Almaine but by reason of contrarie winds he was driuen to remaine there a long time to his great gréefe and inestimable charges before he could passe ouer yet finallie about the latter end of Aprill he got foorth to the sea and landed at Dordreigh the line 30 first of Maie next insuing About the same time the archbishop of Canturburie called a synod of the bishops and abbats inhabiting within his prouince that inuocating the grace of the Holie-ghost they might foresee some redresse for reléefe of the English church now in these late yeares sore disquieted by new oppressions more gréeuous than had béene accustomed for the king by counsell or rather by the whispering of some flatterers and enimies to the realme was so induced that line 40 he permitted certeine euill customs as thornie brembles to increase in the fruitfull garden of pleasure and to choke vp the trees that brought foorth fruit in great plentie Moreouer in this yeare king Henrie caused the walles of the citie of London which wâ—re sore decaied and destitute of turrets to be repared in more seemelie wise than before they had béene at the common charges of the citie There was an ordinance made at Rome by the pope and his cardinals which verie diligentlie foresaw line 50 to aduance their temporall commodities not much passing for other mens aduantages that euerie one which should be chosen an exempt abbat should come to the court of Rome to be there confirmed and receiue the popes blessing by which heinous ordinance religion was laid open to great danger and the church depriued of temporall prosperitie as saith Matthew Paris for by this means saith he it was needfull for religious men to choose to their gouernour a man not religious but rather halfe line 60 temporall and such a one as to whome rather Iustinians lawes than Christes which conuerteth soules should be familiar The moonks of Durham who onlie with the canons of Gisborne resisted the wicked procéedings of the popes exactors and stood therefore interdicted a long time at length after manie altercations were absolued Oh saith Matth. Paris if in that their tribulation they might haue had fellows and in their constant doings aidors how happilie had the church of England triumphed ouer hir tormentors and oppressors You haue heard how Richard earle of Cornewall being elected king of Almaine sailed thither where on the Ascension day last he was crowned king by the archbishop of Cullen of whom and diuerse other great princes of Germanie he was holden for their lawfull king and gouernour as in the Dutch histories you may find more largelie expressed though other of them had chosen Alfonse king of Castile the which Alfonse wrote to the king of England as his confederate and alie requiring aid of him against the said Richard that was his owne brother to the which vnreasonable request the king would in no wise consent Moreouer in this fortie one yeare of king Henries reigne by reason of a roll closed in gréene wax and found in the kings Wardrobe at Windsor conteining as it were an information against the maior and shiriffes of London for oppression and wrongs doone to the communaltie of the citie the king tooke great displeasure and caused streit inquisition to be made as well by Fouke Moots as Ward Moots diuerse other means At length the maior and shiriffes with the chamberlaine of the citie were
argued against moonks and other men of religion that inioied great riches and large possessions There were diuerse that gaue good eare to him insomuch that sundrie learned men of that vniuersitie preached and set foorth the doctrine that he taught ¶ Amongst other articles which they held these were the cheefe and principall 1 That the sacrament of the altar after consecration was not the bodie of Christ but a figure thereof 2 That the church of Rome was no more head of the vniuersall church than any one other nor more authoritie was giuen by Christ vnto Peter than to anie other of the apostles and that the pope had no more power in the keies of the church than anie other préest whatsoeuer 3 That temporall lords might both lawfullie and meritoriouslie take the temporall goods and reuenues from the church if it offended and if anie temporall lord knew the church to offend he was bound vnder paine of damnation to take from it the temporalties 4 That the gospell is sufficient in this life to direct by rule euerie christian man 5 That all other rules of saints vnder the obseruing whereof diuers religious doo liue ad no more perfection to the gospell than washing ouer with lime dooth the wall 6 That the pope nor anie other prelat of the church ought to haue anie prisons wherein to punish offendors These and manie other opinions did these men hold and mainteine and diuerse lords and great men of the land fauoured their cause But when these conclusions were brought before the pope he condemned the number of 23 of those articles as vaine and hereticall directing his buls to the archbishop of Canturburie and to the bishop of London that they should cause the said Wiclife to be apprehended and examined vpon the said conclusions which they did in presence of the duke of Lancaster and the lord Percie and hearing his declaration commanded him to silence and in no wise to deale with those matters line 10 from thencefoorth so that for a time both he and his fellowes kept silence but after at the contemplation of diuerse of the temporall lords they preached and set foorth their doctrine againe The same day that Wiclife was conuented thus at London before the bishops and other lords thorough a word spoken in reproch by the duke of Lancaster vnto the bishop of London streightwaies the Londoners getting them to armour meant to haue slaine the duke if the bishop had not staid them they had suerlie set fire on the dukes house at the Sauoie line 20 and with much adoo might the bishop quiet them Among other reprochfull parts which in despite of the duke they committed they caused his armes in the publike stréet to be reuersed as if he had béene a traitor or some notorious offendor The duke and the lord Henrie Percie whom the citizens sought in his owne house to haue slaine him if he had béen found hearing of this riotous stur and rebellious commotion forsooke their dinner and fled to Kenington where the lord Richard sonne to the prince togither line 30 with his mother then remained exhibiting before their presence a grieuous complaint of the opprobrious iniuries doone vnto them by the wilfull outrage of the Londoners For this and other causes the citizens were sore hated of the duke in so much that he caused the maior aldermen that then ruled to be discharged of their roomes and other put in their places The king being more grieuouslie vexed with sicknesse from daie to daie either increasing by the line 40 course therof or renewed by some new surfet finallie this yeare departed out of this transitorie life at his manour of Shéene now called Richmond the 21 daie of Iune in the yeare of our Lord 1377 after he had liued 65 yeares reigned fiftie yeares foure moneths 28 daies His corpse was conueied from Sheene by his foure sonnes namelie Lionell duke of Clarence Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langlie duke of Yorke and Thomas of Woodstoke earle of Cambridge with other nobles of the realme and solemnelie interred within Westminster line 50 church with this epitaph in his memoriall Hîc decus Anglorum flos regum praeteritorum Forma futurorum rex clemens pax populorum Tertius Edwardus regni complens iubileum Inuictus pardus pollens bellis Machabeum He had issue by his wife quéene Philip 7 sonnes Edward prince of Wales William of Hatfield that died yoong Lionell duke of Clarence Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langlie earle of line 60 Cambridge after created duke of Yorke Thomas of Woodstoke erle of Buckingham after made duke of Glocester and an other William which died likewise yoong He had also thrée daughters Marie that was maried to Iohn of Mountford duke of Britaine Isabell wedded to the lord Coucie earle of Bedford and Margaret coupled in mariage with the earle of Penbroke This king besides other his gifts of nature was aided greatlie by his seemelie personage He had a prouident wit sharpe to conceiue and vnderstand he was courteous and gentle dooing all things sagelie and with good consideration a man of great temperance and sobrietie Those he chiefelie fauoured and aduanced to honour and roomes of high dignitie which excelled in honest conuersation modestie and innocencie of life of bodie well made of a conuenient stature as neither of the highest nor lowest sort of face faire and manlike eies bright and shining and in age bald but so as it was rather a séemelinesse to those his ancient yeares than any disfiguring fo his visage in knowledge of martiall affaires verie skilfull as the enterprises and worthie acts by him atchiued doo sufficientlie witnesse In what estimation he was had among strangers it may appeare in that he was not onelie made vicar of the empire by the emperour Lewes of Baâ—iere but also after the decease of the same emperour diuerse of the electours as Lewes marques of Brandenbourgh Robert or Rupert count Palatine of the Rhene and the yoong duke of Saxonie with Henrie archbishop of Mentz elected him to succéed in place of the said emperour Lewes Neuerthelesse he giuing them hartie thanks for the honour which they did vnto him herein refused to take the charge vpon him alledging that he could not haue time to supplie the roome by reason of the warres that he had in France to recouer his right which he had to that realme This is noted by writers to be a token of great wisedome in this noble king that would not go about to catch more than he might well gripe Examples of bountious liberalitie and great clemencie he shewed manie and the same verie notable so that in maner he alone amongst all other kings was found to be one subiect to none or at the least to verie light and small faults But yet he was not void of euill haps for whereas during the terme of fortie yeares space
Chierburg brought not so much ioy to the English nation as the mishap that happened at the going foorth of the said earles did cause lamenâ—ation and heauinesse For vpon the first entring into the sea it fortuned that sir Philip and sir Peter Couetenie discouered a line 30 certeine number of ships that were enimies and vndiscréetlie entered amongst them there suddenlie came vpon them the Spanish fléet so that the English ships that were in companie with the said Philip and sir Peter were not able to make their partie good in somuch that finallie after that sir Philip had lost diuerse of his men that were there slaine he goâ— awaie by flight himselfe though gréeuouslie wounded but sir Peter was taken prisoner with a few other line 40 knights that were with him and the most part of all the valiant esquiers of Summer seâ—shire Deuonshire being there abroad with him were slaine and drowned which was estéemed no small losse to the whole common-wealth Thus were the Englishmen occupied in this first yeare of king Richard with troubles of warre and not onelie against the Frenchmen but also against the Scots For euen in the beginning of the same yeare the Scots burnt Rokesburgh in reuenge line 50 whereof the new earle of Northumberland entered Scotland with ten thousand men and sore spoiled the lands of the earle of March for the space of thrée daies togither bicause the said earle of March was the chéefe author and procurer of the burning of Rokesburgh so for that time th' Englishmen were well reuenged of those enimies But at an other time when the Northerne men would néeds make a road into Scotland entring by the west borders they were incountered by the Scots and put to flight so that line 60 manie of them being slaine the Scots tooke the more courage to inuade the borders till at length Edmund Mortimer earle of March came at the daie of truce and tooke an abstinence of warre betwixt both nations for the time though the same continued not long Anon after Midsummer the duke of Lancaster with a strong power tooke the sea and landing in Britaine besieged the towne of saint Mallo de Lisle a fortresse of great importance There went ouer with him the earles of Buckingham Warwike Stafford and diuerse other of the English nobilitie the which made their approches and fiercelie assailed the towne but it was so valiantlie defended that in the end the duke with his armie raised from thence and returned without atchiuing his purpose ¶ About the same time there was a notable and hainous murther committed within saint Peters church at Westminster by occasion of variance betwéene the lord Latimer and sir Rafe Ferters on the one partie and two esquiers the one called Robert Hall and the other Iohn Shakell on the other partie about a prisoner which was taken at the battell of Nazers in Spaine called the earle of Deane who as some write was taken by one sir Franke de Hall at the said battell and bicause he remained in his hands at the death of the said sir Franke he bequeathed him vnto his sonne the said Robert Hall esquier But as other write the said earle was taken by the said Robert Hall himselfe Iohn Shakell iointlie and iudged to be their lawfull prisoner by the sentence of the prince of Wales and sir Iohn Chandois that was master to the said esquiers Wherevpon afterwards the said earle obteined so much fauor that by leauing his sonne and heire in gage for his ransome he returned into Spaine to prouide monie to discharge it but he was so slow in that matter after he was at libertie that he departed this life before he made any paiment and so his lands fell to his sonne that remained in gage for the monie with the two esquiers Wherevpon it happened afterwards that the duke of Lancaster desirous to haue the yoong earle in his hands in hope through his meanes the better to accomplish his enterprise which he meant to take in hand against the king of Castile for the right of that kingdome procured his nephue king Richard to require the said earle of Deane at the hands of the said esquiers But they refused to deliuer him keeping their prisoner foorth of the waie so that none wist were he was become the esquiers therefore were committed to the tower out of the which they escaped vnto Westminster and there registred themselues for sanctuarie men The duke of Lancaster was herewith sore offended and their enimies the said lord Latimer and sir Rafe Ferrers tooke counsell togither with sir Alane Boxhull and others how they might be reuenged of this despite This sir Alane Boxhull was constable of the tower and therefore it greeued him not a little that the esquiers had broken from him and kept themselues thus at Westminster vnder protection of that priuileged place Herevpon it was concluded that sir Rafe Ferrers and the said Alane Boxhull taking with them certeine men in armour to the number of fiftie persons should go and fetch them by force from Westminster vnto the tower againe The morrow therefore after saint Laurence daie being the eleuenth of August these two knights accompanied with certeine of the kings seruants and other to the number afore mentioned came into the church at Westminster whilest the said esquiers were there hearing of high masse which was then in celebrating and first laieng hands vpon Iohn Shakell vsed the matter so with him that they drew him foorth of the church and led him streight to the tower But when they came to Robert Hall and fell in reasoning with him he would not suffer them to come within his reach and perceiuing they meant to take him by force he drew out a falcheon or short sword which he had girt to him and therewith laid so fréelie about him trauersing twise round about the moonks quier that till they had beset him on ech side they could doo him no hurt Howbeit at length when they had got him at that aduantage one of them cloue his head to the verie braines and an other thrust him through the bodie behind with a sword and so they murthered him among them They slue also one of the moonkes that would haue had them to haue saued the esquiers life Much adoo was about this matter for the breaking thus of the sanctuarie in somuch that the archbishop of Canturburie and fiue other bishops his suffâ—agans openlie pronounced all them that were present at this murder accurssed and likewise all such as aided or counselled them to it cheeflie and namelie sir Alane Boxhull and sir Rafe Ferrers capteins and leaders of them The king the queene and the duke of Lancaster line 10 were yet excepted by speciall names The bishop of London a long time after euerie sundaie Wednesdaie and fridaie pronounced this excommunication in the church of S. Paule at London The duke of Lancaster though excepted in the same yet
strange on the other part speciallie in such kind of misgouerned people for in that spoiling of the dukes house all the iewels plate and other rich line 30 and sumptuous furniture which they there found in great plentie they would not that any man should fare the better by it of a mite but threw all into the fire so to be consumed and such things as the fire could not altogither destroie as plate and iewels they brake and crashed in péeces throwing the same into the Thames One of them hauing thrust a faire siluer peece into his bosome meaning to conueie it awaie was espied of his fellowes who tooke him and cast both him and the péece into the fire saieng they line 40 might not suffer any such thing sith they professed themselues to be zealous of truth and iustice and not théeues nor robbers There were 32 of them that being gotten into the celler of the Sauoie where the dukes wines laie dranke so much of such swéete wine as they found there that they were not able to come foorth but with stones wood that fell downe as the house burned they were closed in so that out they could not get They laie there showting crieng seuen daies line 50 togither and were heard of manie but none came to helpe them and so finallie they perished Now after that these wicked people had thus destroied the duke of Lancasters house and done what they could deuise to his reproch they went to the temple and burnt the men of lawes lodgings with their bookes writings and all that they might lay hand vpon Also the house of saint Iohns by Smithfield they set on fire so that it burned for the space of seuen daies togither On Friday a great number of them estéemed line 60 to 20 thousand went to the manor of Heiburie that belonged vnto the lord of saint Iohns and setting fire on it sought vtterlie to destroie the whole buildings about it They were now diuided into thrée parts one vnder the leading of Iacke Straw tooke in hand to ruinate that house and an other number of them lay on mile end greene and the third companie kept vpon the tower hill and would not suffer anie vittels to be conueied into the tower where the king at that time was lodged and was put in such feare by those rude people that he suffered them to enter into the tower where they sought so narowlie for the lord chancelor that finding him in the chappell they drew him foorth togither with the lord treasuror and on the tower hill without reuerence of their estates and degrees with great noise and fell cries they stroke off their heads There were also beheaded at the same time by those rude people one of the kings seruants that was a sergeant at armes called Iohn Leg who had vsed himselfe somewhat extremelie in gathering vp of the pole monie as by one writer it appeareth Also to make vp the messe they beheaded a Franciscane Frier whom they had taken there at the same time for malice of the duke of Lancaster bicause he was verie familiar with him ¶ Some write that this frier was confessor and other say that he was physician to the king but what soeuer he was the commons chopped off his head to beare the other companie not sparing for anie respect that might be alledged in any of their behalfes On the same day also they beheaded manie others as well Englishmen as Flemings for no cause in the world but onelie to satisfie the crueltie of the commons that then were in their kingdome for it was a sport to them when they gat any one amongst them that was not sworne to them and séemed to mislike of their dooings or if they bare but neuer so little hatred to him streightwaies to plucke of his hood with such a yelling noise as they tooke vp amongst them and immediatlie to come thronging into the stréets and strike off his head Neither had they any regard to sacred places for breaking into the church of the Augustine friers they drew foorth thirteene Flemings and beheaded them in the open streets and out of the parish churches in the citie they tooke foorth seuentéene and likewise stroke off their heads without reuerence either of the church or feare of God But they continuing in their mischéefous purpose shewed their malice speciallie against strangers so that entring into euerie stréet lane and place where they might find them they brake vp their houses murthered them which they found within and spoiled their goods in most outragious manner Likewise they entered into churches as before ye haue heard into abbeies monasteries and other houses namelie of men of law which in semblable sort they ransacked They also brake vp the prisons of newgate and of both the counters destroied the books and set prisoners at libertie and also the sanctuarie-men of saint Martins le grand And so likewise did they at Westminster where they brake open the eschequer and destroied the ancient bookes and other records there dooing what they could to suppresse law and by might to beate downe equitie and right as it is said Tunc ius calcatur violentia cum dominatur They that entered the tower vsed themselues most presumptuouslie and no lesse vnreuerentlie against the princesse of Wales mother to the king for thrusting into hir chamber they offered to kisse hir and swasht downe vpon hir bed putting hir into such feare that she fell into a swoone and being taken vp and recouered was had to the water side and put into a barge conueied to the place called the quéenes wardrobe or the tower riall where she remained all that day and the night following as a woman halfe dead till the king came to recomfort hir It was strange to consider in what feare the lords knights gentlemen stood of the cruell procéedings of those rude base people For where there were six hundred armed men and as manie archers in the tower at that present there was not one that durst gainesaie their dooings Finallie when they had eased their stomachs with the spoiling burning and defacing of sundrie places they became more quiet and the king by the aduise of such as were then about him vpon good deliberation of counsell offered to them pardon and his peace with condition that they should cease from burning and ruinating of houses from killing and murthering of men and depart euerie man to his home without more adoo and there to tarrie for the kings charters confirmatorie of the same pardon The Essexmen were content with this offer as they that were desirous to see their wiues and children being waxen wearie of continuall trauell and paines which they were constreined to take The king went foorth vnto Mile end and there declared vnto the line 10 commons that they should haue charters made to them of his grant to make them all free And further that euerie
some write there were of the rebels at the â—east twentie thousand men Whâ—â— the earle of Westmerland perceiued the force of thâ— aduersaries and that they laie still and attempted noâ—â—o come forward vpon him he subtillie deuised how to â—uaile their purpose and foorthwith dispatched messengâ—â—s vnto the archbishop to vnderstand the cause as it weâ—â— of that great assemblie and for what cause contrarie to the kings peace they came so in amour The archbishop answered that he tooke nothing in hand against the kings peace but that whatsoeuer he did tended rather to aduance the peace and quiet of the common-wealth than otherwise and where he and his companie were in armes it was for feare of the king to whom he could haue no free accesse by reason of such a multitude of flatterers as were about him and therefore he mainteined that his purpose to be good profitable as well for the king himselfe as for the realme if men were willing to vnderstand a truth herewith he shewed foorth a scroll in which the articles were written wherof before ye haue heard The messengers returning to the earle of Westmerland shewed him what they had heard brought from the archbishop When he had read the articles he shewed in word and countenance outwardly that he liked of the archbishops holie and vertuous intent and purpose promising that he and his would prosecute the same in assisting the archbishop who reioising hereat gaue credit to the earle and persuaded the earle marshall against his will as it were to go with him to a place appointed for them to commune togither Here when they were met with like number on either part the articles were read ouer and without anie more adoo the earle of Westmerland line 10 and those that were with him agréed to doo their best to see that a reformation might be had according to the same The earle of Westmerland vsing more policie than the rest Well said he then our trauell is come to the wished end and where our people haue beéne long in armour let them depart home to their woonted trades and occupations in the meane time let vs drinke togither in signe of agreement that the people on both sides maie sée it and know that it is true line 20 that we be light at a point They had no sooner shaken hands togither but that a knight was sent streight waies from the archbishop to bring word to the people that there was peace concluded commanding ech man to laie aside his armes and to resort home to their houses The people beholding such tokens of peace as shaking of hands and drinking togither of the lords in louing manner they being alreadie wearied with the vnaccustomed trauell of warre brake vp their field and returned homewards line 30 but in the meane time whilest the people of the archbishops side withdrew awaie the number of the contrarie part increased according to order giuen by the earle of Westmerland and yet the archbishop perceiued not that he was deceiued vntill the earle of Westmerland arrested both him and the earle marshall with diuerse other Thus saith Walsingham But others write somwhat otherwise of this matter affirming that the earle of Westmerland in deed and the lord Rafe Eeuers procured the archbishop line 40 the earle marshall to come to a communication with them vpon a ground iust in the midwaie betwixt both the armies where the earle of Westmerland in talke declared to them how perilous an enterprise they had taken in hand so to raise the people and to mooue warre against the king aduising them therefore to submit themselues without further delaie vnto the kings mercie and his sonne the lord Iohn who was present there in the field with baâ—ners spred redie to trie the matter by dint of sâ—â—rd line 50 if they refused this counsell and therefore he willed them to remember themselues well if tâ—â—y would not yeeld and craue the kings pardon â—e bad them doo their best to defend themselues Herevpon as well the archbishop as the earle marshall submitted themselueâ— vnto the king and to his sonne the lord Iohn that was there present and returned not to their armie Wherevpon their troops scaled and fled their waies but being pursued manie were taken manie slaine and manie spoiled line 60 of that that they had about them so permitted to go their waies Howsoeuer the matter was handled true it is that the archbishop and the earle marshall were brought to Pomfret to the king who in this meane while was aduanced thither with his power and from thence he went to Yorke whither the prisoners were also brought and there beheaded the morrow after Whitsundaie in a place without the citie that is to vnderstand the archbishop himselfe the earle marshall sir Iohn Lampleie and sir Robert Plumpton ¶ Unto all which persons though indemnitie were promised yet was the same to none of them at anie hand performed By the issue hereof I meane the death of the foresaid but speciallie of the archbishop the prophesie of a sickelie canon of Bridlington in Yorkeshire fell out to be true who darklie inough foretold this matter the infortunate euent thereof in these words hereafter following saieng Pacem tractabunt sed fraudem subter arabunt Pro nulla marca saluabitur ille hierarcha The archbishop suffered death verie constantlie insomuch as the common people tooke it he died a martyr affirming that certeine miracles were wrought as well in the field where he was executed as also in the place where he was buried and immediatlie vpon such bruits both men and women began to worship his dead carcasse whom they loued so much when he was aliue till they were forbidden by the kings fréends and for feare gaue ouer to visit the place of his sepulture The earle marshals bodie by the kings leaue was buried in the cathedrall church manie lamenting his destinie but his head was set on a pole aloft on the wals for a certeine space till by the kings permission after the same had suffered manie a hot sunnie daie and manie a wet shower of raine it was taken downe and buried togither with the bodie After the king accordinglie as séemed to him gooâ— had ransomed and punished by gréeuous fines thâ— citizens of Yorke which had borne armour oâ— their archbishops side against him he departed 〈◊〉 Yorke with an armie of thirtie and seuen thousaâ—â— fighting men furnished withall prouision necâ—sarie marching northwards against the earle of Northumberland At his coÌ„ming to Durham â—e lord Hastings the lord Fauconbridge sir Ioâ—n Colleuill of the Dale and sir Iohn Griffith â—eing conuicted of the conspiracie were there beâ—â—aded The earle of Northumberland hearing â—at his counsell was bewraied and his confeâ—â—rats brought to confusion through too much 〈◊〉 of the archbishop of Yorke with thrée hundred â—orsse got him to Berwike The king comming â—orward quickelie wan the castell of
kings absence appeased diuerse riots and punished the offendors the king with a great power tooke shipping at Douer on saint Georges euen within night and landed at Calis on the morrow being saint Georges daie and sundaie by seuen of the clocke in the morning He remained in Calis a good space and from thence he remoued to Rone being there receiued with all triumph He taried in that citie a long time his nobles dailie consulting on their great businesse weightie affaires ¶ In this kings time somewhat about this yeare a certeine Breton whome a good honest widow had receiued into hir house and conceiued well of him in opinion was by hir mainteined of hir owne pursse as Polychronicon saith she found him of almes and for Gods sake This charitable deed of hirs deserued a deuout mind to God ward and a thankfull hart to hir But good soule how was she recompensed Euen murthered in hir bed by the hands of that villaine whome so bountifullie she succoured and motherlike tendered Unto which bloudie fact which was a preparatiue to a further mischeefe bred in his vnnaturall hart he added another offense for when he had dispatched the woman vsing the riddance of hir to his aduantage and as he had obteined oportunitie to his thinking he conueied all that she had awaie with him for his owne releefe Then being persecuted with guiltinesse of conscience which troubleth offendors with ceaslesse vexations and forceth them from place to place to séeke corners of euasion and shift he tooke priuilege of holie church at saint Georges in Southwarke where laieng hands on the crosse as a shield of sufficient safegard he abiured this land and by that meanes thought himselfe frée from afterclaps Neuerthelesse God whose mercifull nature abhorreth the effusion of mans bloud prepared a punishment for the malefactor who passing through the suburbs of London without Algate the place where he had committed the murther the women of the same parish and stréet as it were inraged came out with stones staues kenell doong and other things wherewith they so bethwackt him on all parts of his bodie that they laid him a stretching and rid him quite of life In the wreking of this their teene they were so fell and fierce that the constables with their assistants which were no small number dooing what they could by their authoritie and maine strength were not able to rescue him out of the womens hands who had sworne in their hearts as it séemed by the maner of their reuenge which was void of all mercie to sée the end of such a villaine as most vnnaturallie had slaine a woman a neighbour a widow a pitifull woman a good neighbour an honest widow the wretch himselfe being a fugitiue a stranger borne a begger and he to whome she shewed hir selfe the staffe of his support O singular ingratitude which nature abhorreth law dissalloweth heauen disclaimeth line 10 God detesteth humanitie condemneth and euerie good bodie to the verie death defieth as the old distichon excellentlie and with good sense noteth Lex natura coelum Deus omnia iura Damnant ingratum moerent illum quoque natum But to returne to the affaires of king Henrie who in the moneth of Nouember remooued from Rone to Pontoise and so to saint Denis to the intent to make his entrie into Paris and there to be sacred king of France There were in his companie of his line 20 owne nation his vncle the cardinall of Winchester the cardinall and archbishop of Yorke the dukes of Bedford Yorke and Norffolke the earles of Warwike Salisburie Oxenford Huntington Ormond Mortaigne and Suffolke Of Gascoigns there were the earles of Longuille and Marche besides manie other noble men of England Guien and Normandie And the chéefe of the French nation were the dukes of Burgognie and Lewes of Lutzenburgh cardinall and chancellor of France for king Henrie line 30 the bishops of Beauuois and Noion both péeres of France beside the bishop of Paris and diuerse other bishops the earle of Uaudemount and other noble men whose names were superfluous to rehearse And he had in a gard about his person three thousand price archers some on horssebacke and part on foot To speake with what honour he was receiued into the citie of Paris what pageants were prepared and how richlie the gates streets and bridges on euerie line 40 side were hanged with costlie clothes of arras tapestrie it would be too long a processe and therefore I doo héere passe it ouer with silence On the seauentéenth daie of December he was crowned king of France in our ladie church of Paris by the cardinall of Winchester the bishop of Paris not being contented that the cardinall should doo such an high ceremonie in his church and iurisdiction After all the ceremonies were finished the king returned toward the palace hauing one crowne on his head and another line 50 borne before him and one scepter in his hand and the second borne before him As touching other the roiall seruices and princelie appointments they are verie diligentlie at large set out in the French chronicle of that time This coronation of the king Anglorum praelia as manie other good and memorable matters so this also he hath noted saieng thereof in comelie breuitie and truth as after followeth Aeternae famae paulo post rege sepulto Parisijs diadema vias compita circum line 60 Iunior Henricus portat lepidissimus infans This high and ioious feast passed not without some spot of displeasure among the English nobilitie for the cardinall of Winchester which at this time would haue no man be equall with him commanded the duke of Bedford to leaue off the name of regent during the time that the king was in France affirming the cheefe ruler being in presence the authoritie of the substitute to be cleerelie derogate according to the common saieng In the presence of the higher power the smaller giueth place The duke of Bedford tooke such a secret displeasure with this dooing that he neuer after fauoured the cardinall but stood against him in all things that he would haue forward This was the root as some haue thought of that diuision amongst the English nobilitie where through their glorie within the realme of France began first to decline The next daie after the solemne feast of the kings coronation were kept triumphant iusts and torneis in the which the earle of Arundell and the bastard of S. Paule by the iudgement of the ladies woone the price The king kept open hall the space of fiue daies to all commers and after bicause the aire of Paris séemed contrarie to his pure complexion by the aduise of his councell he remooued to Rone where he kept his Christmasse But before his departure from Paris the noble men as well of France and Normandie did to him homage and the common people sware to him fealtie In this meane time
was giuen vp vnder the kings great scale at the kings palace of Westminster the foure and twentith daie of March line 60 in the six and thirtith yeare of his reigne For the open publishing of this ioifull agréement there was vpon our ladie daie in March a solemne procession celebrated within the cathedrall church of saint Paule in London year 1459 at the which the king was present in habit roiall with his crowne on his head Before him went hand in hand the duke of Summerset the earle of Salisburie the duke of Excester and the earle of Warwike and so one of the one faction and another of the other and behind the king the duke of Yorke and the quéene with great familiaritie in appeerance leading hand in hand But what shall be said As goodlie apples corrupted at core how faire coated so euer they seeme can neuer be made to become sound againe nor rotten walles new plastered without can euer the more staie their mooldering inward till the putrified matter fret through the crust laie all in the mire so fared it on all parts in this dissembled and counterfet concord For after this apparant peace but inward discord diuerse of the nobles smallie regarding their honors forgot their oth and brake their promise boldlie Not long after this of pretensed purpose as it was thought a fraie was made vpon a yeoman of the earle of Warwiks by one of the kings seruants in the which the assailant was sore hurt but the earles man fled Héerevpon the kings meniall seruants séeing their fellow hurt and the offendor escaped assembled togither and watched the earle when he returned from the councell chamber toward his barge and suddenlie set on him the yeomen with swords the blacke gard with spits and fier-forks After long fight and manie of the earls men maimed and hurt by helpe of his fréends he gat a wherrie and so escaped to London The quéene aduertised héerof incontinentlie commanded that he should be apprehended and committed to the tower where if he had béene taken he had shortlie ended his daies By this vnhappie fraie there arose anon after such trouble and terrible warre that the whole realme was thereby disquieted For after this displeasure doone to the earle and the quéens good mind towards him by his secret fréends reuealed he wish all diligence tooke his iournie to Warwike and after into Yorkeshire where he found the duke of Yorke and the earle of Salisburie declaring vnto them the assault made vpon him by the kings seruants and the pretensed euill purpose of the quéene After which complaint made he fearing to be dispossessed of his roome at Calis with great spéed imbarked himselfe and sailed thither He was not onelie deputie or lieutenant of Calis but also high admerall of the seas which office was to him confirmed for the space of fiue yeares Wherevpon whether before his arriuall now at Calis or shortlie after I cannot say but this yeare about the middest of summer the said earle hauing with him a fouretéene well appointed ships sailed abroad to scowre the seas and by chance met with fiue great ships whereof thrée were caraks of Genoa and the other two were of Spaine bigger in heigth and length than the caraks The earle though he was scarse able to deale against them yet he valiantlie incountred them There was a verie sore and long continued battell fought betwixt them for it lasted almost the space of two daies Yet in the end the victorie fell to the English so that two of those ships being forced to saue themseluesby flight the other thrée were taken which the earle brought vnto Calis with all the merchandize aboord the same the value whereof in wine oile wax iron cloth of gold and other riches was estéemed to the summe of ten thousand pounds aboue By reason whereof that was sold now for twelue pense which would not haue béene bought before for two shillings There were taken a great number of prisoners beside a thousand of the enimies slaine in fight Of the earles part there were fiftie slaine The earles fame héereby increased not a little and manie a blessing he had for this peece of seruice ¶ The noble science of Printing was about this time found in Germanie at Magunce by one Iohn Cuthembergus a knight one Conradus an Almaine brought it into Rome William Caxton of London mercer brought it into England about the yeare 1471 and first practised the same in the abbie of saint Peter at Westminster after which time it was likewise practised in the abbies of S. Augustine at Canturburie saint Albons and other monasteries of England In a little towne in Bedfordshire there fell a bloudie raine whereof the red drops appeered in shéets the which a woman had hanged out for to drie But now to the former purpose After that the earle was gone ouer to Calis the duke of Yorke and the earle of Salisburie falling in consultation togither it was at length agréed betwixt them with aduise of their freends that the said earle of Salisburie line 10 with a warlike companie should march toward the king and signifie to him by waie of complaint both the manifest iniurie doone to his sonne and also the vncourteous breach of the sworne amitie and late agréement In which sute if he preuailed he should not then let passe the occasion giuen for reuenge of displeasures to him doone both by the quéene and hir sinister councellors After conclusion of this deuise the earle of Salisburie remooued from Middleham castell accompanied with foure or fiue thousand men line 20 and tooke his waie through Lancashire to passe that waie towards London In the meane season the quéene assisted and ruled by the dukes of Summerset and Buckingham hauing a vigilant eie to all hir businesse imagined that the earle of Warwike had kindled this fier to the intent to set the crowne on the duke of Yorks head Wherefore she appointed Iames Twichet lord Audelie bicause his power laie in those parties by the which the earle of Salisburie must passe to raise line 30 an hoast of men with all speed and to giue battell to the same earle if he saw cause and place conuenient She had deuised a cognisance of the white swan which she willed all such as she knew to beare fauor vnto hir sonne to weare for a signification of their good minds and hartie loue towards him which cognisance she had giuen to manie gentlemen of Chesshire and other countries thereabout The quéene hir selfe laie the same time at Ecclesale in Staffordshire but the K. remained at Colleshill line 40 in Warwikeshire whither the earle of Salisburie meant to come in pretense to haue communed with him for a reformation of matters depending in controuersie betwixt himselfe the duke of Yorke and others But the queene construing that they ment no good neither to hir nor hir husband requested the lord Audelie
acts and statutes made afore this time by act of parlement not repealed or annulled by like authoritie or otherwise void be in suth force effect and vertue as they were afore the making of these ordinances and that no letters patents roialx of record nor acts iudiciall made or doone afore this time not repealed reuersed ne otherwise void by law be preiudiced or hurt by this present act line 20 This agreement put in articles was ingrossed sealed and sworne vnto by the two parties and also enacted in the parlement For ioy whereof the king hauing in his companie the duke of Yorke road to the cathedrall church of saint Paule in London and there on the day of All saints with the crowne on his head went solemnelie in procession and was lodged a good space after in the bishops palace néere to the said church And vpon the saturdaie next insuing line 30 Richard duke of Yorke was by sound of trumpet solemnelie proclamed heire apparant to the crowne of England and protectour of the realme After this the parlement kept at Couentrie the last yeare was declared to be a diuelish councell and onelie had for destruction of the nobilitie and was indéed no lawfull parlement bicause they which were returned were neuer elected according to the due order of the law but secretlie named by them which desired rather the destruction than the aduancement of the line 40 common-wealth When these agréements were enacted the king dissolued his parlement which was the last parlement that euer he ended The duke of Yorke well knowing that the queene would spurne against all this caused both hir and hir sonne to be sent for by the king But she as woont rather to rule than to be ruled and thereto counselled by the dukes of Excester and Summerset not onelie denied to come but also assembled a great armie intending to take the king by fine force out of the lords hands The protector in London hauing knowledge line 50 of all these dooings assigned the duke of Norffolke and erle of Warwike his trustie fréends to be about the king while he with the earles of Salisburie and Rutland and a conuenient number departed out of London the second daie of December northward and appointed the earle of March his eldest sonne to follow him with all his power The duke came to his castell of Sandall beside Wakefield on Christmasse éeuen there began to make muster of his tenants and fréends The quéene there of ascerteined determined line 60 to cope with him ye◠his succour were come Now she hauing in hir companie the prince hir sonne the dukes of Excester and Summerset the earle of Deuonshire the lord Clifford the lord Ros and in effect all the lords of the north parts with eightéene thousand men or as some write two and twentie thousand marched from Yorke to Wakefield and bad base to the duke euen before his castell gates He hauing with him not fullie fiue thousand persons contrarie to the minds of his faithfull councellors would needs issue foorth to fight with his enimies The duke of Summerset and the quéenes part casting vpon their most aduantage appointed the lord Clifford to lie in one stale and the earle of Wilshire in another and the duke with other to kéepe the maine battell The duke of Yorke with his people descended downe the hill in good order and arraie and was suffered to passe on towards the maine battell But when he was in the plaine field betweene his castell and the towne of Wakefield he was inuironed on euerie side like fish in a net so that though he fought manfullie yet was he within halfe an houre slaine and dead and his whole armie discomfited with him died of his trustie fréends his two bastard vncles sir Iohn and sir Hugh Mortimers sir Dauie Hall sir Hugh Hastings sir Thomas Neuill William and Thomas Aparre both brethren and two thousand and eight hundred others whereof manie were yoong gentlemen and heires of great parentage in the south parts whose kin reuenged their deaths within foure moneths next as after shall appeare In this conflict was wounded and taken prisoner Richard earle of Salisburie sir Richard Limbricke Rafe Stanleie Iohn Harow capteine Hanson and diuerse others The lord Clifford perceiuing where the earle of Rutland was conueied out of the field by one of his fathers chapleins and scholemaister to the same earle and ouertaking him stabbed him to the heart with a dagger as he kneeled afore him This earle was but a child at that time of twelue yeares of age whome neither his tender yeares nor dolorous countenance with holding vp both his hands for mercie for his speach was gone for feare could mooue the cruell heart of the lord Clifford to take pitie vpon him so that he was noted of great infamie for that his vnmercifull murther vpon that yoong gentleman But the same lord Clifford not satisfied herewith came to the place where the dead corpse of the duke of Yorke laie caused his head to be striken off and set on it a crowne of paper fixed it on a pole and presented it to the quéene not lieng farre from the field in great despite at which great reioising was shewed but they laughed then that shortlie after lamented and were glad then of other mens deaths that knew not their owne to be so néere at hand ¶ Some write that the duke was taken aliue and in derision caused to stand vpon a molehill on whose head they put a garland in steed of a crowne which they had fashioned and made of sedges or bulrushes and hauing so crowned him with that garland they knéeled downe afore him as the Iewes did vnto Christ in scorne saieng to him Haile king without rule haile king without heritage haile duke and prince without people or possessions And at length hauing thus scorned him with these and diuerse other the like despitefull words they stroke off his head which as yee haue heard they presented to the quéene Manie déemed that this miserable end chanced to the duke of Yorke as a due punishment for breaking his oth of allegiance vnto his souereigne lord king Henrie but others held him discharged thereof bicause he obteined a dispensation from the pope by such suggestion as his procurators made vnto him whereby the same oth was adiudged void as that which was receiued vnaduisedlie to the preiudice of himselfe and disheriting of all his posteritie After this victorie by the quéene the earle of Salisburie and all the prisoners were sent to Pomfret year 1461 and there beheaded whose heads togither with the duke of Yorkes head were conueied to Yorke and there set on poles ouer the gate of the citie in despite of them and their linage The earle of March now after the death of his father verie duke of Yorke lieng at Glocester was woonderfullie amazed when the sorrowfull newes of these mishaps came vnto him but after
towne a great sort were drowned Manie ran towards the towne some to the church and diuerse to the abbeie and other to other places where they thought best to saue themselues This was the last fought field or pight battell tried betwéene the potentats of this land in king Edward the fourths daies which chanced on the fourth of Maie being saturdaie in the eleauenth yeare of his reigne and in the yeare of our Lord 1471 as Anglorum praelia affirmeth saieng Vltima postremae locus est Teuxburia pugnae In the winning of the campe such as stood to it were slaine out of hand Prince Edward was taken as he fled towards the towne by sir Richard Crofts and kept close In the field and chase were slaine the lord Iohn of Summerset called marquesse Dorset Thomas Courtenie earle of Deuonshire sir Iohn Delues sir Edward Hampden sir Robert Whitingham and sir Iohn Leukener with thrée thousand others After the field was ended proclamation was made that whosoeuer could bring foorth prince Edward aliue or dead should haue an annuitie of a hundred pounds during his life and the princes life to be saued if he were brought foorth aliue Sir Richard Crofts nothing mistrusting the kings promise brought foorth his prisoner prince Edward being a faire and well proportioned yoong gentleman whom when king Edward had well aduised he demanded of him how he durst so presumptuouslie enter into his realme with banner displaied Wherevnto the prince boldlie answered saieng To recouer my fathers kingdome heritage from his father and grandfather to him and from him after him to me lineallie descended At which words king Edward said nothing but with his hand thrust him from him or as some saie stroke him with his gantlet whom incontinentlie George duke of Clarence Richard duke of Glocester Thomas Greie marquesse Dorcet and William lord Hastings that stood by suddenlie murthered for the which cruell act the more part of the dooers in their latter daies dranke of the like cup by the righteous iustice and due punishment of God His bodie was homelie interred with the other simple corpses in the church of the monasterie of blacke monks in Teukesburie After the victorie was thus atchiued the king repaired to the abbeie church there to giue God thanks for that good successe which it had pleased him to blesse him with and there finding a great number of his enimies that were fled thither to saue themselues he gaue them all his free pardon albeit there was no franchise there for rebels but that he might haue commanded them to haue béene drawen foorth without breach of anie liberties of that church He granted also that the dead bodies as well of the lords as other slaine in that battell might be buried in the same church or else where it pleased their freends or seruants without anie quartering heading or setting vp the heads or quarters in any publike places O the patience and clemencie of this good king who besides the putting vp of wrongs doone to him by violence of foes without vengeance fréelie forgaue the offendors and did so honorablie temper his affections There were found in the abbeie and other places of the towne Edmund duke of Summerset Iohn Lonstrother lord prior of S. Iohn sir Thomas Tressham sir Gerueis Clifton and diuerse other knights and esquiers which were apprehended and all of them being brought before the duke of Glocester sitting as constable of England and the duke of Norffolke as marshall in the middest of the towne they were arreigned condemned and iudged to die and so vpon the tuesdaie being the seuenth of Maie the said duke and the lord prior with the two forenamed knights and twelue other knights were on a scaffold set vp in the middle of the towne for that purpose beheaded and permitted to be buried without anie other dismembring or setting vp of their heads in anie one place or other The same tuesdaie the king departed from Teukesburie towards Worcester and by the waie had knowledge that quéene Margaret was found in a poore house of religion not far from thence into the which she was withdrawen for safegard of hir selfe on saturdaie in the morning being the daie of the battell She was after brought to London as prisoner and so kept till hir father ransomed hir with great summes of monie which he borowed of Lewes the eleuenth king of France And bicause he was not able to make repaiment thereof he sold vnto the said Lewes as the French writers affirme the kingdomes of Naples and both the Sicils with the countie of Prouance King Edward being at Worcester had aduertisements brought foorth of the north-parts that the people there were about to assemble in armour against him in fauour of king Henrie line 10 wherevpon he left the right way to London and rode to Couentrie meaning to increase the number of his people and so with a puissant armie to go northwards Herevpon comming to Couentrie the eleuenth of Maie and remaining there thrée daies he well refreshed such as had béene with him at Teukesburie field Hither was brought to him queene Margaret from whence she was conueied to London there to remaine in safe keeping as before you haue hard line 20 Whilest he was busie in sending abroad vnto his friends to leauie an armie he was aduertised that the commotion in the north was pacified For after it was knowen abroad how he obteined the victorie as well at Teukesburie as at Barnet and in manner subdued all his enimies the capteins that had stirred the people to that rebellion began to quaile and forsooke their companies Diuerse of them made sute to the earle of Northumberland that it might please him to be a mediator line 30 to the king for their pardon so that now there was no rebellion in all the north parts but that as well the citie of Yorke as all other places were at the kings commandement readie in all things to obeie him as true and loiall subiects And this was confirmed by the earle of Northumberlands owne mouth who on the fouretéenth of Maie came to the king as yet remaining at Couentrie by reason whereof it was not thought néedfull that the king should trauell anie further northward at that time line 40 either about the pacifieng of the people or to see execution doone vpon the offendors sith all was there in good tranquillitie and quiet But now when all things séemed to be at rest and no rebellion after so happie victories doubted newes came to him before his cōming to Couentrie from the lords of his bloud abiding at London that one Thomas Neuill bastard sonne to that valiant capteine the lord Thomas Fauconbridge who had latelie before beene sent to the sea by the earle of Warwike line 50 and after fallen to practise pirasie had spoiled diuerse merchants ships Portingals and others in breach of the ancient amitie that long had continued betwixt the
person qualities I will referre you to that which sir Thomas More hath written of him in that historie which he wrote and left vnfinished of his sonne Edward the fift and of his brother king Richard the third which we shall God line 40 willing hereafter make you partaker of as we find the same recorded among his other workes word for word when first we haue according to our begun order rehearsed such writers of our nation as liued in his daies As first Nicholas Kenton borne in Suffolke a Carmelit frier in Gippeswich prouinciall of his order through England Henrie Parker a Carmelit frier of Doncaster preached against the pride of prelats line 50 and for such doctrine as he set foorth was imprisoned with his fellow Thomas Holden and a certeine blacke frier also for the like cause Parker was forced to recant thrée speciall articles as Bale noteth out of Leland Iohn Harding an esquier borne in the north parts wrote a chronicle in English verse and among other speciall points therein touched he gathered all the submissions and homages had and made by the Scotish kings euen from the daies of king Athelstan whereby it euidentlie may line 60 appeare how the Scotish kingdome euen in manner from the first establishing thereof here in Britaine hath beene apperteining vnto the kings of England and holden of them as their chéefe superior lords William Iue a doctor of diuinitie and prebendarie of saint Paules in London Thomas Wilton a diuine and deane of the said church of Paules in London Iulian Bemes a gentlewoman indued with excellent gifts both of bodie and mind wrote certeine treatises of hawking and hunting delighting greatlie hir selfe in those exercises and pastimes she wrote also a booke of the lawes of armes and knowledge apperteining to heralds Iohn Stamberie borne in the west parts of this realme a Carmelit frier and confessor to king Henrie the sixt he was also maister of Eaton colledge and after was made bishop of Bangor and remooued from thence to the sée of Hereford Iohn Slueleie an Augustine frier prouinciall of his order Iohn Fortescue a iudge and chancellor of England wrote diuerse treatises concerning the law and politike gouernement Rochus a Chaterhouse moonke borne in London of honest parents and studied in the vniuersitie of Paris he wrote diuerse epigrams Iohn Phreas borne also in London was fellow of Balioll colledge in Oxenford and after went into Italie where he heard Guarinus that excellent philosopher read in Ferrara he prooued an excellent physician and a skilfull lawier there was not in Italie whilest he remained there that passed him in eloquence knowledge of both the toongs Gréeke and Latine Walter Hunt a Carmelit frier a great diuine and for his excellencie in learning sent from the whole bodie of this realme vnto the generall councell holden first at Ferrara and after at Florence by pope Eugenius the fourth where he disputed among other with the Gréekes in defense of the order and ceremonies of the Latine church Thomas Wighenhall a moonke of the order called Premonstratensis in the abbie of Durham in Norffolke Iohn Gunthorpe went into Italie where he heard that eloquent learned man Guarinus read in Ferrara after his comming home into England he was deane of Welles and kéeper of the priuie seale Iohn Hambois an excellent musician and for his notable cunning therein made doctor of musicke William Caxton wrote a chronicle called Fructus temporum and an appendix vnto Treuisa beside diuerse other bookes and translations Iohn Miluerton a Carmelit frier of Bristow and prouinciall of his order through England Ireland and Scotland at length bicause he defended such of his order as preached against endowments of the church with temporall possessions he was brought into trouble committed to prison in castell S. Angelo in Rome where he continued thrée yeares and at length was deliuered thorough certeine of the cardinals that were appointed his iudges Dauid Morgan a Welsh man treasuror of the church of Landaffe wrote of the antiquities of Wales a description of the countrie Iohn Tiptoff a noble man borne a great traueller excellentlie learned and wrote diuerse treatises and finallie lost his head in the yeare 1471 in time of the ciuill warre betwixt the houses of Yorke and Lancaster Iohn Shirwood bishop of Durham Thomas Kent an excellent philosopher Robert Huggon borne in Norffolke in a towne called Hardingham wrote certeine vaine prophesies Iohn Maxfield a learned physician William Gréene a Carmelit frier Thomas Norton borne in Bristow an alcumist Iohn Meare a moonke of Norwich Richard Porland borne in Norffolke a Franciscane frier and a doctor of diuinitie Thomas Milling a moonke of Westminster a doctor of diuinitie and preferred to the bishoprike of Hereford Scogan a learned gentleman and student for a time in Oxford of a plesant wit and bent to merrie deuises in respect whereof he was called into the court where giuing himselfe to his naturall inclination of mirth pleasant pastime he plaied manie sporting parts although not in such vnciuill maner as hath beene of him reported Thus farre the prosperous reigne of Edward the fourth sonne and heire to Richard duke of Yorke The historie of king Edward the fift and king Richard the third vnfinished written by maister Thomas More then one of the vnder shiriffes of London about the yeare of our Lord 1513 according to a copie of his owne hand printed among his other workes KIng Edward the fourth of that name after that he had liued fiftie three yeeres year 1483 seuen moneths and six daies and thereof reigned two and twentie yeares one moneth eight daies died at Westminster the ninth daie of Aprill the yeare of our redemption a thousand foure hundred fourescore and thrée leauing much faire issue that is to wit Edward the prince a thirtéene line 10 yeares of age Richard duke of Yorke two yeares yoonger Elizabeth whose fortune and grace was after to be quéene wife vnto king Henrie the seuenth and mother vnto the eight Cicilie not so fortunate as faire Briget which representing the vertue of hir whose name she bare professed and obserued a religious life in Dertford an house of close nunnes Anne that was after honorablie married vnto Thomas then lord Howard and after earle of Surrie and Katharine which long time tossed in either fortune sometime in wealth oft in aduersitie at the line 20 last if this be the last for yet she liueth is by the benignitie of hir nephue king Henrie the eight in verie prosperous estate and worthie hir birth and vertue This noble prince deceassed at his palace of Westminster and with great funerall honor and heauines of his people from thence conueied was interred at Windsor A king of such gouernance behauior in time of peace for in warre each part must néeds be others enimie that there was neuer anie prince of line 30 this land atteining the crowne by battell so heartilie beloued with the
the king answered that he would go first and shift his apparell and so departed into my lord cardinals chamber and there new apparelled him in which time the dishes of the banket were cleane taken vp and the tables spred againe with new cleane perfumed cloths euerie man and woman sitting still vntill the king with all his maskers came among them againe all new apparelled Then the king tooke his seat vnder the cloth of estate commanding euerie person to sit still as they did before in came a new banket before the king and to all the rest throughout all the tables wherein were serued two hundred diuerse dishes of costlie deuises and subtilties Thus passed they foorth the night with banketting dansing and other triumphs to the great comfort of the king and pleasant regard of the nobilitie there assembled And thus spent this cardinall his time from daie to daie and yeare to yeare in such wealth ioie triumph and glorie hauing alwaies on his side the kings especiall fauour vntill fortune enuied his prosperitie and ouerthrew all the foundations of his glorie which as they were laid vpon sand so they shroonke and slipt awaie whereby insued the ruine of his estate euen to the verie losse of his life which as a man of a guiltie conscience and fearing capitall punishment due by law for his vndutifull demeanour against his souereigne Edward Hall saith vpon report he partlie procured willinglie taking so great a quantitie of a strong purgation as nature was therewith oppressed and vnable to digest the same so that in fine he gaue vp the ghost and was buried in Leicester abbeie of whome to saie more I will surceasse concluding onelie with a description which I find of him not impertinent for this place sith wholie concerning his person ¶ This cardinall as you may perceiue in this storie was of a great stomach for he compted himselfe equall with princes by craftie suggestion gat into his hands innumerable treasure he forced little on simonie and was not pittifull and stood affectionate in his owne opinion in open presence he would lie and saie vntruth and was double both in speach and meaning he would promise much performe little he was vicious of his bodie gaue the clergie euill example he hated sore the citie of London feared it it was told him that he should die in the waie toward London wherefore he feared least the commons of the citie would arise in riotous maner and so slaie him yet for all that he died in the waie toward London carrieng more with him out of the world than he brought into it namelie a winding shéete besides other necessaries thought méet for a dead man as christian comelinesse required This ruine of the cardinall was not so much as once dreampt vpon when I. Leland the famous antiquarie wrote this welwishing octastichon vnto the said Wolseie being then in the flowre of his glorie and the pearle of his pride as hereafter followeth Sic tuus Henricus regum qui gloria florens Perpetuo studio te colat ornet amet Sic pia coniung at proceres concordia magnos Vt iusto bell fulmine Turcaruat Sic vastâ—s operum tantorum denique moles Absoluaâ— summo templa dicata Deo Sis bonus ô 〈◊〉 mihi tutela 〈◊〉 Diceru merito pâ—aesidiúmque meae After the cardinall was dead the king remooued from Hampton court to Gréenwich where he with quéene Katharine kept a solemne Christmasse and on the Twelfe night he sat in the hall in his estate whereas were diuerse enterludes rich maskes aâ—â— disports and after that a great banket Now after line 10 Christmas he came to his manour of Westminster which before was called Yorke place for after that the cardinall was attainted in the premunire was gone northward he made a feoffement of the same place to the king and the chapiter of the cathedrall church of Yorke by their writing consserued the same feoffement then the king changed the name and called it the kingâ— manor of Westminster and no more Yorke place The whole cleargie of England â—uer supported and mainteined the power legantine 〈◊〉 the cardinall line 20 wherefore the kings learned 〈◊〉 said plainlie that they were all in the premuniâ—e the spirituall lords were called by processe into the kings Bâ—nch to answer but before their daie of appearance they in their conuocation concluded an humble submission in writing and offered the king a hundred thousand pounds to be their good lord also to giue them a pardon of all offenses touching the premunire by act of parlement the which offer with much labour line 30 was accepted and their pardon promised In this submission the cleargie called the king supreame head of the church of England which thing they neuer confessed before wherevpon manie things followed after as you shall heare When the parlement was begun the sixt daie of Ianuarie year 1531 the pardon of the spirituall persons was signed with the kings hand and sent to the lords which in time conuenient assented to the bill and sent it to the commons in the lower house Now when it line 40 was read diuers froward persons would in no wise assent to it except all men were pardoned saieng that all men which had anie thing to doo with the cardinall were in the same case The wiser sort answered that they would not compell the king to giue them his pardon beside that it was vncharitablie doone of them to hurt the cleargie and doo themselues no good wherefore they aduised them to consent to the bill and after to sue to the king for their pardon which counsell was not followed but they determined first to send the speaker to the king yer they line 50 would assent to the bill Wherevpon Thomas Audleie speaker for the commons with a conuenient number of the common house came to the kings presence and there eloquentlie declared to the king how the commons sore lamented and bewailed their chance to thinke or imagine themselues to be out of his gratious fauor bicause that he had gratiouslie giuen his pardon of the premunire to his spirituall subiects and not to them wherefore they most humblie besought his line 60 grace of his accustomed goodnesse and clemencie to include them in the same pardon The king wiselie answered that he was their prince and souereigne lord and that they ought not to restraine him of his libertie nor to compell him to shew his mercie for it was at his pleasure to vse the extremitie of his laws or mitigate and pardon the same wherefore sith they denied to assent to the pardon of the spirituall persons which pardon he said he might giue without their assent by his great seale he would be well aduised yer he pardoned them bicause he would not be noted to be compelled to it With this answer the speaker and the commons departed verie sorowfull and pensiue and some
and sir Thomas More knight and doctor Nicholas Wilson parson of saint Thomas apostles in London expreslie denied at Lambeth before the archbishop of Canturburie to receiue that oth The two first stood in their opinion to the verie death as after ye shall heare but doctor Wilson was better aduised at length and so dissembling the matter escaped out of further danger ¶ In this yéere it chanced that two merchant strangers fell in loue with a harlot which was called Woolfes wife and this harlot had often hanted the strangers chambers And so on a time the said harlot appointed these strangers to come to Westminster and she had prepared for them a bote in the which bote was but one man to row which was a strong theefe and in the end of the bote laie Woolfe hir husband couered with a leather that botemen vse to couer their cushins with and so these strangers sat them down mistrusting nothing Now when this boteman had brought them as farre as a place called the turning tree suddenlie stepped vp the said Woolfe and with his dagger thrust the one of them through the other cried out to safe his life and offred great sums of monie to the boteman and him to saue his life But no proffers would be heard nor mercie would they extend but as cruell murtherers without pitie slue the other also and bound them face to face and so threw them into the Thames in the foresaid place where they were long after before they were â—ound But immediatlie the harlot Woolfes wife went to the strangers chambers tooke from thence so much as she could come by And at the last she and hir husband as they deserued were apprehended arreigned and hanged at the aforesaid turning trée On the ninth of Iulie was the lord Dacres of the north arreigned at Westminster of high treason where the duke of Norffolke sate as iudge and high steward of England The said lord Dacres being brought to the barre with the axe of the Tower before him after his indictment read so improoued the same answering euerie part and matter therein conteined and so plainlie and directlie confuted his accusers which were there readie to auouch their accusations that to their great shames and his high honor he was found that day by his péeres not guiltie whereof the commons not a little reioised as by their shout and crie made at those words not guiltie they fréelie testified The two and twentith of Iulie was Iohn Frith burned in Smithfield for the opinion of the sacrament and with him the same time and at the same stake suffered also one Andrew Hewet a yoong man by his occupation a tailor The eleuenth of August were all the places of the obseruant friers suppressed as Gréenwich Canturburie Richmont Newarke and Newcastell and in their places were set Augustine friers and the obseruant friers were placed in the roomes of the graie friers ¶ The one and twentith of September doctor Tailor master of the rolles was discharged of that office and Thomas Cromwell sworne in his place the nintéenth of October Moreouer the third of Nouember the parlement line 10 began againe in the which was concluded the act of supremacie which authorised the kings highnes to be supreme head of the church of England and the authoritie of the pope abolished out of the realme ¶ In the same parlement also was giuen to the king the first fruits and tenths of all spirituall dignities and promotions This yeare came the great admerall of France into England ambassadour from the French king and was honorablie receiued In this time died the earle of Kildare prisoner line 20 in the Tower and his sonne Thomas Fitzgaret began to rebell year 1535 and tooke all the kings ordinance and sent to the emperour requiring him to take his part also he slue the bishop of Dublin and robbed all such as would not obeie him In the beginning of this yeare the duke of Norffolke and the bishop of Elie went to Calis and thither came the admerall of France On the two twentith of Aprill the prior of the Charterhouse at London the prior of Beuall the prior of Erham Reinalds a brother of Sion Iohn line 30 vicar of Thistleworth were arreigned and condemned of treason and therevpon drawne hanged and quartered at Tiburne the fourth of Maie their heads and quarters were set ouer the bridge gates of the citie one quarter excepted which was set vp at the Charterhouse at London ¶ On the eight of Maie the king commanded that all belonging to the court should poll their heads to giue example caused his owne head to be polled and his beard from thencefoorth was cut round but not shauen which line 40 fashion the courtiers imbraced and would no doubt haue put in practise though they had not beene therevnto bound by precept for the people imitate the prince as the poet long ago well noted saieng Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis ¶ The fiue and twentith daie of Maie was in saint Paules church at London examined ninetéene men and six women borne in Holland whose opinions were first that in Christ is not two natures God and man secondlie that Christ tooke neither flesh nor line 50 bloud of the virgin Marie thirdlie that children borne of infidels shall be saued fourthlie that baptisme of children is to none effect fiftlie that the sacrament of Christs bodie is but bread onelie sixtlie that he who after his baptisme sinneth wittinglie sinneth deadlie and cannot be saued Fourtéene of them were condemned a man a woman of them were burned in Smithfield the other twelue were sent to other townes there to be burnt On the ninetéenth of Iune were three moonkes line 60 of the Charterhouse hanged drawne and quartered at Tiburne and their heads and quarters set vp about London for denieng the king to be supreme head of the church their names were Exmew Middlemoore and Nudigate Also the one and twentith of the same moneth and for the same cause doctor Iohn Fisher bishop of Rochester was beheaded for denieng of the supremacie and his head set vpon London bridge but his bodie buried within Barking churchyard This bishop was of manie sore lamented for he was reported to be a man of great learning and of a verie good life The pope had elected him a cardinall and sent his hat as far as Calis but his head was off before his hat was on so that they met not On the sixt of Iulie was sir Thomas Moore beheaded for the like crime that is to wit for denieng the king to be supreme head And then the bodie of doctor Fisher was taken vp and buried with sir Thomas Moores in the Tower This man was both learned and wise and giuen much to a certeine pleasure in merie taunts and â—easting in most of his communication which maner he forgat not at the verie
thousand tall yeomen and seruing men well horssed which on their knees made their submission by the mouth of sir Robert Bowes and gaue to the king nine hundred pounds On Barnesdale the archbishop of Yorke with thrée hundred priests and more met the king and making a like submission gaue to him six hundred pounds The like submission was made by the maiors of Yorke Newcastell and Hull and ech of them gaue to the king an hundred pounds After he had béene at Yorke twelue daies he came to Hull where he deuised certeine fortifications This doone he passed ouer the water of Humber and so through Lincolneshire returned toward the south parts and at Alhallowen tide came to Hampton court About the same time the king had knowledge that the quéene liued dissolutelie in vsing the vnlawfull companie of one Francis Diram with whome she had beene too familiar before hir maraiage with the king not meaning to forgo his companie now in time of hir marriage without regard had either to the feare of God or the king hir husband the last summer being in progresse with the king at Pomfret the seuen and twentith of August she reteined the said Francis Diram in hir seruice to the intent she might vse his companie in such vnlawfull sort the more freelie and not satisfied with him she also vsed the vnlawfull companie of Thomas Culpeper esquire one of the gentlemen of the kings priuie chamber as well at Pomfret aforesaid on the nine and twentith and last of August aforesaid and on the first of September as at diuerse other times and places before and after Wherevpon the thirtéenth of Nouember sir Thomas Wriothesleie knight the kings secretarie came to Hampton court vnto the said quéene and called all hir ladies gentlewomen and seruants into hir great chamber there openlie in presence of them all declared hir offenses committed in abusing of hir bodie before hir mariage therwith he discharged hir houshold The morrow after she was conueied to Sion the ladie Bainton and certeine gentlewomen and some of hir seruants being appointed to wait vpon hir there till the kings pleasure might be further knowen Culpeper Diram and others were had to the tower Diram in his examination being charged with the familiaritie which had béene betwixt them before she was married to the king confessed that he and she said quéene had made a precontract togither and that he concealed it for hir preferment in marriage to the king after he vnderstood the king began to cast a liking towards hir The first of December Culpeper and Diram were arreigned at the Guildhall in London before the lord maior sitting there in iudgement as chéefe iudge hauing the lord chancellor vpon his right hand and the duke of Norffolke vpon his left hand the duke of Suffolke the lord priuie seale the earles of Sussex and Hereford with diuerse other of the councell sitting there as iudges in commission that daie the prisoners in the end confessed the indictement and had iudgement to die as in cases of treason The tenth of December the said Culpeper and Diram were drawen from the tower vnto Tiburne and there Culpeper had his head striken off and Diram was hanged dismembred and headed Culpepers bodie was buried in S. Sepulchers church but both their heads were set on London bridge The two and twentith of December were arreigned in line 10 the Kings bench at Westminster the ladie Margaret Howard wife to the lord William Howard Katharine Tilneie Alice Restwold gentlewomen Ioane Bulmer wife to Anthonie Bulmer gentleman Anne Howard wife to Henrie Howard esquier and brother to the late queene Malein Tilneie widow Margaret Benet wife to Iohn Benet gentleman Edward Walgraue gentleman William Ashbie gentleman all these were condemned of misprision of treason for concealing the queenes misdemeanour line 20 And the same daie in the afternoone the lord William Howard and Damport a gentleman were likewise arreigned and condemned of the same offense and as well these as the other were adiudged to lose their goods the profits of their lands during life and to remaine in perpetuall prison The sixtéenth of Ianuarie the parlement began at Westminster in the which the lords and commons exhibited certeine petitions to the king year 1542 First that he would not vex himselfe with the quéenes offense line 30 and that she and the ladie Rochford might be attainted by parlement and to auoid protracting of time they besought him to giue his roiall assent thereto vnder his great seale without staieng for the end of the parlement Also that Diram and Culpeper before attainted by the common law might also be attainted by parlement that Agnes duches of Norffolke and Katharine countesse of Bridgewater hir daughter which for concealing the said offense were committed to the towre and indicted of misprision line 40 the lord William Howard arreigned of the same might likewise be attainted Also that who soeuer had spoken or doone anie thing in detestation of hir naughtie life should be pardoned To these petitions the king granted thanking the commons for that it appéered they tooke his griefe to be theirs wherevpon the quéene and the ladie Rochford were attainted by both the houses On the tenth of Februarie the quéene was conueied from Sion to the towre by water the duke of Suffolke the lord line 50 priuie seale and the lord great chamberleine hauing the conduction of hir The next daie after being saturdaie and the eleuenth of Februarie the king did send his roiall assent by his great seale and then all the lords were in their robes and the common house called vp there the act was read and his assent declared And so on the thirtéenth daie those two ladies were beheaded on the greene within the towre with an ax where they confessed their offenses and died repentant line 60 Before this on the thrée and twentith daie of Ianuarie was the king proclamed king of Ireland as it was enacted both by authoritie of the parlement here and also of an other parlement holden at Dublin in Ireland there begun the thirteenth of Iune last past before sir Anthonie Saintleger knight and the kings deputie there where as till that time the kings of England were onlie intituled lords of Ireland In the beginning of March died sir Arthur Plantagenet vicount Lisle bastard sonne to Edward the fourth in the towre of London vnattainted when he should haue béene deliuered and set at libertie The occasion of his trouble for the which he was committed to the towre rose vpon suspicion that he should be priuie to a practise which some of his men as Philpot and Brindholme executed the last yeare as before ye haue heard had consented vnto for the betraieng of Calis to the French whilest he was the kings lieutenant there But after that by due triall it was knowne that he was nothing
accuse him rather of malice than otherwise they were by twelue honest substantiall men of the citie sworne to passe vpon their indictments cléerelie acquited and discharged The same daie also was a pewterer named Thomas Daie discharged by the pardon granted in the last parlement after he had remained in prison in Newgate the space of thrée yeares now past condemned long before the date of the same pardon for the article of auricular confession comprised within the same statute About the same time to wit the seuenth of Iune a great armie of Frenchmen came downe to Bullongne and néere to the hauen incamped themselues In this armie were reckoned to be twelue thousand lanceknights twelue thousand French footmen six thousand Italians foure thousand of legionarie soldiours of France a thousand or twelue hundred men of armes beside seuen or eight hundred light horsmen After some skirmishes not greatlie to their aduantage they began yet to build a fort which at length they accomplished as after shall appeare ¶ About the fiue twentith of Iune was a great tempest in Derbishire where thorough trées were ouerturned diuerse churches chappels and houses were vncouered Also in Lancashire there fell hailestones as big as mens fists which had diuerse prints in them some like mens faces some like gun holes c. The same moneth also the lord Lisle admerall of England with the English fléet entered the mouth of Saine and came before Newhauen where a great nauie of the Frenchmen laie to the number of a two hundred ships and six and twentie gallies wherof the pope as was reported had sent twentie well furnished with men and monie to the aid of the French king The Englishmen being not past an hundred and thréescore saile and all great ships determined not to set vpon the Frenchmen where they laie but yet approching néere vnto them shot off certeine péeces of ordinance at them and thereby caused the gallies to come abroad which changed shot againe with the Englishmen The gallies at the first had great aduantage by reason of the great â—alme Twise either part assaulted other with shot of their great artillerie but suddenlie the wind rose so high that the gallies could not indure the rage of the seas and so the Englishmen for feare of flats were compelled to enter the maine seas and so sailed vnto Portesmouth where the king laie for he had knowledge by his espials that the Frenchmen intended to land in the I le of Wight wherefore he repaired to that coast to see his realme defended After this the eighteenth of Iulie the admerall of France monsieur Danebalte hoised vp sailes and with his whole nauie came foorth into the seas and arriued on the coast of Sussex before bright Hamstéed and set certeine of his soldiors on land to burne and spoile the countrie but the beacons were fired the inhabitants thereabouts came downe so thicke line 10 that the Frenchmen were driuen to flie with losse of diuerse of their numbers so that they did little hurt there Immediatlie herevpon they made to the point of the I le of Wight called saint Helens point and there in good order vpon their arriuall they cast anchors and sent dailie sixtéene of their gallies to the verie hauen of Portesmouth The English nauie lieng there in the same hauen made them readie and set out toward the enimies and still the one shot hotlie line 20 at the other but the wind was so calme that the kings ships could beare no saile which greatlie grieued the minds of the Englishmen and made the enimies more bold to approch with their gallies and to assaile the ships with their shot euen within the hauen The twentith of Iulie the whole nauie of the Englishmen made out purposed to set on the Frenchmen but in setting forward thorough too much follie one of the kings ships called the Marie Rose line 30 was drowned in the middest of the hauen by reason that she was ouerladen with ordinance and had the ports left open which were verie low and the great artillerie vnbreeched so that when the ship should turne the water entered and suddenlie she suncke In hir was sir George Carew knight and foure hundred soldiours vnder his guiding There escaped not past fortie persons of all the whole number On the morrow after about two thousand of the Frenchmen landed in the I le of Wight where one of their line 40 chiefe capteins named le cheualier Daux a Prouencois was slaine with manie other and the residue with losse and shame driuen backe againe to their gallies The king perceiuing the great Armada of the Frenchmen to approch caused the beacons to be fired and by letters sent into Hamptonshire Summersetshire Wiltshire and into diuerse other countries adioining gaue knowledge to such as were appointed to be readie for that purpose to come with line 50 all spéed to incounter the enimies Wherevpon they repaired to his presence in great numbers well furnished with armor weapon vittels and all other things necessarie so that the I le was garnished and all the frontiers alongest the coasts fortified with excéeding great multitudes of men The French capteins hauing knowledge by certeine fishermen whom they tooke that the king was present so huge a power readie to resist them they disanchored and drew along the coast of Sussex and a small number line 60 of them landed againe in Sussex of whome few returned to their ships for diuerse gentlemen of the countrie as sir Nicholas Pelham and others with such power as was raised vpon the sudden tooke them vp by the waie and quickelie distressed them When they had searched euerie where by the coast and saw men still readie to receiue them with battell they turned sterne and so got them home againe without anie act atchiued woorthie to be mentioned The number of the Frenchmen was great so that diuerse of them that were taken prisoners in the I le of Wight and in Sussex did report that they were thrée score thousand The French king aduertised the emperor most vntrulie by letters that his armie had gotten the Ile of Wight with the ports of Hamton and Portesmouth and diuerse other places In August following the earle of Hertford entered againe into Scotland with twelue thousand men and destroied all the townes in the middle marches burned Coldingham abbeie and passed to the west marches sore annoieng and indamaging the Scots and yet neither they nor the Frenchmen that were sent into Scotland this yeare to the aid of the Scots vnder the leading of monsieur de Lorges Montgomerie his father durst once come foorth into the field to incounter with him Also in the beginning of this moneth the citie of London set foorth a thousand soldiors of archers harquebutters pikes and bils which went to Douer and so passed ouer vnto Calis to serue the king in his wars on that side the
Lanquet wrote an epitome of chronicles and also of the winning of Bullongne Iohn Shepre Leonard line 30 Cox wrote diuerse treatises one in English rhetorike whereof Bale maketh no mention Thomas Soulmon borne in the I le of Gernseie verie studious in histories as by his writings and notes it appeareth Iohn Longland bishop of Lincolne Maurice Chancie a Charterhouse moonke Cutbert Tunstall bishop of Duresme Richard Samson Alban Hill a Welshman an excellent physician Richard Croke verie expert in the Gréeke toong Robert Whittington borne in Staffordshire néere to Lichfield line 40 wrote diuerse treatises for the instruction of Grammarians Iohn Aldrige bishop of Carleill Iohn Russell gathered a treatise intituled Super iure Caesaris Papae he wrote also commentaries in Cantica William Roie Simon Fish a Kentishman borne wrote a booke called the supplication of beggers Iohn Powell and Edward Powell Welshmen wrote against Luther Edward died in Smithfield for treason in denieng the kings supremacie in the line 50 yeare 1540 Iohn Houghton gouernour of the Charterhouse moonks in London died likewise for treason in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred thirtie and fiue Iohn Rickes being an aged man forsaking the order of a frier Minor which he had first professed imbraced the gospell George Bullen lord Rochford brother to quéene Anne wrote diuerse songs and sonets Francis Bigod knight borne in Yorkeshire wrote a booke against the cleargie intituled De impropriationibus and translated certeine bookes from Latine into English he died for rebellion in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred thirtie and seauen Richard Wise Henrie Morleie lord Morleie wrote diuerse treatises as comedies and tragedies the life of sectaries and certeine rithmes William Boteuille alià s Thin restored Chaucers workes by his learned and painfull corrections Iohn Smith sometime schoolemaister of Heiton Richard Turpine borne of a worshipfull familie in England seruing in the garrison of Calis wrote a chronicle of his time he died in the yéere a thousand fiue hundred fortie and one and was buried in saint Nicholas church in Calis Sir Thomas Wiat knight in whose praise much might be said as well for his learning as other excellent qualities meet for a man of his calling he greattlie furthered to inrich the English toong he wrote diuerse matters in English méeter and translated the seauen penitentiall psalmes and as some write the whole psalter he died of the pestilence in the west countrie being on his iourneie into Spaine whither he was sent ambassadour from the king vnto the emperour in the yeare a thousand fiue hundred fortie and one Henrie Howard earle of Surrie sonne to the duke of Norffolke delighted in the like studies with sir Thomas Wiat wrote diuerse treatises also in English méeter he suffered at Tower hill as in the historie of this king before yée haue heard Iohn Field a citizen and lawyer of London wrote sundrie treatises as his owne answers vnto certeine articles ministred to him by sir Thomas More the bishop of Rochester Rastall and others when he was in prison for religion he wrote also a treatise of mans fréewill De seruo hominis arbitrio and collections of the common lawes of the land c Tristram Reuell Henrie Brinklow a merchant of London wrote a little booke which he published vnder thâ— name of Roderike Mors and also a complaint vpon London c Robert Shingletâ—n borne of a good familie in Lancashire wrote a treatise of the seauen churches and other things as of certeine prophesies for the which as some write he suffered at London being conuict of treason in the yeare 1544 William Parreie a Welshman wrote a booke intituled Speculum iuuenum Of strangers that liued here in this kings daies and for their works which they wrote were had in estimation these we find recorded by maister Bale Barnard Andreas a Frenchman borne in Tolouse an Augustin Frier and an excellent poet Adrian de Castello an Italian of Corneto a towne in Thuscaine he was commended vnto king Henrie the seuenth by the archbishop Morton and therevpon was first made bishop of Hereford and after resigning that sée was aduanced to Bath and Welles Andreas Ammonius an Italian of the citie of Luca secretarie to the king wrote diuerse treatises Iames Calco an Italian also of Pauia in Lumbardie by profession a Carmelite frier an earnest defender of the diuorse betwixt the king and the ladie Katharine Dowager disproouing the marriage beâ—wixt them to be in anie wise lawfull Thus farre the right high and renowmed Henrie the eight sonne and successor to Henrie the seuenth Edward the sixt sonne and successor to Henrie the eight AFter it had pleased almightie God to call to his mercie that famous prince king Henrie the eight the parlement as yet continuing and now by his death dissolued the executours of the said king and other of the nobilitie assembling themselues line 10 togither did first by sound of trumpet in the palace of Westminster and so through London cause his sonne and heire prince Edward to be proclamed king of this realme by the name of Edward the sixt king of England France and Ireland defender of the faith and of the churches of England and Ireland the supreame head he being yet but nine yeares and od moneths of age he was thus proclamed the eight and twentith of Ianuarie in the yeare of the world 5513 and after the birth of our line 20 Lord 1547 year 1547 according to the accompt of them that begin the yeare at Christmasse but after the accompt of the church of England in the yeare 1546 about the nine and twentith yeare of the emperor Charles the fift the three and thirtith of Francis the first of that name king of France and in the fift yeare of the reigne of Marie quéene of Scotland Shortlie herevpon the earle of Hertford with other of the lords resorted to Hatfield where the yoong king then laie from whence they conducted him with line 30 a great and right honorable companie to the Tower of London During the time of his abode there for the good gouernement of the realme the honour and suertie of his maiesties person his vncle Edward earle of Hertford was by order of the councell and the assent of his maiestie as one most méetest to occupie that roome appointed gouernour of his roiall person and protector of his realmes dominions and subiects and so proclamed the first of Februarie by an herald at armes and sound of trumpet through line 40 the citie of London in the vsuall places thereof as it was thought expedient The sixt daie of Februarie the earle of Hertford lord protector adorned king Edward with the order of knighthood remaining then in the Tower and therewith the king standing vp called for Henrie Hubbleshorne lord maior of the citie of London who comming before his presence the king tooke the sword of the lord protector and dubbed the said Hubblethorne knight he being the first that euer he
line 10 being in deed more chargeable as was thought than profitable sith the garrison there could not be vitteled but with a great power to conduct the cariages in safetie the enimies being still readie to take their aduantage to distresse them vpon anie opportunitie offered It was therefore resolued that the earle of Rutland should go thither to sée the fortifications rased and to conduct from thence the men ordinance in safetie home into England Héerevpon the said earle with the Almans and other souldiours then line 20 remaining on the borders marched thither and caused the bulworks rampiers and trenches to be rased and filled flat with the ground and bringing from thence all the men artillerie and munition bag and baggage returned vnto Barwike without incounter in peaceable and quiet maner Shortlie after this the kings maiestie called his high court of parlement which began at Westminster the foure and twentith daie of Nouember in this third yeare of his reigne and there continued the line 30 same vntill the first daie of Februarie next following which was in the beginning of the fourth yeare of his reigne And among other things there enacted and concluded one statute was made for the punishment of rebels and vnlawfull assemblies the which law was made by occasion of the late rebellion that happened in manner through the realme the yeare passed was not thought nor meant to haue touched anie noble man speciallie such as the duke of Summerset was which after as it shall appeare it did and line 40 by that statute he was condemned within two yeares next after ¶ The nintéenth of Ianuarie sir Iohn Russell lord priuie seale was created earle of Bedford and lord saint Iohn Lord great maister was created earle of Wilshire and sir William Paget comptrollor of the kings house was made lord Paget On the same daie at night were murthered by saint Pulâ—hres church against the kings head without Newgate of London two capteins that had serued the line 50 king of Bullongne and else-where the one was sir Peter Gambo the other Filicirga Which murther was committed by Charles Gauaro a Flemming who came post from Barwike to doo that act On the morrow he with thrée of his companie was taken in Smithfield by the lord Paget and sent to Newgate and the foure and twentith of Ianuarie they were all foure Charles Gauaro Balthasar Gauaro Nicholas Disalueron and Francis Deualasco had in a cart to Smithfield And by the waie at the place line 60 where the murther was doone Charles Gauaro had his right hand striken off on the cart wheele and then all hanged in Smithfield who being exhorted to reconcile himselfe to God and the world by confessing his fault by repenting himselfe of the offense and asking forgiuenesse that he might with a disburthened conscience resigne his soule into the hands of God obstinatlie and desperatlie answered that he would neuer repent him of the déed About the same time monsieur de Thermes that succéeded monsieur de Desse in gouernement as generall of the French forces in Scotland came before Broughticrag where he did so much by batterie oâ—her kinds of inforcement that giuing an assault both with his Frenchmen and certeine Scots ioined with him the twentith of Februarie the fort was entered by fine force and all within it either taken or slaine Sir Iohn Lutterell gouernour of that peece remained prisoner amongst the Frenchmen Moreouer now after the end of the parlement the earle of Warwike hauing then highest authoritie and the rest of the lords of the councell calling to remembrance how the last yeare in the time of rebellion the French king had entered Bullongnois and woone diuerse of the English forts there being of great importance for defense of the towne and countrie the default whereof was imputed to the negligent gouernment of the lord protector and for so much as they well vnderstood that the French king vpon further practise had placed a capteine called the Reingraue with diuerse regiments of Almaine lancequenets and certeine ensignes also of Frenchmen to the number of foure or fiue thousand at the towne of Morguison being the midwaie betwéene Bullongne and Calis to the great perill and danger as well of the countiâ— of Bollongnois as al-of Calis Guisnes and all the low countrie The king therefore for the defense of the said frontiers caused all the strangers which had serued that yeare against the rebels being to the number of two thousand to be transported ouer the sea to the marches of Calis And now at Christmas last past by order of the said earle and of the councellors aforesaid Francis earle of Huntington and sir Edward Hastings his brother sir Iames Croft sir Leonard Chamberleine and diuerse other capteins and souldiers to the number of thrée thousand were set ouer to the marches of Calis to ioine with the said strangers minding with as conuenient speed as they might to remooue the campe and otherwise to annoie the French But in the meane time through the diligent trauell of certeine persons speciallie of one Guidoti an Italian and a Florentine borne there was a motion made for a treatie to be had by certeine commissioners appointed betwixt the kings of England and France for the conclusion of some peace vpon such reasonable conditions and articles as might be thought expedient for the present time and to stand with the honor and commoditie of both the princes This motion tooke such effect that about the seuenth daie of Februarie certeine commissioners appointed for this treatie that is to wit Iohn the earle of Bedford the lord Paget sir William Peter the kings chéefe secretarie and sir Iohn Mason arriued at Calis by reason of whose comming the earle of Huntington and the armie sent ouer before for the defense of the frontiers were countermanded from anie attempt so that little or nothing was doone in that voiage sauing certeine skirmishes at diuerse times not much materiall to be written of These commissioners being thus arriued passed from Calis to Bullongne there to méet with the commissioners appointed for the French king where as a certeine house was newlie erected for the said treatie to be had which was vpon the side of Bullongne hauen next to France where after diuerse méetings conferences of the commissioners of either partie a finall peace was at last concluded betwixt both the realmes But chéeflie among other things for the restitution of Bullongne and Bullongnois to the Frenchmen which were vpon certeine conditions following First that the French king should yeeld and paie to the king of England a certeine summe of monie and the same to be paid at two paiments as it was then agréed and for the same summe the king of England should render the towne of Bullongne and all the forts thereto adioining which he then inioied with all such artillerie and munition as was there
said they ye shall haue them or we will throw them line 20 into the bottome of the sea But the capteins said foorthwith that they would serue quéene Marie willinglie and so brought foorth their men and conueied with them their great ordinance Of the comming of these ships the ladie Marie was woonderfull ioious afterward doubted little the dukes puissance but when newes thereof was brought to the tower each man there began to draw backward and ouer that word of a greater mischeefe was brought to the tower that is to saie that the noblemens tenants line 30 refused to serue their lords against quéene Marie The duke thought long for his succors and wrote somewhat sharplie to the councell at the tower in that behalfe as well for lacke of men as munition but a slender answer had he againe And from that time forward certeine of the councell to wit the erle of Penbroke and sir Thomas Cheineie lord warden and other sought to get out of the tower to consult in London but could not On the sixtéenth of Iulie being sundaie doctor Ridleie bishop of London line 40 by commandement of the councell preached at Paules crosse where he vehementlie persuaded the people in the title of the ladie Iane late proclamed quéene and inueied earnestlie against the title of ladie Marie c. The same sixteenth of Iulie the lord treasuror was gone out of the tower to his house in London at night and foorthwith about seauen of the clocke the gates of the tower vpon a sudden were shut vp and the keies borne vp to the ladie Iane which was for feare of some packing in the lord treasuror line 50 but he was fetched againe to the tower about twelue of the clocke in the night The lords of the councell being in this meane while at London after they vnderstood how the better part of the realme were inclined and hearing euerie daie newes of great assemblies began to suspect the sequell of this enterprise So that prouiding for their owne suertie without respect of the duke who now was at Burie they fell to a new councell and lastlie by assent made proclamation at London in the name of the ladie Marie by the name of Marie quéene of England France Ireland defender of the faith of the churches of England Ireland supreme head Of which proclamation after the duke of Northumberland being then at Burie was aduertised by letters of discomfort from the councell he incontinentlie according to the new order receiued from them returned with his power againe to Cambridge Now so sudden change of minds foorthwith appeared in his armie that they which before séemed most forward in that quarrell began first to flie from him so euerie man shifting for himselfe he that late before was furnished of such multitude of souldiers was suddenlie forsaken of all sauing a few whose perils were ioined with his But now before I proceed anie further in the historie of quéene Marie who was now receiued and proclamed quéene as then to succeed hir brother I will speake somewhat of the learned men that wrote published anie pamphlets or treatises in his daies as in deed there were manie but for that the more part of them died in quéene Maries time or in the quéenes maiesties time that now is or else are yet liuing I doo omit those here meaning to speake of them hereafter if God shall permit as occasion maie serue For the residue that ended their liues in this kings daies these I find Dauid Clapham a lawyer and well séene in the Latine toong wrote sundrie treatises Robert Talbot a prebendarie of Norwich verie skilfull in antiquities Edward Hall a counsellor in the common law but excellentlie séene in histories wrote a notable chronicle of the vnion of the two houses of Yorke Lancaster Furthermore Richard Tracie of Todington in Glocestershire an esquier and verie well learned sonne to William Tracie doctor Ioseph an excellent preacher George Ioie a Bedfordshire man that wrote diuerse treatises concerning diuinitie and died either in the last yeare of king Edward or in the beginning of quéene Maries reigne as appeareth by master Bale Alexander Barkleie a Scot a notable poet and a good rhetorician departed this life in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred fiftie and two William Hugh a Yorkeshireman wrote besides other things a notable treatise called the troubled mans medicine he deceassed by the bursting of a veine in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred fortie and nine Thomas Sternehold borne in South-hampton turned into English méeter seuen thirtie psalmes chosen foorth of Dauids psalter Of strangers that liued and died here in this kings daies excellentlie learned and renowmed for such treatises as they published to the world Martine Bucer and Paulus Fagius are most famous To end now with this part of the booke concerning king Edward I haue thought good to set downe Ierom Cardans verses written as an epitaph of him and recorded by master Fox in his historie as here followeth Flete nefas magnum sed toto flebilis orbe Mortales vester corruit omnis honor Nam regum decus iuuenum flos spésque bonorum Deliciae secli gloria gentis erat Dignus Apollineis lachrymis doctaeque Minerua Flosculus heu miserè concidit ante diem Te cumulo dabimus musa supremáque flentes Munera Melpomene tristia fata canet Thus farre the good and vertuous yoong prince Edward the sixt successor to Henrie the eight of most famous memorie Marie the eldest daughter of king Henrie the eight successor to Edward the sixt MArie eldest daughter of K. Henrie the eight by the ladie Katharine of Spaine his first wife and sister vnto king Edward the sixt by the fathers side began hir reigne the sixt daie of Iulie which daie the king hir brother died and she was proclamed at London as is before remembred in the end of the historie of king Edward the sixt the nineteenth line 30 daie of the same moneth year 1553 in the yeare of our Lord 1553 after the creation of the world 5520 in the fiue and thirtith yeare of Charles the fift emperor of Almaine in the seuenth yéere of Henrie the second of that name K. of France in the eleuenth of Marie quéene of Scotland The twentith of Iulie the duke of Northumberland being come backe to Cambridge heard that the proclamation of queene Marie was come thither whereof he being aduertised called for a trumpetter and an herald but none line 40 could be found Whervpon he riding into the market place with the maior and the lord marques of Northampton made the proclamation himselfe and threw vp his cap in token of ioy ¶ Within an houre after he had letters from the councell as he said that he should forthwith dismisse his armie and not come within ten miles of London for if he did they would fight with him the rumor whereof was no sooner
from Edward the third and Iohn of Gant some made verses Amongst all other maister White then bishop of Lincolne in his poeticall veine being droonken with ioie of the marriage spued out certeine verses the copie whereof we haue here inserted to impart vnto common knowlege Philippi Mariae genealogia qua ambo principes ex Iohanne de Gandauo Eduarditertij Angliae Franciaeque regis filio descendisse ostenduntur Whito Lincolniense authore Ille parens regum Gandaua ex vrbe Iohannes Somersetensem comitem profert Iohannem Somersetensis venit hoc patre dux Iohannes Qui Margaretam Richemundi habuit comitissam Haec dedit Henricum qui regni septimus huius Henrico octauo solium regale reliquit Hoc patre propitio fausto quasi sydere nata Iure tenes sacram teneásque Maria coronam Verses of maister White bishop of Lincolne concerning the marriage of Philip and Marie Nubat vt Angla Anglo regina Maria Philippo Inque suum fontem regia stirps redeat Noluit humani generis daemon vetus hostis Sed Deus Anglorum prouida spes voluit Nollet Scotus inops timidúsque ad praelia Gallus Caesar Italia Flandria tota volet Noluit Haereticus stirps Caiphae pontificum grex Pontificum sed grex Catholicus voluit Octo vxorati Patres in daemone nollent Quinque Cathenati pro pietate volent Noluit Iohannes Dudley Northumbrius vrsus Sed fidum regni Concilium voluit Noluit aetatis nostrae Catilina Viatus Sed proceres plebs pia turba volet Nollet Graius dux Cantia terra rebellans Nos quoniam Dominus sic voluit volumus Clarior effectus repetat sua limina sanguis Cùm sit Philippo iuncta Maria viro But to procéed As soone as the feasting solemnitie of the said marriage was ended the king and quéene departed from Winchester and by easie iournies came to Windsore castell where the fift of August being sundaie he was stalled according to the order of the garter and there kept S. Georges feast himselfe in his roiall estate and the earle of Sussex was also the same time stalled in the order At which time an herald tooke downe the armes of England at Windsore and in the place of them would haue set the armes of Spaine but he was commanded to set them vp againe by certeine lords The seuenth of August was made a generall hunting with a toile raised of foure or fiue miles in length so that manie a déere that day was brought to the quarrie The eleuenth of August they remooued to Richmond and from thence the 27 of the same moneth they came by water to London landing at the bishop of Winchesters house through which they passed both to Southworke parke and so to Suffolke place where they lodged that night and the next daie being saturdaie and the nineteenth of August they being accompanied with a great number of nobles and gentlemen rode from thence ouer the bridge and passed through London vnto Westminster ¶ Now as the king came to London bridge as he entred at the drawbridge was a vaine great spectacle set vp two images representing two giants one named Corineus and the other Gogmagog holding betweene them certeine Latine verses which for the vaine ostentation of flatterie I ouerpasse And as they passed ouer the bridge there was a number of ordinance shot at the tower such as by old mens report the like hath not béene heard or séene these hundred yéeres From London bridge they passed to the conduit in Gratious stréet which was finelie painted and among other things the nine worthies whereof king Henrie the eight was one He was painted in harnesse hauing in one hand a sword and in the other hand a booke wherevpon was written Verbum Dei deliuering the same booke as it were to his sonne king Edward who was painted in a corner by him But herevpon was no small matter line 10 made for the bishop of Winchester lord chancellor sent for the painter and not onelie called him knaue for painting a booke in king Henries hand and speciallie for writing therevpon Verbum Dei but also ranke traitor villen saieng to him that he should rather haue put the booke into the quéenes hand who was also painted there for that she had reformed the church and religion with other things according to the pure and sincere word of God indéed The painter answered and said that if he had knowne that that line 20 had beene the matter wherefore his lordship sent for him he could haue remedied it and not haue troubled his lordship The bishop answered and said that it was the quéenes maiesties will and commandement that he should send for him and so commanding him to wipe out the booke and Verbum Dei too he sent him home So the painter departed but fearing least he should leaue some part either of the booke or of Verbum Dei in king Henries hand he wiped awaie a péece of his line 30 fingers withall Here I passe ouer and cut off other gauds and pageants of pastime shewed vnto him in passing through London with the flattering verses set vp in Latine wherin were blazed out in one place the fiue Philips as the fiue worthies of the world Philip of Macedonia Philip the emperor Philippus Audax Philippus Bonus Philip prince of Spaine and king of England In another poetrie king Philip was resembled by an image representing Orpheus and all English people resembled to brute and line 40 sauage beasts following after Orpheus harpe and dansing after king Philips pipe Not that I reprehend the art of the Latine verses which was fine and cunning but that I passe ouer the matter hauing other grauer things in hand and therefore passe ouer also the sight at Paules church side of him that came downe vpon a rope tied to the batlements with his head before neither staieng himselfe with hand or foot which shortlie after cost him his life But one thing by the waie I cannot let passe touching line 50 the yoong florishing rood newlie set vp against this present time to welcome king Philip into Paules church The setting vp of which rood was this and may make as good a pageant as the best Anno 2. Mariae Boner in his roialtie and all his prebendaries about him in Paules quéere the rood laid along vpon the pauement and also all the doores of Paules being shut the bishop with other said and soong diuers praiers by the rood that being doone they annointed line 60 the rood with oile in diuers places and after the annointing crept vnto it and kissed it After that they tooke the said rood and weied him vp and set him in his old accustomed place and all the while they were dooing thereof the whole queere sang Te Deum and when that was ended they rang the bels not onlie for ioy but also for the notable and great
with eies intent and hands displaied praieng and beseeching thee with the shield of thy protection to defend Marie thy seruant and our quéene who hath none other line 60 helper but thee and whome through thy grace thou hast willed to be conceiued with child and at the time of hir trauell gratiouslie with the helpe of thy right hand deliuer hir and from all danger with the child in hir conceiued mercifullie preserue It hath seemed good in thy sight mercifull father by thy seruant Marie to worke these woonders that is to saie in hir hands to vanquish and ouerthrow the stout enimie and to deliuer vs thy people out of the hands of heretikes infidels enimies to thée and to the crosse of thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ that of thy seruant thou mightest speake in farre countries Therefore for these woonderfull workes which thou dooest to thy seruants thou art magnified Lord God for euer we thy people blesse thée the God of heauen which hast wrought vpon vs this great mercie and hast excluded from vs the heretike the enimie of truth and the persecutor of thy church We know we know that we haue grieuouslie Lord sinned that we haue beene deceiued by vanitie and that we haue forsaken thée our God Our iniquities be multiplied on our head and our sinnes be increased vp to heauen and we our selues haue offended and our princes and our priests for these our sinnes haue deserued an hypocrit to our prince our sinnes haue deserued a tyrant to our gouernor that should bring our life vnto bitternesse We be not worthie to haue so gentle and mercifull a queene so godlie a ruler and finallie so vertuous a prince At the verie beginning of whose reigne a new light as it were of Gods religion séemed to vs for to spring and arise The Iews did blesse the widow Iudith with one voice saieng Thou art the glorie of Ierusalem thou art the ioie of Israell thou art the honor of our people for that thou hast loued chastitie and thou shalt be blessed for euer And we the English people with one agréeable consent doo crie Thou Marie art the glorie of England our ioie the honour of thy people for that thou hast imbraced chastitie thine hart is strengthened for the hand of our Lord hath comforted thée and therefore thou shalt be blessed for euer But bow downe O most mercifull father thine eare and open thine eies and behold our affliction and our humble confession Thou knowest Lord that against Philip not by humane but by thy ordinance our king and against thy seruant Marie by thy prouidence our quéene the restorers and mainteiners of thy testament and of the faith and most constant defenders of thy church thou knowest I saie that against these our two gouernors the enimies of thy holie testament and of the church thy spouse be most ranke rebels and spitefull murmurers walking after their lusts whose mouth speaketh words of pride to the end they maie set vp the kingdome of heretikes and schismatikes By the power of their hands they would change thy promises and destroie thine inheritance and stop and shut vp the mouths of them that praise thée and extinguish the glorie of thy catholike church and altar It is manifest and plaine how manie contentions how manie conspiracies seditions how great warres what tumults how manie and how great troublesome vexations how manie heresies and schismes for these be the most readie deuises and euident tokens of heretikes for our sinnes doo hang ouer vs if thy seruant be taken from this life for we acknowledge that our Lord is omnipotent who hath pitched his dwelling place in the middest of his people to the intent to deliuer vs out of the hands of our enimies Turne therefore thy countenance vnto vs shew vnto vs O Lord thy face Punish vs for our sinnes according to thy will and pleasure onelie now deliuer vs. We bowing the knées of our heart beseech thée that thou wilt not reserue vnto vs punishment for euer and we shall praise thée all the daies of our life Heare our crie and the praier of thy people and open to them the treasure of thy mercie thy gratious fauour the spring of liuelie water Thou that hast begun make in the hand of thy seruant a perfect worke Suffer not we praie thee the faithlesse rebels to saie of thy seruant and hir councellors that they haue deuised matters which they can not performe And grant vnto thy seruant an happie and an easie trauell For it is not impossible to thy power nor indecent to thy iustice nor vnwoonted vnto thy mercie It is well knowne vnto vs how maruellouslie thou diddest worke in Sara of the age of fourescore and ten yeares and in Elisabeth the barren and also farre striken in age for thy counsell is not in the power of men Thou Lord that art the searcher of hearts and thoughts thou knowest that thy seruant neuer lusted after man neuer gaue hir selfe to wanton companie nor made hir selfe partaker with them that walke in lightnesse but she consented to take an husband with thy feare and not with hir lust Thou knowest that thy seruant tooke an husband not for carnall pleasure but onelie for the desire and loue of line 10 posteritie wherein thy name might be blessed for euer and euer Giue therefore vnto thy seruants Philip our king Marie our quéene a male issue which maie sit in the seat of thy kingdome Giue vnto our quéene thy seruant a little infant in fashion and bodie comelie and beautifull in pregnant wit notable and excellent Grant the same to be in obedience like Abraham in hospitalitie like Lot in chastitie and brotherlie line 20 loue like Ioseph in meekenesse and mildnesse like Moses in strength and valiantnesse like Samson Let him be found faithfull as Dauid after thy heart Let him be wise among kings as the most wise Salomon Let him be like Iob a simple and an vpright man fearing God and eschewing euill Let him finallie be garnished with the comelinesse of all vertuous conditions and in the same let him wax old and liue that he maie sée his childrens children to the third and fourth generation And giue to our souereigne line 30 lord and ladie king Philip and quéene Marie thy blessing and long life vpon earth And grant that of them maie come kings and quéenes which maie stedfastlie continue in faith loue and holinesse And blessed be their séed of our God that all nations maie know thou art onelie God in all the earth which art blessed for euer and euer Amen An other praier for queene Marie and hir conceiued child line 40 O Almightie father which diddest sanctifie the blessed virgine and mother of Marie in hir conception in the birth of Christ our sauiour thy onelie sonne also by thy omnipotent power diddest safeliâ— deliuer the prophet Ionas out of the whales bellie â—efend O Lord we beséech thée thy
earlie on saturdaie morning to the intent they might quietlie come and be examined by me yet it was betwéene ten and eleuen of the clocke before they would come and no waie would they take but through Cheapside so that they were brought to my house with about a thousand persons Which thing I tooke verie strange line 40 and spake to sir Iohn Gresham then being with me to tell the maior and the shiriffes that this thing was not well suffered in the citie These naughtie heretikes all the waie they came through Cheapside both exhorted the people to their part and had much comfort A promisâ—ua plebe and being entred into my house and talked withall they shewed themselues desperat and verie obstinat yet I vsed all the honest meanes I could both by my selfe and other to haue woone them causing diuerse learned men to talke line 50 with them and finding nothing in them but pride wilfulnesse I thought to haue had them all hither to Fulham and here to giue sentence against them Neuerthelesse perceiuing by my last dooing that your grace was offended I thought it my dutie before I anie thing further procéeded herein to aduertise first your grace hereof and know your good pleasure which I beséech your grace I may doo by this trustie bearer And thus most humblie I take my leaue of your good grace beseeching almightie God line 60 alwaies to preserue the same At Fulham Postridie Natiu 1556. Your graces most bounden bedesman and seruant Edmund Boner By this letter of bishop Boner to the cardinall saith maister Fox is to be vnderstood what goodwill was in this bishop to haue the bloud of these men and to haue past with sentence of condemnation against them had not the cardinall somewhat as it seemed haue staied his feruent headinesse Concerning the which cardinall although it can not bedenied by his acts and writings but that he was a professed enimie and no otherwise to be reputed but for a papist yet againe it is to be supposed that he was none of the bloudie and cruell sort of papists as may appeare not by staieng the rage of this bishop but also by his solicitous writing and long letters written to Cranmer also by the complaints of certeine papists accusing him to the pope to be a bearer with the heretikes and by the popes letters sent to him vpon the same calling him vp to Rome and setting frier Peto in his place had not queene Marie by speciall intreatie made kept him out of the popes danger All which letters I haue if néed be to shew besides also that it is thought of him that toward his latter end a little before his comming from Rome to England he began somewhat to sauour the doctrine of Luther and was no lesse suspected at Rome yea and furthermore did there at Rome conuert a certeine learned Spaniard from papisme to Luthers side notwithstanding the pompe and glorie of the world afterward caried him awaie to plaie the papist thus as he did ¶ And sith I haue waded thus far in portraieng the said cardinall I am willing to make you communicants of a report concerning him vttered by Cutbert Tunstall bishop of Duresine in a sermon which he made vpon Palmesundaie in the yeare of our Lord 1539 before king Henrie the eight treating vpon these words of saint Paule to the Philippians Cap. 2. Hoc sentite in vobis quod in Christâ— Iesu c See the same mind be in you that was in Iesu Christ c. The ground of whose sermon standing vpon obedience and disobedience after he had discoursed at large thervpon he fell into these words in presence of the king the nobles and people And the bishop of Rome now of late to set foorth his pestilent malice the more hath allured to his purpose a subiect of this realme Reginald Poole come of a noble bloud and thereby the more arrant traitor to go about from prince to prince and from countrie to countrie to stur them to warre against this realme and to destroie the same being his natiue countrie Whose pestilent purpose albeit the princes that he breaketh it vnto haue in much abhomination both for that the bishop of Rome who being a bishop should procure peace is a sturrer of warre and because this most arrant and vnkind traitor is his minister to so diuelish a purpose to destroie the countrie that he was borne in which anie heathen man would abhorre to doo But for all that without shame he still goeth on exhorting therevnto all princes that will heare him who doo abhorre to sée such vnnaturalnesse in anie man as he shamelesse dooth set forwardâ— whose pernicious treasons late secretlie wrought against this realme haue béene by the worke of almightie God so maruellouslie detected and by his owne brother without looking therefore so disclosed and condigne punishment insued that hereafter God willing they shall not take anie more such root to the noisance of this realme And where all nations of gentiles by reason law of nature preferre their countrie before their parents so that for their countrie they will die against their parents being traitors this pestilent man worse than a pagan is not ashamed to destroie if he could his natiue countrie And whereas Curtius a heathen man was content for sauing of the citie of Rome where he was borne to leape into a gaping of the earth which by the illusions of the diuell it was answered should not be shut but that it must first haue one this pernicious man is content to run headlong into hell so that he maie destroie thereby his natiue countrie of England being in that behalfe incomparablie worse than anie pagan And besides his pestilent treason his vnkindnesse against the kings maiestie who brought him vp of a child and promoted both him and restored his bloud being attainted to be of the péeres of this realme and gaue him monie yéerelie out of his coffers to find him honorablie at studie maketh his treason much more detestable to all the world and him to be reputed more wild and cruell than anie tiger Thus much out of Cutbert Tunstals sermon printed Cum priuilegio aed imprimendum solum by Thomas line 10 Berthelet the yeare aboue named Now it resteth to conclude this discourse concerning cardinall Poole with a briefe epitome of his last will and testament which he made not long before he let his life wherein he professeth him selfe resolute to die in the same faith and obedience of the Romish church wherein he liued willing ordeining his bodie to be buried in his cathedrall church of Canturburie as he termeth it in the same chappell where the head of the most blessed martyr Thomas Becket whilome archbishop of the said church was kept with masses line 20 dirges c to be said for his soule the soules of his parents and of all the faithfull departed out of this
great galleasses The Turks had their gallies galliots and foists to the number of two hundred and fiftie as appeareth by the account afore made of those that were taken line 40 abandoned and escaped There were deliuered and set at libertie about twelue thousand some say fourteene thousand christian captiues whome the Turks kept for slaues and had them chained there aboord with them in their gallies But this victorie was not got without great losse of the christians for beside Augustine Barbarigo the principall proueditore of the Uenetians there died seuentéene other gentlemen of Uenice being men of good estimation Iohn Cardone Barnardine Cardone Spaniards line 50 Uirginio and Horatio Ursini Romans Troilo Sabello Marco Molino besides diuerse other nobles and gentlemen of name as well Italians as Spaniards and Almans In all there died of the christians to the number of seauen thousand six hundred fiftie and six beside those that were hurt being in like number to them that were slaine among whom was don Iohn de Austria generall of all the christian armie there Sebastian Ueniero the Uenetians generall the counte de Santa Fiore with diuerse others Moreouer line 60 there were christian gallies bouged thrée of the Uenetians one of the popes one belonging to the duke of Sauoie and another to the knights of Malta There was one also taken led awaie by Ochialie and his companie Such was the successe of this battell which continued for the space of six houres in the end whereof the victorie remaining with the christians caused no small reioising through all parties of christendome For if this victorie had béene followed with his gratious helpe and assistance that was the giuer thereof the proud and loftie horne of the Ismaelite had béene so brused as peraduenture his courage would haue quailed to put foorth the same so spéedilie as he did But such is the malice of the time that the christians haue more pleasure to draw their weapons one against another than against that common enimie of vs all who regardeth neither protestant nor catholike they may be sure those of the Gréekish church nor others as if the mercifull prouidence of the Lord of hosts doo not in time disappoint his proceedings it will be too soone perceiued though happilie too late to stop the breach when the floud hath got head and once woone passage through the banke It were therfore to be wished of all those that tender the suertie of the christian commonwealth that princes would permit their subiects to liue in libertie of conscience concerning matters of faith and that subiects againe would be readie in dutifull wise to obeie their princes in matters of ciuill gouernment so that compounding their controuersies among themselues with tollerable conditions they might emploie their forces against the common enimie to the benefit of the whole christian world which the more is the pitie they haue so long exercised one against another to each others destruction And as for matters in variance about religion rather to decide the same with the word than with the sword an instrument full vnfit for that purpose and not lightlie vsed nor allowed of by the ancient fathers in time of the primitiue church But fith this is rather to be wished than hoped for by anie apparant likelihood considering the strange contrarietie of humors now reigning among men in sundrie parts of christendome let vs leaue the successe of our wish to the plesure of God the author of all good haps who ruleth the harts of princes as the poet saith verie trulie eius In manibus sunt regum animi quotúnque volunta◠Fert sua vertit eos and frameth the peoples minds as séemeth best to his diuine prouidence And withall let vs also humblie offer to him our praiers instantlie beseeching him to spare vs in mercie and not to reward vs after our iniquities but rather by his onmipotent power to turne from vs the violence of our enimies in abridging their forces as it may séeme good to his mercifull fauour and great clemencie The thirtith of December Reinold Greie was by the quéenes maiestie restored earle of Kent ¶ The thirtéenth of Ianuarie deceassed sir William Peter knight who for his iudgement and pregnant wit had béene secretarie and of the priuie councell to foure kings and quéenes of this realme and seauen times ambassador abroad in forren lands he augmented Exceter college in Oxford with lands to the value of an hundred pounds by yeare and also builded ten almes houses in the parish of Ingerstone for twentie poore people ten within the house and ten without the house hauing euerie one two pence the daie a winter gowne and two load of wood and among them féeding for six kine winter and summer and a chapleine to saie them seruice dailie The sixteenth of Ianuarie the lord Thomas Howard duke of Norffolke was arreigned at Westminster hall before George lord Talbot earle of Shrewesburie high steward of England for that daie and there by his péeres found giltie of high treason and had iudgement accordinglie The eleuenth of Februarie Kenelme Barneie and Edmund Mather were drawen from the tower of London and Henrie Rolfe from the Marshalsea in Southworke all thrée to Tiburne and there hanged bowelled and quartered for treason Barneie and Mather for conspiracie and Rolfe for counterfeiting of the quéens maiesties hand ¶ The queenes maiestie hearing crediblie by report that certeine lewd persons vnder pretense of executing commissions for inquiries to be made for lands concealed contrarie to hir maiesties meaning chalenging lands stocks of monie plate c letting not also to make pretense to the bels led and other such things belonging vnto parish churches or chappels Hir maiestie meaning spéedilie to withstand such manner of vnlawfull practises commanded that all commissions then extant and not determined for inquisition of anie manner of concealements should be by Supersedias out of hir excheker reuoked line 10 And also appointed speedie remedie to be had against such extorcioners as more at large appeareth by proclamation concluding thus Finallie hir maiestie would hir iustices of assise to haue some speciall care not onelie to the premisses but also to the reforming of certeine couetous iniurious attempts of diuerse that of late time by other colour than for hir maiesties vse had taken awaie the led of churches and chappels yea and bels also out of steeples and other common goods belonging to parishes an line 20 example not to be suffered vnpunished nor vnreformed And so hir maiestie eftsoones chargeth hir iustices of hir assise to prouide seuere remedie both for punishment and reformation thereof Dated at Westminster the thirtéenth daie of Februarie the fourtéenth yeare of hir reigne The tenth of March deceased sir William Paulet knight lord saint Iohn earle of Wilshire marquesse of Winchester knight of the honorable order of the garter one of the quéenes maiesties
heerein I must confesse I haue nothing contented my selfe but yet at the request of others haue doone what I could not what I would for want of conference with such as might haue furnished me with more large instructions such as had beene necessarie for the purpose THE CHRONICLES OF England from the yeare of our Lord 1576 where Raphaell Holinshed left supplied and continued to this present yeare 1586 by Iohn Stow and others A Disciple of Socrates by name Aristippus a man suerlie of a verie sharpe iudgement and pleasant wit when he was demanded what profit he tooke by the studie of wisedome made this answer Forsooth this profit that with all sorts of men I can frankelie and boldlie speake Which answer might well be of that mans making bicause he bare a mind indifferentlie free as well from hope as feare for he serued no man nor yet flattered anie person nor otherwise behaued himselfe than his hart gaue him Of the same mind it were to be wished that all storie-writers were for then should Chronicles approch next in truth to the sacred and inuiolable scripture and their vse not onelie growe more common but also of greater account And right good reason whie For therein is conteined the rich and pretious treasure of time the wisest counsellor vnder the cope of heauen And that saw Thales the philosopher well inough who being asked what of all was the eldest answered God what of all the fairest the world what of all the greatest place what of all the swiftest the mind what of all the strongest necessitie and what of all the wisest time Time in Greeke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof the word Chronicles ariseth termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is obseruations of time so that if nothing in wisedome dooth excell time then who can but wax wise by reading and perusing the obseruations of time which are meerelie simplie Chronicles Chroniclers therefore deserue a reuerence of dutie whome time hath called and culled out as it were by the hand to vse their ministerie and seruice for the disposing and distributing of the riches of his wisedome to all ages that successors may be taught by their predecessors wit by their follie fealtie by their disloialtie obedience by their rebellion vnitie and peace by their dissention plainnesse by their doublenesse sobrietie by their vntemperance courtesie by their churlishnesse pitie by their vncharitablenesse finallie all goodnesse by their badnesse for the which as we may see by a sea of examples in this booke sith they were greeuouslie punished it is our gaine by their smart to be admonished For surelie heerein standeth a speciall vse of chronicles that whilest some offending against the lawes of God of nature and of nations doo draw vnto themselues deserued vengeance others by loue allured or by feare inforced seeing their rufull fals and auoiding the meanes may happilie escape the paine This frute hitherto hath this historie of chronicles affoorded no lesse heereafter by the continuation following is like to be performed besides manifold matters of recreation policie aduentures chiualrie c abundantlie ministred and all vnder the golden reigne of blessed queene Elisabeth the sweet floure of amiable virginitie Cui vitam studiúmque Deus regnÃque coronam Perpetuet beet tranquillo prosperet vsu Póstque hanc exactam vitam studium atque coronam Coelesti vita studio diademate donet A. F. THE CONTINVATIon of the chronicles of England from the yeare of our Lord 1576 to this present yeare 1586 c. THe tenth day of Nouember in the citie of worcester a cruell vnnatural brother as an other Cain murdered line 10 his owne naturall louing brother first smiting his braines out of his head with an ax and after cutting his throte to make him sure and then buried him vnder the hearth of a chimneie thinking thereby though wrongfullie quietlie to haue inioied his brothers goods long before in his possession but line 20 not long after this secret murder comming to light the murderer was rewarded according to his deserts and to the terror of such vnnaturall murdering brethren The seuententh of March through a strange tempest which hapned in the North neere to a towne called Richmond not onelie cotages trées barnes and haiestakes but also the most part of the church called Patrike Brumton was ouerthrowen with most strange sights in the aire both fearefull and terrible line 30 year 1577 In the moneth of Aprill the decaied stone house called the tower vpon London bridge was begun to be taken downe and the heads of traitors that were woont there on poles to be fixed were remoued thense and set on the gate at the bridge foot toward Southworke The seuentéenth daie of Maie Richard Robinson goldsmith was drawne from the tower of London to Tiburne and there hanged for clipping of gold The one and thirtith daie of Maie Martin Frobisher with one ship and two barks furnished line 40 for that purpose sailed from Harwich in Essex towards Cataia by the northwest seas and entered the streicts beyond quéene Elizabeths foreland about thirtie leagues where he went on shore and finding store of the blacke stone which the goldfiners had said to hold gold and therefore called the same gold oâ—e he fraught his ship barke caught a man a woman and a child of that countrie and then on the foure and twentith of August returning from thense arriued at Milford hauen in Wales on the twentith of September next following The fourth fift and sixt daie of Iulie the assises being holden at Oxford there was arreigned and condemned one Rowland Ienkes for his seditious toong at which time there arose amidst the people such a dampe that almost all were smouldered verie few escaping that were not taken at that instant the iurors died presentlie shortlie after died sir Robert Bell lord chiefe baron sir Robert de Olie sir William Babington master Wineman master de Olie high shiriffe master Dauers master Harecombe master Kirle master Phetipace master Gréenewood master Foster master Nash sergeant Baram master Stephans c. There died in the towne of Oxford three hundred persons and sickened there but died in other places two hundred and od from the sixt of Iulie to the twelfe of August after which daie died not one of that sickenesse for one of them infected not an other nor anie one woman or child died thereof ¶ Of this sickenesse there passed a report in print published vnder the name of W. B. who as he saith himselfe was present with sir William Babington and therefore was able and did as he thought good set downe the certeintie of that heauie accident for the satisfaction of such friends of his as desired to know the vndoubted truth And the same W. B. setting downe the opinion that diuerse conceiued of this venemous maladie saith that some supposed it to be of two sorts howbeit saith he it is not so For
those that bled till they died stroue so much with their sickenesse that the bloud issued out at their vents but yet had perfect memorie euen to the yéelding of their breath as was verie well perceiued by sir William Babington who neuer ceased to call vpon God in his great agonie c. This reported W. B. as a certeine truth to stop the flieng rumors of those that as he saith haue spoken vntrulie in this behalfe and published their owne fantasies On sundaie the fourth of August betwéene the houres of nine and ten of the clocke in the forenone whilest the minister was reading of the second lesson in the parish church of Bliborough a towne in Suffolke a strange and terrible tempest of lightening and thunder strake thorough the wall of the same church into the ground almost a yard déepe draue downe all the people on that side aboue twentie persons then renting the wall vp to the reuestre clef◠the doore and returning to the steeple rent the timber brake the chimes fled toward Bongie a towne six miles off The people that were striken downe were found groueling more than halfe an houre after whereof one man more than fortie yeares and a boie of fiftéene yeares old were found starke dead the other were scorched The same or the like flash of lightening and cracks of thunder rent the parish church of Bongie nine miles from Norwich wroong in sunder the wiers and whéeles of the clocks slue two men which sat in the belfreie when the other were at the procession or suffrages and scorched an other which hardlie escaped The tower on London bridge being taken downe and a new foundation drawne sir Iohn Langleie lord maior of the citie of London laid the first stone on the eight and twentith line 10 daie of August in the presence of the shiriffes of London the two bridgemasters which new tower was finished in the moneth of September Anno 1579. The thirtith daie of Nouember Cutbert Maine was drawne hanged and quartered at Lanceston in Cornewall for preferring Romane power The seuentéenth of Ianuarie one Simon Penbrooke dwelling in saint Georges parish in Southworke being a figureflinger and vehementlie suspected to line 20 be a coniurer by commandement of the ordinarie iudge for those parties appeared in the parish church of saint Sauiors in Southworke at a court holden there Which Simon being busied in interteining a proctor and hauing monie in his hand leaned his head vpon a pew wherein the proctor stood which after he had doone a certeine space the proctor began to lift vp his head to sée what he ailed and found him departing out of life and streightwaie the said Simon fell downe ratling a little in the throte and neuer line 30 spake word after This was doone euen as the iudge came into the church who said it was the iust iudgement of God towards those that vsed sorcerie and a great example to admonish other to feare the iustice of God After his clothes being opened there were found about him fiue diuelish bookes of coniuration and most abhominable practises with a picture of tin of a man hauing thrée dice in his hand with this poesie Chance dice fortunatlie diuerse papers of such like matters as he had dealt in for men such line 40 men I meane as are mentioned in Leuiticus the twentith chapter and sixt verse If anie soule turne himselfe after such as woorke with spirits and after soothsaiers to go a whooring after them saith the Lord I will put my face against that soule and will cut him off from among my people The third daie of Februarie Iohn Nelson for denieng the quéenes supremasie and such other traitorous words against hir maiestie was drawne from Newgate to Tiburne and there hanged line 50 bowelled and quartered And on the seuenth of the same moneth of Februarie Thomas Sherewin was likewise drawne from the tower of London to Tiburne and there hanged bowelled and quartered for the like offense The fiue and twentith of Februarie Iohn de Loy a Frenchman and fiue English gentlemen was conueied from the tower of London towards Norwich there to be arreigned and executed for coining of monie counterfeit And on the ninth of March seuen pirats were hanged at Wapping line 60 in the ouze beside London The ladie Margaret countesse of Lennox deceased on the tenth of March year 1578 at hir house in the parish of Hackneie besides London and was buried at Westminster on the third of Aprill The one and thirtith and last of Maie Martine Frobisher with fifteene saile of good ships manned vittelled and otherwise well appointed departed from Harwich in Essex on his third voiage towards Cataia And on the one and thirtith and last daie of Iulie after manie attempts and sundrie times being put backe by Ilands of ice in the streicts he recouered his long wished port and came to anchor in the Ilands newlie by hir maiestie named Meta incognita where as in the yeare before they fraught their ships with the like stone or gold ore out of the mines and then on the last of August returning thense arriued safelie in England about the first of October The two and twentith of Ianuarie being thursdaie about seuen of the clocke at night Iohn Cassimere countie palatine of Rhene duke of Bauare landing at the tower of London was there by diuerse noble men and others honourablie receiued and conueied by cresset light and torch light to sir Thomas Greshams house in Bishops gate street where he was receiued with sounding of trumpets drums fiefs and other instruments of musicke and there both lodged and feasted till sundaie next that he was by the nobilitie fetched and conueied to the court at Westminster where after he had talked with hir maiestie he returned vnto Summersets house at the strand and was there lodged In the wéeke following he hunted at Hampton court On sundaie the first of Februarie he beheld a valiant iusting and running at the tilt at Westminster On the next morrow in the same place he saw them fight at barriers with swords on horsse backe On tuesdaie he dined with the lord maior of London on wednesdaie with the dutchesse of Suffolke at hir house called the Barbican in Red crosse stréet on thursdaie at the Stilliard c. On sundaie the eight of Februarie the quéene made him knight of the garter by deliuering to him the collar putting the garter on his leg at White hall And on the fourteenth of Februarie he departed from London to Rochester homewards with great rewards giuen to him by the quéenes maiestie the nobilitie men of honour the lord maior of London and other citizens of that citie The same moneth of Februarie to wit on the fourth daie and in the night next following year 1579 fell such abundance of snow that on the fift daie in the morning the same snow was found in London to lie two foot
came vnto this citie and kept his Christmasse in the same and therevpon a composition was made betweene the bishop and the citie for inclosing of the churchyard and building of certeine gates there as appéereth by line 30 the said composition bearing date in Festo annunciationis beatae Mariae 1286. The king at the sute of the earle of Hereford who at his being here was lodged in the house of the Greie friers which then was néere the house of S. Nicholas obteined of the bishop that they should be remoued from thense to a more wholesome place which was to the place without the south gate wherof after the kings departure grew some controuersie bicause the bishop refused to performe his promise made to the king This man also impropriated line 40 the parish of S. Newleine and the parish of Stoke Gabriell and vnited the same to the office of the chancellor of the cathedrall church vnder condition that the said chancellor should continuallie read a lecture within the said citie of diuinitie or of the decretals and if he should faile to doo this that then it might and should be lawfull to the bishop to resigne the said parsonages impropriated and to bestow it at his pleasure as appeereth by the said grant vnder the seales of the said bishop deane and chapter line 50 dated the twelfe of the calends of Maie 1283. This bishop not long after and in the eleuenth yeare of his bishoprike died being choked in drinking of a sirrup in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred ninetie and two was buried in his owne church The Franciscans or Greie friers of this citie imputed his death to his hard dealing with them For whereas he had promised the king to prouide a conuenient place for them to build their house in and had willed their warden named Deodatus to line 60 séeke out and make inquirie for the same yet notwithstanding when he had so doone bicause the same was in his sée he did swarue from his said promise and did vtterlie denie to performe the same by the persuasion of one Peter Kenefeld a Dominican or Blacke frier and Confessor vnto the said bishop For he enuieng the good successe of the Franciscans persuadeth with the bishop that in no wise he should permit them to inioy the place which they had gotten nor to build therein bicause it was within his sée for saith he as vnder colour of simplicitie they créepe into the hearts of the people and hinder vs poore preachers from our gaines and liuings so be ye sure that if the canons put foot within your liberties they will in time so incroch vpon the same as that they will be cleane exempted from out of your libertie and iurisdiction The bishop being soone persuaded and contented contrarie to his promise to yéeld thervnto denieth the Franciscans and vtterlie forbiddeth them to build or to doo anie thing within his sée or libertie About two yeares after the bishop kept a great feast vpon the sundaie next before saint Francis daie and among others was present with him one Walter Winborne one of the kings chiefe iustices of the bench and who was present when the bishop at the request of the king made promise to further and to helpe the Franciscans and who in their behalfe did now put the bishop in mind thereof and requested him to haue consideration both of his owne promise and of their distresse The bishop misliking these spéeches waxed somewhat warme and offended and in open termes did not onelie denie to yeeld herevnto but wished himselfe to be choked what daie soeuer he did consent or yéeld vnto it It fortuned that the same wéeke and vpon the daie of saint Francis eue the bishop tooke a certeine sirrup to drinke and in too hastie swallowing thereof his breath was stopped and he forthwith died The Franciscans hearing thereof made no little a doo about this matter but blazed it abrode that saint Francis wrought this miracle vpon the bishop bicause he was so hard against them 26 Thomas Bitton the yeare following was elected bishop the sée of Canturburie being void he was consecrated by Iohn Roman archbishop of Yorke He left no memoriall of anie great things doone by him sauing that he continued in the building of his church as also was a fauourer of such learned men as were in his diocesse in his time namelie Robert Plimpton a regular canon of Plimpton and professor of diuinitie and who wrote two bookes Walter of Exon a Franciscane frier of Carocus in Cornewall who at the request of one Baldwin of Excester wrote the historie of Guie of Warwike William of Excester doctor of diuinitie and warden of the Franciscane friers of this citie Godfrie surnamed Cornewall a subtill schooleman and a reader of diuinitie sometimes in Paris This bishop after fouretéene yeares that he had occupied this sée died in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred and six and was buried in his owne church 27 Walter Stapledon in the yere of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred and seauen being elected bishop of this citie was consecrated by Robert Winchelseie archbishop of Canturburie He descended of a most noble parentage which ioined with his learning wisedome politike head did him great credit and fauour with the king who had him not onelie one of his priuie councell but also made him lord treasuror of England At his inthronization or installing he kept a solemne obseruation For being come first to the citie immediatlie after his consecration as soone as he came to the east gate he alighted from his horsse and went in on foot all the stréet being couered and laied with blacke cloth he was led on both sides with two men of worship and sir Hugh Courtneie knight who clamed to be steward of his feast went next before him The feast it selfe was verie sumptuous and liberall A controuersie was betweene him the said sir Hugh Courtneie concerning his chalenge to be his steward but it was compounded and ended This bishop as he grew and increased in wealth so he was carefull in the well disposing of part therof For the increase of learning he builded and erected two houses in Oxenford the one named Stapledons inne but since Excester college the other Hart hall He was also a speciall benefactor vnto the hospitall of saint Iohns in Excester vnto the which for the reléeuing of certeine poore children therein he impropriated the rectorie or personage of Ernescome In the controuersie betwéene his maister king Edward the second and Charles the French king he was sent ambassadour to the French king and ioined in commission with the quéene for the treatie of a peace and reconciliation which though it were obteined yet he ioining with the Spensers who fauoured not the queene he line 10 returned into England leauing the queene behind him And whereas they practised what they could to put enimitie betweene the king and hir
euen so were these as to saie master Charke master Herne and diuerse others who all the waie applied such godlie and christian persuasions vnto them as had not the child of perdition so maruellouslie blinded them were of force to haue woone them into grace and mercie The spéeches they vsed to them by the waie were néedlesse here to set downe for that they did especiallie concerne causes to root out that wicked opinion in them and to establish a sound and perfect faith in place thereof but euen as it was in the other so it did agrée in them But Luke Kirbie séemed to chalenge the writer hereof as sufficient to prooue nothing against him which he did bicause it was supposed he was not there present but what passed betwéene him the said writer you shall heare hereafter They being come to the place of execution William Filbie was brought vp into the cart where conforming himselfe vnto the death his wicked tresons were mooued vnto him which obstinatelie and impudentlie he denied Then was he demanded if he would acknowledge the quéenes maiestie his souereigne princesse and supreme head vnder Christ of line 10 the church of England No quoth he I will acknowledge no other head of the church than the pope onlie Whervpon his answers were read vnto him and he not denieng them in anie point euen as they were wicked and impious euen so he remained in them still appealing that it was for his religion that he died and not for anie treason But the contrarie was prooued vnto his face as well by sufficient proofes as also by the traitorous answers whereto he had subscribed with his owne hand At last as he was desired line 20 he praied for the queenes maiestie that God might blesse hir and incline hir heart to mercie toward the catholikes of which societie he was one Then they opening his bosome found there two crosses which being taken from him were held vp and shewed to all the people beside his crowne was shauen So after a few silent Latine praiers to himselfe the cart was drawne awaie The next was Luke Kirbie who being brought vp into the cart offered long circumstance of spéech as line 30 concerning that he was come thither to die hoping to be saued in the bloud of Christ and much matter which were néedlesse here to rehearse Afterward he began to saie that there were none could approoue him to be a traitor neither had he at anie time attempted anie thing preiudiciall to hir maiestie and that his aduersaries naming them by speciall name could not vpbraid him with anie thing Whervpon master shiriffe told him that one of them was there and asked him if he would haue him called to line 40 him I sée him quoth he yonder and let him saie what he can against me Then he was the partie bidden come somewhat néere him to whom he began in vehement sort to saie Consider with thy selfe how vntrulie thou hast charged me with that which I neuer said nor thought Besides thou knowest that when thou camest to the Tower to me before master lieutenant an other who was there present then thou wast demanded what thou thoughtest of me and what thou couldest saie against me When as line 50 thou madest answer thou knewest no harme by me neither couldest thou at anie time saie otherwise of me than well wherevpon thou wast asked wherefore thou reportedst otherwise at my arreignement Then the shiriffe said vnto him Who can beare thée witnes of this Quoth he againe He spake it before master lieutenant and an other was by then Then was he demanded what other he was that was present Which after long trifling he said was a kéeper named him Whereto the said writer made answer line 60 as followeth Master Kirbie I with and desire you in the feare of God to remember your selfe for this is not a place to report an vntruth neither to slander anie man otherwise than you are able to prooue Whâ—n as I came vnto the Tower made knowne to master lieutenant for what cause I was sent to speake with you you were brought into a chamber by your kéeper and what I then mooued your selfe verie well knoweth as concerning my allowance being the popes scholer where what answer you made I haue trulie and according as you answered alreadie set downe in print Master lieutenant neither mooued anie such words to me as here you reported and I call God to my witnesse that not a motion of anie such matter was once offered to me by master lieutenant or by your kéeper Your selfe then vttered that at sundrie times in the seminarie there were diuerse lewd words spoken which might better haue beene spared and denied that you were not in my chamber when as I lieng sicke in my bed the traitorous speeches were mooued by them which were then present whereof your selfe was one with diuerse other matters which you spake vnto me which master lieutenant himselfe heard and your kéeper being present But if this be true which you saie that it may be prooued there were either such words mooued vnto me or anie such answer made by me I offer to susteine what punishment the law shall affoord me Then falling to an other matter for that this redounded to his owne confusion as master lieutenant can well witnesse he began to talke of my being at Rome what fréendship he had shewed vnto me and had doone the like vnto a number of Englishmen whome he well knew not to be of that religion both by his owne purse as also by fréending them to some of the popes chamber he made conueiance for thâ—m thense sometime going fortie miles with them when quoth he had my dealings bin knowne I should hardlie haue bin well thought of and I knew well inough that you were neuer bent to that religion albeit they thought the contrarie Yea I knew well inough when you departed thense that your disposition was contrarie to ours and concealed it to my selfe O Kirbie quoth master shiriffe this is verie vnlike that you could affoord such fauour to anie who were contrarie to that religion that you professed No no if you knew anie such there you would rather helpe to persecute them than pitie them as it is the nature of you all M. Kirbie quoth this writer it is verie vnlike that you had anie such secret knowledge of me either of my religion or how I was secretlie bent as you séeme here to professe for had I béene such a one as you would persuade these here you knew me to be would you haue deliuered me those silken pictures hallowed by the pope which you did and moreouer make knowen vnto me sundrie of your friends here in England to whome I should conueie them O sir quoth he I confesse indéed I deliuered to thée such pictures but thou knowest I gaue thee two Iulies to go buy them with I did it bicause I knew thée
increased in more numbers in more strength and with greater riches with lesse sickenesse the earth of hir kingdomes hath yeelded more fruits and generallie all kind of worldlie felicitie hath more abounded since and during the time of the popes thunders bulles cursses and maledictions than in anie other line 50 long times before when the popes pardons and blessings came yearelie into the realme so as his cursses and maledictions haue turned backe to himselfe and his fautors that it may be said to the blessed quéene Elisabeth of England and of hir people as was said in Deuteronomie of Balaam The Lord thy God would not heare Balaam but did turne his maledictions or cursses into benedictions or blessings the reason is for bicause thy God loued thée Although these former reasons are sufficient to line 60 persuade all kind of reasonable persons to allow of hir maiesties actions to be good reasonable lawfull and necessarie yet bicause it may be that such as haue by frequent reading of false artificiall libels and by giuing credit to them vpon a preiudice or foreiudgement afore grounded by their rooted opinions in fauour of the pope will rest vnsatisfied therfore as much as may be to satisfie all persons as farre foorth as common reason may warrant that hir maiesties late action in executing certeine seditious traitors hath not procéeded for the holding of opinions either for the popes supremasie or against hir maiesties regalitie but for the verie crimes of sedition and treason it shall suffice brieflie in manner of a repetition of the former reasons to remember these things following First it cannot be denied but that hir maiestie did for manie yeares suffer quietlie the popes bulles and excommunications without punishment of the fautors thereof accounting of them but as of words or wind or of writings in parchment waied downe with lead or as of water bubbles commonlie called in Latine Bullae such like but yet after some proofe that courage was taken therof by some bold and bad subiects she could not but then estéeme them to be verie preambles or as forerunners of greater danger and therefore with what reason could anie mislike that hir maiestie did for a bare defense against them without other action or force vse the helpe of reuiuing of former lawes to prohibit the publication or execution of such kind of bulles within hir realme Secondlie when notwithstanding the prohibition by hir lawes the same bulles were plentifullie but in secret sort brought into the realme and at length arrogantlie set vpon the gates of the bishop of Londons palace neere to the cathedrall church of Paules the principall citie of the realme by a lewd person vsing the same like a herald sent from the pope who can in anie common reason mislike that hir maiestie finding this kind of denunciation of warre as a defiance to be made in hir principall citie by one of hir subiects auowing and obstinatlie mainteining the same should according to iustice cause the offendor to haue the reward due to such a fact And this was the first action of anie capitall punishment inflicted for matter sent from Rome to mooue rebellion which was after hir maiestie had reigned about the space of twelue yeares or more a time sufficient to prooue hir maiesties patience Thirdlie when the pope had risen vp out of his chaire in his wrath from words and writings to actions and had contrarie to the aduise giuen by saint Barnard to one of his predecessors that is when by his messages he left Verbum and tooke Ferrum that is left to féed by the word which was his office and began to strike with the sword which was forbidden him and stirred hir noblemen and people directlie to disobedience and to open rebellion which was the office of Dathan and Abiram and that hir lewd subiects by his commandement had executed the same with all the forces which they could make or bring into the field who with common reason can disallow that hir maiestie vsed hir roiall lawfull authoritie and by hir forces lawfull subdued rebels forces vnlawfull and punished the authors thereof no otherwise than the pope himselfe vseth to doo with his owne rebellious subiects in the patrimonie of his church as not manie moneths passed he had béene forced to intend And if anie prince of people in the world would otherwise neglect his office and suffer his rebels to haue their wils none ought to pitie him if for want of resistance and courage he lost both his crowne his head his life and his kingdome Fourthlie when hir maiestie beheld a further increase of the popes malice notwithstanding that the first rebellion was in hir north parts vanquished in that he interteined abroad out of this realme the traitors and rebels that fled for the rebellion and all the rable of other the fugitiues of the realme that he sent a number of the same in sorts disguised into both the realmes of England and Ireland who there secretlie allured hir people to new rebellions and at the same time spared not his charges to send also out of Italie by sea certeine ships with capteines of his owne with their bands of souldiers furnished with treasure munition vittels ensignes banners and all other things requisite to the warre into hir realme of Ireland where the same forces with other auxiliar companies out of Spaine landed and fortified themselues verie stronglie on the sea side and proclamed open warre erecting the popes banner against hir maiestie may it be now asked of these persons fauourers of the Romish authoritie what in reason should haue béene done by hir maiestie otherwise than first to apprehend all such fugitiues so stolen into the realme and dispersed in disguising habits to sow sedition as some priests in their secret line 10 profession but all in their apparell as â—oisters or ruffians some scholers like to the basest common people and them to commit to prisons and vpon their examinations of their trades and hants to conuince them of their conspiracies abroad by testimonie of their owne companions and of sowing sedition secretlie at home in the realme What may be reasonablie thought was meet to be doone with such seditious persons but by the lawes of the realme to trie condemne and execute them And speciallie hauing line 20 regard to the dangerous time when the popes forces were in the realme of Ireland and more in preparation to follow as well into England as into Ireland to the resistance whereof hir maiestie and hir realme was forced to be at greater charges than euer she had béene since she was quéene thereof And so by Gods power which he gaue to hir on the one part she did by hir lawes suppresse the seditious stirrers of rebellion in hir realme of England and by line 30 hir sword vanquished all the popes forces in hir realme of Ireland excepting certeine capteines of marke that were saued from the sword
Excheker and the officers vnto the same by whome instituted 8 a 60. Remooued from Westminster to Northhampton 173 a 10. It and the kings bench remooued vnto Shrewesburie 278 b 10. Excuse of Edward the first to auoid an inconuenience 308 a 60. Of the clergie to be frée from subsidies c 301 b 40. ¶ Sée Couetousnesse Exham field ¶ Sée Battell Exton knight a murtherer of king Richard the second 517 a 10. His too late repentance and sorrow a 20. Extortion of William Rufus made him â—uill spoken of amongest his subiects 23 b 10. An ordinance against it 260 b 10. ¶ Sée Oppression Usurie F. FActions of Yorke and Lancaster vnpossible to be mingled without danger of discord 647 a 40 Faire kept at Westminster at saint Edwards tide 241 a 30 Fiftéene daies togither 247 a 20. Of Lewis the French kings sonne in derision 200 b 10. At Bristow robbed 263 b 50 Falois beséeged and rendered vp to king Henrie the fift 561 b 10 60. ¶ Sée Arlet Falshood betwixt brethren 32 a 60 Familie of loue fiue of that sect stood at Paules crosse 1261 b 30. Proclamation against them note 1314 a 60 b 10. Famine extreme within Rone 566 b 20. Richard the second died therof 516 b 60. Suffred 68 b 20. The cause why Rone was surrendred 167 b 60. Refused and death by the sword chosen 166 a 20. The punishment of witchcraft 204 a 10. Lamentable 323 b 40. ¶ Sée Pestilence Farrer an haberdasher of London a sore enimie to the ladie Elisabeth 1159 b 20 30 c Fast generall proclamed and deuoutlie obserued 1427 b 50 Fasts processions vsed 260 a 10 Fauour ¶ Sée People Fecknam ¶ Sée Abbat Fées ¶ Sée Annuities Feare causeth want of spéech 659 b 30. Made king Edward the fourth forsake his kingdome 675 a 60 b 10. What it forceth men vnto 293 a 20. Causeth restitution of wrongfull deteined townes 311 b 20. Forceth agréement note 114 b 20. Among the people assembled at the duke of Summersets execution 1068 a 50 b 10 ¶ Sée Suspicion Fergusa a Lombard betraieth the duke of Clarence 580 a 10 Felton ¶ Sée Bull seditious Ferdinando archduke of Austrich made knight of the garter 882 a 60 Ferrers lord of misrule at a Christmas at the court his behauiour and port 1067 a 60 b 10 c Ferrers knight William taken prisoner 33 a 40 Ferrers a traitor ¶ Sée Treason Fescampe William his deuises of a plaine song whereabout was strife 13 b 30 Feast rare and roiall 1332 a 60 At quéene Katharins coronation 579 a 10 c Sumptuand full of rare deuises 1434 a 30 Fatherston alià s Constable ¶ Sée Counterfet of king Edward the sixt Feuersham abbeie by whome founded 58 a 20 Fiftéenth granted vnto king Henrie the third by the temporaltie 213 a 10. Of the sixt penie after the rate of mens goods 312 b 20. Of all the mooueables to be found within the realme 207 a 30. Thrée granted 402 a 60. ¶ Sée Subsidie Fight among sparows 397 b 50 Finch knight drowned 1202 b 10 Fine for misdemeanor 704 a 60 Of fiue thousand markes paid to king Henrie the third by the Londoners 208 b 40. For murther 122 b 30. Of a kéeper for a prisoners escape 152 a 20 Fines set on prisoners for their ransoms 144 a 50. Paid for licence to exercise turnements 145 b 60. Set on the nobles by king Iohn for not aiding him against the French king 167 a 20. For not comming to the church 1322. Of priests that had wiues 26 a 30. Extreme leuied vpon the clergie note 201 b 60 202 a 10. Set on the maior of London and the shiriffes 256 b 30 note Set on shiriffes heads 254 a 60. Of foure hundred pounds set vpon aldermens heads of London by king Henrie the seuenth 795 b 60 796 a 10. Sessed vpon them that fauored the Cornish rebels 785 a 10. ¶ Sée Escuage Forfeits and Nobilitie Fire bursteth out of the earth 44 b 40. It the sword Gods angrie angels 1001 b 10 Fish monstrous taken in Norffolke 1355 b 60. Of twentie yards long c note 1259 b 30. Driuen to the English shore 1206 a 40. Like vnto a man 168 a 10 Fishes of the sea fight 225 b 60 115 a 10. Monstrous at Downam bridge in Suffolke 1211 a 50. In Westminster hall after the fall of an high floud 1271 b 50. Fishmongers bound to find â—oure scholers at the vniuersities c note 792 b 10. Sore trobled by the maior of London 440 b 30. An act against them within the citie of London 441 a 50. The statute against them repeled and they restored to their liberties 442 a 60. Benâ—fited by iustice Randolph 1354 a 40 50. Fitzalan William a conspiraâ—or 49 a 10 Fitzarnulfe a Londoner procureth the citizens to reuenge their cause by rebellion he is apprehended and executed 204 a 40 Fitzbaldrike shiriffe of Yorke 10 a 10 Fitzempresse Henrie his returne into England 58 a 20. and is knighted 40 Fitzsergus Gilbert killed his brother note 98 b 40 Fitzgeffreie chamberleine vnto king Richard the first 128 a 60. His death b 60 Fitzhammon Robert his tale to William Rufus 26 b 20 Fitziohn Eustace a conspirator 49 a 10. Slaine 67 a 10 Fitzleo Peter an vsurping pope 44 a 50 Fitzmiles Roger. ¶ Sée Erle Fitzmoris his miserable end 1365 b 60 Fitzosbert his vnnaturall ingratitude and complaint to K. Richard the first against the citie of London 149 a 40. Whie he ware his long beard his oration to the people he is called before the archbishop of Canturburie lord chéefe iustice president of the realme he flieth into the church of saint Marie Bow he is attached his concubines 149 all Is executed the archbishop of Canturburie euill spoken of for his death an old whoremonger and new saint 150 a 10 20 Fitzosborne William earle of Hereford c gouernor of England in duke Williams absence 5 a 10 Fitzroie Oliuer sonne to king Iohn 202 a 20 Fitzscroope Richard in armes against Edrike the rebell 5 a 10 Fitzwalter lord deceaseth in Spaine 450 b 10. Appealeth the duke of Aumerle of treason 512 a 60. He is mainprised 513 b 60. Earle of Sussex his seruice against the Scots he is in great danger note 986 a 20 Fitzwilliams recorder of London his wisedome in a dangerous case 730 b 30 Flanders spoiled by the duke of Glocester 614 b 60. Wholie at the deuotion of Edward the third 354 b 60. Interdicted 358 a 10. Diuerse rodes made thereinto by the English and great spoile doone 454 b 60. Inuaded by the bishop of Norwich 442 b 60. a great part drowned by an exundation 34 a 60. ¶ Sée Erle of Leicester League Flatterie impudent of sir Iohn Bushie to king Richard the second 490 b 60. Used in a sermon note 725 b 40 Notable 727 b 50 60 728 a 10 c. ¶ Sée Dissumulation Fléetwood recorder of London made sargent at law ¶ Sée Sargents
fauour and despised of the world cut off his horsses taile There were some also of the kings seruants that thought after an other maner of sort to reuenge the displeasure doone to the kings maiestie as sir Hugh Moreuile sir William Tracie sir Richard Britaine and sir Reignold Fitz Urse knights who taking aduice togither and agréeing in one mind and will tooke shipping sailed ouer into England landing at a place called Dogs hauen néere Douer Now the first night they lodged in the castell of Saltwood which Randulfe de Broc had in keeping The next morning being the 29. of December and fift daie of Christmasse which as that yeare came about fell vpon a tuesdaie hauing gotten togither certeine souldiers in the countrie thereabouts came to Canturburie and first entring into the court of the abbeie of S. Augustine they talked with Clarenbald the elect abbat of that place and after conference had with him they proceeded in their businesse as followeth The first knight sir Reignold Fitz Urse came to him about the eleuenth houre of the daie as the archbishop sat in his chamber and sitting downe at his feet vpon the ground without any manner of greeting or salutation at length began with him thus Being sent of our souereigne lord the king from beyond the seas we doo here present vnto you his Graces commandements to wit that you should go to his sonne the king to doo vnto him that which apperteineth vnto you to doo vnto your souereigne lord and to doo your fealtie vnto him in taking an oth and further to amend that wherein you haue offended his maiestie Wherevnto the archbishop answered For what cause ought I to conâ—â—â—me my fealtie vnto him by oth or wherin am I giltie in offending the kings Maiestie Sir Reignold said For your baronie fealtie is demanded of you with an oth and an other oth is required of those clerkes which you haue brought with you if they meane to continue within the land The archbishop answered For my baronie I am readie to do to the king whatsoeuer law or reason shall allow but let him for certeine hold that he shall not get any oth either of me or of my clerks We knew that said the knight that you would not doo any of these things which we line 10 proponed vnto you Moreouer the king commandeth you to absolue those bishops that are excommunicated by you without his licence Wherevnto he said The bishops are excommunicated not by me but by the pope who hath therto authoritie from the Lord. If in déed he hath reuenged the iniurie doone to my church I confesse that I am not displeased therwith Then said the knight Sith that such things in despite of the king doo please you it is to be thought that you would take from him his crowne and be called line 20 and taken for king your selfe but you shall misse of your purpose surelie therein The archbishop answered I doo not aspire to the name of a king rather would I knit three crownes vnto his crowne if it lay in my power At length after these and such words the knights turning them to the moonks said In the behalfe of our souereigne lord the king we command you that in any wise ye keepe this man safe and present him to the king when it shall please his grace to send for line 30 him The archbishop said Doo ye thinke that I will runaway I came not to run away but looke for the outrage and malice of wicked men Truelie said they you shall not runne away and herewith went out with noise and threatnings Then maister Iohn of Salisburie his chancellor said vnto him My lord this is a woonderfull matter that you will take no mans counsell had it not beene méet to haue giuen them a more méeke and gentle answer But the archbishop said Surelie I haue alreadie taken all the counsell that I will take I know what I ought to line 40 doo Then said Salisburie I pray God it may be good Now the knights departing out of the place and going about to put on their armour certeine came to the archbishop said My lord they arme themselues What forceth it said he let them arme themselues Now when they were armed and manie other about them they entred into the archbishops palace Those that were about the archbishop cried vpon him to flée but he sat still and would not once remooue line 50 till the moonks brought him euen by force against his will into the churth The comming of the armed men being knowne some of the moonks continued singing of euensong and some sought places where to hide themselues other came to the archbishop who was loth to haue entred into the church and when he was within he would not yet suffer them to make fast the doores so that there was a great stur among them but cheeflie when they perceiued that the armed men went about to séeke for the archbishop by meane whereof their euensong was left vnfinished line 60 At length the knights with their seruants hauing sought the palace came rushing into the church by the cloister doore with their swords drawne some of them asking for the traitor and some of them for the archbishop who came and met them saieng Here am I no traitor but the archbishop The formost of the knights said vnto him Flee thou art but dead To whome the archbishop said I will not flée The knight sâ—ept to him taking him by the sléeue and with his sword cast his cap besides his head and said Come hither for thou art a prisoner I will not said the archbishop doo with me here what thou wilt and plucked his sleeue with a mightie strength out of the knights hand Wherewith the knight stepped backe two or thrée paces Then the archbishop turning to one of the knights said to him What meaneth this Reignold I haue doone vnto thée manie great pleasures and commest thou now vnto me into the church armed Unto whome the knight presentlie answered and said Thou shalt know anon what is ment thou art but dead it is not possible for thee any longer to liue Unto whom the archbishop answered I am readie to die for my God and for the defense of his iustice and the libertie of the church gladlie doo I imbrace death so that the church may purchase peace and libertie by the shedding of my blood And herewith taking on other of the knights by the habergeon he floong him from him with such violence that he had almost throwne him downe to the ground This was sir Will. Tracie as he after confessed Then the archbishop inclined his head after the maner of one that would praie pronouncing these his last words To God to saint Marie and to the saints that are patrones of this church and to saint Denise I commend my selfe and the churches cause Therewith sir Reignold Fitz Urse striking a full
blow at his head chanced to light vpon the arme of a clerke named Edward of Cambridge who cast vp his arme to saue the archbishop but when he was not able to beare the weight of the blow he plucked his arme backe and so the stroke staied vpon the archbishops head in such wise that the bloud ran downe by his face Then they stroke at him one after an other and though he fell to the ground at the second blow yet they left him not till they had cut and pashed out his braines and dashed them about vpon the church pauement All this being doone they rifled his house spoiled his goods and tooke them to their owne vses supposing it lawfull for them being the kings seruants so to doo But doubting how the matter would be taken after they had wrought their feat they got them into the bishoprike of Duresme there to remaine till they might heare how the king would take this their vnlawfull enterprise though as they alledged they had lustilie defended his cause and reuenged his quarell as faithfull seruants ought to doo Howbeit it chanced otherwise than they looked it should haue doone for king Henrie gaue them so litle thankes for their presumptuous act sounding to the euill example of other in breach of his lawes that they despairing vtterlie of pardon fled one into one place and another into another so that within foure yeares they all died an euill death as it hath béene reported Some write that they went to Rome by the kings commandement and there presented themselues before the pope to receiue such penance for their wicked act as he should enioine them Herevpon the pope appointed them to go vnto Ierusalem there to doo their penance where they remained certeine yeares applieng themselues verie diligentlie to performe the satisfaction of their offense according to the maner prescribed to them by the pope and so at length died This was the end of Thomas Becket archbishop of Canturburie which was after he had entred into that see eight yeares and six moneths year 1171 in the yeare after the birth of our Lord 1171. On Christmas day before his death which fell that yeare on the fridaie he preached a sermon to the people and when he had made an end thereof he accurssed Nigell de Sackeuille the violent incumbent of the church of Berges and Robert de Broc both which had vpon spite curtailed the horsse of the said archbishop and as the same day whilest he was at the altar according to his custome altogither in teares and lamenâ—ation so at dinner he shewed himselfe verie pleasant merrie insomuch that when those that were at the table séemed somewhat doubtfull to eat of the flesh that was set before them bicause it was friday Why doo ye abhorre saith he to eat flesh This day flesh hath a great priuilege for this same day the word was made flesh and came into light and appeared vnto vs. These his words greatlie contented all the companie ¶ Thus you haue heard the tragicall discourse of ambitious Becket a man of meane parentage and yet through the princes fauour verie fortunate if he had not abused the beneuolence of so gratious a souereigne line 10 by his insolencie and presumption Wherein we haue to note how vnseemelie a thing it was for him being called to so sacred a function to lead so secular and prophane a life as if he had professed open hostilitie to the vocation which he pretended to honour and reuerence We are also taught that promotions atchiued by ambition are not permanent and are so farre from procuring fame and renowne to the obteiners that they turne them in the end to shame infamie and reproch after losse of life and effusion line 20 of bloud The issue of all which tragedie is to be imputed to the prouidence and counsell of almightie God as one writeth verie agréeablie to this purpose saieng Nam facile extolliâ— facilè elatúmque refraenat Et clarum obscurans obscuri nomen adauget Erigit miserum facilè extinguitque superbum Iuppiter altifremus cui celsum regia coelum But to let this matter passe King Henrie doubtlesse was right pensiue for his death bicause he wist line 30 well inough that it would be iudged that he himselfe was priuie to the thing and euen so came it to passe for immediatlie vpon notice giuen into France of the archbishops death king Lewes and Theobald the earle of Blois as they that loued him most deerelie were most sorowfull for it and iudging straightwaie that king Henrie was the procurer they wrote their letters vnto pope Alexander giuing him to vnderstand both of the slaughter and how king Henrie had caused it to be put in execution requiring most instantlie line 40 that such an iniurie doone to the Christian religion might spéedilie be punished The pope was much offended and determined to haue the matter throughlie considered and ordered so as might stand with his dignitie and accordinglie as the hainous state of the case required King Henrie whilest these things were a dooing lay certein daies at Argenton so much displeased in his mind that he would suffer no man once to speake to him about any maner of businesse line 50 At length he sent his ambassadors to Rome partlie to purge himselfe of the archbishops death partlie to excuse his fault for that in his furie he had vttered words against the archbishop which had giuen occasion to naughtie men to contriue his death partlie to require the pope to send his legats into England to make inquirie both for the death of the archbishop and also of the state of the clergie The kings ambassadors found the pope at Tiuoli and there were heard to declare their message but little credit line 60 was giuen to their words in so much that the pope plainelie told them that he vnderstood the matter to be much otherwise than they had declared Yet according to the kings request he sent two of his cardinals into England which vpon due examination might vnderstand the truth of the matter thoroughlie as apperteined There be that write that the king sent ambassadours twice vnto the pope for the first that went could not come to his presence nor be suffered to declare their message those that were sent the second time were receiued of some of the cardinals but yet onelie with words without anie other way of freendlie interteinement At length when the feast of Easter drew néere on the which either absolution or excommunication was to be denounced against euerie man there were certeine of the cardinals which gaue intelligence to the English ambassadours that the pope by aduice of the colledge meant on the thursdaie before Easter daie to declare the sentence of interdiction against the king of England and against all his dominions and to confirme that which had beene alreadie pronounced against Richard the archbishop of Yorke and the
at to bring them vnder Coram wherein said he if they had followed my aduise then had they doone well and wiselie This or much like was the effect of the shamelesse and tyrannicall excuse of himselfe more méete to speake with the voice of a beast than of a man Although in this parlement some diuersitie there was of iudgement and opinion betwéene parties yet notwithstanding through the mercifull goodnesse of the Lord the true cause of the gospell had the vpper hand the papists hope was frustrat and their rage abated the order and procéedings of king Edwards time concerning religion was reuiued againe the supremasie of the line 10 pope abolished the articles and bloudie statutes of queene Marie repealed bréeflie the furious fierbrands of cruell persecution which had consumed so manie poore mens bodies were now extinct and quenched Moreouer in the time of this parlement a motion was made by the common house that the queenes maiestie might be sued vnto to grant hir graces licence to the speaker knights citizens burgesses to haue accesse vnto hir graces presence to declare line 20 vnto hir matter of great importance concerning the state of this hir graces realme The which petition being mooued to hir grace she most honorablie agréed and consented therevnto and assigned a daie of hearing When the daie came the speaker common house resorted vnto hir graces palace at Westminster called the White hall And in the great gallerie there hir grace most honorablie shewed hir selfe readie to heare their motion and petition And when the speaker had solemnlie and eloquentlie set foorth line 30 the message the principall matter wherof most speciallie was to mooue hir grace to marriage whereby to all our comforts we might inioie as Gods pleasure should be the roiall issue of hir bodie to reigne ouer vs c. The quéenes maiestie after a little pause made this answer following as néere as I could beare the same awaie saith Grafton The queenes answer to the former line 40 motion of the parlement house AS I haue good cause so doo I giue to you my hartie thanks for the good zeale and care that you séeme to haue as well toward me as to the whole state of your countrie Your petition I gather to be grounded on thrée causes and mine answer to the same shall consist in two parts And for the first I saie vnto you line 50 that from my years of vnderstanding knowing my selfe a seruitor of almightie God I chose this kind of life in which I doo yet liue as a life most acceptable vnto him wherin I thought I could best serue him and with most quietnesse doo my duetie vnto him From which my choise if either ambition of high estate offered vnto me by marriages whereof I haue records in this presence the displeasure of the prince the eschewing the danger of mine enimies or the auoiding the perill of death whose messenger the line 60 princes indignation was no little time continuallie present before mine eies by whose meanes if I knew or doo iustlie suspect I will not now vtter them or if the whole cause were my sister hir selfe I will not now charge the dead could haue drawen or dissuaded me I had not now remained in this virgins estate wherein you sée me But so constant haue I alwaies continued in this my determination that although my words and youth maie seeme to some hardlie to agrée togither yet it is true that to this daie I stand frée from anie other meaning that either I haue had in times past or haue at this present In which state and trade of liuing wherewith I am so throughlie acquainted God hath so hitherto preserued me and hath so watchfull an eie vpon me and so hath guided me and led me by the hand as my full trust is he will not suffer me to go alone The maner of your petition I doo like and take in good part for it is simple and conteineth no limitation of place or person If it had béene otherwise I must haue misliked it verie much and thought in you a verie great presumption being vnfit and altogither vnméet to require them that may command or those appoint whose parts are to desire or such to bind and limit whose duties are to obeie or to take vpon you to draw my loue to your likings or to frame my will to your fansies A guerdon constreined and a gift fréelie giuen can neuer agrée Neuerthelesse if anie of you be in suspect that whensoeuer it maie please God to incline my hart to that kind of life my meaning is to doo or determine anie thing wherwith the realme maie haue iust cause to be discontented put that out of your heads For I assure you what credence my assurance maie haue with you I can not tell but what credit it shall deserue to haue the sequele shall declare I will neuer in that matter conclude anie thing that shall be preiudiciall vnto the realme For the weale and good safetie whereof as a good mother of my countrie I will neuer shun to spend my life And whomsoeuer my choise maie light vpon he shall be as carefull for the preseruation of the realme as you I will not saie as my selfe for I cannot so certeinlie promise of another as I doo surelie know of my selfe but as anie other can be And albeit it dooth please almightie God to continue me still in this mind to liue out of the state of marriage it is not to be feared but he will so worke in my hart and in your wisdoms that as good prouision may be made in conuenient time wherby the realme shall not remaine destitute of an heire that may be a fit gouernor and peraduenture more beneficiall to the realme than such ofspring as may come of me For though I be neuer so carefull for your well dooings and mind euer so to be yet may mine issue grow out of kind and become vngratious And for me it shall be sufficient that a marble stone declare that a quéene hauing reigned such a time liued and died a virgine To make an end I take your comming to me in good part and giue vnto you eftsoons my hartie thanks more yet for your zeale good will and good meaning than for your message and petition Manie that for feare of persecution in quéene Maries daies were fled the realme and liued in voluntarie exile now that all persecution ceased by the gratious clemencie of this noble princesse quéene Elisabeth they returned with all conuenient spéed home into their natiue countrie giuing to almightie God most humble thanks for that his mercifull deliuerance in sending them a gouernor that not onelie permitted libertie of conscience but also was readie to aduance religion and command frée exercise of common praier preaching and administration of the sacraments according to the right institution of the primitiue churches Fridaie the seauentéenth of Februarie one
of maister Hunnings seruants that was also one of the takers of fresh fish for the prouision of the queenes house was set on the pillorie in Cheapside in the fish market ouer against the kings head hauing a bawdrike of smelts hanging about his necke with a paper on his forehead written For buieng smelts for twelue pence the hundred and selling them againe for ten pence the quarter He stood so likewise on the eightéenth and the twentith daie of the same moneth euerie one of those three daies from nine of the clocke till twelue The last daie he should haue had one of his eares slit if by great sute made to the councell by the lord maior of London he had not béene pardoned and released out of prison This penance was assigned to him by the quéenes owne appointment when to hir grace his trespasse was reuealed Whereby shée gaue a tast to the people of a zealous mind to haue iustice dulie ministred and faults accordinglie punished namelie of those which vnder pretense of hir graces authoritie should go about to wrong and oppresse hir louing subiects line 10 This yéere in the Easter holidaies on the mondaie preached at the Spittle doctor Bill on the tuesdaie doctor Cox on the wednesdaie doctor Horne the first was hir maiesties chapleine the other two had remained at Geneua and in other places beyond the seas all queene Maries time On low sundaie maister Samson made the rehearsall sermon but when the lord maior and aldermen came to their places in Paules churchyard the pulpit doore was locked the keie could not be heard of Whervpon line 20 the lord maior sent for a smith to open the locke which was doone and when the preacher should enter the place it was found verie filthie and vncleanlie Moreouer the verger that had the custodie of the keie which opened the doore of the place where the prelats and other vse to stand at the sermon time would not open the doore but the gentlemen with a foorme brake it open and so came in to heare the sermon This disorder chanced by reason that since Christmasse last past there was not a sermon preached line 30 at Paules crosse by meanes of an inhibition sent from the councell vnto the bishop of London that he should admit no preacher because of the controuersie betwixt the bishops and other of the clergie that were now returned into the realme from the parties of beyond the seas The last of March the parlement yet continuing was a conference begun at Westminster concerning certeine articles of religion betwixt the bishops and other of the clergie on the one part and certeine line 40 learned preachers of whome some had beene in dignitie in the church of England before that time on the other part The declaration of the procéeding wherin and the cause of the breaking vp of the same conference by default and contempt of certeine bishops parties of the said conference was published in a little treatise and imprinted by Richard Iug and Iohn Cawood printers to the quéenes maiestie as here followeth The quéenes most excellent maiestie hauing heard of diuersitie of opinions in certeine line 50 matters of religion amongst sundrie of hir louing subiects and being verie desirous to haue the same reduced to some godlie christian concord thought it best by the aduise of the lords and other of hir priuie councell as well for the satisfaction of persons doubtfull as also for the knowlege of the verie truth in certeine matter of difference to haue a cōuenient chosen number of the best learned of either part to confer togither their opinions and reasons and therby to come to some good and charitable agreement line 60 And herevpon by hir maiesties commandement certeine of hir priuie councell declared this purpose to the archbishop of Yorke being also one of the same priuie councell required him that he would impart the same to some of the bishops and to make choise of eight nine or ten of them and that there should be the like number named of the other part and further also declared to him as then was supposed what the matters should be And as for the time it was thought meet to be as soone as possible might be agreed vpon And then after certeine daies past it was signified by the said archbishop that there was appointed by such of the bishops to whome he had imparted this matter eight persons that is to saie foure bishops and foure doctors who were content at the quéenes maiesties commandement to shew their opinions and as he termed it render account of their faith in those matters which were mentioned and that speciallie in writing although he said they thought the same so determined as there was no cause to dispute vpon them It was herevpon fullie resolued by the quéenes maiestie with the aduise aforesaid that according to their desire it should be in writing on both parts for auoiding of much altercation in words and that the said bishops should bicause they were in authoritie and degree superiors first declare their minds and opinions in the matter with their reasons in writing and the other number being also eight men of good degrée in schooles and some hauing béene in dignitie in the church of England if they had anie thing to saie to the contrarie should the same daie declare their opinions in like manner And so ech of them should deliuer their writings to the other to be considered what were to be improoued therein and the same to declare againe in writing at some other conuenient daie and the like order to be kept in all the rest of the matters All this was fullie agreed vpon with the archbishop of Yorke and also signified to both parties And immediatlie herevpon diuerse of the nobilitie and states of the realme vnderstanding that such a meeting and conference should be and that in certeine matters wherevpon the court of parlement consequentlie following some lawes might be grounded they made earnest meanes to hir maiestie that the parties of this conference might put and read their assertions in the English toong and that in the presence of them of the nobilitie and others of the parlement house for the better satisfaction and inabling of their owne iudgements to treat and conclude of such lawes as might depend herevpon This also being thought verie reasonable was signified to both parties and so fullie agréed vpon and the daie appointed for the first méeting to be the fridaie in the forenoone being the last of March at Westminster church where both for good order and for honour of the conference by the quéenes maiesties commandement the lords and others of the priuie councell were present and a great part of the nobilitie also And notwithstanding the former order appointed and consented vnto by both parts yet the bishop of Winchester and his colleagues alleging that they had mistaken that their assertions and reasons