Chandew of Britain his especial frend he made erle of Bath Sir Giles Daubency was made lord Daubeney sir Robert Willoughby was made L. Brooke And Edward Stafforde eldest sonne to Henrye late Duke of Buckingham he restored to his name dignitie and possessions which by king Richard were confiscate and attainted Beside this in this parliament was this notable acte assented to and concluded as followeth To the pleasure of Almightye God wealth prosperitie and suretie of this Realme of England and to the singular comfort of all the kinges subiectes of the same in auoyding all ambiguitie and questions An acte for the establishing of the Crovvne Be it ordeined established and enacted by this present parliament that the inheritance of the crowne of this realme of England and also of Fraunce with all the preeminēce and dignitie royal to the same apertaining and all other seigniories to the king belongyng beyond the sea w t the appurtenāces therto in any wise due or apertaining shal rest remain abide in the most royal person of our nowe soueraigne lord K. Henry the seuēth and in the heires of his body laufully coming perpetually with y e grace of god so to endure in none other And beside this act al atteynders of this K. enacted by king Edward and Kyng Richard were adnichilate and the recorde of the same adiudged to be defaced and all persones attented for his cause and occasion were restored to their goods landes and possessions Diuers acts also made in this time of king Edward and king Richard were reuoked and other adiudged more expedient for the cōmon wealthe were put in their places and concluded After the dissolution of this parliament the king remembring his frends left in hostage beyonde the seas that is to wit the Marques Dorset and sir Io. Bourchier he with all conueniēt spede redemed them sente also into Flanders for Iohn Morton Bishop of Ely These actes performed he chose to bee of his counsayle a conuenient number of right graue and wyse counsellours Although by this meanes al things seemed to be brought in good and perfect order yet ther lacked a wrest to the harpe to set all the strings in a monacorde and perfecte tune which was the matrimonie to be finished betwene the king and the Lady Elizabeth daughter to king Edward which like a good Prince according to his othe promise King Henrye the seuenthe taketh to vvife Elizabeth eldeste daughter of Edvvard the fourthe 1486 did both solemnise cosummate shortely after that is to saye on the .xviij. day of Ianuarie by reason of whych mariage peace was thought to descende out of heauen into Englād considering that the lynes of Lancaster Yorke were now brought into one knot and connexed togither of whose two bodies one heire myghte succeede to rule and enioye the whole monarchie and realme of Englande Shortly after for the better preseruation of his royall person he constituted and ordeyned a certaine number as well of good Archers as of dyuers other persons hardie strong and actiue to giue dayly attendance on his persone whome he named yeomen of his garde Yeomen of the garde firste brought in which president men thought that he lerned of the French king when he was in France For it is not remembred that any Kyng of Englande before that daye vsed any such furniture of dayly souldiours In the same yeare a newe kynde of sicknesse inuaded sodeynly the people of this lande Another parliament the same yeare passing thorough the same from the one ende to the other It began about the .xxj. of September and continued till the latter end of October beyng so sharpe and deadly that the lyke was neuer hearde of to any mannes remembrance before that tyme. For sodeynely a deadely burnyng sweate so assayled theyr bodies The svveating sickenesse and distempered their bloud wyth a moste ardent heat that scarse one amongst an hundred that sickned did escape with life for all in maner as soone as the sweat tooke them or within a short tyme after yelded vp the ghost besyde the great number which deceassed within the citie of London two Mayres successiuely died within viij days .vj. Aldermē At length by the diligent obseruatiō of those that escaped whiche marking what things had done thē good holpen to their deliuerance vsed the lyke agayne when they fell into the same disease A remedye for ◅e svveating ◅sse the second or thirde tyme as to dyuers it chaunced a remedie was founde for that mortall maladie which was this If a man on the daye tyme were taken with the sweate then should he streight lye downe withal his clothes and garments and continue in hys sweat .xxiiij. houres after so moderate a sort as might bee If in the nyghte hee chaunced to be taken then shoulde he not ryse out of his bedde for the space of .xxiiij. houres so castyng the cloathes that he myght in no wyse prouoke the sweate but so lye temperately that the water mighte distyll out softly of the owne accord and to abstein from all meat if he might so long suffer hunger to take no more drinke neyther hot nor colde thā wold moderatly quench assuage his thirstie appetite And thus with lukewarme drinke temperate heate and measurable clothes manye escaped fewe whiche vsed this order after it was founde out dyed of that sweat Mary one point diligētly aboue all other in this cure is to be obserued that he neuer put out his hande or feete out of the bed to refreshe or coole himself which to do is no lesse ieopardie than short and present death Thus this disease comming in the first yeare of king Henries reigne was iudged of some to be a token and signe of a troublous reigne of the same king as the profe partly afterwardes shewed it selfe The king standing in neede of money to discharge suche debtes and to maynteyn such port as was behouefull sente the Lorde Treasourer with Maister Reignold Bray and others vnto the Lord Mayre of London requiryng of the Citie a prest of sixe thousand markes Whervpon the sayd Lord Mayre and his brethren with the Commons of the Citie graunted a preast of two thousande poundes whiche was leuyed of the companies and not of the wardes and in the yeare next ensuyng it was well and truly agayne repayde euery penny to the good contentation and satisfying of them that disbursed it The king considering that the suretie of his royall estate and defence of the realme consisted chiefly in good lawes and ordinaunces to bee hadde and obserued among his people summoned eftsoones his highe courte of Parliamente therein to deuise and establishe some profitable actes and statutes for the wealth and commoditie of his people and then after hauyng sette thinges in quiet about London hee tooke his iorney into the North partes there to purge all the dregges of malicious treason that myghte rest in the heartes of vnquiet persons and namely
by course the other within one houre after which ouerflowes the Marshes with many vaultes and sellers neare adioyning The .xiiij. of Nouember being Sunday Fierie impressions marueylous about midnight following diuerse straunge impressions of fire and smoke were seene in the ayre to proceede forth of a blacke clowde in the north towardes the South which so continued till the next morning that it was day light The next night following the heauens from all parts did seeme to burne marueylous ragingly and ouer our heades the flames from the horizon rounde about rysing did meete and there double and roll one in another as if it had beene in a cleare furnesse The .xviij. day at night An. Reg. 17. was very stormie and tempestuous of winds out of the South I haue not knowne the like out of that quarter especially after mydnight till the next morning that it was day light These are to bee receyued as tokens of Gods wrath readie bent agaynst the worlde for sinne now abounding and also of his great mercie who doth onely thus but to shewe the rod wherwith we dayly deserue to be beaten This yeare at London after Haruest the price of wheate began by little and little to fall from seuen shillings to three shillings the bushel at which price it stayed little or nothing rysing or falling all the yeare after but bay salt was raysed from three shillings to foure shillings Bay salt deare fiue shillings and sixe shillings the bushell the lyke whereof had neuer bene seene or heard wythin this Realme 1575 Fies in Feâ—…uarie the â—â—her strange The .xxiiij. of Februarie the feast of Saint Mathie on which day the fayre was kept at Teukesburie a straunge thing happened there for after a floud which was not great but such as thereby the Medowes neare adioyning were couered with water in the after noone ther came downe the Ryuer of Seuerne great numbers of Flies and Betles such as in Sommer Euenings vse to stryke men in the face in great heapes a foote thicke aboue the water so that to credible mens iudgement there were seene wythin a payre of But lengthes of those Flies aboue a hundred quarters The Milles there aboutes were damned vp with them for the space of foure dayes after and then were cleansed by dygging them out with shouels from whence they came is yet vnknowne for the day was colde and a harde frost Earthquake The .xxvj. of Februarie betwene foure and sixe of the clocke in the after noone great Earthquakes hapned in the Cities of Yorke Worcester Gloucester Bristowe Hereforde and in the Countreys aboute which caused the people to runne out of their houses for feare they shoulde haue fallen on theyr heades In Teukesburie Bredon and other places the dishes fell from the Cupbourdes and the bookes in mens studies from the shelues In Norton Chapell the people being on their knees at Euening prayer the ground mouing caused them to runne away in great feare that the dead bodies would haue rysen or the Chapell to haue fallen part of Rithen Castell fell downe with certaine bricke Chymneys in gentlemens houses The Bell in the shire hall at Denbigh was caused to toll twice by shaking of the hall c. On Easter day which was the thirde of Aprill about nine of the clocke in the forenoone was disclosed a congregation of Anabaptysts Dutchmen in a house without the Barres of Aldegate at London whereof .xxvij. were taken and sent to prison and foure of them bearing fagots Anabaptists bare fagots at Paules crosse recanted at Pauls crosse on the .xv. of May in forme as followeth WHereas I. I. T. R. H. beeing seduced by the Diuell the spirite of errour and by false teachers his Ministers haue fallen into certayne moste detestable and damnable heresles namely 1 That Christ tooke not flesh of the substance of the blessed virgin Marie 2 That infants of the faithfull ought not to bee baptized 3 That a christian man may not be a Magistrate or beare the sworde or office of aucthoritie 4 That it is not lawfull for a Christian to take an othe Now by the grace of God and through conference with good and learned Ministers of Christ his Church I doe vnderstande and acknowledge the same to be most damnable and detestable heresies and doe aske God here before his Church mercie for my sayde former errors and do forsake them recant and renounce them and abiure them from the bottom of my heart professing that I certainly beleeue 1 That Christ tooke flesh of the substance of the blessed virgin Marie 2 That infants of the faithful ought to be baptized 3 That a christian man may be a Magistrate or beare the sworde and office of aucthoritie 4 That it is lawfull for a christian man to take an othe And further I confesse that the whole doctrine and religion established and published in this Realme of Englande as also that which is receyued and preached in the Dutche Churche here in this Citie is sounde true and according to the worde of God wherevnto in all things I submit my selfe and wil most gladly be a member of the sayd Dutch Church from henceforth vtterly abandoning and forsaking all and euery Anabaptisticall error This is my fayth nowe in the which I doe purpose and trust to stande firme and stedfast vnto the ende and that I may so doe I beseech you all to pray with me and for me to God the heauenly Father in the name of his sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ The like recantation was made by them afterwardes in the Dutche Church The .xvij. of May Archbishop of Canterburie deceased about mydnight following the right reuerend father in God Mathew Parker Doctour of Diuinitie Archbyshop of Caunterburie deceased at Lambeth and was there honourably buried on whose Tombe being of blacke Marble is written this Epitaphe following Mathew Parker liued soberly and wise Learned by studie and continuall practise Louing true of life vncontrolde The court did foster him both yong and olde Orderly he delt the right he did defend He liued vnto God to God he made his ende Annabaptists banished The .xxj. of May being Whitsuneuen one man and ten women Anabaptists Dutch were in the Consistorie of Paules condemned to bee burnt in Smithfield but after great paynes taking with them onely one woman was conuerted the other were banished the lande On the first of Iune the nine women being led by the Sherifes officers the man was tyed to a Cart and whipped and so all conueyed from Newgate to the waters side where they were shipped away neuer to returne againe Fiue persons of the family loue stood at Paules crosse The .xij. of Iune stoode at Paules Crosse fiue persons Englishmen of the sect tearmed the family of loue who there confessed themselues vtterly to detest as well the Authour of that sect H. N. as all his damnable errours and heresies The .xxij. of Iuly two Dutchmen Anabaptists were burnt
remnaunt of his lyfe in an Abbay of Ludensis Dyon Cart. in lib. de quatu norciss art 48. Also Dionisius a Charterhouse Muncke recordeth a vision séene in that place by one Agneius or Egneius wherof who so is inquisitiue may resorte to his Treatise written De quatuor nouissimis Iohan Camert in lib. Solini cap. 35. Iohannes Camertes holdeth opinion which he surmiseth vpon the gueshe of other that Claudius wryteth of this Purgatorie Which if it be true the place must haue béene extant before S. Patricke but not so famously knowen The Poet his verses are these Est locus extremuÌ„ pandit qua Gallia littus Claud. lib. 1. in Raffin Oceani praetentus aquis quo fertur Vlisses Sanguine libato populum mouisse silentum Flebilis auditur questus simulachra coloni Pallida defunctasque vident migrare figuras There is a place towarde Ocean seaâ—… from brimme of Gallish shoare Wherein Vlysses pilgrime straunge wyth offred bloude ygoare The people there dyd mooue A skritching shrill from dungeon lugge The dwellers all appale wyth gastly galpe of grisly bugge The â—…onely shapes are seene to stare with visage wanne and sad From nouke to nouke from place to place in elfishe skippes to gad They that repayre to this place for deuotion his take vse to continue therin foure and twenty houres which doing otherwhyle with ghostly meditacions and otherwhyle a dread for the conscience of their desertes they says they sée a playne resemblaunce of their owne faultes and vertues with the horrour comfort therevnto belonging the one â—…o terrible the other so ioyous that they veryly déeme themselues for the time to haue sight of hell heauen The reuelatioÌ„s of men that went thither S. Patricke yet lyuing are kept wrytten within the Abbeye there adioyning When any personne is disposed to enter for the doore is euer sparde he repayreth first for deuise to the Archebishop The ceremonies vsed in entering S. Patricke his Purgatorie who casteth all pericles and diswadeth the pylgrime from the attempt bicause it is knowen that diuers entering into that caue neuer were séene to turne backe againe But if the partie be fully resolued he recommendeth him to the Prior who in like maner fauourably exhorteth him to choose some other kinde of pennaunce and not to hazard such a daunger If notwithstanding he finde the partie fully bent he conducteth him to the Church enioyneth him to beginne with prayer and fast of fiftéene dayes so long togither as in discretion can be endured This tyme expyred if yet he perseuer in his former purpose the whole conuent accoÌ„panyeth him with sollem procession and benediction to the mouth of the caue where they let him in and so barre vp the doore vntill the next morning And then wyth lyke ceremonies they awayte his returne and reduce him to the Churche If he be séene no more they fast and pray fiftéene dayes after Touching the credite of these matters I sée no cause but a Christian being perswaded that there is both hell and heauen may without vanitie vppon sufficient information be perswaded that it might please God at sometyme for considerations to his wisedome knowen to reueale by myracle the vision of ioyes and paynes eternall But that altogither in such sorte and by such maner and so ordinarily and to such persons as the common fame doth vtter I neyther beléeue nor wishe to be regarded I haue conferde with diuers that had gone this pilgrimage who affirmed the order of the premisses to be true but that they saw no sight saue onely fearefull dreames when they chaunced to nodde and those they sayde were excéeding horrible Further they added that the fast is rated more or lesse according to the qualitie of the penitent Camb. lib. 1. topog. distinct .2 rub .5 Cambriense affirmeth that in the North of Mounster there be two Islandes the greater and the lesse In the greater there neuer entereth womaÌ„ or any liuing female but foorthwith it dyeth This haue béene often prooued by bytches and cattes which were brought thither to trie this conclusion and presently they dyed In this Island the cocke or mascle byrdes are séene to chirppe and pearche vp downe the twigs but y e heÌ„ne or female by instinct of nature abaÌ„doneth it as a place vtterly poysoned This Islande were a place alone for one that were vexed with a shrewd wyfe The lesse Islande is called Insula viuentium Insula viuentium bicause none died there ne may dye by course of nature as Giraldus Cambriense sayeth Howbeit the dwellers when they are sore frusht with sickenesse or so farre wythered with age as there is no hope of life they request to be coÌ„ueighed by boate to y e greater Island where they are not sooner inshored then they yéelde vp their ghostes For my part I haue béene very inquisitiue of this Island but I coulde neuer finde this estraunge propertie soothed by any man of credite in the whole country Neither truely would I wish any to be so light as to lende his credite to any such fayned gloses as are neyther veryfied by experience nor warranted by any coulourable reason Wherefore I see not why it shoulde be termed Insula viuentium vnlesse it be that none dyeth there as long as the liueth Cambrieâ—… codeÌ„ locâ—… Cambriense telleth further that there is a Churchyarde in Vlster which no female kinde may enter If the Cocke be there the Henrie dareth not followe There is also in y e west part of Connaght an Islande placed in the sea Arenne called Aren to which S. Brendan had often recourse The dead bodies néede not in that Island to be graueled For the ayre is so pure that the contagioÌ„ of any carryen may not infect it There as Cambriense sayeth may the sonne sée his father his graundefather hys great graundefather c. This Island is enemie to Mize For none is brought thither but eyther it leapeth into the sea or else being stayed it dyeth presently There was in Kyldare an auncient monument named the Fyrehouse wherein The fyrehouse of Kyldare Cambriense sayeth was there continuall fire kept day and night yet the ashes neuer encreased I traueyled of set purpose to the towne of Kyldare to sée this place where I dyd sée such a monument lyke a vaute which to this day they call the firehouse Touching the heath of Kyldare Cambriense wryteth that it maye not be tylde The heat of Kildare and of a certayntie within these fewe yeares it was tryed and founde that the corne which was sowed dyd not prooue In this playne sayth Cambriense stoode the stones that now stande in Salisbury playne The stones of Salisbury playne which were conueyed from thence by the sleight of Merlyne the Welshe prophete at the request of Aurelius Ambrosius king of the Britons There is also in the countye of Kyldare a goodly fielde called Moollcaghmast betwéene the Norrough and Kylka Mollcagh mast Diuers
Merchandise But at length they haue compounded their controuersies and are growen to a full agreement and perfect conclusion of peace whiche God graunt may take place so effectually as may turne to the quietnesse and publique cōmoditie not onely of those countreys but of their neighbours whereby Merchants and passengers may in suertie passe to and fro without disturbance so as no occasion be giuē of breach of leagues and amities betwixt Princes and Countreys but that the same may be mainteyned to Gods glorie and the suretie of the Christian common wealth Walter Deueroux Earle of Essex and Eu Earle Marshall of Ireland Knight of the moste noble order of the Garter fell sicke of a loosenesse of his body the .xxj. of August being Fryday and for the space of .xxij. dayes togither hee was so greeuously tormented therewith The Earle of Essex departeth this lyfe that finally on Saturday the .xxij. of September hee departed out of this transitorie life passing from hence to the ioyes of heauen as by his godly ende all that were aboute him haue giuen testimonie The losse of this noble man was greatly bemoned aswell by the English as Irish for the noble courage vertuous qualities and tender zeale to the aduauncement of the common wealth whiche appeared in him The .x. of Nouember a proclamation was published for the free traffike of Merchants to be restored as had bene accustomed in times paste betwixte the Kingdomes and Countreys of the Queenes Maiestie of England and the King of Portingall whiche traffique had bene discontinued by reason of certayne stayes and arrestes made of diuers subiectes on bothe partes with their goodes and shippes But now it was accorded in name of both their Maiesties that all maner of bothe their subiectes of what kingdome or countrey so euer they be from the .xv. day of the sayde moneth might vse the like mutuall traffique for marchādices and in the same places that is to say hir Maiesties subiects in the kingdomes of Portingale and Algarbia and in the Isles of Medera and Azore and likewise the subiectes of the King of Portingale in Englande and Irelande as they were lawfully accustomed before the sayde arrestes This restitution of the sayde traffique to remayne from the sayde .xv. day of Nouēber in this yeare .1576 during the space of three yeares next ensuing At the end of which terme if by the sayde Princes in the meane time it be not otherwise prouided for continuance of the sayd traffique to endure perpetually no new arrestes shal be made of any things brought into the kingdomes and Isles aforesayde of either of the sayd Princes during the time of the sayd .iij. yeares It was further agreed by the said Princes for the more sure preseruation of the amitie frēdship betwixt them their sayd realmes subiectes that neither of them shall receyue any Pirate or rouer into any of the portes or creekes of either of the Realmes Dominiōs and Countreys whiche may or shall haue committed any Piracie or robberie vpon eyther of their subiects nor shall shewe any fauour giue any ayde or succour or suffer any to be giuen directly or indirectly to the sayde Rouers or Pirates Neither shall they during the time of the sayde amitie in either of their kingdomes or any place of their dominiōs fauour entertaine receiue or reteyne nor suffer to be fauoured entertayned receyued or retained by any of their subiects and rebelles traytours or fugitiues subiects to either of them Thus farce haue I continued this collection of the English Histories noting briefly in these later yeares suche things as I finde in the abridgement of Richarde Grafton and in the Summarie of Iohn Stow increased somwhat as may appeare in places with such helpes as haue come to my hande humbly beseeching the Reader to accept the same in good parte and to pardon me where I haue not satisfied his expectation sithe herein I must confesse I haue nothing contented my selfe but yet at the request of others haue done what I could and not what I would for wante of conference with suche as might haue furnished mee with more large instructions such as had bene necessarie for the purpose But now to obserue the order which hitherto I haue followed in mencionyng of such writers of our nation as liued in the dayes of other Princes I haue thought good to write also the names of some of those that haue flourished in the time of the peaceable reigne of our soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth whose happie state with long life the Lorde maynteyne Of whiche wryters as there are many some departed and others yet liuing so the greate number of workes Treatises Poesies Translations and Pamphlets by them published to the world may fully witnesse the flourishing state of the Muses in these dayes of peace in the which learning is bothe cherished and the studious enioye their wisshed quietnesse the better to encourage them to vtter their talentes Suche therefore as I finde eyther rehearsed by Maister Bale or els otherwise shall come to my memorie I meane thus to recorde their names as followeth REginald Poole Cardinall Mathew Parkar late Archbishop of Cantorbury doctor of Deuinitie a great searcher of antiquities deseruing well of all those that are studious therein for the furtherance of whose knowledge he restored many auncient Monumentes to good perfection and caused some to bee published in Prince to his highe prayse and commendation Edmond Grindall now Archbishop of Cant. Iames Pilkinton late bishop of Duresme Myles Couerdale sometime bishop of Excester Iohn White once bishop of Winchester Edmond Bonner once bishop of London who for his wilfull obstinacie was emprysoned in the Marshalse where he died Raphe Bane once byshop of Couentrie and Lichfielde Iohn Iewell late bishop of Sarum William Barlow late bishop of Chichester Robert Horne bishop of Winchester Iohn Scory bishop of Hereford Edmonde Freake bishop of Norwiche Iohn Aelmer bishop of London Thomas Cooper bishop of Lincolne Iohn Parkhurst late bishop of Norwiche Alley late bishop of Execster Sir William Cecill Lord Thresourer Lorde Wentworth Lord Buckhurst Sir Thomas Smith knight Sir Anthony Cooke knight Sir Thomas Chalenor knight Sir Iohn Price knight Sir Iohn Conwey Knight Sir Humfrey Gilbert knight Thomas Hobbey William Stanford Edmond Ploydon Robert Brooke Iohn Rastell William Fleetewood Walter Haddon Thomas Wilson now Embassadour for the Queene in the lowe Countreys who had sometimes charge of the bringyng vp of those two worthy impes Henry Duke of Southfolke and Charles his brother both sonnes to Charles Brandon somtime Duke of Southfolke whose towardnesse was suche as was well worthy of their calling but it pleased God to call them by the sweate Anno. 1551. the elder firste and the yonger after so that they bothe died Dukes whiche I forgote to note in the place where I made mention of the same sicknesse Iohn Man Iohn Hales Thomas Norton William Lambert Iohn Foxe Alexander Nowell Iohn Whiteguiste Thomas Becon William Turner