Brother Earl of Longuevile Charles Earl of Vendosme the Earls of Tankervile Salbruch Nassaw Dampmarlin La Roch with many other Lords besides two thousand Knights and Gentlemen nor did the slain come far short of the prisoners the Chiefest whereof were Peter of Burbon Duke of Athens high Constable of France John Clermont Marshall George of Charney Lord great Chamberlain the Bishop of Chalons the Lords of Landas Pons and Chambly with others to the number of 1700. Knights and Gentlemen The Prince having commended his Souldiers needed not at that time reward them giving them the rich plunder of the Field which did sufficiently recompence them for their victory This indeed whetteth a Souldiers valour when desert is recompensed with reward The English whose valour was most conspicious were the Earls of Warwick Suffolk Salisbury Oxford and Stafford the Lords Cobham Spenser Berkley Basset and Audley which last named Lord for his valour was rewarded by the Prince with the gift of five hundred marks Fee simple in England which he presently gave to four of his Esquires whereupon the Prince demanding whether he accepted not his gift he answered that these men had deserved the same as well as himself and had more need of it with which reply the Prince was so well pleased that he gave him five hundred marks more in the same kinde an example worthy of immortal memory where desert in the Subject and reward in the Prince strive which should be greatest Nor did the Prince use less humanity towards his prisoners whom he entertained in most honourable manner so that King Johns Captivity was onely restraint of his liberty being attended on like a King in the hands of his enemy for noble spirits scorn to insult over misery 't is Plebean rage that is merciless Having refreshed his Army he marcheth with his prisoners to Burdeaux where he tarried a while longer to rest his Souldiers from thence he sets sail for England ariving at Plymouth King Edward as soon as he had knowledge of the Victory caused a general Thanksgiving all over England eight dayes together giving God the thanks and glory knowing him the Author and his Son but the instrument of this unparallel'd victory By reason of these his wonderful Atchievements his name grew famous all the Christian world over to whom for succour comes Peter King of Castile driven out of his kingdom by the French with the assistance of the King of Arragon and his Bastard Brother Henry placed in his room Prince Edward considering what a dangerous president this might be against all lawful Kings that any one should be thus dis-throned having obtained leave of his Father resolveth to aid him and taking along with him an Army of thirty thousand men makes his way through the streights of Rouncevallux in Navarr accompanied with the Kings of Castile and Majorca John Duke of Lancaster his Brother with many other Knights and Gentlemen On the other side King Henry for defence of his Diadem had assembled an Army of an hundred thousand consisting of French under Glequin their famous Captain as also of Castilians both Christians and Saracens On the borders of Castile at a place called Nazers it came to a Battel where the Prince obtained a glorious Victory slew many thousands of his enemies and took above two thousand prisoners nor left he off here but proceeded so far untill he had set him in Burgus upon his Throne again The greater the benefit is of him that receives it the more monstruous is his ingratitude that doth not acknowledge it this ungrateful King notwithstanding the benefits he had received of the Prince dismissed his without money to pay his Army which constrained him in his return to Burdeaux to coin his Plate but that not supplying his present necessities he layes upon his Dominions in Gascoigne a new taxation which was the cause of a most dangerous revolt But this was not all the mischief that he accrewed by this journey for the Prince brought back with him such an indisposition of body that he was never throughly well after Some report him to have been poysoned by King Peter and probable enough he might be guilty of such wickedness whose whole course of life was so full of vice Duke John of Lancester was not freed from the suspition of hastening his death though the heat of the Countrey and the unfitness of the Season might be the principal cause How ever it was certain it is he survived not long after dying at Canterbury upon Trinity Sunday Anno 1376. aged about six and forty years a Prince excelling all the princes which went before him and surpassing in Martial deeds all the Heroes that have lived after him His body was buried at Christ-Church in Canterbury where his monument standeth leaving behinde him onely one Son who was afterwards King of England by the name of Richard the Second unless we should reckon his natural issue Sir John Sounder and Sir Roger Clarendon Knights which latter is thought to be Ancestour to the house of the Smiths in Essex The Life of Sir JOHN HAWKWOOD AMongst those many Worthies which this Martial age produced that valiant Knight Sir John Hawkwood deserveth remembrance who though of low birth by his Martial prowess purchased his own renown over the Christian world He was born at Sible Heningham in the County of Essex and was in his youth bound apprentice at London with a Taylor from whence he was prest in the musters for service of King Edward the Third and sent into France as a common Souldier where contrary to the Proverb which saith Taylors are no men he behaved himself so valiantly that he was made a Captain over a Company of Foot Souldiers and not long after upon some further good service by him performed advanced unto the order of Knighthood but a peace being concluded between the French and English and his estate not able to maintain his Title he was loath to return home again to follow his old occupation it being something preposterous from a Knight to turn Taylor again wherefore he joyned himself with the Companies called the Late-comers who being about five or six thousand made great spoil upon the East parts of France passing through Champain Burgondy and Damphin even to the very Gates of Avignion in Province From thence he departed into Lumbardy having the leading of that part of the Companies which was called the White Band with whom he served valiantly in the Wars of John Marquess of Montferrat but Lionel Duke of Clarence Son to Edward the Third King of England coming over into Italy to marry with the Lady Violanta Daughter of Galeacio Duke of Millain he forsook that service and attended the Duke to the marriage To omit their sumptuous entertainment which by Paulus Jovius upon the life of Galeacio is written at large Barnaby the Brother of Galeacio having at that time great Wars with the State of Mantua obtained of the Duke of Clarence that Sir John Hawkwood
proquaestor primum post Cancellarius Lancastriae tandem Angliae miro principis favore factus est Sed interim in publico regni senatulectus est orator populi praeterea legatus regis nonnunquam fuit alias alibi postremo vero Cameraci Comes collega junctus Principi Legationis Cuthberto Tonstallo tum Londinensi mox Dunelmensi Episcopo quo viro vix habet orbis hodie quicquam eruditius prudentius melius Ibiinter summos Christiani orbis Monarchas rursus refecta faedera redditamque mundo diu desideratam pacem laetisimus videt Legatus interfuit Quam superi pacem firment faxintque perennem In hoc officiorum vel honorum cursu quum ita versaretur ut neque Princeps optimus operam ejus improbaret neque nobilibus esset invisus neque injucundus populo furibus autem homicidis haereticisque molestus Pater ejus tandem Joannes Morus Eques in eum Judicum ordinem à Principe cooptatus qui regius consessus vocatur homo civilis innocens mitis misericors equus integer annis quidem gravis sed corpore plus quam pro aetate vivido postquam eo productam sibi vidit vitam ut filium videret Angliae Cancellarium satis in terra jam se moratum ratus lubens migravit in coelum At filius defancto patre cui quamdiu supererat comparatus juvenis vocari consueverat ipse quoque sibi videbatur amissum jam patrem requirens editos ex se libros IV. at Nepotes XI respiciens caepit apud animum persenescere Auxit hunc affectum animi subsequuta statim velut ad petentis senii signum pectoris valetudo deterior Itaque mortalium harum rerum satur quam rem à puero semper optaverat ut ultimos aliquot vitae suae annos obtineret liberos quibus hujus vitae negotiis paulatim se subducens futuram posset immortalitatem meditari eam rem tandem si coeptis annuat Deus indulgentissimi principis incomparà bili beneficio resignatis honoribus impetravit atque hoc sepulchrum sibi quod mortis eum nunquam cessantis adrepere quotidiè commonefaceret translatis huc prioris uxoris ossibus extruendum curavit Quod ne superstes frustra sibi fecerit neve ingruentem trepidus horreat sed desiderio Christi lubens oppetat mortemque ut sibi non omnino mortem sed januam vitae felicioris inveniat precibus eum Lector optimè spirantem precor defunctumque prosequere Pro Vxoribus suis Chara Thomae jacet c. Sub quo haec quoque subjuncta Carmina occurrunt Chara Thomae jacet hic JoannaVxorcula mori Qui tumulum Aliciae hunc destino quique mihi Vna mihi dedit hoc conjuncta virentibus annis Me vocet ut puer trina puella patrem Altera privignis quae gloria rara novercae est Tam pia quam gnatis vix fuit ulla suis Altera si mecum vixit sic altera vivit Charior incertum est haec sit an haec fuerit O simul ô juncti poteramus vivere nos tres Quam bene si factum religioque sinant Et societ tumulus societ nos obsecro Coelum Sic mors non potuit quod dare vita dabit The Life of THOMAS CROMWELL Earl of Essex Fortunae speculum Cromwellus scandit ad alta Vt casu graviore ruat Regisque favore Tollitur hincque cadit livore oppressus inique THomas Cromwell from so low a beginning as from the Forge attained to so high a pitch of honour as to be raised to a Pillar of State His Father as our Chronicles report was a Blacksmith to whom may be applied what Juvenal said of Demosthenes Whom his poor Father blear-eye'd with the soot Of sparks which from the burning Iron did shoot From Coals Tongs Anvil and such Black-smiths tools And dirty Forge sent to the Rhetrick Schools He was born at Putney in Surrey four miles from London being endued with a singular excellency of Wit His first advancement was under Cardinal Wolsey who made him his Solliciter employing him for the suppression of forty Monasteries to the erection of his Colledges at Oxford and Ipswich At the fall of the Cardinal he got him to Court where he was by King Henry first advanced to be Master of his Jewel-house then Barron of Oakham in Rutlandshire then Knight of the Garter ere long he was created Earl of Essex then made Lord great Chamberlain and lastly ordained the Kings Vicar General over the Spirituality by vertue of which Office he sat in the convocation-Convocation-house as Head over the Bishops an Honour so great that never any subject enjoyed the like in England Drayton thus epitomizes his Honours First by my Knighthood rising by degree The Office of a Jewel-house my lot After the Robes he frankly gave to me From whence to Privy Councellour I got Then of the Garter and then Earl to be Of Essex yet sufficient these were not But to the great Vicegerency I drew Being a Title as supream as new And now finding by Wolsey's predicting fall that the foundations of Monasteries were not unmoveable he puts it into the King head to have them all suppressed who being not long before declared supream Head of the Church thought his state in danger so long as the Pope had such Pillars to uphold his Power Another main thing was their excessive Riches which was valued at the yearly sum of 1865 12. pounds 8. shillings 1. d. o. q. besides the two Universities and divers Monasteries which were unvalued And no wonder that Bell sounded so sweetly in the Kings ear when so much profit pull'd the rope what ever was the true cause the pretended cause was the gain that was got by ignorant devotion and gadding on Pilgrimage as likewise that they were the receptacles of all traiterous attempts against the peace of the Land and Supremacy of the Crown Besides the Whoredoms Adulteries Incests and filthy Sodomies of the Monks Friers and Priests which put together weighed so heavy that by Act of Parliament they were granted all to the Kings use and Injunctions sent forth for the Bible in English to be read in all Churches and Register-books of Weddings Christenings and Burials in every of them to be kept These Actions of the King exasperated many especially the Pope who feared his Dagon would down if the King should be acknowledged supream Head of the Church whereupon he pronounceth him an Heretick and seduceth amongst others James the Fifth King of Scotland against him Cromwel that his Master might be able to bandy with the Pope counselleth him to allie himself with some Protestant Princess the King then a widdower entertained the motion and a marriage is concluded betwixt him and the Lady Anne Sister to William Duke of Cleve whose other Sister Fredrick Duke of Saxony had espoused a great favourer of the Gospel and maintainer of Martin Luther the promulgator and professour thereof But the Lady
have heard it often discoursed that he writ on the window with the point of his Diamond reflecting on the then present affliction of his Marriage these words John Donne done and undone But long were they not there but Mr. Donne got himself enlarged and soon after his two Friends and long it was not ere the edge of his Father-in-laws passion was taken off by the advice of some Friends who approved his Daughters choice and although at present he refused to contribute any means that might conduce to their livelihood yet did he bestow upon them his Paternal Blessing and secretly laboured his sons restauration into that place of which his own rashness had bereft him although it found no success The Lord Chancellour replying That though he was sorry for what he had done yet it stood not with his credit to discharge and re-admit Servants at the request of passionate Petitioners And now Mr. Donne by means of his Father-in-law being brought out of employment the greatest part of his portion by many and chargeable travels wasted the rest disburst in some few Books and dear bought experience was surrounded with many and sad thoughts And indeed no apprehension of discourtesie strikes so deep into a man as to receive it from those where we expect the greatest courtesies certainly he who hurts his Son-in-law cannot chuse but harm his own Daughter Neither is it enough for him to say he repenteth him of what he hath done unless withal he endeavor for him a new employment and allow him maintenace so long as he is out of it As did this good Knight Sir George More who repenting of his errour gave Master Donne a Bond to pay him eight hundred pound at a certain day as a portion with his Wife and to pay him for their maintenance twenty pound quarterly as the Interest of it until the said portion were paid Master Donne during the time of his Father-in-laws displeasure was curteously entertained by their noble Kinsman Sir Francis Wally of Pirford where he remained many years who as their charge encreased for she had yearly a childe so did he encrease his love and bounty Sir Francis dying he for a while kept house at Micham near Croyden in Surrey but being importuned by his friends he left Micham and had a convenient house assigned him by that honourable Gentleman Sir Robert Drury next his own in Drury-Lane who not onely gave him his dwelling rent free but was also a daily cherisher of his studies And now was he frequently visited by men of greatest learning and judgement in this kingdom his company desired by the Nobility and extreamly affected by the Gentry his friendship was sought for of most forreign Ambassadours and his acquaintance entreated by many other strangers whose learning or employment occasioned their stay in this kingdom Divers of the Nobility interceeded for his preferment at Court and great hopes was given him of some State employment his Majesty having formerly known and much valued him was much pleased to hear his learned disputes frequently used as they sat at meals About this time was that great dispute in England concerning the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance in which the King had ingaged himself who talking occasionly with Mr. Donne concerning some arguments urged by the Romanists received such satisfactory answers that he commanded him to state the points and bring his reasons to him in writing which within six weeks he performed with such contentment to the King that he perswaded him to enter into the Ministery to which Mr. Donne seemed to be modestly unwilling his modesty apprehending it too weighty for his abilities his friends also knowing how his education had apted him mediated with his Majesty to prefer him to some civil employment but the King having a descerning spirit replyed I know Mr. Donne is a learned man will prove an excellent Divine and a powerful Preacher Which caused this learned King again to sollicit him to enter into Sacred Orders which yet he deferred for the space of three years applying himself in the mean time to an incessant study of Textual Divinity and attained to an admirable perfection in the Greek and Hebrew Tongues Soon after his entring into this holy profession the King made him his Chaplain in ordinary he attending his Majesty in his progress to Cambridge the University knowing his worth with a universal consent made him Doctor in Divinity Immediately after his return home his Wife dyed leaving him the careful Father of seven Children living having buried five to her he promised never to bring them under the subjection of a step-mother and although his age being but forty two years might promise the contrary yet kept he his word faithfully burying with his most dear and deserving Wife all his sublunary joyes in this world and living a retired life applyed himself wholly to the exercise of Divinity And now his preaching and godly conversation was grown so eminent that fourteen Advowsions of several Benefices were offered unto him in the Countrey but he having a natural inclination to London his Birth-place refused them and accepted of a Lecture at Lincolns-Inne being glad to renew his intermitted friendship with them where he continued for the space of three years constantly and faithfully dispensing the word of God and they as freely requiting him with a liberal maintenance About which time the Palsgrave usurping the Crown of Bohemia much trouble arose in those kingdoms for the composing whereof the King sent the Earl of Carlile then Viscount Doncaster his Ambassador to those unsettled Princes and by a special command from his Majesty Doctor Donne was appointed to go along with him which accordingly he did to the great comfort of that vertuous Lady the Queen of Bohemia who very gladly received him as the Ambassadour of Christ and during his abode there being a constant hearer of his most excellent and powerful preaching Within fourteen moneths he returned home and about a year after his return the Deanry of Saint Pauls being vacant by the removal of Doctor Cary to the Bishoprick of Exeter the King bestowed the same upon him at his entrance into the Deanry he repaired the Chappel belonging to his house Suffering as the Psalmist hath it his eyes and temples to take no rest untill he had first beautified the house of God Soon after the Vicarage of Saint Dunstans in London fell to him by the death of Doctor White with another Ecclesiastical endowment about the same time Thus God blessed him that he was enabled to be Charitable to the Poor His Father-in-law Sir George More coming to pay him the conditioned sum of twenty pound he refused it saying as good Jacob said when he heard his Son Joseph lived It is enough you have been kinde to me and careful of my Children and I thank my God I am provided for therefore I will receive it no longer and not long after freely gave up his Bond of eight hundred pounds But
his private Devotions Sir Hardress Waller Collonel Harrison Collonel Dean Comissary General Ireton are to consider of the time and place of his Execution and in the Painted Chamber Munday January 29. the President and Judges met and within the Committee resolve that in the open street before White Hall his own House is the fittest place that the King be there executed to morrow Tuesday between ten and two of the Clock upon a Scaffold covered with black next to the Banquetting House where he was wont to ascend his Throne It was supposed the King would not submit his neck to the Enemies Axe and therefore it was so provided with staples and cords that he should not resist January 27. the King lodged at White Hall the next day Sunday the Bishop of London preached before him Afterwards his children had leave to visit him his children being come to him he first gave his blessing to the Lady Elizabeth and bad her to tell her Brother James when soever she should see him that it was his Fathers last command that he should no more look upon Charles as his eldest Brother onely but be obedient to him as his Sovereign that they should love one another and forgive their Fathers Enemies Then said the King to her Sweet Heart you 'l forget this no said she I shall never forget it whilest I live and pouring down abundance of tears promised him to write the Particulars Then the King taking the Duke of Glocester upon his knee said Now they will cut off thy Fathers head upon which the childe lookt very stedfastly on him Mark Childe what I say they will cut off my head and perhaps make thee a King But mark what I say You must not be King so long as your Brother Charles and James do live for they will cut off your Brothers heads when they can catch them and cut off thy head too at last therefore I charge thee do not be made a King by them at which the Childe sighing said I will be torn in pieces first at which the King smiled The fatal day appeared Tuesday 30. January when he prayes and receives the Sacrament just at ten of the Clock in the forenoon he is called to come forth from St. James's Palace then his Prison to go on foot over the Park to White Hall guarded with a Regiment of Foot Souldiers part before and the rest behinde him with Collours flying and Drums beating his private Guard of Partisans about him and Doctor Juxon Bishop of London next to him on one side and Collonel Thomlinson on the other Ascending the stairs up to the Park Gallery into his Cabinet Chamber he continued there at his devotion and refused to dine onely about twelve of the Clock he eat a bit of bread and drank a Glass of Clarret-wine from thence he was conveyed into the Banquetting House and the great Window enlarged out of which he ascends the Scaffold the Rails being hung round and the floor covered with Black the Executioners disguised with vizards encountring him he not affrighted shews more care of the people living then fear of his own dying for looking round about upon the people whom the thick set Guards and Troops of Horse kept a great distance off and seeing he could not be heard by them omitting probably what he purposed to have spoken to them turning to the Officers and Actors but rather to Collonel Thomlinson he said I would now speak nothing unto you in this place were it not that some men would interpret my silence as an argument of guilt and think that I took on me the crimes objected with the same conscience as I submit to the punishment with patience I call God to witness of my innocency before whose Tribunal I must shortly appear it never entred into my thoughts to intrench on the just priviledges of Parliament and that I raised not any Army before such time as they had raised hostile forces against me which from the order of proceedings on both sides and dates of Commissions and Proclamations will be clearly manifested to the inquirer Mean while I acknowledge and submisly own Gods Justice which this day by an unjust sentence of mine he hath inflicted a just judgement on me for as much as heretofore I would not quit an innocent man meaning the Deputy of Ireland when opprest by a most unjust decree With what Charity I embrace my enraged enemies this good man is my witness pointing to the Bishop of London I pardon them all from my very heart and I earnestly beseech the God of all mercies that he would vouchsafe to grant them serious repentance and remit this great sin Yet I cannot to my last gasp but be solicitous of the peace of my kingdom which I am not able at the present better co consult for then by chalking out the way from which you of the souldiery have exceedingly deviated and by which we must return to sobriety and peace Herein I perceive you are most miserably out of the way in that by the rule of the Sword without all even a shadow of right you think good to wrest the government to your selves and endeavour to establish the Kingdom not by the authority of the Laws but upon the score of Conquest which can never have any accruit of right unless adhered in by a just Cause and Triumph of War namely either by the repulsing of wrongs of recovering of rights unjustly detained But if more prosperous success shall advance the victor beyond the modest bounds of just and lawful nought hinders but that the Kingdoms that are erected both be and be accounted great robberies which we read heretofore a Pirat objected to Alexander But being out of the way as you are can you by no other expedient return into the the right wayes of peace by no other counsel believe me can you hope to divert Gods wrath then by restoring to God the King the people respectively such things as are their dues You shall give God his due by restoring his pure worship and Church rightly regulated according to the prescript of his holy word which hath long since been miserably convulst and disjoynted And this a national Synod duly called will best effectuate to the King namely my successour you will render full right if you restore those things which by the clear Letter of the Law stands exprest Lastly you will put the people in their rights and due liberties not by lifting them in the consort of the Throne and sway of the Scepter but by recovering unto the Laws there Authority and the peoples observance to the abrogating of which by the enormious power of the Sword when as by no means I could be induced I was brought hither to undergo Martyrdom for my people So his last breath gently dissolving into a most meek prayer the Bishop of London said to him thus If his most excellent Majesty pleased he would openly profess what he thought touching his Religion not
before and there interred them in a sumptuous Tomb of Marble laying the body of the King at the head of the Tomb and the body of the Queen at his feet towards the West part which noble monument saith Mr. Speed among the fatall overthrows of infinite more was altogether razed at the dispose of some then in Commission whose over-hasty actions in these behalfs hath left us a want of many truths which otherwise we might have had Vain therefore is that which the Scottish Historians report that Queen Guinever was buried at Angus in Scotland and that what woman soever chanceth to tread upon her grave shall remain for ever barren without bringing forth any issue insomuch as Hector Boetius a lying Author reports no woman dares not come near it her self nor will suffer any of her daughters to come near thereunto To conclude the Life of this famous Prince we will shut up all with his Epitaph made by John Leland and tranflated into English by Mr. Nicholas Roscarock Who vanquisht Saxon Troops with Battles bloudy broyles And purchast to himself a name with war like wealthy spoils Who hath with shivering shining Sword the Picts so oft dismay'd And eke unweldy servile yoke on neck of Scots hath laid Who French-men puft with pride and who the Germans fierce in fight Discomfited and daunted Danes with main and martiall might Who of that murthering Mordred did the vitall breath expell That Monster griseley loathsome huge that diresome Tyrant fell Here liveless Arthur lies entomb'd within this stately hearse Of Chevalry the bright renown and vertues nursling fierce Whose glory great now over all the world doth compass fly And of the airy thunder scales the lofty building high Therefore you noble progeny of Brittain line and race Arise unto your Emperor great of thrice renowned grace And cast upon his sacred Tomb the roseal Garlands gay That fragrant smell may witness well your duties you display The Life of DUNSTAN Archbishop of Canterbury IN respect of this unusual Tract as also of the strange variety of relations I have found in Authors of this History I thought fit from the Sword to come to the Crosier to select the Life of Dunstan Archbishop of Canterbury that posterity may be acquainted with the successes as well of the Mitre as Crown He was born in West Saxon his Father was named Heorstan and his Mother Cinifride they in his youth set him to school where he so profitted that he excelled most then living of his age in process of time he fell sick of an Ague which was so violent that he fell into a frenzy Physicians belike being scarce in that age he was as my Author writes under cure of a certain Woman but through her unskilfulness his disease increased upon him and one day being in a trance he suddenly arose and catching hold of a staff laid about him as indeed he was mad next night he got up on the roof of the Church running up and down on the same as if it had been on the ground and coming safely down without any hurt these effects of frenzy were reputed by the superstitious men of those times for miracles hereupon his Father made him a Priest and placed him in the Abby of Glastenbury from whence he was soon advanced into the service of King Ethelstone and as soon banished the Court being accused of Necromancy for entring one day into a Gentlewomans house he hung his harp on the wall whilst he shaped a Priests stoal when to make him merry at his work his harp began to play which the common people concluded to be done by the devil though the subject of its song was said to be that Hymne Gaudent in coelis animae sanctorum c. Yea the Virgin Mary her self is said to solace him with her songs Cantemus Domino sociae c. Being thus expulsed the Court his Couzen Elfheagus Bishop of Winchester perswaded him to become a Monk that what preferment the Court denied by means of the Church he might obtain but he loathing a single life and having a minde to marry some beautiful Damsel refused so to do but a sickness of his body healed this disease of his minde for being stricken with a swelling in his belly his body was brought into such state as if he had been infected with a Leprosie whereupon no sooner was he recovered but he went to the Bishop who shore him a Monk in which state of life he remined with such opinion of holiness that whereas before he was reported to be a Necromancer he was now reputed to be no less then a Saint so variable are the opinions of the people being all in extreams observing no medium as the Poet hath it This day with great Augustus they will mate thee Next day with false Sejanus they will hate thee Now whether his devotion were real or feigned I do not know but certain it is that for the opinion of his holiness he was made Abbot of Glastenbury nor must we imagine him to be less then a Saint if we will believe the Monkish relations of those times since the devil and he was such great Antagonists for being on a time at his prayers before the Altar of Saint George his body fell asleep though his devotion were waking when the Devil coming to devour him in the likeness of a rough Bear he encountred him so fiercely with the staff he used to walk with that the Church rang with the sound thereof to the wonder of many At another time the devil would have tempted him to uncleanness in the likeness of a beautiful Damsel but he having a pair of hot burning pincers in his hand caught hold of her with them by the nose and so spoil'd the devils countenance from whence is still the Proverb But to leave these fictions fit onely for Monks to invent and children to believe certain it is he was in great favour with Edred King of the West Saxons who not onely suffered his body in penance to be chastised by him but also committed to his keeping the greatest part of his treasure who locked up the same in his Monastery at Glastenbury where it remained till the King fell sick of his last sickness at which time it was demanded but never restored for Dunstan being on his journey with the same to the King a voice from heaven spake unto him and said Behold King Edred is now departed in peace at the hearing of which words his horse immediately fell down and died whereupon he returned again to his Monastery and though he lost his horse yet was he recompensed thereby with the gain of the Kings Treasure and Jewels Edred being dead his Nephew Edwy succeeded him in his Kingdome altogether unlike his uncle in conditions young in years but viceous in life for the very same day on which he was Crowned he abused his Body with a Lady his near Kinswoman and after adding murther to incest slew her Husband that he
of Northumberland which lieth betwixt Tweed Cumberland and Stanemore doing homage to the Kings of England for the same By this Peace was Edgar Atheling and those other male-contented Lords restored to the Kings favour for William although a Martial Prince sought to establish his Crown rather by Peace then by the Sword which made him the more apt to forget former injuries And no doubt but this his too much lenity was one principle cause of his continual troubles for Edwin and Morcar the two stout Earls mentioned before combining with Fretherick Abbot of St. Albanes fell into a new conspiracy setting up Edgar Atheling once again their Generall William storming at these disloyal attempts with a mighty power hastneth against them who desperately bent to maintain what they had begun resolved to make the Sword their Judge but King William loath to lose that with shame which he had gotten by the effusion of so much blood prevailed so far with them that an Assembly was appointed to meet at Berkhamsted where he solemnly sware upon the Holy Evangelists and the Reliques of St. Albane the Martyr inviolably to observe the Ancient Laws of this Land especially those compiled by King Edward the Confessor which so wrought him into their good opinions that they all forthwith laid down their weapons But the storme being past the danger was soon forgotten and these mountains promises proved but molehill performances for notwithstanding his oath he dealt more roughly with the English now then before thrusting some into Exile and depriving others of their Lands which he bestowed upon his Normans whose Charters were of a far other tenour forme and brevity then those tedious and perplexed Conveyances since in use as may appear by this one taken out of on old Chronicle in the Library at Richmont I William King the third year of my reign Give to thee Norman Hunter to me that are both leef and dear The hop and the hopton and all the bounds up and down Vnder the Earth to Hell above the earth to Heaven From me and mine to thee and to thine As good and as fair as ever they mine were To witness that this is sooth I bite the white wax with my tooth Before Jug Maud and Marjery and my youngest sonne Henry For a Bow and a broad Arrow when I come to hunt upon Yarrow Nor need we wonder the King was so liberal to the Hunter since he himself loved hunting so well that to maintain his game he depopulated above 30. miles in Hampshire where had been saith Carton twenty six Towns and eighty Religious Houses so that where before God was Worshipped now wilde Beasts grazed a sin which God punished in his posterity his two sons William and Richard and his grandchilde Richard son to Duke Robert coming there to untimely ends which place was then and is to this day called by the name of the New Forrest The more to inrich his Coffers he laid great Subsidies upon the Land causing a strict Survey to be taken of the whole Kingdom exacting six shillings for every hide of Land to the so great impoverishing of the English Nation that they grievously groaned under their miserable estate nor would he permit any English man to bear any office of credit or countenance The English to ingratiate themselves with the Conquerour being forced to leave off their former customs and habits conforming themselves to the fashions of the Normans so that England was now wholly become French excepting Kent which retained their former Customs a long time after Towards the conclusion of his reign dissentions betwixt Philip King of France and him drew him once more over into Normandy where falling sick and keeping his bed more then he used to do the French King hearing that his disease was in his belly scoffingly said Our Cousin William is laid now in Childe-bed Oh! what a number of Candles must I offer at his going to Church surely I think a hundred thousand will not suffice This French frump being told to King William he made this answer Well our Cousin of France I trust shall be at no such cost but after this my Child-birth at my going to Church I will finde him one thousand Candles and light them my self And accordingly towards August following he enters France with a mighty Army spoiling all the West parts thereof before him And lastly set the City Meux on fire wherein he consumed the fair Church of our Lady in the Walls whereof were enclosed two Anchorites who might but would not escape holding it a breach of their Religious Vow to forsake their Cell though in never such extremity and so became their own murtherers The King busied in these attempts cheered his men to feed the fire and came himself so near the flames that with the heat of his harness he got a sickness which was encreased by the leap of his horse that burst the inward rim of his belly that returning to Roan he shortly after ended his life He was buried at Caen in Normandy in the Abby Church of Saint Stephen the first Christian Martyr to the Monks whereof he bequeathed two Mannors in Dorcetshire one Mannor in Devonshire another in Essex much Lands in Barkshire some in Norfolk a Mansion house in Woodstreet of London with many Advowsions of Churches as also his Crown and Regal Ornaments thereto belonging which his son Henry afterwards redeemed with the Mannor of Brideton in Dorcetshire his Tomb was afterwards opened by the Bishop of Bayeux in Anno. 1542. wherein was found a gilt Plate of Brass and this Epitaph engraven thereon Qui rexit rigidos Northmanos atque Britanos Audacter vicit fortiter obtinuit Et Caenomenses virtute coercuit enses Imperiique sui legibus applicuit Rex magnus parva jacet hac Gulielmus in urna Sufficit magno parva domus domino Ter septem gradibus se volverat atque duobus Virginis in gremio Phoebus hic obiit In English He that the sturdy Normans rul'd and over English raign'd And stoutly won and strongly kept what he so had obtain'd And did the swords of those of Mains by force bring under awe And made them under his command live subject to his law This great King William lieth here entomb'd in little Grave So great a Lord so small a house sufficeth him to have When Phoebus in the Virgins lap his circled course apply'd And twenty three degrees had past even at that time he dyed The Life of THOMAS BECKET Archbishop of Canterbury THomas Becket was the Son of one Gilbert Becket a Person of good Alliance and Riches who in his youth travelling to Jerusalem as he returned was taken prisoner by a Saracen Admiral with whom he remained a year and a half during which time the onely Daughter of the Admiral was so taken with his carriage and qualities that he having by flight obtained his liberty she wounded with his love abandoned her Fathers House and Countrey and followed him secretly into
England where being instructed in the Christian Religion and baptized in the Church of St. Paul by the Bishop of London with great Solemnity in the presence of six Prelates she was married to the aforesaid Gilbert of whom he had Issue this Thomas whose Life we now relate who as his Legend recites was first brought up in a Religious House of Merton afterwards was instructed in the Liberal Sciences and then sent to study in the University of Paris from whence returning home he was by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury made his Archdeacon a place in those dayes of high degree in the English Cleargy next unto Lord Abbots and Bishops Much about that time Henry Duke of Aquitain and Normandy succeeded King Stephen in the Crown of England who in the very first year of his Reign advanced Becket to be Lord Chancellour of England in which high honour he carried himself like another King His retinue was great his Followers men of good account his House keeping such as might compare with if not surpass the greatest Earls of the Kingdom his Clothes very costly full of bravery his Furniture mighty rich his very Bridles of beaten silver Yea Fortune did seem to have made him her Darling and all things so flowed according to his desire that one would have judged him to have laid clean aside the very thought of a Clergy-man King Henry having Wars in France he served him with a Band of 700. Souldiers of his own Family besides many others with which and some additional Forces after the Kings departure he obtained a great victory At another time he himself in person unhorssed a Frenchman called Enguerranus de Creya a most hardy Souldier renowned for deeds of Arms and Chevalry for these valiant acts in reward and in further hope of his faithful service upon the death of Theobald the King made him Archbishop of Canterbury though the Monks objected against him that neither a Courtier nor a Soundier as he was both were fit to succeed in so high and sacred a Function But Thomas having obtained this dignity forgot the King who had raised him to the same For as the Poet hath it A swelling spirit hates him by whom he climes As Ivy kills the tree whereon it twines So rising men when they are mounted high Spurn at the means that first they mounted by For not long after began that great controversie between Regnum Sacerdotium the Crown and the Mytre the occasion whereof was the King being credibly informed that some Clergy-men had committed above an hundred murthers under his Reign would have them tried and adjudged in his Temporal Courts as Lay-men were but this as being contrary to the priviledges of the Church the Archbishop withstood This affront of a subject the King could not endure finding himself hereby to be but a demy-King Wherefore having drawn to his side most of the Bishops in an Assembly at VVestminster he propoundeth these Articles peremptorily urging Becket to assent to them 1. That none should appeal to the See of Rome for any cause whatsoever without the Kings licence 2. That it should not be lawful for any Archbishop or Bishop to depart the Realm and repair to the Pope upon his summons without licence from the King 3. That it should not be lawfull for any Bishop to excommunite any person that holdeth in Capite of the King without licence of the King nor grant any interdict against his Lands nor the Lands of any his officers 4. That it should not be lawfull for any Bishop to punish perjured nor false witnesses 5. That Clarks crimonous should be tried before secular Judges 6. That the King and his secular Justices should be Judges in matters of Tythes and other like causes Ecclesiastical There points so nearly touched the Papal Sovereignty that Becket resolutely denied to signe them but by the importunity of many Lords and Prelates at last he yields subscribes the Ordinance and sets his hand unto it The King hereupon supposing all contradiction ended and that Thomas would not waver in his faith called an assembly of the States at Clarendon in VViltshire to collect and enact these Laws where John of Oxenford sitting President Becket relapsed saying He had grievously sinned in that he had done and that he would not sin therein any more The King herewith vehemently incensed threatens banishment and destruction to him and his whereupon Becket once again perswaded swears in verbo Sacerdotali in the word of a Priest sincerely that he would observe the Laws which the King entituled Avitae and all the Bishops Abbots Priors and whole Clergy with all the Earls Barons and Nobility did promise and swear the same faithfully and truly to observe and performe to the King and to his Heirs for ever But the King desiring him to affix his seal to an Instrument wherein those Laws being sixteen were contained he refused saying He did promise it onely to do the King some honour verbo tenus in word onely Nor could the example of his fellow Bishops nor the perswasions of Rotrod the Popes messenger move him at all to compose these differences It may be thought a fable yet is related by divers superstitious Authors that one time during this contention certain fellows cut off the Archbishops horses tail after which fact all their children were born with Tails like Horses and that this continued long in their Posterity For may own part though I confess God is able to do this and much more yet I reckon this amongst other ridiculous miracles mentioned of him by those writers as that of Ailwardus who for stealing a great whetstone which the Author that writes it best deserved being deprived of his eyes and virilities by sentence of Law upon prayer to Saint Thomas he had all restored again Yea even a Bird having been taught to speak flying out of her cage and ready to be seized on by a Sparrow Hawk said onely St. Thomas help me and her enemy fell presently dead and she escaped But slighting these follies to return to our History the King summoning a Parliament at Northhampton Becket was cited to appear before his Majesty which he refusing upon his contempt the Peers and Prelates judged his goods confiscated to the Kings mercy He making his appearance the Parliament demanded of him an account of 30000 pounds which he received when he was Lord Chancellour to which he answered that when he was chosen to be Archbishop he was by the Kings authority freed and acquitted of all Debts and Obligations of Court and Exchequer and so delivered over to the Church of England and that therefore at that time he would not answer as a Lay-man having before had a sufficient discharge This answer of the Archbishop was like Oyl cast on fire which instead of quenching increast the Kings anger and the Prelates perceiving the Kings displeasure to tend yet to some further severity premonished him to submit himself for that otherwise the Kings Court
Homero eruditus ille Italus dixit Hic ille est cujus de gurgite facro Combibit arcanos vatum omnis turba furores The deservingly honoured Sir Philip Sidney in his defence of Poesy thus writeth of him Chaucer undoubtedly did excellently in his Troylus and Crescid of whom truly I know not whether to marvail more either that he in that misty time could see so clearly or that we in this clear age walk so stumblingly after him And Doctor Heylin in his elabourate Description of the World ranketh him in the first place of our chiefest Poets Seeing therefore that both old and new Writers have carried this reverend conceit of him and openly declared the same by writing let us conclude with Horace in the eighth Ode of his fourth Book Dignum Laude causa vet at mori Gower and Chaucer were both of the Inner Temple Mr. Buckley a learned Gentlemen of those times gives an account of a Record he read in the same Inner Temple wherein Geofery Chaucer no friend to the covetous and leacherous Cleargy-men of those times was fined two shillings for beating of a Franciscan Frier in Fleet-street a considerable sum money was so scarce in those dayes I intended to have presented the world with the lives of three more of the most eminent of our modern Poets viz. Mr. Edmond Spenser Michael Drayton Esquire and Mr. Benjamin Johnson not that I could thereby imagine to add unto their fames they having built themselves everlasting Monuments in their never dying Works but out of a desire to imitate forreign writers who have ever done their Worthies that right I have not been wanting of a most diligent inquiry but as yet I cannot meet with any of their friends and honorers that are able to render me so full and happy an account of them as that I might have registred them in this volumne to Posterity The Life of HENRY the Fifth HEnry the fifth was born at Monmouth in Wales 1388. Of whom several Authors write that he was the most dissolute Prince but all agree that he was afterwards the most Martial King that England ever bred For during his Father Henry the Fourths Reign his chief associates were men of evil fame wicked life dissolute carriage Robbers and Thieves by whose instigation he struck the Lord Chief Justice of England for which offence he was imprisoned and dismissed of the Presidentship of the Kings Council With these Fratres in malo he committed many insolent pranks but having attained unto the Crown he summoned these his companions before him and instead of preferring them as they expected he banisht them for ever from his presence yet least they should pretend want of maintenance to be a cause of their taking ill courses he gave to every one of them competent means whereby to subsist Having thus reformed himself his next care was to reform his Kingdom and to this end he assembleth a Parliament as best able to informe him for his more discreet grievances of his Subjects and best able to counsel him for their redress In this Parliament was a Bill preferred by the Commons against the Cleargy whose Temporalities they affirmed would maintain fifteen Earls fifteen hundred Knights six thousand two hundred Esquires an hundred Alms-Houses more then before and unto the Kings Coffers twenty thousand pounds by year The Cleargy nettled with the Commons Bill being loath to have their Estates looked into as men who were fuller of goods then of goodness exceeding in riches more then in righteousness and preaching for Gold more then for God to divert the Kings minde another way by the mouth of Chicholy Archbishop of Canterbury propound the recovering of his Rights in France Henry as he affected nothing more then true glory so in nothing more then in Warlike action condescends to the motion sends Ambassadours to the French King to surrender him his Land threatning Fire and Sword upon his refusal but a Crown though accompanied with a great many troubles is not so easily parted withall yet the French King propounds him fair if he would desist from his intended War though the Dolphin in derision sent him a tun of Paris Balls as fitter for him to exercise then to attempt the recovery of the French Crown which King Henry took in such scorn that he swore it should not be long ere he would send such London Balls amongst them that should beat down their houses upon their heads And to make good his promise he raises an Army of 6000. Spears and 24000. Foot besides Engineers and Labourers but being about to put forth to Sea a treason was discovered against his person plotted by Richard Earl of Cambriage Henry Scroop Lord Treasurer and Thomas Gray Earl of Northamberland These men for a million of Gold were procured by the French Agents to kill the King but were discovered by Edmond Earl of March whom they would have drawn into the same Conspiracy Upon their examination they confessed the Treason as likewise the receipt of the money and were for the same immediately put to death For as Mr. Charles Allen writes Man and Money a mutual falshood show Man makes false money Money makes man so This execution done and the winde blowing fair he puts forth to Sea accompanied with his two Brothers the Dukes of Clarence and Glocester his Uncles the Duke of York and Earl of Dorset the Earls of Kent Cornwall and Huntington with many other Lords Barons and men at Arms and on our Lady-Eve landeth at Caen in Normandy where falling devoutly upon his knees desired Gods assistance to recover his right making Proclamation That no man upon pain of death should rob any Church or offer violence to any that were found unarmed From thence with his Army he marcheth to Harflew which after a few dayes was surrendred unto him where he leaveth Sir John Falstaffe with fifteen hundred men and takes his way towards Callis through the Counties of Caux and Eu. Charles the sixth was then King of France a weak brain-sick King his Nobles divided and the whole Court swarming with Factions yet the common enemy endangering all they unite in Counsell and agree the English should be fought with ere they got to Callis wherefore to impede his process they brake down the Bridges plashed the Woods intrenched the wayes struck stakes in Fords and conveyed all victual out of the Countreys thorow which he should go Then having raised a mighty Army they sent Montjoy the French King at Arms to defie him and to let him know he should be fougt with King Henry notwithstanding his Souldiers were faint and weary having spent their provisions some twelve dayes before being forced in the mean time to feed upon nuts roots and berries and drink onely water yet accepted the Challenge and rewarded the Herald for his message then passing the River of Soam he came to a Village called Agen-Court encamping from the French Hoast not above two hundred and fifty paces Their power saith Paradin
Monster with two heads the misery of which Nation by occasion of these Wars is thus described by Polydor Virgil. While the English and French quoth he contend for Dominion Sovereignty and life if self mens goods in France were violently taken by the Licence of War Churches spoiled men every where murthered put to death or tortured Matrons ravished Maids forcibly drawn from out their Parents arms to be deflowred Towns daily taken defaced spoiled the riches of the Inhabitants carried whither the Conquerours thought good Houses and Villages round about set on fire no kinde of cruelty left unpractised upon the miserable French omitting many other kindes of other calamities which all at once oppressed them I shall onely adde that the Commonwealth being destitute of the help of Laws which for the most part are mute in times of War and Tumults floated up and down without any anchorage of right or justice Neither was England her self void of these mischiefs who by reason of her Civil Wars every day heard the news of her valiant Childrens Funerals slain in perpetual Skirmishes and Bickerings her general wealth continually decreasing so that their evils seemed almost equall and the whole Western World ecchoed the groans and sighs of either Nations quarrels being the common argument of the discourse and compassion of all Christendom The Regent having lately buried his Wife Sister to the Duke of Burgandy did now without his privity marry the Earl of St. Pauls Daughter no friend to the Burgundian which drave him into a discontentent and that discontent did King Charles so work upon that at length he seduced him from the English side though to effect the same he was fain to stoop so low as to send him a blank and bid him set down his own conditions which were both many and unreasonable saith Serres yet worth his cost For as Aemylius saith The end of that War did redeem the French from a Forreign Government as the first assuming thereof had made the English Lords over France The Regent out-lived this revolt not long but died at Paris with whom died all the English mens good fortune in France his body was with all Funeral Solemnities buried in the Cathedral Church of our Lady at Roan on the North side of the high Altar under a sumptuous and costly Monument which Tomb certain Courtiers would have perswaded King Lewis the Eleventh to have demolisht to whom he answered God forbid I should disturb him dead who living would have disturbed us all no let his bones rest in peace well worthy to have a more stately Monument How mighty a Prince he was this his stile sheweth Regent of France Duke of Bedford Alanzon and Anjon Earl of Main Richmond and Kendale and Constable of England But which excelleth his greatness as my Authour writes was that he was one of the best Patriots and Generals that ever blossomed out of the Royal Rosiar of England He died the 14. of September 1435. The Life of RICHARD NEVIL Earl of VVARWICK THis undaunted Heroe whose Life we now relate was he who in those times made and marr'd Kings and handled their Fortunes at his pleasure and was himself a great part of those famous Civil Wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster he was the eldest Son of Richard Nevill Earl of Salisbury and by Marriage with Anne the Sister and Heir of Henry Beauchampe Earl and after Duke of Warwick was in her right created Earl of Warwick His Grandfather was Ralph Nevill Earl of Westmerland whose Daughter the Duke of York had married which might be one cause of his adhering so much to that side and the effusion of so much bloud as ensued thereon For the Wars being now ended in France which we have declared unto you in the Lives of Edward the Third Edward the Black Prince Henry the Fifth and John Duke of Bedford those uncivil Civil Wars soon after brake forth betwixt the two Houses of York and Lancaster For though during our Forreign Wars these dissentions appeared not so much as in the Embrio both sides spending their stock of valour against the common enemy these Wars being ended these Martial mindes difused to peace would still be acting though against themselves The two chief Heads of these Factions was Richard Duke of York and Henry the Sixth King of England if we may call him a head who had so faint an heart and not rather the Queen who acted all though under his name The Duke of York claiming the Crown as Heir to the third Son of Edward the Third the Line of whose eldest Son Edward the Black Prince extinguisht in the deposition and paracide of Richard the second procured by Henry of Bullingbrooke the first King of the house of Lancaster Edward the Thirds second Son dying without issue Henry pleaded the advantage of a long Reign an interrupted descent in Majesty for threescore years a Sovereignty acknowledged abroad by by all Christian Princes and obeyed at home by all Englishmen without dispute a title according to the Law Salique undubitable and which had been confirmed at the first entry of his Grandfather Henry the Fourth into the Kingdom not onely by resignation of Richard the Second but even by approbation nay particular negotiation of Edmond Duke of York Edward Duke of Aumerle and Richard Earl of Cambridge Father Uncle and Grandfather to the said Duke of York This weighty business being not the work of one day the Duke of York draws to his side the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick and the better to prepare his way he practises all means to draw the King into the hatred of the people as one insufficient to supply the room which he held but Henry's piety having placed him so high in the affections of the people he seeks to undermine him in the downfall of his friends pretending not against the King but his evill Counsellours a pretence that hath been made use of in latter times The King at that present lying very sick he neglects no advantage but by the help of his friends wrought so effectually that the Duke of Somerset was sent to the Tower this man was exceedingly hated of the Commons conceiving him the chief cause that all Normandy was surrendered into the hands of the French of which their malice the Duke of York made good use though his intentions for the removing him out of the way was the hinderance he knew he would prove to his after claim of the Crown but when the King had recovered his strength again and resumed to him his Princely Government he caused the Duke of Somerset to be set at liberty and preferred him to be Captain of Calice wherewith not onely the Commons but many of the Nobility which favoured the Duke of York were greatly offended saying that he had lost Normandy already and would also lose Calice Hereupon the Duke of York with his adherents the Earls of Warwick Norfolk and Salisbury the Lords Cobham and Fawconbridge with many
gave himself over to all licentiousness whilst Warwick had made his faction not onely mighty but monstrous being compacted of several natures for into conspiracy of this great enterprize he had drawn off the Cleargy and the Laity and most of them of affections most opposite The Archbishop of York was the principal mover because he mov'd upon the soul and made treason an act of Religion the easie multitude who build their faith upon the man not the Doctrine thinking it meritorious to rebell in regard his function seem'd to give authority to the action With him a greed the Marquess Mountague and many eminent persons of King Edwards Court whom either desire of War having never lived but in the troubled Sea of discord or want of expected recompence rendered discontented All the partakers in the calamity of the house of Lancaster most passionately at first overture embraced this motion amongst whom was Henry Holland Duke of Exeter who after his ruine with the fall of Henry the Sixth was reduced to such extremity that ragged and bare-footed he begg'd for his meat in the Low-Countries But the wonder of the world then was at the powerful sorcery of those perswasions which bewitcht the Duke of Clarence the Kings Brother to this conspiracy to whom the Earl of Warwick to tye him the faster to his side gave him in marriage the Lady Isabel his daughter and coheire to the rich Earldom of Warwick for consummation whereof they sailed over to Calice of which Town the Earl of Warwick was Captain and in which the young Lady then remained with her Mother Soon was the Ceremony past and soon did the Earl invite his Son-in-law from the softness of the Nuptial Dalliance as who had contrived this marriage for business not for pleasure and design'd the first issue of their embraces to be a monster and the most unnatural one War between Brothers Warwick having thus politickly order'd things that he left little or nothing to fortune with his Son-in-law returns to England where against his return the Archbishop of York with some other of his friends had raised a potent Army to oppose whom on Edwards side assembles a mighty power under the conduct of the Earls of Pembroke and Devonshire but they falling out at Banbury upon a trivial occasion made way for the enemy to conquer them both This overthrow was seconded with a great loss at Grafton in Northamptonshire wherein the Earl Rivers and the Lord Widdevil Father and Brother to the Queen were taken and barbarously beheaded Edward nettled with these losses raises what power he could and marches against Warwick whose pretence being that of all Rebells The good of the Kingdom yet to avoid effusion of blood seemingly is very desirous of peace but when with several overtures he had lulled the King in security in the dead of the night he sets upon his Army kills the watch and surpriseth his person buried in a careless sleep Warwick having thus gotten the prey into his hand he so long desired sends him prisoner to Middleham Castle in Yorkshire there to be kept by his Brother the Archbishop of that Sea but King Edward being of another temper then his predecessour Henry not enduring Captivity soon found a way for his own liberty for having gotten licence to hunt in the adjoyning Park he so contrived with Sir William Stanley and Sir Thomas Burgh that with a selected number they came to his rescue and took him away from his weak guard the Lord Hastings joyning to them with some forces he had raised about Lancaster they march directly to London where they were entertained with great expressions of joy The Earl of Warwick who upon the taking of the King had disbanded his Army hearing of his escape was almost distracted with a thousand several imaginations but soon by letters to the Lords of his faction he reassembles his forces and marches against the King but thorow the solicitation of some persons inclinable to peace an enterveiw was agreed on in Westminster Hall and oaths for safety being past on both sides accordingly they met but such intemperance of Language past at their meeting as rather aggravated then allayed their anger so that now they resolved the Sword alone should decide the controversie The Earl of Warwick leaving his Army under the command of Sir Robert Wells whilst he himself went to raise more men King Edward neglecting not the opportunity whilest they were thus disjoyned gives them battel and overthrows them with the loss of ten thousand of their men Sir Robert Wells was taken prisoner and soon after beheaded This overthrow struck Warwick to the heart so that having not sufficient force to withstand the King he with the Duke of Clarence sail over into France with which King as also with Queen Margret who then remained in the French Court they entred into a combination for the deposing of King Edward and setting up again King Henry And that there might not be left any tract of former discontent or path to future jealousie a marriage was concluded and celebrated between Prince Edward the Queens Son and the Lady Anne younger daughter to the Earl and for want of issue of these two the Crown to come to Clarence and his posterity Matters thus concluded and the French King supplying them with money they return into England to whom flocked almost all the Lords the Commonalty also desirous of innovation adhered unto them so that King Edward seeing himself in a manner wholly abandoned was forced to quit the Land and sail into Holland And now notwithstanding his former hostility with him Warwick restores King Henry to all his former dignity and honour a Parliament is called wherein nothing is denyed which the prevailing party thought fit to be authorized King Edward condemned for a Tyranous Usurper and all his adherents attainted of high treason the Crown is entailed upon King Henry and his Heires Males for default of which to George Duke of Clarence and his Heires for ever The Earls of Oxford and Pembroke and many others restored to their estates and titles the Duke of Clarence put in possession of the Dutchy of York and lastly the Government of the King and Kingdom committed to the Duke of Clarence and Earl of Warwick so that King Henry possest no more then the name of King and seem'd not to be set at liberty but to have changed his keeper King Edward in the mean time having hired four great Holland Ships and fourteen Easterling men of War transports his Army over into England which consisted of two thousand Dutch men and such English as accompanied him in his flight or had escaped over after him at Ravenspur in Yorkshire he landed from thence he marched to York but finding in every place where he came the people generally devoted to the House of Lancaster he fashioned his behaviour to a new art and solemnly took his oath that his intentions was not for the recovering of the Crown but
hath this worthy Princes fame been blasted by malicious traducers who like Shakespear in his Play of him render him dreadfully black in his actions a monster of nature rather then a man of admirable parts whose slanders having been examined by wise and moderate men they have onely found malice and ignorance to have been his greatest accusers persons who can onely lay suspition to his charge and suspition in Law is no more guilt then imagination as the divine Father Chrysostom faith A good man hardly suspecteth another to be evill but an evill man scarcely supposeth any to be good King Richard had three great Favourites as Princes are seldome without some and those according to the constant custom of the World must be envied Catesby Ratcliffe and Lovel King Richards own Arms being the Bore upon which one Collingborne of the West fancied this Libel which in those times was received for excellent Wit The Cat the Rat and Lovel the Dog Rule all England under a Hog But leaving such trifles to return to King Richard Henry Earl of Richmond ambitious of Sovereignty envying his prosperity practises with forreign Princes and confederates with the English Nobles for Assistance and Forces against King Richard The chief abettor in England he had on his side was the Duke of Buckingham one who had formerly constantly adhered to King Richards side but being by him denyed the Earldome of Hereford and Constableship of England grew discontented took up Arms was defeated and afterwards by Marshall Law put to death Yet did not this break the neck of Henries design but having by his fair deportment gained Force from the Duke of Brittain and some other Princes envious of the prosperity of the House of York Richmond puts forth to Sea and lands at Milford-Haven in Wales after some refreshing he marches to a Town called Haverford-West where the people who flocked to him in great number welcomed him as a Prince descended from their ancient Princes of Wales the people generally being very noble and loving to their Brittish Kindred Hither came to him with great Forces the Earl of Salop Sir Rice ap Thomas Sir Walter Herbert Sir John Savage Sir Gilbert Talbot and many others His Army thus strong and united he passes the Severne and marches to Leichfield King Richard hearing of his arrivall prepareth against him but though he thought the Nobility generally cemented to his side yet found he a general defluxion from them to the other side the Earl of Surrey the Earl of Westmerland Viscount Lovel and John Duke of Norfolk being the principall that stuck to him which last was much importuned to have fallen off from him the night before the Battel one writing this Rime upon his Gate Jack of Norfolk be not too bold For Dicken thy master is bought and sold But he regarding more his fidelity then any danger that could befall him doubles his care and diligence on the behalf of his Sovereign The Earl of Northumberland who had received great favours from the King and who had in his Name raised vaste Forces being sent for by him refused to come pretending for his disobedience certain dreams wherein he was forewarned by his Father for to fight on King Richards side But the greatest defection was in the Lord Stanley who notwithstanding he had left his Sonne George Stanley as a Pledge of his faith with the King yet revolted to the other side King Richard notwithstanding all these disadvantages having encouraged his Army gives Richmond a Battle where valiantly fighting after he had with his own hands slain Sir Charls Brandon the Earls Standard-bearer and unhorsed Sir John Cheny and shewed himself a most Heroick Person being over-powered with multitude he was slain on the place With him died the Duke of Norfolk the Earl of Surrey was taken Prisoner and the whole Army quite defeated This Battle was fought at a Village called Bosworth near to Leicester The Victor was crowned in the Field by Sir VVilliam Stanley with King Richards Crown which he as a valiant and confident Master of his right had worn that day King Richards dead body after it was most barbarously mangled and wounded was thrown behinde one upon a lean Jade and so conveyed to Leicester where at last it obtained a bed of earth honourably appointed by the order of King Henry the Seventh in the chief Church of Leicester called Saint Maries belonging to the Order and Society of Grey Friers the King in short time after causing a fair Tomb of mingled colour'd Marble adorned with his Statue to be erected thereupon And notwithstanding the times were such when this great Prince lived that he had scarcely time to sheath his sword yet left he behinde him many Monuments of his Piety He founded a Collegiate Church of Priests in Middleham in Yorkshire another Colledge of Priests in London in Tower-street near to the Church called our Lady Barking he built a Church or Chappel in Towton in Glocestershire he founded a Colledge in York convenient for the entertainment of an hundred Priests he built the high stone Tower at Westminster and when he had repaired and fortified the Castle of Carlile he founded and built the Castle of Perrith in Cumberland He began many other good Works which his sudden fatt prevented as Polidor Virgil witnesseth which Works and Monuments of Piety shew not the Acts of a Tyrant I shall end all with this Eulogy which a learned Writer gives him King Richard was a stout valiant person ever indulgent to his People careful to have their Laws duly observed his making so many good ones if they signified not some goodness in himself were evident arguments of his more then ordinary love to Law and Justice The Life of THOMAS HOWARD Earl of SURREY THomas Howard Earl of Surrey in his time the Ornament of Mars and the Muses was Son to Sir John Howard Knight first made Barron by King Edward the Fourth and afterwards Duke of Norfolk by King Richard the Third in whose quarrel he was slain This noble Earl his Son having been well educated and afterwards trained up in Court his Martial minde hating those silken pleasures admired of Courtiers he with divers other young Gentlemen went over to Charles Duke of Burgundy who then had Wars with Lewis King of France in whose quarrel he behaved himself so gallantly that he won the honour and reputation of a most expert Commander At his return King Edward for his valour bestowed on him the Order of Knighthood to whose side he constantly adhered in that great difference betwixt him and the House of Lancaster That quarrel being ended by the overthrow of VVarwick he afterwards did excellent service in the Wars betwixt him and Lewis the French King King Edward being dead and the Crown by joynt consent both of Peers and People placed on King Richards head and after confirmed by Act of Parliament he with his Father the Duke of Norfolk held firm to his side notwithstanding the many
Castle an honourable Mansion of his own where he continued and kept a bounteful house to the time of his death which happened in the fourscore and sixth year of his age He was buried at Thetford Abbey in Norfolk dying after a most generous life worth a large estate so clear from debt that at his death he owed not one groat to any person whatsoever an unusual happiness to attend so great a Souldier and Courtier as he was From this famous Duke is descended the Right Honorable James Earl of Suffolk whose great Grandfather Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk married Margret sole Daughter and Heir to Sir Thomas Audley Lord Chancellour of England by whom he had issue Thomas Lord Howard of Walden and Earl of Suffolk who built that magnificent Structure at Audley-end who left the same to his Son and Heir Theophilus a worthy Gentleman the Father of James Earl of Suffolk now living Anno 1659. To whom with his most vertuous Lady I wish all encrease of true honour and felicity To the greater honour of these Progenies this Heroick Earl died so much a Laureat that his Songs and Sonnets by all those that rightly understand Poetry are looked upon as in those dayes to have been the Muses Parnassus so that for his Epitaph there needed no more to be writ but that here lies interred The greatest Courtier the most valiant Souldier and the most accomplisht Poet of those times The Life of CARDINAL VVOLSEY Fortunae variantis opus Wolsaeus ad alta Scandit iter dubium certa minitante ruina CArdinal VVolsey the Tennis-ball of Fortune was born at Ipswich in Suffolk of so poor and despicable Parents that were his story of an ancient date and not delivered by Authentique Historians it might pass for a fiction his Father being no more but a poor Butcher from so low a beginning did he rise to the highest pitch of honour His Education in youth was at Oxford in Maudlin Colledge from thence he was preferred to be School-master to the Marquess of Dorsets Children where he first learned to be imperious over noble blood the Marquess dying Wolsey went into France to seek his Fortune and coming to Callis became servant to Sir John Naphant then Treasurer of the Town where he behaved himself with so great discretion that his Master shortly preferred him to King Henry the Seventh Having thus cast Anchor at Court the Haven of hope and Port of Promotion he was more then double diligent in the Kings eye and very serviceable to Doctour Fox Bishop of Wincheter Secretary and Lord Privy Seal as also to Sir Thomas Lovel Master of the Wards and Constable of the Tower who perswaded King Henry having urgent business with Maximilian the Emperour to send Wolsey in Embassage unto him being at that present in the Countrey of Flanders who returned again before he was thought to be gone and withal concluded some Points forgot in his directions to the hight contentment of King Henry for the which he bestowed upon him the Deanry of Lincolne and not long after made him his Almoner But King Henries day now drawing towards night he adores the rising Sun Prince Henry and having found the length of his foot fitteth him with an easie shoe well knowing there could be no loss to humour him who was so able to give nor was he deceived in his expectation for Henry afterwards coming to be King and having conquered the City of Tourney in France bestowed the Bishoprick of the same upon VVolsey and not long after made him Bishop of Lincolne and Archbishop of York And now being Primas Anglia carried himself accordingly by erecting his Cross in the Kings Court although within the Jurisdiction of Canterbury which high presumption VVilliam Archbishop of Canterbury greatly checked But VVolsey not abiding any Superious obtained to be made Priest Cardinal and Legatus de Latere unto whom the Pope sent a Cardinals Hat with certain Bulls for his Authority in that behalf And now remembring the taunts he had received from Canterbury found means with the King that he was made Lord Chancellour of England and Canterbury which was Chancellour dismissed who had continued in that place long since before the death of King Henry the Seventh VVolsey now sitting at the Helm of Church and State had two Crosses and two Pillars born ever before him the one of his Archbishoprick the other of his Legacy by two of the tallest Priests that were to be found in the Realm To the better maintenance of which chargeable estate the King bestowed on him the Bishoprick of VVinchester and in Commendam the Abbey of St. Albans and with them he held in Farm the Bishopricks of Bathe VVorcester and Hereford enjoyed by strangers incumbents not residing in the Realm so that now being Bishop of Tourney Lincolne York VVinchester Bathe VVorcester and Hereford he seemed a Monster with seven heads and each of them crowned with the Mitre of a Bishop far different from the state of his Lord and Master Christ who had not a hole wherein to hide his head Yet his ambition resteth not here next he aspires to the Triple Crown he onely wants Holiness and must be Pope to the attaining of which Dignity he makes means to the Romish Cardinals as also to the Emperour Charles the Fifth Gold he gave to the Cardinals and they gave him golden promises although they proved but empty performances nor did the Emperour serve him any better promising much but performing nothing VVolsey hereat enraged studies revenge and by his instruments seeks to make a divorce betwixt Queen Katherine Dowager the Emperours Aunt and King Henry the Eighth his Master thereby to advance a Marriage betwixt him and the King of France's sister But though he effected the one he failed in the other for contrary to his expectation King Henry fell in love with Anna Bullen a Gentlewoman nothing favourable to his Pontificial Pomp nor no great follower of the Rites of those times which moved the Cardinal the Pope having assumed the sentence of Queen Katherines cause unto himself to write unto his Holiness to defer the judgement of Divorce till he had wrought the Kings minde in another mould But though this was done secretly it came to the Kings ear and wrought his minde quite off from the Cardinal which finally was the cause of his confusion for upon the Kings dislike the Counsel articled against him and the Law found him in a Premunire for procuring to be Legatus de latere and advancing the Popes Power against the Laws of the Realm for which resentment the Kings displeasure was so incenst that the Broad Seal was taken from him and most of his other Spiritual Preferments his house and furniture seized on to the Kings use and himself removed to Cawood Castle in Yorkshire Yet was he still left Bishop of Winchester and Archbishop of York to which last providing for his installing state equivalent to a Kings Coronation he was arrested of
high treason by the Earl of Northumberland for words importing a desire of revenge saith Sleidan from thence he was conveyed towards London by the Lieutenant of the Tower in which journey at Leicester Abbey he ended his life breathing out his soul with speeches to his effect Had I been as carefull to serve the God of Heaven as I have been to comply to the will of my earthly King God would not have left me in my old age as the other hath done Some have imagined he poysoned himself as not willing to survive his great glory and some have thought he was poysoned by others that with his feathers they might build themselves nests Surely the fall of this stately oak caused the growth of much underwood many rising by his ruine raising themselves great estates out of the fragments of his fall He left behinde him these glorious monuments of fame the buildings of Christ-Church White-Hall Hampton-Court Windsor His Master King Henry lived in the two first his Tomb being erected in the last Some Historians write that his body swelled after his death as his minde when he was living with his Ego et Rex meus On which ambition of the Cardinal one wrote these verses Dicere Gramatices ratio permittit Ego Rex Ethica te jubet ars dicere Rex Ego Haec est nimirum vivendi ars illa loquendi Principis haec Aulae serviat illa Scholae The Life of Sir THOMAS MOOR Hic est ille Thomas plebis de pulvere magnus Qui tulit incanum Principis ira caput SIr Thomas Moor one of the greatest Ornaments of his time was a man of those high employments and of so great parts to go thorow them that he is deservedly placed amongst our English Worthies He was the Son of Sir John Moor Knight and one of the Justices of the Kings Bench a man singular for his many rare perfections His Birth place was at Milk-street in London the year of our Lord 1480. Having attained some skill in the Latine Tongue Cardinal Moorton Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord High Chancellour of England took him into his house where his wit and admirable deportment appeared to be such that the Cardinall would often say of him to the Nobles that severall times dined with him This Childe here waiting at the Table whosoever shall live to see it will prove the miracle of men For his better proficiency in learning the Cardinal placed him in Canterbury Colledge in Oxford now called Christ-Church where when he was both in the Greek and Latine Tongue sufficiently instructed he was then for the study of the Law put into one of the Innes of Chancery called New Inne where for his time he highly improved from thence he removed to Lincolns-Inne where he was made an Utter-Barrister where for some time he read a Publick Lecture of St. Austine de Civitate Dei in the Church of St. Laurence in the Old Jury Afterwards he was made Reader of Furnivalls-Inne where he continued for the space of above three years after which time he gave himself up to his devotions in the Charter-House of London living religiously there for the space of four years Soon after he married the Daughter of Mr. John Colt of New Hall in Essex by whom he had one Son and three Daughters whom from their youth he brought up in vertue and learning About this time his rare endowments began to be looked upon with a publick eye which caused him to be called to the Bench and soon after chosen a Burgess of Parliament which happenned in the latter end of King Henry the Sevenths Reign who demanding one Subsidy and three fifteens for the Marriage of his eldest Daughter the Lady Margret unto the King of the Scots Sir Thomas making a grave Speech argued so strongly why these exactions were not to be granted that thereby the Kings demands were frustrated and his request denyed by which occasion he fell so deeply into the Kings displeasure that for his own safeguard he was determined to have gone over Sea had not the King soon after dyed which somewhat mittigated his fear and altered his resolution After this he was made one of the under Sheriffs of London by which office and his practice in Law he gained an estate of four hundred pounds per annum Now his learning wisdom knowledge and experience was grown into such note behaving himself so admirably that he gained a general applause from all men and fell into such an estimation with King Henry the Eighth that he made him master of the Requests soon after Knight and one of his Privy Councel and so from time to time advanced him continuing still in his singular favour and trusty service twenty years and above his pleasant disposition and readiness of wit so gaining him into King Henry's favour that upon the death of Mr. Weston Treasurer of the Exchequer the King bestowed on him the office of Treasurer and not long after made him Chancellour of the Dutchy of Lancaster To render his History the more pleasant take these few tastes of the sharpness of his Wit Cambden reports of him that he used to compare the great number of women to be chosen for Wives unto a bag full of Snakes having amongst them but one Eel now if a man puts his hand into this bag he may chance to light on the Eel but 't is a hundred to one if he be not stung with a Snake Being in company where the master of the house commended his Beer for the well relish of the Hop Sir Thomas replyed but had it hopped a little further it had hopped into the Thames A supposed bribe being put upon Sir Thomas a great gilt Cup presented to him he being called before the Kings Council to answer this accusation Sir Thomas acknowledged that he did receive the Cup for a New-years-gift after some importunities he received it but immediately he caused his Butler to fill it with Wine and therein drank to the Gentlewoman that presented it and when that she had pledged him he as freely gave it her again for a New-years gift for her Husband This great Mountain of his accusation being brought scarcely to a little Mosehill When he was Justice of Peace he used to go to the Sessions at New Gate where one of the Ancientest Justice of Peace of the Bench was used to chide persons when their Purses had been cut for not being more carefull telling them that their negligence was the cause that so many Cut-purses were brought thirther Sir Thomas obs rving him to repeat this caution so often sent for one of the chiefest Cut-purses that was in prison and promised him to save him harmless if he would but cut the said Justices Purse the next day as he sat on the Bench and when he had done to make a sign of it to him The day after when they sat again the Thief was called one of the first who being accused of the fact
old Doctors and at his next coming to the Court discoursing to his Majesty his opinion of the foresaid matter he said To be plain with your Grace neither my Lord of Durham nor my Lord of Bathe though I know them both to be wise vertuous learned and honourable Prelates nor my self with the rest of your Councel being all of us your Majesties own Servants so much bound unto your Highness for your great favours daily bestowed upon us be in my judgement meet Counsellours for your Grace herein but if your Highness please to understand the very truth you may have such Counsellours elected as neither for respect of their own worldly profit nor for fear of your Princely displeasure will be inclined to partiality He then quoted Saint Hierome Saint Austine and divers other Fathers and Holy Doctours both Greek and Latine shewing what authority he had gathered out of them for what he said which although it was against the grain not so pleasant to the King as not agreeing to his desires yet Sir Thomas Moor had in all his communication with the King in this business so discreetly demeaned himself that at that present the King did not distaste what he said and often afterwards had conference with him about the same case of Conscience For the further tryal and examination of this Matrimony scruple a Commission was sent from Rome in which Cardinal Campeius and Cardinall Wolsey were joyned Commissioners who for the determination thereof sate at Black Fryers in London the King and Queen being cited to appear before them In the prosecution of which busisiness the King took such distaste at Wolsey that he displaced him of his office of Lord Chancellour and bestowed the same on Sir Thomas Moor the better to draw him to his side but he valuing more the quiet of his Conscience then any Princes honour in the world fell down on his knees desiring his Majesties favour to employ him in any Affair in which with integrity of his Conscience he might truly serve God and him to which the King curteously answered that if he could not therein with his Conscients serve he was content to accept of his service otherwise and take the advice of other his learned Council whose consciences would well enough dispense with it yet that he would nevertheless continue his wonted favour towards him and no more molest or trouble his minde with that business Upon Sir Thomas Moors entrance into this last honourable preferment every one might perceive a very strange alteration for whereas the precedent Chancellour Wolsey would scarce look or speak to any into whose onely presence none could be admitted unless his fingers were tipp'd with Gold on the contrary this Chancellour the poorer and meaner the Suppliant was the more affable he was to him and the more attentively he would hearken to his cause and with speedy tryal dispatch him for which purpose he used commonly every afternoon to fit in his Hall that if any person whatsoever had any suit unto him they might the more boldly come to his presence and open their complaints before him and find sudden redress It is reported of him that whereas our pick pocket Lawyers with long-winded Chancery Demurrs to the undoing of thousands keep off business his practice was if it were to be done with conveniency to dispatch a Cause at the first hearing for which reason a Writer wittily calls him Sir Thomas Plus because before he rose off from the Bench he alwayes used to ask if there were any more Causes Thus the greatness of honour the change of his place altered him not Sir Themas remained still the same good man that he was his humility was the same It being observed of him that every day as he passed through the Hall to his place in the Chancery by the Court of the Kings Bench where his Father was one of the Judges that he would go into the Court and there reverently kneeling down in the fight of them all duly ask his Father Blessing I shall onely add one story more concerning his humility in the height of his honour the Duke of Norfolk coming on a time to Chelsey to dine with him happened to find him in the Church singing in the Quire with a surplice on his back to whom after Service as they went homeward hand in hand together the Duke said Gods Body my Lord Chancellor what a Parish Clerk a Parish Clerk you dishonour the King and his Office nay said Sir Thomas smiling upon the Duke Your Grace may not think your master and mine will be offended with me for serving of God his Master of thereby count his office dishonoured To proceed King Henry determining to marry the Lady Anne Cleve for his better proceeding in this affair called a Parliament where he with the Bishops and Nobles of the upper House were commanded by the King to go down to the Commons to shew unto them both what the Universities as well of other parts beyond the Seas as at Oxford and Cambridge had done therein their Seals also testifying the same all which at the Kings request not shewing of what judgement himself was therein he declared unto the lower House yet doubting least further attempts should after follow which contrary to his Conscience by reason of his office he was likely to be put unto he made suit unto the Duke of Norfolk his singular dear friend to be a means to the King that he might with his Majesties favour be discharged of that chargeable office of Chancellourship wherein for certain infirmities of his body he pretended himself unable any longer to serve To which purpose the Duke solliciting the King obtained of him a clear discharge from the same with thanks and praise for his worthy service herein And not underservedly his integrity nobleness and charity being so great that notwithstanding he had gone thorow so many offices for almost twenty years he was not able to purchase more then one hundred pounds a year Touching his troubles they began first by occasion of a certain Nun dwelling in Canterbury who affirmed that she had revelations from God to give the King warning of his wicked life and of the abuse of the Sword and Authority committed to him This Nun conferring with Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas Moor about the same they advised her to go to the King her self and to let him understand the whole circumstance thereof whereupon at the Parliament following there was a Bill put into the lower House to attache the Nun with divers other Religious persons of High Treason and the Bishop of Rochester Sir Thowas Moor and some others of misprision of Treason Divers other accusations came thick and threefold upon him and doubtless had he not been one of a singular integrity and free from all corruption of wrong doing or bribes taking these accusations had overwhelmed him but they all falling short of the mischievous design that was on foot against him a trick was found
whom he was very intimate walking with him in his Summer-Parlour thought to please him with a motion of putting out a summe of his money to interest on good security Master Sutton shewing a dislike told him that he had other purposes and for the lawfulness of Usury he was not so fully convinced of it but that he did believe that the most confident Usurer that ever lived would give the best bag he had on his death-bed to be cleared of that case of conscience He being asked by his friend what he would then do with his money he answered that he was onely as treasurer and disposer for poor and wanting persons which words of his agreed with his mind as the end of his Life declared For as he determined with himself so he afterwards built an Hospital having first got a Grant from K. James confirmed by Act of Parliament To this purpose having bargained with Tho. Earl of Suffolk for a House then called the Seat of the Carthusians now the Charter-House which was much out of repair this with many thousands of pounds he bought of the Earl though some asperse him and report that he got it into his hands first by fraud the Deeds being intrusted to him that he kept them by which subtilty he had the advantage to make his own market I cannot believe this but if it were true he had great need if it could stand him in any stead to fly to that Scripture which the Romanists make so much use of Charity covers a maltitude of sins But to passe by this diversion this House questionlesse he bought lawfully of the Earl which he turned into an Hospital When he was very old and considering how soon his crazinesse and weaknesse might set a period to his life and not knowing what injuries the present or future Ages might act against his Charity he took such care to confirm his will by the Royal power and the Laws of the Land that except it hath been abused by the corruption of some particular covetous persons it hath not been otherwise violated The particulars of his Testament are too large to be inserted here I refer the Reader to the printed Copy I shall onely out of it instance a few particulars He bestowed upon his Kindred Friends and Servants vaste summes of money besides six thousand pounds a year to the Hospital For the performance whereof he chose honest wise and experienced Executours His Will being thus perfected he fell deadly sick at his House at Hackney near London in the year of our Lord 1611. he died Not long after his death the House began to be turned into an Hospital though after his decease this good work with several quirks and pretences of Law was oposed as to the very foundation of it the Kings ears being abused At last such was the faithful zeal of those that were intrusted God assisting them in so honourable actions that the Institution came to perfection by a quiet possession to the use appointed with a Library as a gift worthy of such an Hospital In this House fourscore old men are maintained which should be decayed Gentlemen and Souldiers according to the Doners intent who are to have an allowance both for their bodies and souls There is also a School for thirty children of poor parents though I am credibly informed rich persons of late years that make the greatest friends soonest get their children in an abuse of the Will of the deceased and a crying oppression of the poor These Children have their constant diet and clothing There are several other stipends for the Governour Overseers Physicians nad Chyrurgeons of the Hospital together with an annual allowance and an ample stipend assigned to a learned Minister who in the Chappel on the Lords Day is to preach to the Hospitallers with prayers twice every day in the week An honourable gift to the end of the world bestowed on the distressed members of our Saviours body Master Sutton was first buried in Christs-Church in London but afterwards removed and interred in the Chappel of his Hospital the Charter-House where a costly Monument was erected for him by his Executours The Papists that glory so much of their good works cannot shew a nobler foundation for a particular person of his quality To conclude though our actions of Charity are never so great foolishly thought by them meritorious yet if not the effects of a true saving faith they are lost and a man may for all his Charity go to the Devil And though the Catholiques would plead from the form of the last judgement Matthew 25. that God accepts men to Life for their deeds of Charity feeding clothing relieving c. yet the Scripture fully testifies that God neither accepts these nor our selves for them no further then they are the effects of a true faith our persons being first justified by faith in Christ then God will crown our works This according to the holy Writ we acknowledge that Charity for the perpetuity of it excells all other Graces when we have possession of those pleasures that we believed and hoped what longer use is there of faith and hope but our Love shall not end with our lives we shall everlastingly love our Maker Saviour Sanctifier Angels and Saints where no discontent shall breed any jar in our Halelujahs To conclude as the use of Mr. Suttons Love and Charity was a comfort and delight to him on earth what can we think it will be to him in heaven The Life of the most Noble Sir FRANCIS BACON Viscount of Saint ALBANES AFter I had bestowed much pains and strictly enquired the transactions of the life of this incomparable Knight having finisht it with all the ingenuity care and impartiality of a studious minde I at last had the happiness to meet with it in Latine exactly and admirably done by Doctour Raleigh his Chaplain who as he discharged his faithful trust in publishing of some of his Works I thought my self obliged to do him the right of the alone setting forth of his Life more especially as no person better knew him then this Reverend Doctour I have onely translated what he did word for word neither adding nor detracting Sir Francis Bacon the Honour of his age and Countrey the credit and ornament of Learning was born at York-House in the Strand a noted Street adjoyning to the City of London on the 22. day of January in the year of mans salvation MDLX His Father was that famous Councellour to Queen Elizabeth and while he liv'd one of the chief Props and Pillars of her Kingdom Sir Nicholas Bacon Knight Keeper of the great Seal of England a Heroe of approved wisdom judgement moderation and integrity His Mother was Anne a Daughter of Sir Edward Cook who had the education of Edward the Sixth King of England a Lady both of singular Piety and Vertue and eminently learned having no mean skill especially considering her Sex in the Greek and Latine Tongues sprung from such
of speaking were a thing planted in him by nature not unlike what Ovid in the business of composing Verse sung of himself What ere I try'd to write became a Verse As aften as he was constrain'd by his Office to condemn any guilty person which duty was incumbent upon him as being learned Councel to the Kings majesty whether in criminal matters of a lesser nature or in capital offences he never carried himself proud or lofty towards the delinquent but always milde and of a moderate temper and though he knew that it was his duty in behalf of the King to urge and aggravate the crime as much as in him lay against the guilty person yet he so carried himself that at the same time he lookt upon the fact with an eye of severity upon the person with an eye of mercy In matters of State when he was called into the Kings Privy Council he ever observ'd the best manner of counselling not ingaging his master in any rash counsels or such as were grievous to the people but rather temporate and equal insomuch as King James honoured him with this testimony That he knew the method of handling matters after a milde and gentle manner and particularly exprest himself that it was a thing highly pleasing to his Majesty Nor was he when occasion serv'd less gracious with the Subjects of the Kingdom then with the King himself he was ever very acceptable to the Parliamentary Committees while he sate there of the Lower House in which he often made Speeches with great applause After he was advanc't to the office of Atturney General and elected to sit in Parliament liberty was granted to him by common suffrage of sitting in consultation among them a thing not known to have been granted to any other Atturney General And as he had the praise of a good Servant towards his Master for as much as in nineteen years administration as he himself affirm'd he never incurr'd the Kings displeasure for any offence immediately committed against the Kings Majesty so he obtained the name of a good Master towards his own Servants and freely rewarded their diligent services with eminent Offices as often as they came into his power to bestow which was a main cause why he was almost wearied with prayers to receive into the number of his Pages so many young men of the better sort and sprung from noble families and if any of them abus'd his grace and favour that was onely to be attributed to the errour of his native goodness though it redounds to their perpetual infamy and intemperance This our worthy was a strict worshiper of the Divine Majesty for although it hath been a custom among the vulgar to brand political persons and men of eminent wits with the note of Atheism yet that he both acknowledg'd and worshipt God appears most evidently by various testimonies dispersed through the whole course of his Works for otherwise he had destroyed and overthrown his own principles which were That Philosphy onely sipt and slightly tasted of draws us from God as that which magnifies second causes beyond their due but that Philosophy taken in a full draught brings us at length back unto God Now that he himself was a very profound Philosopher there is no man I suppose that can deny nor is this all but he was likewise both able and ready to render an account of that hope which was in him to any one that desired it and of this that Confession of Faith set forth at the end of his Volumne hath left a sufficient proof He very frequently us'd when he was in perfect health to be present at Divine service whether privately or publickly celebrated at the hearing of Sermons at the Participation of the holy Eucharist and at length he quietly slept in the true Faith establisht in the Church of England This is to be affirm'd for a certain that he was utterly void of all malice which as he said himself he never brought forth nor nourisht of the revenging of injuries he never so much as thought since to the performance thereof had he been so disposed he was sufficiently armed both with opportunity and power A remover of Officers from their places he was not in the least manner although he might have inricht himself by the destruction and ruine of others nor did he ever bear the name of a calumniator of any man to his Prince On a certain day when one of the chief Ministers of State who had borne him no good will being lately dead the King askt him what he thought of that Lord who was dead he answered That he was such a one as never had promoted his Majesties Affairs or made them better but that doubtless he had done his best to keep them from sinking or declining This was the hardest Sentence he would utter concerning him which indeed I reckon not among his Morall but his Christian vertues His name was more celebrated shin'd brighter abroad amongst forreigners then at home among his own Countreymen as it is mentioned in holy Writ A Prophet is not without honour except in his own Country and in his own House To make this good I shall produce a little passage out of an Epistle sent from Italy the shop of polite Wits to the late Earl of Devonshire at that time Baron Candish which was thus The new Essays of the Lord Chancellor Bacon as also his History and whatsoever besides he is now about I shall expect with infinite thirst of mind but especially in his History I promise to my self a perfect and well polisht work and chiefly in the Affairs of Henry the Seventh in the relating of which he will have liberty to exercise the gift of his accute wit That Lord daily increaseth in fame and his Works are more and more in chocie request among us and those who in humane Affairs are wise above the vulgar repute him among the greatest and most sublime wits of the age and so in truth he is Many of his Books were taught other languages as well the ancient and modern both heretofore and of late by those of forreign Nations Divers eminent men while he was living came over into England for no other cause but onely to see him and to have an opportunity of discoursing with him upon one of whom he bestowed his Picture drawn whole at length from head to foot to carry back with him into France which he thankfully receiv'd as a thing that would be very grateful and acceptable to his Countreymen that so they might enjoy the Image of his Person as well as the Images of his Brain viz. his Book Among others the Marquess of Fiat a Nobleman in France who came Ambassadour into England in the first year of Queen Mary's comming over the Wife of King Charles was affected with a very earnest desire of seeing him whereunto having gain'd an opportunity and coming into his Bed-chamber where he lay sick of of the Gout he addrest
University and on them he bestowed the preferments which fell in his gift thus he weighed their merits in the Balance His own manner of preaching being no less wise then eloquent so he would have men of his profession to be possessed with a Christian and religious wisdom to preserve peace and truth together Nevertheless as he understood his own qualifications he the better knew what men of his function were able to perform And though his improvements were admirable after he was Vicar of Saint Giles and his dislikes of all preaching which by being too frequent is withal too loose thence was his censure on himself recorded by Bishop Brockridge in his Funeral Sermon that when he preached twice a day at St. Giles he prated once not but that his very table talk and what in the depth of his humility he called his prating was more useful more learned then the very best preaching of them that are enemies to his Glory as well as Doctrine But because he thought the word of God was never well enough handled and that the work of God was never well enough done until it had received the utmost care and circumspection as Mr. Fuller excellently discoursing of preaching twice a day commends the necessity of a large repitition in the afternoon which he compares to a dish of cold meat which with a little addition will suffice those that are not of too greedy appetites all ear and nothing else Doctor Dun renders an excellent reason why some are so tedious and long-winded in their holding forth For that saith he there ware is course they can afford the larger measure But to return to our present undertaking our Bishops fidelity in his Almoner-ship was such that he would never suffer one penny of that which accrewed to him by that place to be mingled with any of his own Rents or Revenues and wherein he kept a more exact account then of his own estate And if upon accounts at any time he found any surplusage he would never suffer it to lie by him but like a faithful Steward distribute the same to poor housholders and other persons where he saw most need But in recounting his vertues let us not forget to what height they preferred him having held the Bishoprick of Chichester about four years his Majesty advanced him to that of Ely wherein he sat about nine years in which time he was made a Privy Councellour first of England and then of Scotland in his attendance of the King thither He was afterwards preferred to the Bishoprick of Winchester and the Deanry of the Kings Chappel which two last preferments he held to the day of his death He was ever faithful provident and careful to keep in good repair the Houses of all his Spiritual Preferments and spent much money that way As upon the Vicarage House of Saint Giles the Prebends and Deans House of Westminster and the Residentiaries House of S. Pauls Upon the house belonging to the Bishoprick of Chicester he expended above four hundred and twenty pound Of Ely above two thousand four hundred and forty pound Of Winchester besides a Pension of four hundred pound per annum from which he freed his See at his own charge he spent two thousand pound He bequeathed several Legacies to the Parishes of Saint Giles Saint Martins Ludgate where he had dwelt Saint Andrews in Holborn Saint Saviours in Southwark All-Saints Berking where he was born and others Also to Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge where he had been a Schollar Fellow and Master a thousand pound to purchase Land for two Fellowships Besides three hundred Folio Books of his own to the encrease of their Library together with a gilt Cup and a Bason and Ewer of great worth His gratitude to those from whom he had received any benefits was most conspicuous as Doctour Ward son to his first School-master upon whom he bestowed the Living of Waltham in Hampshire Master Mulcaster his other Schoolmaster he alwayes reverendly respected living and being dead caused his Picture having but few other in his House to be set over his Study door Upon a Kinsman of Doctor Wats which was all he could finde of that Generation he bestowed preferments in Pembroke-Hall But should I go about to particularize all his Vertues it were sufficient of its self to make up a Volumn Master Crashaw the second Herbert of our late Times write these following Verses in Latine and English on the Bishop some of which are placed before his Picture to his Sermons In Picturam reverendissimi Episcopi D. Andrews Haec charta monstrat fama quem monstrat magis Sed ipsa quem dum fama non monstrat satis Ille ille solus totam implevit tubam Tot ora solus domuit famam quoque Fecit modestam mentis igneae pater Agilio radio lucis aeternae vigil Per alta rerum pondera indomito vagus Cucurrit animo quippe naturam ferox Exhausit ipsam mille Faetus artibus Et mille linguis ipse se in gentes procul Variavit omnes fuitque toti simul Cognatus orbi sic sacrum solidum jubar Saturumque coelo pectus ad patrios libens Porrexit ignes hac eum Lector vides Huc ecce charta O utinam audires quoque Vpon Bishop Andrews Picture before his Sermons This Reverend Shadow cast that setting Sun Whose glorious course through our Horizon run Left the dim face of this dull Hemispheer All one great eye all drown'd in one great tear Whose fair Illustrious soul led his free thought Through Learnings Universe and vainly sought Room for her spacious self until at length She found the way home with a holy strength Snatcht her self hence to Heaven fill'd a bright place ' Mongst those immortal fires and on the face Of her great Maker fixed her flaming eye There still to read pure true Divinity And now that grave aspect hath deign'd to shrink Into this less appearance if you think 'T is but a dead face Art doth here bequeath Look on the following leaves and see him breath To draw to a period of his Life which happened September 25. 1626. in the third year of the Reign of King Charles and 71. of his Age. When he changed this mortal for an immortal life becoming one of those heavenly Choristers which sing continual Hallelujahs unto the Lord as Master Waller admirably expresses in his Poems All that the Angels do above Is that they sing and that they love He lieth buried in the upper Isle of the Parish Church of Saint Saviours in Southwark over whom his Executours have erected a very fair Monument of Marble and Alablaster enscribed with this Epitaph LECTOR Si Christianus es siste morae pretinum erit Non nescire te Qui vir hic situs sit Ejusdem tecum Catholicae Ecclesiae Membrum Sub eadem faelicis Resurrectionis spe Eandem D. Iesu praestolans Epiphaniam Sacratissimus Antistes Lancelotus Andrewes Londini oriundus
provided in kinde where he was freed from corroding cares and seated on such a rock as the waves of want could not probably shake where he might sit in a calm and looking down behold the busie multitude turmoiled and tossed in a tempestuous sea of dangers And as Sir William Davenant has happily exprest the like in another person Laugh at the graver business of the State Which speaks men rather wise then fortunate He died in Decemb. 1639 having compleated seventy three years His will was made by himself above two years before his death wherein he appointed that his Executours should lay over his Grave a plain stone of Marble with this Epitaph enscribed thereon Hic jacet hujus sententiae primus Author Disputandi pruritus Ecclesiarum scabies Nomen alias quaere Which may be englished thus Here 's lies the first Authour of this Sentence The Itch of Disputation will prove the Scab of the Church Enquire his name elsewhere To acquaint the world with two or three other Instances of the readiness of his Wit he having in Rome retained an acquaintance with a pleasant Priest who invited him one evening to hear their Vesper-Musick at Church the Priest seeing Sir Henry stand obscurely in a corner sends to him by a Boy of the Quire this question written in a small piece of paper Where was your Religion to be sound before Luther To which question Sir Henry Wotton presently under-writ My Religion was to be found then where yours is not to be found in the written word of God To another that asked him Whether a Papist may be saved He replyed You may be saved without knowing that Look to your self To another whose earnest zeal exceeded his knowledge and was still railing against the Papists he gave this advice Pray Sir forbear till you have studied the Points better for the wise Italian hath this Proverb He that understands amiss concludes worse And take heed of entertaining this opinion That the further you go from the Church of Rome the nearer you are to God He left behinde him many Monuments of his Learning whose worth are such that they speak themselves more incomparably to posterity then any Eulogies I can bestow upon them Give me leave to conclude with the words of one of the learnedst Modern Criticks That for the generality of the stile throughout his Works 't is most queintly delightful gentle soft and full of all manner of blandishments onely his pen flowed a little too much with the oyly adulation of Court-flattery Questionless if Sir Henry Wotton was reduced to any of these subserviences they were occasioned from his generous expences in the time of his Embassies for his Masters honour who used him as Queen Elizabeth did Sir Francis Walsingham who had but from hand to mouth The Life of THOMAS VVENTWORTH Earl of Stafford and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland TO particularize all the actions of the Earl of Strafford would of its self require an intire Volume it being a Garden of choice Varieties wherein points of Law are interwoven with Acts of State and the Affairs of Ireland as in the same Escutcheon quartered with those of England I shall onely take a superficial view of his life and not strain my self ambitiously to shew forth the utmost reach of his perfections he being a rare conjunction of Courage attended with loyalty to danger Wisdom accompanied with Eloquence to admiration who could both think and speak speak and do whose answers and replyes to the Articles exhibited against him by the House of Commons show his abilities to be such that whatsoever is spoken of him is infinitely below what was spoken by himself He was born in Yorkshire well descended and as well educated which fitted him to sustain the weighty Affairs he afterwards underwent A great stickler at the first against the Prerogative until allured by Court-preferment he turned Royalist for the King finding his worth and ability never left till he had gained him to himself obliging him to his side by many titles of honour and places of trust whose services he found equivalent to his favours continuing to his death a trusty servant a faithful friend a prudent Counsellour and a constant adherer to his side in all his exigencies The greatest services he did to the King were during the time he was Lieutenant of Ireland by his augmenting and advancing the Kings Revenues there restoring the Churches maintenance suppressing the Out-laws establishing obedience to Royal Authority impediting the Tyranny and usurpation of the great ones over the Commons causing the Irish to leave off many of their barbarous customs and conform themselves to the more civil manners of the English which drew much hatred upon himself for changes though for the better are most times ill resented by the vulgar witness those troubles in England in the time of King Edward the Sixth Nor could these innovations have found more dislike in any Nation under the Heavens then Ireland so wedded are those people to their ancient vain ridiculous customs But since I have inserted his most remarkable actions in the Life of King Charles I shall omit those passages and come to his solemn Trial so paramount in the Equipage of all Cirumstances that as former ages have been unable so future are unlikely to produce a parallell of them This great Minister of State was by the Parliament well known for the length of it accused with twenty eight Articles of High Treason February 16. 1640. The particulars are too long for me here to recite the substance of them being that he endeavoured to subvert the Fundamental Laws and Governments of the Realms of England and Ireland and enriching himself by indirect wayes in his office for incensing the King against the Scots for endeavouring to set things amisse betwixt his Majesty and the people and to have given counsel tending to the disquiet of the three Kingdoms The 13. of April following began his Trial in Westminster-Hall where there was a Throne erected for the King on each side whereof a Cabinet inclosed about with boards and before with a Tarras before that were the Seats for the Lords of the upper House and sacks of wool for the Judges before them ten stages of seats extending further then the midst of the Hall for the Gentlemen of the House of Commons at the end of all was a desk closed about and set apart for the Lord Lieutenant and his Councel The Earl of Arundel was Lord High Steward his Accusers were Pym Glin Mainard Whitlock St. Johns Palmers Sir Walter Earls Stroud Selden Hampden and others Many dayes were spent and much Rhetorick used on both sides for the Lieutenant was no childe but as cunning in the art of defence as any man in England equal if not surpassing his Predecessour the Earl of Kildare in the time of King Henry the Eighth But the House of Commons were implacable in their hatred towards him nothing being satisfactory to them but his downfal So
that some conclude his death was for necessity and rather for the satisfaction of rancourous apprehensions then for any guiltiness in the cause The lower House perceiving by the Lieutenants insinuating and witty defences a great encrease of his friends in the Lords House they resolved of no more hearing of him in publique but to draw up a Bill of Attainder and present the same to the Lords whereby first the matter of Fact should be declared to have been sufficiently proved and then in the matter of Law that he had incurred the censure of Treason for intending to subvert the Fundamentall Laws of the Kingdom And they were confident the Lords would ratifie and approve of this Bill of theirs and give judgement accordingly But the Lords fearing such Proceedings as a beaten path troden out to the ruine of their own lives and estates told the House of Commons that they themselves as competent Judges would by themselves onely give sentence in the Cause nor was there course suitable to the practise and State of the Kingdom the safety of the Nobility or to Equity or common Justice It was replied by them of the Lower House that they were resolved to go on with their Bill and if the same should be rejected by the Lords they feared a rupture and division might follow to the utter ruine and desolation of the whole Kingdom That no content would be given to the Subject unless the man who had so much intruded upon their right and discontented the people might be punished as a Traytour and dealt withal according to his demerits But the Lords were resolute in their first determinations and resolved to give him a fair hearing in the matter of Law whereupon his Councel were called to the Bar Master Lane the Princes Attorney Master Gardiner Recorder of London Master Loe and Master Lightfoot who spake both much and to the purpose Yet would this nothing satisfie the House of Commons no though the King in person in a set Speech declared unto them That there never was such a project nor had the Lord Strafford ever offered such advice for the transporting of an Irish Army into England neither had advised him to establish an Arbitrary Government that he would never in heart nor hand concur with them to punish him as a Traytour and desir'd therefore that they would think of some other way how the business might be composed Nor should it ever be less dear to him though with the loss of his dearest blood to protect the innocent then to punish the guilty But this made the House of Commons a great deal the more pressing fearing by the Kings peremptory answer that there was some plot underhand But the House of Commons were not so much inflamed by the Kings Speech as the common people who to the number of five or six thousand having Weapons and Battoons in their hands came to VVestminster and at the entering at every Coach cryed out for speedy justice and execution with a wonderful and strange noise After this they drew up the names of those either in the House of Commons or the House of Lords whom they imagined to favour the Lieutenant and gave them the Title of Straffordians with this close That all those and all other enemies to the Common-wealth should perish with him and did post up the names of fifty five at the Corner of Sir William Brunkards house in the old Pallace-yard in Westminster writing underneath This and more shall be done to the Enemies of Justice afore-written The House of Commons in the mean time were not idle but brought forth a Protestation or band of Association as they termed it much like the Covenant taken not long before in Scotland which without further process or delay was subscribed by the whole House except the Lord Digby and an Uncle or Friend of his Not long after the Bill against the Lord Stafford past the Lords there were forty five present of which nineteen voyced for him and twenty six against him the greatest part of his friends absented themselves upon pretence whether true or suppositious that they feared the multitude otherwise his suffrages had more then counterpoised the voters for his death Nothing wanted now but the Kings assent to this Bill which the same afternoon was desired of him the King desired respite for two dayes consulting in the mean time with some Bishops and Judges what to do in this case who as the sequel shows advised him thereunto so that we may herein admire at the wonderful Providence of God to suffer not onely the King and the Country but the Church too to be involved in his blood who had stood so stiffly in the Churches maintenance But nothing gained his Majesties assent thereunto so much as a Letter from the Lieutenant himself wherein he desired his Majesty that for the preventing of such mischiefs as might happen by his refusal to pass the Bill intimating his consent therein as this following Letter of his testifies May it please your sacred Majesty It hath been my greatest grief in all these troubles to be taken as a person which should endeavour to represent and set things amiss between your Majesty and your people and to give Counsels tending to the disquiet of the three Kingdoms Most true it is that this mine own private condition considered it hath been a great madness since through your gracious favour I was so provided as not to expect in any kinde to mend my fortune or please my minde more then by resting where your bounteous hands had placed me Nay it is most mightily mistaken for unto your Majesty it is well known my poor and humble advises concluded still in this That your Majesty and your people could never be happy till there were a right understanding betwixt you and them no other means to effect and settle this happiness but by the Councel and assent of the Parliament or to prevent the growing evils upon this State but by intirely putting your self in the last resort upon the loyalty and good affections of your English Subjects Yet such is my misfortune this truth findeth little credit the contrary seemeth generally to be believed and my self reputed as something of separation between you and your people under a heavier censure then which I am perswaded no Gentleman can suffer Now I understand the mindes of men are more incensed against me notwithstanding your Majesty hath declared that in your Princely opinion I am not guilty of treason nor are you satisfied in your conscience to pass the Bill This bringeth me into a very great strait there is before me the ruine of my Children and Family hitherto untouched in all the branches of it with any foul crimes Here is before me the many ills which may befal your sacred Person and the whole Kingdom should your self and Parliament part less satisfied one with the other then is necessary for the preservation both of King and people Here are before me
murther the King and the Archbishop may appear the Copy of the Archbishops Letter and his Majesties Notes thereupon for vindication of his Integrity I have here inserted The Archbishops Letter to the King upon the first overture of this Discovery May it please your Majesty As great as the secret is that comes herewith yet I chuse rather to send it in this silent covert way and I hope safe then to come thither and bring it my self First because I am no way able to make haste enough with it Secondly because should I come at this time and antedate the meeting September 24. there would be more jealousie of the business and more enquiry after it especially if I being once there should return again before that day as I must if this be followed as is most fit The danger it seems is eminent and laid by God knows whom but to be executed by them which are very near about you For the great honour I have to be in danger with you or for you I pass not so your sacred Person and the State may be safe Now may it please your Majesty this information is either true or there is some mistake in it A. If it be true the persons which make the discovery will deserve thanks and reward if there should be any mistake in it your Majesty can lose nothing but a little silence The business if it be true is extream foul The Discovery thus by Gods Providence offered I do hereby humbly beg it upon my knees of your Majesty that you will conceal B this business from every creature and his name that sends this to me And I send his Letters to me to your Majesty that you may see his sense both of the business and the Secrecy And such instructions as you think fit to give him I beseech you let them be in your own hand for his warrant without imparting them to any and if your Majesty leave it to his discretion to follow it there in the best way he can that in your own hand will be instruction and warrant enough for him And if you please to return it herewith presently to me I will send an express away with it presently In the mean time I have by this express returned him this answer C That I think he shall do well to hold on the Treaty with these men with all care and Secrecy and drive on to the discovery so soon as the business is ripe for it that he may assure himself and them they shall not want reward if they do the service That for my part he shall be sure of secrecy and that I am most confident that your Majesty will not impart it to any that he have a special eye to the eighth or the ninth Proposition Sir for Gods sake and your own safety secrecy in this business and I beseech you send me back D this letter and all that comes with it speedily and scretly and trust not your own pockets with them I shall not eat or sleep in quiet till I receive them And so soon as I have them again and your Majesties warrant to proceed no diligence shall be wanting in me to help on this discovery This is the greatest business that ever was put to me and if I have herein proposed or done any thing amiss I most humbly crave your Majesties pardon but I am willing to hope I have not herein erred in judgement E and in fidelity I never will These Letters came to me on Thursday September 10. at night and I sent these away according to the date hereof being extreamly wearied with writing this Letter copying out these other which come with this and dispatching my Letters back to him that sent these all in my own hand Once again secrecy for Gods sake and your own To his most blessed protection I commend your Majesty and all your Affairs and am Your Majesties most humble faithful Servant W. Cant. Lambeth Septemb. 11. 1640. His Majesties Notes and Apprehensions on this Letter A It is an unanswerable dilemma B I concur totally with you in opinion assuring that no body doth or shall know of this business and to shew my care to conceal it I received this but this Afternoon and now I make this dispatch before I sleep Herewith I send his warrant as you advise which indeed I judge to be the better way C I like your Answer extream well and promise not to deceive your confidence nor break your word D I have sent all back I think these Apostils will be warrant enough for you to proceed especially when I expresly command you to do so E In this I am as far from condemning your judgement as suspecting your fidelity York 13. C. R. This Letter I have inserted the rather because some men sharp-witted only in speaking evil have reported him to be a man of little Learning c. To wipe off such aspersions vulgarly cast on him that he was addicted to the Romish perswasion to which purpose they nick-name his honour Superstitious which wise and moderate men name a zeal to Gods house to his perpetual honour The North Door of Saint Pauls was repaired at his own charges the Workmen themselves not knowing from whence their money came Thus have you seen this Archbishop mounted on the top of Fortunes wheel but what estate on earth is so permanent that it remains unmoveable for Honor is like a mountain which seems to those who are at the foot of it with his towering head to touch the skies but to those that are at the top it seems with its Basis to reach the Abyss Anno 1641. he was by the House of Commons accused of fourteen Articles of High Treason and for four years together continued a Prisoner in the Tower Yet like his Master and King he enjoyed not so much as the quiet of a prison for oftentimes about fourscore several dayes he was carried from the Tower to Westminster and there arraigned in the House of Lords At last he was adjudged to be hang'd drawn and quartered but upon his Petition to the Lords that sentence was changed to beheading which was sadly performed on Tower Hill January 10. 1644. On the Scaffold he made a Sermon unto the people taking his Text out of Hebrews 12. and the 2. verse and having concluded his Sermon he made a short prayer upon the conclusion whereof the Executioner a sign given him cut off his head at the first stroak He in his prosperity furnished Oxford with many excellent Volumes and rare Manuscripts many other endeavours had he for the propagation of Learning but his untimely death hath prevented us of so great benefits as notworthy of so much happiness I have not enlarged my self in the writing of this Reverend Fathers Life like as I have done in others I must apologize as Mr. Speed in one of his Descriptions writes that such a Gentleman had begun who afterwards went through the greatest difficulties of a most
a handful of men in comparison of his vast Army the effect of which fight was that the Scots went home by weeping cross complaining they had lost more by Hamilton then ever they got by Lesley Soon after followed the surrender of Colchester and within five hours after the surrender the deaths of Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle What motives induced the General to more severity against them then the rest I know not but certain it is never was the message of death though the terriblest summons that can come to nature entertained by any with more magnanimity and undaunted resolution then it was by them Never did Roman with greater courage nor Christian with firmer confidence court grim death then did this matchless pair of Heroes Sir Charls Lucas was the first design'd to dye who having retired himself a while for prayer with a pious and humble commendation of his soul into the hands of God he stood up remembring no doubt that saying It behoveth a General to dye standing and tearing open his Doublet he exposed his naked Breast crying out Now Rebels do your worst he was immediately dispatched on the place Sir George Lisle's turn was next who beholding that sad spectacle the dead body of his dearest friend fell upon it and kissed it as if he meant to breathe into it another soul with a free but true relation of his vertues and endowments he often would redouble these words In how short a moment has a brave spirit expired well this priority was due to thee but I shall not be long behinde thee my death which is now at hand shall restore thee to me After this standing up and taking five pieces of Gold out of his pocket he gave one to his Executioners and the other four he sent to four friends in London then turning to the standers by he said Oh how many do I see here about me whose lives I have saved in hot blood and now must mine be taken away most barbarously in cold blood sure the like was never heard of among the Gothes and Vandals or the veriest Barbarians in the world in any age after which words and some few invocations upon the name of Jesus he was also dispatched as he stood in an Heroick posture courting grim death with a spritely countenance and a greedy expectation I have heard it reported by divers credible persons that on the ground where Sir Charles Lucas fell when he was shot there hath grown no Grass where the print of his body was still remaining bare notwithstanding round the same the Grass flourished with verdancy what this should signifie concerning his guilt or innocency as the wayes of God are unsearchable so shall I not determine any thing but leaving every one to his own opinion please my self with the onely traditional relation of it This Epitome which I have derived to posterity is but as a glimpse or sparkling to the radiant beams of this Carbuncle of Honour The Life of King CHARLES KIng Charles the First was born at Dumfermling in Scotland November 19. Anno Dom. 1600. He was not next Heir to the Crown then having an elder Brother Prince Henry of admirable parts but God countermanding Natures dispose by taking away his Brother left him the Heir Male to the Brittish Diadem At the death of his Father he had attained to twenty five years of age whereof the most part of one was spent in Spain in making addresses to the Lady Infanta in the quality of a Wooer and although he attained not the end for which he went yet it gave him a tincture of travel and experience more worth perchance then the mark he aimed at attaining by this means to a greater degree of that which made Vlysses so famous Quod mores hominum multorum videt urbes Amongst other Curiosities I have met with a Letter of Pope Gregories to win him to his Religion when he was Prince which I have inserted with his answer A Copy of the Letter written from Pope Gregory the Fifteenth to Charles Prince of Wales then being in Spain Most noble Prince Salutation and Light of the Divine Grace Forasmuch as Great Brittain hath alwayes been fruitful in Vertues and in Men of great worth having filled the one and the other world with the glory of her renown she doth very often also draw the thoughts of the Holy Apostolical Chair to the consideration of her praises And indeed the Church was but then in her infancy when the King of kings did chuse her for his Inheritance and so affectionately that we believe the Roman Eagles have hardly out-passed the Banner of the Cross Besides that many of her Kings instructed in the knowledge of the true Salvation have preferred the Crosse before the Royall Scepter and the Discipline of Religion before Covetousness leaving examples of Piety to other Nations and to the Ages yet to come So that having merited the Principalities and first places of blessedness in Heaven they have obtained on Earth the triumphant Ornaments of true holiness And although now the State of the English Church is altered we see nevertheless the Court of Great Brittain adorned and furnished with Moral Vertues which might serve to support the charity that we bear unto her and be an ornament to the name of Christianity if withal she could have for her defence and protection the Orthodox and Catholique Truth Therefore by how much the more the Glory of your most Noble Father and the apprehension of your glorious inclination delights us with so much more zeal we desire that the Gates of the Kingdom of Heaven might be opened unto you and that you might purchase to your self the love of the Universal Church Moreover it being certain that Gregory the Great of most blessed memory hath introduced to the English people and taught to their Kings the Law of the Gospel and the respect of Apostolical Authority we as inferiour to him in Holiness and Vertue but equal in Name and Degree of Dignity it is very reasonable that we following his blessed footsteps should endeavour the salvation of those Provinces especially at this time when your Design most Noble Prince elevates us to the hope of an extraordinary advantage therefore as you have directed your journey to Spain towards the Catholique King with desire to ally your self to the House of Austria we do much commend your Design and indeed do testifie openly in this present business that you are he that takes the principal care of our Prelacy For seeing that you desire to take in marriage the Daughter of Spain from thence we may easily conjecture that the ancient seeds of Christian Piety which have so happily flourished in the hearts of the Kings of Great Brittain may God prospering them revive again in your soul And indeed it is not to be believed that the same man should love such an Alliance that hates the Catholique Religion and should take delight to oppress the Holy Chair
Religion then the Ceremonies of it did publickly refuse it From hence proceeded Tragedies Tumults War and Invasion for upon the first reading thereof the people were so violent against it that the Dean and Bishop of Edenburgh hardly escaped with life nor were they onely the rascal multitude that thus opposed it but many of the Noblemen Barons and Gentlemen amongst whom the chief were the Earl of Hume and the Lord Lindsey To appease these disorders the King sent down the Marquess Hamilton in the quality of an high Commissioner impowring him with a Commission to use the utmost of his interest and power for the settling of peace but whether as some write he dealt deceitfully in aspiring to the Crown himself or no I judge uncertain but most certain it is that after his coming the differences encreased far greater then before and no question but it had become far better for the King had this Marquess been either a more close friend or an opener enemy The King being at home in no good condition used all means he could to pacifie his enemies abroad not onely winking at many of the foul disorders of the Scots but also yielded unto them in their desires for many things which nevertheless allayed not their spirits but rather encouraged them to proceed as they had begun For as Cleaveland hath it Nor Gold nor Acts of Grace 't is steel must tame The stubborn Scot a Prince that would reclaim Rebels by yielding doth like him or worse Who saddled his own back to save his horse Hamilton being returned into England the Scots began might and main to levy Souldiers to impose Taxes to raise Fortifications to block up some and seize others of the Kings Castles and to prepare for War The King not to be behinde hand with the Scots it being no good policy in War to strain courtesie who should begin first raised a considerable power to the maintenance whereof many of the Nobility contributed largely especially the Bishops it being for the preservation of their own Hierarchy March 27. the Army began to march the Earl of Arundel commanding in Chief but all the preparation both of one side and the other proved onely an interview of two Armies nothing being acted considerable in the way of engagement for after a few dayes attendance upon each other a Pacification was concluded upon distributed into these Articles On the Kings Part. 1. His Majesty to confirme what his Commissioner promised in his name 2. That a general Assembly be indicted to be kept at Edenburgh August 6. 3. That command be given for a Parliament to be holden at Edenburgh August the 20. 4. That he recal all his Forces by Land or Sea and restore all Ships and Goods arrested and detained since the pretended Assembly at Glasgow upon the Covenanters disarming and disbanding of their Forces dissolving their Tables and restoring to the King all his Castles Forts and Ammunition and releasing all the Persons Lands and Goods then under restraint or detained since the pretended Assembly of Glasgow This his Majesty to do by Declaration On the Scots Part. 1. The Forces of Scotland to be disbanded within eight and forty hours after publication of the Kings Declaration 2. They to render up after the said publication all Castles Forts Ammunition of all sorts so soon as the King shall send to receive them 3. They to hold no meetings treatings nor consultations but such as are warranted by act of Parliament 4. They to desist from all fortifications and those to be remitted to the Kings pleasure 5. They to restore to all the Kings Subjects their Liberties Lands Houses Goods and Means taken or detained from them since the first of February last This Pacification being solemnly ratified on both sides the King well hoped a general peace would ensue but what ever the Scots pretended the sequel shewed they intended nothing less for they still kept their Officers in constant Pay they did not slight their fortification at Leith they still continued their Meetings and Consultations they still disquieted molested and frighted all of different inclinations and which was worst of all they dispersed a scandalous Libel entituled Some conditions of his Majesties Treaty with his Subjects of Scotland before the English Nobility are set down here for remembrance Which Book tending to the defamation of his Majesty and disavowed by the Commissioners then present at the Treaty was by the command of the Council burnt by the common Hangman The King who intended to stay till the General Assembly was met seeing matters remain in this doubtful posture returned into England leaving the Earl of Traquair his Commissioner August the 6 the Assembly met at Edenburgh wherein Episcopacy the five Articles of Perth the High Commission the Liturgy and Book of Canons were abolished the Earl of Traquiar assenting thereunto The Assembly being ended the Parliament began who instead of reforming Abuses fell upon new moddelling the Government forming an Act Recissory whereby former Acts concerning the Judicatory of the Exchequer concerning Proxies and concerning confirmation of Ward Lands should be nulled Which being signified to the King he by his Commissioner the Earl of Traquair prorogued the Parliament until the 2. of June next These actings of the Scots warping altogether towards War were much forwarded by an accident November 19. it happened a great part of the walls of the Castle of Edenburgh with the Cannons mounted fell to the ground this being the Anniversary night of the Kings Birth-day was construed in the Grammar of Superstition an ominous presage of the ruine of the Kings design The King appointed the Lord Estrich Colonel Ruthen and the Governour of the Castle to take order for the re-edification of what was lapsed but the Scots would not suffer any materials to be carried in for reparation This Indignity the King concludeth intollerable and thereupon resolveth to relieve himself by force to this end a private Juncto is selected for the close carrying on of the design wherein it was agreed his Majesty should call a Parliament to assemble April the 13. next The King approved well of their Councel but withal said My Lords the Parliament cannot suddenly convene and the subsidies they grant will be so long in levying as in the interim I may be ruin'd therefore some speedy course must be thought upon for supplies The Lords willing to forward the business told him they would engage their own credits and the Lord Deputy of Ireland giving the onset subscribed for twenty thousand pound the other Lords writing after his Copy subscribed conformable to their Estates the Judges also contributed largely as also the Recusants who are ever sure to undergo the lash yielded according to their abilities From which Loyalty of theirs to his Majesty the more envious and schismatical sort of people gave out that the King was in his heart a Papist I have thought it my duty to insert in Latin and in English his Majesties Declaration
Princes This most holy Religion with the Hierarchy and Liturgy thereof we solemnly protest that by the help of Almighty God we will endeavour to our utmost power and last period of our life to keep entire and inviolable and will be careful according to our duty to Heaven and the tenour of the aforesaid most Sacred Oath at our Coronation that all our Ecclesiasticks in their several degrees and incumbencies shall preach and practise the same Wherefore we enjoyn and command all our Ministers of State beyond the Seas as well Ambassadours as Residents Agents and Messengers and we desire all the rest of our loving Subjects that sojourn either for curiosity or commerce in any Forreign parts to communicate uphold and assert this our solemn and sincere Protestation when opportunity of time and place shall be offered For the for ever silencing of such black-mouthed people I have here set down his Majesties Speech and Protestation before his receiving the Holy Eucharist at Christ Church in Oxon 1643. His Majesty being to receive the Sacrament from the hands of the Lord Archbishop of Armagh used these publique expressions immediately before his receiving the blessed Elements he rose up from his knees and beckning to the Archbishop for a short forbearance made this Protestation My Lord I espy here are many resolved Protestants who may declare to the world the Resolution I now do make I have to the utmost of my power prepared my soul to become a worthy receiver and may I so receive comfort by the Blessed Sacrament as I do intend the establishment of the true Reformed Protestant Religion as it stood in its beauty in the happy dayes of Queen Elizabeth without any connivance at Popery I bless God that in the midst of these publick distractions I have still liberty to communicate and may this Sacrament be my damnation if my Heart do not joyn with my Lips in this Protestation But to proceed in our History the King was not so busie in preparing against the Scots but they were as forward in providing for his resistance those of the Nobility and Gentry who stood firm for the King they imprisoned they invited and procured to their service many Commanders from Holland and reared works of Fortification in all places agreeable to their designs In this state stood the Affairs of both Kingdoms when April 13. according to pre-appointment the Parliament assembled the Earl of Strafford being led into the upper House by two Noble men to give them account of his proceedings in Ireland having there obtained the grant of four Subsidies for the maintenance of ten thousand Foot and fifteen hundred Horse implicitely hinting agreeable to what Scheme England should proportion their supplies The King also to forward the business sent a message to the Lower House representing to them the intollerable Indignities and Injuries wherewith the Scots had treated him and withal declared to them that if they would assist him with supplies suitable to the exigency of his sad occasion he would for ever quit his claim of Ship-money and into the bargain give them full content in all their just demands This Message delivered by Secretary Vane he whether wilfully or casually mistaking I leave undetermined required twelve Subsidies whereas it was said his express order was onely for six This Proposition raised the House of Commons to such animosity as the King advising with his Juncto their Compliance was represented to him so desperate as May the fifth he ordered the Dissolution of the Parliament But though the Parliament were sullen and would not give down their milk the Gentry and others contributed largely especially the Cleargy who in their Convocation granted a Benevolence of four shillings in the pound to be assest upon all the Cleargy for six years together towards this Expedition With these and other forementioned aids a Royal Army was raised whereof the Earl of Northumberland was appointed Generalissimo and the Earl of Strafford Lieutenant General but both Generalls falling sick the charge of the Army was committed to the Lord Conway who marching with the Army as far as Newburn upon Tine was encountred by the Scots and worsted three hundred of the English being slain and taken Sir Jacob Astley then Governour of New Castle hearing of this Defeat deserted the same as not tenable against so potent an Army which Town was taken into the Scots possession The King who had stayed behinde during the time the Queen was brought to bed of her third Son Henry advances after his Army when at Northalerton he was certified of the Lord Conway's discomfiture and Sir Jacob Astley quitting New Castle this being accounted an unlucky omen some of the Lords desirous of Peace working upon the occasion presented to the King at York this following Petition To the Kings most excellent Majesty The humble Petition of your Majesties most loyal and most obedient Subjects whose Names are under-written in behalf of themselves and divers others Most Gracious Sovereign The zeal of that duty and service which we owe to your Sacred Majesty and our earnest affection to the good and welfare of this your Realm of England have moved us in all humility to beseech your Royal Majesty to give us leave to offer to your Princely Wisdom the apprehension which we and others your faithful Subjects have conceived of the great distempers and dangers now threatning the Church and State and your Royal Person and of the fittest means by which they may be removed and prevented The evils and dangers whereof your Majesty may be pleased to take notice are these 1. That your Majesties sacred Person is exposed to hazard and danger in the present Expedition against the Scottish Army and by occasion of this War your Majesties Revenue is much wasted your Subjects burthened with coat and conduct of money billiting of Souldiers and other Military Charges and divers Rapines and Disorders committed in several parts of this your Realm by the Souldiers raised for that service and your whole Kingdom become full of fears and discontents 2. The sundry Innovations in matters of Religion the Oath and Cannons lately imposed upon the Cleargy and other your Majesties Subjects 3. The great encrease of Popery and the employing of Popish Recusants and others ill-affected to the Religion by Laws established in places of power and trust especially in commanding of Men and Arms both in the Field and sundry Counties of this your Realm whereas by Law they are not permitted to have any Arms in their own houses 4. The great mischiefs which may fall upon this Kingdom if the intentions which have been credibly reported of bringing in Irish and Forreign Forces should take effect 5. The urging of Ship-money and prosecution of some Sheriffs in the Star-Chamber for not levying it 6. The heavy charge upon Merchandize to the discouragement of Trade the multitude of Monopolies and other Patents whereby the Commodities and Manifactures of the Kingdom are much burthened to the great and
universal grievance of your people 7. The great grief of your Subjects by long intermission of Parliaments and the late and former dissolution of such as have been called without the happy effects which otherwise they might have produced For remedy whereof and prevention of the dangers that may arise to your Royal Person and to the whole State they do in all humility and faithfulness beseech your most excellent Majesty that you would be pleased to summon a Parliament within some convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great Grievances which your people lye under may be taken away and the Authours and Councellors of them may be brought to such legal trial and condign punishment as the nature of their several offences shall require And that the present War may be composed by your Majesties wisdom without blood in such manner as may conduce to the honour and safety of your Majesties person the comfort of your people and the uniting of both your Realms against the common enemy of the reformed Religion And your Majesties Petitioners shall ever pray c. Concluded the 28. of August 1640. Francis Bedford Robert Essex Mulgrave Say Seal Edward Howard William Hartford Warwick Bullingbrooke Mandevile Brooke Pagett This Petition being seconded by another from the Scots to the same effect the King the twenty fourth day of the same moneth assembled the Lords together at York where it was concluded that a Parliament should be summoned to convene November the third next ensuing in the mean time a cessation of Arms was concluded between both Nations whereupon the King and Lords posted to London Tuesday November the third according to pre-appointment the Parliament assembled no sooner were they set but Petitions came thronging in from all Counties of the Kingdom craving redress of the late general exorbitancies both in Church and State many who were in prison were ordered to be set at liberty as Pryn Bastwick and Burton and the Bishop of Lincolne and many who were at liberty were ordered to be sent to prison as Sir William Beecher the Earl of Strafford and the Archbishop of Canterbury Secretary Windebank and the Lord Keeper Finch who was forced to flye the Land Ship-money was voted down the late Cannons damn'd Peace is concluded with Scotland and three hundred thousand pound allowed them for reparations This was summarily the first actings of the Parliament which gave much content to many people especially the Londoners who to the number of 15000. Petition for the abolishing of Episcopacy it self Indeed some few of the Cleargy at this time as at all others were corrupt in their lives many of them being vicious even to scandal yea many of those who pretended much purity in their conversations were most covetous and deceitful in their dealings besides their pride was intollerable insomuch that a great one amongst them was heard to say He hoped to live to see the day when a Minister should be as good a man as any upstart Jack Gentleman in England Well therefore might it it be said of the Priests of our times what Gildas sirnamed the wise wrote of the Priests of his time Sacerdotes habet Britannia sed insipientes quam plurimos Ministros sed impudentes clericos sed raptores subdeles c. Great Brittain hath Priests indeed but silly ones Ministers of Gods word very many but impudent a Cleargy but given up to greedy rapine c. Yet let none mistake me I write not thus to perswade any to an ill opinion of the Ministry for though our Church had cause to grieve for the blemishes of many yet might she glory in the ornaments of more so that Episcopacy received not at this time the fatal blow but was onely mutilated in her former glory the House of Commons voting that no Bishop shall have any vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star Chamber nor bear any sway in Temporal Affairs and that no Cleargy-man shall be in Commission of the Peace The Parliament having thus set bounds to the exorbitant power of the Cleargy they next fell upon the Tryal of the Deputy of Ireland who as you heard not long before was committed prisoner to the Tower this man at first was a great stickler against the Prerogative until allured by Court preferment he turned Royalist Westminster Hall was the place assigned for his Tryal the Earl of Arundel being Lord High Steward and the Earl of Lindsey Lord High Constable the Articles charged against him being very many are too long to recite I having more at large in their place inserted them in his Life The sum of them were for ruling Ireland and the North of England in an arbitrary way against the Laws for retaining the Kings revenue without account for encreasing and encouraging Popery for maliciously striving to stir up and continue enmity betwixt England and Scotland and for labouring to subvert Parliaments and incense the King against them yet notwithstanding this high charge the Earl by his answers so cleared himself that the King told the Lords he was not satisfied in Conscience to Condemn him of high Treason but acknowledged his misdemeanours to be very great at last wearied with the clamours of the people the Earl also by a letter desiring the same he granted a Commission to four Lords to Sign the Bill for his Execution which Execution was accordingly performed on Tower-hill May 10. 1641. Thus dyed this unhappy Earl a sacrifice to the Scots revenge cut off as it was thought not so much for what he had done as for fear of what he afterwards might do a man of the rarest parts and deepest judgement of any English man of our late times The same day fatal to the King he Signed the Bill for the Deputy of Irelands death he also Signed the Bill for a trienial or perpetual Parliament which should not be dissolved without consent of both Houses some say Duke Hamilton counselled him to it others say it was the Queen whoever it was it was his ruine for the Parliament now fearless of a dissolution began to act in an higher way then before being fortified with a strong guard of Souldiers whereof the Earl of Essex was Captain they without the Kings leave or knowledge appoint an extraordinary Assembly in the City that should mannage all weighty and great occurrences and to weaken his Majesty the more or rather to satisfie the insolence of the people they cast twelve Bishops into Prison because they went about to maintain their priviledge by the publick Charter The King moved with this accused five of the lower House and one of the upper House of high Treason their names were the Lord Viscount Mandevil Mr. Pym Mr. Hampden Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr. Hollis and Mr. Strowd This action of the Kings was by the Parliament adjudged a great breach of their Priviledges certainly it much encreased the differences between them and left scarce any possibility of reconcilement This small river of
Discord being now grown a Sea of Dissention the King and Queen poste to Hampton Court yet before he went that he might clearly demonstrate his real intentions to compose all differences he consented to the Petition of the Parliament to exclude the Bishops out of the House an act very prejudicial to himself for by this means the scale of Votes in the upper House which oft had turned to his advantage did by this diminution encline most commonly the other way Having staid about a moneth at Hampton Court the Queen went into Holland to accompany her Daughter Mary who was lately married to the young Prince of Orange The King the Prince the Palsgrave the Duke of Richmond and some other of the Nobility went down into the North intending to seize on the Magazine at Hull but the Parliament had before sent down one of their own Members Sir John Hotham who from the Walls denyed his Majesty entrance the King complaineth hereof to the Parliament but they justifie his Act yet what grains of affection towards his Majesty were wanting in Hull were found superabundant in the City of York who with the Counties adjacent declare unanimously for his Majesty Encouraged here with August 22. 1642. he sets up his Standard at Nottingham The Parliament in the mean time raised a considerable Army whereof the Earl of Essex commanded in chief And now were the gates of Janus unlocked and stern Mars released out of prison the seldom heard Drum rattled in every corner and the scarce known Trumpet sounded in every street now Factions banded Nick-names were invented Oaths framed and amongst the rest the Covenant obtruded against which his Majesty publisht this following Proclamation His Majesties Proclamation forbidding the tendring or taking of the late Covenant called A Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation c. Whereas there is a printed Paper entituled A Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion the honour and happiness of the King and the peace and safety of the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland pretended to be ordered by the Commons in Parliament on the one and twentieth day of September last to be printed and published which Covenant though it seems to make specious expressions of Piety and Religion is in truth nothing else but a trayterous and seditious Combination against us and against the established Religion and Laws of this Kingdom in pursuance of a trayterous design and endeavour to bring in Forreign Forces to invade this Kingdom We do therefore straitly charge and command all our loving Subjects of what degree or quality soever upon their Allegiance that they presume not to take the said seditious and trayterous Covenant And we do likewise hereby forbid and inhibit all our Subjects to impose administer or tender the said Covenant as they and every of them will answer the contrary at their utmost and extreamest perils Given at our Court at Oxon the 9. day of October in the nineteenth year of our Reign Hitherto have we beheld England like a curious Garden flourishing with all the choicest flowers both for scent and colour that ever Flora watred with pearly drops or Titans radiant beams gave birth unto whose flourishing branches adorn'd with Turtles twinn'd in chaste embraces as if they simpathized of each others peaceful and fruitful vertues that Nature her self was enamour'd to walk into the twined Meanders of her curious Mazes here might you see the Princely Rose the King of Flowers so full of fragrancy that for its smell and colour it was the envy of all the world there might you see the Lilly Queen of Flowers there might you see the Olive Plants the Royal Progeny placed round about a table where Kings and Queens had used to feast the Nobility and Gentry emulating each other to excell in sweetness But now alas with our late discords the Scene is so altered that this curious Garden hath been over-run with Weeds I mean the miseries which followed upon these dissentions For as one writes the War went on with horrid rage in many places at one time and the fire once kindled cast forth through every corner of the Land not onely sparks but devouring flames insomuch as the Kindom of England was divided into more Battles then Counties nor had she more Fields then Skirmishes nor Cities then Sieges almost all her Palaces of Lords and great Houses being turned every where into Garrisons they fought at once by Sea and Land and through all England who could but lament the miseries of his Countrey sad spectacles were of plundering and firing Villages and the Fields otherwise waste and desolate rich onely and terribly glorious in Camps and Armies The Kings side at first prospered exceedingly the Earl of New Castle his General in the North overthrowing the Lord Fairfax and driving him into Hull in the West Sir William Waller a Parliament Chieftain was utterly defeated by the Lord Wilmot who came from Oxford with an Army of the Kings and having lost all his Army made haste to London and such as the fortune of the Field was was the condition of Towns and Garrisons for immediately after Wallers defeat the two greatest Cities of all the West were yielded up Bristol to Prince Rupert and Excester to Prince Maurice So that now the King was master of all the West save onely Glocester which he besieged with a Royal Army Essex himself the great General at the same time his Army decreasing suddenly some dying of sickness others for want forsaking their Colours was constrained to leave the Field and return to London quartering the sick and weak remnant of his Army at Kingston and other adjacent places until a recruit could be made for him so that it was judged by wise men if the King leaving Glocester had marched directly with his victorious Army to London which was then not at all fortified and miserably distracted with Factions within it or besides if the Earl of New Castle letting alone the besieging of Hull which likewise proved fruitless had poured out his numerous Forces upon the Eastern associated Counties he had been more successful then he was But Fata viam invenient Destiny will finde wayes that never were thought of makes way where it findes none and that which is decreed in Heaven shall be effected by means of which earth can take no notice of The King to no purpose thus spending his time at Glocester Essex the whiles recruiteth his Army with which marching from London eighty miles he raiseth the Siege and having relieved the Town in his retreat from thence encountered and vanquished the Kings Army near to the Town of Newbery Both sides excepting onely the inexhaustible riches and strength of the City of London by this overthrow seemed of equal strength yet each of them endeavours to make themselves stronger the Parliament calling in to their assistance the Scots the King the Irish The Earl of Leven was General of the Scots to whom joyned the Earl
approaching both sides prepare themselves for action a great party of the Royalists was trouted by Cromwel at Islip-Bridge divers of the Commanders taken prisoners the remainder of the party flying to Bletchtington House were there besieged and taken with the same success at Bampton-bush he took Vaughan and Littleton and defeated their forces The King in the mean time marched Northward with his Army and took the strong and considerable Town of Leicester Soon after was that dismal Battel at Naseby where the fate of England was to be determined the number of both sides were not much unequal nor the ordering of their Battalia's much unlike the Kings Front was filled with brave Troops of Horse the Foot stood in the second body the right Wing was commanded by the Princes Rupert and Maurice the left by Sir Jacob Ashley other Commanders of great quality sustaining their parts The Parliamentarian Foot made a firm body in the midst the wings were guarded by the Horse the right wing was commanded by Cromwel the left wing by Ireton the Foot being divided into two bodies was commanded by Major General Skippon fortune at the first favoured the Royalists The Parliaments left wing being routed by Prince Rupert the commander Ireton wounded and taken Prisoner but betwixt the two other Wings the case was different Cromwel coming on with so great force that he routed and overthrew the Kings left Wing the Battel seemed in an equal ballance the Wings on both sides being scattered but after some sharp dispute the Royalists were routed their Horse disserting the Foot fled to Leicester the cumbersome plunder of which place being reputed the occasion of that defeat The Kings Standard and one hundred other Colours were taken all the Ordnance the Kings Coach Cabbinet Letters a rich booty of Jewels a great quantity of Gold and Silver and almost five thousand prisoners which may seem the more strange since on both sides there were not five hundred slain To proceed the loss of that day lost the King his Crown for presently after this Leicester Bath Sherburn yea and Bristol it self were yielded up the Town of Taunton long besieged by Goring was relieved by General Fairfax who soon after took Tiverton and Dartmouth and then marching into Cornwal at a place called Torrington gave the Lord Hopton a great overthrow Cromwel in the mean time took Basin and Winchester the Devizes and Barcklay were taken by other Commanders Wodstock by Rainsborough and Carlile by the Scots who marching from thence to besiege Newark were called back to the relief of their own Countrey then almost subdued by the Marquess of Montross of whom I shall insert the less having particularized it in his Life This Marquess at first sided with the Covenanters participated of their counsels and was the first man when the Scots invaded England Anno 1639. that set footing on English Ground but afterwards detesting their doings he became the most bitter enemy to them that ever they had About the beginning of the year 1644. when the Scottish Covenanters came into England to assist the Parliament Montross went to Oxford to the King to offer his service against the Covenanters in Scotland The King to fit him for-that purpose created him a Marquess and gave him his Commission to be Lord Governour of Scotland and General of all his Forces Scotland being then wholly under the Covenanters it was agreed that the Earl of Antrim should by the beginning of April send over into Argile where the passage is short into Ireland ten thousand Irish as a stock to begin withal this promise at the appointed time Antrim performed in part but was very deficient in the number of Souldiers for instead of ten thousand he sent scarce twelve hundred under the conduct of Macdonald Montross notwithstanding with these men and the addition of his Atholians patcht up an Army with which he afterwards performed such exploits as would pose Antiquity amongst all the Camps of their famed Heroes to finde a parallel to this Army The first Summer after his arrival in Scotland he gave the Earl of Argile a great overthrow fiteen hundred of his men being slain and taken afterwards at a place called Kilsithe having scarce 4000. Highlanders and Irish he encountered and overthrew the States great Army slew above five thousand of them and dispersed the rest hereupon is their Army sent for all Scotland being almost at his devotion Sir David Lesley returned with the Horse and at Selkirk gave Montross a defeat The King in the mean time was routed at Routen Heath by Pointz a Commander of the Parliaments Army the Lord Digby the next moneth was beaten at Sherburn in Yorkshire and afterwards utterly defeated at Carlisle Chester long defended by Biron was yielded up and Ashley himself the Kings General vanquished by Morgan and taken prisoner with one thousand six hundred of his men The King had now no Garrisons left but Oxford Newark Banbury Wallingford Worcester Ragland and Pendennis Newark was straitly besieged by Leven Pointz and Rossiter Oxford wherein the King was himself began to be blocked up by Ireton and Fleetwood and every day the coming of Fairfax himself and a straiter Siege of that City was expected the King resolved therefore to go out of Oxford before this should happen and communicating his mind to some secret and faithful Councellours above all other places he pitched upon the Scottish Camp to the Scots therefore as they lay before Newark the King sent Montruel the French Ambassadour and himself soon after as Ashburnhams man with a Cloak-bag behinde him escaped unknown out of Oxford and came to Newark to the Scots hoping to be received with great humanity by such good Subjects as they boasted themselves to be But now both Fortune and Fidelity failed the distressed King the Scots they first betray him and then Pontius Pilate like washed their hands to declare their Innocency They delivered the King to the English upon Conditions as they pretended that no violence should be offered to his Person the English now having their King a Prisoner carry him first to Holnbey Castle then to Roiston thence to Hatfield not long after to Causam then to the Earl of Bedfords House near Ouborn soon after to Hampton Court the most stateliest of all his Palaces but with what content to his dejected minde let others judge to see his Palace turned into a Prison and himself to be a Captive must needs be a sorrow fitter for out amazement then expression for certainly as joy is most sweet to them who have tasted the miseries of sorrow so sorrow is most bitter to them who have alwayes lived in bliss as one of our modern Poets sings The very thought renews the memory Of my precedent lives felicity Whereby I know my sorrow is the more Who hapless now liv'd happy heretofore To hurry him out of his right minde he did not long stay at Hampton Court but by a crafty excuse he was juggled into the
Isle of Wight for a certain Letter was left on the Table whereby the King was advertised the there were some that laid wait for his life whereupon being frighted he privily fled from Hampton Court leaving a Letter behinde him written with his own hand to the Commissioners to be by them communicated to both Houses of Parliament in which Letter after he had discoursed somewhat about Captivity and the sweetness of Liberty he ended in these following words Now as I cannot deny but that my personal security is the urgent cause of this my retirement so I take God to witness that the publick Peace is no less before mine eyes And I can sinde no better way to express this my profession I know not what a wiser man may do then by desiring and urging that all chief interests may be heard to the end each may have just satisfaction as for example the Army for the rest though necessary yet I suppose are not difficult to consent ought in my judgement to enjoy the liberty of their consciences and have an act of Oblivion or Indempnity which should extend to the rest of all my Subjects and that all their Arrears should be speedily and duly paid which I will undertake to do so I may be heard and that I be not hindered from using such lawful and honest means as I shall chuse To conclude let me be heard with freedom honour and safety and I shall instantly break through this cloud of retirement and shew my self ready to be Pater Patriae Charles Rex The King had not been long in the Isle of Wight but he sends a Letter of great length to the Parliament in which he delivered his sense and opinion concerning the abolition of Episcopacy he disputed out of the dictates of his conscience much and gave touches also of other matters of all which he hoped that he should satisfie the Parliament with his reasons if he might personally treat with them therefore he earnestly desired to be admitted with honour freedom and safety to treat personally at London the Commissioners of Scotland with great vehemence also pressed that this desire of the King might be granted But the Parliament pretending tumults and innovations that might arise by the Kings coming to London which as they said was then full of Malignants sent down four Propositions to him to Sign which being done he should be admitted to a personal Treaty The four were these 1. That a Bill be passed into an act by his Majesty for settling of the Militia of the Kingdom 2. That a Bil be passed for his Majesties calling in of all Declarations Oaths and Proclamations against the Parliament and those who have adhered to them 3. For passing an Act that those Lords who were made after the great Seal was carried to Oxford may be made uncapable of sitting in the House of Peers ever after 4. That power may be given to the two Houses of Parliament to adjorn as the two Houses of Parliament should think fit The Commissioners of Scotland would seem in no wise to give their consent that these four Bills should be sent to the King before he treated at London therefore in a very long Declaration they protested against it the King likewise denyed to Sign them when they were sent unto him Upon which denyal a Declaration and Votes passed both Houses of Parliament in this manner The Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament after many addresses to his Majesty for the preventing and ending this unnatural War raised by him against the Parliament and Kingdom having lately sent four Bills to his Majesty which did contain onely matter of safety and security to the Parliament and Kingdom referring the composure of other differences to a personal Treaty with his Majesty and having received an absolute negative do hold themselves obliged to use their utmost endeavours speedily to settle the present Government in such a way as may bring the greatest security to this Kingdom in the enjoyment of the Laws and Liberties thereof and in order thereunto and that the Houses may receive no delay nor interruptions in so great and necessary a work they have taken their resolutions and passed these Votes following viz. Resolved c. by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that no application or address to be made to the King by any person whatsoever without leave of both Houses Resolved c. by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament that the person or persons that shall make breach of this order shall incur the penalty of High Treason Resolved c. That the Lords and Commons do declare that they will receive no more any message from the King and do enjoyn that no person whatsoever do presume to receive or bring any message from the King to both or either of the Houses of Parliament or any other person To these Votes of Parliament the Army declared their consent and approbation and that they would live and dye in defence of the House of Commons but the people though before they were enraged against the King now seeing their errours resolved to plead his Cause Petitions upon Petitions are presented for a personal Treaty with the King for the disbanding of the Army and for the removal of all other grievances Langhorn Powel and Poyer three eminent Commanders who had done many and great services for the Parliament now declare themselves for the King and with an Army of 8000. men fortifie Pembroke and Chepstow Castles Sir Thomas Glemham in the North seizes upon Carlisle and Sir Marmaduke Langdale upon Barwick and fortified it the strong Castle also of Pomfret was then taken by the Royalists and the Governour stain Against these Sir Thomas Fairfax was marching Northwards but far greater dangers detained him in the South for the Kentish men not far from Gravesend were gotten together into an Army with whom were above twenty Knights Esquires and Gentlemen of the Countrey and amongst them divers Commanders formerly of the Kings Armies upon the approach of the Parliaments Army some two thousand of them march to Maidstone which they resolved to make good against the Army Fairfax after the dispute of some passages breaks up to them and assaults the Town with a great deal of boldness they on the other side defend themselves with unspeakable courage at last the Kentish men are overcome 200. being slain and about 1400. taken prisoners But the Earl of Norwich with about 3500. with much ado kept together and got over the River Thames into Essex whereupon Sir Charles Lucas raises what strength he could possible in that County to whom joyned the Lord Capel the Lord Loughborough Sir George Lisle Sir Bernard Gascoigne Sir William Compton with many more Gentlemen and Souldiers and having first taken the Committee-men at Chelmesford they marched to Colchester a Town of great Antiquity but the people heretofore accounted no great friends to Monarchy nor the Town of that strength to withstand so enraged
and successful an enemy as followed them at the heels June 12 1648. they settled themselves a Garrison the Parliament Horse coming up and quartering within Canon shot of the Town Touching these proceedings I have further inlarged my self in the Life of Sir Charles Lucas But the greatest of all dangers which threatned the Parliament was from the North from the Kingdom of Scotland Duke Hamilton with an Army of five and twenty thousand entered England for the King with whom joyned Sir Marmaduke Langdale divers of the chief Ships of the Royal Fleet likewise much about the same time revolted from the Parliament and set their Vice-Admiral Rainsborow ashore affirming they were for the King and would serve Prince Charles sailing towards Holland where the Prince the was and with him his Brother the Duke of York who not long before fled privately out of London The Earl of Holland also with they young Duke of Buckingham having five hundred Horse appeared in Arms for the King by Kingston so that all things considered we may conclude that the Kings party since the beginning of the Wars was not in a likelier condition at least more formidible then at this present but God had otherwise decreed and all these fair hopes in a few dayes vanished into nothing as the following ill successes will declare The Earl of Holland soon after his rising was put to flight by Sir Michael Levesey and others The Lord Francis Villers Brother to the Duke of Bucking ham was slain and Sir Kenelm Digby's eldest Son who as he was fighting with four at once was cowardly thrust through his Back Holland flying with the remainder of his Horse was within few dayes after at the Town of Saint Needs by Collonel Scroop whom the General Fairfax had sent from Colchester for that purpose altogether subdued Holland himself taken and by the Parliament committed prisoner to Warwick Castle Langhorn and Powel were totally routed between the two Towns of Fagans and Peterstone and having lost all their Army escaped by flight to Colonel Poyer into Pembroke Castle which after a strait Siege was surrendred to Cromwell the three Collonels rendring themselves Prisoners at mercy Poyer onely suffered death who in hopes of a Reprieve dissembled a reluctancy when he was ready to dye Cromwel from thence marched against the Scots who were now come as far as Preston in Lancashire and with the addition of Lamberts strength gave Battel to Hamilton pursuing them as far as Warington about twenty miles and killing many in the Chase took Lieutenant General Bailey Prisoner with a great part of the Scottish Army granting them onely quarter for their lives In this Battle were slain three thousand Scots and taken Prisoners about nine thousand Duke Hamilton himself within few dayes after having fled with a good party of Horse to Vttoxeter was there taken prisoner by the Lord Gray and Collonel Wait. With Hamilton were taken about three thousand Horse Langdale also not long after was taken prisoner in a little Village by Widmerpole a Parliament Captain this was the success of Hamiltons invading England The Trophies of this Victory were placed in Westminster Hall Soon after was the strong Town of Colchester surrendred to General Fairfax which for three moneths together with much Resolution and Gallantry was defended by Sir Charles Lucas Norwich Capel c. until all hopes they had of relief were utterly blasted and all their provisions quite spent not so much as a Dog or a Cat left them to satisfie the necessity of Nature Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisel were shot to death the same day the Town was surrendred the Earl of Norwich Lord Capel and Master Hasting Brother to the Earl of Huntington were sent Prisoners to London The Lord Capel some few weeks after together with Duke Hamilton and the Earl of Holland were all three beheaded The Parliament during these Broils to give some seeming satisfaction to the Kingdom annulled their former votes of making no further addresses to the King and restored again to their seats eleven of their Members who had formerly been impeached by the Army a Treaty was voted to be with the King in the Isle of Wight the Earl of Middlesex with two of the House of Commons were sent to the King who made answer that he was very ready to treat of peace and named Newport in that Island to be the place Five of the House of Peers and ten of the House of Commons were appointed Commissioners and the Treaty went on with a great deal of seeming satisfaction on both sides But whiles they were intent upon the business a Petition was exhibited to the Parliament wherein they desired that the King might be tried by the Laws and brought to justice and all further Treaties with him to be laid aside which when the Parliament denied the Army not being satisfied they march some of them towards Newport others to the King who was now a Prisoner as large In the mean time the General sends his Letters to Collonel Hammond to render up his Command to Collonel Ewers who is to take the charge of the King but the Parliament vote him hereupon to stay there of which the General having notice 27. November The Army fast and pray and receive according to the still continued fashion Petitions from several Counties in order to what they intend to resolve and therefore Hammond submits and delivers up the King to Ewers and comes towards the Army The Parliament are angry and vote a Letter to the General that his orders and instructions for securing of the Kings person are contrary to their resolutions and instructions to Collonel Hammond and that it is the pleasure of the House that his Excellency recal his orders and that Colonel Hammond be free to take his charge to the Isle of Wight the Treaty being ended but instead of obedience hereto he salutes them with a sharp Letter for money to pay Arrears for the Army hereupon the Army marches to London and the King had his removes by Ewers till he came to the Block After that the House had past their Vote for no address to the King he being in a sad condition by his stricter condition in Hurst Castle hearing of these Votes prepares his soliloquies for his assured comfort in death as we finde his meditations in those golden Leaves of his Book As I have leasure sayes he so I have cause more then enough to meditate on and prepare for my death for I know that there are but a few steps betwixt the Prisons and the Graves of Princes Now the Ax was laid to the root of the Tree the House of Commons vote that by the Fundamental Laws of the Realm it is Treason for the time to come to Levy War against the Parliament and Kingdom the Ordinance for the Kings Trial was refused by the Lords January 2. After this a Proclamation was from the House of Commons for any one to accuse the King the Ordinance of
the Trial was January 6. engrossed and read and the manner referred to the Commissioners who were to try him in the Painted Chamber Munday the 8. of January a Proclamation resolved to be made in Westminster Hall the Commissioners to sit the next day to which intent Mr. Denby the younger a Serjeant at Arms to the Commissioners rid into the Hall the Drums of the Guard beating without the Palace and in like manner at the Old Exchange and in Cheapside Jan. 9. The Commons Vote the Title in Writs of Caroli dei gratia c. to be altered that great Seal be broken and ordered a new one with the Arms of England and the Harp for Ireland with this word The great Seal of England and on the reverse the Picture of the House of Commons with these words In the first year of Freedom by Gods Blessing 1648. Now there was a new Tribunal erected there being appointed 150 Judges or Tryers that so in number they might represent the people who are improved to covenant hear Judge and Execute Charles Stuart King of England of these there were of several sorts of persons six Earls of the upper House the Judges of the Kingdom Commanders of the Army Members of the Commons Lawyers men of several Trades and Professions The Presbyterian Ministers now too late disclaim against the prosecutions and the English Nobility offer themselves pledges on the the Kings behalf but all too late and now the penitent Scots with their predecessor repent themselves of their Silver and in a Declaration express their dislike The High Court of Justice was framed in the upper end of Westminster Hall betwixt the then Kings Bench and the Chancery Saturday Jan. 20. the King was brought from St. James through the Park in a Sedan to White Hall thence by Water with guards to Sir John Cottons House at the back end of Westminster Hall The Judges met in the Painted Chamber attending the President Bradshaw in his Scarlet Robe the Sword born before him by Collonel Humphry the Mace by Serjeant Denby the younger and twenty men for his guard with Partizans himself sits down in a Crimson Velvet Chair of State fixed in the midst of the Court with a Desk before him and thereon a Cushion of Crimson Velvet the seats of each side benches covered with Scarlet Cloath the Partizans divided themselves on each side O yes and silence made the great Gate of the Hall was opened for any one to enter Collonel Tomson brought forth the Prisoner the Serjeant with his Mace received him to the Bar where was placed a red Velvet Chair the King looks sternly on the Court where he spyes one person who had received signal favours from him at the sight of whom as I received it from one in the Court he laid his hand on his breast and pronounced to himself scarce audibly Caesars words Et tu Brute after which he sat down not shewing the least regard to the Court but presently rises and looks downwards on the guards and multitudes of the spectators The Act of parliament for the Tryal of Charles Stuart King of England was read over by the Clerk one Phelps who sat on the right side of the Table covered with a Turky Carpet placed at the feet of the President upon which lay the Sword and Mace The several names of the Rolls of Tryers were called over and eighty answered to their names in the charge the King is accused in the name of the People of England of Treason Tyranny and of all the Murthers and Rapines that had happened in the War they imposed all the weight of the accusation on this that he raised War against the Parliament A great many people looking on with groans and sights deploring the condition of their King The President stood up and said Sir you have heard your Charge containing such matters as appear by it and in the close it is prayed that you answer to your Charge which this Court expects The King whilest he heard this Charge with a majestick countenance and a smile in answer to the President asks the new judges by what Auhority they did bring to Tryal a King their most lawful Sovereign against the Publick Faith so lately given him when he commenced a Treaty with the Members of both Houses By what saith he emphatically lawful Authority for saith he I am not ignorant that there are on foot every where every mans unlawful powers as of Thieves and Robbers in the High Way he bids them onely declare by what authority they had arrogated this whatsoever power to themselves and he would willingly answer to the things objected which if they could not he advised them to avert the grievous crimes from their own heads and the kingdom whatsoever they did he resolved not to betray the charge committed to him by God and confirmed by ancient descent The President rejoynes that he was called to an account by authority of the people of England by whose election he was admitted King The king replyed the Kingdom descended to him in no wise elective but hereditary above a thousand years that he stood more apparently for the Liberties of the People of England by refusing as unlawful and arbitrary authority then the Judges or any other asserting it That the authority and power of the people was shewed in Parliamentary Assemblies but that here appeared none of the Lords who to the constituting of a Parliament ought to be there and which is more some King ought to be present but that neither the one nor the other nor both the Parliament Houses nor any other judicature on earth had any authority to call the King of England to an account much less some certain Judges chosen onely by his Accusers masked with the authority of the Lower House and the same proculated Howbeit he willed them again that they would at least produce this their Authority and he would not be wanting to his defence forasmuch is was the same offence with him to acknowledge a Tyrannical Power as to resist a lawful one The president often interrupting the Kings Speech told him that they were satisfied with theâ—r authority as it is upon on Gods authority and the kingdom in doing justice in this their present work The Munday after the Court met in the Painted Chamber where it was resolved that the king should not be suffered to argue the Courts Jurisdiction but that the President should tell him that the Commons in Parliament had constituted that Court whose power was not to be disputed that if he refuse to answer it shall be accounted a contumacy to the Court that if he answer with a Salvo his pretended Prerogative above the Court he shall be required to answer positively yea or no that he shall have a copy of his Charge till he own the Court and delare his intentions to answer on his second Tryal Sollicitor Cook moves that the Prisoner may make a positive answer or that the Charge may
be taken pro Confesso and the Court ot proceed to Justice The President repeats in brief the passages of the last day and commands the King to answer to the Articles of the Charge unless he had rather hear the Capital Sentence against him The king persists to interrogate concerning the Cause and sayes That he less regards his life then his Honour his Conscience the Laws the Liberties of the people all which that they should not perish together there were weighty reasons why he should not prosecute his defence before the Judges and acknowledge a new form of Judicature for what power had ever Judges to erect a Judicature against the King or by what Law was it granted sure not by Gods Law which on the contrary commands obedience to Princes nor by Mans Laws the Laws of our Land sith the Laws of England enjoyn all Accusations to be read in the Kings Name nor do they indulge any power of judging the most abject Subject to the Lower or Commons House neither lastly their Power flow from any Authority which might be pretended extraordinary delegated from the people seeing ye have not askt so much as every tenth man in this matter The President interrupting his Speech rebukes the Kings and bids him be mindeful of his doom affirming once more that the Court was abundantly satisfied of their Authority nor was the Court to hear any reasons that should detract from their power But what sayes the King or where in all the world is that Court in which no place is left for reason Yes answered the President you shall finde Sir that this very Court is such a one But the King presses that they would at least permit him to exhibit his reasons in writing which if they could satisfactorily answer he would yield himself to their Jurisdiction Here the President not content to deny grew into anger demanding the Prisoner to be taken away The King replied no more to these things then Remember sayes he this is your King from whom you turn away your ear in vain certainly will my Subjects expect Justice from you who stop your ears to your King who is ready to plead his Cause The Saturday after the 27. of January before they assembled sixty eight of the Tryers answered to their names The President in a Scarlet Robe and as the King Came the Souldiers cryed out for Execution of Justice The King speaks first and desires to be heard a word or two but short and yet wherein he hopes not to give just occasion wherein to be interrupted and goes on A sudden Judgement sayes the King is not so soon recall'd But he is sharply reproved of contumacy The President profusely praises the patience of the Court and commands him now at length to submit otherwise he shall hear the sentence of of death resolved upon by the Court against him The King still refuses to plead his Cause before them but that he had some things conducible to the good of his people and the peace of the Kingdom which he desires liberty to deliver before the Members of both Houses But the President would not vouchsafe him so much as this favour least it should tend he said to the delay and retardation of Justice To which the King replies It were better to sustain a little delay of a day or two then to precipitate a Sentence which will bring perpetual Tragedies upon the Kingdom and miseries to Children unborn If sayes he I sought occasion of delay I would have made a more elabourate contestation of the Cause which might have served to protract the time and evade at least the while a most ugly sentence but I will shew my self a defender of the Laws and of the Right of my Country as to chuse rather to dye for them the Martyr of my People then by prostituting of them to an arbitrary power go about to acquire any manner of liberty for my self but I therefore request this short liberty of speaking before a cruel Sentence be given for that I well know 't is harder to be recall'd then prevented and therefore I desire that I may withdraw and you consider They all withdraw the King into Cottons House and the Tryers into the Court of Wards and in half an hour return The President as he had begun so he proceeds into a premeditated Speech to hasten Sentence which the King offers reason to forbear whilest he might be heard before his Parliament and this he requires as they will answer it at the dreadful day of Judgement and to consider it once again But not prevailing the President goes on wherein he aggravates the Contumacy of the King and the hatefulness of the cimes he asserts Parliamentary Authority producing Examples both Domestick and Forreign c. his Treasons he stiles a breach of Trust to the Kingdom as his Superiour and is therefore called to an account minimus majorum in Judicium vocat his murthers are many all those that have been committed in all the War betwixt him and his people are laid to his charge all the innocent blood which cannot be cleansed but by the blood of him that shed the blood So then for Tyranny Treason Murther and many other crimes he wishes the King to have God before his eyes and that the Court calls God to witness that mearly their Conscience of Duty brings them to that place of this employment and calls for Gods assistance in his Execution The King offered to speak to these great Imputations in the Charge but he was told that his time was past the Sentence was coming on which the President commanded to be read under this form Whereas the Commons of England have appointed them an High Court of Justice for the Trial of Charles Stuart King of England before whom he hath been three times convented and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other Crimes and Misdemeanours were read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England c. To which Charge he the said Charles Stuart was required to give his answer and so exprest several passages at his Tryal in refusing to answer for all which Treasons and Crimes the Court doth adjudge that the said Charles Stuart as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and Publique Enemy shall be put to death by the severing his Head from his Body This Sentence sayes the President now read and publisht is the Act Sentence Judgement and Resolution of the whole Court to which the Members of the Court stood up and assented to what he said by holding up their hands The King offered to speak but he was instantly commanded to be taken away and the Court brake up After the Sentence the King was hurried away mockt and reviled by the Souldiers they puft their Tobacco in his face no smell being more offensive to his father and him such as saluted him they bastinadoed one that did but sigh God have mercy they cane'd they intrude almost into his Closet hardly permitting him
undertake his cause and use his best endeavours The King applauding his magnanimous resolution giving him thanks encouraged him to fit himself chearfully for so great a work and the better to carry on the design the King sent the Earl of Antrim into Ireland who engaged himself to be with Montross in Argile a part of Scotland bordering upon Ireland with ten thousand men by the first of April 1644. this promise being past to him in December 1643. for a sTock of men to set up withal the King wrote to the Marquess of New Castle to furnish him with aid and sent Sir John Cockeram his Ambassadour with a Commission and Instruction for forreign Aids and Arms. This being done he sets forward in his journey from Oxford towards Scotland having in his company about two hundred Horse most of them Noblemen and Gentlemen who had formerly been Commanders in Forreign Countreys Being come to Durham he sends the Kings Instructions to the Marquess of Newcastle and the next day they met and conferred but Newcastles wants were so great that he could spare him at present onely an hundred Horse and two Brasse Field Peeces but sent his Orders to his Officers and Commanders in Cumberland and Westmerland to afford him all the assistance they could who accordingly met him near to Carlile with eight hundred Foot and three Troops of Horse With these small Forces he enters Scotland but having come to the River Anan upon occasion of a Mutiny among the English most of them fly their Colours and run back to England Notwithstanding he with his own men came to Dumfrise and took the Town into protection upon surrender where he stayed a while that he might be ready to entertain Antrim and his Irish but the time appointed being past and no news stirring of them the Covenanters gathering themselves together on every side to secure himself from being surprized he returns to Carlile And not loving to lie idle joyns with the Kings Forces in Northumberland takes the Town and Castle of Morpet as also an hundred Foot at the mouth of the River of Tine and afterwards victuals New Castle then intending to joyn his Forces with Prince Rupert who was coming to raise the Siege at York he made all the haste he could but met him not till he was upon his retreat the day after that unfortunate Battle All things thus failing him he returns to Carlile and sends the Lord Ogleby and Sir William Rolluck disguised into Scotland to discover the state of the Countrey who returning back brought him word that all things were in a desperate condition and therefore counselled him to bend his course some other way But Montross thinking it unworthiness in him to despair of so good a cause resolves upon a strange adventure for delivering those few Gentlemen that had been constant unto him to the Lord Ogleby to be conducted to the King he with Sir William Rolluck and one Sibbald being disguized entred Scotland Montross passing as Sibbalds man Thus making all the haste they could they came at last to the house of his Couzen Patrick Graham of Innisbrake not far from the River of Tay in the Sherifdom of Perth not long had he been there but he receives news of eleven hundred of Irish sent over by Antrim who were then upon the Mountains who being made to understand of his being there they came marching unto him and submitted to his command The next day the men of Athol to the number of eight hundred put themselves in Arms and joyned with Montross so that now having gotten this handful of men he desires to be in action impatient therefore of further delay he marches from thence with a resolution to set upon his enemies and having marched as far as Bucknith five hundred more under the command of the Lord Kilpont Son to the Earl of Taith joyned with him by whom he understood that the Covenanters were thick in Arms at a Rendezvouz at Perth whereupon with all the haste he could he speedeth thither these were commanded by the Lord Elcho who upon Montrosses approach provided to fight they were in number six thousand Foot and seven hundred Horse so that contemning the paucity of their enemies they grew to a foolish confidence of Victory but Montross so well ordered his Army that their confidence failed them for joyning Battel they were overthrown two thousand being slain and more taken prisoners The City of Perth upon this overthrow submitted her self to the Conquerour to whom he did not the least harm where having staid three dayes many of his Athol men returning home he marches with the rest of his Forces to Aberdeen but the Town having a strong Garrison therein refused to submit and he thinking it no wisdom to hazard the honour he had gotten by his late Victory upon the doubtful success of a Siege turns away towards Esk whither came to him the Lord Ogleby with his two Sons Sir Thomas and Sir David who with admirable constancy continued with him to the very end of the War And now receiving intelligence that an Army of the Covenanters under the command of the Lord Burleigh lay at Aberdeen with long marches he hies thither sets upon them and after a long fight puts them to the rout with the loss of almost all their Foot who flying for refuge unto the City Montrosses men came in thronging amongst them through the Gates and Posterns and laid them on heaps all over the Streets This Battel was fought September the 12. 1644. After this defeat Montross calling his Souldiers back to their Colours entred the City and allowed them two dayes rest In the mean time news was brought that Argile was hard by with far greater Forces then those they had dealt with last whereupon he removes to Kintor a Village ten miles off from Aberdeen expecting some of the Gordons would have joyned with him but none appearing he resolved to withdraw his Forces into the Mountains and Fastnesses for though he had fought twice indeed very prosperously it could not be expected that seeing he was so beset on all sides with great and numerous Armies he should be able to hold out alwayes without relief whereupon hiding his Ordnance in a Bog he marches to an old Castle called Rothmurk intending to pass over the River of Spey but on the other side were the number of five thousand up in Arms to hinder his passage wherefore to save his Army from being oppressed with the enemies Horse he turned into Badenoth a Rocky and Mountainous Countrey here he fell very dangerously sick but recovering again he sends Mac-donel who commanded the Irish with a Party into the Highlands to invite them to take up Arms with him and if they would not be invited to force them he himself passes into the North of Scotland and having staid a while for recruit at Strathbogy he removed to Faivy Castle and possest it Secure now as he thought from Argile his confidence had well near
in one shew you the wonder of our times such a Proteus as few ages can produce such another he having like Ishmael every mans hand against him and his against all Who more violent against the Hierarchy of the Bishops then he none more against King and Kingly Government then he how violent was he aganst the House of Lords and they being down and another Government established without King and Lords he sets himself against that too such an opposite and Antagonist to all forms of Government whatsoever that he might fitly be compared unto the Rainbow which is never on that side of the world that the Sun is but wheresoever it appears it is in opposition against the Sun But to come to his Life he was Son to Richard Lilburne of the County of Durham during his miniority an Apprentice in London near London-stone to one Mr. Hewson a a dealer in Cloath whom he served about five years his Master declining his trade he moved him that he might have his liberty to provide for himself to which purpose he went into the Countrey to have the consent of his friends and afterwards made a voyage into Holland Before this his transportation he had made his ends having been of such an insinuating spirit that he won the love of some silly Schismaticks who for his strange though empty expressions deemed him as they have done others one inspired So that by that time he came out of his time and had served his Apprentiship who but Lilburne of note amongst the Sectaries his approbation desired and his counsels followed in all tumultuous and factious transactions It happened during the imprisonment of Doctor Bastwick censured for libelling by the Archbishop of Canterbury divers persons affecting the said Doctor out of their love resorting to him amongst the rest one of them took John Lilburne with him as his associate after plenty of chear Doctor Bastwick to solace his guests read to them his Lettany which he had written against the Prelates which Book was highly pleasing to them all Lilburne also hearing the said Lettany read and knowing that whatsoever was written in defiance of that power then generally hated would be very acceptable he desired of Doctor Bastwick to have a copy of one of them with which he would travel beyond Sea and cause it to be printed not doubting to be enriched by it the winde of this fancy transported him over Sea accompanied with a fellow whose fidelity he doubted not there he printed many Books and by them got much money selling them even at what rates he pleased afterwards coming into England bringing with him his printed trinkets hoping to have a new Mart the fellow that accompanied him was his betrayer who gave information to the Archbishop of Canterbury both where Lilburne and his Libels were who immediately dispatched a Pursivant with plenary authority who attached Lilburne and seized on his Books which were all afterwards burnt Lilburne himself was committed to the Fleet and refusing to take his Oath in the Star-Chamber was by them fined five hundred pound and censured to be whipt from the Fleet to Westminster and afterwards to stand in the Pillory which accordingly was executed and because he fell into a long speech against the Bishops and their Hierarchy they caused him to be gagged wherein he continued an hour and a half But the times altering the Bishops being Voted down by Parliament and a War ensuing betwixt them and the King these his sufferings caused him to be looked upon by the Parliament who preferred him to the Office of Lieutenant Collonel in their Army wherein he behaved himself most gallantly particularly at Brainford where he with about 700. men withstood the Kings whole Army about five hours together and fought it out to the very Swords point and to the Butt end of the Musket and thereby hindred the King from his then possessing the Parliaments Train of Artillery and by consequence the City of London in which act he was taken prisoner without Articles or capitulation and was by the King and his Party then lookt upon as one of the most active men in the whole company and should have been therefore Tryed for his life had not he by his wit avoyded the same by sending to the Parliament who thereupon sent a Letter to Oxford threatning them with lex talionis they having at the same time many of their great eminent men prisoners in the Tower Warwick Castle and other places which put a period to all further proceedings against him and freed him by an exchange Returning to London he begins to set abroach his factious opinions writing a Pamphlet wherein he termed the Laws Norman innovations with other unparallel'd speeches all which he sent to Judge Reeve who himself or some other for him made a complaint unto the Lords who immediately summoned him to appear before them which accordingly he did where being commanded to kneel at the Bar he refused saying That he had learned both better Religion and manners then to kneel to any humane or mortal power how great soever with many other aggravating and ambitious speeches which committed him close prisoner first to Newgate and afterwards to the Tower where he continued above twelve moneths together but this not a whit calmed his spirit but was rather like Oyl cast on the fire finding occasion from these his troubles and imprisonments to enveigh more bitterly against the Government and Governours then in being terming the Parliament to use his own words in his scurrulous pamphlets A pack of dissembling juggling knaves a company of tyrants the most perfidious false faith and trust-breakers that ever lived in the world and ought by all rational men to be most detested of all men that breathe treacherous self-seeking usurpers of the name and power of a Parliament most treacherously to do what they list Saying That Corah Dathan and Abiram were never more against Authority as the General viz. the Lord Fairfax and his Councel nor the Anabaptists at Munster with John of Leidon and Knipperdolling were never more contemners of Authority nor Jack Straw and Wat Tyler nor all those famous men mentioned with a black pen in our Histories These with infinite other railing tearms his pamphlets are stuffed and farced withal not fit to be bestowed on the most inveterate enemies can be encountred in this Life the young Gentleman was very prodigal of such Rabshekah expressions as his impudence was most conducing to his desperate designs c. For these and many other single rapired expressions of the nature contained in several Books which he wrote he was committed to the Tower and by a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer tryed upon a Charge of High Treason at the Guild Hall in London October 24 25. 26. 1649. Many were the Commissioners that sat upon his Tryal and multitudes of Spectators that came to behold it I have inserted his Tryal thus at large not onely as in respect of the
eminency of it but as many passages in it from his own lips give further illustrations of his Life The first Tryal of Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburne was at the Guild Hall in London the 24. of October 1649. being Wednesday The Commissioners Names of the extraordinary Commission of Oyer and Terminer for the Tryal of Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburn were these Thomas Andrews Lord Mayor Richard Keble Lord Commissioner Philip Jermyn Judge of the upper Bench Thomas Gates Baron John Pulestone Justice of the Common Pleas. Francis Thorp Barron and Member Robert Nicolas Member Richard Aske Justices of the Upper Bench. Peter Warburton Justice of the Common Pleas. Alexander Rigby Baron but absent Sir Thomas Fowler Sir Henry Holcroft Sir William Row Sir Richard Saltonstall Sir Richard Sprignall Sir John Woolistone Sir William Roberts John Green John Clarke John Parker Serjeants at Law William Steel Recorder John Fowke Thomas Foote John Kendrick Thomas Cullum Simon Edmonds Samuel Avery John Dethick Robert Tichburn John Hayes Aldermen Henry Proby Common Sergeant Thomas Brigandine Nathaniel Snape Edward Rich Owen Roe Tobias Lisle Austin Wingfield Richard Downton Daniel Taylor William Wibend Silvanus Taylor The Court was called O yes made All persons that were adjourned to the Court required to make their appearance The Lieutenant of the Tower of London Collonel Francis West was called to bring forth his Prisoner according to the precept Whereupon Collonel West Lieutenant of the Tower brought up the Prisoner out of the Irish Chamber where he had been some time before the sitting of the Court and was guarded by the said Lieutenant and a special Guard of Souldiers besides And being brought to the Bar the Sheriffs of London were directed to take the Prisoner into their custody Silence commanded the Crier said John Lilburne hold up thy hand Lieutenant Collonel Lilburne directed himself to Master Keble one of the Keepers of the great Seal as the President of the Court and said to this purpose Sir will it please you to hear me and if so by your favour thus All the priviledge for my part that I shall crave this day at your hands is no more but that which is properly and singly the Liberty of every Free-born English-man viz. the benefit of the Laws and Liberties thereof which by my Birth-right and Inheritance is due unto me the which I have fought for as well as others have done with a single and upright heart and if I cannot have and enjoy this I shall leave this Testimony behinde me that I died for the Laws and Liberties of this Nation and upon this score I stand and if I perish I perish And if the Fact that I have done cannot be justified by the Law of England let me perish I mention none of this for the gaining of mercy or by way of merit no I scorn it for mercy I crave from none but from the hands of my God alone with whom I hope and am assured one day to rest whom I have set before my eyes and so walked as believing I am alwayes in his presence in whose power my confidence is fixed whom I take and own to be my stay my staff my strength and support and in whom I rest as the life of my life and whom I hope to meet with joy when this fading and uncertain life shall have an end to live with him in glory and blessedness for evermore And because I would not willingly trouble you with many words to cause you to spend your time impertinently therefore Sir in reference to the Court I shall crave but so much liberty from you as was given to Paul when he pleaded for his life before the Heathen Roman Judges which was free liberty of speech to speak for himself the which I now humbly crave as my right not onely by the Law of God and Man but also by the law and light of Nature And I shall do it with that respect reason and judgement that doth become a man that knows what it is to plead for his life I hope Gode hath given me ability to be master of my own passion and endowed me with that reason that will dictate unto me what is for my own good and benefit I have several times been arraigned for my life already I was once arraigned before the House of Peers for sticking close to the Liberties and Priviledges of this Nation and those that stood for them being one of those two or three me that first drew their swords in Westminster Hall against Collonel Lunsford and some scores of his associates At that time it was supposed they intended to cut the throats of the chiefest men then sitting in the House of Commons I say for this and other things of the like nature I was arraigned by the Kings special Command and Order the first of May 1641. I mention it to this end that when I came before the House of Peers where was about three or fourscore Lords then sitting at the beginning of the parliament who then were supposed the most arbitrary of any power in England yet I had from them free liberty of speech to speak for my life at their Bar without check or controll in the best manner that all those abilities God had given me would enable me and when I was at Oxford I was again arraigned as a Traytor before the Lord Chief Justice Heath for levying War at the Command of the then Parliament against the person of the King and when I came before him in the Guild Hall of Oxford he told me there being present with him as his fellow Judge Master Gardiner sometimes Recorder of the City of London now Sir Thomas Gardiner and others that sate by a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer from the King the which Commission I did not so well then understand as I hope I do now And my Lord Chief Justice Heath stood up and in the face of all the Court and in the face of all the Countrey present there told me Captain Lilburne you are brought here before us for High Treason for leavying War in Oxfordshire against your Sovereign Lord and King and though you be now in a Garrison and were taken in Arms in open hostility against the King yea Sir and I must now tell you in such hostility that we were but about seven hundred men at Brandford that withstood the Kings whole Army in the field about five hours together and fought it out to the very swords point and to the butt end of the Musket and thereby hindered the King from his then possessing the Parliaments Train of Artillery and by consequence the City of London in which very act I was taken a Prisoner without Articles or Capitulation and was by the King and his Party then lookt upon as one of the activest men against them in the whole company yet said Judge Heath we will not take advantage of that to try you by the rules of Arbitrary Marshal Law or any other
Prisoner at the Bar presented before the Court here take your Jury of Life and Death if therefore Master Lilburne you will challenge them or any of them you must challege them before that they go to be sworn Cryer Every man that can inform my Lords the Justices and the Atturney General of the Commonwealth against Master John Lilburn Prisoner at the Bar of any Treason or Fellony committed by him let them come forth and they shall be heard for the Prisoner stands upon his deliverance and all others bound to give their attendance are upon pain of forfeiture of their Recognizance to come in Master Lilburne desired to be heard a few words the Judge told him he must talk in his legal time and take legal exceptions and then he should be heard till midnight Master Lilburne desired to be heard he said he did not know the faces of two men that were read to him therefore he desired that he might have time to consider of them Judge Keeble told him that he ought not to have it Master Lilburne desired the Judge that he would at least vouchsafe him to have some friends by him that are Citizens of London that knew them to give him information of their quality and conditions without which he said they might as well hang him without a Tryal Mr. Sprat or Master Robert Lilburn challenged one of the Jury which the Judge excepted against and commanded the Fellow in the white cap should come out there pull him out Master Lilburne replied that they did not deal civilly according to their own Law and now there was a full noise the whole cry was to pull down the Stag of the Petition of Right The Jury being called he excepted against several persons of the Jury six lived about Smithfield one in Gosling-Street two in Cheapside two in Broad-street one in Friday-street After his particular exception Master Broughton proceeds and reads his Indictment Hold up thy hand John Lilburne Thou standest here indicted of High Treason by the name of John Lilburn late of London Gentleman for that thou as a false Traytour not having the fear of God before thine eyes but being stirred and moved up by the instigation of the Devil didst endeavour not onely to disturb the peace and tranquility of this Nation but also the government thereof to subvert now established without King or House of Lords in the way of a Commonwealth and a free State and happily established and the Commons in Parliament assembled being the supream Authority of this Nation of England to disgrace and into a hatred base esteem infamy and scandal with all the good true and honest persons of England to bring into hatred that is to say that thou the said John Lilburne on the first day of October in the year of our Lord 1649. and on divers other dayes and times both before and after in the Parish of Mary the Archess in the Ward of Cheap London aforesaid of thy wicked and devillish minde and imagination falsely malitiously advisedly and trayterously as a false Traytor by writing and imprinting and openly declaring that is to say by a certain scandalous poysonous and trayterous writing in paper entituled A salva libertate and by another scandalous poysonous and trayterous Book entituled An Impeachment of High Treason against Oliver Cromwel and his son-in-law Henry Ireton Esquires late Members of the late forcibly dissolved House of Commons presented to publick view by Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburn close Prisoner in the Tower of London for his real true and zealous affection to the liberties of this Nation and by another scandalous poysonous and trayterous Book imprinted and entituled An Out-cry of the yong men and Apprentices of London or an inquisition after the lost fundamental Laws and Liberties of England directed August 29. 1649. in an Epistle to the private Souldiers of the Army especially all those that signed the solemn Engagement at New-Market Heath the fifth of June 1647. but more especially the private Souldiers of the Generals Regiment of Horse that helped to plunder and destroy the honest and true hearted Englishmen trayterously defeated at Burford the fifteenth of May 1649. And also by another scandalous poysonous and traiterous Book intituled The legal fundamental liberties of the people of England revised asserted and vindicated didst publish that the Government aforesaid is tyranical usurped and unlawful and that the Commmons Assembled in Parliament are not the Supreme Authority of this Nation and further that thou the said John Lilburne as a false Traitor God before thine eyes not having but being moved and led by the instigation of the Devil endeavouring and maliciously intending the Government aforesaid as is aforesaid well and happily established thou the said John Lilburne afterwards that is to say the aforesaid first day of October in the year of our Lord 1649. aforesaid and divers other dayes and times as well before as after at London aforesaid that is to say in the Parish and Ward aforesaid London aforesaid maliciously advisedly and traiterously didst plot contrive and endeavour to stir up and to raise force against the aforesaid Government and for the subverting and alteration of the said Government and to do those wicked malicious and traiterous advisement to put in execution c. and thou the said John Lilburne afterwards that is to say the aforesaid first day of October in the year of our Lord 1649. aforesaid and divers dayes and times as well before as after at London aforesaid that is to say in the Parish and Ward aforesaid of thy depraved minde and most wicked imagination in and by the aforesaid scandalous poysonous and trayterous book Intituled An impeachment of high Treason against Oliver Cromwel and his son-in-law Henry Ireton Esquires late Members of the late forcible dissolved House of Commons presented to publick view by Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburne close prisoner in the Tower of London for his real true and zealous affection to the Liberties of his native Countrey falsly maliciously advisedly and traiterously didst publickly declare amongst other things in the said Book those false scandalous malicious and traiterous words following but my true friends meaning the friends of the said John Lilburne I meaning the foresaid John Lilburne shall here take upon me the boldness considering the great distractions of the present times to give a little further advice to our friends aforesaid from whose company or society or from some of them hath been begun and issued out the most transcendent clear rational and just things for the peoples liberties and freedoms That the foresaid John Lilburne hath seen or read in this Nation as your notable and excellent Petition of May the 20th 1647. burnt by the hand of the common-hangman recorded in my book called Rash Oaths Unwarrantable page 29 30 31 32 33 34 35. with divers Petitions of that nature and the Petition of the 19th of January 1648. recorded in the following discourse page 45 46 47 48. and the
renewedness of true love John Lilburne From Dover Castle the place of the present injoyed delightful dispensations of the eternal everlasting love of God unto my soul the 4th day of the 10th moneth 1655. Tempora Mutantur Thus the Protector first made him tremble and the single-soul'd Shoe maker afterwards made him quake and now he resolves never hereafter to be an user of a temporal Sword more nor a Joyner with those that so do And accordingly he made good his resolutions living in his strict way of opinion to the day of his death which happened not long after whilest he remained a prisoner in Dover Castle His body was seized upon by the Quakers and conveyed from thence to London and at the Bull and Mouth in Saint Martins their meeting-place was put into a plain Coffin without any covering and from thence with his head forwards that his burying might be as preposterous as his actions carryed through Moor Fields where formerly he had received a hurt on his eye to the new Church-yard in Bedlam where it was put into the earth that as his turbulent life came near to madness so the place of his burial was near to the distracted crew I shall conclude this relation of our Wonderful Impetuous Magna Charta Petition of Right Lieu. Collonel John with these merry verses which a choice Wit bestowed on him Vntimely cause so late and late because To save much mifchief it no sooner was Is John departed and is Lilburne gone Farewel to both to Lilburne and to John Yet being dead take this advice from me Let them not both in one Grave buried be Lay John here lay Lilburne there about For if they both should meet they would fall out There are many Anagrams upon him but being they are too abusive remembring the old Saw de mortuis nil nisi bonum though to John Lilburne himself I thought in more civil to omit them The Life of OLIVER CROMWEL late Lord Protector THe sweet-lipt Poet Ovid sings of Icarus and of a Phaeton that would ride in the Chariot of the Sun to whom his displeased father gave this advice Non est tua tuta voluntas Magna petis Phaeton quae non viribus istis Munera conveniunt nec tam puerilibus annis Plus etiam quam superis contingere fas est Which the incomparable Translatour Mr. Sandyes renders thus What 's so desir'd by thee Can neither with thy strength nor youth agree Too great intentions set thy thoughts on fire Thou Mortal dost no mortal thing desire Through ignorance affecting more then they Can undertake that should Olympus sway In our Modern Histories we read of some men otherwise Wall-flowers for their growth that have had the luck to be strangely active in Political Affairs such as have boldly adventured to cut down all trees of State that have hindred their own prospect taking the Reins of the horses of the Sun into their own hands which in their managements of they have either been too slack or else pulling them too hard in by over-winding the strings of Authority have rendred themselves unfortunate slowly perceiving the errours of their ambitions till at last too late they were forced to pluck down those stairs by which they intended to ascend to their own greatness so dangerous is an unlimitted power a sail too great for a vessel of Mortality to bear though it were never so well ballasted with Justice Moderation and Piety It shall be my enterprise void of all partiality neither inclining to the right hand or left scorning so much as to reflect on the flatteries much less as they are under my feet to take up any of the dispersed Libels the one party by their adulations as the Papists and Puritans did Mary Queen of Scotland making him to be more then a Saint the other desperately malicious as we have taken it up on Tradition from some Writers rendering him to posterity more deformed then Richard the Third it shall be my care to wave these petty factions the flies that guilded themselves in his sun-shine as also those other mice which whilest this Martial Lion seemed to them to sleep yet without their large distance they dursts not approach him I am resolved though in this Epitome to search the Cabulla of our late Affairs to keep close to the unbyassed truth though I shall be forced to take up that old unavoidable excuse Bernardus non vidit omnia He was born at Huntington descended of the ancient Family of the Williams's of the County of Glamorgan and by adoption into that of the Cromwels the more noble Family as descended of Thomas Cromwel Earl of Essex the axe that hew'd down the Abbeys in the time of King Henry the Eighth His education in his youth was for a time at the University of Cambridge where though he attained to no great perfection in learning yet with his other additionals the Foxes tail with the Lions skin his strength of reason with the sharp edge of his sword stood him in great stead in his after Transactions and which together with his indefatigable industry rendred him so fortunate that he never fell short of what he undertook After his return from the University without any extraordinary respects from the Muses whose unkindeness he afterwards most severely retaliated he resolved for the future upon the first advantage to try the fortune of Mars but long it was ere the blinde goddess provided him any action during which time he married a Gentlewoman of the ancient Family of the Bourchiers whence the Earls of Essex were descended by whom he had two sons which survived him Richard and Henry and three daughters Bridget Mary and Frances For his private fortunes they were competent a mediocrity betwixt riches and poverty the one blunting the edge of wit and industry the other by its hardship whetting it quite away But what was wanting in his Estate was supplied in the greatness of his minde which put him upon high attempts which proved so successful that at last they placed him at the Helm of Government He took his first rise from the long Parliament whereof he was a Member being chosen Burgess for the University of Cambridge in this Parliament that fire burst forth which had been long before in kindling that fatal division betwixt King and Parliament with which last he wholly sided what motives induced him thereunto I know not nor will I determine of the integrity of his choice this I am sure of he took the more fortunate or by his man-hood made it so When he delivered his minde in the House it was with a strong and masculine eloquence more able to perswade then to be perswaded his expressions were hardy opinions resolute asseverations grave and vehement alwayes intermixt Andronicus-like with Sentences of Scripture to give them the greater weight and the better to insinuate into the affections of the people he expressed himself with some kinde of passion but with such a
commanding wise deportment that at his pleasure he governed and swayed the House as he had most times the leading voice Those who finde no such wonders in his speeches may finde it in the effect of them most of the people he was concerned in being as they term it enemies to book learning and whosoever should endeavour with an eloquent oration or otherwise go about to reconcile them make them friends should make them enemies such great adorers are they of the Scripture phrase though but little practisers such as our late times have brought forth Indeed he usurpt his holy oyl quotations very frequently which was so advantageous to his designs that Cicero and Demosthenes with all their Tropes and Figures could never have so perswaded and moved the people as he with one Text of Scripture aptly applyed the Dove and the Serpent of Scripture and some small parcel of policy to what he intended slily intermixed But his side standing in more need of action then eloquence he quitted the House and betook him to the Field to manifest his courage as well as his eloquence maintain by his deeds what his words had introduced Having raised a Troop of Horse at his own costs and charges he marched against the Muses to Cambride whereof he was Burgess seizing on a very considerable sum of money and plate which the Colledges had raised and were sending away unto Oxford which as it was very advantageous to his own side money being the very life and sinews of War so d d it much weaken the adverse party who had alwayes great want of it The Parliament having on their side the rich City of London that inexhaustible bank of treasure By this means he strengthened himself with sufficient aids to oppose the Lord Capel who was to have been seconded by Prince Rupert and should have seized on Cambridge thereby to have impeded the association of the adjoyning Counties for the Parliament He being advanced from a Captain to a Collonel having compleated a Regiment of Horse to the full number of a thousand men in the Spring of the year he marches to Lowerstoft in Suffolk where he suddenly surprized Sir Thomas Barker Sir John Pettas his Brother with above twenty other persons of note who were entring into an association for the King several persons of quality and divers Noblemen hourly flocking to that rendezvouz this other service was very seasonably rendered to the Parliament the Kings Party both in Suffolk and Norfolk being much discouraged by this success Having by new raised aids inforced his Army to a very considerable strength he marched into Lilcolnshire with a resolution to assist those Forces which lay about Newark a very strong and stout Garrison of the Kings where by their daily excursions they kept all the Countrey thereabouts in awe which he not onely blocked up but also defeated part of the Earl of Newcastles Army which came to relieve them I shall not need to particularize all his actions his other intervening Atchievements are more at large related in the Life of King Charles To look forwards onely to mention the Battel of Marston Moor where by his valour he turned the scales of Victory which at the first enclined to the Kings side as also at that fatal Fight at Naseby where the Kings Foot were all cut in pieces or taken Prisoners His memorable discomfiture of the Kings Forces at Preston in Lancashire over Duke Hamilton and Sir Marmaduke Langdale the last of them as valiantly faithful to the King as the other was disloyal their united Forces amounting to twenty five thousand his not above ten thousand at most although indeed he found little opposition save onely of those few Forces of Sir Marmaduke Langdales who fought it out courageously to the last man Should I thus continue to signalize his Trophies I might tire out the Reader with his strange Successes let it suffice then that his actions with such fame arrived at the House that in recompence they first bestowed on him the Generalship of the Horse and afterwards the Lieutenant Generalship of all the whole Army Certainly if his ambition had terminated here and his wonderful successes had not raised his thoughts higher if he could not for his Martial merits have been beloved he had power enough to have rendred himself-safe and for his valiant Atchievements fear'd honour'd and admir'd Raised to this degree of Command he was more careful of hazarding his person then before well knowing the loss of a General is the most irreparable of all losses for him to expose his person to trivial hazards in the breath of whose nostrils the victorious Atchievements of the Souldiers remains is too impertinently adventerous as if 't were more glorious to fight then command whereas that is more especially the vertue of a common Soldier this other of a Leader whose principal talent lies more in direction then execution more in the brain then hand thus that ever to be deplored Laureat of our times the Gentleman of the long Robe the Oracle of the Kings Councels the Lord Faukland was as unfortunately lost as unnecessarily engaged in the Field But to proceed he grew so subtilly careful as to maintain a fair correspondency there was no place taken no Battle won but he was the first that brought or sent word to the House by which he insinuated himself into the affections both of the Parliament and People expressing his own actions in such terms as whilest he seemingly attributed much to others he drew the whole commendation thereof to himself One thing that made his Brigade so invincible was his arming them so well as whilest they assured themselves they could not be overcome it assured them to overcome their enemies He himself as they called him Ironside needed not to be ashamed of a Nick-name that so often saved his life These were his acts whilest Lieutenant General by which he got so great a name in War as Essex Waller and those other great names before him excepting onely Sir Thomas Fairfax's Laurels which were interwoven with his the rest were swallowed up in his most inimitable successes even as great Rivers are swallowed up by the Ocean For the rest of his actions whilest he was General Itis conquering Ireland his subduing Scotland the many other Battles he fought till his finishing the War in England To treat also largely of these his Trophies would weary the pen of a serious though industrious Writer that sadly considers the incivility of those late Civil Wars howsoever they were strange successes and so many that as a Modern Poet agrees with what I have expressed It were a work so great Would make Olympus bearing Atlas sweat I shall therefore summarily relate the most notable Occurrences then happening leaving the less Affairs to be related by more voluminous Authors No sooner were the Civil Wars of England terminated by the discomfiture of all the Kings Armies the taking of his own person and putting him to death but the
by a Knight of Malta one of his high spirited followers the tumult being afterwards occasioned from his retinue he having been first very uncivilly treated by Mr. Gerrard in his expatiating of the New Exchange as he termed it in his Declaration for which Mr. Gerrard received a prick with his Dagger and afterwards had the honour to dye the same death The young unfortunate stranger suffered a very high favour to please the New Exchange Chevaliers Mean while the Scotch Highlanders impatient of bearing the English yoke resolved to try the other bout to which purpose they assembled together in great numbers having General Middleton to their leader who was newly come to them out of Holland but all their endeavours vanished into smoak General Monk on the twentieth of July 1654. at a place called Loughberry gave them such a charge as utterly defeated them and made them incapable of ever after thinking of appearing in Arms again Soon after was a Parliament called who no sooner were set but fell upon questioning the power by which they were convocated and doubting of its lawfulness were soon dissolved by the same power which they distrusted The Protector at the dissolution of this short Parliament made a very long speech wherein amongst many other passages he hath this expression This one thing I speak as thus advised and before God as having been to this day of this opinion and this hath been my constant judgement well known to many that hear me speak if this one thing had been inserted that one thing that this Government should have been and placed in my family hereditary I would have rejected it And a little after If this be of humane structure and invention and it be an old plotting and contrivance to bring things to this issue and that they are not the births of providence then they will come to nothing But notwithstanding his speech was candied over with Scripture phrases and great expressions of his zeal for the good government of the Land yet these his actings much discontented the common people whereupon ensued risings in Shropshire Montgomery Nottinghamshire Northumberland and Yorkshire but the most considerable was at Salisbury where Sir Joseph Wagstaff Penruddock and Jones who had formerly been Officers in the late Kings Army having gotten together about 200. armed men entered Salisbury seized on all the Inns and chief Houses and the Assizes being holden there at that time they took away the Judges Commissions and Pattents and all their Horses and so marched away Sir Henry Slingsby and Sir Richard Malleverer assembled some Forces also in Yorkshire but not being seconded according to their expectation they disperst themselves on their own account For these actings were put to death Master Lucas Thorp Kensey Graves and Penruddock Sir Henry Slingsby was taken and imprisoned and afterwards beheaded upon another account as I shall show you in its due place About this time the great head-piece of Europe joyns his Foxes tale to our Lions skin correspondencies are held betwixt the French and us which occasioning some jealousies with some other bitter pills that had before been swallowed but not digested by the Spaniard caused some heart-burnings which soon broke forth into an open War first mannaged by the Generals Pen and Venables who on the 27. of December 1654. with a gallant Fleet set sail from Portsmouth and on the 28. of January following arrived at the Barbadoes where they seized on 18. Holland Merchant men who contrary to the Ordinance of the long Parliament traffiqued in those parts from thence they sailed to Hispaniola arriving near to the port of Sancta Domingo where by the deepness of the sands and heat of the climate being infinitely tired they were by the Spaniards put to flight and enforced to march back again to their Ships from thence they set Sail to the Island of Jamaica which after a little resistance they mastered and have since preserved notwithstanding the Spaniards to regain the same landed there with two or three thousand men but were discomfitted with the loss of all their Cannon and Baggage In the interim General Blake with a considerable Fleet of Ships having cast Anchor before Tunis April 18. 1655. sent unto the Dy of the place demanding satisfaction for some English Ships which the Pyrats of those parts had carryed away and the liberty of the English slaves they had detained but his message and himself was refused with scorn and derision the Turks making this answer Behold our Castles of Galleta and our Castles and Vessels of Porto Ferino do your worst against them and do not think to brave us with the sight of your great Fleet. This answer so exasperated the English Admiral that notwithstanding there were one hundred and twenty Guns planted on the shore and in the Castle against them yet regardless of all danger he set upon their Men of War which lay in Porto Ferino and in less then four ours space burnt all their Ships being in number nine to their very Keels which enforced the King of Tunis to seek to the English for their friendship and restored all the Prisoners for little or nothing These successes were seconded by two other great Victories obtained over the Spaniards at sea the one by General Mountague about nine Leagues from Cadiz where he destroyed six of their ships whereof two were taken two run aground one sunk and another burnt and therein the Marquess of Badex his Wife and Daughter the young Marquess and his Brother with a great deal of wealth being taken and brought into England This Fight being incomparably related by the Laureat of our times I thought fit to insert it not to deprive the Reader of so Elegant a Poem let him wave the Poetical flattery of it as he pleases Upon the present War with Spain and the first Victory obtained at Sea Now for some Ages had the pride of Spain Made the Sun shine on half the World in vain While she bid War to all that durst supply The place of those her Cruelty made dye Of Nature's Bounty men forbear to taste And the best Portion of the Earth lay waste From the New World her Silver and her Gold Came like a Tempest to confound the Old Feeding with these the brib'd Elector's Hopes She made at pleasure Emperors and Popes With these advancing her unjust Designs Europe was shaken with her Indian Mines When our Protector looking with disdain Vpon this gilded Majesty of Spain And knowing well that Empire must decline Whose chief support and sinews are of Coyn Our Nation 's sollid vertue did oppose To the rich Troublers of the World's repose And now some moneths encamping on the main Our Naval Army had besieged Spain They that the whole Worlds Monarchy design'd Are to their Ports by our bold Fleet confin'd From whence our Red Cross they triumphant see Riding without a Rival on the Sea Others may use the Ocean as their road Onely the English make it their abode
sollicitations he had from Henry Earl of Richmond and the Lords of his faction who to draw them off from Richards side that morning in which Bosworth Field was fought was found a world of papers strowed before Norfolks door Yet notwithstanding all this he regarding more his oath his honour and promise made to King Richard like a faithful Subject absented not himself from his Master but as he faithfully lived under him so he manfully died with him But to return to his Son the Earl of Surrey in this Battle he had the leading of the Archers which King Richard had placed in the fore-front as a Bulwark to defend the rest the undaunted courage of this Earl and his resolute brave carriage being taken prisoner are delineated to the life by the renowned Sir John Beaumont in his ever-living Poem of Bosworth Field which if to some it may seem a long Quotation the goodness of the lines will recompense the tediousness of reading them Courageous Talbot had with Surrey met And after many blows begins to fret That one so young in Arms should thus unmov'd Resist his strength so oft in war approv'd And now the Earl beholds his Fathers fall VVhose death like horrid darkness frighted all Some give themselves as Captives others fly But this young Lion casts his generous eye On Mowbray's Lion painted in his shield And with that King of Beasts repines to yield The Field saith he in which the Lion stands Is blood and blood I offer to the hands Of daring foes but never shall my flight Die black my Lion which as yet is white His Enemies like cunning Huntsmen strive In binding snares to take their prey alive While he desires t' expose his naked breast And thinks the sword that deepest strikes is best Young Howard single with an Army fights When mov'd with pitty two renowned Knights Strong Clarindon and valiant Coniers try To rescue him in which attempt they die Now Surrey fainting scarce his Sword can hold Which made a common Souldier grow so bold To lay rude hands upon that noble Flower Which he disdaining anger gives him power Erects his weapon with a nimble round And sends the Peasants Arm to kiss the ground This done to Talbot he presents his Blade And saith It is not hope of life hath made This my submission but my strength is spent And some perhaps of villain blood will vent My weary soul this favour I demand That I may die by your victorious hand Nay God forbid that any of my name Quoth Talbot should put out so bright a flame As burns in thee brave Youth where thou hast err'd It was thy Fathers fault since he prefer'd A Tyrants Crown before the juster side The Earl still mindeful of his birth reply'd I wonder Talbot that thy noble heart Insults on ruines of the vanquisht part We had the right if now to you it flow The fortune of your Swords hath made it so I never will my luckless choice repent Nor can it stain mine honour or descent Set Englands Royal Wreath upon a stake There will I fight and not the place forsake And if the will of God hath so dispos'd That Richmonds Brow be with the Crown inclos'd I shall to him or his give doubtless signs That duty in my thoughts not faction shines Which he proved to be most true in the whole course of his life for having continued prisoner in the Tower three years and a half the Earl of Lincoln confederating with one Lambert Simnel raised an Army against the King the Lieutenant of the Tower favouring their enterprise freely offered the Earl licence to depart out at his pleasure which he refused saying That he that commanded him thither should command him out again The King understanding of his fidelity not onely released him of his imprisonment but took him into a more specal regard and soon had he an occasion to make tryall of him a great insurrection happening in the North wherein the Rebells were grown so potent that they slew the Earl of Northumberland in the field and took the City of York by assault against these King Henry assembles a great power making the Earl of Surrey Chief Captain of his Voward who so behaved himself that the Rebells forces were dissipated their chief Leaders taken and soon after executed The King noting his great prudence and magnanimity made him Lieutenant Generall from Trent Northward had Warden of the East and middle Marches and Justice of the Forrests from Trent Northwards in which offices he continued the space of ten years during which time the Scots having committed some outrages upon the Borders he made a road into Tivydale where he burnt and destroyed all before him returning with great spoils and honour Not long after he made another road into Scotland returning with like success James the fifth then King of Scotland raised a great power to withstand him and sent to the Earl a challenge to fight with him hand to hand which he accepted but the King into his demands would have the Countrey or Lands then in Controversie to be made Brabium Victoris which was without the Earls power to engage being the inheritance of the King his Master but he proffers better Lands of his own upon the Combat which was not accepted and so nothing was concluded A peace being concluded with the Scots he was called home and made Lord Treasurer of England of the Privy Council living in great Honor and reputation all the dayes of King Henry who dying his Son Henry that succeded him added to his other dignities the high Marshallship of England and going in person with an Army into France left him Lieutenant Generall from Trent Northward to defend the Realm against the Scots for James the Fifth King of Scotland notwithstanding he were King Henries Brother-in-law yet did so firmly adhere to the French that to divert King Henries proceedings in his own person with a mighty Army he invades England The Earl of Surrey to oppose him raises what Forces he could and at a place called Flodden it came to a pitcht field which was fought with great courage and valour but God who owned the just cause of the English crowned them with success and set the Palm of Victory on the Earl of Surrey's head The Scottish King being slain and with him two Bishops eleven Earls seventeen Barrons four hundred Knights besides other Gentlemen and seventeen thousand common Souldiers The Earl for these services was by the King at his return home highly rewarded and restored to the Dukedom of Norfolk his Fathers Dignity Soon after was he sent chief Commissioner with the Lady Mary the Kings sister to be married unto Lewis the French King and after his return home the King and Queen going to Guines to visit the French King he was made Protectour of the Realm in his absence Old age seizing on him he obtained leave of the King to spend the remainder of his dayes at Framlingham
curious Map to build upon whose foundations he held it too injurious so I must with all submission acknowledge that a Gentleman of most accomplisht parts hath made a progress at large in this reverend Prelates History for me to have went about to build when he alone had laid such a firme foundation as shall out-live all other Historians I could not but count it too ambitious and am so far from thinking my self worthy to attend his noble purposes that if I had not thought it a crime of necessity though in the Epitome to place him amongst these eternized Heroes with Mr. Speed I should rather have left out a whole Countrey then in these few pages have committed the sin of presumption against his admirable endeavours The Life of ROBERT DEVEREUX Earl of Essex General of the Parliaments Forces THis Earl was borne in London Anno Dom. 1592. beginning his morning in the evening of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth His Father was that Robert Devereux Earl of Essex whose unfortunate life we have already discoursed of his Mother was the widdow of Sir Philip Sidney one whose Pen and Sword have rendered him famous to all posterity His education in his youth was at the University of Cambridge afterwards committed to the tuition of Bishop Whitgift a reverend Divine King James restoring him to his Fathers Titles and Estate forfeited by his fathers treasons to Queen Elizabeth That a perfect reconcilement might be made in all things a Marriage was contracted betwixt him and the Lady Frances Howard Daughter to the Earl of Suffolk a Lady of a transcendent beauty but she full of fire and the Earl of ice upon complaint made they were separated by a most just sentence of nullity executed by Commission under the great Seal of England after they had enjoyed the Society of one bed for three years together Some report that indirect and unjustifiable practices were used in the scrutiny of her Virginity but I averre according to the truth of allegations and proofs as the Jury of Midwives declared she was an untouched Virgin so did the Earl himself confess that though he had often attempted it he never could and believed never should unty her Virgin zone whereupon the Commissioners pronounced a divorce betwixt them Some Authors write that she did not much affect the Earl being of a lustful appetite Some on the other side imputed it to his travels others to her looseness in the time of his absence suffering her body to be abused Others bring Viscount Car on the stage that she placed her affections on him Others write that Mrs. Turner and Doctor Forman were employed to bewitch the Earl and to procure frigidity quo ad hanc so much do our Historians differ in their relations of this unfortunate marriage The Earl perceiving how little he was beholding to Venus is now resolved to address himself to the Court of Mars and to this purpose he bestows himself in the Netherlands which at that time was the School of Honour for the Nobility of England in their exercise of Arms where having continued for certain years and gained renown by his experience and perfection in the feates of Arms he advanced from thence into the Palatinate to which place went also the Earl of Southampton the Lord Willoughby the Earl of Oxford and Sir John Borlans with their Regiments but these not seconded as they expected and being invaded by so potent an Enemy as was then the Emperour and seconded by so puissant a Potentate as the King of Spain having in vain endeavoured with such weak forces to resist so great power they returned into England King James dying in the beginning of his Sons Reign a design went on for a sudden expedition into Cadiz in Spain which was committed to the mangement of Viscount Wimbleton and the Earl of Essex who putting forth to Sea were much dammaged with a furious storm but meeting together in the height of the Southern Cape they sailed to Cadiz where having taken Puntal Castle and in likelihood to fire the Ships in the Harbour the field men in the interim being directed to Land for their recreation and to take in fresh water having discovered the Cellers plentifully stockt with wine they carrowsed thereof so liberally in despite of more sober commands to the contrary as put them to the hazard of a dismal reckoning Whereupon the Admiral finding the Souldiers thus insufferably disordered fearing the Spaniard upon this advantage might make a lamentable butchery amongst them was forced to put to Sea again and having staid some time in expectation of setting upon the Plate Fleet in their returning home the Pestilence so reigned in their Navy that they had scarce men enow to handle their Sails which enforced them to ply home with all the speed they could The Earl of Essex soon after his return made a voyage into Holland not loving to lie idle when any action of Honour was on foot where he behaved himself with such gallant resolution as got him high repute in the mouthes of all men Having given these undeniable testimonies of his valour he was ambitious to give some further proofs of his virility and having been a while in England he solicites the affection of Mrs. Elizabeth Paulet daughter of Sir William Paulet of Wiltshire extracted from the noble line of the Marquess of Winchester with whom he consumated his Nuptials at Netley the Earl of Hartfords house by her he had a Son who was Christned Robert after his Fathers name he dyed in the year 1636. and lies buried at Drayton in the County of Warwick With this Lady he did agree and cohabit but it was but a short time becoming soon unhappy in his second as he was in his first choice for he could as little digest her overmuch familiarity with Mr. Vdal as his former Ladies with the Earl of Somerset upon which distaste this Earl did ever after abandon all uxorious thoughts and for a while lived a retired life Soon after began the long Parliament in which such Differences arose betwixt them and the King that for the deciding thereof each part had their recourse to Arms. The Parliament very wisely chose Essex for their General there being no person in the Kingdom so fit to take the people and credit their designs who having an Army raised marches with them against the King The King on the other side proclaims Essex and his adherents Traytors and confident in the justness of his cause gives him Battel on a place called Edge-hill which was fought with much eagerness and in a manner with equality for though the King kept the field and therein had the honour of the day yet lost he many brave Commanders who there dyed in the bed of Honour Amongst others the Lord Aubigney Sir Edward Vaerney who carried the Kings Standard Collonel Monroe and others Soon after was an overture for Peace but whilest it was in agitation a second Battel was fought at Brainford Essex
at that time was sitting in the Parliament House but alarum'd with the noise of the great guns he speedeth down his coming putting a stand to the Kings Forces who then were upon point of Victory There were slain on the Parliaments side Serjeant Major Quarles a man of eminent parts who left behinde him one onely Daughter named Esther since married to Master William Holgate of Saffron Walden a deserving Gentleman whose love to learning and learned men hath made his name famous to all posterity Captain Lilburne with some others were taken prisoners the winter then drawing on apace both Armies retired to their Winer quarters The next Spring Essex sets forth with his Army layes Siege to Reading to relieve which the King Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice advanced with a great Army but being worsted at Causham-Bridge the Town was surrendered to the Earl of Essex Presently after the taking of Reading the Parliament side began to decline on a sudden a contageous sickness seized on the Earl of Essex Souldiers the Marquess of New Castle was grown very powerful in the North and Sir William Waller defeated in the West Bristol being delivered up to the King so that had he with his Army come up the next way to London it was thought he would have found but little opposition Glocester onely held out against him The King unwilling to leave any Town behinde him layes Siege thereunto to the raising whereof the Army being not in a capacity of themselves the Train Bands of London assented to this expedition who raised the Siege and not long after gave the Kings Forces Battel at Newbery this was a long and bloody fight nor had either of the parties much cause to boast On the Kings side were slain the Earl of Carnarvan the Earl of Sunderland the Lord Faulkland Collonel Morgan Lieutenant Colonel Fielding Mr. Strode and other eminent persons On the Parliament side was slain Colonel Tucker Captain George Massey Captain Hunt and others The Earl of Essex with the Trained Bands returned to London where he had solemn thanks given him by the Parliament And now the Winter coming on he had the leisure for a while to refresh himself and to make new provisions for War against the ensuing Spring which being come he marches with his Army from London Sir William Waller at some distance marching with him after a while he sits down before Oxford where the King then was who fearing a Siege about midnight did take Horse attended with certain Troops who carried some Foot mounted behinde them and came to Witney five miles from Burford whither also Essex followed him Prince Maurice who had long laid Siege to Lyme upon his approach towards those parts he raises it The strong Town of Weymouth it surrendered unto him yea all the Countries round about came in unto him and the Garrisons opened their Gates at the first sound of his Trumpet At Chard within the compass of twelve miles came four thousand men unto him protesting to live and to dye in the cause of the Parliament as their friends at Dorchester did before them Barnstable revolteth to him Sir Richard Grenvile is beaten and Taunton Castle taken by his forces soon after he possesses himself of Mount Stanford Plimpton Salt-Ash and divers other small Garrisons from thence he advanceth towards Tavestock where he took Sir Richard Grenviles house and in it two pieces of Canon eight hundred Arms a great quantity of rich Furniture and three thousand pound in Money and Plate He marches into Cornwal forcing his passage over at Newbridge with the loss of a hundred and fifty of his enemies about Listethel he encountred Sir Richard Grenvile whom he overthrew immediately upon this Bodmin Tadcaster and Foy stoop unto him But the King who all this while was not idle understanding of his advance into Cornwal resolved to march after him for he found that his Army did daily encrease The presence of a Prince by a secret attraction for the most part prevailing upon the affections of the people Essex hereupon sends to the Parliament for Recruits but before he could receive any supply the King had so cooped up his Army that his Horse had no room for forrage in this strait he calleth a Councel of War wherein it was concluded that three thousand Horse under the command of Sir William Belfore should attempt to break through the main body of the Kings forces which accordingly was put in execution necessity whetting their valours so that with some loss they got through and came safely to Plymouth But the Foot having not that swift means of escape were forced to yield themselves The Earl made his escape by Sea attended with the Lord Roberts and taking shipping at Foy landed at Plymouth sick both in body and minde Thus on a sudden was all undone which he with much pains and hazard had been long a doing so uncertain is the chance of War that he who now rideth triumphantly in the Chariot of Victory may ere long become the Object of his enemies mercy Soon after followed the new moddeling of the Army wherein all those Commanders who were Members of either House of Parliament were called home Essex hereupon surrendered up his Commission Sir Thomas Fairfax being made General in his stead after which time he continually sate in the House of Peers until the time of his death which was on the 14. of September 1646. and 56. year of his age His Funeral was solemnized with great state a Monument being erected for him in Westminster Abbey which a mad villain most uncivilly defaced The Life of Sir CHARLES LUCAS SO much pitty is owing from posterity to the unfortunate Loyalist Sir Charles Lucas that should I omit to render him his due honours I might be taxed of partiality at least to have fallen short of what the Title of this Volume promises he being one whose Learning and Valour hath made him amongst others eminent of the English Nation I shall not need to spend much time in setting forth the stem from whence this illustrious Ciens sprung he who hath not heard of the Family of the Lucas's knows nothing of Gentility yet had no honour accrew'd to him from his famous Progenitors it were honour enough to him to be Brother to that nobly accomplished and deservingly honoured the Plato of this age the Lord Lucas a Gentleman singularly gifted in all suitable elements of worth as also to Sir Gervas Lucas a valiant Commander sometimes Governour of Belvoir Castle For his Education it was generous having his youth sufficiently seasoned in principles of knowledge both Humane and Divine to which joyning his Manhood and Discipline in the Field he had scarce his equal He was a person accompanied with a resolute spirit of an active disposition and a suitable discretion to mannage it strict in his commands without a supercillious severity free in his rewards to persons of desert and quality in his society he was affable and pleasant in