laid the Murder on the Officers that had the charge of that Prison and by other proofs they found the Bishops Sumner and the Bell-ringer guilty of it and by the deposition of the Sumner himself it did appear that the Chancellour and he and the Bell-ringer did Murder him and then hang him up But as the Inquest proceeded in this Trial the Bishop began a new Process against the dead body of Richard Hunne for other points of Heresie and several Articles were gathered out of Wickliff's Preface to the Bible with which he was charged And his having the Book in his Possession being taken for good evidence he was judged an Heretick and his body delivered to the Secular Power When judgment was given the Bishops of Duresme and Lincoln with many Doctors both of Divinity and the Canon-Law sate with the Bishop of London so that it was lookt on as an Act of the whole Clergy and done by common consent On the 20th of December his body was burnt at Smithfield But this produced an effect very different from what was expected for it was hoped that he being found an Heretick no body should appear for him any more whereas on the contrary it occasioned a great out-cry the man having lived in very good reputation among his Neighbours so that after that day the City of London was never well affected to the Popish Clergy but inclined to follow any body who spoke against them and every one lookt on it as a Cause of common concern All exclaimed against the Cruelty of their Clergy that for a mans suing a Clerke according to law he should be long and hardly used in a severe imprisonment and at last cruelly murdered and all this laid on himself to defame him and ruin his family And then to burn that body which they had so handled was thought such a complication of Cruelties as few Barbarians had ever been guilty of The Bishop finding that the Inquest went on and the whole matter was discovered used all possible endeavours to stop their proceedings and they were often brought before the Kings Council where it was pretended that all proceeded from Malice and Heresie The Cardinal laboured to procure an order to forbid their going any further but the thing was both so foul and so evident that it could not be done and that opposition made it more generally believed In the Parliament there was a Bill sent up to the Lords by the Commons for restoring Hunne's Children which was passed and had the Royal assent to it but another Bill being brought in about this Murther it occasioned great heats among them The Bishop of London said that Hunne had hanged himself that the Inquest were false perjured Caitiffs and if they proceeded further he could not keep his house for Hereticks so that the Bill which was sent up by the Commons was but once read in the House of Lords for the power of the Clergy was great there But the Trial went on and both the Bishops Chancellour and the Summer were endicted as Principals in the Murder The Convocation that was then sitting finding so great a stir made and that all their liberties were now struck at resolved to call Doctor Standish to an Account for what he had said and argued in that matter so he being summoned before them some Articles were objected to him by word of mouth concerning the judging of Clerks in Civil Courts and the day following they being put in writing the Bill was delivered to him and a day assigned for him to make answer The Doctor perceiving their intention and judging it would go hard with him if he were tryed before them went and claimed the Kings Protection from this trouble that he was now brought in for discharging his duty as the Kings Spiritual Counsel But the Clergy made their excuse to the King that they were not to question him for any thing he had said as the Kings Counsel but for some Lectures he read at St Pauls and elswhere contrary to the Law of God and Liberties of the holy Church which they were bound to maintain and desired the Kings Assistance according to his Coronation Oath and as he would not incur the Censures of the holy Church On the other hand the Temporal Lords and Judges with the concurrence of the House of Commons addressed to the King to maintain the Temporal Jurisdiction according to his Coronation Oath and to protect Standish from the Malice of his enemies This put the King in great perplexity for he had no mind to lose any part of his Temporal Jurisdiction and on the other hand was no less apprehensive of the dangerous effects that might follow on a breach with the Clergy So he called for Doctor Veysey then Dean of his Chappel and afterwards Bishop of Exeter and charged him upon his Allegiance to declare the truth to him in that matter which after some study he did and said upon his Faith Conscience and Allegiance he did think that the convening of Clerks before the secular Judg which had been always practised in England might well consist with the Law of God and the true Liberties of the holy Church This gave the King great satisfaction so he commanded all the Judges and his Council both Spiritual and Temporal and some of both Houses to meet at Black-Friers and to hear the matter argued The Bill against Doctor Standish was read which consisted of Six Articles that were objected to him First That he had said that the lower Orders were not sacred Secondly That the Exemption of Clerks was not founded on a divine Right Thirdly That the Laity might coerce Clerks when the Prelates did not their duty Fourthly That no positive Ecclesiastical Law binds any but those who receive it Fifthly That the Study of the Canon-Law was needless Sixthly That of the whole Volume of the Decretum so much as a man could hold in his fist and no more did oblige Christians To these Doctor Standish answered that for those things exprest in the Third the Fifth and the Sixth Articles he had never taught them as for his asserting them at any time in discourse as he did not remember it so he did not much care whether he had done it or not To the First he said Lesser Orders in one sense are sacred and in another they are not sacred For the Second and Fourth he confessed he had taught them and was ready to justifie them It was objected by the Clergy that as by the Law of God no man could judge his Father it being contrary to that Commandment Honour thy Father So Church-men being Spiritual Fathers they could not be judged by the Laity who were their Children To which he answered that as that only concluded in favour of Priests those in Inferiour Orders not being Fathers so it was a mistake to say a Judge might not sit upon his Natural Father for the Judge was by another Relation above his Natural Father and though
Bearer that you do The which I pray God long to continue as I am most bound to pray for I do know the great pains and troubles that you have taken for me both day and night is never like to be recompenced on my part but alonly in loving you next unto the Kings Grace above all creatures living And I do not doubt but the daily proofs of my deeds shall manifestly declare and affirm my writing to be true and I do trust you do think the same My Lord I do assure you I do long to hear from you news of the Legate for I do hope and they come from you they shall be very good and I am sure you desire it as much as I and more and it were possible as I know it is not and thus remaining in a stedfast hope I make an end of my Letter written with the hand of her that is most bound to be THe writer of this Letter would not cease till she had caused me likewise to set to my hand desiring you though it be short to take it in good part I ensure you there is neither of us but that greatly desireth to see you and much more joyous to hear that you have scaped this Plague so well trusting the fury thereof to be passed specially with them that keepeth good diet as I trust you do The not hearing of the Legates Arrival in France causeth us somewhat to muse notwithstanding we trust by your diligence and vigilancy with the assistance of Almighty God shortly to be eased out of that trouble No more to you at this time but that I pray God send you as good health and prosperity as the Writer would By Your Loving Soveraign and Friend Henry K. Your Humble Servant Anne Boleyn MY Lord In my most humblest wise that my poor heart can think I do thank your Grace for your kind Letter and for your rich and goodly Present the which I shall never be able to deserve without your help of the which I have hitherto had so great plenty that all the days of my life I am most bound of all Creatures next the King's Grace to love and serve your Grace of the which I beseech you never to doubt that ever I shall vary from this thought as long as any breath is in my body And as touching your Graces trouble with the sweat I thank our Lord that them that I desired and prayed for are scaped and that is the King and you not doubting but that God has preserved you both for great causes known alonly of his high wisdom And as for the coming of the Legate I desire that much and if it be God's pleasure I pray him to send this matter shortly to a good end and then I trust My Lord to recompence part of your great pains In the which I must require you in the mean time to accept my good-will in the stead of the power the which must proceed partly from you as our Lord knoweth to whom I beseech to send you long life with continuance in honour Written with the hand of her that is most bound to be Your Humble and Obedient Servant Anne Boleyn The Cardinal hearing that Campegius had the Decretal Bull committed to his Trust to be shewed only to the King and himself wrote to the Ambassador that it was necessary it should be also shewed to some of the Kings Council not to make any use of it but that thereby they might understand how to manage the Process better by it This he begged might be trusted to his care and fidelity and he undertook to manage it so that no kind of danger could arise out of it At this time the Cardinal having Finished his Foundations at Oxford and Ipswich and finding they were very acceptable both to the King and to the Clergy resolved to go on and suppress more Monasteries and erect new Bishopricks turning some Abbies to Cathedrals This was proposed in the Consistory and granted as appears by a dispatch of Cassali's He also spoke to the Pope about a general Visitation of all Monasteries And on the 4th of November the Bull for suppressing some was expected a Copy whereof is yet extant but written in such a hand that I could not read three words together in any place of it and though I tried others that were good at reading all hands yet they could not do it But I find by the dispatch that the Pope did it with some aversion and when Gardiner told him plainly it was necessary and it must be done he paused a little and seemed unwilling to give any further offence to Religious Orders But since he found it so uneasie to gratifie the King in so great a Point as the matter of his Divorce he judged it the more necessary to mollifie him by a compliance in all other things So there was a power given to the Two Legates to examine the state of the Monasteries and to suppress such as they thought fit and convert them into Bishopricks and Cathedrals While matters went thus between Rome and England the Queen was as active as she could be to engage her Two Nephews the Emperor and his Brother to appear for her She complained to them much of the King but more of the Cardinal She also gave them notice of all the Exceptions that were made to the Bull and desired both their advice and assistance They having a mind to perplex the Kings Affairs advised her by no means to yield nor to be induced to enter into a Religious life and gave her assurance that by their Interest at Rome they would support her and maintain her Daughters Title if it went to extremities And as they employed all their agents at Rome to serve her concerns so they consulted with the Canonists about the force of the Exceptions to the Bull. The issue of which was that a Breve was found out or forged that supplied some of the most material defects in the Bull. For whereas in the Bull the Preamble bore that the King and Queen had desired the Popes Dispensation to Marry that the Peace might continue between the Two Crowns without any other cause given In the preamble of this Breve mention is made of their desire to Marry because otherwise it was not likely that the Peace would be continued between the Two Crowns And for that and divers other reasons they asked the Dispensation Which in the body of the Breve is granted bearing date the 26th of December 1503. Upon this they pretended that the Dispensation was granted upon good Reasons since by this Petition it appeared that there were fears of a Breach between the Crowns And that there were also other reasons made use of though they were not named But there was one Fatal thing in it In the Bull it is only said That the Queens Petition bore That perhaps she had Consummated her Marriage with Prince Arthur by the
PREFACE THere is no Part of History better received than the Account of great Changes and Revolutions of States and Governments in which the Variety of unlooked-for Accidents and Events both entertains the Reader and improves him Of all Changes those in Religion that have been sudden and signal are enquired into with the most searching Curiosity where the Salvation of Souls being concern'd the better sort are much affected and the Credit Honour and Interest of Churches and Parties draw in these who though they do not much care for the Religious part yet make noise about it to serve other Ends. The Changes that were made in Religion in the last Century have produc'd such effects everywhere that it is no wonder if all persons desire to see a clear account of the several steps in which they advanced of the Counsels that directed them and the Motives both Religious and Political that enclined men of all conditions to concur in them Germany produced a Sleidan France a Thuanus and Italy a Frier Paul who have given the World as full satisfaction in what was done beyond Sea as they could desire And though the two last lived and died in the Communion of the Church of Rome yet they have delivered things to Posterity with so much Candour and Evenness that their Authority is disputed by none but those of their own Party But while Forreign Churches have such Historians ours at home have not had the like good fortune for whether it was that the Reformers at first presumed so far on their Legal and calm proceedings on the continued Succession of their Clergie the Authority of the Law and the Protection of the Prince that they judged it needless to write an History and therefore employed their best pens rather to justifie what they did than to deliver how it was done or whether by a meer neglect the thing was omitted we cannot determine True it is that it was not done to any degree of Exactness when matters were so fresh in mens memories that things might have been opened with greater Advantages and vouch'd by better Authority than it is to be expected at this distance They were soon after much provok'd by Sanders History which he published to the World in Latine yet either despising a writer who did so impudently deliver falshoods that from his own Book many of them may be disproved or expecting a Command from Authority they did not then set about it The best account I can give of their silence is that most of Sanders Calumnies being levelled at Queen Elizabeth whose birth and parents he designed chiefly to disgrace it was thought too tender a point by her wise Counsellors to be much enquired into it gave too great credit to his Lies to answer them an answer would draw forth a Reply by which those Calumnies would still be kept alive and therefore it was not without good reason thought better to let them lie unanswered and despised From whence it is come that in this age that Author is in such Credit that now he is quoted with much assurance most of all the writers in the Church of Rome relie on his testimony as a good authority The Collectors of the General History of that Age follow his thred closely some of them transcribe his very words One Pollini a Dominican published an History of the Changes that were made in England in Italian at Rome Anno. 1594. which he should more ingenuously have called a Translation or Paraphrase of Sanders History and of late more candidly but no less maliciously one of the best pens of France has been employed to translate him into their language which has created such prejudices in the minds of many there that our Reformation which generally was more modestly spoken of even by those who wrote against it is now look'd on by such as read Sanders and believe him as one of the foulest things that ever was Fox for all his Voluminous Work had but few things in his eye when he made his Collection and designed only to discover the Corruptions and Cruelties of the Roman Clergie and the Sufferings and Constancy of the Reformers But his work was written in haste and there are so many defects in it that it can by no means be called a Compleat History of these times though I must add that having compared his Acts and Monuments with the Records I have never been able to discover any errors or prevarications in them but the utmost fidelity and exactness Parker Arch-bishop of Canterbury designed only in his account of the British Antiquities to do justice and honour to his See and so gives us barely the life of Cranmer with some few and general hints of what he did Hall was but a superficial Writer and was more careful to get full informations of the Cloaths that were worn at the Interviews of Princes Iusts Tournaments and great Solemnities than about the Counsels or secret Transactions of the time he lived in Holingshead Speed and Stow give bare Relations of things that were Publick and commit many faults Upon their scent most of our later Writers have gone and have only collected and repeated what they wrote The Lord Herbert judged it unworthy of him to trifle as others had done and therefore made a more narrow search into Records and original Papers than all that had gone before him and with great fidelity and industry has given us the History of King Henry the Eighth But in the Transactions that concern Religion he dwells not so long as the matter required leaving those to men of another Profession and judging it perhaps not so proper for one of his condition to pursue a full and accurate Deduction of those matters Since he wrote two have undertaken the Ecclesiastical History Fuller and Heylin The former got into his hands some few Papers that were not seen before he published them but being a man of fancie and affecting an odd way of writing his work gives no great Satisfaction But Doctor Heylin wrote smoothly and handsomly his Method and Stile are good and his work was generally more read than any thing that had appeared before him but either he was very ill informed or very much led by his Passions and he being wrought on by most violent prejudices against some that were concerned in that time delivers many things in such a manner and so strangely that one would think he had been secretly set on to it by those of the Church of Rome though I doubt not he was a sincere Protestant but violently carried away by some particular conceits In one thing he is not to be excused That he never vouched any Authority for what he writ which is not to be forgiven any who write of Transactions beyond their own time and deliver new things not known before So that upon what grounds he wrote a great deal of his Book we can only conjecture and many in their guesses are not apt to be very favourable
of whom some perhaps were damn'd Souls and others were never in being These arts being detected and withal their great Viciousness in some places and in all their great abuse of the Christian Religion made it seem unfit they should be continued But it was their dependence on the See of Rome which as the state of things then was made it necessary that they should be supprest New Foundations might have done well and the scantness of those considering the number and wealth of those which were suppressed is one of the great blemishes of that Reign But it was in vain to endeavour to amend the old ones Their numbers were so great their Riches and Interests in the Nation so considerable that a Prince of Ordinary mettal would not have attempted such a design much less have compleated it in Five years time With these fell the Superstition of Images Reliques and the Redemption of Souls out of Purgatory And those Extravagant Addresses to Saints that are in the Roman Offices were thrown out only an Ora pro nobis was kept up and even that was left to the liberty of Priests to leave it out of the Litanies as they saw cause These were great preparations for a Reformation But it went further and two things were done upon which a greater Change was reasonably to be expected The Scriptures were Translated into the English tongue and set up in all Churches and every one was admitted to read them and they alone were declared the Rule of Faith This could not but open the eyes of the Nation who finding a profound silence in these writings about many things and a direct opposition to other things that were still retained must needs conclude even without deep Speculations or nice Disputing that many things that were still in the Church had no ground in Scripture and some of the rest were directly contrary to it This Cranmer knew well would have such an operation and therefore made it his chief business to set it forward which in Conclusion he happily effected Another thing was also established which opened the way to all that followed That every National Church was a Compleat Body within it self so that the Church of England with the Authority and Concurrence of their Head and King might examine and Reform all Errors and Corruptions whether in Doctrine or Worship All the Provincial Councils in the ancient Church were so many Precedents for this who condemned Heresies and Reformed abuses as the occasion required And yet these being all but parts of one Empire there was less reason for their doing it without staying for a General Council which depended upon the pleasure of one man the Roman Emperor than could be pretended when Europe was divided into so many Kingdoms By which a common Concurrence of all these Churches was a thing scarce to be expected and therefore this Church must be in a very ill Condition if there could be no endeavours for a Reformation till all the rest were brought together The Grounds of the new-Covenant between God and man in Christ were also truly stated and the terms on which Salvation was to be hoped for were faithfully opened according to the New-Testament And this being in the strict notion of the word the Gospel and the glad tidings preached through our Blessed Lord and Saviour it must be confessed that there was a great Progress made when the Nation was well instructed about it though there was still an alloy of other Corruptions embasing the Purity of the Faith And indeed in the whole progress of these changes the Kings design seemed to have been to terrifie the Court of Rome and cudgel the Pope into a Compliance with what he desired for in his heart he continued addicted to some of the most extravagant Opinions of that Church such as Transubstantiation and the other Corruptions in the Mass so that he was to his lives end more Papist than Protestant There are two Prejudices which men have generally drunk in against that time The one is from the Kings great Enormities both in his personal Deportment and Government which make many think no good could be done by so ill a man and so cruel a Prince I am not to defend him nor to lessen his faults The vastness and irregularity of his Expence procured many heavy Exactions and twice extorted a publick Discharge of his debts embased the Coin with other Irregularities His proud and impatient Spirit occasioned many cruel proceedings The taking so many lives only for denying his Supremacy particularly Fisher's and More 's the one being extreme old and the other one of the Glories of his Nation for Probity and Learning The taking advantage from some Eruptions in the North to break the Indempnity he had before proclaimed to those in the Rebellion even though they could not be proved Guilty of those second disorders His extreme Severity to all Cardinal Pool's Family his cruel using first Cromwel and afterwards the Duke of Norfolk and his Son besides his un-exampled Proceedings against some of his Wives and that which was worst of all The laying a Precedent for the subversion of Iustice and oppressing the clearest Innocence by attaining men without hearing them These are such remarkable blemishes that as no man of ingenuity can go about the whitening them so the poor Reformers drunk so deep of that bitter cup that it very ill becomes any of their followers to endeavour to give fair Colours to those red and bloody Characters with which so much of his Reign is stained Yet after all this sad enumeration it was no new nor unusual thing in the methods of Gods Providence to employ Princes who had great mixtures of very gross faults to do signal things for his Service Not to mention David and Solomon whose sins were expiated with a severe Repentance it was the bloody Cyrus that sent back the Iews to their Land and gave them leave to re-build their Temple Constantine the Great is by some of his Enemies charged with many blemishes both in his Life and Government Clovis of France under whom that Nation received the Christian Faith was a monster of Cruelty and Perfidiousness as even Gregory of Tours represents him who lived near his time and nevertheless makes a Saint of him Charles the Great whom some also make a Saint both put away his wife for a very slight cause and is said to have lived in most unnatural lusts with his own Daughter Irene whom the Church of Rome magnifies as the Restorer of their Religion in the East did both contrary to the Impressions of Nature and of her Sex put out her own Sons eyes of which he died soon after with many other execrable things And whatever Reproaches those of the Church of Rome cast on the Reformation upon the account of this Kings faults may be easily turned back on their Popes who have never failed to court and extol Princes that served their ends how gross and scandalous soever their
the discovery of the Indies having brought great wealth into Europe Princes began to deal more in that trade than before so that both France and England had their Instruments in Scotland and gave considerable yearly Pensions to the chief heads of Parties and Families In the search I have made I have found several Warrants for Sums of Money to be sent into Scotland and divided there among the Favourers of the English Interest and 't is not to be doubted but France traded in the same manner which continued till a happier way was found out for extinguishing these Quarrels both the Crowns being set on one head Having thus shewed the State of this Kings Government as to forreign Matters I shall next give an account of the Administration of Affairs at home both as to Civil and Spiritual Matters The King upon his first coming to the Crown did choose a wise Council partly out of those whom his Father had trusted partly out of those that were recommended to him by his Grand-Mother the Countess of Richmond and Derby in whom was the Right of the House of Lancaster though she willingly devolved her pretensions on her Son claiming nothing to her self but the Satisfaction of being Mother to a King She was a wise and Religious Woman and died soon after her Grand-Son came to the Crown There was a Faction in the Council between Fox Bishop of Winchester and the Lord Treasurer which could never be well made up though they were oft reconciled Fox always complaining of the Lord Treasurer for squandring away so soon that vast Mass of Treasure left by the Kings Father in which the other justified himself that what he did was by the Kings Warrants which he could not disobey but Fox objected that he was too easie to answer if not to procure these Warrants and that he ought to have given the King better advice In the Kings first Parliament things went as he desired upon his delivering up Empson and Dudley in which his preventing the severity of the Houses and proceeding against them at the Common Law as it secured his Ministers from an unwelcome President so the whole honour of it fell on the Kings justice His next Parliament was in the Third year of his Reign and there was considered the Brief from Pope Iulius the Second to the King complaining of the Indignities and Injuries done to the Apostolick See and the Pope by the French King and entreating the Kings assistance with such cajoling words as are always to be expected from Popes on the like occasions It was first read by the Master of the Rolls in the House of Lords and then the Lord Chancellour Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Lord Treasurer with other Lords went down to the House of Commons and read it there Upon this and other reasons they gave the King subsidies towards the War with France At this time Fox to strengthen his Party against the Lord Treasurer finding Thomas Wolsey to be a likely man to get into the Kings favour used all his endeavours to raise him who was at that time neither unknown nor inconsiderable being Lord Almoner he was at first made a Privy Counsellour and frequently admitted to the Kings presence and waited on him over to France The King liked him well which he so managed that he quickly engrossed the Kings favour to himself and for 15 years together was the most absolute Favourite that had ever been seen in England all forreign Treaties and Places of Trust at home were at his Ordering he did what he pleased and his Ascendant over the King was such that there never appeared any Party against him all that while The great Artifice by which he insinuated himself so much on the King is set down very plainly by one that knew him well in these words In him the King conceived such a loving fancy especially for that he was most earnest and readiest in all the Counsel to advance the Kings only will and pleasure having no respect to the case and whereas the Ancient Counsellors would according to the Office of good Counsellors divers times perswade the King to have some time a recourse unto the Council there to hear what was done in weighty Matters the King was nothing at all pleased therewith for he loved nothing worse than to be constrained to do any thing contrary to his pleasure and that knew the Almoner very well having secret Insinuations of the Kings Intentions and so fast as the others Counselled the King to leave his pleasures and to attend to his Affairs so busily did the Almoner perswade him to the contrary which delighted him much and caused him to have the greater affection and love to the Almoner Having got into such Power he observed the Kings Inclinations exactly and followed his Interests closely for though he made other Princes retain him with great Presents and Pensions yet he never engaged the King into any Alliance but what was for his Advantage For affairs at home after he was established in his Greatness he affected to Govern without Parliaments there being from the Seventh year of his Reign after which he got the great Seal but one Parliament in the 14th and 15th year and no more till the One and Twentieth when matters were turning about But he raised great Sums of Money by Loans and Benevolences And indeed if we look on him as a Minister of State he was a very extraordinary Person but as he was a Church-man he was the disgrace of his Profession He not only served the King in all his secret pleasures but was lewd and vicious himself so that his having the French Pox which in those days was a matter of no small infamy was so publick that it was brought against him in Parliament when he fell in disgrace he was a man of most extravagant vanity as appears by the great State he lived in and to feed that his Ambition and Covetousness were proportionable He was first made Bishop of Tourney when that Town was taken from the French then he was made Bishop of Lincoln which was the first Bishoprick that fell void in this Kingdom after that upon Cardinal Bembridge his death he parted with Lincoln and was made Arch-Bishop of York then Hadrian that was a Cardinal and Bishop of Bath and Wells being deprived that See was given to him then the Abbey of St Albans was given to him in Comendam he next parted with Bath and Wells and got the Bishoprick of Duresm which he afterwards exchanged for the Bishoprick of Winchester But besides all that he had in his own hands the King granted him a full Power of disposing of all the Ecclesiastical benefices in England which brought him in as much money as all the Places he held for having so vast a Power committed to him both from the King and the Pope as to Church-preferments it may be easily gathered what
advantages a man of his temper would draw from it Warham was Lord Chancellour the first seven years of the Kings Reign but retired to give place to this aspiring favourite who had a mind to the great Seal that there might be no interfering between the Legantine and Chancery Courts And perhaps it wrought somewhat on his vanity that even after he was Cardinal Warham as Lord Chancellour took place of him as appears from the Entries made in the Journals of the House of Peers in the Parliament held the 7th year of the Kings Reign and afterwards gave him place as appears on many occasions particularly in the Letter written to the Pope 1530 set down by the Lord Herbert which the Cardinal subscribed before Warham We have nothing on record to shew what a Speaker he was for all the Journals of Parliament from the 7th to the 25th year of this King are lost but it is like he spoke as his Predecessor in that Office Warham did whose speeches as they are entred in the Journals are Sermons begun with a Text of Scripture which he expounded and applyed to the business they were to go upon stuffing them with the most fulsome flattery of the King that was possible The next in favour and Power was the Lord Treasurer restored to his Fathers honour of Duke of Norfolk to whom his Son succeeded in that Office as well as in his hereditary honours and managed his Interest with the King so dexterously that he stood in all the Changes that followed and continued Lord Treasurer during the Reign of this King till near the end of it when he fell through Jealousie rather than guilt this shewed how dexterous a man he was that could stand so long in that imployment under such a King But the chief Favourite in the Kings pleasures was Charles Brandon a Gallant graceful Person one of the strongest men of the Age and so a fit match for the King at his Justs and Tiltings which was the manly diversion of that time and the King taking much pleasure in it being of a robust Body and singularly expert at it he who was so able to second him in these Courses grew mightily in his favour so that he made him first Viscount Lisle and some Months after Duke of Suffolk Nor was he less in the Ladies favours than the Kings for his Sister the Lady Mary liked him and being but so long Married to King Lewis of France as to make her Queen Dowager of France she resolved to choose her second Husband her self and cast her eye on the Duke of Suffolk who was then sent over to the Court of France Her Brother had designed the Marriage between them yet would not openly give his Consent to it but she by a strange kind of Wooing prefixed him the Term of four days to gain her Consent in which she told him if he did not prevail he should for ever lose all his hopes of having her though after such a Declaration he was like to meet with no great difficulty from her So they were Married and the King was easily pacified and received them into favour neither did his favour die with her for it continued all his life but he never medled much in business and by all that appears was a better Courtier than States-Man Little needs be said of any other Person more than will afterwards occur The King loved to raise mean Persons and upon the least distaste to throw them down and falling into disgrace he spared not to sacrifice them to publick discontents His Court was magnificent and his Expence vast he indulged himself in his pleasures and the hopes of Children besides the Lady Mary failing by the Queen he who of all things desired issue most kept one Elizabeth Blunt by whom he had Henry Fitzroy whom in the 17th year of his Reign he created Earl of Nottingham and the same day made him Duke of Richmond and Sommerset and intended afterwards to have put him in the Succession of the Crown after his other Children but his death prevented it As for his Parliaments he took great care to keep a good understanding with them and chiefly with the House of Commons by which means he seldom failed to carry Matters as he pleased among them only in the Parliament held in the 14th and 15th of his Reign the Demand of the Subsidy towards the War with France being so high as 800000 lib. the 5th of mens goods and lands to be paid in Four years and the Cardinal being much hated there was great Opposition made to it for which the Cardinal blamed Sir Thomas More much who was then Speaker of the House of Commons and finding that which was offered was not above the half of what was asked went himself to the House of Commons and desired to hear the reasons of those who opposed his Demands that he might answer them but he was told the Order of their House was to reason only among themselves and so went away much dissatisfied It was with great difficulty that they obtained a Subsidy of 3 s. in the lib. to be paid in four years This disappointment it seems did so offend the Cardinal that as no Parliament had been called for Seven years before so there was none summoned for Seven years after And thus stood the Civil Government of England in the 19th year of the Kings Reign when the Matter of the Divorce was first moved But I shall next open the State of Affairs in Reference to Religious and Spiritual Concerns King Henry was bred with more care than had been usually bestowed on the Education of Princes for many Ages who had been only trained up to those Exercises that prepared them to War and if they could read and write more was not expected of them But learning began now to flourish and as the House of Medici in Florence had great honour by the Protection it gave to learned men so other Princes every-where cherished the Muses King Henry the 7th though illiterate himself yet took care to have his Children instructed in good letters And it generally passes current that he bred his second Son a Scholar having designed him to be Arch-Bishop of Canterbury but that has no foundation for the Writers of that time tell that his Elder Brother Prince Arthur was also bred a Scholar And all the Instruction King Henry had in Learning must have been after his Brother was dead when that Design had vanished with his life For he being born the 18th of Iune 1491. and Prince Arthur dying the Second of April 1502. he was not full eleven years of Age when he became Prince of Wales at which Age Princes have seldom made any great progress in Learning But King Henry the 7th judging either that it would make his Sons Greater Princes and fitter for the Management of their Affairs or being jealous of their looking too early into business or their pretending to the Crown
upon their Mothers Title which might have been a dangerous competition to him that was so little beloved by his Subjects took this Method for amusing them with other things thence it was that his Son was the most learned Prince that had been in the World for many Ages and deserved the Title Beau-Clerke on a better account than his Predecessor that long before had carried it The Learning then in credit was either that of the Schools about abstruse Questions of Divinity which from the days of Lombard were debated and descanted on with much subtlety and nicety and exercised all Speculative Divines or the Study of the Canon-Law which was the way to Business and Preferment To the former of these the King was much addicted and delighted to read often in Thomas 〈◊〉 and this made Cardinal Wolsey more acceptable to him who was 〈◊〉 conversant in that sort of Learning He loved the purity of the 〈◊〉 tongue which made him be so kind to Erasmus that was the great Resâ—â—â—er of it and to Polidore Virgil though neither of these made their Court dextrously with the Cardinal which did much intercept the Kingâ— favour to them so that the one left England and the other was but coâ—rsly used in it who has sufficiently revenged himself upon the Cardinal's Memory The Philosophy then in fashion was so intermixed with their Divinity that the King understood it too and was also a good Musician as appears by two whole Masses which he composed He never wrote well but scrawled so that his hand was scarce legible Being thus inclined to Learning he was much courted by all hungry Scholars who generally over Europe dedicated their Books to him with such flattering Epistles that it very much lessens him to see how he delighted in such stuffe For if he had not taken pleasure in it and rewarded them it is not likely that others should have been every year writing after such ill Copies Of all things in the World Flattery wrought most on him and no sort of Flattery pleased him better than to have his great Learning and Wisdom commended And in this his Parliaments his Courtiers his Chaplains Forreigners and Natives all seemed to vie who should exceed most and came to speak to him in a Stile which was scarce fit to be used to any Creature But he designed to entail these praises on his Memory cherishing Church-men more than any King in England had ever done he also Courted the Pope with a constant submission and upon all occasions made the Popes Interests his own and made War and Peace as they desired him So that had he dyed any time before the 19th year of his Reign he could scarce have scaped being Canonized notwithstanding all his faults for he abounded in those vertues which had given Saintship to Kings for near 1000 years together and had done more than they all did by writing a Book for the Roman Faith England had for above 300 years been the tamest part of Christendome to the Papal Authority and had been accordingly dealt with But though the Parliaments and two or three high-spirited Kings had given some interruption to the cruel exactions and other illegal proceedings of the Court of Rome yet that Court always gained their designs in the end But even in this Kings days the Crown was not quite stript of all its Authority over Spiritual persons The Investitures of Bishops and Abbots which had been originally given by the delivery of the Pastoral Ring and Staffe by the Kings of England were after some opposition wrung out of their hands yet I find they retained another thing which upon the matter was the same When any See was vacant a Writ was issued out of the Chancery for seizing on all the Temporalties of the Bishoprick and then the King recommended one to the Pope upon which his Bulls were expeded at Rome and so by a Warrant from the Pope he was consecrated and invested in the Spiritualties of the See but was to appear before the King either in Person or by Proxie and renounce every clause in his Letters and Bulls that were or might be prejudicial to the Prerogative of the Crown or contrary to the Laws of the Land and was to swear Fealty and Allegiance to the King And after this a new Writ was issued out of the Chancery bearing that this was done and that thereupon the Temporalties should be restored Of this there are so many Precedents in the Records that every one that has searched them must needs find them in every year but when this began I leave to the more Learned in the Law to discover And for proof of it the Reader will find in the Collection the fullest Record which I met with concerning it in Henry the 7th his Reign of Cardinal Adrian's being Invested in the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells So that upon the matter the Kings then disposed of all Bishopricks keeping that still in their own hands which made them most desired in those Ages and so had the Bishops much at their Dovotion But King Henry in a great degree parted with this by the above-mentioned power granted to Cardinal Wolsey who being Legate as well as Lord Chancellour it was thought a great errour in Government to lodge such a trust with him which might have past into a Precedent for other Legates pretending to the same Power since the Papal greatness had thus risen and oft upon weaker grounds to the height it was then at Yet the King had no mind to suffer the Laws made against the suing out of Bulls in the Court of Rome without his leave to be neglected for I find several Licenses granted to sue Bulls in that Court bearing for their Preamble the Statute of the 16 of Richard the Second against the Popes pretended Power in England But the immunity of Ecclesiastical persons was a thing that occasioned great complaints And good cause there was for them For it was ordinary for persons after the greatest Crimes to get into Orders and then not only what was past must be forgiven them but they were not to be questioned for any Crime after holy Orders given till they were first degraded and till that was done they were the Bishops Prisoners Whereupon there rose a great dispute in the beginning of this Kings Reign of which none of our Historians having taken any Notice I shall give a full account of it King Henry the Seventh in his Fourth Parliament did a little lessen the Priviledges of the Clergy enacting that Clerks convicted should be burnt in the hand But this not proving a sufficient restraint it was Enacted in Parliament in the Fourth year of this King that all Murderers and Robbers should be denyed the benefit of their Clergy But though this seemed a very Just Law yet to make it pass through the House of Lords they added two Proviso's to it the one for excepting all such as were within
the Holy Orders of Bishop Priest or Deacon the other that the Act should only be in force till the next Parliament With these Proviso's it was unanimously assented to by the Lords on the 26 Ian. 1513. and being agreed to by the Commons the Royal Assent made it a Law Pursuant to which many Murderers and Felons were denyed their Clergy and the Law passed on them to the great Satisfaction of the whole Nation But this gave great offence to the Clergy who had no mind to suffer their Immunities to be touched or lessened And judging that if the laity made bold with Inferiour Orders they would proceed further even against Sacred Orders therefore as their Opposition was such that the Act not being continued did determine at the next Parliament that was in the 5th year of the King so they not satisfied with that resolved to fix a censure on that Act as contrary to the Franchises of the Holy Church And the Abbot of Winchelcomb being more forward than the rest during the session of Parliament in the 7 year of this King's Reign in a Sermon at Pauls Cross said openly That that Act was contrary to the Law of God and to the Liberties of the Holy Church and that all who assented to it as well Spiritual as Temporal Persons had by so doing incur'd the Censures of the Church And for Confirmation of his Opinion he published a Book to prove That all Clerks whether of the greater or lower Orders were Sacred and exempted from all Temporal Punishment by the Secular Judge even in Criminal cases This made great noise and all the Temporal Lords with the concurrence of the House of Commons desired the King to suppress the growing Insolence of the Clergy So there was a hearing of the Matter before the King with all the Judges and the Kings Temporal Council Doctor Standish Guardian of the Mendicant Friers in London afterwards Bishop of Saint Asaph the chief of the Kings Spiritual Council argued That by the Law Clerks had been still convened and judged in the Kings Court for Civil Crimes and that there was nothing either in the Laws of God or the Church inconsistent with it and that the publick good of the Society which was chiefly driven at by all Laws and ought to be preferred to all other things required that Crimes should be punished But the Abbot of Winchelcomb being Counsel for the Clergy excepted to this and said There was a Decree made by the Church expresly to the contrary to which all ought to pay Obedience under the pain of Mortal sin and that therefore the trying of Clerks in the Civil Courts was a sin in it self Standish upon this turned to the King and said God forbid that all the Decrees of the Church should bind It seems the Bishops think not so for though there is a Decree that they should reside at their Cathedrals all the Festivals of the year yet the greater part of them do it not Adding That no Decree could have any force in England till it was received there and That this Decree was never received in England but that as well since the making of it as before Clerks had been tryed for Crimes in the Civil Courts To this the Abbot made no answer but brought a place of Scripture to prove this Exemption to have come from our Saviours words Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Anointed and therefore Princes ordering Clerks to be arrested and brought before their Courts was contrary to Scripture against which no custome can take place Standish replyed these words were never said by our Saviour but were put by David in his Psalter 1000 years before Christ and he said these words had no relation to the Civil Judicatories but because the greatest part of the World was then wicked and but a small number believed the Law they were a Charge to the Rest of the World not to do them harm But though the Abbot had been very violent and confident of his being able to confound all that held the contrary opinion yet he made no answer to this The Laity that were present being confirmed in their former opinion by hearing the Matter thus argued moved the Bishops to order the Abbot to renounce his former opinion and recant his Sermon at Pauls Cross. But they flatly refused to do it and said they were bound by the Laws of the Holy Church to maintain the Abbots opinion in every point of it Great heats followed upon this during the sitting of the Parliament of which there is a very partial Entry made in the Journal of the Lords House and no wonder the Clerk of the Parliament Doctor Tylor Doctor of the Canon-Law being at the same time Speaker of the Lower House of Convocation The Entrie is in these words In this Parliament and Convocation there were most dangerous contentions between the Clergy and the Secular Power about the Ecclesiastical liberties one Standish a Minor Frier being the Instrument and Promoter of all that mischief But a passage â—ell out that made this matter be more fully prosecuted in the Michaelmas-Term One Richard Hunne a Merchant-Taylor in London was questioned by a Clerk in Middlesex for a Mortuary pretended to be due for a Child of his that died 5 weeks old The Clerk claiming the beering sheet and Hunne refusing to give it upon that he was sued but his Counsel advised him to sue the Clerk in a Premunire for bringing the Kings Subjects before a forreign Court the Spiritual Court sitting by Authority from the Legate This touched the Clergy so in the quick that they used all the Arts they could to fasten Heresie on him and understanding that he had Wickliff's Bible upon that he was attached of Heresie and put in the Lollards Tower at Pauls and examined upon some Articles objected to him by Fitz-Iames then Bishop of London He denied them as they were chargeâ— against him but acknowledged he had said some words sounding that way for which he was sorry and asked Gods mercy and submitted himself to the Bishops Correction upon which he ought to have been enjoyned Penance and set at Liberty but he persisting still in his Sute in the Kings Courts they used him most cruelly On the Fourth of December he was found hanged in the Chamber where he was kept Prisoner And Doctor Horsey Chancellour to the â—iâ—hop of London with the other Officers who had the Charge of the Prison gave it out that he had hang'd himself But the Coroner of London coming to hold an Inquest on the dead body they found him hanging so loose and in a silk girdle that they clearly perceived he was killed they also found his Neck had been broken as they judged with an Iron chain for the Skin was all fretted and cut they saw some streams of blood about his body besides several other evidences which made it clear he had not murdered himself whereupon they did acquit the dead body and
years together for before two years elapsed there was a War proclaimed against France and when overtures were made for a Peace it appears by the Treaty-Rolls that the Earl of Worcester was sent over Ambassador And when the Kings sister was sent over to Lewis the French King though Sir Thomas Boleyn went over with her he was not then so much considered as to be made an Ambassador For in the Commission that was given to many persons of Quality to deliver her to her Husband King Lewis the 12 Sir Thomas Boleyn is not named The persons in the Commission are the Duke of Norfolk the Marquess of Dorchester the Bishop of Duresm the Earls of Surrey and Worcester the Prior of St. Iohns and Doctor West Dean of Windsor A year after that Sir Thomas Boleyn was made Ambassador but then it was too late for Anne Boleyn to be yet unborn much less could it be as Sanders says that she was born two years after it But the Learned Camden whose Study and Profession led him to a more particular knowledg of these things gives us another account of her birth He says that she was born in the year 1507. which was two years before the King came to the Crown And if it be suggested that then the Prince to enjoy her Mother prevailed with his Father to send her Husband beyond Sea that must be done when the Prince himself was not 14 years of Age so they must make him to have corrupted other mens wives at that Age when yet they will not allow his Brother no not when he was 2 years older to have known his own wife But now I leave this foul Fiction and go to deliver certain Truths· Anne Boleyn's Mother was Daughter to the Duke of Norfolk and Sister to the Duke that was at the time of the Divorce Lord Treasurer Her Fathers Mother was one of the Daughters and heirs to the Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond and her great Grand-Father Sir Geofry Boleyn who had been Lord Major of London Married one of the Daughters and Heirs of the Lord Hastings and their Family as they had mixed with so much great Blood so had Married their Daughters to very Noble Families She being but seven years old was carried over to France with the Kings Sister which shews she could have none of those deformities in her person since such are not brought into the Courts and Families of Queens And though upon the French Kings Death the Queen Dowager came soon back to England yet she was so liked in the French Court that the next King Francis his Queen kept her about her self for some years and after her death the Kings Sister the Dutchess of Alenson kept her in her Court all the while she was in France which as it shews there was somewhat extraordinary in her person so those Princesses being much celebrated for their vertues it is not to be imagined that any person so notoriously defamed as Sanders would represent her was entertained in their Courts When she came into England is not so clear it is said that in the year 1522. when War was made on France her Father who was then Ambassador was recalled and brought her over with him which is not improbable but if she came then she did not stay long in England for Camden says that she served Queen Claudia of France till her death which was in Iuly 1524 and after that she was taken into service by K Francis his Sister How long she continued in that service I do not find but it is probable that she returned out of France with her Father from his Embassy in the year 1527. when as Stow says he brought with him the Picture of her Mistress who was offered in Marriage to this King If she came out of France before as those Authors before-mentioned say it appears that the King had no design upon her then because he suffered her to return and when one Mistress died to take another in France but if she stayed there all this while then it is probable he had not seen her till now at last when she came out of the Princess of Alenson's service but whensoever it was that she came to the Court of England it is certain that she was much considered in it And though the Queen who had taken her to be one of her Maids of Honour had afterwards just cause to be displeased with her as her Rival yet she carried her self so that in the whole Progress of the Sute I never find the Queen her self or any of her Agents fix the least ill Character on her which would most certainly have been done had there been any just cause or good colour for it And so far was this Lady at least for some time from any thoughts of Marrying the King that she had consented to Marry the Lord Piercy the Earl of Northumberland's eldest Son whom his Father by a strange compliance with the Cardinals vanity had placed in his Court and made him one of his servants The thing is considerable and clears many things that belong to this History and the Relator of it was an Ear-witness of the Discourse upon it as himself informs us The Cardinal hearing that the Lord Piercy was making addresses to Anne Boleyn one day as he came from the Court called for him before his servants before us all says the Relator including himself and chid him for it pretending at first that it was unworthy of him to match so meanly but he justified his choice and reckoned up her birth and Quality which he said was not inferior to his own And the Cardinal insisting fiercely to make him lay down his pretensions he told him he would willingly submit to the King and him but that he had gone so far before many witnesses that he could not forsake it and knew not how to discharge his conscience and therefore he entreated the Cardinal would procure him the Kings favour in it Upon that the Cardinal in great rage said why thinkest thou that the King and I know not what we have to do in so weighty a matter yes I warrant you but I can see in thee no submission at all to the purpose and said you have matched your self with such a one as neither the King nor yet your Father will agree to it and therefore I will send for thy Father who at his coming shall either make thee break this unadvised bargain or disinherit thee for ever To which the Lord Piercy replyed That he would submit himself to him if his Conscience were discharged of the weighty burden that lay upon it and soon after his Father coming to Court he was diverted another way Had that Writer told us in what year this was done it had given a great light to direct us but by this relation we see that she was so far from thinking of the King at that time that she had
his Ambassadors it is plain that both the King and Queen came in Person into the Court where they both sate with their Council standing about them The Bishops of Rochester and St. Asaph and Doctor Ridley being the Queens Council When the King and Queen were called on the King answered Here but the Queen left her seat and went and kneeled down before him and made a Speech that had all the Insinuations in it to raise pity and compassion in the Court She said She was a poor woman and a stranger in his Dominions where she could neither expect good Council nor indifferent Judges she had been long his Wife and desired to know wherein she had offended him she had been his Wife twenty years and more and had born him several Children and had ever studied to please him and protested he had found her a true Maid about which she appealed to his own Conscience If she had done any thing amiss she was willing to be put away with shame Their Parents were esteemed very wise Princes and no doubt had good Counsellors and Learned men about them when the Match was agreed Therefore she would not submit to the Court nor durst her Lawyers who were his Subjects and assigned by him speak freely for her So she desired to be excused till she heard from Spain That said she rose up and made the King a low Reverence and went out of the Court. And though they called after her she made no answer but went away and would never again appear in Court She being gone the King did publickly Declare what a true and obedient Wife she had always been and commended her much for her excellent Qualities Then the Cardinal of York desired the King would witness whether he had been the first or chief mover of that matter to him since he was suspected to have done it In which the King did vindicate him and said That he had always rather opposed it and protested it arose meerly out of a scruple in his Conscience which was occasioned by the Discourse of the French Ambassador who during the Treaty of a Match between his Daughter and the Duke of Orleance did except to her being Legitimate as begotten in an unlawful Marriage upon which he resolved to try the lawfulness of it both for the quiet of his Conscience and for clearing the Succession of the Crown And if it were found lawful he was very well satisfied to live still with the Queen But upon that he had first moved it in Confession to the Bishop of Lincoln then he had desired the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to gather the Opinions of the Bishops who did all under their Hands and Seals Declare against the Marriage This the Arch-Bishop confirmed but the Bishop of Rochester denied his Hand was at it And the Arch-Bishop pretended he had his consent to make another write his name to the Judgment of the rest which he positively denied The Court Adjourned to the 25th ordering Letters Monitory to be Issued out for Citing the Queen to appear under pain of Contumacy But on the 25th was brought in her Appeal to the Pope the Original of which is extant every page being both Subscribed and Superscribed by her She excepted both to the Place to the Judges and to her Council in whom she could not confide and therefore appealed and desired her Cause might be heard by the Pope with many things out of the Canon-Law on which she grounded it This being read and she not appearing was Declared Contumax Then the Legates being to proceed ex officio drew up Twelve Articles upon which they were to examine witnesses The substance of them was That Prince Arthur and the King were Brothers that Prince Arthur did Marry the Queen and Consummated the Marriage that upon his death the King by vertue of a Dispensation had Married her that this Marrying his Brothers Wife was forbidden both by Humane and Divine Law and that upon the complaints which the Pope had received he had sent them now to try and judge in it The Kings Council insisted most on Prince Arthur's having Consummated the Marriage and that led them to say many things that seemed indecent of which the Bishop of Rochester complained and said they were things detestable to be heard but Cardinal Wolsey 〈◊〉 him and there passed some sharp words between them The Legates proceeded to the Examination of Witnesses of which I shall say little the substance of their Depositions being fully set down with all their names by the Lord Herbert The sum of what was most material in them was that many violent presumptions appeared by their Testimonies that Prince Arthur did carnally know the Queen And it cannot be imagined how greater proofs could be made 27 years after their Marriage Thus the Court went on several days Examining Witnesses but as the matter was going on to a conclusion there came an Avocation from Rome Of which I shall now give an Account The Queen wrote most earnestly to her Nephews to procure an Avocation protesting she would suffer any thing and even death it self rather than depart from her Marriage that she expected no justice from the Legates and therefore lookt for their assistance that her appeal being admitted by the Pope the Cause might be taken out of the Legates hands Campegio did also give the Pope an account of their Progress and by all means advised an Avocation for by this he thought to excuse himself to the King to oblige the Emperor much and to have the reputation of a man of Conscience The Emperor and his Brother Ferdinand sent their Ambassadors at Rome orders to give the Pope no rest till it were procured and the Emperor said He would look on a Sentence against his Aunt as a dishonour to his Family and would lose all his Kingdoms sooner than endure it And they plied the Pope so warmly that between them and the English Ambassadors he had for some days very little rest To the one he was kind and to the other he resolved to be civil The English Ambassadors met oft with Salviati and studied to perswade him that the Process went not on in England but he told them their Intelligence was so good that whatever they said on that head would not be believed They next suggested that it was visible Campegio's advising an Avocation was only done to preserve himself from the envy of the Sentence and to throw it wholly on the Pope for were the matter once called to Rome the Pope must give Sentence one way or another and so bear the whole burden of it There were also secret surmises of Deposing the Pope if he went so far for seeing that the Emperor prevailed so much by the terrors of that the Cardinal resolved to try what operation such threatnings in the Kings name might have But they had no Armies near the Pope so that big words did only provoke and alienate him
proper judge in that And it was odds but he would judge favourably for himself The Court Adjourned to the 12th and from that to the 14th On these days the Depositions of the rest of the Witnesses were taken and some that were ancient Persons were examined by a Commission from the Legates and all the Depositions were published on the 17th other instruments relating to the Process were also read and verified in Court On the 21th the Court saâ—e to conclude the matter as was expected and the Instrument that the King had Signed when he came of Age protesting that he would not stand to the Contract made when he was under Age was then read and verified Upon which the Kings Council of whom Gardiner was the chief closed their Evidence and summed up all that had been brought and in the Kings name desired Sentence might be given But Campegio pretending that it was fit some interval should be between that and the Sentence put it off till the 23th being Friday and in the whole Process he presided both being the ancienter Cardinal and chiefly to show great equity since exceptions might have been taken if the other had appeared much in it so that he only sate by him for form But all the Orders of the Court were still directed by Campegio On Friday there was a great appearance and a general expectation but by a strange surprize Campegio Adjourned the Court to the 1st of October for which he pretended that they sate there as a part of the Consistory of Rome and therefore must follow the Rules of that Court which from that time till October was in a Vacation and heard no Causes And this he averred to be true on the word of a true Prelate The King was in a Chamber very near where he heard what passed and was inexpressibly surprized at it The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk were in Court and complained much of this delay and pressed the Legates to give Sentence Campegio answered that what they might then pronounce would be of no force as being in Vacation-time but gave great hopes of a favourable Sentence in the beginning of October Upon which the Lords spake very high And the Duke of Suffolk with great Commotion Swore by the Mass that he saw it was true which had been commonly said That never Cardinal yet did good in England and so all the Temporal Lords went away in a fury leaving the Legates Wolsey especially in no small perplexity Wolsey knew it would be suspected that he understood this before-hand and that it would be to no purpose for him either to say he did not know or could not help it all Apologies being ill heard by an enraged Prince Campegio had not much to lose in England but his Bishoprick of Salisbury and the reward he expected from the King which he knew the Emperor and the Pope would plentifully make up to him But his Collegue was in a worse condition he had much to fear because he had much to lose For as the King had severely chid him for the delays of the business so he was now to expect a heavy storm from him and after so long an Administration of Affairs by so insolent a Favourite it was not to be doubted but as many of his Enemies were joyning against him so matter must needs be found to work his ruin with a Prince that was Alienated from him Therefore he was under all the disorders which a fear that was heightned by Ambition and Covetousness could produce But the King govern'd himself upon this occasion with more temper than could have been expected from a man of his humour Therefore as he made no great show of disturbance so to divert his uneasie thoughts he went his Progress Soon after he received his Agents Letter from Rome and made Gardiner who was then Secretary of State write to the Cardinal to put Campegio to his Oath whether he had revealed the Kings Secrets to the Pope or not And if he Swore he had not done it to make him Swear he should never do it A little after that the Messenger came from Rome with a Breve to the Legates requiring them to proceed no further and with an Avocation of the Cause to Rome together with Letters Citatory to the King and Queen to appear there in Person or by their Proxies Of which when the King was advertised Gardiner wrote to the Cardinal by his order That the King would not have the Letters Citatory executed or the Commission discharged by vertue of them but that upon the Popes Breve to them they should declare their Commission void For he would not suffer a thing so much to the prejudice of his Crown as a Citation be made to appear in another Court nor would he let his Subjects imagine that he was to be Cited out of his Kingdom This was the first step that he made for the lessening of the Popes Power Upon which the two Cardinals for they were Legates no longer went to the King at Grafton It was generally expected that Wolsey should have been disgraced then for not only the King was offended with him but he received new Informations of his having juggled in the business and that he secretly advised the Pope to do what was done This was set about by some of the Queens Agents as if there was certain knowledge had of it at Rome and it was said that some Letters of his to the Pope were by a trick found and brought over to England The Emperor lookt on the Cardinal as his inveterate Enemy and designed to ruin him if it was possible nor was it hard to perswade the Queen to concur with him to pull him down But all this seems an artifice of theirs only to destroy him For the earnestness the Cardinal expressed in this matter was such that either he was sincere in it or he was the best at dessembling that ever was But these suggestions were easily infused in the Kings angry mind so strangely are men turned by their affections that sometimes they will believe nothing and at other times they believe every thing Yet when the Cardinal with his Colleague came to Court they were received by the King with very hearty expressions of kindness and Wolsey was often in private with him sometimes in presence of the Council and sometimes alone once he was many hours with the King alone and when they took leave he sent them away very obligingly But that which gave Cardinal Wolsey the most assurance was that all those who were admitted to the Kings privacies did carry themselves towards him as they were wont to do both the Duke of Suffolk Sir Thomas Boleyn then made Vis-count of Rochford Sir Brian Tuke and Gardiner concluding that from the motions of such Weather-cocks the air of the Princes affections was best gathered Anne Boleyn was now brought to the Court again out of which she had been dismissed for some
time for silencing the noise that her being at Court during the Process would have occasioned It is taid that she took her dismission so ill that she resolved never again so return and that she was very hardly brought to it afterwards not without Threatnings from her Father But of that nothing appears to me only this I find that all her former kindness to the Cardinal was now turned to enmity so that she was not wanting in her endeavours to pull him down But the King being reconciled to her and as it is ordinary after some intermission and disorder between Lovers his affection encreasing he was casting about for overtures how to compass what he so earnestly desired Sometimes he thought of procuring a new Commission but that was not advisable for afâ—er a long dependance it might end as the former had done Then he thought of breaking off with the Pope but there was great danger in that for besides that in his own perswasion he adhered to all the most Important parts of the Roman Religion his subjects were so addicted to it that any such a Change could not but seem full of hazard Sometime he inclined to Confederate himself with the Pope and Emperor for now there was no dividing of them till he should thereby bring the Emperor to yield to his desires But that was against the Interests of his Kingdom and the Emperor had already proceeded so far in his Opposition that he could not be easily brought about While his thoughts were thus divided a new Proposition was made to him that seemed the most reasonable and feasible of them all There was one Dr. Cranmer who had been a Fellow of Iesus Colledge in Cambridge but having Married forfeited his fellowship yet continued his Studies and was a Reader of Divinity in Buckingham Colledge His wife dying he was again chosen Fellow of Iesus Colledge and was much esteemed in the University for his Learning which appeared very eminently on all publick occasions But he was a man that neither courted Preferment nor did willingly accept of it when offered And therefore though he was invited to be a Reader of Divinity in the Cardinals Colledge at Oxford he declined it He was at this time forced to fly out of Cambridge from a Plague that was there and having the Sons of one Mr. Cressy of Waltham-Cross committed to his Charge he went with his Pupils to their Fathers house at Waltham There he was when the King returned from his Progress who took Waltham in his way and lay a night there The Harbingers having appointed Gardiner and Fox the Kings Secretary and Almoner to ly at Mr. Cressies house it so happen'd that Cranmer was with them at Supper The whole discourse of England being then about the Divorce these two Courtiers knowing Cranmer's Learning and solid Judgment entertained him with it and desired to hear his opinion concerning it He modestly declined it but told them that he judged it would be a shorter and safer way once to clear it well if the Marriage was unlawful in it self by vertue of any divine Precept For if that were proved then it was certain that the Popes Dispensation could be of no force to make that lawful which God had declaed to be unlawful Therefore he thought that instead of a long fruitless Negotiation at Rome it were better to consult all the Learned men and the Universities of Christendome for if they once declared it in the Kings favours then the Pope must needs give judgment or otherwise the Bull being of it self null and void the Marriage would be found sinful notwithstanding the Popes Dispensation This seemed a very good Motion which they resolved to offer to the King so next night when he came to Greenwich they proposed it to him but with this difference that Gardiner had a mind to make it pass for their own Contrivance but Fox who was of a more ingenuous Nature told the King from whom they had it He was much affected with it so soon as he heard it and said had he known it sooner it would have saved him a vast expence and much trouble and would needs have Cranmer sent for to Court saying in his coarse way of speaking That he had the Sow by the right ear So he was sent for to Court and being brought before the King he carryed himself so that the King conceived an high opinion of his Judgment and Candour which he preserved to his death and still payed a respect to him beyond all the other Churchmen that were about him and though he made more use of Gardiner in his Business whom he found a man of great dexterity and Cunning yet he never had any respect for him But for Cranmer though the King knew that in many things he differed from him yet for all his being so impatient of Contradiction he always Reverenced him EFFIGIES THOMAE WOLSEI CARDINALIS Natus 1471 Marâ— Consecrat EpLâ—â— coluâ— 1514 Marâ— 26 Translatus ad Sedet Eâ—oracenseÌ„ Nov. 6 Cardinalis 〈…〉 1515 Sept. 7. Obyt 1530 Nov. 26 Priâ—â—â—d for Riâ— Chiswell at the Rose and Crowne in St Pauls Churâ—h yard But as he had carryed his Greatness with most extravagant pride so he was no less basely cast down with his misfortune and having no ballast within himself but being wholly guided by things without him he was lifted up or cast down as the Scales of Fortune turned yet his Enemies had gone too far ever to suffer a man of his parts or temper to return to favour And therefore they so ordered it that an high Charge of many Articles was brought against him into the House of Lords in the Parliament that sate in November following and it passed there where he had but few friends and many and great enemies But when the charge was sent down to the House of Commons it was so managed by the industry of Cromwell who had been his servant that it came to nothing The heads of it have been oft printed therefore I shall not repeat them they related chiefly to his Legantine Power contrary to Law to his Insolence and Ambition his lewd life and â—ther things that were brought to defame as well as destroy him All these things did so sink his proud mind that a deep melancholy overcame his Spirits The King sent him frequent assurances of his favour which he received with extravagant transports of joy falling down on his knees in the dirt before the messenger that brought one of them and holding up his hands for joy which shewed how mean a Soul he had and that as himself afterwards acknowledged he preferred the Kings favour to God Almighties But the King found they took little notice of him at Rome the Emperor hated him and the Pope did not love him looking on him as one that was almost equal to himself in Power and though they did not love the Precedent to have a Cardinal so used yet they were not much troubled
they were not included and therefore prayed the King that they might be comprehended within it But the King answered them That they must not restrain his Mercy nor yet force it it was free to him either to execute or mitigate the Severity of the Law That he might well grant his Pardon by his Great-Seal without their assent but he would be well advised before he pardoned them because he would not seem to be compelled to it So they went away and the House was in some trouble many blamed Cromwell who was growing in favour for this rough answer yet the King's Pardon was passed But his other concerns made him judge it very unfit to send away his Parliament discontented and since he was so easie to them as to ask no Subsidy he had no mind to offend them and therefore when the thing was over and they out of hopes of it he of his own accord sent another Pardon to all his Temporal Subjects of their Transgressons of the Statutes of Provisors and Premunire which they received with great joy and acknowledged there was a just Temperature of Majesty and Clemency in the Kings proceedings During this Session of Parliament an unheard-of Crime was committed by one Richard Rouse a Cook who on the 16th of February Poisoned a Vessell of Yest that was to be used in Porridge in the Bishop of Rochester's Kitchin with which 17 Persons of his Family were mortally infected and one of the Gentlemen died of it and some poor People that were Charitably fed with the remainder of it were also infected one woman dying The Person was Apprehended and by Act of Parliament Poisoning was declared Treason and Rouse was attainted and Sentenced to be Boyled to death which was to be the punishment of Poisoning for all times to come That the Terror of this unheard-of Punishment might strike a Horror in all Persons at such an unexampled Crime And the Sentence was Executed in Smithfield soon after Of this I take Notice the rather because of Sander's Malice who says this Rouse was set on by Anne Boleyn to make away the Bishop of Rochester of which there is nothing on Record nor does any Writer of that time so much as insinuate it But persons that are set on â—o commit such Crimes are usually either conveighed out of the way or secretly dispatched that they may not be brought to an open Trial. And it is not to be imagined That a man that was employed by them that might have preferred him and found himself given up and adjudged to such a death would not have published their names who set him on to have lessened his own Guilt by casting the load upon them that had both employed and deserted him But this must pass among the many other vile Calumnies of which Sanders has been the inventer or publisher and for which he had already answered to his Judg. When the Session of Parliament was over the King continued to ply the Queen with all the applications he could think of to depart from her Appeal He grew very Melancholy and used no sort of Diversion but was observed to be very pensive Yet nothing could prevail with the Queen She answered the Lords of the Council when they pressed her much to it That she prayed God to send the King a quiet Conscience but that she was his lawful Wife and would abide by it till the Court of Rome declared the contrary Upon which the King forbore to see her or to receive any Tokens from her and sent her word to choose where she had a mind to live in any of his Mannours She answered that to which place soever she were removed nothing could remove her from being his Wife Upon this answer the King left her at Windsor the 14th of Iuly and never saw her more She removed first to Moor then to Easthamstead and at last to Ampthill where she stayed longer The Clergy went now about the raising of the 100000 l. which they were to pay in five years and to make it easier to themselves the Prelates had a great mind to draw in the Inferiour Clergy to bear a part of the burden The Bishop of London called a meeting of some Priests about London on the 1st of September to the Chapter-House at St. Pauls He designed to have had at first only a small number among whom he hoped it would easily pass and that being done by a few others would more willingly follow But the matter was not so secretly carried but that all the Clergy about the City hearing of it went thither They were not a little encouraged by many of the Laity who thought it no unpleasant diversion to see the Clergy fall out among themselves So when they came to the Chapter-House on the day appointed the Bishop's Officers would only admit some few to enter but the rest forced the door and rushed in and the Bishop's Servants were beaten and ill used But the Bishop seeing the tumult was such that it could not be easily quieted told them all That as the State of men in this life was frail so the Clergy through frailty and want of wisdom had misdemeaned themselves towards the King and had fallen in a Premunire for which the King of his great Clemency was pleased to Pardon them and to accept of a little in stead of the whole of their Benefices which by the Law had fallen into his hand Therefore he desired they would patiently bear their share in this burden But they answered They had never medled with any of the Cardinals Faculties and so had not fallen in the P remunire and that their Livings were so small that they could hardly subsist by them Therefore since the Bishops and Abbots were only Guilty and had good Preferments they only ought to be punished and pay the Tax but that for themselves they needed not the Kings Pardon and so would pay nothing for it Upon which the Bishop's Officers threatned them but they on the other hand being encouraged by some Lay-men that came along with them persisted in their denyal to pay any thing so that from high words the matter came to blows and several of the Bishop's Servants were ill handled by them But he to prevent a further Tumult apprehending it might end upon himself gave them good words and dismissed the meeting with his blessing and promised that nothing should be brought in Question that was then done Yet he was not so good as his word for he complained of it to the Lord Chancellor who was always a great Favourer of the Clergy by whose order fifteen Priests and five Lay-men were committed to several Prisons but whether the Inferiour Clergy pay'd their proportion of the Tax or not I have not been able to discover This year the State of Affairs beyond-Sea changed very considerably The Pope expected not only to recover Florence to his Family by the Emperors means but also to wrest
Clergy swore to the King and the Pope were read in the House of Commons but the Consequence of them will be better understood by setting them down The Oath to the Pope I Iohn Bishop or Abbot of A from this hour forward shall be faithful and obedient to S. Peter and to the holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope and his Successors canonically entering I shall not be of counsel nor consent that they shall lose either Life or Member or shall be taken or suffer any violence or any wrong by any means Their Counsel to me credited by them their Messengers or Letters I shall not willingly discover to any person The Papacy of Rome the Rules of the holy Fathers and the Regality of S. Peter I shall help and maintain and defend against all men The Legat of the See Apostolick going and coming I shall honourably entreat The Rights Honours Privileges Authorities of the Church of Rome and of the Pope and his Successors I shall cause to be conserved defended augmented and promoted I shall not be in Council Treaty or any act in the which any thing shall be imagined against him or the Church of Rome their Rights Seats Honours or Powers And if I know any such to be moved or compassed I shall resist it to my power and as soon as I can I shall advertise him or such as may give him knowledge The Rules of the holy Fathers the Decrees Ordinances Sentences Dispositions Reservations Provisions and Commandments Apostolick to my power I shall keep and cause to be kept of others Hereticks Schismaticks and Rebels to our Holy Father and his Successors I shall resist and persecute to my power I shall come to the Synod when I am called except I be letted by a Canonical Impediment The Thresholds of the Apostles I shall visit yearly personally or by my Deputy I shall not alienate or sell my Possessions without the Popes counsel So God help me and the Holy Evangelists The Oath to the King I Iohn Bishop of A utterly renounce and clearly forsake all such Clauses Words Sentences and Grants which I have or shall have hereafter of the Popes Holiness of and for the Bishoprick of A that in any wise hath been is or hereafter may be hurtful or prejudicial to your Highness your Heirs Successors Dignity Privilege or Estate Royal. And also I do swear that I shall be faithful and true and faith and truth I shall bear to you my Sovereign Lord and to your Heirs Kings of the same of Life and Limb and yearly Worship above all Creatures for to live and die with you and yours against all people And diligently I shall be attendant to all your needs and business after my wit and power and your Counsel I shall keep and hold knowledging my self to hold my Bishoprick of you onely beseeching you of Restitution of the Temporalties of the same promising as before that I shall be a faithful true and obedient Subject to your said Highness Heirs and Successors during my Life and the Services and other things due to your Highness for the Restitution of the Temporalties of the same Bishopriâ—k I shall truly do and obediently perform So God me help and all Saints The Contradiction that was in these was so visible that it had soon produced a severe Censure from the House if the Plague had not hindered both that and the Bill of Subsidy So on the 14th of May the Parliament was prorogued Two days after Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellour having oft desired leave to deliver up the Great Seal and be discharged of his Office obtained it and Sir Thomas Audley was made Lord Chancellour More had carried that Dignity with great temper and lost it with much joy He saw now how far the Kings Designs went and though he was for cutting off all the Illegal Jurisdiction which the Popes exercised in England and therefore went cheerfully along with the Sute of Praemunire yet when he saw a tâ—tal Rupture like to follow he excused himself and retired from Business with a Greatness of Mind that was equal to what the ancient Philosophers pretended in such cases He also disliked Anne Boleyne and was prosecuted by her Father who studied to fasten some Criminal Imputations on him about the discharge of his Imployment but his Integrity had been such that nothing could be found to blemish his Reputation In September following the King created Anne Boleyne Marchioness of Pembroke to bring her by degrees up to the Heighth for which he had designed her And in October he passed the Seas and had an Enterview with the French King where all the most obliging Complements that were possible passed on both sides with great Magnificence and a firm Union was concerted about all their Affairs They published a League that they made to raise a mighty Army next year against the Turk but this was not much considered it being generally believed that the French King and the Turk were in a good Correspondence As for the matter of the Kings Divorce Francis encouraged him to go on in it and in his intended Marriage with Anne Boleyne promising if it were questioned to assist him in it And as for his appearance at Rome as it was certain he could not go thither in Person so it was not fit to trust the secrets of his Conscience to a Proxie The French King seemed also resolved to stop the payments of Annates and other Exactions of the Court of Rome and said he would send an Ambassador to the Pope to ask Redress of these and to protest that if it were not granted they would seek other remedies by Provincial Councils And since there was an interview designed between the Pope and the Emperor at Bononia in December the French King was to send two Cardinalsthither to procure Judges for ending the business in England There was also an interview proposed between the Pope and the French King at Nice or Avignon To this the King of England had some Inclinations to go for ending all differences if the Pope were well disposed to it Upon this Sir Thomas Eliot was sent to Rome with answer to a message the Pope had sent to the King from whose Instructions both the substance of the message and of the answer may be gathered The Pope had offered to the King that if he would name any indifferent place out of his own Kingdom he would send a Legate and two Auditors of the Rota thither to form the Process reserving only the Sentence to himself The Pope also proposed a Truce of three or four years and promised that in that time he would call a general Council For this message the King sent the Pope thanks but for the Peace he could receive no propositions about it without the concurrence of the French King and though he did not doubt the justice of a general Council yet considering the state of the Emperor's Affairs at that time
could be saved The Book that had the greatest Authority and influence was Tindals Translation of the new Testament of which the Bishops made great complaints and said it was full of errors But Tonstall then Bishop of London being a man of invincible moderation would do no body hurt yet endeavoured as he could to get their Books into his hands So being at Antwerp in the year 1529. as he returned from his Embassie at the Treaty of Cambray he sent for one Packington an English Merchant there and desired him to see how many New Testaments of Tindals Translation he might have for Money Packington who was a secret favourer of Tindal told him what the Bishop proposed Tindal was very glad of it for being convinced of some faults in his work he was designing a new and more correct Edition but he was poor and the former Impression not being sold off he could not go about it so he gave Packington all the Copies that lay in his hands for which the Bishop payed the price and brought them over and burnt them publickly in Cheapside This had such an hateful appearance in it being generally called a burning of the Word of God that people from thence concluded there must be a visible contrariety between that book and the Doctrines of those who so handled it by which both their prejudice against the Clergy and their desire of reading the New Testament was encreased So that next year when the Second Edition was finished many more were brought over and Constantine being taken in England the Lord Chancellor in a private examination promised him that no hurt should be done him if he would reveal who encouraged and supported them at Antwerp which he accepted of and told that the greatest encouragement they had was from the Bishop of London who had bought up half the Impression This made all that heard of it laugh heartily though more judicious persons discerned the great temper of that Learned Bishop in it When the Clergy condemned Tindals Translation of the New Testament they declared they intended to set out a true Translation of it which many thought was never truly designed by them but only pretended that they might restrain the Curiosity of seeing Tindals work with the hopes of one that should be Authorized and as they made no progress in it so at length on the 24th of May Anno 1530. there was a paper drawn and agreed to by Arch-Bishop Warham Chancellor More Bishop Tonstall and many Canonists and Divines which every Incumbent was commanded to read to his Parish as a warning to prevent the Contagion of Heresie The Contents of which were that the King having called together many of the Prelates with other Learned men out of both Universities to examine some Books lately set out in the English tongue they had agreed to condemn them as containing several points of Heresie in them and it being proposed to them whether it was necessary to set forth the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue they were of opinion that though it had been sometimes done yet it was not necessary and that the King did well not to set it out at that time in the English tongue So by this all the hopes of a Translation of the Scriptures vanished There came out another Book which took mightily it was entituled The Supplication of the Beggars written by one Simon Fish of Grayes-Inn In it the Beggars complained to the King that they were reduced to great misery the Alms of the people being intercepted by companies of strong and idle Friars for supposing that each of the Five Mendicant Orders had but a Peny a quarter from every houshold it did rise to a vast Sum of which the Indigent and truly Necessitous Beggars were defrauded Their being unprofitable to the Common-wealth with several other things were also complained of He also taxed the Pope for Cruelty and Covetousness that did not deliver all persons out of Purgatory and that none but the Rich who payed well for it could be discharged out of that Prison This was written in a witty and taking Style and the King had it put in his hands by Anne Boleyn and lik'd it well and would not suffer any thing to be done to the Author Chancellor More was the most zealous Champion the Clergy had for I do not find that any of them wrote much only the Bishop of Rochester wrote for Purgatory but the rest left it wholly to him either because few of them could write well or that he being much esteemed and a disinteressed person things would be better received from him than from them who were look'd on as Parties So he answered this Supplication by another in the name of the souls that were in Purgatory representing the miseries they were in and the great relief they found by the Masses the Friers said for them and brought in every mans Ancestours calling earnestly upon him to befriend those poor Friars now when they had so many Enemies He confidently asserted it had been the Doctrine of the Church for many Ages and brought many places out of the Scriptures to prove it besides several reasons that seemed to confirm it This being writ of a Subject that would allow of a great deal of popular and moving Eloquence in which he was very eminent took with many But it discovered to others what was the Foundation of those Religious Orders and that if the belief of Purgatory were once rooted out all that was built on that Foundation must needs fall with it So Iohn Frith wrote an answer to More 's Supplication to shew that there was no ground for Purgatory in Scripture and that it was not believed in the Primitive Church He also answered the Bishop of Rochester's Book and some Dialogues that were written on the same Subject by Rastal a Printer and Kinsman of Mores He discovered the fallacy of their reasonings which were built on the weakness or defects of our Repentance in this Life and that therefore there must be another state in which we must be further purified To this he answered That our sins were not pardoned for our Repentance or the Perfection of it but only for the Merits and Sufferings of Christ and that if our Repentance is sincere God accepts of it and sin being once pardoned it could not be further punished He shewed the difference between the punishments we may suffer in this Life and those in Purgatory the one are either Medicinal Corrections for Reforming us more and more or for giving Warning to others The other are terrible Punishments without any of these ends in them therefore the one might well consist with the free pardon of sin the other could not So he argued from all these places of Scripture in which we are said to be freely pardoned our sins by the Blood of Christ that no punishment in another state could consist with it He also argued from all those places in which it
And therefore they were every-where meeting together and consulting what should be done for suppressing Heresie and preserving the Catholick Faith That zeal was much inflamed by the Monks and Friers who clearly saw the Acts of Parliament were so levelled at their Exemptions and Immunities that they were now like to be at the Kings mercy They were no more to plead their Bulls nor claim any Priviledges further than it pleased the King to allow them No new Saints from Rome could draw more Riches or Honour to their Orders Priviledges and Indulgences were out of doors so that the Arts of drawing in the people to enrich their Churches and Houses were at an end And they had also secret Intimations that the King and the Courtiers had an eye on their Lands and they gave themselves for lost if they could not so embroyl the Kings Affairs that he should not adventure on so invidious a thing Therefore both in Confessions and Conferences they infused into the people a dislike of the Kings Proceedings which though for some time it did not break out into an open Rebellion yet the humor still fermented and people only waited for an opportunity So that if the Emperor had not been otherwise distracted he might have made War upon the King with great Advantages For many of his discontented Subjects would have joyned with the Enemy But the King did so dextrously manage his Leagues with the French King and the Princes of the Empire that the Emperor could never make any impressions on his Dominions But those factious Spirits seeing nothing was to be expected from any forreign Power could not contain themselves but broke out into open Rebellion And this provoked the King to great severities His Spirit was so fretted by the tricks the Court of Rome had put on him and by the Ingratitude and seditious practises of Reginald Pool that he thereby lost much of his former temper and patience and was too ready upon slight grounds to bring his Subjects to the Bar. Where though the matter was always so ordered that according to Law they were Endicted and Judged yet the severity of the Law bordering sometimes on rigor and cruelty he came to be called a cruel Tyrant Nor did his severity lie only on one side but being addicted to some Tenets of the Old Religion and impatient of Contradiction or perhaps blown up either with the vanity of his new Title of Head of the Church or with the praises which Flatterers bestowed on him he thought all persons were bound to regulate their Belief by his Dictates which made him prosecute Protestants as well as proceed against Papists Yet it does not appear that Cruelty was Natural to him For in Twenty five years Reign none had suffered for any Crime against the State but Pool Earl of Suffolk and Stafford Duke of Buckingham The former he prosecuted in Obedience to his Fathers last Commands at his death His severity to the other was imputed to the Cardinals Malice The Proceedings were also legal And the Duke of Buckingham had by the knavery of a Priest to whom he gave great credit been made believe he had a Right to the Crown and practises of that nature touch Princes so nearly that no wonder the Law was executed in such a case This showes that the King was not very jealous nor desirous of the Blood of his Subjects But though he always proceeded upon Law yet in the last Ten years of his Life many instances of Severity occurred for which he is rather to be pityed than either imitated or sharply censured The former Book was full of Intrigues and forreign Transactions the greatest part of it being an account of a tedious Negotiation with the subtlest and most refined Court in Christendome in all the Arts of humane Policy But now my work is confined to this Nation and except in short touches by the way I shall meddle no further with the Mysteries of State but shall give as clear an account of those things that relate to Religion and Reformation as I could possibly recover The Suppression of Monasteries The advance and declension of Reformation and the Proceedings against those who adhered to the Interests of the Court of Rome must be the chief Subjects of this Book The two former shall be opened in the series of time as they were Transacted But the last shall be left to the end of the Book that it may be presented in one full view After the Parliament had ended their Business the Bishops did all renew their Allegeance to the King and swore also to maintain his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Matters acknowledging that he was the Supreme Head of the Church of England though there was yet no Law for the requiring of any such Oath The first act of the Kings Supremacy was his naming Cromwell Vicar-General and General Visitor of all the Monasteries and other Priviledged places This is commonly confounded with his following Dignity of Lord Vice-Gerent in Ecclesiastical matters but they were two different Places and held by different Commissions By the one he had no Authority over the Bishops nor had he any Precedence but the other as it gave him the Precedence next the Royal Family so it cloathed him with a compleat Delegation of the Kings whole Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs For Two years he was only Vicar-General But the tenour of his Commissions and the nature of the Power devolved on him by them cannot be fully known For neither the one nor the other are in the Rolls though there can be no doubt made but Commissions of such Importance were enrolled therefore the loss of them can only be charged on that search and rasure of Records made by Bonner upon the Commission granted to him by Queen Mary of which I have spoken in the Preface of this work In the Prerogative-Office there is a subalterne Commission granted to Doctor afterwards Secretary Petre on Ian. 13. in the Twenty Seventh year of the Kings Reign by which it appears that Cromwells Commission was at first conceived in very General words for he is called the Kings Vice-Gerent in Ecclesiastical causes his Vicar-General and Official-Principal But because he could not himself attend upon all these affairs therefore Doctor Petre is deputed under him for receiving the Probates of Wills from thence likewise it appears that all Wills where the Estate was 200 lib. or above were no more to be tryed or proved in the Bishops Courts but in the Vicar-Generals Court Yet though he was called Vice-Gerent in that Commission he was spoken of and writ to by the Name of Vicar-General but after the second Commission seen and mentioned by the Lord Herbert in Iuly 1536. he was alwayes designed Lord Vice-Gerent The next thing that was every-where laboured with great industry was to engage all the rest of the Clergy chiefly the Regulars to own the Kings Supremacy To which they generally submitted In Oxford the Question being put whether
Bribes at this time which is not to be wondred at when there was so much to be shared But great disorders followed upon the Dissolution of the other Houses People were still generally discontented The Suppression of Religious Houses occasioned much out-crying and the Articles then lately published about Religion encreased the distaste they had conceived at the Government The old Clergy were also very watchful to improve all opportunities and to blow upon every spark And the Popes Power of deposing Kings had been for almost five hundred years received as an Article of Faith The same Council that established Transubstantiation had asserted it and there were many Precedents not only in Germany France Spain and Italy but also in England of Kings that were Deposed by Popes whose Dominions were given to other Princes This had begun in the Eighth Century in two famous Deprivations The one in France of Childeric the 3d who was deprived and the Crown given to Pepin and about the same time those Dominions in Italy which were under the Eastern Emperors renounced their alleagance to them In both these the Popes had a great hand yet they rather confirmed and approved of those Treasonable Mutations than gave the first rise to them But after Pope Gregory the 7th's time it was clearly assumed as a Right and Prerogative of the Papal Crown to Depose Princes and absolve Subjects from the Oaths of Alleagance and set up others in their stead And all those Emperors or Kings that contested any thing with Popes sat very uneasie and unsafe in their Thrones ever after that But if they were tractable to the demands of the Court of Rome then they might oppress their Subjects and Govern as unjustly as they pleased for they had a mighty support from that Court This made Princes more easily bear the Popes usurpations because they were assisted by them in all their other Proceedings And the Friers having the Consciences of people generally in their hands as they had the word given by their General at Rome so they disposed people either to be obedient or seditious as they pleased Now not only their own Interests mixed with their zeal for the ancient Religion but the Popes Authority gave them as good a Warrant to encline the people to Rebel as any had in former times of whom some were Canonized for the like practices For in August the former year the Pope had Summoned the King to appear within Ninety days and to answer for putting away his Queen and taking another Wife and for the Laws he had made against the Church and putting the Bishop of Rochester and others to death for not obeying these Laws and if he did not reform these faults or did not appear to answer for them the Pope Excommunicated him and all that favoured him deprived the King put the Kingdom under an Interdict forbade all his Subjects to obey and other States to hold Commerce with him dissolved all his Leagues with forreign Princes commanded all the Clergy to depart out of England and his Nobility to rise in Arms against him But now the force of those Thunders which had formerly produced great Earth-quakes and Commotions was much abated yet some storms were raised by this though not so violent as had been in former times The people were quiet till they had reaped their Harvest And though some Injunctions were published a little before to help it the better forward most of the Holy days in Harvest being abolished by the Kings Authority yet that rather Inflamed them the more Other Injunctions were also published in the Kings name by Cromwell his Vice-gerent which was the first Act of pure Supremacy done by the King For in all that went before he had the Concurrence of the two Convocations But these it is like were penned by Cranmer The Reader is referred to the Collection of Papers for them as I transcribed them out of the Register The Substance of them was that first all Ecclesiastical Incumbents were for a quarter of an year after that once every Sunday and ever after that twice every quarter to publish to the people That the Bishop of Romes usurped Power had no ground in the Law of God and therefore was on good reasons abolished in this Kingdom And that the Kings Power was by the Law of God Supream over all persons in his Dominions And they were to do their uttermost endeavour to extirpate the Popes Authority and to establish the Kings Secondly They were to declare the Articles lately published and agreed to by the Convocation and to make the people know which of them were Articles of Faith and which of them Rules for the decent and politick Order of the Church Thirdly They were to declare the Articles lately set forth for the Abrogation of some superfluous Holy days particularly in Harvest time Fourthly They were no more to extol Images or Relicks for superstition or gain nor to exhort people to make Pilgrimages as if blessings and good things were to be obtained of this or that Saint or Image But in stead of that the people were to be instructed to apply themselves to the keeping of Gods Commandments and doing works of Charity and to believe that God was better served by them when they stayed at home and provided for their Families than when they went Pilgrimages and that the Moneys laid out on these were better given to the poor Fifthly They were to exhort the people to teach their Children the Lords Prayer the Creed and the ten Commandments in English and every Incumbent was to explain these one Article a day till the people were Instructed in them And to take great care that all Children were bred up to some trade or way of Living Sixthly They must take care that the Sacraments and Sacramentals be reverently administred in their Parishes from which when at any time they were absent they were to Commit the Cure to a Learned and expert Curate who might instruct the people in wholsome Doctrine that they might all see that their Pastors did not pursue their own profits or interests so much as the Glory of God and the good of the Souls under their Cure Seventhly They should not except on urgent occasion go to Taverns or Ale-houses nor sit too long at any sort of Games after their Meals but give themselves to the Study of the Scripture or some other honest exercise and remember that they must excel others in purity of life and be examples to all others to live well and Christianly Eighthly Because the goods of the Church were the goods of the poor every Beneficed person that had twenty Pound or above and did not reside was yearly to distribute the Fortieth part of his Benefice to the poor of the Parish Ninthly Every Incumbent that had an hundred Pound a year must give an Exhibition for one Schollar at some Grammar School or University who after he had compleated his Studies was to be Partner of
the Cure and Charge both in Preaching and other duties And so many hundred Pounds as any had so many Students he was to breed up Tenthly Where Parsonage or Vicarage-Houses were in great decay the Incumbent was every year to give a fifth part of his profits to the repairing of them till they were finished and then to maintain them in the State they were in Eleventhly All these Injunctions were to be observed under pain of suspension and sequestration of the mean profits till they were observed These were equally ingrateful to the Corrupt Clergy and to the Laity that adhered to the old Doctrine The very same opinions about Pilgrimages Images and Saints departed and instructing the people in the Principles of Christian Religion in the Vulgar tongue for which the Lollards were not long ago either burnt or forced to abjure them were now set up by the Kings Authority From whence they concluded that whatsoever the King said of his maintaining the old Doctrine yet he was now changing it The Clergy also were much troubled at this Precedent of the Kings giving such Injunctions to them without the consent of the Convocation From which they concluded they were now to be slaves to the Lord Vice-gerent The matter of these Injunctions was also very uneasie to them The great profits they made by their Images and Relicks and the Pilgrimages to them were now taken away and yet severe Impositions and heavy Taxes were laid on them a fifth part for Repairs a tenth at least for an Exhibitioner and a fortieth for Charity which were cryed out on as intolerable burdens Their Labour was also increased and they were bound up to many severities of Life All these things touched the Secular Clergy to the quick and made them concur with the Regular Clergy in disposing the people to Rebel This was secretly fomented by the great Abbots For though they were not yet struck at yet the way was prepared to it and their Houses were oppressed with crouds of those who were sent to them from the suppressed Houses There was some pains taken to remove their fears For a Letter was sent to them all in the Kings name to silence the reports that were spread abroad as if all Monasteries were to be quite suppressed This they were required not to believe but to serve God according to their Order to obey the Kings Injunctions to keep Hospitality and make no wastes nor dilapidations Yet this gave them small comfort and as all such things do rather encreased than quieted their jealousies and fears So many secret causes concurring no wonder the people fell into mutinous and seditious practices The first rising was in Lincolnshire in the beginning of October where a Church-man disguised into a Cobler and directed by a Monk drew a great body of men after him About 20000 were gathered together They swore to be true to God the King and the Common-wealth and digested their Grievances into a few Articles which they sent to the King desiring a redress of them They complained of some things that related to secular concerns and some Acts of Parliament that were uneasie to them They also complained of the suppression of so many Religious Houses that the King had mean persons in high places about him who were ill Councellors They also complained of some Bishops who had subverted the Faith and they apprehended the Jewels and Plate of their Churches should be taken away Therefore they desired the King would call to him the Nobility of the Realm and by their advice redress their Grievances Concluding with an acknowledgment of the Kings being their Supream Head and that the Tenthes and first Fruits of all Livings belonged to him of Right When the King heard of this Insurrection he presently sent the Duke of Suffolk with a Commission to raise forces for dispersing them But with him he sent an answer to their Petition He began with that about his Councellors and said It was never before heard of that the Rabble presumed to Dictate to their Prince what Councellors he should choose That was the Princes work and not theirs The Suppression of Religious Houses was done pursuant to an Act of Parliament and was not set forth by any of his Counsellors The Heads of these Religious Houses had under their own hands confessed those horrid scandals which made them a reproach to the Nation And in many Houses there were not above Four or Five Religious persons So it seemed they were better pleased that such dissolute persons should consume their Rents in riotous and idle living than that their Prince should have them for the Common good of the whole Kingdom He also answered their other Demands in the same high and commanding strain and required them to submit themselves to his mercy and to deliver their Captains and Lieutenants into the hands of his Lieutenants and to disperse and carry themselves as became good and obedient Subjects and to put an hundred of their number into the hands of his Lieutenants to be ordered as they had deserved When this answer was brought to them it raised their Spirits higher The practising Clergy-men continued to inflame them They perswaded them that the Christian Religion would be very soon defaced and taken away quite if they did not vigorously defend it That it would come to that that no man should marry a Wife receive any of the Sacraments nor eat a piece of rost meat but he should pay for it That it were better to live under the Turk than under such oppression Therefore there was no cause in which they could with more honour and a better conscience hazard their Lives than for the Holy Faith This encouraged and kept them together a little longer They had forced many of the Gentry of the Countrey to go along with them These sent a secret Message to the Duke of Suffolk letting him know what ill effects the Kings rough answer had produced That they had joyned with the people only to moderate them a little and they knew nothing that would be so effectual as the offer of a general pardon So the Duke of Suffolk as he moved towards them with the forces which he had drawn together sent to the King to know his pleasure and earnestly advised a gentle composing of the matter without blood At that same time the King was advertised from the North that there was a general and formidable Rising there Of which he had the greater apprehensions because of their neighbourhood to Scotland whose King being the Kings Nephew was the Heir presumptive of the Crown since the King had Illegitimated both his Daughters And though the Kings firm Alliance with France made him less apprehensive of trouble from Scotland and their King was at this time in France to marry the Daughter of Francis yet he did not know how far a general Rising might invite that King to send orders to head and assist the Rebels in
of some disaffected Persons For when he came to the Crown there were none that were born Noble of his Council but only the Earl of Surrey and the Earl of Shrewsbury whereas now the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk the Marquess of Exeter the Lord Steward the Earls of Oxford and Sussex and the Lord Sands were of the Privy-Council And for the Spirituality the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Winchester Hereford and Chichester were also of it And he and his whole Council judging it necessary to have some at the board who understood the Law of England and the Treaties with Forreign Princes he had by their Unanimous advice brought in his Chancellor and the Lord Privy-Seal He thought it strange that they who were but brutes should think they could better judg who should be his Counsellors than himself and his whole Council Therefore he would bear no such thing at their hands it being inconsistent with the duty of good Subjects to meddle in such matters But if they or any of his other Subjects could bring any just complaint against any about him he was ready to hear it and if it were proved he would punish it according to Law As for the complaints against some of the Prelates for preaching against the Faith they could know none of these things but by the report of others since they lived at such a distance that they themselves had not heard any of them preach Therefore he required them not to give credit to Lies nor be misled by those who spread such Calumnies and ill reports And he concluded all with a severe Expostulation adding that such was his love to his Subjects that imputing this Insurrection rather to their folly and lightness than to any malice or rancour he was willing to pass it over more gently as they would perceive by his Proclamation Now the people were come to themselves again and glad to get off so easily and they all chearfully accepted the Kings offers and went home again to their several dwellings Yet the Clergy were no way satisfied but continued still to practise amongst them and kept the Rebellion still on foot so that it broke out soon after The Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Shrewsbury were ordered to lie still in the Country with their Forces till all things were more fully composed They made them all come to a full submission and first to revoke all Oaths and Promises made during the Rebellion for which they asked the Kings Pardon on their knees 2ly To swear to be true to the King and his Heirs and Successors 3ly To obey and maintain all the Acts of Parliament made during the Kings Reign 4ly Not to take Arms again but by the Kings Authority 5ly To apprehend all Seditious persons 6ly To remove all the Monks Nuns and Friars whom they had placed again in the dissolved Monasteries There were also Orders given to send Ask their Captain and the Lord Darcy to Court Ask was kindly received and well used by the King He had shewed great conduct in Commanding the Rebels and it seems the King had a mind either to gain him to his service or which I suspect was the true Cause to draw from him a discovery of all those who in the other parts of the Kingdom had favoured or relieved them For he suspected not without cause that some of the great Abbots had given secret supplies of Money to the Rebels For which many of them were afterwards tryed and attainted The Lord Darcy was under great apprehensions and studied to purge himself that he was forced to a Compliance with them but pleaded that the long and important services he had done the Crown for fifty years he being then fourscore together with his great Age and Infirmity might mitigate the Kings displeasure But he was made Prisoner Whether this gave those who had been in Arms new jealousies that the Kings Pardon would not be inviolably observed or whether the Clergy had of new prevailed on them to rise in Arms I cannot determine But it broke out again though not so dangerously as before Two Gentlemen of the North Musgrave and Tilby raised a body of 8000 men and thought to have surprised Carlisle but were repulsed by those within And in their return the Duke of Norfolk fell upon them and routed them He took many prisoners and by Martial Law hanged up all their Captains and Seventy other Prisoners on the Walls of Carlisle Others at that same time thought to have surprised Hull but it was prevented and the leaders of that Party were also taken and Executed Many other Risings were in several places of the Countrey which were all soon repressed the ground of them all was that the Parliament which was promised was not called But the King said they had not kept conditions with him nor would he call a Parliament till all things were quieted But the Duke of Norfolks vigilance every-where prevented their gathering together in any great Body And after several un-succesful attempts at length the Countrey was absolutely quieted in Ianuary following And then the Duke of Norfolk proceeded according to the Martial Law against many whom he had taken Ask had also left the Court without leave and had gone amongst them but was quickly taken So he and many others were sent to several places to be made publick Examples He suffered at York others at Hull and in other Towns in Yorkshire But the Lord Darcy and the Lord Hussy were arraigned at Westminster and attainted of Treason The former for the Northern and the other for the Lincolnshire Insurrection The Lord Darcy was beheaded at Towerhill and was much lamented Every body thought that considering his Merits his Age and former services he had hard measure The Lord Hussy was beheaded at Lincoln The Lord Darcy in his Tryal accused the Duke of Norfolk that in the Treaty at Doncaster he had encouraged the Rebels to continue in their demands This the Duke denyed and desired a Tryal by Combate and gave some presumptions to shew that the Lord Darcy bore him ill-will and said this out of Malice The King either did not believe this or would not seem to believe it And the Dukes great diligence in the Suppression of these Commotions set him beyond all jealousies But after those Executions the King wrote to the Duke in Iuly next to Proclaim an absolute Amnesty over all the North which was received with great joy every body being in fear of himself and so this threatning storm was dissipated without the effusion of much blood save what the sword of justice drew At the same time the King of Scotland returning from France with his Queen and touching on the Coast of England many of the people fell down at his feet praying him to assist them and he should have all But he was it seems bound up by the French King and so went home without giving them any encouragement And thus ended
before there was any Act of Parliament made for their Suppression In several Houses the Visitors who were generally either Masters of Chancery or Auditors of the Court of Augmentations studied not only to bring them to resign their Houses but to Sign Confessions of their passed lewd and dissolute lives Of these there is only one now extant which it is like escaped the general rasure and destruction of all Papers of that kind in Queen Maries time But from the Letters that I have seen I perceive there were such Confessions made by many other Houses That Confession of the Prior and Benedictins of St. Andrews in Northampton is to be seen in the Records of the Court of Augmentations In which with the most aggravating expressions that could be devised they acknowledged their past ill life for which the Pitt of Hell was ready to swallow them up They confessed that they had neglected the Worship of God lived in Idleness Gluttony and Sensuality with many other woful expressions to that purpose Other Houses as the Monastery of Betlesden resigned with this Preamble That they did profoundly consider that the manner and trade of living which they and others of their pretended Religion had for a long time followed consisted in some dumb ceremonies and other Constitutions of the Bishops of Rome and other forreign Potentates as the Abbot of Cisteaux by which they were blindly led having no true knowledg of Gods Laws procuring exemptions from their Ordinary and Diocesan by the Power of the Bishop of Rome and submitting themselves wholly to a forreign Power who never came hither to reform their abuses which were now found among them But that now knowing the most perfect way of living is sufficiently declared by Christ and his Apostles and that it was most fit for them to be Governed by the King who was their Supream Head on earth they Submitted themselves to his Mercy and surrendered up their Monastery to him on the 25th of September in the 30th year of his Reign This writing was signed by the Abbot the Sub-prior and nine Monks There are five other Surrenders to the same purpose by the Gray and White Friars of Stamford the Gray-Friars of Coventry Bedford and Ailesbury yet to be seen Some are resigned upon this Preamble That they hoped the King would of new found their House which was otherwise like to be ruined both in Spirituals and Temporals So did the Abbot of Chertsey in Surrey with fourteen Monks on the 14th of Iuly in the 29th year of this Reign whose House was valued at 744 lib. I have some reason to think that this Abbot was for the Reformation and intended to have had his House new founded to be a House of true and well regulated devotion And so I find the Prior of great Malverine in Worcestershire offered such a Resignation He was recommended by Bishop Latimer to Cromwell with an earnest desire that his House might stand not in Monkery but so as to be converted to Preaching Study and Prayer And the good Prior was willing to compound for his House by a Present of 500 Marks to the King and of 200 to Cromwell He is commended for being an old worthy man a good Housekeeper and one that daily fed many poor people To this Latimer adds Alas my good Lord Shall we not see Two or Three in every shire changed to such remedy But the Resolution was taken once to extirpate all And therefore though the Visitors interceded earnestly for one Nunnery in Oxfordshire Godstow where there was great strictness of life and to which were most of the young Gentlewomen of the County were sent to be bred so that the Gentrey of the Country desired the King would spare the House yet all was uneffectual The General Form in which most of these Resignations begins is That the Abbot and Brethren upon full deliberation certain knowledg of their own proper motion for certain just and reasonable causes specially moving them in their Souls and Consciences did freely and of their own accord give and grant their Houses to the King Others it seems did not so well like this preamble and therefore did without any reason or preamble give away their Houses to the Visitors as Feofees in trust for the Kings use And thus they went on procuring daily more surrenders So that in the thirtieth year of the Kings Reign there were 159 Resignations enrolled of which the Originals of 155 do yet remain And for the Readers further satisfaction he shall find in the Collection at the end of this Book the names of all these Houses so surrendred with other particulars relating to them which would too much weary him if inserted in the thread of this Work But there was no Law to force any to make such Resignations So that many of the great Abbots would not comply with the King in this matter and stood it out till after the following Parliament that was in the 31th year of his Reign It was questioned by many whether these surrenders could be good in Law since the Abbots were but Trustees and Tenants for Life It was thought they could not absolutely alienate and give away their House for ever But the Parliament afterwards declared the Resignations were good in Law For by their Foundations all was trusted to the Abbot and the Senior Brethren of the House who putting the Covent-Seal to any Deed it was of force in Law It was also said that they thus surrendering had forfeited their Charters and Foundations and so the King might seize and possess them with a good Title if not upon the Resignation yet upon Forfeiture But others thought that whatsoever the Nicety of Law might give the King yet there was no sort of equity in it that a few Trustees who were either bribed or frighted should pass away that which was none of theirs but only given them in Trust and for Life Other Abbots were more roughly handled The Prior of Wooburn was suspected of favouring the Rebels of being against the Kings Supremacy and for the Popes and of being for the General Council then summoned to Mantua And he was dealt with to make a submission and acknowledgment In an account of a long Conference which he had with a Privy Counsellor under his own hand I find that the great thing which he took offence at was That Latimer and some other Bishops preached against the Veneration of the Blessed Virgin and the other Saints and that the English Bible then set out differed in many things from the Latin with several lesser matters So that they looked on their Religion as changed and wondered that the Judgments of God upon Queen Anne had not terrified others from going on to subvert the Faith yet he was prevailed with and did again submit to the King and acknowledg his Supremacy but he afterwards joyned himself to the Rebels and was taken with them together with the Abbot of Whaley and two
recovered the Lands which their Ancestors had superstitiously given away and the Surrenders which Religious persons made to the Crown could not have cut off their Title But this Act did that effectually It is true many of the greatest of them were of Royal Foundation and these would have returned to the Crown without Dispute On the 23 of May in this Session of Parliament a Bill was brought in by Cromwel for giving the King Power to Erect new Bishopricks by his Letters Patents It was read that day for the first second and third time and sent down to the Commons The Preamble of it was That it was known what slothful and ungodly Life had been led by those who were called Religious But that these Houses might be converted to better uses that Gods word might be better set forth Children brought up in Learning Clarks nourished in the Universities and that old decayed Servants might have Livings poor people might have Alms-Houses to maintain them Readers of Greek Hebrew and Latine might have good Stipend daily Alms might be Ministred and Allowance might be made for mending of the high-ways and Exhibition for Ministers of the Church for these ends if the King thought fit to have more Bishopricks or Cathedral Churches erected out of the Reat of these Houses full Power was given to him to erect and found them and to make Rules and Statutes for them and such Translations of Sees or divisions of them as he thought fit But on this Act I must adde a singular Remark The Preamble and material parts of it were drawn by the King himself and the first draught of it under his hand is yet extant which shows his extraordinary application and understanding of business But in the same Paper there is a List of the Sees which he intended to found of which what was done afterwards came so far short that I know nothing to which it can be so reasonably imputed as the declining of Cranmers Interest at Court who had proposed the Erecting of new Cathedrals and Sees with other things mentioned in the Preamble of the Statute as a great mean for Reforming the Church The Sees which the King then designed with the Abbies out of which they were to be Erected follow as it is in the Paper under the Kings own hand Essex Waltham Hartford St. Albans Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire Dunstable Newenham Clowstown Oxford and Berkshire Osnay and Tame Northampton and Huntington Peterborough Middlesex Westminster Leicester and Rutland Leicester Glocestershire St. Peters Lancashire Fountaines and the Arch-deaconry of Richmond Suffolk Edmonds-bury Stafford and Salop. Shrewsbury Nottingham and Derby Welbeck Werksop Thurgarton Cornwall Lanceston Bedmynne Wardreth Over these is written The Bishopricks to be made In another corner of the Page he writes as follows Christ's Church in Canterbury St. Swithins Ely Duresm Rochester with a part of Leeds Worcester and all others having the same Then a little below Places to be altered into Colledges and Schools Burton super Trent More is not written in that Paper But I wonder much that in this List Chester was forgotten Yet it was Erected before any of them For I have seen a Commission under the Privy Seal to the Bishop of Chester to take the Surrender of the Monastery of Hamond in Shropshire bearing date the 24th of August this year So it seems the See of Chester was Erected and endowed before the Act passed though there is among the Rolls a Charter for Endowing and founding of it afterwards Bristow is not mentioned in this Paper though a See was afterwards Erected there It was not before the end of the next year that these Sees were founded and there was in that Interval so great a Change made both of the Counsels and Ministers that no wonder the things now designed were never accomplished Another Act passed in this Parliament concerning the obedience due to the Kings Proclamations There had been great exceptions made to the Legality of the Kings proceedings in the Articles about Religion and other Injunctions published by his authority which were complained of as contrary to Law since by these the King had without consent of Parliament altered some Laws and had laid Taxes on his Spiritual Subjects Upon which an Act passed which sets forth in the preamble the contempt and disobedience of the Kings Proclamations by some who did not consider what a King by his Royal power might do which if it continued would tend to the disobedience of the Laws of God and the dishonour of the Kings Majesty who may full ill bear it Considering also that many occasions might require speedy Remedies and that delaying these till a Parliament met might occasion great prejudices to the Realm and that the King by his Royal power given of God might do many things in such cases Therefore it is Enacted That the King for the time being with advice of his Council might set forth Proclamations with pains and penalties in them which were to be obeyed as if they were made by an Act of Parliament But this was not to be so extended that any of the Kings Subjects should suffer in their Estates Liberties or Persons by vertue of it Nor that by any of the Kings Proclamations Laws or Customs were to be broken and subverted Then follow some Clauses about the publishing of Proclamations and the way of prosecuting those who contemned and disobeyed them It is also added That if any offended against them and in further contempt went out of the Realm he was to be adjudged a Traitor This also gave power to the Counsellours of the Kings Successor if he were under age to set forth Proclamations in his name which were to be obeyed in the same manner with these set forth by the King himself This Act gave great power to the Judges since there were such Restrictions in some branches of it which seemed to lessen the great extent of the other parts of it so that the Expositors of the Law had much referred to them upon this Act were the great changes of Religion in the Non-age of Edward the 6th grounded There is another Act which but collaterally belongs to Ecclesiastical affairs and therefore shall be but slightly touched It is the Act of the Precedency of the Officers of State by which the Lord Vice-gerent has the Precedence of all persons in the Kingdom next the Royal Family and on this I must make one Remark which may seem very improper for one of my profession especially when it is an animadversion on one of the greatest men that any age has produced the most Learned Mr. Selden He in his Titles of Honour sayes That this Statute was never printed in the Statute-Book and but incorrectly by another and that therefore he infers it Literally as is in the Record In which there are two mistakes For it is Printed in the Statute-Book that was set down in that Kings Reign though left out in some latter Statute-Books
and that which he prints is not exactly according to the Record For as he prints it the Bishop of London is not named in the precedency which is not according to the Parliament-Roll in which the Bishop of London has the precedence next the Arch-Bishop of York and though this is corrected in a Posthumous edition yet in that set out by himself it is wanting Nor is that Omission among the Errours of the Press for though there are many of these gathered to be amended this is none of them This I do not take notice of out of any vanity or humour of Censuring a man so great in all sorts of Learning but my design is only to let ingenious persons see that they ought not to take things on trust easily no not from the greatest Authors These are all the publick Acts that relate to Religion which were passed in this Parliament With these there passed an Act of Attaindor of the Marquess of Exeter and the Lord Montacute with many others that were either found to have had a great hand in the late Rebellion or were discovered to hold correspondence with Cardinal Pool who was then trafficking with forreign Princes and projecting a League among them against the King But of this I shall give a more full account at the end of this Book being there to open the grounds of all the Attaindors that were passed in these last years of the Kings Reign There is one remarkable thing that belongs to this Act. Some were to be attainted in absence others they had no mind to bring to make their answer but yet designed to attain them Such were the Marchioness of Exeter and the Countess of Sarum Mother to Cardinal Pool whom by a gross mistake Speed fancies to have been condemned without Arraignment or Tryal as Cromwel had been by Parliament For she was now condemned a year before him About the Justice of doing this there was some debate and to clear it Cromwel sent for the Judges and asked their opinions Whether a man might be attainted in Parliament without being brought to make his answer They said it was a dangerous Question That the Parliament ought to be an example to all inferiour Courts and that when any person was charged with a Crime he by the common Rule of Justice and Equity should be heard to plead for himself But the Parliament being the Supream Court of the Nation what way soever they proceeded it must be good in Law and it could never be questioned whether the party was brought to answer or not And thus a very ill president was made by which the most innocent person in the world might be ruined And this as has often been observed in the like cases fell very soon heavily on the Author of the Counsel as shall appear When the Parliament was Prorogued on the 28th of Iune the King apprehending that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury might be much cast down with the Act for the six Articles sent for him and told him That he had heard how much and with what Learning he had argued against it and therefore he desired he would put all his arguments in writing and bring them to him Next day he sent the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk and the Lord Cromwel to dine with him Ordering them to assure him of the Kings constant and unshaken kindness to him and to encourage him all they could When they were at Table with him at Lambeth they run out much on his commendation and acknowledged he had opposed the Act with so much Learning Gravity and Eloquence that even those that differed from him were much taken with what he said and that he needed fear nothing from the King Cromwel saying that this difference the King put between him and all his other Councellors that when complaints were brought of others the King received them and tried the truth of them but he would not so much as hearken to any complaint of the Arch-Bishop From that he went on to make a Parallel between him and Cardinal Wolsey That the one lost his Friends by his haughtiness and pride but the other gained on his Enemies by his gentleness and mildness Upon which the Duke of Norfolk said he might best speak of the Cardinal for he knew him well having been his man This nettled Cromwel who answered that though he had served him yet he never liked his manners and that though the Cardinal had designed if his attempt for the Popedome had been successful to have made him his Admiral yet he had resolved not to accept of it nor to leave his Countrey To which the Duke of Norfolk replied with a deep Oath That he Lied with other reproachful language This troubled Cranmer extremely who did all he could to quiet and reconcile them But now the Enmity between those two great Ministers broke out to that height that they were never afterwards hearty friends But Cranmer went about that which the King had commanded and made a Book of the reasons that led him to oppose the six Articles in which the places out of the Scriptures the Authorities of the ancient Doctors with the arguments drawn from these were all digested in a good method This he commanded his Secretary to write out in a fair hand that it might be given the King The Secretary returning with it from Croydon where the Arch-Bishop was then to Lambeth found the Key of his Chamber was carried away by the Arch-Bishops Almoner So that he being obliged to go over to London and not daring to trust the Book to any others keeping carried it with himself where both he and the Book met with an un-lookt-for encounter Some others that were with him in the Wherry would needs go to the South-wark side to look on a Bear-baiting that was near the River where the King was in person The Bear broke loose into the River and the Dogs after her They that were in the Boat leaped out and left the poor Secretary alone there But the Bear got into the Boat with the Dogs about her and sunk it The Secretary apprehending his life was in danger did not mind his Book which he lost in the water But being quickly rescued and brought to land he begun to look for his Book and saw it floating in the River So he desired the Bear-ward to bring it to him who took it up but before he would restore it put it into the hands of a Priest that stood there to see what it might contain The Priest reading a little in it found it a Confutation of the six Articles and told the Bearward that whosoever claimed it would be hanged for his pains But the Arch-Bishops Secretary thinking to mend the matter said it was his Lords Book This made the Bear-ward more intractable for he was a spiteful Papist and hated the Arch-Bishop so that no offers nor entreaties could prevail with him to give it back Whereupon Morice that was the
of Burton upon Trent sate in Parliament Generally Coventry and Burton were held by the same man as one Bishop held both Coventry and Litchfield though two different Bishopricks but in that year they were held by two different persons and both had their Writts to that Parliament The method used in the suppression of these Houses will appear by one compleat Report made of the Suppression of the Abbey of Tewksbury which out of many I copyed and is in the Collection From it the Reader will see what provision was made for the Abbot the Prior the other Officers and the Monks and other servants of the House and what Buildings they ordered to be defaced and what to remain and how they did estimate the Jewels Plate and other Ornaments But Monasteries were not sufficient to stop the appetite of some that were about the King for Hospitals were next lookt after One of these was this year surrendred by Thomas Thirleby with two other Priests he was Master of St. Thomas Hospital in Southwark and was designed Bishop of Westminster to which he made his way by that Resignation He was a learned and modest man but of so fickle or cowardly a temper that he turned alwayes with the Stream in every change that was made till Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown but then being ashamed of so many turns he resolved to shew he could once be firm to somewhat Now were all the Monasteries of England suppressed and the King had then in his hand the greatest opportunity of making Royal and Noble Foundations that ever King of England had But whether out of policy to give a general Content to the Gentry by selling to them at low rates or out of easiness to his Courtiers or out of an unmeasured lavishness in his expence it came far short of what he had given out he would do and what himself seemed once to have designed The clear yeerly value of all the Suppressed Houses is cast up in an account then stated to be viz. 131607. lib. 6. s. 4. d. as the Rents were then rated but was at least ten times so much in true value Of which he designed to convert 18000. lib. into a Revenue for eighteen Bishopricks and Cathedrals But of these he only erected six as shall be afterwards shewn Great sums were indeed laid out on building and fortifying many Ports in the Channel and other parts of England which were raised by the Sale of Abbey-Lands At this time many were offering projects for Noble Foundations on which the King seemed very earnest But it is very likely that before he was aware of it he had so out-run himself in his Bounty that it was not possible for him to bring these to any effect Yet I shall set down one of the projects which shews the greatness of his mind that designed it that is of Sir Nicholas Bacon who was afterwards one of the wisest Ministers that ever this Nation bred The King designed to found a House for the Study of the Civil Law and the purity of the Latine and French Tongues So he ordered Sir Nicolas Bacon and two others Thomas Deâ—ton and Robert Cary to make a full project of the nature and orders of such a House who brought it to him in a writing the original whereof is yet exâ—ant The design of it was that there should be frequent pleadings and other exercises in the Latine and French tongues and when the Kings Students were brought to some ripeness they should be sent with his Embassadors to Forreign parts and trained up in the knowledg of forreign affairs and so the House should be the Nursery for Ambassadors Some were also to be appointed to write the History of all Embassies Treaties and other foreign Transactions as also of all Arraignments and publick Tryals at home But before any of them might write on these Subjects the Lord Chancellour was to give them an Oath that they should do it truly without respect of persons or any other corrupt affection This noble Design miscarried But if it had been well laid and regulated it is easie to gather what great and publick advantages might have flowed from it Among which it is not inconsiderable that we should have been delivered from a Rabble of ill-Writers of History who have without due care or enquiry delivered to us the Transactions of that time so imperfectly that there is still need of enquiring into Registers and Papers for these matters Which in such a House had been more certainly and clearly conveighed to posterity than can be now expected at such a distance of time and after such a rasure of Records and other confusions in which many of these Papers have been lost And this help was the more necessary after the suppression of Religious Houses in most of which a Chronicle of the times was kept and still filled up as new Transactions came to their knowledg It is true most of these were written by men of weak Judgments who were more punctual in delivering Fables and Trifles than in opening observable Transactions Yet some of them were men of better understandings and it is like were directed by their Abbots who being Lords of Parliament understood aâ—fairs well only an invincible humor of lying when it might raise the credit of their Religion or Order or House runs through all their Manuscripts One thing was very remarkable which was this year granted at Cranmers Intercession There was nothing could so much recover Reformation that was declining so fast as the free use of the Scriptures and though these had been set up in the Churches a year ago yet he pressed and now procured leave for private persons to buy Bibles and keep them in their Houses So this was granted by Letters Patents directed to Cromwel bearing date the 13th of November The Substance of which was That the King was desirous to have his Subjects attain the knowledg of Gods word which could not be effected by any means so well as by granting them the free and liberal use of the Bible in the English tongue which to avoid dissension he intended should pass among them only by one Translation Therefore Cromwel was charged to take care that for the space of five years there should be no Impression of the Bible or any part of it but only by such as should be assigned by him But Gardiner opposed this all he could and one day in a Conference before the King he provoked Cranmer to shew any difference between the Authority of the Scriptures and of the Apostolical Canons which he pretended were equal to the other writings of the Apostles Upon which they disputed for some time But the King perceived solid Learning tempered with great Modesty in what Cranmer said and nothing but vanity and affectation in Gardiner's reasonings So he took him up sharply and told him that Cranmer was an old and experienced Captain and was not to be troubled by
Beauty But he excused himself that he thought the thing was so far gone that it was decent to write as he had done The King lamented his condition in that Marriage and expressed great trouble both to the Lord Russel Sir Anthony Brown Sir Anthony Denny and others about him The last of those told him this was one Advantage that mean persons had over Princes That great Princes must take such Wives as are brought them whereas meaner persons go and chuse Wives for themselves But when the King saw Cromwel he gave his grief a freer vent to him He finding the King so much Troubled would have cast the chief blame on the Earl of Southampton for whom he had no great kindness And said when he found her so far short of what reports and Pictures had made her he should have stayed her at Callice till he had given the King notice of it But the Earls Commission being only to bring her over he said It had been too great a presumption in him to have interposed in such a manner And the King was convinced he was in the right So now all they had to insist on was the clearing of that Contract that had passed between her and the Marquess of Lorain which the Ambassadors who had been with the King had undertaken should be fully done and brought over with her in due form of Law So after the Lady was brought in great State to Greenwich the Council met and sent for the Ambassadors of the Duke of Cleves that conducted her over and desired to see what they had brought for clearing the breach of that Contract with the Marquess of Lorrain But they had brought nothing and made no account of it saying that the Contract was in their Minority when they could give no consent and that nothing had followed on it after they came to be of Age. But this did not satisfie the Kings Council who said these were but their words and they must see better proofs The Kings Marriage was Annulled with Anne Boleyn upon a pre-contract therefore he must not again run the like hazard So Olisleger and Hogâ—sden the Ambassadors from Cleve did by a formal Instrument Protest before Cromwel that in a peace made between their late Master Iohn Duke of Cleve and Anthony Duke of Lorrain one of the conditions was that this Lady being then under Age should be given in Marriage to Francis Son to the Duke of Lorrain who was likewise under Age which Treaty they affirmed they saw and read But that afterwards Henry de Groffe Ambassador of Charles Duke of Gueldres upon whose mediation that peace had been concluded declared in their hearing that the Espousals were Annulled and of no effect and that this was Registred in the Chancery of Clâ—ve of which they promised to bring an Authentical Extract within three Months to England Some of the Counsellors who knew the Kings secret dislike of her person would have insisted more on this But the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Duresm said if there was no more than that it could be no just hindrance to the Solemnization of the Marriage So the King seeing there was no remedy and being much pressed both by the Ministers of Cleve and by the Lord Cromwel Marryed her on the 6th of Ianuary But expressed so much aversion and dislike of her that every body about him took notice of it Next day the Lord Cromwel asked him how he liked her then He told him He was not every man therefore he would be free with him He liked her worse than he did He suspected she was no Maid and had such ill smells about her that he loathed her more than ever and did not believe he should ever consummate the Marriage This was sad news to Cromwel who knew well how delicate the King was in these matters and that so great a Misfortune must needs turn very heavy on him that was the chief Promoter of it He knew his Enemies would draw great advantages from this and understood the Kings temper too well to think his Greatness would last long if he could not induce the King to like the Queen better But that was not to be done for though the King lived five Months with her in that State and very oft lay in the Bed with her yet his Aversion rather encreased than abated She seemed not much concerned at it and as their Conversation was not great so she was of an heavy Composition and was not much displeased to be delivered from a Marriage in which she had so little satisfaction Yet one thing shews that she wanted not Capacity For she learned the English Language very soon and before her Marriage was Annulled she spoke English freely as appears by some of the Depositions There was an Instrument brought over from Cleve taken out of the Chancery there by which it appeared That Henry de Groffe Ambassador from the Duke of Gueldres had on the 15th of February in the year 1535. declared the Nullity of the former Contract in express words which are set down in high Dutch but thus put in Latine Sponsalia illa progressum suum non habitura I will not answer for the Latine ex quo dictus Dux Carolus admodum doleret propterea quaedam fecisset amplius facturus esset And Pallandus that was Ambassador from the Duke of Cleves in the Duke of Guelders Court wrote to his Master Illustrissimum Ducem Gueldriae certo scire prima illa Sponsalia inter Domicellam Annam fore inania progressum suum non habitura When this was shewed the King his Council found great exceptions to it upon the Ambiguity of the word Sponsalia it not being expressed whether they were Espousals by the words of the present or of the future tense and intended to make use of that when there should be a fit opportunity for it On the 12th of April a Session of Parliament was held The Journal shews that neither the Abbot of Westminster nor any other Abbot was present After the Lord Chancellor had opened the reasons for the Kings meeting them at that time as they related to the Civil Government Cromwel as Lord Vice-gerent spake next in the Kings name and said There was nothing which the King so much desired as a firm union among all his Subjects in which he placed his chief security He knew there were many Incendiaries and much Cockle grew up with the Wheat The rashness and licentiousness of some and the inveterate Superstition and stiffness of others in the Ancient Corruptions had raised great dissensions to the sad regret of all good Christians Some were called Papists others Hereticks which bitterness of Spirit seemed the more strange since now the Holy Scriptures by the Kings great care of his people were in all their hands in a Language which they understood But these were grosly perverted by both sides who studied rather to justifie their passions out
office licensed many that were suspected of Heresie to Preach over the Kingdom and he had both by word and in writing suggested to several Sheriffs That it was the Kings pleasure they should discharge many Prisoners of whom some were Indicted others apprehended for Heresie And when many particular complaints were brought to him of detestable Heresies with the names of the offenders he not only defended the Hereticks but severely checkt the Informers and vexed some of them by Imprisonment and other ways The particulars of all which were too tedious to be recited And he having entertained many of the Kings Subjects about himself whom he had infected with Heresie and imagining he was by force able to defend his Treasons and Heresies on the last of March in the 30th year of the Kings Reign in the Parish of St. Peters the poor in London when some of them complained to him of the new Preachers such as Barnes and others he said Their Preaching was good and said also among other things That if the King would turn from it yet he would not turn And if the King did turn and VERA EFFIGIES THOMAE CROMWELL ESSEXIAE COMITIS EQVES PERISCELIS H. Holbeâ—n pinxit R. White sculpsit Natus 1490 Regis vicarius Generalis 1536 Eques Periscelis 1537. Capite truncatus Iuly 18th 1540. Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crowne in St Pauls Church yard all his people with him he would fight in the Fiâ—lâ— in his own person with his Sword in his hand against him and all others And then he pulled out his Dagger and held it up and said or else this Dagger thrust me to the heart if I would not die in that quarrel against them all and I trust if I live one year or two it shall not be in the Kings Power to resist or lett it if he would and swearing a great Oath said I would do so indeed He had also by Oppression and Bribery made a great Estate to himself and extorted much Money from the Kings Subjects and being greatly enriched had treated the Nobility with much contempt And on the last of Ianuary in the 31th year of the Kings Reign in the Parish of St. Martins in the Fields when some had put him in mind to what the King had raised him he said If the Lords would handle him so he would give them such a Break-fast as was never made in England and that the proudest of them should know it For all which Treasons and Heresies he was Attainted to suffer the pains of death for Heresie and Treason as should please the King and to forfeit all his Estate and goods to the Kings use that he had on the last of March in the 31st year of the Kings Reign or since that time There was added to this Bill a Proviso That this should not be hurtful to the Bishop of Bath and Wells and to the Dean and Chapteâ— of Wells with whom it seems he had made some exchanges of Lands From these particulars the Reader will clearly see why he was not brought to make his answer most of them relating to Orders and Directions he had given for which it is very probable he had the Kings Warrant And for the matter of Heresie it has appeared how far the King had proceeded towards a Reformation so that what he did that way was most likely done by the Kings Order But the King now falling from these things it was thought they intended to stifle him by such an Attaindor that he might not discover the secret Orders or directions given him for his own Justification For the particulars of Bribery and Extortion they being mentioned in general expressions seem only cast into the heap to defame him But for those Treasonable words it was generally thought that they were a Contrivance of his Enemies since it seemed a thing very extravagant for a Favourite in the height of his Greatness to talk so rudely And if he had been guilty of it Bedlam was thought a fitter place for his Restraint than the Tower Nor was it judged likely that he having such great and watchful Enemies at Court any such discourses could have layn so long secret Or if they had come to the Kings knowledg he was not a Prince of such a temper as to have forgiven much less imployed and advanced a man after such discourses And to think that during these fifteen months after the words were said to have been spoken none would have had the zeal for the King or the malice to Cromwel as to repeat them were things that could not be believed The formality of drawing his Dagger made it the more suspected for this was to affix an overt-Act to these words which in the opinion of many Lawyers was necessary to make words Treasonable But as if these words had not been ill enough some writers since have made them worse as if he had said He would thrust his Dagger in the Kings heart About which Fuller hath made another story to excuse these words as if they had not been meant of the King but of another But all that is founded on a mistake which if he had looked in the Record he had corrected Cromwels Fall was the first step towards the Kings Divorce For on the 24th of Iune he sent his Queen to Richmond pretending the Countrey air would agree better with her But on the 6th of Iuly a motion was made and assented to in the House of Lords that they should make an address to the King desiring him to suffer his Marriage with the Queen to be tryed Upon which the Lord Chancellor the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk the Earl of Southampton and the Bishop of Duresm were sent down to the Commons to represent the matter to them and to desire their concurrence in the Address To which they agreed and ordered twenty of their number to go along with the Peers So the whole House of Lords with these Commoners went to the King and told him they had a matter of great consequence to propose to him but it was of that Importance that they first begged his leave to move it That being obtained they desired the King would order a Tryal to be made of the validity of his Marriage To which the King consented and made a deep Protestation as in the presence of God that he should conceal nothing that related to it and all its circumstances And that there was nothing he held dearer than the Glory of God the good of the Common-wealth and the declaration of truth So a Commission was issued out to the Convocation to try it On the 7th of Iuly it was brought before the Convocation of which the Reader will see a fuller account in the Collection at the end than is needful to be brought in here The case was opened by the Bishop of Winchester and a Committee was appointed to consider it and they deputed the Bishop of
temper was found it was placed as a Distinct Commandment but not at full length the words For I the Lord thy God c. being left out and only those that go before being set down In the Explanation of this Commandment Images were said to be profitable for putting us in mind of the great blessings we have received by our Saviour and of the vertues and holiness of the Saints by which we were to be stirred up to imitate them So that they were not to be despised though we be forbidden to do any godly honour to them And therefore the Superstition of preferring one Image to another as if they had any special vertue in them or the adorning them richly and making Vowes and Pilgrimages to them is condemned yet the Censing of Images and Kneeling before them are not condmned but the people must be taught that these things were not to be done to the Image it self but to God and his honour To the third Commandment they reduced the Invocation of Gods name for his Gifts And they condemned the Invocation of Saints when such things were prayed for from them which were only given by God This was the giving his Glory to Creatures yet to pray to Saints as Intercessors is declared lawful and according to the Doctrine of the Catholick Church Upon the 4th Commandement a Reâ—t from labour every 7th day is said to be Ceremonial and such as only obliged Iews but the Spiritual signification of Rest among Christians was to abstain from Sin and other Carnal pleasures But besides that we were also bound by this Precept sometimes to cease from labour that we may serve and worship God both in publick and private And that on the dayes appointed for this purpose people ought to examine their lives the past week and set to amendment and give themselves to prayer reading and meditation Yet in cases of necessity such as saving their Corn or Cattel men ought not superstitiously to think that it is a Sin to work on that day but to do their work without scruple Then follow very profitable Expositions of the other Commandments with many grave and weighty admonitions concerning the duties by them enjoyned and against those sins which are too Common in all Ages After that an Explanation of the Lords Prayer was added In the preface to which it is said that it is meet and requisite that the unlearned people should make their Prayers in their Mother-Tongue whereby they may be the more stirred to Devotion and to mind the things they prayed for Then followed an Exposition of the Angels Salutation of the Blessed Virgin In which the whole History of the Incarnation of Christ was opened and the Ave Maria explained which Hymne was chiefly to be used in Commemoration of Christs Incarnation and likewise to set forth the praises of the Blessed Virgin The next article is about Free-will which they say must be in man otherwise all Precepts and Exhortations are to no purpose They defined it a power of the will joyned with Reason whereby a reasonable creature without constraint in things of reason discerneth and willeth good and evil but chooseth good by the assistance of Gods grace and evil of it self This was perfect in the State of Innocency but is much impaired by Adams Fall and now by an especial grace offered to all men but enjoyed only by those who by their free-will do accept the same it was restored that with great watchfulness we may serve God acceptably And as many places of Scripture shew That free-will is still in man so there be many others which shew that the grace of God is necessary that doth both prevent us and assist us both to begin and perform every good work Therefore all men ought most gratefully to receive and follow the motions of the Holy Ghost and to beg Gods grace with earnest devotion and a stedfast Faith which he will grant to all that so ask it both because he is naturally good and he has promised to grant our desires For he is not the author of Sin nor the Cause of mans Damnation but this men draw on themselves who by vice have corrupted these Natures which God made good Therefore all Preachers were warned so to moderate themselves in this high point that they neither should so preach the Grace of God as to take away Free-will nor so extol Free-will as injury might be done to the Grace of God After this they handled Justification Having stated the miseries of man by nature and the guilt of Sin with the unspeakable goodness of God in sending Christ to redeem us by his death who was the Mediator between God and man They next shew how men are made partakers of the blessings which he hath procured Justification is the making of us righteous before God whereby we are reconciled to him and made heirs of Eternal life that by his Grace we may walk in his ways and be reputed just and righteous in the day of Judgment and so attain Everlasting Happiness God is the chief cause of our Justification yet man prevented by Grace is by his free-consent and obedience a worker toward the attaining his own Justification For though it is only procur'd through the merits of Christs death yet every one must do many things to attain a right and claim to that which though it was offered to all yet was applied but to a few We must have a stedfast Faith true Repentance real purposes of amendment committing Sin no more but serving God all our lives which if we fall from we must recover it by Penance Fasting Almes Prayer with other good works and a firm Faith going forward in mortification and obedience to the Laws of God It being certain that men might fall away from their Justification All curious reasonings about Predestination were to be set apart there being no certainty to he had of our Election but by feeling the motions of Gods Spirit in us by a good and virtuous life and persevering in it to the end Therefore it was to be taught that as on the one hand we are justified freely by the free Grace of God so on the other hand when it is said We are justified by Faith it must be understood of such a Faith in which the fear of God Repentance Hope and Charity be included all which must be joyned together in our Justification and though these be imperfect yet God accepteth of them freely thorough Christ. Next good works were explained which were said to be absolutely necessary to Salvation But these were not only outward corporal works but inward Spiritual works as the Love and Fear of God Patience Humility and the like Nor were they Superstitions and mens Inventions such as those in which Monks and Friers exercised themselves nor only moral works done by the power of Natural reason but the works of Charity flowing from a pure heart a good Conscience and Faith
the Kingdom fell into the hands of the Churchmen The Bishops looked more after the affairs of the State than the concerns of the Church and were resolved to maintain by their cruelty what their Predecessors had acquired by fraud and impostures And as Lesly himself confesses there was no pains taken to instruct the people in the principles of Religion nor were the Children at all Catechised but left in ignorance and the ill lives of the Clergy who were both covetous and lewd disposed the people to favour those that preached for a Reformation The first that suffered in this Age was Patrick Hamilton a person of very noble blood his Father was Brother to the Earl of Arran and his Mother Sister to the Duke of Albany so nearly was he on both sides related to the King He was provided of the Abbey of Fern in his youth and being designed for greater preferments he was sent to travel but as he went thorough Germany he contracted a friendship with Luther Melanction and others of their Perswasion by whose means he was instructed in the points about which they differed from the Church of Rome He returned to Scotland that he might communicate that knowledg to others with which himself was so happily enlightned And little considering either the hindrance of his further Preferment or the other dangers that might lie in his way he spared not to lay open the Corruptions of the Roman Church and to shew the Errours that had crept into the Christian Religion He was a man both of great learning and of a sweet and charming conversation and came to be followed and esteemed by all sorts of people The Clergy being enraged at this invited him to St. Andrews that there might be Conferences held with him about those points which he condemned And one Frier Campbel Prior of the Dominicans who had the reputation of a Learned man was appointed to treat with him They had many Conferences together and the Prior seemed to be convinced in most points and acknowledged there were many things in the Church that required Reformation But all this while he was betraying him So that when the Abbot looked for no such thing he was in the night time made Prisoner and carried to the Arch-Bishops Castle There several Articles were objected to him about Original Sin Free-will Justification Good Works Priestly Absolution Auricular Confession Purgatory and the Popes being Antichrist Some of these he positively adhered to the others he thought were disputable points yet he said he would not condemn them except he saw better reasons than any he had yet heard The matter was referred to 12 Divines of the University of whom Frier Campbel was one And within a day or two they censured all his Tenets as Heretical and contrary to the Faith of the Church On the first of March Judgment was given upon him by Beaton Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews with whom sate the Archbishop of Glasgow the Bishop of Dunkeld Brichen and Dunblan five Abbots and many of the inferior Clergy They also made the whole University old and young sign it He was declared an obstinate Heretick and delivered to the Secular Power The King had at that time gone a Pilgrimage to Ross and the Clergy fearing lest nearness of blood with the Intercessions which might be made for him should snatch this prey out of their hands proceeded that same day to his Execution So in the afternoon he was brought to the Stake before St. Salvators Colledg He stripped himself of his Garments and gave them to his man and said he had no more to leave him but the example of his death That he prayed him to keep in mind For though it was bitter and painful in mans Iudgment yet it was the entrance to Everlasting life which none could inherit that denied Christ before such a Congregation Then was he tied to a Stake and a great deal of fewel was heaped about him which he seemed not to fear but continued lifting up his eyes to heaven and recommending his soul to God When the train of Powder was kindled it did not take hold of the Fewel but only scorched his hand and the side of his face This occasioned some delay till more powder was brought from the Castle during which time the Friers were very troublesome and called to him to turn and pray to our Lady and say Salve Regina None was more officious than Frier Campbel The Abbot wished him often to let him alone and give him no more trouble But the Frier continuing to importune him he said to him Wicked man thou knowest that I am not an Heretick and that it is the truth of God for which I now suffer So much thou didst confess to me in private and thereupon I appeal thee to answer before the Iudgment Seat of Christ. By this time more powder was brought and the fire was kindled He cried out with a loud voice How long O Lord shall darkness oppress this Realm how long wilt thou suffer this Tyranny of Men and died repeating these words Lord Iesus receive my Spirit The patience and constancy he expressed in his sufferings made the Spectators generally conclude that he was a true Martyr of Christ in which they were the more confirmed by Frier Campbells falling into great despair soon after who from that turned frantick and died within a year On this I have insisted the more fully because it was indeed the beginning of the Reformation in Scotland and raised there an humour of inquiring into points of Religion which did always prove fatal to the Church of Rome In the University it self many were wrought on and particularly one Seaton a Dominican Frier who was the Kings Confessor He being appointed to preach the next Lent at St. Andrews insisted much on these points That the Law of God was the only Rule of Righteousness that Sin was only committed when Gods Law was violated that no man could satisfie for Sin and that pardon was to be obtained by unfeigned repentance and true faith But he never mentioned Purgatory Pilgrimages Merits nor Prayers to Saints which used to be the Subjects on which the Friers insisted most on these occasions Being gone from St. Andrews he heard that another Frier of his own Order had refuted these Doctrines So he returned and confirmed them in another Sermon in which he also made some reflections on Bishops that were not Teachers calling them Dumb-Dogs For this he was carried before the Arch-Bishop but he defended himself saying that he had only in St. Pauls words said a Bishop should teach and in Esaias words that such as did not teach were Dumb-doggs but having said this in the general he did not apply it to any Bishop in particular The Arch-Bishop was netled at this answer yet resolved to let him alone till he should be brought into disgrace with the King And that was soon done for the King being a licentious Prince and Frier Seaton having
the Army was ill advised so his giving a Commissâ—on to Oliver Sinclar â—hat was his Minion to command in Chief did extreamly disgust the Nobility They loved not to be commanded by any but their King and were already weary of the insolence of that Favourite who being but of ordinary birth was despised by them so that they were beginning to separate And when they were upon that occasion in great disorder a small body of English not above 500 Horse appeared But they apprehending it was the Duke of Norfolks Army refused to fight and fell in confusion Many Prisoners were taken the chief of whom were the Earls of Glencairn and Cassillis the Lords Maxwell Sommervell Oliphant Gray and Oliver Sinclar and about 200 Gentlemen and 800 souldiers and all the Ordnance and Baggage was also taken The news of this being brought to the King of Scotland encreased his former disorders and some few days after he dyed leaving an infant Daughter but newly born to succeed him The Lords that were taken Prisoners were brought to London where after they had been charged in Council how unkindly they had used the King they were put in the keeping of some of the greatest quality about Court But the Earl of Cassillis had the best luck of them all For being sent to Lambâ—th where he was a Prisoner upon his parole Cranmer studied to free him from the darkness and fetters of Popery in which he was so successful that the other was afterwards a great Promoter of the Reformation in Scotland The Scots had been hitherto possessed with most extraordinary prejudices against the Changes that had been made in England which concurring with the ancient Animosities between the two Nations had raised a wonderful ill opinion of the Kings proceedings And though the Bishop of St. Davids Barlow had been sent into Scotland with the Book of the Institution of a Christian Man to clear these ill impressions yet his endeavours were unsuccessful The Pope at the instance of the French King and to make that Kingdom sure made David Beaton Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews a Cardinal which gave him great Authority in the Kingdom so he with the rest of the Clergy diverted the King from any correspondence with England and assured him of Victory if he would make War on such an Heretical Prince The Clergy also offered the King 50000 Crowns a-year towards a War with England and possessed all the Nation with very ill thoughts of the Court and Clergy there But the Lords that were now Prisoners chiefly the Earl of Cassillis who was best instructed by his Religious Host conceived a better opinion of the Reformation and carried home with them those seeds of knowledg which produced afterwards a very fruitful Harvest On all these things I have dwelt the longer that it might appear whence the inclination of the Scotish Nobility to Reform did take its first rise though there was afterwards in the Methods by which it was advanced too great a mixture of the heat and forwardness that is natural to the Genius of that Countrey When the news of the King of Scotlands death and of the young Queens birth that succeeded him came to the Court the King thought this a very favourable conjuncture to unite and settle the whole Island But that unfortunate Princess was not born under such happy Stars though she was Mother to him in whom this long-desired Union took effect The Lords that were then Prisoners began the motion and that being told the King he called for them to Hampton-Court in the Christmas-time and said now an opportunity was put in their hands to quiet all troubles that had been between these two Crowns by the Marriage of the Prince of Wales to their young Queen In which he desired their assistance and gave them their Liberty they leaving hostages for the performance of what was then offered by them They all promised their Concurrence and seemed much taken with the greatness of the English Court which the King always kept up not without affectation they also said they thought God was better served there than in their own Countrey So on New-years-day they took their journey towards Scotland but the sequel of this will appear afterwards A Parliament was summoned to meet the two and twentieth of Ianuary which sate to the 12th of May. So the Session begun in the 34th and ended in the 35th year of the Kings Reign from whence it is called in the Records the Parliament of the 34th and 35th year Here both the Temporality and Spirituality gave great Subsidies to the King of six shillings in the Pound to be paid in three years They set forth in their Preambles The expence the King had been at in his War with Scotland and for his other great and urgent occasions by which was meant a War with France which broke out the following Summer But with these there passed other two Acts of great importance to Religion The Title of the first was An Act for the advancement of True Religion and abolishment of the contrary The King was now entring upon a War so it seemed reasonable to qualifie the severity of the late Acts about Religion that all might be quiet at home Cranmer moved it first and was faintly seconded by the Bishops of Worcester Hereford Chichester and Rochester who had promised to stick to him in it At this time a League was almost finished between the King and the Emperour which did again raise the Spirits of the Popish Faction They had been much cast down ever since the last Queens fall But now that the Emperor was like to have an Interest in English Councils they took heart again and Gardiner opposed the Arch-Bishops motion with all possible earnestness And that whole Faction fell so upon it that the timorous Bishops not only forsook Cranmer but Heath of Rochester and Skip of Hereford were very earnest with him to stay for a better opportunity But he generously preferred his Conscience to those arts of Policy which he would never practise and said he would push it as far as it would go So he plied the King and the other Lords so earnestly that at length the Bill passed though clogg'd with many Provisoes and very much short of what he had designed The Preamble set forth that there being many dissensions about Religion the Scriptures which the King had put into the hands of his People were abused by many seditious persons in their Sermons Books Playes Rithmes and Songs from which great Inconveniences were like to arise For preventing these it was necessary to establish a Form of sincere Doctrine conformable to that which was taught by the Apostles Therefore all the Books of the Old and New Testament of Tindals Translation which is called Crafty False and Vntrue are forbidden to be kept oâ— used in the Kings Dominions with all other Books contrary to the Doctrine set forth in the year 1540. with
to the Commons with words to be put in or put out of it On the 6th the Commons sent it up with some alterations And on the 8th the Lords sent it down again to the Commons where it lay till the 17th and then it was sent up with their agreement And the Kings Assent was given by his Letters Patents on the 29th of March. The Preamble was That whereas untrue accusations and presentments might be maliciously contrived against the Kings Subjects and kept secret till a time were espied to have them by malice convicted Therefore it was Enacted That none should be Endited but upon a presentment by the Oaths of twelve men to at least three of the Commissioners appointed by the King and that none should be Imprisoned but upon an Enditement except by a special Warrant from the King and that all Presentments should be made within one year after the Offences were committed and if words were uttered in a Sermon contrary to the Statute they must be complained of within forty dayes unless a just cause were given why it could not be so soon Admittiâ—g also the parties Endited to all such Challenges as they might have in any other case of Felony This Act has clearly a Relation to the Conspiracies mentioned the former year both against the Arch-Bishop and some of the Kings Servants Another Act passed continuing some former Acts for revising the Canon-Law and for drawing up such a body of Ecclesiastical Laws as should have Authority in England This Cranmer pressed often with great vehemence and to shew the necessity of it drew out a short Extract of some passages in the Canon-Law which the Reader will find in the Collection to shew how undecent a thing it was to let a Volume in which such Laws were be studyed or considered any longer in England Therefore he was earnest to have such a Collection of Ecclesiastical Laws made as might regulate the Spiritual Courts But it was found more for the greatness of the Prerogative and the Authority of the Civil Courts to keep that undetermined so he could never obtain his desire during this Kings Reign Another Act passed in this Parliament for the remission of a Loan of Money which the King had raised This is almost copied out of an Act to the same effect that passed in the twenty first year of the Kings Reign with this addition That by this Act those who had got payment either in whole or in part of the Sums so lent the King were to repay it back to the Exchequer All business being finished and a general pardon passed with the ordinary exceptions of some Crimes among which Heresie is one the Parliament was Prorogued on the 29th of March to the 4th of November The King had now a War both with France and Scotland upon him And therefore to prepare for it he both enhanced the value of Money and embased it for which he that writes his vindication gives this for the reason That the Coin being generally embased all over Europe he was forced to do it lest otherwise all the Money should have gone out of the Kingdom He resolved to begin the War with Scotland and sent an Army by Sea thither under the command of the Earl of Hartford afterwards Duke of Somerset who landing at Grantham a little above Leith burnt and spoiled Leith and Edenburgh in which they found more riches than they thought could possibly have been there and they went through the Countrey burning and spoiling it every-where till they came to Berwick But they did too much if they intended to gain the hearts of that people and too little if they intended to subdue them For as they besieged not the Castle of Edinburgh which would have cost them more time and trouble so they did not fortifie Leith nor leave a Garrison in it which was such an inexcusable Omission that it seems their Counsels were very weak and ill laid For Leith being fortified and a Fleet kept going between it and Berwick or Tinmouth the Trade of the Kingdom must have been quite stopt Edinburgh ruined the Intercourse between France and them cut off and the whole Kingdom forced to submit to the King But the spoils this Army made had no other effect but to enrage the Kingdom and unite them so entirely to the French Interests that when the Eaâ—l of Lâ—nnâ—x was sent down by the King to the Western parts of Scotland where his Power lay he could get none to follow him And the Governor of Dunbritton Castle though his own Lieutenant would not deliver that Castle to him when he understood he was to put it in the King of Englands hands but drove him out others say he â—â—ed away of himself else he had been taken Prisoner The King was now to cross the Seas but before he went he studied to settle the matters of Religion so that both Parties might have some content Audley the Chancellor dying he made the Lord Wriothesley that had been Secretary and was of the Popish Party Lord Chancellor but made Sir William Petre that was Cranmers great friend Secretary of State He also committed the Government of the Kingdom in his absence to the Queen to whom he joyned the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellor the Earl of Hartford and Secretary Petre. And if there was need of any Force to be raised he appointed the Earl of Hartford his Lieutenant under whose Government the Reformers needed not fear any thing But he did another Act that did wonderfully please that whole Party which was the Translating of the Prayers for the Processions and Litaâ—ies into the English tongue This was sent to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury on the 11th of Iune with an Order that it should be used over all his Province as the Reader will find in the Collection This was not only very acceptable to that Party because of the thing it self but it gave them hope that the King was again opening his ears to motions for Reformation to which they had been shut now about six years And therefore they looked that more things of that nature would quickly follow And as these Prayers werâ— now set out in English so they doubted not but there being the same reason to put all the other Offices in the vulgar tongue they would prevail for that too Things being thus setled at home the King having sent his Forces over before him crossed the Seas with much pomp the Sails of his Ship being of Cloth of Gold He Landed at Calais the 14th of Iuly The Emperor pressed his marching straight to Paris But he thought it of more importance to take Bulloign and after two months Siege it was surrendred to him into which he made his Entry with great Triumph on the 18th of September But the Emperor having thus engaged those two Crowns in a War and designing while they should fight it out to make himself Master of Gâ—rmanâ— concluded a Treaty
might not leave his young Son involved in a War of such consequence Peace was concluded in Iune which was much to the Kings honour though the taking and keeping of Bulloign which by this Peace the King was to keep for eight years cost him above 1300000 pounds Upon the peace the French Admiral Annebault came over to England And now again a Resolution of going on with a Reformation was set on foot for it was agreed between the King and the Admiral That in both Kingdoms the Mass should be changed into a Communion and Cranmer was Ordered to draw a Form of it They also resolved to press the Emperor to do the like in his Dominions otherwise to make War upon him But how this Project failed does not appear The Animosities which the former War had raised between the two Kings were converted into a firm Friendship which grew so strong on Francis's part that he never was seen glad at any thing after he had the news of the Kings death But now one of the Kings angry fits took him at the Reformers so that there was a new Prosecution of them Nicholas Shaxton that was Bishop of Salisbury had been long a Prisoner but this year he had said in his Imprisonment in the Counter in Bread-street That Christs natural Body was not in the Sacrament but that it was a Sign and Memorial of his Body that was crucified for us Upon this he was endicted and condemned to be burnt But the King sent the Bishops of London and Worcester to deal with him to recant which on the 9th of Iuly he did acknowledging That that year he had fallen in his old age in the Heresie of the Sacramentaries But that he was now convinced of that error by their endeavours whom the King had sent to him And therefore he thanked the King for delivering him both from Temporal and Eternal fire and subscribed a Paper of Articles which will be found in the Collection Upon this he had his pardon and discharge sent him the 13 of Iuly and soon after preached the Sermon at the burning of Anne Askew and wrote a Book in defence of the Articles he had subscribed What became of him all Edward the 6ths time I cannot tell But I find he was a cruel prosecutor and Burner of Protestants in Queen Maries days Yet it seems those to whom he went over did not consider him much for they never raised him higher than to be Bishop Suffragan of Ely Others were also Endicted upon the same Statute who got off by recantation and were pardoned But Anne Askews Trial had a more bloody Conclusion She was nobly descended and educated beyond what was ordinary in that age to those of her Sex But she was unfortunately married to one Kyme who being a violent Papist drave her out of his House when he found she favoured the Reformation So she came to London where information being given of some words that she had spoken against the Corporal presence in the Sacrament she was put in Prison upon which great applications were made by many of her friends to have her let out upon Bail The Bishop of London examined her and after much pains she was brought to set her hand to a Recantation by which she acknowledged That the natural Body of Christ was present in the Sacrament after the Consecration whether the Priest were a good or an ill man and that whether it was presently consumed or reserved in the Pix it was the true Body of Christ. Yet she added to Her subscription that she believed all things according to the Catholick Faith and not otherwise With this the Bishop was not satisfied but after much adoe and many importunate addresses she was Bailed in the end of March this year But not long after that she was again apprehended and examined before the Kings Council then at Greenwich where she seemed very indifferent what they did with her She answered them in general words upon which they could fix nothing and made some sharp reparties upon the Bishop of Winchester Some liked the wit and freedom of her discourse but others thought she was too forward From thence she was sent to Newgate where she wrote some devotions and Letters that shew her to have been a woman of most extraordinary parts She wrote to the King That as to the Lords Supper she believed as much as Christ had said in it and as much as the Catholick Church from him did Teach Upon Shaxtons Recantation they sent him to her to prevail with her But she in stead of yielding to him charged his Inconstancy home upon him She had been oft at Court and was much favoured by many great Ladies there and it was believed the Queen had shewed kindness to her So the Lord Chancellor examined her of what Favour or Encouragement she had from any in the Court particularly from the Dutchess of Suffolk the Countess of Hertford and some other Ladies But he could draw nothing from her save that one in Livery had brought her some money which he said came from two Ladies in the Court But they resolved to extort further Confessions from her And therefore carrying her to the Tower they caused her to be laid on the Rack and gave her a taste of it Yet she confessed nothing That she was rackt is very certain for I find it in an Original Journal of the Transactions in the Tower written by Anthony Anthony but Fox adds a passage that seems scarce credible the thing is so extraordinary and so unlike the Character of the Lord Chancellor who though he was fiercely zealous for the old Superstition yet was otherwise a great person it is that he commanded the Lieutenant of the Tower to stretch her more but he refused to do it and being further prest told him plainly he would not do it The other threatned him but to no purpose so the Lord Chancellor throwing off his Gown drew the Rack so severely that he almost tore her Body asunder yet could draw nothing from her for she endured it with unusual Patience and Courage When the King heard this he blamed the Lord Chancellor for his Cruelty and excused the Lieutenant of the Tower Fox does not vouch any Warrant for this so that though I have set it down yet I give no entire credit to it if it was true it shews the strange influence of that Religion and that it corrupts the Noblest natures yet the poor Gentlewomans being Rackt wrought no pity in the King towards her for he left her to be proceeded against according to the Sentence she was carried to the Stake in Smithâ—ield a little after that in a Chair not being able to stand through the Torments of the Rack There were brought with her at the same time one Nicolas Belenian a Priest Iohn Adams a Taylor and Iohn Lassels one of the Kings Servants it is likely he was the same person that had discovered
durst adventure on making any complaints against her Yet the Kings distempers encreasing and his peevishness growing with them he became more uneasie and whereas she had frequently used to talk to him of Religion and defend the Opinions of the Reformers in which he would sometimes pleasantly maintain the Argument now becoming more impatient he took it ill at her hands And she had sometimes in the heat of discourse gone very far So one night after she had left him the King being displeased vented it to the Bishop of Winchester that stood by And he craftily and maliciously struck in with the Kings anger and said all that he could devise against the Queen to drive his resentments higher and took in the Lord Chancellor into the design to assist him They filled the Kings head with many stories of the Queen and some of her Ladies and said They had favoured Anne Askew and had Heretical Books amongst them and he perswaded the King that they were Traitors as well as Hereticks The matter went so far that Articles were drawn against her which the King Sigâ—ed for without that it was not safe for any to Impeach the Queen But the Lord Chancellor putting up that Paper carelesly it dropt from him And being taken up by one of the Queens Party was carryed to her Whether the King had really designed her ruin or not is differently represented by the Writers who lived near that time But she seeing his hand to such a Paper had reason to conclude her self lost Yet by advice of one of her Friends she went to see the King who receiving her kindly set on a Discourse about Religion But she answered that women by their first Creation were made subject to men and they being made after the Image of God as the Women were after their Image ought to instruct their Wives who were to learn of them and she much more was to be taught by his Majesty who was a Prince of such excellent Learning and Wisdom Not so by St. Mary said the King you are become a Doctor able to Instruct us and not to be Instructed by us To which she answered That it seemed he had much mistaken the freedom she had taken to argue with him since she did it partly to engage him in discourse and so put over the time and make him forget his pain and partly to receive Instructions from him by which she had profited much And is it even so said the King then we are friends again So he embraced her with great affection and sent her away with very tender assurances of his constant Love to her But the next day had been appointed for carrying her and some of her Ladies to the Tower The day being fair the King went to take a little air in the Garden and sent for her to bear him company As they were together the Lord Chancellor came in having about forty of the Guard with him to have arrested the Queen But the King stept aside to him and after a little discourse he was heard to call him Knave Fool and Beast and he bade him get him out of his Sight The Innocent Queen who understood not that her danger was so near studied to mitigate the Kings displeasure and interceded for the Lord Chancellor But the King told her she had no reason to plead for him So this design miscarried which as it absolutely disheartned the Papists so it did totally alienate the King from them and in particular from the Bishop of Winchester whose sight he could never after this endure But he made an humble Submission to the King which though it preserved him from further punishment yet could not restore him to the Kings favour But the Duke of Norfolk and his Son the Earl of Surrey fell under a deeper Misfortune The Duke of Norfolk had been long Lord Treasurer of England He had done great services to the Crown on many signal Occasions and success had always accompanied him His Son the Earl of Surrey was also a brave and noble person Witty and Learned to an high degree but did not command Armies with such Success He was much provoked at the Earl of Hertfords being sent over to France in his room and upon that had said That within a little-while they should smart for it with some other expressions that savoured of Revenge and a dislike of the King and a hatred of the Counsellors The Duke of Norfolk had endeavoured to ally himself to the Earl of Hertford and to his Brother Sir Thomas Seimour perceiving how much they were in the Kings favour and how great an Interest they were like to have under the succeeding Prince And therefore would have engaged his Son being then a Widower to Marry that Earls Daughter And pressed his Daughter the Dutchess of Richmond Widow to the Kings Natural Son to Marry Sir Thomas Seimour But though the Earl of Surrey advised his Sister to the Marriage projected for her yet he would not consent to that designed for himself nor did the Proposition about his Sister take effect The Seimours could not but see the Enmity the Earl of Surrey bore them and they might well be jealous of the Greatness of that Family which was not only too big for a Subject of it self but was raised so high by the dependence of the whole Popish Party both at home and abroad that they were like to be very dangerous Competitors for the chief Government of Affairs if the King were once out of the way whose disease was now growing so fast upon him that he could not live many weeks Nor is it unlikely that they perswaded the King that if the Earl of Surrey should marry the Lady Mary it might embroil his Sons Government and perhaps ruine him And it was suggested That he had some such high project in his thoughts both by his continuing unmarried and by his using the Armes of Edward the Confessor which of late he had given in his Coat without a Diminution But to compleat the Duke of Norfolks ruin his Dutchess who had complained of his using her ill and had been separated from him about four years turned Informer against him His Son and Daughter were also in ill terms together So the Sister Informed all that she could against her Brother And one Mrs Holland for whom the Duke was believed to have an unlawful affection discovered all she knew but all amounted to no more than some passionate Expressions of the Son and some Complaints of the Father who thought he was not beloved by the King and his Councellors and that he was ill used in not being trusted with the secret of affairs And all persons being encouraged to bring Informations against them Sr. Richard Southwell charged the Earl of Surreâ— in some points that were of a higher nature which the Earl denied and desired to be admitted according to the Martial Law to fight in his shirt with Southwel But that not being granted he and his
questioned for Heresie But Cranmers carriage in this matter was suitable to the other parts of his Life for he withdrew to Croydon and would not so much as be present in Parliament when so unjust an Act was passed and his absence at this time was the more considerable since the King was so dangerously ill that it must be concluded it could be no slight Cause that made him withdraw at such a time But the Duke of Norfolk had been his constant Enemy therefore he would not so much as be near the publick Councils when so strange an Act was passing But at the same time the Bishop of Winchester was officiously hanging on in the Court and though he was forbid to come to Council yet always when the Councellors went into the Kings Bed-Chamber he went with them to the door to make the World believe he was still one of the number and staying at the door till the rest came out he returned with them But he was absolutely lost in the Kings Opinion There is but one other step of Forreign business in this Reign which was an Embassy sent over by the Duke of Saxony to let the King know of the League between the Pope and the Emperor for the Extirpation of Heresie And that the Emperor was making War on him and the other Princes in pursuance of that League Therefore he desired the Kings Assistance But at the same time the Emperor did by his Agents every-where disown that the War was made upon a Religious Account And said it was only to maintain the Rights of the Empire which those Princes had affronted So the King answered that as soon as it did appear to him that Religion was the cause of the War he would Assist them But that which made this so involved was That though at Rome the Pope declared it was a Holy War and ordered Prayers and Processions to be made for Success yet the Emperor in all his Declarations took no notice of Religion He had also divided the Protestant Party so that some of them joyned with him and others were Neutrals And when in Germany it self this matter was so little understood it was easie to abuse Strangers by giving them a wrong Account of it The King was now overgrown with corpulency and fatness so that he became more and more unwieldy He could not go up or down stairs but as he was raised up or let down by an Engine And an old sore in his Leg became very uneasie to him so that all the humors in his Body sinking down into his Leg he was much pained and became exceeding froward and intractable to which his inexcusable severity to the Duke of Norfolk and his Son may be in a great measure imputed His Servants durst scarce speak to him to put him in mind of his approaching end And an Act of Parliament which was made for the security of the Kings Life had some words in it against the Foretelling of his death which made every one afraid to speak to him of it lest he in his angry and imperious humors should have Ordered them to be Endicted upon that Statute But he felt nature declining apace and so made the Will that he had left behind him at his last going into France be written over again with â—his only difference That Gardiner Bishop of Winchester whom he had appointed one of the Executors of his Will and of the Councellors to his Son till he came of Age was now left out Of which when Sir Anthony Brown put the King in mind apprehending it was only an Omission he answered That he knew Gardiners temper well enough and though he could Govern him yet none of them would be able to do it and that he would give them much trouble And when Brown at another time repeated the motion to the King he told him if he spake more of that he would strike him out of his Will too The Will was said to be Signed the 30th of December It is Printed at large by Fuller and the most Material parts of it by Heylin So I need say little of it only the most signal Clause in it was That he excluded the Line of Scotland out of the Succession and preferred the two Daughters of the French Queen by Charles Brandon to them And this leads me to discover several things concerning this Will which have been hitherto unknown I draw them from a Letter written to Sir William Cecil then Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth afterwards Lord Burleigh by William Maitland of Leithingtoun Secretary of State to the Queen of Scotland This Maitland was accounted a man of the greatest parts of any in his Nation at that time though his Treachery in turning over to the Party that was against the Queen very much blemished his other Qualities but he expiated his fault by a real Repentance which appeared in his returning to his duty and losing all afterwards in her quarrel His Letter will be found in the Collection The Substance and design of it is to clear the Right his Mistress had to the Crown of England in case the Queen should die without Heirs of her Body Therein after he had answered other Objections he comes to this of the Will To it he says That according to the Act of Parliament the Kings Will was to be Signed with his own hand but this Will was only Signed by the Stamp Then the King never Ordered the Stamp to be put to it He had been oft desired to Sign it but had always put it off but when they saw his death approaching one William Clark servant to Thomas Hennage put the Stamp to it and some Gentlemen that were waiting without were called in to Sign it as Witnesses For this he appeal'd to the deposition of the Lord Paget and desired the Marquess of Winchester and Northampton the Earl of Pembroke Sir William Petre Sir Henry Nâ—vil Sir Maurice Berkley Sir Anthony Denny Doctor Buts and some others might be examined and that their Depositions might be entred in the Chancery He also appealed to the Original Will by which it would appear That it was not Signed but only Stamped and that not being according to the Act of Parliament which in such extraordinary things must be strictly taken the Will was of no force Thus it appears what vulgar Errors pass upon the World And though for seventy five years the Scotish Race has enjoyed the Crown of England and after so long a possession it is very superfluous to clear a Title which is universally acknowledged yet the Reader will not be ill pleased to see how ill-grounded that pretence was which some managed very seditiously during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth for excluding that Line But if this Will was not signed by the King other Grantâ— was certainly made by him on his death-bed one was to the City of London of 500 Marks a year for endowing an Hospital which was called Christs
without any hope of reconciliation Notwithstanding he was content rather to put himself in evident ruine and utter undoing then the King or your Grace should suspect any point of ingratitude in him heartily desiring cum suspiriis lachrimis that the King and your Grace which have always been fast and good unto him will not now suddenly precipitate him for ever which should be done if immediately upon delivering of the Commission your Grace should begin Process He intendeth to save all upright thus If Monsieur de Lautrech would set forwards which he saith daily that he will do but yet he doth not at his coming the Pope's Holiness may have good colour to say He was required by the Ambassadour of England of a like Commission And denying the same because of his promise unto the General he was eft-soons by Monsieur de Lautrech to grant the said Commission inasmuch as it was but a Letter of Justice And by this colour he would cover the Matter so that it might appear unto the Emperor That the Pope did it not as he that would gladly do displeasure unto the Emperor but as an indifferent Prince that could not nor might deny Justice specially being required by such Personages and immediately he would dispatch a Commission bearing date after the time that Monsieur Lautrech had been with him or nigh unto him The Pope most instantly beseecheth your Grace to be a mean that the King's Highness may accept this in a good part and that he will take patience for this little time which as it is supposed will be but short and in omnem eventum I do bring a Commission with me and a Dispensation which I trust the King and your Grace will like well We have given unto my Lord Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor 4000 Crowns and unto the Secretary 30 Crowns With this Your Grace shall receive a Letter from the Pope's Holiness Item a Counsel of Oldrand that giveth light unto the King's Cause I shall make the most diligence homeward that I can Our Lord Jesus preserve Your Grace At Orvieto this first day of Ianuary Your most humble Servant and Chaplain W. Knight Rome Ian. 1. 1528. To the KING PLease it your Highness to understand That as soon as the Pope was at liberty and came unto Orvieto I resorted unto his Holiness with all diligence and at my coming unto him did make congratulation on your Highness behalf forasmuch as he was restored unto his Liberty which he accepted very joyfully and thankfully giving unto your Highness manifold and high thanks for your great goodness as well proved in his adversity as when he was in his most felicity After this he rehearsed my being at Rome how dangerous it was inasmuch as when my being there was detect espial was made and I was not passed out of Rome by the space of two hours or two hundred Spaniards invaded and searched the House He shewed also that he had received all such Letters as I at my being in Rome did send unto his Holiness whereby he did perceive the Effect of your Highness desire concerning your Dispensation And albeit he did send me word that I should depart and his Holiness would send unto me the said Dispensation fully speed Nevertheless he trusted that your Highness would be content to tarry for a time for the General of the Observants in Spain being lately in Rome had required him according unto his Instructions that he should suffer nothing to pass that might be prejudicial or against the Queen directly or indirectly but that the Pope should first advertise thereof certain of the Caesarians here And forasmuch as this Dispensation might encourage your Grace to cause my Lord Legate Auctoritate Legationis to hear and decern in the Cause that your Highness intendeth and his Holiness standeth as yet in manner in captivity and perplexity His Holiness therefore besought your Grace to have patience for a time and it should not be long e're your Highness should have not only that Dispensation but any thing else that may lie in his power I replied unto this That his Holiness had once granted it and that I had dispatched a Post and made relation thereof by my Writings unto your Highness so that I could not imagine by what reason I might perswade unto you that he would perform the promise that he had once broken In conclusion He was content that your Highness should have it but he would have it delivered with this condition That the Prothonotary and Gambora and I should beseech your Highness not to attempt any thing in your Cause against the Queen till such time as the Pope were frankly at his Liberty which could not be as long as the Almaynes and Spaniards did thus reign in Italy and promise made we should deliver the Dispensation and in my poor judgment it was best always to be in possession of this Dispensation After this he shewed the Minute unto the Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor willing him to reform it according to the stile of this Court which done he shewed it unto me and after said That he thought good I should depart because I rode but competent Journies and the Prothonotary Gambora should follow by Post and bring the Bull with him which is of the same form and substance that your Highness's Minute is of And if there be any thing omitted or to be added his Holiness is always content to reform it and to put it under the same date that the same Dispensation now beareth the Copy whereof I do send unto your Highness with this the Commission General and Protestation being void because they were conceived durante captivitate only And here on my behalf none other thing being to be done I took my leave of the Pope and departed At my coming unto Scarperii near unto Bonony I did meet with Thadeus this Courier which brought certain Expeditions Triplicat the one unto the Prothonotar Gambora the other unto Gregory de Cassali and the third unto me among which was a general Commission Triplicat the one to be committed to my Lord Legate and if that could not be obtained because my Lord Legate might be thought partial then the same to be committed unto Staphileius Item There was a Copy of a Dispensation where I perceived by your Grace's Letter that your pleasure was to have your Dispensation in form after the minute that Barlow brought which was then sped and already passed so remained nothing to be sped but the Commission your Highness pleases This knowing I caused my Servants to continue their Journey and with one Servant and this Courier I returned unto Orvieto with Post-Horses where Mr. Gregory and I with much Business have obtained a Commission directed unto my Lord Legate not in the form that was conceived in England but after such manner as is sufficient for the Cause and as I trust shall content your Highness wherein the Lord Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor hath taken great pains
signified unto you as by inferring the high and extream dishonour and intolerable prejudice that the Pope's Holiness thereof should do to his said Legates and also the contrariety both of his Bull and Commission and also of his Promise and Pollicitation passed upon the same beside the notable and excellent displeasure thereby to be done by his Holiness to us and our Realm clear contrary to our merits and deserts extending also the other dangers mentioned in the said former Writings apparent to ensue thereby to his Holiness and the See Apostolick with the manifold and in manner inâ—inite inconveniences like to follow of the same to all Christendom and all other such reasons introductions and perswasions ye can make and devise for that purpose putting him also in remembrance of the great Commodity coming unto his Holiness herein by reason that this Cause being here decided the Pope not only is delivered from the pains that he should in this time of Disease and Sickness to the extream peril of his Life sustain with the same seeing that it is of such moment and importance as suffereth no tract or delay but also his Holiness shall by such decision here eschew and avoid all displeasure that he should not fail to have if it were or should be passed elsewhere which matter is no little wisdom well to foresee and consider and not only to forbear to do or pass any thing derogatory or prejudicial to his said Commission but also by all means possible to corroborate and fortify the same and all such Acts judicial as shall pass by his said Legates by virtue thereof Like-as we doubt not but that the Pope's Holiness of his Uprightness Vertue and perfect Wisdom will do and rather like a most loving Father and Friend tender and favour our good just and reasonable Causes and Desires putting thereunto all the furtherance he may do than to do or consent to be done any thing hurtful prejudicial dammageable or displeasant unto us or this our said Cause And finally If need shall be we will ye also infer as the case shall require how inconvenient it were this our Matter should be decided in the Court of Rome which now dependeth totally in the Emperor's Arbitre having such puissance near thereunto that as hath been written by the Pope's own Letters their State and Life there is all in the Emperor's hands whose Armies may famish or relieve them at their pleasure And semblably ye shall not forget the prerogative of our Crown and Jurisdiction Royal by the ancient Laws of our Realm which admitteth nothing to be done by the Pope to the prejudice thereof and also what danger they should incur that would presume to bring or present any such thing unto the same as in our last Letters sent by Alexander was touched at good length Wherein since ye be already so well and amply instructed knowing also how much the Matter imports and toucheth us and what profit and agreeable service ye may do unto us herein with the high thanks that ye may deserve for the same We shall not be more prolix but refer the substantial perfect and assured handling hereof to your circumspections fidelities and diligences not doubting but that ye will now above all other things look vigilantly hereunto and so acquit your selves in the same as it may well appear that your Acts shall be correspondent to our firm trust and expectation and no less tender this thing than ye know it to be imprinted in the bottom of our Heart nor then as ye know both the importance and high moment and also the very necessity of the Matter doth require In which doing beside the laud and praise that ye shall consecute thereby of all good Men we shall so have your acquittals in our remembrance as ye shall have cause to think your travels pains and studies herein in the best wise collocate and emploied Given under our Signet at our Palace of Bridewel the 23 d day of Iune Rome 9 Iuly 1529. XXIX Doctor Bennet's Letter to the Cardinal shewing how little they might expect from the Pope An Original PLease it your Grace to understand that the 6 th day of this month the Pope's Holiness send for us Albeit we had made great sute for audience before to his Holiness soon after that we had understanding that his Holiness was recovered of this his last Sickness into the which he fell the second day after I had my first audience of his Holiness which was the 21 day of the last month And after our long communication and reasoning in the King's Highness Cause which at length we have written to your Grace in our common Letter for a confirmation of many inconveniences and dangers which we perswaded to his Holiness to follow both to himself and to the See Apostolick in case his Holiness should avoke the cause I thought much convenient at that same time to deliver the King 's familiar and likewise your Grace's Letter and so to shew your Grace's Credence to his Holiness After the foresaid Letters delivered and by his Holiness read his Holiness shewed me that he perceived by your Grace's Letters that I had certain Credence to shew unto him of great moment and importance concerning him and the See Apostolick I shewed to his Holiness your Grace's Faith and observance his Holiness doth best know most humbly besought his Holiness to believe these undoubtedly to follow That if his Holiness should at the labours of the Caesareans avoke the Cause he should not alonely offend the King's Highness which hitherto hath been a stay a help and a defence of the See Apostolick but also by reason of this injury without remedy shall alienate his Majesty and Realms with others from the devotion and obedience of the See Apostolick This I shewed his Holiness that your Grace doth evidently perceive to follow in case his Holiness should incline to the Caesareans desire on this behalf Yea further I said that your Grace most clearly perceiveth also by that Act the Church of England utterly to be destroyed and likewise your Person and that these your Grace with weeping tears most lamentably committed unto me to shew to his Holiness Furthermore I shewed to his Holiness that your Grace howsoever you should proceed in this Cause did intend to proceed so sincerely indifferently and justly that you would rather suffer to be jointed Joint by Joint than either for affection or fear do any act either against your Conscience or Justice Furthermore I said that seeing his Holiness may be so well assured that your Grace will do nothing but according to Justice in this Cause he may the more boldly deny Avocations to the Caesareans seeing that the Queen and the Emperor can desire but Justice which they may have at your Grace's hand and my Lord Campegius as well there as here and by this means his Holiness should deliver himself from great pains and unquietness of mind which he should sustain
Dearth and Famine by mean thereof in the said outward Regions insuing and gentily over all was depopulation destruction and confusion the King 's said Subjects in all this time were by the high providence and politick means of his Grace nevertheless preserved defended and maintained from all these inconveniences and dangers and such provisions taken by one way or other so as reasonable commodity was always given unto them to exercise their Traffiques of Merchandise and other their Crafts Mysteries and Occupations for their living which could not possibly have been brought about unless then the King's Highness with continual studies travels and pains and with his infinite Charges and Expences had converted the peril and danger of the Enterprises and Exploits set forth for the reduction of the Enemies unto Peace from his own Subjects unto Strangers Whereof finally such Fruit and Effect is ensued as by the King's policy puissance and means general and universal Peace is established amongst all Christian Princes and this Realm now thanked be God constitute in free better and more assured and profitable Amity with all outward Parties than hath been at any time whereof is memory or remembrance Considering furthermore That his Highness in and about the Premisses hath been fain to employ not only such sums of Mony as hath risen and grown by any manner of contribution made unto his Grace by his said loving Subjects but also over and above the same sundry other notable and excellent Sums of his own Treasure and yearly Revenues which else his Grace might have kept and reserved to his own use amongst which manifold great Sums so employed his Highness also as is notoriously known and as doth evidently appear by the accompts of the same hath to that use and none other converted all such Mony as by any his Subjects and People Spiritual and Temporal hath been advanced unto his Grace by way of Prest and Loan either particularly or by any Taxation made of the same being a thing so well collocate and bestowed seeing the said high and great Fruits and Effects thereof ensued to the honour surety well perfect commodity and perpetual tranquillity of this said Realm as nothing could better nor more to the comfort of his said Subjects be desired studied or imagined Of one mind consent and assent and by Authority of this present Parliament do for themselves and all the whole Body of the Realm whom they do represent freely liberally and absolutely give and grant unto the King's Highness by Authority of this present Parliament all and every Sum and Sums of Mony which to them and every of them is ought or might be due by reason of any Mony or any other thing to his Grace at any time heretofore advanced or payed by way of Prest or Loan either upon any Letter or Letters under the King 's Privy Seal general or particular Letter Missive Promise Bond or Obligation of payment or by any Taxation or other Assessing by virtue of any Commission or Commissions or by any other mean or means whatsoever it be heretofore passed for that purpose and utterly frankly liberally and most willingly and benevolently for them their Heirs Executors and Successors do remit release and quit claim unto his Highness his Heirs and Successors for ever all and every the same Sums of Mony and every parcel thereof and all and singular Suits Petitions and Demands which they or any of them their Heirs Successors or Executors or the Heirs Executors or Successors of any of them have had or may have for the same or any parcel thereof most humbly and lovingly beseeching his Highness for the more clear discharge for the same that it may be ordained and enacted by the King our said Sovereign Lord the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons of this present Parliament assembled and by authority of the same that all Promises Bonds Writings Obligatory Letters under the King 's Privy Seal Signet Sign Manual or Great Seal passed and other Bonds or Promises whatsoever they be had or made to any Person or Persons Spiritual or Temporal Shire City Burrough Waxentale Tranship Hamlet Village Monastry Church Cathedral or Collegiat or to any Guild Fraternity or Body Corporate Fellowship or Company or other whatsoever having capacity to take any Bond especially and generally jointly or severally touching or concerning the same Prest or Loan or every of them or the repaiment of any Sum or Sums of Mony for the same be from henceforth void and of none effect Cui quidem billae probe ad plenum intellectae per dictum Dominum Regem ex assensu Authoritate Parliamenti praedicti taliter est responsum Le Roy remercie Les Seigneurs ses communes de leur bonne cueurs en faifant cest graunt icelle se Majeste accepte tout le contenu cest escriture a graunt aprove avecques tous les articles en ceste escripture specifies XXXII A Letter from Gardiner and Fox about their Proceedings at Cambridg An Original Feb. 1530. from Cambridg by Stephen Gardiner To the King's Highness PLeaseth it your Highness to be advertised That arriving here at Cambridg upon Saturday last past at noon that same night and Sunday in the Morning we devised with the Vice-chancellour and such other as favoureth your Grace's Cause how and in what sort to compass and attain your Grace's Purpose and Intent wherein we assure your Grace we found much towardness good will and diligence in the Vice-Chancellour and Dr. Edmunds being as studious to serve your Grace as we could wish or desire Nevertheless there was not so much care labour study and diligence employed on our Party by them our self and other for attaining your Grace's Purpose but there was as much done by others for the lett and empeachment of the same and as we assembled they assembled as we made Friends they made Friends to lett that nothing should pass as in the Universities Name wherein the first day they were Superiors for they had put in the ears of them by whose Voices such things do pass multas fabulas too tedious to write unto your Grace Upon Sunday at afternoon were assembled after the manner of the University all the Doctors Batchellors of Divinity and Masters of Art being in number almost two hundred In that Congregation we delivered your Grace's Letters which were read openly by the Vice-Chancellor And for answer to be made unto them first the Vice-Chancellor calling apart the Doctors asked their Advice and Opinion whereunto they answered severally as their Affections led them res erat in multa confusione Tandem they were content Answer should be made to the Questions by indifferent Men But then they came to Exceptions against the Abbot of St. Benets who seemed to come for that purpose and likewise against Dr. Reppes and Dr. Crome and also generally against all such as had allowed Dr. Cranmer's Book inasmuch as they had already declared their Opinion We said
within this Realm other or otherwise than hereafter in this present Act is declared And that no manner Person nor Persons hereafter to be named elected presented or postulated to any Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick within this Realm shall pay the said Annates or First-Fruits for the said Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick nor any other manner of Sum or Sums of Mony Pensions or Annates for the same or for any other like exaction or cause upon pain to forfeit to our said Sovereign Lord the King his Heirs and Successors all manner his Goods and Chattels for ever and all the Temporal Lands and Possessions of the same Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick during the time that he or they which shall offend contrary to this present Act shall have possess or enjoy the Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick wherefore he shall so offend contrary to the form aforesaid And furthermore it is enacted by Authority of this present Parliament That if any Person hereafter named and presented to the Court of Rome by the King or any of his Heirs or Successors to be Bishop of any See or Diocess within this Realm hereafter shall be letted deferred or delayed at the Court of Rome from any such Bishoprick whereunto he shall be so represented by means of restraint of Bulls Apostolick and other things requisite to the same or shall be denied at the Court of Rome upon convenient suit made any manner Bulls requisite for any of the Causes aforesaid any such Person or Persons so presented may be and shall be consecrated here in England by the Arch-Bishop in whose Province the said Bishoprick shall be so alway that the same Person shall be named and presented by the King for the time being to the same Arch-Bishoprick And if any Persons being named and presented as aforesaid to any Arch-Bishoprick of this Realm making convenient suit as is aforesaid shall happen to be letted deferred delayed or otherwise disturbed from the same Arch-Bishoprick for lack of Pall Bulls or other to him requisite to be obtained in the Court of Rome in that behalf that then every such Person named and presented to be Arch-Bishop may be and shall be consecrated and invested after presentation made as is aforesaid by any other two Bishops within this Realm whom the King's Highness or any of his Heirs or Successors Kings of England for the time being will assign and appoint for the same according and in like manner as divers other Arch-Bishops Bishops have been heretofore in ancient time by sundry the King 's most noble Progenitors made consecrated and invested within this Realm And that every Arch-Bishop and Bishop hereafter being named and presented by the King's Highness his Heirs or Successors Kings of England and being consecrated and invested as is aforesaid shall be installed accordingly and shall be accepted taken reputed used and obeyed as an Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the Dignity See or Place whereunto he so shall be named presented and consecrated requireth and as other like Prelates of that Province See or Diocess have been used accepted taken and obeyed which have had and obtained compleatly their Bulls and other things requisite in that behalf from the Court of Rome And also shall fully and entirely have and enjoy all the Spiritualities and Temporalities of the said Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick in as large ample and beneficial manner as any of his or their Predecessors had or enjoyed in the said Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick satisfying and yielding unto the King our Sovereign Lord and to his Heirs and Successors Kings of England all such Duties Rights and Interests as before this time had been accustomed to be paid for any such Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick according to the Ancient Laws and Customs of this Realm and the King's Prerogative Royal. And to the intent our said Holy Father the Pope and the Court of Rome shall not think that the pains and labours taken and hereafter to be taken about the writing sealing obtaining and other businesses sustained and hereafter to be sustained by the Offices of the said Court of Rome for and about the Expedition of any Bulls hereafter to be obtained or had for any such Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick shall be irremunerated or shall not be sufficiently and condignly recompensed in that behalf And for their more ready expedition to be had therein it is therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Spiritual Person of this Realm hereafter to be named presented or postulated to any Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick of this Realm shall and may lawfully pay for the writing and obtaining of his or their said Bulls at the Court of Rome and ensealing the same with Lead to be had without payment of any Annates or First-Fruits or other charge or exaction by him or them to be made yielden or paied for the same five pounds Sterling for and after the rate of the clear and whole yearly value of every hundreth pounds Sterling above all charges of any such Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick or other mony to the value of the said five pounds for the clear yearly value of every hundreth pounds of every such Arch-Bishoprick or Bishoprick and not above nor in any other wise any things in this present Act before written notwithstanding And forasmuch as the King's Highness and this his High Court of Parliament neither have nor do intend to use in this or any other like cause any manner of extremity or violence before gentle courtesie or friendship ways and means first approved and attempted and without a very great urgent cause and occasion given to the contrary but principally coveting to disburden this Realm of the said great exactions and intolerable charges of Annates and First-Fruits have therefore thought convenient to commit the final order and determination of the Premisses in all things unto the King's Highness So that if it may seem to his high wisdom and most prudent discretion meet to move the Pope's Holiness and the Court of Rome amicably charitably and reasonably to compound other to extinct and make frustrate the payments of the said Annates or First-Fruits or else by some friendly loving and tolerable composition to moderate the same in such wise as may be by this Realm easily born and sustained That then those ways and compositions once taken concluded and agreed between the Pope's Holiness and the King's Highness shall stand in strength force and effect of Law inviolably to be observed And it is also further ordained and enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament That the King's Highness at any time or times on this side the Feast of Easter which shall be in the Year of our Lord God a thousand five hundred and three and thirty or at any time on this side the beginning of the next Parliament by his Letters Pattents under his Great Seal to be made and to be entred of Record in the Roll of this present Parliament may and shall have full power and liberty to declare by the said Letters
and abiding at the See of Rome or elsewhere in other parts beyond the Sea far out and from any of the King 's said Dominions by reason whereof the great Hospitality Divine Service teaching and Preaching the Laws and Examples of good living and the other good and necessary effects before rehearsed have been many years by-past and yet continually be not only withdrawn decayed hindred and minished but also great quantity of Gold Silver and Treasure to the yearly sum and value of 3000 l. at the least have been yearly taken and conveighed out of this Realm to the singular profit and great enriching of the said Bishops and daily is like to be conveighed transported and sent contrary to the purport and effect of the said former wholsome Laws and Statutes to the great impoverishing of this Realm as well presently as for to come if speedy remedy be not had therefore in brief time provided In consideration whereof be it enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament that the said two several Sees and Bishopricks of Salisbury and Worcester and either of them from henceforth shall be taken reputed and accounted in the Law to be utterly void vacant and utterly destitute of any Incumbent or Prelate c. XLVIII A Letter from Cromwel to Fisher about the Maid of Kent Anno 34 or end of 35. MY Lord in my right hearty wise I commend me to your Lordship doing you to understand that I have received your Letters dated at Rochester the 18 th day of this Month in which ye declare what craft and cunning ye have to persuade and to set a good Countenance upon an ill Matter drawing some Scriptures to your purpose which well weighed according to the places whereout they be taken make not so much for your purpose as ye alledge them for and where in the first Leaf of your Letters ye write that ye doubt nothing neither before God nor before the World if need shall that require so to declare your self whatsoever hath been said of you that ye have not deserved such heavy words or terrible threats as hath been sent from me unto you by your Brother How ye can declare your self afore God and the World when need shall require I cannot tell but I think verily that your Declaration made by these Letters is far insufficient to prove that ye have deserved no heavy words in this behalf And to say plainly I sent you no heavy words but words of great comfort willing your Brother to shew you how benign and merciful the Prince was And that I thought it expedient for you to write unto his Highness and to recognize your Offences and desire his pardon which his Grace would not deny you now in your age and sickness which my counsel I would you had followed rather than to have written these Letters to me excusing your self altho there were no manner of default in you But my Lord if it were in an other manner of case than your own and out of the Matter which ye favour I doubt not but that ye would think him that should have done as ye have done not only worthy heavy Words but also heavy Deeds for where ye labour to excuse your self of your Hearing Bribing and concealing of the Maiden's false and feigned Revelations and of your manifold sending of your Chaplains unto her by a certain intent which ye pretend your self to have had to know by communing with her or by sending your Chaplains to her whether for Revelations Word of God or no alledging divers Scriptures that ye were bound to prove them and to receive them after they were proved My Lord whether ye have used a due means to try her and her Revelations or no it appeareth by the process of your own Letters For where you write that ye had conceived a great opinion of the holiness of this Woman for many considerations rehearsed in your Letters comprised in six Articles whereof the first is grounded upon the bruit and fame of her the second upon her entring into Religion after her trances and diffiguration the third upon rehearsal that her Ghostly Father being Learned and Religious should testify that she was a Woman of great holiness the fourth upon the report that divers other vertuous Priests Men of good Learning and Reputation should so testify of her with which Ghostly Father and Priests ye never spake as ye confess in your Letters the fifth upon the praises of my late Lord of Canterbury which shewed you as ye write that she had many great Visions the sixth upon the saying of the Prophet Amos Non faciet Dominus Deus Verbum nisi revelaverit secretum suum ad servos suos Prophetas By which Considerations ye were induced to the desire to know the very certainty of this Matter whether these Revelations which were pretended to be shewed to her from God were true Revelations or not Your Lordship in all the sequel of your Letters shew not that ye made no further trial upon the truth of her and her Revelations but only in communing with her and sending your Chaplains to her with idle Questions as of the 3 Mary Magdalens by which your communication and sending ye tried out nothing of her falshood neither as it is credibly supposed intended to do as ye might have done in any wise more easily than with communing with her or sending to her for little credence was to be given to her affirming her own feigned Revelations to be from God for if credence should be given to every such lewd Person as would affirm himself to have Revelations from God what readier way were there to subvert all Common-Weals and good orders in the World Verily my Lord if ye had intended to trace out the truth of her and of her Revelations ye would have taken an other way with you first you would not have been converted with the vain Voices of the People making bruits of her Trances and Diffiguration but like a wise discreet and circumspect Prelate ye should have examined as other since such sad and credible Persons as were present at her Traunces and Diffigurings not one or two but a good number by whose testimony ye should have proved whether the Bruits of her Traunces and Diffigurations were true or not And likewise ye should have tried by what craft and persuasion she was made a Religious Woman and if ye had been so desirous as ye pretended to enquire out the truth or falshood of this Woman and of her Revelations it is to be supposed ye would have spoken with her good religious and well-learned Ghostly Father e're this time and also with the vertuous and well-learned Priest as they were esteemed of whose reports ye would have been informed by them which heard them speak or ye would also have been minded to see the Book of her Revelations which was offered you of which ye might have had more trial of her and her Revelations than of a hundred
communications with her or of as many sendings of your Chaplains unto her As for the late Lord of Canterbury's saying unto you That she had many great Visions it ought to move you never a deal to give credence unto her or her Revelations for the said Lord knew no more certainty of her or of her Revelations than he did by her own report And as touching the saying of Amos the Prophet I think verily the same moved you but a little to hearken unto her for sithence the Consummation and the end of the Old Testament and sithen the Passion of Christ God hath done many great and notable things in the World whereof he shewed nothing to his Prophets that hath come to the knowledg of Men. My Lord all these things moved you not to give credence unto her but only the very matter whereupon she made her false Prophesies to which matter ye were so affected as ye be noted to be in all matters which ye enter once into that nothing could come amiss that made for that purpose And here I appeal your Conscience and instantly desire you to answer Whether if she had shewed you as many Revelations for the confirmation of the King's Graces Marriage which he now enjoyeth as she did to the contrary ye would have given as much credence to her as the same done and would have let the trial of her and her Revelations to overpass those many years where ye dwelt not from her but twenty miles in the same Shire where her Traunces and Diffigurings and Prophesies in her Traunces were surmised and reported And if percase ye will say as it not unlike but ye will say minded as ye were wont to be that the matter be not like for the Law of God in your opinion standeth with the one and not with the other Surely my Lord I suppose there had been no great cause more to trust the one more than the other for ye know by Scriptures of the Bible that God may by his Revelation dispense with his own Law as with the Israelites spoiling the Egyptians and with Iacob to have four Wives and such other Think you my Lord that any indifferent Man considering the quality of the Matter and your Affections and also the negligent passing over of such lawful Trials as ye might have had of the said Maiden and her Revelations is so dull that cannot perceive and discern that your communing and often sending to the said Maid was rather to hear and bruit many of her Revelations than to try out the truth or falshood of the same And in this Business I suppose it will be hard for you to purge your self before God or the World but that ye have been in great default in hearing believing and concealing such things as tended to the destruction of the Prince and that her Revelations were bent and purposed to that end it hath been duly proved afore as great Assembly and Council of the Lords of this Realm as hath been seen many years meet out of a Parliament And what the said Lords deemed them worthy to suffer which said heard believed and concealed those false Revelations be more terrible than any threats spoken by me to your Brother And where ye go about to defend that ye be not to be blamed for concealing the Revelations concerning the King's Grace because ye thought it not necessary to rehearse them to his Highness for six Causes following in your Letters afore I shew you my mind concerning these Causes I suppose that albeit you percase thought it not necessary to be shewed to the Prince by you yet that your thinking shall not be your Trial but the Law must define whether ye oughted to utter it or not And as to the first of the said seven Causes Albeit she told you that she had shewed her Revelations concerning the King's Grace to the King her self yet her saying or others discharged not you but that ye were bound by your fidelity to shew to the King's Grace that thing which seemed to concern his Grace and his Reign so nighly for how knew you that she shewed these Revelations to the King's Grace but by her own saying to which ye should have given no such credence as to forbear the utterance of so great Matters concerning a King's Weal And why should you so sinisterly judg the Prince that if ye had shewed the same unto him he would have thought that ye had brought that tale unto him more for the strengthening and confirmation of your Opinion than for any other thing else Verily my Lord whatsoever your Judgment be I see daily such benignity and excellent humanity in his Grace that I doubt not but his Highness would have accepted it in good part if ye had shewed the same Revelations unto him as ye were bounden by your fidelity To the second Cause Albeit she shewed you not that any Prince or other Temporal Lord should put the King's Grace in danger of his Crown yet there were ways enough by which her said Revelations might have put the King's Grace in danger as the foresaid Council of Lords have substantially and duly considered And therefore albeit she shewed you not the means whereby the danger should ensue to the King yet ye were nevertheless bounden to shew him of the danger To the third Think you my Lord that if any Person would come unto you and shew you that the King's destruction were conspired against a certain time and would fully shew you that he were sent from his Master to shew the same to the King and will say further unto that he would go streight to the King were it not yet your duty to certify the King's Grace of this Revelation and also to enquire whether the said Person had done his foresaid Message or no Yes verily and so were ye bound tho the Maiden shewed you it was her Message from God to be declared by her to the King's Grace To the fourth Here ye translate the temporal Duty that ye owe to your Prince to the spiritual Duty of such as be bound to declare the Word of God to the People and to shew unto them the ill and punishment of it in another World the concealment whereof pertaineth to the Judgment of God but the concealment of this Matter pertaineth to other Judges of this Realm To the fifth There could no blame be imputed to you if ye had shewed the Maidens Revelation to the King's Grace albeit they were afterward found false for no Man ought to be blamed doing his Duty And if a Man would shew you secretly that there were a great Mischief intended against the Prince were ye to be blamed if ye shewed him of it albeit it was a feigned talk and the said mischief were never imagined To the sixth Concerning an Imagination of Mr. Pary it was known that he was beside himself and therefore they were not blamed that made no report thereof but it was not like in this case
in him did not only erect and advance the same Thomas unto the State of an Earl and enriched him with many-fold Gifts as well of Goods as of Lands and Offices but also him the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex did erect and make one of your most trusty Counsellors as well concerning your Grace's Supream Jurisdictions Ecclesiastical as your most high secret Affairs Temporal Nevertheless your Majesty now of late hath found and tried by a large number of Witnesses being your faithful Subjects and Personages of great Honour Worship and Discretion the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex contrary to the singular trust and confidence which your Majesty had in him to be the most false and corrupt Traitor Deceiver and Circumventor against your most Royal Person and the Imperial Crown of this your Realm that hath been known seen or heard of in all the time of your most noble Reign Insomuch that it is manifestly proved and declared by the Depositions of the Witnesses aforesaid That the same Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex usurping upon your Kingly Estate Power Authority and Office without your Grace's Commandment or Assent hath taken upon him to set at liberty divers Persons being convicted and attainted of Misprision of High Treason and divers other being apprehended and in Prison for Suspection of High Treason and over that divers and many times at sundry places in this your Realm for manifold Sums of Mony to him given most traiterously hath taken upon him by several Writings to give and grant as well unto Aliens as to your Subjects a great number of Licenses for conveighing and carrying of Mony Corn Grain Beans Beer Leather Tallow Bells Mettals Horses and other Commodities of this your Realm contrary to your Highness's most Godly and Gracious Proclamations made for the Common-Wealth of your People of this your Realm in that behalf and in derogation of your Crown and Dignity And the same Thomas Cromwell elated and full of pride contrary to his most bounden Duty of his own Authority and Power not regarding your Majesty Royal And further taking upon him your Power Sovereign Lord in that behalf divers and many times most traiterously hath constituted deputed and assigned many singular Persons of your Subjects to be Commissioners in many your great urgent and weighty Causes and Affairs executed and done in this your Realm without the assent knowledg or consent of your Highness And further also being a Person of as poor and low degree as few be within this your Realm pretending to have so great a stroak about you our and his natural Sovereign Liege Lord that he letted not to say publickly and declare That he was sure of you which is detestable and to be abhorred amongst all good Subjects in any Christian Realm that any Subject should enterprize or take upon him so to speak of his Sovereign Liege Lord and King And also of his own Authority and Power without your Highness's consent hath made and granted as well to Strangers as to your own Subjects divers and many Pass-ports to pass over the Seas with Horses and great Sums of Mony without any search And over that most Gracious Soveraign Lord amongst divers other his Treasons Deceits and Falshoods the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex being a detestable Heretick and being in himself utterly disposed to sett and sow common Sedition and Variance among your true and loving Subjects hath secretly set forth and dispersed into all Shires and other Territories of this your Realm and other your Dominions great numbers of false Erroneous Books whereof many were printed and made beyond the Seas and divers other within this Realm comprising and declaring amongst many other Evils and Errors manifest Matters to induce and lead your Subjects to diffidence and refusal of the true and sincere Faith and Belief which Christian Religion bindeth all Christian People to have in the most Holy and Blessed Sacrament of the Altar and other Articles of Christian Religion most graciously declared by your Majesty by Authority of Parliament And certain Matters comprised in some of the said Books hath caused to be translated into our maternal and English Tongue And upon report made unto him by the Translator thereof that the Matter so translated hath expresly been against the said most Blessed and Holy Sacrament Yet the same Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex after he had read the same Translation most heretically hath affirmed the same material Heresie so translated to be good and further hath said that he found no fault therein and over that hath openly and obstinately holden Opinion and said That it was as lawful for every Christian Man to be a Minister of the said Sacrament as well as a Priest And where also your most Royal Majesty being a Prince of Vertue Learning and Justice of singular Confidence and Trust did constitute and make the same Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex your Highness's Vicegerent within this your Realm of England and by the same gave unto him Authority and Power not only to redress and reform all and all manner of Errors and Erroneous Opinions insurging and growing among your loving and obedient Subjects of this your Realm and of the Dominions of the same but also to order and direct all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Causes within your said Realm and Dominions the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex not regarding his Duty to Almighty God and to your Highness under the Seal of your Vicegerent hath without your Grace's assent or knowledg licensed and authorized divers Persons detected and suspected of Heresies openly to teach and preach amongst your most loving and obedient Subjects within this your Realm of England And under the pretence and colour of the said great Authorities and Cures which your Majesty hath committed unto him in the Premisses hath not only of his corrupt and damnable Will and Mind actually at some time by his own Deed and Commandment and at many other times by his Letters expresly written to divers worshipful Persons being Sheriffs in sundry Shires of this your Realm falsly suggesting thereby your Grace's Pleasure so to have been caused to be set at large many false Hereticks some being there indicted and some other being thereof apprehended and in ward and commonly upon complaints made by credible Persons unto the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex of great and most detestable Heresies committed and sprung in many places of this your Realm with declaration of the Specialities of the same Heresies and the Names of the Offenders therein the same Thomas Cromwel Earl of Essex by his crafty and subtil means and inventions hath not only defended the same Hereticks from Punishment and Reformation but being a fautor maintainer and supporter of Hereticks divers times hath terribly rebuked divers of the said credible Persons being their Accusers and some others of them hath persecuted and vexed by Imprisonment and otherwise So that thereby many of your Grace's true and loving Subjects have been in much
dread and fear to detect or accuse such detestable known Hereticks the particularities and specialities of which said abominable Heresies Errors and Offences committed and done by the said Thomas Cromwell being over-tedious long and of too great number here to be expressed declared or written And to the intent to have those damnable Errors and Heresies to be inculcated impressed and infixed in the Hearts of your Subjects as well contrary to God's Laws as to your Laws and Ordinances Most Gracious Soveraign Lord the same Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex hath allured and drawn unto him by Retainours many of your Subjects sunderly inhabiting in every of your said Shires and territories as well erroneously perswading and declaring to them the Contents of the false erroneous Books above-written to be good true and best standing with the most Holy Word and Pleasure of God as other his false and heretical Opinions and Errors whereby and by his Confederacies therein he hath caused many of your faithful Subjects to be greatly infected with Heresies and other Errors contrary to the right Laws and Pleasure of Almighty God And the same Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex by the false and traiterous means above-written supposing himself to be fully able by force and strength to maintain and defend his said abominable Treasons Heresies and Errors not regarding his most bounden Duty to Almighty God and his Laws nor the natural Duty of Allegiance to your Majesty in the last day of March in the 30 year of our most gracious Reign in the Parish of St. Peter the Poor within your City of London upon demonstration and declaration then there made unto him that there were certain new Preachers as Robert Barnes Clerk and other whereof part been now committed to the Tower of London for preaching and teaching of leud Learning against your Highness's Proclamations the same Thomas affirming the same preaching to be good most detestably arrogantly erroneously wilfully maliciously and traiterously expresly against your Laws and Statutes then and there did not lett to declare and say these most traiterous and detestable words ensuing amongst other words of like matter and effect that is to say That if the King would turn from it yet I would not turn And if the King did turn and all his People I would fight in the Field in mine own Person with my Sword in my hand against him and all others and then and there most traiterously pulled out his Dagger and held it on high saying these words Or else this Dagger thrust me to the heart if I would not die in that Quarrel against them all And I trust if I live one year or two it shall not lie in the King's Power to resist or lett it if he would And further then and there swearing by a great Oath traiterously affirmed the same his traiterous saying and pronunciation of words saying I will do so indeed extending up his Arm as though he had had a Sword in his Hand to the most perrilous grievous and wicked Example of all other your loving faithful and obedient Subjects in this your Realm and to the peril of your most Royal Person And moreover our most Gracious Soveraign Lord the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex hath acquired and obtained into his possession by Oppression Bribery Extort Power and false Promises made by him to your Subjects of your Realm innumerable Sums of Mony and Treasure and being so enriched hath had your Nobles of your Realm in great disdain derision and detestation as by express words by him most opprobriously spoken hath appeared And being put in remembrance of others of his estate which your Highness hath called him unto offending in like Treasons the last day of Ianuary in the 31 year of your most noble Reign at the Parish of St. Martin in the Field in the County of Middlesex most arrogantly willingly maliciously and traiterously said published and declared That if the Lords would handle him so that he would give them such a Break-fast as never was made in England and that the proudest of them should know to the great peril and danger as well of your Majesty as of your Heirs and Successors For the which his most detestable and abominable Heresies and Treasons and many other his like Offences and Treasons over-long here to be rehearsed and declared Be it Enacted Ordained and Established by your Majesty with the Assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by the Authority of the same That the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex for his abominable and detestable Heresies and Treasons by him most abominably heretically and traiterously practised committed and done as well against Almighty God as against your Majesty and this your said Realm shall be and stand by Authority of this present Parliament convicted and attainted of Heresie and High Treason and be adjudged an abominable and detestable Heretick and Traitor and shall have and suffer such pains of death losses and forfeitures of Goods Debts and Chattels as in 〈◊〉 of Heresie and High Treason or as in cases of either of them at the pleasure of your most Royal Majesty And that the same Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex shall by Authority abovesaid lose and forfeit to your Highness and to your Heirs and Successors all such his Castles Lordships Mannors Mesuages Lands Tenements Rents Reversions Remainders Services Possessions Offices Rights Conditions and all other his Hereditaments of what names natures or qualities soever they be which he the said Thomas Cromwell Earl of Essex or any other to his use had or ought to have had of any Estate of Inheritance in Fee-Simple or Fee-Tail in Reversion or Possession at the said last day of March in the said thirtieth Year of your most Gracious Reign or at any time sith or after as in Cases of High Treason And that all the said Castles Lordships Mannors Lands Mesuages Tenements Rents Reversions Remainders Services Possessions Offices and all other the Premisses forfeited as is abovesaid shall be deemed invested and adjudged in the lawful real and actual possession of your Highness your Heirs and Successors for ever in the same and such estate manner and form as if the said Castles Lordships Mannors Mesuages Lands Tenements Rents Reversions Remainders Services Possessions Offices and other the Premisses with their Appurtenances and every of them were specially or particularly founden by Office or Offices Inquisition or Inquisitions to be taken by any Escheator or Escheators or any other Commissioner or Commissioners by virtue of any Commission or Commissions to them or any of them to be directed in any County or Counties Shire or Shires within this your Realm of England where the said Castles and other the Premisses or any of them been or do lay and returned into any of your Majesties Courts Saving to all and singular Person and Persons Bodies politick and corporate their Heirs and Successors and their Successors and Assignes of
it a very ancient Tradition as appeareth by Cyp. de Vnct. Chrism To the eighth Question I say That Confirmation of them that be baptized is found in Scripture but cum Chrismate it is not found in Scripture but it was used cum Chrismate in the Church soon after the Apostles time as it may evidently appear by the cited Authors The laying of the Bishops hands upon them that be christened which is a part of Confirmation is plainly in Scripture and the Unction with Chrisme which is another part hath been observed from the Primitive Church and is called of St. Austin Sacramentum Chrismatis Unction of the Sick with Oil and the Prayer is grounded expresly in Scripture Conveniunt omnes Confirmationem cum Chrismate non haberi in Scripturis Eboracens Tresham Coren Day Oglethorpe Edgworth Leighton Symmons Redman Robinsonus Confirmationem in Scripturis esse contendunt caeterum Chrisma esse traditionem Apostolicam addit Robertsonus ubi fieri desierat miraculum Consecrandi Spiritus Sancti Ecclesia Chrismate signi externi loco uti coepit Convenit illi Londinens Carliolens putat usum Chrismatis ex Scripturis peti posse Putant omnes tum in hoc Articulo tum superiori Impositionem manuum esse Confirmationem In the eighth they do agree all except it be the Bishop of Carlile That Confirmatio cum Chrismate is not found in Scripture but only Confirmatio cum manuum Impositione And that also my Lord of St. Davids denieth to be in Scripture as we call it a Sacrament My Lord of Carlâ—le saith That Chrisma as touching the confection and usage thereof hath a ground to be derived out of Scripture The other say That it is but a Tradition 3. Question Whether the Apostles lacking a higher Power as in not having a Christian Kâ—ng among them made Bishops by that necessity or by Authority given by God Answers ALL Christian Princes have committed unto them immediately of God the whole Cure of all their Subjects as well concerning the Administration of God's Word for the Cure of Souls as concerning the ministration of things Political and Civil Governance And in both these Ministrations they must have sundry Ministers under them to supply that which is appointed to their several Offices The Civil Ministers under the King's Majesty in this Realm of England be those whom it shall please his Highness for the time to put in Authority under him As for Example The Lord Chancellor Lord Treasurer Lord Great Master Lord Privy Seal Lord Admiral Majors Sheriffs c. The Ministers of God's Word under his Majesty be the Bishops Parsons Vicars and such other Priests as be appointed by his Highness to that Ministration As for Example The Bishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Duresme the Bishop of Winchester the Parson of Winwick c. All the said Officers and Ministers as well of that sort as the other be appointed assigned and elected and in every place by the Laws and Orders of Kings and Princes In the admission of many of these Officers be divers comely Ceremonies and Solemnities used which be not of necessity but only for a good order and seemly fashion for if such Offices and Ministrations were committed without such solemnity they were nevertheless truly committed And there is no more Promise of God that Grace is given in the committing of the Ecclesiastical Office than it is in the committing of the Civil Office In the Apostles time when there was no Christian Princes by whose Authority Ministers of God's Word might be appointed nor Sins by the Sword corrected there was no Remedy then for the correction of Vice or appointing of Ministers but only the consent of Christian Multitude among themselves by an uniform consent to follow the advice and perswasion of such Persons whom God had most endued with the Spirit of Counsel and Wisdom And at that time forasmuch as the Christian People had no Sword nor Governour amongst them they were constrained of necessity to take such Curats and Priests as either they knew themselves to be meet thereunto or else as were commended unto them by others that were so replete with the Spirit of God with such knowledg in the profession of Christ such Wisdom such Conversation and Counsel that they ought even of very Conscience to give credit unto them and to accept such as by them were presented and so sometimes the Apostles and others unto whom God had given abundantly his Spirit sâ—nt or appointed Ministers of God's Word sometimes the People did choose such as they thought meet thereunto and when any were appointed or sent by the Apostles or others the People of their own voluntary Will with thanks did accept them nor for the Supremity Empire or Dominion that the Apostles had over them to command as their Princes and Masters but as good People ready to obey the advice of good Counsellors and to accept any thing that was necessary for their edification and benefit To the ninth We find in Scripture that the Apostles used the Power to make Bishops Priests and Deacons which Power may be grounded upon these words Sicut misit me vivens Pater sic ego mitto vos c. And we verily think that they durst not have used so high Power unless they had had Authority from Christ but that their Power to ordain Bishops Priests or Deacons by Imposition of Hands requireth any other Authority than Authority of God we neither read in Scripture nor out of Scripture To the ninth I think the Apostles made Bishops by the Law of God because Acts 22. it is said In quo vos Spiritus Sanctus posuit Nevertheless I think if Christian Princes had been then they should have named by Right and appointed the said Bishops to their Rooms and Places I think that the Apostles made Bishops by Authority given them from God That Christ made his Apostles Priests and Bishops and that he gave them Power to make others like it seemeth to be the very trade of Scripture Opinor Apostolos Authoritate Divina creasse Episcopos Presbyteros ubi Publicus Magistratus permittit Altho the Apostles had no authority to force any Man to be Priest yet they moved by the Holy Ghost had authority of God to exhort and induce Men to set forth God's Honour and so to make them Priests The Apostles made that is to say ordained Bishops by authority given them by God Ioh. 20. Sicut misit me vivens Pater ita ego mitto vos Item Ioan. ult Act. 20. and 1 Tim. 4. Paulus ordinavit Timotheum Titum praescribit quales illi debeant ordinare 1 Tim. 1. Tit. 1. Apostoli autoritate mandato Dei ordinabant ac instituebant Episcopos petita ac obtenta prius facultate a Principe ac Magistratu ut opinor qui tum praeerat Christ gave his Apostles authority to make other Bishops and
Tit. 1. Act. 14. Autoritas ordinandi Presbyteros data est Episcopis per verbum multisque aliis quos lego To the first part I answer Yea for so it appeareth Tit. 1. and 1 Tim. 5. with other places of Scripture But whether any other but only a Bishop may make a Priest I have not read but by singular priviledg of God as when Moses whom divers Authors say was not a Priest made Aaron a Priest Truth it is that the Office of a Godly Prince is to over-see the Church and the Ministers thereof and to cause them do their duty and also to appoint them special Charges and Offices in the Church as may be most for the Glory of God and edifying of the People and thus we read of the good Kings in the Old Testament David Ioas Ezekias Iosias But as for Making that is to say Ordaining and Consecrating of Priests I think it specially belongeth to the Office of a Bishop as far as can be shewed by Scripture or any Example as I suppose from the beginning A Bishop hath authority by Scripture to make a Priest and that any other ever made a Priest since Christ's time I read not Albeit Moses who was not anointed Priest made Aaron Priest and Bishop by a special Commission or Revelation from God without which he would never so have done A Bishop placed by the Higher Powers and admitted to minister may make a Priest and I have not read of any other that ever made Priests I say a Bishop hath authority by Scripture to make a Priest and other than a Bishop hath not power therein but only in case of necessity To the eleventh I suppose that a Bishop hath authority of God as his Minister by Scripture to make a Priest but he ought not to admit any Man to be Priest and consecrate him or to appoint him unto any ministry in the Church without the Princes license and consent in a Christian Region And that any other Man hath authority to make a Priest by Scripture I have not read nor any example thereof A Bishop being licensed by his Prince and Supream Governour hath authority to make a Priest by the Law of God I do not read that any Priest hath been ordered by any other than a Bishop Ad primam partem Quaestionis respondent omnes convenit omnibus praeter Menevens Episcopum habere autoritatem instituendi Presbyteros Roffens Leighton Curren Robersonus addunt Modo Magistratus id permittat Ad secundam partem Respondent Coxus Tresham in necessitate concedi potestatem Ordinandi aliis Eboracen videtur omnino denegare aliis hanc autoritatem Redmayn Symmons Robertson Leighton Thirleby Curren Roffen Edgworth Oglethorp Carliolen nusquam legerunt alios usos fuisse hac Potestate quanquam privilegio quodam data sit Moysi ut Redmanus arbitratur Edgeworth Nihil respondent ad secundam partem Quaestionis Londinensis Dayus In the eleventh To the former part of the Question the Bishop of St. Davids doth answer That Bishops have no authority to make Priests without they be authorized of the Christian Prince The others all of them do say That they be authorized of God Yet some of them as the Bishop of Rochester Dr. Curren Leighton Robertson add That they cannot use this authority without their Christian Prince doth permit them To the second part the answer of the Bishop of St. Davids is That Laymen have other-whiles made Priests So doth Dr. Edgworth and Redman say That Moses by a priviledg given him of God made Aaron his Brother Priest Dr. Tresham Crayford and Cox say That Laymen may make Priests in time of Necessity The Bishops of York Duresme Rochester Carlisle Elect of Westminster Dr. Curren Leighton Symmons seem to deny this thing for they say They find not nor read not any such example 12. Question Whether in the New Testament be required any Consecration of a Bishop and Priest or only appointing to the Office be sufficient Answers IN the New Testament he that is appointed to be a Bishop or a Priest needeth no Consecration by the Scripture for election or appointing thereto is sufficient To the twelfth Question The Apostles ordained Priests by Imposition of the Hand with Fasting and Prayer and so following their steps we must needs think that all the foresaid things be necessarily to be used by their Successors and therefore we do also think that Appointment only without visible Consecration and Invocation for the assistance and power of the Holy Ghost is neither convenient nor sufficient for without the said Invocation it besâ—emeth no Man to appoint to our Lord Ministers as of his own authority whereof we have example in the Acts of the Apostles where we find that when they were gathered to choose one in the place of Iudas they appointed two of the Disciples and commended the Election to our Lord that he would choose which of them it pleased him saying and praying Lord thou that knowest the hearts of all Men shew whether of these two thou dost choose to succeed in the place of Judas And to this purpose in the Acts we read Dixit Spiritus Sanctus segregate mihi Barnabam c. And again Quos posuit Spiritus Sanctus regere Ecclesiam Dei And it appeareth also that in the Old Testament in the ordering of Priests there was both Visible and Invisible Sanctification and therefore in the New Testament where the Priesthood is above comparison higher than in the Old we may not think that only appointment sufficeth without Sanctification either Visible or Invisible To the twelfth I think Consecration of a Bishop and Priest be required for that in the Old Law being yet but a shadow and figure of the New the Consecration was required as appears Levit. 8. yet the truth of this I leave to those of higher Judgments The Scripture speaketh de Impositione manus de Oratione and of other manner of Consecrations I find no mention in the New Testament expresly but the Old Authors make mention also of Inunctions Upon this Text of Paul to Timothy Noli negligere gratiam quae in te est quae data est tibi per prophetiam cum Impositione manuum Presbyterii St. Anselm saith This Grace to be the Gift of the Bishops Office to the which God of his meer goodness had called and preferred him The Prophesy he saith was the inspiration of the Holy Ghost by the which he knew what he had to do therein The Imposition of the hands is that by the which he was ordained and received that Office And therefore saith St. Paul God is my Witness that I have discharged my self showing you as I ought to have done Now look you well upon it whom that ye take to Orders lest ye lose your self thereby Let Bishops therefore who as saith St. Hierome hath power to make Priests consider well under
Scripturis quanquam nunc addantur alii ritus honestatis gratiâ ut in aliis Sacramentis de quibus in Scripturis nulla mentio Owinus Oglethorpus Unction with Oil adjoined with Prayer and having promise of Remission of Sins is spoken of in St. Iames and ancient Authors as for the use which now is if any thing be amiss it would be amended I. Redmayn It is spoken of in Mark 6. and Iames 5. Augustine and other ancient Authors speaketh of the same Edgeworth The Unction of the Sick with Oil to remit Sins is in Scripture and also in ancient Authors Symon Matthew Unction with Oil is grounded in the Scripture and expresly spoken of but with this Additament as it is now used it is not specified in Scripture for the Ceremonies now used in Unction I think meer Traditions of Man William Tresham To the seventeenth I say That Unction of the Sick with Oil and Prayer to remit Sins is manifestly spoken of in St. Iames Epistle and ancient Authors but not with all the Rites and Ceremonies as be now commonly used T. Cantuarien Per me Edwardum Leyghton Unction with Oil to remit Sins is spoken of in Scripture Richard Coren Menevens Coxus negant Unctionem Olei ut jam est recepta ad remittenda peccata contineri in Scripturis Eboracens Carliolens Edgworth Coren Redmayn Symmons Leightonus Oglethorp aiunt haberi in Scripturis Roffens Thirleby Robertsonus praeterquam illud Jacobi 5. Marci 6. nihil proferunt Herefordensis ambigit Tresham vult Unctionem Olei tradi nobis é Scripturis sed Unctionis Caeremonias traditiones esse humanas In the last The Bishop of St. Davids and Dr. Cox say That Vnction of the Sick with Oil consecrate as it is now used to remit Sin is not spoken of in Scripture My Lords of York Duresme Carlile Drs. Coren Edgworth Redman Symmons Leyghton and Oglethorp say That it is found in Scripture XXII Dr. Barnes's Renunciation of some Articles informed against him BE it known to all Men that I Robert Barnes Doctor of Divinity have as well in Writing as in Preaching over-shot my self and been deceived by trusting too much to mine own heady Sentence and giving judgment in and touching the Articles hereafter ensuing whereas being convented and called before the Person of my most gracious Soveraign Lord King Henry the Eighth of England and of France Defensor of the Faith Lord of Ireland and in Earth Supream Head immediately under God of the Church of England It pleased his Highness of his great clemency and goodness being assisted with sundry of his most discreet and learned Clergy to enter such Disputation and Argument with me upon the Points of my over-sight as by the same was fully and perfectly confuted by Scriptures and enforced only for Truths sake and for want of defence of Scriptures to serve for the maintenance of my part to yeeld confess and knowledg my ignorance and with my most humble submission do promise for ever from henceforth to abstain and beware of such rashness And for my further declaration therein not only to abide such order for my doings passed as his Grace shall appoint and assign unto me but also with my heart to advance and set forth the said Articles ensuing which I knowledg and confess to be most Catholick and Christian and necessary to be received observed and followed of all good Christian People Tho it so be that Christ by the Will of his Father is he only which hath suffered Passion and Death for redemption of all such as will and shall come unto him by perfect Faith and Baptism and that also he hath taken upon him gratis the burden of all their sins which as afore will hath or shall come to him paying sufficient Ransom for all their sins and so is becomed their only Redeemer and Justifier of the which number I trust and doubt not but that many of us now-adays be of yet I in heart do confess that after by the foresaid means we become right Christian Folks yet then by not following our Master's Commandments and Laws we do loose the benefits and fruition of the same which in this case is irrecuperable but by true Penance the only Remedy left unto us by our Saviour for the same wherefore I think it more than convenient and necessary that whensoever Justification shall be preached of that this deed be joined with all the fore-part to the intent that it may teach all true Christian People a right knowledg of their Justification By me Robert Barnes Also I confess with my heart That Almighty God is in no wise Author causer of Sin or any Evil and therefore whereas Scripture saith Induravit Dominus Cor Pharaonis c. and such other Texts of like sense they ought to understand them quod Dominus permisit eum indurari and not otherwise which doth accord with many of the ancient Interpreters also By me Robert Barnes Further I do confess with my heart That whensoever I have offended my Neighbours I must first reconcile my self unto him e're I shall get remission of my sins and in case he offend me I must forgive him e're that I can be forgiven for this doth the Pater Noster and other places of Scripture teach me By me Robert Barnes I do also confess with my heart That good Works limited by Scripture and done by a penitent and true reconciled Christian Man be profitable and allowable unto him as allowed of God for his benefit and helping to his Salvation By me Robert Barnes Also do confess with my heart That Laws and Ordinances made by Christian Rulers ought to be obeyed by the Inferiors and Subjects not only for fear but also for Conscience for whoso breaketh them breaketh God's Commandments By me Robert Barnes All and singular the which Articles before written I the foresaid Robert Barnes do approve and confess to be most true and Catholick and promise with my heart by God's Grace hereafter to maintain preach and set forth the same to the People to the uttermost of my power wit and cunning By me Robert Barnes By me William Ierome By me Thomas Gerarde XXIII The Foundation of the Bishoprick of Westminster REx omnibus ad quos c. salutem Cum nuper caenobium quoddam sive Monasterium quod dum extitit Monasterium Sancti Petri Westmon vulgariter vocabatur omnia singula ejus Maneria Dominia Mesuagia Terrae Tenementa Haereditamenta Dotationes Possessiones certis de causis specialibus urgentibus per Willielmum ipsius nuper Caenobii sive Monasterii Abbatem ejusdem loci Conventum nobis haeredibus nostris in perpetuum jamdudum data fuerunt concessa prout per ipsorum nuper Abbatis Conventus cartam sigillo suo communi sive conventuali sigillatam in Cancellar nostram irrotulat manifeste liquet quorum praetextu nos de ejusdem nuper Caenobii sive
whosesoever Daughter she was she should be his Wife and upon that Sir Thomas instructed his Daughter how she should hold the King in her toils Sir Thomas must have thought the King had an ill memory if he had forgot such a Story but the one part of this makes him afraid that the King should marry his Daughter and the other part makes him afraid they should miss their hopes in it Not to mention how little likely it is that a King of such high vanity would have done that which the privatest Person has an aversion to I mean the marrying the Daughter of one whom they know to be a common Prostitute 23. He says Wolsey before his return from France sent Gambara to the Pope desiring him to name himself Vicar of the Papacy during his captivity This was not done till almost a year after this and the motion was sent by Staphileus Dean of the Rota for which see pag. 50. 24. He says None but ill Men and ignorant Persons wrote against the Marriage but all learned and good Men wrote for it The whole Doctors of the Church in all Ages were against it and no Doctor ancienter than Cajetan could ever be found to have writ for it 25. He says That tho great endeavours were used to perswade Sir Tho. More of the unlawfulness of the marriage all was in vain Is it probable that the King would have made him Lord Chancellor when he was so earnest in this business if he had not known that he would have gone along with him in it By one of his Letters to Cromwel out of the Tower it appears that he approved the Divorce and had great hopes of success in it as long as it was prosecuted at Rome and founded on the defects in the Bull. And in the 22 d year of the King's Reign when the Opinions of the Universities and the Books of Learned Men were brought to England against the Marriage he carried them down to the House of Commons and made read them there after which he desired they would report in their Country what they had heard and seen and then all Men would openly perceive that the King had not attempted this matter of his Will and Pleasure but only for the discharge of his Conscience More was a Man of greater integrity than to have said this if he had thought the Marriage good so that he has either afterwards changed his mind or did at this time dissemble too artificially with the King 26. After a long flourish about the King 's secret fears and apprehensions and the perplexities the Cardinal was in which must pass for a piece of his Wit that is to say Lying for he knew none of their thoughts He says That Gardiner and Sir Francis Brian were sent to the Pope together Gardiner being then Secretary of State In this there are only three gross mistakes First Gardiner was not sent with the first Message to the Pope Secretary Knight carried it 2. Sir Francis Brian went never to Rome with Gardiner It is true a year after the commencing the Sute Sir Francis Brian was sent to Rome and about a month after him Gardiner was also sent so tho they were both together at Rome yet they were not sent thither together 3. Gardiner was not Secretary of State but was Wolsey's Secretary when he went first to Rome and was made a Privy Counsellor when he was sent thither the second time and was not Secretary of State till some months after his return from his Journey the last time 27. He says They made the Pope believe that the Queen would willingly retire into a Monastery This was on the contrary a contrivance of the Popes who thought it the easiest way to bring the Matter to a good issue but in England they had no hopes of it and so always diverted the motion when it was proposed by the Pope 28. He says ' The Pope said he would consult with some Cardinals and Divines and do all that he could lawfully do to give the King satisfaction Upon the first motion of it the Pope frankly granted the King's desire and gave a Bull with a Commission upon it And only consulted some Cardinals about the methods of doing it And did assure the King that he would not only do every thing that could be granted in Law or Justice but whatsoever he could grant out of the fulness of his Power It is true afterwards when the Pope changed his measures and resolved to agree with the Emperor he pretended he understood not these things himself but would needs turn it over upon the Cardinals and Divines 29. He says All the Cardinals were of a mind that the Marriage was good Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor by the force of that mighty Argument of 4000 Crowns changed his mind All the other Cardinals were forward in granting the King's desires for which he wrote them a Letter of Thanks 30. He says The Pope granted the Commission to the two Legats not doubting but it was true that had been told him of the Queens readiness to go into a Monastery The Pope knew she would not yield to any such thing but when he granted that Commission he sent with Campegio a Decretal Bull annulling the Marriage and sent afterwards a promise never to avocate the Process but to confirm what Sentence the Legats should give tho soon after he broke his promise most signally And since he had often dispensed with others for breaking their Faith he might think that it was hard to deny him the same priviledg for himself 31. He says The Pope understanding that the Queen did not consent to the Propositions that were made and that he had been abused sent after Campegio when he was on his Journey that he should not proceed to a Sentence without a new order The Pope sent Campana to England after Campegio to assure the King he would do every thing for him that he could do out of the fulness of his Power And ordered the same Person to charge Cardinal Campegio to burn the Decretal Bull which he had sent by him In all which the Pope as appears by the Original Letters was only governed by politick Maxims and considered nothing but the dangers himself was like to fall in tho Sanders would perswade us he was ready to run the hazard of all these 32. He says The King by his Letters to the Pope did at the same time that he was moving scruples about his own Marriage transact about a Dispensation for a marriage betwixt his own natural Son the Duke of Richmond and his Daughter the Lady Mary Tho the whole Dispatches at that time both to and from Rome be most happily preserved there is not the least mention of any such design and can any body think that if any such motion had been made the Pope would not have taken great advantages from it and that these Letters would not
Herbert The Arguments against the Bull. Wolsey's advice to the King 1527. Aug. 1. Sanders his story about Anne Bolâ—yn examined For this he ciâ—es Rastal's life of Sir Tho. Moor a Book that was never seen by any body else Anti-Sanderus 1501. March 10. 1509. Feb. 12. 1511 1514. Septemb. 23 6 to Regn. 1515. Cambd. Iâ— apparatâ— ad Hiâ—t Eliz. Reg. 1528. Her Birth 1514. and Breeding Her coming to England L. Herbert Title and Duplex Cavendish says she was very young Camden She is contracted to the Lord Piercy Cavendish Life of Wolsey 1527. L. Herbert 1527. The King moved for his Divorce at Rome The first dispatch about it Collect. Numb 3 d. The Pope grants it when he was in Prison Collect. Numb 4th Pope escaped Decemb. 9. And being at liberty gives a Bull for it The Pope's craft policy And the measures that governed them 1528. Collect. Numb 5th The method proposed by the Pope Collect. Numb 6th Staphileus sent from England His Instructions Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 10. Ian. 8. Duplicates corrected by the Cardinal's Hand The Cardinals Letterâ— by him A Larger Bull desired by the King Gardiner and Fox sent to Rome With Letters from the King Collect. Numb 7th and the Cardinal Collect. Numb 8th Collect. Numb 9th The substance of the Bull desired by them Collect. Numb 10th 1527. Rot. Paâ— 2 dâ— Pars. Regn. 10. The Cardinals Earnestness in this matter Collect. Numb 11th Collect. Numb 12. Campegio declared Legate Collect. Numb 10. Wolsey writes to him to haste over May 7. May 23. The Pope grants a Decretal Bull Anti-Sanderus L. Herbert Two Letters of Anne Boleyn's to Wolsey A Postscript of the Kings to him 1528. Collect. Numb 14th The Cardinal's Colledges finished Octob. 30. More Monasteries were to be suppressed The Emperor opposâ—s the Kings suit A Breve found out in Spain Collect. Numb 15th Presumptions of its being forged Campegio comes into England And showes the King the Bull But refuses to let it be seen to the Council * Collect. Numb 16th Collect. Numb 17th Wolsey's endeavour at Rome that it might be showed But all in vain The Pope sends Campana to England Collect. Numb 18th New Ambassadors sent to Rome With other overtures Collect. Numb 19th A Guard of 2000 men offered to the Pope The Pope resolved to unite himself to the Emperor Being frightned with the threats of the Imperialists 1529. Ian. 3. Repents his granting the Decretal Kings Letter to the Cardinal Ian. 8th Ian. 9. 1529. Ian. 15. But feeds the King with high promises The Pope sickens Ian. 27. Cardinal Wolsey's intrigues for the Papacy Feb. 6th Collect. Numb 20. The Kings Instructions for the Election Numb Feb. 20. New propositions about the Divorce Collect. Numb 21. The Popes relapse April 6. another Dispatch to Rome Collect. Numb 2.2 1528. 1529. The Cardinals Bulls for the Bishoprick of Winchester The Pope inclines to joyn with the Emperor Who protests against the Legates Commission May 15. Collect Numb 23. The Pope promised not to recal but to confirm it The Legates write to the Pope Collect. Numb 24. Campegio's ill life Pelerin In glese April 6. The Emperor presses for an Avocation Which the Kings Ambassadors oppose much The Popes deep dissimulation Collect. Numb 25th Collect. Numb 26th The Pope complains of the Florentines Iune 5. Iune 13. Great Contests about the Avocation Iune 23. Collect. Numb 27. Iune 28. The Legateâ— sit in England Orig. Iourn Cott. Libr. Vitel B. 12. A severe charge against the Queen Quod stulte facit si contendit cum Rege quod â—ale illi successit in faetibus de Brevi acsuspicione falsitatis The King and Queen appear in Court * Fidelis servi insideli subdito Responsio Collect. Numb 28. The Queen's Speech The King gives the account of his Scruples The Queens Appeal Articles drawn by the 〈◊〉 Upon which witnesses are examined The proâ—eâ—dings at 〈…〉 〈◊〉 this is 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 Iune 2â— and 30. Iuly 8 and 9. The Pope agrees with the Emperor Collect. Numb 29th Yet is in great perplexities Iuly 26. The Avocation is granted Collect. Numb 30th The proceedings of the Legates All things are ready foâ— a Sentence Campegio Adjourned the Court. Which gives great offence Wolsey's danger Aug. 4. Sept. 23 in a Letter from the Cardinal Secetary to Cromwell Anne Boleyn returns to Court Cranmers proposition about the Kings Divorce Approved by the King The meanness of his Temper The King still â—avoured him He is afterwards attached for Treasoâ— And dies His Character A Parliament called Hall The House of Commons complains of the Bishop of Rochester Some Bills past reforming the abuses of the Clergy One Act discharging the King of his debts Collect. Numb 31. The Pope and the Emperor firmly united Iâ—n 20. The womens peace Aug. 5. 1530. The Emperors Coronation at Bononia Florence taken Aug. 9. Popes Nephew made Duke of it Iuly 17. 1531. Siege of Vienna rais'd Octob. 13. 1529. Emperor Crown'd King of Lombardy Feb. 22. 1530. Rom. Emp. Feb. 2. The King consults his Universities about his Divorce Lord Herbert out of the Record April 4. 1530. v. Wood. p. 8.257 Lib. 1 0. p. 225. Collect. Numb 32. And at Cambridge Feb. Though with great difficulty Crooke employed in Venice Crooks Negotiation taken from many of his Original Letters Cott. Libr. Vitel B. 13. Many â—n Italy write for the Kings cause Feb. 18. Though the Pope and Emperor discourâ—ged them Iuly 4. Aug. 7. Septemb. 16. Iuly 28. Aug. 5. No Money nor bribes given for subscriptions 〈◊〉 7. Fâ—b 8. Only some small acknowledgments Feb. 22. Feb. 9. Septemb. 16. But great Rewards given by the Emperor Septemb. 29. Feb. 18. March 29. 1530. May 26. Iâ—nâ— 2â— They Determined for the King at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â—th At Padua Iuly 1st Collect. Numb 33. And Ferrara Sept. 29th And in Orleance April 7. At Paris of the Canonists May 25th Of the Soâ—bon Iâ—ly 2d At Angiers May 7th At Bourges Iune 10th And Tâ—â—lose Octob. 1st Collect. Numb 34. Ian. 28th his Orig. Let. Cott. Libr. Otho C. 10. Pelerine Iâ—glise Grineus employed amongst the Reformed in Switzerland Whose Letters are in a MSS. in R. Smiths Libr. The Opinions of Oâ—colompadius Bâ—cer Phrygion Zuinglius And Calvin Epist. 384. Lord Herb. from an Orig. Let. Sept. 18. 1530. The opinion of the Lutheran Divines Instructions sent by Dr. Barns to Cromwel Cott. Lib. Vâ—tel B. 13. They condemn the Kings first Marriage but are against a second Collect. Numb 35. Fox The King refuses to appear at Rome Cranmer offers to maintain the Kings cause The Nobility Clergy and Commons of England write to the Pope In the life of Wolseâ— This Letter and the answer are Printed by the Lord Herbert The Popes answer A Proclamation against Bulls from Rome Lord Herb. Books written for the Kings cause Otho C. â—0 ibidem Visp B. 5. Coâ—lect Numb 36. The grounds of it in the old Testament Lev. 18 20· Lev. 18.2 4.5.6.21 v. 17.24.26 v. 24.25 Lâ—v.
Abbeys All those Sir Edward Nevill only excepted pleaded Guilty and so they were condemned but Sir Geofrey Pole was the only person of the number that was not Executed for he had discovered the matter At the same time also Cardinal Pole Michael Throgmorton Gentleman Iohn Hilliard and Thomas Goldwell Clerks and William Pâ—â—to a Franciscan of the Observance were Attainted in Absence because they had cast off their duty to the King and had subjected themselves to the Bishop of Rome Pole being made Cardinal by him and for writing Treasonable Letters and sending them into England On the 4th of February following Sir Nicholas Carew that was both Master of the Horse and Knight of the Garter was Arraigned for being an adherent to the Marquess of Exeter and having spoke of his Attaindor as unjust and cruel he was also Attainted and Executed upon the 3d of March When he was brought to the Scaffold he openly acknowledged the errors and superstition in which he had formerly lived and blessed God for his Imprisonment for he then began to relish the Life and sweetness of Gods holy Word which was brought him by his Keeper one Phillips who followed the Reformation and had formerly suffered for it After these Executions followed the Parliament in the year 15â—9 in which not only these Attaindors that were already passed were confirmed but new ones of a strange and unheard-of nature were Enacted It is a blemish never to be washed off and which cannot be enough condemned and was a breach of the most sacred and unalterable Rules of Justice which is capable of no excuse it was the Attainting of some persons whom they held in custody without bringing them to a Tryal Concerning which I shall add what the great Lord Chief Justice Cook writes although I question not the Power of the Parliament for without question the Attaindor stands of force in Law yet this I say of the manner of proceeding Aâ—ferat Oblivio si potest si non utrumque silentium tegat For the more high and absolute the Jurisdiction of the Court is the more just and honourable it ought to be in the proceedings and to give Example of Justice to inferior Courts The chief of these were the Marchioness of Exeter and the Countess of Sarum The special matter charged on the former is her confederating her self to Sir Nicolas Carew in his Treasons to which is added that she had committed divers other abominable Treasons The latter is said to have confederated her self with her Son the Cardinal with other aggravating words It does not appear by the Journal that any Witnesses were examined only that day that the Bills were read the third time in the House of Lords Cromwell shewed them a Coat of white silk which the Lord Admiral had found among the Countess of Sarums Cloaths in which the Arms of England were wrought on the one side and the Standard that was carryed before the Rebels was on the other side This was brought as an evidence that she approved of the Rebellion Three Irish Priests were also Attainted for carrying Letters out of Ireland to the Pope and Cardinal Pole as also Sir Adrian Fortescue for endeavouring to raise Rebellion Thomas Dingley a Knight of St. Iohn of Ierusalem and Robert Granceter Merchant for going to several Forreign Princes and perswading them to make War upon the King and assist the Lords Darcy and Hussie in the Rebellion they had raised Two Gentlemen a Dominican Frier and a Yeoman were by the same Act Attainted for saying that that venemous Serpent the Bishop of Rome was Supream Head of the Church of England Another Gentleman two Priests and a Yeoman are Attainted for Treason in general no particular crime being specified Thus sixteen persons were in this manner Attainted and if there was any Examination of Witnesses for convicting them it was either in the Star-Chamber or before the Privy Council for there is no mention of any evidence that was brought in the Journals There was also much haste made in the passing this Bill it being brought in the 10th of May was read that day for the first and second time and the 11th of May for the third time The Commons kept it five days before they sent it back and added some more to those that were in the Bill at first but how many were named in the Bill Originally and how many were afterwards added cannot be known Fortescue and Dingley suffered the 10th of Iuly As for the Countess of Sarum the Lord Herbert saw in a Record that Bulls from the Pope were found in her House that she kept correspondence with her Son and that she forbade her Tenants to have the new Testament in English or any other of the Books that had been published by the Kings Authority She was then about seventy years of Age but shewed by the answers she made that she had a vigorous and masculine mind She was kept two years Prisoner in the Tower after the Act had passed the King by that reprieve designing to oblige her Son to a better behaviour but upon a fresh provocation by a new Rebellion in the North she was beheaded and in her the name and line of Plantagenet determined The Marchioness of Exceter died a natural death In November this year were the Abbots of Reading Glossenbury and Colechester Attainted of Treason of which mention was made formerly In the Parliament that sate in the year 1540 they went on to follow that strange precedent which they had made the former year By the 56th Act Giles Heron was Attainted of Treason no special matter being mentioned By the 57th Act Richard Fetherstoun Thomas Abell and Edward Pole Priests and William Horn a Yeoman were Attainted for denying the Kings Supremacy and adhering to the Bishop of Rome by the same Act the Wife of one Tirrell Esquire was Attainted for refusing her duty of Alleageance and denying Prince Edward to be Prince and heir of the Crown and one Laurence Cook of Doncaster was also Attainted for contriving the Kings death By the 58th Act Gregory Buttolph Adam Damplip and Edward Brindeholm Clerks and Clement Philpot Gentleman were Attainted for adhering to the Bishop of Rome for corresponding with Cardinal Pole and endeavouring to surprize the Town of Callais By the same Act Barnes Gerard and Ierome were Attainted of whose sufferings an account has been already given By the 59th Act William Bird a Priest and Chaplain to the Lord Hungerford was attainted for having said to one that was going to Assist the King against the Rebels in the North I am sorry thou goest seest thou not how the King plucketh down Images and Abbies every day and if the King go thither himself he will never come home again nor any of them all which go with him and in truth it were pity he should ever come home again and at another time upon ones saying O good Lord I ween all the World will be
Hereticks in a little time Bird said doest thou marvel at that I tell thee it is no marvel for the great Master of all is an Heretick and such a one as there is not his like in the World By the same Act the Lord Hungerford was likewise Attainted The Crimes specified are that he knowing Bird to be a Traitor did entertain him in his house as his Chaplain that he ordered another of his Chaplains Sir Hugh Wood and one Doctor Maudlin to use Conjuring that they might know how long the King should live and whether he should be victorious over his Enemies or not and that these three years last past he had frequently committed the detestable sin of Sodomy with several of his Servants All these were Attainted by that Parliament The Lord Hungerford was Executed the same day with Cromwell he dyed in such disorder that some thought he was frenetick for he called often to the Executioner to dispatch him and said he was weary of Life and longed to be dead which seemed strange in a man that had so little cause to hope in his death For Powel Fetherstoun and Abell they suffered the same day with Barnes and his friends as hath been already shewn This year Sampson Bishop of Chichester and one Doctor Wilson were put in the Toâ—er upon suspition of correspondence with the Pope But upon their submission they had their pardon and liberty In the year 1541 five Priests and ten secular persons some of them being Gentlemen of Quality were raising a new Rebellion in Yorkshire which was suppressed in time and the Promoters of it being apprehended were Attainted and Executed and this occasioned the death of the Countess of Sarum after the Execution of the Sentence had been delayed almost two years The last instance of the Kings severity was in the year 1543 in which one Gardiner that was the Bishop of Winchesters kinsman and Secretary and three other Priests were tryed for denying the Kings Supremacy and soon after Executed But what special matter was laid to their charge cannot be known for the Record of their Attaindor is lost These were the proceedings of this King against those that adhered to the interests of Rome in which though there is great ground for just censure for as the Laws were rigorous so the Execution of them was raised to the highest that the Law could admit yet there is nothing in them to justifie all the clamors which that party have raised against King Henry and by which they pursue his memory to this day and are far short both in number and degrees of the cruelties of Queen Maries Reign which yet they endeavour all that is possible to extenuate or deny To Conclude we have now gone through the Reign of King Henry the 8th who is rather to be reckoned among the Great than the Good Princes He exercised so much severity on men of both perswasions that the writers of both sides have laid open his faults and taxed his cruelty But as neither of them were much obliged to him so none have taken so much care to set forth his good qualities as his Enemies have done to enlarge on his Vices I do not deny that he is to be numbered among the ill Princes yet I cannot rank him with the worst The End of the third Book and of the first Part. ADDENDA After some of the sheets of this History were wrought off I met with Manuscripts of great Authority out of which I have Collected several particulars that give a clear light to the proceedings in those times which since they came too late to my knowledg to be put in their proper places I shall here add them with refâ—râ—nces to the places to which they belong Ad Page 202. line 13. THere it is said that the Earl of Wiltshire Father to Queen Anne Boleyn was one of the Peers that Judged her In this I too Implicitly followed Doctor Heylin he seeming to write with more than ordinary care for the Vindication of that Queen and with such assurance as if he had seen the Records concerning her so that I took this upon trust from him The reason of it was that in the search I made of Attaindors I did not find the Record of her Tryal so I concluded that either it was destroyed by Order during her Daughters Reign or was accidentally lost since that time And thus having no Record to direct me I too easily followed the Printed Books in that particular But after that part of this History was wrought off I by chance met with it in another place where it was mislaid and there I discovered the error I had committed The Earl of Wiltshire was not one of her Judges these by whom she was tryed were the Duke of Suffolk the Marquis of Exceter the Earls of Arundell Oxford Northumberland Westmoreland Derby Worcester Rutland Sussex and Huntington and the Lords Audley Delaware Mountague Morley Dacres Cobham Maltravers Powis Mounteagle Clinton Sands Windsor Wentworth Burgh and Mordant in all twenty six and not twenty Eight as I reckoned them upon a Vulgar Error The Record mentions one particular concerning the Earl of Northumberland that he was taken with a sudden fit of sickness and was forced to leave the Court before the Lord Rochford was Tryed This might have been only Casual but since he was once in Love with the Queen and had designed to Marry her see Page 44 it is no wonder if so sad a change in her Condition did raise an unusual disorder in him When I had discovered the mistake I had made as I resolved to publish this free Confession of it so I set my self not without some Indignation to examine upon what Authority Doctor Heylin had led me into it I could find no Author that went before him in it but Sanders the chief design of whose writing was to defame Queen Elizabeth and to blast her Title to the Crown To that end it was no ill piece of his skill to perswade the World of her Mother lewdness to say that her own Father was convinced of it and condemned her for it And Doctor Heylin took this as he has done many other things too easily upon Sanders Testimony Ad Page 217. line 37. The Articles of Religion of which an abstract is there set down are indeed published by Fullâ—r but he saw not the Original with all the Subscriptions to it which I have had in my hands and therefore I have put it in the Collection with three other Papers which were soon after offered to the King by Cranmer The one is in the form of fifteen queries concerning some abuses by which the people had been deceived as namely by these Doctrines that without Contrition sinners may be reconciled to God that it is in the Power of the Priest to pardon or not to pardon sin at his pleasure and that Gods pardon cannot be obtained without Priestly Absolution Also he complained that the people