in the Latin tougue 12. That all such holy-dayes and fasting-dayes be observed and kept as were observed and kept in the latter time of King Henry the 8. h. 13. That the laudable and honest Ceremonies which were wont to be used frequented and observed in the Church be hereafter frequented used and observed and that children be Christned by the Priest and confirmed by the Bishop as heretoâ—â—â—e hath been accustoâ—ed and used 14. Touching such persons as were heretofore promoted to any Orders after the new sort and 〈◊〉 of Oâ—ders considering they were not Ordered in very deed the Bishop of the Diocesse finding otherwise sufficient ability in these men may supply that thing which wanted in them before then according to his discretion admit them to minister 15. That by the Bishop of the Diocesse an uniform doctrine be set forth by Homâ—lies or otherwise for the good instruction and teaching of all people And that the said Bishop and other persons aforesaid do compel the parishioners to come to their several Churches and there devoutly to hear divine Service as of reason they ought 16. That they examine all Schoolmasters and Teachers of children and finding them suspect in any wise to remove them and place Catholick men in their rooms with a special commandment to instruct their children so as they may be able to answer the Priest at the Masse and so help the Priest at Masse as hath been accustomed 17. That the said Bishops and all other the persons aforesaid have such regard respect and consideration of and for the setting forth of the premises with all kind of vertue godly living and good example with repressing also or keeping under of vicâ— and unthriftinesse as they and every of them may be seen to favour the restitution of 〈◊〉 Religion and also to make and honest account and reckoning of their office and câ—re to the honour of God Our good contentation and profit of this Our Realm and the Dominions of the same The generality of the people not being well pleased before with the Queen's proceedings were startled more than ever at the noise of these Articles none more exasperated than those whose either hands or hearts had been joyned with Wiat. But not being able to prevail by open army a new device is found out to befool the people and bring them to a misconceit of the present government A young maid called Elizabeth Crofts about the age of eighteen years was tutored to counterfeit certain speeches in the wall of a house not far from Aldersgate where she was heard of many but seen of none and that her voice might be conceived to have somewhat in it more than ordinary a strange whistle was devised for her out of which her words proceeded in such a tone as seemed to have nothing mortal in it And thereupon it was affirmed by some of the people great multitudes whereof resorted dayly to the place that it was an Angel or at least a voice from Heaven by others that it could be nothing but the Holy Ghost but generally she pass'd by the name of the Spirit in the wall For the interpreting of whose words there wanted not some of the confederates who mingled themselves by turns amongst the rest of the people and taking on them to expound what the Spirit said delivered many dangerous and seditious words against the Queen her mariage with the Prince of Spain the Mass Confession and the like The practice was first set on foot on the 14th of March which was within ten days after the publishing of the Articles and for a while it went on fortunately enough according to the purpose of the chief contrivers But the abuse being searched into and the plot discovered the wench was ordered to stand upon a scaffold neer St Paul's Cross on the 15th of July there to abide during the time of the Sermon and that being done to make a publick declaration of that lewd imposture Let not the Papists be from henceforth charged with Elizabeth Barton whom they called the Holy made of Kent since now the Zuinglian Gospellers for I cannot but consider this as a plot of theirs have raised up their Elizabeth Crofts whom they called the Spirit in the wall to draw aside the people from their due Allegiance Wiat's Rebellion being quenched and the Realm in a condition capable of holding a Parliament the Queen Convenes her Lords and Commons on the 2d of April in which Session the Queens mariage with the Prince of Spain being offered unto consideration was finally concluded and agreed unto upon these conditions that is to say That Philip should not advance any to any publick office or dignity in England but such as were Natives of the Realm and the Queens subjects That he should admit of a set number of English in his houshold whom he should use respectively and not suffer them to be injured by foreiners That he should not transport the Queen out of England but at her intreaty nor any of the issue begotten by her who should have their education in this Realm and should not be suffered but upon necessity and good reasons to go out of the same not then neither but with the consent of the English That the Queen deceasing without children Philip should not make any claim to the Kingdom but should leave it freely to him to whom of right it should belong That he should not change any thing in the Lawes either publick or private nor the immunities and customes of the Realm but should be bound by oath to confirm and keep them That he should not transport any Jewels nor any part of the Wardrobe nor alienate any of the revenues of the Crown That he should preserve our Shipping Ordnance and Muâ—ition and keep the Castles Forts and Block Houses in good repair and well maned Lastly That this Match should not any way derogate from the League lately concluded between the Queen and the King of France but that the peace between the English and the French should remain firm and inviolate For the clearer carrying on this great business and to encourage them for the performance of such further services as her occasions might require the Queen was pleased to increase the number of her Barons In pursuance whereof she advanced the Lord William Howard Cosen German to Thomas Duke of Norfolk to the Title of Lord Howard of Essingham on the 11th of March and elected him into the Order of the Garter within few months after whose son called Charls being Lord Admiral of England and of no small renown for his success at the Isle of Gades was by Queen Elizabeth created Earl of Nottingham Anno 1589. Next to him followed Sir John Williams created Lord Williams of Tame on the 5th of April who dying without Issue Male left his Estate though not his Honors betwixt two daughters the eldest of whom called Margaret was married to Sir Henry Norris whom Queen Elizabeth created Lord Norris of
Ricot in reference perhaps to his fatheâ—s suffering in the cause of her mother from whom descended Francis Lord Norris advanced by King James to the Honors of Viscount Tame and Earl of Berkshire by Letters Patens bearing date in January Anno 1620. After him on the 7th of April comes Sir Edward North created Baron of Charâ—eleg in the Country of Cambridge who having been Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations in the time of King Henry and raised himself a fair Estate by the fall of Abbyes was by the King made one of his Executors and nominated to be one of the great Councill of Estate in his Son's Minority Sir John Bâ—ugis brings up the rear who being descended from Sir John Chandois a right noble Banneret and from the Bottelers Lords of Sudley was made Lord Chandois of Sudley on the 8th of April whiâ—h goodly Mannor he had lately purchased of the Crown to which it was Escheated on the death of Sir Thomas Seymour Anno. 1549. the Title still enjoyed though but little else by the seventh Lord of this Name and Family most of the Lands being dismembred from the House by the unparallel'd Impudence to give it no worse name of his elder brother Some Bishops I find consecrated about this time also to make the stronger party for the Queen in the House of Peers no more Sees actually voided at that time to make Rome for others though many in a fair way to it of which more hereafter Hooper of Glocester commanded to attend the Lords of the Council on the 22 of August and committed prisoner not long after was outed of his Bishoprick immediately on the ending of the Parliament in which all Consecrations were declared to be void and null which had been made according to the Ordinall of King Edward the 6 th Into whose place succeeded James Brooks Doctor in Divinity sometimes Fellow of Corpus Christi and Master of Bâ—liol Colledge in Oxon employed not long after as a Delegat from the Pope of Rome in the proceedings against the Archbishop of Canterbury whom he condemned to the stake To Jaylor of whose death we have spoken before succeeded Doctor John White in the See of Lincoln first School-master and after Warden of the Colledge near Winchester to the Episcopall See whereof we shall find him translated Anno 1556. The Church of Rochester had been void ever since the removall of Doctor Story to the See of Chichester not suffered to return to his former Bishoprick though dispoiled of the later But it was now thought good to fill it and Maurice Griffin who for some years had been the Archdeacon is consecrated Bishop of it on the first of April One suffrage more was gained by the repealing of an Act of Parliament made in the last Session of King Edward for dissolving the Bishoprick of Durham till which time Doctor Cuthbert Tunstall though restored to his Liberty and possibly to a good part also of his Churches Partimony had neither Suffrage as a Peer in the House of Parliament not could act any thing as a Bishop in his own Jurisdiction And with these Consecrations and Creations I conclude this year An. Reg. Mar. 2º An. Dom. 1554 1555. THe next begins with the Arrivall of the Prince of Spain wafted to England with a Fleet of one hundred and sixty sail of Ships twenty of which were English purposely sent to be his Convoy in regard of the warrs not then expired betwixt the French and the Spaniards Landing at Southampton on the 19 th of July on which day of the month in the year foregoing the Queen had been solemnly proclaimed in London he went to Winchester with his whole Retinue on the 24 th where he was received by the Queen with a gallant Train of Lords and Ladies solemnly married the next day being the Festival of St. James the supposed Tutelary Saint of the Spanish Nation by the Bishop of Winchester at what time the Queen had passed the eight and thirtieth year of her age and the Prince was but newly entred on his twenty seventh As soon as the Marriage-Rites were celebrated Higueroa the Emperors Embassador presented to the King a Donation of the Kingdoms of Naples and Cicily which the Emperor his father had resigned unto him Which presently was signified and the Titles of the King and Queen Proclaimed by sound of Trumpet in this following Style PHILIP and MARY by the grace of the God King and Queen of England France Naples Jerusalem Ireland Defenders of the Faith Princes of Spain and Cicily Arch-Dukes of Austria Dukes of Millain Burgundy and Brabant Counts of Ausperge Flanders and Tirroll c. At the proclaiming of which Style which was performed in French Latine and English the King and Queen showed themselves hand in hand with two Swords born before them for the greater state or in regard of their distinct Capacity in the publick Government From VVinchester they removed to Basing and so to VVindsor where Philip on the 5 th of August was Installed Knight of the Garter into the fellowship whereof he had been chosen the year before From thence the Court removed to Richmond by land and so by water to Suffolk-place in the Burrough of Southwark and on the 12 th of the same month made a magnificent passage thorow the principal streets of the City of London with all the Pomps accustomed at a Coronation The Triumphs of which Entertainment had continued longer if the Court had not put on mourning for the death of the old Duke of Norfolk who left this life at Framingham Castle in the month of September to the great sorrow of the Queen who entirely loved him Philip thus gloriously received endeavoureth to sow his Grandure to make the English sensible of the benefits which they were to partake of by this Marriage and to engratiate himself with the Nobility and People in all generous ways To which end he caused great quantity of Bullion to be brought into England loaded in twenty Carts carrying amongst them twenty seven Chests each Chest containing a Yard and some inches in length conducted to the Tower on the second of October by certain Spaniards and English-men of his Majesties Guard And on the 29 th of January then next following ninety nine Horses and two Carts laden with Treasures of Gold and Silver brought out of Spain was conveyed through the City of the Tower of London under the conduct of Sir Thomas Grosham the Queens Merchant and others He prevailed also with the Queen for discharge of such Prisoners as stood committed in the Tower either for matter of Religion or on the account of Wyaâ—'s Rebellion or for engaging in the practice of the Duke of Northumberland And being gratified therein according unto his desire the Lord Chancellor the Bishop of Ely and certain others of the Councill were sent unto the Tower on the 18 th of January to see the same put in execution which was accordingly performed to the great joy
towards London where he was Proclaimed King with all due Solemnities He made his Royal Entry into the Tower on the last of January Into which He was conducted by Sir John Gage as the Constable of it and there received by all the Lords of the Council who with great Duty and Affection did attend His comings and waiting on Him into the Chamber of Presence did very chearfully swear Allegiance to him The next day by the general consent of all the Council the Earl of Hartford the King's Uncle was chosen Governour of His Person and Protectour of His Kingdomes till He should come unto the Age of eighteen years and was Proclaimed for such in all parts of London Esteemed most fit for this high Office in regard that he was the King's Uncle by the Mothers side very near unto Him in Blood but yet of no capacity to succeed in the Crown by reason whereof his Natural Affâ—ction and Duty was less easie to be over-carried by Ambition Upon which Gâ—ound of civil Prudence it was both piously and prudently Ordained by Solon in the State of Athens That no man should be made the Guardian unto any Orphan to whom the Inheritance might fall by the Death of his Ward For the first Handselling of his Office he Knighted the young King on the sixth of February Who being now in a capacity of conferring that Order bestowed it first on Henry Hoble-Thorn Lord Mayor of London and presently after on Mr. William Portman one of the Justices of the Bench being both dubbed with the same Sword with which He had received the Order of Knighthood at the hands of His Vncle. These first Solemnities being thus passed over the next care was for the Interment of the Old King and the Coronation of the New In order to which last it was thought expedient to advance some Confidents and Principal Ministers of State to higher Dignities and Titles then before they had the better to oblige them to a care of the State the safety of the King's Person and the preservation of the Power of the Lord Protectour who chiefly moved in the Design Yet so far did self-Interest prevail above all other Obligations and tyes of State that some of these men thus advanced proved his greatest Enemies the rest forsaking him when he had most need to make use of their Friendship In the first place having resigned the Office of Lord High Chamberlain he caused himself to be created Lord Seimour and Duke of Somerset Which last Title â—ppâ—rtaining to the King's Progenitours of the House of Lancaster and since the expiring of the Beauforts conferred on none but Henry the Natural Son of the King decealed was afterwards charged upon him as an Argument of his aspiring to the Crown which past all doubt he never aimed at His own turn being thus unhappily served the Lord William Parr Brother of Queen Katherinâ— Parr the Relict of the King deceased who formerly in the thirty fifth of the said King's Reign had been created Earl of Essex with reference to Ann his Wife Daughter and Heir of Henry Bâ—urchier the last Earl of Essex of that House was now made Marquess of Northampton in reference to her Extraction from the Bohunes once the Earls thereof John Dudly Viscount L'isle and Knight of the Garter having resigned his Office of Lord Admiral to gâ—â—tifie the Lord Protectour who desired to confer that place of Power and Trust on his younger Brother was in Exchange created Lord High Chamberlain of England and Earl of Warwick Which Title he affected in regard of his Discent from the Beauchamps who for long time had worn that Honour from whom he also did derive the Title of Viscount L'isle as being the Son of Edmond Sutton alias Dudley and of Elizabeth his Wife Sister and Heir of John Gray Viscount L'isle discended by the Lord John Talbot Viscount L'isle from Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick and Dame Elizabeth hisâ— Wife the direct Heir of Waren Lord L'isle the last of the Male Issue of that Noble Family In the next place comes Sir Thomas Wriothsley a man of a very new Nobility as being Son of William Wriothsley and Grand-Child of John Wriothsley both of them in their Times advanced no higher then to the Office of an Herald the Father by the Title of York the Grand-father by that of Garter King at Arms. But this man being planted in a warmer Sun grew up so fast in the esteem of King Henry the Eight that he was first made Principal Secretary afterwards created Baron of Tichfield advanced not long after to the Office of Lord Chancellour And finally by the said King installed Knight of the Garter An. 1545. For an addition to which Honours he was now dignified with the Title of the Earl of South-hampton enjoyed to this day by his Posterity These men being thus advanced to the highest Titles Sir Thomas Seimour the new Lord Admiral is Honoured with the Stile of Lord Seimour of Sudeley and in the beginning of the next year made Knight of the Garter prepared by this accumulation of Honours for his following Marriage which he had now projected and soon after compassed With no less Ceremony though not upon such lofty Aims Sir Richard Rich another of the twelve which were appointed for Subsidiaries to the great Council of Estate by the King deceased was prefered unto the Dignity of Lord Rich of Leez in Essex the Grand-father of that Robert Lord Rich who by King James was dignified with the Title of Earl of Warwick Anno 1618. In the third place came Sir William Willoughby discended from a younger Branch of the House of Eresby created Lord Willoughby of Parham in the County of Sussex And in the Rear Sir Edmond Sheffield advanced unto the Title of Lord Sheffield of Butterwick in the County of Lincoln from whom the Earls of Moulgrave do derive themselves All which Creations were performed with the accustomed Solemnities on the seventeenth of February and all given out to be designed by King Henry before his death the better to take off the Envy from the Lord Protectour whom otherwise all understanding people must needs have thought to be too prodigal of those Honours of which the greatest Kings of England had been so sparing For when great Honours are conferred on persons of no great Estates it raiseth commonly a suspicion amongst the people That either some proportionable Revenue must be given them also to the impoverishing of the King or else some way left open for them to enrich themselves out of the purses of the Subject These Preparations being dispatched they next proceed unto the Coronation of the King performed with the accustomed Rites on the twentieth of the same Moneth by Arch-Bishop Cranmer The Form whereof we finde exemplified in a Book called The Catalogue of Honour published by Thomas Mills of Canterbury in the year 1610. In which there is nothing more observable then this following Passage The King saith he being brought
had been given before between the time of the Duke's Acknowledgment and the Sentence passed on him by the Lords and so disposed that none of the Factions might have any ground for a Complaint One of each side being taken out for these Advancements For on the nineteenth day of January William Lord St. John a most affectionate Servant to the Earl of Warwick was preferred unto the Title of Earl of Wiltshire the Lord Russell who had made himself the Head of those which were engaged on neither side was made Earl of Bedford and Sir William Paget Comptroller of his Majestie 's Houshold who had persisted faithfull to the Lord Protectour advanced to the Dignity of a Baron and not long after to the Chancellour-ship of the Dutchy of Lancaster Furnished with Offices and Honours it is to be presumed that they would finde some way to provide themselves of sufficient Means to maintain their Dignities The Lord Wentworth being a younger Branch of the Wentworths of Yorkshire had brought some Estate with him to the Court though not enough to keep him up in Equipage with so great a Title The want whereof was supplied in part by the Office of Lord Chamberlain now conferred upon him but more by the goodly Manours of Stebunâ—th commonly called Stepney and Hackney bestowed upon him by the King in consideration of the Good and Faithfull Services before performed For so it happened that the Dâ—an and Chapter of St. Paul's lying at the Mercy of the Times as before was said conveyed over to the King the said two Manours on the twelfth day after Christmâ—ss now last past with all the Members and Appertenances thereunto belonging Of which the last named was valued at the yearly rent of 41. pounds 9. â— 4 d. The other at 140. pounds 8 â— 11. â— ob And being thus vested in the King they were by Letters Patents bearing Date the sixteenth of April then next following transferred upon the said Lord VVâ—ntworth By means whereof he was possessed of a goodly Territory extending on the Thames from St. Katharine's near the Tower of London to the Borders of Essex near Black-wall from thence along the River Leâ— to Stratford le Bow and fetching a great compass on that side of the City contains in all no fewer then six and twenty Town-ships Streets and Hamlets besides such Rows of Building as have since been added in these later Times The like provision was made by the new Lord Pâ—get a Londoner by Birth but by good Fortune mixed with Merit preferred by degrees to be one of the Principal Secretaries to the late King Henry by whom he was employed in many Embassies and Negotiations Being thus raised and able to set up for himself he had his share in the division of the Lands of Chantery Free-Chapels c. and got into his hands the Episcopal House belonging to the Bishop of Exeter by him enlarged and beautified and called Paget-House sold afterwards to Robert Earl of Leicester from whom it came to the late Earls of Essex and from them took the name of Essex-House by which it is now best known But being a great House is noâ— able to keep it self he played his Game so well that he got into his possession the Manour of Beau-desart of which he was created Baron and many other fair Estates in the County of Stafford belonging partly to the Bishop and partly to the Dean and Chaâ—ter of Lichfield neither of which was able to contend with so great a Courtier who held the See and had the Ear of the Protectour and the King 's to boot What other Course he toâ—k to improve his Fortunes we shall see hereafter when we come to the last part of the Tragedy of the Duke of Sommerset For Sommerset having gained his Liberty and thereby being put into a Capacity of making use of his Friends found Means to be admitted to the King's Presence by whom he was not onely welcomed with all the kind Expressions of a Gracious Prince and made to sit down at his own Table but the same day the eighth of April he was again sworn one of the Lords of the Privy Council This was enough to make Earl Dudly look about him and to pretend a Reconciliation with him for the present whom he meant first to make secure and afterwards strike the last blow at him when he least look'd for it And that the knot of Amity might be tyed the faster and last the longer a True-Loves-Knot it must be thought or else nothing worth a Marriage was nâ—gotiated between John Lord Viscount L'isle the Earl's Eldest Son and the Lady Ann Seimour one of the Daughters of the Duke which Marriage was joyfully solemnized on the third of June at the King's Mannour-House of Shâ—â—e the King himself gracing the Nuptials with his Presence And now who could imagine but that upon the giving of such Hostages unto one another a most inviolable League of Friendship had been made between them and that all Animosities and Displeasures being quite forgotten they would more powerfully Co-operate to the publick Good But leaving them and their Adâ—erents to the dark Contrivances of the Court we must leave England for a time and see how our Affairs succeeded on the other side of the Sea Where in the middle of the former Dissensions the French had put us to the Worst in the way of Arms and after got the Better in a Treaty of Peace They had the last year taken in all the Out-works which seemed the strongest Ramparâ—s of the Town of Bulloign but had not strength enough to venture on the Town it self provided plentifully of all necessaries to endure a Siege and bravely Garisoned by men of too much Courage and Resolution to give it up upon a Summons Besides they came to understand that the English were then Practicing with Charles the Emperour to associate with them in the War according to some former Capitulations made between those Crowns And if they found such Dâ—ffiâ—ulties in maintaining the War against either of them when they fought singly by themselves there was no hope of any good Success against them should they unite and poure their Forces into France Most true it is that after such time as the French had bid Defiance to the King and that the King by reason of the Troubles and Embroilments at home was not in a Condition to attend the Affairs of France Sir William Paget was sent Ambassadour to Charles the Fifth to desire Succour of Him and to lay before Him the Infancy and several Necessities of the young King being then in the twelfth year of His Age. This desire when the Emperour had refused to hearken to they besought Him that he would at the least be pleased to take into His Hands the keeping of the Town of Bulloign and that for no longer time then untill King EDVVARD could make an End of the Troubles of His Subjects at home and compose the Discords of the Court which
AFFAIRS OF CHURCH and STATE IN ENGLAND During the Life and Reign OF QUEEN MARY Heb. 11. 35 36 37. 35. Some of them were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection 36. And others had triall of cruell mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment 37. They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented c. Vell. Paterc Lib. 2. Hujus temporis fortunam ne deflere quidem quispiam satis dignè potuit nemo exprimere verbis potest Tantum Relligio potuit suadere malorum LONDON Printed for H. Twyford T. Dring J. Place and W. Palmer Anno 1660 The Parentage Birth and first Fortunes of the Princesse MARY The Eldest Daughter of K. Henry the Eighth before her comming to the CROWN With a brief Narrative of her Mother's Misfortunes from the first Agitating of the Divorce till the time of her Death and that which followed thereupon MARY the eldest Daughter of King Henry the Eighth and of Katherine his first wife daughter of Ferdinand and Issabella Kings of Spain was born at Greenwich on the 18 th day of February Anno 1516. Her Mother had before been married to Arthur Prince of Wales the elder Brother of King Henry but whether bedded by him or not more than as to some old Formalities of Court on the like occasions was not commonly known But he dying within few months after King Henry the Seventh the father of the deceased Prince was secretly dealt with by the Agents of the said Ferdinand and â—ssabella to proceed unto a second Marriage between Henry Duke of York his now onely son and their daughter Katherine To which King Henry readily condescendeth upon divers reasons partly to be assured of the assistance of the Kings of Spain against all practises of the French and partly that so great a Treasure as the Rents and Profits of the Princesse's Joynture might not be carried out of the Kingdom as needs must be if she should be married to a Prince of another Nation This being agreed on by the Parents of either side Pope Julius the 2 d. is sollicited for a Dispensation to the Grant whereof he willingly yielded knowing how necessary it was to the Peace of Christendom that those Kings should be united in the strictest Leagues of Love and Amity Which comming to the knowledge of the Princesse Katherine who understood her own condition better than her father or mother she caused those words vel forsan coâ—nitam to be inserted into the Bull or Dispensation and this she did for the preventing of all such disputes as might arise about the validity of the Marriage in case the consummation of it should be openly known though afterwards those words were used as the shrewdest Argument for the invalidating of the Marriage when it came in question And some such thing was thought to have prevailed with King Henry the seventh for deferring the advancement of Henry his second son to the Style Title and Dignity of Prince of Wales that he might first be well assued that no child was likely to be born of the former Marriage to whom that Title might more properly and of right belong The Dispensation being thus granted Prince Henry being then eleven years of age or thereabouts is solemnly contracted to the Princesse Katherine who must needs have a very great stock as well of Christian-Prudence as of Virgin-Modesty to wait the growing up of a Husband being then a child and one of whose affection to her when he should come to Man's estate she had no assurance and so it proved in the event For Henry had no sooner finished the fourteenth year of his age when either by the compunction of conscience the perswasion of some that wish'd him well or upon consideration of the disproportion of age which was then between them the Princesse being eight years the elder he resolved upon the breaking and annulling of the said Contract in which his Parents had engaged him To which end making his addresse to Doctor Richard Fox then Bishop of Winchester he openly renounceth the said Contract not by word onely but by the subscription of his name to a Legall Instrument containing the effect of that Renunciation his Resolution never to proceed any further in it and his Reasons for it Which Instrument he published in the presence of John Read a publick Notary the Bishop sitting then at Richmond as in Court or Consistory and witnessed unto by Miles Daâ—benâ—y Lord Chamberlain to King Henry the seventh and father of Henry Earl of Bridgwater Sir Charls Sommerset Banneret created afterwards Earl of Worcester Dr. Nicolas West after Bishop of Elâ— Dr. Thâ—mas Rowthall after Bishop of Durham and Sir Henry Mainiâ— The Instrument it self extant in the History of John Speed may be there consulted And in pursuance of this Act he waived the Consummation of the Marriage from one time to another till the death of his father which happened on the 22 of April An. 1509. he being then within two months of the age of eighteen years But being now come unto the Crown by the death of his father Reason of State prevailed so far beyond that of Conscience that he consented to the consummation of the Marriage which before he had solemnly renounced and did accordingly celebrate those unhappy Nuptialls the cause of so much trouble both to him and others on the second of June and caused her to be Crown'd with him on the 24 th of the same month This Marriage was blest within the year by the birth of a son whom the King caused to be Christned by the name of Henry and five years after with another who lived not long enough to receive his Baptism But Henry the first-born not living to be two months old the King remained childlesse till the birth of this daughter Mary the presumptive Heir of his Dominions committed in her Infancy to the care and charge of the Lady Margaret daughter of George Duke of Clarence and by the King in reference to her discent from the house of the Montacutes advanced unto the Style and Title of Countesse of Sarisbury An 1513. And herein it was thought that the Queen had a particular aim beyond that of the King and that she rather chose to commit her daughter to the care of that Lady than of any other in the Kingdom to the end that some affection growing to her by any of the Countesse's sons her daughter's Title to the Crown might be corroborated by the Interesse of the House of Clarence And so far her design succeeded that the Princesse Mary always carried such a dear affection to Reginald Pâ—le her second son best known by the name of Cardinal Pole in the following times that when she came unto the Crown she would have made choice of him for her husband before any other if the necessity of her affairs and
slackned by degrees his accustomed diligence in labouring be perswasions to work on one who was resolved before hand not to be perswaded So that being weary of the Court and the court of her she was permitted for a time to remain at Hunâ—sdon in the County of Hartford To which place being in the Diocesse of London Bishop Ridley had recourse unto her and at first was kindly entertained But having staid dinner at her request he made an offer of his service to preach before her on the Sunday following to which she answered That the doors of the Parish Church adjoining should be open for him that hâ— might preach there if he liâ—ted but that neither she nâ—r any of her sâ—rvants would bâ—â—her◠〈◊〉 hear him Madam said he I hope you will not refuse to hear Gods word To which she answered That she could not tell what they called Gods word that which was now called thâ—â—â—rd of God 〈◊〉 having been accounted such in the â—â—yes of her father After which falling into many different expressions against the Religion then established she â—ismissed him thus My Lord said she For your gentlenesse to come and see me I thank you but for your offer to preach before me I thank 〈◊〉 nâ—t Which said he was conducted by Sir Thâ—mas Wâ—arton one of her principall Officerâ— to the place where they dined by whom he was presented with a cup of wine which having drank and looking very sadly on it Surely said he 〈…〉 Which words he spake with such a vehemency of spirit aâ— made the hair of some of those which were present to stand an end as themselves afterwardâ— confessed Of this behaviour of the Princesse aâ— the Bishop much complained in other pâ—aâ—es so most especially in a Sermon preached at St Paul's Crosse on the sixteenth of July in which he was appointed by the Lords of the Council to set forth the title of Queen Jane to whom the sâ—ccession of the Crown had been transferred by King Edward at the solicitation and procurement of the Duke of Nâ—rthâ—mbeâ—land who served himself of nothing more than of her obstinate aversnesse from the reformed Religion then by law established The cunning contrivance of which plot and all that had been done in pursuance of it hath been laid down at large in the Appendix to the former book Suffice in this place to know that being secretly advertised of her brothers death she dispatched her letters of the ninth of July to the Lords of Council requiring them not only to acknowledge her just title to the Crown of this Realm but to cause proâ—lamation of it to be made in the usual form which though it was denied by them as the case then stood yet she was gratified therein by the Mayor of Norwich who firsâ— proclaimed her Queen on the fourth day after as afterwards was done in some other places by those who did prefer the interest of King Henry's children before that of the Dudâ—y's But hearing of the great preparations which were made against her and finding her condition in a manner desperate when she first put her self into Framâ—ngham Castle she faithfully assureu the Gentry and other inhabitants of the County of Suffolk that she would not alter the Religion which had been setled and confirmed in the Reign of her brother On which assurance there was such a confluence to her from those parts of the Kingdom that in short space she had an army of fourteen thousand fighting men to maintain her quarrel The newes whereof together with the risings of the people in other places on the same account wrought such an alteration in the Lords of the Council whom she had before solicited in vain to allow her title that on the nineteenth of July she was solemnly proclaimed Queen at Cheapside Crosse not only by their general and joint consent but by the joyful acclamations of all sorts of people But as Mariners seldome pay those vows which they make in a tempest when once they are delivered from the danger of it so Mary once established in the Royal Throne forgot the services which she received from those of Suffolk together with the promises which she made unto them in the case of Religion Insomuch that afterwards being petitioned by them in that behalf it was answered with more churlishnesse than could be rationally expected in a green Estate That members must obey their Head and not look to rule it And that she might no more be troubled with the like Petitions she caused one Dobb a Gentlemen on Windham side who had presumed to put her in remembrance of her former promise to be punished by standing in the Pillory three dayes together to be a gazing stock to all men But such is the condition of our humane nature that we are far more ready to require a favour when we stand in need of it than willing to acknowledge or requite it when our turn is served Of which we cannot easily meet with a cleerer evidence than the example of this Queen who was so far from gartifying those who had been most aiding to her in the time of her trouble that she persecuted them and all others of the same perswasions with fire and faggot as by the sequel of her story will at large appear The Life and Reign of QUEEN MARY An. Reg. Mar. 1. A. D. 1553. 1554. THe interposings in behalf of the Lady Jane being disrelished generally in most parts of the Kingdome Mâ—ry the eldest sister of King Edward the sixt is proclaimed Queen by the Lords of the Council assiâ—â—ed by the Lord Mayor of London and such of the Nobility as were then resident about that City on Wednesday the nineteenth day of July Annâ— 1553. The Proclamation published at the Crosse in Cheâ—p with all sâ—lemnities accustomed on the like occasions and entertained with joyfull acclamations by all sorts of people who feared nothing more than the pride and tyranny of the Duke of Northumberland To carry which news to the Queen at Framingham the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget are dispatched immediately by the rest of the Council and Letters are speedily posted by some private friends to the Duke at Cambridgâ— Who understanding how things went without expecting any order from the Lords at London dismist the remnant of his Army and presently repairing into the Market place proclaimed the Queen crying God save Queen Mary as loud as any and flinging up his cap for joy as the others did Which service he had scarce performed when Rose a Pouâ—suivant of Arms comes to him with instructions from the Lords of the Council subscribed by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellor Goodrick the Lord Treasurer Paulet the Duke of Suffolk the Earl of Bedford Shrewsbury and Pembrook the Lord Darsie Sir Robert Cotton Sir William Peter and Sir William Cecil the two principall Secretaries Sir John Cheeck Tutor to the last King Sir John Baker Chancellor of the tenths and first fruits
before the end of this year but not consecrated till the 15th of August in the beginning of the next Some alterations hapned also amongst the Peers of the Realm in the creation of one and the destruction of another A Rebellion had been raised in the Norâ—h upon the first suppression of Religious Houses Anno 1536. in which Sir â— homas Percy second soâ— to Henry the fifth Earl of Northumberland of that name and family was thought to be a principal stickler and for the same was publickly arraigned condemned and executed By Eleanar his wife one of the daughters and heirs of Sir Gâ—iscard Harâ—â—oâ—tle he was the father of Thoâ—as and Henry who hitherto had suffered under his Attaindure But now it pleased Queen Mary to reflect on their Fathers sufferings and the cause thereof which moved her not onely to restore them to their blood and honors but also to so much of the Lands of the Percies as were remaining in the Crown In pursuance whereof she advanced Thomas the elder brother on the last of April to the Style Title and Degree of Earl of Noâ—thumberland the remainder to his brother Henry in case the said Thomas should depart this life without Issue male By vertue of which Entail the said Henry afterwards succeeded him in his Lands and Honors notwithstanding that he was attainted condemned and executed for high Treason in the time of Queen Elizabeth Anno 1572. Not many weeks before the restitution of which noble Family that of the Lord Sturton was in no small danger of a final destruction a Family first advanced to the state of a Baron in the person of Sir John Sturton created Lord Sturton in the 26th of King Henry the 6th and now upon the point of expiring in the person of Charls Lord Sturton condemned and executed with four of his servants on the 6th of March for the murder of one Argal and his son with whom he had been long at variance It was his first hope that the murther might not be discovered and for that cause had buried the dead bodies fifteen foot under ground his second that by reason of his zeal to the Popish Religion it might be no hard matter to procure a pardon But the Murder was too foul to be capable of any such favour so that he was not onely adjudged to die but condemned to be hanged It is reported of Marcus Antonius that having vanquished Artanasdes King of Armenia he led him bound in chains to Rome but for his greater honor and to distinguish him from the rest of the prisoners in chains of gold And such an honour was vouchsafed to this noble Murderer in not being hanged as his servants and accomplices were in a halter of hemp but in one of silk And with this fact the Family might have expired if the Queen having satisfied Justice by his execution had not consulted with her mercy for the restoring of his next Heir both in blood and honor An. Reg. Mar. 5º An. Dom. 1557 1558. WE must begin this year with the success of those forces which were sent under the command of the Earl of Pembrock to the aid of Philip who having made up an Army of 35 thousand Foot and 12 thousand Horse besides the Forces out of England sate down before St. Quintin the chief Town of Piccardy called by the Romans Augusta Veromandnorum and took this new name from St. Quintin the supposed tutelaty Saint and Patron of it a Town of principal importance to his future aims as being one of the Keys of France on that side of the Kingdom and opening a fair way even to Paris it self For the raising of which Siege the French King sends a puissant Army under the command of the Duke of Montmorancy then Lord High Constable of France accompanied with the Flower of the French Nobility On the 10th day of August the Battels joyâ— in which the French were vanquished and their Army routed the Constable himself the Prince of Mantua the Dukes of Montpensier and Longâ—aville with fix others of the prime Nobility and many others of less note being taken prisoners The Duke of 〈◊〉 the Viscount Turin four persons of honorable ranck most of the Foor Captains and of the common Soldiers to the number of 2500 slain upon the place The news whereof struck such a terrour in King Henry the 2d that he was upon the point of for saking Paru and retiring into Langâ—edock or some other remote part of his Dominions In the suddenness of which surprise he dispatcht his Curriers for recalling the Duke of Guise out of Iâ—aly whom he had sent thither at the Popes inâ—â—igation with a right puissant Army for the Conquest of Naples But Philip knowing better how to enjoy than to use his victory continued his Siege before St. Quintin which he stormed on the 18th of that month the Lord Henry Dudley one of the younger sons of the Duke of Northuâ—bâ—r land who lost his life in the Assault together with Sir Edward Windsor being the first that scaled the walls and advanced their victorious Colours on the top thereof After which gallant piece of service the English finding some neglect at the hands of Philip humbly desire to be dismist into their Country which for fear of some fuâ—â—her inconvenience was indulged unto them By which dismission of the English as Thuanâ—s and others have observed King Philip was not able with all his Spaniards to perform any action of importance in the rest of the War But the English shall pay dearly for this Victory which the Spaniard bought with no greater loss than the lives of 50 of his men The English at that time were possessed of the Town of Calais with many other pieces and â—orts about as Guisuesse Fanim Ardres c. together with the whole Territory called the County Oye the Town by Caesar called Portus Iccius situate on the mouth or entrance of the English Chanel opposite to Dover one of the five principal Havens in those parts of England from which distant not above twenty five miles a Town much aimed at for that reason by King Edward this 3d. who after a Siege of somewhat more than eleven months became Master of it Anno 1347. by whom first made a Colonie of the English Nation and after one of the Staple Towns for the sale of Wool Kept with great care by his Successors who as long as they had it in their possession were said to caâ—ry the Keys of France at their girdle esteemed by Philip de Cominâ—â— for the goodliest Captainship in the world and therefore trusted unto none but persons of most eminent ranck both for courage and honour A Town which for more than 200 years had been such an eye-sore to the French and such a thorn in their sides that Monsieur de Cordes a Nobleman who lived in the Reign of King Lewis the 11th was wont to say that he could be content to lie seven years in hell
Queens Progenitours but that we may the better understand the State of that Family which was to Act so great a part on the Stage of England Know then that Queen Jane Seimour was Daughter of S. John Seimour of Wolf-Hall in the County of Wilts Descended from that William de S. Mauro contractedly afterwards called Seimour who by the Aide of Gilbert Lord Mareshall Earle of Pembrooke recovered Wendy aud Penhow now parts of Monmouth shire from the hands of the Welsh Anno. 1240. being the two and twentieth yeare of King Henry the thirds Reign which William as he descended lineally from the 〈…〉 d' Sancto Mauro whose name we find in the Roll of Battle Abbey amongst those Noble Families which came in with the Conquerour so was he one of the Progenitours of that S. Roger S. Maur or Seimour Knight who marryed one of the daughters and Heires of John Beauchamp of Hach a right Noble Baron who brought his Pedigree from Sybill one of the five daughters and Heires of William Mareshall the famous and most puissant Earle of Pembrooke married to William de Herrares Earle of Herrars and Darby as also from Hugh d' Vivon and William Mallet men in times past most Renowned for Estate and Chivalry which goodly Patrimony was afterwards very much augmented by the mariage of one of this Noble Family with the Daughter and Heire of the Esturmies Lords of Wolf-Hall not far from Marleborough in the County of Wilts who bare for Armes Argent 3. Dâ—mie Lions Gules And from the time of King Henry the second were by right of inheritance the Bayliffes and Guardians of the Forrest of Sarernaâ—k lying hard by which is of great note for plenty of Good Game and for a kind of Ferne there that yieldeth a most pleasant savour In remembrance whereof their Hunters Horne of a mighty bigness and tipt with silver is kept by the Earles of Hartford unto this day as a Monument of their Descent from such Noble Ancestors Out of which house came Sir John Seimour of Wolfe-Hall the Father of this Excellent Queen as also of three sons Edward Henry and Thomas of which we shall speak somewhat severally in the way of Preamble the first and last being Principal Actors on the Publique Theatre of King Edwards Reigne And first Sir Edward Seymour the Eldest son received the Order of Knighthood at the hands of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk and brother in law to King Henry the Eighth In the fifteenth yeare of whose Reign he Commanded a Right puissant Army in a War with France where he took the Town of Mont Dedier and other pieces of Importance On this foundation he began the rise of his following Fortunes exceedingly improved by the Mariage of the King with his only sister from whom on Tuesday in Whitson week Anno 1536. he received the Title of Viscount Beauchamp with reference to his Descent from the Lord John Beauchamp above mentioned and on the eighteenth of October in the yeare next following he was created Earle of Hartford A man obierved by Sir John Haywood in his History of K. Edward the sixth to be of little esteem for Wisdom Personage or Courage in Armes but found withall not onely to be very faithfull but exceeding fortunate as long as he served under the more Powerfull Plannet of King Henry the eighth About five yeares before the end of whose Reign He being then Warden of the Marches against Scotland the invasion of K. James the fifth was by his direction encountred and broken at Solâ—me Mosse where divers of the Scottish Nobility were taken Prisoners In the next yeare after accompanied with Sir John Dudly Viscount Lisle Created afterwards Earle of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland by king Edward the sixth with a handfull of men he fired Lieth and Edinborough and returned by a leisurely March 44. miles thorough the body of Scotlanâ— And in the year following he invaded the Scottish Borders wasted Tive dale and the Marches defacing all those Parts with spoyle and ruine As fortunate in his undertakings against the French as against the Scoâ—s for being appointed by the King to view the Fortifications upon the Marches of Callice he did not onely perform that service to the Kings contentment but with the hardy approach of 7000. English men raised an Army of 21000. French Encamped over the River before Bolloine won their Ordinance Carriage Treasure aâ—d Tents with the loss only of one man winning in his return from thence the Caâ—tle of Ouling commonly called the Red Pile within shot and rescue of the Town of Ardes And finally in the yeare ensuing being the last of that Kings Reign he began the Fortresses of New Haven Blackness and Bullingberg in which he plyed his worke so well that before his departure from those places he had made them tenable Such were hâ—s Actings in the time of King Henry the Eighth against whose Powerfull Genius there was no withstanding In all whose time he never rose to any haughtiness in himselfe or contempt of others but still remained curteous and affable towards all choosing a course least subject to envy between stâ—ffe stubbornness and servile flattery without aspiring any further then to hold a second place in the Kings good Grace But being left unto himself and either overwhelmed by the Greatness of that Authority which was cast upon him in the Minority of King Edward or undermined by the practises of his cunning and malicious Enemies he suddenly became according to the usuall Disports of Fortune a calamitous ruine as being in himselfe of an easie nature apt to be wrought upon by more subtle heads and wholly Governed by his last wife of which more hereafter In the mean time we are to know that having married one of the daughters and Co-heires of William Hilol of Woodlands in the County of Dorset he had by her amongst other children a son called Edward from whom descends Sir Edward Seimâ—ure of Berrie Pomerie in the County of Devon Knight and Barron After whose death he married Ann the daughter of Sir Edward Stanhop by whom he had a soâ— called Edward also on whom he was prevailed with to entaile both his Lands and Honours the children of the former bed being pretermitted Concerning which there goes a stoâ—y that the Earle having been formerly â—mployed in France did there acquaint himselfe with a Learned man supposed to have great skill in Magick of whom he obtained by great rewards and importunities to let him see by the help of some Magicall perspective in what Estate all his Relations stood at home In which impertinent curiosity he was so â—arr satisfied as to behold a Gentleman of his acquaintance in a more familiar posture with his wife then was agreeable to the Honour of either Party To which Diabollicall Illusion he is said to have given so much credit that he did not only estrange himselfe from her society at his coming home but furnished his next wife with an excellent opportunity
for pressing him to the disinheriting of his foâ—mer children But whether this were so or not certain it is that his last wife being a proud imperious woman and one that was resolved to gain her own ends upon him never leâ—t plying him with one suspition after anoâ—her till in the end she had prevâ—iled to have the greatest part of his lands and all his Honourable Titles setled on her eldest son And that she might make sure work of it she caused him to obtaine a private Act of Parliament in the 32. yeare of Henry the Eighth Anno 1540. for entailing the same on this last Edward and the Heires male of his body So easie was he to be wrought on by those that knew on which side he did lie most open to assaults and batteries Of a farr different temper was his brother Thomas the youngest sonne of Sir John Seimour of a daring and enterprising nature arrogant in himselfe a dispiser of others and a Contemner of all Counsells which were not first forged in his own brain Following his sister to the Court he received the Order of Knighthood from the hands of the King at such time as his brother was made Earle of Hartford and on May day in the thirtieth yeare of the Kings Reign he was one of the Challengers at the Magnificent Justs maintained by him and others against all comers in the Pallace of Westminster in which together with the rest he behaved himselfe so highly to the Kings contentment and their own great Honoâ—r that they were all severally rewarded with the Grant of 100. Marks of yearely rent and a convenient house for habitation thereunto belonging out of the late dissolved order of Saint John oâ— Iâ—rusalem Which being the first foundation of his following greatness proved not sufficient to support the building which was raised upon it the Gentleman and almost all the rest of the challengers coming within few yeares after to unfortunate ends For being made Lord Seimour of Sudley and Lord High Admirall of England by King Edward the sixth he would not satisfie his ambition with a lower marriage then the widow of his deceased Soveraign aspiring after her death to the bed of the Princes of Elizabeth the second daughter of the King Which wrought such Jealousies and distrusts in the Head of his brother then being Lord Protector of the King and Kingdom that he was thereupon Arraigned Condemned and Executed of which more anon to the great joy of such as practised to â—ubvert them both As for the Barrony of Sudley denominated from a goodly Mannor in the County of Glâ—câ—ster it wasâ— ancâ—ently the Patrimony of Harrold the eldest Son of Ralph d' Mont. the son of 〈◊〉 Medantinuâ— or d' Mount and of Goda his wife one of the daughters of Ethilred and sister of Edmond sirnamed â—roâ—side Kings of England whose Posterity taking to themselves the name of Sudley continued in possession of it till the time of John the last Baron of this name and Famiâ—y VVhose daugâ—ter Joane conveyed the whole estate in marriage to Sir William Botteler of the Family of Wemm in Shropshire From whom deâ—cended Ralph Lord Botteleâ— of Sudley Castle Chamberlain of the Houshold to King Henry the sixth by whom he was created Knight of the Garter and Lord High Treasurer of England And though the greatest part of this Inheritance being devided between the sisters and co-heires came to other Families yet the Castle and Barony of Sudley remained unto a male of this house untill the latter end of the Reign â—f King Henry the eighth to whom it was escheated by the Attainder of the last Lord Botteller whose greatest Crime was thought to be this goodly Mannor which some greedy Courtiers had an eye on And being fallen unto the Crown it was no hard matter for the Lord Protector to estate the same upon his brother who was scarce warmed in his new Honour when it fell into the Crown again Where it continued all the rest of King Edwards Reign and by Queen Mary was conferred on Sir John Bruges who derived his Pedigree from one of the said sisters and co-heires of Ralph Lord Botteler whom she ennobled by the Title of Lord Chaundos of Sudley As for Sir Henry Seimour the second son of Sir John Seimour he was not found to be of so fine a metall as to make a Courtier and was therefore left unto the life of a Country Gentleman Advanced by the Power and favour of his elder Brother to the oâ—der of Knighthood and afterwards Estated in the Mannours of Marvell and Twyford in the County of Southhampton dismembred in those broken times from the see of Winchester To each of these belonged a Park that of the first containing no less then foure miles that of the last but two in compass the first being also Honoured with a goodly Mancion house belonging anciently to those Bishops and little inferiour to the best of the Wealthy Bishopricks There goes a story that the Priest Officiating at the Altar in the Church of Ouslebury of which Parish Marvell was a part after the Mass had been abolished by the Kings Authority was violently dragged thence by this Sir Henry beaten and most reproachfully handled by him his servants universally refusing to serve him as the instruments of his Rage and Fury and that the poore Priest having after an opportunity to get into the Church did openly curse the said Sir Henry and his posterity with Bell Book and Candle according to the use observed in the Church of Rome Which whether it were so or not or that the maine foundation of this Estate being laid on Sacrilidge could promise no long blessing to it Certain it is that his posterity are brought beneath the degree of poverty For having three Nephewes by Sir John Seâ—mour his only Son that is to say Edward the eldest Henry and Thomas younger sons besides severall daughters there remaines not to any of them one foot of Land or so much as a penny of money to supply their necessities but what they have from the Munificence of the Marquesse of Hartford or the charity of other well disposed people which have affection or Relation to them But the great ornament of thisâ— house was their sister Jane the only daughter of her father by whose care she was preferred to the Court and service of Queen Ann Bollen where she outâ—shined all the other Ladies and in short time had gained exceeding much on the King a great admirer of Fresh Beauties and such as could pretend unto no command on his own affections Some Ladies who had seen the pictures of both Queenes at White Hall Gallery have entertained no small dispute to which of the two they were to give Preheminence in point of beauty each of them having such a plentifull measure of Perfections as to Entitle either of them to a Superiority If Queen Ann seemed to have the more lively countenance Queen Jane was thought to carry it in the exact
Performers of Our last Will and Testament Willing Commanding and Praying them to take upon them the occupation and performances of the same as Executours that is to say The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Wriothesly Chancellour of England the Lord St John Great Master of Oar House the Earl of Hartford Great Chamberlain the Lord Russel Lord Privy Seal the Viscount L'isle Lord High Admiral of England the Bishop Tonstal of Duresme Sir Anthony Brown Knight Master of Our Horses Sir Edward Mountague Knight chief Judge of the Common Pleas Justice Bromly Sir Edward North Knight Chancellour of the Augmentations Sir William Paget Kniâ—ht Our chief Secretary Sir Anthony Denny Sir William Herbert Knight chief Gentlemen of Our Privy Chamber Sir Edward Wotton Knight and Mr. Dr. Wotten his Brother And all these We will to be Our Executours and Councellours of the Privy Council with Our said Son Prince Edward in all matters both concerning His Private affairs and the Publick affairs of the Realm Willing and charging them and every of them as they must and shall answer at the day of Judgement wholly and fully to see this My last Will and Testament performed in all things with as much speed and diligence as may be and that none of them presume to medâ—le with any of Our Treasure or to do any thing appointed by Our said Will alone unless the most part of the whole number of the Co-Executours do consent and by writing agree to the same And wâ—ll that Our said Executours or the most part of them may lawfully do what they shall think most convenient for the execution of this Our Will without being troubled by Our said Son or any other for the same After which having taken Order about the payment of His Debts He proceeds as followeth Further according to the Laws of Almighty God and for the Fatherly Love which We bear to Our Son Prince Edward and this Our Realm We declare Him according to Justice Equity and Conscience to be Our lawfull Heir and do give and bequeath unto Him the Succession of Our Realms of England and Ireland with Our Title of France and all Our Dominions both on this side the Seas and beyond A convenient portion for Our will and Testament to be reserved Also we give unto Him all Our Plate Stuff of Houshold Artillery Ordnance Ammunition Ships Cables and all other things and implements to them belonging and Money also and Jewels saving such portions as shall satisfie this Our Last Will and Testament Charging and commanding Him on pain of Our curse seeing He hath so Loving a Father of Vs and that Our chief Labour and Study in this world is to establish him in the Crown Imperial of this Realm after Our â—â—cease in such sort as may be pleasing to God and to the health of this Realm that He be Ordered and Ruled both in His Marriage and also in ordering the Affairs of the Realm as well outward as inward and also in all His own private Affairs and in giving of Offices of Charge by the Advice and Counsel of Our Right-entirely beloved Councellours the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Wriothesly Chancellour of England the Lord St. John Master of Our Horse the Lord Russel Lord Privy Seal the Earl of Hartford Great Chamberlain of England the Viscount L'isle High Admiral of England the Bishop Tonstal of Dureâ—me Sir Anthony Brown Knight Master of Our Horses Sir William Paget Our chief Secretary Sir Anthony Denny Sir William Herbert Justice Mountague and Bromely Sir Edward Wotton Mr. â—octour Wotton and Sir Edward North Whom we Ordain name and appoint and by these Presents Signed with Our hand do make and constitute Our Privy Council with Our said Son and will that they have the Governance of Our most dear Son Prince Edward and of all Our Realms Dominions and Subjects and of all the Affairs publick and private untill He shall have fully compleated the eighteenth year of His Age. And for because the variety and number of things affairs and matters are and may be such as We not knowing the certainty of them before cannot conveniently prescribe a certain â—rder or Rule unto Our said Councellours for their behaviours and proceedings in this charge which we have now and do appoint unto them about Our said Son during the time of His minority aforesaid We therefore for the special Trust and Confidence which We have in them will and by these Presents do give and grant full Power and Authority unto Our said Councelours that they all or the most part of them being assembled together in Council or if any of them fortune to dye the more part of them which shall be for the time living being assembled in Council together shall and may make devise and ordain whatsoever things they or the more part of them as afore-said shall during the Minority of Our said Son think meet necessary and convenient for the Benefit Honour and Surety of the Weal Profit and Commodity of Our said Son His Realms Dominions or Subjects or the Discharge of Our Conscience And the same things made ordained and devised by them or the more part of them as afore-said shall and may lawfully do execute and accomplish or cause to be done executed or accomplished by their Discretions or the Discretions of the more part of them as afore-said in as large and ample manner as if We had or did express unto them by a more special Commission under Our Great Seal of England every particular cause that may chance or occurr during the time of Our said Son's Minority and the self-same manner of Proceeding which they shall from time to time think meet to use and follow Willing and charging Our said Son and all others which shall hereafter be Councellours to Our said Son that they never charge molest trouble or disquiet Our afore-said Councellours nor any of them for the devising or doing nor any other person or persons for doing that they shall devise or the more part of them devise or do assembled as is afore-said And We do charge expresly the same Our entirely-beloved Councellours and Executours that they shall take upon them the Rule and Charge of Our said Son and Heir in all His Causes and Affairs and of the whole Realm doing nevertheless all things as under Him and in His name untill Our said Son and Heir shall be bestowed and married by their advice and that the eighteenth year be expired Willing dâ—siring furthermore Our said Trusty Councellours and then all Our Trusty and Assured Servants and Thirdly all other Our Loving Subjects to aid and assist Our fore-named Councellours in the Execution of the Premisses during the afore-said time not doubting but that they will in all things deal so truly and uprightly as they shall have cause to think them well chosen for the Charge committed unto them Streightly charging our said Councellours and Executours and in God's Name exhorting them for the singular Trust and
or else made a Nursery of Rapines Robberies and Murthers the Inner Parts often deeply pierced and made a wretched Spectacle to all Eys of Humanity and Pity That The Honour of both Realms wâ—uld Increase as well in regard of the Countries sufficient not onely to furnish the Necessities but the moderate Pleasures of this Life as also of the People great in Multitude in Body able assured in Mind not onely for the Safety but the Glory of the Common State That Hereby would follow Assurance of Defence Strength to Enterprise Ease in sustaining publick Burthens and Charges That Herein the English dâ—sired no Pre-eminence but offered Equality both in Liberty and Privileâ—ge and in capacity of Offices and Imployments and to that end the Name of Britain should be assumed indifferent to both Nations That This would be the Complishment of their common Felicity in case by their Evil either Destiny or Advice they suffered not the Occasion to be lâ—st It was no hard matter to fore-see that either the Scots would return no Answer to this Declaration or such an Answer at the best as should signifie nothing So that the War began to open and some Hostilities to be exercised on either side before the English Forces could be drawn together For so it happened that a small Ship of the Kings called The Pensie hovering at Sea was assailed by The Lyon a principal Ship of Scotland The fight began a far off and slow but when they approached it grew very furious wherein the Pensie so applyed her Shot that therewith the Lyon's Ore-Loope was broken her Sails and Tacklings torn and lastly she was boarded and taken But as she was brought for England she was cast away by Negligence and Tempest near Hare-wich-Haven and most of her men perished with her Which small Adventure as Sir John Hayward well observes seemed to Prognosticate the Success of the War in which the English with a small Army gained a glorious Victory but were deprived of the Fruit and Benefits of it by the Storms at home All thoughts of Peace being lay'd aside the Army draws together at New-Castle about the middle of August consisting of twelve or thirteen thousand Foot thirteen hundred Men at Arms and two thousand Eight hundred light Horse Both Men and Horse so well appointed that a like Army never shewed it self before that time on the Borders of Scotland Over which Army so appointed the Lord Protectour held the Office of General the Earl of Warwick that of Liev-tenant General the Lord Gray General of the Horse and Marshal also of the Field Sir Ralph Vane Liev-tenant of all the Men at Arms and Demi-lances and Sir Ralph Sadlier Treasurer General for the Wars infeririour Offices being distributed amongst other Gentlemen of Name and Quality according to their well-deservings At Newâ—Castle they remained till the Fleet arrived consisting of sixty five Bottoms whereof one Gally and thirty four tall Ships were well-appointed for Fight the Residue served for carriage of Munition and Victuals The Admiral of this Fleet being Edward Lord Clynton created afterwards Earl of Lincoln on the fourth of May 1572. in the fourteenth year of Queen Elizabeth Making some little stay at Berwick they entred not on Scotish Ground till the third of September keeping their March along the Shore within Sight of the Fleet that they might be both Aided and Releived by it as Occasion served and making all along the Shore they fell at the end of two days into a Valley called The Peuthes containing six Miles in length in breadth about four hundred Pases toward the Sea and but one hundred toward the Land where it was shut up by a River The Issues out of it made into several paths which the Scots had caused to be cut in divers places with Traverse Trenches and thereby so incumbred the Army in their marching forwards till the Pioneers had smoothed the way that a small Power of the Enemy if their Fortune had been anwerable to the Opportunity might have given a very good Account of them to the rest of their Nation Which Dâ—fficulty being over-come and a Passage thereby given them unto places of more Advantage they made themselves Masters of the three next Castles for making good of their Retreat if the worst should happen Upon the first News of these Approaches enlarged as the Custome is by the Voice of Fame the Earl of Arran being then Lord Governour of Scotland was not meanly startled as being neither furnished with Foreign Aid nor much relying on the Forces which He had at Home Yet resuming his accustomed Courage and well-acquainted with both Fortunes He sent His Heralds through all parts of the Realm commanded the Fire-Cross that is to say two Fire-brands set in fashion of a Cross and pitched upon the point of a Spear to be advanced in the Field according to the Ancient Custome of that Country in Important Cases and therewithall caused Proclamation to be made That All Persons from sixteen years of Age to sixty should repair to Muscle-borough and bring their Ordinary Provision of Victuals with them Which Proclamation being made and the Danger in which the Kingdom stoodrepresented to them the People flocked in such Multitudes to their Rendezâ—vâ—us that it was thought fit to make choice of such as were most serviceable and dismiss the Rest. Out of which they compounded an Army the Nobility and Gentry with their Followers being Reckoned in consisting of thirty thousand Foot and two thousand Horse but poorly Armed fitter to make Excursions or to execute some suddain Inroad then to entertain any strong Charge from so brave an Army The Armies drawing near together the General and the Earl of Warwick rode towards the place where the Scotish Army lay to view the manner of their incamping As they were returning an Herald and a Trumpeter from the Scots overtook them and having obtained Audience thus the Herald began That He was sent from the Lord Governour of Scotland partly to enquire of Prisoners but chiefly to make offer that because he was desirous not onely to avoid profusion but the least effusion of Christian blood and for that the English had not done any unmanlike Outrage or Spoyle he was content they might return and should have his Safe-conduct for their peaceable passage Which said the Trumpeter spake as followeth That The Lord Huntly His Master sent Message by him that as well for brief Expedition as to spare expence of Christian blood He would fight upon the whole Quarrel either with twenty against twenty or with ten against ten or more particularly by single Combate between the Lord General and himself Which in regard the Scots had advantage both for Number and Freshness of men in regard also that for Supply both for Provision and Succours they were at home be esteemed an Honourable and charitable Offer To the Herald the Lord General returned this Answer That As his coming was not with purpose or desire to endamage their Realm
partâ—kers of the Holy Communion Which Exhortation beginning with these Words Dearly-beloved in the Lord â—ye coming to this Holy Communion c. is in effect the last of those which afterwards remained in the Publick Liturgie Then followed the Invitation thus You that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins c. proceeding to the General Confession the Absolution the Comfortable Sentences out of Holy Scripture and so unto the Prayer of Humble Address We do not presume to come to this Table c. the Distribution of the Sacrament to the People present continuing still upon their knees and finally dismissing them In the Peace of God Which Godly Form being presented to the King and the Lords of the Council and by them exceeding well approved was Published on the eighth of March together with his Majestie 's Proclamation Authorising the same and Commanding all His Loving Subjects to conform unto it in this Manner following By the King EDWARD by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and Ireland in Earth the Supreme Head To All and Singular Our Loving Subjects Greeting For so much as in Our High Court of Parliament lately holden at Westminster it was by Vs with the consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons there Assembled most Godly and agreeable to Christ's Holy Institution Enacted That the most Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ should from henceforth be commonly Delivered and Ministred unto all Persons within Our Realm of England and Ireland and other Our Dominions under both Kinds that is to say of Bread and Wine except necessity otherwise require lest every man fantasying and devising a sundry way by himself in the Vse of this most Blessed Sacrament of Vnity there might thereby arise any unseemly or ungodly Diversity Our pleasure is by the Advice of Our most Dear Vncle the Duke of Sommerset Governour of Our Person and Protectour of Our Realms Dominions and Subjects and other Our Privy Council that the said Blessed Sacrament be Ministred unto Our People â—nely after such Form and Manner as hereafter by Our Authority with the Advice before-mentioned is set out or declared Willing every man with due Reverence and Christian Behaviour to come to this Holy Sacrament and most Blessed Communion lest that by the unworthy receiving of such high Mysteries they become guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so eat and drink their own Damnation but rather diligently trying themselves that they so come to this Holy Table of Christ and so be partakers of this Holy Communion that they may dwell in Christ and have Christ dwelling in them And also with such Obedience and Conformity to receive this Our Ordinance and most Godly Direction that we may be incouraged from Time to Time further to travail for the Râ—formation and setting forth of such Godly Orders as may be most to God's Glory the Edifying of Our Subjects and for the Advancement of true Religion which is thething We by the help of God most earnestly endeavoured to bring to effect Willing all Our Loving Subjects in the mean time to stay and quiet themselves with this Our Direction as men content to follow Authority according to the bounden Duty of Subjects and not enterprising to run before and so by their Rashness become the greatest Hinderers of such things as they more arrogantly then Godly would seem by their own Private Authority most hotly to set forward We would not have Our Subjects so much to mistake Our Judgement so much to mistrust Our Zeal as though we either would not discern what were to be done or would not do all things in due time God be praised We know both what by his Word is meet to be redressed and have an earnest mind by the Advice of Our most Dear Vncle and other of Our Privy Council with all diligence and convenient speed so to set forth the same as it may most stand with God's Glory and edifying and quietness of Our People Which We doubt not but all Our Obedient and Loving Subjects will quietly and reverendly tarry for The next Care was to see the said Order put in execution of which the Lords of the Council discharged the King and took the whole Burthen on themselves For causing a sufficient Number of the Printed Copies to be sent to each Bishop in the Realm they there withall directed Letters to them Requiring and in Hiâ— Majestie 's Name Commanding them and every of them to have an earnest Diligence and carefull Respect both in their own Persons and all their Officers and Ministers for causing the said Books to be so delivered to every Parson Vicar and Curate in their several Diocesses that they may have sufficient time well to instruct and advise themselves for the Distribution of the most Holy Communion according to the Order of the said Book before Easter following and that by the good Means of them the said Bishops they may be well directed to use such Good Gentle and Charitable Instructions to their simple and unlearned Parishioners as may be to their good Satisfaction Letting them further know that as the said Order was set forth to the intent there should be in all parts of this Realm and among all men one Vniform manner quietly used so that the Execution thereof did very much stand in the Diligence of them and others of their Vocation who therefore were again required to have a diligent respect unto it as they tendred the King's pleasure and would answer the contrary Which Letter bearing Daâ—e on the thirteenth of March was subscribed by the Arch-Bishop Cranmer the Lord Chancellour Rich the Earl of Arundel the Lords St. John and Russel Mr. Secretary Petre Sir Anthony Wingfield Sir Edward North and Sir Edward â—otton In Obedience unto whose Commands as all the Bishops did not perform their parts alike Gardiner of Winchester Bonner of London Voysie of Exeter and Sampson of Coventry and Lich-field being more backward then the rest so many Parish-Priests not being willing to Advance so good a Work laboured to disaffect the People to the present Government And to that end it was endeavoured in their Sermons to possess their Auditours with an ill opinion of the King as if he did intend to lay strange Exactions on the Subject by forcing them to pay half a Crown a piece for every one who should be Married Christened or Buried For Remedy whereof it was Ordered by Proclamation bearing Date the twenty fourth of April That none should be permitted to Preach but such as were Licenced under the Seals of the Lord Protectour or the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury In the next place we must attend the King's Commissioners dispatched in the beginning of March into every Shire throughout the Realm to take a Survey of all Colleges Free-Chapels Chanteries and Brother-Hoods within the compass of the Statute or Act of Parliament
there excepteth against Commemoration of the Dead which he acknowledgeth however to be very Antient as also against Chrism and Extreme Vnction the last of which being rather allowed of then required by the Rules of that Book which said he maketh it his Advice that all these Ceremonies should be abrogated and that withall he should go forwards to Reform the Church without fear or wit without regard of Peace at home or Correspondency abroad such Considerations being onely to be had in Civil Matters but not in Matters of the Church wherein not any thing is to be Exacted which is not warranted by the Word and in the managing whereof there is not any thing more distastfull in the eyâ— of God then Worldly Wisdom either in moderating cutting off or going backwards but meerly as we are directed by his Will revealed In the next place he gives a touch on the Book of Homilies which Bucer as it appears by his Epistle to the Church of England had right-well approved of These very faintly he permits for a season onely but by no means allows of them for a long continuance or to be looked on as a Rule of the Church or constantly to serve for the instruction of the People and thereby gave the hint to the Zuinglian Gospellers who ever since almost have declaimed against them And whereas some Disputes had grown by his setting on or the Pragmatick Humour of some Agents which he had amongst us about the Ceremonies of the Church then by Law established he must needs trouble the Protectour in that business also To whom he writes to this effect That the Papists would grow insolenter every day then other unless the differences were composed about the Ceremonies But how not by reducing the Opponents to Conformity but by encouraging them rather in their Opposition which cannot but appear most plainly to be all he aimed at by soliciting the Duke of Sommerset in behalf of Hooper who was then fallen into some troubles upon that of which more hereafter Now in the Heat of these Imployments both in Church and State the French and Scots lay hold on the Opportunity for the Recovering of some Forts and Peeces of Consequence which had been taken from them by the English in the former War The last year Bulloign-Siege was attempted by some of the French in hope to take it by Surprize and were couragiously repulsed by the English Garison But now they are resolved to go more openly to work and therefore send an Herald to defy the King according to the Noble manner of those Times in proclaiming War before they entred into Action against one another The Herald did his Office on the eighth of August and preâ—ently the French with a considerable Army invade the Territory of Bulloign In less then three weeks they possess themselves of Blackness Hamiltue and New-Haven with all the Ordnance Ammunition and Victuals in them Few of the Souldiers escaped with Life but onely the Governour of New-Haven a Bastard Son of the Lord Sturton's who was believed to have betrayed that Fort unto them because he did put himself immediatly into the Service of the French But they sped worse in their Designs by Sea then they did by Land for giving themselves no small Hopes in those broken Times for taking in the Islands of Guerâ—sey and Jersey they made toward them with a great number of Gallies but they were so manfully encountred with the King's Navy which lay then hovering on those Coasts that with the loss of a Thousand men and great spoil of their Gallies they were forced to retire into France and desist from their purpose Nor were the Scotâ— in the mean time negligent in preparing for their own Defence against whom some considerable Forces had been prepared in the Beginning of this Summer but most unhappily diverted though very fortunately imployed for the Relief of Exeter and the taking of Norwich So that no Succours being sent for the Relief of those Garisons which then remained unto the English the Scots about the middle of November following couragiously assault the strong Fort of Bouticrage take it by Storm put all the Souldiers to the Sword except the Captain and him they spared not out of any Pity or Humane Compassion but because they would not lose the Hope of so great a Benefit as they expected for his Ransom Nothing now left unto the English of all their late Purchases and Acquists in Scotland but the strong Fort of Aymouth and the Town of Rox-borough The loss of so many Peeces in France one after another was very sad News to all the Court but the Earl of Warwick Who purposely had delayed the sending of such Forces as were prepared against the French that the Forts above-mentioned might be lost that upon the loss thereof he might project the Ruin of the Lord Protectour He had long cast an envious Eye at his Power and Greatness and looked upon himself as a man of other parts both for Camp and Counsel fitter in all Respects to Protect the Kingdom then he that did enjoy the Title He looked upon him also as a man exposed to the Blows of Fortune in being so fatally deprived of his greatest strength by the Death of his Brother after which he had little left unto him but the worst half of himself feared by the Lords and not so well beloved by the Common People as he had been formerly There goes a Story that Earl Godwine having treacherously slain Prince Alfred the Brother of Edward the Confessour was afterwards present with the King when his Cup-bearer stumbling with one foot recovered himself by the Help of the other One Brother helps another said Earl Godwine merrily And so replyed the King as tartly My Brother might have been useful unto me if you had pleased to spare his Life for my present Comfort The like might have been said to Earl Dudly of Warwick That if he had not lent an helping hand to the Death of the Admiral he could not so easily have tripp'd up the Heels of the Lord Protectour Having before so luckily taken in the Out-Works he now resolves to plant his Battery for the Fort it self To which end he begins to muster up his Strengths and make ready his Forces knowing which way to work upon the Lords of the Court many of which began to stagger in their good Affections and some openly to declare themselves the Protectour's Enemies And he so well applyed himself to their several Humours that in short time his Return from Norfolk with Success and Honour he had drawn unto his side the Lord Chancellour Rich the Lord Saint-John Lord Great Master the Marquess of North-hampton the Earl of Arundel Lord Chamberlain the Earl of South-hampton Sir Thomas Cheny Treasurer of the Houshould Sir John Gage Constable of the Tower Sir William Peter Secretary Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Edward North Sir Ralph Sadlier Sir John Baker Sir
thought fit to nominate to that imployment And afterwards appointed a Sub-Committee of eight Persons to prepare the Work make it ready for the rest that it might be dispatched with the more expedition which said eight persons were the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Doctour Thomas Goodrick Bishop of Elâ— Doctour Richard Cox the King's Almoner and Peter Martyr Doctour in Divinity William May and Rowland Taylour Doctours of the Laws John Lucas and Richard Goodrick Esquires By whom the Work was undertaken and digested fashioned according to the Method of the Romane Decretals and called by the Name of Reformatiâ— Legum Ecclesiasticarum c. But not being Commissionated hereunto till the eleventh of November in the year 1551 they either wanted time to communicate it to the chief Commissioners by whom it was to be presented to the Kâ—ng or found the King encumbred with more weighty matters then to attend the peâ—â—sal of it And so the King dying as he did before he had given life unto it by his Royal Signature the Design miscarried never thought fit to be resumed in the following Times by any of those who had the Government of the Chuâ—ch or were concerned in the Honour and Safety of it There also passed another Act in Order to the Peace of the Common-Wealth but especially procuâ—ed by the Agents of the Duke of Sommerset the better to secure him from all Attempts and Practices for the Times ensuing by which his Life might be illegally endangered The purport of which Act was to make it High Treason for any twelve Persons or above assembled together to kill or imprison any of the King's Council or alter any Laws or continue together the space of an hour being Commanded to return by any Justice of the Peace Mayour Sheriff c. Which Act intended by his Friends for his Preservation was afterwards made use of by his Enemies for the onely means of his Destruction deferred a while but still resolved upon when occasion served It wâ—s not long before Earl Dudly might perceive that he had served other mens Turâ—s against the Duke as well as his own and that having served their Turns therein he â—ound no such forwardness in them for raising him unto the Place They were all willing enough to unhorse the Duke but had no mind that such a rank Rider as the Earl should get into the Saddle Besides he was not â—o be told that there was nothing to be charged against the Duke which could touch his life that so many men of dâ—fferent Humours were not like to hold â—ong in a Plot together now their Turns were served that the Dukâ—'s Friends could not be so dull as not to see the emptiness of the Practice which was forged against him nor the King so forgetfull of his Uncle when the Truth was known as not to raise him up again to his former height it therefore would be fittest for his ends and purposes to close up the Breach to set the Duâ—e at Liberty from his Imprisonment but so to order the Affair that the Benefit should be acknowledged to proceed from himself alone But first the Duke must so acknowlege his Offences that his Adversaries might come off with Honour In Order whereunto he is first Articled against for many Crimes and Misdemeanours rather imputed to him then proved against him And unto all these he must be laboured to subscribe acknowledging the Offences contained in them to beg the Favour of the Lords and cast himself upon his Knees for his Majestie 's Mercy All which he very poorly did subscribing his Confession on the twenty third of December Which he subjoyned unto the Articles and so returned it to the Lords Anno Regni Edw. Sexti 4 o. An. Dom. 1549 1550. THe Lords thus furnished with sufficient matter for a Legal Proceeding condemned him by a Sentence passed in the House of Peers unto the Loss of all his Offices of Earl Marshal Lord Treasurer and Lord Protectour as also to â—he Forfeiture of all his Goods and near two thousand pounds of good yearly Rents Which being signified unto him he acknowledged himself in his Letter of the second of February to be highly â—avoured by their Lordships in that they brought his Cause to be Finable Which Fine though it was to him almost unsupportable yet he did never purpose to contend with them nor once to justifie himself in any Action He confess'd That being none of the wisest he might easily err that it was hardly possible for any man in Eminent place so to carry himself that all his Actings should be blameless in the eye of Justice He therefore submitted himself wholly to the King's Mercy and to their Discretions for some Moderation desiring them to conceive of what he did amiss as rather done through Rudeness and want of Judgment then through any malicious Meaning and that he was ready both to do and suffer what they should appoint And finally he did again most humbly upon his Knees intreat Pardon and Favour and they should ever finde him so lowly to their Honours and Obedient to their Orders as he would thereby make Amends for his former Follies By which Submission it may be called an Abjectedness rather as he gave much secret Pleasure to the most of his Adversaries so he gained so far upon the King that he was released of his Imprisonment on the fourth day after And by his Majestie 's Grace and Favour he was discharged of his Fine his Goods and Lands being again restored unto him except such as had been given away either the malice of his Enemies being somewhat appeased or wanting power and credit to make Resistance This great Oak being thus shrewdly shaken there is no doubt but there will be some gathering up of the Sticks which were broken from him and somewhat must be done as well to gratifie those men which had served the Turn as to inclinâ— others to the like Propensions And therefore upon Candlemasâ—-Day being the dâ—y on which he had made his humble Submission before-mentioned William Lord St. John Lord Great Master and President of the Council is made Lord Treasurer John Dudley Earl of Warwick Lord High Chamberlain is preferred to the Office of Lord Great Master the Marquess of North-hampton created Lord High Chamberlain Sir Anthony Wingfield Captain of the Guard is made Comptroller of the King's House in the place of Sir William Paget of whom more anon and Sir Thomas Darcie advanced to the Office of Vice-Chamberlain and Captain of his Majestie 's Guard And though the Earls of Arundel and Souâ—â—-hampton had been as forward as any of the rest in the Duke's destruction yet now upon some Court-displeasures they were commanded to their Houses and dismissed from their Attendance at the Council-Table the Office of Lord Chamberlain of his Majestie 's Houshold being taken from the Earl of Arundel and bestowed on Wentworth ennobled by the Title of Lord Wentworth in the first year of the King Some Honours
unto that Honour by the King's Letters Patenâ—s As for Ridley we have spoke before and as for Poynet he is affirmed to have been a Man of verâ— good Learning with Reference to his Age and the Time he lived in well studied in the Greek Tongue and of no small Eminence in the Arts and Mathematical Sciences A Change was also made in Cambridg by the Death of Bucer which I finde placed by Fâ—x on the twenty third of December by others with more Truth on the nineteenth of January both in the Compass of this year and by some others with less Reaâ—â—n on the tenth of March But at whâ—t time sover he died certain it is that he was most Solemnly Interred in Saint Marie's Church attended to Fu his â—rave by all the Heads and most of the Graduates in that Vniversity his neâ—al Sermon Preached by Dâ—ctâ—ur Parâ—er â—he first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in Queen Elizâ—beth'â— Time the Panegyrick made by one of the Haddons a Man of a moâ—â— Fluenâ— and Rhetorical Sâ—yle all that pretended to the Muses in both Vniverâ—ities setting forth his great Worth and their own Loss in him with the best of their Poetry Anno Regni Edw. Sexti 5 o. An. Dom. 1550 1551. WE must begin this year with the Deprivation of Bishop Gardiner whom we left committed to the Tower the last of June in the year 1548. There he remained almost two years without being pressed to any particular Point the yielding unto which might procure his Liberty or the Refusal justifie such a long Imprisonment On the tenth of June this year the Publick Liturgie now being generally executed in all Parts of the Kingdom was offered to his Consideration that some Experiment might be made whether he would put his Hand unto it and promise to advance the Service Upon the fourth day after the Duke of Sommerset with five other of the Lords of the Council was sent unto the Tower to receive his Answer Which he returned to this effect That he had deliberately considered of all the Offices contained in the Common-Prayer-Book and all the several Branches of it That Though he could not have made it in that Manner had the Matter been referred unto him yet that he found such things therein as did very well satisfie his Conscience and therefore that he would not onely execute it in his own Person but cause the same to be Officiated by all those of his Diocess But this was not the Answer which the Courtiers looked for It was their Hope they should have found him more averse from the King's Proceedings that making a Report of his Perversness he might be lifted out of that Wealthy Bishoprick which if it either were kept Vacant or filled with a more Tractable Person might give them opportunity to enrich themselves by the Spoil thereof Therefore to put him further to it the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Warwick Sir William Herbert Master of the Horse and Mr. Secretary Petre are sent upon the ninth of July with certain Articles which for that end were Signed by the King and the Lords of the Council According to the Tenour hereof he was not onely to testifie his Consent to the Establishing of the Holy-Days and Fasting-Days by the King's Authority the Allowance of the Publick Liturgie and the Abrogating of the Statute for the Six Articles c. but to Subscribe to the Confession of his Fault in his former Obstinacy after such Form and Manner as was there required To which Articles he Subscribed without any great Hesitancy but refused to put his Hand to the said Confession There being no reason as he thought and so he answered those which came unto him from the Court on the Morrow after that he should yield to the Confâ—ssion of a Guilt when he knew himself Innocent He is now faln into the Toil out of which he finds but Little Hope of being set free For presently on the neck of this a Book of Articles is drawn up containing all the Alteration made by the King and His Father as well by Acts of Parliament as their own Injunctions from the first Suppression of the Monasteries to the coming out of the late Form for the Consecration of Arch-Bishops Bishops c. Of all which Doings he is required to signifie his Approbation to make Confession of his Fault with an Acknowledgment that he had deserved the Punishment which was aid upon him Which Articles being tendered to him by the Bishop of London the Master of the Horse Mr. Secretary Petre and Goodrick a Counsellour at Law appeared to him to be of such an hard Digestion that he desir'd first to be set at Liberty before he should be pressed to make a particular Answer This being taken for a Refusal and that Refusal taken for a Contempt the Profits of his Bishoprick are Sequestered from him for three Moneths by an Order of the Council-Table bearing date the nineteenth of the Moneth the said Profits in the mean time to be collected or received by such Person or Persons as the King should thereunto appoint with this Intimation in the Close that if he did not tender his Submission at the end of that Term he should be taken for an Incorrigible Person and unmeet Minister of this Church and Finally to be procceeded against to a Deprivation The Term expired and no such humble Submission or Acknowledgment made as had been required at his Hands a Commission is directed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Ely and Lincoln Sir William Peter c. authorised thereby to proceed against him upon certain Articles in the same contained Convented before whom at Lambeth on the fifteenth of December he received his Charge Which being received he used so many Shifts and found so many Evasions to elude the Business that having appeared six Days before them without coming to a plain and Positive Answer he was upon the fourteenth of February Sentenced to a Deprivation and so remitted to the Tower But Gardiner did not mean to die so tamely and therefore had no sooner heard the Definitive Sentence but presently he Protesteth against the same makes his Appeal unto the King and causeth both his said Appeal and Protestation to be Registred in the Acts of that Court. Of all which he will finde a time to serve himself in the Alâ—eration of Affairs It was presumed that the Report of this Severity against a Man so eminent for his Parts and Place would either bring such other Bishops as had yet stood out to a fit Conformity or otherwise expose both them and their Estates to the like Condemnation But some there were so stiff in their old Opinions that neither Terrour nor Perswasion could prevail upon them either to give their Approbation of the King's Proceedings or otherwise to advance the Service And some there were who though they outwardly complyed with the King's Commands yet was it done so coldly and with such Reluctancy as laâ—'d them open to the
Spoil though not to the Loss of their Bishopricks Of which last Sort were Kitching Bishop of Landaff Salcot otherwise called Capon Bishop of Salisbury and Sampson of Coventry and Lichfield Of which the last to keep his ground was willing to fling up a great part of his Lands and out of those which either belonged unto his See or the Dean and Chapter to raise a Baron's Estate and the Title of the Baronie too for Sir William Paget not born to any such fair Fortunes as he thus acquired Salcot of Salisbury knowing himself obnoxious to some Court-Displeasures redeems his Peace and keeps himself out of such Danger by making long Leases of the best of his Farms and Manours known afterwards most commonly by the Name of Capons-Feathers But none of them more miserably Dilapidated the Patrâ—mony of his See then Bishop Kitching of Landaff A Church so liberally endowed by the Munificence and Piety of some Great Persons in those Times that if it were possessed but of a tenth Part of what once it had it might be reckoned as is affirmed by Bishop Godwine one of Kitching's Successours amongst the Richest Churches in these Parts of Christendom But whatsoever Kitching found it it was made poor enough before he left it so poor that it is hardly able to keep the Pot boiling for a Parson's Dinner Of the first Rank I reckon Voysie of Exeter Heath of Worcester and Day of Chichester for the Province of Canterbury together with Bishop Tonstal 〈◊〉 Durham in the Province of York The first once Governour to the Princess Mary Preferred afterwards by King Henry to the Lord-President-ship of Wales and the See of Exeter Which See he found possessed at his coming to it of twenty two goodly Manours and fourteen Mansion-Houses Richly furnished But the Man neither could approve the Proceedings of the King in the Reformation nor cared in that respect to Preserve the Patrimony of the Church for those who might differ in Opinion from him And being set upon the Pin he made such Havock of his Lands before he was brought under a Deprivation that he left but seven or eight of the worst Manours and those let out into long Leases and charged with Pensions and not above two Houses both bare and naked Having lost so much Footing within his Diocess it is no marvail if he could no longer keep his Standing For being found an open Hinderer of the Work in hand and secretly to have fomented the Rebellion of the Devonshire-Men in the year 1549 he either was deprived of or as some say resigned his Bishoprick within few Moneths after the Sentence passed on Gardiner but lived to be restored again as Gardiner also was in the Time of Queen Mary Of Day and Heath I have nothing to remember more particularly but that they were both Deprived on the tenth of October and lived both to a Restitution in Queen Marie's Reign Heath in the mean time being Liberally and Lovingly entertained by the Bishop of London and afterwards Preferred to the Arch-Bishoprick of York and made Lord Chancellour of England Nor shall I now say more of Tonstal but that being cast into the Tower on the twentieth day of December he was there kept untill the Dissolution of his Bishoprick by Act of Parliament of which we shall speak more at large in its proper place We must not leave these Churches vacant considering that it was not long before they were supplyed with new Incumbents To Gardiner in the See of Winton succeeded Doctour John Poynet Bishop of Rochester a better Scholar then a Bishop and purposely Preferred to that Wealthy Bishoprick to serve other Mens Turns For before he was well warm in his See he dismembred from it the Goodly Palace of Marwel with the Manours and Parks of Marwel and Twiford which had before been seised upon by the Lord Protectour to make a Knight's Estate for Sir Henry Seimour as before was signified The Palace of Waltham with the Park and Manour belonging to it and some good Farms depending on it were seised into the hands of the Lord Treasurer Pawlet Earl of Wiltshire who having got into possession so much Lands of the Bishoprick conceived himself in a fit Capacity to affect as shortly after he obtained the Title of Lord Marquess of Winchester But this with many of the rest of Poynet's Grants Leases and Alienations were again recovered to the Church by the Power of Gardiner when being restored unto his See he was by Queen Mary made Lord Chancellour To Voysie in the See of Exeter succeeded Doctour Miles Coverdale one who had formerly assisted Tyndal in Translating the Bible into English and for the most part lived at Tubing an Vniversity belonging to the Duke of Saxonie where he received the Degree of Doctour Returning into England in the first year of King Edward and growing into great Esteem for Piety and Diligent Preaching he was Consecrated Bishop of this Church the thirtieth of August the Bones whereof were so clean picked that he could not easily leave them with less Flesh then he found upon them Nor have we more to say of Scory who succeeded Day but that being Consecrated Bishop of Rochester in the place of Poynet on the thirtieth of August also he succeeded Day at Chichester in the year next following Of which Bishoprick he was deprived of in the Time of Queen Mary and afterwards preferred by Queen Elizabeth to the See of Hâ—reford in which place he dyed To Heath at Worcester no Successour was at all appointed that Bishoprick being given in Commendam to Bishop Hooper who having been Consecrated Bishop oâ— Glocester on the eighth of March was made the Commendatory of this See to which he could not legally be Translatâ—d as the Case then stood both Latimer and Heath being stâ—ll alive and both reputed Bishops of it by their several Parties And here we have a strange Conversion of Affairs for whereas heretofore the County of Glocester was a part of the Diocess of Worcester out of which it was taken by King Henry when first made a Bishoprick the Diocess of Worcester was now lay'd to the See of Glocester Not that I think that Hooper was suffered to enjoy the Temporal Patrimony of that Wealthy Bishoprick but that he was to exercise the Jurisdiction and Episcopality with some short Allowance for his Pains The Pyrates of the Court were too intent on all Advantages to let such a Vessel pass untouched in which they might both finde enough to enrich themselves and yet leave that which was sufficient to content the Merchant Anâ— this perhaps may be one Reason why Latimer was not restored unto his Bishoprick upon this Avoydance not in regard of any sensible Dislike which was taken at him by the Court for his down-right Preaching or that the Bishops feared from him the like Disturbances which they had met withall in Hooper But I conceive the Principal Reason of it might proceed from his own Unwillingness to cumber his
so unreasonably presâ—'d and the Bishops thinking themselves neglected because unseasonably denied Thus stood they siâ—ent for a time each Party looking sadly on the apprehension of those Extremities which this Dispute had brought upon them as certainly the Picture of Unkindness is never represented in more lively Colours then when it breaks out betwixt those who are most tenderly affected unto one another The Bishops thereupon withdrew admiring at such great Abilities in so young a King and magnified the Name of God for giving them a Prince of such Eminent Piety This being made known unto the Council it was thought necessary to dismiss the Emperour's Embassadour with such an Answer as should both give the English time to fetch off their Goods and let his Master have the â—â—st of the Winter to allay his Heats It was therefore signified unto him That The King would shortly send an Ageâ—t to reside with the Emperour Authourised and â—â—strâ—cted in all particulars which might beget a right Vnderstanding between both Princes Thus answered he returns to the Emperour's Court whom Wotton shortly after followeth â—ufficiently Instructed To desire the Emperour to be less violent in his requests and to Advertise him That The Lady Mary as She was His Couâ—sin so She was the King's Sister and which is more His Subject â— That seeing the King was a Sovereign Prince without dependency upon any but God it was not reason that the Emperour should intermeddle either with Ordering His Subjects or directing the Affairs of His Realm But so far he was Authourised to offer That whatsoever favour the King's Subjects had in the Emperour 's Dominions for their Religion the same should the Emperour 's Subjects receive in England Further then this as the King his Master would not go so it would be a lâ—st labour to desire it of him This was enough to let the Emperour see how little his Threats were feared which made him the less forward in sending more Which Passages relating to the Princess Mary I have lai'd together for the better understanding how all matters stood about this time betwixt Her and the King though possibly the sending of Wotton to the Emperour might be the Work of the next year when the King's Affairs were better setled then they were at the present For the King finding the extraordinary Coldness of the Emperour when his assistance was required for Defence of Bulloign and the hot Pursuit of his Demands of a Toleration for the Family of the Lady Mary conceived it most expedient for His Affairs to unite Himself more strongly and entirely in a League with France For entrance whereunto an Hint was taken from some Words which fell from Guidolti at the Treaty of Bulloign when he propounded That in stead of the Queen of Scots whom the English Commissioners demanded for a Wife to their King a Daughter of the French King might be joyned in Mariage with Him affirming merrily That If it were a dry Peace it would hardly be durable These Words which then were taken onely for a Slight or Diversion are now more seriously considered as Many times the smallest Overtures produce Conclusions of the greatest Consequence A Solemn Embassie is thereupon directed to the Court of France the Marquess of Northhampton nominated for the Chief Embassadour associated with the Bishop of Ely Sir Philip Hobby Gentleman-Usher of the Order Sir William Pickering Sir Thomas Smith Principal Secretary of State and Sir John Mason Clerk of the Council as Commissioners with him And that they might appear in the Court of France with the greater Splendour they were accompanied with the Earls of Arundel Rutland and Ormond and the Lords L'isle Fitz-water Abergavenny Bray and Evers with Knights and Gentlemen of Note to the number of six and twenty or thereabouts Their Train so limited for avoiding of contention amongst themselves that no Earl should have above four Attendants no Baron above three nor any Knight or Gentleman above two a piece the Commissioners not being limited to any number as the others were Setting forwards in the Moneth of June they were met by the Lord Constable Chastition and by him Conducted to the Court lying at Chasteau Bryan the nearer to which as they approached theÌ„ greater was the concourse of the French Nobility to attend upon them Being brought unto the King then being in his Bed-chamber the Marquess first presented him in the name of his King with the Order of Saint George called The Garter wherewith he was presently Invested by Sir Philip Hobby who being an Officer of the Order was made Commissioner as it seemed for that purpose chiefly rewarded for it by that King with a Chain of Gold valued at two hundred pounds and a Gown richly trimmed with Ayglets which he had then upon his back This Ceremony being thus performed the Bishop of Ely in a short Speech Declared How desirous his Master was not onely to continue but to encrease Amity with the French King that for this end He had sent the Order of The Garter to be both a Testimony and Tye of Love between them to which purpose principally those Societies of Honour were first devised Declaring that they had Commission to make Overtures of some other matters which was like to make the Concord betwixt the Kings and their Realms not onely more durable but in all expectation perpetual and thereupon desired the King to appoint some persons enabled with Authourity to Treat with them To which it was Answered by the Cardinal of Lorrain in the name of that King That his Master was ready to apprehend and embrace all Offers tending to encrease of Amity and the rather for that long Hostility had made their new Friendship both more weak in it self and more obnoxious unto Jealousies and Distrusts and therefore promised on the King's behalf that Commissioners should be appointed to Treat with them about any matters which they had in Charge In pursuance whereof the said Cardinal the Constable Chastilion the Duke of Guise and others of like Eminent note being appointed for the Treaty the English Commissioners first prosecute their Old Demand for the Queen of Scots To which it was Answered by the French That they had parted with too much Treasure and spent too many Lives upon any Conditions to let Her go and that Conclusion had been made long before for her Marriage with the Daulphin of France The English upon this proposed a Marriage between their King and the Lady Elizabeth the Eldest Daughter of France who after was Married to Philip the Second to which the French Commissioners seemed very inclinable with this Proviso notwithstanding That neither Party should be bound either in Conscience or Honour untill the Lady should accomplish twelve years of Age. And so far Matters went on smoothly but when they came to talk of Portion there appeared a vast difference between them The English Commissioners ask no more then fifteen hundred thousand Crowns but fell by one hundred thousand
Earl of Pembroke of that House was of himself a Man of a daring Nature Boisterously bold and upon that account much favoured by King â—enry the Eighth growing into â—ore Credit with the King in regard of the Lady Ann his Wife the Sister of Queen Katâ—â—in Par and having mightily raised hâ—msâ—lf in the fall of Abbies he was made chief Gentleman of the Privy-Chamber and by that Title raâ—ked amongst the Executours of the King 's last Will and then appointed to be one of the Council to the King now Reigning Being found by Dudly a fit man to advance his ends he is by his Procurement gratâ—fiâ—d for I know not what Service unless it were for furthering the Sale of Bulloign with some of the King's Lands amounting to five hundred pounds in yearly Rents and made Lord Prâ—sident of Wales promoted afterwards to the place of Master of the Horse that he might be as considerabâ—e in the Court as he was in the Country It was to be presumed that he would not be wanting unto him who had so preferred him By these three all Affairs of Court were carried plotâ—ed by Dudley smoothed by the Courtship of the Marquess and executed by the bold hand of the new Lord President Being thus fortified he revives his former Quarrel with the Duke of Sommerset not that he had any just ground for it but that he looked upon him as the onely Block which lay in the way of his Aspirings and â—herefore was to be removed by what means soever Plots are lai'd therefore to entrap him Snares to catch him Reports raised him as a Proud and Ambitious Person of whose Aspirings there would be no other end then the Crown it self and common Rumours spread abroad that some of his Followers had Proclaimed him King in several places onely to finde how well the People stood affected to it His Doors are watched and Notice took of all that went in and out his Words observed made much worse by telling and aggravated with all odious Circumstances to his Disadvantage No way untravailed in the Arts of Treachery and Fraud whâ—ch might bring him into Suspicion with the King and Obloquie with the common People The Duke's Friends were not ignorant of all these Practises and could not but perceive but that his Ruin and their own was projected by them The Law of Nature bound them to preserve themselves but their Adversaries were too cunning for them at the Weapon of Wit and had too much Strength in their own Hands to be easily overmastered in the way of Power Some dangerous Counsels were thereupon infused into him more likely by his Wife then by any other to invite these Lords unto a Banquet and either to kill them as they sate or violently to drag them from the Table and cut of their Heads the Banquet to be made at the Lord Pageâ—'s Hoâ—se near Saint Clement's Church and one hundred stout Men to be lodged in Sommerset-Place not far off for the Execution of that Mâ—rther This Plot confessed if any Credit may be given to such Confessions by one Crane and his Wife both great in the Favour of the Duchess and with her committed And after justâ—fied by Sir Thomas Palmer who was committed with the Duke in his Examination taken by the Lords of the Council There were said to be some Consultations also for raising the Forces in the North for setting upon the Gens'd arms which served in the Nature of a Life-Guard as before was said upon some day of General-Muster two thousand Foot and one hundred Horse of the Duke's being designed unto that Service and that being done to raise the City by Proclaiming Liberty To which it was added by Hammond one of the Duke 's false Servants That his Chamber at Greenwich had been strongly guarded by Night to prevent the Surprisal of his Person How much of this is true or whether any of it be true or not it is not easie to determâ—ne though possibly enough it is that all this Smoak could not be without some Fire which whosoever kindled first there is no doubt but that Earl Dudly blew the Coals and made it seem greater then it was Of all these Practises and Designs if such they were the Earl is conâ—tantly advertised by his Espials whom he had amongâ—â— them and gave them as much Linâ— and Leisure as they could desire till he had made all things ready for the Executing of his own Projectments But first there must be a great day of bestowing Honours as well for gaining the more Credit unto him and his Followers as by the jollity of the Time to take away all Fear of Danger from the Opposite Party In Pursuit whereof Henry Lord Gray Marquess of Dorset descended from Elizabeth Wife of King Edward the Fourth by Her former Husband is made Duke of Suffolk to which he might pretend some Claim in Right of the Lady Frances his Wife the eldest Daughter of Charls Brandon Duke of Suffolk and Sister of Henry anâ— Charls the two late Dukes thereof who dyed a few Moneths since at Cambridg of the Sweating Sickness The Earl himself for some Reasons very well known to himself and not unknown to many others is made Duke of Northumberland which Title had lain Dormant ever since the Death of Henry Lord Percy the sixth Earl of that Family who dyed in the year 1537. or thereabouts of whom more anon The Lord Treasurer Pawlet being then Earl of Wiltshire is made Marquess of Winchester Sir William Herbert created at the same time Lord Herbert of Cardiff and Eâ—rl of Pembroke Some make Sir Thomas Darcie Captain of the Guard to be advanced unto the Title of Lord Darcy of Chich on the same day also which others place perhaps more rightly on the fifth of April The Solemnity of which Creations being passed over the Order of Knighthood is conferred on William Cecil Esquire one of the Secretaries of Estate John Cheek Tutour or Schole-Master to the King Henry Dudley and Henry Nevil Gentlemen of the Privy-Chamber At or about which time Sir Robert Dudley the third Son of the new Duke of Nâ—rthumberland but one which had more of the Father in hâ—m then all the rest is sworn of the Bedâ—Chamber to the King which was a place of greatest Trust and Nearness to His Majestie 's Person The Triumphs of this Day being the eleventh day of October were but a Porlogue to the Tragedy which began on the fifth day after At what time the Duke of Sommerset the Lord Gray Sir Thomas Palmer Sir Ralph Vane Sir Thomas Arundel together with Hammond Newdigate and two of the Seimours were seised on and committed to Custody all of them except Palmer Vane and Arundel being sent to the Tower And these three kept in several Chambers to attend the pleasure of the Council for their Examinations The Duchess of Sommerset Crane and his Wife above-mentioned and one of the Gentlewomen of her Chamber were sent unto the Tower on the morrow
added from the Holy Scripture where Solomon is found to be preferred unto the Throne by David before Adonijah the youngest Son before the eldest a Childe before a Man experienced and well grown in years And some Examples also might be had of the like Transpositions in the Realm of Scotland in Hungary Naples and else where enough to shew that nothing had been done in this great Transaction which was not to be presidented in other Places Upon all which Considerations it was thought most agreeable to the Rules of Polity that the King by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England should so dispose of the Possession of the Crown with such Remainders and Reversions as to him seemed best as might prevent such Inconveniencies and Emergent Mischiefs as might otherwise happen which could not better be effected then by setting the Crown on the Head of the Lady Jane a Lady of a Royal Blood born in the Realm brought up in the Religion now by Law established Married already to a Person of Desert and Honour and such an one in whom all those Graces were concentred which were sufficient to adorn all the rest of Her Sex Thus Reason being thus prepared the next Care was to have the Instrument so contrived in due form of Law that nothing might be wanting in the Stile and Legalities of it which might make it any way obnoxious to Disputes and Questions For the doing whereof it was thought necessary to call in the Assistance of some of the Judges and others of His Majesties Council learned in the Laws of this Realm by whose Authority it might be thought more passable amongst the People Of all which Rank none was thought fitter to be taken into the Consultation then Sir Edward Montague not onely as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and very well experienced in His own Profession But because he being one of the Executours of the King deceased his concurrence with the rest of the Council seemed the more considerable A Letter is therefore sent unto him on the eleventh of June subscribed by the Lord Treasurer the Duke of Northumberland the Earls of Shrewsbury Bedford and Pembroke the Lord Admiral Clinton the Lord Darcie Sir John Gale Sir William Peter Sir William Cecil and Sir John Cheek By the Tenour whereof he was commanded to attend upon their Lordships the next day in the Afternoon and to bring with him Sir John Baker Chancellour of the first-Fruits and Tenths Master Justice Bromeley together with the Attorney and Sollicitour General Being brought into the King's Presence at the time appointed whom they found attended by the Lord Treasurer and some others of those who had subscribed the former Letter the King declared Himself with a weak Voice to this Effect viz. That He had considered in His Sickness of the Estate of His Realm which if it should descend on the Lady Mary who was then unmarried it might so happen that She might marry a Stranger born whereby not onely the Laws of the Realm might be changed and altered but all His own Proceedings in Religion might be also reversed That it was His Pleasure therefore that the Crown should Descend after His Decease unto such Persons aâ—d in such Form as was contained in certain Articles then ready to be shewed unto them to be by them digested and disposed of in due Form of Law These Articles when they had Perused and Considered of they signified unto the King that they conceâ—ved them to be contrary to the Act of Succession which being made in Parliament could not be Frustrated or made Ineffectual but by Parliaments onely Which Answer notwithstanding the King without allowing further time or deliberation commanded them to take the Articles along with them and give the Business a Dispatch with all speed as might be But finding greater Difficulties in it then had appeared unto their Lordships they made a Report unto them at their next Attendance that they had Considered of the King's Articles and the Act of Succession whereby it appeared manâ—festly that if they should make any Book concerning the King's Commandment they should not onely be in danger of Treason but their Lordships also The sum of which Report being cerâ—ifiâ—d to the Duke of Northumberland who though absent was not out of Call he came in great Rage and Fury to the Council-Chamber called the Chief Justice Traitour affirmed that he would fight in his Shirt in that Quarrel against any man living and behaved himself in such an outragious manner as put both Mountague and Justice Bromely in a very great fear that he would have struck them Calâ—ed to the Court again by a Letter of the fourteenth of the same Moneth they found the King more earnest in it then He was before requiring them with a sharp Voice and a displeased Countenance to dispatch the Book according to the Articles delivered to them and telling them that He would have a Parliament shortly to Confirm the same When nothing else would serve the turn Answer was made That His Câ—mmandment should be obeyed upon Condition that they might be Commissionated so to do by His Majestie 's Warrant under the Great Seal of England and have a General Pardon for it when the Deed was done Not daring longer to resist and having made as good Provision as they could for their own Indemnâ—ty they betook themselves unto the Work digested it in form oâ— Law caused â—t to be Engrossed in Parchment and so dispatched it for the Seal to the Lord Chancellour Goodrick sufficiently prepared before-hand not to stick upon it Bâ—t then appeared another Difficulty amongst the Lords of the Council some of whâ—ch not well satisfied with these Proceedings appeared as backward in Subscribing to the Instrument before it went unto the Seal as the Great Lawyers had done at the first in being brought to the Employment But such was the Authority which Dudley and his Party had gained amongst them that some for fear and some for favour did Subscribe at last a Zeal to the Reformed Religion prevailing in it upon some a doubt of loosing their Church-Lands more powerfully over-swaying others and all in fear of getting the displeasure of that Mighty Tyrant who by his Power and Practices carried all before him The last that stood it out was Arch-Bishop Cranmer Who being sent for to the Court when all the Lords of the Council and most of the Judges of the Realm had subscribed the Instrument refused to put his hand unto it or to consent to the Disherison of the late King's Daughters After much Reasoning of the Case he requires a longer time of deliberation consults about it with some of the most Learned Lawyers and is finally sent for by the King who having fully set his heart upon the Business did use so many Reasons to him in behalf of Religion and plyed him with such strong Perswasions in pursuance of them that at the last he suffered himself to be overcome by His Importunities
Noble Men Work the best Nevertheless We are not ignorant of Your Consultations to Vndo the Provisions made for Our Preferment nor of the Great Hands and Provisions forcible wherewith You be Assembled and Prepared by whom and to what end God and You know and Nature cannot but fear some Evil. But be it that some Consideration Politick or whatsoever thing else hath moved You thereto yet doubt ye not My Lords but We can take all these Your doings in Gratious Part being also Right-Ready to remit and fully Pardon the same and that to Eschew Bloodshed and Vengeance against all those that can or will intend the same trusting also assuredly that Ye will take and accept this Grace and Vertue in Good Part as appertaineth and that We shall not be Enforced to use the Service of other Our True Subjects and Friends which in this Our Just and Right Cause Goâ— in whom all Our affiance is shall send Vs. Wherefore My Lords We require You and charge you and every of You of Your Allegiance which You ow to God and Vs and to none other for Our Honour and the Surety of Our Person onely imploy Your Selves and forthwith upon receipt hereof cause Our Right and Title to the Crown and Governance of this Realm to be Proclaimed in Our City of London and other places as to your Wisdoms shall seem Good and as to this Case appertaineth not failing hereof as Our very Trust is in You. And this Our Letter Signed with Our Hand shall be your sufficient Warrant in that behalf Given under Our Signet at Our Mannour of Kenning-Hall the ninth of July 1553. This Letter seemed to give their Lordships no other trouble then the returning of an Answer For well they knew that She could do no less then put up Her Claim and they conceived that She was not in a condition for doing more Onely it was thought fit to let Her know what She was to trust to the better to prevent such Inconveniencies as might otherwise happen And to that end an Answer was presently dispatched under the Hands of the Archâ—Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellour Goodrich Bishop of Ely the Dukes of Northhumberland and Suffâ—lk the Marquesses of Winchester and North-hampton the Earls of Arundel Shrewsbury Huntington Bedford and Pembroke the Lords Cobham and Darcie Sir Thomas Cheny Sir Robert Cotton Sir William Peter Sir William Cecil Sir John Cheek Sir John Mason Sir Edward North Sir Robert Bows The Tenour whereof was as followeth MADAM WE have received Your Letters the ninth of this Instant Declaring Your Supposed Title which You Judg Your Self to have to the Imperial Crown of this Realm and all the Dâ—minions thereunto belonging For Answer whereof this is to Advertise You that for as much as Our Sovereign Lady Queen Jane is after the Death of Our Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth a Prince of most Noble Memory Invested and Possessed with the just and Right Title in the Imperial Crown of this Realm not onely by Good Order of Old Antient Laws of this Realm but also by Our late Sovereign Lord's Letters Patents Signed with His Own Hand and Sealed with the Great Seal of England in presence of most part of the Nobles Counsellours Judges with divers others Grave and Sage Personages Assenting and Subscribing the same We must therefore as of most Bound Duty and Allegiance and Assent unto Her said Grace and to none other except we should which Faithfull Subjects cannot fall into grievous and unspeakable Enormities Wherefore We can no less do both for the quiet of the Realm and You also to advertise you that for as much as the Divorce made between the King of Famous Memory King Henry the Eighth and the Lady Katharine Your Mother was necessary to be had both by the Everlasting Laws of God and also by the Ecclesiastical Laws and the most part of the Noble and Learned Vniversities in Christenaâ—m and Confirmed also by the sundry Acts of Parliaments remaining yet in Force and thereby You justly made Illegitimate and Vn-heritable to the Crown Imperial of this Realm and the Rules and Dominions and Possessions of the same You will upon just consideration hereof and of divers other Causes Lawfull to be Alledged for the same and for the just Inheritance of the Right Line and Godly Order taken by the late King Our Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth and agreed upon by the Nobles and Greatest Personages aforesaid Surcease by any pretents to vex or molest any of Our Sovereign Lady Queen Jane Her Subjects from their True Faith and Allegiance due unto Her Grace assuring You that if you will for Respect shew Your Self Quiet and Obedient as You ought You shall find Vs all and several ready to do You any Service that We with Duty may and be glad with Your quietness to preserve the Common State of this Realm wherein You may be otherwise grievous Vs to Your Self and to them And thus We bid You most Heartily well to fare c. These Letters being thus dispatched and no further danger seeming to be feared on that side all things are put in Readiness against the coming of the Queen who the same day about three of the Clock in the Afternoon was brought by water to the Tower attended by a Noble Train of both Sexes from Durham House in the Strand where She had been entertained as a part of Dudley's Family ever since Her Marriage She could not be ignorant of that which had been done in Order unto Her Advancement to the Royal Throne and could not but conceive that Her being Conducted to the Tower in that Solemn manner did portend somewhat which looked toward a Coronation But still She hoped that either She should hear some Good News of the King's Recovery or of the Altering of His Purpose and that She might be suffered to enjoy those Divine Contentments which she had found in the Repose of a Studious Life But when She came into the presence of the two Dukes Her Father and Her Father-in-Law She observed their Behaviour towards Her to be very different from that which they had used before To put Her out of which Amazement it was signified to Her by the Duke of Northumberland That The King was Dead and that He had Declared Her for His next Successour in the Crown Imperial That This Declaration was Approved by all the Lords of the Council most of the Peers and all the Judges of the Land which they had Testified by the Subscription of their Names and all this Ratified and Confirmed by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England That The Lord Mayour the Aldermen and some of the Principal Citizens had been spoke withall by whom they were assured of the Fidelity of the rest of the City That There was nothing wanting but Her Gratefull Acceptance of the High Estate which God Almighty the Sovereign Disposer of all Crowns and Scepters never sufficiently to be thanked by Her for so great
a Mercy had advanced Her to That Therefore She should chearfully take upon Her the Name Title and Estate of Queen of England France and Ireland with all the Royalties and Preheminencies to the same belonging Receiving at their hands the First-Fruits of the Humble Duty now tendred by them on their Knees which shortly was to be payed to Her by the rest of the Kingdom This Speech being ended the poor Lady found Her Self in a great Perplexity not knowing whether she Should more lament the Death of the King or Her Adoption to the Kingdom the first Loss not to be repaired the next Care possible to be avoided She looked upon the Crown as a great Temptation to resist which She stood in need of all the Helps which both Philosophy and Divinity could suggest unto Her And She knew also that such Fortunes seldom knocked twice for entrance at the same Man's Gate but that if once refused they are gone for ever Taking some time therefore of Deliberation She summoned a Council of Her purest Thoughts by whose Advice half drownned in Tears either as sorrowing for the King's Death or fore-seeing Her own She returned an Answer in these Words or to this Effect That The Laws of the Kingdom and Natural Right standing for the King's Sister She would beware of burthening Her weak Conscience with a Yoke which did belong to them That She understood the Infamy of those who had permitted the violation of Right to gain a Scepter That it were to mock God and deride Justice to scruple at the stealing of a Shilling and not at the Vsurpation of a Crown Besides said She I am not so young nor so little read in the Guils of Fortune to suffer my self to be taken by them If she inrich any it is but to make them the Subject of her Spoil If she raise others it is but to pleasure her Self with their Ruins What shâ— adored but yesterday is to day her Pastime And if I now permit her to adorn and Crown me I must to Morrow suffer her to crush and tear me in pieces Nay with what Crown doth she Present me A Crown which hath been Violently and Shamefully wrested from Katharine of Arragon made more unfortunate by the Punishment of Ann Bulloign and others that wore it after Her And why then would you have me add my Blood to theirs and to be the third Victime from whom this Fatal Crown may be ravished with the Head that wears it But in Case it should not prove Fatal unto me and that all its Venom were consumed if Fortune should give me Warranties of her Constancy Should I be well advised to take upon me these Thorns which would dilacerate though not kill me outright to burthen my self with a Yoke which would not fail to torment me though I were assured not to be strangled with it My Liberty is better then the Chain you proffer me with what pretious stones soever it be adorned or of what Gold soever framed I will not exchange my Peace for Honourable and pretious Jealousies for Magnificent and Glorious Letters And if you love me sincerely and in good earnest you will rather wish me a secure and quiet Fortune though mean then an exalted Condition exposed to the Wind and followed by some dismal Fall It had been happy for Her self Her Fathers and their several Families if they had suffered themselves to be overcome by such powerfull Arguments which were not onely persuasive but might seem convincing had they not all been fatally hurried unto their own Destruction But the Ambition of the two Dukes was too Strong and Violent to be kept down by any such prudent Considerations So that being wearied at the last with their Importunities and overcome by the entreaties of Her Husband whom She dearly loved She submitted unto that necessity which She could not vanquish yielding her Head with more unwillingness to the Ravishing Glories of a Crown then afterwards She did to the Stroak of the Ax. The Point being thus concluded on the two Dukes with all the rest of the Lords of the Council swore Allegeance to her And on the same day about five of the Clock in the afternoon they caused Her Solemnly to be Proclaimed Queen of England France and Ireland c. in many of the principal Streets in London and after by Degrees in most of the Chief Cities Towns and Places of greatest Concourse and Resort of People In which Proclamation it was signified That by the Letters Patents of the late King Edward bearing Date the twenty first of June last past the Lady Jane Gray Eldest Daughter to the Duchess of Suffolk had been declared His true and lawfull Successour to the Crown of England the same to be enjoyed after Her Decease the Heirs of Her Body c. as in the said Letters Patents more especially did at large appear Which Proclamation though it was published in the City with all due Solemnities and that the Concourse of People was exceeding great yet their Acclamations were but few which served as a sufficient Argument to the Friends and Followers of the Princess Mary that they were rather drawn together out of Curiosity to behold some unusual Spectacle then out of any purpose to congratulate at the Queen's Advancement And so far some of of them declared their dislike thereof that the next Day one Gilbert Pot was set on the Pâ—llory in Cheâ—pside his Ears first nailed and afterwards cut off for certain words which he had spoken at the Publishing of the Proclamation a Trumpet sounding at the Time of the Execution and an Herald in his Coat of Arms publickly noting his Offence in a Form prescribed A Severity neither safe nor necessary the party being of no better Condition then a Vintner's Boy as the Case then stood For the next day the Lords received Advertisement from divers hands that many persons of Quality were drawn together at Kenning-Hallâ—Castle in Norfolk to offer their Service and assistance to the Princess Mary who finding by the Answer which She had received from the Lords of the Council that no good was otherwise to be be done resolved not to be wanting to Her own Pretensions and to that end gave chearfull Entertainment to all comers which either favoured Her Title or embraced Her Religion Amongst such Gentlemen as were certified to the Lords of the Council I finde the names of the Earl of Bath Sir Thomas Wharton son to the Lord Wharton Sir John Mordant Son to the Lord Mordant Sir William Drury Sir John Shelton Sir Henry Bedingfield Mr. Henry Jenningham Mr. John Sulierd Mr. Richard Higham of Lincoln's-Inn It was advertised also that the Earl of Sussex and Mr. Henry Ratcliff his Son were coming towards Her with their Forces which last Advertisement gave the Business some appearance of Danger for what else was to be expected but that the Countenance and Encouragement of so great a Person might draw many more unto the side who otherwise would have
Her Reign but of nine Days and no more Her Life not twice so many years as She Reigned days Such was the end of all the Projects of the two great Dukes for Her Advancement to the Crown and their own in Hers. To which as She was raised without any Blows so She might have been deposed without any Blows if the Ax had not been more cruel on the Scaffold then the Sword in the Field The Sword had never been unsheathed but when the Scaffold was once Erected and the Ax once sharpened there followed so many Executions after one another till the Death of that Queen that as Her Reign began in the Blood of those who took upon them the Puâ—suit of this Lady's Title so was it stained more fouly in the Blood of 〈◊〉 as were Maâ—tyred in all parts for Her Religion To the Relation of which 〈◊〉 Deaths and Martyrdoms and other the Calamities of that Tragical and unpâ—â—â—perous Reign we must next proceed The Parentage Birth and first Fortunes of the Princesse ELIZABETH The second Daughter of King Henry the Eighth before her coming to the CROWN With a true Narrative of the first Loves of King Henry the Eighth to Queen Anne Bollen The Reasons of his alienating of his first affections and the true causes of her woful and calamitous death ELIZABETH the youngest daughter of King Henry the 8th was born at Greenwich on the 7th of September being the Eve of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary 1533. begotten on the body of Queen Anne Bollen the eldest daughter of Thomas Bollen Earl of Wiltshire and of Elâ—zabeth his wife one of the daughters of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal of England The Family of the Bollens before this time neither great nor antient but highly raised in reputation by the marriage of the Lady Anne and the subsequent birth of Queen Elizabeth the first rise thereof comming out of the City in the person of Sir Geofrey Bollen Lord Mayor of London Anno 1457. which Geofrey being son of one Geofrey Bollen of Sulle in Norfolk was father of Sir William Bollen of Blickling in the said County who took to wife the Lady Margaret daughter and one of the heirs of Thomas Butler Earl of Ormond brother and heir of James Butler Earl of Wiltshire Of this marriage came Sir Thomas Bollen above mentioned imployed in several Embassies by King Henry the Eighth to whom he was Treasurer of the Houshold and by that name enrolled amongst the Knights of the Garter Anno 1523. advanced about two years after being the seventeenth of that King to the style and title of Viscount Rochfort and finally in reference to his mothers extraction created Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond 1529. But dying without issue male surviving the title of Ormond was restored to the next heir male of the Butlers in Ireland and that of Wiltshire given by King Edward the 6th to Sir William Paules being then great Master of the Houshold And as for that of Viscount Rochfort it lay dormant after his decease till the 6th of July Anno 1621. when conferred by King James on Henry Cary Lord Hunsâ—on the son of John and Grandchild of Henry Cary whom Queen Elizabeth in the first year of her Reign made Lord Cary of Hunsdon he being the son and heir of Sir William Cary one of the Esquires of the body to King Henry the 8th by the Lady Mary Bâ—llen his wife the youngest daughter and one of the Coheirs of the said Thomas Bollen Viscount Rochfort and Earl of Wiltshire Such being the estate of that Family which became afterwards so fortunate in the production of this Princess to the Realm of England we must in the next place enquire more particularly into the life and story of Queen Anne her Mother Who in her tender years attending on Mary the French Queen to the Court of France was by her Father after the return of the said Queen placed in the retinue of the Dutchess of Alanzone the beloved sister of King Francis where she not only learnt the language but made her self an exact Mistriss both of the Gaities and Garb of the great French Ladies She carried such a stock of natural graces as render'd her superlatively the most admired beauty in the Court of France and returned thence with all those advantages which the civilities of France could add to an English beauty For so it hapned that her Father being sent with Sir Anthony Brown Anno 1527. to take the oath of the French King to a solemn league not long before concluded betwixt the Crowns resolved to bring back his daughter with him to see what fortunes God would send her in the Court of England Where being Treasurer of the houshold it was no hard matter for him to prefer her to Queen Katherines service on whom she waited in the nature of a Maid of Honour which gave the King the opportunity of taking more than ordinary notice of her parts and person Nor was it long before the excellency of her beauty adorned with such a gracefulness of behaviour appeared before his eyes with so many charms that not able to resist the assaults of Love he gave himself over to be governed by those affections which he found himself unable to Master But he found no such easie task of it as he had done before in bringing Mrs Elizabeth Blunt and others to be the subjects of his lusts all his temptations being repelled by this vertuous Lady like arrows shot in vain at a rock of Adamants She was not to be told of the Kings loose love to several Ladies and knew that nothing could be gained by yielding unto such desires but contempt and infamy though for a while disguised and palliated by the plausible name and Courtly Title of a Princes Mistriss The humble and modest opposition of the Lady Gray to the inordinate affections of King Edward the 4th advanced her to his bed as a lawful wife which otherwise she had been possessed of by no better title than that of Jane Shore and his other Concubines By whose example Mistriss Bollâ—n is resolved to steer her courses and not to yield him any further favours than what the honour of a Lady and the modesty of a virgin might inoffensively permit to so great a King But so it chanced that before her coming back from the Court of France the King began to be touched in conscience about his marriage with the Queen upon occasion of some doubts which had been cast in the way both by the Ministers of the Emperour and the French King as touching the legitimation of his daughter Mary Which doubts being started at a time when he stood on no good terms with the Emperour and was upon the point of breaking with him was secretly fomented by such of the Court as had advanced the party of Francis and sought alwaies to alienate him from the friendship of Charles Amongst which none more forward than Cardinal Wolsie who
there was no evidence against her but the confession of Smeton and the calumnies of the Lady Rochfort of which the one was fooled into that confession by the hope of life which notwithstanding was not pardoned and the other most deservedly lost her head within few years after for being accessary to the Adulteries of Queen Katherine Howard And yet upon this Evidence she was arraigned in the great Hall of the Tower of London on the 15th of May and pronounced guilty by her Peers of which her own father which I cannot but behold as an act of the highest tyranny was compelled to be one The Lord Rochfort and the rest of the prisoners were found guilty also and suffered death on the 17th day of the same month all of them standing stoutly to the Queens and their own integrity as it was thought that Smeton also would have done but that he still flattered himself with the hopes of life till the loss of his head disabled him from making the retractation The like death suffered by the Queen on the second day after some few permitted to be present rather as witnesses than spectators of her final end And it was so ordered by the advice of Sir William Kingston who signified in his Letters to one of the Council that he conceived it best that a reasonable number onely should be present at the Execution because he found by some discourse which he had had with her that she would declare her self to be a good woman for all men but for the King at the hour of death Which declaration she made good going with great cheerfulness to the Scaffold praying most heartily for the King and standing constantly on her innocence to the very last So dyed this great and gallant Lady one of the most remarkable mockeries and disports of fortune which these last ages have produced raised from the quality of a privat Lady to the bed of a King crowned on the Throne and executed on the Scaffold the fabrick of her power and glories being six years at the least in building but cast down in an instant the splendor and magnificence of her Coronation seeming to have no other end but to make her the more glorious Sacrifice at the next alteration of the Kings affections But her death was not the onely mark which the King did aim at If she had onely lost her head though with the loss of her honor it would have been no bar to her daughter Elizabeth from succeeding her father in the Throne and he must have his bed left free from all such pretensions the better to draw on the following mariage It was thought necessary therefore that she should be separated from his bed by some other means than the Axe or Sword and to be legally divorced from her in a Court of Judicature when the sentence of death might seem to have deprived her of all means as well as of all manner of desire to dispute the point Upon which ground Norris is practised with to confess the Adultery and the Lord Percy now Earl of Northumberland who was known to have made love unto her in her former times to acknowledge a Contract But as Norris gallantly denyed the one so the Lord Percy could not be induced though much laboured to it to confess the other For proof whereof we have this Letter of his own hand writing directed to Secretary Cromwel in these following words Mr Secretary THis shall be to signifie unto you that I perceive by Sir Raynald Carnaby that there is supposed to be a pre-contract between the Queen and me Whereupon I was not only examined upon my oath before the Archbishops of Canterbury and York but also received the blessed Sacrament upon the same before the Duke of Norfolk and others of the Kings Highnesse Council learned in the spiritual Law assuring You Mr Secretary by the said oath and blessed body which afore I received and hereafter mean to receive that the same may be to my damnation if ever there were any contract or promise of mariage betwixt her and me At Newington Green the 13th of May in the 28th year of the reign of Our Soverain Lord King Henry the 8th Yours assured H. Northumberland But notwithstanding these denyals and that neither the Adultery was confessed not the Contract proved some other ground was found out to dissolve the mariage though what it was doth not appear upon Record All which occurs in reference to it is a solemn instrument under the seal of Archbishop Cranmer by which the mariage is declared on good and valuable reasons to be null and void no reason being exprest particularly for the ground thereof Which sentence was pronounced at Lambeth on the 17th of May in the presence of Sir Thomas Hadly Lord Chancellor Charles Duke of Suffolk John Earl of Oxon Robert Earl of Sussex William Lord Sandys Lord Chancellor of his Majesties houshold Thomas Cromwel Master of the Rolls and principal Secretary then newly put into the office of Vicar General Sir William Fitzwilliams Treasurer and Sir William Paulet Controller of the Kings houshold Thomas Bedil Arch-Deacon of Cornwal and John Trigunwel Dr of the Lawes all being of the Privy Council Besides which there were present also John Oliver Dean of Kings College in Oxon Richard Guent Arch-Deacon of London and Dean of the Aâ—ches Edmund Bonner Arch-Deacon of Leicester Richard Leighton Arch Deacon of Buckingham and Thomas Lee Doctor of the Lawes as also Dr Richard Sampson Dean of the Chapel Royal who appeared as Proctor for the King together with Doctor Nicholas Wotton and Doctor John Barbour appointed Proctors for the Queen By the authority of which great appearance more than for any thing contain'd particularly in the act or instrument the said sentence of Divorce was approved by the Prelates and Clergy assembled in their Convocation on the ninth of June and being so confirmed by them it received the like approbation by Act of Parliament within few dayes after in which Act there also passed a clause which declared the Lady Elizabeth the only issue of this mariage to be illegitimate What else concerns this unfortunate Lady together with some proof of divers things before delivered cannot be more pathetically expressed than by her self bemoaning her misfortunes to the King in this following Letter Sir YOur Graces displeasure and my imprisonment are things so strange unto me as what to write or what to excuse I am altogether ignorant Whereas you send unto me willing me to confesse a truth and so obtain your favour by such a one whom you know to be my antâ—ent professed enemy I no sooner received this message than I rightly conceived your meaning And if as you say confessing a truth indeed may procure my safety I shall with all willingness and duty perform your commands but let not your Grace ever imagine that your poor wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a fauâ—t where not so much as a thought ever proceeded And
conformity as to believe that she was catholickly affected But the Queen was not the onely one who believed so of her though she behaved her self so warily as not to come within the danger of the Laws for acting any thing in opposition unto that Religion which was then established Concerning which there goes a story that when a Popish Priest had urged her very earnestly to declare her judgment touching the Presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament she very cautelously resolved the point in these following Verses 'T was God the word that spake it He took the bread and bâ—ake it And what the Word did make it That I believe and take it But all this caution notwithstanding her aversness from the Church of Rome was known sufficiently not to be altered while she lived and therefore she to live no longer to be the occasion of continual fears and jealousies to the Catholick party The times were then both sharp and bloody and a great persecution was designed against the Protestants in all parts of the Kingdom At what time Bishop Gardiner was heard to say That it was to no purpose to cut off the boughs and branches if they did not also lay the Ax to the root of the Tree More plainly the Lord Paget in the hearing of some of the Spaniaâ—ds That the King should never have a quiet Government in England if her â—â—ad were not stricken off from her shoulders With which the King being made acquainted he resolved to use his best endeavour not onely to preserve her life but obtain her liberty For he considered with himself that if the Princess should be taken away the right of the Succession would remain in the Queen of Scots who being married to the Daulphin of Frâ—â—ce would be a means of joyning this Kingdom unto that and thereby gain unto the French the Soveraignty or supream command above all other Kings in Europe He considered also with himself that the Queen was noâ— very healthy supposed at that â—ime to be with child but thought by others of more judgment not to be like to bring him any children to succeed in the Crown and hoped by such a signall favour to oblige the Princess to accept him for her husband on the Queens decease by means whereof he might still continue Master of the treasures and strength of England in all his wars against the French or any other Nation which maligned the greatness of the Austrian Family Upon which grounds he dealt so effectually with the Queen that order was given about a fortnight after Easter to the Lord Williams and Sir Henry Bedingfield to bring their prisoner to the Court which command was not more cheerfully executed by the one than stomach'd and repin'd at by the other Being brought to Hampton Court where the Queen then lay she was conducted by a back way to the Prince's Lodgings where she continued a fortnight and more without being seen or sent to by any body Bedingfield and his guards being still about her so that she seemed to have changed the place but not the Prison and to be so much nearer danger by how much she was nearer unto those who had power to work it At last a visit was bestowed upon her but not without her earnest sute in that behalf by the Bishop of Winchester Lord Chancellor the Earls of Arundel and Shrewsbery and Sir William Peter whom she right joyfully received desiring them to be a means unto the Queen that she might be freed from that restraint under which she had been kept so long together Which being said the Bishop of Winchester kneeling down besought her to submit her self to the Queen that being as he said the onely probable expedient to effect her liberty To whom she answered as before that rather than she would betray her innocence by such submission she would be content to lie in prison all the days of her life For by so doing said she I must confess my self to be an offender which I never was against her Majesty in thought word or deed and where no just offence is given there needs no submission Some other Overtures being made to the same effect but all unto as little purpose she is at last brought before the Queen whom she had not seen in more than one year before about ten of the clock at night before whom falling on her knees she desired God to preserve her Malesty not doubting as she said but that she should prove her self to be as good a Subject to her Majesty as any other whosoever Being first dealt with by the Queen to confess some offence against her self and afterwards to acknowledge her imprisonment not to be unjust she absolutely refused the one and very handsomely declined the other So that no good being to be gotten on her on either hand she was dismissed with some uncomfortable words from the present Enterview and about a week after was discharged of Bedingfield and his guard of soldiers It was reported that King Philip stood behind the Hangings and hearkned unto every word which passed between them to the end that if the Queen should grow into any extremity he might come in to pacifie her displeasures and calm her passions He knew full well how passionately this Princess was beloved by the English Nation and that he could not at the present more endear himself to the whole body of the people than by effecting her enlargment which shortly after being obtained she was permitted to retire to her own houses in the Country remaining sometimes in one and sometimes in another but never without fear of being remanded unto prison till the death of Gardiner which hapned on the 12th of November then next following Some speech there was and it was earnestly endeavoured by the Popish Party of marrying her to Emanuel Philebert Duke of Savoy as being a Prince that lived far off and where she could give no encouragement to any male-contented party in the Realm of England Against which none so much opposed as the King who had a designe on her for himself as before is said and rather for himself than for Charls his son though it be so affirmed by Cambden the Princess being then in the twenty second year of her age whereas the young Prince was not above seven or eight So that a resolution being finally fixed of keeping her within the Kingdom she lived afterwards for the most part with less vexations but not without many watchfull eyes upon all her actions till it pleased God to call her to the Crown of England She had much profited by the Pedagogie of Ascham and the rest of her Schoolmasters but never improved her self so much as in the School of Affliction by which she learned the miseries incident to Subjects when they groan under the displeasure of offended Princes that the displeasures of some Princes are both made and cherished by the art of their Ministers to the undoing of too many innocent persons
the change and to assure those Princes of the Queens desire to maintain all former leagues between them and the Crown of England but more particular instructions were directed to her Agent in the Court of Spain to whom it was given in charge to represent unto the King the dear remembrance which she kept of those many humanities received from him in the time of her troubles Instructions are sent also to Sir Edward Karn the late Queens Agent with the Pope and now confirmed by her in the same imployment to make his Holiness acquainted with the death of Queen Mary and her succession to the Crown not without out some desire that all good offices might be reciprocally exchanged between them But the Pope answered hereunto according to his accustomed rigour That the Kingdom of England was held in Fee of the Apostolick See that she could not succeed being illegitimate that he could not contradict the declarations of Clement the 7th and Paul the 3d. that it was a great boldness to assume the name and government of it without him yet being desirous to shew a fatherly affection if she will renounce her pretensions and refer her self wholly to his free disposition he will do whatsoever may be done with the honour of the Apostolick See To the making of which sudden answer though there needed no other instigation of his own rough nature yet many thought that he was put upon it by some Ministers of the Court of France who fearing nothing more than that Philip will endeavour by a second mariage to assure himself of the possession of the Realm of England and to that end sollicit for a dispensation to make way unto it thought it expedient to prevent those practices in the first beginning by putting the Pope upon such counsels as would be sure to dash all his hopes that way But the new Queen having perform'd this office of civility to him as she did to others expected not the coming back of any answer not took much thought of it when she heard it She knew full well that her legitimation and the Popes supremacy could not stand together and that she could not possibly maintain the one without a discarding of the other But in this case it concerned her to walk very warily and not to unmask her self too much at once for fear of giving an alarum to the Papal party before she had put her self into a posture of ability to make good her actions Many who were imprisoned for the cause of Religion she restored to liberty at her first coming to the Crown Which occasioned Rainsford a Buffonly Gentleman of the Court to make a sute to her in the behalf of Mathew Mark Luke and John who had been long imprisoned in a Latine Translation that they also might be restored to liberty and walk abroad as formerly in the English Toung To whom she presently made answer That he should first endeavour to know the minds of the Prisoners who perhaps desired no such liberty as was demanded Which notwithstanding upon a serious debate of all particulars she was resolved to proceed to a reformation as the times should serve In order whereunto she constitutes her Privy Council which she compounds of such ingredients as might neither give encouragement to any of those who wish'd well to the Church of Rome or alienate their affections from her whose hearts were more inclined to the Reformation Of such as had been of the Coâ—ncil to the Quen her sister she retained the Lord Archbishop of York the Lord Marquess of Winchester the Earls of Arundel Shrewsbury Darby and Pembrock the Lords Clynton and Effingham Sir Thomas Cheiney Sir William Petice Sir John Mason Sir Richard Sackvile and Doctor Wotton To whom she added of her own the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Bedford Sir Thomas Parre Sir Edward Roâ—ers Sir Ambrose Care Sir William Cecil and Sir Nicholas Bâ—câ—n To which last being then Attorney of the Dutchy of Lancaster and one that had been much employed by her in some former services which had relation to the Law she committed the custody of the Great Seal on the 22 of December the Title of Lord Chancellor remaining to Archbishop Heath as before it did and that of the Lord keeper being given to Bacon Which being a new Title and consequently subject unto some disputes an Act was passed in the second Parliament of her Reign for investing the said new Lord Keeper and all that should from thenceforth enjoy that Office with all the Powers Privileges and Preheminences which antiently had been exercised and enjoyed by the Lord Chancellor of England and for confirming of all sentences and decrees in Chancery which had or should be made by the said Lord Keepers in all times to come The like mixture she also caused to be made amongst other her subordinate Ministers in adding such new Commissioners for the Peace in every County as either were known to be of the Reformed Religion or to wish well to it The preferring of so many of the Protestant party as well to places of employment in their several Countries as to the ranck and dignity of Privy Counsellors and the refusal of her hand to Bishop Bonner at her very first comming to the Crown were taken to be strong presumptions as indeed they were that she intended to restore the Reformed Religion And as the Papists in the first beginning of the Reign of Queen Mary hoping thereby the better to obtain her favour began to build new Altars and set up the Mass before they were required so to do by any publick Authority so fared it now with many unadvised Zelots amongst the Protestants who measuring the Queens affections by their own or else presuming that their errors would be taken for an honest zeal employed themselves as busily in the demolishing of Altars and defacing of Images as if they had been licenced and commanded to it by some legal warrant It hapned also that some of the Ministers which remained at home and others which returned in great numbers from beyond the Seas had put themselves into the Pulpits and bitterly inveighed against the superstitions and corruptions of the Church of Rome The Popish Preachers did the like and were not sparing of invectives against the others whom they accused of Heresies Schisms and Innovation in the Worship of God For the suppressing of which disorders on the one side and those common disturbances on the other the Queen set out two Proclamations much about one time by one of which it was commanded that no man of what perswasion soever he was in the points of Religion should be suffered from thenceforth to preach in publick but onely such as should be licensed by her authority and that all such as were so licensed or appointed should forbear preaching upon any point which was matter of Controversie and might conduce rather to exasperate than to calm mens passions Which Proclamation was observed with such care and strictness that
no Sermon was preached at St. Paul's Cross or any publick place in London till the Easter following At what time the Sermons which were to be preached in the Spittle according to the antient custom were performed by Doctor Bill the Almoner to the Queen and afterwards the first Dean of Westminster of the Queens foundation Doctor Richard Cox formerly Dean of Westminster preferred in short time after to the See of Ely and Mr. Robert Horn of whom mention hath been made before at the troubles of Franckfort advanced not long after to the See of Winchester The Rehearsal Sermon accustomably preached at St. Pauls Crosse on the Sunday following was undertook by Doctor Thomas Sampson then newly returned from beyond the Seas and after most unhappily made Dean of Christ-church But so it chanced that when he was to go into the Pulpit the dore was locked and the key thereof not to be found so that a Smith was sent for to break open the dore and that being done the like necessity was found of cleansing and making sweet the place which by a long disuse had contracted so much filth and nastiness as rendred it unfit for another Preacher By the other Proclamation which was published on the 30th of December â—t was enjoyned That no man of what quality or degree soever should presume to alter any thing in the state of Religion or innovate in any of the rites and ceremonies thereunto belonging but that all such rites and ceremonies should be observed in all Parish Churches of the Kingdom as were then used and retained in her Majesties Chapel until some further order should be taken in it Onely it was permitted and withall required that the Letany the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments should be said in the English tongue and that the Epistle and the Gospel at the time of the High Mass should be read in English which was accordingly done in all the Churches of London on the next Sunday after being New-years day and by degrees in all the other Churches of the Kingdom also Further than this she thought it not convenient to proceed at the present but that she had commanded the Priest or Bishop for some say it was the one and some the other who officiated at the Altar in the Chapel-Royal not to make any Elevation of the Sacrament the better to prevent that adoration which was given unto it and which she could not suffer to be done in her sight without a most apparent wrong to her judgment and conscience Which being made known in other places and all other Churches being commanded to conform themselves to the example of the Chapel the elevation was forborn also in most other places to the great discontent and trouble of the Popish party And though there was no further progress toward a Reformation by any publick Act or Edict yet secretly a Reformation in the form of Worship and consequently in point of Doctrine was both intended and projected For making none acquainted with her secret purposes but the Lord Marquis of Northampton Francis Earl of Bedford Sir John Gray of Pergo one of the late Duke of Suffolk's brothers and Sir William Cecil she committed the reviewing of the former Litutgy to the care of Doctor Parker Doctor Gryndal Doctor Cox Doctor Pilkington Doctor Bill Doctor May and Mr. Whitehead together with Sir Thomas Smith Doctor of the Laws a very learned moderate and judicious Gentleman But what they did and what preferments they attained to on the doing of it we shall see anon wheu we shall find the Book reviewed confirmed by Act of Parliament and executed in all parts of the Kingdom as that Act required But first some publick Acts of State and great Solemnities of Court are to be performed The Funeral of the Queen deceased solemnised on the 13th of December at the Abbey of Westminster and the Sermon preached by Doctor White then Bishop of Winchester seemed onely as a preamble to the like Solemnity performed at the said place about ten days after in the Obsequies of Charls the 5th which mighty Emperor having first left the world by resigning his Kingdoms and retiring himself into a Monastery as before was said did after leave his life also in September last and now upon the 24th of this present December a solemn Obsequie was kept for him in the wonted form a rich Hearse being set up for him in the Church of Westminster magnificently covered with a Pall of gold his own Embassador serving as the principal Mourner and all the great Lords and Officers about the Court attending on the same in their rancks and orders And yet both these though stately and majestical in their several kinds came infinitely short of those Pomps and Triumphs which were prepared and reserved for the Coronation As a Preparation whereunto she passed from Westminster to the Tower on the 12th of January attended by the Lord Mayor the Aldermen and other Citizens in their Barges with the Banners and Escutcheons of their several Companies loud Musick sounding all the way and the next day she restored some unto their old and advanced others to new honors according to her own fancy and their deservings The Marquis of Northampton who had lain under an Attaindure ever since the first beginning of the Reign of Queen Mary she restored in blood with all his Titles and Estates The Lord Edward Seimer eldest son to the late Duke of Somerset was by her reconfirmed in the Titles of Viscount Beaâ—châ—mp and Earl of Hertford which had been formerly entayled upon him by Act of Parliament The Lord Thomas Howard second son of Thomas the late Duke of Norfolk and brother to Henry Earl of Surrey beheaded in the last days of King Henry the Eighth she advanced to the Title of Viscount Howard of Bindâ—n She also preferred Sir Oliver St. Johns who derived himself from the Lady Maâ—garet daughter of John Duke of Somerset from whom the Queen her self descended to the dignity of Lord St. John of Bletso and Sir Henry Carte son of Sir William Carie Knight and of Mary Bollen his wife the onely sister of Queen Anne Bollen she promoted to the honor and degree of Lord Carie of Hansdon The ordinary acts of grace and favour being thus dispatched she prepares the next morning for a triumphant passage through London to her Palace at Westminster But first before she takes her Chariot she is said to have lifted up her eyes to heaven and to have used some words to this or the like effect O Lord Almigâ—â—y and everâ—iving 〈◊〉 I give thee most hearty thanks that thou hast been so mercifu unto me as to spare me to see this joyful day And I acknowledge that thou hast dealt as wonderfully and aâ— mercifully with me as thou didst with thy true and faithful servant Daniel thy Prophet whom thou deliveredst out of the den from the cruelty of the raging greedy Lyons even so was I overwhelmed and only by
the face of Religion which might give her any cause of publick or personall dislike But when the great alterations hapned in the time of King Edward she then declared her selfe more openly as she might more safely in opposition to the same concerning which she thus declared her selfe in a Letter to the Lord Protector and the rest of the Council dated at Kenninghall June 22. An. 1549. My Lord I Perceive by the Letters which I late receiv'd from you and other of the Kings Majesties Councel that you be all sorry to find so little conformity in me touching the observation of his Majestie 's Laws who am well assured I have offended no law unlesse it be a late law of your own making which in my conscience is not worthy the name of Law both for the King's honors sake and the wealth of the Realm and giving the occasion of an evil bruit throughout all Christendome besides the partiality used in the same and as my conscience is very well perswaded the offending God which passeth all the rest But I am well assured that the King his Fathers Lawes were all allowed and consented to without compulsion by the whole Realm both spiritual and temporal and all the Executors sworn upon a book to fulfil the same so that it was an authorized Law And that I have obeyed and will do with the grace of God till the King's Majesty my brother shall have sufficient years to be a judge in this matter himself Whereto my Lord I was plain with you at my last being in the Court declaring unto you at that time whereunto I would stand and now do assure you all that the only occasion of my stay from a tering of mine opinion is for two causes One principally for my conscience the other that the King my brother shall nor hereafter charge me to be one of those that were agreeable to such alterations in his tender years And what fruits dayly grow by such changes since the death of the King my Father to every indifferent person it well appeareth both to the displeasure of God and unquietnesse of the Realm Notwithstanding I assure you all I would be as loath to see his Highnesse take hurt or that any evil should come to this his Realm as the besâ— of you all and none of you have the like cause considering how I am compelled by nature being his Majesties poor and humble sister most tenderly to love and pray for him and unto this his Realm being born within the same with all wealth and prosperity to God's honour And if any judge of me the contrary for mine opinions sake as I trust none doth I doubt not in the end with Gods help to prove my selfe as true a natural and humble Sister as they of the contrary opinion with all their divices and altering of lawes shall prove themselves true Subjects I pray you my Lords and the rest of the Councel no more to unquiet and trouble me with matters touching my conscience wherein I am at a full point with Gods help whatsoever shall happen to me intending with his grace to trouble you little with any worldly suits but to bestow the short time I think to live in quietnesse and I pray for the King's Majesty and all you heartily wishing that your proceedings may be to God's honour the safeguard of the King's person and quietnesse of the whole Realm And thus my Lords I wish unto you and all the rest as well to do as my selfe Upon such passages of this Letter which seemed most to pinch upon them the Lords returned their Glosse or Comment but such as had more in it of an Animadversion then an Explication They signified withall how well they understood their own Authority how sensible they were of those inconveniences which the example of her inconformity to the lawes established was likely to produce amongst the rest of the subjects No favour being otherwise to be hoped for from them the Emperour is moved to intercede in her behalfe by his Ambassador then residing about the Court Upon whose earnest solicitation it was declared by the King with the consent of his Councel as appeareth by their letters to her of the 25th of December That for his sake and her own also it should be suffered and winked at if she had the private Masse used in her own closet for a season untill she might be better informed but so that none but some few of her own chamber should be present with her and that to all the rest of her houshold the Service of the Church should be only used For the abuse of which indulgence in saying Masse promiscuously in her absence to her houshold servants Mallet and Barkley two of her Chaplains are seized on and committed prisoners which first occasioned an exchange of Letters betwixt her and the King and afterwards more frequently between her and the Councel for which consult the Acts and Mon. fol. 1213. 1214. A proposition had been made about the surrendry of Bâ—lâ—oigne for a marriage betwixt her and the Prince of Portugall and the like motion made in favour of the Duke of Brunswick whilst the other treaty was depending But neither of the two succeeding to the wish of the party a plot was laid to passe her over into Flanders shipping provided to transport her some of her servants sent before and a commotion practised in the County of Essex that in the busle she might be conveyed away without any discovery But this plot being happily prevented by the care and diligence of Sir John Gates one of the Captaâ—ns of the Gents a'armes then lately ranged under the command of the Marquess of Nâ—rthampton she was by him conducted much against her will to the Lord Chancellors house at Leezdi from thence to Hunsdon and at last to Westminster Much troubled at her comming thither upon the apprehension of Sir Robert Ruchestâ—r Sir Walgrave and Sir Francis Inglâ—field servants of special trust about her and all suspected to be privy to the design for conveying her over into Flanders Much care was taken and many endeavor used by the King and Councel to win her to good conceit of the Reformation But her interest was 〈◊〉 bound up with that of the Pope that no perswasions could prevaile with her to desert that cause on which her own legiâ—imation and the validity of her mothers marriage did so much depend As much unprofitable pains was taken by the Emperours Agents in labouring to procure for her the exercise of her own Religion mingling some threats with their intreaties in case so great a Prince should be refused in so small a suit Which when it could not be obtained from the King by the Lords of the Councel nor by the mediation of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London whom the Lords imployed to move him in it the Emperour laid aside the prosecution of a cause which he perceived he could not carry And the King
Sir John Mason Master of the Requests R. Bowes Master of the Rolls Most of which had formerly subscribed the answer to a Letter which came to them from the Princesse Mary on the ninth of July and were all pâ—â—doned for so doing except Cranmer only Now the Tenor of the said 〈◊〉 was as followeth In the name of our Soveraign Lady Mary the Queen to be declared to the Duke of Northumberland and all other his Band of what degree soever they be YOu shall command and charge in the Queens Highness name the said Duke to disarm himselfe and the cease all his men of war and to suffer no part of his army to do any villany nor any thing contrary to the peace and himself to forbear his comming to this City untill the Queens pleasure be expressedly declared unto him And if he will shew himselfe like a good quiet subject we will then continue as we have begun as humble suitors to our Soveraign Lady the Queen's Highnesse for him and his and for our selves And if he do not we will not fail to spend our lives in subduing of him and his Item Ye shall declare the like matter to the Marquesse of Northampton and all other Noble men and Gentlemen and to all men of war being with any of them Item Ye shall in all places where ye come notifie it If the Duke of Northumberland do not submit himselfe to the Queens Highnesse Queen Mary he shall be accepted as a Traytor And all we of the Nobility that were Counsellors to the late King will to the utmost portion of our power persecute him and his to their afterconfusion The Pursuivant having communicate his Instructions found none more ready to obey them then the Duke himselfe who had before dismist his forces and now prepared for his departure from that place though to what he knew not But as he was pulling on his boots he was first slaid by some of the Pensioners who being drawn into the action against their wils resolved to have him in a readinesse to bear witnesse to it and after taken into custody by Slegg a Serjeant The businesse being in dispute another Packet comes from the Lords of the Council by which all parties were required to depart to their severall dwellings the benefit whereof the Duke laid claim to for himself and was accordingly left by them at his own disposal And so he passed that night in some good assurance that he should fare no worse than the rest of the Council who had engaged him in the same cause and by whose order he had undertaken the command of that Army In the mean time the Earl of Arundell had done his errand to the Queen to so good a purpose that he was presently dispatched with Order to seize upon him Who coming to Cambridge the next morining found him preparing for his journy laid hold upon him and committed him to the charge of some of the Guard It is reported that the Duke had no sooner seen the Earle of Arundell but he fell down upon his knees and besought him to be good unto him humbling himselfe before him with more abjectednesse than formerly he had insulted over him with pride and insolence By safe but easie journies he is brought unto the Tower on the 25 day of July together with the Earl of Warwick the Earle of Huntington the Lord Hastings the Lord Ambrose and the Lord Henry Dudley two of Northumberlands younger sons Sir Andrew Dudly the Duke's brother Sir John Gates and Henry Gates his brother Sir Thomas Palmer who formerly had served his turn in the destruction of the Duke of Sommerset and Dr Sandys Vice Chancelor of the University of Cambridge Followed the next day after by the Marquesse of Northampton Dr Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London the Lord Robert Dudley another of Northumberland's sons and Sir Robert Corbet who having made their Applications to the Queen at Framingham found there no better entertainment than if they had been take in some act of Hostility The 27 day brings in Sir Roger Chomley Chief Justice of the Kings Bench and Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas the Duke of Suffolk and Sir John Cheek on the morrow after shutting up the Arrer But the Duke of Suffolk stayed not long for being considered in himself as an easie person of whom they were to fear no danger and otherwise no more in fault than the rest of the Council he was released again within three dayes after to the great comfort of his daughter the late queen Jane who would have died dayly for her Father though but once for her self But so it fared not with the Duke of Northumberland a more dangerous person who together with John Earl of Warwick his eldest son and William Marquesse of Northampton was brought to their tryal on the eighth of August before Thomas Duke of Norfolk then sitting as Lord High Steward in Westminster Hall The Duke being brought unto the bar humbled himself with great reverence before his Peers professing his faith and allegiance to the Queen against whom he confessed he had so grievously offended that he intended not to speak any thing in his own defence But having been trained up to the study of the Laws in his younger dayes he desired the judgement of the Court in these two points First Whether any man doing any act by Authority of the Princes Councel and by warrant of the Great Seal of England and doing nothing wâ—thâ—â—t the same might be charged with treason for any thing which he might do by warrant thereof And secondly which pinched then his Judges to some purpose Wheâ—her any such persons as were equally culpable in the crime and those by whose Letters and Commandments he was directed in all his doings might sit as Judges and passe upon his trial as his Peers Whereunto it was answered by the Court with advice of the Judges First That the Great Seal which â—e preâ—ended 〈◊〉 his warrant was not the Seal of the lawful Queen of the Realm but thâ— Seâ— of 〈◊〉 â—â—surper who had no authority and therefâ—re could bâ— no warrant to him And secondly That if any were as deeply to be touched in the case as himself yet so long as nâ— attainder was upon Record against them they were looked upon by the Law as persons capable of passing upon any tryal and not to bâ— challenged by any in that respect but only at the Prince's pleasure Which being delivered by the Court in point of Law the Duke conceived that it would be to no purpose for him to plead Not Guilty and thereupon confessed the Indictment as the other two prisoners also did they all received judgement in the usual form On the pronouncing whereof he besought the Lords to move the Queen that she would be gratious to his sons who might be able to do good service in the time to come considering that they went not with him of their own free will but only in
obedience to his commands who was their Father in which as his desires were granted by the Lords so the Lords were gratified in them by the Queen none of his sons being executed though all condemned except Guilford only whose case was different from the others The like judgement also pass'd on the morrow after on Sir John Gates Sit Henry Gates Sir Andrew Dudley and Sir Thomas Palmer who confessing the Indictment also submitted themselves to the Queens mercy without further tryal In that short interval which past between the sentence and the execution the Duke was frequently visited by Dr Nicholas Heath then newly restored unto the See of Worcester It was another of the requests which he made to the Lords that some godly and learned man might be licenced by the Queen to repair unto him for the quiet and satisfaction of his conscience and the resolved to send him none as she did to others in like case but one of her own under a pretence of doing good unto their soâ—ls by gaining them to a right understanding of the faith in Christ. According to which purpose Heâ—â—h bestirs himself with such dexterity that the Duke either out of weaknesse or hope of life or that it was indifferent to him in what Faith he died who had shewn so little while he lived retracted that Religion which he had adorned in the time of King Edward and outwardly professed for some years in the Reign of King Henry And hereof he gave publick notice when he was on the scaffold on the 22 of that monâ—h In the way towards which there passed some words betwixt him and Gates each laying the blame of the late action on the other but afterwards mutually forgiving and being forgiven they died in good charity with one anoâ—her Turning himself unto the people he made a long Oration to them touching the quality of his offence and his fore-passed life and then admonished the spectators To stand to the Religion oâ— their Ancestâ—rs rejecting that of lâ—â—er date which had occasioned all the 〈◊〉 of the foregoing thirty years and that for prevention for the future if they desired 〈◊〉 present their souls unspotted in the â—ight of God and were truly affected to their Country they should expel those trumpets of Sedition the Preachers of the reformed Religion that for himself whatever had otherwise been pretended he professed â—o other Religion than that of his Fathers for testimony whereof he appealed to his good friend and ghâ—stly father the Lord Bishop of Worcester and finally that being blinded with ambition he had been contenâ—ed to make a rack of his conscience by teâ—porising for which he professed himself sincerely repentant and so acknowledged the justice of his death A declaration very unseasonable whether true or false as that which render'd him less pitied by the one side and more scorned by the other With him died also Gates and Pâ—lâ—â—r the rest of the condemned prisoners being first reprieved and afterwards absolutely pardoned Such was the end of this great person the first Earl of Warwick and the laâ—â— Duke of Northumberland of this Name and Family By birth he was the eldest son of Sir Edâ—ond Sutton alias Dudley who together with Sir Richard Empson were the chief instruments and promoters under Henry the 7th for putting the penal lawes in execution to the great grievance and oppression of all sorts of subjects For which and other offences of a higher nature they were both sacrificed to the fury of the common people by King Henry the 8th which possible might make him carry a vindicative mind towards that King's children and prompt him to the dis-inheriting of all his Progeny First trained up as his Father had also been before him in the study of the common Laws which made him cunning enough to pick holes in any mans estate and to find wayes by which to bring their lives in danger But finding that the long sword was of more estimation than the long Robe in the time of that King he put himself forwards on all actions wherein honour was to be acquired In which he gave such testimony of his judgement and valour that he gained much on the affections of his Prince By whom he was created Viscount Lisâ—e on the 15th of March An. 1541. installed Knight of the Garter 1543. and made Lord Admiral of England Imployed in many action against the Scots he came off alwayes with successe and victory and having said this we have said all that was accounted good or commendable in the whole course of his life Being advanced unto the Title of Earl of Wâ—rwick by King Edward the 6th he thought himself in a capacity of making Queens as well as Richard Nevil one of his Predecessors in that Title had been of setting up and deposing Kings and they both perished under the ambition of those proud attempts Punished as Nevil also was in having no issâ—e male remaining to preserve his name For though he had six sons all of them living to be men and all of them to be married men yet they went all childlesse to the grave I mean as to the having of lawful issue as if the curse of Jeconiâ—ah had been laid upon them With him died also the proud Title of Duke of Nâ—rthâ—â—berland never aspired to by the Percies though men of eminent Nobility and ever since the time of King Henry the first of the Race of Emperours Which Family as well in reference to the merit oâ— their Noble Ancestors as the intercession of some powerful friends were afterwards restored to all the Titles and Honours which belonged to that House in the persons of Thomas and Henry Grand children to Henry the 5th Earl thereof An. 1557. The matters being thus laid together we must look back upon the Queen Who seeing all obstacles removed betwixt her and the Crown dissolved her Camp at 〈◊〉 consisting of fourteen thousand men and prepared for her journey towards London Met on the way by the Princesse Elizabeth her sister attended with no fewer than 1000 horse She made her entrance into London on the third of August no lesse magnificent for the Pomp and bravery of it than that of any of her predecessors Taking possession of the Tower she was first welcomed thither by I 〈◊〉 the old Duke of Norfolk Annâ— Dutchesse of Sommerset Edward Lord Coâ—â—â—ney eldest son to the late Marquesse of Excester and Dr Stephan Gardiner Bishop of Winchester all which she lifted from the ground called them her prisoners graciously kissed them and restored them shortly after to their former liberty Taking the Great Seal from Dr Goodrick Bishop of Ely within two dayes after she gave it for the present to the custody of Sir Nichâ—lâ—s Hare whom she made Master of the Rolls and afterwards committed it on the 23d of the same month together with the Title of Lord Chancellor on the said Dr Gardiâ—er then actually restored to the See of Wâ—â—chestor Having performed the obsequies of her
brother on the 9th and 10th she removes her Court unto Whitehall and there continâ—es till it was within two or three dayes of her Coronation Which time now drawing neer at hand she passed by water to the Tower on the 27th of September accompanied by her Sister the Princesse Elizabeth and a great train of Noble Ladies made her return through the principal streets of the City on the last of the same month in most â—tately manner and the next day proceeded with the like magnificence to the Abby Church where she was met by three â—â—lver Crosses and eighty singing men all in riâ—h and gorgeoâ—s Coaps so sudden a recruit was made of these sacâ—ed Vestments amongst whom went the new Dean of Westminster Dr. Westoâ— and divers Chaplains of her own each of them â—earing in their hands some Ensign or other After them marched ten Bishops which were as many as remained of her perswasion with their Miâ—ers rich Coaps and Crosier staves The Sermon was preached by Dr â—ay whom she had restored to the See of Chichester and the solemnity of the Coronation celebrated by the new Lord Chancellor Craâ—ner Archbishop of Canterbury being then commited and otherwise conceived unworthy of so great an honour Till this time none more dear to her then her Sister Elizabeth whom she alwayes took with her by the hand wheresoever she went and seldome dined or supped without her But this solemnity being passed over as if she were now freed from all the feaâ—s of a competition she estranged her self from her in such a manner as shewed that she had formerly desited her company for some by-respects and not out of natural affection More gratefâ—l unto other persons who deserved well of her she preferred Henry Ratcliff Earle of Sâ—ssex Commander Generall of her Army to the Society of the Gatter which Honour she conferred on his son Thomas after his decease and to be covered in her Presence at all times and places tending to the custome of the Grandees in the Realm of Spain Which priviledge not being very frequent in the Politâ—ie of the Realm of England I find to be recorded in these following words viz. Mary by the Grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and Ireland in earth the Supream Head o all to whom this present writing shall come sendeth Greeting in our Lord everlasting Know ye that We do give and pardon to Our wel-beloved and trusty Cosen and one of Our Privy Council Henry Earl of Sussex and Viscount Fittzwater Lord Egremond and Burnel Liberty Licence and Pardon to wear his Cap Coyfe or Night-cap or two of them at his pleasure as well in Our presence as in the presence of any other person or persons within this Our Realm or any other place of Our Dominions whatsoever during his life and these Our Letters shall be his sufficient Warrant in this behalf Given under Our Sign Manuall at Our Pallace of Westminster 2. Octob. 1 Regni With the like Royal gratitute she advance the Earl of Arundel who had deserved as well of her in the Council as the Earl of Sussex in the Camp to the Place or Office of Lord Steward investing him with all those powers and priviledges which had been formâ—rly exercised by the Lord Great Master whom he succeeded in Authority though not in Title Sir Edward Hastings who came over to her with 4000 men she first made Master of the Horse and Knight of the Garâ—er and afterwards Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold and Lord Hastings of Louthborough Sir John Williams who had done her very good service in Buckingham and Oxfordâ—hires â—hires she honoured with the Title of Lord Williams of Jaâ—e of which more hereafter Sir Hâ—nry Jerninâ—ham who first appeared in Norfoâ—k for her she preferred to be Captain of her Guard aâ—soon as she came unto the Crown and toward the latter end of her Reign Sir Thomas Threâ—â—â—m was created Lord Prior of the Order of St Johns of Jerusalem and consequently according to the old pretension the first Baron of England And as for her domestique servants who had suffered with her she thought it no unfit decorum that they should in part Reign with her also To which end she preferred Hopâ—on her old Chaplain to the See of Norwich Râ—chester to be Compâ—roller of her Houshold Ingâ—â—field toâ— be Master of the Wards and Wâ—lgrave to be Master of the Wardrobe which is sufficiâ—nt â—o deâ—lâ—re that she was willing to comply with all obligarionâ— and not to bâ— too long in debt to her greatest subjects but much lesse to her mâ—nial servants But in â—â—gard that all these were considered for their perâ—onal merits not in reference only to their zeal for the Catholick Cause she was to shew some act of favour unto those of thaâ— party which might create a confidence in them of her good affections To which end she made choice of Sir John Gage a man most zealously addicted to the Church of Rome to be Lord Chamberlain of â—â—r Houshold when she came first to the Tower to the great satisfaction of all those of that Religion And that she might in some meaâ—ure also obâ—â—ge the rest of her suâ—jects and make the entâ—ance of her Reign the more pleaâ—â—ng to them her Coronation was accompanied with a general pardon at the least in shew Out of which all prisoners in the Tower such as remained in the Fleet together with sixty other being excepted and the reâ—trictions and proviso's with which it was in all parts clogged being well observed there were not many especially of those whom it most concerned that could create unto themselves any benefit by it Thus was the Civil State established on a right foundation and the succession setled most agreeably to the Laws of Nature according to the last Will and Testament of King Heâ—ry the 8th and the Laws made in that behalfe But we shall see the pillars of the Church removed the very foundation of it shaken and the whole â—abrick of Religion so demolished that scarce one stone thereof did seem to stand upon the other without regâ—rd unto the Laws and contrary to the will and purpose of King Edwâ—â—d the 6th At the Queens first entrance into London on the thiâ—d of August she discâ—arged Gardinâ—r of the Tower as she did Bâ—â—ner of the Marshelsey and Bishop Tâ—â—stall from the Kings Bench within two dayes after To make way to whose restitution to their former Sees Bishop Ridley is removed from London Bishop Poiâ—ct from Winchester and an Act of Parliâ—ment pâ—ocâ—red for the restoring of the Church of Durham to all its Lands Preheminences and Juriâ—dictions of which it stood divested by the lâ—te Act of Dissolution made in the last year of the King deceased By the like power was Coverdale displaced from the See of Exon Sâ—ory from that of Chichester and Hooper dispossessed of that Jurisdiction whiâ—h he held as the Commendatory of the See
men that the danger might have proved far greater the disease incurable For so it hapned that the Carews conceiving that the deferring of the execution of the plot thus laid might prove destructive to that cause or otherwise fatally thrust on by their own ill destiny began to leavy men in Cornwal which could not be so closely carried but that their purpose was discovered and the chief of them forced to flye the Kingdom The news whereof gave such an allarum to the confederates that they shewed themselves in several places before the people were prepared and made ready for them Insomuch that the Duke of Suffolk together with the Lord Thomas Gray and the Lord Leonard Gray having made Proclamation in divers places on the 25th of that month against the Queens intended mariage with the Prince of Spain and finding that the people came not in so fast unto them as they did expect were forced to dismiss their slender company and shift for themselves upon the first news that the Earl of Huntington was coming toward them with 300 horse An action very unfortunate to himself and to all his family For first The Queen finding that she was to expect no peace or quiet as long as the Lady Jane was suffered to remain alive caused her and the Lord Guilford Dudley to be openly executed on the 12th of February then next following His daughter Katherineâ—ormerly â—ormerly maried to Henry Lord Herbert eldest son to the Earl of Pembrook but the mariage by reason of her tender years not coming unto a Consummation by carnal knowlege was by him repudiated and cast off and a mariage presently made betwixt him and another Katherine a daughter of George Earl of Shrewsbury His brothers John and Thomas committed prisoners to the Tower of which two Thomas suffered death about two months after And for himself being compelled to hide his head in the house of one Underwood whom he had preferred unto the keeping of one of his Parks he was by him most basely and treacherously betrayed to the said Earl of Huntington on the 11th of February Arrained on the 17th of the same month and beheaded on the 23d Nor fared it better with the rest though they of Kent conducted by Sir Thomas Wiat the chief contriver of the plot were suddenly grown considerable for their number and quickly formidable for their power The newes of whose rising being swiftly posted to the Court the Duke of Norfolk was appointed to go against him attended with few more than the Queen 's ordinary Guards and followed by 500 Londoners newly raised and sent by water to Graves End under the charge of Captain Alexander Bret. With which few forces he intended to assault the Rebels who had put themselves into Rochester Castle and fortified the bridge with some pieces of Canon But being ready to fall on Bret with his Londoners fell off to Wiat and so necessitated the old Duke to return to London in great haste accompanied by the Earl of Arundel and Sir Henry Gerningham with some few of their horse leaving their foot eight pieces of Canon and all their ammunition belonging to them in the power of the enemy This brings the Queen to the Guild Hall in London on the first of February where she finds the Lord Mayor the Aldermen and many of the chief Citizens in their several Liveries To whom she signified That she never did intend to marry but on such conditions as in the judgement of her Council should be found honourable to the Realm and profitable ble to her subjects that therefore they should give no credit to those many calumnies which Wiat and his accomplices who according to the guise of Rebels had purposely dispersed to defame both her and her government but rather that they should contribute their best assistance for the suppressing of those who contrary to their duty were in arms against her And though she had as good as she brought that is to say fair promises for her gracious words yet understanding that many in the City held intelligence with the Kentish Rebels she appointed the Lord William Howard whom afterwards she created Lord Howard of Effingham to be Lieutenant of the City and Pembrook General of the field The event shewed that she followed that Counsel which proved best for her preservation For had she trusted to the City she had been betrayed Incouraged with his success and confident of a strong party amongst the Londâ—ners on the 3d. day of February he entreth Southwark where he and his were finely feasted by the people But when he hoped to have found the way open to the rest of the City he found the draw-Bridge to be cut down the bridge-Gate to be shut and the Ordinance of the Tower to be bent against him by the appointment and direction of the Lord Lieutenant Two dayes he trifled out in Southwark to no purpose at all more than the sacking of Winchester House and the defacing of the Bishops Library there unless it were to leave a document to posterity that God infatuates the Counsels of those wretched men who traiterously take up arms against their Princes And having liberally bestowed these two dayes upon the Queen the better to enable her to provide for her safety he wheels about on Sunday the 6th of the same month to Kingston bridge And though the bridge was broken down before his coming and that the opposite shore was guarded by 200. men yet did he use such diligence that he removed away those forces repaired the bridge past over both his men and Canon and might in probability have surprised both the Court and City in the dead of the night if the same spirit of infatuation had not rested on him For having marched beyond Brainford in the way towards London without giving or taking the allarum it hapned that one of his great piecs was dismounted by the breach of its wheels In the mending and mounting whereof he obstinately wasted so much time notwithstanding all the perswasions which his friends could make unto him that many of his men slipped from him and some gave notice to the Court not only of his near approach but also what his purpose was and what had hindred him from putting it in execution On this Advertisment the Earl of Pembrook arms and draws out his men to attend the motion of the Rebels who about 10 of the clock came to Chearing Cross and without falling on the Court which was then in a very great amazement turn up the Sâ—rand to Temple Bar and so toward Ludgate the Earl of Pembrook following and cutting him off in the arreir upon every turn Coming to London when it was too late for his intendments he found the Gates fast shut against him and the Lord William Howard in as great a readiness to oppose him there as when he was before in Southwark So that being hemmed in on both sides without hope of relief he yields himself to Sir Morris Berkley is
Church and whether any of them do say the divine Service or dâ— minister the Sacraments in the English tongue contrary to the usual order of the Church Of which sort also were the first of those touching the Laity viz. Whether any manner of persons of what estate degree or condition soever they be do hold maintain and affirm any Heresies Errors and erronious Opinions contrary to the Laws Ecclesiastical and the unity of the Catholick Church Which general Article was after branched into such particulars as concerned the Carnal presence of Christ in the Sacrament the reverent esteem thereof the despising of any of the Sacramentals and the decrying of Auricular Confession by the word or practice And somewhat also of this sort was the 17th Article by which it was enquired Whether any of the Priests or Clergy that having been married under the preâ—ence of Lawful Matrimony and since reconciled do privily resort to their pretended wives or that the said women do privily resort to them Nothing material or considerable in all the rest but what hath been in use and practice by all the Archbishops Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Judges in the Church of England since the first and best times of Queen Elizabeâ—h all of them seeming to have took their pattern from this reverend Prelate 's and to have precedented themselves by the Articles of his Visitation In two points onely he appeared to be somewhat singular and therefore found no followers in the times succeeding the first whereof was The Registring of the names of the Godfathers and Godmothers as well as of the child Baptized which why it should be laid aside I can see no reason the Rubrick of the Church allowing none to perform that office before they have received the holy Communion The second was an Enquiry whether the Parsons Vicars and Curats were diligent in teaching the Midwifes how to Christen children in time of necessity according to the Canons of the Church which seemed sufficiently necessary to be put in practice as long as Baptism was permitted to Midwives or any other persons not in holy Orders But though he seemed more favouâ—able than any of the rest of the Bishops towards those which were living he was content to exercise the utmost of his power upon those that were dead nor was he without hope that by the punishment and disgrace of those which were not sensible of eiâ—her he might be thought to manifest his greatest zeal towards the maintenance of the Doctrins of the Church of Rome as if he had inflicted the like censures on them when they were alive This prompts him to a Visitation of the University of Cambridge partly to rectifie the Statutes of it which in many points were thought to stand in need of a Reformation but principally to exercise some more than ordinary rigour on the dead bodies of Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius Of these the first having been the publick Reader in Divinity in the time of King Edward was solemnly interred in the Church of St. Maries the other having been Hebrew-Reader at the same time also was buried in the Church of St. Michael In order to this Visitation he Delegates one Ormanete an Italian honored with the title of the Popes Daâ—ary Doctor Cuthbert Scot then newly consecrated Bishop of Chester Doctor Watson Mr. of St. John's College and Lord Elect of Lincoln and Doctor Christopherson Master of Trinity Colledge and Dean of Norwich Lord Elect of Chichester and Doctor Henry Cole Provost of Eaton College and Dean of St. Pauls With these were joyned as Commissioners Doctor Andrew Pern Master of Peterhouse and Vice-chancellor some Doctors of Divinity Sir James Dâ—er then the Recorder of the Town and certain others in the name of the King and Queen It must be some great business doubtlesse that must require so many hands and exercise the wits of so many persons Bishops Deans Doctors in Divinity Canonists common Lawyers Knights and Gentlemen But what the business was and how little it required such preparations we are next to see The Cardinals Commissioners came to Cambridge on the 9th of January where they found the rest ready to receive them and the next day they interdicted the two Churches above mentioned for daring to entertain the dead bodies of such desperate Hereticks I pretermit the eloquent speech made by Stoaks the University-Orator the Answer thereunto by Sâ—ot then Bishop of Chester the Latine Sermon preached by Peacock against Sects and Hereticks together with the Solemn Mass with which this weighty businesse was to take beginning Which preparations being past over a Petition is presented to the Cardinals Delegates in the name of the Vice-chancellor and Heads of the University for taking up the bodies of the said Martin Bucer and Panlus Faglus to the end that some legal proceedings might be had against them to the terrour of others in regard of those many dangerous and heretical Doctrines by them formerly taught The Petition being granted and the dead bodies condemned to be taken out of their graves a publick Citation is set up at St. Mary's Church the Market-place and the common Schools requiring the said Martin Bucer and Paulus Fagius or any other in their names or in their behalf to appear before the Lords Commissioners on Monday the 18th of that Month to answer to such Articles as then and there should be objected against them But the dead bones not being able to come unless they were carried and no body daring to appear as their Proctor or Advocate they might have been taken pro confessis but that the Court was willing to proceed by Witnesses and to that end they took the Depositions of several persons touching the Doctrine taught by the said two Hereticks and then upon mature deliberation they condemned them of Heresie ordered them to be taken out of their graves degraded from all holy Orders and delivered to the secular Magistrate Of all this an account is given to the Cardinal-Legat who is desired to take some course that the ordinary Writ de comburendo Haereticâ— for the burning of Hereticks might be taken out and sent unto the Mayor of Cambridge without which nothing could be done in order to the execution of the rest of the Sentence The Writ accordingly comes down and Saturday the sixth day of February is appointed for the burning of the two dead bodies which being taken out of their graves and laid in their coffins on mens shoulders are carried to the marketâ— place with a guard of men well armeâ— and weaponed for fear of making an escape chained unto several posts as if still alive the wood and fire put to them and their bodies burned together with as many of their Books as could be gotten which were cast into the same flames also And because one University should not mock the other the like cruelty was also exercised upon the dead body of Martyr's wiâ—e at Oxford a godly grave and sober matron while she lived and to the
Appellation had been so entituled Which appeares more plainly by a particular of the Robes and Ornaments which were preparing for the day of this Solemnity as they are entred on Record in the book called The Catalogue of Honour published by Thomas Mills of Canterbury where it appeares also that they were prepared only but never used by reason of the Kings death which prevented the Sollemnities of it The ground of this Error I conceive first to be taken from John Stow who finding a creation of some Noble men and the making of many Knights to relate to the 18 day of October supposed it to have been done with reference to the Creation of a Prince of Wales whereas if I might take the liberty of putting in my own conjecture I should conceive rather that it was done with Reference to the Princes Christning as in like manner we find a creation of three Earles and five to inferiour Titles at the Christning of the Princesse Mary born to King James after his coming into England and Christened upon Sunday the fifth of May. 1604. And I conceive withall that Sir Edward Seimour Vicount Beauchamp the Queenes elder brother was then created Earle of Hartford to make him more capable of being one of the Godfathers or a Deputy-Godfather at the least to the Royall Infant the Court not being then in a condition by reason of the mournfull accident of the late Queenes death to show it selfe in any extraordinary splendour as the occasion had required at another time Among which persons so advanced to the Dignity and degree of Knighthood I find Mr. Thomas Seimour the Queenes youngest brother to be one of the number of whom we shall have frequent occasion to speak more fully and particularly in the course of this History No other alteration made in the face of the Court but that Sir William Pawlet was made Treasurer and Sir John Russell Comptroller of his Majesties Houshold on the said 18th day of October which I conceive to be the day of the Princes Christning both of them being principall Actors in the Afâ—aires and troubles of the following times But in the face of the Church there appeared some lines which looked directly towards a Reformation For besides the surrendring of divers Monasteries and the executing of some Abbots and other Religious Persons for their stiffenesse if I may not call it a perversenesse in opposing the Kings desires there are two things of speciall note which concurred this year as the Prognosticks or â—ore-runners of those great events which after followed in his Reign For it appeares by a Memoriall of the Famous Library of Sir Robert Cotton that Grafton now made known to Cromwell the finishing of the English Bible of which he had printed 1500. at his own proper charges amounting in the totall to 500. p. desiring stoppage of a surreptitions Edition in a lesse Letter which else would tend to his undoing the suit endeared by Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury at whose request Cromwell presents one of the Bibles to the King and procures the same to be allowed by his Authority to be read publiquely without comptrole in all his Dominions and for so doing he receives a letter of thanks from the said Arch-Bishop dated August the 13th of this present year Nor were the Bishops and Clergy wanting to advance the work by publishing a certain book in the English Tongue which they entituled The Institution of a Christian Man in which the Doctrine of the Sacraments the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Commandments were opened and expounded more perspicuously and lesse abhorrent from the truth then in former times By which clear light of Holy Scripture and the principall duties of Religion so laid opâ—n to them the people were the better able to discerne the errors and corruptionâ— of the Church of Rome From which by the piety of this Prince they were fully Freed And for a preamble thereunto the Rood of Boxley commonly called the Rood of Grace so Artificially contrived by reason of some secret wires in the body or concavities of it that it could move the eyes the lips c. to the great wonder and astonishment of the common people was openly discovered for a lewd imposture and broke in pieces at St. Pauls Cross on Sunday the 24. of February the Rood of Bermondsey Abby in South-work following the same fortune also within six dayes The next year brings an end to almost all the Monasteries and Religious houses in the Realme of England surrendered into the Kings hands by publâ—que instruments under the seales of all the severall and respective Convents and those surrenderies ratified and confirmed by Act of Parliament And this occasionally conduced to the future peace and quiet of this young Prince by removing out of the way some Great Pretenders who otherwise might have created to him no small disturbance For so it happened that Henry Earle of Devâ—nshire and Mary wife of Exceter descended from a daughter of King Edward the fâ—urth and Henry Pole Lord Mountacute descended from a daughter of George Duke of Clarence the second brother of that Edward under colour of preventing or revenging the Dissolution of so many famous Abbyes and religious houses associated themselves with Sir Edward Nâ—vill and Sir Nicholas Carew in a dangerous practise against the person of the King and the Peace of the Kingdom By whose endictment it appeares that it was their purpose and designe to destroy the King and advance Reginald Pole one of the younger brothers of the said Lord Mountacute of whom we shall hear more in the course of this History to the Regalâ— Throne Which how it could consist with the Pretensions of the Marquisse of Exceter or the Ambition of the Lord Mountacute the elder brother of this Reginald it is hard to say But having the Chronicle of John Speed to justifie me in the truth hereof in this particular I shall not take upon me to dispute the point The dangerous practise of which Persons did not so much retard the worke of Reformation as their execution did advance it to this year also appertaineth the suppressing of Pilgrimages the defacing of the costly and magnâ—ficent shrines of our Lady of Walsingham Ipswich Worcester c and more particularly of Thomas Becket once Arch-Bishop of Canterbury This last so rich in Jewells of most inestimable value that two great chests were filled with the spoyles thereoâ— so heavy and capacious as is affirmed by Bishop â—oodwin that each of them required no fewer then eight men to carry them out of the Church nothing inferiour unto Gold being charged within them More modestly in this then Sanders that malitious Sycophant who will have no lesse then twenty six waine load of silver Gold and precious stones to be seised into the Kings hands by the spoyle of that Monument Which proceedings so exasperated the Pope then being that without more delay by his Bull of January 1. he deprived the King
any other shuffling till the end of the Game this very Parliament without any sensible alteration of the Members of it being continued by Protogation from Session to Session untill at last it ended by the Death of the King For a Preparatory whereunto Richard Lord Rich was made Lord Chancellour on the twenty fourth of October and Sir John Baker Chancellour of the Court of First-Fruits and Tenths was nominated Speaker for the House of Commons And that all things might be carried with as little opposition and noise as might be it was thought fit that Bishop Gardiner should be kept in Prison till the end of the Session and that Bishop Tonstal of Duâ—ham a man of a most even and moderate Spirit should be made less in Reputation by being deprived of his Place at the Council-Table And though the Parliament consisted of such Members as disagreed amongst themselves in respect of Religion yet they agreed well enough together in one Common Principle which was to serve the present Time and preserve themselves For though a great part of the Nobility and not a few of the Chief Gentry in the House of Commons were cordially affected to the Church of Rome yet were they willing to give way to all such Acts and Statutes as were made against it out of a fear of losing such Church-Lands as they were possessed of if that Religion should prevail and get up again And for the rest who either were to make or improve their Fortunes there is no question to be made but that they came resolved to further such a Reformation as should most visibly conduce to the Advancement of their several Ends. Which appears plainly by the strange mixture of the Acts and Results thereof some tending simply to God's Glory and the Good of the Church some to the present Benefit and enriching of particular Persons and some again being devised of purpose to prepare a way for exposing the Revenues of the Church unto Spoil and Rapine Not to say any thing of those Acts which were merely Civil and tended to the Profit and Emolument of the Common-Wealth Of the first Sort was The Act for repealing several Statutes concerning Treason Under which head besides those many bloody Laws which concerned the Life of the Subject in Civil Matters and had been made in the distracted Times of the late King Henry there was a Repeal also of all such Statutes as seemed to touch the Subject in Life or Liberty for matter of Conscience some whereof had been made in the Times of King Richard the Second and Henry the Fourth against such as dissenting in Opinion from the Church of Rome were then called Lollards Of which Sort also was another made in the twenty fifth of the King Deceased together with that terrible Statute of the Six Articles commonly called The whip with six strings made in the thirty first year of the said King Henry Others were of a milder Nature but such as were thought inconsistent with that Freedom of Conscience which most men coveted to enjoy that is to say The Act for Qualification of the said Six Articles 35. H. 8. cap 9. The Act inhibiting the Reading of the Old and New Testament in the English Tongue and the Printing Selling Giving or Delivering of any such other Books or Writings as are there in mentioned and condemned 34. H. 3. cap. 1. But these were also Abrogated as the others were together with all and every Act or Acts of Parliament concerning Doctrine and Matters of Religion and all and every Article Branch Sentence and Matter Pains and Forfeitures in the same contained By which Repeal all men may seem to have been put into a Liberty of Reading Scripture and being in a manner their own Expositours of entertaining what Opinions in Religion best pleased their Fancies and promulgating those Opinions which they entertained So that the English for a time enjoyed that Liberty which the Romanes are affirmed by Tacitus to have enjoyed without comptrol in the Times of Nerva that is to say A liberty of Opining whatsoever they pleased and speaking freely their Opinions wheresoever they listed Which whether it were such a great Felicity as that Authour makes it may be more then questioned Of this Sort alâ—o was the Act. entituled An Act against such as speak against the Sacrament of the Altar and for the receipt thereof in both kinds cap. 1. In the first part whereof it is Provided with great Care and Piety That Whatsoever person or persons from and after the first day of May next coming shall deprave despise or contemn the most Blessed Sacrament by any contemptuous words or by any words of depraving despising or reviling c. that then he or they shall suffer Imprisonment and make Fine and Ransome at the King's pleasure And to say Truth it was but time that some provision should be made to suppress that Irreverence and Profaness with which this Blessed Sacrament was at that time handled by too many of those who seemed most ignorantly Zealous of a Reformation For whereas the Sacrament was in those Times delivered unto each Communicant in a small round Wafer called commonly by the name of Sacramentum Altaris or The blessed Sacrament of the Altar and that such parts thereof as were reserved from time to time were hanged up over the Altar in a Pix or Box those zealous ones in hatred to the Church of Rome reproached it by the odious Names of Jack-in-a-box Round-Robin Sacrament of the Halter and other Names so unbecoming the Mouths of Christians that they were never taken up by the Turks and Infidels And though Bishop Ridley a right Learned and Religious Prelate frequently in his Sermons had rebuked the irreverent behaviour of such light and ill-disposed Persons yet neither he nor any other of the Bishops were able to Reform the Abuse the Quality and Temper of the Times considered which therefore was thought fit to be committed to the power of the Civil Magistrate the Bishop being called in to assist at the Sentence In the last branch of the Act it is First declared According to the Truth of Scripture and the Tenour of approved Antiquity That it is most agreeable both to the Institution of the said Sacrament and more conformable to the common Vse and Practice both of the Apostles and of the Primitive Church by the space of five hundred years after Christ's Ascension that the said Blessed Sacrament should rather be ministred unto all Christian people under both the Kinds of Bread and Wine then under the form of Bread onely And thereupon it was Enacted That The said most Blessed Sacrament should be hereafter commonly delivered and ministred unto the People within the Church of England and Ireland and other the King's Dominions under both the Kinds that is to say of Bread and Wine With these Provisoes notwithstanding If necessity did not otherwise require as in the Case of suddain Sickness and other such like Extremities in
According to the Return of whose Commissions it would be found no difficult matter to put a just estimate and value on so great a Gift or to know how to parcell out proportion and divide the Spoil betwixt all such who had before in hope devoured it In the first place as lying nearest came in the Free-Chapel of Saint Stephen Originally Founded in the Palace at Westminster and reckoned for the Chapel-Royal of the Court of England The whole Foundation consisted of no fewer then thirty eight Persons viz. one Dean twelve Canons thirteen Vicars four Clerks six Choristers besides a Verger and one that had the Charge of the Chapel In place of whom a certain Number were appointed for Officiating the daily Service in the Royal-Chapels Gentlemen of the Chapel they are commonly called whose Saâ—aries together with that of the Choristers and other Servants of the same amounts to a round yearly Sum and yet the King if the Lands belonging to that Chapel had been kept together and honestly â—aid unto the Crown had been a very rich Gainer by it the yearly Rents thereof being valued at 1085 l. 10 s. 5 d. As for the Chapel it self together with a Clolyster of curious Workmanship built by John Chambers one of the King's Physicians and the last Master of the same they are still standing as they were the Chapel having been since fitted and imployed for an House of Commons in all times of Parliament At the same time also fell the College of St. Martin's commonly called St. Martin's le Grand scituate in the City of London not far from Aldersgate first founded for a Dean and Secular Canons in the time of the Conquerour and afterwards privileged for a Sanctuary the Rights whereof it constantly enjoyed without interruption till all privilege of Sanctuary was suppressed in this Realm by King Henry the Eighth But the Foundation it self being now found to be Superstitious it was surrrendred into the hands of King Edward the Sixth who after gave the same together with the remaining Liberties and Precincts thereof to the Church of Westminster and they to make the best of the King's Donation appointed by a Chapter held the seventh of July that the Body of the Church with the Quire and Iles should be Leased out for fifty years at the Rent of five Marks per Annum to one H. Keeble of London excepting out of the said Grant the Bells Lead Stone Timber Glass and Iron to be sold and disposed of for the sole Use and Benefit of the said Dean and Chapter Which foul Transaction being made the Church was totally pulled down a Tavern built in the East part of it the rest of the site of the said Church and College together with the whole Precinct thereof being built upon with several Tenements and let out to Strangers who very industriously affected to dwell therein as the natural English since have done in regard of the Privileges of the place exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London and governed by such Officers amongst themselves as are appointed thereunto by the Chapter of Westminster But for this Sacrilege the Church of Westminster was called immediately in a manner to a â—ober Reckoning For the Lord Pâ—otectour thinking it altogether unnecessary that two Cathedrals should be Founded so near one another and thinking that the Church of Westminster as being of a late Foundation might best be spared had cast a longing eye upon the goodly Patrimony which remained unto it And being then unfurnished of an House or Palace proportionable unto his Greatness he doubted not to finde room enough upon the Dissolution and Destruction of so large a Fabrick to raise a Palace equal to his vast Designs Which coming to the ears of Benson the last Abbot and first Dean of the Church he could beâ—hink himself of no other means to preserve the whole but by parting for the present with more then half the Estate which belonged unto it And thereupon a Lease is made of seventeen Manours and good Farms lying almost together in the County of Glocester for the Term of ninety nine years which they presented to the Lord Thomas Seimour to serve as an Addition to his Manour of Sudeley humbly beseeching him to stand their Good Lord and Patron and to preserv them in a fair Esteem with the Lord Protectour Another Present of almost as many Manours and Farms lying in the Counties of Glocâ—â—ster Worcester and Hereford was made for the like Term to Sir John Mason a special Confident of the Duke's not for his own but for the use of his Great Master which after the Duke all came to Sir John Bourn principal Secretary of Estate in the time of Queen Mary And yet this would not serve the Turn till they had put into the Scale their Manour of Islip conferred upon that Church by King Edward the Confessour to which no fewer then two hundred Customary Tenants owed their Soil and Service and being one of the best wooded things in those parts of the Realm was to be granted also without Impeachment of Wast as it was accordingly By means whereof the Deantry was preserved for the later Times how it succeeded with the Bishoprick we shall see hereafter Thus Benson saved the Deanery but he lost himself â—or calling to remembrance that formerly he had been a means to surrender the Abby and was now forced on the 〈◊〉 Dilapidating the Estate of the Deanery he fell into a great disquiet oâ—â—â—nd which brought him to his death within few Moneths after To whom succeeded Doctour Cox being then Almoner to the King Chancellour of the University of Oxford and Dean of Christ-Church and afterwards preferred by Queen Elizabeth to the See of Ely I had not singled these two I mean St. Martin's and St. Stephen's out of all the rest but that they were the best and richest in their several kinds and that there was more depending on the Story of them then on any others But Bad Examples seldome end where they first began For the Nobility and inferiour Gentry possessed of Patronages considering how much the Lords and Great men of the Court had improved their Fortunes by the suppression of those Chanteries and other Foundations which had been granted to the King conceived themselves in a capacity of doing the like by taking into their hands the yearly Profits of those Benefices of which by Law they onely were entrusted with the Presentations Of which abuse Complaint is made by Bishop Latimer in his Printed Sermons In which we finde That the Gentry of that Time invaded the Profits of the Church leaving the Title onely to the Incumbent and That Chantery-Priests were put by them into several Cures to save their Pâ—nsions pâ—g 38. that many Benefices were let out in Fee-Farms pag. 71 or given unto Servants for keeping of Hounds Hawks and Horses and for making of Gardens pag. 91 114. And finally That the Poor Clergy being kept to some
threatned more Danger then the other To which Request He did not onely refuse to hearken except the King would promise to restore the Catholick Religion as He called it in all His Dominions but expresly commanded that neither His Men noâ— Ammunition should go to the Assistance of the English An Ingratitude not easie to be marked with a fitting Epithete considering what fast Friends the Kings of England had alwaies been to the House of Burgundy the Rights whereof remained in the person of Charles with what sums of Money they had helped them and what sundry Wayâ— they had made for them both in the Nether-Lands to maintain their Authority and in the Realm of France it self to increase their Power For from the Marriage of Maximilian of the Family of Austriâ— with the Lady Mary of Burgundy which happened in the year 1478. unto the Death of Henry the Eight which fell in the year 1546 are just threescore and eight years In which time onely it was found on a just account that it had cost the Kings of England at the least six Millions of Pounds in the meer Quarrels of that House But the French being more assured that the English held some secret Practice with the Emperour then certain what the Issue thereof might be resolved upon a Peace with EDVVARD in hope of getting more by Treaty then he could by Force To this end one Guidolti a Florentine is sent for England by whom many Overtures were made to the Lords of the Council not as from the King but from the Constable of France And spying with a nimble Eye that all Affairs were governed by the Earl of Warwick he resolved to buy him to the French at what price soever and so well did he ply the Business that at the last it was agreed that four Ambassadours should be sent to France from the King of England to treat with so many others of that Kingdom about a Peace between the Crowns but that the Treaty it self should be held in Guisnes a Town belonging to the English in the Marches of Calice In pursuance whereof the Earl of Bedford the new Lord Paget Sir William Peter Principal Secretary of Estate and Sir John Mason Clerk of the Council were on the twenty first of January dispatched for France But no sooner were they come to Calice when Guidolâ—i brings a Letter to them from Mounsieur d' Rochpot one of the four which were appointed for that Treaty in behalf of the French In which it was desired that the English Ambassadours would repair to the Town of Bulloign without putting the French to the Charge and Trouble of so long a Journey as to come to Guisnes Which being demurred on by the English and a Post sent unto the Court to know the pleasure of the Council in that particular they received word for so the Oracle had directed that they should not stand upon Punctilioes so they gained the point nor hazard the Substance of the Work to preserve the Circumstances According whereunto the Ambassadours removed to Bulloign and pitch'd their Tents without the Town as had been desired for the Reception of the French that so they might enter on the Treaty for which they came But then a new Dâ—fficulty appeared for the French would not cross the Water and put themselves under the Command of Bulloign but desired rather that the English would come over to them and fall upon the Treaty in an House which they were then preparing for their Entertainment Which being also yielded to after some Disputes the French grew confident that after so many Condescensions on the part of the English they might obtain from them what they liâ—ted in the main of the Business For though it cannot otherwise be but that in all Treaties of this Nature there must be some Condescendings made by the one or the other yet he that yields the first inch of Ground gives the other Party a strong Hope of obtaining the rest These Preparations being made the Commissioners on both sides begin the Treaty where after some Expostulations touching the Justice or Injustice of the War on either side they came to particular Demands The English required the payment of all Debts and Pensions concluded on between the two Kings deceased and that the Queen of Scots should either be delivered to their Hands or sent back to Her Kingdom But unto this the French replyed That the Queen of Scots was designed in Marriage to the Daulphin of France and that She looked upon it as an high Dishonour that their King should be esteemed a Pensioner or Tributary to the Crown of England The French on the other side propounded That all Arrears of Debts and Pensions being thrown aside as not likely to be ever paid they should either put the higher Price on the Town of Bulloign or else prepare themselves to keep it as well as they could From which Proposals when the French could not be removed the Oracle was again consulted by whose Direction it was ordered in the Council of England That the Commissioners should conclude the Peace upon such Articles and Instructions as were sent unto them Most of them ordinary and accustomed at the winding up of all such Treaties But that of most Concernment was That all Titles and Claims on the one side and Defences on the other remaining to either Party as they were before the Town of Bulloign with all the Ordnance found there at the taking of it should be delivered to the French for the Sum of four hundred thousand Crowns of the Sun Of which four hundred thousand Crowns each Crown being valued at the Price of six Shillings and six Pence one Moity was to be paid within three days after the Town should be delivered and the other at the end of six Moneths after Hostages to be given in the mean time for the payment of it It was agreed also in relation to the Realm of Scotland That if the Scots razed Lowder and Dowglass the English should raze Rox-borough and Aymouth and no Fortification in any of those places to be afterwards made Which Agreement being signed by the Commissioners of each side and Hostages mutually delivered for performance of Covenants Peace was Proclaimed between the Kings on the last of March and the Town of Bulloign with all the Forts depending on it delivered into the power of the French on the twenty fifth day of April then next following But they must thank the Earl of Warwick for letting them go away with that commodity at so cheap a Rate for which the two last Kings had bargained for no less then two Millions of the same Crowns to be paid unto the King of England at the end of eight years the Towns and Territory in the mean time to remain with the English Nor was young Edward backward in rewarding his Care and Diligence in expenditing the Affair Which was so represented to him and the extraordinary Merit of the Service so highly magnified
old Age with the Trouble of Business and to take that Burthen on his Shoulders which he had long before thrown off with such great Alacrity And possible enough it is that finding his Abilities more proper for the Pulpit then they were for the Consistory he might desire to exercise himself in that Imployment in which he might appear most serviceable both to God and his Church For both before and after this we finde him frequent in the Pulpit before the King and have been told of his Diligent and Constant Preaching in other places His Sermons for the most part as the use then was upon the Gospels of the Day by which he had the Opportunity of Opening and Expounding a greater Portion of the Word of God then if he had confined his Meditations to a single Text. His Entertainment generally with Arch-Bishop Cranmer where he found all necessary Accommodation and so extreamly honoured by all sorts of People that he never lost the Name of Lord and was still looked on as a Bishop though without a Bishoptick But notwithstanding the Remove of so many Bishops there still remained one Rub in the Way which did as much retard the Progress of the Reformation as any of the rest if not altogether The Princess Mary having been bred up from Her Infancy in the Romish Religion could not be won by any Arguments and perswasions to change Her Minde or permit that any Alteration should be made in those Publick Offices to which She had so long been used The King had writ many Letters to Her in hope to take Her off from those Affections which She carried to the Church of Rome The like done also by the Lords of the Council and with like Success For besides that She conceived Her Judgment built on so good a Foundation as could not easily be subverted there were some Politick Considerations which possibly might prevail more with Her then all other Arguments She was not to be told That by the Religion of the Protestants Her Mother's Marriage was Condemned That by the same She was declared to be Illigitimate and Consequently made uncapable to succeed in the Crown in Case She should survive Her Brother All which She must acknowledge to be legally and justly determined Upon these Grounds She holds Her self to Her first Resolution keeps up the Mass with all the Rites and Ceremonies belonging to it and suffers divers Persons besides her own Domestick Servants to be present at it The Emperour had so far mediated in Her behalf that Her Chaplains were permitted to Celebrate the Mass in Her Presence but with this Cautioâ— and Restriction That they should Celebrate the same in Her Presence onely For the transgressing of which Bounds Mallet and Barkley Her two Chaplains were Committed Prisoners in December last of which She makes Complaint to the Lords of the Council but finds as cold Return from Them as they did from Her A Plot is thereupon contrived for conveying Her out of the Realm by Stealth to transport Her from Essex where She then lay to the Court of the Queen Regent in Flanders some of Her Servants sent before Flemish Ships ready to receive Her and a Commotion to be raised in that County that in the Heat and Tumult of it She might make Her Escape The King is secretly advertised of this Design and presently dispatcheth certain Forces under Sir John Gates then newly made Lievtenant of the Band of Pensioners to prevent the Practice secures His Coasts orders His Ships to be in Readiness and speeds away the Lord Chancellour Rich with Sir William Peter to bring the Princess to the Court. Which being effected at the last though not without extream Unwillingness on Her part to begin the Journey Inglesfield Walgrave and Rochester being all of Principall place about Her on the thirtieth of October were commiâ—ted to Custody which adds a new Affliction to Her but there was no Remedy The Lords of the Council being commanded by the King to attend upon Her declared in the name of His Highness how long He had permitted Her the Mass that finding how unmoveable She was from Her former Courses He resolved not to endure it longer unless He might perceive some hope of Her Conformity within short time after To which the Princess Answered That Her Soul was Goa's and for Her Faith that as She could not change so She would not dâ—ssemble it The Council thereunto rejoyn That the King intended not to Constrain Her Faith but to restrain Her in the outward Profession of it in regard of those many dangers and inconveniences which might ensue on the Example Which enterchange of words being passed She is appointed for the present to remain with the King but neither Mallâ—t nor any other of Her Chaplains permitted to have speech with Her or access unto Her The Emperour being certified how all things passed sends an Ambassadour to the King with a Threatning Message even to the Denouncing of a Wâ—r in case his Cousin the Princess Mary were not permitted to enjoy the exercise of Her own Religion To Gratifie whom in His desires the Lords of the Council generally seemed to be very inclinable they well considered of the Prejudice whâ—ch must fall upon the English Merchants if they should lose their Trade in Flâ—â—ders where they had a whole year's cloth beside other Goods And they knew well what inconvenience must befall the King who had there 500. Quintals of Powder and good store of Armour which would be seised into the Emperour's hands and imployed against Him if any Breach should grow between them The King is therefore moved with the joynt Consent of â—he whole Board to grant the Emperour's Request and to dispence with the utmost Rigour of the Law in that particular for fear of drawing upon Himself a greater mischief But they found Him so well Studied in the Grounds and Principles of His Religion that no Consideration drawn from any Reason of State could induce Him to it It was thereupon thought fit to send the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London being both Members of that Body to try what they could do upon Him in the way of Argument By them the Point being brought unto such an Issue as might give them some hopes of being admited it was Propounded to Him as their Opinion after some Progress made in the Disputation that Though it were a sin to give Licence to sin yet a connivance of it might be allowed in case it neither were too long nor without some probable hope of a Reformation With which Nicety the young King was so unsatisfied that he declared a Resolution rather to venture Life and all things else which were dear unto Him then to give way to any thing which He knew to be against the Truth Upon which words the King expressed His inward Trouble by a flood of Tears and the Bishops on the sight thereof wept as fast as He the King conceiving Himself wronged in being
to the great Troubles in the Court began in the Destruction of the Duke of Sommerset but ending in the untimely death of this Hopeful King so signified as it was thought upon the Post-Fact by two strange Presages within the compass of this year and one which followed in the next The first of this year was a great and terrible Earthquake which happened on the twenty fifth of May at Croydon and some other Villages thereabouts in the County of Surrey This was conceived to have Prognosticated those Concussions which afterwards happened â—n the Court to the fall of the Great Duke of Sommerset and divers Gentlemen of Note and Quality who perished in the same ruin with him The last was of six Dolphins taken up in the Thames three of them at Queen Borough and three near Grenwich the least as big as any Horse The Rarity whereof occasioned some Grave men to dispence with their Prudence and some Great Persons also to put off their State that they might behold a Spectacle so unusual to them Their coming up so far beheld by Mariners as a Presage of foul weather at Sea but afterwards by States-Men of those Storms and Tempests which afterwards befell this Nation in the Death of King Edward and the Tempestuous Times of Queen Marie's Reign But the most sad Presage of all was the Breaking out of a Disease called the Sweating Sickness appearing first at Shrewsbury on the fifteenth of April and after spreading by degrees over all the Kingdom ending its Progress in the North about the beginning of October Described by a very Learned Man to be a new strange and violent Disease wherewith if any man were attached he dyed or escaped within nine hours of ten at most if he slept as most men desired to do he dyed within six hours if he took cold he dyed in three It was observed to Rage chiefly amongst men of strongest Constitution and years few aged Men or Women or young Children being either subject to it or dying of it Of which last sort those of most Eminent Rank were two of the Sons of Chaâ—ls Brandon both dying at Cambridg both Dukes of Suffolk as their Father had been before but the youngest following his dead Brother so close at the Heels that he onely out-lived him long enough to enjoy that Title And that which was yet most strange of all no Foreigner which was then in England four hundred French attending here in the Hottest of it on that King's Ambassadours did perish by it The English being singled out tainted and dying of it in all other Countries without any danger to the Natives called therefore in most Latine Writers by the name of Sudor Anglicus or The English Sweat First known amongst us in the beginning of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh and then beheld as a Presage of that troublesom and Laborious Reign which after followed the King being for the most part in continual Action and the Subjects either sweating out their Blood or Treasure Not then so violent and extreme as it was at the present such infinite Multitudes being at this time swept away by it that there died eight hundred in one week in London onely These being looked on as Presages we will next take a view of those sad Events which were supposed to be prognosticated by them beginning first with the Concussions of the Court by open Factions and ending in a Sweating Sickness which drew out some of the best Blood and most Vital Spirits of the Kingdom The Factions Headed by the Duke of Sommerset and the Earl of Warwick whose reconciliation on the Earl's part was but feigned and counterfeit though he had both given and taken Pledges for a faster Friendship The good success he found in his first attempt against the Duke when he degraded him from the Office of Lord Protectour emboldened him to make some further trial of his Fortune to which there could not be a stronger Temptation then the Servility of some Great Men about the Court in prostituting their affection to his Pride and Tyranny Grown absolute in the Court but more by the weakness of others then any virtue of his own he thought it no impossible matter to make that Weakness an improvement of his strength and Power And passing from one Imagination to another he fixed at last upon a Fancy of transferring the Imperial Crown of this Realm from the Royal Family of the Tudors unto that of the Dudlies This to be done by Marrying one of his Sons to the Lady Jane the eldest Daughter of Henry Lord Marquess Dorset and of the Lady Francis his Wife one of the Daughters and co-Heirs of Charls Brandon the late Duke of Suffolk by Mary Dowager of France and the beâ—t-beloved Sister of King Henry the Eighth In order whereunto he must first oblige the Marquess by some signal favour advance himself to such a Greatness as might render any of his Sons an agreeable match for either of the Marquess's Daughters and finally devise some means by which the Duke of Sommerset might be took out of the way whose life he looked on as the principal Obstacle to his great Aspirings By this Design he should not onely satisfie his Ambition but also sacrifice to Revenge The Execution of his Father in the first year of the Reign of the late King Henry would not out of his mind and by this means he might have opportunity to execute his just vengeance on the King's Posterity for the unjust Murther as he esteem'd it of his innocent Father Confirmed in these Resolves by Sir John Gates Lieutenant of the Band of Pensioners who was reported afterwards to have put this Plot into his Head at the first as he stood to him in the prosecution of it to the very last The Privy Council of his own thoughts having thus advised the Privy Council of the King was in the next place to be made sure to him either obliged by Favours or gained by Flatteries those of most Power to be most Courted through a smooth Countenance fair Language and other thriving Acts of insinuation to be made to all Of the Lord Treasurer Paulet he was sure enough whom he had found to have so much of the Willow in him that he could bend him how he pleased And being sure of him he thought himself as sure of the Publick Treasure as if it were in his own Pockets The Marquess of North-hampton was Captain of the Band of Pensioners encreased in Power though not in Place by ranging under his Command as well the Light-Horse as the Men at Arms which had served at Bulloign With him the Earl had peeced before drew him into his first Design for bringing down the Lord Protectour to a lower Level but made him faster then before by doing so many good Offices to Sir William Herbert who had Married his Sister Which Herbert being son of Richard Herbert of Ewias one of the Bastards of William Lord Herbert of Ragland the first
Miles Partridge on whom also passed the Sentence of Death but the certain Day and Time of their Triall I have no where found Most probable it is that they were not brought to their Triall till after the Ax had done its part on the Duke of Sommerset which was on the twenty third of January because I finde they were not brought to their Execution till the twenty sixth of February then next following the two first being then beheaded and the two last hanged at what time they severally Protested taking God to witness that they never practised Treason against the King or against the Lives of any of the Lords of his Council Vane adding after all the rest that his Blood would make Northumberland's Pillow uneasie to him None of them less lamented by the Common People then Sir Miles Partridge against whom they had an old Grudge for depriving them of the best Ring of Bells which they had at that time called Jesus-Bells which winning of King Henry at a Cast of Dice he caused to be taken down and sold or melted for his own Advantage If any Bell tolled for him when he went to his Death or that the sight of an Halter made him think of a Bell-Rope it could not but remember him of his Fault in that Particular and mind him of calling upon Christ Jesus for his Grace and Mercy But in the mean time Care is taken that the King should not be too apprehensive of these Misfortunes into which his Uncle had been cast or enter into any Enquiries whether he had been cast into them by his own Fault or the Practises of others It was therefore thought fit to Entertain him frequently with Masks and Dancings brave Challenges at Tilts and Barriers and whatsoever Sports and Exercises which they conceived most pleasing to him But nothing seemed more delightfull to him then the appearing of His Lords and others in a General Muster performed on the twenty third of December in Saint James his Fields At what time sitting on Horse-back with the Lords of His Council the Band of Pensioners in compleat Arms with four Trumpeters and the King's Standard going before them first appeared in sight each Pensioner having two Servants waiting on him with their several Spears Next followed in distinct Companies of one hundred apiece the Troops of the Lord Treasurer Paulet the Duke of Northumberland the Lord Privy Seal the Marquess of North-hampton the Earl of Pembroke and the Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports a Trumpet and a Standard carried before each Troop fourty of the Duke of Northumbeland's Men and as many of the Earl of Pembroke's having Velvet Goats upon their Harness with these were mingled in like Equipage as to the Trumpets and the Standards the distinct Troops of the Earls of Rutland and Hâ—ntington and the new Lord Darcy consisting each of fifty Horse and Rancked according to the Order and Precedency of their several Lords All which rode twice before the King by five in a Ranck all excellently well Armed and bravely Mounted to the great Contentment of the King the Delight of the People and as much to the Honour of the Nation in the Eye of all such Strangers as were present at it But then the Lords of England were Lords indeed and thought it not consistent with a Title of Honour to walk the Streets attended by a Lacquie onely and perhaps not that The Particulars of which Glorious Muster had not been specified but for supplying the Place of Musick as the Solemn Reception of the Queen Regent did before betwixt the two last Acts of this Tragedy to the last whereof we shall now come and so end this year Two Moneths had passed since the Pronouncing of the Fatal Sentence of Condemnation before the Prisoner was brought out to his Execution In all which time it may be thought that he might easily have obtained his Pardon of the King who had passed the first years of His Reign under his Protection and could not but behold him with the Eye of Respect as hisâ—nearest Kinsman by the Mother But first his Adversaries had so possessed the King with an Opinion of his Crimes and Misdemeanours that he believed him to be guilty of them as appears by his Letter to Fitz-Patrick for which Consult the Church Historian Lib. 7. fol. 409 410. wherein he Summarily repeateth the Substance of the Charge the Proofs against him the Proceedings of the Lords in the Arraignment and his Submiss Carriage both before and after the Sentence They also filled his Ears with the Continual Noise of the Unnatural Prosecuting of the late Lord Admiral inculcating how unsafe it was to trust to the Fidelity of such a Man who had so lately washed his Hands in the Blood of his Brother And that the King might rest himself upon these Perswasions all ways were stopped and all the Avenues blocked up by which it might be possible for any of the Duke's Friends to finde access either for rectifying the King's Opinion or obtaining his Pardon So that at last upon the twenty second of January before-remembred the King not being sufficiently possessed before of his Crimes and Cruelties he was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-Hill Where he avouched to the People That His Inâ—tentions had been not onely harmless in regard of particular Persons but driving to the Common Benefit both of the King and of the Realm Interrupted in the rest of his Speech upon the suddain â—ear of a Rescue by the coming in of the Hamlets on the one side aâ—d the Hopes of a Pardon which the People conceived to have been brought him by Sir Anthony Brown who came speedily galloping on the other he composed himself at last to make a Confession of his Faith heartily praying for the King exhorting the People to Obedience and humbly craving Pardon both of God and Man Which said he chearfully submitted his Head to the stroke of the Ax by which it was taken off at a Blow putting an end thereby to his Cares and Sorrows Such was the End of this Great Person whose Power and Greatness may be best discerned by this following Style used by him in the Height of his former Glories that is to say Edward by the Grace of God Duke of Sommerset Earl of Hertford Viscount Beauchamp Baron Seimour Uncle to the King's Highness of England Governour to the King's Highness Person Protectour of all his Realms Dominions and Subjects Lieutenant General of His Majestie 's Armies both by Sea and Land Lord High Treasurer and Earl Marshal of England Captain of Isles the of Garnsey and Jarsey and Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Garter As to his Parts Person and Abilitie there needs no other Character of him then what was given in the beginning and may be gathered from the Course of this present History More Moderate in carrying on the Work of Reformation then those who after had the Manageing and Conduct of it as one that in himself was
more inclinable to the Lutheran but where his profit was concerned in the spoil of Images then thâ—â— Zuinglian Doctrines so well beloved in general by the Common People that divers dipt their Handkerchiefs in his Blood to keep them in perpetual Remembrance of him One of which being a sprightly Dame about two years after when the Duke of Northumberland was led through the City for his opposing the Title of Queen Mary ran to him in the Streets and shaking out her bloody Handkerchief before him Behold said she the Blood of that worthy man that good Vncle of that Excellent King which shed by thy malicious Practice doth now begin apparently to revenge it self on thee The like Opinion also was conceived of the business by the most understanding men in the Court and Kingdom though the King seemed for the present to be satisfied in it In which opinion they were exceedingly confirmed by the Enlargment of the Earl of Arundel and restoring of Crane and his Wife to their former Liberty but most especially by the great Endearments which afterwards appeared between the Duke of Northumberland and Sir Thomas Palmer and the great confidence which the Duke placed in him for the Advancement of his Projects in behalf of the Duke of Suffolk of which more hereafter But the Malice of his Enemies stayed not here extending also to his Friends and Children after his Decease but chiefly to the eldest Son by the second Wife in favour of whom an Act of Parliament had been passed in the thirty second year of the late King Henry for the entailing on his Person all such Lands Estates and Honours as had been or should be purchasâ—d by his Father from the twenty fifth day of May then next foregoing Which Act they caused to be repealed at the end of the next Session of Parliament which began on the morrow after the Death of the Duke whereby they strip'd the young Gentleman being then about thirteen years of Age of his Lands and Titles to which he was in part restored by Queen Elizabeth who in pity of his Father's Suffâ—rings and his own Misfortunes created him â—arl of Hertford Viscount Beauchamp c. Nor did the Duke's Fall end it self in no other ruin then that of his own house and the Death of the four Knights which suffered on the same account but drew along with it the â—emoval of the Lord Rich from the Place and Office of Lord Chancellour For so it happened that the Lord Chancellour commiserating the Condition of the Duke of Sommerset though formerly he had shewed himself against him dispatched a Letter to him concerning some Proceedings of the Lords of the Council which he thought fit for him to know Which Letter being hastily superscribed To the Duke with no other Title he gave to one of his Servants to be carried to him By whom for want of a more particular direction it was delivered to the hands of the Duke of Norfolk But the Mistake being presently found the Lord Chancellour knowing into what hands he was like to fall makes his Address unto the King the next morning betimes and humbly prays that in regard of his great Age he might be discharged of the Great Seal and Office of Chancellour Which being granted by the King though with no small difficulty the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Pembroke forward enough to go upon such an Errand are sent on the twenty first of December to receive the Seal committed on the morrow after to Doctour Thomas Goodwin Bishop of Ely and one of the Lords of the Privy Council Who afterwards that is to say on the two and twentieth of January was sworn Lord Chancellour the Lord Treasurer Paulet giving him the Oath in the Court of Chancery Next followed the Losses and Disgraces suffered by the Lord Paget on the Duke's account To whom he had continued faithfull in all his Troubles when Sir William Cecil who had received greater Benefits from him and most of the Dependants on him had either deserted or betrayed him His House designed to be the place in which the Duke of Northumberland and the rest of the Lords were to be murthered at a Banquet if any credit may be given to the Informations for which Committed to the Tower as before is said But having no sufficient Proof to warrant any further Proceeding to his Condemnation an Enquiry is made not long after into all his Actions In the return whereof it was suggested That he had sold the King's Lands and Woods without Commission That he had taken great Fines for the King's Lands and applyed them to his proper use and That he had made Leases in Reversion for more then one and twenty years Which Spoyl is to be understood of the Lands and Woods of the Dutchy of Lancaster of the which he was Chancellour and for committing whereof he was not onely forced to resign that Office but condemned in a fine of six thousand pounds not otherwise to be excused but by paying of four thousand pounds within the year This Punishment was accompanied with a Disgrace no less grievous to him then the loss both of his Place and Money He had been chosen into the Society of the Garter An. 1548. when the Duke of Sommerset was in Power and so continued till the fifteenth of April in the year next following Anno 1552. At what time Garter King of Aâ—ms was sent to his Lodging in the Tower to take from him the Garter and the George belonging to him as a Knight of that most Noble Order Which he suffered willingly to be done because it was His Majestie 's Pleasure that it should so be More sensible of the Affront without all question then otherwise he would have been because the said George and Garter were presently afâ—er sent by the King to John Earl of Warwick the Duke of Northumberland's eldest Son Admitted thereupon into that Society So prevalent are the Passions of some Great Persons that they can neither put a measure upon their Hatred nor an end to their Malice Which two last Passages though more properly belonging to the following year I have thought fit to place in this because of that dependance which they have on the Fall of Sommerset The like Ill-Fortune happened at the same time also to Doctour Robert Farrar Bishop of St. David's who as he had his Preferments by him so he suffered also in his Fall not because Guilty of the Practice or Conspiracy with him as the Lord Paget and the rest were given out to be but because he wanted his Support and Countenance against his Adversaries A Man he was of an unsociable disposition rigidly self-willed and one who looked for more Observance then his place required which drew him into a great dislâ—ke with most of his Clergy with none more then the Canons of his own Cathedral The Faction headed amongst others by Doctour Thomas Young then being the Chantour of that Church and afterwards advanced by Queen
expedient yet so that they take care for giving good and substantial Order to stay the inordinate and greedy Covetousness of such disordered People as should go about to alienate any of the Premises or otherwise to let them know that according to Reason and Order such as have or should contemptuously offend in that behalf should receive such punishment as to the quality of their doing should be thought most requisite Such were the Faculties and Instructions wherewith the Kings Commissioners were impowered and furnished And doubt we not but that they were as punctual and exact in the execution which cannot better be discerned then by that which is reported of their doings generally in all parts of the Realm and more particularly in the Church of St. Peter in Westminster more richly furnished by reason of the Pomps of Coronations Funerals and such like Solemnities then any other in the Kingdome Concerning which I find in an old Chapter-Book belonging to it that on May the 9. 1553. Sir Roger Cholmley Knight Lord Chief Justice and Sir Robert Bowes Knight Master of the Rolls the King's Commissioners for gathering Ecclesiastical Goods held their Session at Westminster and called before them the Dean of that Cathedral and certain others of the same House and commanded them by virtue of their Commission to bring to them a true Inventory of all the Plate Cups Vestiments and other Ecclesiastical Goodâ— which belonged to their Church Which done the Twelfth Day of the same Moneth they sent John Hodges Robert Smalwood and Edmund Best of the City of Westminster whom the said Commissioners had made their Collectours with a Commandment to the Dean and Chapter for the delivery of the said Goods which were by Robert Crome Clerk Sexton of the said Church delivered to the said Collectors who left no more unto the Church then two Cups with the Covers all gilt One white Silver Pot Three Herse-Cloths Twelve Cushions One Carpet for the Table Eight Stall-Cloths for the Quite Three Pulpit-Cloths Nine little Carpets for the Dean's Stall Two Table-Cloths the rest of all the rich Furniture massie Plate and whatsoever else was of any value which questionless must needs amount to a very great Sum was seized on by the said Collectâ—urs and clearly carryed away by Order from the said Commissioners The lâ—ke done generally in all the other parts of the Realm into which the Commissioners began their Circuits in the Moneth of April as soon as the ways were open and fit for Travail Their business was to seize upon all the Goods remaining in any Cathedral or Parish-Churches all Jewels of Gold and Silver Crosses Candlesticks Censers Chalices and such like with their ready Money As also all Copes and Vestments of Cloth of Gold Tyssue and Silver together with all other Copes Vestments and Ornaments to the same belonging Which general seizure being made they were to leave one Chalice with certain Table-Cloths for the use of the Communion-Board as the said Commissioners should think fiâ— the Jewels Piate and ready Money to be delivered to the Master of the King's Jewels in the Tower of London the Cope of Cloth of Gold and Tyssue to be brought into the King's Wardrobe the rest to be turned into ready Money and thaâ— Money to be paid to Sir Edmond Peckam the King's Cofferer for the defraying of the Charges of Hâ—s Majestie 's Houshold But notwithstanding this great Care of the King on the one side and the double-diligence of his Commissioners on the other the Booty did not prove so great as the Expectation In all great Fairs and Markets there are some Forestallers who get the bâ—st Peny-worths to themselves and suffer not the Richest and most gainful Commodities to be openly sold. And so it fared also in the present Business there being some who were as much before-hand with the King's Commissioners in embezelling the said Plate Jewels and other Furnitures as the Commissioners did intend to be with the King in keeping always most part unto themselves For when the Commissioners came to execute their Powers in their several Circuits they neither could discover all or recover much of that which had been purâ—oined some things being utterly embezelled by Persons not responsible in which Case the King as well as the Commissâ—oners was to lose his Right but more concealed by Persons not detectable who had so cunningly carryed the stealth that there was no tracing of their â—oot-stepâ— And some there were who being known to have such Goods in theâ—r possession conceived themselves too Great to be called in question connived at willâ—ngly by these who were but their Equals and either were or meant to bâ— Offendâ—urs in the very same kind So that although some Profit was hereby raised to the King's Exchequer yet the far greatest part of the Prey came to other hands Insomuch that many private men's Parlours were hung with Altar-Cloths their Tables and Beds covered with Copes instead of Carpets and Coveâ—lids and many made Carousing Cups of the Sacred Chalices as once â—elshâ—zzar celebrated his Drunken Feast in the Sanctified Vessels of the Temple It was a sorry House and not worth the naming which had not somewhat of this Furniture in it though it were onely a fair large Cushion made of a Cope or Altar-Cloth to adorn their Windows or make their Chairs appear to have somewhat in them of a Chair of State Yet how contemptible were these Trappings in comparison of those vast suâ—s of Money which were made of Jewels Pâ—ate and Cloth of Tyssue either conveyed beyond the Seas or sold at home and good Lands purchased with the Money nothing the more blessed to the Posterâ—ty oâ— them that bâ—ught them for being purchased with the Consecrated Treasures of so many Temples But as the King was plunged in Debt without being put to any extraordinary Charges in it so was He decayed in his Revenue without selling any part of His Crown Lands towards the payment of His Debts By the suppressing of some and the surrendring of other Religious Houses the Royal Intrado was so much increased in the late King's time that for the better managing of it the King erected first the Court of Augmentation and afterwards the Court of Surveyours But in short time by His own Profuseness and the Avaritiousness of this King's Ministers it was so retrenched that it was scarce able to finde Work enough for the Court of Exchequer Hereupon followed the dissolving of the said two Courts in the last Parliament of this King beginning on the first and ending on the last day of March Which as it made a loud noise in the Ears of the People so did it put this Jealousie into their Minds That if the King's Lands should be thus daily wasted without any recruit He must at last prove burthensom to the common Subject Some course is therefore to be thought on which might pretend to an increase of the King's Revenue and none more easie to be compassed then to begin
for dispatch of Business to which he lai'd such Farms and Tenements in the Town and elsewhere as had been vested in the Brother-hood of the Holy-Cross before remembred and committed the Care and Governance of the whole Revenue to a Corporation of twelve Persons by the Name of the Master and Governours of the Hospital of Christ in Abindon All which he fortified and assured to the Town for ever by Virtue of this His Majestie 's Letters Patents â—earing Date the nineteenth of May in the seventh and last Year of His Reigne Anno 1553. And so I conclude the Reign of King Edward the Sixth sufficiently remarkable for the Progress of the Reformation but otherwise tumultuous in it self and defamed by Sacrilege and so distracted into Sides and Factions that in the end the King Himself became a Prey to the strongest Party which could not otherwise be safe but in His Destruction contrived on Purpose as it was generally supposed to smooth the Way to the Advancement of the Lady Jane Grey to the Royal Throne Of whose short Reign Religious Disposition and Calamitous Death We are next to speak AN APPENDIX TO THE FORMER BOOK Touching the Interposings made in Behalf of the Lady JANE GRAY Publickly Proclaimed QUEEN of ENGLAND Together with the History of Her Admirable Life Short Reign and most Deplorable Death Prov. xxxi 29. Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all Vell. Paterc lib. 2. Genere Probitate Formâ Romanorum Eminentissima per omnia Deis quám hominibus similior Foemina Cambd. in Reliquiis Miraris Janam Graio Sermone loquutam Quo primùm nata est tempore Graia fuit LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1660. THE LIFE and REIGN OF QUEEN JANE Anno Domini 1553. THE Lady IANE GRAY whom King EDWARD had Declared for His next Successour was Eldest Daughter of HENRY Lord GRAY Duke of Suffolk and Marquess Dorset descended from THOMAS Lord GRAY Marquess Dorset the Eldest Son of Queen ELIZABETH the onely Wife of EDWARD the Fourth by Sir IOHN GRAY Her former Husband Her Mother was the Lady Frances's Daughter and in fine one of the Co-Heirs of Charls Brandon the late Duke of Suffolk by Mary His Wife Queen Dowager to Lewis the Twelfth of France and youngest Daughter of King HENRY the Seventh Grandfather to King EDWARD now Deceased Her High Descent and the great Care of King HENRY the Eighth to see Her happily and well bestowed in Marriage Commended Her unto the Bed of Henry Lord Marquess Dorset before-remembred A man of known Nobility and of Large Revenues possess'd not onely of the Patrimony of the Grays of Groby but of the whole Estate of the Lord Harrington and Bonvile which descended on him in the Right of his Grand-Mother the Wife of the first Marquess of Dorset of this Name and Family And it is little to be doubted but that the Fortunes of the House had been much increased by the especial Providence and Bounty of the said Queen Elizabeth who cannot be supposed to have neglected any Advantage in the Times of Her Glory and Prosperity for the Advancement of Her Children by Her former Husband In these Respects more then for any Personal Abilities which he had in himself he held a very fair Esteem amongst the Peers of the Realm rather Beloved then Reverenced by the Common People For as he had few Commendable Qualities which might produce any High Opinion of his Parts and Merit so was he guilty of no Vices which might blunt the Edg of that Affection in the Vulgar sort which commonly is born to Persons of that Eminent Rank His Wâ—fe as of an Higher Birth was of greater Spirit but one that could accommodate it to the will of Her Husband Pretermitted in the Succession to the Crown by the last Will and Testament of King Henry the Eighth not out of any Disrespect which that King had of Her but because he was not willing to think it probable that either She or the Lady Ellanor Her younger Sister whom he had pretermitted also in that Designation could live so long as to Survive His own three Children and such as in the course of Nature should be issued from them Of this Marriage there were born three Daughters that is to say Jane Katharine and Mary Of which the Eldest being but some Moneths older then the late King Edward may be presumed to have took the name of Jane from the Queen Jane Seimour as Katharine from Queen Katharine Howard or Queen Katharine Parr and Mary from the Princess Mary the eldest Daughter of King Henry or in Relation to Her Grand-Mother His youngest Sister But the great Glory of this Family was the Lady Jane who seemed to have been born with those Attractions which seat a Sovereignty in the face of most beautifull Persons yet was Her mind endued with more Excellent Charms then the Attractions of Her face Modest and Mild of Disposition Courteous of Carriage and of such Affable Deportment as might Entitle Her to the Name of Queen of Hearts before She was Designed for Queen over any Subjects Which Native and Obliging Graces were accompanied with some more profitable ones of Her own Acquiring which set an higher Valew on them and much encreased the same both in Worth and Lustre Having attained unto that Age in which other young Ladies used to apply themselves to the Sports and Exercises of their Sex She wholly gave Her mind to good Arts and Sciences much furthered in that pursuit by the care and diligence of one Mr. Elmer who was appointed for Her Tutour the same if my Conjecture deceive me not who afterwards was deservedly Advanced by Queen Elizabeth to the See of London Under his charge She came to such a large Proficiency that She spake the Latine and Greek Tongues with as sweet a fluency as if they had been Natural and Native to Her Exactly skilled in the Liberal Sciences and perfectly well Studied in both kinds of Philosophy For Proof whereof there goes a Story that Mr. Râ—ger Ascham being then Tutour to the Princess Elizabeth came to attend 〈◊〉 once at Broadgates a House of Her Father's neighbouring to the Town of Leicester where he found Her in Her Chamber reading Phaedon Platonis in Greek with as much delight as some Gentlemen would have read a Merry Tale in Geoffery Chaâ—cer The Duke Her Father the Duchess and all the rest of the Houshould were at that time hunting in the Park which moved him to put this Question to Her How She could find in Her Heart to loose such Excellent Pastimes To which She very chearfully returned this Answer That all the Pastimes in the Park were a Shadow onely of the Pleasure and Contentment which She found in that Book adding moreover That one of the greatest blessings God ever gave Her was in sending Her sharp Parents and a gentle Schole-Master which made Her take delight in nothing so much as in Her Study By which agreeableness of Disposition and eminent
and to deâ—se how they might extricate themselves out of those perplexities into which they had been brought by his Ambition Amongst which none more forward then the Earl of Pembroke in whom he had placed more Confidence then in all the others Who together with Sir Thomas Cheyny Lord Warden of the â—inque-Ports with divers others endeavoured to get out of the Tower that they might hold some secret Consultation with their Friends in London but were so narrowly watched that they could not do it On Sunday the sixteenth of the Moneth Doctour Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London is ordered by the Lords of the Council to Preach at St. Paul's-Cross and in his Sermon to Advance the Title of Queen Jane and shew the invalidity of the Claim of the Lady Mary Which he performed according to such Grounds of Law and Polity as had been lai'd together in the Letters Patents of King Edward by the Authority and Consent of all the Lords of the Council the greatest Judges in the Land and almost all the Peers of the Kingdom But then withall he press'd the Incommodities and Inconveniencies which might arise by receiving Mary for their Queen prophecying that which after came to pass Namely that She would bring in a Foreign Power to Reign over this Nation and that She would subvert the True Religion then Established by the Laws of this Reaâ—m He also shewed that at such time as She lived in his Diocess he had Travailed much with Her to reduce Her to the True Religion but that though otherwise She used him with great Civility She shewed Her self so stiff and obstinate that there was no hope to be conceived but that She would disturb and destroy all that which with such great Labour had been settled in the Reign of Her Brother For which Sermon he incurred so much displeasure that it could never be forgiven him when the rest were Pardoned by whose Encouragement and Command he had undertook it But this Sermon did not work so much on the People as the ill News which came continually to the Tower had prevailed on many of the Lords For presently upon that of the six Ships which were Revolted from the Queen Advertisement is given that the Princess Mary was Proclaimed Queen in Oxfordâ—Shirâ— â—Shirâ— by Sir John Williams and others in Buckingham-Shire by the Lord Windsore Sir Edward Hastings c. and in North-hampton-Shire by Sir Thomas Tresham And which was worse then all the other that the Noble-Mens Tenants refused to serve their Lords against Her Upon the first bruit of which Disasters the Lord Treasurer Pawlet gets out of the Tower and goes unto his House in Broâ—d-street which made sâ—ch a powerfull apprehension of sâ—me dangerous practises to be suddenly put in Execution that the Gates of the Tower were locked about seven of the Clock and the Keys carried to the Queen And though the Lord Treasurer was brought back about twelve at night yet now the knot of the Confederacy began apparently to break For finding by intelligence from so many Parts of the Realm but chiefly by the Lord Treasurer's return that generally the People were affected to the Title of the Princess Mary they thought it most expedient for them to Declare themselves in Her Favour also and not to run themselves their Friends and Families on a certain Ruin But all the Difficulty was in finding out a way to get out of the Tower the Gates whereof were so narrowly watched that no man could be suffered to go in and out but by the Knowledg and Permission of the Duke of Suffolk But that which their own Wisdom could not the Duke of Northumberland's Importunity effected for them who failing of the Supplies which the Lords had promised to send after him as before is said had pressed them earnestly by his Letters not to be wanting to their own Honour and the Publick Service This gave them a fair Colour to procure their Liberty from that Restraint by representing to the Queen and the Duke Her Father that the Supplies expected and all things necessary to the same could not be raised unless they were permitted personally to attend the Business both for the Pressing of the Men providing them of all things needfull and choosing fit Commanders to Conduct them in good Order to the Duke of Northhumberland Which seemed so reasonable to the Duke of Suffolk a Man of no great Depth himself and so not like to penetrate into the bottom of a deep Design that he gave way to their Departure for the present little conceiving that they never meant to come back again till the State was altered Being thus at their desired Liberty the Earls of Shrewsbury and Pembroke together with Sir Thomas Cheyny and Sir John Mason betake themselves immediately to Baynard's Castle an House belonging then as now to the Earls of Pembroke To which Place they were followed not long after by almost all the rest of the Lords of the Council bringing with them as many of the Nobility then about the Town as they conceived to â—tand fair for the Princess Mary And that the Meeting might be held with the less Suspicion it was given out to be upon a Conference with Laval the French Ambassadour about Affairs of great Importance for the Weal of both Kingdoms No sooner had they took their Places but the Earl of Arundel who had held Intelligence with the Princess ever since the first Extremities of Her Brother's Sickness inveighed most bitterly against the Duke of Northumberland And after he had ripped up the Acts of his former Life and burthened him with all that had been done unjustly cruelly or amiss in King Edward's Time he at last descends to the Treacherous Act of the Disherison of the Children of the late King Henry professing that he wondred how he had so enthralled such persons as the Lords there present as to make them Instruments of his Wickedness For was it not saith he by Our Consent and Suffrages that the Duke of Suffolk 's Daughter the same Northumberland 's Daughter-in-Law hath took upon Her the Name and Title of Queen of England though it be nothing but the Title the Sovereign Power remaining wholly in the Hands of Dudly who contrived the Plot that â—e might freely exercise his Tyranny on our Lives and Fortunes Religion is indeed the thing pretended But suppose we have no regard to these Apostolical Rules Evil must not be done that Good may come thereof and We must obey even evil Princes not for Fear but for Conscience-sake Yet how doth it appear that the Princess Mary intends any Alteration in Religion Certainly having been lately Petitioned to in this Point by the Suffolk men She gave them a very hopefull Answer And what a mad Blindness is it for the avoidance of an uncertain Danger to precipitate Our selves into a most certain Destruction I would we had not erred in this kind But Errours past cannot be recalled some may peradventure be amended wherein speedy
Execution â—ft-times happily supplyeth former Defects Recâ—llect Your selves then and so make use of Your Authority that the Princess Mary the undoubtedly Lawfully Heir may publickly be Proclaimed Queen of England c. No other way but this as the Case now stands to recover our lost Honours and preserve the State The Earl of Pembroke was a man altogether unlettered but so well skilled in humouring King Henry the Eighth that he had raised Himself to a great Estate for whâ—ch he could not but express some sense of Gratitude in doing good Offices for his Children And having formerly been suspected to have had too great a part in Northumberland's Counsels he conceâ—ved himself obliged to wipe off that Stain by declaring his Zeal and Resolution in the Cause of the Princess And therefore assoon as the Earl of Arundel had concluded his Speech he very chearfully professed that he approved and would subscribe the Proposition and therewithall laying his Hand upon his Sword he signifiâ—d his Readiness and Resolution to defend the Lady Marie's Cause against all Opponents The rest of the Lords encouraged by these good Examples and seeing nothing but apparent Danger on all sides if they did the contrary came to a speedy Conclusion with them and bound themselves to stand together in Defence of the late King's Sisters against all their Enemies Which being thus so generously and unanimously agreed upon a Messenger is presently dispatched to the Lord Mayour requiring him to repair to Baynara'â—-Castle within an hour and to bring with him the Recorder and such of the Aldermen of the City as to him seemed best Who being come accordingly at the time appointed their Lordships told them in few words as well their Resolution as their Reason of it and so desired their Company to Cheap-side-Cross to Proclaim Queen Mary Which said without any further Dispute about the Title they rode all together in good order through Saint Paul's-Church-Yard till they came to the Gate which openeth into the Street where they found such Multitudes and Throngs of People whom the Noise of such a Confluence at Baynard's-Castle and the going down of the Lord Mayour and Aldermen had drawn together that they could hardly force a Way through them to come to the Cross. But being come thither at the last though with much ado Sir Christopher Barker Knight of the Bath and Principal King at Arms Proclaimed by the Sound of Trumpet the Princess Mary Daughter of King Henry the Eighth and Queen Kaharine His Wife to be the Lawfull and Undoubted Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith adding thereto that Sacred Title of Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England which She retained till the beginning of the following Parliament and then rescinded all those Acts by which it had been formerly united to the Crown of this Realm The Proclamation being ended they went together in a Solemn Prâ—cession to Saint Pauâ—'s Church where they caused the Te Deum to be sung with the Rights accustomed and so dismissed the Assembly to their several dwellings Being returned to Baynard's-Castle the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget are presently dispatched to Framlingham with thirty Horse to give the Queen a Narrative of their whole Proceedings Some Companies are also sent to assure the Tower and to Command the Duke of Suffolk to discharge the Family and Attendants of the Lady Jane to signifie unto Her that She must lay aside the Name and Title of Queen and suffer Her Self to be reduced to the Rank of a private Person All which he readily obeyed as easily subject to Despair as before he had been swelled with Ambitious Hopes and the next day adjoyns himself to the rest of the Counâ—il subscribing amongst others to such Instructions as were to be dispatched to the Duke of Northumberland for the disbanding of his Forces and carâ—ying himself like an obedient and dutifull Subject as he ought to do But there was little need of this last Message and none at all of the other Foâ— the noise of these loud Acclamâ—â—ions which were made at the Proclaiming of the new Queen passing from one Street to another came at last to the Tower â—efore the Message had been sent to the Duke of Suffolk where they were heard by the â—ady Jane now no longer Queen with such Tranquility of Mâ—nd and Composedness of Countenance as if she had not been concerned in the Alteration She had before received the offer of the Crown with as even a Temper as if it had been nothing but a â—arland of Flowers and now She lays aside the thought thereof with as much contentedness as She could have thrown away that Garland when the sent was gone The time of her Glories was so short but a nine Days wonder that it seemâ—d nothing but a Dream out of which She was not sorry to be awakened The Tower had been to Her a Prison rather then a Court and interrupted the Delights of Her former Life by so many Terrours that no day passed without some new Alarms to disturb Her Quiet She doth now know the worst that Fortune can do unto Her And having always feared that there stood a Scaffold secretly behind the Throne She was as readily prepared to act her Part upon the one as upon the other If Sorrow and Affliction did at any time invade Her Thoughts it was rather in reference to Her Friends but most of all unto Her Husband who were to be involved in the Calamity of Her Misfortunes then upon any Apprehensions which She had for Her Self And hereunto the bringing in of so many Prisoners one day after another gave no small Encrease brought hither for no other Reason but because they had seemed forward in contributing towards Her Advancement In the middest of which Disconsolations the restoring of the Duke Her Father to his former Liberty gave some Repose unto Her Mind whose Sufferings were more grievous to Her then Her own Imprisonment And then to what a miserable Extremity must his Death have brought Her And though the Attainder and Death of the Duke of Northumberland â—hich followed very shortly after might tell Her in Effect what She was to trust to yet She was willing to distinguish betwixt his Case and Her own betwixt the Principal and the Accessaries in the Late Design In which Respect She gave Her self no improbable Hopeâ— thâ—â— possibly the like Mercies which was shewed to Her Father might possibly be extended unto others and amongst others to Her Husband as innocent as Her self from any open Practice against the Queen And who could tell but that it might descend on Her self at last whom no Ambition of Her own had tempted to the acceptation of that Dangerous Offer which She beheld as the greatest Errour of Her Life and the onely Stain of all â—er Actions But neither the Queen's Fears nor the publick Justice of the Land could so be satisfied It was held Treason to accept of a Kingdom
proceed upon The Lord Rochfort her own brother having some sute to obtain by her of the King was found whispering to her on her bed when she was in it which was interpreted for an act of some great dishonor done or intended to the King as if she had permitted him some farther liberties than were consistent with the innocent familiarity between brothers and sisters In the aggravating whereof with all odious circumstances none was more forward than the Lady Rochfort her self whether out of any jealousie which she had of her husband or whether out of some inveterate hatred which she had to the Queen according to the peccant humor of most sisters in law is not clearly known It was observed also that Sir Henry Norris Groom of the Stool unto the King had entertained a very dear affection for her not without giving himself some hopes of succeeding in the King's bed as Sir Thomas Seimer after did if she chanced to survive him And it appears that she had given him opportunity to make known his affection and to acquaint her with his hopes which she expressed by twitting him in a frolick humor with â—ooking after dead mens shoos Weston and Bâ—eerton both Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber were observed also to be very diligent in their services and addresses to her which were construed rather to proceed from love than duty though no reciprocation could be found to proceed from her but what was agreeable to that affability and general debonairness which she shewed to all men Out of these premises weak and imperfect though they were the King resolves to come to a conclusion of his aims and wishes A solemn Tilting was maintained at Greenwich on the first of May at which the King and Queen were present the Lord Rochfort and Sir Henry Norris being principal Challengers The Queen by chance let fall her handkerchief which was taken up by one of her supposed favourits who stood under the window whom the King perceived to wipe his face with it This taken by the King to be done of purpose and thereupon he leaves the Queen and all the rest to behold the Sports and goeâ—h immediately in great haste to Westmâ—â—ster to the no small amazement of all the company but the Queen especially Rochfort and Norris are committed to the Tower on the morrow after to which unfortunate place the Queen her self on the same day was conducted by Sir Thomas Audeley Lord Chancellor the Duke of Norfolk Cromwel then Master of the Rolls and principal Secretary and Kingston Lieutenant of the Tower Informed by them upon the way of the Kings suspitions she is said to have fallen upon her knees and with dire imprecations to have disavowed the crime whatsoever it were wherewith she was charged beseeching God so to regard her as the justness of her cause required After which William Breerton Esquire and Sir Francis Westâ—n of the King 's Privy Chamber together with Mark Smeton one of the King's Musicians were committed on the same occasion These persons being thus committed and the cause made known the next care was to find sufficient Evidence for their condemnation It was objected that thâ— Queen growing out of hope of having any issue male by the King had used the company of the Lord Râ—chfort Norris Bâ—eerton and Weston and possibly of Smeton also involving her at onâ—e in no smaller crimes than those of Adultery and Incest For proof whereof there was no waâ—t of any artifices in sifting canvasing and intangling not onely the Prisoners themselves but all such Wiâ—nesses of either sex as were thought fit to be examined by the Kingâ— Commissioners from none of which they were able to get any thing by all their Arts which might give any ground for her conviction but that Maâ—k Smeton had been wrought on to make some confession of himself to her dishonor out of a vain hope to save his own life by the loss of hers Concerning which Cromwel thus writes unto the King after the Prisoners had been throughly examined in the Tower by the Lords of the Council Many things saith hâ— have been objected but nothing confessed onely some circumstances have been a knowledged by Mark. To which effect and other the particulars before remembred take here a Letter written by Sir Eâ—ward Baynâ—on to Sir William Fitswilâ—iams being then Treasurer of the Household and not long after raised unto the style and Title of Earl of Southampâ—on Mr. Treasurer THis shall be to advertise you that here is much communication that no man will confess any thing against her at all but onely Mark of any actual thing Wherefore in my foolish conceit it should much touch the Kings honor if it should no further appear And I cannot believe but that the other two be as far culpable as ever was he and I think assuredly the one keepeth the others counsel as many conâ—ectures in my mind causeth me to think and especially of the communication that was last between the Queen Mr. Norres Mr. Amner and me as I would if I might speak with Mr. Secretary and you together more plainly expresse my mind If the case be that they have confessed like witnesses aâ—l things as they â—â—ould do then the matter is at a point I have mused much at the manner of Mistresse Margery which hath used her self so strangely towards me of late being her friend so much as I have been But no doubt it cannot be chosen but she must be of counsell therewith for there hath been great friendship between the Queen and her of â—aâ—e I hear further that the Queen standeth stifly in her opinion that she will die in it which I think is in the trust that she hath of the other two But if your businesse be such as you cannot come I would gladly come and wait on you if you think it requisite In appears also by a Letter of Sir William Kingstons that he had much communication with her when she was his prisoner in which her language seemed to be broken and distressed betwixt tears and laughter out of which nothing could be gathered but that she exclaimed against Norris as if he had accused her It was further signified in that Letter that she named some others who had obsequiously applied themselves to her love and service acknowledging such passages though not sufficient to condemn her as shewed she had made use of the utmost liberty which could be honestly allowed her Most true it is as far as any truth can be collected from common and credible reports that Norris being much favoured by the King was offered pardon for his life if he would confess the crimes which he was accused of To which he made this generous answer That in his conscience he thought her guiltlesse of the crimes objected but whether she were or no he could not accuse her of any thing and that he had rather undergo a thousand deaths than betray the innocent So that upon the point
thee delivereâ— to thee only be thanks honour and praâ—se for ever Amen Which said she mounted into her Chariot with so cleer a spirit as if she had been made for that dayes solemnity Entertained all the way she went with the joyful shouts and acclamations of God save the Queen which she repaid with such a modest affability and so good a grace that it drew tears of joy from the eyes of some with infinite prayers and thanksgiving from the hearts of all but nothing more indeared her to them than the accepting of an English Bible richly gilt which was let down unto her from one of the Pageants by a child representing Truth At the sight whereof she first kissed both her hands with both her hands she received the book which first she kiss'd and after laid unto her bosome as the nearest place unto her heart giving the City greater thanks for that excellent Gift than for all the rest which plentifully had been that day bestowed upon her and promised to be diligent in the reading of it By which and many other acts of a popular piety with which she passed away that day she did not only gain the hearts of all them that saw her but they that saw her did so magnifie her most eminent Graces that they procured the like affections in the hearts of all others also On the next morning with like magnificence and splendor she is attended to the Church of St Peter in Westminster where she was crowned according to the Order of the Roman Pontifical by Dr Owen Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle the only man among all the Bishops who could be wrought on by her to perform that office Whether it were that they saw some alteration coming to which they were resolved not to yield conformity so that they could not be in a worse case upon this refusal than they should be otherwise or that they feared the Popes displeasure if they should do an act so contrary unto his pretensions without leave first granted or that they had their own particular animosities and spleens against her as the Archbishop of York particularly for his being deprived of the seal is not certainly known None more condemned for the refusal than the Bishop of Ely as one that had received his first preferments from the King her father and who complyed so far in the time of King Edward as to assist in the composing of the publick Liturgy and otherwise appeared as forward in the reformation as any other of that Order So that no reason can be given either for his denial now to perform that service or afterwards for his not complying with the Queens proceedings but that he had been one of those which were sent to Rome to tender the submission of the Kingdom to the Pope still living and could not now appear with honour in any such action as seemed to carry with it a repugnancy if not a manifest inconsistency with the said ingagement It cannot be denyed but that there were three Bishops living of King Edward's making all of them zealously affected to the reformation And possibly it may seem strange that the Queen received not the Crown rather from one of their hands than to put her self unto the hazard of so many denyals as had been given her by the others But unto this it may be answered that the said Bishops at that time were deprived of their Sees but whether justly or unjustly could not then be questioned and therefore not in a capacity to perform that service Besides there being at that time no other form established for a Coronation than that which had much in it of the Ceremonies and superstitions of the Church of Rome she was not sure that any of the said three Bishops would have acted in it without such alterations and omissions in the whole course of that Order as might have render'd the whole action questionable amongst captious men and therefore finally she thought it more conducible to her reputation amongst forein Princes to be Crowned by the hands of a Catholick Bishop or one at least which was accounted to be such than if it had been done by any of the other Religion And now the Parliament draws on summoned to begin on the 25th of that month being the Anniversary day of St Paul's conversion a day which seemed to carry some good Omen in it in reference to that great work of the Reformation which was therein to be established The Parliament opened with an eloquent and learned Sermon preached by Dr Cox a man of good credit with the Queen and of no less esteem with the Lords and Commons who caried any good affection to the memory of King Edward the 6th The chusing of which man to perform that service was able of it self to give some intimation of the Queens design to most of the Auditors though to say truth the Bishops refusing to perform the Ceremony of the Coronation had made themselves uncapable of a further trust Nor could the Queens design be so closely caried but that such Lords and Gentlemen as had the managing of elections in their several Countries retained such men for Members of the House of Commons as they conceived most likely to comply with their intentions for a Reformation Amongst which none appeared more active than Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk whom the Queen had taken into her Council Henry Fitz-allen Earl of Arundel whom she continued in the Office of Lord Steward and Sir William Coecil whom she had restored to the place of Secretary to which he had been raised by King Edward the 6th Besides the Queen was young unmaried and like enough to entertain some thoughts of an husband so that it can be no great marvel not only if many of the Nobility but some even of the Gentry also flattered themselves with possibilities of being the man whom she might chuse to be her partner in the Regal Diadem Which hopes much smoothed the way to the accomplishment of her desires which otherwise might have proved more rugged and unpassable than it did at the present Yet notwithstanding all their care there wanted not some rough and furious spirits in the House of Commons who eagerly opposed all propositions which seemed to tend unto the prejudice of the Church of Rome Of which number none so violent as Story Dr. of the Lawes and a great instrument of Bonner's butcheries in the former Reign Who being questioned for the cruelty of his executions appeared so far from being sensible of any errour which he then committed as to declare himself to be sorry for nothing more than that instead of lopping off some few boughs and branches he did not lay his axe to the root of the tree and though it was not hard to guess at how high a mark the wretches malice seemed to aim and what he meant by laying his axe to the root of the tree yet passed he unpunished for the present though divine vengeance brought him in