times If there be any persons living who though they are not named will still reflect so far on themselves as to be concerned such if they rightly understand themselves cannot be much displeased since they may imagine what will be said of them in plain truth hereafter this I am certain of I have not intermixed any passion in my relations to make my self a party in which some have shewed themselves better Advocates then Historians all that I shall pretend to in this work is no more then a bare narrative of matter of fact digested into order of time interposing of my own opinion in the interpretation of actions all which traverses as I have already expressed I have infused neither Vinegar nor Gall into my ink if I mention a charge or impeachment it relates to the defence that was made by the accused To be brief in this small Volume the Reader may see the prosperous and torne estates of Princes and other persons the declination of the Cleargy and the affairs of the Souldiery in all which transactions one life will smooth the way for another that he that considers the one without the other sees but with one eye indeed the chief materials this Volume is built up of are of the exploits and successes of my own Countreymen as well in their forreign expeditions as what was transacted at home In the composure of this Volume amongst the lives and draughts of the Worthies I must acknowledge through the perswasions of friends who prevailed with my pen. I have inserted some few inferiour Lives amongst the rest Master Lilburnes which though not agreeing with the title of my Book may as I have in his strange life expressed pass as a Wonder for some of the Royalists at the latter end of the Volume except I would have defaced my endeavours and spoiled the intention of my design I could not but particularize them as otherwise I must have made by themselves two little Volumes of the late King and the Protector to the improper alteration if not the spoiling the method of my designs as they are successively placed so their enemies if they love to read of their own sad triumphs of their former actions they will appear even to them as so many beauty spots in the face of this Epitome of the English History There are several other Lives which were never before writ these as I had no track in History to finde out the series of their transactions cost me many hours of conversation with their friends and such as best knew them from whom I received such light as that together with their own so well known splendours their more Heroick publick deportments which to me as also to themselves were their own History though it hath been my good fortune to represent them in their still surviving pictures which I question not but this present age as also posterity will be very well pleased with In the choice of these lives I have not so much tickled my own fancy as pursued our English History in no ordinary method but such a one as to my knowledge the like is not extant in our English tongue the general way of writing being of the Chronicles of the Kings which path in my opinion had been too vulgar and too much trode in the lives of particular persons being in them either obscured or too lightly toucht on whereas giving them their due lustre these Diamonds as relating to the Crown with their splendor illumniate the several Reigns as they fall in their succession of time and though every Prince is not inserted as so vulgarly known nevertheless his story in these Heroes is for the main continued I shall excuse my omission of these late Princes Henry the eighth Edward the sixth Queen Mary Queen Elizabeth and King James as the people have from their continued reading their transactions imprinted in their mindes For those that are still behinde hand that are not versed in the English History I thought fit to give them this short advice for the election of their Authors Speed may be entertained though his Volume be large he hath fewer impertinencies then some other more volumnious Historians Sir Richard Baker is to be honoured for his handsome stile and method these two Authors the Student may make use of as intire in themselves though without dispute our English History hath been rendred best in parts the writers having bestowed more pains and have been more intent upon the Reigns they have undertook Thus the Readers best way will be to take the admirable Daniel the most succinct Authour and the most judicious and notable for his censures he writes from the beginning of our Story to Richard the Second Then he must make as good a shift as he can with Trussel who writes ad rem though not with so acute a pen he goes unto Henry the Seventh whose Reign above all others read the Lord Verulam Thence proceed to peruse Bishop Godwin whose Annals contain Henry the Eighth Edward the Sixth and Queen Mary the incomparable Cambden goes on with Queen Elizabeth The parcel Historians that have done excellently in particular Lives are Sir John Heyward Sir Robert Cotton the Lord Herbert Mr. Habington Dr. Heylin Mr. Fuller Mr. Le-Strange Squire Sanderson Mr. Rushworth and others But I fear I have already been too tedious I shall immediately conclude with this request that for the errours and failings of my pen as it is a common saying Humanum est errare so I submit my pen to the censures of the more learned entreating them in their better Judgements to correct my unwilling mistakes for the oversight of printing I shall onely crave pardon of course as it is a fate common to Books and Book-men not to be avoided whatsoever the faults are let them redound to my self I wish the profit to others but above all attribute the Glory to God William Winstanley The Names of the Authors cited in this Book A. ALluridus Rivallensis Mr. Ascham Mr. Charles Allen Alexander ab Alexandro Ausonius B Sir Richard Baker Bale Mr. Buckley Mr. Buck Sir John Beaumont St. Bede Du Bartus C Carton Cambden Chaucer Chronicum Chronicorum St. Chrysostom Comines Mr. Chrashaw Mr. Cleaveland Cattullus D Drayton Sir Simon D'ewes Sir Wil. Davenant E Eusebiue Eutropius Enguerrant Erasmus F Mr. Fuller Mr. Fox Froysart Fabian G Geoffery of Monmouth Gower Bishop Godwyn Giraldus Cambreusis Grafton H Habington Dr. Hackwel Hall Sir John Harrington Lord Herbert Herodian Dr. Heylin Hollingshead Hector Boetius Hoveden Horace Homer I Juvenal Joseph of Excester Isaacson K King James L Leiland Lucan Lidgate Lambert Mr. Le-strange M Mathew Paris Major Martin Sir Tho. Moor Marianus Scotus N Necham Ninius Mr. Alexander Nevil Sir R. Naunton St. Nazzianzen O T. Occleve Ovid P Paulus Orosius Platina Paradin Paulus Aemylius Plutarch Poggins Propertius Paulus Diaconus Polychronicon Polydor Virgil Paulus Jovius Pindarus Petrarch Q Mr. Quarles R John Rouce Tho. Randolph Rushanger S Sandys Shakespear
Sleidan Speed Stow Sozomenus Sabellicus Stapleton Suetonius Spenser Sir Philip Sidney Serres Selden T Theodoritus Tibullus Tacitus Trussel Nicholas Trivet Tertullian V Victor Verstigan Virgil W Will. of Newberry Will. of Malmsbury Walsingham Weever Waller X Xenophon Z Zosimus The Reader is desired to correct these Errata's with his Pen the most material being in Sir Walter Raleigh's Life his Letter to the Duke of Buckingham should have been placed after his Voyage to Guyana PAge 17. line 30. read falne p. 24. l. 25. for Danes read English l. 32. r. depart p. 44 l. 17. r. Denmark p. 80. l. 1. r. his l. 11. r. sky p. 92. l. 6. for himself r. him p. 101. l 6. r. progress p. 129. l. 18. after enterprize r. which they refused p. 186. l. 8. r. the. p. 207. l. 12. r. they p. 228. l 27. r. bait p. 251. in the title r. Sir Walter Raleigh p. 253. l. 17. r. Rams l. 29. r. unfortunately p. 255. l. 16. r. intercessor p. 279. l. 18. r. Pallas p. 329. l. 2. r. Strafford p. 333. l. 19. r. Strafford p. 405. l. 3. r. Louden p. 477. l. 29. r. fit p. 520. l. last r. Ship p. 562. l. 33. r. tail The Names of those whose Lives are written in this Book 1 COnstantine the Great Folio 1 2 King Arthur Folio 8 3 Dunstan Folio 16 4 Edmond Ironside Folio 22 5 Edward the Confessor Folio 29 6 William the Conqueror Folio 38 7 Thomas Becket Folio 49 8 Richard the First Folio 55 9 Edward the Third Folio 66 10 Edw. the Black Prince Folio 79 11 Sir John Hawkwood Folio 88 12 Geoffery Chaucer Folio 91 13 Henry the Fifth Folio 98 14 John D. of Bedford Folio 115 15 Richard Nevil Earl of Warwick Folio 125 16 Richard the Third Folio 140 17 Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey Folio 145 18 Cardinal Wolsey Folio 151 19 Sir Thomas Moor Folio 155 20 Thomas Cromwel Earl of Essex Folio 170 21 Sir Philip Sidney Folio 179 22 Robert E. of Leicester Folio 186 23 The Lord Burleigh Folio 195 24 Sir Francis Drake Folio 205 25 Sir Francis Walsingham Folio 215 26 Sir Nicholas Bacon Folio 219 27 Robert Devereux Earl of Essex Folio 221 28 Sir Robert Cecil Folio 238 29 Sir Tho. Overbury Folio 241 30 Sir Walter Rawleigh Folio 250 31 Mr. Wil. Cambden Folio 261 32 Mr. Tho. Sutton Folio 268 33 Sir Francis Bacon Folio 273 34 Lancelot Andrews Bishop of Winchester Folio 289 35 Doctor Donne Folio 298 36 George Villiers Duke of Buckingham Folio 308 37 Sir Henry Wotton Folio 319 38 Tho. Wentworth Earle of Strafford Folio 329 39 William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury Folio 343 40 Robert Devereux Earl of Essex General of the Parliaments Forces Folio 350 41 Sir Charles Lucas Folio 356 42 King Charles Folio 363 43 The Lord Capel Folio 433 44 James Marquesse of Montross Folio 446 45 Bishop Usher Folio 469 46 John Lilburne Folio 479 47 Oliver Cromwel Folio 525 Englands Worthies Select Lives of the most Eminent PERSONS of the Three Nations from Constantine the Great to the Death of the late Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell COnstantine for his many Victories sirnamed the Great was Son to Constantius Emperour of Rome his Mother was named Hellena being Daughter unto Caelus a Brittish Prince though some Jews and Gentiles out of hatred to her Religion have reported her to be an Inholder or Hoastess he was born in England as all Writers affirm two petty Greek Authors only dissenting who deserve to be arraigned of felony for robbing our Country of its honor Colchester was the place where he first beheld the light as the Ancient Poet Necham sung From Colchester there rose a Star The Rayes whereof gave glorious light Throughout the world in Climates far Great Constantine Romes Emperour bright At such time as he was Caesar under Constantius his Father he was left at Rome as Hostage with Galerius the Emperour but perceiving his death to be by him attempted he posted to Brittain in all haste to his father who was newly returned to the City of York from an expedition he had made against the Picts and Caledonians Constantius at the time of his sons arrival was sick of the Plague whereof he died immediately afterwards the sight of his son at the present so revived his spirits that raising himself upon his bed he set the Crown Imperial upon his head and in the presence of his Privy Councellours spake to this effect Now is my death to me more welcome and my departure hence more pleasant seeing I shall leave my unaccomplished actions to be performed by thee my Son in whose person I question not but that my memorial shall be retained as in a monument of eternal fame What I had intended but by death prevented see thou accomplish let thine Empire be governed uprightly by Justice protecting the innocents from the tyranny of oppressours wiping away all tears from the eyes of Christians for therein above all things have I esteemed my self happy to thee therefore I commend my Diadem and their defence taking my Faults along with me to my grave but leaving my Vertues to revive and live in thee With the conclusion of which words he concluded his life leaving his Subjects sorrowful for his departure but the grief they received by the death of the Father was mittigated in the hopes they conceived of his Son who so resembled his Father in all vertuous conditions that though the Emperour was changed yet his good government remained For as one writes Sol occubuit nox nulla secuta est The sun was gone but night was none Another writes thus of him Great Constantine preserv'd by Heavens decree Of mighty Rome the Emperour to be Constantine thus chosen Emperour in Brittain was confirmed Emperour by the Senate of Rome who like the Persians adored the rising Sun giving approbation to what they could not remedy his first expedition was against the Picts and Caledonians which War his Father had begun but death prevented him to finish it leaving the prosecution thereof to his son Constantine that the Fabrick of so many victories by him atchieved might have the foundation thereof laid in Brittain nor was his success contrary to his expectation subduing the inhabitants that were most remote witnesses saith one of the suns set or going down Whilest Constantine was thus busied in Brittain Maxentius by the tumultuous souldiers was proclaimed Emperour at Rome whose sister Fausta Constantine had married but his tyrannical usurpation grew so odious to the Senate that they sent to Constantine for his aid who willingly hearkening to what they so earnestly desired prepared his forces against the new elected Emperour Maximianus the Father of the Tyrant faining to abhor the outragiousness of his son but seeking indeed to uphold him in his tyranny repaired to his Son in law Constantine with an intent to murther him but revealing his intentions to his Daughter Fausta was by her detected and being taken was
intended to adjudge him a perjured person and also a traytor for not yielding temporal Allegiance to his temporal Sovereign as himself had sworn to do and accordingly the Prelates themselves by joynt consent adjudged him of perjury and by the mouth of the Bishop of Chichester disclaimed thence forward all obedience unto him as their Archbishop But Becket herewith nothing daunted caused to be sung before him the next day at the Altar that Psalm Principes fedent The Princes sit and speak against me and the ungodly persecute me c. and forthwith taking his Silver Crosier in his own hands enters armed therewith into the Kings Prefence who more and more enraged at Beckets insolency commandeth his Peers to sit in judgement on him as on a traytor and the Courtiers like Ecchoes answering the King the whole Court sounded nothing but Treason so that Becket afraid of being slain hasteth home and changing his costly Robes into course Rags passeth over into Flanders calling himself by the name of Dereman The Archbishop gone the King banishes all his Kindred out of his Dominions and he on the other side excommunicates all such as had to do against him at length the King of France with intreaty and the Pope with the terrour of the Churches censures made a full atonement and reconciliation between them the Archbishop in great triumph returned to England having been absent from his native Countrey for the space of seven years All controversies seemed now fully to be ended though the sequel thereof proved far otherwise for some excommunicated Bishops and other men of great account desiring to be absolved he refused to do it unless with this caution that they should stand to the judgement of the Church in those things for which they were excommunicated but they disdaining the pride of the Archbishop poste over into Normandy where the King was then informing him that Thomas was now grown more haughty then before that he went up and down with great Troops of men both Horse and Foot that attended on him as upon the Kings own Royal Person that to be a King indeed he wanted but the name and setting the Crown upon his head The King herewith highly incensed in a great rage said And is it possible that I cannot peaceably enjoy neither Kingdom Dignity nor Life and all this for one onely priest Cursed be all such as eat my bread since none will revenge me of this fellow These words being over-heard by four Knights Sir Morvil Sir William Tracy Sir Hugh Brito Sir Richard Fitz-urse they thinking to do the King a pleasure though as the sequel of his reign proved they could not have done him a greater injury hasted into England and in his own Church of Canterbury most barbarously murthered him being then about 48. years of age not long after he was Canonized by Pope Alexander and the day of his death being the 29. of December kept annually holy Many miracles are reported to have been done by him and his Shrine so inriched by Pilgrims which from all places came thither in devotion that at the defacing thereof in the time of King Henry the Eighth the spoil thereof in Gold and Precious Stones filled two great Chests such as six or eight strong men could do no more then convey one of them at once out of the Church Thus the Images of many men were richly clothed when many poor Christians Gods Image went almost naked so full of charity were those empty times of knowledge a shame to us who know more but practice less Draiton in his Polyolbion hath these verses on him Concerning whom the world since then hath spent much breath And many questions made both of his life and death If he were truly just he hath his right if no Those times were much to blame that have him reckoned so Stapleton a Jesuite put forth a book entituled Tres Thomas Saint Thomas the Apostle Thomas of Becket and of Sir Thomas Moor he Canonizes the two last of either of which he writes six times as much as of St. Thomas the Apostle The Life of RICHARD the First THis reign as it in part epitomizes the History of the holy War without being guilty of an omission of the most admired part of Chronical History I could not but insert Richard the first who for his inexpugnable and Lion-like heart obtained the sirname of Coeur de Lion he was a most valiant and magnanimous Prince accustomed to Wars he died in the fields of Mars of whom as a Prince we shall say nothing having so much to relate of him after he came to be King This martial Prince born in a martial age was third son to King Henry the Second and succeeded him in the Crown after his Decease his elder Brothers dying before their Father At his Coronation he commanded no Jews should be present but they desirous to see the solemnities hasted thither in great numbers but the price of their lives paid for the pleasure of their eyes the common people falling upon them and slaying a great number so ominous to the enemies of Christ was the first day of this Kings reign presaging saith one his following successes in the Jewish Countreys For intending a journey to Jerusalem not as a Pilgrim to see the City but as a Souldier to conquer the Countrey he raises an Army of thirty thousand Foot and five thousand Horse his next care was for money the sinews of War and notwithstanding his Father had left him eleven hundred thousand pound a vast sum for that age yet was it no thought sufficient for so great a journey Therefore to the end he might be able to go thorow with his work he sells the Castles of Berwick and Roxborough to the Scottish King for ten thousand pounds the Priory of Coventry to Hugh Bishop of Chester for 300. marks and the County of Northumberland to Hugh Bishop of Duresme for his Life jeasting he had made a new Earl of an old Bishop then feigning he had lost his old Seal he made a new one proclaiming that whosoever would safely enjoy those things which before time they had enrolled should come to the new Seal by which princely skill not to say cheat he squeezed much money out of his Subjects purses Having proceeded thus far towards his journey his next care was for securing the Kingdom of England in his absence On his Brother John whom he knew to be of an ambitious spirit and apt to take fire on the least occasion on him he heaped both riches and honour that by his liberality he might win him to loyalty but the chief Government of the Land he committed to William Longchamp Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellour of England chusing him for his Viceroy rather then any lay-Earl because a Coronet perchance may swell into a Crown but never a Mitre with him was joyned in Commission Hugh Bishop of Durham for the parts of England beyond Humber Yet as Suetonius reports of the
Brother Earl of Longuevile Charles Earl of Vendosme the Earls of Tankervile Salbruch Nassaw Dampmarlin La Roch with many other Lords besides two thousand Knights and Gentlemen nor did the slain come far short of the prisoners the Chiefest whereof were Peter of Burbon Duke of Athens high Constable of France John Clermont Marshall George of Charney Lord great Chamberlain the Bishop of Chalons the Lords of Landas Pons and Chambly with others to the number of 1700. Knights and Gentlemen The Prince having commended his Souldiers needed not at that time reward them giving them the rich plunder of the Field which did sufficiently recompence them for their victory This indeed whetteth a Souldiers valour when desert is recompensed with reward The English whose valour was most conspicious were the Earls of Warwick Suffolk Salisbury Oxford and Stafford the Lords Cobham Spenser Berkley Basset and Audley which last named Lord for his valour was rewarded by the Prince with the gift of five hundred marks Fee simple in England which he presently gave to four of his Esquires whereupon the Prince demanding whether he accepted not his gift he answered that these men had deserved the same as well as himself and had more need of it with which reply the Prince was so well pleased that he gave him five hundred marks more in the same kinde an example worthy of immortal memory where desert in the Subject and reward in the Prince strive which should be greatest Nor did the Prince use less humanity towards his prisoners whom he entertained in most honourable manner so that King Johns Captivity was onely restraint of his liberty being attended on like a King in the hands of his enemy for noble spirits scorn to insult over misery 't is Plebean rage that is merciless Having refreshed his Army he marcheth with his prisoners to Burdeaux where he tarried a while longer to rest his Souldiers from thence he sets sail for England ariving at Plymouth King Edward as soon as he had knowledge of the Victory caused a general Thanksgiving all over England eight dayes together giving God the thanks and glory knowing him the Author and his Son but the instrument of this unparallel'd victory By reason of these his wonderful Atchievements his name grew famous all the Christian world over to whom for succour comes Peter King of Castile driven out of his kingdom by the French with the assistance of the King of Arragon and his Bastard Brother Henry placed in his room Prince Edward considering what a dangerous president this might be against all lawful Kings that any one should be thus dis-throned having obtained leave of his Father resolveth to aid him and taking along with him an Army of thirty thousand men makes his way through the streights of Rouncevallux in Navarr accompanied with the Kings of Castile and Majorca John Duke of Lancaster his Brother with many other Knights and Gentlemen On the other side King Henry for defence of his Diadem had assembled an Army of an hundred thousand consisting of French under Glequin their famous Captain as also of Castilians both Christians and Saracens On the borders of Castile at a place called Nazers it came to a Battel where the Prince obtained a glorious Victory slew many thousands of his enemies and took above two thousand prisoners nor left he off here but proceeded so far untill he had set him in Burgus upon his Throne again The greater the benefit is of him that receives it the more monstruous is his ingratitude that doth not acknowledge it this ungrateful King notwithstanding the benefits he had received of the Prince dismissed his without money to pay his Army which constrained him in his return to Burdeaux to coin his Plate but that not supplying his present necessities he layes upon his Dominions in Gascoigne a new taxation which was the cause of a most dangerous revolt But this was not all the mischief that he accrewed by this journey for the Prince brought back with him such an indisposition of body that he was never throughly well after Some report him to have been poysoned by King Peter and probable enough he might be guilty of such wickedness whose whole course of life was so full of vice Duke John of Lancester was not freed from the suspition of hastening his death though the heat of the Countrey and the unfitness of the Season might be the principal cause How ever it was certain it is he survived not long after dying at Canterbury upon Trinity Sunday Anno 1376. aged about six and forty years a Prince excelling all the princes which went before him and surpassing in Martial deeds all the Heroes that have lived after him His body was buried at Christ-Church in Canterbury where his monument standeth leaving behinde him onely one Son who was afterwards King of England by the name of Richard the Second unless we should reckon his natural issue Sir John Sounder and Sir Roger Clarendon Knights which latter is thought to be Ancestour to the house of the Smiths in Essex The Life of Sir JOHN HAWKWOOD AMongst those many Worthies which this Martial age produced that valiant Knight Sir John Hawkwood deserveth remembrance who though of low birth by his Martial prowess purchased his own renown over the Christian world He was born at Sible Heningham in the County of Essex and was in his youth bound apprentice at London with a Taylor from whence he was prest in the musters for service of King Edward the Third and sent into France as a common Souldier where contrary to the Proverb which saith Taylors are no men he behaved himself so valiantly that he was made a Captain over a Company of Foot Souldiers and not long after upon some further good service by him performed advanced unto the order of Knighthood but a peace being concluded between the French and English and his estate not able to maintain his Title he was loath to return home again to follow his old occupation it being something preposterous from a Knight to turn Taylor again wherefore he joyned himself with the Companies called the Late-comers who being about five or six thousand made great spoil upon the East parts of France passing through Champain Burgondy and Damphin even to the very Gates of Avignion in Province From thence he departed into Lumbardy having the leading of that part of the Companies which was called the White Band with whom he served valiantly in the Wars of John Marquess of Montferrat but Lionel Duke of Clarence Son to Edward the Third King of England coming over into Italy to marry with the Lady Violanta Daughter of Galeacio Duke of Millain he forsook that service and attended the Duke to the marriage To omit their sumptuous entertainment which by Paulus Jovius upon the life of Galeacio is written at large Barnaby the Brother of Galeacio having at that time great Wars with the State of Mantua obtained of the Duke of Clarence that Sir John Hawkwood
in his Fourth Book and the 21. Chap. speaking of the time when they should be received neque illud praetereundum c. Neither is it to be over passed that it is remembred that to Legates and Forreign Nations admitted into the Senate the Roman Consuls were not accustomed to give any answers but onely in Latin who being admitted after the manner of the Fathers the Senate gave them power of that they would have but the Greeks by their Deputies appointed did declare their mindes if any body required any thing And the Arrebates and Belonaces did assemble their Councels by the sound of Trumpets but if they would speak any thing in their own Language to such being admitted in the Senate were interpreters given by whom they did propound what was needful and receive the agreement and answers of the Senate Many have been the priviledges immunities and advantages they have derived to their own honour and the happiness of those that have employed them Francis Dandalus the Venetian Orator being sent Ambassador into France to pacifie the French King and the great Clergy-man for that he was displeased with the States of Venice for the receiving of Feraria when he had divers times used his best arguments yet could not remove the anger of the Bishop of Rome falling on his hands and knees no compulsive but a free way of introducing the subtilty of his design being raised by the Pope he powred forth such a flood of Rhetorick that he so wrought on him that he reconciled him and the Venetians When Clement the Seventh Bishop of Rome and Charles the Fifth the Emperour had met at Bononia about divers affairs Francis Alvarez the Legate of Denide commonly called Presto John was King of the Abyssine Ethyopians which do possess the middle part of Africa being come to Benonia by the conduct of the Ambassadors of John King of Portugal did in the Senate in the name of the King promise Faith and Obedience to Clement Bishop of Rome in the year of our Lord 1533. For which wise dispatch of his Embassy after ages took notice of him I shall forbear to inlarge my self and onely insert a few of their Apothegms Policartidas an Orator being sent with others to certain Dukes when it was demanded of them whether his coming was publick or private they answered that if they had obtained the effect of their message they came publickly if not privately which subtil answer did admirably manifest their good intentions to their Countrey for if the legation succeeded to their mindes they would give the glory to their Countrey if otherwise they would have the reproach and repulse to appertain to the Common-wealth The Lacedemonians sending but one Legate to King Demetrius he highly resented it for an indignity asking if one man were enough to come to him To which the Ambassador answered Yes Sir we deemed it sufficient to send but one to one man Such another answer did Agis the Son of Archidamus use being sent to Philip King of Macedon When certain Lacons a people of Greece inhabiting Sparta went Ambassador to the tyrant Ligdanus who often deferred conference with them excusing himself that he was somewhat sickly they desired the messengers to return him this answer That they came to talk not to wrestle with the King The Romans dispatcht their Ambassadors to Bithnia to asswage a domestical breach betwixt Drusus the Father and Nicomodes the Son which Legates were such as one of them had many scars of wounds in his head and face another was diseased in his feet and the third but of a slender Wit of whom M. Cato was wont to jeast that the same Embassie lacked both head feet and heart Two Legates saith Poggius being sent from the Councel of Constance to Petrus de Luna the false Pope did amongst other bitter chidings and hard speeches which they used together upon the Title of the Pontificiality after that the Pope had said of himself This is the ark of Noah meaning that all the power of the Pontifical Sea remained in him they answered there were many beasts in the Ark of Noah expressing thereby that there were many vices in the Pope and many wicked men in the Church These with infinite more might be collected out of our English Authors but to knit up this discourse wherein I have epitomized the office management gravity magnanimity policy witty and wise answers of Ambassadors to conclude these messengers of Princes to Princes had as we may allude their first institution and original from the order of Archangels who have been the Ambassadors of God to such persons as God hath honoured in great matters either of revelation or successes of kingdoms as Gabrel was to Daniel or of opening some strange things as he was also to the Virgin of the conception of the Saviour of souls But enough of and perchance too much to some cavelling heads that there hath been so large a digression which I have onely enterprised to illustrate the perfection of our Knight in this illustrious employment he having observed all the laws of Ambassadors and so mannaged the Affairs of his Prince that he was the wonder of those times he lived in and an admirable example for ours Sir Henry Wotton returning home in the latter year of King James his Reign his estate much wasted with his continued Embassies very desirous to enjoy the quiet of a retired life he obtained to be made Provost of Eaton Colledge which how well it suited to his fancy this speech of his to a friend will sufficiently testifie I thank God and the King by whose goodness I am now in this condition a condition which that Emperour Charles the Fifth seem'd to approve who after so many remarkable victories when his glory was great in the eyes of all men freely gave his Crown and the Cares that attended it to Philip his Son making a holy retreat to a Cloystral life where he might by devout meditations consult with God which the rich or busie men seldome do and have leisure both to examine the errours of his life past and prepare for that great day wherein all flesh must give an account of their actions And after a kinde of tempestuous life I now have the like advantage from him that makes the out-goings of the morning to praise him even from my God whom I daily magnifie for this particular mercy of an exemption from business a quiet minde and a sufficient maintenance even in this part of my life when my age and infirmities seem to sound me a retreat from the pleasures of this world and invite me to a contemplation in which I have ever taken the greatest felicity This contemplative life he continued to his end so that this place seemed to be the beginning of his happiness the Colledge being to his minde as a quiet Harbour to a Sea-faring-man after a tempestuous Voyage where by the bounty of the pious Founder his very food and raiment were plentifully
of Manchester and the Lord Fairfax and with joynt Forces besieged York to raise the Siege Prince Rupert came with a great Army out of the South the three Generals left their Siege to fight the Prince under him also New Castle having drawn his Forces out of York served who on a great Plain called Marston Moor gave Battle to the three Generals The Victory at first enclined to the Royalists but by the valour of Cromwel who fought under Manchester their whole Army was utterly defeated Prince Rupert his Ordnance his Carriages and Baggage being all taken This was the greatest Battel of the whole Civil War and might have proved a great Remora to the Kings proceedings had he not soon after worsted Essex in Cornwall who having lost all his Artillery returned to London The Parliament soon after new modelled their Army Sir Thom as Fairfax was chosen General in the room of Essex and now the Idol of a Treaty was set up at Vxbridge in which to shew the clearness of his Majesties intentions I have included some of his most material proceedings conducible to an Agreement betwixt him and the Parliament His Majesties particular Prayer for a Blessing on the Treaty O most merciful Father Lord God of Peace and Truth we a people sorely afflicted by the scourge of an unnatural War do earnestly beseech thee to command a Blessing from Heaven on this Treaty brought about by thy Providence the onely visible remedy left for the establishment of a happy Peace soften the most obdurate hearts with a true Christian desire of saving those mens bloud for whom Christ himself hath shed his O Lord let not the guilt of our sins cause this Treaty to break off but let the truth of thy Spirit so clearly shine in our mindes that all private ends laid aside we may every one of us heartily and sincerely pursue the Publick good and that the people may be no longer so blindely miserable as not see at least in this their day the things that belong to their peace Grant this gracious God for his sake who is our peace it self even Jesus our Lord Amen His Majesties Message to the Houses of Parliament which drew on the following Treaty at Uxbridge December 13. 1644. His Majesty hath seriously considered your Propositions and findes it very dffiicult in respect they import so great an alteration in Government both in Church and State to return a particular and positive Answer before a full debate wherein those Propositions and all the necessary explanations and reasons for assenting dissenting or qualifying and all inconveniences and mischiefs which may ensue and cannot otherwise be so well foreseen may be discussed and weighed his Majesty therefore proposeth and desireth as the best expedient for peace that you will appoint such number of persons as you shall think fit to treat with the like number of persons to be appointed by his Majesty upon the said Propositions and such other things as shall be proposed by his Majesty for the preservation and defence of the Protestant Religion with due regard to the ease of tender Consciences as his Majesty hath often offered the Rights of the Crown the Liberty and Propriety of the Subjects and the Priviledges of Parliament And upon the whole matter to conclude a happy and blessed Peace Sent by the Duke of Richmond and the Earl of Southampton December 13. 1644 His Majesties Commission to certain Lords and Gentlemen to treat at Vxbridge with the Commissioners of the Lords and Commons assembled at Westminster c. Charles Rex Whereas after several Messages sent by us to the Lords and Commons of Parliament at Westminster expressing our desires of Peace certain Propositions were sent by them to us at Oxon in November last by the Earl of Denbigh and others and upon our Answers Messages and Propositions to them and their Returns to us it is now agreeed That there shall be a Treaty for a well-grounded Peace to begin at Uxbridge on Thursday the thirtieth day of this instant January as by the said Propositions Answers Messages and Returns in writing may more fully appear We do therefore hereby appoint assign and codnstitute James Duke of Richmond and Lennox William Marquess of Hertford Thomas Earl of Southampton Henry Earl of Kingston Francis Earl of Chichester Francis Lord Seymor Arthur Lord Capel Christopher Lord Hatton John Lord Culpeper Sir Edward Nicholas Knight one of cur principal Secretaries of State Sir Edward Hide Knight Chancellour and Vnder-Treasurer of our Exchequer Sir Richard Lane Chief Baron of our said Exchequer Sir Thomas Gardiner Sir Orlando Bridgeman Master John Asburnham and Master Jeffery Palmer together with Dr. Richard Steward upon the Propositions concerning Religion to be our Commissioners touching the Premises and do hereby give unto them or to any ten or more of them full power and authority to meet and on our part to treat with Algernon Earl of Northumberland Philip Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery William Earl of Salisbury Basil Earl of Denbigh Thomas Lord Viscount Wentworth Denzil Hollis William Pierpoint Esquires Sir Henry Vane the younger Knight Oliver St. John Bulstrade Whitlock John Crew and Edmond Prideaux Esquires for the Lords and Commons assembled in the Parliament of England at Westminster and John Earl of London Lord Chancellour of Scotland Archibald Marquess of Arguile John Lord Maytland John Lord Balmerino Sir Archibald Johnson Sir Charles Asking George Douglas Sir John Smith Sir Hough Kennedy and Master Robert Carly for the Estates of the Parliament of Scotland together with Master Alexander Henderson upon the Propositions concerning Religion or with any ten or more of them upon and touching the matters contained in the said Propositions Answers and Messages or any other according to the manner and agreement therein specified or otherwise as they or any ten or more of them shall think fit and to take all the Premises into their serious considerations and to compose conclude and end all Differences arising thereupon or otherwise as they or any ten or more of them in their wisdoms shall think fit and upon the whole matter to conclude a safe and well-grounded Peace if they can and whatsoever they or any then or more of them shall do in the Premises we do by these presents ratifie and confirm the same Given at our Court at Oxon the 28. day of January one thousand six hundred forty and four in the 20. year of our Reign His Majesties Instructions to the Commissioners at Uxbridge Concerning the Militia and Ireland First concerning Religion In this the Government of the Church as is set forth Sect. 3. Numb 14. Next concerning the Militia After Conscience this is certainly the fittest Subject for a Kings quarrel for without it the Kingly Power is but a shadow and therefore upon no means to be quitted but maintained according to the known Laws of the Land yet to attain to this so much wished peace of all good men it is in a manner necessary
eminency of it but as many passages in it from his own lips give further illustrations of his Life The first Tryal of Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburne was at the Guild Hall in London the 24. of October 1649. being Wednesday The Commissioners Names of the extraordinary Commission of Oyer and Terminer for the Tryal of Lieutenant Collonel John Lilburn were these Thomas Andrews Lord Mayor Richard Keble Lord Commissioner Philip Jermyn Judge of the upper Bench Thomas Gates Baron John Pulestone Justice of the Common Pleas. Francis Thorp Barron and Member Robert Nicolas Member Richard Aske Justices of the Upper Bench. Peter Warburton Justice of the Common Pleas. Alexander Rigby Baron but absent Sir Thomas Fowler Sir Henry Holcroft Sir William Row Sir Richard Saltonstall Sir Richard Sprignall Sir John Woolistone Sir William Roberts John Green John Clarke John Parker Serjeants at Law William Steel Recorder John Fowke Thomas Foote John Kendrick Thomas Cullum Simon Edmonds Samuel Avery John Dethick Robert Tichburn John Hayes Aldermen Henry Proby Common Sergeant Thomas Brigandine Nathaniel Snape Edward Rich Owen Roe Tobias Lisle Austin Wingfield Richard Downton Daniel Taylor William Wibend Silvanus Taylor The Court was called O yes made All persons that were adjourned to the Court required to make their appearance The Lieutenant of the Tower of London Collonel Francis West was called to bring forth his Prisoner according to the precept Whereupon Collonel West Lieutenant of the Tower brought up the Prisoner out of the Irish Chamber where he had been some time before the sitting of the Court and was guarded by the said Lieutenant and a special Guard of Souldiers besides And being brought to the Bar the Sheriffs of London were directed to take the Prisoner into their custody Silence commanded the Crier said John Lilburne hold up thy hand Lieutenant Collonel Lilburne directed himself to Master Keble one of the Keepers of the great Seal as the President of the Court and said to this purpose Sir will it please you to hear me and if so by your favour thus All the priviledge for my part that I shall crave this day at your hands is no more but that which is properly and singly the Liberty of every Free-born English-man viz. the benefit of the Laws and Liberties thereof which by my Birth-right and Inheritance is due unto me the which I have fought for as well as others have done with a single and upright heart and if I cannot have and enjoy this I shall leave this Testimony behinde me that I died for the Laws and Liberties of this Nation and upon this score I stand and if I perish I perish And if the Fact that I have done cannot be justified by the Law of England let me perish I mention none of this for the gaining of mercy or by way of merit no I scorn it for mercy I crave from none but from the hands of my God alone with whom I hope and am assured one day to rest whom I have set before my eyes and so walked as believing I am alwayes in his presence in whose power my confidence is fixed whom I take and own to be my stay my staff my strength and support and in whom I rest as the life of my life and whom I hope to meet with joy when this fading and uncertain life shall have an end to live with him in glory and blessedness for evermore And because I would not willingly trouble you with many words to cause you to spend your time impertinently therefore Sir in reference to the Court I shall crave but so much liberty from you as was given to Paul when he pleaded for his life before the Heathen Roman Judges which was free liberty of speech to speak for himself the which I now humbly crave as my right not onely by the Law of God and Man but also by the law and light of Nature And I shall do it with that respect reason and judgement that doth become a man that knows what it is to plead for his life I hope Gode hath given me ability to be master of my own passion and endowed me with that reason that will dictate unto me what is for my own good and benefit I have several times been arraigned for my life already I was once arraigned before the House of Peers for sticking close to the Liberties and Priviledges of this Nation and those that stood for them being one of those two or three me that first drew their swords in Westminster Hall against Collonel Lunsford and some scores of his associates At that time it was supposed they intended to cut the throats of the chiefest men then sitting in the House of Commons I say for this and other things of the like nature I was arraigned by the Kings special Command and Order the first of May 1641. I mention it to this end that when I came before the House of Peers where was about three or fourscore Lords then sitting at the beginning of the parliament who then were supposed the most arbitrary of any power in England yet I had from them free liberty of speech to speak for my life at their Bar without check or controll in the best manner that all those abilities God had given me would enable me and when I was at Oxford I was again arraigned as a Traytor before the Lord Chief Justice Heath for levying War at the Command of the then Parliament against the person of the King and when I came before him in the Guild Hall of Oxford he told me there being present with him as his fellow Judge Master Gardiner sometimes Recorder of the City of London now Sir Thomas Gardiner and others that sate by a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer from the King the which Commission I did not so well then understand as I hope I do now And my Lord Chief Justice Heath stood up and in the face of all the Court and in the face of all the Countrey present there told me Captain Lilburne you are brought here before us for High Treason for leavying War in Oxfordshire against your Sovereign Lord and King and though you be now in a Garrison and were taken in Arms in open hostility against the King yea Sir and I must now tell you in such hostility that we were but about seven hundred men at Brandford that withstood the Kings whole Army in the field about five hours together and fought it out to the very swords point and to the butt end of the Musket and thereby hindered the King from his then possessing the Parliaments Train of Artillery and by consequence the City of London in which very act I was taken a Prisoner without Articles or Capitulation and was by the King and his Party then lookt upon as one of the activest men against them in the whole company yet said Judge Heath we will not take advantage of that to try you by the rules of Arbitrary Marshal Law or any other
for fear or favour backslide or depart from the same and give them the assistance of thy Spirit that may enable them so to preach thy word that may keep the people upright in the midst of a corrupted and corrupt generation And good Lord bless thy people every where with hearing ears understanding hearts conscientious souls and obedient lives especially those over whom I have had either lately or formerly a charge that with meek heart and due reverence they may hear and receive thy holy word truly serving thee in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of their lives And we beseech thee of thy goodness and mercy to comfort and succour all those that in this transitory life be in trouble sorrow need sickness or any other adversity Lord help the helpless and comfort the comfortless visit the sick relieve the oppressed help them to right that suffer wrong set them at liberty that are in prison restore the banished and of thy great mercy and in thy good time deliver all thy people out of their necessities Lord do thou of thy great mercy fit us all for our latter end for the hour of death and the day of judgement and do thou in the hour of death and at the day of judgement from thy wrath and everlasting damnation good Lord deliver us through the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ In the mean time O Lord teach us so to number our our dayes and me my minutes that we may apply our hearts to true wisdom that we may be wise unto salvation that we may live soberly godly and righteously in this present world denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts Lord teach us so to live that we may not be afraid to dye and that we may so live that we may be alwayes prepared to dye that when death shall seize upon us it may not surprise us but that we may lift up our heads with joy knowing that our redemption draws nigh and that we shall be for ever happy being assured that we shall come to the felicity of the chosen and rejoyce with the gladness of the people and give us such a fulness of thy holy Spirit that may make us stedfast in this faith and confirme us in this hope indue us with patience under thy afflicting hand and withal a chearful resolution of our selves to thy divine disposing that so passing the pilgrimage of this world we may come to the Land of promise the heavenly Canaan that we may reign with thee in the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose blessed name and words we further call upon thee saying Our Father c. Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arme O Lord be the defence of me and all other thy servants thy mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ our salvation thy true and holy word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation to the end and in the end through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen His Speech and Prayer ended with much meekness and spiritual consolation He submitted his neck to the stroak of the Axe to as great a loss of the Church of Christ and of all good men as hath happened in our times I have the more enlarged my self that my Reader might not without a kinde of a consternation or possession of strange amazement pass by the concernments of this blessed Heroe The same day of Doctor Hewets tryal was also tryed John Mordant of Clement Danes Esquire with whom he was a fellow-prisoner the charge against him was for combining with Henry Bishop of Parham in Sussex Gent. Hartgil Baron and Francis Mansil with divers others for raising War against Oliver Lord Protector in the behalf of Charles Stuart and confering with J. Stapely Esq Henry Mallory and others how to effect the same and delivering Commissions to several persons in the name of and as from the said Charles Stuart c. He stood long upon it as did the Doctor before to have Councel assigned him and that he might be tryed by a Jury but finding it would not be granted he at last pleaded not guilty many witnesses deposited against him yet he by his ingenuity so cleared himself that notwithstanding many endeavours to the contrary he was discharged July the 17. following Collonel Ashton and John Betley were executed the one in Tower-street the other in Cheapside Collonel Ashton was the first being drawn on a Sled that Worthy Divine Doctor Warmestry submitting for the good of a poor Christians soul to lye along with him upon the Sled that he might lose no time for his spiritual converse They were drawn from Newgate to Towerstreet over against Mark-lane end where a Gibbet was erected As he ascended the Ladder Doctor Warmestry said Almighty God who is a strong Tower be with thee and make thee know and feel that there is no other name under heaven whereby to attain everlasting life but by the name of Jesus The Blessing of God the Father the Son and Holy Ghost be with you henceforth and for ever Amen He being upon the Ladder exprest a great deal of confidence he had in the merits and mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not doubting but that through the red Sea of his blood he should arrive at the heavenly Canaan and in little space behold his Saviour whom his soul so much longed after Then fixing his eyes upon the multitude he spake to this effect I am brought here to a shameful death I am an English man borne and as many know a Gentleman born I was drawn into this business by several persons and am now brought here for my former sins God hath delivered me several times from several judgements he hath visited me at this time because I slighted and did not pursue that repentance that I promised Therefore I desire all good people to leave off their sins for Christ his sake and become new men for it is that that brings all men to ruine I beseech God of mercy have mercy upon my soul Lord God I come to thee Lord the Father of heaven have mercy upon me O God the Son Redeemer of the world have mercy upon me O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have mercy upon me Remember not my offences but spare me good Lord God I beseech thee spare thy servant whom thou hast redeemed for thy dear Sons sake I have no more to say but desire the prayers of all good people Having ended his Speech he committed his spirit into the hands of God and having said Lord have mercy upon my soul he was turned off the Ladder and instantly cut down his belly ripped up and his bowels burnt in a fire ready prepared for that purpose he being not yet dead then was his head cut off and his body divided into four quarters put into a basket and conveyed back to Newgate Next they proceeded and fetcht John Betley for there was a great deal
England where being instructed in the Christian Religion and baptized in the Church of St. Paul by the Bishop of London with great Solemnity in the presence of six Prelates she was married to the aforesaid Gilbert of whom he had Issue this Thomas whose Life we now relate who as his Legend recites was first brought up in a Religious House of Merton afterwards was instructed in the Liberal Sciences and then sent to study in the University of Paris from whence returning home he was by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury made his Archdeacon a place in those dayes of high degree in the English Cleargy next unto Lord Abbots and Bishops Much about that time Henry Duke of Aquitain and Normandy succeeded King Stephen in the Crown of England who in the very first year of his Reign advanced Becket to be Lord Chancellour of England in which high honour he carried himself like another King His retinue was great his Followers men of good account his House keeping such as might compare with if not surpass the greatest Earls of the Kingdom his Clothes very costly full of bravery his Furniture mighty rich his very Bridles of beaten silver Yea Fortune did seem to have made him her Darling and all things so flowed according to his desire that one would have judged him to have laid clean aside the very thought of a Clergy-man King Henry having Wars in France he served him with a Band of 700. Souldiers of his own Family besides many others with which and some additional Forces after the Kings departure he obtained a great victory At another time he himself in person unhorssed a Frenchman called Enguerranus de Creya a most hardy Souldier renowned for deeds of Arms and Chevalry for these valiant acts in reward and in further hope of his faithful service upon the death of Theobald the King made him Archbishop of Canterbury though the Monks objected against him that neither a Courtier nor a Soundier as he was both were fit to succeed in so high and sacred a Function But Thomas having obtained this dignity forgot the King who had raised him to the same For as the Poet hath it A swelling spirit hates him by whom he climes As Ivy kills the tree whereon it twines So rising men when they are mounted high Spurn at the means that first they mounted by For not long after began that great controversie between Regnum Sacerdotium the Crown and the Mytre the occasion whereof was the King being credibly informed that some Clergy-men had committed above an hundred murthers under his Reign would have them tried and adjudged in his Temporal Courts as Lay-men were but this as being contrary to the priviledges of the Church the Archbishop withstood This affront of a subject the King could not endure finding himself hereby to be but a demy-King Wherefore having drawn to his side most of the Bishops in an Assembly at VVestminster he propoundeth these Articles peremptorily urging Becket to assent to them 1. That none should appeal to the See of Rome for any cause whatsoever without the Kings licence 2. That it should not be lawful for any Archbishop or Bishop to depart the Realm and repair to the Pope upon his summons without licence from the King 3. That it should not be lawfull for any Bishop to excommunite any person that holdeth in Capite of the King without licence of the King nor grant any interdict against his Lands nor the Lands of any his officers 4. That it should not be lawfull for any Bishop to punish perjured nor false witnesses 5. That Clarks crimonous should be tried before secular Judges 6. That the King and his secular Justices should be Judges in matters of Tythes and other like causes Ecclesiastical There points so nearly touched the Papal Sovereignty that Becket resolutely denied to signe them but by the importunity of many Lords and Prelates at last he yields subscribes the Ordinance and sets his hand unto it The King hereupon supposing all contradiction ended and that Thomas would not waver in his faith called an assembly of the States at Clarendon in VViltshire to collect and enact these Laws where John of Oxenford sitting President Becket relapsed saying He had grievously sinned in that he had done and that he would not sin therein any more The King herewith vehemently incensed threatens banishment and destruction to him and his whereupon Becket once again perswaded swears in verbo Sacerdotali in the word of a Priest sincerely that he would observe the Laws which the King entituled Avitae and all the Bishops Abbots Priors and whole Clergy with all the Earls Barons and Nobility did promise and swear the same faithfully and truly to observe and performe to the King and to his Heirs for ever But the King desiring him to affix his seal to an Instrument wherein those Laws being sixteen were contained he refused saying He did promise it onely to do the King some honour verbo tenus in word onely Nor could the example of his fellow Bishops nor the perswasions of Rotrod the Popes messenger move him at all to compose these differences It may be thought a fable yet is related by divers superstitious Authors that one time during this contention certain fellows cut off the Archbishops horses tail after which fact all their children were born with Tails like Horses and that this continued long in their Posterity For may own part though I confess God is able to do this and much more yet I reckon this amongst other ridiculous miracles mentioned of him by those writers as that of Ailwardus who for stealing a great whetstone which the Author that writes it best deserved being deprived of his eyes and virilities by sentence of Law upon prayer to Saint Thomas he had all restored again Yea even a Bird having been taught to speak flying out of her cage and ready to be seized on by a Sparrow Hawk said onely St. Thomas help me and her enemy fell presently dead and she escaped But slighting these follies to return to our History the King summoning a Parliament at Northhampton Becket was cited to appear before his Majesty which he refusing upon his contempt the Peers and Prelates judged his goods confiscated to the Kings mercy He making his appearance the Parliament demanded of him an account of 30000 pounds which he received when he was Lord Chancellour to which he answered that when he was chosen to be Archbishop he was by the Kings authority freed and acquitted of all Debts and Obligations of Court and Exchequer and so delivered over to the Church of England and that therefore at that time he would not answer as a Lay-man having before had a sufficient discharge This answer of the Archbishop was like Oyl cast on fire which instead of quenching increast the Kings anger and the Prelates perceiving the Kings displeasure to tend yet to some further severity premonished him to submit himself for that otherwise the Kings Court
Ships he had crost the Seas from Portsmouth into Normandy But King Richard made not so much haste to succour but the French King made as much haste to be gone here Earl John submits himself to his Brother who upon his submission restores his possessions unto him saying onely I wish you may as well remember your fault as I shall forget it King Richard following the French King overtakes him at Vendome who affrighted at his approach the second time flies without striking a stroak leaving behinde him all his bag and baggage Munition Tents and Treasure to a marvellous value together with the Indentures of such as had left King Richard to serve King Philip. Much about that time one Philip Bishop of Bevois a Martial man and who much annoyed the English borders was fortunately taken in a Skirmish by King Richards side who put him in prison the Bishop hereupon complained to the Pope who wrote in the behalf of his son as an ecclesiastical person and a Shepherd of the Lords The King sent unto the Pope the Armour he was taken in and engraved thereon the words which Jacobs sons used when they sold their Brother Joseph and presented their Father with his Coat Vide utrum filii tui tunica sit vel non See whether it be thy Sons Coat or no. Whereupon the Pope replyed That he was neither his Son nor the Son of the Church and therefore should be ransomed at the Kings will because he was rather judged to be a Servitor of Mars then a Souldier of Christ I am now come to the last act of this Kings Life which drew the black cloud of death over this triumphal and bright shining star of Chevalry one Widomare Vicount of Limoges having found a great hord of Gold and Silver sent part thereof to King Richard as chief Lord but he over covetous would not be contented without all pretending that treasure was wholly his by vertue of his Prerogative Royal. Thereupon marches with a great power to a Castle of the Vicounts called Chaluz where he supposed the riches were the Garrison of which place offered to yield the same and all therein if onely their lives and limbs might be saved but he would not accept of any conditions bidding them defend themselves as they could for he would enter by the Sword and hang them all but in the assault he was slain by a shot from an Arbalist the use of which warlike engine he first shewed unto the French Whereupon a French Poet made these verses in the person of Atropos Hoc volo non aliâ Richardum morte perire Vt qui Francigenis Balista primitùs usum Tradidit ipse sui rem primitùs experiatur Quamque aliis docuit in se vim sentiat artis It is decreed thus must great Richard dye As he that first did teach the French to dart An Arbalist 't is just he first should try The strength and taste the fruits of his own art The man which shot him was named Bertram de Gurdon who being brought before the King who neglecting his wound gave not over the assault till he had mastered the place boldly justified his action as done in defence of his Countrey and to revenge the death of his Father and Brother whom this King had slain with his own hand Which said the King caused him to be set at liberty and gave him an hundred shillings sterling but after the King was dead one Markadey a Captain of Rutters took him flead him quick and hanged him up Concerning his issue some report him to have none at all others two but illegitimate a Priest in Normandy is reported to have told him he had three daughters which he wished to bestow in marriage or else Gods wrath would attend him the King denying he had any daughter Yes said the Priest you have three Pride Covetousness and Leachery The King apprehensive of the Priests meaning called his Lords there attending and said My Lords this Hypocrite hath found that I have three daughters viz. Pride Covetousness and Leachery which he would have me bestow in marriage and therefore if any such I have I have found out most fit husbands for them all My Pride I bequeath to to thee haughty Templers and Hospitallers who are as proud as Lucifer himself My Covetousness I give to the white Monks of the Cisteaux Order for they covet the Devil and all But for my Leachery I can bestow it no where better then on the Priests and Prelates of our times for therein have they their most felicity Doubtless saith Speed these marriages proved so fruitful that their issue hath now overflowed all Kingdoms of the earth In this Kings dayes lived that famous Out-law Robin Hood accompanied with one called little John and a hundred stout fellows more who as Sir Richard Baker saith molested all Passengers upon the High way of whom it is reported that he was of Noble Blood at least made Noble no less then an Earl for some deserving services but having wasted his Estate in Riotous courses very penury forced him to take this course in which yet it may be said he was honestly dishonest for he seldome hurt any man never any woman spared the poor and onely made prey of the rich till the King setting forth a Proclamation to have him apprehened it happened he fell sick at a certain Nunnery called Brickleys in York shire and desiring there to be let blood was betrayed and made bleed to death Of all Thieves saith Major this same was the Prince and the most gentle Thief The Life of King EDWARD the Third HAving already as it were in a Land-scape discovered some part of the holy War I shall now with a careful brevity pass through the transactions of our Wars with France as they were managed with victorious success in the Reigns of Edward the Third and Henry the Fifth to which to compleat the History I have added the Life of John Earl of Bedford with whose Life the Honour of our English Gallantry in France expired Edward the Third sirnamed of Windsor his Birth-place was eldest son to King Edward the Second who for some misgovernments during the time of his Reign was by the factious Nobility deposed from the Crown and not long after deprived of his life by the procurement as it is said of his Wife Queen Isabel Lord Mortimer and some others and young Edward Crowned King Anno. 1327. Who though he thus rise by Fathers ruine yet may in some sort be excused of the same First in regard of his adolescency for though he were then married yet had he not attained to 15. years of age nor could he be induced to accept of the Crown until he was certified by some of his Lords that his Father had voluntary resigned it unto him besides the exemplary punishment he took on the Lord Mortimer a chief actor in his Fathers Tragedy may in part assure as of his Innocency therein In the mean time to divert
sollicitations he had from Henry Earl of Richmond and the Lords of his faction who to draw them off from Richards side that morning in which Bosworth Field was fought was found a world of papers strowed before Norfolks door Yet notwithstanding all this he regarding more his oath his honour and promise made to King Richard like a faithful Subject absented not himself from his Master but as he faithfully lived under him so he manfully died with him But to return to his Son the Earl of Surrey in this Battle he had the leading of the Archers which King Richard had placed in the fore-front as a Bulwark to defend the rest the undaunted courage of this Earl and his resolute brave carriage being taken prisoner are delineated to the life by the renowned Sir John Beaumont in his ever-living Poem of Bosworth Field which if to some it may seem a long Quotation the goodness of the lines will recompense the tediousness of reading them Courageous Talbot had with Surrey met And after many blows begins to fret That one so young in Arms should thus unmov'd Resist his strength so oft in war approv'd And now the Earl beholds his Fathers fall VVhose death like horrid darkness frighted all Some give themselves as Captives others fly But this young Lion casts his generous eye On Mowbray's Lion painted in his shield And with that King of Beasts repines to yield The Field saith he in which the Lion stands Is blood and blood I offer to the hands Of daring foes but never shall my flight Die black my Lion which as yet is white His Enemies like cunning Huntsmen strive In binding snares to take their prey alive While he desires t' expose his naked breast And thinks the sword that deepest strikes is best Young Howard single with an Army fights When mov'd with pitty two renowned Knights Strong Clarindon and valiant Coniers try To rescue him in which attempt they die Now Surrey fainting scarce his Sword can hold Which made a common Souldier grow so bold To lay rude hands upon that noble Flower Which he disdaining anger gives him power Erects his weapon with a nimble round And sends the Peasants Arm to kiss the ground This done to Talbot he presents his Blade And saith It is not hope of life hath made This my submission but my strength is spent And some perhaps of villain blood will vent My weary soul this favour I demand That I may die by your victorious hand Nay God forbid that any of my name Quoth Talbot should put out so bright a flame As burns in thee brave Youth where thou hast err'd It was thy Fathers fault since he prefer'd A Tyrants Crown before the juster side The Earl still mindeful of his birth reply'd I wonder Talbot that thy noble heart Insults on ruines of the vanquisht part We had the right if now to you it flow The fortune of your Swords hath made it so I never will my luckless choice repent Nor can it stain mine honour or descent Set Englands Royal Wreath upon a stake There will I fight and not the place forsake And if the will of God hath so dispos'd That Richmonds Brow be with the Crown inclos'd I shall to him or his give doubtless signs That duty in my thoughts not faction shines Which he proved to be most true in the whole course of his life for having continued prisoner in the Tower three years and a half the Earl of Lincoln confederating with one Lambert Simnel raised an Army against the King the Lieutenant of the Tower favouring their enterprise freely offered the Earl licence to depart out at his pleasure which he refused saying That he that commanded him thither should command him out again The King understanding of his fidelity not onely released him of his imprisonment but took him into a more specal regard and soon had he an occasion to make tryall of him a great insurrection happening in the North wherein the Rebells were grown so potent that they slew the Earl of Northumberland in the field and took the City of York by assault against these King Henry assembles a great power making the Earl of Surrey Chief Captain of his Voward who so behaved himself that the Rebells forces were dissipated their chief Leaders taken and soon after executed The King noting his great prudence and magnanimity made him Lieutenant Generall from Trent Northward had Warden of the East and middle Marches and Justice of the Forrests from Trent Northwards in which offices he continued the space of ten years during which time the Scots having committed some outrages upon the Borders he made a road into Tivydale where he burnt and destroyed all before him returning with great spoils and honour Not long after he made another road into Scotland returning with like success James the fifth then King of Scotland raised a great power to withstand him and sent to the Earl a challenge to fight with him hand to hand which he accepted but the King into his demands would have the Countrey or Lands then in Controversie to be made Brabium Victoris which was without the Earls power to engage being the inheritance of the King his Master but he proffers better Lands of his own upon the Combat which was not accepted and so nothing was concluded A peace being concluded with the Scots he was called home and made Lord Treasurer of England of the Privy Council living in great Honor and reputation all the dayes of King Henry who dying his Son Henry that succeded him added to his other dignities the high Marshallship of England and going in person with an Army into France left him Lieutenant Generall from Trent Northward to defend the Realm against the Scots for James the Fifth King of Scotland notwithstanding he were King Henries Brother-in-law yet did so firmly adhere to the French that to divert King Henries proceedings in his own person with a mighty Army he invades England The Earl of Surrey to oppose him raises what Forces he could and at a place called Flodden it came to a pitcht field which was fought with great courage and valour but God who owned the just cause of the English crowned them with success and set the Palm of Victory on the Earl of Surrey's head The Scottish King being slain and with him two Bishops eleven Earls seventeen Barrons four hundred Knights besides other Gentlemen and seventeen thousand common Souldiers The Earl for these services was by the King at his return home highly rewarded and restored to the Dukedom of Norfolk his Fathers Dignity Soon after was he sent chief Commissioner with the Lady Mary the Kings sister to be married unto Lewis the French King and after his return home the King and Queen going to Guines to visit the French King he was made Protectour of the Realm in his absence Old age seizing on him he obtained leave of the King to spend the remainder of his dayes at Framlingham
Castle an honourable Mansion of his own where he continued and kept a bounteful house to the time of his death which happened in the fourscore and sixth year of his age He was buried at Thetford Abbey in Norfolk dying after a most generous life worth a large estate so clear from debt that at his death he owed not one groat to any person whatsoever an unusual happiness to attend so great a Souldier and Courtier as he was From this famous Duke is descended the Right Honorable James Earl of Suffolk whose great Grandfather Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk married Margret sole Daughter and Heir to Sir Thomas Audley Lord Chancellour of England by whom he had issue Thomas Lord Howard of Walden and Earl of Suffolk who built that magnificent Structure at Audley-end who left the same to his Son and Heir Theophilus a worthy Gentleman the Father of James Earl of Suffolk now living Anno 1659. To whom with his most vertuous Lady I wish all encrease of true honour and felicity To the greater honour of these Progenies this Heroick Earl died so much a Laureat that his Songs and Sonnets by all those that rightly understand Poetry are looked upon as in those dayes to have been the Muses Parnassus so that for his Epitaph there needed no more to be writ but that here lies interred The greatest Courtier the most valiant Souldier and the most accomplisht Poet of those times The Life of CARDINAL VVOLSEY Fortunae variantis opus Wolsaeus ad alta Scandit iter dubium certa minitante ruina CArdinal VVolsey the Tennis-ball of Fortune was born at Ipswich in Suffolk of so poor and despicable Parents that were his story of an ancient date and not delivered by Authentique Historians it might pass for a fiction his Father being no more but a poor Butcher from so low a beginning did he rise to the highest pitch of honour His Education in youth was at Oxford in Maudlin Colledge from thence he was preferred to be School-master to the Marquess of Dorsets Children where he first learned to be imperious over noble blood the Marquess dying Wolsey went into France to seek his Fortune and coming to Callis became servant to Sir John Naphant then Treasurer of the Town where he behaved himself with so great discretion that his Master shortly preferred him to King Henry the Seventh Having thus cast Anchor at Court the Haven of hope and Port of Promotion he was more then double diligent in the Kings eye and very serviceable to Doctour Fox Bishop of Wincheter Secretary and Lord Privy Seal as also to Sir Thomas Lovel Master of the Wards and Constable of the Tower who perswaded King Henry having urgent business with Maximilian the Emperour to send Wolsey in Embassage unto him being at that present in the Countrey of Flanders who returned again before he was thought to be gone and withal concluded some Points forgot in his directions to the hight contentment of King Henry for the which he bestowed upon him the Deanry of Lincolne and not long after made him his Almoner But King Henries day now drawing towards night he adores the rising Sun Prince Henry and having found the length of his foot fitteth him with an easie shoe well knowing there could be no loss to humour him who was so able to give nor was he deceived in his expectation for Henry afterwards coming to be King and having conquered the City of Tourney in France bestowed the Bishoprick of the same upon VVolsey and not long after made him Bishop of Lincolne and Archbishop of York And now being Primas Anglia carried himself accordingly by erecting his Cross in the Kings Court although within the Jurisdiction of Canterbury which high presumption VVilliam Archbishop of Canterbury greatly checked But VVolsey not abiding any Superious obtained to be made Priest Cardinal and Legatus de Latere unto whom the Pope sent a Cardinals Hat with certain Bulls for his Authority in that behalf And now remembring the taunts he had received from Canterbury found means with the King that he was made Lord Chancellour of England and Canterbury which was Chancellour dismissed who had continued in that place long since before the death of King Henry the Seventh VVolsey now sitting at the Helm of Church and State had two Crosses and two Pillars born ever before him the one of his Archbishoprick the other of his Legacy by two of the tallest Priests that were to be found in the Realm To the better maintenance of which chargeable estate the King bestowed on him the Bishoprick of VVinchester and in Commendam the Abbey of St. Albans and with them he held in Farm the Bishopricks of Bathe VVorcester and Hereford enjoyed by strangers incumbents not residing in the Realm so that now being Bishop of Tourney Lincolne York VVinchester Bathe VVorcester and Hereford he seemed a Monster with seven heads and each of them crowned with the Mitre of a Bishop far different from the state of his Lord and Master Christ who had not a hole wherein to hide his head Yet his ambition resteth not here next he aspires to the Triple Crown he onely wants Holiness and must be Pope to the attaining of which Dignity he makes means to the Romish Cardinals as also to the Emperour Charles the Fifth Gold he gave to the Cardinals and they gave him golden promises although they proved but empty performances nor did the Emperour serve him any better promising much but performing nothing VVolsey hereat enraged studies revenge and by his instruments seeks to make a divorce betwixt Queen Katherine Dowager the Emperours Aunt and King Henry the Eighth his Master thereby to advance a Marriage betwixt him and the King of France's sister But though he effected the one he failed in the other for contrary to his expectation King Henry fell in love with Anna Bullen a Gentlewoman nothing favourable to his Pontificial Pomp nor no great follower of the Rites of those times which moved the Cardinal the Pope having assumed the sentence of Queen Katherines cause unto himself to write unto his Holiness to defer the judgement of Divorce till he had wrought the Kings minde in another mould But though this was done secretly it came to the Kings ear and wrought his minde quite off from the Cardinal which finally was the cause of his confusion for upon the Kings dislike the Counsel articled against him and the Law found him in a Premunire for procuring to be Legatus de latere and advancing the Popes Power against the Laws of the Realm for which resentment the Kings displeasure was so incenst that the Broad Seal was taken from him and most of his other Spiritual Preferments his house and furniture seized on to the Kings use and himself removed to Cawood Castle in Yorkshire Yet was he still left Bishop of Winchester and Archbishop of York to which last providing for his installing state equivalent to a Kings Coronation he was arrested of
not to take him off which those that contrived it were certain could not but take as they knew that he was of so tender a conscience as that they could not fail of their project he was cited to appear at Lambeth before the Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellour and Secretary Cromwell to take the oath of Supremacy and Succession which he refusing he was committed to the custody of the Abbot of Westminster for four dayes and afterwards by the importunity of Queen Anne to the Tower Whereat his landing Mr. Lieutenant was ready to receive him the Porter of the Tower demanded of him his upper Garment Mr. Porter said he here it is and took off his Cap and gave it him saying I am sorry it is no better for thee no Sir said the Porter I must have your Gown which he gave him This his pleasantness certainly argued a confidence he had in the justness of his cause After many endeavours during his abode in the Tower to get his consent to the taking of the Oath all which proving fruitless after a years imprisonment he was called to his arraignment at the Kings Bench Bar where his Indictment being read he pleaded not guilty and to the admiration of the hearers so quitted himself that he put the Bench to a stand untill at the last one Mr. Rich the Kings Solliciter deposited against him that he should say The Parliament could make the King no more Supreme Head of Church then they could make a Law that God should not be God To which Sir Thomas answered If I were a man my Lords that did not regard an oath I need not at this time in this place as it is well known to you all stand as an accused person And if this oath Mr. Rich which you have taken be true then I pray that I may never see God in the Face which I would not say were it otherwise to gain the whole world Yet notwithstanding his oath and the exceptions he took against the witness the Lord Chancellour proceeded to sentence That he should be brought back to the Tower of London by the help of William Bringston Sheriff and from thence drawn on a Hurdle through the City of London to Tyburne there to be hanged till he be half dead after that cut down yet alive his Privy Parts cut off his Belly ripped his Bowels burnt and his four quarters set up over four Gates of the City and his head upon London Bridge This Sentence was by the Kings pardon changed afterwards into onely beheading because he had borne the highest Office in the Kingdom Of which mercy of the Kings word being brought to Sir Thomas he answered merrily God forbid the King should use any more such mercies to any of my posterity or friends During the time he remained in the Tower after Sentence passed on him one of the Court came to visit him whose whole discourse was nothing else but urging Sir Thomas to change his minde who at last being wearied with his importunity answered him That he had changed it Whreupon presently he went and told the King and being by him commanded to know wherein his minde was changed Sir Thomas rebuked him for his inconsiderate rashness that he should tell the King those words that he spoke in jeast onely to be rid of his impertinency meaning a while after this merry expression came from him that whereas he intended to be shaved for which he was said so much to resembled Erasmus that he might appear to the people as before he now resolved that his beard should undergo the same tribulation he did which made the Courtier blank and the King very angry The day appointed for his execution being come about nine of the Clock he was brought out of the Tower ascending the Scaffold it seemed so weak that it was ready to fall whereupon he said merrily to the Lieutenant I pray you Mr. Lieutenant see me safe up and for my coming down let me shift for my self Then desired he all the people to pray for him and to bear witness with him that he should then suffer death in and for the Faith of the Holy Catholique Church a faithfull servant both of God and the King Which done he kneeled down and after his prayers ended he turned to the Executioner and with a chearful countenance said Pluck up thy spirits man and be not afraid to do thine Office my neck is very short take heed therefore thou strike not awry for saving thine honesty then laying his head upon the Block he bad the Executioner stay untill he had removed aside his Beard saying That that had never committed any Treason So with much chearfulness he received the Fatall blow of the Ax which at once severed his head from his body This jeast at his death the Catholiques so much distasted that at so serious a time he should be so airy and light that he had almost been scratched out of their Canonization for a Saint He was executed the sixth day of July following the decollation of Bishop Fisher who was for the same Cause beheaded on Tower-Hill The Life of this Bishop is extant incomparable well done by Doctor Bailie Thus died Sir Thomas Moor a man admirable in all kinde of learning Latine Greek Prophane Divine his Vtopia is admired over the world his Richard the Third till of late years of so much credit with Historians that they have placed it in their Works without the alteration of a word He was of such excellency of Wit and Wisdom that he was able to make his fortune good in what place soever he lived who wanted no skill either for the mannaging of private or publick businesses being experienced both in Countrey and City Affairs in giving solid and sound counsel in doubtful cases none more prudent to tell the truth without fear none more free as from all flatteries he was open and pleasant full of grace in delivering his judgement And to conclude one whose integrity made him a miracle of nature whist he was living and whose Books have made him an everlasting Monument now he is dead He was behead in the year 1535. his Monument is in Chelsey Church where it is reported Bishop Fisher lies buried with him in the same Grave that as they suffered for one Opinion it was thought fit they should not be parted Epitaphium Thomae Mori quod paulo post abdicatum munus Cancellarii ipse sibi composuit Sepulchro suo affixit Thomas Morus Vrbe Londinensi familia non celebri sed honesta natus in literis utcunque versatus quum ut causas aliquot juvenis egisset in foro in urbe suo pro Shyrevo jus dixisset ab invictissimo Rege Henrico Octavo cui uni regum omnium gloria prius inaudita contigit fidei defensor qualem gladio se calamo verè praestitit merito vocaretur aà scitus in aulam est delectusque in concilium creatus eques
sent into England and married to King Henry found but little affection from him which Stephen Gardiner then Bishop of Winchester perceiving thought it a fit subject for him to work upon against the Lord Cromwell the first contriver of the match for being in his heart a great stickler for the Pope he resolved to make use of the times He acknowledged the Kings supremacy he perswaded the King that his reformation of Religion would set all the Princes of Christendome against him and at last prevailed so far with him that he consented to have six Articles enacted by Parliament which according as we finde them we have here transcribed to posterity 1. That after the words of confirmation spoken by the Priest the real and natural body and blood of Christ as he was Conceived and Crucified was in the Sacrament and no other substance consisting in the form of Bread and Wine besides the substance of Christ God and man 2. That the communion in both kindes was not necessary unto salvation the flesh onely in the form of Bread sufficient for the Laity 3. That Priests after they had received Orders might not marry by the Law of God 4. That the vows of Chastity either in man or Woman ought by Gods Law to be observed and by which they are exempted from other Liberties of Christian people 5. That private Masses was necessary for the people and agreeable to the Law of God 6. That Auricular Confession was expedient to be retained and continued in the Church of God By this we see the King left the sting of Popery still remaining though the teeth were knockt out by abolishing the Popes supremacy the effect of which bloody Articles the Lord Cromwell soon felt for the King having by him attained his ends and filled his Coffers with the Abbeys wealth left him to the malice of his inveterate enemies Whereupon a Parliament being summoned Cromwell being in the Council Chamber was suddenly apprehended committed prisoner to the Tower the Crimes objected against him were these First he was accused of Heresie and a supporter of Hereticks Secondly that he had dispersed amongst the Kings Subjects many Books containing much Heresie in them Thirdly that he had caused many Books to be Translated into English comprizing matter against the Sacrament of the Altar and that he had commended it a good and Christian Doctrine Fourthly that he had spoken words against the King Whilest he remained in the Tower some Commissioners coming to examine him he answered them with such discretion as shewed him to be of a sound judgement and as able to defend as they to accuse Amongst the Commissioners there was one whom the Lord Cromwell desired to carry from him a Letter to the King which he refused saying That he would carry no Letter to the King from a Traytor then he desired him at the least to carry a message from him to the King which request he assemted to so it were not against his Allegiance then the Lord Cromwell taking witness of the other Lords what he had promised You shall said he commend me to the King and tell him by that time he hath tried and proved you as I have done he shall finde you as false a man as ever came about him But his enemies knowing his innocency and abilities durst not bring him to his answer nor try him by his Peers but procured an Act of Attaindure whereby he was condemned before he was heard For the better illustration of his History before I shall acquaint you with his exit I thought it not improper to insert an example of his Generosity and Gratitude as I have it from Doctour Hackwell in his Apology in these words In those glorious dayes when the English young Gentry endeavoured to out-vie their elder Brothers by undertaking far and dangerous journies into Forreign Parts to acquire glory by feats of Arms and experiencing themselves in the Military Discipline Thomas Cromwel a younger Brother to better his knowledge in Warlike Affairs passed into France and there trailed a Pike accompanying the French Forces into Italy where they were defeated at Gattellion whereupon our English Volantier betook himself to Florence designing to pass thence home again into England but having lost all his equipage and being in a necessitated condition he was enforced to address himself to one Signior Francisco Frescobald an Italian Merchant who corresponded at London and making his case known unto him Frescobald observing something remarkable and a certain promising greatness in the Features Actions and Deportment of Thomas Cromwel who gave an account of himself with so candid an ingenuity and in such terms as beseemed his Birth and the Profession he then was of whereby he gained so much upon Frescobald as inviting him home to his house he caused him to be accommodated with new Linnen and Clothes and other sutable necessaries kindly entertaining him till such time as he testified a desire to return for England when as to compleat his Generosity and Kindeness he gave Mr. Tho. Cromwell a Horse and 16. duccats in gold to prosecute his journey homewards In process of time several Disasters and Bankrupts befalling Signior Frescobald his Trading and Credit was not a little thereby impaired and reflecting on the Moneys which were due unto him by his Correspondents in England to the value of 15000. Duccats he resolved to pass thither and try whether he could happily procure payment During which interval of time Mr. Thomas Cromwell being a person endowed with a great deal of Courage of a transcendent Wit hardy in his undertakings and a great Politician had by these his good qualities gotten himself entrance and credit at Court and highly ingratiated himself with King Henry the Eighth having advanced himself to almost as high a pitch of Honour in as short a time in a manner as his late Highness did The Lord Thomas Cromwell therefore riding one day with a great Train of Noble Men towards the Kings Palace chanced to espy on foot in the streets Signior Frescocobald the Italian Merchant in an ill plight however he immediately alighting from his Horse embraced him before all the world to the great astonishment of the beholders and chid him that at his very arrival he came not to visit him Frescobald being astonished at so unexpected an encounter and receiving so signal a favor from a Personage he could not call to mind he had ever known was quite surprized my Lord Cromwells pressing Affairs at Court not permitting him the while to acquaint him further who he was only engaged him to come and dine with him that day Frescobald full of amazement enquired of the Attendants who that great Personage might be And hearing his name he began to call the Feature of his Face and the Idea of his Person to minde and so by degrees conceiving with himself it might happily be the same Mr. Thomas Cromwell whom he had harboured at Florence he enquired out his Lordships habitation
Life of LANCELOT ANDREWS Bishop of Winchester IT is poetized of the Thracian Orpheus that his Oratotary was so powerful that with it he drew the senseless stones after him towards the building of Thebes which some moralize that his eloquence was such as attracted the senseless and stony multitude from Barbarism to frame themselves to a civil and well ordered life What was storied of Orpheus may fitly be applied to this learned Bishop who with his heavenly Oratory drew many stony senseless hearts out of the Captivity of Satan unto the glorious freedom of the Gospel of Jesus Christ For his person we can add nothing to him to name him is enough to all that knew him and to read him will be enough to them that knew him not his piety being such as was esteemed comparable to that which was found in the primitive Church This right reverend father in God Bishop of Winchester Prelate of the Garter was born in the City of London descended from the ancient Family of the Andrews in Suffolk his Father a Merchant of good repute and according to the Religion of those ancient times very devout being one of the Society and Masters of the Holy Trinity commonly called Trinity-House He in his tender years shewed great aptness to learning which he so improved under his two School-masters Mr. Ward Master of the Coopers Free School in Radcliffe and Mr. Mulchaster Master of the Merchant-Taylors Free School in London that he promised a golden Harvest from so hopeful a seed-time So that from his youth he declared an extraordinary worth that he was made up of learning and vertue in both of them so eminent that it was hard to judge which had the precedency and greater interest though it was truly asserted from his contemporaries that there was not any kinde of Learning that he was a stranger to but in his profession admirable which was as well if not better known abroad then admired at home Having under these two gained an excellent knowledge in the Greek and Hebrew Languages he was sent to Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge where he was by Doctor Wats Archdeacon of Middlesex a Benefactor to that house placed in one of the Greek Schollarships soon after he was made Bachellour of Arts and a Fellowship being void he and Thomas Dove afterwards Bishop of Peterburgh for the obtaining thereof were put to a trial of some Schollastical exercises upon performance whereof they chose him into the fellowship yet so well did they approve of his opponent that they made him some allowance for his present maintenance under the title of a Tanquam Socius Thus this great miracle of worth that arrived to such a fulness of material learning had yet room enough left him in the temper of his brain for almost all Languages to seat themselves so that his learning had all the helps that Language could afford and his language learning enough for the best of them to express so that it might be said of him as it was of Claudius Drusus that he was a man of great parts as mortal nature could receive or industry make perfect In process of time his endowments made him so eminent that he was invited unto Jesus Colledge in Oxford by Mr. Hugh Price who built the same whose decerning spirit presaging of his future abilities nominated him in his foundation to be one of his first Fellows there and having taken the degree of Master of Art he applied himself wholly to the study of Divinity Soon after was he chosen Catechist in the Colledge which he performed so well that not onely the University became his common auditors but many out of the Countrey resorted thither greatly admiring at his profound learning Henry Earl of Huntington hearing of his worth sent for him to accompany him into the North whereof he was President where by his painful preaching he converted many Recusants to the Protestant Religion And now his abilities being still better known to the world Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary of State to Queen Elizaheth took special notice of him and by his means he was preferred to be Vicar of Saint Giles without Cripple-Gate London then Prebend and Residentiary of St. Pauls and afterwards Prebend of the Collegiate Church of Southwell soon after upon the death of Doctor Fulk he was elected into the Mastership of Pembroke-hall in Cambridge Afterwards he was made Chaplain in ordinary to Queen Elizabeth who took such delight in his preaching that she resolved upon his higher preferment but having made him first Prebend and not long after Dean of Westminster death prevented her of her intentions But what was wanting in her was performed by her learned successour King James who admiring him for his transcendent abilities soon after his coming to this Crown made him Bishop of Chichester and Lord Almoner and withal added the parsonage of Cheyham in Surrey to his Commendam He now as he excelled most of his Brethren in dignity he thought it not enough unless he did more then imitate them in sanctity of life and knowing no better rule for his direction herein then what Saint Paul had prescribed to Timothy he resolved to make those precepts his rules of practice In these addresses of his to Heaven first he led his life as in respect to men blameless his vertues admired by all but imitated of few his life being like a candle set on a candlestick which gave light to the whole House drawing many souls to God as well by his holy conversation as pious preaching It is a true saying A mans pious carriage makes his speech perswasive Secondly his charity was most transcendent to pass over many vast sums he bestowed upon poor Parishes Prisons and Prisoners his private Alms in his last six years besides those publique amounted to the sum of 1300. pounds and upwards Notwithstanding by what hath been said he might seem in his life time to be his own Almoner yet extended he his works of compassion most abundantly at his death leaving four thousand pounds to purchase two hundred pounds land per annum for ever to be distributed by fifty pounds quarterly thus to aged poor men fifty pounds to poor widdows the wives of one husband fifty pounds to the binding of poor Orphans Apprentices fifty pounds and to the relief of poor prisoners fifty pounds Also he gave two hundred pounds to poor Maid-servants of honest report who had served one Master or Mistress seven years to be distributed presently after his decease Many other acts of Charity did this good Bishop do a fair coppy for new succeeding rich Cleargy-men who are all for the mountain word of Faith but have nothing to do with good Works to write after He had alwayes a special care of promoting sufficient and able men to Livings a great mans letter will do but little good with him if he saw not piety as well as personage in the party His enquiry was constantly to know what hopeful young men were in the
molested or disquieted concerning the same or for refusal thereof 2. And that no free-man be taken and imprisoned or be disseised of his free-hold or liberty or his free customs or be out-lawed or exiled but by the lawful judgement of his Peers or by the Law of the Land 3. And that your Majesty would be pleased to remove the Souldiers and Marriners now billetted in divers Counties and that your people may not be so burthened in time to come 4. That the late Commissions for proceeding by Marshal Law may be revoked and annulled and that hereafter no Commission of like nature may issue forth to any person or persons whatsoever to be executed lest by colour of them any of your Majesties Subjects be destroyed and put to death contrary to Law and the Franchises of the Land All which they most humbly pray of your most excellent Majesty as their Rights and Liberties according to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm and that your Majesty would also vouchsafe to declare that all awards doings or proceedings to the prejudice of your People shall not be drawn hereafter into consequence and example Never writes a late Author of the History of the Reign of King Charles did arbritary power since Monarcy first founded so submittere faces so vail its Scepter never did the Prerogative descend so much from perch to popular lure as by this concession a concession able to give satisfaction ever so supererogation for what was amiss in all the Kings by-past government Much hoped it was that this Parliament would have had a happy conclusion but what Gregory Nazienzen complained of Councels That he never saw any one end well King Charles might with as much verity have pronounced as to his content of Parliaments not any one he summoned having had any termination other then disgustful to him for no sooner was the Petition of Right granted but the Parliament resolved upon a large Remonstrance to the King wherein they ripped up many grievances of the Kingdom accusing the Duke of Buckingham his excessive power and abuse of that power the principal cause of all those evils and dangers to which the King returned a smart answer wherewith the Commons being displeased fell down right upon another Remonstrance against Tonnage and Poundage Whereupon the King unwilling to hear of any more Remonstrances of that nature prorogued the Parliament unto October 20. During this Session the Earl of Denbigh with fifty Sail of Ships attempted the relief of Rochel but prevailing nothing a third Fleet was prepared ready whereof the Duke of Buckingham was to have the Command but being ready to embarque he was stabbed with a knife by Felton a discontented person of which as also of his unfortunate proceedings at the Isle of Rhe I refer my Reader to his foregoing Life The Duke being dead the charge of the Fleet was committed to the Earl of Lindsey a Gentleman of a gallant resolution but before his coming the Town was so blocked up by Land and barred up by Sea that it was almost unapproachable yet many gallant attempts were made by the Earl bringing up his Ships to the very mouth of the Bar but being ready to enter the pass the winde whisked about into an opposite Point which drove them dangerously foul one upon another whereupon the Rochellers hopeless of relief opened their Gates submitting themselves to the Kings mercy which was granted them The Famine and War having made such havock amongst them that of twenty two thousand souls but four thousand were left October the 20. being come the Parliament was prorogued to January the 20. following at which time they met who begun where they last left with Tonnage and Poundage for complaints came in thick and three-fold against the Customers for taking and distraining Merchants goods Great stickling was betwixt the King and Parliament concerning this business the King claiming it as a Prerogative belonging to the Crown they denying it as an infringement of the Petition of Right After much debating and high words on both sides the dissolution of the Parliament put a period to the contest Not long after by mediation of the Seignory of Venice a Peace was concluded between France and England Spain also hampred with wars and want of money made overtures of a Peace which at last was concluded and published with more then ordinary Solemnity These Wars with France and Spain had so emptied the Exchequer that the King was forced to make use of his Prerogative for a supply which was by summoning all persons who had Estates of forty pounds per annum to receive the Order of Knighthood formerly practised by several Kings though now a long disuse had made it a novelty Many of the Countrey Hobs who had gotten an estate liable to a Fine took it first as a jeast and thereupon made no appearance but their purses afterwards paid for it in good earnest This project alone bringing in to the Exchequer no less then a hundred thousand pound May the 29. 1630. the Queen was delivered of a Son who was baptized by the name of Charles having two years before miscarried of a son of the same name who lived not above an hour which occasioned Randolphs Muse thus to express her self Thy first birth Mary was unto a Tomb And sad Lucina did not aid thy womb To Heaven thou then wert fruitful now to earth Thou canst give Saints as well as Kings a birth It was now seven years and better since Charles was crowned King of England Scotland his Native Countrey had a Crown also to bestow upon him and the King adjudged it worth the going for for though saith one it conferreth no one dram of solid and real grandure to the Throne yet ceremoniated as it is with such formalities it representeth it self a serious vanity There attended him this journey the Earls of Northumberland Arundel Pembroke Southampton Salisbury Carlile Holland Monmouth and New Castle the Bishop of London Lord Treasurer Secretary Cook Vice Chamberlain with many other Gentlemen of quality June 18. 1633. he was crowned with great Solemnity at Edinburgh and having visited Ealkland Sterling and some other eminent places he returned back again into England Thus he was crowned by a Nation that afterwards snatcht it from his Royal Temples The King at his return found his Exchequer near empty whereupon he consults with his Attorney Noy for a way how to supply it he searching old Records being a man very studious that way findes an ancient precedent of raising a Tax for setting forth a Navy in case of danger to which purpose a Writ was issued out to the seveaal Counties in England for the raising of money sufficient for the setting forth of forty seven ships at which the Commons grumbled as an illegal Tax contrary unto the Petition of Right The King for his better satisfaction demands the opinion of the Judges who all of them under their hands confirmed the Legality thereof yet were not the
Commons so satisfied therewith but that some of them stood it out even unto imprisonment Much debate was afterward about it and the King got not so much money as ill will of the Subjects thereby At this time the King received a Letter from Sidan King of Morocco the Contents follow A Letter from Sidan King of Morocco to Charles King of ENGLAND When these our Letters shall be so happy as to come to your Majesties sight I wish the Spirit of the righteous God may so direct your minde that you may joyfully embrace the Message I send presenting to you the means of exalting the Majesty of God and your own reward amongst men The Regal Power allotted to us makes us common servants to our Creatour then of those people whom we govern so that observing the duties which we owe to God we deliver blessings to the world in providing for the publick good of our State we magnifie the Honour of God like the Celestial Bodies which though they have much veneration yet serve onely to the benefit of the world It is the excellency of our Office to be Instruments whereby happiness is delivered to the Nations Pardon me Sir This is not to instruct for I know I speak to one of a more clear and quick sight then my self but I speak this because it hath pleased God to give me a happy victory over some part of those rebellious Pyrates that have so long molested the peaceable trade of Europe and hath presented further occasion to rout out the generation of those who have been so pernicious to the good of our Nations I mean since it hath pleased God to be so auspicious to our beginnings in the Conquest of Salla that we might joyn and proceed in hope of like success in the War against Tunis Algier and other places Dens and Receptacles for the inhumane villanies of those who abhor Rule and Government Herein whilest we interrupt the corruption of malignant spirits of the world we shall glorifie the great God and perform a Duty that will shine as glorious as the Sun and Moon which all the earth may see and reverence a work that shall ascend as sweet as the perfume of the most precious odours in the Nostrils of the Lord a work grateful and happy to men a work whose memory shall be reverenced so long as there shall be any that delight to hear the Actions of Heroick and magnanimous spirits that shall last as long as there be any remaining among men that love and honour the piety and vertue of noble mindes This action I here willingly present to you whose piety and vertues equal the greatness of your power that we who are servants to the great and mighty God may hand in hand triumph in the glory which this action presents unto us Now because the Islands which you govern have been ever famous for the unconquered strength of their shipping I have sent this my trusty Servant and Ambassadour to know whether in your Princely wisdom you shall think fit to assist me with such Forces by Sea as shall be answerable to those I provide by Land which if you please to grant I doubt not but the Lord of Hosts will protect and assist those who fight in so glorious a cause Nor ought you to think this strange that I who much reverence the peace and accord of Nations should exhort to a War Your great Prophet CHRIST JESVS was the Lion of the Tribe of Judah as well as the Lord and Giver of peace which may signifie unto you that he who is a Lover and Maintainer of peace must alwayes appear with the terrour of the Sword and wading through Seas of Blood must arrive to Tranquillity This made James your Father of glorious memory so happily renown'd admongst all Nations It was the noble fame of your Princely vertues which resounds to the utmost corners of the earth that perswaded me to invite you to partake of that blessing wherein I boast my self most happy I wish God may heap the riches of his blessings on you encrease your happiness with your dayes and hereafter perpetuate the greatness of your name to all Ages The occasion of writing this Letter was as followeth a rabble of Pyrats rest themselves in Salla a Port Town of the Realm of Fess and belonging to the King of Morocca creating thence great mischief to him both by Sea and Land and not to them onely but to all the Merchants of other Countries whose business led them towards the Seas Vnable to suppress them for want of shipping he craved aid of King Charles of England by whose assistance he became Master of the Port destroyed the Pyrats and sent three hundred Christian Captives for a present to his sacred Majesty An. 1634. Nor staid he here but aiming at the general good of Trade and mankinde he sent this Letter to his Majesty by one of the chief Eunuchs of his Chamber handsomly attended in the Port and quality of an Ambassadour desiring the like aid against those of Tunis and Algiers who did as much infest the Mediterranean as the Pyrats of Salla did the Ocean In order whereunto his Majesty began immediately to strengthen and increase his Royal Navy and to that end required the wonted naval Aid lately best known by the name of Ship-money from all his Subjects and possible enough might have pursued this design for suppressing the Pyrats of Algiers and Tunis if he had not been unhappily hindered by the insurrection of the Scots and those continued troubles which ensued upon it I have the rather inserted this Letter considering how seriously our learned Doctor Heilin in his Cosmography reflected on it so as to blame Mr. Le-strange for omission of it the truth is the Letter carries some weight with it and savours of more piety then could be expected from a Mahometan His Ambassador was entertained with great honour with a magnificent Masque and a costly Antick Show through the Streets at the vast expences of the Inns of Court Gentlemen To proceed far greater troubles arose in Scotland concerning the Book of Common Prayer The King at his last being there observing that God Almighty was very negligently and as he thought undecently worshipt took the Reformation thereof into his Princely care to which end he gave directions to the Archbishop of Canterbury the Bishop of Ely and to divers other Bishops to Revise Correct Alter and Change as they pleased the Liturgy compiled in his Fathers time which accordingly they did and having shewed it to the King he approved thereof in regard that coming nearer to the first Liturgy of King Edward the Sixth in the Administration of the Lords Supper it might be a means to gain the Papists to the Church who liked far better of the first then second Liturgy But the Scotch a scrupulous Nation in their opinion who as one saith of them are more affraid of the name of yielding then resisting and would sooner offend against
Religion then the Ceremonies of it did publickly refuse it From hence proceeded Tragedies Tumults War and Invasion for upon the first reading thereof the people were so violent against it that the Dean and Bishop of Edenburgh hardly escaped with life nor were they onely the rascal multitude that thus opposed it but many of the Noblemen Barons and Gentlemen amongst whom the chief were the Earl of Hume and the Lord Lindsey To appease these disorders the King sent down the Marquess Hamilton in the quality of an high Commissioner impowring him with a Commission to use the utmost of his interest and power for the settling of peace but whether as some write he dealt deceitfully in aspiring to the Crown himself or no I judge uncertain but most certain it is that after his coming the differences encreased far greater then before and no question but it had become far better for the King had this Marquess been either a more close friend or an opener enemy The King being at home in no good condition used all means he could to pacifie his enemies abroad not onely winking at many of the foul disorders of the Scots but also yielded unto them in their desires for many things which nevertheless allayed not their spirits but rather encouraged them to proceed as they had begun For as Cleaveland hath it Nor Gold nor Acts of Grace 't is steel must tame The stubborn Scot a Prince that would reclaim Rebels by yielding doth like him or worse Who saddled his own back to save his horse Hamilton being returned into England the Scots began might and main to levy Souldiers to impose Taxes to raise Fortifications to block up some and seize others of the Kings Castles and to prepare for War The King not to be behinde hand with the Scots it being no good policy in War to strain courtesie who should begin first raised a considerable power to the maintenance whereof many of the Nobility contributed largely especially the Bishops it being for the preservation of their own Hierarchy March 27. the Army began to march the Earl of Arundel commanding in Chief but all the preparation both of one side and the other proved onely an interview of two Armies nothing being acted considerable in the way of engagement for after a few dayes attendance upon each other a Pacification was concluded upon distributed into these Articles On the Kings Part. 1. His Majesty to confirme what his Commissioner promised in his name 2. That a general Assembly be indicted to be kept at Edenburgh August 6. 3. That command be given for a Parliament to be holden at Edenburgh August the 20. 4. That he recal all his Forces by Land or Sea and restore all Ships and Goods arrested and detained since the pretended Assembly at Glasgow upon the Covenanters disarming and disbanding of their Forces dissolving their Tables and restoring to the King all his Castles Forts and Ammunition and releasing all the Persons Lands and Goods then under restraint or detained since the pretended Assembly of Glasgow This his Majesty to do by Declaration On the Scots Part. 1. The Forces of Scotland to be disbanded within eight and forty hours after publication of the Kings Declaration 2. They to render up after the said publication all Castles Forts Ammunition of all sorts so soon as the King shall send to receive them 3. They to hold no meetings treatings nor consultations but such as are warranted by act of Parliament 4. They to desist from all fortifications and those to be remitted to the Kings pleasure 5. They to restore to all the Kings Subjects their Liberties Lands Houses Goods and Means taken or detained from them since the first of February last This Pacification being solemnly ratified on both sides the King well hoped a general peace would ensue but what ever the Scots pretended the sequel shewed they intended nothing less for they still kept their Officers in constant Pay they did not slight their fortification at Leith they still continued their Meetings and Consultations they still disquieted molested and frighted all of different inclinations and which was worst of all they dispersed a scandalous Libel entituled Some conditions of his Majesties Treaty with his Subjects of Scotland before the English Nobility are set down here for remembrance Which Book tending to the defamation of his Majesty and disavowed by the Commissioners then present at the Treaty was by the command of the Council burnt by the common Hangman The King who intended to stay till the General Assembly was met seeing matters remain in this doubtful posture returned into England leaving the Earl of Traquair his Commissioner August the 6 the Assembly met at Edenburgh wherein Episcopacy the five Articles of Perth the High Commission the Liturgy and Book of Canons were abolished the Earl of Traquiar assenting thereunto The Assembly being ended the Parliament began who instead of reforming Abuses fell upon new moddelling the Government forming an Act Recissory whereby former Acts concerning the Judicatory of the Exchequer concerning Proxies and concerning confirmation of Ward Lands should be nulled Which being signified to the King he by his Commissioner the Earl of Traquair prorogued the Parliament until the 2. of June next These actings of the Scots warping altogether towards War were much forwarded by an accident November 19. it happened a great part of the walls of the Castle of Edenburgh with the Cannons mounted fell to the ground this being the Anniversary night of the Kings Birth-day was construed in the Grammar of Superstition an ominous presage of the ruine of the Kings design The King appointed the Lord Estrich Colonel Ruthen and the Governour of the Castle to take order for the re-edification of what was lapsed but the Scots would not suffer any materials to be carried in for reparation This Indignity the King concludeth intollerable and thereupon resolveth to relieve himself by force to this end a private Juncto is selected for the close carrying on of the design wherein it was agreed his Majesty should call a Parliament to assemble April the 13. next The King approved well of their Councel but withal said My Lords the Parliament cannot suddenly convene and the subsidies they grant will be so long in levying as in the interim I may be ruin'd therefore some speedy course must be thought upon for supplies The Lords willing to forward the business told him they would engage their own credits and the Lord Deputy of Ireland giving the onset subscribed for twenty thousand pound the other Lords writing after his Copy subscribed conformable to their Estates the Judges also contributed largely as also the Recusants who are ever sure to undergo the lash yielded according to their abilities From which Loyalty of theirs to his Majesty the more envious and schismatical sort of people gave out that the King was in his heart a Papist I have thought it my duty to insert in Latin and in English his Majesties Declaration
universal grievance of your people 7. The great grief of your Subjects by long intermission of Parliaments and the late and former dissolution of such as have been called without the happy effects which otherwise they might have produced For remedy whereof and prevention of the dangers that may arise to your Royal Person and to the whole State they do in all humility and faithfulness beseech your most excellent Majesty that you would be pleased to summon a Parliament within some convenient time whereby the causes of these and other great Grievances which your people lye under may be taken away and the Authours and Councellors of them may be brought to such legal trial and condign punishment as the nature of their several offences shall require And that the present War may be composed by your Majesties wisdom without blood in such manner as may conduce to the honour and safety of your Majesties person the comfort of your people and the uniting of both your Realms against the common enemy of the reformed Religion And your Majesties Petitioners shall ever pray c. Concluded the 28. of August 1640. Francis Bedford Robert Essex Mulgrave Say Seal Edward Howard William Hartford Warwick Bullingbrooke Mandevile Brooke Pagett This Petition being seconded by another from the Scots to the same effect the King the twenty fourth day of the same moneth assembled the Lords together at York where it was concluded that a Parliament should be summoned to convene November the third next ensuing in the mean time a cessation of Arms was concluded between both Nations whereupon the King and Lords posted to London Tuesday November the third according to pre-appointment the Parliament assembled no sooner were they set but Petitions came thronging in from all Counties of the Kingdom craving redress of the late general exorbitancies both in Church and State many who were in prison were ordered to be set at liberty as Pryn Bastwick and Burton and the Bishop of Lincolne and many who were at liberty were ordered to be sent to prison as Sir William Beecher the Earl of Strafford and the Archbishop of Canterbury Secretary Windebank and the Lord Keeper Finch who was forced to flye the Land Ship-money was voted down the late Cannons damn'd Peace is concluded with Scotland and three hundred thousand pound allowed them for reparations This was summarily the first actings of the Parliament which gave much content to many people especially the Londoners who to the number of 15000. Petition for the abolishing of Episcopacy it self Indeed some few of the Cleargy at this time as at all others were corrupt in their lives many of them being vicious even to scandal yea many of those who pretended much purity in their conversations were most covetous and deceitful in their dealings besides their pride was intollerable insomuch that a great one amongst them was heard to say He hoped to live to see the day when a Minister should be as good a man as any upstart Jack Gentleman in England Well therefore might it it be said of the Priests of our times what Gildas sirnamed the wise wrote of the Priests of his time Sacerdotes habet Britannia sed insipientes quam plurimos Ministros sed impudentes clericos sed raptores subdeles c. Great Brittain hath Priests indeed but silly ones Ministers of Gods word very many but impudent a Cleargy but given up to greedy rapine c. Yet let none mistake me I write not thus to perswade any to an ill opinion of the Ministry for though our Church had cause to grieve for the blemishes of many yet might she glory in the ornaments of more so that Episcopacy received not at this time the fatal blow but was onely mutilated in her former glory the House of Commons voting that no Bishop shall have any vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star Chamber nor bear any sway in Temporal Affairs and that no Cleargy-man shall be in Commission of the Peace The Parliament having thus set bounds to the exorbitant power of the Cleargy they next fell upon the Tryal of the Deputy of Ireland who as you heard not long before was committed prisoner to the Tower this man at first was a great stickler against the Prerogative until allured by Court preferment he turned Royalist Westminster Hall was the place assigned for his Tryal the Earl of Arundel being Lord High Steward and the Earl of Lindsey Lord High Constable the Articles charged against him being very many are too long to recite I having more at large in their place inserted them in his Life The sum of them were for ruling Ireland and the North of England in an arbitrary way against the Laws for retaining the Kings revenue without account for encreasing and encouraging Popery for maliciously striving to stir up and continue enmity betwixt England and Scotland and for labouring to subvert Parliaments and incense the King against them yet notwithstanding this high charge the Earl by his answers so cleared himself that the King told the Lords he was not satisfied in Conscience to Condemn him of high Treason but acknowledged his misdemeanours to be very great at last wearied with the clamours of the people the Earl also by a letter desiring the same he granted a Commission to four Lords to Sign the Bill for his Execution which Execution was accordingly performed on Tower-hill May 10. 1641. Thus dyed this unhappy Earl a sacrifice to the Scots revenge cut off as it was thought not so much for what he had done as for fear of what he afterwards might do a man of the rarest parts and deepest judgement of any English man of our late times The same day fatal to the King he Signed the Bill for the Deputy of Irelands death he also Signed the Bill for a trienial or perpetual Parliament which should not be dissolved without consent of both Houses some say Duke Hamilton counselled him to it others say it was the Queen whoever it was it was his ruine for the Parliament now fearless of a dissolution began to act in an higher way then before being fortified with a strong guard of Souldiers whereof the Earl of Essex was Captain they without the Kings leave or knowledge appoint an extraordinary Assembly in the City that should mannage all weighty and great occurrences and to weaken his Majesty the more or rather to satisfie the insolence of the people they cast twelve Bishops into Prison because they went about to maintain their priviledge by the publick Charter The King moved with this accused five of the lower House and one of the upper House of high Treason their names were the Lord Viscount Mandevil Mr. Pym Mr. Hampden Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr. Hollis and Mr. Strowd This action of the Kings was by the Parliament adjudged a great breach of their Priviledges certainly it much encreased the differences between them and left scarce any possibility of reconcilement This small river of
in one shew you the wonder of our times such a Proteus as few ages can produce such another he having like Ishmael every mans hand against him and his against all Who more violent against the Hierarchy of the Bishops then he none more against King and Kingly Government then he how violent was he aganst the House of Lords and they being down and another Government established without King and Lords he sets himself against that too such an opposite and Antagonist to all forms of Government whatsoever that he might fitly be compared unto the Rainbow which is never on that side of the world that the Sun is but wheresoever it appears it is in opposition against the Sun But to come to his Life he was Son to Richard Lilburne of the County of Durham during his miniority an Apprentice in London near London-stone to one Mr. Hewson a a dealer in Cloath whom he served about five years his Master declining his trade he moved him that he might have his liberty to provide for himself to which purpose he went into the Countrey to have the consent of his friends and afterwards made a voyage into Holland Before this his transportation he had made his ends having been of such an insinuating spirit that he won the love of some silly Schismaticks who for his strange though empty expressions deemed him as they have done others one inspired So that by that time he came out of his time and had served his Apprentiship who but Lilburne of note amongst the Sectaries his approbation desired and his counsels followed in all tumultuous and factious transactions It happened during the imprisonment of Doctor Bastwick censured for libelling by the Archbishop of Canterbury divers persons affecting the said Doctor out of their love resorting to him amongst the rest one of them took John Lilburne with him as his associate after plenty of chear Doctor Bastwick to solace his guests read to them his Lettany which he had written against the Prelates which Book was highly pleasing to them all Lilburne also hearing the said Lettany read and knowing that whatsoever was written in defiance of that power then generally hated would be very acceptable he desired of Doctor Bastwick to have a copy of one of them with which he would travel beyond Sea and cause it to be printed not doubting to be enriched by it the winde of this fancy transported him over Sea accompanied with a fellow whose fidelity he doubted not there he printed many Books and by them got much money selling them even at what rates he pleased afterwards coming into England bringing with him his printed trinkets hoping to have a new Mart the fellow that accompanied him was his betrayer who gave information to the Archbishop of Canterbury both where Lilburne and his Libels were who immediately dispatched a Pursivant with plenary authority who attached Lilburne and seized on his Books which were all afterwards burnt Lilburne himself was committed to the Fleet and refusing to take his Oath in the Star-Chamber was by them fined five hundred pound and censured to be whipt from the Fleet to Westminster and afterwards to stand in the Pillory which accordingly was executed and because he fell into a long speech against the Bishops and their Hierarchy they caused him to be gagged wherein he continued an hour and a half But the times altering the Bishops being Voted down by Parliament and a War ensuing betwixt them and the King these his sufferings caused him to be looked upon by the Parliament who preferred him to the Office of Lieutenant Collonel in their Army wherein he behaved himself most gallantly particularly at Brainford where he with about 700. men withstood the Kings whole Army about five hours together and fought it out to the very Swords point and to the Butt end of the Musket and thereby hindred the King from his then possessing the Parliaments Train of Artillery and by consequence the City of London in which act he was taken prisoner without Articles or capitulation and was by the King and his Party then lookt upon as one of the most active men in the whole company and should have been therefore Tryed for his life had not he by his wit avoyded the same by sending to the Parliament who thereupon sent a Letter to Oxford threatning them with lex talionis they having at the same time many of their great eminent men prisoners in the Tower Warwick Castle and other places which put a period to all further proceedings against him and freed him by an exchange Returning to London he begins to set abroach his factious opinions writing a Pamphlet wherein he termed the Laws Norman innovations with other unparallel'd speeches all which he sent to Judge Reeve who himself or some other for him made a complaint unto the Lords who immediately summoned him to appear before them which accordingly he did where being commanded to kneel at the Bar he refused saying That he had learned both better Religion and manners then to kneel to any humane or mortal power how great soever with many other aggravating and ambitious speeches which committed him close prisoner first to Newgate and afterwards to the Tower where he continued above twelve moneths together but this not a whit calmed his spirit but was rather like Oyl cast on the fire finding occasion from these his troubles and imprisonments to enveigh more bitterly against the Government and Governours then in being terming the Parliament to use his own words in his scurrulous pamphlets A pack of dissembling juggling knaves a company of tyrants the most perfidious false faith and trust-breakers that ever lived in the world and ought by all rational men to be most detested of all men that breathe treacherous self-seeking usurpers of the name and power of a Parliament most treacherously to do what they list Saying That Corah Dathan and Abiram were never more against Authority as the General viz. the Lord Fairfax and his Councel nor the Anabaptists at Munster with John of Leidon and Knipperdolling were never more contemners of Authority nor Jack Straw and Wat Tyler nor all those famous men mentioned with a black pen in our Histories These with infinite other railing tearms his pamphlets are stuffed and farced withal not fit to be bestowed on the most inveterate enemies can be encountred in this Life the young Gentleman was very prodigal of such Rabshekah expressions as his impudence was most conducing to his desperate designs c. For these and many other single rapired expressions of the nature contained in several Books which he wrote he was committed to the Tower and by a special Commission of Oyer and Terminer tryed upon a Charge of High Treason at the Guild Hall in London October 24 25. 26. 1649. Many were the Commissioners that sat upon his Tryal and multitudes of Spectators that came to behold it I have inserted his Tryal thus at large not onely as in respect of the
What have we not deserved yet O the long-suffering and patience and goodness of our God! O Lord our God we pray thee that thy patience and long-suffering might lead to repentance that thou wouldest be pleased thou who delightest not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his sins and live that thou wouldest turn us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned draw us and we shall run after thee draw us with the cords of Love and by the bands of loving kindness by the powerful working of thy holy spirit in our souls working contrition in our hearts and a godly sorrow for all our sins even a sorrow to repentance and a repentance to salvation never to be repented of Lord break those stony hearts of ours by the hammer of thy word mollifie them by the oyl of thy grace smite these rocky hearts of ours by the rod of thy most gracious power that we may shed forth rivers of tears for all the sins we have committed O that thou wouldest make us grieve because we cannot grieve and to weep because we cannot weep enough that thou wouldest humble us more and more in the true sight and sense of all our provocation against thee and that thou wouldest be pleased in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from all our sins Lord let his blood that speaks better things then that of Abel cry louder in thine ears for mercy then all those mischiefs and wickednesses that have been done amongst us for vengeance O besprinkle our polluted but penitent souls in the blood of Jesus Christ that we may be clean in thy sight and that the light of thy countenance may shine upon us Lord be pleased to seal unto our souls the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins say to each of our souls and say that we may hear it that thou art well pleased with us and appeased towards us Lord do thou by the Spirit assure our spirits that we are thy children and that thou art reconciled to us in the blood of Jesus Christ To this end O Lord create in us new hearts and renew right spirits within us Cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us but give us the comfort of thy help and establish us with thy free spirit Help us to live as they redeemed ones and Lord let us not any longer by our wicked lives deny that most holy faith whereof our lips have for so long time made profession but let us that call on the name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity and hate every evil way Help us to cast away all our transgressions whereby we have transgressed and make us new hearts Carry us along through the pilgrimage of this world supplying us with all things needful for us thy grace alone is sufficient for us Lord let thy grace be assistant to us to strengthen us against all the temptations of Satan especially against those sins whereunto we are most prone either by custom or constitution or most easily provoked O Lord with what affliction soever thou shalt punish us do not punish us with spiritual judgements and desertions Give us not over to our own hearts lusts to our vile lewd and corrupt affections give us not over to hardness and impenitency of heart but make us sensible of the least sin and give us thy grace to think no sin little committed against thee our God but that we may be humbled for it and repent of it and reform it in our lives and conversations and Lord keep us from presumptuous sins O let not them get the dominion over us but keep us innocent from the great offence O Lord our strength and our Redeemer And Lord sanctifie unto us all thy methods and proceedings with us fitting us for all further tribulations and tryals whatsoever thou in thy divine pleasure shalt be pleased to impose upon us Lord give us patience constancy resolution and fortitude to undergo them that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we may fear none ill knowing that thou O Lord art mercifully with us and that with thy rod as well as with thy staff thou wilt support and comfort us and that nothing shall be able to separate us from thy love which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. And gracious God we beseech thee be thou pleased to look mercifully and compassionately on thy holy Catholique Church and grant that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree together in the truth of thy holy Word and live in unity and godly love Thou hast promised O Lord the gates of hell shall not prevail against thy Church perform we beseech thee thy most gracious promises both to thy whole Church and to that part of it which thou hast planted and now afflicted in these sinful Lands and Nations wherein we live arise O Lord and have mercy upon our Sion for it is time that thou have mercy upon her yea the time is come for thy servants think upon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the dust Lord maintain thine own cause rescue the light of thy truth from all those clouds of errours and heresies which do so much obscure it and let the light thereof in a free profession break forth and shine again among us and that continually even as long as the Sun and Moon endures To this end O Lord bless us all and bless him the posterity which in Authority ought to rule over and be above us Bless him in his soul and in his body in his friends and in his servants and all his relations Guide him by thy Counsel prosper him in all undertakings granting him a long prosperous and honourable life here upon earth and that he may attain to a blessed life hereafter And gracious God look mercifully upon all our Relations and do thou bring them to the light of thy truth that are wandering and ready to fall Confirm them in thy truth that already stand show some good token for good unto them that they may rejoyce O let thy good hand of providence be over them in all their wayes And to all orders and degrees of men that be amongst us give religious hearts to them that now rule in Authority over us Loyal hearts in the subjects towards their Supream and loving hearts in all men to their Friends and charitable hearts one towards another And for the continuance of thy Gospel among us restore in thy good time to their several places and callings and give Grace O Heavenly Father to all Bishops Pastors and Curates that they may both by their Life and Doctrine set forth thy true and lively word and rightly and duly administer thy Holy Sacraments And Lord bless thy Church still with Pastors after thine own heart with a continual succession of faithful and able men that they may both by Life and Doctrine declare thy truth and never
having past his Laurels he had a minde to reach at the Crown they were somewhat mistaken it had too many thorns in it which of themselves are sharp enough to fetch blood if we should not otherwise accept of the interpretation of the Fifth Monarchy Gentleman who means by them the displeased Souldiery to whom such lustres could never have been acceptable as some other of our late Pamphletters have libell'd him to be another Henry the Fifth that he would have stoln the more then protested against Diadem off from the Pillow if he had a minde to it it is more then they know the worst they could have said of him had been that he entertained somewhat more then self-denying thoughts or rather as the Poet hath it Magnis tamen excedit ausis Indeed outwardly he seemed to have little of vain glory in him or else he turned his dark Lanthorn to himself his closeness being alwayes such that this great Politician walkt invisible others stood in the light to him but he in the dark to all onely for his most grand Transaction there was no vizzard could disguise it that he should after so many selfish refusals a word lately put into the new canting Dictionary of the Enthusiasts that he should after the slighting as it were of so many tendred forfeited and sequestred Estates presented to him by the Parliament for his remarkable services after that in parts and piecemeals he had denied the pomps and vanities of this wicked world he made it his master-design to take in all at once as he knew well enough how to cog a die he had thrown for all won all and swept all at once rendering his Motto Pax quaeritur Bello into that English which pleased him best the Protectorship To reflect briefly on his Domestical Affairs he was not uxorious but respectful to his Wife to his Children he had a paternal affection careful of their educations and of their aspirings to advancement he endeavoured to cast a lustre on them which did not take with the people though as to his Son Richard there was a more then ordinary consent For his pleasures there is no extraordinary news of them some Frolicks I have heard of with those he was most familiar the truth is he had too little leasure for trivial repasts he did with them as great persons do with Banquets come and look upon them and so turn away As he begun from a private fortune as I have already intimated that fortune quickened in him all seeds of observation being alwayes more prosperous in himself then confirmed from the affections of others For the imputations against him of moneys in his Treasury certainly if he had been such a hoarder the urgency of his pressing Affairs would never suffer him to be so poor as to stand still and admire his riches Before I end I cannot chuse but remark his hard dealings with Parliaments which he formerly so vindicated against the late King for his breach of priviledge about the five Members whatsoever fine thred he did twist for himself in all his religious speeches those that are right Englishmen will never clear him from his violations though he mannaged those actings as that they were to him but short tempests or small over-castings as whatsoever injury the Nations endured he had one pretence or other to shift it off from his own shoulders extreamly mistaking himself as the people look less on the failings of those who have been their own choice then on those who have taken on them to be earvers for themselves he thought himself crafty enough for Parliaments and from his death-bed he determined himself cock sure as he was flesht with his former fortunes he could never have imagined his posterity should ever have been lean 'T is true we may be so political as on this earth to endeavour to grasp these humane Affairs to our own Interests but we must lay down our greatest wisedoms when we come to sleep in the silent grave as after death there is no providing against the cross blows of fortune To conclude as far as we can conjecture his Confederates continuing alike victorious and fortunate with him he might if he had lived to it extended his victories to some other parts of the world if he did no more it was either through the disturbances of the times or long of himself for what he minded he compassed Certain it is that he so husbanded his successes that he did not live to see himself unfortunate who having assumed or rather snatcht his honours shewed himself to be one of the strangest sort of wonders that our late times have produced One writ a strange Epitaph on him Here lies Oliver Cromwel who that he might be Protector himself first brought the English Monarchy on its knees FINIS Courteous Reader These Books following are printed for Nathanael Brooke and are to be sold at his Shop at the Angel in Cornhill Excellent Tracts in Divinity Controversie Sermons Devotions THe Catholick History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councils and Ancient Fathers in Answer to Dr. Vane's lost Sheep returned home by Edward Chesensale Esq Octavo 2. Bishop Morton on the Sacrament in Folio 3. The Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome in tataking away the sacred Cup from the Laity at the Lords Table by D. Featley D. D. Quarto 4. The Quakers Cause at second hearing being a full Answer to their Tenets 5. Re-assertion of Grace Vindiciae Evangelii or the Vindication of the Gospel a Reply to Mr. Anthony Burghess Vindiciae Legis and to Mr. Ruthford by Robert Town 6. Anabaptists anatomized and silenced or a Dispute with Mr. Tombs by Mr. J. Crag where all may receive clear satisfaction in that Controversie The best extant Octavo 7. A Glimpse of Divine Light being an explication of some passages exhibited to the Commissioners at White Hall for approbation of Publick Preachers against J. Harrison of Land Chappel Lancashire 8. The zealous Magistrate a Sermon by T. Threscos Quarto 9. New Jerusalem in a Sermon for the Society of Astrologers Quarto in the year 1651. 10. Divinity no enemy to Astrology A Sermon for the Society of Astrologers in the Year 1643. by Dr. Thomas Swadling 11. Britannia Rediviva A Sermon before the Judges August 1648. by J. Shaw Minister of Hull 12. The Princess Royal in a Sermon before the Judges March 24. by J. Shaw 13. Judgement set and Books opened Religion tryed whether it be of God or Man in several Sermons by J. Webster Quarto 14. Israels Redemption or the Prophetical History of our Saviours Kingdom on Earth by K. Matton 15. The Cause and Cure of Ignorance Errour and Prophaneness or a more hopeful way to Grace and Salvation by K Young Octavo 16. A Bridle for the Times tending to still the murmuring to settle the wavering to stay the wandring and to strengthen the fainting by J. Brinsley of Yarmouth 17. Comforts against the fear of death wherein are discovered several
Evidences of the work of Grace by J. Collins of Norwich 18. Jacobs Seed or the excellency of seeking God by prayer by Jer. Burroughs 14. The sum of practical Divinity or the Grounds of Religion in a Catechistical way by Master Christopher Love late Minister of the Gospel a useful Piece 20. Heaven and Earth shaken a Treatise shewing how Kings and Princes and all other Governments are turned and changed by J. Davis Minister in Dover admirably useful and seriously to be considered in these times 21. The Treasure of the Soul wherein we are taught by dying to sin to attain to the perfect love of God 22. A Treatise of Contentation fit for these sad and troublesome times by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich 23. Select thoughts or choice helps for a pious spirit beholding the excellency of her Lord Jesus by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich 24. The Holy Order or Fraternity of Mourners in Zion to which is added songs in the night or chearfulness under afflictions by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich 25. The Celestial Lamp enlightening every distressed soul from the depth of everlasting darkness by T. Fetisplace Admirable and Learned Treatises of Occult Sciences in Philosophy Magick Astrology Geomancy Chymistry Phisiognomy and Chyromancy 26. Magick and Astrology vindicated by H. Warren 27. Lux veritatis Judicial Astrology vindicated and Demonology confuted by W. Ramsey Gent. 28. An Introduction to the Teutonick Philosophy being a determination of the Original of the soul by C. Hotham Fellow of Peter House in Cambridge 29. Cornelius Agrippa his fourth Book of Occult Philosophy or Geomancy Magical Elements of Peter de Abona the nature of spirits made English by R. Turner 30. Paracelsus Occult Philosophy of the Mysteries of Nature and his secret Alchimy 31. An Astrological Discourse with Mathematical Demonstrations proving the influence of the Planets and fixed Stars upon Elementary Bodies by Sir Christ Heyden Knight 32. Merlinus Anglicus Junior the English Merlin revived or a Prediction upon the Affairs of Christendom for the year 1644. by W. Lilly 33. Englands Prophetical Merlin foretelling to all Nations of Europe till 1663. the actions depending upon the Influences of the Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter 1642. by W. Lilly 34. The Starry Messenger or an Interpretation of that strange Apparition of three Suns seen in London the 19 of November 1644. being the Birth-day of King Charles by W. Lilly 35. The Worlds Catastrophe or Europes many Mutations until 1666. by W. Lilly 36. An Astrological Prediction of the Occurrences in England part of the Years 1648 1649 1650. by W. Lilly 37. Monarchy or no Monarchy in England the Prophesie of the White King Grebner his Prophesie concerning Charles Son of Charles his Greatness illustrated with several Hieroglyphicks by W. Lilly 38. Annus Tenebrosus or the Dark Year or Astrological Judgements upon two Lunary Eclipses and one admirable Eclipse of the Sun in England 1652. by W. Lilly 39. An easie and familiar way whereby to judge the effects depending on Eclipses by W. Lilly 40. Supernatural Sights and Apparitions seen in London June 30. 1644. by W. Lilly as also all his Works in one Volume 41. Catastrophe Magnatum an Ephemerides for the Year 1652. by N. Culpeper 42. Teratologia or a discovery of Gods Wonders manifested by bloody Rain and Waters by J. S. 43. Chyromancy or the Art of divining by the Lines engraven in the hand of man by dame Nature in 198. Genitures with a learned Discourse of the soul of the World by G. Wharton Esq 44. The admired Piece of Physiognomy and Chyromancy Metoposcopy the Symmetrical Proportions and signal Moles of the Body the Interpretation of Dreams to which is added the Art of Memory illustrated with Figures by R. Sanders folio 45. The no less exquisite then admirable Work Theatrum Chymicum Britannicum containing several Poetical Pieces of our famous English Philosophers who have written the Hermitick Mysteries in their own ancient Language faithfully collected into one Volume with Annotations thereon by the Indefatigable Industry of Elias Ashmole Esq illustrated with Figures Excellent Treatises in the Mathematicks Geometry of Arithmetick Surveying and other Arts or Mechanicks 46. The incomparable Treatise of Tactometria seu Tetagmenometria or the Geometry of Regulars practically proposed after a new and most expeditious manner together with the Naural or Vulgar by way of Mensural comparison and in the Solids not onely in respect of Magnitude or Demension but also of Gravity or Ponderosity according to any Metal assigned together with useful experiments of Measures and Weights observations on gauging useful for those that are practiced in the Art Metricald by T. Wybard 47. Tectonicon shewing the exact measuring of all manner of Land Squares Timber Stones Steeples Pillars Globes as also the making and use of the Carpenters Rule c. fit to be known by all Surveyors Land-meters Joyners Carpenters and Masons by L. Diggs 48. The unparalel'd Work for ease and expedition entituled The Exact Surveyor or the whole Art of Surveying of Land shewing how to plot all manner of Grounds whether small Inclosures Champian Plain Wood-lands or Mountains by the plain Table as also how to finde the Area or Content of any Land to Protect Reduce or Divide the same as also to take the Plot or Chart to make a Map of any Mannor whether according to Rathburne or any other eminent Surveyors Method a Book excellently useful for those that sell purchase or are otherwise employed about Buildings by J. Eyre 49. The Golden Treatise of Arithmetick Natural and Artificial or Decimals the Theory and Practice united in a simpathetical Proportion betwixt Lines and Numbers in their Quantities and Qualities as in respect of Form Figure Magnitude and Affection demonstrated by Geometry illustrated by Calculations and confirmed with variety of Examples in every Species made compendious and easie for Merchants Citizens Seamen Accomptants c. by Th. Wilsford Corrrector of the last Edition of Record 50. Semigraphy or the Art of Short-writing as it hath been proved by many hundreds in the City of London and other places by them practised and acknowledged to be the easiest exactest and swiftest Method the meanest capacity by the help of this Book with a few hours practice may attain to a perfection in this Art by J. Rich Authour and Teacher thereof dwelling in Swithins-Lane in London 51. Milk for Children a plain and easie Method teaching to read and write useful for Schols and Families by J. Thomas D. D. 52. The Painting of the Ancients the History of the beginning progress and consummating of the practice of that noble Art of Painting by F. Junius Excellent and approved Treatises in Physick Chyrurgery and other more familiar Experiments in Cookery Preserving c. 53. Culpeper's Semiatica Vranica his Astrological Judgement of Diseases from the decumbiture of the sick much enlarged the way and manner of finding out the cause change and end of the Disease also whether the sick be likely to