towards London where he was Proclaimed King with all due Solemnities He made his Royal Entry into the Tower on the last of January Into which He was conducted by Sir John Gage as the Constable of it and there received by all the Lords of the Council who with great Duty and Affection did attend His comings and waiting on Him into the Chamber of Presence did very chearfully swear Allegiance to him The next day by the general consent of all the Council the Earl of Hartford the King's Uncle was chosen Governour of His Person and Protectour of His Kingdomes till He should come unto the Age of eighteen years and was Proclaimed for such in all parts of London Esteemed most fit for this high Office in regard that he was the King's Uncle by the Mothers side very near unto Him in Blood but yet of no capacity to succeed in the Crown by reason whereof his Natural Affâ—ction and Duty was less easie to be over-carried by Ambition Upon which Gâ—ound of civil Prudence it was both piously and prudently Ordained by Solon in the State of Athens That no man should be made the Guardian unto any Orphan to whom the Inheritance might fall by the Death of his Ward For the first Handselling of his Office he Knighted the young King on the sixth of February Who being now in a capacity of conferring that Order bestowed it first on Henry Hoble-Thorn Lord Mayor of London and presently after on Mr. William Portman one of the Justices of the Bench being both dubbed with the same Sword with which He had received the Order of Knighthood at the hands of His Vncle. These first Solemnities being thus passed over the next care was for the Interment of the Old King and the Coronation of the New In order to which last it was thought expedient to advance some Confidents and Principal Ministers of State to higher Dignities and Titles then before they had the better to oblige them to a care of the State the safety of the King's Person and the preservation of the Power of the Lord Protectour who chiefly moved in the Design Yet so far did self-Interest prevail above all other Obligations and tyes of State that some of these men thus advanced proved his greatest Enemies the rest forsaking him when he had most need to make use of their Friendship In the first place having resigned the Office of Lord High Chamberlain he caused himself to be created Lord Seimour and Duke of Somerset Which last Title â—ppâ—rtaining to the King's Progenitours of the House of Lancaster and since the expiring of the Beauforts conferred on none but Henry the Natural Son of the King decealed was afterwards charged upon him as an Argument of his aspiring to the Crown which past all doubt he never aimed at His own turn being thus unhappily served the Lord William Parr Brother of Queen Katherinâ— Parr the Relict of the King deceased who formerly in the thirty fifth of the said King's Reign had been created Earl of Essex with reference to Ann his Wife Daughter and Heir of Henry Bâ—urchier the last Earl of Essex of that House was now made Marquess of Northampton in reference to her Extraction from the Bohunes once the Earls thereof John Dudly Viscount L'isle and Knight of the Garter having resigned his Office of Lord Admiral to gâ—â—tifie the Lord Protectour who desired to confer that place of Power and Trust on his younger Brother was in Exchange created Lord High Chamberlain of England and Earl of Warwick Which Title he affected in regard of his Discent from the Beauchamps who for long time had worn that Honour from whom he also did derive the Title of Viscount L'isle as being the Son of Edmond Sutton alias Dudley and of Elizabeth his Wife Sister and Heir of John Gray Viscount L'isle discended by the Lord John Talbot Viscount L'isle from Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick and Dame Elizabeth hisâ— Wife the direct Heir of Waren Lord L'isle the last of the Male Issue of that Noble Family In the next place comes Sir Thomas Wriothsley a man of a very new Nobility as being Son of William Wriothsley and Grand-Child of John Wriothsley both of them in their Times advanced no higher then to the Office of an Herald the Father by the Title of York the Grand-father by that of Garter King at Arms. But this man being planted in a warmer Sun grew up so fast in the esteem of King Henry the Eight that he was first made Principal Secretary afterwards created Baron of Tichfield advanced not long after to the Office of Lord Chancellour And finally by the said King installed Knight of the Garter An. 1545. For an addition to which Honours he was now dignified with the Title of the Earl of South-hampton enjoyed to this day by his Posterity These men being thus advanced to the highest Titles Sir Thomas Seimour the new Lord Admiral is Honoured with the Stile of Lord Seimour of Sudeley and in the beginning of the next year made Knight of the Garter prepared by this accumulation of Honours for his following Marriage which he had now projected and soon after compassed With no less Ceremony though not upon such lofty Aims Sir Richard Rich another of the twelve which were appointed for Subsidiaries to the great Council of Estate by the King deceased was prefered unto the Dignity of Lord Rich of Leez in Essex the Grand-father of that Robert Lord Rich who by King James was dignified with the Title of Earl of Warwick Anno 1618. In the third place came Sir William Willoughby discended from a younger Branch of the House of Eresby created Lord Willoughby of Parham in the County of Sussex And in the Rear Sir Edmond Sheffield advanced unto the Title of Lord Sheffield of Butterwick in the County of Lincoln from whom the Earls of Moulgrave do derive themselves All which Creations were performed with the accustomed Solemnities on the seventeenth of February and all given out to be designed by King Henry before his death the better to take off the Envy from the Lord Protectour whom otherwise all understanding people must needs have thought to be too prodigal of those Honours of which the greatest Kings of England had been so sparing For when great Honours are conferred on persons of no great Estates it raiseth commonly a suspicion amongst the people That either some proportionable Revenue must be given them also to the impoverishing of the King or else some way left open for them to enrich themselves out of the purses of the Subject These Preparations being dispatched they next proceed unto the Coronation of the King performed with the accustomed Rites on the twentieth of the same Moneth by Arch-Bishop Cranmer The Form whereof we finde exemplified in a Book called The Catalogue of Honour published by Thomas Mills of Canterbury in the year 1610. In which there is nothing more observable then this following Passage The King saith he being brought
there excepteth against Commemoration of the Dead which he acknowledgeth however to be very Antient as also against Chrism and Extreme Vnction the last of which being rather allowed of then required by the Rules of that Book which said he maketh it his Advice that all these Ceremonies should be abrogated and that withall he should go forwards to Reform the Church without fear or wit without regard of Peace at home or Correspondency abroad such Considerations being onely to be had in Civil Matters but not in Matters of the Church wherein not any thing is to be Exacted which is not warranted by the Word and in the managing whereof there is not any thing more distastfull in the eyâ— of God then Worldly Wisdom either in moderating cutting off or going backwards but meerly as we are directed by his Will revealed In the next place he gives a touch on the Book of Homilies which Bucer as it appears by his Epistle to the Church of England had right-well approved of These very faintly he permits for a season onely but by no means allows of them for a long continuance or to be looked on as a Rule of the Church or constantly to serve for the instruction of the People and thereby gave the hint to the Zuinglian Gospellers who ever since almost have declaimed against them And whereas some Disputes had grown by his setting on or the Pragmatick Humour of some Agents which he had amongst us about the Ceremonies of the Church then by Law established he must needs trouble the Protectour in that business also To whom he writes to this effect That the Papists would grow insolenter every day then other unless the differences were composed about the Ceremonies But how not by reducing the Opponents to Conformity but by encouraging them rather in their Opposition which cannot but appear most plainly to be all he aimed at by soliciting the Duke of Sommerset in behalf of Hooper who was then fallen into some troubles upon that of which more hereafter Now in the Heat of these Imployments both in Church and State the French and Scots lay hold on the Opportunity for the Recovering of some Forts and Peeces of Consequence which had been taken from them by the English in the former War The last year Bulloign-Siege was attempted by some of the French in hope to take it by Surprize and were couragiously repulsed by the English Garison But now they are resolved to go more openly to work and therefore send an Herald to defy the King according to the Noble manner of those Times in proclaiming War before they entred into Action against one another The Herald did his Office on the eighth of August and preâ—ently the French with a considerable Army invade the Territory of Bulloign In less then three weeks they possess themselves of Blackness Hamiltue and New-Haven with all the Ordnance Ammunition and Victuals in them Few of the Souldiers escaped with Life but onely the Governour of New-Haven a Bastard Son of the Lord Sturton's who was believed to have betrayed that Fort unto them because he did put himself immediatly into the Service of the French But they sped worse in their Designs by Sea then they did by Land for giving themselves no small Hopes in those broken Times for taking in the Islands of Guerâ—sey and Jersey they made toward them with a great number of Gallies but they were so manfully encountred with the King's Navy which lay then hovering on those Coasts that with the loss of a Thousand men and great spoil of their Gallies they were forced to retire into France and desist from their purpose Nor were the Scotâ— in the mean time negligent in preparing for their own Defence against whom some considerable Forces had been prepared in the Beginning of this Summer but most unhappily diverted though very fortunately imployed for the Relief of Exeter and the taking of Norwich So that no Succours being sent for the Relief of those Garisons which then remained unto the English the Scots about the middle of November following couragiously assault the strong Fort of Bouticrage take it by Storm put all the Souldiers to the Sword except the Captain and him they spared not out of any Pity or Humane Compassion but because they would not lose the Hope of so great a Benefit as they expected for his Ransom Nothing now left unto the English of all their late Purchases and Acquists in Scotland but the strong Fort of Aymouth and the Town of Rox-borough The loss of so many Peeces in France one after another was very sad News to all the Court but the Earl of Warwick Who purposely had delayed the sending of such Forces as were prepared against the French that the Forts above-mentioned might be lost that upon the loss thereof he might project the Ruin of the Lord Protectour He had long cast an envious Eye at his Power and Greatness and looked upon himself as a man of other parts both for Camp and Counsel fitter in all Respects to Protect the Kingdom then he that did enjoy the Title He looked upon him also as a man exposed to the Blows of Fortune in being so fatally deprived of his greatest strength by the Death of his Brother after which he had little left unto him but the worst half of himself feared by the Lords and not so well beloved by the Common People as he had been formerly There goes a Story that Earl Godwine having treacherously slain Prince Alfred the Brother of Edward the Confessour was afterwards present with the King when his Cup-bearer stumbling with one foot recovered himself by the Help of the other One Brother helps another said Earl Godwine merrily And so replyed the King as tartly My Brother might have been useful unto me if you had pleased to spare his Life for my present Comfort The like might have been said to Earl Dudly of Warwick That if he had not lent an helping hand to the Death of the Admiral he could not so easily have tripp'd up the Heels of the Lord Protectour Having before so luckily taken in the Out-Works he now resolves to plant his Battery for the Fort it self To which end he begins to muster up his Strengths and make ready his Forces knowing which way to work upon the Lords of the Court many of which began to stagger in their good Affections and some openly to declare themselves the Protectour's Enemies And he so well applyed himself to their several Humours that in short time his Return from Norfolk with Success and Honour he had drawn unto his side the Lord Chancellour Rich the Lord saint-Saint-John Lord Great Master the Marquess of North-hampton the Earl of Arundel Lord Chamberlain the Earl of South-hampton Sir Thomas Cheny Treasurer of the Houshould Sir John Gage Constable of the Tower Sir William Peter Secretary Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Edward North Sir Ralph Sadlier Sir John Baker Sir
thought fit to nominate to that imployment And afterwards appointed a Sub-Committee of eight Persons to prepare the Work make it ready for the rest that it might be dispatched with the more expedition which said eight persons were the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Doctour Thomas Goodrick Bishop of Elâ— Doctour Richard Cox the King's Almoner and Peter Martyr Doctour in Divinity William May and Rowland Taylour Doctours of the Laws John Lucas and Richard Goodrick Esquires By whom the Work was undertaken and digested fashioned according to the Method of the Romane Decretals and called by the Name of Reformatiâ— Legum Ecclesiasticarum c. But not being Commissionated hereunto till the eleventh of November in the year 1551 they either wanted time to communicate it to the chief Commissioners by whom it was to be presented to the Kâ—ng or found the King encumbred with more weighty matters then to attend the peâ—â—sal of it And so the King dying as he did before he had given life unto it by his Royal Signature the Design miscarried never thought fit to be resumed in the following Times by any of those who had the Government of the Chuâ—ch or were concerned in the Honour and Safety of it There also passed another Act in Order to the Peace of the Common-Wealth but especially procuâ—ed by the Agents of the Duke of Sommerset the better to secure him from all Attempts and Practices for the Times ensuing by which his Life might be illegally endangered The purport of which Act was to make it High Treason for any twelve Persons or above assembled together to kill or imprison any of the King's Council or alter any Laws or continue together the space of an hour being Commanded to return by any Justice of the Peace Mayour Sheriff c. Which Act intended by his Friends for his Preservation was afterwards made use of by his Enemies for the onely means of his Destruction deferred a while but still resolved upon when occasion served It wâ—s not long before Earl Dudly might perceive that he had served other mens Turâ—s against the Duke as well as his own and that having served their Turns therein he â—ound no such forwardness in them for raising him unto the Place They were all willing enough to unhorse the Duke but had no mind that such a rank Rider as the Earl should get into the Saddle Besides he was not â—o be told that there was nothing to be charged against the Duke which could touch his life that so many men of dâ—fferent Humours were not like to hold â—ong in a Plot together now their Turns were served that the Dukâ—'s Friends could not be so dull as not to see the emptiness of the Practice which was forged against him nor the King so forgetfull of his Uncle when the Truth was known as not to raise him up again to his former height it therefore would be fittest for his ends and purposes to close up the Breach to set the Duâ—e at Liberty from his Imprisonment but so to order the Affair that the Benefit should be acknowledged to proceed from himself alone But first the Duke must so acknowlege his Offences that his Adversaries might come off with Honour In Order whereunto he is first Articled against for many Crimes and Misdemeanours rather imputed to him then proved against him And unto all these he must be laboured to subscribe acknowledging the Offences contained in them to beg the Favour of the Lords and cast himself upon his Knees for his Majestie 's Mercy All which he very poorly did subscribing his Confession on the twenty third of December Which he subjoyned unto the Articles and so returned it to the Lords Anno Regni Edw. Sexti 4 o. An. Dom. 1549 1550. THe Lords thus furnished with sufficient matter for a Legal Proceeding condemned him by a Sentence passed in the House of Peers unto the Loss of all his Offices of Earl Marshal Lord Treasurer and Lord Protectour as also to â—he Forfeiture of all his Goods and near two thousand pounds of good yearly Rents Which being signified unto him he acknowledged himself in his Letter of the second of February to be highly â—avoured by their Lordships in that they brought his Cause to be Finable Which Fine though it was to him almost unsupportable yet he did never purpose to contend with them nor once to justifie himself in any Action He confess'd That being none of the wisest he might easily err that it was hardly possible for any man in Eminent place so to carry himself that all his Actings should be blameless in the eye of Justice He therefore submitted himself wholly to the King's Mercy and to their Discretions for some Moderation desiring them to conceive of what he did amiss as rather done through Rudeness and want of Judgment then through any malicious Meaning and that he was ready both to do and suffer what they should appoint And finally he did again most humbly upon his Knees intreat Pardon and Favour and they should ever finde him so lowly to their Honours and Obedient to their Orders as he would thereby make Amends for his former Follies By which Submission it may be called an Abjectedness rather as he gave much secret Pleasure to the most of his Adversaries so he gained so far upon the King that he was released of his Imprisonment on the fourth day after And by his Majestie 's Grace and Favour he was discharged of his Fine his Goods and Lands being again restored unto him except such as had been given away either the malice of his Enemies being somewhat appeased or wanting power and credit to make Resistance This great Oak being thus shrewdly shaken there is no doubt but there will be some gathering up of the Sticks which were broken from him and somewhat must be done as well to gratifie those men which had served the Turn as to inclinâ— others to the like Propensions And therefore upon Candlemasâ—-Day being the dâ—y on which he had made his humble Submission before-mentioned William Lord St. John Lord Great Master and President of the Council is made Lord Treasurer John Dudley Earl of Warwick Lord High Chamberlain is preferred to the Office of Lord Great Master the Marquess of North-hampton created Lord High Chamberlain Sir Anthony Wingfield Captain of the Guard is made Comptroller of the King's House in the place of Sir William Paget of whom more anon and Sir Thomas Darcie advanced to the Office of Vice-Chamberlain and Captain of his Majestie 's Guard And though the Earls of Arundel and Souâ—â—-hampton had been as forward as any of the rest in the Duke's destruction yet now upon some Court-displeasures they were commanded to their Houses and dismissed from their Attendance at the Council-Table the Office of Lord Chamberlain of his Majestie 's Houshold being taken from the Earl of Arundel and bestowed on Wentworth ennobled by the Title of Lord Wentworth in the first year of the King Some Honours
so unreasonably presâ—'d and the Bishops thinking themselves neglected because unseasonably denied Thus stood they siâ—ent for a time each Party looking sadly on the apprehension of those Extremities which this Dispute had brought upon them as certainly the Picture of Unkindness is never represented in more lively Colours then when it breaks out betwixt those who are most tenderly affected unto one another The Bishops thereupon withdrew admiring at such great Abilities in so young a King and magnified the Name of God for giving them a Prince of such Eminent Piety This being made known unto the Council it was thought necessary to dismiss the Emperour's Embassadour with such an Answer as should both give the English time to fetch off their Goods and let his Master have the â—â—st of the Winter to allay his Heats It was therefore signified unto him That The King would shortly send an Ageâ—t to reside with the Emperour Authourised and â—â—strâ—cted in all particulars which might beget a right Vnderstanding between both Princes Thus answered he returns to the Emperour's Court whom Wotton shortly after followeth â—ufficiently Instructed To desire the Emperour to be less violent in his requests and to Advertise him That The Lady Mary as She was His Couâ—sin so She was the King's Sister and which is more His Subject â— That seeing the King was a Sovereign Prince without dependency upon any but God it was not reason that the Emperour should intermeddle either with Ordering His Subjects or directing the Affairs of His Realm But so far he was Authourised to offer That whatsoever favour the King's Subjects had in the Emperour 's Dominions for their Religion the same should the Emperour 's Subjects receive in England Further then this as the King his Master would not go so it would be a lâ—st labour to desire it of him This was enough to let the Emperour see how little his Threats were feared which made him the less forward in sending more Which Passages relating to the Princess Mary I have lai'd together for the better understanding how all matters stood about this time betwixt Her and the King though possibly the sending of Wotton to the Emperour might be the Work of the next year when the King's Affairs were better setled then they were at the present For the King finding the extraordinary Coldness of the Emperour when his assistance was required for Defence of Bulloign and the hot Pursuit of his Demands of a Toleration for the Family of the Lady Mary conceived it most expedient for His Affairs to unite Himself more strongly and entirely in a League with France For entrance whereunto an Hint was taken from some Words which fell from Guidolti at the Treaty of Bulloign when he propounded That in stead of the Queen of Scots whom the English Commissioners demanded for a Wife to their King a Daughter of the French King might be joyned in Mariage with Him affirming merrily That If it were a dry Peace it would hardly be durable These Words which then were taken onely for a Slight or Diversion are now more seriously considered as Many times the smallest Overtures produce Conclusions of the greatest Consequence A Solemn Embassie is thereupon directed to the Court of France the Marquess of Northhampton nominated for the Chief Embassadour associated with the Bishop of Ely Sir Philip Hobby Gentleman-Usher of the Order Sir William Pickering Sir Thomas Smith Principal Secretary of State and Sir John Mason Clerk of the Council as Commissioners with him And that they might appear in the Court of France with the greater Splendour they were accompanied with the Earls of Arundel Rutland and Ormond and the Lords L'isle Fitz-water Abergavenny Bray and Evers with Knights and Gentlemen of Note to the number of six and twenty or thereabouts Their Train so limited for avoiding of contention amongst themselves that no Earl should have above four Attendants no Baron above three nor any Knight or Gentleman above two a piece the Commissioners not being limited to any number as the others were Setting forwards in the Moneth of June they were met by the Lord Constable Chastition and by him Conducted to the Court lying at Chasteau Bryan the nearer to which as they approached theÌ„ greater was the concourse of the French Nobility to attend upon them Being brought unto the King then being in his Bed-chamber the Marquess first presented him in the name of his King with the Order of Saint George called The Garter wherewith he was presently Invested by Sir Philip Hobby who being an Officer of the Order was made Commissioner as it seemed for that purpose chiefly rewarded for it by that King with a Chain of Gold valued at two hundred pounds and a Gown richly trimmed with Ayglets which he had then upon his back This Ceremony being thus performed the Bishop of Ely in a short Speech Declared How desirous his Master was not onely to continue but to encrease Amity with the French King that for this end He had sent the Order of The Garter to be both a Testimony and Tye of Love between them to which purpose principally those Societies of Honour were first devised Declaring that they had Commission to make Overtures of some other matters which was like to make the Concord betwixt the Kings and their Realms not onely more durable but in all expectation perpetual and thereupon desired the King to appoint some persons enabled with Authourity to Treat with them To which it was Answered by the Cardinal of Lorrain in the name of that King That his Master was ready to apprehend and embrace all Offers tending to encrease of Amity and the rather for that long Hostility had made their new Friendship both more weak in it self and more obnoxious unto Jealousies and Distrusts and therefore promised on the King's behalf that Commissioners should be appointed to Treat with them about any matters which they had in Charge In pursuance whereof the said Cardinal the Constable Chastilion the Duke of Guise and others of like Eminent note being appointed for the Treaty the English Commissioners first prosecute their Old Demand for the Queen of Scots To which it was Answered by the French That they had parted with too much Treasure and spent too many Lives upon any Conditions to let Her go and that Conclusion had been made long before for her Marriage with the Daulphin of France The English upon this proposed a Marriage between their King and the Lady Elizabeth the Eldest Daughter of France who after was Married to Philip the Second to which the French Commissioners seemed very inclinable with this Proviso notwithstanding That neither Party should be bound either in Conscience or Honour untill the Lady should accomplish twelve years of Age. And so far Matters went on smoothly but when they came to talk of Portion there appeared a vast difference between them The English Commissioners ask no more then fifteen hundred thousand Crowns but fell by one hundred thousand
the change and to assure those Princes of the Queens desire to maintain all former leagues between them and the Crown of England but more particular instructions were directed to her Agent in the Court of Spain to whom it was given in charge to represent unto the King the dear remembrance which she kept of those many humanities received from him in the time of her troubles Instructions are sent also to Sir Edward Karn the late Queens Agent with the Pope and now confirmed by her in the same imployment to make his Holiness acquainted with the death of Queen Mary and her succession to the Crown not without out some desire that all good offices might be reciprocally exchanged between them But the Pope answered hereunto according to his accustomed rigour That the Kingdom of England was held in Fee of the Apostolick See that she could not succeed being illegitimate that he could not contradict the declarations of Clement the 7th and Paul the 3d. that it was a great boldness to assume the name and government of it without him yet being desirous to shew a fatherly affection if she will renounce her pretensions and refer her self wholly to his free disposition he will do whatsoever may be done with the honour of the Apostolick See To the making of which sudden answer though there needed no other instigation of his own rough nature yet many thought that he was put upon it by some Ministers of the Court of France who fearing nothing more than that Philip will endeavour by a second mariage to assure himself of the possession of the Realm of England and to that end sollicit for a dispensation to make way unto it thought it expedient to prevent those practices in the first beginning by putting the Pope upon such counsels as would be sure to dash all his hopes that way But the new Queen having perform'd this office of civility to him as she did to others expected not the coming back of any answer not took much thought of it when she heard it She knew full well that her legitimation and the Popes supremacy could not stand together and that she could not possibly maintain the one without a discarding of the other But in this case it concerned her to walk very warily and not to unmask her self too much at once for fear of giving an alarum to the Papal party before she had put her self into a posture of ability to make good her actions Many who were imprisoned for the cause of Religion she restored to liberty at her first coming to the Crown Which occasioned Rainsford a Buffonly Gentleman of the Court to make a sute to her in the behalf of Mathew Mark Luke and John who had been long imprisoned in a Latine Translation that they also might be restored to liberty and walk abroad as formerly in the English Toung To whom she presently made answer That he should first endeavour to know the minds of the Prisoners who perhaps desired no such liberty as was demanded Which notwithstanding upon a serious debate of all particulars she was resolved to proceed to a reformation as the times should serve In order whereunto she constitutes her Privy Council which she compounds of such ingredients as might neither give encouragement to any of those who wish'd well to the Church of Rome or alienate their affections from her whose hearts were more inclined to the Reformation Of such as had been of the Coâ—ncil to the Quen her sister she retained the Lord Archbishop of York the Lord Marquess of Winchester the Earls of Arundel Shrewsbury Darby and Pembrock the Lords Clynton and Effingham Sir Thomas Cheiney Sir William Petice Sir John Mason Sir Richard Sackvile and Doctor Wotton To whom she added of her own the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Bedford Sir Thomas Parre Sir Edward Roâ—ers Sir Ambrose Care Sir William Cecil and Sir Nicholas Bâ—câ—n To which last being then Attorney of the Dutchy of Lancaster and one that had been much employed by her in some former services which had relation to the Law she committed the custody of the Great Seal on the 22 of December the Title of Lord Chancellor remaining to Archbishop Heath as before it did and that of the Lord keeper being given to Bacon Which being a new Title and consequently subject unto some disputes an Act was passed in the second Parliament of her Reign for investing the said new Lord Keeper and all that should from thenceforth enjoy that Office with all the Powers Privileges and Preheminences which antiently had been exercised and enjoyed by the Lord Chancellor of England and for confirming of all sentences and decrees in Chancery which had or should be made by the said Lord Keepers in all times to come The like mixture she also caused to be made amongst other her subordinate Ministers in adding such new Commissioners for the Peace in every County as either were known to be of the Reformed Religion or to wish well to it The preferring of so many of the Protestant party as well to places of employment in their several Countries as to the ranck and dignity of Privy Counsellors and the refusal of her hand to Bishop Bonner at her very first comming to the Crown were taken to be strong presumptions as indeed they were that she intended to restore the Reformed Religion And as the Papists in the first beginning of the Reign of Queen Mary hoping thereby the better to obtain her favour began to build new Altars and set up the Mass before they were required so to do by any publick Authority so fared it now with many unadvised Zelots amongst the Protestants who measuring the Queens affections by their own or else presuming that their errors would be taken for an honest zeal employed themselves as busily in the demolishing of Altars and defacing of Images as if they had been licenced and commanded to it by some legal warrant It hapned also that some of the Ministers which remained at home and others which returned in great numbers from beyond the Seas had put themselves into the Pulpits and bitterly inveighed against the superstitions and corruptions of the Church of Rome The Popish Preachers did the like and were not sparing of invectives against the others whom they accused of Heresies Schisms and Innovation in the Worship of God For the suppressing of which disorders on the one side and those common disturbances on the other the Queen set out two Proclamations much about one time by one of which it was commanded that no man of what perswasion soever he was in the points of Religion should be suffered from thenceforth to preach in publick but onely such as should be licensed by her authority and that all such as were so licensed or appointed should forbear preaching upon any point which was matter of Controversie and might conduce rather to exasperate than to calm mens passions Which Proclamation was observed with such care and strictness that
no Sermon was preached at St. Paul's Cross or any publick place in London till the Easter following At what time the Sermons which were to be preached in the Spittle according to the antient custom were performed by Doctor Bill the Almoner to the Queen and afterwards the first Dean of Westminster of the Queens foundation Doctor Richard Cox formerly Dean of Westminster preferred in short time after to the See of Ely and Mr. Robert Horn of whom mention hath been made before at the troubles of Franckfort advanced not long after to the See of Winchester The Rehearsal Sermon accustomably preached at St. Pauls Crosse on the Sunday following was undertook by Doctor Thomas Sampson then newly returned from beyond the Seas and after most unhappily made Dean of Christ-church But so it chanced that when he was to go into the Pulpit the dore was locked and the key thereof not to be found so that a Smith was sent for to break open the dore and that being done the like necessity was found of cleansing and making sweet the place which by a long disuse had contracted so much filth and nastiness as rendred it unfit for another Preacher By the other Proclamation which was published on the 30th of December â—t was enjoyned That no man of what quality or degree soever should presume to alter any thing in the state of Religion or innovate in any of the rites and ceremonies thereunto belonging but that all such rites and ceremonies should be observed in all Parish Churches of the Kingdom as were then used and retained in her Majesties Chapel until some further order should be taken in it Onely it was permitted and withall required that the Letany the Lords Prayer the Creed and the Ten Commandments should be said in the English tongue and that the Epistle and the Gospel at the time of the High Mass should be read in English which was accordingly done in all the Churches of London on the next Sunday after being New-years day and by degrees in all the other Churches of the Kingdom also Further than this she thought it not convenient to proceed at the present but that she had commanded the Priest or Bishop for some say it was the one and some the other who officiated at the Altar in the Chapel-Royal not to make any Elevation of the Sacrament the better to prevent that adoration which was given unto it and which she could not suffer to be done in her sight without a most apparent wrong to her judgment and conscience Which being made known in other places and all other Churches being commanded to conform themselves to the example of the Chapel the elevation was forborn also in most other places to the great discontent and trouble of the Popish party And though there was no further progress toward a Reformation by any publick Act or Edict yet secretly a Reformation in the form of Worship and consequently in point of Doctrine was both intended and projected For making none acquainted with her secret purposes but the Lord Marquis of Northampton Francis Earl of Bedford Sir John Gray of Pergo one of the late Duke of Suffolk's brothers and Sir William Cecil she committed the reviewing of the former Litutgy to the care of Doctor Parker Doctor Gryndal Doctor Cox Doctor Pilkington Doctor Bill Doctor May and Mr. Whitehead together with Sir Thomas Smith Doctor of the Laws a very learned moderate and judicious Gentleman But what they did and what preferments they attained to on the doing of it we shall see anon wheu we shall find the Book reviewed confirmed by Act of Parliament and executed in all parts of the Kingdom as that Act required But first some publick Acts of State and great Solemnities of Court are to be performed The Funeral of the Queen deceased solemnised on the 13th of December at the Abbey of Westminster and the Sermon preached by Doctor White then Bishop of Winchester seemed onely as a preamble to the like Solemnity performed at the said place about ten days after in the Obsequies of Charls the 5th which mighty Emperor having first left the world by resigning his Kingdoms and retiring himself into a Monastery as before was said did after leave his life also in September last and now upon the 24th of this present December a solemn Obsequie was kept for him in the wonted form a rich Hearse being set up for him in the Church of Westminster magnificently covered with a Pall of gold his own Embassador serving as the principal Mourner and all the great Lords and Officers about the Court attending on the same in their rancks and orders And yet both these though stately and majestical in their several kinds came infinitely short of those Pomps and Triumphs which were prepared and reserved for the Coronation As a Preparation whereunto she passed from Westminster to the Tower on the 12th of January attended by the Lord Mayor the Aldermen and other Citizens in their Barges with the Banners and Escutcheons of their several Companies loud Musick sounding all the way and the next day she restored some unto their old and advanced others to new honors according to her own fancy and their deservings The Marquis of Northampton who had lain under an Attaindure ever since the first beginning of the Reign of Queen Mary she restored in blood with all his Titles and Estates The Lord Edward Seimer eldest son to the late Duke of Somerset was by her reconfirmed in the Titles of Viscount Beaâ—châ—mp and Earl of Hertford which had been formerly entayled upon him by Act of Parliament The Lord Thomas Howard second son of Thomas the late Duke of Norfolk and brother to Henry Earl of Surrey beheaded in the last days of King Henry the Eighth she advanced to the Title of Viscount Howard of Bindâ—n She also preferred Sir Oliver St. Johns who derived himself from the Lady Maâ—garet daughter of John Duke of Somerset from whom the Queen her self descended to the dignity of Lord St. John of Bletso and Sir Henry Carte son of Sir William Carie Knight and of Mary Bollen his wife the onely sister of Queen Anne Bollen she promoted to the honor and degree of Lord Carie of Hansdon The ordinary acts of grace and favour being thus dispatched she prepares the next morning for a triumphant passage through London to her Palace at Westminster But first before she takes her Chariot she is said to have lifted up her eyes to heaven and to have used some words to this or the like effect O Lord Almigâ—â—y and everâ—iving 〈◊〉 I give thee most hearty thanks that thou hast been so mercifu unto me as to spare me to see this joyful day And I acknowledge that thou hast dealt as wonderfully and aâ— mercifully with me as thou didst with thy true and faithful servant Daniel thy Prophet whom thou deliveredst out of the den from the cruelty of the raging greedy Lyons even so was I overwhelmed and only by
Sir John Mason Master of the Requests R. Bowes Master of the Rolls Most of which had formerly subscribed the answer to a Letter which came to them from the Princesse Mary on the ninth of July and were all pâ—â—doned for so doing except Cranmer only Now the Tenor of the said 〈◊〉 was as followeth In the name of our Soveraign Lady Mary the Queen to be declared to the Duke of Northumberland and all other his Band of what degree soever they be YOu shall command and charge in the Queens Highness name the said Duke to disarm himselfe and the cease all his men of war and to suffer no part of his army to do any villany nor any thing contrary to the peace and himself to forbear his comming to this City untill the Queens pleasure be expressedly declared unto him And if he will shew himselfe like a good quiet subject we will then continue as we have begun as humble suitors to our Soveraign Lady the Queen's Highnesse for him and his and for our selves And if he do not we will not fail to spend our lives in subduing of him and his Item Ye shall declare the like matter to the Marquesse of Northampton and all other Noble men and Gentlemen and to all men of war being with any of them Item Ye shall in all places where ye come notifie it If the Duke of Northumberland do not submit himselfe to the Queens Highnesse Queen Mary he shall be accepted as a Traytor And all we of the Nobility that were Counsellors to the late King will to the utmost portion of our power persecute him and his to their afterconfusion The Pursuivant having communicate his Instructions found none more ready to obey them then the Duke himselfe who had before dismist his forces and now prepared for his departure from that place though to what he knew not But as he was pulling on his boots he was first slaid by some of the Pensioners who being drawn into the action against their wils resolved to have him in a readinesse to bear witnesse to it and after taken into custody by Slegg a Serjeant The businesse being in dispute another Packet comes from the Lords of the Council by which all parties were required to depart to their severall dwellings the benefit whereof the Duke laid claim to for himself and was accordingly left by them at his own disposal And so he passed that night in some good assurance that he should fare no worse than the rest of the Council who had engaged him in the same cause and by whose order he had undertaken the command of that Army In the mean time the Earl of Arundell had done his errand to the Queen to so good a purpose that he was presently dispatched with Order to seize upon him Who coming to Cambridge the next morining found him preparing for his journy laid hold upon him and committed him to the charge of some of the Guard It is reported that the Duke had no sooner seen the Earle of Arundell but he fell down upon his knees and besought him to be good unto him humbling himselfe before him with more abjectednesse than formerly he had insulted over him with pride and insolence By safe but easie journies he is brought unto the Tower on the 25 day of July together with the Earl of Warwick the Earle of Huntington the Lord Hastings the Lord Ambrose and the Lord Henry Dudley two of Northumberlands younger sons Sir Andrew Dudly the Duke's brother Sir John Gates and Henry Gates his brother Sir Thomas Palmer who formerly had served his turn in the destruction of the Duke of Sommerset and Dr Sandys Vice Chancelor of the University of Cambridge Followed the next day after by the Marquesse of Northampton Dr Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London the Lord Robert Dudley another of Northumberland's sons and Sir Robert Corbet who having made their Applications to the Queen at Framingham found there no better entertainment than if they had been take in some act of Hostility The 27 day brings in Sir Roger Chomley Chief Justice of the Kings Bench and Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas the Duke of Suffolk and Sir John Cheek on the morrow after shutting up the Arrer But the Duke of Suffolk stayed not long for being considered in himself as an easie person of whom they were to fear no danger and otherwise no more in fault than the rest of the Council he was released again within three dayes after to the great comfort of his daughter the late queen Jane who would have died dayly for her Father though but once for her self But so it fared not with the Duke of Northumberland a more dangerous person who together with John Earl of Warwick his eldest son and William Marquesse of Northampton was brought to their tryal on the eighth of August before Thomas Duke of Norfolk then sitting as Lord High Steward in Westminster Hall The Duke being brought unto the bar humbled himself with great reverence before his Peers professing his faith and allegiance to the Queen against whom he confessed he had so grievously offended that he intended not to speak any thing in his own defence But having been trained up to the study of the Laws in his younger dayes he desired the judgement of the Court in these two points First Whether any man doing any act by Authority of the Princes Councel and by warrant of the Great Seal of England and doing nothing wâ—thâ—â—t the same might be charged with treason for any thing which he might do by warrant thereof And secondly which pinched then his Judges to some purpose Wheâ—her any such persons as were equally culpable in the crime and those by whose Letters and Commandments he was directed in all his doings might sit as Judges and passe upon his trial as his Peers Whereunto it was answered by the Court with advice of the Judges First That the Great Seal which â—e preâ—ended 〈◊〉 his warrant was not the Seal of the lawful Queen of the Realm but thâ— Seâ— of 〈◊〉 â—â—surper who had no authority and therefâ—re could bâ— no warrant to him And secondly That if any were as deeply to be touched in the case as himself yet so long as nâ— attainder was upon Record against them they were looked upon by the Law as persons capable of passing upon any tryal and not to bâ— challenged by any in that respect but only at the Prince's pleasure Which being delivered by the Court in point of Law the Duke conceived that it would be to no purpose for him to plead Not Guilty and thereupon confessed the Indictment as the other two prisoners also did they all received judgement in the usual form On the pronouncing whereof he besought the Lords to move the Queen that she would be gratious to his sons who might be able to do good service in the time to come considering that they went not with him of their own free will but only in
in the Latin tougue 12. That all such holy-dayes and fasting-dayes be observed and kept as were observed and kept in the latter time of King Henry the 8. h. 13. That the laudable and honest Ceremonies which were wont to be used frequented and observed in the Church be hereafter frequented used and observed and that children be Christned by the Priest and confirmed by the Bishop as heretoâ—â—â—e hath been accustoâ—ed and used 14. Touching such persons as were heretofore promoted to any Orders after the new sort and 〈◊〉 of Oâ—ders considering they were not Ordered in very deed the Bishop of the Diocesse finding otherwise sufficient ability in these men may supply that thing which wanted in them before then according to his discretion admit them to minister 15. That by the Bishop of the Diocesse an uniform doctrine be set forth by Homâ—lies or otherwise for the good instruction and teaching of all people And that the said Bishop and other persons aforesaid do compel the parishioners to come to their several Churches and there devoutly to hear divine Service as of reason they ought 16. That they examine all Schoolmasters and Teachers of children and finding them suspect in any wise to remove them and place Catholick men in their rooms with a special commandment to instruct their children so as they may be able to answer the Priest at the Masse and so help the Priest at Masse as hath been accustomed 17. That the said Bishops and all other the persons aforesaid have such regard respect and consideration of and for the setting forth of the premises with all kind of vertue godly living and good example with repressing also or keeping under of vicâ— and unthriftinesse as they and every of them may be seen to favour the restitution of 〈◊〉 Religion and also to make and honest account and reckoning of their office and câ—re to the honour of God Our good contentation and profit of this Our Realm and the Dominions of the same The generality of the people not being well pleased before with the Queen's proceedings were startled more than ever at the noise of these Articles none more exasperated than those whose either hands or hearts had been joyned with Wiat. But not being able to prevail by open army a new device is found out to befool the people and bring them to a misconceit of the present government A young maid called Elizabeth Crofts about the age of eighteen years was tutored to counterfeit certain speeches in the wall of a house not far from Aldersgate where she was heard of many but seen of none and that her voice might be conceived to have somewhat in it more than ordinary a strange whistle was devised for her out of which her words proceeded in such a tone as seemed to have nothing mortal in it And thereupon it was affirmed by some of the people great multitudes whereof resorted dayly to the place that it was an Angel or at least a voice from Heaven by others that it could be nothing but the Holy Ghost but generally she pass'd by the name of the Spirit in the wall For the interpreting of whose words there wanted not some of the confederates who mingled themselves by turns amongst the rest of the people and taking on them to expound what the Spirit said delivered many dangerous and seditious words against the Queen her mariage with the Prince of Spain the Mass Confession and the like The practice was first set on foot on the 14th of March which was within ten days after the publishing of the Articles and for a while it went on fortunately enough according to the purpose of the chief contrivers But the abuse being searched into and the plot discovered the wench was ordered to stand upon a scaffold neer St Paul's Cross on the 15th of July there to abide during the time of the Sermon and that being done to make a publick declaration of that lewd imposture Let not the Papists be from henceforth charged with Elizabeth Barton whom they called the Holy made of Kent since now the Zuinglian Gospellers for I cannot but consider this as a plot of theirs have raised up their Elizabeth Crofts whom they called the Spirit in the wall to draw aside the people from their due Allegiance Wiat's Rebellion being quenched and the Realm in a condition capable of holding a Parliament the Queen Convenes her Lords and Commons on the 2d of April in which Session the Queens mariage with the Prince of Spain being offered unto consideration was finally concluded and agreed unto upon these conditions that is to say That Philip should not advance any to any publick office or dignity in England but such as were Natives of the Realm and the Queens subjects That he should admit of a set number of English in his houshold whom he should use respectively and not suffer them to be injured by foreiners That he should not transport the Queen out of England but at her intreaty nor any of the issue begotten by her who should have their education in this Realm and should not be suffered but upon necessity and good reasons to go out of the same not then neither but with the consent of the English That the Queen deceasing without children Philip should not make any claim to the Kingdom but should leave it freely to him to whom of right it should belong That he should not change any thing in the Lawes either publick or private nor the immunities and customes of the Realm but should be bound by oath to confirm and keep them That he should not transport any Jewels nor any part of the Wardrobe nor alienate any of the revenues of the Crown That he should preserve our Shipping Ordnance and Muâ—ition and keep the Castles Forts and Block Houses in good repair and well maned Lastly That this Match should not any way derogate from the League lately concluded between the Queen and the King of France but that the peace between the English and the French should remain firm and inviolate For the clearer carrying on this great business and to encourage them for the performance of such further services as her occasions might require the Queen was pleased to increase the number of her Barons In pursuance whereof she advanced the Lord William Howard Cosen German to Thomas Duke of Norfolk to the Title of Lord Howard of Essingham on the 11th of March and elected him into the Order of the Garter within few months after whose son called Charls being Lord Admiral of England and of no small renown for his success at the Isle of Gades was by Queen Elizabeth created Earl of Nottingham Anno 1589. Next to him followed Sir John Williams created Lord Williams of Tame on the 5th of April who dying without Issue Male left his Estate though not his Honors betwixt two daughters the eldest of whom called Margaret was married to Sir Henry Norris whom Queen Elizabeth created Lord Norris of
extreame griefe of the King and the generall sorrow of the Court who had him in a High degree of veneration for his birth and Galantry It appeares also by a passage in this Act of Parliament above mentioned that the King was not only hurried to this Marriage by his own affections but by the humble petition and intercession of mâ—st of the Nobles of his Realm moved thereunto as well by the conveâ—ienâ—y of her yeares as in respect that by her excellent beauty and purenesse of flesh and blood I speak the very words of the Act it selfe she was apt God willing to concieve issue And so accordingly it proved For on the 12th of October 1537. about two of the clock in the morning she was delivered of a young Prince Christened not long after by the name of Edward but it cost her deare she dying within two dayes after and leaving this Character behind her of being the Discreetest Humblest and Fairest of all the Kings Wives It hath been commonly reported and no lesse generally believed that that childe being come unto the birth and there wanting naturall strength to be delivered his Mothers body was ripped open to give him a passage into the World and that she died of the Incision in a short time after The thing not only so related in our common Heralds but taken up for a constant and undoâ—bted truth by Sir John Haywood in his History of the Life and Reign of King Edward the sixth which notwithstanding there are many reasons to evince the contrary For first it is observed by the said Sir John Haywood that children so brought forth were by the ancient Romans esteemed fortunate and commonly proved great enterprisers with happy successe And so it is affirmed by Pliny viz. Auspicatius Enecta Matre Nascuntur c. called first Caesones and afterwards more commonly Caesares as learned Writers do averr quia caeso matris utero in Lucem prodiissent because their Mothers bodies had been opened to make passage for them Amongst whom they reckon Caeso and Fabius who was three times Consull Scipio sirnamed Affricanus Renowned for his Victories in Spain his vanquishing of Haniball and humbling the proud Cities of Carthage And besides others Julius Caesar who brought the whole Roman Empire under his Command whereas the life of this Prince was short his Reigne full of troubles and his end generally supposed to be traiterously contrived without performing any memorable Action either at home or abroad which might make him pass in the account of a fortunate Prince or any way successefull in the enterprising of Heroick Actions Besides it may appeare by two severall Letters the one written by the appointment of the Queen her selfe immediately after her delivery the other by one of her Physitians on the morrow after that she was not under any such extream necessity though questionlesse she had a hard labour of it as report hath made her For first the Queen immediately upon the birth of the Prince caused this ensuing Letter signed with her own signet to be sent unto the Lordâ— of the Privy Counsell that is to say RIght trusty and well Beloved we greet you well And forasmuch as by the inestimable goodnesse and Grace of Almighty God we be delivered and brought in Childeâ—â—ed of a PRINCE concieved in most Lawfull Matrimony between my Lord the Kings Majesty and us Doubting not but that for the Love and affection you beare unto us and to the Common-Wealth of this Realme this knowledge shall be joyous and Glad Tidings unto you We have thought good to certifie you of this same To the intent ye might not only render unto God Condigne thanks and praise for so great a benefit but also continually pray for the long Continuance and preservation of the same here in this life to the Honour of God joy and pleasure of my Lord the KING and us and the Vniversall Weale quiet and tranquillity of this whole Realme Given under our signet at my Lords Mannor of Hamptonâ—Court the twelâ—th day of October But having a hard labour of it as before was said it brought her first into a very high distemper and after into a very great looseness which so accelerated the approach of death that she prepared her selfe for God according to the Rites of the Church then being And this appâ—ares by a letter of the Queenes Physitians directed in these words to the Lords of the Counsell viz. THese shall be to advise your Lordships of the Queenes Estate Yesterday afternoon she had a naturall lax by reason whereof she began to lighten and as it appeared to amend and so continued till towards night All this night she hath been very sick and doth rather appare then amend her Confessor hath been with her Grace this morning and hath done that to his office appertaineth and is even now preparing to Administer to her Grace the Sacrament of Vnction Subscribed at Hampton Court on Wednesday morning at eight of the clock by Thomas Cutland Robert Karhold Edward Bayntam John Chambers Priest William Butts George Owen So died this Noble Beautifull and Vertuous Queen to the Generall lamentation of all good Subjects and on the twelfth of November following with great Solemnity was conveyed to Windsor and there Magnificently interred in the midst of the quire In memory of whom I find this Epitaph not unworthy the greatest wits of the present times to have then been made viz. Phoenix Jana Jacet nâ—to Phaenice Dolendum est Saecula Phoenices nulla tulisse duas That is to say Here Jane a Phenix lies whose death Gave to another Phenix breath Sad case the while that no age ever Could show two Phaenixes together But to return unto the Prince It is affirmed with like confidence and as little truth that on the 13th day of October then next following that being but the sixth day after his birth he was created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall Earle of Chester c. In which though I may easily excuse John Stow and Bishop Goodwine who report the same yet I shall never pardon the late Lord Herbert for his incuriosity as one that had fit opportunities to know the contrary For first Prince Edward was never created Duke of Cornwall and there was no reason why he should he being actually Duke of Cornwall at the houre of his birth according to the Entaile which was made of that Dukedome to the Crown by King Edward the third And secondly he was never created Prince of Wales nor then nor any time then after following his Father dying in the midst of the preparations which were intended for the Pomp and Ceremony of that Creation This truth confessed by Sir John Haywood in his History of the Life and Reigâ— of this King and generally avowed by all our Heralds who reckon none of the children of King Henry the Eighth amongst the Princes of Wales although all of them successively by vulgar
Appellation had been so entituled Which appeares more plainly by a particular of the Robes and Ornaments which were preparing for the day of this Solemnity as they are entred on Record in the book called The Catalogue of Honour published by Thomas Mills of Canterbury where it appeares also that they were prepared only but never used by reason of the Kings death which prevented the Sollemnities of it The ground of this Error I conceive first to be taken from John Stow who finding a creation of some Noble men and the making of many Knights to relate to the 18 day of October supposed it to have been done with reference to the Creation of a Prince of Wales whereas if I might take the liberty of putting in my own conjecture I should conceive rather that it was done with Reference to the Princes Christning as in like manner we find a creation of three Earles and five to inferiour Titles at the Christning of the Princesse Mary born to King James after his coming into England and Christened upon Sunday the fifth of May. 1604. And I conceive withall that Sir Edward Seimour Vicount Beauchamp the Queenes elder brother was then created Earle of Hartford to make him more capable of being one of the Godfathers or a Deputy-Godfather at the least to the Royall Infant the Court not being then in a condition by reason of the mournfull accident of the late Queenes death to show it selfe in any extraordinary splendour as the occasion had required at another time Among which persons so advanced to the Dignity and degree of Knighthood I find Mr. Thomas Seimour the Queenes youngest brother to be one of the number of whom we shall have frequent occasion to speak more fully and particularly in the course of this History No other alteration made in the face of the Court but that Sir William Pawlet was made Treasurer and Sir John Russell Comptroller of his Majesties Houshold on the said 18th day of October which I conceive to be the day of the Princes Christning both of them being principall Actors in the Afâ—aires and troubles of the following times But in the face of the Church there appeared some lines which looked directly towards a Reformation For besides the surrendring of divers Monasteries and the executing of some Abbots and other Religious Persons for their stiffenesse if I may not call it a perversenesse in opposing the Kings desires there are two things of speciall note which concurred this year as the Prognosticks or â—ore-runners of those great events which after followed in his Reign For it appeares by a Memoriall of the Famous Library of Sir Robert Cotton that Grafton now made known to Cromwell the finishing of the English Bible of which he had printed 1500. at his own proper charges amounting in the totall to 500. p. desiring stoppage of a surreptitions Edition in a lesse Letter which else would tend to his undoing the suit endeared by Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury at whose request Cromwell presents one of the Bibles to the King and procures the same to be allowed by his Authority to be read publiquely without comptrole in all his Dominions and for so doing he receives a letter of thanks from the said Arch-Bishop dated August the 13th of this present year Nor were the Bishops and Clergy wanting to advance the work by publishing a certain book in the English Tongue which they entituled The Institution of a Christian Man in which the Doctrine of the Sacraments the Creed the Lords Prayer and the Commandments were opened and expounded more perspicuously and lesse abhorrent from the truth then in former times By which clear light of Holy Scripture and the principall duties of Religion so laid opâ—n to them the people were the better able to discerne the errors and corruptionâ— of the Church of Rome From which by the piety of this Prince they were fully Freed And for a preamble thereunto the Rood of Boxley commonly called the Rood of Grace so Artificially contrived by reason of some secret wires in the body or concavities of it that it could move the eyes the lips c. to the great wonder and astonishment of the common people was openly discovered for a lewd imposture and broke in pieces at St. Pauls Cross on Sunday the 24. of February the Rood of Bermondsey Abby in South-work following the same fortune also within six dayes The next year brings an end to almost all the Monasteries and Religious houses in the Realme of England surrendered into the Kings hands by publâ—que instruments under the seales of all the severall and respective Convents and those surrenderies ratified and confirmed by Act of Parliament And this occasionally conduced to the future peace and quiet of this young Prince by removing out of the way some Great Pretenders who otherwise might have created to him no small disturbance For so it happened that Henry Earle of Devâ—nshire and Mary wife of Exceter descended from a daughter of King Edward the fâ—urth and Henry Pole Lord Mountacute descended from a daughter of George Duke of Clarence the second brother of that Edward under colour of preventing or revenging the Dissolution of so many famous Abbyes and religious houses associated themselves with Sir Edward Nâ—vill and Sir Nicholas Carew in a dangerous practise against the person of the King and the Peace of the Kingdom By whose endictment it appeares that it was their purpose and designe to destroy the King and advance Reginald Pole one of the younger brothers of the said Lord Mountacute of whom we shall hear more in the course of this History to the Regalâ— Throne Which how it could consist with the Pretensions of the Marquisse of Exceter or the Ambition of the Lord Mountacute the elder brother of this Reginald it is hard to say But having the Chronicle of John Speed to justifie me in the truth hereof in this particular I shall not take upon me to dispute the point The dangerous practise of which Persons did not so much retard the worke of Reformation as their execution did advance it to this year also appertaineth the suppressing of Pilgrimages the defacing of the costly and magnâ—ficent shrines of our Lady of Walsingham Ipswich Worcester c and more particularly of Thomas Becket once Arch-Bishop of Canterbury This last so rich in Jewells of most inestimable value that two great chests were filled with the spoyles thereoâ— so heavy and capacious as is affirmed by Bishop â—oodwin that each of them required no fewer then eight men to carry them out of the Church nothing inferiour unto Gold being charged within them More modestly in this then Sanders that malitious Sycophant who will have no lesse then twenty six waine load of silver Gold and precious stones to be seised into the Kings hands by the spoyle of that Monument Which proceedings so exasperated the Pope then being that without more delay by his Bull of January 1. he deprived the King
Performers of Our last Will and Testament Willing Commanding and Praying them to take upon them the occupation and performances of the same as Executours that is to say The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Wriothesly Chancellour of England the Lord St John Great Master of Oar House the Earl of Hartford Great Chamberlain the Lord Russel Lord Privy Seal the Viscount L'isle Lord High Admiral of England the Bishop Tonstal of Duresme Sir Anthony Brown Knight Master of Our Horses Sir Edward Mountague Knight chief Judge of the Common Pleas Justice Bromly Sir Edward North Knight Chancellour of the Augmentations Sir William Paget Kniâ—ht Our chief Secretary Sir Anthony Denny Sir William Herbert Knight chief Gentlemen of Our Privy Chamber Sir Edward Wotton Knight and Mr. Dr. Wotten his Brother And all these We will to be Our Executours and Councellours of the Privy Council with Our said Son Prince Edward in all matters both concerning His Private affairs and the Publick affairs of the Realm Willing and charging them and every of them as they must and shall answer at the day of Judgement wholly and fully to see this My last Will and Testament performed in all things with as much speed and diligence as may be and that none of them presume to medâ—le with any of Our Treasure or to do any thing appointed by Our said Will alone unless the most part of the whole number of the Co-Executours do consent and by writing agree to the same And wâ—ll that Our said Executours or the most part of them may lawfully do what they shall think most convenient for the execution of this Our Will without being troubled by Our said Son or any other for the same After which having taken Order about the payment of His Debts He proceeds as followeth Further according to the Laws of Almighty God and for the Fatherly Love which We bear to Our Son Prince Edward and this Our Realm We declare Him according to Justice Equity and Conscience to be Our lawfull Heir and do give and bequeath unto Him the Succession of Our Realms of England and Ireland with Our Title of France and all Our Dominions both on this side the Seas and beyond A convenient portion for Our will and Testament to be reserved Also we give unto Him all Our Plate Stuff of Houshold Artillery Ordnance Ammunition Ships Cables and all other things and implements to them belonging and Money also and Jewels saving such portions as shall satisfie this Our Last Will and Testament Charging and commanding Him on pain of Our curse seeing He hath so Loving a Father of Vs and that Our chief Labour and Study in this world is to establish him in the Crown Imperial of this Realm after Our â—â—cease in such sort as may be pleasing to God and to the health of this Realm that He be Ordered and Ruled both in His Marriage and also in ordering the Affairs of the Realm as well outward as inward and also in all His own private Affairs and in giving of Offices of Charge by the Advice and Counsel of Our Right-entirely beloved Councellours the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Wriothesly Chancellour of England the Lord St. John Master of Our Horse the Lord Russel Lord Privy Seal the Earl of Hartford Great Chamberlain of England the Viscount L'isle High Admiral of England the Bishop Tonstal of Dureâ—me Sir Anthony Brown Knight Master of Our Horses Sir William Paget Our chief Secretary Sir Anthony Denny Sir William Herbert Justice Mountague and Bromely Sir Edward Wotton Mr. â—octour Wotton and Sir Edward North Whom we Ordain name and appoint and by these Presents Signed with Our hand do make and constitute Our Privy Council with Our said Son and will that they have the Governance of Our most dear Son Prince Edward and of all Our Realms Dominions and Subjects and of all the Affairs publick and private untill He shall have fully compleated the eighteenth year of His Age. And for because the variety and number of things affairs and matters are and may be such as We not knowing the certainty of them before cannot conveniently prescribe a certain â—rder or Rule unto Our said Councellours for their behaviours and proceedings in this charge which we have now and do appoint unto them about Our said Son during the time of His minority aforesaid We therefore for the special Trust and Confidence which We have in them will and by these Presents do give and grant full Power and Authority unto Our said Councelours that they all or the most part of them being assembled together in Council or if any of them fortune to dye the more part of them which shall be for the time living being assembled in Council together shall and may make devise and ordain whatsoever things they or the more part of them as afore-said shall during the Minority of Our said Son think meet necessary and convenient for the Benefit Honour and Surety of the Weal Profit and Commodity of Our said Son His Realms Dominions or Subjects or the Discharge of Our Conscience And the same things made ordained and devised by them or the more part of them as afore-said shall and may lawfully do execute and accomplish or cause to be done executed or accomplished by their Discretions or the Discretions of the more part of them as afore-said in as large and ample manner as if We had or did express unto them by a more special Commission under Our Great Seal of England every particular cause that may chance or occurr during the time of Our said Son's Minority and the self-same manner of Proceeding which they shall from time to time think meet to use and follow Willing and charging Our said Son and all others which shall hereafter be Councellours to Our said Son that they never charge molest trouble or disquiet Our afore-said Councellours nor any of them for the devising or doing nor any other person or persons for doing that they shall devise or the more part of them devise or do assembled as is afore-said And We do charge expresly the same Our entirely-beloved Councellours and Executours that they shall take upon them the Rule and Charge of Our said Son and Heir in all His Causes and Affairs and of the whole Realm doing nevertheless all things as under Him and in His name untill Our said Son and Heir shall be bestowed and married by their advice and that the eighteenth year be expired Willing dâ—siring furthermore Our said Trusty Councellours and then all Our Trusty and Assured Servants and Thirdly all other Our Loving Subjects to aid and assist Our fore-named Councellours in the Execution of the Premisses during the afore-said time not doubting but that they will in all things deal so truly and uprightly as they shall have cause to think them well chosen for the Charge committed unto them Streightly charging our said Councellours and Executours and in God's Name exhorting them for the singular Trust and
had been given before between the time of the Duke's Acknowledgment and the Sentence passed on him by the Lords and so disposed that none of the Factions might have any ground for a Complaint One of each side being taken out for these Advancements For on the nineteenth day of January William Lord St. John a most affectionate Servant to the Earl of Warwick was preferred unto the Title of Earl of Wiltshire the Lord Russell who had made himself the Head of those which were engaged on neither side was made Earl of Bedford and Sir William Paget Comptroller of his Majestie 's Houshold who had persisted faithfull to the Lord Protectour advanced to the Dignity of a Baron and not long after to the Chancellour-ship of the Dutchy of Lancaster Furnished with Offices and Honours it is to be presumed that they would finde some way to provide themselves of sufficient Means to maintain their Dignities The Lord Wentworth being a younger Branch of the Wentworths of Yorkshire had brought some Estate with him to the Court though not enough to keep him up in Equipage with so great a Title The want whereof was supplied in part by the Office of Lord Chamberlain now conferred upon him but more by the goodly Manours of Stebunâ—th commonly called Stepney and Hackney bestowed upon him by the King in consideration of the Good and Faithfull Services before performed For so it happened that the Dâ—an and Chapter of St. Paul's lying at the Mercy of the Times as before was said conveyed over to the King the said two Manours on the twelfth day after Christmâ—ss now last past with all the Members and Appertenances thereunto belonging Of which the last named was valued at the yearly rent of 41. pounds 9. â— 4 d. The other at 140. pounds 8 â— 11. â— ob And being thus vested in the King they were by Letters Patents bearing Date the sixteenth of April then next following transferred upon the said Lord VVâ—ntworth By means whereof he was possessed of a goodly Territory extending on the Thames from St. Katharine's near the Tower of London to the Borders of Essex near Black-wall from thence along the River Leâ— to Stratford le Bow and fetching a great compass on that side of the City contains in all no fewer then six and twenty Town-ships Streets and Hamlets besides such Rows of Building as have since been added in these later Times The like provision was made by the new Lord Pâ—get a Londoner by Birth but by good Fortune mixed with Merit preferred by degrees to be one of the Principal Secretaries to the late King Henry by whom he was employed in many Embassies and Negotiations Being thus raised and able to set up for himself he had his share in the division of the Lands of Chantery Free-Chapels c. and got into his hands the Episcopal House belonging to the Bishop of Exeter by him enlarged and beautified and called Paget-House sold afterwards to Robert Earl of Leicester from whom it came to the late Earls of Essex and from them took the name of Essex-House by which it is now best known But being a great House is noâ— able to keep it self he played his Game so well that he got into his possession the Manour of Beau-desart of which he was created Baron and many other fair Estates in the County of Stafford belonging partly to the Bishop and partly to the Dean and Chaâ—ter of Lichfield neither of which was able to contend with so great a Courtier who held the See and had the Ear of the Protectour and the King 's to boot What other Course he toâ—k to improve his Fortunes we shall see hereafter when we come to the last part of the Tragedy of the Duke of Sommerset For Sommerset having gained his Liberty and thereby being put into a Capacity of making use of his Friends found Means to be admitted to the King's Presence by whom he was not onely welcomed with all the kind Expressions of a Gracious Prince and made to sit down at his own Table but the same day the eighth of April he was again sworn one of the Lords of the Privy Council This was enough to make Earl Dudly look about him and to pretend a Reconciliation with him for the present whom he meant first to make secure and afterwards strike the last blow at him when he least look'd for it And that the knot of Amity might be tyed the faster and last the longer a True-Loves-Knot it must be thought or else nothing worth a Marriage was nâ—gotiated between John Lord Viscount L'isle the Earl's Eldest Son and the Lady Ann Seimour one of the Daughters of the Duke which Marriage was joyfully solemnized on the third of June at the King's Mannour-House of Shâ—â—e the King himself gracing the Nuptials with his Presence And now who could imagine but that upon the giving of such Hostages unto one another a most inviolable League of Friendship had been made between them and that all Animosities and Displeasures being quite forgotten they would more powerfully Co-operate to the publick Good But leaving them and their Adâ—erents to the dark Contrivances of the Court we must leave England for a time and see how our Affairs succeeded on the other side of the Sea Where in the middle of the former Dissensions the French had put us to the Worst in the way of Arms and after got the Better in a Treaty of Peace They had the last year taken in all the Out-works which seemed the strongest Ramparâ—s of the Town of Bulloign but had not strength enough to venture on the Town it self provided plentifully of all necessaries to endure a Siege and bravely Garisoned by men of too much Courage and Resolution to give it up upon a Summons Besides they came to understand that the English were then Practicing with Charles the Emperour to associate with them in the War according to some former Capitulations made between those Crowns And if they found such Dâ—ffiâ—ulties in maintaining the War against either of them when they fought singly by themselves there was no hope of any good Success against them should they unite and poure their Forces into France Most true it is that after such time as the French had bid Defiance to the King and that the King by reason of the Troubles and Embroilments at home was not in a Condition to attend the Affairs of France Sir William Paget was sent Ambassadour to Charles the Fifth to desire Succour of Him and to lay before Him the Infancy and several Necessities of the young King being then in the twelfth year of His Age. This desire when the Emperour had refused to hearken to they besought Him that he would at the least be pleased to take into His Hands the keeping of the Town of Bulloign and that for no longer time then untill King EDVVARD could make an End of the Troubles of His Subjects at home and compose the Discords of the Court which
Spoil though not to the Loss of their Bishopricks Of which last Sort were Kitching Bishop of Landaff Salcot otherwise called Capon Bishop of Salisbury and Sampson of Coventry and Lichfield Of which the last to keep his ground was willing to fling up a great part of his Lands and out of those which either belonged unto his See or the Dean and Chapter to raise a Baron's Estate and the Title of the Baronie too for Sir William Paget not born to any such fair Fortunes as he thus acquired Salcot of Salisbury knowing himself obnoxious to some Court-Displeasures redeems his Peace and keeps himself out of such Danger by making long Leases of the best of his Farms and Manours known afterwards most commonly by the Name of Capons-Feathers But none of them more miserably Dilapidated the Patrâ—mony of his See then Bishop Kitching of Landaff A Church so liberally endowed by the Munificence and Piety of some Great Persons in those Times that if it were possessed but of a tenth Part of what once it had it might be reckoned as is affirmed by Bishop Godwine one of Kitching's Successours amongst the Richest Churches in these Parts of Christendom But whatsoever Kitching found it it was made poor enough before he left it so poor that it is hardly able to keep the Pot boiling for a Parson's Dinner Of the first Rank I reckon Voysie of Exeter Heath of Worcester and Day of Chichester for the Province of Canterbury together with Bishop Tonstal 〈◊〉 Durham in the Province of York The first once Governour to the Princess Mary Preferred afterwards by King Henry to the Lord-President-ship of Wales and the See of Exeter Which See he found possessed at his coming to it of twenty two goodly Manours and fourteen Mansion-Houses Richly furnished But the Man neither could approve the Proceedings of the King in the Reformation nor cared in that respect to Preserve the Patrimony of the Church for those who might differ in Opinion from him And being set upon the Pin he made such Havock of his Lands before he was brought under a Deprivation that he left but seven or eight of the worst Manours and those let out into long Leases and charged with Pensions and not above two Houses both bare and naked Having lost so much Footing within his Diocess it is no marvail if he could no longer keep his Standing For being found an open Hinderer of the Work in hand and secretly to have fomented the Rebellion of the Devonshire-Men in the year 1549 he either was deprived of or as some say resigned his Bishoprick within few Moneths after the Sentence passed on Gardiner but lived to be restored again as Gardiner also was in the Time of Queen Mary Of Day and Heath I have nothing to remember more particularly but that they were both Deprived on the tenth of October and lived both to a Restitution in Queen Marie's Reign Heath in the mean time being Liberally and Lovingly entertained by the Bishop of London and afterwards Preferred to the Arch-Bishoprick of York and made Lord Chancellour of England Nor shall I now say more of Tonstal but that being cast into the Tower on the twentieth day of December he was there kept untill the Dissolution of his Bishoprick by Act of Parliament of which we shall speak more at large in its proper place We must not leave these Churches vacant considering that it was not long before they were supplyed with new Incumbents To Gardiner in the See of Winton succeeded Doctour John Poynet Bishop of Rochester a better Scholar then a Bishop and purposely Preferred to that Wealthy Bishoprick to serve other Mens Turns For before he was well warm in his See he dismembred from it the Goodly Palace of Marwel with the Manours and Parks of Marwel and Twiford which had before been seised upon by the Lord Protectour to make a Knight's Estate for Sir Henry Seimour as before was signified The Palace of Waltham with the Park and Manour belonging to it and some good Farms depending on it were seised into the hands of the Lord Treasurer Pawlet Earl of Wiltshire who having got into possession so much Lands of the Bishoprick conceived himself in a fit Capacity to affect as shortly after he obtained the Title of Lord Marquess of Winchester But this with many of the rest of Poynet's Grants Leases and Alienations were again recovered to the Church by the Power of Gardiner when being restored unto his See he was by Queen Mary made Lord Chancellour To Voysie in the See of Exeter succeeded Doctour Miles Coverdale one who had formerly assisted Tyndal in Translating the Bible into English and for the most part lived at Tubing an Vniversity belonging to the Duke of Saxonie where he received the Degree of Doctour Returning into England in the first year of King Edward and growing into great Esteem for Piety and Diligent Preaching he was Consecrated Bishop of this Church the thirtieth of August the Bones whereof were so clean picked that he could not easily leave them with less Flesh then he found upon them Nor have we more to say of Scory who succeeded Day but that being Consecrated Bishop of Rochester in the place of Poynet on the thirtieth of August also he succeeded Day at Chichester in the year next following Of which Bishoprick he was deprived of in the Time of Queen Mary and afterwards preferred by Queen Elizabeth to the See of Hâ—reford in which place he dyed To Heath at Worcester no Successour was at all appointed that Bishoprick being given in Commendam to Bishop Hooper who having been Consecrated Bishop oâ— Glocester on the eighth of March was made the Commendatory of this See to which he could not legally be Translatâ—d as the Case then stood both Latimer and Heath being stâ—ll alive and both reputed Bishops of it by their several Parties And here we have a strange Conversion of Affairs for whereas heretofore the County of Glocester was a part of the Diocess of Worcester out of which it was taken by King Henry when first made a Bishoprick the Diocess of Worcester was now lay'd to the See of Glocester Not that I think that Hooper was suffered to enjoy the Temporal Patrimony of that Wealthy Bishoprick but that he was to exercise the Jurisdiction and Episcopality with some short Allowance for his Pains The Pyrates of the Court were too intent on all Advantages to let such a Vessel pass untouched in which they might both finde enough to enrich themselves and yet leave that which was sufficient to content the Merchant Anâ— this perhaps may be one Reason why Latimer was not restored unto his Bishoprick upon this Avoydance not in regard of any sensible Dislike which was taken at him by the Court for his down-right Preaching or that the Bishops feared from him the like Disturbances which they had met withall in Hooper But I conceive the Principal Reason of it might proceed from his own Unwillingness to cumber his
to the great Troubles in the Court began in the Destruction of the Duke of Sommerset but ending in the untimely death of this Hopeful King so signified as it was thought upon the Post-Fact by two strange Presages within the compass of this year and one which followed in the next The first of this year was a great and terrible Earthquake which happened on the twenty fifth of May at Croydon and some other Villages thereabouts in the County of Surrey This was conceived to have Prognosticated those Concussions which afterwards happened â—n the Court to the fall of the Great Duke of Sommerset and divers Gentlemen of Note and Quality who perished in the same ruin with him The last was of six Dolphins taken up in the Thames three of them at Queen Borough and three near Grenwich the least as big as any Horse The Rarity whereof occasioned some Grave men to dispence with their Prudence and some Great Persons also to put off their State that they might behold a Spectacle so unusual to them Their coming up so far beheld by Mariners as a Presage of foul weather at Sea but afterwards by States-Men of those Storms and Tempests which afterwards befell this Nation in the Death of King Edward and the Tempestuous Times of Queen Marie's Reign But the most sad Presage of all was the Breaking out of a Disease called the Sweating Sickness appearing first at Shrewsbury on the fifteenth of April and after spreading by degrees over all the Kingdom ending its Progress in the North about the beginning of October Described by a very Learned Man to be a new strange and violent Disease wherewith if any man were attached he dyed or escaped within nine hours of ten at most if he slept as most men desired to do he dyed within six hours if he took cold he dyed in three It was observed to Rage chiefly amongst men of strongest Constitution and years few aged Men or Women or young Children being either subject to it or dying of it Of which last sort those of most Eminent Rank were two of the Sons of Chaâ—ls Brandon both dying at Cambridg both Dukes of Suffolk as their Father had been before but the youngest following his dead Brother so close at the Heels that he onely out-lived him long enough to enjoy that Title And that which was yet most strange of all no Foreigner which was then in England four hundred French attending here in the Hottest of it on that King's Ambassadours did perish by it The English being singled out tainted and dying of it in all other Countries without any danger to the Natives called therefore in most Latine Writers by the name of Sudor Anglicus or The English Sweat First known amongst us in the beginning of the Reign of King Henry the Seventh and then beheld as a Presage of that troublesom and Laborious Reign which after followed the King being for the most part in continual Action and the Subjects either sweating out their Blood or Treasure Not then so violent and extreme as it was at the present such infinite Multitudes being at this time swept away by it that there died eight hundred in one week in London onely These being looked on as Presages we will next take a view of those sad Events which were supposed to be prognosticated by them beginning first with the Concussions of the Court by open Factions and ending in a Sweating Sickness which drew out some of the best Blood and most Vital Spirits of the Kingdom The Factions Headed by the Duke of Sommerset and the Earl of Warwick whose reconciliation on the Earl's part was but feigned and counterfeit though he had both given and taken Pledges for a faster Friendship The good success he found in his first attempt against the Duke when he degraded him from the Office of Lord Protectour emboldened him to make some further trial of his Fortune to which there could not be a stronger Temptation then the Servility of some Great Men about the Court in prostituting their affection to his Pride and Tyranny Grown absolute in the Court but more by the weakness of others then any virtue of his own he thought it no impossible matter to make that Weakness an improvement of his strength and Power And passing from one Imagination to another he fixed at last upon a Fancy of transferring the Imperial Crown of this Realm from the Royal Family of the Tudors unto that of the Dudlies This to be done by Marrying one of his Sons to the Lady Jane the eldest Daughter of Henry Lord Marquess Dorset and of the Lady Francis his Wife one of the Daughters and co-Heirs of Charls Brandon the late Duke of Suffolk by Mary Dowager of France and the beâ—t-beloved Sister of King Henry the Eighth In order whereunto he must first oblige the Marquess by some signal favour advance himself to such a Greatness as might render any of his Sons an agreeable match for either of the Marquess's Daughters and finally devise some means by which the Duke of Sommerset might be took out of the way whose life he looked on as the principal Obstacle to his great Aspirings By this Design he should not onely satisfie his Ambition but also sacrifice to Revenge The Execution of his Father in the first year of the Reign of the late King Henry would not out of his mind and by this means he might have opportunity to execute his just vengeance on the King's Posterity for the unjust Murther as he esteem'd it of his innocent Father Confirmed in these Resolves by Sir John Gates Lieutenant of the Band of Pensioners who was reported afterwards to have put this Plot into his Head at the first as he stood to him in the prosecution of it to the very last The Privy Council of his own thoughts having thus advised the Privy Council of the King was in the next place to be made sure to him either obliged by Favours or gained by Flatteries those of most Power to be most Courted through a smooth Countenance fair Language and other thriving Acts of insinuation to be made to all Of the Lord Treasurer Paulet he was sure enough whom he had found to have so much of the Willow in him that he could bend him how he pleased And being sure of him he thought himself as sure of the Publick Treasure as if it were in his own Pockets The Marquess of North-hampton was Captain of the Band of Pensioners encreased in Power though not in Place by ranging under his Command as well the Light-Horse as the Men at Arms which had served at Bulloign With him the Earl had peeced before drew him into his first Design for bringing down the Lord Protectour to a lower Level but made him faster then before by doing so many good Offices to Sir William Herbert who had Married his Sister Which Herbert being son of Richard Herbert of Ewias one of the Bastards of William Lord Herbert of Ragland the first
Earl of Pembroke of that House was of himself a Man of a daring Nature Boisterously bold and upon that account much favoured by King â—enry the Eighth growing into â—ore Credit with the King in regard of the Lady Ann his Wife the Sister of Queen Katâ—â—in Par and having mightily raised hâ—msâ—lf in the fall of Abbies he was made chief Gentleman of the Privy-Chamber and by that Title raâ—ked amongst the Executours of the King 's last Will and then appointed to be one of the Council to the King now Reigning Being found by Dudly a fit man to advance his ends he is by his Procurement gratâ—fiâ—d for I know not what Service unless it were for furthering the Sale of Bulloign with some of the King's Lands amounting to five hundred pounds in yearly Rents and made Lord Prâ—sident of Wales promoted afterwards to the place of Master of the Horse that he might be as considerabâ—e in the Court as he was in the Country It was to be presumed that he would not be wanting unto him who had so preferred him By these three all Affairs of Court were carried plotâ—ed by Dudley smoothed by the Courtship of the Marquess and executed by the bold hand of the new Lord President Being thus fortified he revives his former Quarrel with the Duke of Sommerset not that he had any just ground for it but that he looked upon him as the onely Block which lay in the way of his Aspirings and â—herefore was to be removed by what means soever Plots are lai'd therefore to entrap him Snares to catch him Reports raised him as a Proud and Ambitious Person of whose Aspirings there would be no other end then the Crown it self and common Rumours spread abroad that some of his Followers had Proclaimed him King in several places onely to finde how well the People stood affected to it His Doors are watched and Notice took of all that went in and out his Words observed made much worse by telling and aggravated with all odious Circumstances to his Disadvantage No way untravailed in the Arts of Treachery and Fraud whâ—ch might bring him into Suspicion with the King and Obloquie with the common People The Duke's Friends were not ignorant of all these Practises and could not but perceive but that his Ruin and their own was projected by them The Law of Nature bound them to preserve themselves but their Adversaries were too cunning for them at the Weapon of Wit and had too much Strength in their own Hands to be easily overmastered in the way of Power Some dangerous Counsels were thereupon infused into him more likely by his Wife then by any other to invite these Lords unto a Banquet and either to kill them as they sate or violently to drag them from the Table and cut of their Heads the Banquet to be made at the Lord Pageâ—'s Hoâ—se near Saint Clement's Church and one hundred stout Men to be lodged in Sommerset-Place not far off for the Execution of that Mâ—rther This Plot confessed if any Credit may be given to such Confessions by one Crane and his Wife both great in the Favour of the Duchess and with her committed And after justâ—fied by Sir Thomas Palmer who was committed with the Duke in his Examination taken by the Lords of the Council There were said to be some Consultations also for raising the Forces in the North for setting upon the Gens'd arms which served in the Nature of a Life-Guard as before was said upon some day of General-Muster two thousand Foot and one hundred Horse of the Duke's being designed unto that Service and that being done to raise the City by Proclaiming Liberty To which it was added by Hammond one of the Duke 's false Servants That his Chamber at Greenwich had been strongly guarded by Night to prevent the Surprisal of his Person How much of this is true or whether any of it be true or not it is not easie to determâ—ne though possibly enough it is that all this Smoak could not be without some Fire which whosoever kindled first there is no doubt but that Earl Dudly blew the Coals and made it seem greater then it was Of all these Practises and Designs if such they were the Earl is conâ—tantly advertised by his Espials whom he had amongâ—â— them and gave them as much Linâ— and Leisure as they could desire till he had made all things ready for the Executing of his own Projectments But first there must be a great day of bestowing Honours as well for gaining the more Credit unto him and his Followers as by the jollity of the Time to take away all Fear of Danger from the Opposite Party In Pursuit whereof Henry Lord Gray Marquess of Dorset descended from Elizabeth Wife of King Edward the Fourth by Her former Husband is made Duke of Suffolk to which he might pretend some Claim in Right of the Lady Frances his Wife the eldest Daughter of Charls Brandon Duke of Suffolk and Sister of Henry anâ— Charls the two late Dukes thereof who dyed a few Moneths since at Cambridg of the Sweating Sickness The Earl himself for some Reasons very well known to himself and not unknown to many others is made Duke of Northumberland which Title had lain Dormant ever since the Death of Henry Lord Percy the sixth Earl of that Family who dyed in the year 1537. or thereabouts of whom more anon The Lord Treasurer Pawlet being then Earl of Wiltshire is made Marquess of Winchester Sir William Herbert created at the same time Lord Herbert of Cardiff and Eâ—rl of Pembroke Some make Sir Thomas Darcie Captain of the Guard to be advanced unto the Title of Lord Darcy of Chich on the same day also which others place perhaps more rightly on the fifth of April The Solemnity of which Creations being passed over the Order of Knighthood is conferred on William Cecil Esquire one of the Secretaries of Estate John Cheek Tutour or Schole-Master to the King Henry Dudley and Henry Nevil Gentlemen of the Privy-Chamber At or about which time Sir Robert Dudley the third Son of the new Duke of Nâ—rthumberland but one which had more of the Father in hâ—m then all the rest is sworn of the Bedâ—Chamber to the King which was a place of greatest Trust and Nearness to His Majestie 's Person The Triumphs of this Day being the eleventh day of October were but a Porlogue to the Tragedy which began on the fifth day after At what time the Duke of Sommerset the Lord Gray Sir Thomas Palmer Sir Ralph Vane Sir Thomas Arundel together with Hammond Newdigate and two of the Seimours were seised on and committed to Custody all of them except Palmer Vane and Arundel being sent to the Tower And these three kept in several Chambers to attend the pleasure of the Council for their Examinations The Duchess of Sommerset Crane and his Wife above-mentioned and one of the Gentlewomen of her Chamber were sent unto the Tower on the morrow
next followed not long after by Sir Thomas Holdcroft Sir Miles Partridg Sir Michael Stanhop Wingfield Banister and Vaughan with certain others for whose Commitment there was neither cause known nor afterwards discovered Onely the greater Number raised the greater Noise increas'd the Apprehension of the present Danger and served to make the Duke more Criminal in the Eyes of the People for drawing so many of all sorts into the Conspiracy Much time was spent in the Examination of such of the Prisoners as either had before discovered the Practice if any such Practice were intended or were now fitted and instructed to betray the Duke into the Power and Malice of his Enemies The Confessions which seemed of most importance were those of Palmer Crane and Hammond though the Truth and Reality of the Depositions may be justly questioned For neither were they brought face to face before the Duke at the time of his Trial as in ordinary course they should have been nor suffered loss of Life or Goods as some others did who were no more guilty then themselves And yet the Business stai d not here the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget and two of the Earl of Arundel's Servants being sent Prisoners after the rest upon Crane's detection It was further added by Palmer that on the last St. George's-Day the Duke of Sommerset being upon a journey into the North would have raised the People if he had not been assured by Sir William Herbert that no Danger was intended to him Six Weeks there passed between the Commitment of the Prisoners and the Duke's Arraignment which might have given the King more then leisure enough to finde the depth of the Design if either he had not been directed by such as the new Duke of Northumberland had placed about him or taken by a Solemnity which served fiâ—ly for it For so it happened that the Queen Regent of Scotland having been in France to see Her Daughter and being unwilling to return by Sea in that cold time of the year obtained leave of the King by the mediation of the French Ambassadour to take Her journey through England Which leave being granted She put Her self into the Bay of Portsmouth where She was Honourably received and conveyed towards London From Hampton-Court She passed by Water on the second day of November to St. Paul's Wharf From whence She rode accompanied with divers Noble Men and Ladies of England besides Her own Train of Scotland to the Bishop's-Palace Presented at Her first coming thither in the name of the City with Muttons Beefs Veals Poultry Wine and all other sorts of Provisions necessary for Her Entertainment even to Bread and Fewel Having reposed Her self two days She was conveyed in a Chariot to the Court at White-Hall accompanied with the Lady Margaret Douglass Daughter of Margaret Queen of Scots by Her second Husband together with the Duchesses of Richmond Suffolk and Northumberland besides many other Ladies of both Kingdoms which followed after in the Train At the Court-Gate She was received by the Dukes of Suffolk and Northumberland and the Lord High-Treasurer the Guard standing on both sides as She went along and being brought unto the King whom She found standing at the end of the Great Hall She cast Her self upon Her knees but was presently taken up and Saluted by Him according to the Free Custom of the English Nation Leading Her by the Hand to the Queen's Chamber of Presence He Saluted in like manner all the Ladies of Scotland and so departed for a while Dinner being ready the King conducted Her to the Table prepared for them where they dined together but had their Services apart The Ladies of both Kingdomes were feaâ—ted in the Queen 's Great Chamber where they were most Sumptuously Served Dinner being done that Her Attendants might have time to partake of the Entertainment the King shewed Her His Gardens Galleries c. and about four of the clock He brought Her down by the Hand into the Hall where He Saluted Her and so She departed to the Bishop's-Paâ—ace as before Departing towards Scotland on the sixth of that Moneth She rode through all the Principal Streets of London betwixt the Bishop's House and the Church in Shore-ditch attended by divers Noble Men and Women all the way She went But more particularly the Duke of Northumberland shewed himself with one hundred Horse each having his Javelin in his hand and fourty of them apparelled in Black Velvet Guarded with White and Velvet Caps and White Feathers and Chains of Gold about their Necks Next to these stood one hundred and twenty Horsemen of the Earl of Pembroke's with black Javelins Hats and Feathers Next to them one hundred of the Treasurer's Gentlemen and Yeomen with Javelins These ranks of Horsemen reaching from the Cross in Cheap-side to the end of Birching-Lane in Cornhill Brought as far as Shoreditch-Church She was committed to the care of the Sheriffs of London by whom She was attended as far as Walâ—ham Conducted in like manner by the Sheriffs of all the Counties through which She passed till She came unto the Borders of Scotland Her Entertainment being provided by the King's appointment at the Charge of the Counties Which Passages not being otherwise Material in the Course of this History I have adventured to lay down the better to express the Gallantry and Glory of the English Nation before Puritanism and the Humour of Parity occasioned the neglect of all the laudable Solemnities which antiently had been observed both in Church and State The Discourse raised on this Magnificent Reception of the Scotish Queen so filled all Mouths and entertained so many Pens that the Danger of the Duke of Sommerset seemed for a time to be forgotten but it was onely for a time For on the first of December the Duke being brought by water to Westminster-Hall found all things there prepared for his Arraignment The Lord High-Steward for the time was the Marquess of Winchester who took his place under a Cloath of Estate raised three steps higher then the rest of the Scaffold The Peers to the number of twenty seven sitting one step lower Amongst these were the Duke of Northumberland the Marquess of North-hampton and the Earl of Pembroke who being Parties to the Charge ought in all Honesty and Honour to have excused themselves from sitting in Judgment on him at the time of his Trial. But no Challenge or Objection being made or allowed against them they took place with the rest The Court being sate and the Prisoner brought unto the Bar the Charge against him was divided into five Particulars viz. Firâ—â— His design of Raising men in the North Parts of the Realm and of assembling men at his House to kill the Duke of Northumberland 2. A resolution to assist his Attachment 3. The Plot for killing the Gens d' Arms. 4. His intent for raising London 5. His purpose of assaulting the Lords and devising their Deaths The whole Impeachment managed in the
Miles Partridge on whom also passed the Sentence of Death but the certain Day and Time of their Triall I have no where found Most probable it is that they were not brought to their Triall till after the Ax had done its part on the Duke of Sommerset which was on the twenty third of January because I finde they were not brought to their Execution till the twenty sixth of February then next following the two first being then beheaded and the two last hanged at what time they severally Protested taking God to witness that they never practised Treason against the King or against the Lives of any of the Lords of his Council Vane adding after all the rest that his Blood would make Northumberland's Pillow uneasie to him None of them less lamented by the Common People then Sir Miles Partridge against whom they had an old Grudge for depriving them of the best Ring of Bells which they had at that time called Jesus-Bells which winning of King Henry at a Cast of Dice he caused to be taken down and sold or melted for his own Advantage If any Bell tolled for him when he went to his Death or that the sight of an Halter made him think of a Bell-Rope it could not but remember him of his Fault in that Particular and mind him of calling upon Christ Jesus for his Grace and Mercy But in the mean time Care is taken that the King should not be too apprehensive of these Misfortunes into which his Uncle had been cast or enter into any Enquiries whether he had been cast into them by his own Fault or the Practises of others It was therefore thought fit to Entertain him frequently with Masks and Dancings brave Challenges at Tilts and Barriers and whatsoever Sports and Exercises which they conceived most pleasing to him But nothing seemed more delightfull to him then the appearing of His Lords and others in a General Muster performed on the twenty third of December in Saint James his Fields At what time sitting on Horse-back with the Lords of His Council the Band of Pensioners in compleat Arms with four Trumpeters and the King's Standard going before them first appeared in sight each Pensioner having two Servants waiting on him with their several Spears Next followed in distinct Companies of one hundred apiece the Troops of the Lord Treasurer Paulet the Duke of Northumberland the Lord Privy Seal the Marquess of North-hampton the Earl of Pembroke and the Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports a Trumpet and a Standard carried before each Troop fourty of the Duke of Northumbeland's Men and as many of the Earl of Pembroke's having Velvet Goats upon their Harness with these were mingled in like Equipage as to the Trumpets and the Standards the distinct Troops of the Earls of Rutland and Hâ—ntington and the new Lord Darcy consisting each of fifty Horse and Rancked according to the Order and Precedency of their several Lords All which rode twice before the King by five in a Ranck all excellently well Armed and bravely Mounted to the great Contentment of the King the Delight of the People and as much to the Honour of the Nation in the Eye of all such Strangers as were present at it But then the Lords of England were Lords indeed and thought it not consistent with a Title of Honour to walk the Streets attended by a Lacquie onely and perhaps not that The Particulars of which Glorious Muster had not been specified but for supplying the Place of Musick as the Solemn Reception of the Queen Regent did before betwixt the two last Acts of this Tragedy to the last whereof we shall now come and so end this year Two Moneths had passed since the Pronouncing of the Fatal Sentence of Condemnation before the Prisoner was brought out to his Execution In all which time it may be thought that he might easily have obtained his Pardon of the King who had passed the first years of His Reign under his Protection and could not but behold him with the Eye of Respect as hisâ—nearest Kinsman by the Mother But first his Adversaries had so possessed the King with an Opinion of his Crimes and Misdemeanours that he believed him to be guilty of them as appears by his Letter to Fitz-Patrick for which Consult the Church Historian Lib. 7. fol. 409 410. wherein he Summarily repeateth the Substance of the Charge the Proofs against him the Proceedings of the Lords in the Arraignment and his Submiss Carriage both before and after the Sentence They also filled his Ears with the Continual Noise of the Unnatural Prosecuting of the late Lord Admiral inculcating how unsafe it was to trust to the Fidelity of such a Man who had so lately washed his Hands in the Blood of his Brother And that the King might rest himself upon these Perswasions all ways were stopped and all the Avenues blocked up by which it might be possible for any of the Duke's Friends to finde access either for rectifying the King's Opinion or obtaining his Pardon So that at last upon the twenty second of January before-remembred the King not being sufficiently possessed before of his Crimes and Cruelties he was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-Hill Where he avouched to the People That His Inâ—tentions had been not onely harmless in regard of particular Persons but driving to the Common Benefit both of the King and of the Realm Interrupted in the rest of his Speech upon the suddain â—ear of a Rescue by the coming in of the Hamlets on the one side aâ—d the Hopes of a Pardon which the People conceived to have been brought him by Sir Anthony Brown who came speedily galloping on the other he composed himself at last to make a Confession of his Faith heartily praying for the King exhorting the People to Obedience and humbly craving Pardon both of God and Man Which said he chearfully submitted his Head to the stroke of the Ax by which it was taken off at a Blow putting an end thereby to his Cares and Sorrows Such was the End of this Great Person whose Power and Greatness may be best discerned by this following Style used by him in the Height of his former Glories that is to say Edward by the Grace of God Duke of Sommerset Earl of Hertford Viscount Beauchamp Baron Seimour Uncle to the King's Highness of England Governour to the King's Highness Person Protectour of all his Realms Dominions and Subjects Lieutenant General of His Majestie 's Armies both by Sea and Land Lord High Treasurer and Earl Marshal of England Captain of Isles the of Garnsey and Jarsey and Knight of the most Honourable Order of the Garter As to his Parts Person and Abilitie there needs no other Character of him then what was given in the beginning and may be gathered from the Course of this present History More Moderate in carrying on the Work of Reformation then those who after had the Manageing and Conduct of it as one that in himself was
for dispatch of Business to which he lai'd such Farms and Tenements in the Town and elsewhere as had been vested in the Brother-hood of the Holy-Cross before remembred and committed the Care and Governance of the whole Revenue to a Corporation of twelve Persons by the Name of the Master and Governours of the Hospital of Christ in Abindon All which he fortified and assured to the Town for ever by Virtue of this His Majestie 's Letters Patents â—earing Date the nineteenth of May in the seventh and last Year of His Reigne Anno 1553. And so I conclude the Reign of King Edward the Sixth sufficiently remarkable for the Progress of the Reformation but otherwise tumultuous in it self and defamed by Sacrilege and so distracted into Sides and Factions that in the end the King Himself became a Prey to the strongest Party which could not otherwise be safe but in His Destruction contrived on Purpose as it was generally supposed to smooth the Way to the Advancement of the Lady Jane Grey to the Royal Throne Of whose short Reign Religious Disposition and Calamitous Death We are next to speak AN APPENDIX TO THE FORMER BOOK Touching the Interposings made in Behalf of the Lady JANE GRAY Publickly Proclaimed QUEEN of ENGLAND Together with the History of Her Admirable Life Short Reign and most Deplorable Death Prov. xxxi 29. Many Daughters have done vertuously but thou excellest them all Vell. Paterc lib. 2. Genere Probitate Formâ Romanorum Eminentissima per omnia Deis quám hominibus similior Foemina Cambd. in Reliquiis Miraris Janam Graio Sermone loquutam Quo primùm nata est tempore Graia fuit LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1660. THE LIFE and REIGN OF QUEEN JANE Anno Domini 1553. THE Lady IANE GRAY whom King EDWARD had Declared for His next Successour was Eldest Daughter of HENRY Lord GRAY Duke of Suffolk and Marquess Dorset descended from THOMAS Lord GRAY Marquess Dorset the Eldest Son of Queen ELIZABETH the onely Wife of EDWARD the Fourth by Sir IOHN GRAY Her former Husband Her Mother was the Lady Frances's Daughter and in fine one of the Co-Heirs of Charls Brandon the late Duke of Suffolk by Mary His Wife Queen Dowager to Lewis the Twelfth of France and youngest Daughter of King HENRY the Seventh Grandfather to King EDWARD now Deceased Her High Descent and the great Care of King HENRY the Eighth to see Her happily and well bestowed in Marriage Commended Her unto the Bed of Henry Lord Marquess Dorset before-remembred A man of known Nobility and of Large Revenues possess'd not onely of the Patrimony of the Grays of Groby but of the whole Estate of the Lord Harrington and Bonvile which descended on him in the Right of his Grand-Mother the Wife of the first Marquess of Dorset of this Name and Family And it is little to be doubted but that the Fortunes of the House had been much increased by the especial Providence and Bounty of the said Queen Elizabeth who cannot be supposed to have neglected any Advantage in the Times of Her Glory and Prosperity for the Advancement of Her Children by Her former Husband In these Respects more then for any Personal Abilities which he had in himself he held a very fair Esteem amongst the Peers of the Realm rather Beloved then Reverenced by the Common People For as he had few Commendable Qualities which might produce any High Opinion of his Parts and Merit so was he guilty of no Vices which might blunt the Edg of that Affection in the Vulgar sort which commonly is born to Persons of that Eminent Rank His Wâ—fe as of an Higher Birth was of greater Spirit but one that could accommodate it to the will of Her Husband Pretermitted in the Succession to the Crown by the last Will and Testament of King Henry the Eighth not out of any Disrespect which that King had of Her but because he was not willing to think it probable that either She or the Lady Ellanor Her younger Sister whom he had pretermitted also in that Designation could live so long as to Survive His own three Children and such as in the course of Nature should be issued from them Of this Marriage there were born three Daughters that is to say Jane Katharine and Mary Of which the Eldest being but some Moneths older then the late King Edward may be presumed to have took the name of Jane from the Queen Jane Seimour as Katharine from Queen Katharine Howard or Queen Katharine Parr and Mary from the Princess Mary the eldest Daughter of King Henry or in Relation to Her Grand-Mother His youngest Sister But the great Glory of this Family was the Lady Jane who seemed to have been born with those Attractions which seat a Sovereignty in the face of most beautifull Persons yet was Her mind endued with more Excellent Charms then the Attractions of Her face Modest and Mild of Disposition Courteous of Carriage and of such Affable Deportment as might Entitle Her to the Name of Queen of Hearts before She was Designed for Queen over any Subjects Which Native and Obliging Graces were accompanied with some more profitable ones of Her own Acquiring which set an higher Valew on them and much encreased the same both in Worth and Lustre Having attained unto that Age in which other young Ladies used to apply themselves to the Sports and Exercises of their Sex She wholly gave Her mind to good Arts and Sciences much furthered in that pursuit by the care and diligence of one Mr. Elmer who was appointed for Her Tutour the same if my Conjecture deceive me not who afterwards was deservedly Advanced by Queen Elizabeth to the See of London Under his charge She came to such a large Proficiency that She spake the Latine and Greek Tongues with as sweet a fluency as if they had been Natural and Native to Her Exactly skilled in the Liberal Sciences and perfectly well Studied in both kinds of Philosophy For Proof whereof there goes a Story that Mr. Râ—ger Ascham being then Tutour to the Princess Elizabeth came to attend 〈◊〉 once at Broadgates a House of Her Father's neighbouring to the Town of Leicester where he found Her in Her Chamber reading Phaedon Platonis in Greek with as much delight as some Gentlemen would have read a Merry Tale in Geoffery Chaâ—cer The Duke Her Father the Duchess and all the rest of the Houshould were at that time hunting in the Park which moved him to put this Question to Her How She could find in Her Heart to loose such Excellent Pastimes To which She very chearfully returned this Answer That all the Pastimes in the Park were a Shadow onely of the Pleasure and Contentment which She found in that Book adding moreover That one of the greatest blessings God ever gave Her was in sending Her sharp Parents and a gentle Schole-Master which made Her take delight in nothing so much as in Her Study By which agreeableness of Disposition and eminent
a Mercy had advanced Her to That Therefore She should chearfully take upon Her the Name Title and Estate of Queen of England France and Ireland with all the Royalties and Preheminencies to the same belonging Receiving at their hands the First-Fruits of the Humble Duty now tendred by them on their Knees which shortly was to be payed to Her by the rest of the Kingdom This Speech being ended the poor Lady found Her Self in a great Perplexity not knowing whether she Should more lament the Death of the King or Her Adoption to the Kingdom the first Loss not to be repaired the next Care possible to be avoided She looked upon the Crown as a great Temptation to resist which She stood in need of all the Helps which both Philosophy and Divinity could suggest unto Her And She knew also that such Fortunes seldom knocked twice for entrance at the same Man's Gate but that if once refused they are gone for ever Taking some time therefore of Deliberation She summoned a Council of Her purest Thoughts by whose Advice half drownned in Tears either as sorrowing for the King's Death or fore-seeing Her own She returned an Answer in these Words or to this Effect That The Laws of the Kingdom and Natural Right standing for the King's Sister She would beware of burthening Her weak Conscience with a Yoke which did belong to them That She understood the Infamy of those who had permitted the violation of Right to gain a Scepter That it were to mock God and deride Justice to scruple at the stealing of a Shilling and not at the Vsurpation of a Crown Besides said She I am not so young nor so little read in the Guils of Fortune to suffer my self to be taken by them If she inrich any it is but to make them the Subject of her Spoil If she raise others it is but to pleasure her Self with their Ruins What shâ— adored but yesterday is to day her Pastime And if I now permit her to adorn and Crown me I must to Morrow suffer her to crush and tear me in pieces Nay with what Crown doth she Present me A Crown which hath been Violently and Shamefully wrested from Katharine of Arragon made more unfortunate by the Punishment of Ann Bulloign and others that wore it after Her And why then would you have me add my Blood to theirs and to be the third Victime from whom this Fatal Crown may be ravished with the Head that wears it But in Case it should not prove Fatal unto me and that all its Venom were consumed if Fortune should give me Warranties of her Constancy Should I be well advised to take upon me these Thorns which would dilacerate though not kill me outright to burthen my self with a Yoke which would not fail to torment me though I were assured not to be strangled with it My Liberty is better then the Chain you proffer me with what pretious stones soever it be adorned or of what Gold soever framed I will not exchange my Peace for Honourable and pretious Jealousies for Magnificent and Glorious Letters And if you love me sincerely and in good earnest you will rather wish me a secure and quiet Fortune though mean then an exalted Condition exposed to the Wind and followed by some dismal Fall It had been happy for Her self Her Fathers and their several Families if they had suffered themselves to be overcome by such powerfull Arguments which were not onely persuasive but might seem convincing had they not all been fatally hurried unto their own Destruction But the Ambition of the two Dukes was too Strong and Violent to be kept down by any such prudent Considerations So that being wearied at the last with their Importunities and overcome by the entreaties of Her Husband whom She dearly loved She submitted unto that necessity which She could not vanquish yielding her Head with more unwillingness to the Ravishing Glories of a Crown then afterwards She did to the Stroak of the Ax. The Point being thus concluded on the two Dukes with all the rest of the Lords of the Council swore Allegeance to her And on the same day about five of the Clock in the afternoon they caused Her Solemnly to be Proclaimed Queen of England France and Ireland c. in many of the principal Streets in London and after by Degrees in most of the Chief Cities Towns and Places of greatest Concourse and Resort of People In which Proclamation it was signified That by the Letters Patents of the late King Edward bearing Date the twenty first of June last past the Lady Jane Gray Eldest Daughter to the Duchess of Suffolk had been declared His true and lawfull Successour to the Crown of England the same to be enjoyed after Her Decease the Heirs of Her Body c. as in the said Letters Patents more especially did at large appear Which Proclamation though it was published in the City with all due Solemnities and that the Concourse of People was exceeding great yet their Acclamations were but few which served as a sufficient Argument to the Friends and Followers of the Princess Mary that they were rather drawn together out of Curiosity to behold some unusual Spectacle then out of any purpose to congratulate at the Queen's Advancement And so far some of of them declared their dislike thereof that the next Day one Gilbert Pot was set on the Pâ—llory in Cheâ—pside his Ears first nailed and afterwards cut off for certain words which he had spoken at the Publishing of the Proclamation a Trumpet sounding at the Time of the Execution and an Herald in his Coat of Arms publickly noting his Offence in a Form prescribed A Severity neither safe nor necessary the party being of no better Condition then a Vintner's Boy as the Case then stood For the next day the Lords received Advertisement from divers hands that many persons of Quality were drawn together at Kenning-Hallâ—Castle in Norfolk to offer their Service and assistance to the Princess Mary who finding by the Answer which She had received from the Lords of the Council that no good was otherwise to be be done resolved not to be wanting to Her own Pretensions and to that end gave chearfull Entertainment to all comers which either favoured Her Title or embraced Her Religion Amongst such Gentlemen as were certified to the Lords of the Council I finde the names of the Earl of Bath Sir Thomas Wharton son to the Lord Wharton Sir John Mordant Son to the Lord Mordant Sir William Drury Sir John Shelton Sir Henry Bedingfield Mr. Henry Jenningham Mr. John Sulierd Mr. Richard Higham of Lincoln's-Inn It was advertised also that the Earl of Sussex and Mr. Henry Ratcliff his Son were coming towards Her with their Forces which last Advertisement gave the Business some appearance of Danger for what else was to be expected but that the Countenance and Encouragement of so great a Person might draw many more unto the side who otherwise would have
and to deâ—se how they might extricate themselves out of those perplexities into which they had been brought by his Ambition Amongst which none more forward then the Earl of Pembroke in whom he had placed more Confidence then in all the others Who together with Sir Thomas Cheyny Lord Warden of the â—inque-Ports with divers others endeavoured to get out of the Tower that they might hold some secret Consultation with their Friends in London but were so narrowly watched that they could not do it On Sunday the sixteenth of the Moneth Doctour Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London is ordered by the Lords of the Council to Preach at St. Paul's-Cross and in his Sermon to Advance the Title of Queen Jane and shew the invalidity of the Claim of the Lady Mary Which he performed according to such Grounds of Law and Polity as had been lai'd together in the Letters Patents of King Edward by the Authority and Consent of all the Lords of the Council the greatest Judges in the Land and almost all the Peers of the Kingdom But then withall he press'd the Incommodities and Inconveniencies which might arise by receiving Mary for their Queen prophecying that which after came to pass Namely that She would bring in a Foreign Power to Reign over this Nation and that She would subvert the True Religion then Established by the Laws of this Reaâ—m He also shewed that at such time as She lived in his Diocess he had Travailed much with Her to reduce Her to the True Religion but that though otherwise She used him with great Civility She shewed Her self so stiff and obstinate that there was no hope to be conceived but that She would disturb and destroy all that which with such great Labour had been settled in the Reign of Her Brother For which Sermon he incurred so much displeasure that it could never be forgiven him when the rest were Pardoned by whose Encouragement and Command he had undertook it But this Sermon did not work so much on the People as the ill News which came continually to the Tower had prevailed on many of the Lords For presently upon that of the six Ships which were Revolted from the Queen Advertisement is given that the Princess Mary was Proclaimed Queen in Oxfordâ—Shirâ— â—Shirâ— by Sir John Williams and others in Buckingham-Shire by the Lord Windsore Sir Edward Hastings c. and in North-hampton-Shire by Sir Thomas Tresham And which was worse then all the other that the Noble-Mens Tenants refused to serve their Lords against Her Upon the first bruit of which Disasters the Lord Treasurer Pawlet gets out of the Tower and goes unto his House in Broâ—d-street which made sâ—ch a powerfull apprehension of sâ—me dangerous practises to be suddenly put in Execution that the Gates of the Tower were locked about seven of the Clock and the Keys carried to the Queen And though the Lord Treasurer was brought back about twelve at night yet now the knot of the Confederacy began apparently to break For finding by intelligence from so many Parts of the Realm but chiefly by the Lord Treasurer's return that generally the People were affected to the Title of the Princess Mary they thought it most expedient for them to Declare themselves in Her Favour also and not to run themselves their Friends and Families on a certain Ruin But all the Difficulty was in finding out a way to get out of the Tower the Gates whereof were so narrowly watched that no man could be suffered to go in and out but by the Knowledg and Permission of the Duke of Suffolk But that which their own Wisdom could not the Duke of Northumberland's Importunity effected for them who failing of the Supplies which the Lords had promised to send after him as before is said had pressed them earnestly by his Letters not to be wanting to their own Honour and the Publick Service This gave them a fair Colour to procure their Liberty from that Restraint by representing to the Queen and the Duke Her Father that the Supplies expected and all things necessary to the same could not be raised unless they were permitted personally to attend the Business both for the Pressing of the Men providing them of all things needfull and choosing fit Commanders to Conduct them in good Order to the Duke of Northhumberland Which seemed so reasonable to the Duke of Suffolk a Man of no great Depth himself and so not like to penetrate into the bottom of a deep Design that he gave way to their Departure for the present little conceiving that they never meant to come back again till the State was altered Being thus at their desired Liberty the Earls of Shrewsbury and Pembroke together with Sir Thomas Cheyny and Sir John Mason betake themselves immediately to Baynard's Castle an House belonging then as now to the Earls of Pembroke To which Place they were followed not long after by almost all the rest of the Lords of the Council bringing with them as many of the Nobility then about the Town as they conceived to â—tand fair for the Princess Mary And that the Meeting might be held with the less Suspicion it was given out to be upon a Conference with Laval the French Ambassadour about Affairs of great Importance for the Weal of both Kingdoms No sooner had they took their Places but the Earl of Arundel who had held Intelligence with the Princess ever since the first Extremities of Her Brother's Sickness inveighed most bitterly against the Duke of Northumberland And after he had ripped up the Acts of his former Life and burthened him with all that had been done unjustly cruelly or amiss in King Edward's Time he at last descends to the Treacherous Act of the Disherison of the Children of the late King Henry professing that he wondred how he had so enthralled such persons as the Lords there present as to make them Instruments of his Wickedness For was it not saith he by Our Consent and Suffrages that the Duke of Suffolk 's Daughter the same Northumberland 's Daughter-in-Law hath took upon Her the Name and Title of Queen of England though it be nothing but the Title the Sovereign Power remaining wholly in the Hands of Dudly who contrived the Plot that â—e might freely exercise his Tyranny on our Lives and Fortunes Religion is indeed the thing pretended But suppose we have no regard to these Apostolical Rules Evil must not be done that Good may come thereof and We must obey even evil Princes not for Fear but for Conscience-sake Yet how doth it appear that the Princess Mary intends any Alteration in Religion Certainly having been lately Petitioned to in this Point by the Suffolk men She gave them a very hopefull Answer And what a mad Blindness is it for the avoidance of an uncertain Danger to precipitate Our selves into a most certain Destruction I would we had not erred in this kind But Errours past cannot be recalled some may peradventure be amended wherein speedy
there was no evidence against her but the confession of Smeton and the calumnies of the Lady Rochfort of which the one was fooled into that confession by the hope of life which notwithstanding was not pardoned and the other most deservedly lost her head within few years after for being accessary to the Adulteries of Queen Katherine Howard And yet upon this Evidence she was arraigned in the great Hall of the Tower of London on the 15th of May and pronounced guilty by her Peers of which her own father which I cannot but behold as an act of the highest tyranny was compelled to be one The Lord Rochfort and the rest of the prisoners were found guilty also and suffered death on the 17th day of the same month all of them standing stoutly to the Queens and their own integrity as it was thought that Smeton also would have done but that he still flattered himself with the hopes of life till the loss of his head disabled him from making the retractation The like death suffered by the Queen on the second day after some few permitted to be present rather as witnesses than spectators of her final end And it was so ordered by the advice of Sir William Kingston who signified in his Letters to one of the Council that he conceived it best that a reasonable number onely should be present at the Execution because he found by some discourse which he had had with her that she would declare her self to be a good woman for all men but for the King at the hour of death Which declaration she made good going with great cheerfulness to the Scaffold praying most heartily for the King and standing constantly on her innocence to the very last So dyed this great and gallant Lady one of the most remarkable mockeries and disports of fortune which these last ages have produced raised from the quality of a privat Lady to the bed of a King crowned on the Throne and executed on the Scaffold the fabrick of her power and glories being six years at the least in building but cast down in an instant the splendor and magnificence of her Coronation seeming to have no other end but to make her the more glorious Sacrifice at the next alteration of the Kings affections But her death was not the onely mark which the King did aim at If she had onely lost her head though with the loss of her honor it would have been no bar to her daughter Elizabeth from succeeding her father in the Throne and he must have his bed left free from all such pretensions the better to draw on the following mariage It was thought necessary therefore that she should be separated from his bed by some other means than the Axe or Sword and to be legally divorced from her in a Court of Judicature when the sentence of death might seem to have deprived her of all means as well as of all manner of desire to dispute the point Upon which ground Norris is practised with to confess the Adultery and the Lord Percy now Earl of Northumberland who was known to have made love unto her in her former times to acknowledge a Contract But as Norris gallantly denyed the one so the Lord Percy could not be induced though much laboured to it to confess the other For proof whereof we have this Letter of his own hand writing directed to Secretary Cromwel in these following words Mr Secretary THis shall be to signifie unto you that I perceive by Sir Raynald Carnaby that there is supposed to be a pre-contract between the Queen and me Whereupon I was not only examined upon my oath before the Archbishops of Canterbury and York but also received the blessed Sacrament upon the same before the Duke of Norfolk and others of the Kings Highnesse Council learned in the spiritual Law assuring You Mr Secretary by the said oath and blessed body which afore I received and hereafter mean to receive that the same may be to my damnation if ever there were any contract or promise of mariage betwixt her and me At Newington Green the 13th of May in the 28th year of the reign of Our Soverain Lord King Henry the 8th Yours assured H. Northumberland But notwithstanding these denyals and that neither the Adultery was confessed not the Contract proved some other ground was found out to dissolve the mariage though what it was doth not appear upon Record All which occurs in reference to it is a solemn instrument under the seal of Archbishop Cranmer by which the mariage is declared on good and valuable reasons to be null and void no reason being exprest particularly for the ground thereof Which sentence was pronounced at Lambeth on the 17th of May in the presence of Sir Thomas Hadly Lord Chancellor Charles Duke of Suffolk John Earl of Oxon Robert Earl of Sussex William Lord Sandys Lord Chancellor of his Majesties houshold Thomas Cromwel Master of the Rolls and principal Secretary then newly put into the office of Vicar General Sir William Fitzwilliams Treasurer and Sir William Paulet Controller of the Kings houshold Thomas Bedil Arch-Deacon of Cornwal and John Trigunwel Dr of the Lawes all being of the Privy Council Besides which there were present also John Oliver Dean of Kings College in Oxon Richard Guent Arch-Deacon of London and Dean of the Aâ—ches Edmund Bonner Arch-Deacon of Leicester Richard Leighton Arch Deacon of Buckingham and Thomas Lee Doctor of the Lawes as also Dr Richard Sampson Dean of the Chapel Royal who appeared as Proctor for the King together with Doctor Nicholas Wotton and Doctor John Barbour appointed Proctors for the Queen By the authority of which great appearance more than for any thing contain'd particularly in the act or instrument the said sentence of Divorce was approved by the Prelates and Clergy assembled in their Convocation on the ninth of June and being so confirmed by them it received the like approbation by Act of Parliament within few dayes after in which Act there also passed a clause which declared the Lady Elizabeth the only issue of this mariage to be illegitimate What else concerns this unfortunate Lady together with some proof of divers things before delivered cannot be more pathetically expressed than by her self bemoaning her misfortunes to the King in this following Letter Sir YOur Graces displeasure and my imprisonment are things so strange unto me as what to write or what to excuse I am altogether ignorant Whereas you send unto me willing me to confesse a truth and so obtain your favour by such a one whom you know to be my antâ—ent professed enemy I no sooner received this message than I rightly conceived your meaning And if as you say confessing a truth indeed may procure my safety I shall with all willingness and duty perform your commands but let not your Grace ever imagine that your poor wife will ever be brought to acknowledge a fauâ—t where not so much as a thought ever proceeded And
which are herein mentioned and by degrees also did they the Te Deum the Magnificat and the Nunc dimittis Concerning the Position of the holy Table it was ordered thus viz. That no Altar should be taken down but by oversight of the Curat of the Church or the Church-wardens or one of them at the least wherein no riotous or disoâ—dered manner was to be used and that the holy Table in every Church be decently made and set in the place where the Altar stood and there commonly covered as thereto belongeth and as should be appointed by the Visitors and so to stand saving when the â—ommunion of the Sacrament is to be administred at which time the same shall be so placed in good sort within the Quire or Chancel as whereby the Minister may be more conveniently heard of the Communicants in his Prayer and Ministration and the Communicants also more conveniently and in more number communicate with the said Minister And after the Communion done from time to time the said holy Table to be placed where it stood before Which permission of removing the Table at Communion-times is not so to be understood as the most excellent King Charls declared in the case of St. Gregories as if it were ever left to the discretion of the Parish much less to the particular fancy of any humorous person but to the judgment of the Ordinary to whose place and function it doth properly belong to give direction in that point both for the thing it self or for the time when and how long as he may find cause By these Injunctions she made way to her Visitation executed by Commissioners in their several Circuits and regulated by a Book of Articles printed and published for that purpose Proceeding by which Articles the Commissioners removed all carved Images out of the Church which had been formerly abused to superstition defacing also all such Pictures Paintings and other monuments as served for the setting forth of feigned Miracles and this they did without any tumult and disorder and without laying any sacrilegious and ravenous hands on any of the Churches Plate or other Utensils which had been repaired and re-provided in the late Queens time They enquired also into the life and doctrine of Ministers their diligence in attending their several Cures the decency of their apparel the respect of the Parishioners towards them the reverent behaviour of all manner of persons in Gods publiâ—k worship Inquiry was also made into all sorts of crimes haunting of Taverns by the Clergy Adultery Fornication Drunkenness amongst those of the Laity with many other things since practised in the Visitations of particular Bâ—shops by means whereof the Church was setled and confirmed in so good an order that the work was made more easie to the Bishops when they came to govern than otherwise it could have been But more particularly in Londâ—â— which for the most part gives example to the rest of the Kingdom the Visitors were Sir Richard Sackvile father to â—homas Earl of Dorset Mr. Robert Hern after Bishop of Winchester Dr. Hâ—ick a Civilian and one Salvage possibly a Common Lawyer who calling before them divers persons of every Parish gave them an Oath to enquire and present upon such Articles and 〈◊〉 as were given unto them In persuance whereof both the Commissionâ—rs and the People shewed so much forwardness that on St. Bartholomews day and the morrow after they burned in St. Paul's Church-yard Cheap-side and other places of the City all the Roods and other Images which had been taken out of the Churches And as it is many times supposed that a thing is never well done if not over-done so hapned it in this case also zeal against superstition had prevailed so far with some ignorant men that in some places the Coaps Vestments Altar-cloaths Books Banners Sepulchres and Rood-lofts were burned altogether All matters of the Church being thus disposed of it will be time to cast our eyes on the concernments of the civil State which occurred this year in which I find nothing more considerable than the overtures of some Marriages which had been made unto the Queen Philip of Spain had made an offer of himself by the Count of Feria his Ambassadour but the Queen had heard so much of the disturbances which befell King Henry by marrying with his brothers wife that she had no desire to run into the like perplexities by marrying with her sisters husband and how he was discouraged from proceeding in it hath been shewed already Towards the end of the Parliament the Lords and Commons made an humble Addresse unto her in which they most earnestly besought her That for securing the peace of the Kingdom and the contentation of all her good and loving subjects she would think of marrying not pointing her particularly unto any one man but leaving her to please her self in the choice of the person To which she answered That she thanked them for their good affections and took their application to her to be well intended the rather because it contained no limitation of place or person which had they done she must have disliked it very much and thought it to have been a great presumption But for the matter of their sure she lets them know That she had long since made choice of that state of life in which now she lived and hoped that God would give her strength and constancy to go throw with it that if she had been minded to have changed that course she neither wanted many invitations to it in the reign of her brother not many strong impulsions in the time of her sister That as she had hitherto remained so she intended to continue by the grace of God though her Words compared with her Youth might be thought by some to be far different from her meaning And so having thanked them over again she licensed them to depart to their several businesses And it appeared soon after that she was in earnest by her rejecting of a motion made by Gustavus King of Sweden for the Prince Ericus for the solliciting whereof his second son John Duke of Finland who succeeded his Brother in that Kingdom is sent Ambassador into England about the end of September Received at Harwich in Essex by the Earl of Oxford and the Lord Robert Dudley with a goodly train of Gentlemen and Yeoman he was by them conducted honourably towards London where he was met by the Lords and Gentlemen of the Court attended through the City on the 5th of Octobâ—r to the Bishop of Winchesters house in Souâ—hwark there he remained with his Train consisting of about fifty persons till the Easter following magnificently feasted by the Queen but otherwise no farther gratified in the buâ—â—ness which he came about than all the rest who both before and after tried their fortunes in it The next great business of this year was a renewing of the Peace with the crown of France agreed on at the Treaty near the
slackned by degrees his accustomed diligence in labouring be perswasions to work on one who was resolved before hand not to be perswaded So that being weary of the Court and the court of her she was permitted for a time to remain at Hunâ—sdon in the County of Hartford To which place being in the Diocesse of London Bishop Ridley had recourse unto her and at first was kindly entertained But having staid dinner at her request he made an offer of his service to preach before her on the Sunday following to which she answered That the doors of the Parish Church adjoining should be open for him that hâ— might preach there if he liâ—ted but that neither she nâ—r any of her sâ—rvants would bâ—â—her◠〈◊〉 hear him Madam said he I hope you will not refuse to hear Gods word To which she answered That she could not tell what they called Gods word that which was now called thâ—â—â—rd of God 〈◊〉 having been accounted such in the â—â—yes of her father After which falling into many different expressions against the Religion then established she â—ismissed him thus My Lord said she For your gentlenesse to come and see me I thank you but for your offer to preach before me I thank 〈◊〉 nâ—t Which said he was conducted by Sir Thâ—mas Wâ—arton one of her principall Officerâ— to the place where they dined by whom he was presented with a cup of wine which having drank and looking very sadly on it Surely said he 〈…〉 Which words he spake with such a vehemency of spirit aâ— made the hair of some of those which were present to stand an end as themselves afterwardâ— confessed Of this behaviour of the Princesse aâ— the Bishop much complained in other pâ—aâ—es so most especially in a Sermon preached at St Paul's Crosse on the sixteenth of July in which he was appointed by the Lords of the Council to set forth the title of Queen Jane to whom the sâ—ccession of the Crown had been transferred by King Edward at the solicitation and procurement of the Duke of Nâ—rthâ—mbeâ—land who served himself of nothing more than of her obstinate aversnesse from the reformed Religion then by law established The cunning contrivance of which plot and all that had been done in pursuance of it hath been laid down at large in the Appendix to the former book Suffice in this place to know that being secretly advertised of her brothers death she dispatched her letters of the ninth of July to the Lords of Council requiring them not only to acknowledge her just title to the Crown of this Realm but to cause proâ—lamation of it to be made in the usual form which though it was denied by them as the case then stood yet she was gratified therein by the Mayor of Norwich who firsâ— proclaimed her Queen on the fourth day after as afterwards was done in some other places by those who did prefer the interest of King Henry's children before that of the Dudâ—y's But hearing of the great preparations which were made against her and finding her condition in a manner desperate when she first put her self into Framâ—ngham Castle she faithfully assureu the Gentry and other inhabitants of the County of Suffolk that she would not alter the Religion which had been setled and confirmed in the Reign of her brother On which assurance there was such a confluence to her from those parts of the Kingdom that in short space she had an army of fourteen thousand fighting men to maintain her quarrel The newes whereof together with the risings of the people in other places on the same account wrought such an alteration in the Lords of the Council whom she had before solicited in vain to allow her title that on the nineteenth of July she was solemnly proclaimed Queen at Cheapside Crosse not only by their general and joint consent but by the joyful acclamations of all sorts of people But as Mariners seldome pay those vows which they make in a tempest when once they are delivered from the danger of it so Mary once established in the Royal Throne forgot the services which she received from those of Suffolk together with the promises which she made unto them in the case of Religion Insomuch that afterwards being petitioned by them in that behalf it was answered with more churlishnesse than could be rationally expected in a green Estate That members must obey their Head and not look to rule it And that she might no more be troubled with the like Petitions she caused one Dobb a Gentlemen on Windham side who had presumed to put her in remembrance of her former promise to be punished by standing in the Pillory three dayes together to be a gazing stock to all men But such is the condition of our humane nature that we are far more ready to require a favour when we stand in need of it than willing to acknowledge or requite it when our turn is served Of which we cannot easily meet with a cleerer evidence than the example of this Queen who was so far from gartifying those who had been most aiding to her in the time of her trouble that she persecuted them and all others of the same perswasions with fire and faggot as by the sequel of her story will at large appear The Life and Reign of QUEEN MARY An. Reg. Mar. 1. A. D. 1553. 1554. THe interposings in behalf of the Lady Jane being disrelished generally in most parts of the Kingdome Mâ—ry the eldest sister of King Edward the sixt is proclaimed Queen by the Lords of the Council assiâ—â—ed by the Lord Mayor of London and such of the Nobility as were then resident about that City on Wednesday the nineteenth day of July Annâ— 1553. The Proclamation published at the Crosse in Cheâ—p with all sâ—lemnities accustomed on the like occasions and entertained with joyfull acclamations by all sorts of people who feared nothing more than the pride and tyranny of the Duke of Northumberland To carry which news to the Queen at Framingham the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget are dispatched immediately by the rest of the Council and Letters are speedily posted by some private friends to the Duke at Cambridgâ— Who understanding how things went without expecting any order from the Lords at London dismist the remnant of his Army and presently repairing into the Market place proclaimed the Queen crying God save Queen Mary as loud as any and flinging up his cap for joy as the others did Which service he had scarce performed when Rose a Pouâ—suivant of Arms comes to him with instructions from the Lords of the Council subscribed by the Archbishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellor Goodrick the Lord Treasurer Paulet the Duke of Suffolk the Earl of Bedford Shrewsbury and Pembrook the Lord Darsie Sir Robert Cotton Sir William Peter and Sir William Cecil the two principall Secretaries Sir John Cheeck Tutor to the last King Sir John Baker Chancellor of the tenths and first fruits
brother on the 9th and 10th she removes her Court unto Whitehall and there continâ—es till it was within two or three dayes of her Coronation Which time now drawing neer at hand she passed by water to the Tower on the 27th of September accompanied by her Sister the Princesse Elizabeth and a great train of Noble Ladies made her return through the principal streets of the City on the last of the same month in most â—tately manner and the next day proceeded with the like magnificence to the Abby Church where she was met by three â—â—lver Crosses and eighty singing men all in riâ—h and gorgeoâ—s Coaps so sudden a recruit was made of these sacâ—ed Vestments amongst whom went the new Dean of Westminster Dr. Westoâ— and divers Chaplains of her own each of them â—earing in their hands some Ensign or other After them marched ten Bishops which were as many as remained of her perswasion with their Miâ—ers rich Coaps and Crosier staves The Sermon was preached by Dr â—ay whom she had restored to the See of Chichester and the solemnity of the Coronation celebrated by the new Lord Chancellor Craâ—ner Archbishop of Canterbury being then commited and otherwise conceived unworthy of so great an honour Till this time none more dear to her then her Sister Elizabeth whom she alwayes took with her by the hand wheresoever she went and seldome dined or supped without her But this solemnity being passed over as if she were now freed from all the feaâ—s of a competition she estranged her self from her in such a manner as shewed that she had formerly desited her company for some by-respects and not out of natural affection More gratefâ—l unto other persons who deserved well of her she preferred Henry Ratcliff Earle of Sâ—ssex Commander Generall of her Army to the Society of the Gatter which Honour she conferred on his son Thomas after his decease and to be covered in her Presence at all times and places tending to the custome of the Grandees in the Realm of Spain Which priviledge not being very frequent in the Politâ—ie of the Realm of England I find to be recorded in these following words viz. Mary by the Grace of God Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and Ireland in earth the Supream Head o all to whom this present writing shall come sendeth Greeting in our Lord everlasting Know ye that We do give and pardon to Our wel-beloved and trusty Cosen and one of Our Privy Council Henry Earl of Sussex and Viscount Fittzwater Lord Egremond and Burnel Liberty Licence and Pardon to wear his Cap Coyfe or Night-cap or two of them at his pleasure as well in Our presence as in the presence of any other person or persons within this Our Realm or any other place of Our Dominions whatsoever during his life and these Our Letters shall be his sufficient Warrant in this behalf Given under Our Sign Manuall at Our Pallace of Westminster 2. Octob. 1 Regni With the like Royal gratitute she advance the Earl of Arundel who had deserved as well of her in the Council as the Earl of Sussex in the Camp to the Place or Office of Lord Steward investing him with all those powers and priviledges which had been formâ—rly exercised by the Lord Great Master whom he succeeded in Authority though not in Title Sir Edward Hastings who came over to her with 4000 men she first made Master of the Horse and Knight of the Garâ—er and afterwards Lord Chamberlain of the Houshold and Lord Hastings of Louthborough Sir John Williams who had done her very good service in Buckingham and Oxfordâ—hires â—hires she honoured with the Title of Lord Williams of Jaâ—e of which more hereafter Sir Hâ—nry Jerninâ—ham who first appeared in Norfoâ—k for her she preferred to be Captain of her Guard aâ—soon as she came unto the Crown and toward the latter end of her Reign Sir Thomas Threâ—â—â—m was created Lord Prior of the Order of St Johns of Jerusalem and consequently according to the old pretension the first Baron of England And as for her domestique servants who had suffered with her she thought it no unfit decorum that they should in part Reign with her also To which end she preferred Hopâ—on her old Chaplain to the See of Norwich Râ—chester to be Compâ—roller of her Houshold Ingâ—â—field toâ— be Master of the Wards and Wâ—lgrave to be Master of the Wardrobe which is sufficiâ—nt â—o deâ—lâ—re that she was willing to comply with all obligarionâ— and not to bâ— too long in debt to her greatest subjects but much lesse to her mâ—nial servants But in â—â—gard that all these were considered for their perâ—onal merits not in reference only to their zeal for the Catholick Cause she was to shew some act of favour unto those of thaâ— party which might create a confidence in them of her good affections To which end she made choice of Sir John Gage a man most zealously addicted to the Church of Rome to be Lord Chamberlain of â—â—r Houshold when she came first to the Tower to the great satisfaction of all those of that Religion And that she might in some meaâ—ure also obâ—â—ge the rest of her suâ—jects and make the entâ—ance of her Reign the more pleaâ—â—ng to them her Coronation was accompanied with a general pardon at the least in shew Out of which all prisoners in the Tower such as remained in the Fleet together with sixty other being excepted and the reâ—trictions and proviso's with which it was in all parts clogged being well observed there were not many especially of those whom it most concerned that could create unto themselves any benefit by it Thus was the Civil State established on a right foundation and the succession setled most agreeably to the Laws of Nature according to the last Will and Testament of King Heâ—ry the 8th and the Laws made in that behalfe But we shall see the pillars of the Church removed the very foundation of it shaken and the whole â—abrick of Religion so demolished that scarce one stone thereof did seem to stand upon the other without regâ—rd unto the Laws and contrary to the will and purpose of King Edwâ—â—d the 6th At the Queens first entrance into London on the thiâ—d of August she discâ—arged Gardinâ—r of the Tower as she did Bâ—â—ner of the Marshelsey and Bishop Tâ—â—stall from the Kings Bench within two dayes after To make way to whose restitution to their former Sees Bishop Ridley is removed from London Bishop Poiâ—ct from Winchester and an Act of Parliâ—ment pâ—ocâ—red for the restoring of the Church of Durham to all its Lands Preheminences and Juriâ—dictions of which it stood divested by the lâ—te Act of Dissolution made in the last year of the King deceased By the like power was Coverdale displaced from the See of Exon Sâ—ory from that of Chichester and Hooper dispossessed of that Jurisdiction whiâ—h he held as the Commendatory of the See
of Worcester to which See 〈◊〉 Day and Heath were again restored The like course also followed for the depriving of all Deaâ—â— Dâ—gnâ—â—â—â—â—â—s and Parochial Ministers who had succeeded into any of those preâ—erments during the Reign of the two last Kings the old incumbeâ—ts whereof were then â—ound living and able to supply their places Which though it could not be objected against Dr Cox either in râ—ference to his Deâ—nry of â—hrist Church or that of 〈◊〉 both which he held at the same time yet being brought unto the Marshalâ—ey on the 5th of 〈◊〉 he was unjustly spoiâ—ed of both to make room for Dr Richard Marshall in the one and Dt Hugh Weston in the other And all this done without so much as any shew of legal processe or the conventing of the persons whom it did concern or any satisfaction given unto the Laws which in some cases favour possession more than right so strangely violated But greater was the havock which was made amongst them when there was any colour or pretence of Law as in the case of having wives or not conforming to the Queens pleasure in all points of Religion conâ—idering how forward and pragmatical too many were to run before the Laws in the like particular The Queen was zealous in her way and by her interesse strongly byassed to the Church of Rome But it concerned her to be wary and not to presse too much at once upon the people which generally were well affected to the Reformation Of this she had a stout experiment within very few dayes after her first entrance into London For so it hapned that Dr Bourn Arch-Deacon of London and one of the Prebends of St Paul's preaching a Sermon at the Crosse on the 13th of August inveighed in favour of Bishop Bonner who was present at it against some proceedings in the time of the late King Edward Which so incensed the people that suddenly a great tumult arose upon it some pelting him with stones others crying out aloud pull him down pull him down and one who never could be known flinging a dagger at his head which after was found sticking in a post of the Pulpit And greater had the mischief been upon this occasion if Mr Bradford and Mr Rogers two eminent Preachers in the time of King Edward and of great credit and esteem with the common people had not endeavoured to appease the enraged multitude and with great difficulty secured the Preacher in the School adjoining By reason of which tumult an Order was taken by the Lords of the Counâ—il with the mayor and Aldermen of London that they calling the next day following a Common Council of the City should thereby charge every housholder to cause their children and Apprentices to keep their own Parish Churches upon the Holy dayes and not to suffer them to attempt any thing to the violating of the common peace Willing them also to signifie to the said Assembly the Queens determination uttered to them by her Highnesse the 12th of August in the Tower Which was that albeit her Grace's conscience was staid in matters of Religion yet she gratiously meant to compel or strain other mens otherwise than God should as she trusted put into their hearts a perswasion of that truth which she was in through the opening of his word unto them by godly vertuous and learned Preachers that is to say such Preachers only as were to be hereafter licenced by the Queen's authority But yet for fear that these instructions might not edifie with the common people Order was taken for preventing the like tumult on the Sunday following At what time the Sermon was preached by Dr Watson who afterwards was Bishop of Lincoln but Chaplain only at that time to the Bishop of Winchester For whose security not only many of the Lords of the Council that is to say the Lord Treasurer the Lord Privy Seal the Earl of Bedford the Earl of Pembrook the Lords Wentworth and Rich were severally desired to be there present but Gerningham Captain of the Guard was appointed with two hundred of his stourest Yeomen to stand round about him with their Halberts The Mayor had also taken Order that all the Companies in their Liveries should be present at it which was well taken by the Queen And because the comming of the Guard on the one side affrighted some and the Order of the Lords above mentioned had restrained others from comming to those publick Sermons it was commanded by the Lord Mayor that the Ancients of all Companies should give attendance at those Sermons for the time to come lest otherwise the Preachers might be discouraged at the sight of so thin an Auditory The safety of those publick Preachers being thus provided for by the Lords of the Council there next care was that nothing should be preached in private Churches contrary to the Doctrine which was and should be â—aughâ— at the Cross by them which were appointed to it Whereupon it was further Ordered that every Alderman in his Ward should forthwith send for the Curates of every Church within their Liberties and warn them not only to forbear preaching themselves but also not to suffer any other to preach or make any open or solemn reading of Scripture in their Churches unless the said Preachers were severally licensed by the Queen To which purpose Letters were directed also to the Bishop of Norwich and possibly to all other Bishops in their several Diocesses But nothing more discovers the true state and temper of the present time than a Proclamation published by the Queen on the 18th of August The Tenor of which is as followeth The Queen's Highnesse well remembring what great inconvenience and dangers have grown to this her Reaâ—m in timesâ— past through the diversities of opinions in Questions of Religion and hearing also that now of late sithence the beginning of her most gratious Reign the same contentions be again much revived through certain false and untrue reports and rumoâ—rs spread by some evil-disposed persons hath thought good to give to understand to all Her Highnesse's most loving subjects her most grrtious pleasure in manner following First Her Majesty being presently by the only goodness of God setled in her just possession of the Imperial Crown of this Realm and other Dominions thereunto belonging cannot now hide that Religion which God and the world knoweth she hath ever proâ—essed from her infancy hitherto Which at her Majesty is minded to observe and maintain for her self by God's grace during her time so doth her Highness much desire and would be glad the some were of all her subjects quietly and charitably entertain'd And yet she doth signifie unto all her Majestie 's loving subjects that of Her most gratious disposition and clemency Her Highness mindeth not to â—ompel any Her said subjects thereunto until such time as further Order by common assent may be taken therein Forbidding nevertheless all her subjects of all degrees at their perils to move seditions or stir
men that the danger might have proved far greater the disease incurable For so it hapned that the Carews conceiving that the deferring of the execution of the plot thus laid might prove destructive to that cause or otherwise fatally thrust on by their own ill destiny began to leavy men in Cornwal which could not be so closely carried but that their purpose was discovered and the chief of them forced to flye the Kingdom The news whereof gave such an allarum to the confederates that they shewed themselves in several places before the people were prepared and made ready for them Insomuch that the Duke of Suffolk together with the Lord Thomas Gray and the Lord Leonard Gray having made Proclamation in divers places on the 25th of that month against the Queens intended mariage with the Prince of Spain and finding that the people came not in so fast unto them as they did expect were forced to dismiss their slender company and shift for themselves upon the first news that the Earl of Huntington was coming toward them with 300 horse An action very unfortunate to himself and to all his family For first The Queen finding that she was to expect no peace or quiet as long as the Lady Jane was suffered to remain alive caused her and the Lord Guilford Dudley to be openly executed on the 12th of February then next following His daughter Katherineâ—ormerly â—ormerly maried to Henry Lord Herbert eldest son to the Earl of Pembrook but the mariage by reason of her tender years not coming unto a Consummation by carnal knowlege was by him repudiated and cast off and a mariage presently made betwixt him and another Katherine a daughter of George Earl of Shrewsbury His brothers John and Thomas committed prisoners to the Tower of which two Thomas suffered death about two months after And for himself being compelled to hide his head in the house of one Underwood whom he had preferred unto the keeping of one of his Parks he was by him most basely and treacherously betrayed to the said Earl of Huntington on the 11th of February Arrained on the 17th of the same month and beheaded on the 23d Nor fared it better with the rest though they of Kent conducted by Sir Thomas Wiat the chief contriver of the plot were suddenly grown considerable for their number and quickly formidable for their power The newes of whose rising being swiftly posted to the Court the Duke of Norfolk was appointed to go against him attended with few more than the Queen 's ordinary Guards and followed by 500 Londoners newly raised and sent by water to Graves End under the charge of Captain Alexander Bret. With which few forces he intended to assault the Rebels who had put themselves into Rochester Castle and fortified the bridge with some pieces of Canon But being ready to fall on Bret with his Londoners fell off to Wiat and so necessitated the old Duke to return to London in great haste accompanied by the Earl of Arundel and Sir Henry Gerningham with some few of their horse leaving their foot eight pieces of Canon and all their ammunition belonging to them in the power of the enemy This brings the Queen to the Guild Hall in London on the first of February where she finds the Lord Mayor the Aldermen and many of the chief Citizens in their several Liveries To whom she signified That she never did intend to marry but on such conditions as in the judgement of her Council should be found honourable to the Realm and profitable ble to her subjects that therefore they should give no credit to those many calumnies which Wiat and his accomplices who according to the guise of Rebels had purposely dispersed to defame both her and her government but rather that they should contribute their best assistance for the suppressing of those who contrary to their duty were in arms against her And though she had as good as she brought that is to say fair promises for her gracious words yet understanding that many in the City held intelligence with the Kentish Rebels she appointed the Lord William Howard whom afterwards she created Lord Howard of Effingham to be Lieutenant of the City and Pembrook General of the field The event shewed that she followed that Counsel which proved best for her preservation For had she trusted to the City she had been betrayed Incouraged with his success and confident of a strong party amongst the Londâ—ners on the 3d. day of February he entreth Southwark where he and his were finely feasted by the people But when he hoped to have found the way open to the rest of the City he found the draw-Bridge to be cut down the bridge-Gate to be shut and the Ordinance of the Tower to be bent against him by the appointment and direction of the Lord Lieutenant Two dayes he trifled out in Southwark to no purpose at all more than the sacking of Winchester House and the defacing of the Bishops Library there unless it were to leave a document to posterity that God infatuates the Counsels of those wretched men who traiterously take up arms against their Princes And having liberally bestowed these two dayes upon the Queen the better to enable her to provide for her safety he wheels about on Sunday the 6th of the same month to Kingston bridge And though the bridge was broken down before his coming and that the opposite shore was guarded by 200. men yet did he use such diligence that he removed away those forces repaired the bridge past over both his men and Canon and might in probability have surprised both the Court and City in the dead of the night if the same spirit of infatuation had not rested on him For having marched beyond Brainford in the way towards London without giving or taking the allarum it hapned that one of his great piecs was dismounted by the breach of its wheels In the mending and mounting whereof he obstinately wasted so much time notwithstanding all the perswasions which his friends could make unto him that many of his men slipped from him and some gave notice to the Court not only of his near approach but also what his purpose was and what had hindred him from putting it in execution On this Advertisment the Earl of Pembrook arms and draws out his men to attend the motion of the Rebels who about 10 of the clock came to Chearing Cross and without falling on the Court which was then in a very great amazement turn up the Sâ—rand to Temple Bar and so toward Ludgate the Earl of Pembrook following and cutting him off in the arreir upon every turn Coming to London when it was too late for his intendments he found the Gates fast shut against him and the Lord William Howard in as great a readiness to oppose him there as when he was before in Southwark So that being hemmed in on both sides without hope of relief he yields himself to Sir Morris Berkley is
he was not able to resist and thereby gained so much displeasure from the Cardinal Legate that before the end of the next year Anno 1557. he was outed of his Deanry of Windsor and all his other Ecclesiastical promotions upon an information of his being taken in the act of adultery which otherwise perhaps might have been pardoned or connived at in him as in many others But willing or unwilling he had first surrender'd the Church of Westminster which the Queen stocked with a new Convent of Benâ—dictines consisting of an Abbot and fourteen Monks which with their officers were as many as the Lands then left unto it could well maintain And for the first Abbot she made choice of Dr John Fecknam a learned grave and moderate man whom she had formerly made Dean of St Paul's in the place of Dr William May and now made choice of Dr Henry Cole Arch-Deacon of Ely and Prolocutor of the Convocation Anno 1555. to succeed him in it It was upon the 21 of November that the new Abbot and his Monks entred on the possession of their ancient Convent which they held not fully out three years when it was once again dissolved by Act of Parliament of which more hereafter Which fate befel the rest of her foundations also two of which cost her little more than this at Westminster A Convent of Observants being a reformed Order of Franciscan Friers had been founded by King Henry the 7th neer the Mannor of Greenwich and was the first which felt the fury of King Henry the 8th by reason of some open opposition made by some of the Friers in favour of Queen Katherine the mother of the Queen now reigning Which moved her in a pious gratitude to re-edifie that ruined house and to restore as many as could be found of that Order to their old habitations making up their Corporation with some new Observants to a competent number She gathered together also a new Convent of Dominicans or black Friers for whom she provided an house in Smithfield in the City of London â—itting the same with all conveniences both for divine Offices and other necessary uses And having done this she was at no more charges with either of them for both the Observants and Dominicans being begging Fryers might be resembled not unfitly to a swarm of Bees which being provided of an hive are left to make their combs and raise themselves a livelyhood by their natural industry But so she went not off in her other foundations which were to be provided of some proportionable endowment out of the revenues of the Crown towards their support Aâ— Sion nere Brentford in the Country of Middlesex there had been anciently a house of religious women Nuns of the Order of St Bridget dissolv'd as were all teh rest by King Henry the 8th Most of the old ones dead and the younger maried Yet out of such of the old Nuns as remained alive and the addition of some others who were willing to embrace that course of life a competent number was made up for a new Plantation but seated as before at Sion which the Queen repaired and laid unto it a sufficient estate in Lands for their future maintenance Which house being afterwards dissolved also by Queen Elizabeth came first to the possession of Sir Thomas Perrot who gave it to his wife the Lady Dorothy one of the daughters of Walter Divereux Earl of Essex by whom being after married to Henry Lord Percy Earl of Northumberland it was left for a retiring house to that Noble Family who do still enjoy it At Sheen on the other side of the water there had been anciently another religious house not far from a mansion of the Kings to which they much resorted till the building of Richmond This house she stock'd with a new Convent of Carthusians corruptly called the Charter-hoâ—se-Moncks which she endowed with a revenue great enough to maintain that Order which profest more abstemiousness in diet and sparingness of expence in all other things than any others which embraced a Monastical life And the next year having closed up the West end of the Quire or Chancel of the Church of St Johns neer Smithfield which was all the Protector Sommerset had left standing of it she restored the same to the Hospitalry of Knights of St John to whom it formerly belonged assigning a liberal endowment to it for their more honourable subsistence Over whom she placed Sir Thomas Treshaâ—â— for the first Lord Prior a Gentleman of an ancient Family and one that had deserv'd exceeding well of her in defence of her claim against Queen Jane who on the 30th of November 1557. received the Order of the Crosse at Westminster and took possession of his place which having scarce warmed he was taken from it by the stroke of death and left it by the Queen to be disposed of to Sir Râ—chard Shellie the last great Master of that Order in the Realm of England But this expiring with the rest within two years after there remained nothing of all Queen Mary's foundations but her new Hoâ—pital in the Savoy An Hospital had formerly been founded in thaâ— House by her Grandfather King Henry the seventh for the relief of such pilgrims as either went on their Devotions to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury or any other eminent Shrine or Saint in those parts of the Kingdom On a suggestion made to King Edward the sixth that it served onely for a recepracle of vagrant persons it was surrendred to him in the last year of his Reign by the Master and Brethren of the same out of the Lands whereof he assigned the yearly Rent of seven hundred Marks for the maintenance of his new working house of Bridewel which he had given for ever to the Lord Mayor and City of London as hath been signified before in the life of that King together with all the beds bedding and other furniture which were found in this Hospital And though this Grant bare date on the 26 of June in the last year of his Reign Anno 1553. yet the Lord Mayor and Aldermen entred not on the possession of it till the month of February now last past Anno 1555. But having took possession of it and so much of the Lands of this Hospital being setled on it the Hospital in the Savoy could not be restored to its first condition but by a new Endowment from such other Lands belonging to Religious Houses which were remaining in the Crown But the Queen was so resolved upon it that she might add some works of Charity unto those of Piety or else in honour of her Grandfather whose foundation she restored at Greenwich also the Hospital was again refounded on the third of November and a convenient yearly Rent allotted to the Master and Brethren for the entertainment of the Poor according to the tenour and effect of the first Institution Which Prince-like Act so wrought upon the Maids of Honor and other Ladies
conclude with this Address to Almighty God That as He hath restored Your Majesty to the Throne of Your Father and done it in so strange a manner as makes it seem a Miracle in the Eyes of Christendom so He would settle You in the same on so sure a Bottom that no Design of Mischievous and Unquiet Men may disturb Your Peace or detract any thing from those Felicities which You have acquired So prayeth Dread Sovereign Your Majestie 's most obedient Servant and most Loyal Subject PETER HEYLYN To the Reader READER I Here present thee with a Piece of as great variety as can be easily comprehended in so narrow a compass the History of an Affair of such Weight and Consequence as had a powerful Influence on the rest of Christendome It is an History of the Reformation of the Church of England from the first Agitations in Religion under HENRY the Eight untill the final settling and establishing of it in Doctrine Government and Worship under the Fortunate and most Glorious Reign of Queen ELIZABETH Nor hast thou here a bare Relation onely of such Passages as those Times afforded but a discovery of those Counsels by which the Action was conducted the Rules of Piety and Prudence upon which it was carryed the several steps by which it was promoted or retarded in the Change of Times together with the Intercurrence of such civil Concernments both at home and abroad as either were co-incident with it or related to it So that We may affirm of this present History as Florus doth of his Compendium of the Roman Stories Ut non tam populi unius quam totius generis humani that is to say That it contains not onely the Affairs of one State or Nation but in a manner of the greatest part of all Civil Governments The Work first hinted by a Prince of an undanted Spirit the Master of as great a Courage as the World had any and to say truth the Work required it He durst not else have grapled with that mighty Adversary who claiming to be Successour to St. Peter in the See of Rome and Vicar-General to Christ over all the Church had gained unto himself an absolute Sovereignty over all Christian Kings and Princes in the Western Empire But this King being violently hurried with the transport of some private Affections and finding that the Pope appeared the greatest Obstacle to his desires he first divested him by degrees of that Supremacy which had been challenged and enjoyed by his Predecessours for some Ages past and finally extinguished His Authority in the Realm of England without noise or trouble to the great admiration and astonishment of the rest of the Christian World This opened the first way to the Reformation and gave encouragement to those who enclined unto it To which the King afforded no small Countenance out of Politick Ends by suffering them to have the Bible in the Englishâ—ongue â—ongue and to enjoy the benefit of such Godly Tractates as openly discovered the Corruptions of the Church of Rome But for his own part he adhered to his old Religion severely persecuted those who dissented from it and dyed though Excommunicated in that Faith and Doctrine which he had sucked in as it were with his Mother's Milk and of the wâ—ich he shewâ—d himself so stout a Champion against Martin Luther in his first Quarrels with the Pope Next comes a Minor on the Stage just mild and gracious whose Name was made a Property to serve turns withall and his Authority abused as commonly it happeneth on the like occâ—sions to his own undoing In his first year the Reformation was resolved on but on different ends endeavoured by some Godly Bâ—shops and other Learned and Religious Men of the lower Clergy out of Judgment Conscience who managed the Affair according to the Word of God the Practice of the Primitive Times the general current and consent of the old Catholick Doctours but not without an Eye to such Foreign Churches as seemed to have most consonancy to the antient Forms Promoted with like Zeal and Industry but not with like Integrity and Christian Candour by some great men about the Court who under colour of removing such Corruptions as remained in the Church had cast their â—yes upon the spoil of Shrines and Images though still preserved in the greatest part of the Lutheran Churches and the improving of their own Fortunes by the â—hantery-Lands All which most sacrilegiously they divided amongst themselves without admitting the poor King to his share therein though nothing but the filling of his Coffers by the spoil of the one and the encrease of his Revenue by the fall of the other was openly pretended in the Conduct of it But separating this â—bliquity from the main Intendment the Work was vigorously carryed on by the King and his Councellours as appears clearly by the Doctrinals in the Book of Homilies and by the Practical part of Christian Pâ—ety in the first Publick Liturgie confirmed by Act of Parliament in the second and third year of this King and in that Act and which is more by Fox himself affirmed to have been done by the especial aid of the Holy Ghost And here the business might have rested if Catvin's Pragmatical Spirit had not interposed He first began to quarrel at some passages in this Sacred Liturgâ—e and afterwards never left solliciting the Lord Protectour and practising by his Agents on the Court the Countrey and the Universities till he had laid the first Foundation of the Zuinglian Faction who laboured nothing more then Innovation both in Doctrine and Discipline To which they were encouraged by nothing more then some improvident Indulgence granted unto John A-Lasco Who bringing with him a mixt multitude of Poles and Germans obtained the Privilege of a Church for himself and his distinct in Government and Forms of Worship from the Church of England This gave a powerful animation to the Zuinglian Gospellers as they are called by Bishop Hooper and some other Writers to practise first upon the Church who being countenanced if not headed by the Earl of Warwick who then began to undermine the Lord Protectour first quarrelled the Episcopal Habit and afterwards inveighed against Caps and Surplices against Gowns and Tippets but fell at last upon the Altars which were left standing in all Churches by the Rules of the Liturgie The touching on this String made excellent Musick to most of the Grandees of the Court who had before cast many an envious Eye on those costly Hangings thâ—t Massie Plate and other rich and preâ—ious Utensils which adorned those Altars And What need all this waste said Judas when one poor Chalice onely and perhaps not that might have served the turn Besides there was no small spoil to be made of Copes in which the Priest officiated at the Holy Sacrament some of them being made of Cloth of Tyssue of Cloth of Gold and Silver or embroidered Velvet the meanest being made of Silk or Sattin with
Queens Progenitours but that we may the better understand the State of that Family which was to Act so great a part on the Stage of England Know then that Queen Jane Seimour was Daughter of S. John Seimour of Wolf-Hall in the County of Wilts Descended from that William de S. Mauro contractedly afterwards called Seimour who by the Aide of Gilbert Lord Mareshall Earle of Pembrooke recovered Wendy aud Penhow now parts of Monmouth shire from the hands of the Welsh Anno. 1240. being the two and twentieth yeare of King Henry the thirds Reign which William as he descended lineally from the 〈…〉 d' Sancto Mauro whose name we find in the Roll of Battle Abbey amongst those Noble Families which came in with the Conquerour so was he one of the Progenitours of that S. Roger S. Maur or Seimour Knight who marryed one of the daughters and Heires of John Beauchamp of Hach a right Noble Baron who brought his Pedigree from Sybill one of the five daughters and Heires of William Mareshall the famous and most puissant Earle of Pembrooke married to William de Herrares Earle of Herrars and Darby as also from Hugh d' Vivon and William Mallet men in times past most Renowned for Estate and Chivalry which goodly Patrimony was afterwards very much augmented by the mariage of one of this Noble Family with the Daughter and Heire of the Esturmies Lords of Wolf-Hall not far from Marleborough in the County of Wilts who bare for Armes Argent 3. Dâ—mie Lions Gules And from the time of King Henry the second were by right of inheritance the Bayliffes and Guardians of the Forrest of Sarernaâ—k lying hard by which is of great note for plenty of Good Game and for a kind of Ferne there that yieldeth a most pleasant savour In remembrance whereof their Hunters Horne of a mighty bigness and tipt with silver is kept by the Earles of Hartford unto this day as a Monument of their Descent from such Noble Ancestors Out of which house came Sir John Seimour of Wolfe-Hall the Father of this Excellent Queen as also of three sons Edward Henry and Thomas of which we shall speak somewhat severally in the way of Preamble the first and last being Principal Actors on the Publique Theatre of King Edwards Reigne And first Sir Edward Seymour the Eldest son received the Order of Knighthood at the hands of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk and brother in law to King Henry the Eighth In the fifteenth yeare of whose Reign he Commanded a Right puissant Army in a War with France where he took the Town of Mont Dedier and other pieces of Importance On this foundation he began the rise of his following Fortunes exceedingly improved by the Mariage of the King with his only sister from whom on Tuesday in Whitson week Anno 1536. he received the Title of Viscount Beauchamp with reference to his Descent from the Lord John Beauchamp above mentioned and on the eighteenth of October in the yeare next following he was created Earle of Hartford A man obierved by Sir John Haywood in his History of K. Edward the sixth to be of little esteem for Wisdom Personage or Courage in Armes but found withall not onely to be very faithfull but exceeding fortunate as long as he served under the more Powerfull Plannet of King Henry the eighth About five yeares before the end of whose Reign He being then Warden of the Marches against Scotland the invasion of K. James the fifth was by his direction encountred and broken at Solâ—me Mosse where divers of the Scottish Nobility were taken Prisoners In the next yeare after accompanied with Sir John Dudly Viscount Lisle Created afterwards Earle of Warwick and Duke of Northumberland by king Edward the sixth with a handfull of men he fired Lieth and Edinborough and returned by a leisurely March 44. miles thorough the body of Scotlanâ— And in the year following he invaded the Scottish Borders wasted Tive dale and the Marches defacing all those Parts with spoyle and ruine As fortunate in his undertakings against the French as against the Scoâ—s for being appointed by the King to view the Fortifications upon the Marches of Callice he did not onely perform that service to the Kings contentment but with the hardy approach of 7000. English men raised an Army of 21000. French Encamped over the River before Bolloine won their Ordinance Carriage Treasure aâ—d Tents with the loss only of one man winning in his return from thence the Caâ—tle of Ouling commonly called the Red Pile within shot and rescue of the Town of Ardes And finally in the yeare ensuing being the last of that Kings Reign he began the Fortresses of New Haven Blackness and Bullingberg in which he plyed his worke so well that before his departure from those places he had made them tenable Such were hâ—s Actings in the time of King Henry the Eighth against whose Powerfull Genius there was no withstanding In all whose time he never rose to any haughtiness in himselfe or contempt of others but still remained curteous and affable towards all choosing a course least subject to envy between stâ—ffe stubbornness and servile flattery without aspiring any further then to hold a second place in the Kings good Grace But being left unto himself and either overwhelmed by the Greatness of that Authority which was cast upon him in the Minority of King Edward or undermined by the practises of his cunning and malicious Enemies he suddenly became according to the usuall Disports of Fortune a calamitous ruine as being in himselfe of an easie nature apt to be wrought upon by more subtle heads and wholly Governed by his last wife of which more hereafter In the mean time we are to know that having married one of the daughters and Co-heires of William Hilol of Woodlands in the County of Dorset he had by her amongst other children a son called Edward from whom descends Sir Edward Seimâ—ure of Berrie Pomerie in the County of Devon Knight and Barron After whose death he married Ann the daughter of Sir Edward Stanhop by whom he had a soâ— called Edward also on whom he was prevailed with to entaile both his Lands and Honours the children of the former bed being pretermitted Concerning which there goes a stoâ—y that the Earle having been formerly â—mployed in France did there acquaint himselfe with a Learned man supposed to have great skill in Magick of whom he obtained by great rewards and importunities to let him see by the help of some Magicall perspective in what Estate all his Relations stood at home In which impertinent curiosity he was so â—arr satisfied as to behold a Gentleman of his acquaintance in a more familiar posture with his wife then was agreeable to the Honour of either Party To which Diabollicall Illusion he is said to have given so much credit that he did not only estrange himselfe from her society at his coming home but furnished his next wife with an excellent opportunity
symitry which showed it selfe in all her features and what she carried on that side by that advantage was over-ballanced on the other by a pleasing sprightfulnesse which gained as much upon the hearts of all beholders It was conceived by those Great Critticks in the schooles of Beauty that love which seemed to threaten in the eyes of Queen Jane did only seem to sport it selfe in the eyes of Queen Ann that there was more Majesty in the Gaâ—b of Queen Jane Seimour and more lovelinesse in that of Queen Ann Bollen yet so that the Majesty of the one did excell in Lovelyness and that the Lovelinesse of the other did exceed In majesty Sir John Russell afterwards Earle of Bedford who had beheld both Queens in their greatest Glories did use to say that the richer Queen Jane was in clothes the fairer she appeared but that the other the richer she was apparrelled the worse she looked which showes that Queen Ann only trusted to the Beauties of Nature and that Queen Jane did sometimes help her selfe by externall Ornaments In a word she had in her all the Graces of Queen Ann but Governed if my conjecture doth not faile me with an evener and more constant temper or if you will she may be said to be equally made up of the two last Queens as having in her all the Attractions of Queen Ann but Regulated by the reservednesse of Queen Katharine also It is not to be thought that so many rare perâ—ections should be long concealed from the eye of the King or that love should not worke in him it's accustomed effects of desire and hope In the prosecution whereof he lay so open to discovery that the Queen couâ—d not chuse but take notice of it and intimated her suspitioâ—s to him as appeares by a letter of hers in the Scrinia Sacra Iâ— which she signifies unto him that by hastning her intended death he would be left at liberty both before God and man to follow his affection already setled on the Party for whose sake she was reduced unto that condition and whose name she could some while since have pointed to his Grace not being ignorant of her suspicions And it appeared by the event that she was not much mistaken in the Mark she aimed at For scarce had her lementable death which happened on the nineteenth of May prepared the way for the Legitimating of this new affection but on the morrow after the King was secretly married to Mistress Seimour and openly showed her as his Queen in the Whitsontide following A Marriage which made some alteration in the face of the Court in the advancing of her kindred and discountenancing the Dependants of the former Queen but otherwise produced no change in Affaires of State The King proceeded as before in suppressing Monasteries extinguishing the Popes Authority and â—ltering divers things in the face of the Câ—uâ—ch which tended to that Reformation which after followed For on the eighth of June began the Parliament in which here past an Act for tâ—e finall extinguishing of the Power of the Popes of Rome Cap. 10. And the next day a Convocation of the Bishops and Clergy managed by Sir Thomas Cromwell advanced about that time unto the Title of Lord Cromwell of Wimbledon and made his Majesties Viccar Generall of all Ecclesiast â—all Matâ—ers in the Realme of England By whose Authority a book was published after Mature debate and Deliberation under the name of Articles Devised by the Kings Highness in which mentioned â—ut three Sacraments that is to â—ay Baptisme Penâ—ance and the Lords Supper Besides which book there were some Acts agreed upon in the Convocation for diminishing the superflâ—ous number of Holy dayes especially of such as happened in the time of Harvest Sâ—gnified afterwards to the people in certain Injunctions published in the Kings name by the new Viccar Generall as the first fruits of his Authority In which it was ordained amongst other things that the Curates in every Parish Church should teach the People to say the Lords Prayer the Creed the Ave-Mary and the Ten Commandments in the English Tongue But that which seemed to make most for the Advantage of the new Queen and her Posterity if it please God to give her any was the unexpected death of the Duke of Richmond the Kings naturall Son begotten on the body of the Lady Talboiâ— So dearly cherished by his Father having then no lawful Issuâ—-male that in the sixth yeare of his Age An. 1525. he created him Earl of Nottingham and not long after Duke of Richmond and Sommerset preferred him to the Honourable office of Earle Marshall elected him into the Order of the Garter made him Lord Admirall of the Royall Navy in an expedition against France and finally Affianced him to Mary the daughter of Thomas Howard Duke of Norâ—olk the most â—owerfull Subject in the Kingdom Now were these all the favours intended to him The Crown it selfe being designed him by the King in default of Lawfull Issue to be procreated and begotten of his Royall Body For in the Act of the Succession which past in the Parliament of this year the Crown being first setled upon the Issue of this Queen with the remainder to the Kings issue lawfully begotten on any following wife whatsoever there past this clause in favour of the Duke of Richmond as it was then generally conceived that is to say That for lack of lawfull heires of the Kings body to be procreated or begotten as is afore limitted by this Act it should and might be lawfull for him to confer the same on any such Person or Persons in Possession and Remainder as should please his Highnesse and according to such Estate and after such manner â—orme fashion order and condition as should be expressed declared named and lâ—mitted in his said Letters Patents or by his last Will the Crown to be enjoyed by such person or persons so to be nominated and appointed in as large and ample manner as if such Person or Persons had been his Highnesse Lawfull Heires to the Imperiall Crown of this Realm And though it might please God as it after did to give the King some Lawfull Issue by this Queen yet took he so much care for this naturall son as to enable himselfe by another Clause in the said Act to advance any person or persons of his most Royall Blood by Letters Patents under the Great Seale to any Title Stile or Name of any Estate Dignity or Honour whatsoever it be and to give to them or any of them any Castles Honours Mannours Lands Tenements Liberties Franchiefes or other Hereditaments in â—ee simple or Fee â—tail or for terme of their lives or the life of any of them But all these expectations and Provisions were to no effect the Duke departing this life at the age of 17 yeares or thereabouts within few dayes after the ending of this Session that is to say on the 22th day of July Anno 1536. to the
made 〈◊〉 Purple silke and Gold garnished with the like girdle he is girt withall thereby showing him to be Duke of Cornwall by birth and not by Creation A cap of the same velvet thaâ—â—is 〈◊〉 is of furred with â—â—mines with Laces and a button and Tassells on the Crown thereof made of Venice Gold A Garland or a little Coronet of Gold to be put on his head together with his Cap. A long golden verge or Rod beâ—okening his Government A ring of Gold also to be put on the third finger of his left hand whereby he was â—o declare his Marriage made with equity and Justice But scarce were these provâ—sions ready but the Kings sicknesse brought a stop and his death shortly afâ—er put an end to those preparations the expectation of a Principality being therâ—by changed to the posâ—ession oâ— a Crown For the King having long lived a voluptuous life and indulgent too much unto his Pallate was gâ—owne so corpulent or rather so overâ—grownâ— with in unweildly burâ—hen of flesh that he was not able to go up staires from one roome to another but as hâ— was hoised up by an Engine Whâ—ch filling his body with â—oule and foggy humours and those humours falling into his leg in which 〈…〉 ancient and uncured â—ore they there began to settle to an inflamation 〈…〉 both waste his Spirits and increase his passions In thâ— mâ—ddest of 〈…〉 it was not his least care to provide for the safetâ— of his Sâ—n and preserve the succession of the Crown to his own Posterity At such time as he had married Queen Ann Bollen he procured hâ—s daughter Mary to be declared 〈◊〉 by Act of Parliament the like he also did by his daughter Elizabeth when he haâ— married Queen Jane Sâ—imour setling the Crown upon his issue by the said Queen Jane But having no other issue by her but Prince Edward only and none at all by any of his following wives he thought it a high point of Prâ—dence as indeed it was to establish the Succession with more stayes then one and not to let it rest on so weak a staffe as a childe of little more then nine yeares of age For which cause he procured an Act of Parliament in the 35th yeare of his Reign in which it is declared that in default of issue of the said Prince Edward the Crowne should be entailed to the Kings daughter the Lady Mary and the Heires of her body and for default thereof to the Kings daughter the Lady Elizabeth and the heires of her body and for lack of such issue to such as the King by his Letters Patents or his Last Will in Writing should Limit So that he had three children by three severall wives two of them borne of questionable Marriages yet all made capable by this Act of having their severall turnes in the succession as it after proved And though a threefold cord be not easily broken yet he obtained further power for disposing the Crown if their issue failed whereof being now sick and fearing his approaching end he resolved to make such use in laying down the State of the succession to the Crown Imperiall as was more agreeable to his private passions then the Rules of Justice which appeared plainly by his excluding of the whole Scottish Line descended from the Lady Margaret his eldest sister from all hopes thereof unlesse perhaps it may be said that the Scottish Line might be sufficiently provided for by the Marriage of the young Queen with the Prince his Son and that it was the Scotâ— own fault if the match should faile This care being over and the Succession setled by his Last Will and Testament bearing date the 28th of December being a full moneth before his death he began to entertaine some feares and Jealousies touching the safety of the Prince whom he should leave unto a factious and divided Court who were more like to serve their own turns by him then advance his interest His brother-in-Law the Duke of Suffolk in whom he most confided died not long before the kindred of Queen Jane were but new in Court of no Authority in themselves and such as had subsisted chiefly by the countenance which she had from him As they could contribute little to the defence of the Princes person and the preservation of his Rightâ— So there were some who had the Power and who could tell but that they also had the will to change the whole frame of his design and take the Government to themselves Amongst which there was none more feared then the Noble Lord Henry Earle of Surrey the eldest son of Thoâ—as Howard Duke of Norfolk strong in Alliance and Dependance of a Revenue not inferiour to some forreign Kings and that did derive his Pedigree from King Edward the first The Earle himselfe beheld in generall by the English as the chiefe Ornament of the Nation Highly esteemed for his Chivalry his Affability his learning and whatsoever other Graces might either make him amiable in the eyes of the people or formidable in the sight of a jealous impotent and way-ward Prince Against him therefore and his Father there were Crimes devised their persons put under an Arrest their Arraignment prosecuted at the Guild Hall in London where they both received the sentence of death which the Earle suffered on the Tower Hill on the 19. of January the old Duke being reserved by the Kings death which followed within nine dayes after for more happy times Which brings into my minde a sharp but shrewd Character of this King occurring in the writings of some but more common in the mouthes of many that is to say that be never spared woman in his lust nor man in his anger For proofe of which last it is observed that he brought unto the block two Queens two Noble Ladies one Cardinall declared of Dukes Marquisses Earles and the sons of Earles no fewer then twelve Lords and Knights eighteen of Abbots and Priors thirteen Monks and Religious Persons about seventy seven and many more of both Religions to a very great number So as it cannot be denied that he had too much as all great Monarchs must have somewhat of the Tyrant in him And yet I dare not say with Sir Walter Rawleigh That if all the patterns of a mercilesse Prince had been lost in the World they might have been found in this one King some of his Executions being justifiable by the very nature of their Crimes others to be imputed to the infelicity of the times in which he lived and may be ascribed unto Reasons of State the Exigences whereof are seldom squared by the Rule of Justice His Infirmity and the weaknesse which it brought upon him having confined him to his bed he had a great desire to receive the Sacrament and being perswaded to receive it in the easiest posture sitting or raised up in his bed he would by no meanes yield unto it but caused himselfe to be taken up placed in his chaire
with the present as to receive the same in a Sollemn Assembly of the Cardinalls and Court of Rome expressing the contentment which he took therein by a fluent Oration the Copy whereof we have in Speed Fol. 991. And whereas in former times the French were Honoured with the Title of Most Christian and the Spaniard lately with the Title of The Catholick King This Pope in due acknowledgement of so great a Merit bestowes on Henry the more Glorious Attribute of The Defender of the Faith Which Bull being dated on the tenth of Octob. Anno 1521. is to be found exemplified in The Titles of Honour and thither I referr the Reader for his satisfaction Twenty three yeares the King enjoyed this Title by no other Grant then the Donation of Pope Leo. But then considering with himselfe that it was first Granted by that Pope as a Personall favour and not intended to descend upon his Posterity as also that the Popes by the reason of such differences as were between them might possibly take a time to deprive him of it he resolved to stand no longer on a ground of no greater certainty And therefore having summoned his High Court of Parliament to Assemble on the 29th of March Anno 1544. he procured this Title to be assured unto his Person and to be made perpetuall to his Heires and Successors for all times succeeding For which Consult the Statute 35. Hen. 8. Cap. 3. And by the Act it was ordained that whosoever should malitiously diminish any of his Majesties Royall Titles or seek to deprive him of the same should suffer death as in case of Treason and that from thenceforth the Stile Imperiall should no otherwise be exprest then in this forme following that is to say N. N. by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and on Earth of the Churches of England and Ireland the Supreme Head By vertue of which Act Queen Mary still retained this Title though she disclaimed the other of Supreme Head by Act of Parliament in the first yeare of her Reign as being incompetible with her submission and Relations to the See of Rome As for the Title of King of Ireland it was first given unto this King by a Parliament there holden in the Month of June 1541. under Sir Anthony Saint-Leiger being then Lord Deputy The Acts whereof being transmitted to the King and by him confirmed he caused himselfe to be first Proclaimed King of Ireland on the 23th of January then next following Which though it added somewhat to him in point of Title yet it afforded him no advantage in point of Power but that the name of King was thought to carry more respect and awe with it amongst the Irish then the Title of Lord which only till that time had been assumed by the Kings of England For otherwise the Kings of England from the first Conqâ—est of the Country by King Henry the second enjoyed and exercised all manner of Royalties and Preheminences which do or can belong to the greatest Kings Governing the same by their Vice-Gerâ—nts to whom sometimes they gave the Title of Lord Lieutenants sometimes Lord Deputies of Ireland then whom no Vice-Roy in the VVorld comes nearer to the Pomp and splendor of a Soveraign Prince And though they took no other Title to themselves then Lords of Ireland yet they gave higher Titles to their Subjects there many of which they advanced to the Honour and Degree of Earles And at the same time when King Richard the second contented himselfe with no Higher Stile then Lord of Ireland he exalted his great Favourite Robert d' Vere the tenth Earle of Oxon of that Family first to the Dignity and Stile of Marquesse of Dublin and after to the invidious Appellation of Duke of Ireland which he enjoyed unto his death The Countrey at the same time changed it's Title also being formerly no otherwise called in our Records then Terra Hiberniea or the Land of Ireland but from henceforth to be called upon all occasions in Acts of Parliament Proclamations and Letters Patents by the name of Regnum Hiberniae or the Realm of Ireland At the assuming of which new Title by this King the Scots were somewhat troubled but the Pope much more The Scots had then some footing in the North parts of that Iland and thought the taking of that Title by the Kings of England to tend to the endangering of their possession or at least to bring them under a Subjection of a Foreign Prince And on the other side it was complained of in the Court of Rome as a great and visible encroachment on the Pâ—pall Power to which it only appertained to erect new Kingdomes and that the injury was the greater in the present case because the King holding that Iland by no other Title as it was then and there pretended then by the Donation of Pope Adrian to King Henry the second was not withâ—ut the Popes consent to assume that Title But the King cared as little for the Pope as he did for the Scots knowing how able he was to make good all his Actings against them both and not only for enjoying this Title for the rest of his life but for the leaving of it to his Heires and Successors though afterward Queen Mary accepted a new Grant of it from the Pope then being Having thus setled and confirmed the Regall Style his next care was for setling and preventing all disputes and quarrells which might be raised about the Succession of the Crown if the Prince his son should chance to dye without lawfull issue as he after did In which as he discharged the trust reposed in him so he waved nothing of the Power which he had took unto himself by Act of Parliament made in that behalfe in the 35 year of his Reign as before wasnoted In pursuance whereof finding himself sensibly to decay but having his wits and understanding still about him he framed his last Wil and Testament which he caused to be signed and attested on the 30 of December Anno 1546 being a full Month before his death First published by Mr. Fuller in his Church History of Brittain Lib. 5. Fol. 243 244. And out of him I shall crave leave to transcribe so much thereof as may suffice to show unto posterity the sence he had of his own condition the vile esteem he had of his sinfull body what pious but unprofitable care he took for the Decent Interment of the same in what it was wherein he placed the hopes of Eternall life and finally what course he was pleased to take in the intailing of the Crown after his decease by passing over the line of Scotland and setling the Reversion in the House of Suffolk if his own children should depart without lawfull Issue as in fine they did In which and in some other points not here summed up the Reader may best satisfie himselfe by the words and tenour of the VVill which are
unto the Church of Saint Peter in Westminster was placed in the Chair of Saint Edward the Confessour in the middest of a Throne seven steps high This Throne was erected near unto the Altar upon a Stage arising with steps on both sides covered with Carpets and Hangings of Arras Where after the King had rested a little being by certain noble Courtiers carried in another Chair unto the four sides of the Stage He was by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury declared unto the People standing round about both by God's and Man's Laws to be the Right and Lawfull King of England France and Ireland and Proclaimed that day to be Crowned Consecrated and Anointed Unto whom He demanded whether they would obey and serve or Not By whom it was again with a loud cry answered God save the King and Ever live his Majesty Which Passage I the rather note because it is observed that at the Coronation of some former Kings The Arch-Bishop went to the four squares of the Scaffold and with a loud voice asked the Consent of the People But this was at such Times and in such Cases only when the Kings came unto the Crown by Disputed Titles for maintainance whereof the Favour and Consent of the people seemed a matter necessary as at the Coronations of King Henry the Fourth or King Richard the Third and not when it devolved upon them as it did upon this King by a Right unquestioned The Coronation was accompanied as the Custome is with a general Pardon But as there never was a Feast so great from which some men departed not with empty bellies so either out of Envy or some former Grudge or for some other cause unknown six Persons were excluded from the taste of this gracious Banquet that is to say the Lord Thomas Howard Duke of Nâ—rfolk a condemned Prisoner in the Tower Edward Lord Courtney eldest Son to the late Marquess of Exeter beheaded in the last times of King Henry the Eight Cardinal Pâ—le one of the Sons of Margaret Countess of Salisbury proscribed by the same King also Doctour Richard Pate declared Bishop of Worcester in the place of Hierome de Nugaticis in the year 1534. and by that Name subscribing to some of the first Acts of the Councel of Trent who being sent to Rome on some Publick Imployment chose rather to remain there in perpetual Exile then to take the Oath of Supremacy at his coming home as by the Laws he must have done or otherwise have fared no better then the Bishop of Rochester who lost his head on the refusal Of the two others Fortescue and Throgmorton I have found nothing but the Names and therefore can but name them onely But they all lived to better times the Duke of Norfolk being restored by Queen Mary to his Lands Liberty and Honours as the Lord Courtney was to the Earldom of Devonshire enjoyed by many of his Noble Progenitours Cardinal Pole admitted first into the Kingdom in the capacity of a Legate from the Pope of Rome and after Cranmer's death advanced to the See of Canterbury and Doctour Pate preferred unto the actual Possession of the See of Worcester of which he formerly had enjoyed no more but the empty Title These Great Solemnities being thus passed over the Grandees of the Court began to entertain some thoughts of a Reformation In which they found Arch-Bishop Cranmer and some other Bishops to be as foreward as themselves but on different ends endeavoured by the Bishops in a pious Zeal for rectifying such thing as were amiss in God's publick Worship but by the Courtiers on an Hope to enrich themselves by the spoil of the Bishopricks To the Advancement of which work the Conjuncture seemed as proper as they could desire For First the King being of such tender age and wholly Governed by the Will of the Lord Protectour who had declared himself a friend to the Lutheran Party in the time of King Henry was easie to be moulded into any form which the authority of Power and Reason could imprint upon Him The Lord Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk and Doctour Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who formerly had been the greatest Sticklers at the Coâ—ncil-Table in Maintainance of the Religion of the Church of Rome were not long able to support it the one of them being a condemned Prisoner in the Tower as before was said and the other upon some just displeasure not named by King Henry amongst the Councellours of State who were to have the managing of Affairs in His Son's Minoâ—â—ty Bonner then Bishop of London was absent at that time in the Court of the Emperour to whom he had been sent Embassadour by the former King And no professed Champion for the Papacy remained amongst them of whom they had cause to stand in doubt but the new Earl of South-hampton Whom when they were not able to remove from his old Opinions it was resolved to make him less both in Power and Credit so that he should not be able to hinder the pursuit of those Counsels which he was not willing to promote And therefore on the sixth of March the Great Seal was taken from him by the King's Command and for a while committed to the custody of Sir William Pawlet Created Lord St John of Basing and made Great Master of the Houshold by King Henry the Eighth And on the other side it was thought expedient for the better carrying on of the Design not onely to release all such as had been committed unto Prison but also to recall all such as had been forced to abandon the Kingdom for not submitting to the Superstitions and Corruptions of the Church of Rome Great were the Numbers of the first who had their Fetters strucken off by this mercifull Prince and were permitted to enjoy that Liberty of Conscience for which they had suffered all Extremities in His Father's time Onely it is observed of one Thomas Dobbs once Fellow of Saint John's-College in Cambridg condemned for speaking against the Mass and thereupon committed to the Counter in Bread-street that he alone did take a view of this Land of Canaan into which he was not suffered to enter It being so ordered by the Divine Providence that he died in Prison before his Pardon could be signed by the Lord Protectour Amongst the rest which were in number very many those of chief note were Doctour Miles Coverdale after Bishop of Exeter Mr. John Hooper after Bishop of Glocester Mr. John Philpot after Arch-Deacon of Winchester Mr. John Rogers after one of the Prebends of Saint Paul's and many others eminent for their Zeal and Pâ—ety which they declared by preferring a good Conscience before their Lives in the time of Queen Mary But the busâ—nâ—ss was of greater Moment then to expect the coming back of the Learned men who though they came not time enough to begin the work yet did they prove exceeding serviceable in the furtherance of it And therefore neither to lose time nor to press too
or else made a Nursery of Rapines Robberies and Murthers the Inner Parts often deeply pierced and made a wretched Spectacle to all Eys of Humanity and Pity That The Honour of both Realms wâ—uld Increase as well in regard of the Countries sufficient not onely to furnish the Necessities but the moderate Pleasures of this Life as also of the People great in Multitude in Body able assured in Mind not onely for the Safety but the Glory of the Common State That Hereby would follow Assurance of Defence Strength to Enterprise Ease in sustaining publick Burthens and Charges That Herein the English dâ—sired no Pre-eminence but offered Equality both in Liberty and Privileâ—ge and in capacity of Offices and Imployments and to that end the Name of Britain should be assumed indifferent to both Nations That This would be the Complishment of their common Felicity in case by their Evil either Destiny or Advice they suffered not the Occasion to be lâ—st It was no hard matter to fore-see that either the Scots would return no Answer to this Declaration or such an Answer at the best as should signifie nothing So that the War began to open and some Hostilities to be exercised on either side before the English Forces could be drawn together For so it happened that a small Ship of the Kings called The Pensie hovering at Sea was assailed by The Lyon a principal Ship of Scotland The fight began a far off and slow but when they approached it grew very furious wherein the Pensie so applyed her Shot that therewith the Lyon's Ore-Loope was broken her Sails and Tacklings torn and lastly she was boarded and taken But as she was brought for England she was cast away by Negligence and Tempest near Hare-wich-Haven and most of her men perished with her Which small Adventure as Sir John Hayward well observes seemed to Prognosticate the Success of the War in which the English with a small Army gained a glorious Victory but were deprived of the Fruit and Benefits of it by the Storms at home All thoughts of Peace being lay'd aside the Army draws together at New-Castle about the middle of August consisting of twelve or thirteen thousand Foot thirteen hundred Men at Arms and two thousand Eight hundred light Horse Both Men and Horse so well appointed that a like Army never shewed it self before that time on the Borders of Scotland Over which Army so appointed the Lord Protectour held the Office of General the Earl of Warwick that of Liev-tenant General the Lord Gray General of the Horse and Marshal also of the Field Sir Ralph Vane Liev-tenant of all the Men at Arms and Demi-lances and Sir Ralph Sadlier Treasurer General for the Wars infeririour Offices being distributed amongst other Gentlemen of Name and Quality according to their well-deservings At Newâ—Castle they remained till the Fleet arrived consisting of sixty five Bottoms whereof one Gally and thirty four tall Ships were well-appointed for Fight the Residue served for carriage of Munition and Victuals The Admiral of this Fleet being Edward Lord Clynton created afterwards Earl of Lincoln on the fourth of May 1572. in the fourteenth year of Queen Elizabeth Making some little stay at Berwick they entred not on Scotish Ground till the third of September keeping their March along the Shore within Sight of the Fleet that they might be both Aided and Releived by it as Occasion served and making all along the Shore they fell at the end of two days into a Valley called The Peuthes containing six Miles in length in breadth about four hundred Pases toward the Sea and but one hundred toward the Land where it was shut up by a River The Issues out of it made into several paths which the Scots had caused to be cut in divers places with Traverse Trenches and thereby so incumbred the Army in their marching forwards till the Pioneers had smoothed the way that a small Power of the Enemy if their Fortune had been anwerable to the Opportunity might have given a very good Account of them to the rest of their Nation Which Dâ—fficulty being over-come and a Passage thereby given them unto places of more Advantage they made themselves Masters of the three next Castles for making good of their Retreat if the worst should happen Upon the first News of these Approaches enlarged as the Custome is by the Voice of Fame the Earl of Arran being then Lord Governour of Scotland was not meanly startled as being neither furnished with Foreign Aid nor much relying on the Forces which He had at Home Yet resuming his accustomed Courage and well-acquainted with both Fortunes He sent His Heralds through all parts of the Realm commanded the Fire-Cross that is to say two Fire-brands set in fashion of a Cross and pitched upon the point of a Spear to be advanced in the Field according to the Ancient Custome of that Country in Important Cases and therewithall caused Proclamation to be made That All Persons from sixteen years of Age to sixty should repair to Muscle-borough and bring their Ordinary Provision of Victuals with them Which Proclamation being made and the Danger in which the Kingdom stoodrepresented to them the People flocked in such Multitudes to their Rendezâ—vâ—us that it was thought fit to make choice of such as were most serviceable and dismiss the Rest. Out of which they compounded an Army the Nobility and Gentry with their Followers being Reckoned in consisting of thirty thousand Foot and two thousand Horse but poorly Armed fitter to make Excursions or to execute some suddain Inroad then to entertain any strong Charge from so brave an Army The Armies drawing near together the General and the Earl of Warwick rode towards the place where the Scotish Army lay to view the manner of their incamping As they were returning an Herald and a Trumpeter from the Scots overtook them and having obtained Audience thus the Herald began That He was sent from the Lord Governour of Scotland partly to enquire of Prisoners but chiefly to make offer that because he was desirous not onely to avoid profusion but the least effusion of Christian blood and for that the English had not done any unmanlike Outrage or Spoyle he was content they might return and should have his Safe-conduct for their peaceable passage Which said the Trumpeter spake as followeth That The Lord Huntly His Master sent Message by him that as well for brief Expedition as to spare expence of Christian blood He would fight upon the whole Quarrel either with twenty against twenty or with ten against ten or more particularly by single Combate between the Lord General and himself Which in regard the Scots had advantage both for Number and Freshness of men in regard also that for Supply both for Provision and Succours they were at home be esteemed an Honourable and charitable Offer To the Herald the Lord General returned this Answer That As his coming was not with purpose or desire to endamage their Realm
as he was there he would neither intreat nor accept of him leave to depart but would measure his Marches in Advancing or Retiring as his own Judgment guided by Advice of his Council should deem expedient To the Trumpeter he returned this Answer That The Lord Huntly His Master was a young Gentleman full of Free Courage but more desirous of Glory then Judicious as it seemed how to win it That For number of Combatants it was not in his power to conclude a bargain but he was to employ all the Forces put under his Charge to the best advantage that he could That In case this were a particular Quarrel between the Governour and Him he would not refuse a particular Combate but being a difference between the two Kingdoms it was neither fit nor in his Power either to undertake the Adventure upon his own Fortune or bearing a Publique Charge to hazard himself against a man of Private condition Which said and the Earl of Warwick offering to take upon himself the Answer to Huntly's Challenge the Lord Protectour interposed and turning again unto the Herald Herald saith he tell the Lord Governour and the Lord Huntly that we have entred your Country with a sober Company which in the Language of the Scots is poor and mean your Army is both Great and Fresh but let them appear upon indifferent Ground and assuredly they shall have fighting enough And bring me word that they will so do and I will reward thee with a thousand Crowns These Braveries thus passed over on either side the Lord Protectour wisely considering with himself the uncertain Issue of pitched Fields and minding to preserve his Army for some other purposes thought fit to tempt the Scots by another Missive to yield unto his just Demands In which he wished them to consider That This War was waged amongst Christians And that Our Ends were no other then a just Peace whereto the endeavours of all Good men should tend That An Occasion not onely of a League but of a Perpetual Peace was now happily offered if they would suffer the two differing and Emulous Nations by uniting the Head to grow together That As this had formerly been sought by us so had it been generally Assented to by the Estates of Scotland That Therefore he could not but wonder why they should rather Treacherously recurr to Arms The events of War being usually even to the Victour sufficiently unfortunate then to maintain inviolate their Troth plighted to the Good of both Nations That They could not in reason expect that their Queen should perpetually live a Virgin-life That If she Married where could She bestow her self better then on a Puissant Monarch inhabiting the same Island and speaking the same Language That They could not choose but see what Inconveniences were the consequents of Foreign Matches Whereof they should rather make Tryal by the Examples of Others then at their Own Perill That Though he demanded nothing but Equity yet be so far abhorred the Effusion of Christian blood that if he found the Scots not utterly averse from an accord he would endeavour that some of the Contentions should be remitted That He would also consent that the Queen should abide and be brought up amongst them untill Her Age made Her Marriageable at what time She should by the Consent of the Estates Her self make choice of an Husband That In the mean time there should be a Cessation of Arms neither should the Queen be transported out of Her Realm nor entertain Treaty of Marriage with the French or any other Foreigner That if this they would Faithfully Promise he would forthwith peaceably depart out of Scotland And that Whatsoever Dammages the Country had suffered by this Invasion he would according to the esteem of indifferent Arbitratours make Ample Satisfaction What Effect this Letter might have produced if the Contents thereof had been communicated to the Generality of the Scotish Army it is hard to say Certain it is that those who had the Conduct of the Scot's Affairs as if they had been totally carried on to their own Destruction resolved not to put it to the venture but on the contrary caused it to be noised abroad That Nothing would content the English but to have the young Queen at their disposal and under colour of a Marriage to subdue the Kingdom which was to be reduced for ever to the form of a Province This false Report did so exasperate all sorts of people that they were instant for the Fight Which was as chearfully accepted by the Chief Commanders of the English Army in regard of some Intelligence which was brought unto them that the French were coming with twelve Galleys and fifty Ships to fall upon them in the Rear So as both Parties being resolved to try their Fortune they ranged their Armies in this manner The English having gained an Hill which was near their Shipping disposed their Army in this Order The Avant-Guard consisting of between three and four thousand Foot one hundred Men at Arms and six hundred light Horse-men was Conducted by the Earl of Warwick After which followed the Main-Battail consisting of about six thousand Foot six hundred Men at Arms and about one thousand light Horse-men Commanded by the Lord Protectour himself And finally the Arrear consisting of between three and four thousand Foot one hundred Men at Arms and six hundred Light-Horse was led by the Lord Dacres an Active though an Aged Gentleman The rest of the Horses was either cast into the Wings or kept for a Reserve against all Events And so the Battâ—il being dâ—sposed the Lord General in few words but with no small Gravity which to a Souldier serves in stead of Eloquence puts them in mind of the Honour which their Ancestours had acquired in that Kingdom of their own extream Disgrace and Danger if they fought not well That The Justness of their Quarrel should not so much encourage as enrage them being to revenge the Dishonour done to their King and to chastise the deceitfull dealings of their â—nemies That The multitude of their Enemies should nothing dismay them because they who come to maintain their own Breach of Faith besides that the Check of their Consciences much breaketh their spirit have the Omnipotent Arm of God mâ—st furious against them The Scots at the same time having improvidently crossed the Esk to find their Graves on this side of the water disposed their Army in this manner In the Avant-guard were placed about fifteen thousand Commanded by the Earl of Angus about ten thouâ—and in the Main-battail of whom the Lord Governour toâ—k the Conduct and so many more in the Arrear Led by the Valiant Gourdon Eaâ—l of Huntly And being ready to fall on on a false hope that the English were upon the flight the Lord Governour put them in remembrance how They could never yet be brought under by the English but were always able either to beat them back or to weary them out bidâ—â—ng them
partâ—kers of the Holy Communion Which Exhortation beginning with these Words Dearly-beloved in the Lord â—ye coming to this Holy Communion c. is in effect the last of those which afterwards remained in the Publick Liturgie Then followed the Invitation thus You that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins c. proceeding to the General Confession the Absolution the Comfortable Sentences out of Holy Scripture and so unto the Prayer of Humble Address We do not presume to come to this Table c. the Distribution of the Sacrament to the People present continuing still upon their knees and finally dismissing them In the Peace of God Which Godly Form being presented to the King and the Lords of the Council and by them exceeding well approved was Published on the eighth of March together with his Majestie 's Proclamation Authorising the same and Commanding all His Loving Subjects to conform unto it in this Manner following By the King EDWARD by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and Ireland in Earth the Supreme Head To All and Singular Our Loving Subjects Greeting For so much as in Our High Court of Parliament lately holden at Westminster it was by Vs with the consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons there Assembled most Godly and agreeable to Christ's Holy Institution Enacted That the most Blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ should from henceforth be commonly Delivered and Ministred unto all Persons within Our Realm of England and Ireland and other Our Dominions under both Kinds that is to say of Bread and Wine except necessity otherwise require lest every man fantasying and devising a sundry way by himself in the Vse of this most Blessed Sacrament of Vnity there might thereby arise any unseemly or ungodly Diversity Our pleasure is by the Advice of Our most Dear Vncle the Duke of Sommerset Governour of Our Person and Protectour of Our Realms Dominions and Subjects and other Our Privy Council that the said Blessed Sacrament be Ministred unto Our People â—nely after such Form and Manner as hereafter by Our Authority with the Advice before-mentioned is set out or declared Willing every man with due Reverence and Christian Behaviour to come to this Holy Sacrament and most Blessed Communion lest that by the unworthy receiving of such high Mysteries they become guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord and so eat and drink their own Damnation but rather diligently trying themselves that they so come to this Holy Table of Christ and so be partakers of this Holy Communion that they may dwell in Christ and have Christ dwelling in them And also with such Obedience and Conformity to receive this Our Ordinance and most Godly Direction that we may be incouraged from Time to Time further to travail for the Râ—formation and setting forth of such Godly Orders as may be most to God's Glory the Edifying of Our Subjects and for the Advancement of true Religion which is thething We by the help of God most earnestly endeavoured to bring to effect Willing all Our Loving Subjects in the mean time to stay and quiet themselves with this Our Direction as men content to follow Authority according to the bounden Duty of Subjects and not enterprising to run before and so by their Rashness become the greatest Hinderers of such things as they more arrogantly then Godly would seem by their own Private Authority most hotly to set forward We would not have Our Subjects so much to mistake Our Judgement so much to mistrust Our Zeal as though we either would not discern what were to be done or would not do all things in due time God be praised We know both what by his Word is meet to be redressed and have an earnest mind by the Advice of Our most Dear Vncle and other of Our Privy Council with all diligence and convenient speed so to set forth the same as it may most stand with God's Glory and edifying and quietness of Our People Which We doubt not but all Our Obedient and Loving Subjects will quietly and reverendly tarry for The next Care was to see the said Order put in execution of which the Lords of the Council discharged the King and took the whole Burthen on themselves For causing a sufficient Number of the Printed Copies to be sent to each Bishop in the Realm they there withall directed Letters to them Requiring and in Hiâ— Majestie 's Name Commanding them and every of them to have an earnest Diligence and carefull Respect both in their own Persons and all their Officers and Ministers for causing the said Books to be so delivered to every Parson Vicar and Curate in their several Diocesses that they may have sufficient time well to instruct and advise themselves for the Distribution of the most Holy Communion according to the Order of the said Book before Easter following and that by the good Means of them the said Bishops they may be well directed to use such Good Gentle and Charitable Instructions to their simple and unlearned Parishioners as may be to their good Satisfaction Letting them further know that as the said Order was set forth to the intent there should be in all parts of this Realm and among all men one Vniform manner quietly used so that the Execution thereof did very much stand in the Diligence of them and others of their Vocation who therefore were again required to have a diligent respect unto it as they tendred the King's pleasure and would answer the contrary Which Letter bearing Daâ—e on the thirteenth of March was subscribed by the Arch-Bishop Cranmer the Lord Chancellour Rich the Earl of Arundel the Lords St. John and Russel Mr. Secretary Petre Sir Anthony Wingfield Sir Edward North and Sir Edward â—otton In Obedience unto whose Commands as all the Bishops did not perform their parts alike Gardiner of Winchester Bonner of London Voysie of Exeter and Sampson of Coventry and Lich-field being more backward then the rest so many Parish-Priests not being willing to Advance so good a Work laboured to disaffect the People to the present Government And to that end it was endeavoured in their Sermons to possess their Auditours with an ill opinion of the King as if he did intend to lay strange Exactions on the Subject by forcing them to pay half a Crown a piece for every one who should be Married Christened or Buried For Remedy whereof it was Ordered by Proclamation bearing Date the twenty fourth of April That none should be permitted to Preach but such as were Licenced under the Seals of the Lord Protectour or the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury In the next place we must attend the King's Commissioners dispatched in the beginning of March into every Shire throughout the Realm to take a Survey of all Colleges Free-Chapels Chanteries and Brother-Hoods within the compass of the Statute or Act of Parliament
year proceeds in which there was nothing to be found but Troubles and Commotions and Disquiets both in Church and State For about this Time there started up a sort of men who either gave themselves or had given by others the Name of Gospellers of whom Bishop Hooper tells us in the Preface to his Exposition on the Ten Commandments That They be better Learned then the Holy Ghost for they wickedly attribute the Cause of Punishment and Adversity to God's Providence which is the Cause of no Ill as he himself can do no ill and of every Mischief that is done they say it is God's Will And at the same time the Anabaptists who had kept themselves unto themselves in the late King's Time began to look abroad and disperse their Dotages For the preventing of which Mischief before it grew unto a Head some of the Chiefs of them were convented on the second of April in the Church of Saint Paul before the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Westminster Doctour Cox Almoner to the King Doctour May Dean of that Church Doctour Cole Dean of the Arches and one Doctour Smith afterwards better known by the Name of Sir Thomas Smith And being convicted of their Errours some of them were dismissed onely with an Admonition some sentenced to a Recantation and others condemned to bear their Faggots at Saint Paul's Cross. Amongst which last I finde one Campneys who being suspected to incline too much to their Opinions was condemned to the bearing of a Faggot on the Sunday following being the next Sunday after Easter Doctour Miles Coverdale who afterwards was made Bishop of Exâ—ter then preaching the Rehearsal Sermon which Punishment so wrought upon him that he relinquished all his former Errours and entred into Holy Orders flying the Kingdom for the better keeping of a good Conscience in the Time of Queen Mary and coming back again with the other Exiles after Her Decease At what time he published a Discourse in the way of a Letter against the Gospellers above-mentioned In which he proves them to have laid the blame of all sins and wickedness upon God's Divine Decree of Predestination by which men were compelled unto it His Discourse answered not long after by John Veron one of the Preâ—ends of Saint Paul's and Robert Crowley Parsons of Saint Giles's near Cripplegate but answered with Scurrility and Reproach enough according to the Humour of the Predestinarians And now the Time draws on for putting the New Liturgie in Execution framed with such Judgment out of the Common Principles of Religion wherâ—in all Parties do agree that even the Catholicks might have resorted to the same without Scruple or Scandal if Faction more then Reason did not sway amongst them At Easter some began to officiate by it followed by others as soon as Books câ—â—ld be provided But on Whitsunday being the day appointed by Act of Parliament it was solemnly Executed in the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul by the Command of Doctour May for an example unto all the rest of the Churches in London and consequently of all the Kingdom In most parts whereof there was at the first a greater forwardness then could be rationally expected the 〈◊〉 men amongst the Papists conforming to it because they 〈…〉 in the maine no not so much as in the Canon of the 〈…〉 Latine Seâ—vice And the unlearned had good reason to be pleased 〈…〉 in regard that all Divine Offices were Celebrated in a Tongue whic◠〈◊〉 understood whereby they had means and opportunity to become acqâ—aintâ—â— with the châ—eâ— Mysteries of their Religion which had been before 〈◊〉 sâ—cret frâ—m â—hem But then withall many of those both Priests and Bâ—shops who â—peâ—â—y had Officiated by it to avoid the Penalty of the Law did Celebrate their private Masses in such secret places wherein it was not easie to discover their doings More confidently caâ—ried in the Church of St. Paul in many Chapels whereof by the Bishop's sufferance the former Masses were kept up that is to say Our Ladies Mass the Apostles Mass c. performed in Latine but Disguised by the English names of the Apostles Communion and Our Ladies Communion Which coming to the knowledg of the Lords of the Council they addâ—â—ssed their Letters unto Bonner Dated the twenâ—y fourth of June and Subscribed by the Lord Protectour the Lord Chancellour Rich the Earl of Shrewsbury the Lord St. John Chief Justice Mountague and Mr. Cecil made not long after one of the Secretaries of State Now the Tenour of the said Letters was as followeth AFter Hearty Commendations having very credible notice that within that your Cathedral Church there be as yet the Apostles Mass and Our Ladies Mass and other Masses of such peculiar name under the defence and nomination of Our Ladies Communion and the Apostles Communion used in private Chapels and other remote places of the same and not in the Chancel contrary to the King's Majesties Proceedings the same being for that misuse displeasing unto God for the place Pauls in example not tolerable for the fondness of the name a scorn to the Reverence of the Communion of Christ's Body and Blood We for the Augmentation of God's Glory and Honour and the Consonance of His Majestie 's Lawes and the avoiding of Murmur have thought good to will and Command you that from henceforth no such Masses in this manner be in your Church any longer used but that the Holy Blessed Communion according to the Act of Parliament be Administred at the High Altar of the Church and in no other places of the same and onelâ— at such time as your High Masses were wont to be used except some number of People desire for their necessary business to have a Communion in the Morning and yet the same to be executed at the Chancel on the High Altar as it is appointed in the Book of the Publick Servicâ— without Cautele or Digression from the Common Order And herein you shall not onely satisfie Our Expectation of your Conformity in all Lawfull things but also avoid the murmur of sundry that be therewith justly offended And so We bid your Lordship farewell c. These Commands being brought to Bonâ—er he commits the Execution of them to the Dean and Chapter not willing to engage himself too far upon either side till he had seen the Issue of such Commotions as were then raised in many Parts of the Kingdom on another occasion Some Lords and Gentlemen who were possessed of Abbey-Lands had caused many inclosures to be made of the waste Grounds in their several Mannours which they conceived to be as indeed it was a great advantage to themselves and no less profitable to the Kingdom Onely some poor and indigent people were offended at it in being thereby abridged of some liberty which before they had in raising to themselves some inconsiderable profit from the Grounds enclosed The Lord Protectour had then lost himself in the love of the Vulgar by his severe if not
of Eviland The sixth of August since that Time is observed amongst them for an Annual Feast in perpetual Gratitude to Almighty God for their Deliverance from the Rebels with far more Reason then many such Annual Feasts have been lately Instituted in some Towns and Cities for not being gained unto their King But though the Sword of War was Sheathed there remained work enough for the Sword of Justice in Executing many of the Rebels for a Terrour to others Arundel and the rest of the Chiefs were sent to London there to receive the recompense of their Deserts most of the Raskal Rabble Executed by Martial Law and the Vicar of St. Thomas one of the Principal Incendiaries hanged on the Top of his own Tower apparailed in his Popish Weeds with his Bâ—ads at his Girdle The Norfolk Rebels brake not out till the twentieth of June beginning first at a place called Ail-borough but not considerable either for Strength or Number till the sixth of July when mightily encreased by Ket a Tanner of Windham who took unto himself the conducting of them These men pretended onely against Enclosures and if Religion was at all regarded by them it was rather kept for a Reserve then suffered to appear in the Front of the Battail But when their Numbers were so vastly multiplyed as to amount to twenty thousand nothing would serve them but the suppression of the Gentry the placing of New Councellours about the King and somewhat also to be done in favour of the Old Religion Concerning which they thus Remonstrate to the King or the People rather viz First That the Free-born Commonalty was oppressed by a small Number of Gentry who glutted themselves with Pleasure whilest the poor Commons wasted with dayly Labour did like Pack-Horses live in extreme Slavery Secondly That Holy Rites Established by Antiquity were abolished New ones Authorised and a New Form of Religion obtruded to the subjecting of their Souls to those Horrid Pains which no Death could terminate And therefore Thirdly That it was necessary for them to go in person to the King to place New Councellours about him during his Minority removing those who ruling as they list confounded things Sacred and Profane and regarded nothing but the enriching of themselves with the Publick Treasure that they might Riot it amidst these Publick Calamities Finding no satisfactory Answer to these proud Demands they March directly towards Norwich and possess themselves of Moushold-Hill which gave them not onely a large Prospect over but a full Command upon that City which they entered and re-entered as they pleased For what could a Weak City do in Opposition to so Great a Multitude being neither strong by Art nor Nature and therefore not in a capacity to make any Resistance Under a large Oak on the top of this Hill since called The Oak of Reformation Ket keeps his Courts of Chancery King's Bench c. forcing the neighbouring Gentry to submit to his lawless Ordinances and committing many huge Enormities under pretense of rectifying some Abuses The King sends out his Gracious Pardon which the proud Rebels entertain with Contempt and Scorn Whereupon it was resolved that the Marquess of North-hampton should be sent against them accompanied with the Lords Sheffield and Wentworth and divers Gentlemen of Note assisted by a Band of Italians under the Command of Mala-testa an Experienced Souldier The Marquess was an excellent Courtier but one more skilled in Leading a Measure then a March so that being beaten out of Norwich into which he had peaceably been admitted with loss of some Persons of Principal Quality and the firing of a great part of the City he returns ingloriously to London Yet all this while the Lord Protectour was so far from putting himself upon the Action that he suffered his most dangerous Enemy the Earl of Warwick to go against them with such Forces as had been purposely provided for the War of Scotland Who finding the City open for him entertained the Rebels with divers Skirmishes in most of which he had the better which put them to a Resolution of forsaking the Hill and trying their Fortune in a Battail in a place called Dussing-dale where they maintained a bloody Fight But at the last were broken by the Earl's good Conduct and the valiant Loyalty of his Forces Two thousand of the Rebels are reported to have been slain in the Fight and Chase the residue of them scattered over all the Country the Principals of them taken and deservedly Executed Robert Ket hanged on Norwich-Castle William his Brother on the top of Windham-Steeple nine of his chief Followers on as many Boughs of the Oak where Ket held his Courts Which great Deliverance was celebrated in that City by a Publick Thanks giving on the twenty seventh of August and hath been since perpetuated Annually on that day to these present Times The like Rising happened about this time in York-shire began by Dale and Ombler two seditious persons and with them it ended for being taken in a Skirmish before their number had amounted to three thousand men they were brought to York where they were executed with some others on the twenty first of September then next following The breaking out of these Rebellions but most especially that of Devonshire quickned the Lords of the Council to a sharper course against all those whom they suspected not to favour the King's Proceedings nor to advance the Execution of the Publick Liturgie amongst whom none was more distrusted then Bonner of London concerning whom it was informed that by his negligence not onely many People within his Diocess were very forgetfull of their Duty to God in frequenting the Divine Service then by Law established but divers others utterly despising the same did in secret places often frequent the Popish Mass. For this he is Commanded to attend the Lords of the Council on the eleventh of August by whom he was informed of such Complaints as were made against him and so dismissed with certain private Injunctions to be observed by him for the time to come And for a further Trial to be made of his Zeal and Loyalty if it were not rather for a Snare to entrap him in he was Commanded to Preach against the Rebels at Saint Paul's Cross on the first of September and there to shew the unlawfullness of taking Arms on Pretence of Religion But on the contrary he not onely touchedâ— not upon any thing which was enjoyned him by the Council but spent the most part of his Sermon in maintenance of the Gross Carnal and Papistical presence of Christs Body and Blood in the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar Complaints whereof being made by William Latimer Parson of St. Laurence Poultâ—ey and John Hooper sometimes a Cister'ian Monk a Commission is issued out to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Rochester and Peterborough Sir Thomas Smith and Doctour May before whom he was convented at Lambeth on the tenth of the Moneth where after many
Edward Wotton Doctour Wotton and Sir Richard Southwell Of which some shewed themselves against him upon former Grudges as the Earl of South-hampton some out of hope to share those Offices amongst them which he had ingrossed unto himself many because they loved to follow the strongest side few in regard of any Benefit which was like to Redound by it to the Common-Wealth the greatest part complaining that they had not their equal Dividend when the Lands of Chanteries Free-Chapels c. were given up for a Prey to the greater Courtiers but all of them disguising their private Ends under pretense of doing service to the Publick The Combination being thus made and the Lords of the Defection convented together at Ely-House in Holborn where the Earl then dwelt they sent for the Lord Mayour and Aldermen to come before them To whom it is declared by the Lord Chancellour Rich a man of Sommerset's own preferring in a long Oration in what dangers the Kingdom was involved by the mis-Government and Practices of the Lord Protectour against whom he objected also many Misdemeanours some frivolous some false and many of them of such a Nature as either were to be condemned in themselves or forgiven in him For in that Speech he charged him amongst other things with the loss of the King's Peeces in France and Scotland the sowing of Dissension betwixt the Nobility and the Commons Embezelling the Treasures of the King and inverting the Publick stock of the Kingdom to his private use It was Objected also That he was wholly acted by the Will of his Wife and therefore no fit man to command a Kingdom That he had interrupted the ordinary Course of Justice by keeping a Court of Requests in his own House in which he many times determined of mens Free-holds That he had demolished many Consecrated Places and Episcopal Houses to Erect a Palace for himself spending one hundred pounds per diem in superflous Buildings That by taking to himself the Title of Duke of Sommerset he declared plainly his aspiring to the Crown of this Realm and finally having so unnaturally laboured the Death of his Brother he was no longer to be trusted with the Life of the King And thereupon he desires or conjures them rather to joyn themselves unto the Lords who aimed at nothing in their Counsels but the Safety of the King the Honour of the Kingdom and the Preservation of the People in Peace and Happiness But these Designs could not so closely be contrived as not to come unto the Knowledg of the Lord Protectour who then remained at Hampton-Court with the rest of the Lords who seemed to continue firm unto him And on the same day on which this meeting was at London being the sixth day of October he causeth Proclamation to be made at the Court-Gates and afterwards in other places near adjoyning requiring all sorts of persons to come in for the defence of the King's Person whom he conveyed the same night unto Windsore-Castle with a strength of five hundred men or thereabouts too many for a Guard and too few for an Army From thence he writes his Letters to the Earl of Warwick to the rest of the Lords as also to the Lord Mayour and City of London of whom he demanded a supply of a thousand men for the present service of the King But that Proud City seldom true to the Royal Interess and secretly obsequious to every popular Pretender seemed more inclinable to gratifie the Lords in the like Demands then to comply with his Desires The News hereof being brought unto him and finding that Master Secretary Peter whom he had sent with a secret Message to the Lords in London returned not back unto the Court be presently flung up the Cards either for want of Courage to play out the Game or rather choosing willingly to lose the Set then venture the whole Stock of the Kingdom on it So that upon the first coming of some of the opposite Lords to Windsore he puts himself into their hands by whom on the fourteenth day of the same Moneth he is brought to London and committed Prisoner to the Tower pitied the less even by those that loved him because he had so tamely betrayed himself The Duke of Sommerset no longer to be called Protectour being thus laid up a Parliament beginneth as the other two had done before on the fourth of November In which there passed two Acts of especial consequence besides the Act for removing all Images out of the Church and calling in all Books of false and superstitious Worship before-remembred to the concernments of Religion The first declared to this Effect That Such form and manner of making and Consecrating Arch-Bishops and Bishopt Priests Deacons and other Ministers of the Church as by six Prelates and six other Learned Men of this Realm learned in God's Law by the King to be appointed and assigned or by the most number of thâ—m shall be devised for that purpose and set forth under the Great Seal before the First of April next coming shall be lawfully exercised and used and no other The number of the Bishops and the Learned Men which are appointed by this Act assure me that the King made choice of the very same whom he had formerly imployed in composing the Liturgie the Bishop of Chichester being left out by reason of his Refractoriness in not subscribing to the same And they accordingly applyed themselves unto the Work following therein the Rules of the Primitive Church as they are rather recapitulated then ordained in the fourth Councel of Carthage Anno 401. Which though but National in it self was generally both approved and received as to the Form of Consecrating Bishops and inferiour Ministers in all the Churches of the West Which Book being finished was made use of without further Authority till the year 1552. At what time being added to the second Liturgie it was approved of and confirmed as a part thereof by Act of Parliament An. 5. Edw. 6. cap. 1. And of this Book it is we finde mention in the 36th Article of Queen Elizabeth's Time In which it is Declared That Whosoever wâ—re Consecrated and Ordered according to the Rites thereof should be reputed and adjudged to be lawfully Consecrated and rightly Ordered Which Declaration of the Church was afterwards made good by Act of Parliament in the eighth year of that Queen in which the said Ordinal of the third of King EDVVARD the Sixth is confirmed and ratified The other of the said two Acts was For enabling the King to nominate Eight Bishops as many Temporal Lords and sixteen Members of the Lower House of Parliament for reviewing all such Canons and Constitutions as remained in force by Virtue of the Statute made in the 25th year of the late King HENRY and fitting them for the Vse of the Church in all Times succeeding According to which Act the King directed a Commission to Arch-Bishop Cranmer and the rest of the Persons whom he
threatned more Danger then the other To which Request He did not onely refuse to hearken except the King would promise to restore the Catholick Religion as He called it in all His Dominions but expresly commanded that neither His Men noâ— Ammunition should go to the Assistance of the English An Ingratitude not easie to be marked with a fitting Epithete considering what fast Friends the Kings of England had alwaies been to the House of Burgundy the Rights whereof remained in the person of Charles with what sums of Money they had helped them and what sundry Wayâ— they had made for them both in the Nether-Lands to maintain their Authority and in the Realm of France it self to increase their Power For from the Marriage of Maximilian of the Family of Austriâ— with the Lady Mary of Burgundy which happened in the year 1478. unto the Death of Henry the Eight which fell in the year 1546 are just threescore and eight years In which time onely it was found on a just account that it had cost the Kings of England at the least six Millions of Pounds in the meer Quarrels of that House But the French being more assured that the English held some secret Practice with the Emperour then certain what the Issue thereof might be resolved upon a Peace with EDVVARD in hope of getting more by Treaty then he could by Force To this end one Guidolti a Florentine is sent for England by whom many Overtures were made to the Lords of the Council not as from the King but from the Constable of France And spying with a nimble Eye that all Affairs were governed by the Earl of Warwick he resolved to buy him to the French at what price soever and so well did he ply the Business that at the last it was agreed that four Ambassadours should be sent to France from the King of England to treat with so many others of that Kingdom about a Peace between the Crowns but that the Treaty it self should be held in Guisnes a Town belonging to the English in the Marches of Calice In pursuance whereof the Earl of Bedford the new Lord Paget Sir William Peter Principal Secretary of Estate and Sir John Mason Clerk of the Council were on the twenty first of January dispatched for France But no sooner were they come to Calice when Guidolâ—i brings a Letter to them from Mounsieur d' Rochpot one of the four which were appointed for that Treaty in behalf of the French In which it was desired that the English Ambassadours would repair to the Town of Bulloign without putting the French to the Charge and Trouble of so long a Journey as to come to Guisnes Which being demurred on by the English and a Post sent unto the Court to know the pleasure of the Council in that particular they received word for so the Oracle had directed that they should not stand upon Punctilioes so they gained the point nor hazard the Substance of the Work to preserve the Circumstances According whereunto the Ambassadours removed to Bulloign and pitch'd their Tents without the Town as had been desired for the Reception of the French that so they might enter on the Treaty for which they came But then a new Dâ—fficulty appeared for the French would not cross the Water and put themselves under the Command of Bulloign but desired rather that the English would come over to them and fall upon the Treaty in an House which they were then preparing for their Entertainment Which being also yielded to after some Disputes the French grew confident that after so many Condescensions on the part of the English they might obtain from them what they liâ—ted in the main of the Business For though it cannot otherwise be but that in all Treaties of this Nature there must be some Condescendings made by the one or the other yet he that yields the first inch of Ground gives the other Party a strong Hope of obtaining the rest These Preparations being made the Commissioners on both sides begin the Treaty where after some Expostulations touching the Justice or Injustice of the War on either side they came to particular Demands The English required the payment of all Debts and Pensions concluded on between the two Kings deceased and that the Queen of Scots should either be delivered to their Hands or sent back to Her Kingdom But unto this the French replyed That the Queen of Scots was designed in Marriage to the Daulphin of France and that She looked upon it as an high Dishonour that their King should be esteemed a Pensioner or Tributary to the Crown of England The French on the other side propounded That all Arrears of Debts and Pensions being thrown aside as not likely to be ever paid they should either put the higher Price on the Town of Bulloign or else prepare themselves to keep it as well as they could From which Proposals when the French could not be removed the Oracle was again consulted by whose Direction it was ordered in the Council of England That the Commissioners should conclude the Peace upon such Articles and Instructions as were sent unto them Most of them ordinary and accustomed at the winding up of all such Treaties But that of most Concernment was That all Titles and Claims on the one side and Defences on the other remaining to either Party as they were before the Town of Bulloign with all the Ordnance found there at the taking of it should be delivered to the French for the Sum of four hundred thousand Crowns of the Sun Of which four hundred thousand Crowns each Crown being valued at the Price of six Shillings and six Pence one Moity was to be paid within three days after the Town should be delivered and the other at the end of six Moneths after Hostages to be given in the mean time for the payment of it It was agreed also in relation to the Realm of Scotland That if the Scots razed Lowder and Dowglass the English should raze Rox-borough and Aymouth and no Fortification in any of those places to be afterwards made Which Agreement being signed by the Commissioners of each side and Hostages mutually delivered for performance of Covenants Peace was Proclaimed between the Kings on the last of March and the Town of Bulloign with all the Forts depending on it delivered into the power of the French on the twenty fifth day of April then next following But they must thank the Earl of Warwick for letting them go away with that commodity at so cheap a Rate for which the two last Kings had bargained for no less then two Millions of the same Crowns to be paid unto the King of England at the end of eight years the Towns and Territory in the mean time to remain with the English Nor was young Edward backward in rewarding his Care and Diligence in expenditing the Affair Which was so represented to him and the extraordinary Merit of the Service so highly magnified
notwithstanding that they differed from the Government and Forms of Worship Established in the Church of England All which and more He grants by His Letters Patents bearing Date at Lâ—ez the Lord Chancellour's House on the twenty fourth of July and the fourth year of His Reâ—gn Which Grant though in it self an Act of most 〈◊〉 Compassion in respect of those Strangers yet proved the occasion of no small disturbance to the Proceedings of the Church and the quiet ordering oâ— the State for by suffering these men to live under another kind of Government and to Worship God after other Forms then those allowed of by the Laws proved in effect the 〈◊〉 up of one Altar against another in the midst of the Church and the erecting â—f a Common-Wealth in the midst of the Kingdom So much the more unfortunately peâ—â—itted in this present Conjuncture when such a Repâ—ure began to appear amongst our selves as was made wider by the coming in of these Dutch Reformerâ— and the Indulgence granted to them as will appear by the follâ—wing Story of John Hooper designed to the Bishoprick of Glocester which in brâ—ef was this John Hooper the designed Bishop of Glocester being bred in Oxford studious in the Holy Scriptures and well-affected unto those Beginnings of the Reformation whiâ—h had been countenanced by King Henry about the time of the Six Articles found himself so much in danger as put upon him the necessity of forsaking the Kingdom Settling himself at Zurich a Town of Switzerland he acquaints himself with Bulliâ—ger a Scholar in those Times of great Name and Note and having staiâ—d there till the Death of King Henry he returned into England bringing with him some very strong Affections to the Nakendness of the Zuinglian or Helvetian Churches though differing in Opinion from them in some Points of Doctrine and more especially in that of Predestination In England by his constant Preaching and learned Writings he grew into great Favour and Esteem with the Earl of Warwick by whose procurement the King most Graciously bestowed upon him without any seeking of his own the Bishoprick of Glocester which was then newly void by the Death of Wakeman the last Abbot of 〈◊〉 and the first Bishop of that See Having received the King's Letters Patents for his Preferment to that Place he applies himself to the Arch-Bishop for his Consecration concerning which there grew a difference between them For the Arch-Bishop would not Consecrate him but in such an Habit which Bishops were required to wear by the Rules of the Church and Hooper would not take it upon such Conditions Repairing to his Patron the Earl of Warwick he obtains from him a Letter to the Arch-Bishop desiring a forbearance of those things in which the Lord Elect of Glocester did crave to be forborne at his hands implying also that it was the King's desire as well as his that such forbearance should be used It was desired also that he would not charge him with any Oath which seemed to be burthenous to his Conscience For the Elâ—ct Bishop as it seems had boggled also at the Oath of paying Canâ—nical Obedience to his Metropolitan which by the Laws then and still in force he was bound to take But the Arch-Bishop still persisting in the Denyal and being well seconded by Bishop Ridley of London who would by no meanes yield unto it the King himself was put upon the business by the Earl of VVarwick who thereupon wrote to the Arch-Bishop this ensuing Letter RIght-Reverend Father and Right-Trusty and VVell-Beloved VVe Greet you well VVhereas VVe by the Advice of Our Council have Calaen and Chosen Our Right-VVell-Beloved and VVell-VVorthy Mr. John Hooper Professour of Divinity to be Our Bishop of Glocester as well for his Great Learning Deep Judgment and Long Study both in the Scriptures and other Profound Learning as also for his Good Discretion Ready Vtterance and Honest Life for that kind of Vocation c. From Consecrating of whom VVe understand you do stay because he would have you omit and let pass certain Rights and Ceremonies offensive to his Conscience whereby you think you should fall in Praemunire of Our Laws VVe have thought Good by Advice afore-said to dispence and discharge you of all manner of Dangers Penalties and Forfeitures you should run into and be in in any manner of way by omitting any of the same And this Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant and Discharge therefore Given under Our Signet at Our Castle of Windsore the fifth day of August in the fourth year of Our Reign This Gracious Letter notwithstanding the two Bishops wisely taking into consideration of what Danger and Ill Consequence the Example was humbly craved leave not to obey the King against his Laws and the Earl finding little hope of prevailing in that suit which would not be granted to the King leaves the new Bishop to himself who still persisting in his Obstinacy and wilfull Humour was finally for his Disobedience and Contempt committed Prisoner and from the Prison writes his Letters to Martin Bucer and Peter Martyr for their Opinion in the Case From the last of which who had declared himself no friend to the English Ceremonies he might presume of some Encouragement but that he had any from the first I have no where found The contrary whereunto will appear by his Answer unto John à Lasco in the present Case whereof more anon In which condition of Affairs Calvin addresseth his Letters to the Lord Protectâ—ur whom he desireth to lend the man an helping hand and extricate him out of those Perplexities into which he was cast So that at last the Differences were thus compromised that is to say That Hooper should receive his Consecration attired in his Episcopal Robes that he should be dispensed withall from wearing it at ordinary times as his dayly Habit but that he should be bound to use it when soever he Preached before the King in his own Cathedral or any other place of like Publick Nature According to which Agreement being appointed to Preach before the King he shewed himself apparelled in his Bishop's Robes namely a long Scarlet Chimere reaching down to the ground for his upper Garment changed in Queen Elizabeth's Time to one of Black Satten and under that a white Linen Rochet with a Square Cap upon his head which Fox reproacheth by the name of a Popish Attire and makes to be a great cause of Shame and Contumeliâ— to that Godly man And possibly it might be thought so at that time by Hooper himself who from thenceforth carried a strong Grudg against Bishop Ridley the principal man as he conceived and that not untruly who had held him up so closely to such hard Conditions not fully reconciled unto him till they were both ready for the Stake and then it was high time to lay aside those Animosities which they had hereupon conceived on against another But these thingâ— happened not I mean his Consecration
the rest it was Ordered That none should be presented unto any Benefice in the King's Donation either as in the Right of His Crown or by Promotion Wardship Lapse c. till he had Preached before the King and thereby passed Hâ—s Judgment and Approbation And it was much about this time that Sermons at the Court were increased also For whereas formerly there were no Sermons at the Court but in time of Lent and possibly on some â—ew of the greater Festivals in which reâ—pect six Chaplains were sufficient to attend in Ordinary it was now Ordered That from thenceforth there should be Sermons every Sunday for all such as were so disposed to resort unto But the Great business of this Year was the taking down of Altars in many places by the Publick Authorâ—ty which in some few had formerly been pulled down by the irregular forwardness of the Common People The Principal Motive whereunto was in the first place the Opinion of some dâ—slikes which had been taken by Calvin against the Liturgie and the desire of those of the Zuinglian Faction to reduce this Church unto the Nakedness and Simplicity of those Transmarine Chuâ—ches which followed the Hâ—lveâ—ian or Calvinian Forms For the Advancement of which Work it had been Preached by Hooper above-mentioned before the King about the bâ—ginning of this year That It would be very well that it might please the Magistrate to tuâ—n the Altars into Tables according to the first Institution of Christ and thereby to take away the falâ—e perswâ—sion of the People which they have of Sacrifices to be done upon the Altars Because said he as long as Altars remain both the ignorant People and the ignorant and evill-perswaded Priâ—st will dream always of Sacrifice This was â—nough to put the thoughts of the Alteration into the Head of some Great Men about the Court who thereby promised themselves no small Hopes of Profit by the disfurnishing of the Altars of the Hangings Palls Plate and other Rich Vtensils which every Parish more or less had provided for them And that this Consideration might prevail upon thâ—m as much as any other if perhaps not more may be collected from an Eâ—quiry made about two years after In which it was to be interrogated What Jewels of Gold and Silver or Silver Crosses Candlâ—sticks Censers Chalices Câ—pes and other Vâ—stments were then remaining in any of the Cathedral or Parochial Churches or otherwise had been embezelled or taken away the leaving â—f one Chalice to every Church with a Cloath or Covering for the Câ—mmunion-Table being thought sufficient The matter being thus resolved on a Letter comes to Bishop Ridley in the name of the King Signed with His Royal Signet but Subscribed by Sommerset and other of the Lords of the Council concerning the taking down of Altars and setting up Tables in the stead thereof Which Letter because it relates to somewhat which was done before in some of the Churches and seems onâ—ly to pretend to an Vniformity in all the rest I shall here subjoyn that bâ—ing the Chief Ground on which so great an Alteration must be supposed to have been raised Now the Tenour of the said Letter is as followeth RIght-Reverend Father in God Right-Trusty and Well-Beloved We Greet You well Whereas it is câ—me to â—ur Knâ—wlâ—dge that being the Altars within the more part of the Churches of the Realm upon Good and Godly Considerations are takâ—n down there doth yet remain Altars standing in divers other Churches by occasion wheâ—eof â—uch Variâ—nce and Contention ariseth amongst sundry of Our Subjects which if good Foâ—e-sight were not had might perhaps engenâ—er great Hurt and Inconvenience We let you wit that minding to have all â—ccasions of 〈◊〉 taken away which many times groweth by thâ—se and sâ—ch lâ—ke Diversities and considering that amongst other thiâ—gs belongiâ—g to Our 〈…〉 anâ— Care We do account the greatest to be to mâ—intain the câ—mmon Quiet of Our Reâ—lm We have thought Good by the Advice of Ouâ— Câ—urcil to reqâ—ire You and nevertheless especially to Charge aâ—d Câ—mmâ—nd You for the avoidiâ—g of all mâ—tters of further 〈…〉 about the standing or taâ—ing away of the said 〈◊〉 to give 〈◊〉 Order thâ—â—ughout all Your Diocess that with alâ— Dilâ—gence all the Altars in every Church or Chapel as well in places Exempted as not Exempted within Your said Dioceâ—s be taken â—own and in stead of them a Table to be set up in some convenâ—ent part of the Chancel within every such Church or Châ—pâ—l to serve for the Ministration â—f the Blâ—sted Communion And to the intent the same may be done without the Offence of such Our Loving Subjects as be not yet so well perswaded in that behalf as We â—ould wish We send unto You herewith certain Considerations Gathered and Collected that makâ— for the purpose The which and such others as You shall think meet to be set forth to perswade the weak to embrace Our Procâ—edings in this paâ—t We pray You cause to be declared to the People by some discreet Preachers in such places as You shall thiâ—k â—eet before the taking down of the said Altars so as both the weak Consciences of others mâ—y be instructed and satisfied as much as mâ—y be and this Our Pleasure the more quietly Executed For the better doing whereof We require You to open the foreâ—said Considerations in that Our Cathedral Church in Your own Person if You conveniently may or otherwâ—â—e by Your Chancellour or other Grave Preacher both there and in such other Markâ—t-Towns and most Notable Places of Your Diocess as You may think most requisite Which Letter bearing Date on the twenty fourth of November in the fourth year of the King was Subscribed by tâ—e Duke of Sommerset the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Admiral Clinton the Earls of Warwick Bedford and Wiltshire the Bishop of Ely the Lords Wentworth and North. Now tâ—e Effect of the said Reasons mentioned in the last part of this Letter were First â—o move the People from the Superstitioâ—s Opinions of the Popish Mass unto the right Use of the Lora's Supper The Use of an Altar being to Sacrifice upâ—n and the Use of a Table to Eat upon and therefore a Table to be fâ—r more 〈◊〉 for Our feeding on Him who was once onely Crucified and Offered for us Secondly That in the Book of Common-Prayer the name of Altaâ— the Lord's Board and Table are used indifferently without prescâ—ibing any thing in the Form thereof For as it is called a Table and the Lord's Board in reference to the Lord's Supper which is there Administred so it is called an Altar also in reference to the Sacrifice of Praise and Thanks-giving which is there â—fferâ—d unto God And so the changing the Altars into Tables nâ—t to be any way repugnant to the Rules of the Liturgie The third Reason seems to be no other then an Illustration of the First for taking away the superstitious Opinion out of the Minds of the People touching the Sacrifice of
unto that Honour by the King's Letters Patenâ—s As for Ridley we have spoke before and as for Poynet he is affirmed to have been a Man of verâ— good Learning with Reference to his Age and the Time he lived in well studied in the Greek Tongue and of no small Eminence in the Arts and Mathematical Sciences A Change was also made in Cambridg by the Death of Bucer which I finde placed by Fâ—x on the twenty third of December by others with more Truth on the nineteenth of January both in the Compass of this year and by some others with less Reaâ—â—n on the tenth of March But at whâ—t time sover he died certain it is that he was most Solemnly Interred in Saint Marie's Church attended to Fu his â—rave by all the Heads and most of the Graduates in that Vniversity his neâ—al Sermon Preached by Dâ—ctâ—ur Parâ—er â—he first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in Queen Elizâ—beth'â— Time the Panegyrick made by one of the Haddons a Man of a moâ—â— Fluenâ— and Rhetorical Sâ—yle all that pretended to the Muses in both Vniverâ—ities setting forth his great Worth and their own Loss in him with the best of their Poetry Anno Regni Edw. Sexti 5 o. An. Dom. 1550 1551. WE must begin this year with the Deprivation of Bishop Gardiner whom we left committed to the Tower the last of June in the year 1548. There he remained almost two years without being pressed to any particular Point the yielding unto which might procure his Liberty or the Refusal justifie such a long Imprisonment On the tenth of June this year the Publick Liturgie now being generally executed in all Parts of the Kingdom was offered to his Consideration that some Experiment might be made whether he would put his Hand unto it and promise to advance the Service Upon the fourth day after the Duke of Sommerset with five other of the Lords of the Council was sent unto the Tower to receive his Answer Which he returned to this effect That he had deliberately considered of all the Offices contained in the Common-Prayer-Book and all the several Branches of it That Though he could not have made it in that Manner had the Matter been referred unto him yet that he found such things therein as did very well satisfie his Conscience and therefore that he would not onely execute it in his own Person but cause the same to be Officiated by all those of his Diocess But this was not the Answer which the Courtiers looked for It was their Hope they should have found him more averse from the King's Proceedings that making a Report of his Perversness he might be lifted out of that Wealthy Bishoprick which if it either were kept Vacant or filled with a more Tractable Person might give them opportunity to enrich themselves by the Spoil thereof Therefore to put him further to it the Lord Treasurer the Earl of Warwick Sir William Herbert Master of the Horse and Mr. Secretary Petre are sent upon the ninth of July with certain Articles which for that end were Signed by the King and the Lords of the Council According to the Tenour hereof he was not onely to testifie his Consent to the Establishing of the Holy-Days and Fasting-Days by the King's Authority the Allowance of the Publick Liturgie and the Abrogating of the Statute for the Six Articles c. but to Subscribe to the Confession of his Fault in his former Obstinacy after such Form and Manner as was there required To which Articles he Subscribed without any great Hesitancy but refused to put his Hand to the said Confession There being no reason as he thought and so he answered those which came unto him from the Court on the Morrow after that he should yield to the Confâ—ssion of a Guilt when he knew himself Innocent He is now faln into the Toil out of which he finds but Little Hope of being set free For presently on the neck of this a Book of Articles is drawn up containing all the Alteration made by the King and His Father as well by Acts of Parliament as their own Injunctions from the first Suppression of the Monasteries to the coming out of the late Form for the Consecration of Arch-Bishops Bishops c. Of all which Doings he is required to signifie his Approbation to make Confession of his Fault with an Acknowledgment that he had deserved the Punishment which was aid upon him Which Articles being tendered to him by the Bishop of London the Master of the Horse Mr. Secretary Petre and Goodrick a Counsellour at Law appeared to him to be of such an hard Digestion that he desir'd first to be set at Liberty before he should be pressed to make a particular Answer This being taken for a Refusal and that Refusal taken for a Contempt the Profits of his Bishoprick are Sequestered from him for three Moneths by an Order of the Council-Table bearing date the nineteenth of the Moneth the said Profits in the mean time to be collected or received by such Person or Persons as the King should thereunto appoint with this Intimation in the Close that if he did not tender his Submission at the end of that Term he should be taken for an Incorrigible Person and unmeet Minister of this Church and Finally to be procceeded against to a Deprivation The Term expired and no such humble Submission or Acknowledgment made as had been required at his Hands a Commission is directed to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of London Ely and Lincoln Sir William Peter c. authorised thereby to proceed against him upon certain Articles in the same contained Convented before whom at Lambeth on the fifteenth of December he received his Charge Which being received he used so many Shifts and found so many Evasions to elude the Business that having appeared six Days before them without coming to a plain and Positive Answer he was upon the fourteenth of February Sentenced to a Deprivation and so remitted to the Tower But Gardiner did not mean to die so tamely and therefore had no sooner heard the Definitive Sentence but presently he Protesteth against the same makes his Appeal unto the King and causeth both his said Appeal and Protestation to be Registred in the Acts of that Court. Of all which he will finde a time to serve himself in the Alâ—eration of Affairs It was presumed that the Report of this Severity against a Man so eminent for his Parts and Place would either bring such other Bishops as had yet stood out to a fit Conformity or otherwise expose both them and their Estates to the like Condemnation But some there were so stiff in their old Opinions that neither Terrour nor Perswasion could prevail upon them either to give their Approbation of the King's Proceedings or otherwise to advance the Service And some there were who though they outwardly complyed with the King's Commands yet was it done so coldly and with such Reluctancy as laâ—'d them open to the
name of Treason and Felony because in all Treasons the intent and purpose is as Capital as the Act it self if once discovered either by word or deed or any other material Circumstance though it go no further But though Treason made the loudest noise it was the Felony which was especially relied upon for his Condemnation Two Statutes were pretended for the Ground of the whole Proceedings The first made in the time of King Henry the Seventh by which it was Enacted to be Felony for any inferiour Person to contrive the death of a Lord of the Council The second that of the last Session of Parliament By which it was Declared to be Treason for any Twelve Persons or more to Assemble together with an intent to murther any of the Lords of the Council if after Proclamation made they dissolved not themselves within the space of an hour The Indictment being Read and the Confessions of Palmer and the rest being produced and urged by the King's Council who spared not to press them as is accustomed in such Cases to the best advantage The Duke though much dismayed returned this Answer to the Branches of his Accusation viz. That He never intended to raise the North Parts of this Realm but that upon some bruits he apprehended a Fear which made him send to Sir William Herbert to remain his Friend That He determined not to kill the Duke of Northumberland nor any other Lord but spake of it onely and determined the contrary That It had been a mad enterprise with his hundred men to assail the Gens d' Arms consisting of nine hundred which in case he had prevailed would nothing have advanced the pretended purpose That Therefore this bâ—ing senseless and absurd must needs discredit other matters which otherwise might have been believed That At London he never projected any stir but ever held it a good place for his security That For having men in his Chamber at Greenwich it was manifest that he meant no harm because when he might have done it he did not And further against the persons of them whose Examinations had been read he objected many things desiring that They might be brought to his face which in regard of his Dignity and Estate he conceived to be reasonable And so it happened unto him as with many others that hoping to make his fault seem less by a fair Confession he made it great enough to serve for his Condemnation For presently upon these words the Council thinking they had matter enough from his own Confession to convict him of Felony insisted chiefly on that Point and flourished out their Proofs upon it to their best Advantage But so that they neglected not to aggravate his Offence in the Treason also that his Peers might be under some necessity of finding him guilty in the one if they should finde themselves unsatisfied for passing their Verdict in the other And though neither the one nor the other were so clear in Law as to make him liable to a Sentence of Condemnation if either the Statute in the Contents had been rightly opened or the Opinion of the Judges demanded in them yet what cannot the Great Wit of some Advocates do when they have a mind to serve their Turn upon a Statâ—te contrary to the Mind and Meaning of them that made it The Duke of Northumberland thereupon with a Counterfeit Modesty conceiving that he had him fast enough in Respect of the Felony desired their Lordships that no Act against his life might be brought within the Compass of Treason and they who understood his meaning at half a Word after a full hearing of the Evidence withdrew themselves into a Room appointed for them and after some Conference amongst themselves acquitting him of Treâ—son they pronounced him guilty of the Felony onely which being returned for their Verdict by all the Lords one after another in their Rank and Order and nothing objected by the Duke that Judgement should not pass upon him the Lord High Steward with a seeming Sorrow gave Sentence That he should be had to the Place from whence he came from thence to the Place of Execution and there to hang while he was dead which is the Ordinary Form of condemning Felons A Matter not sufficiently to be admired that the Duke should either be so ignorant or ill advised so destitute of present Courage or so defective in the Use of his Wit and Judgment as not to crave the common Benefit of his Clergy which had he done it must have been allowed him by the Rules of the Court whether it were that of his own Misfortunes might render him uncapable of laying hold on such Advantages as the Laws admitted or that he thought it better to die once for all then living in a perpetual Fear of dying daily by the malicious Practises and Devises of his powerfull Adversaries or that he might presume of a Pardon of Course in regard of the nature of the Offence in which neither the King nor the Safety of the Kingdom was concerned and that the Law by which it was found guilty of Felony had never been put in Execution upon a man of his Quality if perhaps at all or finally whether it were some secret Judgment on him from above as some men conceived that he who had destroyed so many Churches invaded the Estate of so many Cathedrals deprived so many Learned Men of their Means and Livelyhood should want or rather not desire the Benefit of the Clergy in his greatest extremity In stead whereof he suffered Judgment of death to pass upon him gave thanks unto the Lords for his gentle Tryall craved Pardon of the Duke of Northumberland the Marquess of North-hampton and the Earl of Pembroke for his ill Meaning towards them concluding with an humble Suit for his Life and Pity to be shewed to his Wife and Children It is an antient Custome in the Triall of all great Persons accused of Treason that the Ax of the Tower is carried before them to the Bar aâ—d afterwards at their Return from thence on the Pronouncing of the Sentence of Condemnation Which Ceremony not being performed at his going thence in regard he was condemned of the Felony onely gave an occasion unto such as had thronged into the Hall and knew not otherwise how things passed to conceive that he had been acquitted absolutely of the whole Indictment And thereupon so loud a Shout was made in the lower end of the Hall that the noise thereof was heard beyond Charing-Cross to the great Terrour and Amazement of his guilty Adversaries But little pleasure found the Prisoner in these Acclamations and less the People when they understood of his Condemnation so that departing thence with grief they left the way open for the Prisoner to be carried by water to the Cranes in the Viâ—etry and from thence peaceably conveyed to the Tower again Not long after followed the Arraignment of Sir Michael Stanhop Sir Thomas Arundel Sir Ralph Vane and Sir
more inclinable to the Lutheran but where his profit was concerned in the spoil of Images then thâ—â— Zuinglian Doctrines so well beloved in general by the Common People that divers dipt their Handkerchiefs in his Blood to keep them in perpetual Remembrance of him One of which being a sprightly Dame about two years after when the Duke of Northumberland was led through the City for his opposing the Title of Queen Mary ran to him in the Streets and shaking out her bloody Handkerchief before him Behold said she the Blood of that worthy man that good Vncle of that Excellent King which shed by thy malicious Practice doth now begin apparently to revenge it self on thee The like Opinion also was conceived of the business by the most understanding men in the Court and Kingdom though the King seemed for the present to be satisfied in it In which opinion they were exceedingly confirmed by the Enlargment of the Earl of Arundel and restoring of Crane and his Wife to their former Liberty but most especially by the great Endearments which afterwards appeared between the Duke of Northumberland and Sir Thomas Palmer and the great confidence which the Duke placed in him for the Advancement of his Projects in behalf of the Duke of Suffolk of which more hereafter But the Malice of his Enemies stayed not here extending also to his Friends and Children after his Decease but chiefly to the eldest Son by the second Wife in favour of whom an Act of Parliament had been passed in the thirty second year of the late King Henry for the entailing on his Person all such Lands Estates and Honours as had been or should be purchasâ—d by his Father from the twenty fifth day of May then next foregoing Which Act they caused to be repealed at the end of the next Session of Parliament which began on the morrow after the Death of the Duke whereby they strip'd the young Gentleman being then about thirteen years of Age of his Lands and Titles to which he was in part restored by Queen Elizabeth who in pity of his Father's Suffâ—rings and his own Misfortunes created him â—arl of Hertford Viscount Beauchamp c. Nor did the Duke's Fall end it self in no other ruin then that of his own house and the Death of the four Knights which suffered on the same account but drew along with it the â—emoval of the Lord Rich from the Place and Office of Lord Chancellour For so it happened that the Lord Chancellour commiserating the Condition of the Duke of Sommerset though formerly he had shewed himself against him dispatched a Letter to him concerning some Proceedings of the Lords of the Council which he thought fit for him to know Which Letter being hastily superscribed To the Duke with no other Title he gave to one of his Servants to be carried to him By whom for want of a more particular direction it was delivered to the hands of the Duke of Norfolk But the Mistake being presently found the Lord Chancellour knowing into what hands he was like to fall makes his Address unto the King the next morning betimes and humbly prays that in regard of his great Age he might be discharged of the Great Seal and Office of Chancellour Which being granted by the King though with no small difficulty the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Pembroke forward enough to go upon such an Errand are sent on the twenty first of December to receive the Seal committed on the morrow after to Doctour Thomas Goodwin Bishop of Ely and one of the Lords of the Privy Council Who afterwards that is to say on the two and twentieth of January was sworn Lord Chancellour the Lord Treasurer Paulet giving him the Oath in the Court of Chancery Next followed the Losses and Disgraces suffered by the Lord Paget on the Duke's account To whom he had continued faithfull in all his Troubles when Sir William Cecil who had received greater Benefits from him and most of the Dependants on him had either deserted or betrayed him His House designed to be the place in which the Duke of Northumberland and the rest of the Lords were to be murthered at a Banquet if any credit may be given to the Informations for which Committed to the Tower as before is said But having no sufficient Proof to warrant any further Proceeding to his Condemnation an Enquiry is made not long after into all his Actions In the return whereof it was suggested That he had sold the King's Lands and Woods without Commission That he had taken great Fines for the King's Lands and applyed them to his proper use and That he had made Leases in Reversion for more then one and twenty years Which Spoyl is to be understood of the Lands and Woods of the Dutchy of Lancaster of the which he was Chancellour and for committing whereof he was not onely forced to resign that Office but condemned in a fine of six thousand pounds not otherwise to be excused but by paying of four thousand pounds within the year This Punishment was accompanied with a Disgrace no less grievous to him then the loss both of his Place and Money He had been chosen into the Society of the Garter An. 1548. when the Duke of Sommerset was in Power and so continued till the fifteenth of April in the year next following Anno 1552. At what time Garter King of Aâ—ms was sent to his Lodging in the Tower to take from him the Garter and the George belonging to him as a Knight of that most Noble Order Which he suffered willingly to be done because it was His Majestie 's Pleasure that it should so be More sensible of the Affront without all question then otherwise he would have been because the said George and Garter were presently afâ—er sent by the King to John Earl of Warwick the Duke of Northumberland's eldest Son Admitted thereupon into that Society So prevalent are the Passions of some Great Persons that they can neither put a measure upon their Hatred nor an end to their Malice Which two last Passages though more properly belonging to the following year I have thought fit to place in this because of that dependance which they have on the Fall of Sommerset The like Ill-Fortune happened at the same time also to Doctour Robert Farrar Bishop of St. David's who as he had his Preferments by him so he suffered also in his Fall not because Guilty of the Practice or Conspiracy with him as the Lord Paget and the rest were given out to be but because he wanted his Support and Countenance against his Adversaries A Man he was of an unsociable disposition rigidly self-willed and one who looked for more Observance then his place required which drew him into a great dislâ—ke with most of his Clergy with none more then the Canons of his own Cathedral The Faction headed amongst others by Doctour Thomas Young then being the Chantour of that Church and afterwards advanced by Queen
with the suppression of such Bishopricks and Collegiate Churches as either lay â—urthest off or might best be spared In reference whereunto it was concluded in a Chapter held at Westminster by the Knights of the Garter That from thenceforth the said most noble Order of the Garter should be no longer entâ—tuled by the Name of St. George but that it should be called the Oâ—der of the Garter onely and that the Feast of the said Order should be celebrated upon Whitson-Eve Whitson-day and Whitson-Monday and not on St. George's day as before it was And to what end was this concluded and what else was to follow upon this Conclusion but the dissolving of the Free-Chapel of St. George in the Castle of Windsor and the transferring of the Order to the Chapel of King HENRY the Seventh in the Abbey of Westminster Which had undoubtedly been done and all the Lands thereof converted to some powerful Courtiers under pretence of laying them to the Crown if the King's Death which happened within four Moneths after had not prevented the Design and thereby respited that Ruin which was then intended The like preservation happened at the same time also in the Church of Durham as liberally endowed as the most and more amply priviledged then the best in the King's Dominions The Bishops hereof by Charter and long Prescription enjoyed and exercised all the Rights of a County Palatine in that large Tract of Ground which lyes between the Tees and the Tine best known in those Parts by the Name of the Bishoprick the Diocess containing also all Northumberland of which the Bishops and the Percies had the greatest shares No sooner was Bishop Tonstal committed to the Tower which was on the Twentieth of December 1551. but presently an Eye was cast upon his Possessions Which questionless had followed the same fortune with the rest of the Bishopricks if one more powerful then the rest had not preserved it from being parcelled out as the others were on a â—â—rong Confidence of getting it all unto himself The Family of the Percies was then reduced to such a point that it seemed to have been quite expired a Family which first came in with the Norman Conquerour by whom enriched with most of the forfeited Estates of Morchar Gospatrick and Waltheof the three last Earls of Northumberland of the Saxon Race But this Line ending in the latter times of King HENRY the First Josseline of Lorain descended from the Emperour CHARLES the Great and one of the younger Brothers of Adeliza the last Wife of the King enrich'd himself by Marriage with the Heir-General of this House upon condition that keeping to himself the Arms of his own Family he should assume the Name of Percy to remain always afterward unto his Posterity Advanced in that respect by the Power and Favour of John of Gaunt to the Rank and Title of the Earls of Northumberland at the Coronation of King Richard the Second They held the same with great Power and Honour the short interposing of the Marquess Mountacute excepted onely till toward the latter end of King Henry the Eighth At what time it happened that Henry Lord Peircy the sixth Earl of this House had incurred the heavy displeasure of that King First for an old affection to the Lady Ann Bollein when the King began first to be enamoured of her excellent Beauties and afterwards for denying to confess a Precontract to have been formerly made between them when the King now as weary of her as before he was fond was seeking some fair Pretences to divorce himself from her before she was to lose her Head He had no Children of his own and Thâ—mas his Brother and next Heir was to his greater grief attainted of Treason for being thought to have a chief hand iâ— the Northern Rebellion Anno 1536. In both respects he found himself at such a loss and the whole Family without hope of a Restitution to its antient splendour that to preserve himself from running into further danger he gave unto the King the greatest part of that fair Inheritance and dying not long after left his Titles also to the King 's disposing The Lands and Titles being thus fallen into the Crown continued undisposed of till the falling of the Duke of Somerset when Dudley Earl of Warwick having some projections in his Head beyond the greatness of a Subject advanced himself unto the Title of Duke of Northumberland not doubting but he should be able to possess himself in short time also of all the Landâ— of that Family which were then remaining in the Crown To which Estate the Bishoprick of Duâ—ham and all the Lands belonging to it could not but be beheld as a fair Addition if at the least it might be called an addition which was of more value then the Patrimony to which it was to have been added He had long Reigned without a Crown suffering the King for some years to enjoy that Title which was to be transferred if all Contrivances had held good upon one of his Sons whom He designed in Marriage to the eldest Daughter of the House of Suffolk And then how easie was it for him having a King of his own begetting a Queen of his own making the Lords of the Council at his beck and a Parliament to serve his turn for all occasions to incorporate both the Lands of the Peircies and the Patrimony of that Church into one Estate with all the Rights and Privileges of a County Palatine Count Palatine of Durham Prince Palatine of Northumberland or what else he pleased must be the least he could have aimed at in that happy Conjuncture happy to him had the Even been answerable unto his Projections but miserable enough to all the rest of the Kingdom who should not servilely submit to this Glorious Upstart Upon which Grounds as the Bishoprick of Durham was dissolved by Act of Parliament under pretence of patching up the King's Revenue so the greatest part of the Lands thereof had been kept together that they might serve for a Revenue to the future Palatine But all these Projects failing in the death of the King and his own Attaindure not long after the Peircies were restored by Queen Mary to their Lands and Honours as the Bishop was unto his Liberty and to most of his Lands it being almost impossible that such a fair Estate should fall into the hands of the Courtiers and no part of it be left sticking in those Glutinous Fingers For to begin the Year withall the King was taken with a very strong Cough in the Moneth of January which at last ended in a Consumption of the Lungs the Seeds of which Malignity were generally supposed to have been sown in the last Summer's Progress by some over-heatings of himself in his Sports and Exercises But they that looked more narrowly into the matter observed some kind of decayings in him from the time that Sir Robert Dudley the third Son of Northumberland was admitted into a place
of ordinary attendance about his Person which was on the same Day when his Father was created Duke For whereas most men gave themselves no improbable hopes that betwixt the Spring time of his life the Growing season of the year and such Medicinal applications as were made unto him the disease would wear it self away by little and little yet they found the contrary It rather grew so fast upon him that when the Parliament was to begin on the first of March the Lords Spiritual and Temporal were Commanded to attend him at White-Hall instead of waiting on him from thence to Westminster in the usual manner Where being come they found a Sermon ready for them the Preacher being the Bishop of London which otherwise was to have been Preached in the Abby-Church and the Great Chamber of the Court accomodated for an House of Peers to begin the Session For the opening whereof the King then sitting under the Cloth of State and all the Lords according to their Ranks and Orders he declared by the Lord Chancellor Goodrick the causes of his calling them to the present Parliament and so dismist them for that time A Parliament which began and ended in the Month of March that the Commissions might the sooner be dispatched to their several Circuits for the speedier gathering up of such of the Plate Copes Vestments and other Furnitures of which the Church was to be spoyled in the time of his sickness Yet in the midst of these disorders there was some care taken for advancing both the honour and the interest of the English-Nation by furnishing Sebastian Cabol for some new discoveries Which Sebastian the Son of John Cabol a Venetian born attended on his first imployment under Henry the seventh Anno 1497. At what time they discovered the Barralaos and the Coasts of Caenada now called New-France even to the 67½ degree of Northern Latitude Bending his Course more toward the South and discovering a great part of the shoars of Florida he returned for England bringing with him three of the Natives of that Country to which the name of New-Found-Land hath been since appropriated But finding the KING unhappily Embroyled in a War with Scotland and no present Encouragements to be given for a further Voiage he betook himself into the service of the KING of SPAIN and after fourty years and more upon some distast abandoned SPAIN and offered his service to this KING By whom being made Grand Pilot of England in the year 1549. he animated the English-Merchants to the finding out of a passage by the North-East Seas to Cathay and China first enterprised under the Conduct of Sr. Hugh Willoughby who unfortunately Perished in the Action himself and all his Company being Frozen to Death all the particulars of his Voiage being since committed to Writing as was certified by the Adventures in the year next following It was upon the twentith of May in this present year that this Voiage was first undertaken three great Ships being well manned and fitted for the Expedition which afterwards was followed by Chancelour Burrought Jackman Jenkinson and other noble Adventurers in the times Succeding Who though they failed of their Attempt in finding out a shorter way to Cathay and China yet did they open a fair Passage to the Bay of S. Nicholas and thereby layd the first foundation of a Wealthy Trade betwixt us and the Muscovites But the KING'S Sickness still encreasing who was to live no longer then might well stand with the designs of the DVKE of Northumber-land some Marriages are resolved on for the Daughters of the DVKE of Suffolk in which the KING appeared as forward as if he had been one of the Principalls in the Plot against him And so the matter was Contrived that the Lady IANE the eldest Daughter to that DVKE should be Married to the Lord Guilford Dudly the fourth Son then living of Northumberland all the three Elder Sons having Wives before that Katherine the second Daughter of Suffolk should be Married to the Lord Henry Herbert the Eldest Son of the Earl of Pembrock whom Dudly had made privy to all his Counsels and the third Daughter named Mary being Crook-Backed and otherwise not very taking affianced to Martin Keys the KING'S Gentleman-Porter Which Marriages together with that of the Lady Katherine one of the Daughters of Duke Dudly to Henry Lord Hastings Eldest Son of the Earl of Huntington were celebrated in the end of May or the beginning of June for I finde our Writers differing in the time thereof with as much Splendour and solemnity as the KING' 's weak Estate and the sad Condition of the Court could be thought to bear These Marriages all solemnized at Dâ—rham House in the Strand of which Northumberland had then took possession in the name of the Rest upon a Confidence of being Master very shortly of the whole Estate The noise of these Marriages bred such Amazement in the Hearts of the common People apt enough in themselves to speak the worst of Northumberland's Actions That there was nothing left unsaid which might serve to shew their hatred against him or express their Pity toward the KING But the DVKE was so little troubled at it that on the contrary he resolved to Dissemble no longer but openly to play his Game according to the Plot and Project which he had been Hammering ever â—ince the Fall of the DVKE of Somerset whose Death he had Contrived on no other Ground but for laying the way more plain and open to these vast ambitions The KING was now grown weak in Body and his Spirits much decaied by a languishing Sickness which Rendred him more apprehensive of such fears and Dangers as were to be presented to him then otherwise he could have been in a time of strength In which Estate Duke Dudly so prevailed upon him that he conâ—ented at the last to a transposition of the Crown from his natural sisters to the Children of the Dutchess of Suffolk Confirming it by Letters Patents to the Heirs Males of the Body of the said Dutchess And for want of such Heirs Males to be Born in the lifetime of the KING the Crown immediately to descend on the Lady IANE the eldest Daughter of that House and the Heirs of her Body and so with several Remainders to the rest of that Family The carriage of which Business and the Rubs it met with in the way shall be reserved to the particular story of the Lady IANE when she is brought unwilling upon the Stage there on to Act the part of a Queen of England It sufficeth in this place to note that the KING had no sooner caused these Leters Patents to passe the Seal but his Weakeness more visibly encreased then it did before And as the KING'S Weakeness did encrease so did the Northumberland's Diligence about him for he was little absent from him and had alwaies some well-assured to Epy how the State of his Health changed every Hour And the more joyful he
added from the Holy Scripture where Solomon is found to be preferred unto the Throne by David before Adonijah the youngest Son before the eldest a Childe before a Man experienced and well grown in years And some Examples also might be had of the like Transpositions in the Realm of Scotland in Hungary Naples and else where enough to shew that nothing had been done in this great Transaction which was not to be presidented in other Places Upon all which Considerations it was thought most agreeable to the Rules of Polity that the King by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England should so dispose of the Possession of the Crown with such Remainders and Reversions as to him seemed best as might prevent such Inconveniencies and Emergent Mischiefs as might otherwise happen which could not better be effected then by setting the Crown on the Head of the Lady Jane a Lady of a Royal Blood born in the Realm brought up in the Religion now by Law established Married already to a Person of Desert and Honour and such an one in whom all those Graces were concentred which were sufficient to adorn all the rest of Her Sex Thus Reason being thus prepared the next Care was to have the Instrument so contrived in due form of Law that nothing might be wanting in the Stile and Legalities of it which might make it any way obnoxious to Disputes and Questions For the doing whereof it was thought necessary to call in the Assistance of some of the Judges and others of His Majesties Council learned in the Laws of this Realm by whose Authority it might be thought more passable amongst the People Of all which Rank none was thought fitter to be taken into the Consultation then Sir Edward Montague not onely as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and very well experienced in His own Profession But because he being one of the Executours of the King deceased his concurrence with the rest of the Council seemed the more considerable A Letter is therefore sent unto him on the eleventh of June subscribed by the Lord Treasurer the Duke of Northumberland the Earls of Shrewsbury Bedford and Pembroke the Lord Admiral Clinton the Lord Darcie Sir John Gale Sir William Peter Sir William Cecil and Sir John Cheek By the Tenour whereof he was commanded to attend upon their Lordships the next day in the Afternoon and to bring with him Sir John Baker Chancellour of the first-Fruits and Tenths Master Justice Bromeley together with the Attorney and Sollicitour General Being brought into the King's Presence at the time appointed whom they found attended by the Lord Treasurer and some others of those who had subscribed the former Letter the King declared Himself with a weak Voice to this Effect viz. That He had considered in His Sickness of the Estate of His Realm which if it should descend on the Lady Mary who was then unmarried it might so happen that She might marry a Stranger born whereby not onely the Laws of the Realm might be changed and altered but all His own Proceedings in Religion might be also reversed That it was His Pleasure therefore that the Crown should Descend after His Decease unto such Persons aâ—d in such Form as was contained in certain Articles then ready to be shewed unto them to be by them digested and disposed of in due Form of Law These Articles when they had Perused and Considered of they signified unto the King that they conceâ—ved them to be contrary to the Act of Succession which being made in Parliament could not be Frustrated or made Ineffectual but by Parliaments onely Which Answer notwithstanding the King without allowing further time or deliberation commanded them to take the Articles along with them and give the Business a Dispatch with all speed as might be But finding greater Difficulties in it then had appeared unto their Lordships they made a Report unto them at their next Attendance that they had Considered of the King's Articles and the Act of Succession whereby it appeared manâ—festly that if they should make any Book concerning the King's Commandment they should not onely be in danger of Treason but their Lordships also The sum of which Report being cerâ—ifiâ—d to the Duke of Northumberland who though absent was not out of Call he came in great Rage and Fury to the Council-Chamber called the Chief Justice Traitour affirmed that he would fight in his Shirt in that Quarrel against any man living and behaved himself in such an outragious manner as put both Mountague and Justice Bromely in a very great fear that he would have struck them Calâ—ed to the Court again by a Letter of the fourteenth of the same Moneth they found the King more earnest in it then He was before requiring them with a sharp Voice and a displeased Countenance to dispatch the Book according to the Articles delivered to them and telling them that He would have a Parliament shortly to Confirm the same When nothing else would serve the turn Answer was made That His Câ—mmandment should be obeyed upon Condition that they might be Commissionated so to do by His Majestie 's Warrant under the Great Seal of England and have a General Pardon for it when the Deed was done Not daring longer to resist and having made as good Provision as they could for their own Indemnâ—ty they betook themselves unto the Work digested it in form oâ— Law caused â—t to be Engrossed in Parchment and so dispatched it for the Seal to the Lord Chancellour Goodrick sufficiently prepared before-hand not to stick upon it Bâ—t then appeared another Difficulty amongst the Lords of the Council some of whâ—ch not well satisfied with these Proceedings appeared as backward in Subscribing to the Instrument before it went unto the Seal as the Great Lawyers had done at the first in being brought to the Employment But such was the Authority which Dudley and his Party had gained amongst them that some for fear and some for favour did Subscribe at last a Zeal to the Reformed Religion prevailing in it upon some a doubt of loosing their Church-Lands more powerfully over-swaying others and all in fear of getting the displeasure of that Mighty Tyrant who by his Power and Practices carried all before him The last that stood it out was Arch-Bishop Cranmer Who being sent for to the Court when all the Lords of the Council and most of the Judges of the Realm had subscribed the Instrument refused to put his hand unto it or to consent to the Disherison of the late King's Daughters After much Reasoning of the Case he requires a longer time of deliberation consults about it with some of the most Learned Lawyers and is finally sent for by the King who having fully set his heart upon the Business did use so many Reasons to him in behalf of Religion and plyed him with such strong Perswasions in pursuance of them that at the last he suffered himself to be overcome by His Importunities
Noble Men Work the best Nevertheless We are not ignorant of Your Consultations to Vndo the Provisions made for Our Preferment nor of the Great Hands and Provisions forcible wherewith You be Assembled and Prepared by whom and to what end God and You know and Nature cannot but fear some Evil. But be it that some Consideration Politick or whatsoever thing else hath moved You thereto yet doubt ye not My Lords but We can take all these Your doings in Gratious Part being also Right-Ready to remit and fully Pardon the same and that to Eschew Bloodshed and Vengeance against all those that can or will intend the same trusting also assuredly that Ye will take and accept this Grace and Vertue in Good Part as appertaineth and that We shall not be Enforced to use the Service of other Our True Subjects and Friends which in this Our Just and Right Cause Goâ— in whom all Our affiance is shall send Vs. Wherefore My Lords We require You and charge you and every of You of Your Allegiance which You ow to God and Vs and to none other for Our Honour and the Surety of Our Person onely imploy Your Selves and forthwith upon receipt hereof cause Our Right and Title to the Crown and Governance of this Realm to be Proclaimed in Our City of London and other places as to your Wisdoms shall seem Good and as to this Case appertaineth not failing hereof as Our very Trust is in You. And this Our Letter Signed with Our Hand shall be your sufficient Warrant in that behalf Given under Our Signet at Our Mannour of Kenning-Hall the ninth of July 1553. This Letter seemed to give their Lordships no other trouble then the returning of an Answer For well they knew that She could do no less then put up Her Claim and they conceived that She was not in a condition for doing more Onely it was thought fit to let Her know what She was to trust to the better to prevent such Inconveniencies as might otherwise happen And to that end an Answer was presently dispatched under the Hands of the Archâ—Bishop of Canterbury the Lord Chancellour Goodrich Bishop of Ely the Dukes of Northhumberland and Suffâ—lk the Marquesses of Winchester and North-hampton the Earls of Arundel Shrewsbury Huntington Bedford and Pembroke the Lords Cobham and Darcie Sir Thomas Cheny Sir Robert Cotton Sir William Peter Sir William Cecil Sir John Cheek Sir John Mason Sir Edward North Sir Robert Bows The Tenour whereof was as followeth MADAM WE have received Your Letters the ninth of this Instant Declaring Your Supposed Title which You Judg Your Self to have to the Imperial Crown of this Realm and all the Dâ—minions thereunto belonging For Answer whereof this is to Advertise You that for as much as Our Sovereign Lady Queen Jane is after the Death of Our Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth a Prince of most Noble Memory Invested and Possessed with the just and Right Title in the Imperial Crown of this Realm not onely by Good Order of Old Antient Laws of this Realm but also by Our late Sovereign Lord's Letters Patents Signed with His Own Hand and Sealed with the Great Seal of England in presence of most part of the Nobles Counsellours Judges with divers others Grave and Sage Personages Assenting and Subscribing the same We must therefore as of most Bound Duty and Allegiance and Assent unto Her said Grace and to none other except we should which Faithfull Subjects cannot fall into grievous and unspeakable Enormities Wherefore We can no less do both for the quiet of the Realm and You also to advertise you that for as much as the Divorce made between the King of Famous Memory King Henry the Eighth and the Lady Katharine Your Mother was necessary to be had both by the Everlasting Laws of God and also by the Ecclesiastical Laws and the most part of the Noble and Learned Vniversities in Christenaâ—m and Confirmed also by the sundry Acts of Parliaments remaining yet in Force and thereby You justly made Illegitimate and Vn-heritable to the Crown Imperial of this Realm and the Rules and Dominions and Possessions of the same You will upon just consideration hereof and of divers other Causes Lawfull to be Alledged for the same and for the just Inheritance of the Right Line and Godly Order taken by the late King Our Sovereign Lord King Edward the Sixth and agreed upon by the Nobles and Greatest Personages aforesaid Surcease by any pretents to vex or molest any of Our Sovereign Lady Queen Jane Her Subjects from their True Faith and Allegiance due unto Her Grace assuring You that if you will for Respect shew Your Self Quiet and Obedient as You ought You shall find Vs all and several ready to do You any Service that We with Duty may and be glad with Your quietness to preserve the Common State of this Realm wherein You may be otherwise grievous Vs to Your Self and to them And thus We bid You most Heartily well to fare c. These Letters being thus dispatched and no further danger seeming to be feared on that side all things are put in Readiness against the coming of the Queen who the same day about three of the Clock in the Afternoon was brought by water to the Tower attended by a Noble Train of both Sexes from Durham House in the Strand where She had been entertained as a part of Dudley's Family ever since Her Marriage She could not be ignorant of that which had been done in Order unto Her Advancement to the Royal Throne and could not but conceive that Her being Conducted to the Tower in that Solemn manner did portend somewhat which looked toward a Coronation But still She hoped that either She should hear some Good News of the King's Recovery or of the Altering of His Purpose and that She might be suffered to enjoy those Divine Contentments which she had found in the Repose of a Studious Life But when She came into the presence of the two Dukes Her Father and Her Father-in-Law She observed their Behaviour towards Her to be very different from that which they had used before To put Her out of which Amazement it was signified to Her by the Duke of Northumberland That The King was Dead and that He had Declared Her for His next Successour in the Crown Imperial That This Declaration was Approved by all the Lords of the Council most of the Peers and all the Judges of the Land which they had Testified by the Subscription of their Names and all this Ratified and Confirmed by Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England That The Lord Mayour the Aldermen and some of the Principal Citizens had been spoke withall by whom they were assured of the Fidelity of the rest of the City That There was nothing wanting but Her Gratefull Acceptance of the High Estate which God Almighty the Sovereign Disposer of all Crowns and Scepters never sufficiently to be thanked by Her for so great
Hand-Writing appeareth And think not otherwise but that if You mean deceit though not forthwith yet hereafter God will revenge the same I can say no more but in this troublesom time with You to use constant hearts abandoning all Malice Envy and private Affections Which said and having paused a little he shut up his Address in these following Words I have not spoken to You my Lords in this sort upon any mistrust I have of Your Fidelities of which always I have ever hitherto conceived a trusty Confidence but I have onely put You in Remembrance thereof what chance of Variance soever might grow amongst You in my absence And this I pray You that You would not wish me less good speed in this Journey then You would have to Your selves To which last words one of them is reported to have thus replyed My Lord If You mistrust any of Vs in this matter Your Grace is much mistaken in us For which of Vs can wash his hands clean of the present Business for if we should shrink from You as one that is culpable which of Vs can excuse himself as being guiltless Little the more assured by this quick return he went to take his Leave of the Queen where he found his Commission ready Sealed together with certain Instructions subscribed by all the Lords of the Council in which his Marches were lai'd out and Limited from one day to another Conditions not to be imposed on any who Commands in Chief nor to have been accepted by him but that it was a matter of his own desiring And he desired it for these Reasons so strongly was he caught in a Snare of his own devising partly because he would be thought to have Acted nothing but by Authority of the Council which he supposed might serve for his Indemnity if the Tide should turn and partly that the blame of all Mâ—scaâ—riages might be laid on them if he were foiled in the Adventure But so instructed he takes Leave embraced by all the Lords with great demonstrations of Affection according to the wonted dissimulation in Princes Courts by none more passionately then by those who most abhorred his pride and falshood Amongst which it is said of the Earl of Arundel upon whom he had put more Disgraces and Affronts then on all the rest that he â—eemed to express much sorrow at the Duke's departure in regard he was not Ordered to be one of his Company in whose presence he could finde in his heart to spend his blood and to lay his life down at his feet Accompanied with the Marquess of North-hampton the Lord Gray and others he passeth by water in his Barge to Durham-Place and from thence to White-Hall where they Mustered their men And the next morning being Friday the fourteenth of the Moneth he sets fâ—â—ward with a Body of six hundred Horse their Arms and Ammunition being sent befoâ—â— and Sir John Gates of whose Fidelity and Adhesion he was well assured following not far behind with the rest of his Company Passing through Shore-ditch he found the Streets to be thronged with People but could hear nothing of their Prayers for his Prosperous Journey Insomuch that turning to the Lord Gray he could not choose but say unto him The People press to see us but not one bids God speed us On Saturday-night he comes to Cambridg where he assured himself of all Obedience and Conformity which eâ—ther the University or that Town could give him as being Chancellour of the one and Seneschal or High-Steward of the other two Offices incompatible in themselves and never United in one person before or since At night he sends for Doctour Edwin Sandys Master of Katharine-Hall and Vice-Chancellour of the University to Supper with him whom he enjoyns to Preach before him the next day A service not to be performed and much less declined without manifest danger But the Good Man submitting to the present necessity betakes himself unto his Study and his Prayers falls on a Text exceeding proper to the present Exigent being thâ—t of Joshuaâ— chap. 1. v. 16. but handled it so Warily and with such Discretion that he much satisfied the one without giving any just advantage against him to the other Party On Munday Moring the Duke with his whole Power goes forward to St. Edmond's-Bury where he lâ—dged that night But in stead of hearing News of those Supplies which were to attend him at New-Market he receives Letters from some Lords of the Council so full of Trouble and Dâ—scomfort that he Marched back again to Cambridg on the morrow after And there we will leave him for a time betwixt Hope and Fear less Confident and worse Attended then he was at his first coming thither as being not onely deserted by a great part of his company but in a manner by himself In the mean time the Princeâ—s Mary was not idle but served Her Self of all Advantages which were offered to Her Comforted and encouraged by so many persons of Quality as She had about Her She sends unto the Mayour of Norwiâ—h on the Tweâ—fth of July requiring him and the rest of the Magistrates of that City to Proclaim Her Queen Which though they at that time refused to do because they had no certain knowledg of the Death of the King yet on the nexâ— dâ—y hâ—ving received good assurance of it they did not onely Proclaim Her Queen as She had desired but sent Her Men and Ammunition to aâ—vâ—nce the Service Not fiâ—ding Norfolk Men so foâ—ward as She had expected Sâ—e remoâ—â—â—â—ith Her small Party into Suffolk and puts Her Self into Fraâ—lingham-Câ—stle a Castle Scituate â—ear the Sea from whence She might conveniently esâ—â—pe into Flanders if Her Affairs succeeded not to Her Hopes and Prayers Heâ—e She fiâ—st takes upon Her the Name of Queen and by that Name dispatcheth Letters to the Peers of the Realm requiring Them and all other Her faithful Subjects to repair unto Her Succour And for the first handâ—el of good Fortune it happened that the six ships which were appointed to hover on the Coast of Norfolk were driven by â—oul weather into the Haven of Yarmouth where Jerningham above-mentioned was busie in Raising men to Maintain Her Quarrel By whom the Captains and the Mariners were so cunningly dealt with that they put themselves under his Command drew all their Ordnance on shore and left their Ships to be disposed of at his pleasure About which time Sir Edward Hastings the brother of Francis Earl of Huntington being Commissionated by the Duke of Northumberland to Raise four thousand men for the present Service pass'd over with his men to the other side and joyned himself to Her Party also The News whereof being brought unto the Lords which remained in London haâ—tened the Execution of that Design which had been formerly contrived by some amongst them For no sooner had the Great Duke put himself on his March toward Caâ—bridg but some began to shew themselves in favour of the Princess Mary
Execution â—ft-times happily supplyeth former Defects Recâ—llect Your selves then and so make use of Your Authority that the Princess Mary the undoubtedly Lawfully Heir may publickly be Proclaimed Queen of England c. No other way but this as the Case now stands to recover our lost Honours and preserve the State The Earl of Pembroke was a man altogether unlettered but so well skilled in humouring King Henry the Eighth that he had raised Himself to a great Estate for whâ—ch he could not but express some sense of Gratitude in doing good Offices for his Children And having formerly been suspected to have had too great a part in Northumberland's Counsels he conceâ—ved himself obliged to wipe off that Stain by declaring his Zeal and Resolution in the Cause of the Princess And therefore assoon as the Earl of Arundel had concluded his Speech he very chearfully professed that he approved and would subscribe the Proposition and therewithall laying his Hand upon his Sword he signifiâ—d his Readiness and Resolution to defend the Lady Marie's Cause against all Opponents The rest of the Lords encouraged by these good Examples and seeing nothing but apparent Danger on all sides if they did the contrary came to a speedy Conclusion with them and bound themselves to stand together in Defence of the late King's Sisters against all their Enemies Which being thus so generously and unanimously agreed upon a Messenger is presently dispatched to the Lord Mayour requiring him to repair to Baynara'â—-Castle within an hour and to bring with him the Recorder and such of the Aldermen of the City as to him seemed best Who being come accordingly at the time appointed their Lordships told them in few words as well their Resolution as their Reason of it and so desired their Company to Cheap-side-Cross to Proclaim Queen Mary Which said without any further Dispute about the Title they rode all together in good order through Saint Paul's-Church-Yard till they came to the Gate which openeth into the Street where they found such Multitudes and Throngs of People whom the Noise of such a Confluence at Baynard's-Castle and the going down of the Lord Mayour and Aldermen had drawn together that they could hardly force a Way through them to come to the Cross. But being come thither at the last though with much ado Sir Christopher Barker Knight of the Bath and Principal King at Arms Proclaimed by the Sound of Trumpet the Princess Mary Daughter of King Henry the Eighth and Queen Kaharine His Wife to be the Lawfull and Undoubted Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith adding thereto that Sacred Title of Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England which She retained till the beginning of the following Parliament and then rescinded all those Acts by which it had been formerly united to the Crown of this Realm The Proclamation being ended they went together in a Solemn Prâ—cession to Saint Pauâ—'s Church where they caused the Te Deum to be sung with the Rights accustomed and so dismissed the Assembly to their several dwellings Being returned to Baynard's-Castle the Earl of Arundel and the Lord Paget are presently dispatched to Framlingham with thirty Horse to give the Queen a Narrative of their whole Proceedings Some Companies are also sent to assure the Tower and to Command the Duke of Suffolk to discharge the Family and Attendants of the Lady Jane to signifie unto Her that She must lay aside the Name and Title of Queen and suffer Her Self to be reduced to the Rank of a private Person All which he readily obeyed as easily subject to Despair as before he had been swelled with Ambitious Hopes and the next day adjoyns himself to the rest of the Counâ—il subscribing amongst others to such Instructions as were to be dispatched to the Duke of Northumberland for the disbanding of his Forces and carâ—ying himself like an obedient and dutifull Subject as he ought to do But there was little need of this last Message and none at all of the other Foâ— the noise of these loud Acclamâ—â—ions which were made at the Proclaiming of the new Queen passing from one Street to another came at last to the Tower â—efore the Message had been sent to the Duke of Suffolk where they were heard by the â—ady Jane now no longer Queen with such Tranquility of Mâ—nd and Composedness of Countenance as if she had not been concerned in the Alteration She had before received the offer of the Crown with as even a Temper as if it had been nothing but a â—arland of Flowers and now She lays aside the thought thereof with as much contentedness as She could have thrown away that Garland when the sent was gone The time of her Glories was so short but a nine Days wonder that it seemâ—d nothing but a Dream out of which She was not sorry to be awakened The Tower had been to Her a Prison rather then a Court and interrupted the Delights of Her former Life by so many Terrours that no day passed without some new Alarms to disturb Her Quiet She doth now know the worst that Fortune can do unto Her And having always feared that there stood a Scaffold secretly behind the Throne She was as readily prepared to act her Part upon the one as upon the other If Sorrow and Affliction did at any time invade Her Thoughts it was rather in reference to Her Friends but most of all unto Her Husband who were to be involved in the Calamity of Her Misfortunes then upon any Apprehensions which She had for Her Self And hereunto the bringing in of so many Prisoners one day after another gave no small Encrease brought hither for no other Reason but because they had seemed forward in contributing towards Her Advancement In the middest of which Disconsolations the restoring of the Duke Her Father to his former Liberty gave some Repose unto Her Mind whose Sufferings were more grievous to Her then Her own Imprisonment And then to what a miserable Extremity must his Death have brought Her And though the Attainder and Death of the Duke of Northumberland â—hich followed very shortly after might tell Her in Effect what She was to trust to yet She was willing to distinguish betwixt his Case and Her own betwixt the Principal and the Accessaries in the Late Design In which Respect She gave Her self no improbable Hopeâ— thâ—â— possibly the like Mercies which was shewed to Her Father might possibly be extended unto others and amongst others to Her Husband as innocent as Her self from any open Practice against the Queen And who could tell but that it might descend on Her self at last whom no Ambition of Her own had tempted to the acceptation of that Dangerous Offer which She beheld as the greatest Errour of Her Life and the onely Stain of all â—er Actions But neither the Queen's Fears nor the publick Justice of the Land could so be satisfied It was held Treason to accept of a Kingdom
Her Reign but of nine Days and no more Her Life not twice so many years as She Reigned days Such was the end of all the Projects of the two great Dukes for Her Advancement to the Crown and their own in Hers. To which as She was raised without any Blows so She might have been deposed without any Blows if the Ax had not been more cruel on the Scaffold then the Sword in the Field The Sword had never been unsheathed but when the Scaffold was once Erected and the Ax once sharpened there followed so many Executions after one another till the Death of that Queen that as Her Reign began in the Blood of those who took upon them the Puâ—suit of this Lady's Title so was it stained more fouly in the Blood of 〈◊〉 as were Maâ—tyred in all parts for Her Religion To the Relation of which 〈◊〉 Deaths and Martyrdoms and other the Calamities of that Tragical and unpâ—â—â—perous Reign we must next proceed The Parentage Birth and first Fortunes of the Princesse ELIZABETH The second Daughter of King Henry the Eighth before her coming to the CROWN With a true Narrative of the first Loves of King Henry the Eighth to Queen Anne Bollen The Reasons of his alienating of his first affections and the true causes of her woful and calamitous death ELIZABETH the youngest daughter of King Henry the 8th was born at Greenwich on the 7th of September being the Eve of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary 1533. begotten on the body of Queen Anne Bollen the eldest daughter of Thomas Bollen Earl of Wiltshire and of Elâ—zabeth his wife one of the daughters of Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal of England The Family of the Bollens before this time neither great nor antient but highly raised in reputation by the marriage of the Lady Anne and the subsequent birth of Queen Elizabeth the first rise thereof comming out of the City in the person of Sir Geofrey Bollen Lord Mayor of London Anno 1457. which Geofrey being son of one Geofrey Bollen of Sulle in Norfolk was father of Sir William Bollen of Blickling in the said County who took to wife the Lady Margaret daughter and one of the heirs of Thomas Butler Earl of Ormond brother and heir of James Butler Earl of Wiltshire Of this marriage came Sir Thomas Bollen above mentioned imployed in several Embassies by King Henry the Eighth to whom he was Treasurer of the Houshold and by that name enrolled amongst the Knights of the Garter Anno 1523. advanced about two years after being the seventeenth of that King to the style and title of Viscount Rochfort and finally in reference to his mothers extraction created Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond 1529. But dying without issue male surviving the title of Ormond was restored to the next heir male of the Butlers in Ireland and that of Wiltshire given by King Edward the 6th to Sir William Paules being then great Master of the Houshold And as for that of Viscount Rochfort it lay dormant after his decease till the 6th of July Anno 1621. when conferred by King James on Henry Cary Lord Hunsâ—on the son of John and Grandchild of Henry Cary whom Queen Elizabeth in the first year of her Reign made Lord Cary of Hunsdon he being the son and heir of Sir William Cary one of the Esquires of the body to King Henry the 8th by the Lady Mary Bâ—llen his wife the youngest daughter and one of the Coheirs of the said Thomas Bollen Viscount Rochfort and Earl of Wiltshire Such being the estate of that Family which became afterwards so fortunate in the production of this Princess to the Realm of England we must in the next place enquire more particularly into the life and story of Queen Anne her Mother Who in her tender years attending on Mary the French Queen to the Court of France was by her Father after the return of the said Queen placed in the retinue of the Dutchess of Alanzone the beloved sister of King Francis where she not only learnt the language but made her self an exact Mistriss both of the Gaities and Garb of the great French Ladies She carried such a stock of natural graces as render'd her superlatively the most admired beauty in the Court of France and returned thence with all those advantages which the civilities of France could add to an English beauty For so it hapned that her Father being sent with Sir Anthony Brown Anno 1527. to take the oath of the French King to a solemn league not long before concluded betwixt the Crowns resolved to bring back his daughter with him to see what fortunes God would send her in the Court of England Where being Treasurer of the houshold it was no hard matter for him to prefer her to Queen Katherines service on whom she waited in the nature of a Maid of Honour which gave the King the opportunity of taking more than ordinary notice of her parts and person Nor was it long before the excellency of her beauty adorned with such a gracefulness of behaviour appeared before his eyes with so many charms that not able to resist the assaults of Love he gave himself over to be governed by those affections which he found himself unable to Master But he found no such easie task of it as he had done before in bringing Mrs Elizabeth Blunt and others to be the subjects of his lusts all his temptations being repelled by this vertuous Lady like arrows shot in vain at a rock of Adamants She was not to be told of the Kings loose love to several Ladies and knew that nothing could be gained by yielding unto such desires but contempt and infamy though for a while disguised and palliated by the plausible name and Courtly Title of a Princes Mistriss The humble and modest opposition of the Lady Gray to the inordinate affections of King Edward the 4th advanced her to his bed as a lawful wife which otherwise she had been possessed of by no better title than that of Jane Shore and his other Concubines By whose example Mistriss Bollâ—n is resolved to steer her courses and not to yield him any further favours than what the honour of a Lady and the modesty of a virgin might inoffensively permit to so great a King But so it chanced that before her coming back from the Court of France the King began to be touched in conscience about his marriage with the Queen upon occasion of some doubts which had been cast in the way both by the Ministers of the Emperour and the French King as touching the legitimation of his daughter Mary Which doubts being started at a time when he stood on no good terms with the Emperour and was upon the point of breaking with him was secretly fomented by such of the Court as had advanced the party of Francis and sought alwaies to alienate him from the friendship of Charles Amongst which none more forward than Cardinal Wolsie who
for almost twenty years together had governed his affairs with such power and prudence The Emperor had disgusted the ambitious Prelate not only by crossing him in his sute for the Popedome but by denying him the Archbishoprick of Toledo of which he had once given him no small hopes And now the Cardinal is resolved to cry quits for both thinking himself as much affronted in the sailer of his expectations as if he had been disgracefully deprived of some present possession No way more open to his ends than by working on that scruple of Conscience which had been raised unto his hand to the advance whereof the reservedness of the Queens behaviour and the inequality of her years which render'd her the less agreeable to his conversation gave no small advantage In which conjuncture it was no hard matter to perswade him unto any way which might give satisfaction to his conscience or content to his fancy especially iâ— it came accompanied with such a change as promised him the hopes of a son and heir or at the least of a more lawful and unquestioned issue And then what fitter wife could be found out for him than Madam Rheene one of the daughters of King Lewis the 12th and sister to the wife of the King then Reigning By which alliance he might be able to justifie his separation from the bed of Katherine not only against Charls her Nephew but against all Kings and Emperors in the Christian world taking the Pope into the reckoning A proposition so agreeable to the Kings own thoughts who began to grow weary of his Queen that he resolved to buy the amity of Francis at any rate to which end he not only made a league with him against the Emperour when the condition of the French was almost desperate but remitted unto Francis a very vast debt to the value of 500000 Crowns partly accruing unto him by some former contracts and parâ—ly for the payment of forfeiture incurred by Charles with which the French had charged himself by the capitulations And so far matters went on smoothly to the Cardinals wish and possibly might have succeeded in all particulars had not the plot miscaried by the return of Viscount Rochfort and the planting of Anne Bollen in the Court The admirable attractions of which young Lady had drawn the King so fast unto her that in short time he gave her an absolute soverainty over all his thoughts But so long he concealed his affections from her that a great league and entercourse was contracted betwixt her and the young Lord Percy the eldest son of Henry Lord Percy the 5th Earl of Northumberland of that Name and Family who being brought up in the Cardinals service had many opportunities of confirming an acquaintance with her when either his own pleasure or his Lords affairs occasioned his waiting at the Court But these compliances on both sides neither were nor probably could be so closely caried as not to come unto the knowledge of the jealous King impatient of a Rival in his new affections and yet resolved to carry the business in such a manner as to give no distaste to her whom he so much loved The Cardinal is therefore dealt with to remove that obstacle to which he readily condescended not looking further at the present into the design but that the King intended to appropriate the young Lady to his private pleasures as he had done many others in the times foregoing A messenger is thereupon dispatched to the Earl of Northumberland who at his coming to the Court is informed by the Cardinal how unadvisedly the Lord Percy had entred himself into the affections of Mrs Bollen one of the daughters of Viscount Rochfort not only without his fathers privity but against the express will of the King who was resolved to dispose otherwise of her And this he urged upon the strength of an old prerogative both then and after exercised by the Kings of England in not permitting any of the Nobility to contract mariages and make alliances with one another but by their consents The old Earl startled at the newes and fearing nothing more than the Kings displeasure calls for his son and presenâ—ly schools him in this manner Son quoth he even as thou art and ever haste been a proud disdainful and very unthtifty Master so haste thou now declared thy self Wherefore what joy what pleasure what comfort or what solace can I conceive in thee that thus without discretion hast abused thy self having neither regard to me thy natural father nor to thy natural Soverain Lord the King to whom all honest and loyal subjects bear faithful obedience nor yet to the prosperity of thy own estate but hast so unadvisedly ensâ—ared thy self to her for whom thou hast purchased the Kings high displeasure intolerable for any subject to sustain And but that the King doth consider the lightness of thy head and wilful quality of thy person his displeasure and indignation were sufficient to cast me and all my posterity into utter ruine and destruction But he being my singular good Lord and favourable Prince and my Lord Cardinal my very good friend hath and doth clearly excuse me in thy lewdness and doth rather lament thy folly than malign thee and hath advised an order to be taken for thee to whom both I and you are more bound than we conceive of I pray to God that this may be sufficient admonition to thee to use thy self more wisely hereafter For assure thy self if thou dost not amend thy prodigality thou wilt be the last Earl of our house For thy natural inclination thou art masterful and prodigal to consume all that thy progenitors have with so great travail gathered and kept together with honour But having the Kings Majesty my singular good Lord I trust I assure thee so to order my succession that thou shalt consume thereof but a little For I do not intend I tell thee truly to make thee heir for thanks be to God I have more boys that I trust will use themselves much better and prove more like to be wise and honest men of whom I will chuse the most likely to succeed me So said the much offended father and yet not thinking he had done enough for his own security a marriage is presently concluded for him to the Kings good liking with the Lady Mary one of the daughters of George Lord 〈◊〉 Earl of Shrewsbury Mrs Anne Bollen in the mean time is removed by her father from the Court to her no small trouble who knowing nothing of the Kings had willingly admitted the Lord Percy into her affections And understanding by him what had past betwixt him and his father she conceived such a mortal grudge against the Cardinal whom she looked on as the only cause of this separation that she contributed her best assistance to his final ruine It was about the time when the Kings cause was to be agitated in the Leganâ—ine Court that he caused her to be sent
thee delivereâ— to thee only be thanks honour and praâ—se for ever Amen Which said she mounted into her Chariot with so cleer a spirit as if she had been made for that dayes solemnity Entertained all the way she went with the joyful shouts and acclamations of God save the Queen which she repaid with such a modest affability and so good a grace that it drew tears of joy from the eyes of some with infinite prayers and thanksgiving from the hearts of all but nothing more indeared her to them than the accepting of an English Bible richly gilt which was let down unto her from one of the Pageants by a child representing Truth At the sight whereof she first kissed both her hands with both her hands she received the book which first she kiss'd and after laid unto her bosome as the nearest place unto her heart giving the City greater thanks for that excellent Gift than for all the rest which plentifully had been that day bestowed upon her and promised to be diligent in the reading of it By which and many other acts of a popular piety with which she passed away that day she did not only gain the hearts of all them that saw her but they that saw her did so magnifie her most eminent Graces that they procured the like affections in the hearts of all others also On the next morning with like magnificence and splendor she is attended to the Church of St Peter in Westminster where she was crowned according to the Order of the Roman Pontifical by Dr Owen Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle the only man among all the Bishops who could be wrought on by her to perform that office Whether it were that they saw some alteration coming to which they were resolved not to yield conformity so that they could not be in a worse case upon this refusal than they should be otherwise or that they feared the Popes displeasure if they should do an act so contrary unto his pretensions without leave first granted or that they had their own particular animosities and spleens against her as the Archbishop of York particularly for his being deprived of the seal is not certainly known None more condemned for the refusal than the Bishop of Ely as one that had received his first preferments from the King her father and who complyed so far in the time of King Edward as to assist in the composing of the publick Liturgy and otherwise appeared as forward in the reformation as any other of that Order So that no reason can be given either for his denial now to perform that service or afterwards for his not complying with the Queens proceedings but that he had been one of those which were sent to Rome to tender the submission of the Kingdom to the Pope still living and could not now appear with honour in any such action as seemed to carry with it a repugnancy if not a manifest inconsistency with the said ingagement It cannot be denyed but that there were three Bishops living of King Edward's making all of them zealously affected to the reformation And possibly it may seem strange that the Queen received not the Crown rather from one of their hands than to put her self unto the hazard of so many denyals as had been given her by the others But unto this it may be answered that the said Bishops at that time were deprived of their Sees but whether justly or unjustly could not then be questioned and therefore not in a capacity to perform that service Besides there being at that time no other form established for a Coronation than that which had much in it of the Ceremonies and superstitions of the Church of Rome she was not sure that any of the said three Bishops would have acted in it without such alterations and omissions in the whole course of that Order as might have render'd the whole action questionable amongst captious men and therefore finally she thought it more conducible to her reputation amongst forein Princes to be Crowned by the hands of a Catholick Bishop or one at least which was accounted to be such than if it had been done by any of the other Religion And now the Parliament draws on summoned to begin on the 25th of that month being the Anniversary day of St Paul's conversion a day which seemed to carry some good Omen in it in reference to that great work of the Reformation which was therein to be established The Parliament opened with an eloquent and learned Sermon preached by Dr Cox a man of good credit with the Queen and of no less esteem with the Lords and Commons who caried any good affection to the memory of King Edward the 6th The chusing of which man to perform that service was able of it self to give some intimation of the Queens design to most of the Auditors though to say truth the Bishops refusing to perform the Ceremony of the Coronation had made themselves uncapable of a further trust Nor could the Queens design be so closely caried but that such Lords and Gentlemen as had the managing of elections in their several Countries retained such men for Members of the House of Commons as they conceived most likely to comply with their intentions for a Reformation Amongst which none appeared more active than Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk whom the Queen had taken into her Council Henry Fitz-allen Earl of Arundel whom she continued in the Office of Lord Steward and Sir William Coecil whom she had restored to the place of Secretary to which he had been raised by King Edward the 6th Besides the Queen was young unmaried and like enough to entertain some thoughts of an husband so that it can be no great marvel not only if many of the Nobility but some even of the Gentry also flattered themselves with possibilities of being the man whom she might chuse to be her partner in the Regal Diadem Which hopes much smoothed the way to the accomplishment of her desires which otherwise might have proved more rugged and unpassable than it did at the present Yet notwithstanding all their care there wanted not some rough and furious spirits in the House of Commons who eagerly opposed all propositions which seemed to tend unto the prejudice of the Church of Rome Of which number none so violent as Story Dr. of the Lawes and a great instrument of Bonner's butcheries in the former Reign Who being questioned for the cruelty of his executions appeared so far from being sensible of any errour which he then committed as to declare himself to be sorry for nothing more than that instead of lopping off some few boughs and branches he did not lay his axe to the root of the tree and though it was not hard to guess at how high a mark the wretches malice seemed to aim and what he meant by laying his axe to the root of the tree yet passed he unpunished for the present though divine vengeance brought him in
City of Cambray in which all differences were concluded also between France and Spain all other Articles being accorded the restitution of Calais to the Queen of England seemed the onely obstacle by which the general peace of Christendom was at the point to have been hindred But the Queen either preferring the publick good before private interest or fearing to be left alone if she should stand too obstinately upon that particular came at the last to this agreement viz. That Calais should remain for the tearm of eight years then next following in the hands of the French that at the end of the said tearm it should be deliveâ—ed unto the English or otherwise the French King should pay unto the Queen the sum of 500000 Crowns According unto which Agreement Peace was proclaimed in London on the 7th of April between the Queens Majesty on the one part and the French King on the other as also between her and the King Dolphin with his wife the Queen of Scots and all the Subjects and Dominions of the said four Princes The Proclamation published by Garter and Norrey Kings at Arms accompanied with three other Heralds and five Trumpeters the Lord Mayor and Aldermen in their Scarlet Gowns being present on horseback But long the French King lived not to enjoy the benefit of this general Peace unfortunately wounded in Paris at a Tilt or Tournament by Count Monâ—gomery of which wound he shortly after died on the 10th of July leaving be hind him four sons Francis Charls Henry and another Francis of which the three first according to their seniority enjoyed that Kingdom And though she had just cause to be offended with the young King Francis for causing the Queen of Scots his wife to take upon her self the Title and Arms of England yet she resolved to bestow a royal Obsequy on the King deceased which was performed in St. Paul's Church on the 8th and 9th of September in most solemn manner with a rich Hearse made like an Imperial Crown sustained with eight pillars and covered with black Velvet with a Valence fringed with gold and richly hanged with Scâ—tcheous Pennons and Banners of the French Kings Arms the principal mourner for the first day was the Lord Treasurer Paulet Marquis of Winchester assisted with ten other Lords Mourners with all the Heralds in black and their Coat-Armours uppermost The divine Offices performed by Doctor Matthew Parker Lord elect of Canterbury Doctor William Barlow Lord elect of Chichester and Doctor Iâ—hn Scory Lord elect of Hereford all sitting in the Throne of the Bishop of London no otherwise at that time than in hoods and Surplices by whom the Derige was executed at that time in the English toung The Funeral Sermon preached the next morning by the Lord of Hereford and a Communion celebrated by the Bishops then attired in Copes upon their Surplices At which time six of the chief mourners received the Sacrament and so departed with the rest to the Bishops Palace where a very liberal Entertainment was provided for them By which magnificency and the like this prudent Queen not onely kept â—er own reputation at the highest amongst forein Princes but caused the greater estimation to be had by the Catholick party of the Religion here established Anno Reg. Eliz. 2. A. D. 1559 1560. WE must begin this year with the Consecration of such new Bishops as were elected to succeed in the place of those which had been deprived the first of which was that of the most reverend Doctor Matthew Parker elected to the See of Canterbury on the first of August but not consecrated till the 17th of December following That Dignity had first been offered as is said by some to Doctor Nicholas Wotton Dean of Canterbury and York who grown in years and still a well-willer to the Pope desired to be excused from undertaking of a charge so weighty And some say it was offered unto Whitehead also who had been Chaplain to Anne Bollen the Queen's mother but he returned the like refusal though on other grounds as more inclined by reason of his long abode in Calvin's Churches to the Presbyterians than the Episcopal form of Government and it was happy for the Church might have been betrayed by his dissaffection that he did refuse it The Chair being better filled by Parker another of Queen Bollen's Chaplains but better principled and of a far more solid judgment in affairs of moment The Congeâ—d ' sleiur which opened him the way to this eminent Dignity bears date on the 18th day of July within few days after the deprivation of the former Bishops to satisfie the world in the Queens intention of preserving the Episcopal Government And therefore why the consecration was deferred so long maybe made a question some think it was that she might satisfie her self by putting the Church into a posture by her Visitation before she passed it over to the care of the Bishops others conceive that she was so enamoured with the power and title of Supream Governess that she could not deny her self that contentment in the exercise of it which the present Interval afforded For what are Titles without Power and what pleasure can be took in Power if no use be made of it And it is possible enough that both or either of these considerations might have some influence upon her But the main cause for keeping the Episcopal Sees in so long a vacancy must be found else-where An Act had passed in the late Parliament which never had the confidence to appear in print in the Preamble whereof it was declared That by dissolution of Religious Houses in the time of the late King her Majesties father many Impropriations Tithes and portions of Tithes had been invested in the Crown which the Queen being a Lady of a tender conscience thought not fit to hold nor could conveniently dismember from it without compensation in regard of the present low condition in which she found the Crown at her comming to it And thereupon it was enacted that in the vacancy of any Archbishoprick or Bishoprick it should be lawful for the Queen to issue out a Commission under the Great Seal for taking a survey of all Castles Mannors Lands Tenements and all other Hereditaments to the said Episcopal Sees belonging or appertaining and on the return of such surveys to take into her hands any of the said Castles Mannors Lands Tenements c. as to her seemed good giving to the said Archbishops or Bishops as much annual Rents to be raised upon Impropriations Tithes and portions of Tithes as the said Castles Mannors Lands c. did amount unto The Church Lands certified according to the antient Rents without consideration of the Casualties and other Perqâ—isites of Court which belonged unto them the Retribution made in Pensions Tithes and portions of Tithes extended at the utmost value from which no other profit was to be expected than the Rent it self Which Act not being to take effect
both Religions and finally amongst many other particulars that neither the Queen of Scots nor the French King should from thenceforth assume the Titles and Arms of England Which Articles being signed and confirmed for both Kingdoms the French about the middle of July take their leave of Scotland and the English Army at the same time set forward for Barwick being there disbanded and dismissed to their several dwellings Followed not long after by the Earls of Morton and Glencarn in the name of the rest of the Congregation sent purposely to render to the Queen their most humble thanks for her speedy prosperous assistance and to desire the continuance of her Majesties favours if the French should any more attempt to invade their Country Assured whereof and being liberally rewarded with gifts and presents they returned with joy and glad tydings to the Congregation whom as the Queen had put upon a present confidence of going vigorously on in their Reformation so it concerned them to proceed so carefully in pursuance of it as might comply with the dependence which they had upon her First therefore that she might more cordially espoâ—se their quarrel they bound themselves by their subscription to embrace the Liturgy with all the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England which for a time remained the onely form of Worship for the Kirk of Scotland when and by whose means they receded from it may be shown hereafter In the next place they cause a Parliament to be called in the month of August according to the Articles of the Pacification from which no person was excluded who either had the right of Suffrage in his own capacity or in relation to their Churches or as returned from their Shrevalties or particular Burroughs of which last there appeared the accustomed number but of the Lords Spiritual no more than six Bishops of thirteen with thirteen Abbots and Priors or thereabouts and of the Temporal Lords to the number of ten Earls and as many Barons By whose Authority and consent they passed three Acts conducing wholly to the advantage of the Reformation the first whereof was for abolishing the Popes Jurisdiction and Authority within the Realm the second for annulling all Statutes made in former times for maintenance of Idolatry and Superstition and the third for the punishment of the Sayers and Hearers of the Masse To this Parliament also some of the Ministers presented A Confession of the Faith and Doctrine to be believed and professed by the Protestants of the Kirk of Scotland modelled in many places by the Principles of Calvin's Doctrine which Knox had brought with him from Geneva but being put unto the Vote it was opposed by no more than three of the Temporal Lords that is to say the Earl of Atholl and the Lords Somervil and Borthwick who gave no other reason for it but that they would believe as their fathers did The Popish Prelates were silent in it neither assenting nor opposing Which being observed by the Earl-Marshal he is said to have broke out into these words following Seeing saith he that my Lords the Bishops who by their learning can and for the zeal they should have to the truth ought as I suppose to gainsay any thing repugnant to it say nothing against the Confession we have heard I cannot think but that it is the very truth of God and that the contrary of it false and deceivable Doctrine Let us now cross over into Ireland where we shall find the Queen as active in advancing the reformed Religion as she had been in either of the other Kingdoms King Henry had first broke the ice by taking to himself the Title of Supream Head on earth of the Church of Ireland exterminating the Popes authority and suppressing all the Monasteries and Religious Houses In matters doctrinal and forms of Worship as there was nothing done by him so neither was there much endeavoured in the time of King Edward it being thought perhaps unsafe to provoke that people in the Kings minority considering with how many troubles he was elsewhere exercised If any thing were done therein it was rather done by tolleration than command And whatsoever was so done was presently undone again in the Reign of Queen Mary But Queen Elizabeth having setled her affairs in England and undertaken the protection of the Scots conceived her self obliged in point of piety that Ireland also should be made partaker of so great a benefit A Parliament is therefore held on the 12th of January where past an Act restoring to the Crown the antient jurisdiction over all Ecclesiastical and Spiritual persons By which Statute were established both the Oath of Supremacy and the High Commission as before in England There also past an Act for the Uniformity of Common Prayer c. with a permission for saying the same in Latine in such Church or place where the Minister had not the knowledge of the English Tongue But for translating it into Irish as afterwards into Welsh in the 5th year of this Queen there was no care taken either in this Parliament or in any following For want whereof as also by not having the Scriptures in their native language most of the natural Irish have retained hitherto there old barbarous customes or pertinaciously adhere to the corruptions of the Church of Rome The people by that Statute are required under several penalties to frequent their Churches and to be frequent at the reading of the English Liturgy which they understand no more than they do the Mass. By which means the Iâ—ish was not only kept in continual ignorance as to the Doctrines and Devotions of the Church of England but we have furnished the Papists with an excellent Argument against our selves for having the Divine Service celebrated in such a language as the people do not understand There also past another Statute for restoring to the Crown the first fruits and twenty parts of all Ecclesiastical promotions within that Kingdom as also of all impropriat Parsonages which there are more in number than those Rectories which have cure of souls King Henry had before united the first fruits c. to the Crown Imperial but Queen Mary out of her affection to the Church of Rome had given them back unto the Clergy as before was said The like Act passed for the restitution of all such lands belonging to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem as by that Queen had been regranted to the Order with the avoidance of all Leases and other grants which had been made by Sir Oswald Massingberd the lâ—te Lord Prior of the same Who fearing what was like to follow had voluntarily forsook the Kingdome in the August foregoing and thereby saved the Queen the charge of an yearly pension which otherwise he might have had as his Predecessors had before him in the time of King Henry During the Reign of which King a Statute had been made in Ireland as in England also for the electing and consecrating of
Senior Fellow sufficiently known to be of Popish inclinations though for the saving of his place he had conformed as others did to the present time No sooner was he in this power but he retrives some old superstitious hymns which formerly had been sung on several Festivals in the times of Popery prohibiting the use of such as had been introduced by Gervase the late Warden there This gave incouragement and opportunity to the Popish party to insult over the rest especially over all those of the younger sort who had not been trained up in their Popish principles so that it seemed a penal matter to be thought a Protestant Notice whereof being given to Archbishop Parker the Ordinary Visitour of that College in the Right of his See he summoneth Hall on the 20th of May to appear before him and caused the Citation to be fastned to the Gate of the College But his authority in that case was so little regarded that the seal of the Citation was torn off by some of that party Hereupon followed a solemn visitation of the College by the said Archbishop The result whereof was briefly this that all were generally examined Man confirmed Warden Hall justly expelled his party publickly admonished the young scholars relieved the Papists curbed and suppressed and Protestants countenanced and incouraged in the whole University But this was only the Essay of those greater commotions which were to have insued upon it though withall it proved a prognostick of their ill success which constantly attended the designs of the Romish faction For presently on the neck of this a far more dangerous conspiracy declared it self in some chief Leaders of that party The present sitting of the Council the practices of some forein Ministers and the Queens countenancing the French Hugoâ—ots then being in Arms against their King might serve both as encouragements and exasperations to put that party upon dangerous and destructive projects And it is possible enough that somewhat might be aimed at by them in favour of the Title of the Queen of Scots or of some other of the Race of King Henry the 7th by Margaret his eldest daughter married to James the 4th of Scotland which may the rather be supposed because I find the Lady Margaret Countess of Lenox daughter of the said Queen Margaret by her second husband and mother of Henry Lord Dâ—rnley who was after married to Queen Mary of Scotland to have been confined unto her House with the Earl her husband upon suspition of some practice against the Queen Certain it is that many strange whispers were abroad and no small hopes conceived by those of the Popish faction for suppressing the Protestants in all parts of the Kingdom and setting up their own Religion as in former times a matter neither to be entertained without strong temptations nor compassed without stronger forces than they could raise amongst themselves but by intelligence supply from some forein Princes On which account amongst some others which were found to be of the Plot Arthur Pole granchild of Margaret Countess of Salisbury by Geofry her third son the younger brother unto Reâ—gnald Pole the late Cardinal Legat was apprehended and arraigned together with his brother Geofry Fortescue who had married his sister divers others The substance of their Chaâ—ge as it is generally in all Treasons was a design of levying war against the Queen and otherwise entertaining many dangerous counsels against the peace and safety of her Dominions with a particular intention of advancing the Queen of Scots to the Crown of England and Polâ— himself unto the Title of Duke of Clarence All which they confessed upon the Indictment and did all receive the sentence of death but were all afterwards pardoned by the Queens great clemency out of that great respect which she carried to their Royal extraction And yet it may be possible that there was something in it of State-craft as well as clemency which might induce the Queen to spare them from the stroke of the Ax which was to keep them for a ballance to the House of Suffolk of whom she now began to conceive some jealousies The Lady Katharine Gray one of the younger daughters of Henry Duke of Suffolk and sister to the late Queen Jane had been marryed to the Lord Henry Herbert son and heir to the Earl of Pembrock at such time as the said Queen Jane was married to the Lord Guilford Dudley at Durham-House But the old Earl seasonably apprehending how unsafe it was to marry into that Family which had given so much trouble to the Queen took the advantage of the time and found some means to procure a sentence of Divorce almost upon the very insâ—ant of the Consummation And knowing how well Queen Maâ—yâ—â—ood â—â—ood affected to the Earl of Shrewsbury he presently clapt up a marriage for his son with another Katherine one of the daughters of that Earl who dying about the begining of the Reign of this Queen he married him as â—peedily to Mary Sâ—dâ—ey the daughter of Sir Henry Sidney and of Mary his wife one of the daughters of John Dudley the late Duke of Northumberland in which last marriage he as much endeavoured to ingratiate himself with Sir Robert Dâ—dleâ— who at that time began to grow Lord Paramount in all Court-favours as by the first Match to insinuate into old Duke Dudley who did then predominate In the mean time the Lady Katherine Gray languisheth long under the disgrace of this rejection none daring to make any particular addresses to her for fear of being involved in the like calamities as had befallen her father and the rest of that Family But at the last the young Earl of Hertford contracts himself privately unto her and having consummated the marriage with her gets leave to travail into France But long he had not left the Kingdom when the Lady was found to be with child being imprisoned in the Tower she makes known her marriage till then kept secret by agreement the Earl is thereupon called home and standing honestly to the Marriage for which he could produce no sufficient witnesse is committed prisoner also The Queen exceeding jealous of all Competitors refers the cognisance of the cause to the Archbishop of Canterbury and some other Delegates by whom a certain time is set for the bringing in of Witnesses to prove the Marriage and on default thereof a sentence of unlawful copulation is pronounced against them during which troubles and disquiets the Lady is delivered of the Lord Edward Seâ—mer her eldest son in the Tower of London and conceived after of another by some sâ—oln meetings which she had with the Earl her husband their Keepers on both sides being corrupted to give way unto it Which practice so incensed the Queen that hurried on with jealousie and transported with passion she caused a fine of five thousand pounds to be set upon him in the Star-chamber and kept him close prisoner for the space of nine years at the
person which was the Marquis of Winchester Lord Treasurer of England the other twelve being two Earls six Lords and four Knights the sacred part thereof performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury assisted by the Bishops of London and Rochester the funeral Sermon being pâ—eached by the Bishop of London which tended much unto the praise and commendation of that famous Emperor By which solemnity as she did no small honor to the dead so she gave great contentment to the living also the people being generally much delighted with such glorious pomps and the Church of England thereby held in estimation with all forein Princes Nothing else memorable in this year but the comming out of certain books and the death of Caâ—vin Dorman an English fugitive first publisheth a book for proof of certain of the Articles denyed in Bishop Jewel's challenge encountred first by Alexander Nowel Dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul who first appeared in print against those of Lovain and is replyed upon by Dorman in a book entituled A Discovery of Mr. Nowel's untruths not published till the year next following But of more consequence to this Church was the death of Calvin by whose authority so much disorder and confusion was to be brought upon it in the times succeeding a name much reverenced not onely by those of his own party and perswasions but by many grave and moderate men who did not look at first into the dangers which ensued upon it His platform at Geneva made the onely pattern by which all reformed Churches were to frame their Government his Writings made the onely rule by which all Students in Divinity were to square their Judgments What Peter Lombart was esteemed to be in the Schools of Rome the same was Calvin reckoned in all those Churches which were reformed according to the Zuinglian doctrine in the point of the Sacrament But Hic Magister non tenetur as the saying was he was not so esteemed in England nor was there any reason why it should be so for though some zealous brethren of the Presbyteterian or Puritan faction appeared exceeding ambitious to wear his Livery and thought no name so honorable as that of Calvinist yet the sounder members of the Church the Royal and Prelatical Divines as the others called them conceived otherwise of him And the right learned Adrian Sararia though by birth a Dutch-man yet being once preferred in the Church of England he stomached nothing more than to be called Calvinian Anno Reg. Eliz. 7. A. D. 1564 1565. WE shall begin this year with the concernments of the Kirk of Scotland where Queen Eâ—izabeth kept a Stock still going the Returns whereof redounded more to her own security than to the profit and advantage of the Church of England The Queen of Scots was young poffessed of that Kingdom and next Heir to this first married to the Daulphin of France and sued to after his decease in behalf of Charls the younger son of the Emperor Maximilian as also of the Prince of Conde and the Duke of Bavaria But Queen Elizabeth had found so much trouble and danger from her first alliance with the French that she was against all Marriages which might breed the like or any way advance the power of that Competitor But on the contrary she commended to her the Earl of Leicester whom she pretended to have raised to those eminent honors to make him in some fort capable of a Queens affection Which proposition proved agreeable to neither party the Queen of Scots disdaining that unequal offer and Leicester dealing underhand with Randolph the English Resident to keep her still in that averseness He had foolishly given himself some hopes of marrying with Elizabeth his own dread Mistress interpreting all her favours to him to proceed from affection and was not willing that any Proposition for that purpose with the Queen of Scots should be entertained During these various thoughts on both sides the English began to be divided in opinion concerning the next heir to the Crown Imperial of this Realm One Hales had writ a discourse in favour of the House of Suffolk but more particularly in defence of the late marriage between the Earl of Hertford and the Lady Katherine for which he was apprehended and committed prisoner The Romish party were at the same time sub-divided some standing for the Queen of Scots as the next heir apparent though an alien born others for Henry Lord Darnlie eldest son to the Earl of Lenox born in the Realm and lineally descended from the eldest daughter of King Henry the 7th from whom the Queen of Scots also did derive her claim The Queen of Scots also at the same time grown jealous of the practices of the Lord James her bastard-brother whom she had not long before made Earl of Murrey and being over-powered by those of the Congregation was at some loss within her self for finding a fit person upon whose integrity she might depend in point of counsel and on whose power she might rely in point of safety After a long deliberation nothing seemed more conducible to her ends and purposes than the recalling of Matthew Earl of Lenox to his native Country from whence he had been forced by the Hamiltonians in the time of King Henry Being of great power in the West of Scotland from the Kings whereof he was extracted Henry conceived that some good use might be made of him for advancing the so much desired marriage between his onely son Prince Edward and the Infant-Queen The more to gain him to his side he bestowes upon him in marriage the Lady Margaret Dowglas daughter of Queen Margaret his eldest sister by Archibald Dowglas Earl of Angus her second husband of which marriage were born Henry Lord Darnly of whom more anone and Charls the second son whom King James created Earl of Lenox father of Arabella before remembred And that they might support themselves in the nobler equipage he bestowes upon him also the Mannor of Setrington with other good Lands adjoyning in the County of Yoâ—k passing since by the name of Lenox his Lands in the style of the people In England he remained above twenty years but keptâ— himself constant in all changes to the Church of Rome which made him the more estimable both with his own Queen and the English Papists Being returned into his Country he found that Queen so gracious to him and such a handsome correspondence with the chief Nobility that he sends for his two sons to come thither to him but leaves his wife behind in the Court of England lest otherwise Queen Elizabeth might take some umbrage or displeasure at it if they should all remove at once It was about the middle of February that the Lord Darnly came to the Court of Scotland Who being not full twenty years old of lovely person sweet behaviour and a most ingenuous disposition exceedingly prevailed in short time on the Queens affection She had now met with such a
man as might please her fancy and more secure her title to the Crown of England than any of the great Kings in Europe What then should hinder her from making up a mariage so agreeable to her so acceptable to the Catholick party in both Kingdoms and which she thought withall of so safe a condition as could create no new jealousies in the brest of Elizabeth But those of the Leicestrian faction conceived otherwise of it and had drawn most of the Court and Council to conceive so to For what could more secure the interess of the Queen of Scots than to corroborate her own Title with that of Darnly from which two what children soever should proceed they would draw to them many hearts in the Realm of England who now stood fair and faithful to their natural Queen In this great fear but made much greater of set purpose to create some trouble it was advised that the Queen should earnestly be intreated to think of mariage to the end that the succession might be setled in her own posterity that all Popish Justices whereof there were many at that time might be put out of Commission and none admitted to that office but such as were sincerely affected to the Reformed Religion that the old deprived Bishops which for the most part lived at liberty might be brought to a more close restraint for fear of hardning some in their errours and corrupting others with whom they had the freedom of conversation that a greater power might be conferred upon the English Bishops in the free exercise of their jurisdiction for suppressing all such Popish Books as were sent into England depriving the English Fugitives of all those Benefices in this Kingdom which hitherto they had retained and all this to be done without incurring the danger of a Premunire with which they were so often threatned by the common Lawyers It was advised also that for a counterpoise unto the Title of the Queen of Scots some countenance should be given to the House of Suffolk by shewing favour to the Earl of Hartford and the Lady Katherine and that to keep the ballance even with the Romish Catholicks some moderation should be used to such Protestant Ministers you may be sure the Earl of Leicester had a hand in this as hitherto had been opposiâ—e in external matters to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church here by Law established Nor was this mariage very pleasing to the Scots themselves the chief Lords of the Romish party who faithfully had adher'd to their natural Queen in all her former troubles conceived that some of them might be as capable of the Queens affections as a young Gentleman born in England and one that never had done any service which might enoble and prefer him before all the rest The Ministers exclaimed against it in their common preachings as if it were designed of purpose to destroy Religion and bring them under their old vassalage to the Church of Rome The Noble men and others of the Congregation who had sold themselves to Queen Elizabeth were governed wholly by her Counsels and put themselves into a posture of Arms to disturb the Maâ—ch the Edenburgers do the like but are quickly scatter'd and forc'd to submit themselves to their Queens good pleasure who was so bent upon her mariage with this young Nobleman that neither threatnings nor perswasions could divert her from it And thaâ— he might appear in some capacity fit for the mariage of a Queen she first confers upon him the Order of Knighthood and afterwards creats him Baron of Ardamanack Earl of Rosse and Duke of Rothsay which are the ordinary Titles of the eldest and second sons of Scotland In May she had convented the Estates of Scotland to whom she communicated her intention with the reasons of it Which by the greatest part of the Assembly seemed to be allowed of none but the Lord Ochiltrie opposing what the rest approved About the middle of July the mariage Rites were celebrated in the Royal Chapel by the Dean of Restairig and the next day the new Duke was proclaimed King by sound of Trumpet and declared to be associated with the Queen in the publick government The newes whereof being brought unto Queen Elizabeth she seemed more offended than indeed she was For well she knew that both the new King and the Earl his Father were men of plain and open natures not apt to entertain any dangerous counsels to the disturbance of her quiet that as long as she retained the Countesse with her who was the Mother of the one and the Wife of the other they seemed to stand bound to their good behaviour and durst act nothing to the prejudice of so dear a pledge but by the precipitation of this mariage the Queen of Scots had neither fortified her self in the love of her people nor in alliances abroad and that it could not otherwise be but some new troubles must break out in Scotland upon this occasion by which it would be made uncomfortable and inglorious to her And so it proved in the event for never was mariage more calamitous to the parties themselves or more dishonourable to that Nation or finally more scandalous to both Religions in nothing fortunate but in the birth of James the 6th born in the Palace of Edenborough on the 19th of July Anno 1566. solemnly Crowned King of the Scots on the same day of the Month Anno 1567. and joyfully received to the Crown of England on the 14th of March Anno 1602. In greater glory and felicity reigned the Queen of England Whose praise resounding in all Kingdoms of the North and West invited Caecille sister to the King of Sweden and wife of Christopher Marquisse of Baden to undertake a tedious journey both by land and sea from the furthest places of the North to see the splendor of her Court and observe the prudence of her Government Landing at Dover in the beginning of September they were there received by the Lord Cobham with a goodly train of Knights and Gentlemen at Canterbury by the Lady Cobham with the like honourable train of Ladies and Gentlewomen at Gravesend by the Lord Hunsdon with the band of Pensioners at London on the 11th of September by the Earl of Sussex and his Countesse who waited on them to the Lodging appointed for them Scaâ—â—e had she rested there four dayes when she fell into a new travel of which she was happily delivered by the birth of a son whom the Queen Christned in her own person by the name of Edwardus Fortunatus the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Duke of Norfolk being Sureties with her at the Font. She called him Edward with relation to the King her brother whose memory she dearly loved and Fortunatus in regard that he came so luckily into the world when his Mother after a most painful pilgrimage was safely come to pay her Devotions at that Shrine which she so much honoured Having remained here till the April