Authoritie His Brother in law the Duke of Suffolke was lately deceased SEIMOVR the yong Princes Vnkle was a man whose Goodnesse was not tempered with Severity and being descended of a Family more ancient then noble as having vntill now never transcended Knighthood would be subiect to contempt They who more neerly participated of the Bloud Royall as they any way excelled in Power or Vertue were the more suspected and hated by him The Family of the HOWARDS was then most flourishing the chiefe whereof was THOMAS Duke of Norfolke a man famous for his exploits in France Scotland and elsewhere long exercised in the schoole of Experience many wayes deriving himselfe from the Crowne popular of great command and revenues But the edge of the old mans disposition made milde and blunted with age administred the lesse cause of suspition Of his eldest Sonne HENRY Earle of Surrey the King was certainly iealous and resolved to cut him off Hee had lately in the wars of France manifested himselfe heire to the glory of his Ancestors was of a ripe wit and endued with great learning so that Elogy afterwards given to his sonne HENRY that hee was the Learnedst among the Nobility and the Noblest among the Learned might have as fitly beene applied to him was very gracious with the people expert in the Art Military and esteemed fit for publique Government These great Vertues were too great Faults and for them hee must suffer Treason is obiected to him and vpon the surmise hee and his Father sent to the Tower On the thirteenth of Ianuary he is arraigned the chiefe point of his accusation whereon they insisted being for bearing certaine Armes which only belonged to the King and consequently aspiring to the Crowne Of other things hee easily acquitted himselfe and as for those Armes he constantly affirmed that they hereditarily pertained vnto him yet notwithstanding hee would not have presumed to have borne them but being warranted by the opinion of the Heralds who onely were to give iudgement in these cases The Iudges not approving of his answer condemne him and so the Flower of the English Nobilitie is on the nineteenth of Ianuary beheaded the King lying in extremity and breathing his last in Bloud The Duke was adiudged to perpetuall imprisonment where he continued vntill he was by Queene MARY set at libertie The King his disease growing on him at last makes his Will wherein by vertue of a Law lately enacted hee ordaines Prince EDWARD his Sucessour in the first place and in the second Prince EDWARD dying issâ—lesse substitutes the Lady MARY begotten of CATHARINE of Arragon and vpon the like defect of issue in MARY in the third place substitutes the Lady ELIZABETH These three raigned successiuely and accomplished the number of fiftie six yeares at the expiration where of Queene ELIZABETH ended her long glorious Raine and left the Diadem to King IAMES in the many reguards of his Learning Religion Goodnesse peaceable and happy Raigne the Mirrour of late ages The next care was of his Executors whom hee also appointed Tutors shall I say or Counsailours to his Sonne and were in number sixteene viz. Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Wriothsley Lord Chancellour William Pawlet Lord Saint-Iohn Iohn Russel Lord Priuy Seale Edward Seimour Earle of Hertford Iohn Dudley Viscount Lisle Lord Ad-Admirall Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of Duresme Sir Anthony Browne Master of the Horse Sir Edward Mountague Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas. Sir William Paget Sir William Harbert Sir Thomas Bromley Sir Anthony Denny Sir Edward North. Sir Edward Wotton Doctor Wotton Deane of Canterbury and Yorke To whom hee added as Assistants especially in matters of great consequence Henry Earle of Arundell William Earle of Essex Sir Thomas Cheny Steward of the Kings Houshold Sir Iohn Gage Comptroller Sir Anthony Wingfield Vice-chamberlaine Sir VVilliam Peter Secretarie Sir Richard Rich. Sir Iohn Baker Sir Ralph Sadler Sir Thomas Seimour Sir Richard Southwell Sir Edmond Pecham He ordained his body should be interred at Windsore in a Monument yet imperfect erected by Cardinall WOLSEY not for himselfe as many falsly surmise but for the King as by the Inscription is manifest which cannot be of later date For therein HENRY is stiled Lord of Irland without any mention of Supreme Head of the Church which two particles it is manifest were changed in the Title after WOLSEY his death In the same his last Will he commanded that the Monuments of HENRY the Sixt and EDWARD the Fourth both interred in Windsore should be made more magnificent and stately and other things of leâ—sâ— moment most of which were neglected This last Will aud Testament hee confirmed subscribed and sealed the last of December and survived a moneth after dying at Westminster the eight and twentieth of Ianuary and that in this manner The King having long languished the Physicians finding apparant symptomes of approaching death wished some of his friends to admonish him of his estate which at last Sir ANTHONY DENNY vndertooke who going directly to the fainting King told in few but those plaine words That the hope of humane helpe was vaine wherefore he beseeched his Maiestie to erect his thoughts to Heaven and bethinking him of his forepassed life through Christ to implore Gods Mercy An advise not very acceptable to him But finding it grounded vpon the iudgement of the Physicians hee submitted himselfe to the hard law of necessitie and reflecting vpon the course of his Life which hee much condemned he professed himselfe confident that through Christ his infinite Goodnesse all his sinnes although they had beene more in number and waight might bee pardoned Being then demanded whether he desired to confer with any Divines With no other saith he but the Archbishop CRANMER and not with him as yet I will first repose my selfe a little and as I then finde my selfe will determine accordingly After the sleepe of an houre or two finding himselfe fainting hee commanded the Archbishop then at Croydon should be sent for in all hast Who vsing all possible speed came not vntill the King was speechlesse As soone as he came the King tooke him by the hand the Archbishop exhorting him to place all his hope in Gods Mercies through Christ and beseeching him that if hee could not in words he would by some signe or other testifie this his Hope Who then wringed the Archbishops hand as hard as he could and shortly after expired having lived fiftie five yeares and seven moneths and thereof raigned thirty seven yeares nine monethes and six dayes Thus ended HENRY the Eighth his Life and Raigne which for the first yeares of his Government was like NERO'S Five yeares Admirable for often Victories and happy Successe in war Glorious for the many Changes vnder it Memorable For the Foundation of the Churches Reformation Laudable to Queenes most vnhappy for the Death of so many for the most great Personages Bloudy and for the frequent Exactions and Subsidies and Sacrilegious Spoile of the Church much
haughtie in regard of their former navall victories obtained vnder the command of this young Lord. After him came the Lords DACRES CLIFFORD SCROPE LATIMER CONIERS LVMLEY and OGLE besides Sir NICHOLAS APPLEYARD Master of the Ordinance Sir W. PERCIE Sir WILLIAM SIDNEY Sir WILLIAM BVLMER Sir IOHN STANLEY Sir WILLIAM MOLINEVX Sir THOMAS STRANGWAYES Sir RICHARD TEMPEST and many other Knights These sitting in Counsell thought it best to send an Herald to the King to expostulate with him concerning these out-rages committed to complaine that He had without all right or reason spoyled the Countrey of a Prince not onely Allied vnto Him but also His Confederate and therefore to certifie Him that they were readie by battaile to revenge the breach of League if so bee Hee durst awaite their comming but a few dayes in a ground that might be fitting for the meeting of both Armies The King makes answere by writing wherein Heeretorts the violation of the League calling God to witnesse that King HENRY had first by his many iniuries showne evident signes of an alienated mind For the English Hee pretended robbed all along the Marches of Scotland without restitution or punishment ANDREW BARTON a stout and honest man had beene vniustly slaine by the Kings command and one HERON who had murdered ROBERT CAR a Scottish Nobleman vaunted himselfe openly in England the King taking no notice of so hainous a fact Of these things Hee had often complained by his Embassadours but without effect There was therefore no other way for Him but to betake Himselfe to Armes for the common defence of Himselfe and his Kingdome against the Kings iniustice As for the meeting hee signified that he accepted of it and appointed both Time and Place for the battaile Neither partie failed the prefixed day The Scot seekes to animate his men by taking away all hope of safeguard by flight commanding them I know not how wisely but the event shâ—wed how vnhappily for thme to forsake their horses forasmuch as they were to trust to their hands not to their horses heeles and by his owne example shewing what hee would haue done hee alights and prepares himselfe to fight on foote The rest doing the like the whole Army encountred Vs on foote to whom after a long and bloudy fight the fortune of the victorie inclined The Scots had two and twentie Peeces of great Ordinance which stood them in no steed For our men climing vp a hill where the Enemy sate hovering over Vs the shot passed over our heads Our chiefe strength were our Archers who so incessantly played vpon foure wings of Scots for the King divided his Army into fiue Battalions that were but lightly armed that they forced them to flie and leave their fellowes who yet stood stoutly to it But the maine Battaile where the King was consisting of choice men and better armed against our sâ—ot was not so easily defeated For the Scots although they being inclosed as it were in a toyle were forced to fight in a ring made most desperate resistance and that without doubt so much the rather because they not onely heard their King incouraging them but saw him also manfully fighting in the foremost rankes vntill having received would vpon wound heâ—el down dead The say there fell with him the Archbishop of Saint ANDREWES his naturall Sonne two other Bishops two Abbots twelve Earles seventeene Barons and of common Souldiers eight thousand The number of the Captives is thought to haue beene as many They lost all their Ordinance and almost all their Ensignes insomuch that the victorie was to bee esteemed a very great one but that it was somewhat bloudie to Vs in the losse of fifteene hundred This field was fought the ninth of September neere Flodon hill vpon a rising banke called Piperdi not farre from Bramston I am not ignorant that the Scotish Writers constantly affirme the King was not slaine in the field but having saved himselfe by flight was afterwards killed by his owne people and that the body which was brought into England was not the Kings but of one ALEXANDER ELFINSTON a young Gentleman resembling the King both in visage and stature whom the King that hee might delude those that pursued him and might as with his owne Presence animate them that fought else-where had caused with all tokens of Royaltie to be armed and apparelled like himselfe But to let passe the great number of Nobilitie whose carcases found about him sufficiently testifie that they guarded their true King and consequently that the counterfaite fought else-where it is manifest that his body was knowne by many of the Captives who certainly affirmed that it could bee no other then the Kings although by the multitude of wounds it were much defaced For his necke was opened to the midst with a wide wound his left hand almost cut off in two places did scarce hang to his arme and the Archers had shot him in many places of his body Thus was IAMES the Fourth King of Scots taken away in the flower of his youth who truly in regard of his Princely Vertues deserved a longer life For hee had a quicke wit and a maiesticall countenance he was of a great spirit courteous milde liberall and so mercifull that it was observed hee was often forced against his will to punish offenders These vertues endeared him to his people in his life time and made them so much lament the losse of him being dead that as all Historians report they seemed to have lost onely him in the whole succession of their Kings which sufficiently argues the improbabilitie of the subiects pretended Parricide But he had not fallen into this misery if he would haue hearkened to the advice of those who perswaded him to have returned home before the fight contented with what hee had alreadie performed in the expedition that he should not vpon so weake forces hazard the estate oâ— his Kingdome hee had wonne glory enough and abundantly fulfilled his friends request But the French Agent and some of the Kings Mignons corrupted by the French vrging to the contrarie this haughtie Prince even otherwise very desirous to give proofe of his valour was easily perswaded to awaite our great Forces already marching His body if at least that were his not ELFINSTON'S being enclosed in Lead and brought into England was by our Kings I will not say cruell but certainly inhumane command cast in some by corner or other without due Funerall Rites saying that it was a due punishment for one who had periurously broken his League whereas if wee examine the premisses we shall find he wanted not probable pretexts for what hee vndertooke Anno Dom. 1514. Reg. 6. THe next yeare having begunne his course THOMAS HOWARD Earle of Surrey hee who had beene victorious over the Scots was created Duke of Norfolke the title and dignitie of his Ancestors IOHN his Father deriving his pedigree from THOMAS de Brotherton Sonne to King EDWARD the First the SEGRAVES and
Sonne a Prince of excellent forme and endowments whâ— deceased the two and twentieth of Iuly for whom the King a long time after mourned In the meane time on the nineteenth of Iuly IOHN BOVRCHIER Lord Fitz-waren was created Earle of Bathe whose successours in that Honour were his Sonne IOHN who begat IOHN deceased before his Father whose Sonne WILLIAM is now Earle of Bathe At what time also THOMAS CROMWELL a poore Smiths Sonne but of a dexterous wit whose first rising was in the Family of Cardinall WOLSEY in whose service by him faithfully performed he grew famous was made Lord CROMWELL many dignities being also conferred on him to the increase of his estate and honour For first he was Master of the Rolls and principall Secretary of Estate then Sir THOMAS BOLEN Earle of Wiltshire resigning he was made Lord Privy Seale and after that dignified with the vnheard of Title of The Kings Vicar generall in affaires Ecclesiasticall For the authority of the Pope being abrogated many businesses dayly happened which could not bee disparched without the Kings consent who not able to vndergo the burthen alone conferred this authority granted him by Act of Parliament on CROMWELL not for that he thought a Lay man fitter for this dignity than a Clergy man but because hee had determined vnder colour and pretence thereof to put in execution some designes wherein the Clergy in all probability would haue moved very slowly and against the haire Hee was therefore President in the Synod this yeare Certainly a deformed spectacle to see an vnlearned Lay man President over an assembly of sacred Prelates and such as for their learning England had in no preceding ages knowne the like For indeed HENRY is for that much to be commended who would not easily advance any one to place of government in the Church but whome his learning should make worthy By the authority of this Synod a booke was set forth wherein many points of Doctrine being proposed to be by the Curates expounded to their Parishioners mention was made of onely theee Sacraments Baptisme the Eucharist and Penance some holy dayes also were abrogated and other things pertaining to Religion and Ecclesiasticall discipline somewhat changed wherewith many were offended who preferred prescript Errors before the Truth The same time the Parliament assembled the fourth of Ianuary permitted all Monasteries the revenues whereof exceeded not two hundred pounds a yeare to the Kings disposall who causing them to be suppressed to the number of three hundred seventy and six entred vpon their lands amounting to thirty two thousand pounds a yeare and selling their goods even at very low rates most men accompting it sacrilegious to set to sale the goods of the Church raised aboue an hundred thousand pounds These things of themselves were distastfull to the vulgar sort Each one did as it were claime a share in the goods of the Church for many who being neither Monkes nor relied to Religious persons did receive no profit of Ecclesiastieall goods did notwithstanding conceiue that it might herafter come to passe that either their children friends or kinred might obtaine the places yet supplied by others whereas of these goods once confiscated they could not hope that any commodity should redound vnto them But the commiseration of so many people to the number of at least ten thousand who were without any warning giuen thrust out of dores and committed to the mercy of the world was a more forcible cause of generall distaste Which notwithstanding of it selfe sufficient was augmented by the malice of ill disposed and seditious persons who in their assemblies exaggerated these proceedings as the beginnings of greater evills that this was but a triall of their patience as yet the shrubs and vnderwoods were but touched but without speedy remedy the end would bee with the fall of the lofty oakes While these generall discontents thus vented themselves in private CROMWELL in September sent forth certaine Injunctions to the Clergy by vertue whereof each â—urate was to expound to his parishioners the Apostles Creed the Lords Prayer the Aue Maria and the Ten Commandements and earnestly to endeauour that they might learne them in the English Tongue This drave these Male contents into such extremes that the midwifry of any occasion served to produce the prodigious issues of their madnesse For in Lincolneshire the Commons being assembled about the beginning of October concerning Subsidies to be paid to the King as if the spirit of fury had generally animated them they suddenly to the number of twenty thousand tooke armes forcing certaine Lords and Gentlemen to be their leaders and to sweare to such Articles as they should propound such as refused were either imprisoned or put to death as was a certaine Priest Chancellor to the Bishop of Lincoln The King being certified of this Commotion sent against the Rebels with great Forces the Duke of Suffolke and the Earles of Shrewsbury and Kenâ— either to appease or suppresse them The rumonr of an Army marching against them so quailed their courages that they sent to excuse themselves vnto the King pretending That their endeavours tended to no other than the safety of his Maiesly and good of the Realme That â—ee hauing followed the advice of bad Counsellors had lately beyond the example of any of his Ancestors changed many things in the estate of Commonwealth and Church That having dispossessed the religious Inhabitants he had demolished many Monasteries where the poore had daily reliefe and God was wont to be deuoutly worshipped by godly men That the Feasts of Saints instituted many yeares since were profaned by his command That new Tenets which the Catholique Church did abhor were every where preached and obtruded to the people That now in each aged person was to be seene the Embleme of Jgnorance who having one foot in the grave were faine to betake them to their ABC Bookes that they might learne new kinde of Prayers never before vsed by any Christians That many vniust and pernicious Lawes had lately beene enacted and great Subsidies exacted both of the Clergy and Laity even in the time of Peace which were not wont to be demanded but for the maintenance of Wars That the Commons in generall did distaste these things and the rather for that they conceived them to be but trialls of their patience and the beginnings of more insupportable euills Wherefore they humbly beseeched his Maiesty whom they could not safely petition vnarmed that the Authours of these pernicious counsailes might sit no longer at the sterne but that others who should faithfully endeavour the amendment of the aforesaid evills might supply their places and that it might not be any way preiudiciall to them that they had taken Armes which even with the losse of their deerest bloud they were ready to imploy for his Maiesties safety and the defence of the Realme The King had a Spirit befitting his greatnesse and perceiving them to shrinke could not
The Lord Paget not long before had beene sent to the Emperor to signifie how we were distressed on the one side by the Scots and on the other by the French and miserably rent at home by intestine dissensions that our necessities required speedy succours or would force vs to condescend to an inconvenient Peace with France But perceiving nothing was to bee obtained of him wee stroke hands with the French vpon these conditions That Boloigne and all the Forts in Boloignois should be surrendred to the French together with the Artillery and other military provision That in lieu thereof the King of France should pay vnto EDVVARD foure hundred thousand crownes by equall portions at two payments That the English should restore to the Scots Lauder and Douglas and if the Queene of Scots should desire it should rase their Fortifications in Haymon and at Roxburgh The Emperour was on both sides comprehended in the League and the Queene of Scots by the French The two Kings presented each other with their military Orders and as one writeth it was on both parts agreed on that EDWARD should marry one of the Daughters of France For the ratification of the Articles on the eight of Aprill Hostages were given By Vs The Duke of Suffolke The Earle of Hertford Sonne to the Duke of Somerset The Earle of Arundell The Earle of Derby The Earle of Bath By the French IOHN of Bourbon Duke of Anguien CLAVD of Loraine Marquis of Mayenne FRANCIS Sonne to the Constable MONTMORENCY LEWIS of Tremoville FRANCIS of Vendosme Vidame of Chartres CLAVD d' Annebalt This Peace betweene vs and France was on the third of March solemnely proclaimed in London and on the five and twentieth of Aprill Bouloigne being accordingly surrendred to the French our Hostages were returned On the thirtieth of Iuly died the Lord WRIOTHSLEY Knight of the Garter late Lord Chancellour of England and Earle of Southampton He had about the beginning of this Kings Raigne delivered vp the Seale the Custody wherof was committed to the Lord Rich. But having beene about halfe a yeare past removed as was also the Earle of Arundell but for what cause is vncertaine from the Counsaile Table he at length whether out of griefe or some other cause fell sicke and died He was father to HENRY the second Earle and Grandfather to HENRY the third Earle of Southampton not long since deceased who having tasted of both fortunes did hertofore as generously behave himselfe in adversity as he did since moderately in prosperity whereto by the Clemency of our late Soveraigne he was restored Anno Dom. 1551. Reg. 5. MEntion hath formerly beene made concerning the Sweating Sickenesse a disease to which England hath given a name as well in reguard of it's originall as of the knowne disposition of our bodies to admit of this virulent contagion England had beene formerly afflicted with it but never so mortally as this present yeare Shrewsbury was now the first place acquainted with this Pestilence there it began in Aprill and thence diffusing it selfe over the most part of the Kingdome at length it vanished away in the North about the beginning of October The fury of it was such as if it would never end but by it's proper cruelty when it should not have left subiects wheron to feed The dead whome it swept away were numberlesse In London only eight hundred was scarce a seven nights stint It made it's first entry into this Island in the Reigne of HENRY the Seventh Anno 1486. and from hence it tooke it's progresse to other Nations The Infected flowed away and within the space of twenty foure houres when this malignant disease was most mercifull in it's execution peradventure within twelve did sweat out their soules Women children and old men it for the most part overpassed and wreaked it selfe on the robustious youth and well compact middle age who if in the beginning of their sickenes did but slumber perished instantly If it seized on any that were full gorged the recovery was in a manner desperate Nay and of others whatsoever they were scarce one of a hundred escaped vntill time had found out a remedy the manner wherof was thus If any be taken in the day time hee must without shifting of his apparell betake himselfe to bed If by night and in bed let him not stir thence vntill twenty foure howers be run In the meane let the coverture be such that it provoke not sweat but that it may gently distill of it selfe if it be possible for him so long to forbeare let him not eat nor drinke more then may moderately serve to extinguish thirst But above all let him so patiently endure heat that hee vncover not any part of his body no not so much as a hand or a foot The strangenesse of this disease I do not so much admire for that PLINY in his twenty sixt Booke the first Chapter witnesseth and daily experience teacheth vs that every age produceth new and Epidemicall diseases But that which surpasseth the search of humane reason is this that this Pestilence afflicted the English in what part of the world soever without touching the Natives but in England alone This dire contagion promiscuously impoverisht the Land of people of all sorts among those of especiall note were HENRY Duke of Suffolke and his Brother who were the Sonnes of CHARLES BRANDON and the Kings Couzins germane young Noblemen of great and lively hopes by the death of HENRY the Duchy was for some few howers devolved to the younger Brother who had the vnhappy honour but to be seized of the Title and dy The Lord Gray Marquis of Dorset having married FRANCIS the eldest Daughter of CHARLES BRANDON in the right of his Wife made claime to the Duchy and was on the eleventh of October invested in it At what time also IOHN DVDLEY Earle of Warwicke was created Duke of Northumberland WILLIAM POWLET Earle of Wiltshire Marquis of Winchester and Sir WILLIAM HERBERT Lord Cardif Master of the Horse Earle of Pembroke The masculine Line of DVDLEY and GRAY hath beene long since extinct Of the Family of the POWLETS we have spoken already the Lord HERBERT Brother in law to Queene CATHARINE PARR derived himselfe from WILLIAM HERBERT in the time of EDWARD the Fourth Earle of Pembroke and was succeeded in the Earledome by his Sonne HENRY Father to WILLIAM the moderne Earle whose mature wisedome and gravity even in his greener yeares long since ranked him in the sage Senate of the Privy Counsaile to two successive Kings and to PHILIP by King IAMES created Earle of Montgomery Then also were knighted Sir IOHN CHEEKE the King's Schoolemaster Sir HENRY DVDLEY Sir HENRY NEVILL and whome I cannot mention but with due honor Sir WILLIAM CECILL CECILL I say who then Secretary of Estate was afterward by all Europe held in admiration for his wisedome whome Queene ELIZABETH made Lord Treasurer of England and Baron of Burleigh and was whilest he
above navell high through the dikes to the wall which wee little feared could be done without resistance finding the place void of defendants they easily make themselves masters of the Castle and had as easily taken the Towne if Sir ANTHONY AGER Marshall of the Towne had not with some few others made head against them and forced them to retreat to the Castle in which conflict that valiant Knight was slaine The Lord WENTWORTH Governour of the Towne seeing little hopes of keeping the Towne craved parley which was granted and at length yeilded the Towne vpon these Conditions That the common souldiers and inhabitants should depart without transporting or carrying away any thing with them and that the Lord WENTWORTH with fifty others such as the Duke of Guise should appoint should remaine captives to be put to ranson So was Calais lost which had continued English above two hundred yeares neither was the siege long the Enemy sitting downe before iâ— on Newyeares day and having it yeilded vp on Twelfe day Seven dayes after the Duke marcheth toward Guisnes which Towne he tooke without any difficultie but the Castle which the Lord GRAY commanded not so easily But that and Hames Castle were at length taken also and dismantled so that of all the Kingdome of France the greatest part whereof was for a long time held by our Kings and whereof HENRY the Sixt had beene crowned King at Paris Anno 1431. nor in the Duchies of Normandie and Aquitaine the ancient inheritance of the Kings of England our Kings possesse nothing but the Isles of Iersey and Guarnesey which have proved loyall to vs ever since the Conquest While the French proceeded thus in Picardie the Queene certified thereof with great diligence prepares her Fleet to transport succours for Calais but contrary windes kept them backe so long vntill Calais was irrecoverably lost You shall not easily read of any action wherein God hath by more manifest signes declared how displeasing those wars are to him which vndertaken for ambition or profit do dissolve the publique peace PHILIP to begin with him against whom HENRY and the Pope did most vniustly conspire inlarged himselfe with a double victorie each whereof were great and memorable The Cardinall CARAFFA and the Duke of Paliane who for their owne ends had persuaded the doting Pope to throw the ball of discord betweene these Princes were after for this very thing beheaded by PIVS the Fourth who immediately succeeded PAVL PAVL himselfe in the meane time the French being overthrowne at Saint Quintin was exposed to the mercy of the Spaniard whom he had irritated the French being forced to withdraw his Army out of Italy The rash violation of the League by MARY was punished with the losse of Calais and through griefe thereof according to common beliefe of life also What happened to the French who by the Pope's instigation first brake the five yeares Truce wee have already declared And least it might be conceived that his losses at and of Saint QVINTIN were repaired by the taking of Calais another overthrow given him within few moneths after will take away much from the content of that victory In Iune the Marshall De Termes who succeeded STROSSY lately slaine Governour of Calais breaketh into Arthois and Flanders with an Army consisting of neere about eleven thousand men leaving Graveling and Burburg at his backe attempts Berghes takes it sackes it and so opens a way to Dunkirk which hee also takes and spoiles and the Countrey all about for they feared not the French there and the Townes which the Spaniard held thoroughout that Tract were ill furnished lying open to their mercy they ransacke it most miserably and march as far as Newport PHILIP was affrighted with this Tempest fearing especially least the Duke of Guise then in Armes should joine with TERMES but having intelligence that the Duke spent his time about Arlon and Vireton hee resolves to intercept the French in their returne In this enterprise hee employes Count EGMOND his Lieuetenant generall in the Netherlands who having speedily out of the neighbour Garrisons of Betune Saint Omer Aires Burburg and others assembled an Army of fifteene thousand puts himselfe betweene Dunkirk and Calais TERMES had hitherto expected the Duke of Guise but vpon notice that the Countrey was vp in Armes he somewhat too late bethought himselfe of a retreate Hee was now every way inclosed and passage not to be gained but by dint of sword The French therefore valiantly charge their Enemies and overthrow some Squadrons of Horse indeed dispaire animated them to do wonders and the Flemings were set on fire by the desire of revenging late injuries The Spanish Troupes renew the fight which was with equall order long maintained on both sides in the heate whereof ten English Men of War fortunately sailing by for De TERMES had for his security betaken him to the shore hoping that way with much lesse hazard to have gained passage vpon discovery of the French Colours let fly their Ordnance furiously among the French making such a slaughter that they began to give ground were at last routed and overthrowne The French in this battaile lost five thousand Their chiefe Commanders were almost all taken the Marshall himselfe was hurt and taken with D'ANNEBALT the Son of CLAVD the late Admirall the Earle of Chaune SENARPONT VILLEBON Governour of Picardy MORVILLIERS and many others Two hundred escaped to our Ships whome they might have drowned but giving them Quarter they were brought Captives into England This battaile was fought on the thirteenth of Iuly The Queene desirous by some action or other to wipe out the staine of the ignominious losse of Calais about the same time set forth a fleet of one hundred and forty Saile whereof thirty were Flemings the maine of the expedition being from Brest in Bretaigne But the Lord Clinton Lord high Admirall of England finding no good to be done there set saile for Conquet where he landed tooke the Towne sacked it and set it on fire together with the Abbey and the adiacent villages and returned to his ships But the Flemings somewhat more greedy after prey disorderly piercing farther into the Countrey and reguardlesse of martiall discipline which commands obedience to their Generall being incountred by the Lord of Kerâ—imon came fewer home by five hundred PHILIP about the same time lodging neere Amiens with a great Army HENRY with a far greater attended each motion of his They incampe at last HENRY on the North of the river Somme PHILIP on the South of the river Anthy so neere to one another that it might be thought impossible for two such spirited Princes commanding so great Armies to depart without a battell But divers considerations had tempered their heat PHILIP being the weaker of the two saw no reason why to ingage himselfe HENRY had an Army which had twice felt the other victorious and was therefore loath on them to adventure his already shaken estate
hee saw into what straights our King was likely to driue the French being weake if he would pressehard vpon him and pierce farther into the Kingdome although hee were a profest enemie to the French yet was he iealous of our prosperous proceeding and therefore by all meanes perswaded HENRY to dismantle Therouenne and thence to proceed to the siege of Tournay Hee blamed him not without iust cause for his late setting forth Summer being first welâ—neere spent Winter was now at hand when it would not quit cost to maintaine such an Armie good desigues being not then to bee put in execution Hee told him that Therovenne was so farre from him that it could not bee kept without great difficultie therefore hee should doe well to dismantle it that it might not hereafter serue for a Bulwarke to the Eenemie That Tournay was a French Citie but like an Island with the Sea surrounded with Flanders and Hainault and farre divided from the rest of France True it was that it was well stored with inhabitants and not meanly fortified but that there was no other Garrison then of Citizens and these hee should finde effeminate and for provision that they had none Hee should therefore make speed and come on them vnawares and with a few dayes siege force them to yeild That the French King if hee intended to succour them must first march through all Henault and passe over two or three great Riuers amongst which were the Escaut and the Scarpe That the Souldiers should finde good booties there and the King himselfe the triumph of a most assured conquest That the addition of such a Citie would bee no meane increase of his Dominions and so much the lesse care to bee taken of it for as much as it would bee as easie for him to keepe it in obedience as it was for the French for the space of so many yeares to defend it being placed amidst so many Enemies that still had a greedie eye over it King HENRY by this time had so much of Warre that hee began to bee wearie of the toyle thereof and to cast his minde on the pleasures of the Court Wherefore although hee wanted not Counsailors for the best hee followed the Emperours advice as being the more easie The Flemmings who begged it of the King had leave to rase the walls of Therouenne to fill the ditches and to burne all the buildings except the Church and the Chanons houses which they in regard of the dissensions vsuall to bordering Nations very gladly performed Therouenne being thus taken and destroyed away they march with all speed to Tournay indevouring by their celeritie to prevent the fame of their comming But the Citizens suspecting some such enterprise had fortified themselves as well as the shortnesse of time would permit them and the Peasants thereabouts bring all their goods into the Citie as to a place of safeguard The Citie was of no great circuit yet at the beginning of the siege it contained fourescore thousand people By reason whereof victuals quickly began to faile them and they could no way hope for reliefe The French King was farre off they had no Garison the Citizens bad Souldiers two great Princes had begirt the Towne with fifâ—ie thousand men but they had an Enemy within called Famine more cruell and insupportable then both So having for some few dayes held out the siege the nine and twentieth of September their lives being granted them they yeild and to saue themselves from spoile pay a hundred thousand Crownes The King makes them sweare Fealty to him and appoints Sir EDWARD POYNINGS a Knight of the Garter their Governour Next hee gives order for store of warlike provision puts in a small Garison and builds a Cittadell for the confirmation of his conquest Neither amongst these politique affaires did he neglect those of the Church For the Bishop being proscribed hee conferres the Sea with all the revenues vpon THOMAS WOLSEY of whose first rising and immoderate power we shall have much occasion to speake hereafter All things being thus ordered because Winter came on apace hee beganne to bethinke himselfe of returning with his Armie into England This thought so farre pleased him that having beene absent scarce foure monethes hee tooke ship and about the end of October came home triumphing in the glory of a double conquest By the way hee was entertained with the newes of another victorie the Lord HOWARD Earle of Surrey having vnder his Fortune slaine the King of Scots The King of France being encumbred with many warres had coniured IAMES the Fourth King of Scots by the ancient Lawes of Amitie and the late League made betweene them that Hee would not forsake him intangled in so many difficulties If Hee regarded not his friends case yet Hee should at least looke to himselfe for whom it would not bee safe to suffer a bordering Nation alwayes at enmitie with Him by such additions to arise to that height of power The King of England busied with a foraine warre was now absent and with Him the flower of the English Chivalrie Hee should therefore forthwith take Armes and trie to recover Berwicke an especiall towne of the Scottish Dominions but for many yeares withheld by the English He would easily be victorious if He would but make vse of this occasion so happily offered It could not be but this warre would bee for His Honour and profitable to His Friend if not to Himselfe He should thereby also make knowne to His Enemies that the Scottish Armes were not to bee contemned whose former victories a long and to them hurtfull peace had obscured and buried in oblivion among the English As for the charges of it Hee need not bee troubled for that Hee would afford Him fiftie thousand Crownes towards the providing of Munition and Ordinance These reasons so preuailed with the yong King covetous of glory that notwithstanding he had lately made a League with our King whose Sister hee had married and her vehement dissuasions he proclaimed warre against HENRY which proved fatall to him bloudie to his and the cause of many ensuing calamities So having raised a great Armie hee breakes into our Marches and besiegeth Norham Castle belonging to the Bishop of Durham the which having held out sixe dayes was at last yeilded vnto him Thence hee removes his Campe to Berwicke wasting all the Countrey as hee marcht with fire and sword The newes whereof are brought vnto them to whom the governement of the Kingdome was committed in the absence of the King and a leuy being made through all the North parts of the Kingdome Alnewike is appointed the rendez-vous where all the troupes should meete at a set day that thence they might set forward against the Enemie vnder the conduct of the Lord THOMAS HOWARD Earle of Surrey Among the first to his Fathers great ioy comes the Earles Sonne THOMAS Lord Admirall leading a veterane troupe of fiue thousand men of tried valour and