appeare what an assured line 60 opinion was then conceiued in mens heads of quéene Marie to be conceiued and quicke with child In somuch that at the same time and in the same parlement there was eftsoones a bill exhibited and an act made vpon the same the words whereof for the more euidence I thought here to exemplificat The words of the act ALbeit we the lords spirituall temporall the commons in this present parlement assembled haue firme hope confidence in the goodnes of almightie God that like as he â—ath hitherto miraculouslie preserued the quéenes maiestie from manie great imminent perils and dangers euen so he will of his infinit goodnesse giue hir highnesse strength the rather by our continuall praiers to passe well the danger of deliuerance of child wherewith it hath pleased him to all our great comforts to blesse hir yet for so much as all things of this world be vncerteine and hauing before our eies the dolorous experience of this inconstant gouernment during the time of the reigne of the late king Edward the sixt doo plainlie sée the manifold inconueniences great dangers and perils that maie insue to this whole realme if foresight be not vsed to preuent all euill chances if they should happen For the eschewing hereof we the lords spirituall and temporall the commons in this present parlement assembled for and in consideration of a most speciall trust and confidence that we haue and repose in the kings maiestie for and concerning the politike gouernment order and administration of this realme in the time of the yoong yéeres of the issue or issues of hir maiesties bodie to be borne if it should please God to call the quéenes highnesse out of this present life during the tender yeares of such issue or issues which God forbid according to such order maner as hereafter in this present act his highnesse most gratious pleasure is should be declared and set foorth haue made our humble sute by the assent of the quéens highnesse that his maiestie would vouchsafe to accept take vpon him the rule order education gouernment of the said issue or issues to be borne as is aforesaid vpon which our sute being of his said maiestie most gratiouslie accepted it hath pleased his highnes not onlie to declare that like as for the most part his maiestie verely trusteth that almightie God who hath hitherto preserued the quéens maiestie to giue this realme so good an hope of certeine succession in the blood roiall of the same realm will assist hir highnes with his graces and benedictions to sée the fruit of hir bodie well brought forth liue and able to gouerne whereof neither all this realme ne all the world besides should or could receiue more comfort than his maiestie should would yet if such chance should happen his maiestie at our humble desires is pleased contented not onlie to accept take vpon him the cure and charge of the education rule order and gouernment of such issues as of this most happie mariage shall be borne betwéene the quéenes highnes and him but also during the time of such gouernment would by all waies meanes studie trauell and imploie himselfe to aduance the weale both publike priuat of this realme dominions thereto belonging according to the said trust in his maiestie reposed with no lesse good will affection than if his highnes had béene naturallie borne among vs. In consideration whereof be it enacted by the king the quéens most excellent maiesties by assent of the lords spirituall and temporall the commons in this present parlement assembled and by the authoritie of the same c as it is to be séene in the act more at large ratified and confirmed at the samâ— parlement to the same intent and purpose Thus much out of the act and statute I thought to rehearse to the intent the reader maie vnderstand not so much how parlements maie sometimes be deceiued as by this child of quéene Marie may appéere as rather what cause we Englishmen haue to render most earnest thanks vnto almightie God who so mercifullie against the opinion expectation and working of our aduersaries hath helped and deliuered vs in this case which otherwise might haue opened such a window to the Spaniards to haue entred and replenished this land that peraduenture by this time Englishmen should haue inioied no great quiet in their owne countrie The Lord therefore make vs perpetuallie mindfull of his benefits Amen Thus we sée then how man dooth purpose but God disposeth as pleaseth him For all this great labor prouision and order taken in the parlement house for their yoong maister long looked for comming so surelie into the world in the end appéered neither yoong maister nor yoong maistresse that anie man yet to this daie can heare of Furthermore as the labor of the laie sort was herein deluded so no lesse ridiculous it was to behold what little effect the praiers of the popes churchmen had with almightie God line 10 who trauelled no lesse with their processions masses and collects for the happie deliuerance of this yoong maister to come as here followeth to be séene A praier made by doctor Weston deane of Westminster dailie to be said for the queenes deliuerance O Most righteous Lord God which for the offense of the first woman hast threatned vnto all women a common sharpe and ineuitable malediction and hast inioined them that they should conceiue in sinne and being conceiued should be subiect to manie and gréeuous torments and finallie be deliuered with the danger and ieopardie of their life we beséech thée for thine exceeding great goodnesse and botomlesse mercie to mitigate the strictnes of that law Asswage thine anger line 30 for a while and cherish in the bosome of thy fauor and mercie our most gratious quéene Marie being now at the point of hir deliuerance So helpe hir that without danger of hir life she maie ouercome the sorow and in due season bring foorth a child in bodie beautifull and comelie in mind noble and valiant So that afterward she forgetting the trouble maie with ioie laud and praise the bountifulnesse of thy mercie and togither with vs praise and blesse both thée and thy holie name world without end line 40 This O Lord we desire thee we beseech thee and most hartilie craue of thée Heare vs O Lord and grant vs our petition Let not the enimies of thy faith and of thy church saie Where is their God A solemne praier made for king Philip and queene Maries child that it maie be a male child welfauored and wittie c. O Most mightie Lord God which regardest the praier of the humble and despisest not their request bow downe from thine high habitation of the heauens the eies of thy mercie vnto vs wretched sinners bowing the knees of our harts and with manie and déepe sighs bewailing our sinnes and offenses humblie
aduantage 4 Item it is not vnknowen to you doubted lord how thorough your lands it is noised that the said cardinall and the archbishop of Yorke had and haue the gouernance of you and all your land the which none of your true liege men ought to vsurpe nor take vpon them And haue also estranged me your sole vncle my coosine of Yorke my coosine of Huntington and manie other lords of your kin to haue anie knowledge of anie great matter that might touch your high estate or either of your realmes And of lords spirituall of right the archbishop of Canturburie should be your chéefe councellor the which is also estranged and set aside And so be manie other right sad lords and well aduised as well spirituall as temporall to the great hurt of you my right doubted lord and of your realmes like as the experience and workes shewen cléerelie and euidentlie more harme it is 5 Item in the tender age of you my right doubted lord for the necessitie of an armie the said cardinall lent you foure thousand pounds vpon certeine iewels prised at two and twentie thousand markes with a letter of sale that and they were not quited at a certeine daie you should léese them The said cardinall séeing your monie readie to haue quited your iewels caused your treasuror of England at that daie being to paie the same monie in part of an other armie in defrauding you my right doubted lord of your said iewels kéeping them yet alwaie to his owne vse to your right great losse and his singular profit and auaile 6 Item the said cardinall then being bishop of Winchester and chancellour of England deliuered the king of Scots vpon certeine appointments as maie be shewed presumptuouslie and of his owne authoritie contrarie to the act of parlement I haue heard notable men of law say that they neuer heard the like thing doone among them which was too great a defamation to your highnesse and also to wed his neece to the said king whom that my lord of notable memorie your father whome God assoile would neuer haue so deliuered And there as he should haue paid for his costs fortie thousand pounds the said cardinall chancellour of England caused you to pardon him thereof ten thousand marks whereof the greater summe he paied you right a little what I report me to your highnesse 7 Item where the said cardinall lent you my redoubted lord great and notable summes he hath had and his assignes the rule and profit of the port of line 10 Hampton where the customers béene his seruants where by likelihood and as it is to be supposed standing the chéefe merchant of the wools of your land that you be greatlie defrauded and vnder that rule what wools and other merchandizes haue béene shipped and maie be from time to time hard is to estéeme to the great hurt and preiudice of you my right doubted lord and of all your people 8 Item howbeit that the said cardinall hath diuerse times lent you great summes of monie since the time of your reigne yet his loane hath béene so line 20 deferred and delaied that for the most part the conuenable season of the imploieng of the good lent was passed So that litle fruit or none came thereof as by experience both your realmes haue sufficientlie in knowledge 9 Item where there was iewels and plate prised at eleuen thousand pounds in weight of the said cardinall forfeited to you my right redoubted lord he gat him a restorement thereof for a loane of a little parcell of the same and so defrauded you wholie line 30 of them to your great hurt and his auaile the which good might greatlie haue eased your highnesse in sparing as much of the poore commons 10 Item the cardinall being feoff of my said lord your father whome God assoile against his intent gaue Elizabeth Beauchampe three hundred markes liuelihood where that his will was that and she were wedded within a yeare then to haue it or else not where in déed it was two or thrée years line 40 after to your great hurt and diminishing of your inheritance 11 Item notwithstanding that the said cardinall hath no maner of authoritie nor interest in the crowne nor none maie haue by anie possibilitie yet he presumeth and taketh vpon him in partie your estate roiall in calling before him into great abusion of all your land and derogation of your highnesse which hath not beene seene nor vsed in no daies heretofore in greater estate than he is without line 50 your expresse ordinance and commandement 12 Item the said cardinall nothing considering the necessitie of you my right doubted lord hath sued a pardon of dismes that he should paie for the church of Winchester for terme of his life giuing thereby occasion to all other lords spirituall to draw their good will for anie necessitie to grant anie disme and so to laie all the charge vpon the temporaltie and the poore people 13 Item by the gouernance and labour of the line 60 said cardinall and archbishop of Yorke there hath béene lost and dispended much notable and great good by diuerse ambassadors sent out of this realme First to Arras for a feigned colourable peace whereas by likelinesse it was thought and supposed that it should neuer turne to the effectuall auaile of you my right doubted lord nor to your said realmes but vnder colour thereof was made the peace of your aduersarie and the duke of Burgognie For else your partie aduerse the said duke might not well haue found meanes nor waies to haue communed togither nor to haue concluded with other their confederations and conspirations made and wrought there then at that time against your highnesse whereby you might haue right doubted lord the greater partie of your obeisance as well in your realme of France as in your duchie of Normandie and much other thing gone greatlie as through the said colourable treatie otherwise since the death of my brother of Bedford whome God assoile 14 Item now of late was sent an other ambassadour to Calis by the labour and counsell of the said cardinall and archbishop of Yorke the cause why of the beginning is to me your sole vncle and other lords of your kin and councell vnknowen to your great charge and against the publike good of your realm◠as it openlie appeareth The which good if it be imploied for the defense of your lands the merchandizes of the same might haue had other course and your said lands not to haue stand in so great mischéefe as they doo 15 Item after that to your great charge and hurt of both your realmes the said cardinall archbishop of Yorke went to your said towne of Calis and diuerse lords of your kin and of your councell in their fellowship and there as there was naturall warre betwéene the duke of Orleance and the duke of Burgognie for murther of their fathers a capitall enimitie like to haue indured for euer the said
Yorke tenderlie desiring the wealth rest and prosperitie of this land and to set apart all that might be trouble to the same line 20 and considering the possession of the said king Henrie the sixt and that he hath for his time béene named taken and reputed for king of England and of France and lord of Ireland is contented agréed and consenteth that he be had reputed and taken for king of England and France with the roiall estate dignitie and preheminence belonging therevnto and lord of Ireland during his naturall life And for that time the said duke without hurt or preiudice of his said right and title shall take worship line 30 and honour him for his souereigne lord Item the said Richard duke of Yorke shall promit and bind him by his solemne oth in maner and forme as followeth In the name of God Amen I Richard duke of Yorke promise and sweare by the faith and truth that I owe to almightie God that I shall neuer consent procure or stirre directlie or indirectlie in priuie or apert neither as much as in me is shall suffer to be line 40 doone consented procured or stirred anie thing that may sound to the abridgement of the naturall life of king Henrie the sixt or to the hurt or diminishing of his reigne or dignitie roiall by violence or anie other waie against his freedome or libertie but if any person or persons would doo or presume anie thing to the contrarie I shall with all my might and power withstand it and make it to be withstood as far as my power will stretch therevnto so helpe me God and his holie euangelists line 50 Item Edward earle of March and Edmund earle of Rutland sonnes of the said duke of Yorke shall make like oth Item it is accorded appointed and agréed that the said Richard duke of Yorke shall be called and reputed from hencefoorth verie and rightfull heire to the crownes roiall estate dignitie and lordship aboue said and after the deceasse of the said king Henrie or when he will laie from him the said crownes estate dignitie and lordship the said duke and his heires line 60 shall immediatlie succéed to the said crownes roiall estate dignitie and lordship Item the said Richard duke of Yorke shall haue by authoritie of this present parlement castels manors lands and tenements with the wards marriages reliefes seruices fines amercements offices aduousons fées and other appurtenances to them belonging what soeuer they be to the yearelie value of ten thousand marks ouer all charges and reprises whereof fiue thousand marks shall be to his owne state three thousand fiue hundred marks to Edward his first begotten sonne earle of March for his estate and one thousand pounds to Edmund earle of Rutland his second sonne for his yearelie sustentation in such consideration and such intent as shall be declared by the lords of the kings councell Item if anie person or persons imagine or compasse the death of the said duke and thereof probablie be attainted of open déed doone by folkes of other condition that it be déemed adiudged high treason Item for the more establishing of the said accord it is appointed and consented that the lords spirituall and temporall being in this present parlement shall make oths to accept take worship and repute the said Richard duke of Yorke and his heires as aboue is rehearsed and kéepe obserue and strengthen in as much as apperteineth vnto them all the things abouesaid and resist to their power all them that would presume the contrarie according to their estates and degrées Item the said Richard duke of Yorke earles of March and Rutland shall permit and make other to helpe aid and defend the said lords and euerie of them against all those that will quarell or anie thing attempt against the said lords or anie of them by occasion of agréement or consenting to the said accord or assistance giuing to the duke and earles or anie of them Item it is agréed and appointed that this accord and euerie article thereof be opened and notified by the kings letters patents or otherwise at such times and places and in maner as it shall be thought expedient to the said Richard duke of Yorke with the aduise of the lords of the kings councell The king vnderstandeth certeinelie the said title of the said Richard duke of Yorke iust lawfull and sufficient by the aduise and assent of the lords spirituall and temporall and the commons in this parlement assembled and by authoritie of the same parlement declareth approoueth ratifieth confirmeth and accepteth the said title iust good lawfull and true and therevnto giueth his assent and agréement of his frée will and libertie And ouer that by the said aduise and authoritie declareth intituleth calleth establisheth affirmeth reputeth the said Richard duke of Yorke verie true and rightfull heire to the crownes roiall estate and dignitie of the realmes of England and of France and of the lordship of Ireland aforesaid and that according to the worship and reuerence that thereto belongeth he be taken accepted and reputed in worship reuerence by all the states of the said realme of England and of all his subiects thereof sauing and ordeining by the same authoritie the king to haue the said crownes realme roiall estate dignitie and preheminence of the same and the said lordship of Ireland during his life naturall And furthermore by the same aduise and authoritie willeth consenteth and agréeth that after his deceasse or when it shall please his hignesse to laie from him the said crownes estate dignitie and lordship the said Richard duke of Yorke and his heires shall immediatlie succéed him in the said crownes roiall estate dignitie and worship and them then haue and inioie anie act of parlement statute or ordinance or other thing to the contrarie made or interruption or discontinuance of possession notwithstanding And moreouer by the said aduise and authoritie establisheth granteth confirmeth approueth ratifieth and accepteth the said accord and all things therein conteined and therevnto fréelie and absolutelie assenteth agreeth and by the same aduise and authoritie ordeineth and establisheth that if anie person or persons imagine or compasse the death of the said duke probablie be attainted of open déed doone by folks of that condition that it be déemed and adiudged high treason And furthermore ordeineth and establisheth by the said aduise and authoritie that all statutes ordinances and acts of parlement made in the time of the said king Henrie the fourth by the which he and the heires of his bodie comming of Henrie late king of England the fift the sonne and heire of the said king Henrie the fourth and the heires of king Henrie the fift were or be inheritable to the said crownes and realmes or to the heritage of the same be annulled repealed damned cancelled void and of none effect line 10 And ouer this the king by the said aduise assent and authoritie ordeineth and establisheth that all other
which the day before fought on hir side against his part This doone they went to the abbeie where of the abbat and moonks they were receiued with hymnes and songs and so brought to the high altar and after to the shrine and so to the chamber in which the king was woont to lodge The abbat made sute that order might be taken to restreine the northerne men from spoiling the towne and proclamation indéed was made to that effect but it auailed not for they mainteined that the spoile of things was granted them by couenant after they were once passed ouer the riuer of Trent and so not regarding anie proclamation or other commandement they spared nothing that they could laie hands vpon if the same were meet for them to carie awaie The queene hauing thus got the victorie sent to the maior of London commanding him without delaie to send certeine carts laden with Lenton vittels for the refreshing of hir and hir armie The maior incontinentlie line 10 caused carts to be laden and would haue sent them forward but the commons of the citie would not suffer them to passe but staied them at Criplegate notwithstanding the maior did what he could by gentle persuasions to quiet them During which controuersie diuerse of the northerne horssemen came and robbed in the suburbs of the citie and would haue entred at Criplegate but they were repelled by the commoners and three of them slaine Wherevpon the maior sent the recorder line 20 to Barnet to the kings councell there to excuse the matter and the duches of Bedford the ladie Scales with diuerse fathers of the spiritualtie went to the quéene to asswage hir displeasure conceiued against the citie The queene at this humble request by aduise of hir councell appointed certeine lords and knights with foure hundred tall persons to ride to the citie and there to view and sée the demeanor and disposition of the people and diuerse aldermen were appointed to méet them at Barnet and to conueie line 30 them to London But what man purposeth God disposeth All these deuises were shortlie altered to another forme bicause true report came not onelie to the queene but also to the citie that the earle of March hauing vanquished the earles of Penbroke and Wilshire had met with the earle of Warwike after this last battell at saint Albons at Chipping Norton by Cotsold and that they with both their powers were cōming toward London The queene hauing little trust in Essex and lesse in Kent but line 40 least of all in London with hir husband and sonne departed from saint Albons into the north countrie where the foundation of hir aid and refuge onelie rested The duches of Yorke séeing hir husband and sonne slaine and not knowing what should succéed of hir eldest sonnes chance sent hir two yonger sonnes George and Richard ouer the sea to the citie of Utrecht in Almaine where they were of Philip duke of Burgognie well receiued and so remained there till line 50 their brother Edward had got the crowne and gouernement of the realme The earles of March and Warwike hauing perfect knowlege that the king queene with their adherents were departed from S. Albons rode straight to London entring there with a great number of men of warre the first weeke of Lent Whose cōming thither was no sooner knowne but that the people resorted out of Kent Essex and other the counties adioining in great numbers to sée aid and comfort this lustie prince and flower of line 60 chiualrie in whome the hope of their ioy and trust of their quietnesse onelie consisted This prudent yoong prince minding to take time when time serued called a great councell both of the lords spirituall and temporall and to them repeated the title and right that he had to the crowne rehearsing also the articles concluded betwéene king Henrie and his father by their writings signed and sealed and also confirmed by act of parlement the breaches whereof he neither forgat nor left vndeclared After the lords had considered of this matter they determined by authoritie of the said councell that because king Henrie had doone contrarie to the ordinances in the last parlement concluded and was insufficient of himselfe to rule the realme he was therfore to be depriued of all kinglie estate and incontinentlie was Edward earle of March sonne and heire to Richard duke of Yorke by the lords in the said councell assembled named elected and admitted for king and gouernour of the realme On which daie the people of the earles part being in their muster in S. Iohns field and a great number of the substantiall citizens there assembled to behold their order the lord Fauconbridge who tooke the musters wiselie anon declared to the people the offenses and breaches of the late agréement committed by king Henrie the sixt and demanded of the people whether they would haue him to rule and reigne anie longer ouer them To whome they with whole voice answered Naie naie Then he asked them if they would serue loue honour and obeie the erle of March as their onlie king and souereigne lord To which question they answered Yea yea crieng King Edward with manie great showts clapping of hands in assent and gladnesse of the same The lords were shortlie aduertised of the louing consent which the commons frankelie and fréelie had giuen Whervpon incontinentlie they all with a conuenient number of the most substantiall commons repaired to the erle at Bainards castell making iust and true report of their election and admission and the louing assent of the commons The earle after long pausing first thanked God of his great grace and benefit towards him shewed then the lords and commons for their fauour and fidelitie notwithstanding like a wise prince he alleged his insufficiencie for so great a roome and weightie burthen as lacke of knowledge want of experience and diuerse other qualities to a gouernour apperteining But yet in conclusion being persuaded by the archbishop of Canturburie the bishop of Excester and other lords then present he agréed to their petition and tooke vpon him the charge of the kingdome as forfeited to him by breach of the couenants established in parlement ¶ Thus farre touching the tragicall state of this land vnder the rent regiment of king Henrie who besides the bare title of roialtie and naked name of king had little apperteining to the port of a prince For whereas the dignitie of princedome standeth in souereigntie there were of his nobles that imbecilled his prerogatiue by sundrie practises speciallie by maine force as seeking either to suppresse or to exile or to obscure or to make him awaie otherwise what should be the meaning of all those foughten fields from time to time most miserablie falling out both to prince péere and people As at saint Albons at Bloreheath at Northampton at Banberie at Barnet at Wakefield to the effusion of much bloud and pulling on of
and sir Thomas More knight and doctor Nicholas Wilson parson of saint Thomas apostles in London expreslie denied at Lambeth before the archbishop of Canturburie to receiue that oth The two first stood in their opinion to the verie death as after ye shall heare but doctor Wilson was better aduised at length and so dissembling the matter escaped out of further danger ¶ In this yéere it chanced that two merchant strangers fell in loue with a harlot which was called Woolfes wife and this harlot had often hanted the strangers chambers And so on a time the said harlot appointed these strangers to come to Westminster and she had prepared for them a bote in the which bote was but one man to row which was a strong theefe and in the end of the bote laie Woolfe hir husband couered with a leather that botemen vse to couer their cushins with and so these strangers sat them down mistrusting nothing Now when this boteman had brought them as farre as a place called the turning tree suddenlie stepped vp the said Woolfe and with his dagger thrust the one of them through the other cried out to safe his life and offred great sums of monie to the boteman and him to saue his life But no proffers would be heard nor mercie would they extend but as cruell murtherers without pitie slue the other also and bound them face to face and so threw them into the Thames in the foresaid place where they were long after before they were â—ound But immediatlie the harlot Woolfes wife went to the strangers chambers tooke from thence so much as she could come by And at the last she and hir husband as they deserued were apprehended arreigned and hanged at the aforesaid turning trée On the ninth of Iulie was the lord Dacres of the north arreigned at Westminster of high treason where the duke of Norffolke sate as iudge and high steward of England The said lord Dacres being brought to the barre with the axe of the Tower before him after his indictment read so improoued the same answering euerie part and matter therein conteined and so plainlie and directlie confuted his accusers which were there readie to auouch their accusations that to their great shames and his high honor he was found that day by his péeres not guiltie whereof the commons not a little reioised as by their shout and crie made at those words not guiltie they fréelie testified The two and twentith of Iulie was Iohn Frith burned in Smithfield for the opinion of the sacrament and with him the same time and at the same stake suffered also one Andrew Hewet a yoong man by his occupation a tailor The eleuenth of August were all the places of the obseruant friers suppressed as Gréenwich Canturburie Richmont Newarke and Newcastell and in their places were set Augustine friers and the obseruant friers were placed in the roomes of the graie friers ¶ The one and twentith of September doctor Tailor master of the rolles was discharged of that office and Thomas Cromwell sworne in his place the nintéenth of October Moreouer the third of Nouember the parlement line 10 began againe in the which was concluded the act of supremacie which authorised the kings highnes to be supreme head of the church of England and the authoritie of the pope abolished out of the realme ¶ In the same parlement also was giuen to the king the first fruits and tenths of all spirituall dignities and promotions This yeare came the great admerall of France into England ambassadour from the French king and was honorablie receiued In this time died the earle of Kildare prisoner line 20 in the Tower and his sonne Thomas Fitzgaret began to rebell year 1535 and tooke all the kings ordinance and sent to the emperour requiring him to take his part also he slue the bishop of Dublin and robbed all such as would not obeie him In the beginning of this yeare the duke of Norffolke and the bishop of Elie went to Calis and thither came the admerall of France On the two twentith of Aprill the prior of the Charterhouse at London the prior of Beuall the prior of Erham Reinalds a brother of Sion Iohn line 30 vicar of Thistleworth were arreigned and condemned of treason and therevpon drawne hanged and quartered at Tiburne the fourth of Maie their heads and quarters were set ouer the bridge gates of the citie one quarter excepted which was set vp at the Charterhouse at London ¶ On the eight of Maie the king commanded that all belonging to the court should poll their heads to giue example caused his owne head to be polled and his beard from thencefoorth was cut round but not shauen which line 40 fashion the courtiers imbraced and would no doubt haue put in practise though they had not beene therevnto bound by precept for the people imitate the prince as the poet long ago well noted saieng Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis ¶ The fiue and twentith daie of Maie was in saint Paules church at London examined ninetéene men and six women borne in Holland whose opinions were first that in Christ is not two natures God and man secondlie that Christ tooke neither flesh nor line 50 bloud of the virgin Marie thirdlie that children borne of infidels shall be saued fourthlie that baptisme of children is to none effect fiftlie that the sacrament of Christs bodie is but bread onelie sixtlie that he who after his baptisme sinneth wittinglie sinneth deadlie and cannot be saued Fourtéene of them were condemned a man a woman of them were burned in Smithfield the other twelue were sent to other townes there to be burnt On the ninetéenth of Iune were three moonkes line 60 of the Charterhouse hanged drawne and quartered at Tiburne and their heads and quarters set vp about London for denieng the king to be supreme head of the church their names were Exmew Middlemoore and Nudigate Also the one and twentith of the same moneth and for the same cause doctor Iohn Fisher bishop of Rochester was beheaded for denieng of the supremacie and his head set vpon London bridge but his bodie buried within Barking churchyard This bishop was of manie sore lamented for he was reported to be a man of great learning and of a verie good life The pope had elected him a cardinall and sent his hat as far as Calis but his head was off before his hat was on so that they met not On the sixt of Iulie was sir Thomas Moore beheaded for the like crime that is to wit for denieng the king to be supreme head And then the bodie of doctor Fisher was taken vp and buried with sir Thomas Moores in the Tower This man was both learned and wise and giuen much to a certeine pleasure in merie taunts and â—easting in most of his communication which maner he forgat not at the verie
were persuaded than vanquished taught than ouerthrowne quietlie pacified than rigorouslie persecuted Ye require to haue the statute of six articles reuiued And know you what ye require Or know ye what ease ye haue with the losse of them They were lawes made but quicklie repented too bloudie they were to be borne of our people yet at the first in deed made of some necessitie Oh subiects how are ye trapped by euill persons We of pitie bicause they were bloudie tooke them awaie and you now of ignorance will aske them againe You know full well that they helped vs to extend rigour and gaue vs cause to draw our sword verie often And since our mercie mooued vs to write our lawes with milke and equitie how are ye blinded to aske them in bloud But leauing this maner of reasoning and resorting to the truth of our authoritie we let you wit the same hath béene adnulled by parlement with great reioise of our subiects and not now to be called in question And dareth anie of you with the name of a subiect stand against an act of parlement a law of the realme What is our power if lawes should be thus neglected Or what is your suertie if lawes be not kept Assure you most suerlie that we of no earthlie thing vnder the heauen make such reputation as we doo of this one to haue our lawes obeied this cause of God to be throughlie mainteined from the which we will neuer remoue a heares bredth nor giue place to anie creature liuing but therein will spend our whole roiall person our crowne treasure realme and all our state whereof we assure you of our high honor For herein resteth our honor herein doo all kings knowledge vs a king And shall anie one of you dare breath or thinke against our kingdome and crowne In the end of this your request as we be giuen to vnderstand ye would haue them stand in force till our full age To this we thinke that if ye knew what ye spake ye would not haue vttred the motion nor neuer giuen breath to such a thought For what thinke you of our kingdome Be we of lesse authoritie for our age Be we not your king now as we shall be Shall ye be subiects hereafter and now are ye not Haue we not the right we shall haue If ye would suspend and hang our dooings in doubt vntill our full age ye must first know as a king we haue no difference of yeares but as a naturall man and creature of God we haue youth and by his sufferance shall haue age We are your rightfull king your liege lord the souereigne prince of England not by our age but by Gods ordinance not onelie when we shall be one and twentie yeares of age but when we were of ten yéers We possesse our crowne not by yeares but by the bloud and descent from our father king Henrie the eight If it be considered they which mooue this matter if they durst vtter themselues would denie our kingdome But our good subiects know their prince and will increase not diminish his honor inlarge his power not abate it knowledge his kingdome not deferre it to certeine yeares All is one to speake against our crowne and to denie our kingdome as to require that our lawes maie be broken vnto one and twentie yeares Be we not your crowned annointed and established king Wherein be we of lesse maiestie of lesse authoritie or lesse state than our progenitors kings of this realme except your vnkindnes your vnnaturalnesse will diminish our estimation We haue hitherto since the death of our father by the good aduise and counsell of our deare and intirelie beloued vncle the duke of Summerset and gouernor and protector kept our estate mainteined our realme preserued our honour defended our people from all enimies We haue hitherto béene feared and dread of our enimies yea of princes kings and nations Yea herein we be nothing inferiour to anie our progenitors which grace we acknowledge to be giuen vs from God and how else but by good obedience line 10 good counsell of our magistrates and by the authoritie of our kingdome England hitherto hath gained honour during our reigne it hath woone of the enimie and not lost It hath béene maruelled that wée of so yoong yeares haue reigned so noblie so roiallie so quietlie And how chanceth that you our louing subiects of that our countrie of Cornewall and Deuonshire will giue occasion to slander this our realme of England to giue courage to the enimie to note our realme of line 20 the euill of rebellion to make it a preie to our old enimies to diminish our honour which God hath giuen our father left our good vncle and councell preserued vnto vs What greater euill could ye commit than euen now when our forren enimie in Scotland and vpon the sea seeketh to inuade vs to doo our realme dishonour than to arise in this maner against our law to prouoke our wrath to aske our vengeance and to giue vs an occasion to spend that force vâ—on you which we meant to bestow vpon our enimies to line 30 begin to slaie you with that sword that we drew forth against Scots and other enimies to make a conquest of our owne people which otherwise should haue beene of the whole realme of Scotland Thus farre we haue descended from our high maiestie for loue to consider you in your simple ignorance and haue béene content to send you an instruction like a father who of iustice might haue sent you your destructions like a king to rebels And now we let you know that as you sée our mercie abundantlie line 40 so if ye prouoke vs further we sweare to you by the liuing God ye shall féele the power of the same God in our sword which how mightie it is no subiect knoweth how puissant it is no priuat man can iudge how mortall no Englishman dare thinke But suerlie suerlie as your lord and prince your onlie king and maister we saie to you repent your selues and take our mercie without delaie or else we will foorthwith extend our princelie power and execute our sharpe sword against you as against infidels line 50 and Turks and rather aduenture our owne roiall person state and power than the same should not be executed And if you will proue the example of our mercie learne of certeine which latlie did arise as they perceiuing pretended some griefes and yet acknowledging their offenses haue not onelie most humblie their pardon but féele also by our order to whome onelie all publike order apperteineth present redresse of their griefes In the end we admonish you of line 60 your duties to God whome ye shall answere in the daie of the Lord of your duties toward vs whom ye shall answere by our order and take our mercie whilest God so inclineth vs least when ye shall be constreined to aske we shall be two much hardened in heart to grant it
further in their attempts so that the king and the councell would not alter the religion but suffer it to remaine and tarie in the same state as king Henrie the eight left it vntill the king himselfe came to his full age Sir Peter Carew and all the residue nothing liking this answer being farre from their expectation were for the time in a great dumpe or studie but in the end misliked and discommended both the matter and the maner of their dealings insomuch that sir Peter Carew and sir Péerce Courtneie then shiriffe of Deuon openlie sharpelie and in plaine termes inueied against them for their slender or rather sinister dealings in so weightie a cause wherein they all ought rather to haue vsed all meanes to haue suppressed their outrages than to haue mainteined their follies and therefore as there was a blame in them so was there a plaine rebellion in the other But though the two knights would haue excused the matter and haue purged their sinceritie herein yet on ech side words were so multiplied that they brake asunder without anie further dealings and euerie man shifted for himselfe some one waie some an other waie The commons vnderstanding hereof stop all the high waies casting great trenches and laieng great trées ouerthwart the same and doo watch ward the same and by that meanes sundrie gentlemen suspecting no such matter and making waie to their appointed places were intrapped taken and put in prison and manie of them kept in durance during the whole time of the commotion abode great hardnesse and were in perill of life and limme manie were taken bicause they would be taken found fauour manie forsaking their houses and home were driuen to sequester and hide themselues in woods secret places In the citie none or verie few remained or taried sauing six or seuen persons then knowne of for by conference had before with the maior it was knowne that the citie was vnprouided of sufficient vittels méet for such a companie as the foresaid gentlemen were The gentlemen which taried and remained in the citie namelie sir Roger Blewet knight Iohn Beauchampe Bartholomew Fortescute Iohn Courtneie Iohn Peter customer esquiers and others did verie good seruice as well in their persons as in their good aduises and counsels sauing such as secretlie kept themselues close in certeine houses then vnknowne Sir Peter Carew verie earlie in the next morning tooke his horsse and the high waies being then not stopped he escaped and rode vnto George Henton a place of sir Hugh Paulets in Summersetshire where was the lord Russell being then newlie come from London and vnto him he gaue to vnderstand how all things had passed who foorthwith dispatched and sent him awaie to the king and councell to aduertise them of the same The king at the first hearing of the matter was verie much grieued in great perplexitie in two respects the one bicause at this instant the like tumults and rebellions though for an other cause were now raised and begun in other places the other was bicause he was inforced to leaue and giue ouer the appointed attempt for the conquest of Scotland and to imploie now those soldiors and strangers whome he had reteined for that seruice for the quenching of this fire kindled at home Neuerthelesse minding to follow the first and to appease the last he sent verie courteous letters gratious proclamations and manie mercifull offers vnto all the commons of these parties to haue pacified and satisfied them if they had had so much grace so to haue accepted it The commons being now entered in their follies and hauing driuen the gentlemen to the flight doo openlie shew themselues traitors rebels and therefore assembling themselues doo appoint out capteins to direct order both themselues and all their procéedings and as the common prouerbe is Like lips like lettice as is their cause so are the rulers the one being not so bold and euill as they wicked or woorse The capteins then are these Underhill a tailor Maunder a shoomaker Seager a labourer and Aâ—sheredge a fishdriuer with sundrie other such like the woorst men and the reffuse of all others thought most méet in this seruice Howbeit it was not long before that certeine gentlemen and yeomen of good countenance and credit both in Deuon and Cornewall were contented not onelie to be associats of this rebellion but also to carrie the crosse before this procession and to be capteins and guiders of this wicked enterprise as namelie in Deuon sir Thomas Pomeroie knight Iohn Burie and one Coffin gentlemen in Cornewall Humfrie Arundell and Winneslade esquiers Holmes a yeoman with sundrie others who for the most part were in the end executed and put to death and their facts to the memoriall of their perpetuall infamie line 10 recorded in chronicles The principall chiefe capteins in Deuon being fullie resolued by their owne power and authoritie to mainteine continue the religion according to the Romish church vtterlie to impugne the reformatision therof established by act of parlement to support the authoritie of the idoll of Rome whome they neuer saw in contempt of their true and lawfull king whome they knew and ought to obeie these I saie sent their messengers vnto the maior of this citie line 20 whose name was Iohn Blackaller to mooue and praie him to ioine with them they thinking that they hauing by these meanes the libertie to haue frée accesse to and from the citie and the helpe of the citizens should not want monie or armor or anie thing else to serue their turne the maior foorthwith aduertised vnto his brethren this motion And albeit some and the chiefest of them did like were well affected to the Romish religion yet respecting their dutie to God their obedience to the king their fidelitie to their countrie and safetie of themselues gaue their line 30 full resolute and direct answer that they would not ioine nor deale with them at all This answer was nothing liked and therefore sent they their second messenger requiring and commanding them to mainteine the old catholike religion with them and to doo as they did or else they would besiege them and perforce compell them thervnto The maior and his brethren returned their former answer adding moreouer that they in their dooings line 40 were wicked bad men they did would repute them for enimies and rebels against God their king and countrie and so renounced them The one side therefore as they prepare to besiege the citie and to worke all the extremities they can by force to take that which by words they can not obteine so on the other side the maior and his brethren vpon good aduise garded and watched the citie with sufficient men armed both by daie and by night The rebels according to their determination relieng themselues line 50 vpon a vaine hope
abroad but euerie man departed And shortlie after the duke was arrested in the kings line 50 college by one maister Sleg sargeant at arms At the last letters were brought from the councell at London that all men should go each his waie Wherevpon the duke said to them that kept him Ye doo me wrong to withdraw my libertie sée you not the councels letters without exception that all men should go whither they would At which words they that kept him and the other noblemen set them at libertie and so continued they for that night insomuch that the earle of Warwike was readie in line 60 the morning to haue rode awaie But then came the erle of Arundell from the quéene to the duke into his chamber who went out to méet him Now as soone as he saw the earle of Arundell he fell on his knees and desired him to be good to him for the loue of God Consider saith he I haue doone nothing but by the consents of you and all the whole councell My lord quoth the earle of Arundell I am sent hither by the quéens maiestie and in hir name I doo arrest you And Iobeie it my lord quoth he I beséech you my lord of Arundell quoth the duke vse mercie towards me knowing the case as it is My lord quoth the earle ye should haue sought for mercie sooner I must doo according to commandement herwith he committed the charge of him and the others to the gard and gentlemen that stood by The lord marques after this went to quéene Marie On the fiue twentith daie of the said moneth the duke of Northumberland with Francis earle of Huntington Iohn earle of Warwike son and heire to the said duke and two other of his yoonger sons the lord Ambrose and the lord Henrie Dudleie sir Andrew Dudleie Sir Iohn Gates capteine of the gard to king Edward the sixt sir Henrie Gates brethren sir Thomas Palmer knights and doctor Sands were brought to the tower by the earle of Arundell But as they entered within the tower gate the earle of Arundell discharged the lord Hastings taking him out of the tower with him On the six twentith of Iulie the lord marques of Northampton the bishop of London the lord Robert Dudleie and sir Robert Corbet were brought from the quéenes campe vnto the tower The eight and twentith of Iulie the duke of Suffolke was committed to the tower but the one and twentith of the same moneth he was set at libertie by the diligent sute of the ladie Francis grace his wife After that quéene Marie was thus with full consent of the nobles and commons of the realme proclamed quéene she being then in Northfolke at hir castell of Framingham repaired with all speed to the citie of London and the third daie of the said moneth of August she came to the said citie and so to the tower where the ladie Iane of Suffolke late afore proclamed quéene with hir husband the lord Gilford a little before hir comming were committed to ward there remained almost after fiue moneths And by the waie as the quéene thus passed she was ioifullie saluted of all the people without anie misliking sauing that it was much feared of manie that she would alter the religion set foorth by king Edward hir brother whereof then were giuen iust occasions because notwithstanding diuerse lawes made to the contrarie she had dailie masse and Latine seruice said before hir in the tower Yea it was doubted in like sort that she would both adnull and innouat certeine lawes and decrées established by the yoong prince hir predecessor which she did in deed as one hath left testified in a memoriall of hir succession but little vnto hir commendation saieng At Maria Eduardi regni succedit habenis Confirmans iterùm regno papalia iura Concilióque nouas leges sancire vocato Molitur latas à fratre perosa priores At hir entrie into the tower there were presented to hir certeine prisoners namelie Thomas duke of Norffolke who in the last yeare of king Henrie the eight as you haue heard was supposed to be attainted of treason but in the parlement of this first yeare of quéene Marie the said supposed attaindour was by the authoritie and act of parlement for good and apparant causes alleged in the said act declared to be vtterlie frustrat and void Also Edward Courtneie son and heire to Henrie marques of Excester coosine germane to king Henrie the eight and Cutbert Tunstall bishop of Durham with other persons of great calling but speciallie Stephan Gardiner bishop of Winchester whom she not onlie released out of imprisonment but also immediatlie line 10 aduanced and preferred to be lord chancellor of England restoring him also to his former estate and bishoprike and remoued from the same one doctor Poinet who a little before was placed therein by the gift of king Edward the sixt And touching Edward Courtneie she not onelie aduanced him to the earldome of Deuonshire but also to so much of his fathers possessions as there remained in hir hands whereby it was then thought of manie that she bare affection to him by the waie line 20 of marriage but it came not so to passe for what cause I am not able to giue anie reason but surelie the subiects of England were most desirous thereof Upon the receiuing of this new queene all the bishops which had béene depriued in the time of king Edward the sixt hir brother for the cause of religion were now againe restored to their bishopriks and such other as were placed in king Edward his time remoued from their sées and others of contrarie religion placed Amongest whom Edmund line 30 Bonner doctor of the lawes late afore depriued from the sée of London and committed prisoner to the Marshalsea by order of king Edwards councell was with all fauour restored to his libertie and bishoprike Maister Nicholas Ridleie doctor in diuinitie late before aduanced to the same sée by the said king was hastilie displaced and committed prisoner to the tower of London The cause why such extremitie was vsed towards the said bishop Ridleie more than to the rest was for that in the time of ladie line 40 Iane he preached a sermon at Pauls crosse by the commandement of king Edwards councell wherein he dissuaded the people for sundrie causes from receiuing the ladie Marie as queene ¶ On the ninth of August in the afternoone the queene held an obsequie in the tower for king Edward the dirge being soong in Latine and on the morrow a masse of Requiem whereat the quéene with hir ladies offered The same daie the corps of king Edward was buried at Westminster the lord treasuror the earle of line 50 Penbroke and the earle of Shrewesburie being chéefe mourners with diuerse other noble men and others Doctor Daie bishop of Chichester preached at the said buriall and all the seruice with a communion was
inclinable â—are vnto his grace who is now readie to declare the same So soone as the lord chancellor had ended his line 60 tale the cardinall began and made a long solemne oration the which for shortnesse sake I haue collectd into these few articles remitting the reader to maister Foxes Acts and Monuments where they shall find the same wholie and entierlie as by him it was vttered 1 First he yéelded most heartie thanks to the king and queene and next vnto the whole parlement that of a man exiled banished from this common-weale they had restored him againe to be a member of the same and to the honour of his house and familie and of a man hauing no place neither here nor elsewhere within the realme to haue admitted him into a place where to speake and to be heard 2 Secondlie that his especiall comming was for the restitution of this realme to the ancient estate and to declare that the sée apostolike hath a speciall care of this realme aboue all other and chieflie for that this Iland first of all other prouinces of Europe receiued the light of Christs religion from the see of Rome 3 Thirdlie he exhorted that though the realme had swarued from the catholike vnitie that yet being better informed we ought to returne into the bosome of the church most open to receiue all penitents For the persuasion wherof he brought a number of old examples what perill and hurt hath happened vnto them that haue swarued and gone from the church of Rome namelie Greece and Germanie 4 Fourthlie how much we are bound to God for the king and quéens maiesties and how miraculouslie God had saued and defended our queene from hir enimies in most dangerous times and also that hée hath prouided to ioine with hir in mariage such a noble prince as king Philip was one of hir owne religion 5 Fiftlie he exhorted them all to obedience of these two princes and to call vpon God for issue to be had betweene them adding that king Philips father the emperour had amongst other princes trauelled most for the restitution of the peace and vnitie of the church But as almightie God said vnto Dauid though he had a mind and will to build his temple yet bicause he had shed bloud he should not build it And so bicause the emperour hath had so manie warres and shed so much bloud therefore hee could not atteine to bring perfect peace to the church But trulie said he this gratious prince king Philip his sonne as I conceiue is appointed of God to it considering now the calling of him to be ioined with so catholike a princesse as is the queene of this realme one without all doubt sent likewise of God for the restoring of the said realme to the vnitie of the church from whence it hath erred and gone astraie as it dooth and maie manifestlie appeare 6 Sixtlie he protested that his commission was not to preiudice anie person for he came not to destroie but to build he came to reconcile and not to condemne he came not to compell but to call againe he came not to call anie thing in question alreadie doone but his commission was of grace and clemencie to all such as would receiue it For touching all matters past and doone they should be cast into the sea of forgetfulnesse and neuer more to bée thought vpon 7 Finallie said he the meane whereby to receiue this high benefit is first to reuoke and repeale all such lawes as are impediments blocks and barres to this most gratious reconciliation For like as he himselfe had no place to speake there before such lawes were abrogated and remooued as stood in his waie euen so they could not receiue the grace offered from the see apostolike vntill these like impediments of lawes made against the see of Rome were vtterlie abolished and repealed And so in conclusion aduertised them first for the glorie of God and next for the conseruation and suertie of the wealth and quietnesse of the whole realme that they should earnestlie trauell therein and that then he would make them participants of the benefit of his commission The next daie the whole court of parlement drew out the forme of a supplication and the next daie following when the king the quéene and the cardinall with all the nobles and commons were assembled againe in the great chamber of the White hall aforesaid the bishop of Winchester there shewed what the parlement had determined concerning the cardinals request and then offered to the king and quéene the said supplication to be by them presented to the cardinall Wherein would be noted the readinesse of the assemblie to submit themselues to antichristian slauerie but omitting to giue iudgement marke their supplication the copie whereof followeth A supplication exhibited to cardinall Poole by the parlement WE the lords spirituall and temporall and line 10 commons in this present parlement assembled representing the whole bodie of the realme of England and dominions oâ— the same in the name of our selues particularlie and also of the said bodie vniuersallie offer this our most humble supplication to your maiesties to this end and effect that the same by your gratious intercession and meane maie be exhibited to the most reuerend father in God the lord cardinall Poole legat sent speciallie hither from our most holie father pope line 20 Iulie the third and the sée apostolike of Rome Wherin we doo declare our selues verie sorie and repentant of the long schisme and disobedience happening in this realme and the dominions of the same against the sée apostolike either by making agréeing or executing of anie lawes ordinances or commandements against the primasie of the same sée or otherwise dooing or speaking that might impugne or preiudice the same Offering our selues and promising by this our supplication that for a token knowledge line 30 of our said repentance we be and shall be euer readie vnder and with the authorities of your maiesties to the vttermost of our power to doo that shall lie in vs for the abrogation and repealing of all the said lawes and ordinances made and enacted to the preiudice of the sée apostolike as well for our selues as for the whole bodie whome we represent Wherevpon we humblie beséech your maiesties as persons vndefiled in offense of his bodie towards the said sée which neuerthelesse God by his prouidence hath line 40 made subiect to you so to set foorth this our humble sute as we the rather by your intercession maie obteine from the sée apostolike by the said most reuerend father as well particularlie as generallie absolution release and discharge from all dangers of such censures and sentences as by the lawes of the church we be fallen into And that we maie as children repentant be receiued into the bosome and vnitie of Christs church so as this noble realme with all the members thereof maie in
these sort are for their contrarie opinions in religion prosecuted or charged with anie crimes or paines of treason nor yet willinglie searched in their consciences for their contrarie opinions that sauour not of treason And of these sorts there haue béene and are a number of persons not of such base and vulgar note as those which of late haue beene executed as in particular some by name are well knowne and not vnfit to be remembred The first and chiefest by office was doctor Heth that was archbishop of Yorke and lord chancellor of England in quéene Maries time who at the first comming of hir maiestie to the crowne shewing himselfe a faithfull and quiet subiect continued in both the said offices though in religion then manifestlie differing and yet was he not restreined of his libertie nor depriued of his proper lands and goods but leauing willinglie both his offices liued in his owne house verie discréetlie and inioied all his purchased lands during all his naturall life vntill by verie age he departed this world and then left his house and liuing to his friends An example of gentlenesse neuer matched in quéene Maries time The like did one doctor Poole that had béene bishop of Peterborough an ancient graue person and a verie quiet subiect There were also others that had béene bishops and in great estimation as doctor Tunstall bishop of Duresme a person of great reputation and also whilest he liued of verie quiet behauiour There were also other as doctor White doctor Oglethorpe the one of Winchester the other of Carlill bishops persons of courteous natures and he of Carlill so inclined to dutifulnes to the quéenes maiestie as he did the office at the consecration and coronation of hir maiestie in the church of Westminster and doctor Thurlebie doctor Watson yet liuing one of Elie the other of Lincolne bishops the one of nature affable the other altogither sowre and yet liuing Whereto may be added the bishop then of Excester Turberuile an honest gentleman but a simple bishop who liued at his owne libertie to the end of his life and none of all these pressed with anie capitall paine though they mainteined the popes authoritie against the lawes of the realme And some abbats as maister Feckenam yet liuing a person also of quiet and courteous behauiour for a great time Some also were deanes as doctor Boxall deane of Windsore a person of great modestie learning and knowledge doctor Cole deane of Paules a person more earnest than discréet doctor Reinolds deane of Excester not vnlearned and manie such others hauing borne office dignities in the church that had made profession against the pope which they onelie began in queene Maries time to change yet were these neuer to this daie burdened with capitall peanes nor yet depriued of line 10 anie their goods or proper liueloods but onelie remoued from their ecclesiasticall offices which they would not exercise according to the lawes And most of them manie other of their sort for a great time were deteined in bishops houses in verie ciuill and courteous maner without charge to themselues or their friends vntill the time that the pope began by his buls messages to offer trouble to the realme by stirring of rebellion About which time onlie some line 20 of these aforenamed being found busier in matters of state tending to stir troubles than was méete for the common quiet of the realme were remoued to other more priuat places where such other wanderers as were men knowne to moue sedition might be restreined from common resorting to them to increase trouble as the popes bull gaue manifest occasion to doubt and yet without charging them in their consciences or otherwise by anie inquisition to bring them into danger of anie capitall law line 30 so as no one was called to anie capitall or bloudie question vpon matters of religion but haue all inioied their life as the course of nature would and such of them as yet remaine may if they will not be authors or instruments of rebellion or sedition inioie the time that God and nature shall yeeld them without danger of life or member And yet it is woorthie to be well marked that the chiefest of all these and the most of them had in time of king Henrie the eight and king Edward the sixt line 40 either by preaching writing reading or arguing taught all people to condemne yea to abhorre the authoritie of the pope for which purpose they had many times giuen their othes publikelie against the popes authoritie and had also yéelded to both the said kings the title of supreame hed of the church of England next vnder Christ which title the aduersaries doo most falselie write and affirme that the quéenes maiestie now vseth a manifest lie vntruth to be séene by the verie acts of parlement and at the beginning of hir reigne omitted in hir stile And for proofe that line 50 these foresaid bishops and learned men had so long time disauowed the popes authoritie manie of their books and sermons against the popes authoritie remaine printed both in English and Latin to be séene in these times to their great shame and reproofe to change so often but speciallie in persecuting such as themselues had taught and stablished to hold the contrarie A sin neere the sin against the holie ghost There were also and yet be a great number of others line 60 being laie men of good possessions and lands men of good credit in their countries manifestlie of late time seduced to hold contrarie opinions in religion for the popes authoritie and yet none of them haue béene sought hitherto to be impeached in anie point or quarell of treason or of losse of life member or inheritance So as it may plainelie appeare that it is not nor hath béene for contrarious opinions in religion or for the popes authoritie alone as the aduersaries doo boldlie and falslie publish that anie persons haue suffered death since hir maiesties reigne And yet some of these sort are well knowne to hold opinion that the pope ought by authoritie of Gods word to be supreame and onelie head of the catholike church through the whole world and onelie to rule in all causes ecclesiasticall and that the quéenes maiestie ought not to be the gouernour ouer anie hir subiects in hir realme being persons ecclesiasticall which opinions are neuerthelesse in some part by the lawes of the realme punishable in their degrées And yet for none of these points haue anie persons béene prosecuted with the charge of treason or in danger of life And if then it be inquired for what cause these others haue of late suffered death it is trulie to be answered as afore is often remembred that none at all were impeached for treason to the danger of their life but such as did obstinatlie mainteine the contents of the popes bull afore mentioned which doo import that hir maiestie is not
three monthes it were a notable line 60 world for traitors and murtherers thus to haue all procéedings set loose as well of our common lawes which condemne vpon all euidences as of the ciuill lawes which giue capitall sentence vpon confession onelie yea Moses wisedome is ouerreached and Christes equitie in his euangelicall parable against the lewd seruant not vsing his talent is eluded All this is also ratified by voluntarie letters of his to hir maiestie apart and to hir honorable councell And if anie Italianat papist neuerthelesse will néeds beleeue this â—epugnancie of his last speaches let him yet take this one note of him whereby to consider how credible a man he crediteth Either Parrie meant this monstrous murther according to his vowes in heauen and sworne promises in earth and so died a desperat traitor protesting the contrarie in his last words vpon his soule and damnation or else was he periured to the foule abuse of pope all poperie most execrablie prophaning Gods name by promising swearing vowing c that which he meant not Necessarilie therefore must he perish vpon periured treason or wreckâ— vpon desperat deieration Nothing auoideth this dilemma but a popish bull of dispensation which if he had I know not how princes may not as safelie suffer woolues and beares come to their presence as such papists And verie like it is that Parrie had a speciall bull either else was it comprehended in his indulgence that he might take othes contrarie to his catholike conscience as he did the oth of supremasie in the beginning of the last parlement Which if his coniuratours had not béene priuie with what intention he did sweare he neuer durst haue taken it least they should haue now bewraied him as a man sworne against the pope therefore not to be trusted But the truth is this papist Parrie was both a traitor and a manifold periured traitor whome with all other of the like stampe we leaue to the finall iudgement of God at the last and dreadfull doome registring in the meane time a proper epigram and of no lesse fit than true deuise in memorie of the said capitall traitor requiting that propheticall posie concerning Daruell Gatheren and frier Forrest of whome you shall read in the thirtéenth yeare of king Henrie the eight this of Parrie being as followeth William Parrie Was ap Harrie By his name From the alehouse To the gallows Grew his fame Gotten westward On a bastard â—s is thought Wherefore one waie Kin to Conwaie Hath he sought Like a beast With inceast He begon Mother maried Daughter caried Him a sonne Much he borrowed Which he sorrowed To repaie Hare his good Bought with blood As they saie Yet for paiment Had arrainment Of his detter Shee that gaue him Life to saue him Hangd a better Parrie his pardon Thought no guardon For his woorth Wherefore sought That he mought Trauell foorth Which obtained He remained As before And with rashnes Shewd his bashnes More and more He did enter To aduentuer Euen hir death By whose fauor He did euer Draw his breath It was pittie One so wittie Malcontent Leauing â—eason Should to treason So be bent But his gifts Were but shifts Void of grace And his brauerie Was but knauerie Vile and base Wales did beare him France did sweare him To the pope Venice wrought him London brought him To the rope Wherewith strangled And then mangled Being dead Poles supporters Of his quarters And his head In this yeare one thousand fiue hundred eightie foure sir Walter Mildmaie knight one of hir maiesties most honorable priuie councell founded a college in the vniuersitie of Cambridge and named it Emmanuell college ¶ The same was sometimes a house of friers and came to king Henrie the eight by dissolution as appeareth by the sequeale being an extract out of a substantiall and large booke written in parchment which I haue seene and whense I had this transcript conteining the entrie or inrolment of certeine letters patents writings and euidences line 10 touching the said college First the premisses came vnto king Henrie the eight by act of parlement touching the dissolution of monasteries afterwards the said king by letters patents vnder the great seale of England dated Decimo sexto Aprilis anno tricesimo quinto regni sui did grant the same to Edward Elrington and Humfreie Metcalfe and to the heires of the said Edward for euer After that the said Edward Elrington and Humfreie Metcalfe by their déed pold dated Quarto Martij anno tricesimo sexto Henrici line 20 octaui did grant the premisses to William Sherwood gentleman his heires for euer Then George Sherewood gentleman sonne and heire to William Sherwood by déed pold dated Vicesimo nono Septembris anno vicesimo tertio Elisabethae reginae did grant the premisses to Robert Tailor esquier and to his heires for euer And afterwards the said Robert Tailor by déed pold dated Duodecimo Iunij anno vicesimo quinto Elisabethae reginae did grant the premisses to Richard Culuerwell line 30 citizen mercer of London and Laurence Chaderton of Cambridge bachelor of diuinitie and their heires for euer And after that the premisses were conueied to sir Walter Mildmaie who hath conuerted the same into a séedplot of learning for the benefit of the church common-wealth so that the students maie verie trulie saie this and more too of so good so honoorable and vertuous a founder fluuijs dum cruerit aequor Dúmque vagas stellas pascet vterque polus line 40 Dum steriles altis lustrabunt montibus vmbrae Virtutis stabit fama decúsque tuae year 1585 On the nine and twentith daie of March which was in the yeare of Christ 1585 the parlement was dissolued at the breaking vp whereof the quéenes maiestie in the parlement house made an oration to such effect as followeth The queenes maiesties oration line 50 in the parlement house MY Lords and ye of the lower house my silence must not iniurie the owner so much as to suppose a substitute sufficient to render you the thanks that my heart yéeldeth you not so much for the safe keeping of my life for which your care appeareth so manifest as for line 60 the neglecting your priuat future perill not regarding other waie than my present state No prince herein I confesse can be surer tied or faster bound than I am with the linke of your good will and can for that but yeeld a hart hand to séeke for euer all your best Yet one matter toucheth me so neere as I may not ouerskip religion the ground on which all other matters ought to take roote and being corrupted may marre all the trée and that there be some faultfinders with the order of the cleargie which so may make a slander to my selfe the church whose ouer ruler God hath made me whose negligence can not be excused if anie schismes or errors hereticall were suffered Thus much
than matter vpon syllables than sense of the law For in the strictnesse exact following of common forme she must haue béene indicted in Staffordshire haue line 30 holden vp hir hand at the barre and beene tried by a iurie a proper course forsooth to deale in that maner with one of hir estate I thought it better therefore for auoiding of these and more absurdities to commit the cause to the inquisition of a good number of the greatest and most noble personages of this realme of the iudges and others of good account whose sentence I must approoue and all little enough For we princes I tell you are set on stages in the sight and view of all the world dulie line 40 obserued the eies of manie behold our actions a spot is soone spied in our garments a blemish quicklie noted in our dooings It behooueth vs therefore to be carefull that our procéedings be iust and honorable But I must tell you one thing more that in this last act of parlement you haue brought me vnto a narrow streict that I must giue direction for hir death which cannot bée to mée but a most gréeuous and irksome burthen And least you line 50 might mistake mine absence from this parlement which I had almost forgotten although there bée no cause whie I should willinglie come amongst multitudes for that amongst manie some maie bee euill yet hath it not béene the doubt of anie such danger or occasion that kept me from thense but onlie the great griefe to heare this cause spoken of especiallie that such a one of state and kin should néed so open a declaration and that this nation should be so spotted with blots of disloialtie line 60 Wherein the lesse is my gréefe for that I hope the better part is mine and those of the woorse not so much to be accounted of for that in séeking my destruction they might haue spoiled their owne souls And euen now could I tell you that which would make you sorie It is a secret and yet I will tell it you although it is knowne I haue the propertie to keepe counsell but too well oftentimes to mine owne perill It is not long since mine eies did sée it written that an oth was taken within few daies either to kill me or to be hanged themselues and that to be performed yer one moneth were ended Hereby I see your danger in me and neither can nor will be so vnthankefull or carelesse of your consciences as not prouide for your safetie I am not vnmindfull of your oth made in the association manifesting your great good wils and affections taken and entered into vpon good conscience and true knowledge of the guilt for safetie of my person and conseruation of my life doone I protest to God before I heard it or euer thought of such a matter vntill a great number of hands with manie obligations were shewed me at Hampton court signed and subscribed with the names and seales of the greatest of this land Which as I doo acknowledge as a perfect argument of your true hearts and great zeale to my safetie so shall my bond be stronger tied to greater care for all your good But for as much as this matter is rare weightie and of great consequence I thinke you doo not looke for anie present resolution the rather for that as it is not my maner in matters of far lesse moment to giue spéedie answer without due consideration so in this of such importance I thinke it verie requisit with earnest praier to beséech his diuine maiestie so to illuminat my vnderstanding and inspire me with his grace as I maie doo and determine that which shall serue to the establishment of his church preseruation of your estates and prosperitie of this common wealth vnder my charge Wherein for that I know delaie is dangerous you shall haue with all conueniencie our resolution deliuered by our message And what euer anie prince maie merit of their subiects for their approoued testimonie of their vnfained sinceritie either by gouerning iustlie void of all parcialitie or sufferance of anie iniuries doone euen to the poorest that doo I assuredlie promise inuiolablie to performe for requitall of your so manie deserts ¶ The occasions of the second accesse THis answer thus made by hir maiestie the lords and commons were dismissed And then hir highnesse some few daies after vpon deliberation had of this petition being as it appeared of hir mercifull disposition of nature and hir princelie magnanimitie in some conflict with hir selfe what to doo in a cause so weightie and important to hir and the realme sent by the lord chancellor as I heard and by the mouth of an honorable person and a right worthie member of the lower house this message to both houses moouing and earnestlie charging them to enter into a further consideration whether there might not be some other waie of remedie than that they had alreadie required so far disagreeing from hir owne naturall inclination Wherevpon the lords and commons in either houses assembled had sundrie consultations both in their seuerall houses generallie and by priuat committees deputed speciallie And after conference had betwixt the said committées it was resolued with vnanimitie of consent amongst them in the lower house and by vniuersall concord in the vpper house the question there propounded to euerie one of the lords that there could be found no other sound and assured meane in the depth of their vnderstanding for the continuance of the christian religion quiet of the realme and safetie of hir maiesties most roiall person than that which was conteined in their former petition The reasons whereof were summarilie these that follow which are more shortlie reported than they were vttered A briefe report of the second accesse the foure and twentith of Nouember 1586 and of the answer made in the name of tâ—e lords of the parlement to a message sent from hir maiestie by the lord chancellor after hir first answer THe lord chancellor accompanied with aboue fiue or six and twentie lords of parlement came before hir highnesse in hir line 10 chamber of presence to deliuer the resolution of all the lords of parlement concerning a message which he had not long before deliuered from hir maiestie for further consultation whether anie other means could be thought of or found out by anie of them how the Scotish quéens life might be spared and yet hir maiesties person saued out of perill and the state of the realme preserued in quiet declared that according to that he had receiued in commandement from hir maiestie he had imparted line 20 the same vnto the lords assembled in the vpper house whom he found by their generall silence much amazed at the propounding thereof considering the same had béene before in deliberation amongest them and resolued vpon and as appeared by their former petition exhibited to hir highnesse wherein they had expressed the same resolution Notwithstanding for hir maiesties further satisfaction
agréement concluded betwixt the two kings read in S. Peters church in Yorke 96 a 10. Of agréement betweene the king of England and the king of Conagh 96 b 60. Of king Stephan and the pacification of troubles betwixt him and Henrie Fitzempresse 62 a 10. Of maâ—â—mission granted to the rebels by Richard the second 434 a 10. Blanke sealed note 496 a 10 Confirmed vnder Henrie the thirds acknowledgment and subscription of witnesses 220 b 20. Cancelled and much gréeued at 208 b 60. Chartres taken by treason notwithstanding the truce 607 a 60 Chastitie of the ladie Graie and hir wisdom 726 a 50. Should such professe as would be admitted subdeacons 30 b. 30. ¶ Sée Clergie Charugage a certeine dutie for euerie plowland 229 a 50 Chaucer the English poet in what kings time he liued 541 b 50. ¶ Sée Dukes Chaumount Hugh taken prisoner 152 a 10 Chéeke knight his deserued commendation note 1055 a 50 60 b 10 c. His treatise shewing how gréeuous sedition is to a commonwealth note 1042 1043 c to 1055. Cheinie knight lord warden of the cinque ports authorised by Henrie the eight to the christening of the Dolphins daughter 973 b 50 60. An enimie to Wiat note 1094 a 40. Henrie the eights letter to him for a prescript forme of demeanor in the English towards the French 974 a 40 c. Lord warden of the cinque ports his death his old seruices at home and abroad much spoken to his praise and honor note 1171 a 30 40 50 60 b 10 20 30. Cheapside conduit builded 704 b 10 Cheshire made a principalitie 492 b 40 Cheshiremen gard Richard the second 489 b 50. Slaine note 523 b 60 Chester abbeie by whome builded 27 b 60. And who gaue order thereto 28 b 10. Earledome by whome possessed and inioied 20 a 10 Chierburgh besieged by the English 562 b 50. Yéelded to the Englishmen 563 a 10. Deliuered to the English 420 a 10. Possessed by the English 564 a 40 Child of eleuen years old speaking strange spéeches 1315. a 10 c. Chime of saint Giles without Criplegate to be mainteined 1312 a 60. ¶ Sée Bels. Chimniage ¶ Sée Subsidie Chinon taken by force of assault 169 b 60 Chisie William a notable théefe hanged 124 a 20 Christ and of a portion of his bloud shewed in a solemne procession 240 a 40 Christ counterfet whipped 1194 a 10. False apprehended and punished 203 b 40 50 Christs hospitall erected 1082 b 10 Christians preuaile against the Saracens at Damieta 202 b 20. It enuious discord 134 a 20. Beheded by the Turks 133 a 30. And Saracens are a peace 135. Two hundred and thréescore deliuered from the captiuitie of the Turks by means of one Iohn Fox note 1310 b 20. ¶ Sée Saracens Christianitie abiured for monie note 27 a 40 Christianus a bishop of the Danes capteine in warre 7 b 40 Christine a quéenes sister a nun ¶ Sée Margaret Christmas roiall 807 a 40 Christmas shewes 816 a 10 Christmasse called The still Christmasse 892 b 40 Chronicles whereof and whie so named and their necessarie vse 1268 1269 Chroniclers deserue a dutifull reuerence and whie 1268 Church of saint Anthonies in London when and by whom builded 779 a 50. Of saint Dunstans in the east defiled with bloud note 562 a 20 c. Of Elie dedicated note 246 b 30. Of Hales solemnlie dedicated 244 b 60 245 a 10. Of Scotland obedient to the church of England 97 b 10. Of England sore fléesed of hir wealth 18 b 30. Ruinated by the Danes in the north parts and verie scant note 11 a 20. Depriued of temporall prosperitie 256 a 50. Impropriat and that the bishop of Lincolne had authoritie to institute vicars in them 246 a 40. Occupied by incumbents strangers of the popes preferring what grudge it bred note 214 a 60. Spoiles aduantage not the getter note 194 a 50. That for feare of the censure thereof the English pledges were released 147 b 10 Iewels c turned into monie for Richard the first his ransome 139 b 10. The state thereof in Beckets time 77 a 60. Liuings restored by act of parlement note 1130 a 20. Cathedrall to inioie the right of their elections 409 a 10. Ouerthrowne by an earthquake 440 b 40. In London striken and broken by tempest 1185 a 10. Made a kenell of hounds reuenged 23 a 50. ¶ Sée Consecration Fines Inuestitures Lands Schisme Churchmen ¶ Sée Clergie Churchyard new néere Bedlem first made â—211 b 10 Cicester the situation thereof 796 b 10 Cicill knight commissioner into Scotland about an accord of peace 1192 a 30. Created lord treasuror 1238 a 50. His descent 1255 b 30 Cipriots resist Richard the first his landing and are pursued vanquished 127 a 60 b 10. Their offers in respect of his discontentment losse 127 b 60. Submit themselues and are receiued as his subiects 128 a 40. Their king submitteth himselfe to Richard the first 128 a 10. Stealeth awaie submitteth himselfe againe is committed prisoner and chained in giues of siluer 128 a 10 60 b 10 Circumcision for loue of a Iewish woman 203 b 60 Cisteaux moonks ¶ Sée monks white Citie wherof it consisteth 1046 b 50 Cities their necessarie vse and seruice note 1047 b 10 20 30 Citizens ¶ Sée Londoners Clergie their presumptuous â—â—thoritie restreined by acts 239 b 40. Large offer to Henrie the third in a parlement 255 b 30. Depriued of their liuings and liberties 8 b 60 and Normans preferred 9 a 10. Ricked at by duke William against whome note his malice 9 a 10. Pinched by their pursses fret and â—ume against the popes procéedings in that behalfe 252 b 30. Resist duke Williams decrées and are banished 8 a 30 Hardlie delt withall and out of order note 24 a 30. Of England complaine to pope Urban against William Rufus 18 b 40. Cardinall Pools articles concerning them 1162 b 30. Grant halfe of all their spirituall reuenues for one yeare to Henrie the eight 877 b 20. Complained of by the commons 911 a 30. Both head and taile one with another against them 911 b 10. In danger of a premunire their offer to Henrie the eight 923 a 20 30. The same pardoned 923 b 10. Their submission to H. the eight note 923. Speake euill of Henrie the eights procéedings in the reformation of religion 941 a 20 30. Conuocation for the reforming of religion 940 b 60. Complained of for their crueltie Ex officio 928 a 20. The cause whie so heinouslie offending was so fauoured 787 a 50 c. Of two sorts and both desirous to spare their pursses 792 a 30. Of Excester against Henrie the sixt and the duke of Summerset in defense of their ecclesiasticall priuileges 637 b 30. A bill exhibited against them in the parlement 545 b 10. Libels against them cast abrode 558 b 20. Sorelie brideled 475 a 30. Inueied against of the Wickleuists 481 b 60. They complaine of them to the king 482 a
Britons which tooke part with the king of France and hauing deliuered vnto him hostages had a promise made them that the French king should not conclude an agréement with the king of England without their consent Hervpon they made warres either vpon other till finallie about the feast of the Epithanie a peace was accorded betwixt them and then Henrie the king of Englande sonne made his homage vnto the French king for the countie of Aniou and the French king granted him the office of the Seneschalcie of France which ancientlie belonged vnto the earles of Aniou Also Geffrey duke of Britaine did homage to his elder brother the aforesaid Henrie by commandement of his father for the ducâ—ie of Britaine And afterwards the same Geffrey went into Britaine and at Rheines receiued the homage and fealtie of the lords and barons of that countrie King 〈◊〉 in the meanâ— while suâ—dued certeine rebels in Gascoinâ— and returning into Normandie built a goodlie towne and fortresse neere to Haie de 〈…〉 About 〈◊〉 same time one Haruey de Yuon who had married the daughter of one William Goieth 〈…〉 in his iournie which he tooke into the holie 〈…〉 into the hands of king Henrie 〈◊〉 he was in despaire to keepe them 〈…〉 of Chartres who through the French kings 〈…〉 to dispossesse him of the same castels wherevpon the war was renewed betwixt the king of England and the said earle of Chartres Neuerthelesse king Henrie making no great accompt of those wars went into Britaine with his sonne Geffrey where going about the countrie to visit the cities and townes he reformed many disorders laieng as it were a maner of a new foundation of things there fortifieng the castels cities and townes and communing in courteous manner with the lords and péeres of the countrie sought to win their good wils and so in such exercises he spent a great part of the time line 10 He kept his Christmasse at Nauntes whither all the great lords and barons of Britaine resorted to him The solemnitie of which feast being past he entred into the lands of earle Eudo and wasted the same till the said earle submitted himself At length after the king had taken order for the good gouernement of Normandie and his other countries on that side the sea he returned into England in the first wéeke of March but not without great danger by reason of a tempest that tooke him on the seas beginning line 20 about midnight and not ceassing till 9. of the clocke in the morning about which houre he came on land at Portesmouth not with many of his ships the rest being tossed and driuen to séeke succour in sundrie créeks and hauens of the land and one of them which was the cheefest and newest was lost in the middle of the flouds togither with 400. persons men women among whome was Henrie de Aguell with two of his sons Gilbert Sullemuy and Rafe Beumount the kings physician houshold seruant line 30 After this the king held his Easter at Winsor whither William the Scotish king came with his brother Dauid to welcome him home and to congratulat his happie successe in his businesse on the further side the seas They were honorablie enterteined and at their departure princelie rewarded The king thus returned into England punished the shiriffes of the land very gréeuouslie for their extortion briberie and rapine After this studieng how to assure the estate of the realme vnto his sons vpon good line 40 consideration remembring that no liuing creature was more subiect to the vncerteintie of death than Adams heires and that there is ingraffed such a feruent desire in the ambitious nature of man to gouerne that so oft as they onee come in hope of a kingdome they haue no regard either of right or wrong God or the diuell till they be in possession of their desired prey he thought it not the worst point of wisedome to foresee that which might happen For if he should chance to depart this life and leaue his line 50 sons yoong and not able to mainteine wars through lacke of knowledge it might fortune them through the ambition of some to be defrauded and disappointed of their lawfull inheritance Therefâ—â—e to preuent the chances of fortune he determined whilest he was aliue to crowne his eldest sonne Henrie being now of the age of 17. yeares and so to inuest him in the kingdome by his owne act in his life time which deed turned him to much trouble as after shall appeare line 60 Being vpon this point 〈…〉 called togither a parlement of the lords both spâ—rituall and temporall at London and there 〈◊〉 S Bâ—rtholomewâ— daie proclaimed his said sonne Henrie fellow 〈◊〉 him in the kingdome whom after this on the 〈◊〉 following being the fouretéenth daie of Iune 1â—70 Roger archbishop of 〈…〉 to the manner being 〈…〉 the king This 〈◊〉 aâ—â—erteined 〈…〉 of Canturburie but bicause he was 〈◊〉 the realme the king appointed the archbishop of Yorke to doo it which he ought not to haue doone without licence of the archbishop of Canterburie within the precinct of his prouince as was â—lledged by archbishop Becket who complained thereof vnto pope Alexander and so incensed the pope that he being highlie moued by his letters for bad not onelie the archbishop of Yorke but also Gilbert bishop of London and Iocelin bishop of Salisburie who were present at the coronation the vse of the sacraments which made king Henrie far more displeased with the archbishop Thomas than he was before Upon the daie of coronation king Henrie the father serued his sonne at the table as sewer bringing vp the bores head with trumpets before it according to the maner Whervpon according to the old adage Immutant mores homines cùm dantur honores the yoong man conceiuing a pride in his heart beheld the standers-by with a more statly countenance than he had béen woont The archbishop of Yorke who sat by him marking his behauior turned vnto him said Be glad my good sonne there is not an other prince in the world that hath such a sewer at his table To this the new king answered as it were disdainefullie thus Why doost thou maruell at that My father in dooing it thinketh it not more than becommeth him he being borne of princelie bloud onlie on the mothers side serueth me that am a king borne hauing both a king to my father and a queene to my mother Thus the yoong man of an euill and peruerse nature was puffed vp in pride by his fathers vnseemelie dooings But the king his father hearing his talke was verie sorrowfull in his mind and said to the archbishop softlie in his eare It repenteth me it repenteth me my lord that I haue thus aduanced the boy For he gessed hereby what a one he would prooue afterward that shewed himselfe so disobedient and froward alreadie But although he was displeased
except onelie two earles of Almaine which brought with them but onelie three knights and he himselfe had but eight line 40 knights his brother king Henrie was readie to receiue him and brought him from Douer vnto Canturburie for neither of them was suffered to enter into the castell of Douer the lords hauing them in a gelousie least they should be about to breake the ordinances which were concluded On the morow after the king of Almaine receiued the oth in the presence of Richard earle of Glocester and others within the chapter house of Canturburie And on the day line 50 of the Purification of our ladie the two kings with their queenes and a great number of noble personages made their entrie and passage into the citie of London In the octaues of the said Purification the parlement began at London to the which came the earle of Leicester from the parts of beyond the sea where he had for a certeine time remained There came also an ambassador from the French king one that was deane of Burges and so there was an earnest treatie line 60 had touching a peace to be concluded betwixt the two kings of England and France which on the day of saint Ualentine was accorded and put in articles with condition that the same should remaine firme and stable if the kings would assent to that which had beene talked of and agreed vpon by their speciall and solemne agents For the further perfecting of this agreement and finall peace betwixt the kings of England and France about the begining of Aprill the earls of Glocester and Leicester Iohn Mansell Peter de Sauoy and Robert Ualerane were sent ouer into France hauing also with them letters of credence to conclude in all matters as had béene talked of by their agents But when the countesse of Leicester would not consent to quite claime and release hir right in such parcels of Normandie as belonged to hir which king Henrie had couenanted with the residue to resigne vnto the French king The earle of Glocester fell at words with the earle of Leicester about the stubborne demeanor which his wife shewed in that matter and so by reason that either of them stood at defiance with the other although by meane of freends they staied from further inconuenience they returned backe without concluding any thing in that whereabout they were sent About the same time there was a certeine mansion house by waie of deuotion giuen vnto the friers that are called preachers within the towne of Dunstable so that certeine of them thrusting themselues in there began to inhabit in that place to the great annoiance of the prior and conuent of Dunstable as it were by the example of the other order called minors which in the last precéeding yeare at saint Edmundsburie in Suffolke had practised the like matter against the willes of the abbat and conuent there they began to build verie sumptuous houses so that in the eies of the beholders such chargeable workes of building so suddenlie aduanced by them that professed voluntarie pouertie caused no small woonder The said friers building them a church with all spéed and setting vp an altar immediatlie began to celebrate diuine seruice not once staieng for the purchase of anie licence And so building from day to day they obteined great aid of such as inhabited neere vnto them of whome the prior and conuent ought to haue receiued the reuenues that were now conuerted to be imploied on the said friers towards their maintenance Thus by how much more their house increased by so much more did the prior and conuent decrease in substance and possessions for the rents which they were accustomed to receiue of the messuages and houses giuen to the friers were lost and likewise the offerings which were woont to come to their hands now these friers being newlie entred by occasion of their preachings vsurped to themselues Richard Graie constable of the castell of Douer and lord warden of the cinque ports was this yeare remooued by the lord chéefe iustice Hugh Bigod who tooke into his owne hands the custodie of the said castell and ports The cause whie the said Richard Graie was discharged we find to haue fallen out by this means He suffered a frier minor called Walascho comming from the pope bicause he had the kings letters vnder the great seale to enter the land not staieng him nor warning the lords of his comming contrarie as it was interpreted vnto the articles of their prouisions enacted at Oxenford This frier indeed was sent from the pope to haue restored Athilmarus or Odomarus as some write him the kings halfe brother vnto the possessions of the bishoprike of Winchester to the which he had béene long before elected But the lords were so bent against him that vpon such suggestions as they laid foorth Walascho refrained from dooing that which he had in commandement and returned to make report what he vnderstood so that Odomarus was now as farre from his purpose as before About the feast of saint Michaell the bishop of Bangor was sent from Leolin prince of Wales vnto the king of England to make offer on the behalfe of the said Leolin and other the lords of Wales of sixtéene thousand pounds of siluer for a peace to be had betwixt the king and them and that they might come to Chester and there haue their matters heard and determined as in time past they had béene accustomed But what answer at his returne was giuen to this bishop by the king and his nobles it is vncerteine In the fortie and fourth yeare of king Henries reigne the fridaie following the feast of Simon and Iude in a parlement holden at Westminster were read in presence of all the lords and commons the acts and ordinances made in the parlement holden at Oxenford with certeine other articles by the gouernours therevnto added and annexed After the reading whereof the archbishop of Canturburie being reuested with his suffragans to the number of nine bishops besides abbats and others denounced line 10 all them accurssed that attempted in word or déed to breake the said statutes or anie of them In the same parlement was granted to the king a talke called scutagium or escuage that is to saie fortie shillings of euerie knights fée throughtout England the which extended to a great summe of monie For as diuerse writers do agree there were in England at that time in possession of the spiritualtie and temporaltie beyond fortie thousand knights fees but almost halfe of them were in spirituall mens hands line 20 Upon the sixt day of Nouember the king came vnto Paules where by his commandement was the folkemote court assembled and the king according to the former ordinances made asked licence of the communaltie of the citie to passe the sea and promised there in the presence of a great multitude of people by the mouth of
thing without readie paiment and those that from thencefoorth did contrarie to this ordinance should be extremelie punished There was granted to the king in this parlement six and twentie shillings line 10 eight pence of euerie sacke of wooll that was to be transported ouer the sea for thrée yeares next insuing Furthermore at the sute of the commons it was ordeined and established by an act in this parlement deuised that men of law should plead their causes and write their actions and plaints in the English toong and not in the French as they had béene accustomed to doo euer since the Conquerors time It was ordeined also that schoolemasters should teach line 20 their scholers to construe their lessons in English not in French as before they had béene vsed The K. shewed so much curtesie to the French hostages that he permitted them to go ouer to Calis and there being néere home to purchase friendship by oft calling on their fréends for their deliuerance They were suffered to ride to and fro about the marches of Calis for the space of foure daies togither so that on the fourth daie before sunne setting they returned into Calis againe The duke of Aniou turning this libertie line 30 to serue his owne turne departed from thence and went home into France without making his fellowes priuie to his purpose This yeare a parlement was called by the king which began the ninth of October from the which none of the noble men could obteine licence to be absent In this parlement all rich ornaments of gold and siluer vsed to be worne in kniues girdels ouches rings or otherwise to the setting foorth of the bodie were prohibited except to such as might dispend ten line 40 pounds by yeare Morouer that none should weare any rich clothes or furres except they might dispend an hundred pounds by yeare ¶ Moreouer it was enacted that labourers and husbandmen should not vse any deintie dishes or costlie drinks at their tables But these and such other acts as were deuised and established at this parlement tooke none effect as after it appeared In this yeare there came into England to speake with king Edward concerning their weightie affaires thrée kings to wit the king of line 50 France the king of Scotland the king of Cypres they were honorablie receiued and highlie feasted The king of Scotland and the king of Cypres after they had dispatched their businesse for the which they came turned backe againe but the French king fell sicke and remained here till he died as in the next yeare ye shall heare He arriued here in England about the latter end of this yeare and came to Eltham where king Edward as then laie on the foure and twentith day of Ianuarie year 1364 and there dined line 60 After diner he tooke his horsse and rode toward London and vpon Blacke heath the citizens of London clad in one kind of liuerie and verie well horssed met him and conueied him from thence through to London to the Sauoy where his lodging was prepared About the beginning of March in this eight and thirtith yeare the forenamed French king fell into a gréeuous sickenesse of the which he died the eight day of Aprill following His corps was conueied into France and there buried at S. Denise his exequies were kept here in England in diuerse places right solemnelie by king Edwards appointment This yeare by reason of an extreme sore frost continuing from the seuen and twentith day of September last passed vnto the beginning of Aprill in this eight and thirtith yeare or rather from the seuenth day of December till the ninetenth day of March as Walsingham and other old writers doo report the ground laie vntild to the great hinderance and losse of all growing things on the earth This yeare on Michaelmasse day before the castell of Aulroy not far distant from the citie of Uannes in Britaine a sore battell was fought betwixt the lord Charles de Blois and the lord Iohn of Mountford For when there could be no end made betwixt these two lords touching their title vnto the duchie of Britaine they renewed the wars verie hotlie in that countrie and procured all the aid they might from each side The king of France sent to the aid of his cousine Charls de Blois a thousand speares and the earle of Mountford sent into Gascoigne requiring sir Iohn Chandois and other Englishmen there to come to his succour Sir Iohn Chandois gladlie consented to this request and therevpon got licence of the prince and came into Britaine where he found the earle of Mountford at the siege of the foresaid castell of Aulroy In the meane time the lord Charles de Blois being prouided of men and all things necessarie to giue battell came and lodged fast by his enimies The earle of Mountford aduertised of his approch by the aduise of sir Iohn Chandois and other of his capteins had chosen out a plot of ground to lodge in and meant there to abide their enimies With the lord Charles of Blois was that valiant knight sir Berthram de Cleaquin or Guesclin as some write him by whose aduise there were ordeined three battels and a reregard and in each battell were appointed a thousand of good fighting men On the other part the earle of Mountford diuided his men likewise into thrée battels and a reregard The first was led by sir Robert Knols sir Walter Hewet and sir Richard Brulle or Burlie The second by sir Oliuer de Clisson sir Eustace Daubreticourt and sir Matthew Gournie The third the earle of Mountford him selfe guided and with him was sir Iohn Chandois associat by whom he was much ruled for the king of England whose daughter the earle of Mountford should marie had written to sir Iohn Chandois that he should take good héed to the businesse of the said earle and order the same as sagelie as he might deuise or imagine In ech of these thrée armies were fiue hundred armed men and foure hundred archers In the reregard were appointed fiue hundred men of warre vnder the gouernance of sir Hugh Caluerlie Beside sir Iohn Chandois other Englishmen recited by Froissard there was the lord William Latimer as one of the chiefe on the earle of Mountfords side There were not past sixtéene hundred good fighting men on that side as Thomas Walsingham plainelie writeth Now when the hosts were ordred on both sides as before we haue said they approched togither the Frenchmen came close in their order of battell and were to the number of fiue and twentie hundred men of armes after the manner of that age beside others Euerie man had cut his speare as then they vsed at what time they should ioine in battell to the length of fiue foot and a short ax hanging at his side At the first incounter there was a sore battell and trulie the archers shot right fiercelie howbeit their shot
feast of All saints the parlement began to the which the duke of Lancaster came bringing with him an excéeding number of armed men and likewise the earle of Northumberland with no lesse companie came likewise to London was lodged within the citie hauing great friendship shewed towards him of the citizens who promised to assist him at all times when necessitie required so that his part séemed to be ouerstrong for the duke if they should haue come to anie triall of their forces at that time The duke laie with his people in the suburbs and euerie daie when they went to the parlement house at Westminster both parts went thither in armour to the great terror of those that were wise and graue personages fearing some mischiefe to fall foorth of that vnaccustomed manner of their going armed to the parlement house contrarie to the ancient vsage of the realme At length to quiet the parties and to auoid such inconueniences as might haue growen of their dissention the king tooke the matter into his hands and so they were made fréends to the end that some good might be doone in that parlement for reformation of things touching the state of the realme for which cause it was especiallie called but now after it had continued a long time and few things at all concluded newes came that the ladie Anne sister to the emperour Wenslaus affianced wife to the king of England was come to Calis whervpon the parlement was proroged till after Christmas that in the meane time the marriage might be solemnized which was appointed after the Epiphanie and foorthwith great preparation was made to receiue the bride that she might be conueied with all honor vnto the kings presence Such as should receiue hir at Douer repaired thither where at hir landing a maruellous and right strange woonder happened for she was no sooner out of hir ship and got to land in safetie with all hir companie but that foorthwith the water was so troubled and shaken as the like thing had not to any mans remembrance euer béene heard of so that the ship in which the appointed queene came ouer was terriblie rent in péeces and the residue so beaten one against an other that they were scattered here and there after a woonderfull manner Before hir comming to the citie of London she was met on Black-heath by the maior and citizens of London in most honorable wise year 1382 and so with great triumph conueied to Westminster where at the time appointed all the nobilitie of the realme being assembled she was ioined in marriage to the king and crowned quéene by the archbishop of Canturburie with all the glorie and honor that might be deuised There were also holden for the more honour of the same marriage solemne iustes for certeine daies togither in which as well the Englishmen as the new quéenes countriemen shewed proofe of their manhood and valiancie whereby praise commendation of knightlie prowesse was atchiued not without damage of both the parties After that the solemnitie of the marriage was finished the parlement eftsoones began in the which many things were inacted for the behoofe of the commonwealth And amongst other things it was ordeined that all maner manumissions obligations releasses and other bonds made by compulsion dures and menace in time of this last tumult and riot against the lawes of the land and good faith should be vtterlie void and adnihilated And further that if the kings faithfull liege people did perceiue any gathering of the cōmons in suspected wise to the number of six or seauen holding conuenticles togither they should not staie for the kings writ in that behalfe for their warrant but foorthwith it should be lawfull for them to apprehend such people assembling togither and to laie them in prison till they might answer their dooings These and manie other things were established in this parlement of the which the most part are set foorth in the printed booke of statutes where ye may read the same more at large In time of this parlement William Ufford the earle of Suffolke being chosen by the knights of the shires to pronounce in behalfe of the common-wealth certeine matters concerning the same the line 10 verie daie and houre in which he should haue serued that turne as he went vp the staires towards the vpper house he suddenlie fell downe and died in the hands of his seruants busie about to take him vp whereas he felt no gréefe of sickenesse when he came into Westminster being then and before merrie and pleasant inough to all mens sights Of his sudden death manie were greatlie abashed for that in his life time he had shewed himselfe courteous and amiable to all men ¶ The parlement shortlie therevpon line 20 tooke end after that the merchants had granted to the king for a subsidie certeine customes of their wools which they bought and sold called a maletot to endure for foure yeares ¶ The lord Richard Scroope was made lord chancellor the lord Hugh Segraue lord treasuror About the same time the lord Edmund Mortimer earle of March the kings lieutenant in Ireland departed this life after he had brought in manner all that land to peace and quiet by his noble and prudent line 30 gouernement In this season Wicliffe set forth diuerse articles and conclusions of his doctrine which the new archbishop of Canturburie William Courtneie latelie remooued from the sée of London vnto the higher dignitie did what he could by all shifts to suppresse and to force such as were the setters foorth and mainteiners thereof to recant and vtterlie to renounce What he brought to passe in the booke of acts and monuments set foorth by maister I. Fox ye may find at large The tuesday next after line 40 the feast of saint Iohn Port latine an other parlement began in which at the earnest sute and request of the knights of the shires Iohn Wraie priest that was the chiefe dooer among the commons in Suffolke at Burie and Mildenhall was adiudged to be drawen and hanged although manie beleeued that his life should haue béene redeemed for some great portion of monie A lewd fellow that tooke vpon him to be skilfull in physicke and astronomie caused it to be published line 50 thorough the citie of London that vpon the Ascension euen there would rise such a pestilent planet that all those which came abroad foorth of their chambers before they had said fiue times the Lords praier then commonlie called the Pater noster and did not eate somewhat that morning before their going foorth should be taken with sicknesse suddenlie die thereof Manie fooles beléeued him and obserued his order but the next day when his presumptuous lieng could be no longer faced out he was set on horssebacke line 60 with his face towards the taile which he was compelled to hold in his hand in stéed of a bridle and so was led about
appointed to receiue it to furnish him with a nauie to the seas But before this paiment might be granted there was much adoo line 60 hard bold for where the said earle of Suffolke then lord chancellor at first had demanded of the commons in the kings name foure fiftéens for with lesse said he the king could not mainteine his estate and the warres which he had in hand the whole bodie of the parlement made answer thereto that without the king were present for he was then at Eltham they could make therein no answer at all and herewith they tooke occasion at length to say further that except the said earle of Suffolke were remooued from the office of chancellorship they would meddle no further with any act in this parlement were it neuer of so small importance The king being aduertised hereof sent againe to the commons that they should send vnto Eltham where he laie fortie of the wisest and best learned of the common house the which in the name of the whole house should declare vnto him their minds And then the house was in no small feare by reason of a brute that was raised how the king sought meanes to intrap and destroie them that followed not his purpose Herevpon aswell the lords of the vpper house as the commons of the lower assembled togither and agréed with one consent that the duke of Glocester and Thomas Arundell bishop of Elie should in the name of the whole parlement be sent to the king vnto Eltham which was doone and the king was well contented that they should come When they came before his presence with humble reuerence they declared their message which consisted in these points That the lords and commons assembled at that present in parlement besought him of his lawfull fauour that they might liue in peace and tranquillitie vnder him They further declared that one old statute and laudable custome was approued which no man could denie that the king once in the yeare might lawfullie summon his high court of parlement and call the lords and commons therevnto as to the highest court of his realme in which court all right and equitie ought to shine as the sunne being at the highest whereof poore and rich may take refreshing where also reformation ought to be had of all oppressions wrongs extortions enormities within the realme and there the king ought to take counsell with the wise men of his realme for the maintenance of his estate and conseruation of the same And if it might be knowen that any persons within the realme or without intended the contrarie there must also be deuised how such euill weeds may be destroied There must also be studied and foreséene that if any charge doo come vpon the king and realme how it may be honorablie borne and discharged Further they declared that till that present his subiects as was thought had louinglie demeaned themselues towards him in aiding him with their substance to the best of their powers that their desire was to vnderstand how those goods were spent And further they said they had one thing to declare vnto him how that by an old ordinance it was enacted that if the king should absent himselfe fourtie daies not being sicke and refuse to come to the parlement without regard to the charges of his people and their great paines they then may lawfullie returne home to their houses and therefore sith he had béene absent a long time and yet refused to come among them it was greatlie to their discomfort To this the king as we find made this answer Well we doo perceiue that our people and commons go about to rise against vs wherefore we thinke we cannot doo better than to aske aid of our cousine the French king and rather submit vs vnto him than to our owne subiects The lords answered that it should not be good for him so to doo but a waie rather to bring him into extreame danger sith it was plaine inough that the French king was his ancient enimie and greatest aduersarie who if he might once set foot in the realme of England he would rather despoile and dispossesse the king of his kingdome than put his helping hand to relieue him He might they said call to remembrance how his noble progenitour king Edward the third his grandfather and prince Edward his father had trauelled in heat and cold with great anguish and troubles incessantlie to make a conquest of France that rightfullie apperteined vnto them and now to him in which wars he might likewise remember how manie lords noble men and good commons of both realmes had lost their liues and what charges both the realmes likewise bare in mainteining those warres and now the more pitie greater burthens were laid vpon the necks of the English subiects for the supportation of his charges by reason whereof they were so low brought said they that they haue not to paie their rents and so by such meanes was his power decaied his lords brought behind hand and all his people sore impouerished And as that king cannot be poore that hath line 10 rich people so cannot he be rich that hath poore commons And as he tooke hurt by such inconueniences chancing through euill councellors that were about him so the lords and noblemen susteined no lesse hurt each one after his estate and calling And if remedie were not in time prouided through his helping hand the realme must needs fall in ruine and the default should be imputed to him and to those his euill councellors By these and the like persuasions the king was line 20 induced to come to the parlement and according to his appointment he came indeed Soone after his comming was Iohn Fortham bishop of Durham discharged of his office of lord treasuror and in his place was appointed one Iohn Gilbert bishop of Hereford that was a frier of the order of preachers a man more eloquent than faithfull as some reported of him Also the earle of Suffolke was discharged of his office of lord chancellor and Thomas Arundell bishop of Elie placed in his roome by line 30 whole consent of parlement The same earle of Suffolke was charged with manie verie great enormious crimes frauds falshoods and tresons which he had practised to the great preiudice of the king and realme and therevpon was committed to ward in the castell of Windsore Notwithstanding they adiudged him not to death as some write nor disgraded him of the honor of knighthood but condemmed him to paie a fine of twentie thousand marks and also to forfeit one thousand pounds of yéerlie rents line 40 which he had purchased But other write that notwithstanding the king was sore offended for the accusations brought against the said earle of Suffolke and others whome he loued and was loth to heare anie euill of yet he was constreined at length after he had shifted off the matter by sundrie
defraied and laid out in Almaine and in Boheme about the kings marriage and for the residue desired daies of paiment yet he could obteine neither Further he was accused that the duke of Ireland and he had gathered great summes of monie conueied the same to Douer and from thence sent it in the night by sea into Germanie Lastlie the archbishop forsooth and the moonks of Canturburie charged him that he sought the means to remooue â—he shrine of the archbishop Thomas otherwise called Thomas Becket from Canturburie vnto Douer vnder a colour of feare least the Frenchmen being assembled in Flanders to inuade England should land in Kent and take Canturburie and spoile it where indeed as they surmized against him he meant to send it ouer the seas vnto the king of Boheme Herevpon he was first committed to the tower and before the king or his other friends could procure his deliuerance he was without law or iustice before any of the residue as some hold brought foorth and beheaded on the tower hill by commandement of the duke of Glocester and other of his faction quite contrarie to the kings will or knowledge in somuch that when he vnderstood it he spake manie sore words against the duke affirming that he was a wicked man and worthie to be kept shorter sith vnder a colour of dooing iustice he went about to destroie euerie good and honest man The king was also offended with the duke of Yorke for his brothers presumptuous doings though the said duke of Yorke being verelie a man of a gentle nature wished that the state of the common-wealth might haue béene redressed without losse of any mans life or other cruell dealing but the duke of Glocester and diuerse other of the nobilitie the lesse that they passed for the kings threatening speach so much more were they readie to punish all those whom they tooke to be their enimies In deed the said sir Simon Burlie was thought to beare himselfe more loftie by reason of the kings fauour than was requisite which procured him enuie of them that could not abide others to be in any condition their equals in authoritie It should appeare by Froissard that he was first of all in the beginning of these stirs betwixt the king and the lords committed to the tower and notwithstanding all the shift that either the king or the duke of Ireland or anie other of his fréends could make for him by the duke of Glocesters commandement he was cruellie beheaded so greatlie to the offense of the king and those that were his trustie councellors that therevpon the king caused the duke of Ireland the sooner to assemble an armie against the said duke and his complices therby â—o râ—sâ—raine their presumptuous proceedings But whether he was thus at the first or last executed to please the king the better now at this parlement amongst others that were condemned in the same his lands were giuen to the king a great part whereof he afterwards disposed to diuerse men as he thought expedient But yet in the parlement holden in the one and twentith yeare of this kings reigne the act of atteindor of the said sir Simon was repealed and at an other parlement holden in the second yeare of king Henrie the fourth all his lands which then remained vngranted and vnsold were restored to sir Iohn Burlie knight sonne and heire of sir Roger Burlie brother to the said Simon of whom lineallie is descended Thomas Eins line 10 esquier now secretarie to the queenes maiesties councell in the north parts And thus far touching sir Simon Burlie of whom manie reports went of his disloiall dealings towards the state as partlie ye haue heard but how trulie the lord knoweth Among other slanderous tales that were spred abroad of him one was that he consented to the deliuering of Douer castell by the kings appointment to the Frenchmen for monie But as this was a thing not like to be true so no doubt manie things that the persons line 20 aforesaid which were executed had béene charged with at the least by common report among the people were nothing true at all although happilie the substance of those things for which they died might be true in some respect Sir William Elmham that was charged also for withdrawing of the soldiers wages discharged himselfe therof and of all other things that might be laid to his charge As touching the iustices they were all condemned to death by the parlement but such line 30 meanes was made for them vnto the queene that she obteined pardon for their liues But they forfeited their lands and goods and were appointed to remaine in perpetuall exile with a certeine portion of monie to them assigned for their dailie sustentation the names of which iustices so condemned to exile were these Robert Belknap Iohn Holt Iohn Craie Roger Fulthorpe William Burgh and Iohn Lokton Finallie in this parlement was an oth required and line 40 obteined of the king that he should stand vnto and abide such rule and order as the lords should take and this oth was not required onelie of the king but also of all the inhabitants of the realme ¶ In these troubles was the realme of England in these daies and the king brought into that case that he ruled not but was ruled by his vncles and other to them associat In the latter end of this eleuenth yeare was the earle of Arundell sent to the sea with a great nauie of ships and men of warre There went with him in line 50 this iournie of noble men the earles of Notingham Deuonshire sir Thomas Percie the lord Clifford the lord Camois sir William Elmham sir Thomas Morieux sir Iohn Daubreticourt sir William Shellie sir Iohn Warwike or Berwike sir Stephan de Liberie sir Robert Sere sir Peter Montherie sir Lewes Clanbow sir Thomas Coque or Cooke sir William Paulie or Paulet diuerse others There were a thousand men of armes and three thousand archers The purpose for which they were sent was to line 60 haue aided the duke of Britaine if he would haue receiued them being then eftsoones run into the French kings displeasure for the imprisoning of the lord Clisson constable of France But after that contrarie to expectation the duke of Britaine was come to an agréement with the French king the earle of Arundell drew with his nauie alongst the coasts of Poictou and Xaintonge till at length he arriued in the hauen that goeth vp to Rochell and landed with his men at Marrant foure leagues from Rochell and began to pilfer spoile and fetch booties abroad in the countrie The Frenchmen within Rochell issued foorth to skirmish with the Englishmen but they were easilie put to flight and folowed euen to the bariers of the gates of Rochell ¶ Perot le Bernois a capteine of Gascoigne that made warre for the king of England in Limosin and lay in the fortresse of Galuset came foorth the same time
and made a roade into Berrie with foure hundred spears The earle of Arundell after he had laine at Marrant fiftéene daies returned to his ships and finallie came backe into England and Perot le Bernois likewise returned to his fortresse ¶ About the same time was a truce taken betwixt the parties English and French on the marches of Aquitaine to begin the first daie of August and to indure till the first of Maie next insuing ¶ In this yeare 1388 in Lent the Scots entred into the westerne borders what with killing as also with burning they did much mischiefe Moreouer they shewed extreme crueltie against young children and sucklings against women bigge with child and in trauell against weake and weerish men and crooked with age in the countrie of Gildisland within the lordship of the lord Dacres gathering them togither into houses and shutting them vp and locking the doores they burned without mercie or pitie to the number as it was said of two hundred and aboue This yeare in August the Scots inuaded the countrie of Northumberland and at Otterburne ouerthrew a power of Englishmen which the earle of Northumberland and his sonnes had leauied against them In this battell the earle Dowglas chiefe of that armie of Scots was slaine and the lord Henrie Percie and his brother sir Ralfe sonnes to the said earle of Northumberland were taken prisoners as in the Scotish chronicles ye may read more at large After the feast of the natiuitie of our ladie a parlement was holden at Cambridge in the which diuerse statutes were ordeined as For the limiting of seruants wages For punishment of vagarant persons For the inhibiting of certeine persons to weare weapons For the debarring of vnlawfull games For maintenance of shooting in the long bow For remouing of the staple of woolles from Middleburgh vnto Calis For labourers not to be receiued but where they are inhabiting except with licence vnder seale of the hundred where they dwell There was also an act made that none should go foorth of the realme to purchase anie benefice with cure or without cure except by licence obteined of the king and if they did contrarie herevnto they were to be excluded out of the kings protection There was granted to the king in this parlement a tenth to be leuied of the clergie and a fiftéenth of the laitie Moreouer during the time of this parlement as sir Thomas Triuet was riding towards Barnewell with the king where the king lodged by forcing his horsse too much with the spurs the horsse fell with him so rudelie to the ground that his entrails within him were so burst and perished that he died the next daie after Manie reioised at this mans death as well for that men iudged him to be excéeding haultie and proud as also for that he was suspected not to haue dealt iustlie with the bishop of Norwich in the iournie which the bishop had made into Flanders but speciallie men had an ill opinion of him for that he stood with the king against the lords counselling him in the yeare last past to dispatch them out of the way ¶ Sir Iohn Holland the kings brother on the mothers side that was latelie returned out of Spaine where he had béene with the duke of Lancaster was now made earle of Huntington ¶ In Iulie whiles the king was at Shéene year 1389 there swarmed togither in his court great multitudes of flies and gnats insomuch that in maner of skirmishing they incountered ech other and making great slaughters on both sides were in the end swept awaie from the place where they lay dead with brushes and béesoms by heaps This was deemed an vnluckie prognosticat of some mischiefe like to fall vpon the necke of the land Also in this twelfth yeare were commissioners appointed to méet at Balingham betwixt Calis and Bullongne to treat a truce to be had betwixt the realmes of England France and Scotland Walter Skirlow bishop of Durham that had béene latelie before remoued from Bath vnto Durham from line 10 whence Iohn Fordham had béene translated vnto Elie was sent as head commissioner for the king of England and with him were ioined sir Ihon Clanbow and sir Nicholas Dagworsh knights and Richard Rowhale clearke a doctor of law By Froissard it appeareth that the earle of Salisburie was one sir Thomas Beauchampe lord deputie of Calis appointed likewise as an assistant with them The bishop of Baieux the lord Ualeran earle of S. Poule sir Guillam de Melin sir Nicholas Bracque and sir line 20 Iohn le Mercier came thither for the French king And for the king of Scots there appeared the bishop of Aberdeine sir Iames and sir Dauid Lindsey and sir Walter Sankler knights After long treatie and much a doo at length a truce was concluded to begin at Midsummer next and to last thrée years after ¶ In this yeare of Grace 1389 in the Lent time there sprang a pitifull strife in Oxford the variance in the yeare before being not fullie allaied but both sides alwaies prouoking ech other For the Welsh line 30 scholers being euermore quarelous and hauing the southerlie scholers taking their parts rose against the scholers of the north so that to and fro manie a deadlie mischiefe happened betwéene them In the end this strife did so increase that there was a dai◠of skirmish appointed and agreed vpon by both sides to be tried in the field But by the meanes of Thomas of Woodstoke duke of Glocester all this sturre was appeased and manie of the Welsh scholers banished from the vniuersitie ¶ On the thursdaie before line 40 Easter being mawndaie thursdaie the lord Beaumont gardian of Carleill in the west marches entred Scotland fortie leagues spoiling Fowike made wast at his pleasure and brought awaie with him manie Scots prisoners captiues ¶ About this time a truce of thrée years was taken betwéene king Richard the kings of France Scotland Spaine Portingale and of Nauarre This truce began on the first daie of August in the néerer parts of the realme both by sea and land and on the fiftéenth of line 50 August in the further parts because knowledge could not be giuen thereof without some long time Whilest the commissioners were occupied in the marches betwixt Calis and Bullongne about this truce the Scots entring into Northumberland did much mischiefe leading awaie manie prisoners men and women besides other great booties and preies which they got abroad in the countrie The lord Thomas Mowbraie earle of Notingham was sent with fiue hundred spears to reuenge those attempts line 60 of the enimies but for that his power was small in comparison to theirs he preuailed litle or nothing against them Sir Iohn Clanbow and sir Richard Rouale clerke tooke the French kings oth and the earle of saint Paule that had maried the ladie Maud Courtnie with other noblemen came into England and receiued the kings
an act prouided against those that committed any wilfull murder that none should presume to sue for their pardon A duke or an archbishop that so sued should forfeit to the king an hundred pounds Likewise an earle or a bishop an hundred marks c. Moreouer in this parlement it was granted that the king should haue of euerie sacke of wooll fortie shillings of the which ten shillings should be applied presentlie to the kings vses and thirtie shillings residue of the fourtie shillings should remaine in the hands of the treasurors towards the bearing forth of the charges of wars when any chanced ¶ Also there line 10 was a subsidie granted of six pence in the pound foure pence to the vse last mentioned and two pence to be imploied at the kings pleasure In the same parlement Iohn duke of Lancaster was created duke of Aquitaine receiuing at the kings hand the rod and cap as inuestures of that dignitie Also the duke of Yorke his sonne and heire was created earle of Rutland In the fift of March a sore and terrible wind rose with the violence whereof much hurt was doone houses ouerthrowne cattell destroied and trees line 20 ouerturned After this insued great mortalitie by pestilence so that much youth died euerie where in cities and townes in passing great numbers Herewith followed a great dearth of corne so that a bushell of wheat in some places was sold at thirtéene pence which was thought to be at a great price ¶ About the feast of S. Peter ad Vincula Iohn duke of Lancaster caused a great méeting of the nobles and péeres of the realme to hunt at Leicester in the forrest and all the parkes there to him apperteining On line 30 the saturdaie the king and quéene were present the archbishop of Yorke the duke of Yorke Thomas Woodstoke duke of Glocester the earle of Arundell Iohn of Holland the earle of Huntington with other bishops lords and ladies a great manie and on thursdaie next following the king departing from thence towards Notingham soiourned with the lord of Beaumont besides Loughborrow In this thirtéenth yeare of king Richards reigne the christians tooke in hand a iournie against the Saracens line 40 of Barbarie through sute of the Genowais so that there went a great number of lords knights and gentlemen of France and England the duke of Burbon being their generall Out of England there went one Iohn de Beaufort bastard son to the duke of Lancaster as Froissard hath noted also sir Iohn Russell sir Iohn Butler and others They set forward in the latter end of this thirtéenth yeare and came to Genoa where they remained not long but that the gallies and other vessels of the Genowais were readie line 50 to passe them ouer into Barbarie And so about Midsummer in the beginning of the fourteenth yeare of this kings reigne the whole armie being imbarked sailed foorth to the coasts of Barbarie where neare to the citie of Affrike they landed at which instant the English archers as some write stood all the companie in good stead with their long bowes beating backe the enimies from the shore which came downe to resist their landing After they had got to land they inuironed the citie line 60 of Affrike called by the moores Mahemedia with a strong siege but at length constrained with the intemperancie of the scalding aire in that hot countrie bréeding in the armie sundrie diseases they fell to a composition vpon certeine articles to be performed in the behalfe of the Saracens and so 61 daies after their first arriuall there they tooke the seas againe returned home as in the histories of France and Italie is likewise expressed Where by Polydor Virgil it may séeme that the lord Henrie of Lancaster earle of Derbie should be capteine of the English men that as before ye haue heard went into Barbarie with the Frenchmen and Genowais It should otherwise appeare by other writers who affirme that the said earle made a iournie in deed the same time against the miscreants not into Barbarie but into Prutzenland where he shewed good proofe of his noble and valiant courage for ioining with the masters and knights of the Dutch order there the armie of the Lithuanians that came against the said order was vanquished and foure chiefe leaders of the Lithuanians were taken prisoners thrée other being slaine with thrée hundred of their chiefest and best approoued soldiers Through the policie also and worthie manhood of the earle of Derbie there was a certeine citie taken where the said earle and his men first entring vpon the walles did set vp his banner other being slouthfull or at the least vnskilfull how to deale in such exploits There were taken and slaine foure thousand of the common people and amongst them that were found dead the king of Polognies brother was one The castell of the same citie was besieged fiue weekes space but by reason of sickenesse and such infirmities as chanced in the armie the masters of Prutzen and Lifeland would not tarie any longer but brake vp their siege and returned The master of Lifeland led with him into his countrie thrée thousand prisoners In the meane time whilest the christians were thus occupied as well against the infidels in Barbarie as in the east parts towards Littawe a roiall iusts and martiall turnament was proclaimed to be holden within Smithfield in London to begin on sundaie next after the feast of saint Michaell And bicause this triumphant pastime was published not onelie in England but also in Scotland in Almaine in Flanders in Brabant in Heinault in France manie strangers came hither foorth of diuerse countries namelie Ualeran erle of saint Paule that had married king Richards sister the ladie Mauld de Courtnie and William the yoong erle of Osteruant sonne to Albert de Bauiere earle of Holland and Heinault At the daie appointed when all things were prepared there issued foorth of the tower about thrée of the clocke in the after noone sixtie coursers apparelled for the iustes and vpon euerie one an esquier of honor riding a soft pace Then came foorth foure and twentie ladies of honour three score saith Froissard mounted on palfries riding on the one side richlie apparelled and euerie ladie led a knight with a chaine of gold Those knights being on the kings part had their armor and apparell garnished with white hearts and crownes of gold about their necks and so they came riding through the stréets of London vnto Smithfield with a great number of trumpets and other instruments before them The king and the queene with manie other great states were readie placed in chambers richlie adorned to see the iusts and when the ladies that led the knights were come to the place they were taken downe from their palfries and went vp into chambers readie prepared for them Then alighted the esquires of honor from their coursers the knights in good
and yet the lord Scroope that was lord chamberleine had allowed for the earles diet foure thousand nobles yéerelie paid out of the kings coffers On the mondaie next after the arreignement of the earle of Warwike to wit the foure and twentie of September was the lord Iohn Cobham and sir Iohn Cheinie arreigned and found guiltie of like treasons for which the other had beene condemned before but at the earnest instance and sute of the nobles they were pardoned of life and banished or as Fabian saith condemned to perpetuall prison ¶ The king desirous to see the force of the Londoners caused them during the time of this parlement to muster before him on Blacke heath where a man might haue seene a great number of able personages And now after that the parlement had continued almost till Christmasse it was adiourned vntil the quinden of S. Hilarie then to begin againe at Shrewesburie The king then came downe to Lichfield and there held a roiall Christmasse which being ended he tooke his iournie towards Shrewesburie where the parlement was appointed to begin in the quinden of saint Hilarie as before yée haue heard year 1398 In which parlement there holden vpon prorogation for the loue that the king bare to the gentlemen and commons of the shire of Chester he caused it to be ordeined that from thencefoorth it should be called and knowne by the name of the principalitie of Chester and herewith he intituled himselfe prince of Chester He held also a roiall feast kéeping open houshold for all honest commers during the which feast he created fiue dukes and a duchesse a marquesse and foure earles The earle of Derbie was created duke of Hereford the earle of Notingham that was also earle marshall duke of Norfolke the earle of Rutland duke of Aubemarle the earle of Kent duke of Surrie and the earle of Huntington duke of Excester the ladie Margaret marshall countesse of Norfolke was created duchesse of Norfolke the earle of Summerset marques Dorset the lord Spenser earle of Glocester the lord Neuill surnamed Daurabie earle of Westmerland the lord William Scroope lord chamberleine earle of Wiltshire and the lord Thomas Persie lord steward of the kings house earle of Worcester And for the better maintenance of the estate of these noble men whome he had thus aduanced to higher degrees of honour he gaue vnto them a great part of those lands that belonged to the duke of Glocester the earles of Warwike and Arundell And now he was in good hope that he had rooted vp all plants of treason and therefore cared lesse who might be his freend or his fo than before he had doone estéeming himselfe higher in degrée than anie prince liuing and so presumed further than euer his grandfather did and tooke vpon him to beare the armes of saint Edward ioining them vnto his owne armes To conclude what soeuer he then did none durst speake a word contrarie therevnto And yet such as were cheefe of his councell were estéemed of the commons to be the woorst creatures that might be as the dukes of Aumarle Norfolke and Excester the earle of Wiltshire sir Iohn Bushie sir William Bagot and sir Thomas Gréene which thrée last remembred were knights of the Bath against whom the commons vndoubtedlie bare great and priuie hatred But now to proceed In this parlement holden at Shrewsburie the lord Reginald Cobham being a verie aged man simple and vpright in all his dealings was condemned for none other cause but for that in the eleuenth yéere of the kings reigne he was line 10 appointed with other to be attendant about the king as one of his gouernours The acts and ordinances also deuised and established in the parlement holden in the eleuenth yeare were likewise repealed Moreouer in this parlement at Shrewesburie it was decréed that the lord Iohn Cobham should be sent into the I le of Gernesie there to remaine in exile hauing a small portion assigned him to liue vpon The king so wrought brought things about that he obteined the whole power of both houses to be granted to certeine line 20 persons as to Iohn duke of Lancaster Edmund duke of Yorke Edmund duke of Aumarle Thomas duke of Surrie Iohn duke of Excester Iohn marquesse Dorset Roger earle of March Iohn earle of Salisburie and Henrie earle of Northumberland Thomas earle of Glocester and William earle of Wiltshire Iohn Hussie Henrie Cheimeswike Robert Teie and Iohn Goulofer knights or to seauen or eight of them These were appointed to heare and determine certeine petitions and matters line 30 yet depending and not ended but by vertue of this grant they procéeded to conclude vpon other things which generallie touched the knowledge of the whole parlement in derogation of the states therof to the disaduantage of the king and perillous example in time to come When the king had spent much monie in time of this parlement he demanded a disme and a halfe of the clergie and a fiftéenth of the temporaltie Finallie line 40 a generall pardon was granted for all offenses to all the kings subiects fiftie onelie excepted whose names he would not by anie meanes expresse but reserued them to his owne knowledge that when anie of the nobilitie offended him he might at his plesure name him to be one of the number excepted and so kéepe them still within his danger To the end that the ordinances iudgements and acts made pronounced and established in this parlement might be and abide in perpetuall strength and force the king line 50 purchased the popes buls in which were conteined greeuous censures and cursses pronounced against all such as did by anie means go about to breake and violate the statutes in the same parlement ordeined These buls were openlie published read at Paules crosse in London and in other the most publike places of the realme Manie other things were doone in this parlement to the displeasure of no small number of people namelie for that diuerse rightfull heires were disherited line 60 of their lands and liuings by authoritie of the same parlement with which wrongfull dooings the people were much offended so that the king and those that were about him and chéefe in councell came into great infamie and slander In déed the king after he had dispatched the duke of Glocester and the other noblemen was not a little glad for that he knew them still readie to disappoint him in all his purposes and therefore being now as it were carelesse did not behaue himselfe as some haue written in such discréet order as manie wished but rather as in time of prosperitie it often happeneth he forgot himselfe and began to rule by will more than by reason threatning death to each one that obâ—ied not his inordinate desires By means whereof the lords of the realme began to feare their owne estates being in danger of his furious outrage whome they tooke for a man
of other citizens Also the cleargie met him with procession and such ioy appeared in the countenances of the people vttering the same also with words as the like not lightlie beene séene For in euerie towne and village where he passed children reioised women clapped their hands and men cried out for ioy But to speake of the great numbers of people that flocked togither in the fields and stréets of London at his comming I here omit neither will I speake of the presents welcommings lauds and gratifications made to him by the citizens and communaltie But now to the purpose The next day after his comming to London the king from Westminster was had to the Tower and there committed to safe custodie Manie euill disposed persons assembling themselues togither in great numbers intended to haue met with him and to haue taken him from such as had the conueieng of him that they might haue slaine him But the maior and aldermen gathered to them the worshipfull commoners and graue citizens by whose policie and not without much adoo the other were reuoked from their euill purpose albeit before they might be pacified they coÌ„ming to Westminster tooke maister Iohn Sclake deane of the kings chappell and from thence brought him to Newgate and there laid him fast in irons After this was a parlement called by the duke of Lancaster vsing the name of king Richard in the writs directed foorth to the lords and other states for their summons This parlement began the thirtéenth daie of September in the which manie heinous points of misgouernance and iniurious dealings in the administration of his kinglie office line 10 were laid to the charge of this noble prince king Richard the which to the end the commons might be persuaded that he was an vnprofitable prince to the common-wealth and worthie to be deposed were ingrossed vp in 33 solemne articles heinous to the eares of all men and to some almost incredible the verie effect of which articles here insue according to the copie which I haue séene and is abridged by maister Hall as followeth line 20 The articles obiected to king Richard whereby he was counted worthie to be deposed from his principalitie FIrst that king Richard wastfullie spent line 1 the treasure of the realme and had giuen the possessions of the crowne to men vnworthie by reason whereof new charges line 30 more and more were laid on the poore coÌ„munaltie And where diuerse lords as well spirituall as temporall were appointed by the high court of parlement to commune and treat of diuerse matters concerning the common-wealth of the realme which being busie about the same commission he with other of his affinitie went about to impeach and by force and menacing compelled the iustices of the realme at Shrewesburie to condescend to his opinion for the destruction of the said lords in so much that he began line 40 to raise warre against Iohn duke of Lancaster Richard earle of Arundell Thomas earle of Warwike and other lords contrarie to his honor and promise 2 Item that he caused his vncâ—e the duke of Glocester to be arrested without law and sent him to Calis and there without iudgement murthered him and although the earle of Arundell vpon his arreignment pleaded his charter of pardon he could not be heard but was in most vile and shamefull manner line 50 suddenlie put to death 3 Item he assembled certeine Lancashire and Cheshire men to the intent to make warre on the same lords and suffered them to rob and pill without correction or repréeue 4 Item although the king flateringlie and with great dissimulation made proclamation through out the realme that the lords before named were not attached of anie crime of treason but onlie for extortions and oppressions doone in this realme yet he laid line 60 to them in the parlement rebellion and manifest treason 5 Item he hath compelled diuers of the said lords seruants and friends by menaces extreme pains to make great â—â—nes to their vtter vndooing and notwithstanding his pardon yet he made them fine anew 6 Item were diuerse were appointed to commune of the state of the realme and the common-wealth thereof the same king caused all the rols and records to be kept from them contrarie to promise made in the parlement to his open dishonor 7 Item he vncharitablie commanded that no man vpon paine of losse of life and goods should once intreat him for the returne of Henrie now duke of Lancaster 8 Item where this realme is holden of God and not of the pope or other prince the said king Richard after he had obteined diuerse acts of parlement for his owne peculiar profit and pleasure then he obteined bulles and extreame censures from Rome to compell all men streightlie to kéepe the same contrarie to the honour and ancient priuileges of this realme 9 Item although the duke of Lancaster had doone his deuoire against Thomas duke of Norfolke in proofe of his quarrell yet the said king without reason or ground banished him the realme for ten yeers contrarie to all equitie 10 Item before the dukes departure he vnder his broad seale licenced him to make atturnies to prosecute and defend his causes the said king after his departure would suffer none atturnie to appeare for him but did with his at his pleasure 11 Item the same king put out diuerse shiriffes lawfullie elected and put in their roomes diuerse other of his owne subuerting the law contrarie to his oth and honor 12 Item he borowed great summes of monie and bound him vnder his letters patents for the repaiment of the same and yet not one penie paid 13 Item he taxed men at the will of him and his vnhappie councell and the same treasure spent in follie not paieng poore men for their vittels and viands 14 Item he said that the lawes of the realme were in his head and sometimes in his brest by reason of which fantasticall opinion he destroied noble men and impouerished the poore commons 15 Item the parlement setting and enacting diuerse notable statutes for the profit and aduancement of the common-wealth he by his priuie fréends and solicitors caused to be enacted that no act then enacted should be more preiudiciall to him than it was to anie of his predecessors through which prouiso he did often as he listed and not as the law did meane 16 Item for to serue his purpose he would suffer the shiriffes of the shire to remaine aboue one yeare or two 17 Item at the summons of the parlement when knights and burgesses should be elected that the election had béene full procéeded he put out diuerse persons elect and put other in their places to serue his will and appetite 18 Item he had priuie espials in euerie shire to heare who had of him anie communication and if he communed of his lasciuious liuing or outragious dooings he straightwaies was apprehended and put to a gréeuous fine 19 Item the spiritualtie alledged against
not onelie that the said Edmund was yoonger sonne to king Henrie the third but also had true knowledge that Edmund was neither câ—ooke baâ—ked nor a deformed person but a goodlie gentleman and a valiant capteine and so much fauored line 60 of his louing father that he to preferre him in marriage to the queene Dowager of Nauarre hauing a great liuelihood gaue to him the countie palantine of Lancaster with manie notable honours high segniories and large priuileges Therefore they aduised him to publish it that he challenged the realme not onelie by conquest but also because he by king Richard was adopted as heire and declared by resignation as his lawfull successor being next heire male to him of the blood roiall But to procéed to other dooings The solemnitie of the coronation being ended the morow after being tuesdaie the parlement began againe and the next daie sir Iohn Cheinie that was speaker excusing himselfe by reason of his infirmitie and sicknesse not to be able to exercise that roome was dismissed and one William Durward esquier was admitted Herewith were the acts established in the parlement of the one twentith yeare of king Richards reigne repealed and made void and the ordinances deuised in the parlement holden the eleuenth yeare of the same king confirmed and againe established for good and profitable ¶ On the same daie the kings eldest sonne lord Henrie by assent of all the states in the parlement was created prince of Wales duke of Cornwall and earle of Chester then being of the age of twelue yeares Upon the thursdaie the commons came and rehearsed all the errors of the last parlement holden in the one and twentith yeare of king Richard namelie in certeine fiue of them First that where the king that now is was readie line 1 to arraigne an appeale against the duke of Norfolke he dooing what perteined to his dutie in that behalfe was yet banished afterwards without anie reasonable cause Secondlie the archbishop of Canturburie metropolitan line 2 of the realme was foreiudged without answer Thirdlie the duke of Glocester was murthered and after foreiudged line 3 Fourthlie where the earle of Arundell alledged his charters of pardon the same might not be allowed line 4 Fiftlie that all the power of that euill parlement was granted and assigned ouer to certeine persons line 5 and sith that such heinous errors could not be committed as was thought without the assent and aduise of them that were of the late kings councell they made sute that they might be put vnder arrest and committed to safe kéeping till order might be further taken for them Thus much adoo there was in this parlement speciallie about them that were thought to be guiltie of the duke of Glocesters death and of the condemning of the other lords that were adiudged traitors in the forsaid late parlement holden in the said one and twentith yeare of king Richards reigne Sir Iohn Bagot knight then prisoner in the Tower disclosed manie secrets vnto the which he was priuie and being brought on a daie to the barre a bill was read in English which he had made conteining certeine euill practises of king Richard and further what great affection the same king bare to the duke of Aumarle insomuch that he heard him say that if he should renounce the gouernement of the kingdome he wished to leaue it to the said duke as to the most able man for wisdome and manhood of all other for though he could like better of the duke of Hereford yet he said that he knew if he were once king he would proue an extreame enimie and cruell tyrant to the church It was further conteined in that bill that as the same Bagot rode on a daie behind the duke of Norfolke in the Sauoy stréet toward Westminster the ruke asked him what he knew of the manner of the duke of Glocester his death and he answered that he knew nothing at all but the people quoth he doo say that you haue murthered him Wherevnto the duke sware great othes that it was vntrue and thaâ— he had saued his life contrarie to the will of the king and certeine other lords by the space of thrée wéeks and more affirming withall that he was neuer in all his life time more affraid of death than he was at his comming home againe from Calis at that time to the kings presence by reason he had not put the duke to death And then said he the king appointed one of his owne seruants and certeine other that were seruants to other lords to go with him to see the said duke of Glocester put to death swearing that as he should answer afore God it was neuer his mind that he should haue died in the fort but onelie for feare of the king and sauing of his owne life Neuerthelesse there was no man in the realme to whom king Richard was so much beholden as to the duke of Aumarle for he was the man that to fulfill his mind had set him in hand with all that was doone against the said duke and the other lords There was line 10 also conteined in that bill what secret malice king Richard had conceiued against the duke of Hereford being in exile whereof the same Bagot had sent intelligence vnto the duke into France by one Roger Smart who certified it to him by Piers Buckton and others to the intent he should the better haue regard to himselfe There was also conteined in the said bill that Bagot had heard the duke of Aumarle say that he had rather than twentie thousand pounds that the duke of Hereford were dead not line 20 for anie feare he had of him but for the trouble and mischéefe that he was like to procure within the realme After that the bill had béene read and heard the duke of Aumarle rose vp and said that as touching the points conteined in the bill concerning him they were vtterlie false and vntrue which he would proue with his bodie in what manner soeuer it should be thought requisit There with also the duke of Excester rose vp and willed Bagot that if he could say anie line 30 thing against him to speake it openlie Bagot answered that for his part he could say nothing against him But there is said he a yeoman in Newgat one Iohn hall that can say somewhat Well then said the duke of Excester this that I doo and shall say is true that the late king the duke of Norfolke and thou being at Woodstoke made me to go with you into the chappell and there the doore being shut ye made me to sweare vpon the altar to kéepe counsell in that ye had to say to me and then ye rehearsed line 40 that we should neuer haue our purpose so long as the duke of Lancaster liued therefore ye purposed to haue councell at Lichfield there you would arrest the duke of Lancaster in such sort as by colour of his
his eldest daughter Blanch accōpanied with the earle of Summerset the bishop of Worcester the lord Clifford and others into Almanie which brought hir to Colin and there with great triumph she was married to William duke of Bauier sonne and heire to Lewes the emperour About mid of August the king to chastise the presumptuous attempts of the Welshmen went with a great power of men into Wales to pursue the capteine of the Welsh rebell Owen Glendouer but in effect he lost his labor for Owen conueied himselfe out of the waie into his knowen lurking places and as was thought through art magike he caused such foule weather of winds tempest raine snow and haile to be raised for the annoiance of the kings armie that the like had not beene heard of in such sort that the king was constreined to returne home hauing caused his people yet to spoile and burne first a great part of the countrie The same time the lord Edmund of Langlie duke of Yorke departed this life and was buried at Langlie with his brethren The Scots vnder the leding of Patrike Hepborne of the Hales the yoonger entring into England were ouerthrowen at Nesbit in the marches as in the Scotish chronicle ye may find more at large This battell was fought the two and twentith of Iune in this yeare of our Lord 1402. Archembald earle Dowglas sore displeased in his mind for this ouerthrow procured a commission to inuade England and that to his cost as ye may likewise read in the Scotish histories For at a place called Homildon they were so fiercelie assailed by the Englishmen vnder the leading of the lord Persie surnamed Henrie Hotspur and George earle of March that with violence of the English shot they were quite vanquished and put to flight on the Rood daie in haruest with a great slaughter made by the Englishmen We know that the Scotish writers note this battell to haue chanced in the yeare 1403. But we following Tho. Walsingham in this place and other English writers for the accompt of times haue thought good to place it in this yeare 1402 as in the same writers we find it There were slaine of men of estimation sir Iohn Swinton sir Adam Gordon sir Iohn Leuiston sir Alexander Ramsie of Dalehousie and three and twentie knights besides ten thousand of the commons and of prisoners among other were these Mordacke earle of Fife son to the gouernour Archembald earle Dowglas which in the fight lost one of his eies Thomas erle of Murrey Robert earle of Angus and as some writers haue the earles of Atholl Menteith with fiue hundred other of meaner degrées After this the lord Persie hauing bestowed the prisoners in suer kéeping entered Tiuidale wasting and destroieng the whole countrie and then besieged the castell of Cocklawes whereof was capteine one sir Iohn Grenlow who compounded with the Englishmen that if the castell were not succoured within three moneths then he would deliuer it into their hands The first two moneths passed and no likelihood of rescue appeared but yer the third moneth was expired the Englishmen being sent for to go with the king into Wales raised their siege and departed leauing the noble men prisoners with the earle of Northumberland and with his sonne the lord Persie to keepe them to the kings vse In this meane while such as misliked with the doctrine and ceremonies then vsed in the church ceassed not to vtter their consciences though in secret to those in whome they had affiance But as in the like cases it commonlie hapneth they were bewraied by some that were thought chieflie to fauour their cause as by sir Lewes Clifford line 10 knight who hauing leaned to the doctrine a long time did now as Thomas Walsingham writeth disclose all that he knew vnto the archbishop of Canturburie to shew himselfe as it were to haue erred rather of simplenesse and ignorance than of frowardnesse or stubborne malice The names of such as taught the articles and conclusions mainteined by those which then they called Lollards or heretikes the said sir Lewes Clifford gaue in writing to the said archbishop Edmund Mortimer earle of March prisoner line 20 with Owen Glendouer whether for irkesomnesse of cruell captiuitie or feare of death or for what other cause it is vncerteine agréed to take part with Owen against the king of England and tooke to wife the daughter of the said Owen Strange wonders happened as men reported at the natiuitie of this man for the same night he was borne all his fathers horsses in the stable were found to stand in bloud vp to the bellies The morow after line 30 the feast of saint Michaell a parlement began at Westminster which continued the space of seauen weekes in the same was a tenth and a halfe granted by the cleargie and a fiftéenth by the communaltie Moreouer the commons in this parlement besought the king to haue the person of George earle of March a Scotishman recommended to his maiestie for that the same earle shewed himselfe faithfull to the king his realme ¶ There was also a statute made that the friers beggers should not receiue any into line 40 their order year 1403 vnder the age of fourteene yeares In this fourth yeare of king Henries reigne ambassadors were sent ouer into Britaine to bring from thence the duches of Britaine the ladie Iane de Nauarre the widow of Iohn de Montford late duke of Britaine surnamed the conqueror with whom by procurators the king had contracted matrimonie In the beginning of Februarie those that were sent returned with hir in safetie but not without tasting the bitter stormes of the wind and weather that tossed line 50 them sore to and fro before they could get to land The king met hir at Winchester where the seuenth of Februarie the marriage was solemnized betwixt them Whilest these things were thus in dooing in England Ualeran earle of saint Paule bearing still a deadlie and malicious hatred toward king Henrie hauing assembled sixtéene or seuentéene hundred men of warre imbarked them at Harflew and taking the sea landed in the I le of Wight in the which line 60 he burned two villages and foure simple cotages and for a triumph of so noble an act made foure knights But when he heard that the people of the I le were assembled and approched to fight with him he hasted to his ships and returned home wherewith the noble men of his companie were displeased considering his prouision to be great and his gaine small In the same verie season Iohn earle of Cleremont sonne to the duke of Bourbon wan in Gascoigne out of the Englishmens possession the castels of saint Peter saint Marie and the New castell and the lord de la Bret wan the castell of Carlassin which was no small losse to the English nation Henrie earle of Northumberland with his brother Thomas earle
further alledged out of the booke of Numbers this saieng When a man dieth without a sonne let the inheritance descend to his daughter At length hauing said sufficientlie for the proofe of the kings iust and lawfull title to the crowne of France line 30 he exhorted him to aduance foorth his banner to fight for his right to conquer his inheritance to spare neither bloud sword nor fire sith his warre was iust his cause good and his claime true And to the intent his louing chapleins and obedient subiects of the spiritualtie might shew themselues willing and desirous to aid his maiestie for the recouerie of his ancient right and true inheritance the archbishop declared that in their spirituall conuocation they had granted to his line 40 highnesse such a summe of monie as neuer by no spirituall persons was to any prince before those daies giuen or aduanced When the archbishop had ended his prepared tale Rafe Neuill earle of Westmerland and as then lord Warden of the marches against Scotland vnderstanding that the king vpon a couragious desire to recouer his right in France would suerlie take the wars in hand thought good to mooue the king to begin first with Scotland and therevpon declared line 50 how easie a matter it should be to make a conquest there and how greatlie the same should further his wished purpose for the subduing of the Frenchmen concluding the summe of his tale with this old saieng that Who so will France win must with Scotland first begin Manie matters he touched as well to shew how necessarie the conquest of Scotland should be as also to prooue how iust a cause the king had to attempt it trusting to persuade the king and all other to be of his opinion But after he had made an end the duke of Excester line 60 vncle to the king a man well learned and wise who had béene sent into Italie by his father intending that he should haue béen a preest replied against the erle of Westmerlands oration affirming rather that he which would Scotland win he with France must first begin For if the king might once compasse the conquest of France Scotland could not long resist so that conquere France and Scotland would soone obeie For where should the Scots lerne policie and skill to defend themselues if they had not their bringing vp and training in France If the French pensions mainteined not the Scotish nobilitie in what case should they be Then take awaie France and the Scots will soone be tamed France being to Scotland the same that the sap is to the trée which being taken awaie the trée must néeds die and wither To be briefe the duke of Excester vsed such earnest and pithie persuasions to induce the king and the whole assemblie of the parlement to credit his words that immediatlie after he had made an end all the companie began to crie Warre warre France France Hereby the bill for dissoluing of religious houses was cléerelie set aside and nothing thought on but onelie the recouering of France according as the archbishop had mooued And vpon this point after a few acts besides for the wealth of the realme established the parlement was proroged vnto Westminster ¶ Some write that in this parlement it was enacted that Lollards and heretikes with their mainteiners and fauourers should be Ipso facto adiudged guiltie of high treason but in the statute made in the same parlement against Lollards we find no such words albeit by force of that statute it was ordeined that persons so conuicted executed should lose their lands holden in fée simple and all other their goods and cattels as in cases of felonie During this parlement there came to the king ambassadors as well from the French king that was then in the hands of the Orlientiall faction as also from the duke of Burgognie for aid against that faction promising more as was said than laie well in his power to performe The king shortlie after sent ambassadors to them both as the bishop of Durham and Norwich with others Moreouer at this parlement Iohn the kings brother was created duke of Bedford and his brother Humfrie duke of Glocester Also Thomas Beaufort marquesse Dorset was created duke of Excester Immediatlie after the king sent ouer into France his vncle the duke of Excester the lord Greie admerall of England the archbishop of Dubline and the bishop of Norwich ambassadors vnto the French king with fiue hundred horsse which were lodged in the temple house in Paris keeping such triumphant cheere in their lodging and such a solemne estate in their riding through the citie that the Parisiens and all the Frenchmen had no small meruell at their honorable port The French king receiued them verie honorablie and banketted them right sumptuouslie shewing to them iusts and Martiall pastimes by the space of thrée daies togither in the which iusts the king himselfe to shew his courage and actiuitie to the Englishmen manfullie brake speares and lustilie tournied When the triumph was ended the English ambassadors hauing a time appointed them to declare their message admitted to the French kings presence required of him to deliuer vnto the king of England the realme and crowne of France with the entier duchies of Aquiteine Normandie and Aniou with the countries of Poictiou and Maine Manie other requests they made and this offered withall that if the French king would without warre and effusion of christian bloud render to the king their maister his verie right lawfull inheritance that he would be content to take in mariage the ladie Katharine daughter to the French king and to indow hir with all the duchies and countries before rehearsed and if he would not so doo then the king of England did expresse and signifie to him that with the aid of God and helpe of his people he would recouer his right and inheritance wrongfullie withholden from him with mortall warre and diâ—t of sword ¶ This in effect dooth our English poet comprise in his report of the occasion which Henrie the fift tooke to arrere battell against the French king putting into the mouthes of the said king of Englands ambassadors an imagined speech the conclusion whereof he maketh to be either restitution of that which the French had taken and deteined from the English or else fier and sword His words are these raptum nobis aut redde Britannis Aut ferrum expectes vltrices insuper ignes The Frenchmen being not a little abashed at these demands thought not to make anie absolute answer in so weightie a cause till they had further line 10 breathed and therefore praied the English ambassadors to saie to the king their maister that they now hauing no opportunitie to conclude in so high a matter would shortlie send ambassadors into England which should certifie declare to the king their whole mind purpose and intent The English ambassadors returned with this answer making relation
Clifford lord Clinton sir Thomas Harington sir Iohn Wenlock Thomas Neuill Iohn Neuill sons of the earle of Salisburie Iames Pickering Iohn Coniers Thomas Par William Oldhall line 20 and Henrie Ratford knights Iohn Bowser Thomas Cooke Iohn Claie Richard Giton Robert Browne Edward Bowser Thomas Uaughan Iohn Roger Richard Greie Walter Deuoreux Walter Hopton Roger Kinderton Will. Bowes Foulke Stafford the lord Powis and Alice countesse of Salisburie their goods and possessions escheted and their heires disherited vnto the ninth degrée their tenants spoiled of their goods maimed and slaine the towne of Ludlow belonging to the duke line 30 of Yorke was robbed to the bare wals the dutches of Yorke spoiled of hir goods But saith another when the king should come to giue his consent vnto the acts passed in the same parlement and that the clerke of the parlement had read that statute of the attaindor of those lords such was the kings modestie and great zeale vnto mercie that he caused a prouiso to be put in and added vnto the same statute that it might be lawfull vnto him at all times fâ—llie without authoritie of anie other parlement line 40 to pardon the same noble men and restore them againe to their former estats degrees and dignities in all things so they would come in vnto him and in the spirit of humblenesse beséech him of grace and fauour ¶ Wherin the king gaue euident testimonie that he was indued with those qualities of mind which the poet ascribed vnto Cesar namelie slow to punish sad when he was constreined to be seuere sith the one commended his lenitie the other sauoured line 50 of tyrannie in this distichon of like termination Est piger ad poenas princeps ad praemia velox CuÃque dolet quoties cogitur esse ferox Herewith also order was taken for the defense of the hauens landing places alongst the sea coasts Sir Simon Montford with a great crew of men was appointed to keepe the downes and the fiue ports and all men passing into Flanders were vpon paine of death prohibited to passe by Calis least the lords there should borrow of them anie prest monie line 60 as they did latelie before of the merchants of the staple the summe of eighteene thousand pounds The lords were not ignorant of all the kings prouisions made against them but were ascerteined dailie what was doone euen in the kings priuie chamber wherefore first they sent a companie to Sandwich vnder the gouernance of the lord Fauconbridge who tooke the towne sir Simon or Osbert Montford within it and sent him with all his mates to Calis where incontinentlie he with twelue of his chiefe fellowes lost their heads on the sand before Risebanke ¶ The earles at Calis sent to the archbishop of Canturburie and to the commons of England at large certeine articles in writing beginning thus Worshipfull sirs we the duke of Yorke the earles of March Warwike and Salisburie sued and offered to haue come to the king our souereigne lords most noble presence to haue declared there afore him for our dutie to God and to his highnesse and to the prosperitie and welfare of his noble estate and to the common-weale of all his land as true liege men the matters following Articles sent from the duke of Yorke and the earles to the archbishop of Canturburie and the commons IN primis the great oppression extortion robberie murther and other violences doone to Gods church and to his ministers thereof against Gods and mans law 2 Item the pouertie and miserie that to our great heauinesse our souereigne lord standeth in not hauing anie liuelod of the crowne of England whereof he may keepe his honorable houshold which causeth the spoiling of his said liege men by the takers of his said houshold which liuelod is in their hands that haue beene destroiers of his said estate and of the said common-weale 3 Item how his lawes be parciallie and vnrightfullie guided and that by them that should most loue and tender his said lawes the said oppression and extortion is most fauoured and supported and generallie that all righteousnesse and iustice is exiled out of the said land and that no man dreadeth to offend against the said lawes 4 Item that it will please his said good grace to liue vpon his owne liuelod wherevpon his noble progenitors haue in daies heretofore liued as honorablie and as worthilie as anie christian princes and not to suffer the destroiers of the said land and of his true subiects to liue therevpon and therfore to lacke the sustenances that should be belonging to his said estate and find his said houshold vpon his poore commons without paiement which neither accordeth with Gods nor mans law 5 Item how oft the said commons haue beene greatlie and maruellouslie charged with taxes and tallages to their great impouerishing whereof little good hath either growne to the king or to the said land and of the most substance thereof the king hath left to his part not halfe so much and other lords and persons enimies to the said common-weale haue to their owne vse suffering all the old possessions that the king had in France and Normandie Aniou and Maine Gascoine and Guien woone and gotten by his father of most noble memorie and other his noble progenitors to be shamefullie lost or sold. 6 Item how they can not ceasse therewith but now begin a new charge of imposition and tallages vpon the said people which neuer afore was seene that is to saie euerie towneship to find men for the kings gard taking example therein of our enimies and aduersaries of France Which imposition tallage if it be continued to heire heires and successors will be the heauiest charge and worst example that euer grew in England and the foresaid subiects and the said heires and successors in such bondage as their ancestors were neuer charged with 7 Item where the king hath now no more liuelod out of his realme of England but onelie the land of Ireland and the towne of Calis and that no king christened hath such a land and a towne without his realme diuerse lords haue caused his highnesse to write letters vnder his priuie seale vnto his Irish enimies which neuer king of England did heretofore wherby they may haue comfort to enter into the conquest of the said land which letters the same Irish enimies sent vnto me the said duke of Yorke and maruelled greatlie that anie such letters should be to them sent speaking therin great shame and villanie of the said realme 8 Item in like wise the king by excitation and labour of the same lords wrote other letters to his enimies and aduersaries in other lands that in no wise they should shew anie fauour or good will to the line 10 towne of Calis whereby they had comfort inough to procéed to the winning thereof Considered also that it is ordeined by the labour of
acts and statutes made afore this time by act of parlement not repealed or annulled by like authoritie or otherwise void be in suth force effect and vertue as they were afore the making of these ordinances and that no letters patents roialx of record nor acts iudiciall made or doone afore this time not repealed reuersed ne otherwise void by law be preiudiced or hurt by this present act line 20 This agreement put in articles was ingrossed sealed and sworne vnto by the two parties and also enacted in the parlement For ioy whereof the king hauing in his companie the duke of Yorke road to the cathedrall church of saint Paule in London and there on the day of All saints with the crowne on his head went solemnelie in procession and was lodged a good space after in the bishops palace néere to the said church And vpon the saturdaie next insuing line 30 Richard duke of Yorke was by sound of trumpet solemnelie proclamed heire apparant to the crowne of England and protectour of the realme After this the parlement kept at Couentrie the last yeare was declared to be a diuelish councell and onelie had for destruction of the nobilitie and was indéed no lawfull parlement bicause they which were returned were neuer elected according to the due order of the law but secretlie named by them which desired rather the destruction than the aduancement of the line 40 common-wealth When these agréements were enacted the king dissolued his parlement which was the last parlement that euer he ended The duke of Yorke well knowing that the queene would spurne against all this caused both hir and hir sonne to be sent for by the king But she as woont rather to rule than to be ruled and thereto counselled by the dukes of Excester and Summerset not onelie denied to come but also assembled a great armie intending to take the king by fine force out of the lords hands The protector in London hauing knowledge line 50 of all these dooings assigned the duke of Norffolke and erle of Warwike his trustie fréends to be about the king while he with the earles of Salisburie and Rutland and a conuenient number departed out of London the second daie of December northward and appointed the earle of March his eldest sonne to follow him with all his power The duke came to his castell of Sandall beside Wakefield on Christmasse éeuen there began to make muster of his tenants and fréends The quéene there of ascerteined determined line 60 to cope with him ye◠his succour were come Now she hauing in hir companie the prince hir sonne the dukes of Excester and Summerset the earle of Deuonshire the lord Clifford the lord Ros and in effect all the lords of the north parts with eightéene thousand men or as some write two and twentie thousand marched from Yorke to Wakefield and bad base to the duke euen before his castell gates He hauing with him not fullie fiue thousand persons contrarie to the minds of his faithfull councellors would needs issue foorth to fight with his enimies The duke of Summerset and the quéenes part casting vpon their most aduantage appointed the lord Clifford to lie in one stale and the earle of Wilshire in another and the duke with other to kéepe the maine battell The duke of Yorke with his people descended downe the hill in good order and arraie and was suffered to passe on towards the maine battell But when he was in the plaine field betweene his castell and the towne of Wakefield he was inuironed on euerie side like fish in a net so that though he fought manfullie yet was he within halfe an houre slaine and dead and his whole armie discomfited with him died of his trustie fréends his two bastard vncles sir Iohn and sir Hugh Mortimers sir Dauie Hall sir Hugh Hastings sir Thomas Neuill William and Thomas Aparre both brethren and two thousand and eight hundred others whereof manie were yoong gentlemen and heires of great parentage in the south parts whose kin reuenged their deaths within foure moneths next as after shall appeare In this conflict was wounded and taken prisoner Richard earle of Salisburie sir Richard Limbricke Rafe Stanleie Iohn Harow capteine Hanson and diuerse others The lord Clifford perceiuing where the earle of Rutland was conueied out of the field by one of his fathers chapleins and scholemaister to the same earle and ouertaking him stabbed him to the heart with a dagger as he kneeled afore him This earle was but a child at that time of twelue yeares of age whome neither his tender yeares nor dolorous countenance with holding vp both his hands for mercie for his speach was gone for feare could mooue the cruell heart of the lord Clifford to take pitie vpon him so that he was noted of great infamie for that his vnmercifull murther vpon that yoong gentleman But the same lord Clifford not satisfied herewith came to the place where the dead corpse of the duke of Yorke laie caused his head to be striken off and set on it a crowne of paper fixed it on a pole and presented it to the quéene not lieng farre from the field in great despite at which great reioising was shewed but they laughed then that shortlie after lamented and were glad then of other mens deaths that knew not their owne to be so néere at hand ¶ Some write that the duke was taken aliue and in derision caused to stand vpon a molehill on whose head they put a garland in steed of a crowne which they had fashioned and made of sedges or bulrushes and hauing so crowned him with that garland they knéeled downe afore him as the Iewes did vnto Christ in scorne saieng to him Haile king without rule haile king without heritage haile duke and prince without people or possessions And at length hauing thus scorned him with these and diuerse other the like despitefull words they stroke off his head which as yee haue heard they presented to the quéene Manie déemed that this miserable end chanced to the duke of Yorke as a due punishment for breaking his oth of allegiance vnto his souereigne lord king Henrie but others held him discharged thereof bicause he obteined a dispensation from the pope by such suggestion as his procurators made vnto him whereby the same oth was adiudged void as that which was receiued vnaduisedlie to the preiudice of himselfe and disheriting of all his posteritie After this victorie by the quéene the earle of Salisburie and all the prisoners were sent to Pomfret year 1461 and there beheaded whose heads togither with the duke of Yorkes head were conueied to Yorke and there set on poles ouer the gate of the citie in despite of them and their linage The earle of March now after the death of his father verie duke of Yorke lieng at Glocester was woonderfullie amazed when the sorrowfull newes of these mishaps came vnto him but after
his businesse about the kéeping of the crowne on his head tooke no better successe except peraduenture ye will saie that it gréeued him for that such slaughters and mischéeues as had chanced within this land came to passe onelie through his follie and default in gouernment or that more is for his fathers his grandfathers and his owne vniust vsurping and deteining line 40 of the crowne But howsoeuer it was for these before remembred and other the like properties of reputed holinesse which was said to rest in him it pleased God to worke miracles for him in his life time as men haue listed to report By reason whereof king Henrie the seauenth sued to Pope Iulio the second to haue him canonized a saint But for that the canonizing of a king séemed to be more costlie than for a bishop the said king left off his sute in that behalfe thinking better to saue his monie than to purchase a new holie daie of line 50 saint Henrie with so great a price remitting to God the iudgement of his will and intent ¶ But bicause princes princelie qualified can not be too highlie praised I will here record a collection of his commendable conditions dooings and saiengs as I find them set downe to my hand to his perpetuall renowme and right worthie of imitation not onelie of such as are singled out from among infinite thousands to be magnified with roialtie but also of priuat line 60 and meane men that conuerse and liue one with an other in the world This king hauing inioied as great prosperitie as fauourable fortune could afoord as great troubles on the other side as she frowning could powre out yet in both the states he was patient and vertuous that he maie be a patterne of most perfect vertue as he was a worthie example of fortunes inconstancie He was plaine vpright farre from fraud wholie giuen to praier reading of scriptures and almes-deeds of such integritie of life that the bishop which had béene his confessour ten yeares auouched that he had not all that time committed anie mortall crime so continent as suspicion of vnchast life neuer touched him and hauing in Christmasse a shew of yoong women with their bare breasts laid out presented before him he immediatlie departed with these words Fie fie for shame forsooth you be too blame Before his marriage he liked not that women should enter his chamber and for this respect he committed his two brethren by the moothers side Iasper and Edmund to most honest vertuous prelats to be brought vp So farre he was from couetousnesse that when the executors of his vncle the bishop of Winchester surnamed the rich cardinall would haue giuen him two thousand pounds he plainelie refused it willing them to discharge the will of the departed and would scarselie condescend at length to accept the same summe of monie toward the indowing of his colleges in Cambridge Eaton He was religiouslie affected as the time then was that at principall holidaies he would weare sackecloth next his skin Oth he vsed none but in most earnest matters these words Forsooth and forsooth He was so pitifull that when he saw the quarter of a traitor against his crowne ouer Criplegate he willed it to be taken awaie with these words I will not haue anie christian so cruellie handled for my sake Manie great offenses he willinglie pardoned and receiuing at a time a great blow by a wicked man which compassed his death he onelie said Forsooth forsooth yée doo fowlie to smite a king annointed so An other also which thrust him into the side with a sword when he was prisoner in the Tower was by him pardoned when he was restored to his state and kingdome Not long before his death being demanded whie he had so long held the crowne of England vniustlie he replied My father was king of England quietlie inioieng the crowne all his reigne and his father my grandsire was also king of England and I euen a child in my cradell was proclamed and crowned king without anie interruption and so held it fortie yeares well-neere all the states dooing homage vnto me as to my antecessors wherefore I maie saie with king Dauid The lot is fallen vnto me in a faire ground yea I haue a goodlie heritage my helpe is from the Lord which saueth the vpright in heart This good king being of himselfe alwaies naturallie inclined to doo good and fearing least he might séeme vnthankefull to almightie God for his great benefits bestowed vpon him since the time he first tooke vpon him the regiment of his realme determined about the six and twentith yeare of his reigne for his primer notable worke as by the words of his will I find expressed to erect and found two famous colledges in the honor and worship of his holy name and for the increase of vertue the dilatation of cunning and establishment of christian faith whereof the one in Cambridge to be called his colledge roiall of our ladie and saint Nicholas and the other at Gaton beside Windsore to be called his colledge of our blessed ladie And for the performance of this his deuout purpose he infeoffed certeine bishops with other noble and worshipfull personages by his letters patents with lands and possessions parcell of his inheritance of the duchie of Lancaster to the cleare value of well néere foure thirtie hundred pounds by yéere Which letters patents he after confirmed by his act of parlement declaring also by his will vnto his said feoffées his intent and meaning how the same shuld be imploied vpon the edifications of his said two colledges Whereof in my iudgement the deuise is so excellent and the buildings so princelie and apt for that purpose as I cannot omit to set foorth vnto you the verie plot of the whole colledge in Cambridge euen as I find mentioned almost verbatim in his will supposing that if the rest of the house had procéeded according to the chappell alreadie finished as his full intent and meaning was the like colledge could scant haue béene found againe in anie christian land The words of the will are thus As touching the dimensions of the church of my said colledge of our ladie and S. Nicholas of Cambridge I haue deuised and appointed that the same church shall conteine in length 288 foot of assise without line 10 anie Iles and all of the widenesse of fortie foot And the length of the same church from the west end vnto the altars at the quiere doore shall conteine an hundred and twentie foot And from the prouosts stall vnto the gréece called Gradus chori ninetie foot for thirtie six stalles on either side of the same quiere answering to threescore and ten fellowes and ten priests conducts which must be De prima forma And from the said stalles vnto the east end of the said church threescore two foot of assise Also a reredosse bearing the line 20 roodloft departing the quiere
preiudiciall to Iohn Catesbie knight Thomas Reuell and William Ashbie esquiers in of vpon the manour of Kirkebie vpon Wretheke in the countie of Leicester nor in of and vpon anie other lands and tenements in Kirkebie aforesaid Melton Somerbie Thropseghfield and Godebie which they had of the gift feoffement of Thomas Dauers Iohn Lie And further notwithstanding this atteindor diuerse of the said persons afterwards were not onelie by the king pardoned but also restored to their lands and liuings Moreouer in this present parlement he caused proclamation to be made that all men were pardoned and acquited of their offenses which would submit line 10 themselues to his mercie and receiue an oth to be true and faithfull vnto him wherevpon manie that came out of sanctuaries and other places were receiued to grace and admitted for his subiects After this he began to remember his speciall freends of whome some he aduanced to honour and dignitie and some he inriched with goods and possessions euerie man according to his deserts and merits And to begin his vncle Iasper earle of Penbroke he created duke of Bedford Thomas lord Stanleie was line 20 created earle of Derbie and the lord Chendew of Britaine his especiall fréend he made earle of Bath sir Giles Daubeneie was made lord Daubeneie sir Robert Willoughbie was made lord Brooke And Edward Stafford eldest sonne to Henrie late duke of Buckingham he restored to his name dignitie possessions which by king Richard were confiscat and atteinted Beside this in this parlement was this notable act assented to and concluded as followeth to the pleasure of almightie God wealth line 30 prosperitie and suertie of this realme of England and to the singular comfort of all the kings subiects of the same in auoiding all ambiguities and questions An act for the establishing of the crowne in the line of Henrie the seauenth BE it ordeined established and enacted by this present parlement that the inheritance of the crown of this realme of England also of France with all the preheminence and dignitie roiall to the same apperteining all other seigniories to the king belonging beyond the sea with the appurtenances thereto in anie wise due or apperteining shall rest remaine and abide in the most line 50 roiall person of our now souereigne lord king Henrie the seuenth and in the heires of his bodie lawfullie comming perpetuallie with the grace of God so to indure and in none other Beside this act all atteindors of this king enacted by king Edward and king Richard were adnihilated and the record of the same iudged to be defaced and all persons atteinted for his cause and occasion line 60 were restored to their goods lands and possessions Diuerse acts also made in the time of king Edward and king Richard were reuoked and other adiudged more expedient for the common wealth were put in their places and concluded After the dissolution of this parlement the king remembring his fréends left in hostage beyond the seas that is to wit the marquesse Dorset sir Iohn Bourchier he with all conuenient spéed redéemed them and sent also into Flanders for Iohn Morton bishop of Elie. These acts performed he chose to be of his councell a conuenient number of right graue and wise councellors ¶ This did he that he might the more roiallie gouerne his kingdome which he obteined and inioied as a thing by God elected and prouided and by his especiall fauour and gratious aspect compassed and atchiued Insomuch that men commonlie report that seauen hundred nintie seauen yéeres passed it was by a heauenlie voice reuealed to Cadwalader last king of Britains that his stocke progenie should reigne in this land beare dominion againe Wherevpon most men were persuaded in their owne opinion that by this heauenlie voice he was prouided ordeined long before to inioy obteine this kingdome Which thing K. Henrie the sixt did also shew before as it were by propheticall inspiration at such time as the earle of Penbroke presented the said Henrie at that time a proper child vnto Henrie the sixt whome after he had beheld and a good while viewed the comelinesse of his countenance and orderlie lineaments of his bodie he said to such peeres as stood about him Lo suerlie this is he to whome both we and our aduersaries leauing the possession of all things shall hereafter giue roome and place so it came to passe by the appointment of God to whose gouernement gift and disposing all realmes and all dominions are subiect as king Dauid confesseth saieng Omnia sunt regno subdita regna Dei Now although by this meanes all things séemed to be brought in good and perfect order yet there lacked a wrest to the harpe to set all the strings in a monocord and perfect tune which was the matrimonie to be finished betweene the king and the ladie Elizabeth daughter to king Edward Which like a good prince according to his oth promise he did both solemnize consummate shortlie after that is to saie on the eightéenth daie of Ianuarie By reason of which marriage peace was thought to descend out of heauen into England considering that the lines of Lancaster and Yorke were now brought into one knot and connexed togither of whose two bodies one heire might succeed to rule and inioie the whole monarchie and realme of England year 1486 which before was rent and diuided into factions partakings whereby manie a mans life was lost great spoiles made of peoples goods wast of wealth worship and honor all which ended in this blessed and gratious connexion authorised by God as our Anglorum praelia saith Hoc Deus omnipotens pacis confecerat author CiuilÃsque habuit tandem contentio finem Shortlie after for the better preseruation of his roiall person he constituted and ordeined a certeine number as well of archers as of diuerse other persons hardie strong and actiue to giue dailie attendance on his person whom he named yeomen of his gard which president men thought that he learned of the French king when he was in France For it is not remembred that anie king of England before that daie vsed anie such furniture of dailie souldiers ¶ In this same yéere a new kind of sickenes inuaded suddenlie the people of this land passing through the same from the one end to the other It began about the one and twentith of September and continued vntill the latter end of October being so sharpe and deadlie that the like was neuer heard of to anie mans remembrance before that time For suddenlie a deadlie burning sweat so assailed their bodies and distempered their bloud with a most ardent heat that scarse one amongst an hundred that sickened did escape with life for all in maner as soone as the sweat tooke them or within a short time after yéelded the ghost Beside the great number which deceassed within the citie of London two
such due and lawfull forme as in such cases the law prouideth till they had compounded to paie great fines and ransomes line 60 Moreouer the kings wards after they had accomplished their full age could not be suffered to sue their liueries till they had paied excessiue fines and ransomes vnto their great annoiance losse and disquieting and to no lesse contempt of the said king And further whereas diuerse persons had béene outlawed as well at the sute of their aduersaries as of the said late king they could not be allowed to purchase their charters of pardon out of the chancerie according to the law of the realme till they were driuen to answer halfe the issues and profits of all their lands and tenements by the space of two yeares which the king receiued to his vse by the said Richard Empsons procurement who informed him that hée might lawfullie take the same although he knew that it was contrarie to the lawes and customes of the realme Wherevpon the people vexed and molested by such hard dealings sore grudged against the said late king to the great perill and danger of his person and realme and subuersion of the lawes and ancient customes thereof Also it was alleged against the said Empson that he had sent foorth precepts directed vnto diuerse persons commanding them vpon great penalties to appeare before him and other his associats at certeine daies and times within his house in S. Brides parish in a ward of London called Farringdon without where they making their appearances according to the same precepts were impleaded afore him and other his said associats of diuerse murthers felonies outlawries and of the articles in the statute of prouisors conteined also of wilfull escapes of felonies and such like matters and articles apperteining to the plées of the crowne and common lawes of the realme And that doone the said persons were committed to diuerse prisons as the Fléet the Tower and other places where they were deteined till they had fined at his pleasure as well for the commoditie of the said late king as for the singular aduantage of the said sir Richard Empson Moreouer whereas the said Empson being recorder of Couentrie and there sate with the maior and other iustices of the peace vpon a speciall gaole deliuerie within that citie on the monday before the feast of saint Thomas the apostle in the sixtéenth yeare of the late kings reigne a prisoner that had beene indicted of felonie for taking out of an house in that citie certeine goods to the value of twentie shillings was arreigned before them And bicause the iurie would not find the said prisoner giltie for want of sufficient euidince as they after alleged the said sir Richard Empson supposing the same euidence to be sufficient caused them to be committed to ward wherein they remained foure daies togither till they were contented to enter bond in fortie pounds a péece to appeare before the king and his councell the second returne of the tearme then next insuing being Quindena Hilarij Wherevpon they kéeping their daie and appearing before the said sir Richard Empson and other of the kings councell according to their bonds were adiudged to paie euerie of them eight pounds for a fine and accordinglie made paiment thereof as they were then thought well worthie so to doo But now this matter so long past was still kept in memorie and so earnest some were to inforce it to the vttermost against the said Empson that in a sessions holden at Couentrie now in this first yeare of this kings reigne an indictment was framed against him for this matter and thereof he was found giltie as if therein he had committed some great and heinous offense against the kings peace his crowne and dignitie Thus haue I thought good to shew what I find hereof to the end ye may perceiue how glad men were to find some colour of sufficient matter to bring the said sir Richard Empson and maister Edmund Dudleie within danger of the lawes whereby at length they were not onelie condemned by act of parlement through malice of such as might séeme to seeke their destruction for priuat grudges but in the end also they were arreigned as first the said Edmund Dudleie in the Guildhall of London the seuentéenth of Iulie and sir Richard Empson at Northampton in October next insuing and being there condemned was from thence brought backe againe to the Tower of London where he remained till the time of his execution as after yée shall heare This yeare the plague was great and reigned in diuerse parts of this realme The king kept his Christmas at Richmond The twelfe of Ianuarie diuerse gentlemen prepared to iust and the king and one of his priuie chamber called William Compton secretlie armed themselues in the little parke of Richmond so came into the iustes vnknowne to all persons The king neuer ran openlie before and did exceeding well Maister Compton chanced line 10 to be sore hurt by Edward Neuill esquier brother to the lord of Aburgauennie so that he was like to haue died One person there was that knew the king and cried God saue the king and with that all the people were astonied and then the king discouered himselfe to the great comfort of the people The king soone after came to Westminster and there kept his Shrouetide with great bankettings dansings and other iollie pastimes And on a time the king in person accompanied line 20 with the earles of Essex Wilshire and other noble men to the number of twelue came suddenlie in a morning into the queenes chamber all apparelled in short coates of Kentish Kendall with hoodes on their heads hosen of the same euerie one of them his bow and arrowes and a sword and a buckler like outlawes or Robin Hoods men Whereat the queene the ladies and all other there were abashed as well for the strange sight as also for their sudden comming and after certeine danses and pastime made they departed On Shrouesundaie the same line 30 yeare the king prepared a goodlie banket in the parlement chamber at Westminster for all the ambassadors which then were here out of diuerse realmes and countries The banket being readie the king leading the quéene entered into the chamber then the ladies ambassadours and other noble men followed in order The king caused the queene to keepe the estate and then sate the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the K. who would not sit but walked line 40 from place to place making cheare to the quéene and the strangers suddenlie the king was gone And shorlie after his grace with the earle of Essex came in apparelled after the Turkie fashion in long robes of baudekin powdered with gold hats on their heds of crimsin veluet with great rolles of gold girded with two swords called cimiteries hanging by great bauderiks of gold Then next came the lord Henrie earle of
he perceiued his sisters good will towards the said duke and that he meant then to haue bestowed hir vpon him but that a better offer came in the waie But howsoeuer it was now he wan hir loue so as by hir consent he wrote to the king hir brother méekelie beséeching him of pardon in his request which was humblie to desire him of his good will and contentation The king at the first staid but after long sute and speciallie by meane of the French quéene hir selfe and other the dukes fréends it was agreed that the duke should bring hir into England vnmarried and at his returne to marrie hir in England but for doubt of change he married hir secretlie in Paris at the house of Clugnie as was said After he had receiued hir with hir dower appointed all hir apparell iewels and houshold stuffe deliuered they tooke leaue of the new French king and so passing thorough France came to Calis where she was honourablie interteined and after openlie married with great honour vnto the said duke of Suffolke Doctor West as then nominated bishop of Elie remained behind at Paris