Exactions having lived Two and Fifty Years and thereof Reigned Three and Twenty Years and Eight Months being in perfect Memory and in a most Blessed Mind in a great Calm of a Consuming Sickness passed to a better World the Two and Twentieth of April 1508. at his Palace of Richmond which himself had Built THis King to speak of him in Terms equal to his Deserving was one of the best sort of Wonders a Wonder for Wise-men He had parts both in his Virtues and his Fortune not so 〈◊〉 for a Common-place as for Observation Certainly he was Religious both in his Affection and Observance But as he could see clear for those times through Superstition so he would be blinded now and than by Humane Policy He advanced Church-men he was tender in the Priviledge of Sanctuaries though they wrought him much Mischief He built and endowed many Religious Foundations besides his Memorable Hospital of the Savoy And yet was he a great Alms-giver in secret which shewed that his Works in publick were dedicated rather to God's glory than his own He professed always to love and seek Peace and it was his usual Preface in his Treaties That when Christ came into the World Peace was sung and when He went out of the World Peace was bequeathed And this Virtue could not proceed out of Fear or Softness for he was Valiant and Active and therefore no doubt it was truly Christian and Moral Yet he knew the way to Peace was not to seem to be desirous to avoid Wars Therefore would be make Offers and Fames of Wars till he had mended the Conditions of Peace It was also much that one that was so great a Lover of Peace should be so happy in War For his Arms either in Forein or Civil Wars were never Infortunate neither did he know what a Disaster meant The War of his Coming in and the Rebellions of the Earl of Lincoln and the Lord Awdley were ended by Victory The Wars of France and Scotland by Peaces sought at his hands That of Britain by accident of the Duke's death The Insurrection of the Lord Lovel and that of Perkin at Exceter and in Kent by flight of the Rebels before they came to Blows So that his Fortune of Arms was still Inviolate The rather sure for that in the quenching of the Commotions of his Subjects he ever went in Person Sometimes reserving himself to back and second his Lieutenants but ever in Action and yet that was not meerly Forwardness but partly Distrust of others He did much maintain and countenance his Laws which nevertheless was no Impediment to him to work his Will For it was so handled that neither Prerogative nor Profit went to Diminution And yet as he would sometimes strain up his Laws to his Prerogative so would he also let down his Prerogative to his Parliament For Mint and Wars and Martial Discipline things of absolute Power he would nevertheless bring to Parliament Justice was well administred in his time save where the King was Party Save also that the Council-Table intermedled too much with Meum and Tuum For it was a very Court of Justice during his time especially in the Beginning But in that part both of Justice and Policy which is the Durable Part and cut as it were in Brass or Marble which is The making of good Laws he did excell And with his Justice he was also a Merciful Prince as in whose time there were but three of the Nobility that suffered the Earl of Warwick the Lord Chamberlain and the Lord Awdley Though the first two were instead of Numbers in the Dislike and Obloquie of the People But there were never so great Rebellions expiated with so little Blood drawn by the hand of Justice as the two Rebellions of Black-heath and Exceter As for the Severity used upon those which were taken in Kent it was but upon a Scum of People His Pardons went ever both before and after his Sword But then he had withal a strange kind of Interchanging of large and inexpected Pardons with severe Executions Which his Wisdom considered could not be imputed to any Inconstancy or Inequality but either to some Reason which we do not now know or to a Principle he had set unto himself That he would vary and try both ways in turn But the less Blood he drew the more he took of Treasure And as some construed it he was the more sparing in the One that he might be the more pressing in the Other for both would have been intolerable Of Nature assuredly he coveted to accumulate Treasure and was a little Poor in admiring Riches The People into whom there is infused for the preservation of Monarchies a natural Desire to discharge their Princes though it be with the 〈◊〉 charge of their Counsellors and Ministers did impute this unto Cardinal Morton and Sir Reginold Bray who as it after appeared as Counsellors of ancient Authority with him did so second his Humours as nevertheless they did temper them Whereas Empson and Dudley that followed being Persons that had no Reputation with him otherwise than by the servile following of his Bent did not give way only as the first did but shape him way to those Extremities for which himself was touched with remorse at his Death and which his Successor renounced and sought to purge This Excess of his had at that time many Glosses and Interpretations Some thought the continual Rebellions wherewith he had been vexed had made him grow to hate his People Some thought it was done to pull down their Stomachs and to keep them low Some for that he would leave his Son a Golden-fleece Some suspected he had some high Design upon Forein parts But those perhaps shall come nearest the truth that fetch not their reasons so far off but rather impute it to Nature Age Peace and a Mind fixed upon no other Ambition or Pursuit Whereunto I should add that having every day Occasion to take notice of the Necessities and Shifts for Money of other great Princes abroad it did the better by Comparison set off to him the Felicity of full Coffers As to his expending of Treasure he never spared Charge which his Affairs required and in his Buildings was Magnificent but his Rewards were very limited So that his Liberality was rather upon his own State and Memory than upon the Deserts of others He was of an High Mind and loved his own Will and his own Way as One that revered himself and would Reign indeed Had he been a Private-man he would have been termed Proud But in a wise Prince it was but keeping of Distance which indeed he did towards all not admitting any near or full Approach neither to his Power or to his Secrets For he was governed by none His Queen notwithstanding she had presented him with divers Children and with a Crown also though he would not acknowledge it could do nothing with him His Mother he reverenced much heard little For any Person
was more to the holding of the Parliament which began but seven days after It was a Pestilent-Feaver but as it seemeth not seated in the Veins or Humors for that there followed no Carbuncle no purple or livid Spots or the like the Mass of the Body being not tainted only a malign Vapour flew to the Heart and seised the Vital Spirits which stirred Nature to strive to send it forth by an extreme Sweat And it appeared by Experience that this Disease was rather a Surprize of Nature than obstinate to Remedies if it were in time looked unto For if the Patient were kept in an equal temper both for Clothes Fire and Drink moderately warm with temperate Cordials whereby Natures work were neither irritated by Heat nor turned back by Cold he commonly Recovered But infinite Persons dyed suddenly of it before the manner of the Cure and attendance was known It was conceived not to be an Epidemick Disease but to proceed from a Malignity in the Constitution of the Air gathered by the predispositions of Seasons and the speedy Cessation declared as much On Simon and Jude's Even the King dined with Thomas Bourcchier Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Cardinal and from Lambeth went by Land over the Bridge to the Tower where the morrow after he made Twelve Knights-Bannerets But for Creations he dispensed them with a sparing Hand For notwithstanding a Field so lately fought and a Coronation so near at hand he only created Three James Earl of Pembrook the King's Uncle was created Duke of Bedford Thomas the Lord Stanley the King's Father-in-Law Earl of Derby and Edward Courtney Earl of Devon though the King had then nevertheless a purpose in himself to make more in time of Parliament bearing a wise and decent respect to Distribute his Creations some to honour his Coronation and some his Parliament The Coronation followed two days after upon the Thirtyeth day of October in the year of our Lord 1485. At which time Innocent the Eighth was Pope of Rome Frederick the Third Emperour of Almaine and Maximilian his Son newly chosen King of the Romans Charles the Eighth King of France Ferdinando and Isabella Kings of Spain and James the Third King of Scotland with all which Kings and States the King was at that time in good Peace and Amity At which Day also as if the Crown upon his Head had put Perils into his Thoughts he did institute sor the better Security of his Person a Band of Fifty Archers under a Captain to attend him by the name of Yeomen of his Guard and yet that it might be thought to be rather a matter of Dignity after the imitation of that he had known abroad than any matter of Diffidence appropriate to his own Case he made it to be understood for an Ordinance not Temporary but to hold in Succession for ever after The Seventh of November the King held his Parliament at Westmister which he had Summoned immediately after his coming to London His Ends in calling a Parliament and that so speedily were chiefly three First to procure the Crown to be entayled upon himself Next to have the Attaindors of all of his Party which were in no small Number reversed and all Acts of Hostility by them done in his Quarrel remitted and discharged and on the other side to attaint by Parliament the Heads and Principals of his Enemies The Third to calm and quiet the fears of the rest of that Party by a General Pardon not being ignorant in how great danger a King stands from his Subjects when most of his Subjects are conscious in themselves that they stand in his danger Unto these three special Motives of a Parliament was added that he as a prudent and moderate Prince made this Judgement That it was fit for him to hasten to let his People see that he meant to govern by Law howsoever he came in by the Sword and fit also to reclaim them to know him for their King whom they had so lately talked of as an Enemy or Banished man For that which concerned the Entayling of the Crown more than that he was true in his own Will that he would not endure any mention of the Lady Elizabeth no not in the nature of Special-Intail he carried it otherwise with great Wisdom and measure For he did not press to have the Act penned by way of Declaration or Recognition of Right as on the other side he avoided to have it by new Law or Ordinance but chose rather a kind of middle-way by way of Establishment and that under covert and indifferent words That the inheritance of the Crown should rest remain and abide in the King c. which words might equally be applied That the Crown should continue to him but whether as having former Right to it which was doubtful or having it then in Fact and Possession which no man denyed was left fair to Interpretation either way And again for the limitation of the Entail he did not press it to go further than to himself and to the Heirs of his Body not speaking of his right Heirs but leaving that to the Law to decide so as the Entail might seem rather a personal Favour to him and his Children than a total Dis-inherison to the House of York And in this form was the Law drawn and passed Which Statute he procured to be confirmed by the Pope's Bull the year following with mention nevertheless by way of Recital of his other Titles both of Descent and Conquest So as now the wreath of Three was made a wreath of Five for to the three first Titles of the two Houses or Lines and Conquest were added two more the Authorities Parliamentary and Papal The King likewise in the Reversal of the Attaindors of his Partakers and discharging them of all Offences incident to his service and succour had his Will and Acts did pass accordingly In the passage whereof exception was taken to divers Persons in the House of Commons for that they were Attainted and thereby not legal nor habilitate to serve in Parliament being disabled in the highest degree And that it should be a great incongruity to have them to make Laws who themselves were not Inlawed The truth was that divers of those which had in the time of King Richard been strongest and most declared for the King's Party were returned Knights and Burgesses for the Parliament whether by care or recommendation from the State or the voluntary inclination of the People many of which had been by Richard the Third attainted by Outlawries or otherwise The King was somewhat troubled with this For though it had a grave and specious Shew yet it reflected upon his Party But wisely not shewing himself at all moved therewith he would not understand it but as a Case of Law and wished the Judges to be advised thereupon who for that purpose were forthwith Assembled in the Exchequer-Chamber which is the Council-Chamber of the Judges and upon deliberation they gave a grave
not a little inflamed with an ambition to re-purchase and re-annex that Dutchy Which his ambition was a wise and well-weighed Ambition not like unto the ambitions of his succeeding Enterprizes of Italy For at that time being newly come to the Crown he was somewhat guided by his Father's Counsels Counsels not Counsellors for his Father was his own Counsel and had few able men about him And that King he knew well had ever distasted the Designs of Italy and in particular had an Eye upon Britain There were many circumstances that did feed the Ambition of Charles with pregnant and apparent hopes of Success The Duke of Britain old and entred into a Lethargy and served with Mercenary Counsellors Father of two only Daughters the one sick and not likely to continue King Charles himself in the flower of his age and the Subjects of France at that time well trained for War both for Leaders and Soldiers men of service being not yet worn out since the Wars of Lewis against Burgundy He found himself also in Peace with all his Neighbour-Princes As for those that might oppose to his Enterprize Maximilian King of the Romans his Rival in the same desires as well for the Dutchy as the Daughter feeble in means and King Henry of England as well somewhat obnoxious to him for his favours and benefits as busied in his particular troubles at home There was also a fair and specious occasion offered him to hide his Ambition and to justifie his Warring upon Britain for that the Duke had received and succoured Lewis Duke of Orleance and other of the French Nobility which had taken Arms against their King Wherefore King Charles being resolved upon that War knew well he could not receive any opposition so potent as if King Henry should either upon Policy of State in preventing the growing Greatness of France or upon gratitude unto the Duke of Britain for his former favours in the time of his distress espouse that Quarrel and declare himself in ayd of the Duke Therefore he no sooner heard that King Henry was setled by his Victory but forth with he sent Ambassadors unto him to pray his assistance or at the least that he would stand neutral Which Ambassadors found the King at Leicester and delivered their Embassy to this effect They first imparted unto the King the success that their Master had had a little before against Maximilian in recovery of certain Towns from him which was done in a kind of privacy and inwardness towards the King and if the French King did not esteem him for an outward or formal Confederate but as one that had part in his Affections and Fortunes and with whom he took pleasure to communicate his Business After this Compliment and some gratulation for the King's Victory they fell to their Errand declaring to the King that their Master was enforced to enter into a just and necessary War with the Duke of Britain for that he had received and succoured those that were Traytors and declared Enemies unto his Person and State That they were no mean distressed and calamitous persons that fled to him for refuge but of so great quality as it was apparent that they came not thither to protect their own fortune but to infest and invade his the Head of them being the Duke of Orleance the first Prince of the Blood and the second Person of France That therefore rightly to understand it it was rather on their Master's part a Defensive War than an Offensive as that that could not be omitted or forborn if he tendred the conservation of his own Estate and that it was not the first Blow that made the War Invasive for that no wise Prince would stay for but the first Provocation or at least the first Preparation Nay that this War was rather a suppression of Rebels than a War with a just Enemy where the Case is That his Subjects Traytors are received by the Duke of Britain his Homager That King Henry knew well what went upon it in example if Neighbour Princes should patronize and comfort Rebels against the Law of Nations and of Leagues Nevertheless that their Master was not ignorant that the King had been beholding to the Duke of Britain in his adversity as on the other side they knew he would not forget also the readiness of their King in ayding him when the Duke of Britain or his mercenary Counsellors failed him and would have betrayed him And that there was a great difference between the courtesies received from their Master and the Duke of Britain for that the Dukes might have ends of Utility and Bargain whereas their Masters could not have proceeded but out of entire Affection For that if it had been measured by a politick line it had been better for his affairs that a Tyrant should have reigned in England troubled and hated than such a Prince whose virtues could not fail to make him great and potent whensoever he was come to be Master of his affairs But howsoever it stood for the point of Obligation which the King might owe to the Duke of Britain yet their Master was well assured it would not divert King Henry of England from doing that that was just nor ever embarque him in so ill-grounded a Quarrel Therefore since this War which their Master was now to make was but to deliver himself from imminent dangers their King hoped the King would shew the like affection to the conservation of their Master's Estate as their Master had when time was shewed to the King's acquisition of his Kingdom At the least that according to the inclination which the King had ever professed of Peace he would look on and stand Neutral for that their Master could not with reason press him to undertake part in the War being so newly setled and recovered from intestine Seditions But touching the Mystery of re-annexing of the Dutchy of Britain to the Crown of France either by War or by Marriage with the Daughter of Britain the Ambassadors bare aloof from it as from a Rock knowing that it made most against them And therefore by all means declined any mention thereof but contrariwise interlaced in their conference with the King the assured purpose of their Master to match with the Daughter of Maximilian And entertained the King also with some wandring Discourses of their King's purpose to recover by Arms his right to the Kingdom of Naples by an expedition in Person All to remove the King from all-jealousie of any Design in these hither Parts upon Britain otherwise than for quenching of the Fire which he feared might be kindled in his own Estate The King after advice taken with his Council made answer to the Ambassadors And first returned their Compliment shewing he was right glad of the French King's reception of those Towns from Maximilian Then he familiarly related some particular passages of his own Adventures and Victory passed As to the business of Britain the King answered in
few words That the French King and the Duke of Britain were the two persons to whom he was most obliged of all men and that he should think himself very happy if things should go so between them as he should not be able to acquit himself in gratitude towards them both and that there was no means for him as a Christian King and a common Friend to them to satisfie all Obligations both to God and man but to offer himself for a Mediator of an Accord and Peace between them by which course he doubted not but their King's Estate and Honour both would be preserved with more Safety and less Envy than by a War and that he would spare no cost or pains no if it were To go on Pilgrimage for so good an effect And concluded that in this great Affair which he took so much to heart he would express himself more fully by an Ambassage which he would speedily dispatch unto the French King for that purpose And in this sort the French Ambassadors were dismissed the King avoiding to understand any thing touching the re-annexing of Britain as the Ambassadors had avoided to mention it save that he gave a little touch of it in the word Envy And so it was that the King was neither so shallow nor so ill advertised as not to perceive the intention of the French for the investing himself of Britain But first he was utterly unwilling howsoever he gave out to enter into War with France A Fame of a War he liked well but not an Atchievement for the one he thought would make him Richer and the other Poorer and he was possessed with many secret fears touching his own People which he was therefore loth to arm and put Weapons into their hands Yet notwithstanding as a prudent and couragious Prince he was not so averse from a War but that he was resolved to choose it rather than to have Britain carried by France being so great and opulent a Dutchy and situate 〈◊〉 opportunely to annoy England either for Coast or Trade But the King's hopes were that partly by negligence commonly imputed to the French especially in the Court of a young King and partly by the native power of Britain it self which was not small but chiefly in respect of the great Party that the Duke of Orleance had in the Kingdom of France and thereby means to stir up Civil troubles to divert the French King from the Enterprize of Britain And lastly in regard of the Power of Maximilian who was Cotrival to the French King in that pursuit the Enterprize would either bow to a Peace or break in it self In all which the King measured and valued things amiss as afterwards appeared He sent therefore forth with to the French King Christopher Urswick his Chaplain a person by him much trusted and employed choosing him the rather because he was a Church-man as best sorting with an Embassy of Pacification and giving him also a Commission That if the French King consented to Treat he should thence repair to the Duke of Britain and ripen the Treaty on both parts Urswick made declaration to the French King much to the purpose of the King's answer to the French Ambassadors here instilling also tenderly some overture of receiving to grace the Duke of Orleance and some tasted of Conditions of Accord But the French King on the other side proceeded not sincerely but with a great deal of art and dissimulation in this Treaty having for his end to gain time and so put off the English Succours under hope of Peace till he had got good footing in Britain by force of Arms. Wherefore he answered the Ambassador That he would put himself into the King's hands and make him Arbiter of the Peace and willingly consent that the Ambassador should straightways pass into Britain to signifie this his 〈◊〉 and to know the Duke's mind likewise well fore-seeing that the Duke of 〈◊〉 by whom the Duke of Britain was wholly led taking himself to be upon terms irreconcilable with him would admit of no Treaty of Peace Whereby he should in one both generally abroad veil over his Ambition and win the reputation of just and moderate proceedings and should withal endear himself in the 〈◊〉 of the King of England as one that had committed all to his Will Nay and which was yet more fine make faith in him That although he went on with the War yet it should be but with his Sword in his hand to bend the stiffness of the other party to accept of Peace and so the King should take no umbrage of his arming and prosecution but the Treaty to be kept on foot to the very last instant till he were Master of the Field Which grounds being by the French King wisely laid all things fell out as he expected For when the English Ambassador came to the Court of Britain the Duke was then scarcely perfect 〈◊〉 his memory and all things were directed by the Duke of Orleance who gave audience to the Chaplain Urswick and upon his Ambassage delivered made answer in somewhat high terms That the Duke of Britain having been an Host and a kind of Parent or Foster-father to the King in his tenderness of age and weakness of fortune did look for at this time from King Henry the renowned King of England rather brave Troops for for his Succours than a vain Treaty of Peace And if the King could forget the good Offices of the Duke done unto him 〈◊〉 yet he knew well he would in his Wisdom consider of the future how much it imported his own Safety and Reputation both in Foreign parts and with his own People not to suffer Britain the old Confederates of England to be swallowed up by France and so many good Ports and strong Towns upon the Coast be in the command of so potent a Neighbour-King and so ancient an Enemy And therefore humbly desired the King to think of this business as his own and therewith brake off and denyed any further Conference for Treaty Urswick returned first to the French King and related to him what had passed Who finding things to sort to his desire took hold of them and said That the Ambassador might perceive now that which he for his part partly imagined before That considering in what hands the Duke of Britain was there would be no Peace but by a mixt Treaty of force and perswasion And therefore he would go on with the one and desired the King not to desist from the other But for his own part he did faithfully promise to be still in the King's power to rule him in the matter of Peace This was accordingly represented unto the King-by Urswick at his return and in such a fashion as if the Treaty were in no sort desperate but rather stayd for a better hour till the Hammer had wrought and beat the Party of Britain more pliant Whereupon there passed continually Pacquets and Dispatches between the two Kings
The Male-contents of his own Kingdom have not been Base Popular nor Titulary Impostors but of an higher nature The King of Spain doubt ye not will 〈◊〉 with us not knowing where the French King's Ambition will stay Our Holy Father the Pope likes no Tramontanes in Italy But howsoever it be this matter of Confederates is rather to be thought on than reckoned on For God forbid but England should be able to get Reason of France without a Second At the Battels of Cressy Poictiers Agent-Court we were of Our selves France hath much People and few Soldiers They have no stable Bands of Foot some good Horse they have but these are Forces which are least fit for a Defensive War where the Actions are in the Assailant's choice It was our Discords only that lost France and by the Power of GOD it is the good Peace which we now enjoy that will recover it GOD hath hitherto blessed my Sword I have in this time that I have Reigned weeded out my bad Subjects and tryed my good My People and I know one another which breeds Confidence And if there should be any bad Blood left in the Kingdom an Honourable Forein War will vent it or purifie it In this great Business let me have your Advice and Ayd If any of you were to make his Son Knight you might have ayd of your Tenants by Law This concerns the Knighthood and Spurs of the Kingdom whereof I am Father and bound not only to seek to maintain it but to advance it But for matter of Treasure let it not be taken from the Poorest sort but from those to whom the Benefit of the War may redound France is no Wilderness and I that profess good husbandry hope to make the War after the Beginnings to pay it self Go together in GOD's Name and lose no time for I have called this Parliament wholly for this Cause THus spake the King But for all this though he shewed great forwardness for a War not only to his Parliament and Court but to his Privy Council likewise except the two Bishops and a few more yet nevertheless in his secret intentions he had no purpose to go through with any War upon France But the truth was that he did but traffick with that War to make his Return in money He knew well that France was now entire and at unity with it self and never so mighty many years before He saw by the tast that he had of his Forces sent into Britain that the French knew well enough how to make War with the English by not putting things to the hazard of a Battel but wearing them by long Sieges of Towns and strong fortified Encampings James the Third of Scotland his true Friend and Confederate gone and James the Fourth that had succeeded wholly at the devotion of France and ill affected towards him As for the Conjunctions of Ferdinando of Spain and Maximilian he could make no foundation upon them for the one had Power and not Will and the other had Will and not Power Besides that Ferdinando had but newly taken breath from the War with the Moors and merchanded at this time with France for the restoring of the Counties of Russignon and Perpignian oppignorated to the French Neither was he out of fear of the Discontents and ill blood within the Realm which having used always to repress and appease in person he was loth they should find him at a distance beyond Sea and engaged in War Finding therefore the Inconveniences and Difficulties in the prosecution of a War he cast with himself how to compass two things The one how by the declaration and inchoation of a War to make his Profit the other how to come off from the War with saving of his Honour For Profit it was to be made two ways upon his Subjects for the War and upon his Enemies for the Peace like a good Merchant that maketh his gain both upon the Commodities Exported and Imported back again For the point of Honour wherein he might suffer for giving over the War he considered well that as he could not trust upon the ayds of Ferdinando and Maximilian for supports of War so the impuissance of the one and the double proceeding of the other lay fair for him for occasions to accept of Peace These things he did wisely fore-see and did as artificially conduct whereby all things fell into his lap as he desired For as for the Parliament it presently took fire being affectionate of old to the War of France and desirous afresh to repair the dishonour they thought the King sustained by the loss of Britain Therefore they advised the King with great alacrity to undertake the War of France And although the Parliament consisted of the first and second Nobility together with principal Citizens and Townsmen yet worthily and justly respecting more the People whose Deputies they were than their own private Persons and finding by the Lord Chancellor's Speech the King's inclination that way they consented that Commissioners should go forth for the gathering and levying of a Benevolence from the more able sort This Tax called Benevolence was devised by Edward the Fourth for which he sustained much Envy It was abolished by Richard the Third by Act of Parliament to ingratiate himself with the people and it was now revived by the King but with consent of Parliament for so it was not in the time of King Edward the Fourth But by this way he raised exceeding great summs Insomuch as the City of London in those days contributed nine thousand pounds and better and that chiefly levied upon the wealthier sort There is a Tradition of a Dilemma that Bishop Morton the Chancellor used to raise up the Benevolence to higher Rates and some called it his Fork and some his Crotch. For he had couched an Article in the Instructions to the Commissioners who were to levy the Benevolence That if they met with any that were sparing they should tell them That they must needs have because they laid up and if they were spenders they must needs have because it was seen in their port and manner of living So neither kind came amiss This Parliament was meerly a Parliament of War for it was in substance but a Declaration of War against France and Scotland with some Statutes conducing thereunto As the severe punishing of Mortpayes and keeping back of Soldiers Wages in Captains The like severity for the departure of Soldiers without licence Strengthning of the Common Law in favour of Protections for those that were in the King's service And the setting the gate open and wide for men to Sell or Mortgage their Lands without Fines for Alienation to furnish themselves with Money for the War And lastly the avoiding of all Scottish-men out of England There was also a Statute for the dispersing of the Standard of the Exchequer throughout England thereby to size Weights and Measures and two or three more of less importance After the Parliament
altogether improvided His will was good but he lacked money And this was made known and spread through the Army And although the English were therewithal nothing dismayed and that it be the manner of Soldiers upon bad news to speak the more bravely yet nevertheless it was a kind of preparative to a Peace Instantly in the neck of this as the King had laid it came news that Ferdinando and Isabella Kings of Spain had concluded a peace with King Charles and that Charles had restored unto them the Counties of Russignon and Perpignian which formerly were Mortgaged by John King of Arragon Ferdinando's Father unto France for three hundred thousand Crowns which debt was also upon this Peace by Charles clearly released This came also handsomly to put on the Peace both because so potent a Confederate was faln off and because it was a fair example of a Peace bought so as the King should not be the sole Merchant in this Peace Upon these Airs of Peace the King was content that the Bishop of Exceter and the Lord Daubigny Governour of Calice should give a meeting unto the Lord Cordes for the Treaty of a Peace But himself nevertheless and his Army the fifteenth of October removed from Calice and in four days march sate him down before Bulloign During this Siege of Bulloign which continued near a Month there passed no memorable Action nor Accident of War only Sir John Savage a valiant Captain was slain riding about the Walls of the Town to take a View The Town was both well fortified and well manned yet it was distressed and ready for an Assault which if it had been given as was thought would have cost much blood but yet the Town would have been carried in the end Mean while a Peace was concluded by the Commissioners to continue for both the Kings Lives Where there was no Article of importance being in effect rather a Bargain than a Treaty For all things remained as they were save that there should be paid to the King seven hundred forty five thousand Ducats in present for his Charges in that Journey and five and twenty thousand Crowns yearly for his Charges sustained in the Ayds of the Britons For which Annual though he had Maximilian bound before for those Charges yet he counted the alteration of the Hand as much as the principal Debt And besides it was left somewhat indefinitely when it should determine or expire which made the English esteem it as a Tribute carried under fair Terms And the truth is it was paid both to the King and to his Son King Henry the Eighth longer than it could continue upon any computation of Charges There were also assigned by the French King unto all the King 's principal Counsellors great Pensions besides rich Gifts for the present Which whether the King did permit to save his own Purse from Rewards or to communicate the Envy of a Business that was displeasing to his People was diversly interpreted for certainly the King had no great fancy to own this Peace And therefore a little before it was concluded he had under-hand procured some of his best Captains and Men of War to advise him to a Peace under their hands in an earnest manner in the nature of a Supplication But the truth is this Peace was welcom to both Kings To Charles for that it assured unto him the possession of Britain and freed the enterprise of Naples To Henry for that it filled his Coffers and that he foresaw at that time a storm of inward troubles coming upon him which presently after brake forth But it gave no less discontent to the Nobility and principal persons of the Army who had many of them sold or engaged their Estates upon the hopes of the War They stuck not to say That the King cared not to plume his Nobility and People to feather himself And some made themselves merry with that the King had said in Parliament That after the War was once begun he doubted not but to make it pay it self saying he had kept promise Having risen from Bulloign he went to Calice where he stayed some time From whence also he wrote Letters which was a Courtesie that he sometimes used to the Mayor of London and Aldermen his Brethren half bragging what great summs he had obtained for the Peace knowing well that full Coffers of the King is ever good news to London And better news it would have been if their Benevolence had been but a Loan And upon the seventeenth of December following he returned to Westminster where he kept his Christmas Soon after the King's return he sent the Order of the Garter to Alphonso Duke of Calabria eldest Son to Ferdinando King of Naples an honour sought by that Prince to hold him up in the eyes of the Italians who expecting the Arms of Charles made great account of the Amity of England for a Bridle to France It was received by Alphonso with all Ceremony and Pomp that could be devised as things use to be carried that are intended for Opinion It was sent by Urswick upon whom the King bestowed this Ambassage to help him after many dry Employments AT this time the King began again to be haunted with Spirits by the Magick and curious Arts of the Lady Margaret who raised up the Ghost of Richard Duke of York second Son to King Edward the Fourth to walk and vex the King This was a finer Counterfeit Stone than Lambert Simnel better done and worn upon greater hands being graced after with the wearing of a King of France and a King of Scotland not of a Duchess of Burgundy only And for Simnel there was not much in him more than that he was a handsom Boy and did not shame his Robes But this Youth of whom we are now to speak was such a Mercurial as the like hath seldom been known and could make his own Part if at any time he chanced to be out Wherefore this being one of the strangest Examples of a Personation that ever was in Elder or Latter times it deserveth to be discovered and related at the full Although the King's manner of shewing things by Pieces and by Dark Lights hath so musfled it that it hath left it almost as a Mystery to this day The Lady Margaret whom the King's Friends called Juno because she was to him as Junb was to Aeneas stirring both Heaven and Hell to do him mischief for a foundation of her particular Practices against him did continually by all means possible nourish maintain and divulge the flying Opinion That Richard Duke of York second Son to Edward the Fourth was not murthered in the Tower as was given out but saved alive For that those who were employed in that barbarous Fact having destroyed the elder Brother were stricken with remorse and compassion towards the younger and set him privily at liberty to seek his Fortune This Lure she cast abroad thinking that this Fame and Belief together with the
at London to Treat On the King's part Bishop Fox Lord Privy Seal Viscount Wells Kendal Prior of St. John's Warham Master of the Polls who began to gain much upon the King's opinion Urswick who was almost ever one and Risley On the Arch-Duke's part the Lord Bevers his Admiral the Lord Verunsel President of Flanders and others These concluded a perfect Treaty both of Amity and Intercourse between the King and the Arch-Duke containing Articles both of State Commerce and Free-Fishing This is that Treaty which the Flemings call at this day Intercursus Magnus both because it is more compleat than the precedent Treaties of the Third and Fourth years of the King and chiefly to give it a difference from the Treaty that followed in the One and twentieth year of the King which they call Intercursus Malus In this Treaty there was an express Article against the Reception of the Rebels of either Prince by other purporting that if any such Rebel should be required by the Prince whose Rebel he was of the Prince Confederate that forthwith the Prince Confederate should by Proclamation command him to avoid the Countrey Which if he did not within fifteen days the Rebel was to stand proscribed and put out of Protection But nevertheless in this Article Perkin was not named neither perhaps contained because he was no Rebel But by this means his wings were clipt off his Followers that were English And it was expresly comprised in the Treaty that it should extend to the Territories of the Duchess Dowager After the Intercourse thus restored the English Merchants came again to their Mansion at Antwerp where they were received with Procession and great Joy The Winter sollowing being the Twelfth year of his reign the King called again his Parliament Where he did much exaggerate both the Malice and the cruel Predatory War lately made by the King of Scotland That that King being in Amity with him and no ways provoked should so burn in hatred towards him as to drink of the Lees and Dregs of Perkin's Intoxication who was every where else detected and discarded And that when he perceived it was out of his reach to do the King any hurt he had turned his Arms upon unarmed and unprovided people to spoil only and depopulate contrary to the Laws both of War and Peace Concluding that he could neither with Honour nor with the safety of his People to whom he did owe Protection let pass these wrongs unrevenged The Parliament understood him well and gave him a Subsidy limited to the summ of one hundred and twenty thousand Pounds besides two Fifteens For his Wars were always to him as a Mine of Treasure of a strange kind of Ore Iron at the top and Gold and Silver at the bottom At this Parliament for that there had been so much time spent in making Laws the year before and for that it was called purposely in respect of the Scottish War there were no Laws made to be remembred Only there passed a Law at the Suit of the Merchant-Adventurers of England against the Merchant-Adventurers of London for Monopolizing and exacting upon the Trade which it seemeth they did a little to save themselves after the hard time they had sustained by want of Trade But those Innovations were taken away by Parliament But it was fatal to the King to fight for his Money And though he avoided to fight with Enemies abroad yet he was still enforced to fight for it with Rebels at home For no sooner began the Subsidie to be levied in Cornwal but the people there began to grudge and murmur The Cornish being a race of men stout of stomach mighty of body and limb and that lived hardly in a barren Countrey and many of them could for a need live under ground that were Tinners they muttered extremely that it was a thing not to be suffered that for a little stir of the Scots soon blown over they should be thus grinded to Powder with Payments And said it was for them to pay that had too much and lived idly But they would eat the bread they got with the sweat of their brows and no man should take it from them And as in the Tides of People once up there want not commonly stirting Winds to make them more rough So this People did light upon two Ring-leaders or Captains of the Rout. The one was one Michael Joseph a Black-smith or Farrier of Bodmin a notable talking Fellow and no less desirous to be talked of The other was Thomas Flammocke a Lawyer who by telling his neighbours commonly upon any occasion that the Law was on their side had gotten great sway amongst them This man talked learnedly and as if he could tell how to make a Rebellion and never break the Peace He told the people that Subsidies were not to be granted nor levied in this case that is for Wars of Scotland for that the Law had provided another course by service of Escuage for those Journies much less when all was quiet and War was made but a Pretence to poll and pill the People And therefore that it was good they should not stand now like sheep before the Shearers but put on Harness and take Weapons in their hands Yet to do no creature hurt but go and deliver the King a Strong Petition for the laying down of those grievous Payments and for the punishment of those that had given him that Counsel to make others beware how they did the like in time to come And said for his part he did not see how they could do the duty of true English-men and good Liege-men except they did deliver the King from such wicked Ones that would destroy both Him and the Countrey Their aim was at Archbishop Morton and Sir Reginald Bray who were the King 's Skreens in this Envy After that these two Flammocke and the Black-smith had by joynt and several Pratings found tokens of consent in the Multitude they offered themselves to lead them until they should hear of better men to be their Leaders which they said would be ere long Telling them further that they would be but their servants and first in every danger but doubted not but to make both the West-end and East-end of England to meet in so good a Quarrel and that all rightly understood was but for the King's service The People upon these seditious Instigations did arm most of them with Bows and Arrows and Bills and such other Weapons of rude and Countrey People and forthwith under the Command of their Leaders which in such cases is ever at pleasure marched out of Cornwal through Devonshire unto Taunton in Somersetshire without any slaughter violence or spoil of the Countrey At Taunton they killed in fury an officious and eager Commissioner for the Subsidie whom they called the Provoct of Perin Thence they marched to Wells where the Lord Audley with whom their Leaders had before some secret Intelligence a Noble-man of an ancient Family
regard of his youth and Noble Disposition much lamented his loss and the King 's inexorable rigour ANNO DOM. 1542. REG. 34. BY this time Henry began to find the conveniency of his change having married one as fruitful in evil as his former Wives were in good who could not contain her self within the sacred limits of a Royal marriage bed but must be supplied with more vigorous and active bodies than was that of the now growing aged and unwieldy King Alas what is this momentary pleasure that for it we dare hazard a treble life of Fame of Body of Soul Heaven may be merciful but Fame will censure and the enraged Lion is implacable such did this Queen find him who procured not only her to be condemned by Act of Parliament begun the sixteenth of January and with her the Lady Jane Wife to the Viscount Rochfort behold the thrift of the Divine Justice which made her an Instrument of the punishment of her own and others wickedness who by her calumnies had betrayed her own Husband and his Sister the late beheaded Queen Ann but two others also long since executed Francis Derham and Thomas Calpepper in their double condemnation scarce sufficiently punished Derham had been too familiar with her in her virgin time and having after attained to some publick Offices in Ireland was by her now Queen sent for and entertained as a houshold Servant in which time whether he revived his former familiarity is not manifest But Culpepper was so plainly convict of many secret meetings with the Queen by the means of the Lady Rochfort that the Adultery was questionless For which the Queen and the Viscountess Rochfort were both beheaded within the Tower on the twelfth of February Derham had been hanged and Culpepper beheaded at Tyburn the tenth of the preceding December Hitherto our Kings had stiled themselves Lords of Ireland a Title with that rebellious Nation not deemed so sacred and dreadful as to force obedience The Estates therefore of Ireland assembled in Parliament Enacted him King of Ireland according to which Decree he was on the three and twentieth of January publickly Proclaimed About the same time Arthur Viscount Lisle natural Son of Edward the Fourth out of a surfeit of sudden Joy deceased Two of his Servants had been executed the preceding year for having conspired to betray Calais to the French and the Viscount as being conscious committed to the Tower But upon manifestation of his innocence the King sent unto him Sir Thomas Wriothsley Principal Secretary of Estate by whom he signified the great content he received in the Viscount's approved fidelity the effects whereof he should find in his present liberty and that degree of favour that a faithful and beloved Uncle deserved The Viscount receiving such unexpected news imbellished with rich promises and Royal tokens the King having sent him a Diamond of great value of assured favour being not sufficiently capable of so great joy free from all symptoms of any other disease the ensuing night expired After whose decease Sir John Dudley was created Viscount Lisle claiming that Honour as hereditary in the right of his Mother the Lady Elizabeth Sister and Heir to the Lord Edward Grey Viscount Lisle Wife to the late deceased Lord Arthur but formerly married to Edmund Dudley one of the Barons of the Exchequer beheaded the first year of this King's reign Which I the rather remember for that this man afterwards memorable for his power and dignities might have proved more happy in his Issue than his greatness had not his own ambition betrayed some of these fair sprouts to the blast of unseasonable hopes and nature denying any at least lawful Issue to the rest the name and almost remembrance of this great Family hath ceased Of which hereafter Scotland had been long peaceable yet had it often administred motives of discontent and jealousie James the Fifth King of Scots Nephew to Henry by his Sister having long lived a Bachelor Henry treated with him concerning a Marriage with his then only Child the Lady Mary a Match which probably would have united these neighbour Kingdoms But God had reserved this Union for a more happy time The antient League between France and Scotland had always made the Scots affected to the French and James prefer the alliance with France before that of England where the Dowry was no less than the hopes of a Kingdom So he marrieth with Magdalen a Daughter of France who not long surviving he again matcheth there with Mary of Guise Widow to the Duke of Longueville Henry had yet a desire to see his Nephew to which end he desired an interview at York or some other oportune place James would not condescend to this who could not withstanding undertake a long and dangerous voyage into France without invitation These were the first seeds of discord which after bladed to the Scots destruction There having been for two years neither certain Peace nor a just War yet incursions from each side Forces are assigned to the Duke of Norfolk to repress the insolency of the Scots and secure the Marches The Scot upon news of our being in Arms sends to expostulate with the Duke of Norfolk concerning the motives of this War and withal dispatcheth the Lord Gordon with some small Forces to defend the Frontiers The Herald is detained until our Army came to Berwick that he might not give intelligence of our strength And in October the Duke entring Scotland continued there ransacking the Countrey without any opposition of the Enemy until the middle of November By which time King James having levied a great Army resolved on a Battel the Nobility perswading the contrary especially unwilling that he should any way hazard his Person the loss of his Father in the like manner being yet fresh in memory and Scotland too sensible of the calamities that ensued it The King proving obstinate they detain him by force desirous rather to hazard his displeasure than his life This tenderness of him in the language of rage and indignation he terms cowardise and treachery threatning to set on the Enemy assisted with his Family only The Lord Maxwell seeking to allay him promised with ten thousand only to invade England and with far less than the English Forces to divert the War The King seems to consent But offended with the rest of the Nobility he gives the Lord Oliver Saintclare a private Commission not to be opened until they were ready to give the onset wherein he makes him General of the Army Having in England discovered five hundred English Horse led by Sir Thomas Wharton and Sir William Musgrave the Lord Saintclare commanded his Commission publickly to be read the recital whereof so distasted the Lord Maxwell and the whole Army that all things were in a confusion and they ready to disband The opportunity of an adjoyning Hill gave us a full prospect into their Army and invited us to make use of
the last year of Henry his Reign who having tired himself with the French Wars began at length seriously to bethink himself of Peace Neither was Francis less desirous of his Friendship To this end Deputies from both sides meet often between Guisnes and Ardres For Henry the Earl of Hertford Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the Viscount Lisle Lord Admiral Sir William Paget Secretary of Estate and Dr. Wotton the first Dean of Canterbury For Francis the Admiral Annebault Raymond first President of Rouan and Boucherel Secretary After many consultations a Peace was concluded on these Conditions That Francis within eight years should pay fourscore hundred thousand Crowns to the King as well for the arrerage of his Pension as for many other expences made by him in War in the fortification of Boloign and of the Countrey And upon receipt of the said Summ Henry should deliver unto the King of France Boloign and all the Countrey belonging to it with the ancient places or newly edified by him Mont-Lambert the Tower of Ordre Ambleteul and others with all the Artillery and Munition in them For the confirmation whereof the Viscount Lisle was sent Ambassador into France and from thence came the Admiral Annebault to receive the Oaths of each King and the Peace was Proclaimed in London On the sixteenth of July were burnt at London for their Religion John Lassels Nicholas Otterden John Adlam and Ann Askew a young Gentlewoman aged twenty five of an ancient Descent excellent beauty and acute wit whose examinations writings tortures and patient suffering are at large set down by Mr. Fox being before their Execution by Dr. Schaxton exhorted to Recant as he then was forced who some years passed had resigned his Bishoprick to enjoy his Conscience And here I may not omit an addition to the septenary number of Sleepers William Foxley a Pot-maker in London who without any touch of any preceding infirmity was seised with such a dead sleep that for fourteen days and fifteen nights no force nor invention could awake him on the fifteenth day this miraculous sleep forsaking him he was as it were restored to life and found as sound and entire as if he had taken no more than an ordinary repose Neither would he believe that he had taken other but that the building of a certain Wall made it apparent to him how much time he had slept away He lived above forty years after viz. to the year 1587. Let us conclude this year with the death of Martin Luther that famous impugner of the Church of Rome who being sent for by the Counts of Mansfield to compose some differences between them concerning their inheritance died among them in his Climacterical year and after much contention for his Body lieth buried at Wirtenberg ANNO DOM. 1547. HEnry long since grown corpulent was become a burthen to himself and of late lame by reason of a violent Ulcer in his Leg the inflammation whereof cast him into a lingering Fever which by little and little decaying his spirits he at length began to feel the inevitable necessity of death The cogitation of many things as in the like exigents usually happeneth oppressed him and chiefly of his Son's nonage but now entring into his tenth year an age infirm and opportune to treacheries against which he found small provision in his Friends having none amongst those on whose Loyalty he chiefly relied of so sufficient eminency as to underprop his weak Estate with those supporters of Royalty Power and Authority His Brother-in-Law the Duke of Suffolk was lately deceased Seymour the young Prince's Uncle was a man whose Goodness was not tempered with Severity and being descended of a Family more ancient than noble as having until now never transcended Knighthood would be subject to contempt They who more nearly participated of the Blood Royal as they any way excelled in Power or Virtue were the more suspected and hated by him The Family of the Howards was then most flourishing the chief whereof was Thomas Duke of Norfolk a man famous for his exploits in France Scotland and elsewhere long exercised in the School of Experience many ways deriving himself from the Crown popular of great command and revenues But the edge of the old man's disposition made mild and blunted with age administred the less cause of suspition Of his eldest Son Henry Earl of Surrey the King was certainly jealous and resolved to cut him off He had lately in the Wars of France manifested himself heir to the glory of his Ancestors was of a ripe wit and endued with great Learning so that the Elogy afterwards given to his Son Henry that He was the Learned'st among the 〈◊〉 and the Noblest among the Learned might have as fitly been applied to him was very gracious with the people expert in the Art Military and esteemed fit for publick Government These great Virtues were too great Faults and for them he must suffer Treason is objected to him and upon the surmise he and his Father sent to the Tower On the thirteenth of January he is arraigned the chief point of his accusation whereon they insisted being for bearing certain Arms which only belonged to the King and consequently aspiring to the Crown Of other things he easily acquitted himself and as for those Arms he constantly affirmed that they hereditarily pertained unto him yet notwithstanding he would not have presumed to have born them but being warranted by the opinion of the Heralds who only were to give judgment in these cases The Judges not approving of his answer condemn him and so the Flower of the English Nobility is on the nineteenth of January beheaded the King lying in extremity and breathing his last in Blood The Duke was adjudged to perpetual imprisonment where he continued until he was by Queen Mary set at liberty The King his disease growing on him at last makes his Will wherein by virtue of a Law lately Enacted he ordains Prince Edward his Successour in the first place and in the second Prince Edward dying Issueless substitutes the Lady Mary begotten of Catharine of Arragon and upon the like defect of Issue in Mary in the third place substitutes the Lady Elizabeth These three reigned successively and accomplished the number of fifty six years at the expiration whereof Queen Elizabeth ended her long glorious Reign and left the Diadem to King James in the many regards of his Learning Religion Goodness peaceable and happy Reign the Mirrour of late Ages The next care was of his Executors whom he also appointed Tutors shall I say or Counsellors to his Son and were in number sixteen viz. Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Wriothsley Lord Chancellour William Paulet Lord Saint-John John Russel Lord Privy Seal Edward Seymour Earl of Hertford John Dudley Viscount Lisle Lord Admiral Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of Duresm Sir Anthony Brown Master of the Horse Sir Edward Mountague Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Sir William Paget Sir William Harbert Sir Thomas
beginning of her Sickness her friends supposing that she grieved at the absence of her Husband whom she saw so engaged in Wars abroad that she could not hope for his speedy return used consolatory means and endeavoured to remove from her that fixed sadness wherewith she seemed to be oppressed But she utterly averse from all comfort and giving her self over to melancholy told them That she died but that of the true cause of her Death they were ignorant which if they were desirous to know they should after her death dissect her Heart and there they should find Calais Intimating thereby that the loss of Calais had occasioned this fatal grief which was thought to have been increased by the Death of the Emperour her Father-in-Law But the truth is her Liver being over-cooled by a Mole these things peradventure might hasten her end which could not otherwise be far from her and cast her by degrees into that kind of Dropsie which Physicians term Ascites This Dropsie being not discovered in time deceived her Physicians who believed that she had conceived by King Philip whereas she alas did breed nothing but her own Death So mature remedies being not applied and she not observing a fit Diet she fell into a Fever which increasing by little and little at last ended in her Death She lieth interred at Westminster in the midst of that Chappel which is on the North side of her Grandfather Henry the Seventh his Monument where her Sister Queen Elizabeth was after Buried with her and over both by the pious Liberality of that most Munificent Prince King James hath since been erected a most stately Monument well befitting the Majesty of such great Monarchs QVEEN ELIZABETH ANNO DOM. 1558. HAving thus briefly run over the Reigns of these three Princes Queen Elizabeth's times in the next place offer themselves which deservedly requiring a more accurate Style I will here set a period to this Work not so much with intent to pretermit them as reserving them for a more exact labour In the mean time to give some satisfaction to the Reader I will make this short Addition Some few hours after the decease of Queen Mary the Estates then assembled in Parliament on the seventeenth of November declared her Sister the Lady Elizabeth Queen who was Daughter to Henry the Eighth and Ann Bolen Having most gloriously reigned forty four years four months and seven days she ended her Life and Reign on the four and twentieth of March Anno 1603 the Crown being by her death devolved to the renowned King of Scots James the Sixth to whom it was so far from feeling it a burthen to have succeeded so good a Princess that never was any Prince received with greater Applause and Gratulation of his People Many think their condition happy if they exchange a Caligula for a Claudius or a Nero for a Vitellius or an Otho But that any Mortal should please after Elizabeth may seem a Miracle and is a great argument both of rare Virtue in the succeeding King and of a right Judgment in the Subject For this great Lady was so far beyond Example that even the best Princes come short of her and they who most inveigh against that Sex contend that Woman is incapable of those Virtues in her most eminent Wisdom Clemency variety of Languages and Magnanimity equal to that of Men to which I add fervent Zeal of Piety and true Religion But in these things peradventure some one or other may equal her What I shall beyond all this speak of her and let me speak it without offence to my most Excellent Sovereign James the Pattern of Princes the Mirrour of our Age the Delight of Britain no Age hath hitherto parallel'd nor if my Augury fail not none ever shall That a Woman and if that be not enough a Virgin destitute of the help of Parents Brothers Husband being surrounded with Enemies the Pope thundring the Spaniard threatning the French scarce dissembling his secret hate as many of the neighbouring Princes as were devoted to Rome clashing about her should contain this Warlike Nation not only in Obedience but in Peace also and beyond all this Popery being profligated in the true Divine Worship Hence it comes to pass that England which is among the rest of it self a Miracle hath not these many years heard the noise of War and that our Church which she found much distracted transcends all others of the Christian World For you shall at this day scarce find any Church which either defiled with Popish Superstitions or despoiled of those Revenues which should maintain Professors of the Truth hath not laid open a way to all kind of Errours gross Ignorance in Learning especially Divine and at length to Ethnick Barbarousness But to what end do I insist on these or the like they being sufficiently known even to the Barbarians themselves and Fame having trumpetted them throughout the World Which things when and how they were done how bountifully she aided and relieved her Allies how bravely she resisted brake vanquished her Enemies I have a desire in a continued History to declare and will God willing declare if I can attain to the true intelligence of the passages of those times have leisure for the compiling it and that no other more able than my self which I wish may happen in the mean time engage themselves therein LAUS DEO * * The Original of this Proclamation remaineth with Sir Robert 〈◊〉 a worthy Preserver and Treasurer of rare Antiquities from whose Manuscripts I have had much light for the furnishing of this Work His Privy-Council The Funerals of K. Henry the Seventh St. Stephen's Chappel The Coronation of Henry the Eighth His Marriage The death of Lady Margaret Countess of Richmond Empson and Dudley An Expedition into Africk Into Gueldres Barton a Pirat taken War with France A fruitless Voyage into Spain The Spaniard seiseth on Navarr The Lord Admiral drowned Terovenne besieged The Battel of Spurs Terovenne yielded Maximilian the Emperor serveth under King Henry The Siege of Tournay Tournay yielded Wolsey Bishop of Tournay The King of Scots slaim Flodden-Field The descent and Honours of the Howards Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk Charles Somerset Earl of Worcester Peace with France The Lady Mary the King's Sister married to Lewis the Twelfth King of France Cardinal Wolfey A breach with France The Star-Chamber and The Court of Requests instituted by Wolsey Ill May-day The Sweating-Sickness Peace with France The death of the Emperour Maximilian The Emperour Charles the Fifth in England Canterbury Interview betwixt the Kings of England and France Henry visits Emperour at Graveling The Duke of Buckingham accused of Treason King Henry writeth against Luther Luther's departure from the Church of Rome The Kings of England by the Pope stiled Defender of the Faith The death of Leo the Tenth Cardinal Wolsey and others sins Ambassadors to the Emperour and French King The Emperour Charles the second time in England Windsor The
the Rebels camp 21 Espousals of James King of Scotland and Lady Margaret 118 Exchanges unlawful prohibited 40 Exceter besieged by Perkin 102 the Loyalty of the Town 103 the Town rewarded with the King 's own Sword 105 Execution of Humphrey Stafford 12 John a Chamber and his fellow-Rebels at York 41 Sir James Tyrril murderer of King Edward's two Sons 71 of divers others 75 Sir William Stanley 77 Rebels 79 Perkin's company 81 Audley and Cornish Rebels 96 another counterfeit Earl of Warw. 110 Perkin Warbeck 111 the Mayor of Cork and his Son ibid. Earl of Warwick ibid. F. FAme ill affected 97 Fame entertained by divers the reasons of it 70 Fame neglected by Empson and Dudley 119 Fear not safe to the King 79 Fines 43 Without Fines Statute to sell Land 58 Flammock a Lawyer a Rebel 92 Flemings banished 75 Flight of King Henry out of Britain into France wherefore 34 Forfeitures and Confiscations furnish the King's wants 9 17 Forfeitures aimed at 45 76 Forfeitures upon Penal Laws taken by the King which was the blot of his times 80 Fortune various 16 22 Forwardness inconsiderate 96 Fox made Privy Counsellor 10 made Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal ib. his providence 98 Free-fishing of the Dutch 129 Title to France renewed by the King in Parliament 56 Frion joyns with Perkin 68 First-fruits 10 In forma Pauperis a Law enacted for it 84 G. GAbato Sebastian makes a Voyage for Discovery 107 Gordon Lady Katherine wife to Perkin 87 Granado vindicated from the Moors 60 Guard Yoomen first instituted 7 Gifts of the French King to King Henry's Counsellors and Souldiers 64 Gratitude of the Pope's Lègate to King Henry 42 H. HAllowed Sword from the Pope 101 Hatred of the People to the King with the main reason of it 12 Hearty Acclamations of the People to the King 〈◊〉 King Henry his Description 133 c. his Piety 1 60 he hath three Titles to the Kingdom 2 Hereticks provided against a rare thing in those times 115 Hern a Counsellor to Perkin 101 Hialas otherwise Elias to England how 98 Holy War 114 Hopes of gain by War 64 Hostages redeemed by the King 10 Houses of Husbandry to be maintained to prevent the decay of People 45 Histories defects in them what 46 I. IAmes the Third King of Scotland his distress and death 42 Idols vex God and King Henry 105 John Egremond Leader of the Rebels 41 Inclosures their manifest inconveniencies and how remedied 44 Ingratitude of Women punished 85 Innovation desired 12 Incense of the People what 118 Instructions of Lady Margaret to 〈◊〉 66 Intercursus Magnus 91 Intercursus Malus ibid. 129 Invectives of Maximilian against the French King 〈◊〉 Invectives against the King and Council 79 Improvidence of King Henry to prevent his troubles 12 14 Improvidence of the French 82 Jointure of Lady Katherine how much 117 Jointure of Lady Margaret in Scotland how much 119 Joseph a Rebel 92 Ireland favoureth York Title 15 Ireland receiveth Simon the Priest of Oxford with his counterfeit ibid. Irish adhere to Perkin 68 Jubile at Rome 114 Juno i. e. the Lady Margaret so called by the King's friends 65 K. KAtherine Gordon Perkin's Wife royally entertained by K. Hen. 104 Kent loyal to the King 81 94 The King the publick Steward 36 Kings their miseries 50 King of Rakehels Perkin so called by King Henry 103 The King's Skreen who 92 King of France Protector of King Henry in his trouble 133 Kingdom of France restored to its integrity 25 King of France buys his Peace of King Henry 64 King of Scots enters England 87 again 98 Knights of the Bath 95 Knights of Rhodes 〈◊〉 King Henry Protector of the Order 115 L. LAncaster Title condemned by Parliament 3 Lancaster House in possession of the Crown for three Descents together 〈◊〉 Lambert Simnel See Counterfeit 13 Laws enacted in Parliament 38 Divers Laws enacted 123 Law charitable enacted 84 A good Law enacted ibid. A Law of a strange 〈◊〉 83 A Law against carrying away of Women by violence the reasons of it 39 Law of Poynings 79 Laws Penal put in execution 80 A Legate from the Pope 42 preferred to be Bishop in England by King Henry ibid. his gratitude to King Henry ibid. Lenity of the King abused 101 Letters from the King out of France to the Mayor of London 64 A Libel 55 Libels the causes of them 79 Libels the females of Sedition ibid. Libels the Authors executed ibid. A Loan from the City to the King repaid 46 London entred by King Henry in a close Chariot wherefore 5 London in a tumult because of the Rebels 95 London purchase Confirmation of their Liberties 124 M. MAlecontents their effects 40 Margaret of Burgundy the fountain of all the mischief to K. Henry 18 she entertains the Rebels 41 69 she a Juno to the King 65 she instructs Perkin 66 Lady Margaret desired in Marriage by the Scottish King 108 Manufacture forein how to be kept out 36 123 Marriage of King Henry with Lady Elizabeth 10 of the French King with the Duchess of Britain 55 of Prince Arthur 116 Mart translated to Calice the reasons of it 74 Maintenance prohibited by Law 38 Merchants of England received at Antwerp with procession and great joy 91 A memorable Memorandum of the King 121 Military power of the Kingdom advanced how 44 Mills of Empson and Dudley what and the gains they brought in 124 Mitigations 120 Money bastard employments thereof repressed 36 Money left at the King's death how much 132 Morton made Privy Counsellor 10 made Archbishop of Canterbury ib. his Speech to the Parliament 32 Morton's Fork 58 Morton author of the Union of the two Roses 114 Moors expelled Granado 61 Murmuring 14 Murmurs of the People against the King 70 Murther and Manslaughter a Law concerning it in amendment of the common Law 39 Murther of King Edward the Fifth 85 Murther of a Commissioner for the Subsidy 93 N. NAvigation of the Kingdom how advanced 45 Neighbour over-potent dangerous 34 Bad News the effect thereof in Souldiers 63 Nobility neglected in Council the ill effects of it 32 Nobility few of them put to death in King Henry's time 134 North the King's journey thither for what reasons 11 O. OAth of Allegiance taken 9 Oath enforced upon Maximilian by his Subjects 46 Oath kept ibid. Obedience neglected what follows 42 First Occasion of a happy Union 109 Obsequies for the French King performed in England ibid. Obsequies to Tyrants what 1 An Ominous answer of the King 119 An Ominous Prognostick 129 Opinions divers what was to be done with Perkin 105 Orator from the Pope met at London-Bridge by the Mayor 101 Order of the Garter sent to Alphonso 64 Ostentation of Religion by the King of Spain 60 Over-merit prejudicial to Sir William Stanley 73 Outlawries how punished 120 Oxford Earl fined for breach of the Law 121 P. PAcificator King Henry between the French King and Duke of Britain 32 Pardon
proclaimed by the King 9 11 16 A Parliament called speedily 7 A Parliament called for two reasons 33 another 122 Parliaments advice desired by the King 33 35 56 Passions contrary in King Henry joy and sorrow with the reasons of both 36 Peace pretended by the French King 29 Peace to be desired but with two conditions 33 Peace concluded between England and France 64 People how brought to decay the redress of it by the King 44 Pensions given by the King of France 64 A Personation somewhat strange 65 A great Plague 12 Edward Plantagenet Son and Heir of George Duke of Clarence 4 Edward Plantagenet shewed to the People 17 Plantagenet's Race ended 195 Perkin Warbeck History of him 65 his Parentage 68 God son to K. Edward the Fourth ibid. his crafty behaviour 65 69 favoured by the French King 68 by him discarded 69 favoured by the Scottish King 85 he yieldeth and is brought to the Court 106 set in the Stocks 109 executed at Tyburn 111 A Pleasant passage of Prince Arthur 118 Policy to prevent War 26 A point of Policy to defend the Duchy of Britain against the French 29 34 Policy of State 26 Pope sows seeds of War 54 Pope Ambassador to him 24 Poynings Law in Ireland 79 Priest of Oxford Simon 13 Pretence of the French King 28 29 Prerogative how made use of 133 Price of Cloth limited 45 Prisoners Edward Plantagenet 4 Prince of Orange and Duke of Orleance 37 Maximilian by his Subjects 46 Priviledges of Clergy abridged 39 Priviledges of Sanctuary qualified in three points 24 Proclamation of Perkin what effect 90 Protection for being in the King's service limited 58 Proverb 104 Providence for the future 43 Q. QUeen Dowager 13 enclosed in the Monastery of Bermondsey 16 her variety of Fortune ibid. Queens Colledge founded in Cambridge 17 Q. Elizabeth Crowned after two years 24 Queen Elizabeth's death 119 R. REbellion of Lord Lovel and Staffords 11 Rebellion in Yorkshire 41 Rebellion how to be prevented 35 Rebellion how frequent in King Henry's time 42 Rebellion of the Cornishmen 92 Rebels but half-couraged men 96 Religion abused to serve Policy 122 Remorse of the King for oppression of his People 131 Restitution to be made by the King 's Will 132 Return of the King from France 64 Retribution of King Henry for Treasure received of his Subjects 43 Revenge divine 1 Revenge of Blood 122 Reward proposed by Perkin 111 Richard the Third a Tyrant 1 Richard slain at Bosworth-field ibid. this 〈◊〉 Burial ibid. murder of his two Nephews 2 jealous to maintain his Honour and Reputation ibid. hopes to win the People by making Laws ibid. this Virtues overswayed by his Vices 2 yet favoured in Yorkshire 40 Riches of King Henry at his death 132 Riches of Sir William Stanley 76 Richmond built upon what occasion 106 Riot and Retainers suppressed by Act of Parliament 123 Rome ever respected by King Henry 42 A Rumour false procuring much hatred to the King 12 Rumour false enquired after to be punished 23 Rumour that the Duke of York was alive first of the King 's own nourishing 37 S. SAnctuary at Colneham could not protect Traytors 12 Sanctuary-priviledges qualified by a Bull from the Pope in three points 24 Saturday observed and fancied by King Henry 5 96 Saying of the King when he heard of Rebels 41 Scottish men voyded out of England 58 Service of 〈◊〉 92 Simon the Priest 13 Skreens to the King who 92 A Sleight ingenious and taking good effect in War 〈◊〉 Sluce besieged and taken ibid. Soothsayers Prediction mistaken 〈◊〉 Speeches 32 49 53 Speech of the King to Parliament 55 Speech of Perkin 85 Speech conditional doth not qualifie 〈◊〉 of Treason 77 Speeches bitter against the King 64 Sparks of Rebellion neglected dangerous 〈◊〉 Spies from the King 72 Sprites of what kind vexed K. Henry 65 Stanley Sir William crowns King Henry in the field 〈◊〉 motives of his falling from the King 77 is appeached of Treason 70 is confined examined and consesseth 〈◊〉 is beheaded 77 Reasons which aliènated the King's affections 78 Star-Chamber Court confirmed in certain cases 38 Star-Camber Court described what Causes belong to it ibid. Statute of Non-claim 43 Steward publick the King 36 Strength of the Cornishmen 96 Spoils of Bosworth-field 78 Spoils as water spilt on the ground 97 Subsidy denied by the inhabitants of Yorkshire and Durham the reason wherefore 40 Subsidies denied by the Cornishmen 92 Subsidy Commissioner killed 93 Subsidy how much 91 Swart Martin 19 Sweating Sickness 6 the manner of the cure of it ibid. Sweating Sickness the interpretation the People made of it 23 T. ATale pleasant concerning the King 137 Terrour among the King's Servants and Subjects 67 Tyrrell Sir James a murderer of King Edward's two Sons 71 Tyrell executed 122 Thanks of the King to the Parliament 32 Thanksgiving to God for the Victory 1 23 24 61 Three Titles to the Kingdom meet in King Henry 2 Title to France stirred 54 by the King himself 55 Treasure to be kept in the Kingdom 45 Treasure raised by the King how 23 31 120 Treasure inordinately affected by the King 121 Treasure how increased 124 Treasure left at the King's death how much 132 Trade the increase thereof considered 36 Trade in decay pincheth 90 Traytors taken out of Sanctuary 12 Tower the King's lodging wherefore 75 A Triplicity dangerous 94 Triumph at the Marriage of the Lady Elizabeth to King Henry 10 Truce with Scotland 25 Tyrants the Obsequies of the People to them 1 V. VIctory wisely husbanded by the French 37 Victory at Black-heath 96 Union of England and Scotland its first original 98 Voyage of King Henry into France 63 Voyage for Discovery 107 Urswick Ambassador 65 Usury 40 W. VVAlsingham Lady vowed to by King Henry 20 Wards wronged 120 War between the French King and the Duke of Britain 30 War the fame thereof advantagious to King Henry 31 War gainful to the King 91 War pretended to get money 57 War of France ended by a Peace where at the Souldiers murmur 64 White Rose of England 69 104 Wilford counterfeit Earl of Warwick 110 A Wives affection 129 Woodvile voluntarily goes to aid the Duke of Britain 31 Woodvile slain at St. Albans in Britain 62 Wolsey employed by the King 130 Women carried away by violence a Law enacted against it the reasons 39 Womens ingratitude punished by Law 84 Y. YEomen of the Guard first instituted 7 Yeomanry how maintained 44 York House and Title favoured by the People 3 12 York Title and Line depressed by King Henry 4 10 York Title favoured in Ireland 15 Yorkshire and Durham deny to pay the Subsidy 49 THE HISTORY Of the Reign of KING HENRY The SEVENTH AFter that Richard the Third of that Name King in Fact only but Tyrant both in Title and Regiment and so commonly termed and reputed in all times since was by the Divine Revenge favouring the Design of an Exil'd man overthrown and slain at
from the one out of desire and from the other out of dissimulation about the negotiation of Peace The French King mean-while invaded Britain with great Forces and distressed the City of Nantes with a strait Siege and as one who though he had no great Judgement yet had that that he could Dissemble home the more he did urge the prosecution of the War the more he did at the same time urge the solicitation of the Peace Insomuch as during the Siege of Nantes after many Letters and particular Messages the better to maintain his dissimulation and to refresh the Treaty he sent Bernard Daubigney a person of good quality to the King earnestly to desire him to make an end of the business howsoever The King was no less ready to revive and quicken the Treaty and thereupon sent three Commissioners the Abbot of Abbington Sir Richard Tunstal and Chaplain Urswick formerly employed to do their utmost endeavours to manage the Treaty roundly and strongly About this time the Lord Woodvile Uncle to the Queen a valiant Gentleman and desirous of Honour sued to the King that he might raise some Power of Voluntaries under-hand and without licence or pasport wherein the King might any ways appear go to the ayd of the Duke of Britain The King denyed his request or at least seemed so to do and 〈◊〉 strait Commandment upon him that he should not stir for that the King thought his Honour would suffer therein during a Treaty to better a Party Nevertheless this Lord either being unruly or out of conceit that the King would not inwardly dislike that which he would not openly avow sailed secretly over into the Isle of 〈◊〉 whereof he was Governour and levied a fair Troop of four hundred men and with them passed over into Britain and joyned himself with the Duke's forces The news whereof when it came to the French Court put divers Young bloods into such a fury as the English Ambassadors were not without peril to be outraged But the French King both to preserve the Priviledge of Ambassadors and being conscious to himself that in the business of Peace he himself was the greater dissembler of the two forbad all injuries of fact or word against their Persons or Followers And presently came an Agent from the King to purge himself touching the Lord Woodvile's going over using for a principal argument to demonstrate that it was without his privity for that the Troops were so small as neither had the face of a Succour by Authority nor could much advance the Britains Affairs To which Message although the French King gave no full credit yet he made fair weather with the King and seemed satisfied Soon after the English Ambassadors returned having two of them been likewise with the Duke of Britain and found things in no other terms than they were before Upon their return they informed the King of the state of the Affairs and how far the French King was from any true meaning of Peace and therefore he was now to advise of some other course Neither was the King himself 〈◊〉 all this while with credulity meerly as was generally supposed but his Errour was not so much facility of belief as an ill-measuring of the Forces of the other Party For as was partly touched before the King had cast the business thus with himself He took it for granted in his own judgement that the War of Britain in respect of the strength of the Towns and of the Party could not speedily come to a period For he conceived that the Counsels of a War that was undertaken by the French King then Childless against an Heir-apparent of France would be very faint and slow And besides that it was not possible but that the state of France should be embroyled with some troubles and 〈◊〉 in favour of the Duke of Orleance He conceived likewise that Maximilian King of the Romans was a Prince warlike and potent who he made account would give succours to the Britains roundly So then judging it would be a work of Time he laid his Plot how he might best make use of that Time for his own affairs Wherein first he thought to make his vantage upon his Parliament knowing that they being affectionate unto the Quarrel of Britain would give Treasure largely Which Treasure as a noise of War might draw forth so a Peace succeeding might coffer up And because he knew his People were 〈◊〉 upon the business he chose rather to seem to be deceived and 〈◊〉 asleep by the French than to be backward in himself considering his Subjects were not so fully capable of the reasons of State which made him hold back Wherefore to all these purposes he saw no other expedient than to set and keep on foot a continual Treaty of Peace laying it down and taking it up again as the occurrence required Besides he had in consideration the point of Honour in bearing the blessed person of a Pacificator He thought likewise to make use of the Envy that the French King met with by occasion of this War of Britain in strengthning himself with new Alliances as namely that of Ferdinando of Spain with whom he had ever a consent even in Nature and Customs and likewise with Maximilian who was particularly interessed So that in substance he promised himself Money Honour Friends and Peace in the end But those things were too fine to be fortunate and succeed in all parts for that great affairs are commonly too rough and stubborn to be wrought upon by the finer edges or points of Wit The King was likewise deceived in his two main grounds For although he had reason to conceive that the Council of France would be wary to put the King into a War against the Heir-apparent of France yet he did not consider that Charles was not guided by any of the principal of the Blood or Nobility but by mean men who would make it their Master-piece of Credit and Favour to give venturous Counsols which no great or wise man durst or would And for Maximilian he was thought then a Greater-matter than he was his unstable and necessitous Courses being not then known After Consultation with the Ambassadors who brought him no other news than he expected before though he would not seem to know it till then he presently summoned his Parliament and in open Parliament propounded the Cause of Britain to both Houses by his Chancellor Morton Archbishop of Canterbury who spake to this effect MY Lords and Masters The King's Grace our Sovereign Lord hath commanded me to declare unto you the Causes that have moved him at this time to summon this his Parliament which I shall do in few words craving Pardon of his Grace and you all if I perform it not as I would His Grace doth first of all let you know that he retaineth in thankful memory the Love and Loyalty shewed to him by you at your last Meeting in Establishment of his Royalty freeing and discharging
of his Partakers and confiscation of his Traytors and Rebels more than which could not come from Subjects to their Sovereign in one action This he taketh so well at your hands as he hath made it a Resolution to himself to communicate with so loving and well-approved Subjects in all Affairs that are of publick nature at home or abroad Two therefore are the causes of your present Assembling the one a Forein business the other matter of Government at home The French King as no doubt ye have heard maketh at this present hot War upon the Duke of Britain His Army is now before Nantes and holdeth it straitly Besieged being the principal City if not in Creremony and Preheminence yet in Strength and Wealth of that Duchy Ye may guess at his Hopes by his attempting of the hardest part of the War first The cause of this War he knoweth best He alledgeth the entertaining and succouring of the Duke of Orleance and some other French Lords whom the King taketh for his Enemies Others divine of other Matters Both parts have by their Ambassadors divers times prayed the King's Ayds The French King Ayds or Neutrality the Britons Ayds simply for so their case requireth The King as a Christian Prince and blessed Son of the Holy Church hath offered himself as a Mediator to treat a Peace between them The French King yieldeth to Treat but will not stay the prosecution of the War The Britons that desire Peace most hearken to it least not upon considence or stiffness but upon distrust of true meaning seeing the War goes on So as the King after as much pains and care to effect a Peace as ever he took in any business not being able to remove the Prosecution on the one side nor the Distrust on the other caused by that Prosecution hath let fall the Treaty not repenting of it but despairing of it now as not likely to succeed Therefore by this Narrative you now understand the state of the Question whereupon the King prayeth your Advice which is no other but whether he shall enter into an auxiliary and defensive War for the Britons against France And the better to open your understandings in this Affair the King bath commanded me to say somewhat to you from him of the Persons that do intervene in this Business and somewhat of the Consequence thereof as it hath relation to this Kingdom and somewhat of the Example of it in general making nevertherless no Conclusion or Judgement of any Point until his Grace hath received your faithful and politique Advices First for the King our Sovereign himself who is the principal Person you are to eye in this business his Grace doth profess that he truly and constantly desireth to reign in Peace But his Grace saith he will neither buy Peace with Dishonour nor take it up at interest of Danger to ensue but shall think it a good Change if it pleased God to change the inward Troubles and Seditions wherewith he hath been hitherto exercised into an honourable Forein War And for the other two Persons in this Action the French King and the Duke of Britain his Grace doth declare unto you that they be the men unto whom he is of all other Friends and Allies most bounden the one having held over him his hand of Protection from the Tyrant the other having reacht forth unto him his hand of help for the Recovery of his Kingdom So that his affection toward them in his natural Person is upon equal terms And whereas you may have heard that his Grace was enforced to fly out of Britain into France for doubts of being betrayed his Grace would not in any sort have that reflect upon the Duke of Britain in defacement of his former benefits for that he is throughly informed that it was but the practice of some corrupt persons about him during the time of his Sickness altogether without his consent or privity But howsoever these things do interess his Grace in his particular yet he knoweth well that the higher Bond that tyeth him to procure by all means the safety and welfare of his loving Subjects doth dis-interess him of these Obligations of Gratitude otherwise than thus that if his Grace be forced to make a War he do it without Passion or Ambition For the consequence of this Action towards this Kingdom it is much as the French King's intention is For if it be no more but to range his Subjects to reason who bear themselves stout upon the strength of the Duke of Britain it is nothing to us But if it be in the French King's purpose or if it should not be in his purpose yet if it shall follow all one as if it were sought that the French King shall make a Province of Britain and joyn it to the Crown of France then it is worthy the consideration how this may import England as well in the increasement of the greatness of France by the addition of such a Countrey that stretcheth his Boughs unto our Seas as in depriving this Nation and leaving it so naked of so firm and assured Confederates as the Britons have always been For then it will come to pass that whereas not long since this Realm was mighty upon the Continent first in Territory and after in Alliance in respect of Burgundy and Britain which were Confederates indeed but dependant Confederates now the one being already cast partly into the greatness of France and partly into that of Austria the other is like wholly to be cast into the greatness of France and this Island shall remain confined in effect within the Salt-Waters and girt about with the Coast-Countries of two mighty Monarchs For the Example it resteth likewise upon the same Question upon the French King's intent For if Britain be carried and swallowed up by France as the World abroad apt to impute and construe the Actions of Princes to Ambition conceive it will then it is an Example very dangerous and universal that the lesser Neighbour-Estate should be devoured of the greater For this may be the case of Scotland towards England of Portugal towards Spain of the smaller Estates of Italy towards the greater and so of Germany or as if some of you of the Commons might not live and dwell safely besides some of these great Lords And the bringing in of this Example will be chiefly laid to the King's charge as to him that was most interessed and most able to forbid it But then on the other side there is so fair a Pretext on the French King's part and yet pretext is never wanting to power in regard the danger imminent to his own Estate is such as may make this Enterprize seem rather a work of Necessity than of Ambition as doth in reason correct the Danger of the Example For that the Example of that which is done in a man 's own defence cannot be dangerous because it is in another's power to avoid it But in all this business
For passing through England and being honourably entertained and received of King Henry who ever applied himself with much respect to the See of Rome he fell into great grace with the King and great familiarity and friendship with Morton the Chancellor In so much as the King taking a liking to him and finding him to his mind preferred him to the Bishoprick of Hereford and afterwards to that of Bath and Wells and employed him in many of his affairs of State that had relation to Rome He was a man of great learning wisdom and dexterity in business of State and having not long after ascended to the degree of Cardinal payd the King large tribute of his gratitude in diligent and judicious advertisement of the occurrents of Italy Nevertheless in the end of his time he was partaker of the conspiracy which Cardinal Alphonso Petrucci and some other Cardinals had plotted against the life of Pope Leo. And this offence in it self so heinous was yet in him aggravated by the motive thereof which was not malice or discontent but an aspiring mind to the Papacy And in this height of impiety there wanted not an intermixture of levity and folly for that as was generally believed he was animated to expect the Papacy by a fatal mockery the Prediction of a Soothsayer which was That one should succeed Pope Leo whose name should be Adrian an aged man of mean birth and of great learning and wisdom By which character and figure he took himself to be described though it were fulfilled of Adrian the Fleming Son of a Dutch Brewer Cardinal of Tortosa and Preceptor unto Charles the Fifth the same that not changing his Christen-name was afterward called Adrian the Sixth But these things happened in the year following which was the fifth of this King But in the end of the fourth year the King had called again his Parliament not as it seemeth for any particular occasion of State But the former Parliament being ended somewhat suddenly in regard of the preparation for Britain the King thought he had not remunerated his People sufficiently with good Laws which evermore was his Retribution for Treasure And finding by the Insurrection in the North there was discontentment abroad in respect of the Subsidy he thought it good to give his Subjects yet further contentment and comfort in that kind Certainly his times for good Commonwealths Laws did 〈◊〉 So as he may justly be celebrated for the best Law-giver to this Nation after King Edward the First For his Laws who so marks them well are deep and not vulgar not made upon the spur of a particular Occasion for the present but out of Providence of the future to make the Estate of his People still more and more happy after the manner of the Legislators in ancient and Heroical times First therefore he made a Law suitable to his own Acts and Times For as himself had in his Person and Marriage made a final Concord in the great Suit and Title for the Crown so by this Law he setled the like Peace and Quiet in the private Possessions of the Subjects Ordaining That Fines thence-forth should be final to conclude all Strangers Rights and that upon Fines levied and solemnly proclaimed the Subject should have his time of Watch for five years after his Title accrued which if he forepassed his Right should be bound for ever after with some exception nevertheless of Minors Married-women and such incompetent Persons This Statute did in effect but restore an ancient Statute of the Realm which was it self also made but in affirmance of the Common-Law The alteration had been by a Statute commonly called the Statute of Non-claim made in the time of Edward the Third And surely this Law was a kind of Prognostick of the good Peace which since his time hath for the most part continued in this Kingdom until this day For Statutes of Non-claim are fit for times of War when mens heads are troubled that they cannot intend their Estate but Statutes that quiet Possessions are fittest for times of Peace to extinguish Suits and Contentions which is one of the Banes of Peace Another Statute was made of singular Policy for the Population apparently and if it be throughly considered for the Soldiery and Militar Forces of the Realm Inclosures at that time began to be more frequent whereby Arable Land which could not be manured without People and Families was turned into Pasture which was easily rid by a few Herds-men and Tenancies for Years Lives and At Will whereupon much of the Yeomandry lived were turned into Demesnes This bred a decay of People and by consequence a decay of Towns Churches Tythes and the like The King likewise knew full well and in no wise forgot that there ensued withal upon this a decay and diminution of Subsidy and Taxes for the more Gentlemen ever the lower Books of Subsidies In remedying of this inconvenience the King's Wisdom was admirable and the Parliaments at that time Inclosures they would not forbid for that had been to forbid the improvement of the Patrimony of the Kingdom nor Tillage they would not compel for that was to strive with Nature and Utility But they took a course to take away depopulating Inclosures and depopulating Pasturage and yet not by that name or by any Imperious express Prohibition but by consequence The Ordinance was That all Houses of Husbandry that were used with twenty Acres of Ground and upwards should be maintained and kept up for ever together with a competent proportion of Land to be used and occupied with them and in no wise to be severed from them as by another Statute made afterwards in his Successors time was more fully declared This upon Forfeiture to be taken not by way of Popular Action but by seisure of the Land it self by the King and Lords of the Fee as to half the Profits till the Houses and Lands were restored By this means the Houses being kept up did of necessity enforce a Dweller and the proportion of Land for Occupation being kept up did of necessity enforce that Dweller not to be a Beggar or Cottager but a man of some substance that might keep Hinds and Servants and set the Plough on goingThis did wonderfully concern the Might and Manner-hood of the Kingdom to have Ferms as it were of a Standard sufficient to maintain an able Body out of Penury and did in effect amortize a great part of the Lands of the Kingdom unto the Hold and Occupation of the Teomanry or Middle people of a condition between Gentlemen and Cottagers or Pesants Now how much this did advance the Militar power of the Kingdom is apparent by the true Principles of War and the examples of other Kingdoms For it hath been held by the general Opinion of men of best Judgement in the Wars howsoever some few have varied and that it may receive some distinction of Case that the principal strength of an Army consisteth in the Infantry
but contrariwise professing and giving out strongly that he meant to proceed with that Match And that for the Duchess of Britain he desired only to preserve his right of Seigniory and to give her in Marriage to some such Allie as might depend upon him When the three Commissioners came to the Court of England they delivered their Ambassage unto the King who remitted them to his Council where some days after they had Audience and made their Proposition by the Prior of the Trinity who though he were third in place yet was held the best Speaker of them to this effect MY Lords the King our Master the greatest and mightiest King that reigned in France since Charles the Great whose Name he beareth hath nevertheless thought it no disparagement to his Greatness at this time to propound a Peace yea and to pray a Peace with the King of England For which purpose he hath sent us his Commissioners instructed and enabled with full and ample power to treat and conclude giving us further in charge to open in some other business the secrets of his own intentions These be indeed the pretious Love-tokens between great Kings to communicate one with another the true state of their Affairs and to pass by nice Points of Honour which ought not to give Law unto Affection This I do assure your Lordships It is not possible for you to imagine the true and cordial Love that the King our Master beareth to your Sovereign except you were near him as we are He useth his Name with so great respect he remembreth their first acquaintance at Paris with so great contentment nay he never speaks of him but that presently he falls into discourse of the miseries of great Kings in that they cannot converse with their Equals but with Servants This affection to your King's Person and Virtues GOD hath put into the Heart of our Master no doubt for the good of Christendom and for purposes yet unknown to us all For other Root it cannot have since it was the same to the earl of Richmond that it is now to the King of England This is therefore the first motive that makes our King to desire Peace and League with your Sovereign Good affection and somewhat that he finds in his own Heart This affection is also armed with reason of Estate For our King doth in all candour and frankness of dealing open himself unto you that having an honourable yea and a Holy purpose to make a Voyage and War in remote parts he considereth that it will be of no small effect in point of Reputation to his Enterprize if it be known abroad that he ulin in good peace with all his Neighbour Princes and specially with the King of England whom for good causes he esteemeth most But now my Lords give me leave to use a few words to remove all scruples and miss-understandings between your Sovereign and ours concerning some late Actions which if they be not cleared may perhaps hinder this Peace To the end that for matters past neither King may conceive unkindness of other nor think the other conceiveth unkindness of him The late Actions are two that of Britain and that of Flanders In both which it is true that the Subjects swords of both Kings have encountred and stricken and the ways and inclinations also of the two Kings in respect of their Confederates and Allies have severed For that of Britain The King your Sovereign knoweth best what hath passed It was a War of necessity on our Masters part And though the Motives of it were sharp and piquant as could be yet did be make that War rather with an Olive-branch than a Laurel-branch in his hand more desiring Peace than Victory Besides from time to time he sent as it were Blank-papers to your King to write the conditions of Peace For though both his Honour and Safety went upon it yet he thought neither of them too precious to put into the King of England's hands Neither doth our King on the other side make any unfriendly interpretation of your King 's sending of Succours to the Duke of Britain for the King knoweth well that many things must be done of Kings for satisfaction of their People and it is not hard to discern what is a King 's own But this matter of Britain is now by the Act of GOD ended and passed and as the King hopesh like the way of a Ship in the Sea without leaving any impression in either of the Kings minds as he is sure for his part it hath not done in his For the Action of Flanders As the former of Britain was a War of Necessity so this was a War of Justice which with a good King is of equal necessity with danger of Estate for else he should leave to be a King The Subjects of Burgundy are Subjects in Chief to the Crown of France and their Duke the Homager and Vassal of France They had wont to be good Subjects howsoever Maximilian hath of late distempered them They fled to the King for Justice and deliverance from Oppression Justice he could not deny Purchase he did not seek This was good for Maximilian if he could have seen it in people mutined to arrest Fury and prevent Despair My Lords it may be this I have said is needless save that the King our Master is tender in any thing that may but glance upon the Friendship of England The amity between the two Kings no doubt stands entire and inviolate And that their Subjects swords have clashed it is nothing unto the publick Peace of the Crowns it being a thing very usual in Auxiliary Forces of the best and straitest Confederates to meet and draw blood in the Field Nay many times there be Ayds of the same Nation on both sides and yet it is not for all that A Kingdom divided in it self It resteth my Lords that I impart unto you a matter that I know your Lordships all will much rejoyce to hear as that which importeth the Christian Common-weal more than any Action that hath hapned of long time The King our Master hath a purpose and determination to make War upon the Kingdom of Naples being now in the possession of a Bastardship of Arragon but appertaining unto his Majesty by clear and undoubted right which if he should not by just Arms seek to recover he could neither acquit his Honour nor answer it to his People But his Noble and Christian thoughts rest not here For his Resolution and Hope is to make the Re-conquest of Naples but as a Bridge to transport his Forces into Grecia and not to spare Blood or Treasure if it were to the impawning of his Crown and dis-peopling of France till either he hath overthrown the Empire of the Ottomans or taken it in his way to Paradise The King knoweth well that this is a design that could not arise in the mind of any King that did not stedfastly look up unto GOD whose quarrel this
is and from whom cometh both the will and the Deed. But yet it is agreeable to the Person that he beareth though unworthy of the Thrice-Christian King and the Eldest Son of the Church Whereunto he is also invited by the Example in more ancient time of King Henry the Fourth of England the First Renowned King of the House of Lancaster Ancestor though not Progenitor to your King who had a purpose towards the end of his time as you know better to make an Expedition into the Holy Land and by the Example also present before his eyes of that Honourable and Religious War which the King of Spain now maketh and hath almost brought to perfection for the Recovery of the Realm of Granada from the Moors And although this Enterprize may seem vast and unmeasured for the King to attempt that by his own Forces wherein heretofore a Conjunction of most of the Christian Princes hath found work enough yet his Majesty wisely considereth that sometimes smaller Forces being united under one Command are more effectual in Proof though not so promising in Opinion and Fame than much greater Forces variously propounded by Associations and Leagues which commonly in a short time after their beginnings turn to Dissociations and Divisions But my Lords that which is as a Voice from Heaven that called the King to this Enterprize is a Rent at this time in the House of the Ottomans I do not say but there hath been Brother against Brother in that House before but never any that had refuge to the Arms of the Christians as now hath Gemes Brother unto Bajazeth that reigneth the far braver man of the two the other being between a Monk and a Philosopher and better read in the Alcoran and Averroes than able to weild the Scepter of so warlike an Empire This therefore is the King our Master 's memorable and heroical Resolution for an Holy War And because he carrieth in this the person of a Christian Soldier as well as of a great Temporal Monarch he beginneth with Humility and is content for this cause to beg Peace at the hands of other Christian Kings There remaineth only rather a Civil Request than any essential part of our Negotiation which the King maketh to the King your Sovereign The King as the World knoweth is Lord in chief of the Duchy of Britain The Marriage of the Heir belongeth to him as Guardian This is a private Patrimonial Right and no business of Estate yet nevertheless to run a fair course with your King whom he desires to make another Himself and to be one and the same thing with him his Request is That with the King's Favour and Consent he may dispose of her Marriage as he thinketh good and make void the intruded and pretended Marriage of Maximilian according to Justice This my Lords is all that I have to say desiring your pardon for my weakness in the delivery THus did the French Ambassadors with great shew of their King's affection and many sugred words seek to adulce all matters between the two Kings having two things for their ends The one to keep the King quiet till the Marriage of Britain was past and this was but a Summers-fruit which they thought was almost ripe and would be soon gathered The other was more lasting and that was to put him into such a temper as he might be no disturbance or impediment to the Voyage for Italy The Lords of the Council were silent and said only That they knew the Ambassadors would look for no answer till they had reported to the King and so they rose from Council The King could not well tell what to think of the Marriage of Britain He saw plainly the ambition of the French King was to impatronize himself of the Duchy but he wondred he would bring into his House a litigious Marriage especially considering who was his Successor But weighing one thing with another he gave Britain for lost but resolved to make his profit of this business of Britain as a quarrel for War and that of Naples as a Wrench and mean for Peace being well advertised how strongly the King was bent upon that Action Having therefore conferred divers times with his Council and keeping himself somewhat close he gave a direction to the Chancellor for a formal Answer to the Ambassadors and that he did in the presence of his Council And after calling the Chancellor to him apart bade him speak in such language as was fit for a Treaty that was to end in a Breach and gave him also a special Caveat that he should not use any words to discourage the Voyage of Italy Soon after the Ambassadors were sent for to the Council and the Lord Chancellor spake to them in this sort MY Lords Ambassadors I shall make answer by the King's Commandment unto the eloquent Declaration of you my Lord Prior in a brief and plain manner The King forgetteth not his former love and acquaintance with the King your Master But of this there needeth no repetition For if it be between them as it was it is well if there be any alteration it is not words that will make it up For the Business of Britain the King findeth it a little strange that the French King maketh mention of it as matter of well-deserving at his hand For that Deserving was no more but to make him his Instrument to surprize one of his best Confederates And for the Marriage the King would not meddle in it if your Master would marry by the Book and not by the Sword For that of Flanders if the Subjects of Burgundy had appealed to your King as their Chief Lord at first by way of Supplication it might have had a shew of Justice But it was a new form of Process for Subjects to imprison their Prince first and to slay his Officers and then to be Complainants The King saith That sure he is when the French King and himself sent to the Subjects of Scotland that had taken Arms against their King they both spake in another Stile and did in Princely manner signifie their detestation of Popular Attentates upon the Person or Authority of Princes But my Lords Ambassadors the King leaveth these two actions thus That on the one side he hath not received any manner of satisfaction from you concerning them and on the other that he doth not apprehend them so deeply as in respect of them to refuse to treat of Peace if other things may go hand in hand As for the War of Naples and the Design against the Turk the King hath commanded me expresly to say That he doth wish with all his heart to his good Brother the French King that his Fortunes may succeed according to his hopes and honourable intentions And whensoever he shall hear that he is prepared for Grecia as your Master is pleased now to say that he beggeth a Peace of the King so the King will then beg of him a part in that War
But now my Lords Ambassadors I am to propound unto you somewhat on the King's part The King your Master hath taught our King what to say and demand You say my Lord Prior that your King is resolved to recover his right to Naples wrongfully detained from him And that if he should not thus do he could not acquit his Honour nor answer it to his People Think my Lords that the King our Master saith the same thing over again to you touching Normandy Guien Anjou yea and the Kingdom of France it self I cannot express it better than in your own words If therefore the French King shall consent that the King our Master's Title to France at least Tribute for the same be handled in the Treaty the King is content to go on with the rest otherwise he refuseth to Treat THE Ambassadors being somewhat abashed with this demand answered in some heat That they doubted not but the King their Sovereign's Sword would be able to maintain his Scepter And they assured themselves he neither could nor would yield to any diminution of the Crown of France either in Territory or Regality But howsoever they were too great matters for them to speak of having no Commission It was replied that the King looked for no other answer from them but would forthwith send his own Ambassadors to the French King There was a question also asked at the table Whether the French King would agree to have the disposing of the Marriage of Britain with an exception and exclusion that he should not marry her himself To which the Ambassadors answered That it was so far out of their King's thoughts as they had received no Instruction touching the same Thus were the Ambassadors dismissed all save the Prior and were followed immediately by Thomas Earl of Ormond and Thomas Goldenston Prior of Christ-Church in Canterbury who were presently sent over into France In the mean space Lionel Bishop of Concordia was sent as Nuntio from Pope Alexander the sixth to both Kings to move a Peace between them For Pope Alexander finding himself pent and lockt up by a League and Association of the principal States of Italy that he could not make his way for the advancement of his own House which he immoderately thirsted after was desirous to trouble the waters in Italy that he might fish the better casting the Net not out of St. Peter's but out of Borgia's Bark And doubting lest the fear from England might stay the French King's voyage into Italy dispatched this Bishop to compose all matters between the two Kings if he could Who first repaired to the French King and finding him well inclined as he conceived took on his Journey towards England and found the English Ambassadors at Calice on their way towards the French King After some conference with them he was in honourable manner transported over into England where he had audience of the King But notwithstanding he had a good ominous name to have made a Peace nothing followed For in the mean time the purpose of the French King to marry the Duchess could be no longer dissembled Wherefore the English Ambassadors finding how things went took their leave and returned And the Prior also was warned from hence to depart out of England Who when he turned his back more like a Pedant than an Ambassador dispersed a bitter Libel in Latin Verse against the King unto which the King though he had nothing of a Pedant yet was content to cause an answer to be made in like Verse and that as speaking in his own person but in a stile of scorn and sport About this time also was born the King's second Son Henry who afterward relgned And soon after followed the solemnization of the Marriage between Charles and Ann Duchess of Britain with whom he received the Duchy of Britain as her Dowry the Daughter of Maximilian being a little before sent home Which when it came to the ears of Maximilian who would never believe it till it was done being ever the Principal in deceiving himself though in this the French King did very handsomly second it and tumbling it over and over in his thoughts that he should at one blow with such a double scorn be defeated both of the Marriage of his Daughter and his own upon both which he had fixed high imaginations he lost all patience and casting off the Respects fit to be continued between great Kings even when their blood is hottest and most risen fell to bitter Invectives against the person and actions of the French King And by how much he was the less able to do talking so much the more spake all the Injuries he could devise of Charles saying That he was the most Perfidious man upon the earth and that he had made a Marriage compounded between an Advoutry and a Rape which was done he said by the just judgment of God to the end that the Nullity thereof being so apparent to all the World the Race of so unworthy a person might not reign in France And forthwith he sent Ambassadors as well to the King of England as to the King of Spain to incite them to War and to treat a League offensive against France promising to concur with great Forces of his own Hereupon the King of England going nevertheless his own way called a Parliament it being the seventh year of his Reign and the first day of opening thereof sitting under his Cloth of Estate spake himself unto his Lords and Commons in this manner MY Lords and you the Commons When I purposed to make a War in Britain by my Lieutenant I made declaration thereof to you by my Chancellor But now that I mean to make a War upon France in Person I will declare it to you my Self That War was to defend another man's right but this is to recever our own and that ended by Accident but we hope this shall end in Victory The French King troubles the Christian World That which he hath is not his own and yet he seeketh more He hath invested himself of Britain he maintaineth the Rebels in Flanders and he threatneth Italy For Our Selves he hath proceeded from Dissimulation to Neglect and from Neglect to Contumely He hath assailed our Confederates he denieth our Tribute in a word he seeks War So did not his Father but sought Peace at our hands and so perhaps will be when good Counsel or Time shall make him see as much as his Father did Mean-while let us make his Ambition our Advantage and let us not stand upon a few Crowns of Tribute or Acknowledgement but by the favour of Almighty GOD try Our Right for the Crown of France it self remembring that there hath been a French King Prisoner in England and a King of England Crowned in France Our Confederates are not diminished Burgundy is in a mightier Hand than ever and never more provoked Britain cannot help us but it may hurt them New Acquests are more Burthen than Strength
but had also farther decreed to make Italy the Theatre of his Tyranny Wherefore he conjured him by the Love of our Saviour by the Piety of his Ancestors whose aids were never wanting when the Church stood in need and by the fast tye of Filial Obedience that he would enter into the Holy League of the Estates of Italy who had made choice of him for their General Jealousie and Reverence to the See of Rome so prevailed with him that he easily condescended to the Pope's request Yet that he might some way colour his action he would needs interpose himself as Umpire between the Pope and the French whom by his Ambassadors he intreats to lay aside Arms withal not obscurely threatning that if he did not so he intended to undertake the defence of the Pope against him the common disturber of the peace of Christendom The French set light by this Wherefore War is proclaimed by a Herald the French King commanded to part with the Kingdom of France and the Duchies of Normandy and Aquitain which he without right unjustly usurped Then entring into League with Maximilian the Emperor the Arragonois and the Pope they consult of assaulting the French with joynt forces The Arragonois invites us into Spain that thence we might invade France promising besides certain Troops of Horse store of Artillery Wagons for carriage Munition and many other things necessary for such an Expedition Our King relying on his Father-in-Law his promises levies a great Army whereof he ships one part for Spain and employs the other by Sea Edward Howard Lord Admiral had charge of the Sea forces who fought with the French Fleet in the Bay of Bretaigne In which Fight there was no memorable thing done besides the combat of the two great Ships the one having seven hundred English in it under the command of Sir Thomas Knevet the other nine hundred French under Primauget a Briton These Ships being both fast grapled after a long fight fell both on fire and were utterly consumed not a man being saved of whom it might be learned whether this fire happened by chance or were purposely kindled by a forced despair Our other Army under the command of the Lord Thomas Gray Marquis of Dorset amongst ten thousand tall English Souldiers had five hundred Germans under one Guint a Fleming This Army landed in Biscay where they spent some Months in expectation of due performances from the Arragonois who feeding them with promises only tempered the heat of our Men who were very eager upon the march for France It happened that Gaston of Foix Competitor for the Kingdom with John King of Navarr dyed about the same time The Navarrois had promised Ferdinand some aids toward this War But now fearing no Competitor he whether out of inconstancy or that he thought his affairs so required secretly by his Agents makes a League with the French Upon this Ferdinand turns his Arms upon the Navarrois and strains all his strings to draw our men to the same attempt but the Marquis of Dorset pleaded his Commission beyond which he could not with safety proceed The Navarrois was utterly unprovided and the Nobility so divided into the factions of the Egremonts and the Beaumonts that he could do nothing It was bruited that two mighty Kings came against him with no less forces what should he do To hope from France were vain the French were too far off and deeply engaged in other Wars At the approach of the Spaniard he quits his Kingdom and with his Wife and Children flying over the Pyrenaean Mountains makes Bern his receptacle Ferdinand having thus gotten a new Kingdom casts off all farther thought of France only intending the confirmation of his Conquest to which end he intreats of Henry the help of our Forces raised for France and prevails but to no purpose For the English having their Bodies inflamed with the intolerable heat of a strange Climate and the drinking of strong Wines dropt down every where insomuch that we lost about a thousand some say eighteen hundred men in an instant Wherefore impatient of farther delay they force their Commanders to set sail homeward The King was mightily enraged at their return insomuch that he once thought to have punished them for their obstinacy But the multitude of Delinquents proyed a pardon to all They did forth in May and returned a little before Christmass ANNO DOM. 1513. REG. 5. ABout the beginning of this year the King assembled the high Court of Parliament wherein War against France was determined and a mighty mass of Money granted by the Commons Whereupon in the very beginning of the Spring a Fleet is set forth consisting of two and forty Men of War besides Victuallers and lesser Vessels The Lord Admiral who had the charge of this Fleet too too eagerly hunting after Honour by his rashness frustrated the designs of so goodly preparations He attempts to land in the Haven near adjoyning to Brest where striving in person to set foot first in the Enemies Countrey he with a Spear born over-board and drowned was the only man of all that Fleet that came short home He therein performed rather the part of a private Souldier than of a Commander For his death brought back this headless Fleet into England Where the King makes the Lord Thomas Howard Admiral in the place of his deceased younger Brother exhorting him by employing his service for his Countries honour to revenge his Brother's inglorious death This new Admiral with great speed brings his Navy out of Harbour and scouring up and down the Seas strook such a terrour into the French that not so much as a Fisher-boat durst peep abroad At last he lands in Whitsand-Bay ransacks all the Countrey thereabout and without resistance returns safe to his Ships In the mean time the King having raised a mighty Army arrives at Calais the last of June with a Fleet of four hundred Sail. The one and twentieth of July he marcheth with all his forces into the French Territory and having sent some Ensigns before to besiege Terovenne a City in Picardy he takes his way thither intending in person to sit down before it with all the strength of his Army By the way he meets the French near Dernom They at first seem resolved to fight but whether they distrusted their own strength and so purposely declined an unequal combat or as by our side it is reported that our Ordnance being conveniently placed disordered them and that so they betook themselves to flight as if it had been all one for us to see them and conquer them away they went and could not any where afterward be discried by us So without any let our Army came before Terovenne This City had according to the relation of our Writers four thousand Defendants whereof six hundred were Horse The place being so well fortified it had been no hard matter to have defended it against a mighty Army if so be they had
Himself and the whole Realm had found the profitable and wholesom effects of the Cardinal's endeavours who should reap this fruit of Luther's railing that whereas he loved him very well before he would now favour him more than ever That among other of the Cardinal 's good deeds this was one that he took especial care that none of Luther's leprosie contagion and heresie should cleave to or take root in this Kingdom Then he upbraided him with his 〈◊〉 marriage with a Nun a crime as heinous and abominable as any At this Answer which the King caused to be printed Luther grieved much blaming his friends that had occasioned it saying That he wrote in that humble manner only to please his Friends and that he now plainly saw how much he was mistaken That he committed the like errour in writing friendly at the request of others to Cardinal Cajetan George Duke of Saxony and Erasmus the fruits whereof were that he made them the more violent That he shewed himself a fool in hoping to find Piety and Zeal in Princes Courts in seeking CHRIST in the Kingdom of Satan in searching for John Baptist among the Cloathed in Purple But being he could not prevail by fair means he would take another course The late mention of Erasmus puts me in mind of a Book written by him either this or the year passed at the entreaty of the King and the Cardinal as he himself in an Epistle confesseth entituled De Libero Arbitrio whereto Luther made a quick Reply writing a Book De Servo Arbitrio ANNO DOM. 1526. REG. 18. MAny reasons might move the Emperour to seek the continuation of a Peace with England The French although they concealed 〈◊〉 their King being not yet at liberty intend to revenge their late overthrow The Turk prepares for Hungary the King whereof Lewis had married Ann the Emperour's Sister Almost all Italy by the Pope's means combined against Charles whose power is now become formidable And Germany it self the Boors having lately been up in arms being scarce pacified doth yet every where threaten new tumults In this case the enmity of Henry must necessarily much impeach his proceedings But many things again urge him on the other side his Aunts disgrace for of this he long since had an inkling the late League concluded under-hand with the French but that which swaied above all was the dislike of his promised match with the King's Daughter That the Queen his Aunt might be reconciled to her Husband there might yet be some hope The League with France especially the French King's case being now so desperate might be as easily broken as it was made But this Match did no way sort to his mind which he had either for love or for some other private respects setled elsewhere Isabella Sister to John King of Portugal was a brave beautiful Lady and had a Dowry of nine hundred thousand Ducats Mary was neither marriagable nor beautiful yet her by agreement must he marry without any other Dowry than those four hundred thousand Crowns which he had borrowed of Henry The Wars had drawn his Treasury dry and his Subjects in Spain being required to relieve their Prince do plainly perhaps not without subornation of some principal persons deny it unless he marry Isabella one in a manner of the same Lineage of the same Language and Nation and of years sufficient to make a Mother By way of service Custom growing to a Law they are to give their King at his Marriage four hundred thousand Ducats if he will in this be pleased to satisfie their request they promise to double the usual summ For these reasons when Henry sent Ambassadors to treat again whether sincerely or no I cannot say concerning the renewing of the League the Marriage of the Lady Mary and of War in France to be maintained at the common charge of both Charles answered but coldly and at last even in the very Nuptial solemnities sends to excuse his Marriage to the King whereunto the undeniable desires of his Subjects had in a manner forced him Some do farther add that concerning that part of the Embassage of War against France our demands were such as if they had been purposely coined by Wolsey to force the Emperour to the priority of an apparent breach For the King demanded no smaller share in the Conquest than Picardy Normandy Guien Gascoign with the title of King of France and that the Emperour partaking both of Peril and Charge should himself serve in Person But Charles wanting money and tired with continual peril if he regard either his safety and ease or his profit must not give his assent especially considering that the captive-King made larger offers and those with Peace than these yea although he became victorious with War the event whereof being always doubtful no man can assure himself of wished success Neither indeed did Henry expect any other issue of his Embassy than a flat refusal For at the same time he deals with the Regent the captive-King's Mother to send over some trusty person with whom he might consult of the main chance which she gladly did dispatching away the Lord of Brion President of Rouen and John Joachim with a large Commission and Instructions by all submissive and fair language to perswade the King to persist in the prosecution of this new League For indeed she much feared lest the consideration of his advantages over the tottering Estate of France might make him flie off again France was already distressed what would it be if the Emperour pressing hard on the one side and Duke of Bourbon a home-bred enemy revolting besides many other occasions the English should infest it on the other side In England these Agents found their entertainments such that they could not but hope well especially making means to the Cardinal who yet swayed the King Wolsey long since disaffected the Emperour but now made his hate apparent Charles before the Battel of Pavy sent no Letters to the Cardinal but entirely written by himself and subscribed Your Son and Cousin CHARLES After this Victory he sent one or two subscribed barely with his Name without the usual solemn form or any signification of favour or respect These were evident tokens of an alienated mind and Wolsey durst view hates with him Neither did he deal otherwise with Henry than as one beneath him being now puffed up with the conceit of that great Victory for the obtaining whereof Henry did bear a part in the charge though indeed not so great as he promised The King's affairs now stood upon those terms that renouncing the strict alliance with the Emperour hitherto by so many ties kept inviolable he must make a party with the French Brion therefore at the Council-Table having audience Deplores his Prince's calamity and the miseries inflicted upon his Countrey by their late overthrow He calleth to mind what Trophies the English erected in France when the Estate of it was most flourishing
whereas of these goods once confiscated they could not hope that any commodity should redound unto them But the commiseration of so many people to the number of at least ten thousand who were without any warning given thrust of doors and committed to the mercy of the world was a more forcible cause of general distaste Which notwithstanding of it self sufficient was augmented by the malice of ill disposed and seditious persons who in their Assemblies exaggerated these proceedings As the beginnings of greater evils that this was but a tryal of their patience as yet the shrubs and underwoods were but touched but without speedy remedy the end would be with the fall of the lofty Oaks While these general discontents thus vented themselves in private Cromwell in September sent forth certain Injunctions to the Clergy by virtue whereof each Curate was to expound to his Parishioners the Apostles Creed the Lord's Prayer the Ave Maria and the Ten Commandments and earnestly to endeavour that they might learn them in the English Tongue This drave these Male-contents into such extremes that the midwifry of any occasion served to produce the prodigious issues of their madness For in Lincolnshire the Commons being assembled about the beginning of October concerning Subsidies to be paid to the King as if the spirit of fury had generally animated them they suddenly to the number of twenty thousand took Arms forcing certain Lords and Gentlemen to be their Leaders and to swear to such Articles as they should propound such as refused were either imprisoned or put to death as was a certain Priest Chancellor to the Bishop of Lincoln The King being certified of this Commotion sent against the Rebels with great Forces the Duke of Suffolk and the Earls of Shrewsbury and Kent either to appease or suppress them The rumour of an Army marching against them so quailed their courages that they sent to excuse themselves unto the King pretending That their endeavours tended to no other than the safety of his Majesty and good of the Realm That he having followed the advice of bad Counsellors had lately beyond the example of any of his Ancestors changed many things in the estate of Commonwealth and Church That having dispossessed the religious Inhabitants he had demolished many Monasteries where the poor had daily relief and God was wont to be devoutly worshipped by godly men That the Feasts of Saints instituted many years since were profaned by his command That new Tenets which the Catholick Church did abhor were every where preached and obtruded to the people That now in each aged person was to be seen the Emblem of Ignorance who having one foot in the grave were fain to betake them to their ABC Books that they might learn new kind of Prayers never before used by any Christians That many unjust and pernicious Laws had lately been enacted and great Subsidies exacted both of the Clergy and Laity even in the time of Peace which were not wont to be demanded but for the maintenance of Wars That the Commons in general did distaste these things and the rather for that they conceived them to be but trials of their patience and the beginnings of more insupportable evils Wherefore they humbly beseeched his Majesty whom they could not safely petition unarmed that the Authors of these pernicous counsels might sit no longer at the stern but that others who should faithfully endeavour the amendment of the aforesaid evils might supply their places and that it might not be any way prejudicial to them that they had taken Arms which even with the loss of their dearest blood they were ready to employ for his Majesties safety and the defence of the Realm The King had a Spirit befitting his greatness and perceiving them to shrink could not dissemble the rage he had conceived at the presumption of this rascally Rout who durst capitulate with their Sovereign and seek to curb the unlimited power of Kings Wherefore he roughly commands them that without delay one hundred of their company such as by his appointment should be made choice of should be delivered up to his mercy The performance whereof if they but deferred nothing but extremity was to be expected The report whereof made the Rebels disband each one fearing lest himself might help to make up the number of this Hecatomb This blaze was yet scarce quenched when within six days another far more dangerous kindled by the same accidents bewrayed it self in Yorkshire where no fewer than forty thousand had gathered together naming themselves Fellows of the Holy Pilgrimage and that the specious pretext of Religion might palliate their madness they in their Ensigns on the one side pourtraied the Saviour of the World hanging on the Cross on the other side the Chalice and the Host by them called the Body of our Lord. They surprised many of the Nobility as Edward Lee Archbishop of York he that wrote against Erasmus the Lords Darcy and Hussey besides many Knights and Gentlemen whom they forced to be sworn to their party whereto it is very probable some of them were much against their wills who notwithstanding suffered for it afterward upon a Scaffold Against these Rebels were sent the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk the Marquess of Exceter and the Earl of Shrewsbury who endeavoured peaceably to compose all matters and to bring this corrupt Body to its former temper without Phlebotomy For they knew they were to deal with such a base sort of people to whom if they gave the overthrow yet would their Victory be inglorious neither could they promise themselves so happy success against the most active and hardy bodies and most enured to Warfare of the whole Realm Besides despair had cast them into the extremes either of victory or death resolutely determining not to flie to seek an ignominious end at a Gallows which if they escaped they could expect no other than an accustomed miserable life more intolerable than the most horrid torturing death These reasons made these Nobles unwilling to hazard a Battel But the Rebels desperate resolution admitted no parley wherefore by consent of both Armies the Field was appointed on the Eve of the Saints Simon and Jude Between both Armies did run a little Brook so shallow that on the Eve of the Battel it was in most places passable for footmen even without danger of wetting their feet But that night God abhorring the effusion of so much English blood a rain and that no great one fell which so raised this little Brook the like whereof never happened there before that it became impassable both for horse and man which hindered the meeting of the two Armies This chance did so work in the superstitious and giddy heads of this Rout that they perswaded themselves God by this Prodigy did manifestly forbid their intended Battel Wherefore pardon being again offered as it had formerly been as well to the Leaders and Gentry as the rest who had been either authors or
dispositions had bred a mutual affection to awake him for that having Elected him they were purposely come an accustomed ceremony to Adore him and dissolve the Conclave Priulo having signified to him with testimonies of excessive joy the intent of these Cardinals was gently blamed by him and they dismissed with this answer That a matter of so great consequence carrying with it so great a burthen that it would deterr an 〈◊〉 man from the acceptation of it was not to be tumultuously but upon mature deliberation orderly to be transacted as for the season it was utterly unfit for asmuch as God was the God of Light and not of Darkness they should therefore do well to deferr it until the next day and if then their resolutions proved the same he would submit himself to their pleasures The Italian Cardinals conceiving these delays to proceed out of stupidity began to contemn him and changing their determinations a little after pitched upon Cardinal Montanus whom they created Pope by the name of Julius the Third ANNO DOM. 1550. REG. 4. THe Duke of Somerset having now for three months continued a prisoner and not convicted of any crime which might touch his life it being not thought fitting that so great a man lately Protector of the King's Person and Realm should for a small offence be condemned to perpetual imprisonment is under-hand dealt with to submit himself with acknowledgement that he had deserved this or whatsoever greater punishment the King should be pleased to inflict on him and withal to implore the favour of his Majesty's Royal Clemency To this he easily condescended and was on the sixth of February set a liberty but not restored to the dignity of Protector only contenting himself with the rank of a Privy Counsellor But it being conceived that revenge might draw the Duke to new practices by mediation of Friends he is reconciled to the Earl of Warwick and that this atonement might be the more firm and sincere the Duke's Daughter is on the third of June married to the Viscount Lisle the Earl of Warwick's Son the King gracing the Nuptials with his presence Thuanus I know not upon what grounds writeth That the Earl by a kind of counterfeit shew that he was desirous of the restitution of the Romish Religion had setled himself in the good opinion of the vulgar who had not yet learned to renew themselves by casting off the old skin but reverenced Superstition for its reputed Antiquity and that his dissimulation being discovered fearing lest he should be forsaken of them whom he had with false hopes deluded the consideration thereof and of the Duke 's mild and free disposition would endear his Adversary to them to prevent this danger he contrived this alliance with the Duke and procured his liberty In the mean of these passages on the nineteenth of January the Lord Russel Lord Privy Seal was created Earl of Bedford William Lord Saint-John Earl of Wiltshire and Sir William Paget Lord Paget The Earl of Bedford and the Lord Paget were within three days after with Sir William Peters and Sir John Mason dispatched into France for the Treaty of a Peace with the Deputies appointed by the French who were Montmorency Governour of Picardy Gasper Coligny Lord of Chastillon afterward Admiral of France Andrew Gillar Mortair and William Boucherelle The Lord Paget not long before had been sent to the Emperour to signifie how we were distressed on the one side by the Scots and on the other by the French and miserably rent at home by intestine dissentions that our necessities required speedy succours or would force us to condescend to an inconvenient Peace with France But perceiving nothing was to be obtained of him we strook hands with the French upon these conditions That Boloigne and all the Forts in Boloignois should be surrendred to the French together with the Artillery and other military provision That in lieu thereof the King of France should pay unto Edward four hundred thousand Crowns by equal portions at two payments That the English should restore to the Scots Lauder and Douglas and if the Queen of Scots should desire it should rase their Fortifications in Haymon and at Roxburgh The Emperour was on both sides comprehended in the League and the Queen of Scots by the French The two Kings presented each other with their Military Orders and as one writeth it was on both parts agreed on that Edward should marry one of the Daughters of France For the ratification of the Articles on the eighth of April Hostages were given By Us The Duke of Suffolk The Earl of Hertford Son to the Duke of Somerset The Earl of Arundel The Earl of Derby The Earl of Bath By the French John of Bourbon Duke of Anguien Glaud of Lorain Marquis of Mayenne Francis Son to the Constable Montmorency Lewis of Tremoville Francis of Vendosme Vidame of Chartres Claud d'Annebalt This Peace between us and France was on the third of March solemnly Proclaimed in London and on the five and twentieth of April Bouloigne being accordingly furrendred to the French our Hostages were returned On the thirtieth of July died the Lord Wriothsley Knight of the Garter late Lord Chancellour of England and Earl of Southampton He had about the beginning of this King's Reign delivered up the Seal the Custody whereof was committed to the Lord Rich. But having been about half a year past removed as was also the Earl of Arundel but for what cause is uncertain from the Council Table he at length whether out of Grief or some other cause fell sick and died He was Father to Henry the second Earl and Grandfather to Henry the third Earl of Southampton not long since deceased who having tasted of both fortunes did heretofore as generously behave himself in adversity as he did since moderately in prosperity whereto by the Clemency of our late Sovereign he was restored ANNO DOM. 1551. REG. 5. MEntion hath formerly been made concerning the Sweating Sickness a disease to which England hath given a name as well in regard of its original as of the known disposition of our Bodies to admit of this virulent contagion England had been formerly afflicted with it but never so mortally as this present year Shrewsbury was now the first place acquainted with this Pestilence there it began in April and thence diffusing it self over the most part of the Kingdom at length it vanished away in the North about the beginning of October The fury of it 〈◊〉 such as if it would never end but by its proper cruelty when it should not have left subjects whereon to feed The dead whom it swept away were numberless In London only eight hundred was scarce a seven-nights stint It made its first entry into this Island in the Reign of Henry the Seventh 〈◊〉 1486 and from hence it took its progress into other Nations The Infected flowed away and within the space of twenty four hours when this
ascended the fatal Scaffold seeing the Instruments of Death before his Eyes and having composed himself for another World did with sincere protestations and religious asseverations acquit the Lady Elizabeth and the Lord Courtney from being any the least way conscious to his practices On the seven and twentieth of April Lord Thomas Gray was Beheaded for having by perswasions as it were thrust on his irresolute Brother the Duke of Suffolk to partake with Wyat in his Seditious attempts On the sixteenth of May the Lady Elizabeth was removed from the Tower to Woodstock and the Marquess of Exceter to Foderingay the place only being altered and nothing remitted of the strictness of their Imprisonment About the same time that Reverend Cranmer yet Archbishop of Canterbury Nicholas Ridley lately deprived of the Bishoprick of London and Hugh Latimer who so long ago resigned his Bishoprick of Worcester were removed from the Tower to Windsor and thence to Oxford there solemnly to Dispute with the Divines of both Universities concerning the Eucharist Their usage was extreme almost beyond belief Two days only were allotted them for their preparation and those two days were they in straight custody in several either Dungeons or places little differing debarred both the conference of any but their Gaoler and the use of their own Papers and Books In the Schools the behaviour toward them was as barbarous as their usage had been tyrannical Shouts and outcries were the chiefest Arguments many opposing one without Order without Manners without Modesty On the fourteenth of April from the Prison they were brought to St. Maries and commanded to Abjure upon their refusal a day is prefixed for publick Dispute Cranmer's day was the sixteenth Ridley's the seventeenth Latimer's the eighteenth of April each in their course to answer all Opponents which each of them performed and that so that notwithstanding they were amazed with rude clamours and distracted with variety of Opponents all urging and craving answer at the same time although they were scoffed at reviled and over-born with multitude yet did they force their Adversaries to admire them Cranmer did learnedly and according to the dignity wherein he so many years flourished gravely Ridley acutely and readily Latimer with a pleasant tartness and more solidly than could be expected of a man so near the age of fourscore The Disputation ended they are again on the twentieth of April brought to St. Maries and demanded whether they would persist in their Opinions upon their reply that they would they were declared Hereticks and condemned to the Fire Their Constancy was the more manifest by their contempt of Death Latimer was scarce capable of the joy he conceived that God was pleased he should end his long life whereto Nature would shortly set a period with so happy a clause As for their Martyrdom it falls in with the next Year and thither we remit it Presently after those forepassed Tumults the Queen sends forth Summons for a Parliament to begin the second of April In this Parliament she proposeth two things her Marriage and Subjection to Rome in matters Ecclesiastical this last she could not for a while obtain the other was assented unto upon conditions That Philip should not advance any to any publick Office or Dignity in England but such as were Natives of England and the Queens Subjects He should admit of a set number of English in his Houshold whom he should use respectively and not suffer them to be injured by Foreiners He should not transport the Queen out of England but at her intreaty nor any of the Issue begotten by her who should have their Education in the Realm and should not be suffered but upon necessity or some good reasons to go out of the Realm nor then neither but with the consent of the English The Queen deceasing without Children Philip should not make any claim to the Kingdom but should leave it freely to him to whom of right it should belong He should not change any thing in the Laws either publick or private the Immunities and Customs of the Realm but should be bound to confirm and keep them He should not transport any Jewels or any part of the Wardrobe nor alienate any of the Revenues of the Crown He should preserve our Shipping Ordnance and Munition and keep the Castles Forts and Block-houses in good repair and well manned Lastly that this Match should not any way derogate from the League lately concluded between the Queen and the King of France but that the Peace between the English and the French should remain firm and inviolate Only it should be lawful for Philip out of other Kingdoms and Dominions belonging to his Father the Emperour to send Aids unto him either for propelling Injuries or taking revenge for any already received All things being thus transacted and no further impediment interposing between these Princes Philip setting sail from the Groin on the sixteenth of July with a good Southern gale within three days arrived at Southampton with a Fleet of one hundred and sixty Sail whereof twenty were English and other twenty Flemings Having rested himself there the space of three days attended by a great company of the English and Spanish Nobility on the four and twentieth of July being a very wet day he came to the Queen at Winchester The Feast-day of St. James the Tutelary Saint of Spain was destined for the Nuptials which were Celebrated at Winchester with great pomp There Don Juan Figueroa for the Emperour resigned the Kingdoms of Naples and and Sicily and conferred all his right thereto on Philip and the Heralds proclaimed their Titles in Latin French and English About the beginning of August these two Princes came to Basing and thence to Windsor where the King was installed Knight of the Garter On the eleventh of August they came to London where the Citizens received them with most magnificent Solemnity On the eleventh of November another Parliament began at Westminster about the beginning whereof Cardinal Pool who by King Henry had been proclaimed Enemy to the Estate was created Cardinal by Paul the Third had himself been Pope if he had but consented in time and in the opinion of many was thought a fit Husband for the Queen arrived in England Having been put beside the Papacy by others default more than his own craving leave of the new Pope Julius he withdrew himself to a Monastery in the Territory of Verona called Maguzano the Religious whereof were Benedictine Monks of which Order he himself while he continued at Rome had been Patron Having decreed there to hide himself and spend the remainder of his days the fame of King Edward's Death and Queen Maries advancement to the Crown drew him again out of the Cloister to Rome He was not ignorant how Mary stood affected to the See of Rome and therefore hoped not without good cause that Julius who much favoured him having by his delays attained the Papacy
would send him into his Countrey with the honorable Title and Authority of a Legate And now he feigned to himself a double hope of a Kingdom if not Secular at least Ecclesiastical by virtue of his authority Legatine and the dignity of Archbishop of Canterbury Queen Mary had her Education for some years under Margaret Countess of Salisbury the Mother of Pool who was then a Child and that by Queen Catharine's means who intended as it was thought to marry her Daughter the Lady Mary to one of the Countesses Sons thereby to strengthen her Daughters claim to the Crown if it should happen that Henry should decease without other lawful Issue the Countess being Daughter to George Duke of Clarence who was Brother to Edward the Fourth The Cardinal whether for this or some other reasons knowing himself to be in dear esteem with the Queen was confident if not of the Crown by Marriage yet at least of all advantages of her Favour Neither was he therein deceived for Mary having obtained the Crown earnestly sued unto him to restore himself to his Countrey and the Pope not ignorant how much he would advantage the Apostolick See at the Queens request dispatched him with most ample Authority But the Emperour having a Project on foot for his Son was somewhat jealous of the Cardinal and therefore began seriously to treat with Cardinal Dandino the Pope's Legate with him for the conclusion of a Peace between him and the French that so he might give a stop to Pool whose coming into England the Emperour's affairs being not yet setled might peradventure make all fly asunder Dandino to gratifie Charles by Franciseo Commendono sends Letters to Pool advising him not to set forth as yet forasmuch as this Legacy undertaken without the Emperour's consent was displeasing and the English Nation for the most part especially the Londoners did so hate the name of the Pope of Rome that his Legacy would be held in contempt among them A Legate therefore was not to be employed unto them until perswasions had brought them to a better temper Pool having received these Letters in his Cloister thought it fitting to expect his Holiness pleasure The Pope not brooking the increase of the Emperour's greatness by the addition of such Estates and fretting that Dandino had presumed to stay the Cardinal recalled Dandino and conferred on Pool alone the Legacy both into England for the one affair and to the Emperour and the French for the Treaty of a Peace He willingly undertaking it presently set forward from Trent certifying the Emperour and the French of his large Commission The Emperour perceiving that these devices would be no longer availeable sent Don Juan de Mendoza unto him with Letters wherein he plainly discovered his fear that the Cardinal's premature arrival in England might prove an obstacle to his proceedings there which were great and hopeful Wherefore it was his desire that he should either there attend his pleasure or if he would needs go further he might come to Liege and there expect the event of his designs The Cardinal upon receipt of these Letters returns to Dilling not far from Trent certifies his Holiness of the whole carriage of the Business and sends expostulatory Letters to the Emperour shewing therein what an indignity it was to Apostolick See that his Holiness Legat sent upon a Treaty of Peace and to reduce a Kingdom to the obedience of the Church should so disgracefully with contempt to his Holiness and that by the Emperour's command be detained in the midst of Germany in the sight of the Enemies of the Church That great Divine Domingo Soto Ordinary Preacher to the Emperour was then at Dilling By him he perswades the Emperour not to hinder this Legation being it would so much hazard the estate of the Church but especially of the Kingdom of England At length with much ado and that not until the Emperour had intelligence that the Articles concerning his Son's Marriage were agreed on he obtained leave to come to Brussels but on this condition that he should there reside until the Emperour were assured that the Marriage between Philip and Mary were Solemnized So to Brussels he came where having saluted the Emperour who received him very courteously and that time might not pass unprofitably with him he begins to put in execution one part of his Legation which was to draw the Emperor and the King of France to some indifferent terms of Peace The Emperour professing that he would not reject Peace upon any reasonable conditions the Cardinal goes into France to treat with Henry concerning the same thing Who made as fair shews as did the Emperour but their minds exulcerated with inveterate hate made all his pains fruitless Henry at his departure embracing him signified the sorrow he had conceived that he had not sooner occasion to be acquainted with his worth For had he truly know him his endeavours should have been totally for his advancement to the Papacy A little after his return to Brussels came the Lords Paget and Hastings Ambassadors to the Emperour from their Majesties of England who signified their joint-longing to see the Cardinal and therefore desired he might be forthwith dismissed that by virtue of his Authority he might rectifie the Church of England wonderfully out of tune by reason of the Schism wherewith it had been afflicted So in September he had leave to go for England but was by contrary winds detained at Calais until November in which month he at length arrived at Dover His entertainment was most honourable the Kings and Nobles alike striving to manifest their joy And because being in the year 1539 by Parliament declared Enemy to the Estate and by the same Law condemned to die the Estates then assembled in Parliament repealed that Act and restored him to his Blood the Kings themselves coming to the House extraordinarily for the confirmation of the Act before his arrival at London A little after his coming both Houses were sent for to the Court where the Bishop of Winchester Lord Chancellour having in the presence of the Kings and the assembly spoken something concerning the Cardinal's grateful arrival the Cardinal himself began a long Oration in English wherein He acknowledged how much he was bound to the Kings and the Estates of the Realm by whose favour those Laws for his Exile and Proscription were repealed and he once more made a Native of the Land He was bound by the Laws of Gratitude to endeavour the requital of this Benefit whereto an occasion happily offered it self The late Schism had separated them from the Union of the Church and made them exiles from Heaven by the Authority conferred on him by the Pope St. Peter's Successor Christ's Vicar he would bring them back into the Fold of the Church the sole means of attaining their celestial Heritage Wherefore he exhorted them ingenuously to acknowledge the Errours of these later years and to detect them with sincere alacrity