Authoritie At length the subtle heads of the Lawiers found out a quirke wherby to salue all He must first by a praevious Protestation except against this Oath which was to be taken pro formd that it should not hereafter be any way preiudiciall to him Thus ascended CRANMER to the Archiepiscopall Sea where hee sate neere about twenty yeares vntill Queene MARY the Daughter of repudiated CATHARINE not only thrust this most innocent grave learned man out of his Bishopricke but with a barbarous cruelty condemned him to the fire as hereafter in its place we shall declare For the Treatise of a more strict League betweene the two Kings of England and France an interview is appointed betweene them To this end on the eleventh of October the King with a mightie traine passed to Calais The tenth day after going to Boloigne he was met halfe way by the French King his Sons and conducted to Boloigne where the two Kings divided the Abbey betweene them HENRY staied there foure dayes and then brought FRANCIS in whose company were the King of Navarre some Dukes and Cardinals a great number of Noblemen and of others at least twelve hundred to Calais At Saint Ioquebert the Duke of Richmond who was not at Boloigne with the King his Father received them After much solemne entertainment and the enterchangeable favours from each King to the Princes of each others company from HENRY to the King of Navarre or as the French write to MONT MORENCY and CHABOT the Admirall by the Order of the Garter From FRANCIS to the Dukes of Norfolke and Suffolke by that of Saint MICHAEL these great Monarchs parted Ielousie of the Emperours still increasing power had now vnited these Princes and their naturall dispositions wonderfull agreeable had made them alwayes prone to a mutuall love which by this interview tooke such deepe root that even in their owne opinions they rested assured of each other And indeed had they beene private persons their friendship in all likelihood had continued inviolable But Princes are not so much to be swayed by their owne Affections as the consideration of the publique Vtilitie The effect of this interview was an agreement to represse the Turke about that time wasting Hungary to which end they should assemble together by their ioint forces an Army of fourescore thousand men whereof there should be ten thousand horse with artillery requisite for the said Campe A specious pretext For they both knew that the Turke had already retreated But in private they treated of other matters They had both many causes of discontent FRANCIS not without cause was displeased with the Pope and HENRY thinking it best to strike while the iron was hot indevoured an vtter alienation betweene them HENRY complaines first of the wrong the Court of Rome did him touching the matter of his Divorce in the suite whereof full six yeares were now spent and yet at length after all their deceits mockeries they seeke to force him either to goe in persen to Rome or in a matter of so great importance to send Deputies who should in the Kings behalfe follow the suite An insolent proceeding and iniury without example which did concerne the French and all other Princes of Christendome For in like cases hapning among Soveraigne Princes especially touching the conscience so neere it was the vsuall custome of other Popes to send Iudges to the place it being reasonable that the Persons should speake personally and not by their Attorneyes and very vnrâ—asonable that a Soveraigne Prince leaving the rule and governement of his Estates should go and plead his cause at Rome Moreover hee did complaine of the intolerable exactions of the Church of Rome over the Clergy and people of England where by the yoke before too heavy was now become insupportable neither did he doubt but the same courses were taken in France Germany had begun the way of freedome to the rest of Christendome why should not other Princes follow their example To conclude hee did instantly require that they two should send their Embassadours iointly together to the Pope to summon him to appeare at the next generall Councell there to answere his extortions and by the authority and iudgement of the Councell to force him to a reinformation affirming that there was no Nation in Christendome which did not desire â—hat the inâ—olencies of the Romanists should be repressed â—o this the French answered that hee acknowledged these things to be true but it was not in his power to yeild to the Kings request yet for the bâ—oâ—herly love which hee did beare vnto him and the chariâ—able reguard of his owne Country he professed himselfe ready to vndergo all difficulties Hee wanted not sufficient iniuries whereof to complaine considering that he having so well deserved of the Apostolique Sea but more especially of this Pope yet he certainly found that CLEMENI all this notwithstanding was not well affected towards him CLEMENT had very lately suffered his reputation to be violated in his presence and by the Bishop of Verulo had secretly endevoured to alienate the Suisses his allies from him France groaned vnder the burthen of the new and vndutifull exactions of the Popes Officers by meanes whereof all the treasure was carried out of the Kingdome to the preiudice of his subiects the Clergy especially who grew poore the Churches were vnrepaired and the poore neither clothed nor fed and if he himselfe levied any great summe of money the tributes are longer comming in then vsually they were wont But he thought it best before they proceeded to that harsh course to vse some milder meanes whereto there was a faire occasion offred the Pope having by the Cardinall of Grandmont made him a promise of an interview at Nice or Avtgnon where if hee could not obtaine reason of him in the behalfe of both hee would indevour to prevaile by force where he could not by iust intreaties In the meane time he desired him to attend the issue of their parley But FRANCIS concealed the true cause of this intended interview for feare least our HENRY not approving it should seeke to dissuade him from it The French was implacable towards the Emperour against whom to strengthen himselfe hee meanes to win the Pope by the marriage of his younger Sonne HENRY Duke of Orleans who after raigned with CATHARINE de MEDICES Duchesse of Vrbin the Popes Niece The Pope could not at first believe this potent Prince intended him so much honour but perceiving the French to be reall he most eagerly farthered it appointing time and place for the consummation of it which was after done at Marseilles by CLEMENT himselfe in the presence of the French King Anno Dom. 1533. Reg. 25. THe King's loue brooked no delayes Wherefore on the fiue and twentieth of Ianuary privately and in the presence of very few he marrieth the Ladie ANNE BOLEN Shortly after by Act of Parliament the marriage of the King and the Lady CATHARINE was
birth of Queene Elizabeth Mary Queen of France dieth No Canons to be constituted without the Kings assent The King to collate Bishopricks The Archbishop of Canterbury hath Papall authority vnder the King Fisher and More imprisoned Persecution Pope Clement dâ—â—th First fruits granted to the King Wales vnited to England The King begins to subvâ—rt religious houses Certaine Priors Monks executed The Bishop Rochester beheaded Made Cardinall vnseasonably Sir Thomas Moore beheaded Religious Housâ—s visited The death of Queene Catharine Queene Anne the Viscont Rochford and others committed The Queene condemned with her Brother and Norris Her execution Lady Elizabeth disinherited The King marrieth Iane Seimour Death of the Duke of Somerset the Kings naturall Sonne Bourchier Earle of Bathe Cromwells Honor Dignity The beginning of Reformation The subuersion of religious houses of lesse note Commotion in Lincolneshire Insurrection in Yorkeshire Scarborough Castle besieged Rebellion in Irland Cardinall Poole Rebels executed Cardinall Poole writes against the King The birth of Prince Edward Seimour Earle of Hertford Fitz-William Earle of Southampton Powlet and Russell rise The abuse of Images restrained Beckets shrine demolish d. * Vniones The Image of our Lady of Walsingham Frier Forest makes good a Prophecy Saint Augustines as Canterbury Battaile Abbey and others suppressed The Bible translated The Marquis of Excester and others beheaded Lambert convented burned Margaret Countesse of Salisbury condemned The subversion of Religious Houses Some Abbots executed Glastonbury A catalogue of the Abbots who had voices among the Peeres New Bishoprickes erected The Law of the Six Articles Latimer and Schaxton resigne their Bishoprickes The arrivall of certaine Princes of Germany in England for the treatise of a Match betweene the King Lady Anne of Cleve The King marrieth the Lady of Cleve Cromwell created Earle of Essex and within three months after beheaded Lady Anne of Cleve repudiated The King marrieth Catharine Howard Protestants and Papists alike persecuted The Prior of Dancaster fox others hanged The Lord Hungerford hanged Beginnings of a Commotion in Yorke-shire Lord Leonard Grey beheaded The Lord Dacres hanged Queene Catharine beheaded Irland made a Kingdoms The Viscont Lisle deceased of a surfeit of ioy Sir Iohn Dudley made Viscont Lisle War with Scotland The Scots overthrowne The death of Iames the Fift King of Scotland Hopes of a match betweâ—ne ` Prince Edward and the Queene of Scots The Scottish captives set at liberty The Earle of Angus returneth into Scotland The league and match concluded The Scottish shipping detained War with Scotland War with France A League with the Emperour Landrecy besieged but in vaine The people licensed to eat White Meates in Lent The Kings sixt marriage Will am Parr Earle of Essex Another of the same name made Lord Parr The Lord Chancellour dieth An expedition into Scotland * Alias Bonlamberg The Earle of Hertford Protector King Henry's Funerals The Coronation The death of Francis King of France Musselburgh Feild Reformation in the Church The Scots French besiege Hadinton The Queene of Scots transported into France Humes Castle and Fasteastle gained by the Enemy Gardiner Bishop of Winchester committed to the Tower anddeprived Boner Bishop of London committed also Discord betweene the Duke of Somerset and his Brother the Lord Admirall The Lord Admirall beheaded An Insurrection in Norfolke and in Devonshire Some Forts lost in Boloignois * Corruptly Bonlamberg Enmity betweene the Protector the Earle of Warwick The Protector committed The death of Paul the Third Pope Cardinall Poole elected Pope The Duke of Somerset set at liberty Peace with the Scots and French The Sweating Sickenesse The death of the Duke of Suffolke A creation of Dukes and Earles The descent of the Earles of Pembroke Enmity betweene the Dukes of Somerset and Northumberland revived Certaine Bishops deprived Some of the Seruants of the Lady Mary committed An Arrian burned An Earthquake The Queene of Scots in England The Earle of Arundell the Lord Paget committed The Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor The Duke of Somerset beheaded A Monster The King sickeneth His Will wherin he disinheriteth his Sisters He dieth His Prayer Cardanus Lib. de Genituris Sir Hugh Willoughby frozen to death Commerce with the Muscovite Lady Mary flies into Suffolke Lady Iane proclaimed Queene Northumberland forced to be Generall * L. quiâ—â—e provinci◠§ Divus ff de Rit Nupt. L. â— C. d. Jncest Nupt. Gloâ— ibid. â— â—um inâ—er c. ex tâ—nore Extr. qui sil sint legit Northumberland forsaken by his souldiers The Lords resolue for Queene Mary And to supprâ—sse Lady Iane. Northumberland proclaimes Mary Queene at Cambridge Northumberlaud and some other Lords taken Queene Mary comes to London Gardiner made Lord Chancellour Deprived Bishops restored King Edward's Funerall The Duke of Northumberland the Earle of Warwicke the Marquis of Northampton condemned The Duke of Northumberland beheaded Bishops imprisoned Peter Martyâ— The Archbishop Cranmer Lady Iane Lord Guilford Lord Ambrose Dudley condemned The Coronation A Disputation in the Convocation house Popery restored The Queene inclines to marry The Articles of the Queenes marriage with Philip of Spaine * Which as I conceive would have fallen in the yeare 1588. Sir Thomas Wyats rebellion Sir Iohn Cheeke is taken and diâ—th Bret with 500. Londoners revolts to Wyat. The Duke of Suffolke persuades the people to Armes in vaine The Queens oration to the Londoners Wiat is taken The Lady Iane beheaded The Duke of Suffolke beheaded Wiat executed and Lord Thomas Grey A Disputation at Oxford Cranmer Ridley and Latimer condemned Additions to the former Nuptiall Compacts Philip arriveth in England and is marrâ—ed to the Queene Cardinall Poole comes into EnglaÌ„d Cardinall Pooles Oration to the Farliament The Realme freed from Interdiction The Queene thought to be with childe Lords created Lady Elizabeth and Marquis of Excester set at liberty Iohn Rogers burned and Bishop Hooper Bishop Farrar many others and Bishop Ridley and Latimer The death of Pope Iulius the Third Paul the Fourth succeedeth Gardiner suâ—th to be Cardinall Gardiner dieth Charles the Emperour resignes his Crownâ—s The Archbishop of Yorke Lord Chancellour A Comet A counterfâ—it Edward Archbishop Cranmer burned This yeare eighty foure burned The exhumation of Bucer and Phagius Cardinall Poole consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury An Embassage to Muscovia The Lord Stourton hanged Thomas Stafford indevouring an insurrection is taken and beheaded War against France proclaimed P Ole's 〈◊〉 Legantine abrogated and restored The French overthrowne at S. Quâ—ntin S. Quintin taken A 〈◊〉 Rainbow Calais besiâ—ged by the French Calais yeilded The battaile of Graueling The French overthrowne Conquet taken and burned by the English The Daulphin married to the Queene of Scots The death of Cardinall Poole The Queene dieth
stir vp the wits of others partly that the desires of Forainers might in some sort be satisfied who not without cause complaine that these times then which for a thousand yeares wee have had none more memorable in reguard of their divers and remarkable changes are not described by any otherwise then slightly and as if they they had not intended any such thing As for Polydore Virgill he hath written either nothing or very little concerning them and that little so false and misbeseeming the ingenuitie of an Historian that he seemeth to have aimed at no other end then by bitter invectives against Henry the Eighth and Cardinall Wolsey to demerit the favour of Queene Mary already more then befitted incensed against both for the Divorce of her Mother J have therefore written friendly Reader and so written that although many things I will not deny conducing to an Historian may be wanting in me yet am I confident that this my endeuour will finde acceptance with many Other Writers may here have as it were a store-house from whence they may if I be not deceived furnish themselves with some matter which may helpe to raise an everlasting monument Forainers also ignorant of the English tongue may have a taste of these times vnvntill some one arise who can and will compile a History of our Nation worthy the maiestie of the British name J have in this worke beene so observant of Jmpartiality Simplicity and Truth that I feare nothing so much as a Domestique anger for not being pious enough because I would not be over-pious Many contend that a good Prince should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This I thinke no man will affirme of an Historian though some seeme to opine it So that he shall come short of his duty either to God or his Countrey who in the delivery of an History will not be at the least 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and who by affirming incertainties and knowne truthes shall not yeild much to his affections so they be ioined with the love of Religion and Countrey But how much do they inure Truth who from lies and falshood beg helpes to vnderprop her Avant We have no need of them And had we yet would it not much profit vs to rely on such weake advantages one pious lye detected proving more hurtfull then a thousand others although so artificially contrived that they avoid discovery can prove profitable For example whereof seeke no farther then the Papists whose fained miracles impostures and Legends patched vp of lyes have brought to passe that even in those things which are true they scarce gaine beliefe Wherfore I am well content that Truth which maugre her enemies will at length be every where victorious shall prevaile with me J have done to my power Politely eloquently politiquely I could not write Truly and fide Atticâ as they say I could If I have done amisse in ought it is not out of malice but errour which the gentle Reader will I hope pardon This â—ernestly intreate withall beseeching the All-good and All-mighty God that this my labour directed to no other end then to his glory and the good of his Church may attaine its due and by me desired successe Farewell Regem dedi iratus eis J. Cecill sculp ANNALES OF ENGLAND From the Yeare 1508. to the Yeare 1558. The first Booke AFter the death of HENRY the Seventh his only Sonne HENRY Prince of Wales vndertooke the government of this Kingdome He had then attained to the age of eighteene yeares and was richly adorned with endowments both of Bodie and Mind For of Stature he was tall of a beautifull Aspect and of Forme through all his age truly beseeming a King hee was wittie docile and naturally propense to Letters vntill pleasures to which the libertie of Soueraigntie easily prompteth did somewhat vnseasonably withdraw him from his Studies to these you may addâ— a great Spirit aspiring to the glorie both of Foâ—titude and Munificence This towardlinesse was so seconded by the happie care of his Tutors that if the end of his Raigne had beene answerable to the beginning HENRY the Eighth might deservedly haue beene ranked amongst the greatest of our Kings For if you consider his first twentie yeares you shall not easily find any one that either more happily managed affaires abroad or gouerned more wisely at home or that bare greater sway among his Neighbour Princes This I thinke ought chiefly to be ascribed to the prouidence of his wise Father and his Grandmother then still aliue For they tooke care that he should haue wise and vertuous Ouer-seers in his youth by whose assistance hauing once passed the hazards thereof he happily auoided those rockes whereon so many daily suffer wracke But these either dying or being so broken with age that they could bee no longer imployed in affaires of State and He himselfe being now come to those yeares that commonly cast aside modestie Modestie I say the Guardian of that great Vertue then making vse of no Counsellour but his will he fell into those vices which notwithstanding the glorie of his former Raigne branded him deeply with the fowle staines of Luxurie and Crueltie But remitting those things to their proper places those Worthies appointed his Counsailours were William Warham Archbishop of Canterburie and Lord Chancelour of England Richard Fox Bishop of Winchester Thomas Ruthall Bishop of Durham Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey Lord Treasurer of England George Talbot Earle of Shrewsburie Lord Steward of the Kings Houshold Charles Somerset Lord Chamberlaine Knights Sir Thomas Louell Knights Sir Henrie Wyat Knights Sir Edward Poynings These men the solemnitie of the dead Kings Funerals being duly and magnificently performed erected him a Tombe all of brasse accounted one of the stateliest Monuments of Europe which one would hardly conceiue by the bill of accompts For it is reported that it cost but a thousand pound The Monument is to be seene at Westminster the vsuall place of our Kings Interments in that admirable Chappell dedicated to Saint Stephen by this King heretofore built from the ground a testimonie of his religious pietie I haue read that this Chappel was raised to that height for the summe of fourteene thousand pounds and no more and that he at the same time built a Ship of an vnusuall burthen called from him The great Henrie which by that time it was rigged cost little lesse then that stately Chappell But now O HENRY what is become of that Ship of thine that other worke besides the reward of Heauen will perpetually proclaime thy pious munificence Hence learne ô Kings that the true Trophies of Glorie are not to be placed in Armories and Arsenalls but and those more durable in pious Workes Seeke first seeke the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and without doubt all other things shall be added vnto you But to goe on in my proposed course although HENRY the Eighth began his Raigne the two and twentieth of April
greatest note that accompanied him were richly rewarded and all being dismissed with many thankes safely returned home In their absence MARGARET Duchesse of Sauoy who was Daughter to the Emperour MAXIMILIAN and Gouernesse of the Netherlands vnder CHARLES the Infant of Spaine preuailed with our King for the like number of Archers shee hauing then wars with the Duke of Gueldres against whom she meant to imploy them These men in the space of fiue moneths did many braue exploits at Brimnost Aske and Venloo vnder the command of Sir EDWARD POâ—NINGS a braue Souldier and in great fauour with his Prince Of them fourteene hundred returned home much commended and well rewarded the fortune of warre had cut off one hundred Foure Captaines in regard of their valour were Knighted by the Infant CHARLES afterwardes Emperour viz. IOHN NORTON IOHN FOG IOHN SCOT and THOMAS LYND The King of Scots had then warre with the Portugall vnder pretext whereof one ANDREW BARTON a famous Pirat tooke all ships that coasted either England or Scotland affirming them alwayes to bee Portugals of what Nation soeuer they were or at least fraught with Portugall marchandise The King sent EDWARD HOWARD Lord Admirall of England and his brother the Lord THOMAS HOWARD eldest sonne to the Earle of Surrey with one IOHN HOPTON to take this Rouer When they had once found him out after a long and bloudie fight they tooke him aliue but mortally wounded with his two ships and all his companions that survived the fight and brought them to London Anno Dom. 1512. Reg. 4. AS yet our HENRY had no warre with any forraine Prince neither did the wiser sort wish that he should haue any But hee a young King in the heat of one and twentie yeares was transported with a vehement desire of warre which saith the Prouerbe is sweet to them that neuer tasted of it Although he had about a yeare or two before made a League with LEWIS the Twelfe of France yet hee was easily entreated by Pope IVLIVS â—o renounce this Confederacie This Pope more like to that CAESAR whose Name hee bare the PETER from whom he would faine deriue his Succession that like another NERO sitting still hee might from on high be a spectator while the whole world was on fire had written Letters to our King wherein hee entreated his assistance towards the suppression of the French who without feare of God or man these were the pretended causes had not only sacrilegiously laid hold on the reuenues of the Church had caused Cardinall WILLIAM to vsurpe the Papacie had vpheld ALFONSO of Ferara and the Bentivogli in rebellion against him but had also farther decreed to make Italy the Theater of his tyrannie Wherefore he coniured him by the Loue of our Saâ—ionr by the Pietie of his Ancestors whose aides were neuer wanting when the Church stood in need and by the fast tie of Filiall Obedience that hee would enter into the Holy League of the Estates of Italy who had made choice of him for their Generall Iealousie and Reuerence to the Sea of Rome so prevailed with Him that hee easily condiscended to the Popes request Yet that he might some way colour his action hee would needs interpose himselfe as Vmpier betweene the Pope and the French whom by his Embassadours hee entreates to lay aside armes withall not obscurely threatning that if he did not so he intended to vndertake the defence of the Pope against him the common disturber of the peace of Christendome The French set light by this Wherefore warre is proclaimed by a Herald the French King commanded to part with the Kingdome of France and the Duchies of Normandie and Aquitaine which hee without right vniustly vsurped Then entring into League with MAXIMILIAN the Emperour the Arragonois and the Pope they consult of assaulting the French with ioint forces The Arragonois invites vs into Spaine that thence we might invade France promising besides certaine troupes of Horse store of Artillery Waggons 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 Armie whereof he ships onepart for Spaine and employes the other by Sea EDWARD HOWARD Lord Admirall had charge of the Sea forces who fought with the French Fleet in the Bay of Bretatgne In which fight there was no memorable thing done besides the combate of the two great ships the one having seven hundred English in it vnder the command of Sir THOMAS KNEVET the other nine hundred French vnder PRIMAVGET a Briton These ships being both fast grapled after a long fight fell both on fire and were vtterly consumed not a man being saved of whom it might bee learned whether this fire happened by chance or were purposely kindled by a forced despaire Our other Army vnder the command of the Lord THOMAS GRAY Marquis of Dorset amongst ten thousand tall English souldiers had fiue hundred Germanes vnder one GVINT a Flemming This Armie landed in Biscay where they spent some moneths in expectation of due performances from the Arragonois who feeding them with promises only tempered the heat of our men who were very eager vpon the march for France It hapned that GASTON of Foix Competitor for the Kingdome with IOHN King of Navarre died about the same time The Navarroâ—s had promised FERDâ—NAND some aides toward this warre But now fearing no Competitor hee whether out of inconstancie or that he thought his affaires so required secretly by his Agents makes a League with the French Vpon this FERDINAND turnes his Armes vpon the Navarrois and straines all his strings to draw our men to the same attempt but the Marquis of Dorset pleaded his Commission beyond which hee could not with safetie proceed The Navarrois was vtterly vnprouided and the Nobilitie so divided into the factions of the Egremonts and the Beaumonts that he could doe nothing It was bruited that two mighty Kings came against him with no lesse forces what should hee doe to hope from France were vaine the French were too farre off and deeply engaged in other warres At the approach of the Spantard hee quits his Kingdome and with his Wife and Children flying over the Pyrenean mountaines makes Beaâ—ne his receptacle FERDINAND having thus gotten a new Kingdome casts off all farther thought of â—rance onely intending the confirmation of his conquest to which end hee intreates of HENRY the helpe of our forces raised for France and prevailes but to no purpose For the English having their bodies inflamed with the intolerable heate of a strange climate and the drinking of strong wines dropâ— downe every where insomuch that we lost about a thousand some say of eighteene hundred men in an instant Wherefore impatient of farther delay they force their Commanders to set saile homeward The King was mightily enraged at their returne insomuch that hee once thought to haue punished them for their obstinacie but the multitude of Delinquents proved a
the MOWBRAYES who had beene all Dukes of Norfolke enioyed this Honour by right of Inheritance But because in Bosworth field where hee was slaine hee tooke part with the Vsurper both he and his Posteritie were deprived of that Honour This THOMAS dying in the yeare 1524. his Sonne of the same name succeeded him who deceased in the yeare 1554. His Sonne HENRY a young Lord of great hopes his Father then living was beheaded towards the end of this Kings Raigne Hee left Issue THOMAS the last Duke of Norfolke who also lost his head the yeare 1572. and HENRY at nurse when his Father died a very learned and wise man whom King IAMES no good man repining thereat created Earle of Northampton THOMAS Duke of Norfolke had three Sonnes that survived him PHILIP THOMAS and WILLIAM PHILIP Earle of Surrey and by his Mother of Arundell condemned the yeare 1589. and after dying in prison left Issue THOMAS then a little one who by King IAMES his favour succeeded his Father in his Honors His Vncle THOMAS out of the same fountaine of Royall Goodnes was created Earle of Suffolke with addition of the dignity of Lord Chamberlaine Beside these this Family hath CHARLES Earle of Nottingham Lord Admirall of England Nephew by the Lord WILLIAM his father to THOMAS Duke of Norfolke that famous Triumpher ouer the Scots This is he who in emulation of his grandfathers glory in the yeare 1588. vnder the fortune of Queene ELIZABETH most happily ouerthrew that vainely called Inuincible Armada of Spaine THOMAS also Viscount Bindon is deriued from THOMAS Duke of Norfolke by his sonne the Lord THOMAS So this noble House latély afflicted now gloriously flourishing hath foure Earles and a Viscount all braue and famous men and of whom there will be occasion of much to be spoken hereafter I therefore thought it good in briefe to set downe their Genealogie lest I should trouble the Reader with too often repetition of their Race vpon each mention of the Name At the time of this Dukes creation others were also honored with new titles CHARLES BRANDON made Duke of Suffolke and CHARLES SOMERSET Earle of Worcester and EDWARD STANLEY Lord Mountegle Sir WILLIAM BRANDON Standard bearer to HENRY the seuenth in Bosworth field and there slaine by the hand of RICHARD the Third was father to this new Duke of Suffolke of whose education he then a little one King HENRY hauing obtained the Crowne was verie carefull and made him rather a companion than a seruant to the young Prince of whose household hee was The Prince so greatly fauored him partly for his fathers deserts chiefely for his owne that he being afterward King created him Viscount Lisle and intending at least many were so persuaded to giue him to wife the Ladie MARY his sister who afterward was married to the King of France thought it first good to honour him with the Duchie of Suffolke which this yeare at the feast of Candlemas was performed But how he was frustrated of his hopes and afterward beyond all hope enioyed her shall be declared hereafter SOMERSET the naturall sonne of HENRY of the House of Lancaster the last Duke of Somerset tooke his surname of his fathâ—rs Honour whereas he should haue beene called BEAVFORT or rather PLANTAGENET according to the antient name of our English Kings Heâ— being Couzen german to HENRY the Seuenth whose mother was MARGARET Sister to the Duke of Somerset and famous for his many vertues of which that King was a quicke and exact Iudge was by him made L. high Chamberlaine of England But hauing behaued himself very valiantly in this last expedition against the French wherein GVICCIARDIN vntruly reporteth him to haue been slaine HENRY the eighth added this new title which his posteritie still inioyes to his antient honors He was great grandfather by his son HENRY nephew WILLIAM to EDWARD the now Earle who being one of his Maiesties most honorable priuy Counsel Lo. Priuy Seale doth by his vertues much more ennoble his so noble Ancestors The French King hearing of the ouerthrow of the Scots perceiuing himselfe depriued of such a frieud confederat seeing his kingdom on fire about his ears and none to relie vpon but himselfe determined if so he might fairely and with credit to craue his League with vs. Pope IVLIVS 2. the Incendiarie of Christendoine was lately dead and the French king himselfe was now a widower He therefore intends to try whither by marrying the lady MARY the kings sister he might secure himselfe from war on our side and by so neere alliance gaine the assured friendship of so potent a Prince LEO 10. succeeding IVLIVS 2. did openly side with the French against the Spaniard He therefore earnestly soliciting a reconciliation a Peace was cluded profitable to the French acceptable to vs and on the 9 of October the nuptials were with great pompe solemnised The French king was well stricken in yeres his wife a tender virgin of some 16. or 18. yeares of age but wonderfull beautifull Besides the forementioned reasons the desire of children for he had no masle issue on His part on Her part the publique weale the authoritie of her brother so willing and which beares chiefest sway in a womans heart the supremacy of honor in the title of a Queen were motiues to match so Vneuen a Paire But many not without cause were persuaded that she had rather haue made choice of BRANDON for her husband so her power had been answerable to her wil than the greatest Monarch in the world neither was it long before she enioyed her desire For the king as it often happens to elderly men that apply theÌ„selues to yong womeÌ„ died the last of Febr. hauing scarce 3 months suruiued his wedding The queenâ— might then lawfully according to the articles of agreemeÌ„t return into England which she earnestly desiring the Duke of Suffolke was sent to conduct her who becomming a fresh suitor vnto her so far easily preuailed that before their departure from Paris they were there priuatly married The marriage was afterward by the kings consent celebrated at Greenwich the 13 day of May of the ensuing yeare And now we must speake something of VVOLSEY'S sudden and for these our times incredible rising who hauing as we haue related before beene inuested in the Bishopricke of Tournay was within the yeare preferred to two other Bishopricks That venerable Bishop of Lincolne WILLIAM SMITH was lately deceased who beside many other monuments of his piety hauing begun in Oxford a Colledge for students called Brasen nose Colledge was immaturely taken away before he could finish so good a work So the Sea being vacant it is conferred on WOLSEY now high in the Kings fauour Hee was of verie meane parentage a Butchers sonne and Jpswiâ—h a towne in Suffolke but of Norwich Diocesse where hee afterward laid the foundation of a stately Colledge was the place of his birth He was brought vp at Oxford in
in Bretaigne forced the towne and burned it And hauing wasted all the Country therabout he went into Picardy to ioine with the Imperialls Some Forts they tooke and razed They besieged Hesdin but without successe For Winter comming on and our men dying apace of the Flux they were faine to setsaile homeward I will conclude this yeare with an ignominious and fatall losse to Christendome the Isle of Rhodes being on Christmas day taken by the Turkes while Christian Princes disagreeing about matters of nothing ruine themselues and invite the Miscreant to propagate his long since too too formidable Empire God grant they may at length considering the common danger rowse vp themselues and with joint resistance repell this Enemy of CHRISTS Crosse who although he be far enough from some is too neere to the farthest Anno Dom. 1523. Reg. 15. CHRISTIERNE the Second King of Denmarke by the rebellion of his subiects driuen out of his Kingdom had resided some while with the Emperor whose Sister he had married The fifteenth of Iune acompanied with his wife niepce to Queene KATHERINE he landed at Douer At London they abode some days with that due honor that kinred and Princes giue to one another The fift of Iuly they returned toward Calais In the meane time a Parliament was held at London wherein the States being certified of the necessity of war and what a faire occasion was offered for the recouery of France but that the war was like to be defectiue in regard of the weakenes of it's sinews a great sum of money was easily granted The Kings of France exact money of their subiects at their pleasure the Kings of England do not vsually without a Parliament wherein the pretence of war with France was wont to be a great motive of the subiects liberality And indeed France was at this time greatly distracted being oppressed with so many enemies abroad and having to do with vndermining treachery at home insomuch that our aduantages if wisely followed seemed to promise vs whatsoeuer we could hope for FRANCIS was on the one side pressed with the war of Milan on the other side by the Emperor at home CHARLES Duke of Bourbon reuolted from him by letters inciting our King to the recouery of his hereditary as he acknowledged Right in France whereto respectlesse of paine or perill he promised his faithfull assistance Neither was this offer to be slighted for he had conceiued an implacable hatred against his Prince and was able to make a great party in France His valor and experience were after manifested by the greatnes of his exploits performed in a short space FRANCIS being taken prisoner by him Rome sacked by his conduct the Pope besieged in the Castle of Saint Angelo and faine at last to ransome himselfe and his Cardinalls at a mightie rate These notable aduantages were all let slip through the neuer satisfied ambition and malice of one man but so that it made way for that great alteration which afterward hapned in the estate of the Church Blessed be that Almighty Power that conuerts the wicked designes of men to the good of his Church and his owne glory The Parliament being dissolued the Duke of Suffolke is sent into France with thirteene thousand men viz. six hundred Launces two hundred Archers on horsebacke three thousand Archers on foot fiue thousand Halberdiers seuenteene hundred drawne out of the Garrison of Calais and two thousand six hundred Pioners The English and Imperialls joining invaded the French Dominions tooke Roye Mondidier Bohain Bray Chasteaubeau and marching within twenty two leagues of Paris put the City in a terrible affright vntill the Lord of Brion sent by the King with the comfortable newes of the comming of the Duke of Vendosme with foure hundred Launces makes them take heart againe After these exploits our Forces toward the end of December were recalled In the meane time on the fourteenth of September died Pope ADRIAN the Sixth in whole place IVLIVS MEDICES was after two moneths elected Here WOLSEY againe failed in his hopes who expected by the helpe of the Emperor and the King to haue succeeded ADRIAN But the Emperor neuer intended this dignity for him for he did his best for IVLIVS Neither indeed had hee beenâ— willing could hee haue aduanced him to the Chaire For the Cardinalls were in so short a time weary of ADRIAN who was a stranger and little acquainted with the Court of Rome And the Colledge repined to see any other sit in Saint Peters Chaire then an Italian or at least one bred vp in Jtaly Neuerthelesse WOLSEY was so incensedagainst the Emperour by whose default he was verily persuaded it happened that he missed of the Papacy that now bidding hope farewell he was possessed with a desire to be reuenged on the Emperour for this conceiued iniury Hee therefore on a sudden turnes French and to hinder the Emperours proceedings procured our Forces to be called home pretending the ill season of the yeare with promise that the next Spring they should be returned againe Anno Dom. 1524. Reg 16. BVt CHARLES hauing not giuen any iust cause of breach WOLSEY dared not publiquely to professe his affection toward the French with whom notwithstanding by the intercourse of one IOHN IOACHIM a Genouese he maintaines intelligence and without the priuity of HENRY laies the platforme of a new League The war was very hot betweene the Emperour and the French FRANCIS had already taken Milan and with a mighty army sate downe before Pavia vowing not to rise from thence vntill he had taken it The Duke of Bourbon and the Imperialls were in number little inferior stood in want of nothing but money indeed all in all wherwith the Pope the Venetians our HENRY were to furnish him CLEMENT although he had obtained the Papacy chiefely by CHARLES his meanes detained the money which his predecessor ADRIAN had promised saying It beseemed not his Holinesse to intermeddle with the wars of Princes The Venetians at first answered coldly at length plainely denied for they stood in awe of the French and were jealous of the Emperours ambition And the malicious Cardinall had so played his part with HENRY that the Imperialls disappointed of the monethly summes due from him were exceedingly distressed Now WOLSEY to make a separation betweene these two Princes told the King that he certainly found that the Emperour did but delude him that hee had indeed promised to marry the Kings Daughter but a rumour was raised by the Spaniards That this match would be little either for his profit or his honor forasmuch as vpon the point the Lady MARY was but a Bastard begotten it is true in wedlocke yet incestuously the match being by the Ecclesiasticall Constitutions made vnlawfull for he could not lawfully marry Queene CATHARINE who had beene before married to his brother Prince ARTHVR That both the old and new Testaments were expresse against such coniunctions and that therefore it lay
he vnderstood was captiously cavilled at by some Sophisters And hauing occasion to speake of the Cardinall of Yorke he called him the Caterpillar of England He vnderstood the King did now loath that wicked sort of men and in his minde to fauour the Truth Wherefore he craueth pardon of his Majesty beseeching him to remember that wee being mortall should not make our enmities immortall If the King would be pleased to impose it hee would openly acknowledge his fault and blazon his Royall Vertues in another Booke Then hee wished him to stop his eares against those slanderous tongues that branded him with Heresy for this was the summe of his Doctrine That wee must bee saued through Faith in Christ who did beare the punishment of our sinnes in every part and throughout his whole body who dying for vs and rising againe raigneth with the Father for euer That he taught this to be the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and that out of this position hee shewed what Charity was how we ought to behave our selues one towards another that we are to obey Magistrates to spend our whole life in the profession of the Gospell If this Doctrine containe any Jmpiety or Errour why do not his Aduersaries demonstrate it Why do they condemne him without either lawfull hearing or confutation In that he inveigheth against the Pope and his Adherents hee doth it not without good reason forasmuch as for their profits sake they teach things contrary to what Christ and the Apostles did that so they may domineere ouer the Flocke maintaine themselues in Gluttony Idlenes That this was the marke at which their thoughts and deeds aimed and that it was so notorious that they themselues could not deny it That if they would reform themselues by chāging their idle and filthy course of life maintained by the losse and wrong of others the differences might easily be composed That his Tenets were approued by many Princes and Estates of Germany who did reverently acknowledge this great blessing of God amongst whom he wonderfully desired he might ranke his Maiesly That the Emperour and some others opposed his proceedings he did not at all wonder for the Prophet DAVID had many ages since foretold That Kings and Nations should conspire against the Lord and against his Christ and cast away his yoke from them That when he did consider this and the like places of Scripture he did rather wonder that any Prince did fauor the doctrine of the Gospell And to conclude he craued a fauorable answer The King made a sharpe reply to LVTHERS letter accusing him of base inconstancy He stands in defence of his Booke which hee said was in great esteeme with many Religious and Learned men That he reuiled the Cardinall a Reuerend Father was to be regarded as from him from whose impiety neither God nor man could be free That both Himselfe and the whole Realme had found the profitable and wholsome effects of the Cardinalls endeavours who should reape this fruit of LVTHERS railing that whereas he loued him very well before hee would now favour him more than ever That among other of the Cardinalls good deeds this was one that he tooke especiall care that none of LVTHERS leprosy contagion and heresy should cleaue to or take roote in this Kingdome Then he vpbraided him with his incestuous marriage with a Nunne a crime as hainous and abhominable as any At this answer which the King caused to be printed LVTHER grieued much blaming his friends that had occasioned it saying That he writ in that humble manner only to please his Friends and that he now plainely saw how much he was mistaken That he committed the like errour in writing friendly at the request of others to Cardinall CAIETAN GEORGE Duke of Saxony and ERASMVS the fruits whereof were that he made them the more violent That the shewed himselfe a foole in hoping to find Piety and Zeale in Princes Courts in seeking Christ in the Kingdome of Satan in searching for IOHN BAPTIST among the Cloathed in Purple But being he could not prevaile by faire meanes he would take another course The late mention of ERASMVS puts me in minde of a Booke written by him either this or the yeare passed at the entreaty of the King and the Cardinall as he himselfe in an Epistle confesseth entituled De Libero Arbitrio Whereto LVTHER made a quicke reply writing a booke De Servo Arbitrio Anno Dom. 1526. Reg. 18. MAny reasons might move the Emperour to seeke the continuation of a Peace with England The French although they concealed it their King beeing not yet at liberty intend to revenge their late ouerthrow The Turke prepares for Hungary the King whereof LEWIS had married ANNE the Emperors Sister Almost all Italy by the Popes meanes combined against CHARLES whose power is now becom formidable And Germany it self the Boors hauing lately bin vp in arms being scarce pacified do yet every where threaten new tumults In this case the enmity of HENRY must necessarily much impeach his proceedings But many things againe vrge him on the other side his Aunts disgrace for of this he long since had an inkling The late League concluded vnder hand with the French But that which swaied aboue all was the dislike of his promised match with the Kings Daughter That the Queene his Aunt might be reconciled to her Husband there might yet be some hope The League with France especially the French Kings case being now so desperate might be as easily broken as it was made But this Match did no way sort to his minde which he had either for loue or for some other private respects setled els where ISABELLA Sister to IOHN King of Portugall was a brave beautifull Lady and had a Dowry of nine hundred thousand Duckets MARY was neither marriageable nor beautifull yet her by agreement must he marry without any other Dowry then those foure hundred thousand crownes which he had borrowed of HENRY The wars had drawne his Treasury dry and his Subjects in Spaine being required to relieve their Prince doe plainly perhaps not without subornation of some principall persons deny it vnlesse hee marry ISABELLA one in a manner of the same Linage of the same Language and Nation and of yeares sufficient to make a mother By way of seruice Custome growing to a Law they are to giue their King at his marriage foure hundred thousand Duckets if hee will in this be pleased to satisfie their request they promise to double the vsuall summe For these reasons when HENRY sent Embassadours to treate againe whether sincerely or no I cannot say concerning the renewing of the League the marriage of the Ladie MARY and of warre in France to bee maintained at the common charge of both CHARLES answered but coldly and at last even in the very nuptiall solemnities sends to excuse his marriage to the King whereunto the vndeniable desires of his subiects had in a manner forced him
and of France the Pope the Venetians Florentines and Suisses called the Holy League for the common libertie of Italy The Embassadours much amazed and seeing small hopes of the Dutchy of Burgorgne for which they came returne into Spaine and advertise the Emperour that if he will bee content with a pecuniarie ranson and free the two Princes the King was willing to pay it other Conditions he was like to have none In the meane time SOLYMAN not forgetting to make his profit of these horrible confusions invaded Hungary with a great Army overthrew the Hungarians slew King LEWIS the Emperours Brother in law and conquered the greatest part of the Kingdome For the obtaining of this victorie our Rashnesse was more availeable to him then his owne Forces The Hungarians in comparison of their Enemies were but a handfull but having formerly beene many times victorious over the Turkes they persuaded the young King that hee should not obscure the ancient glory of so warlike a Nation that not expecting the aides of Transylvania he should encounter the Enemy even in the open fields where the Turkes in regard of their multitudes of horse might be thought invincible The event shewed the goodnesse of this counsell The Army consisting of the chiefe strength and Nobilitie of the Countrey was overthrowne a great slaughter made and the King himselfe slaine with much of the Nobility and chiefe Prelates of the Realme and among them TOMORAEVS Archbishop of Colâ—cza the chiefe authour of this ill advised attempt I cannot omit an oddeiest at the same time occasioned by WOLSEY his arnbition It was but falsly rumoured that Pope CLEMENT was dead The Cardinall had long beene sicke of the Pope and the King lately of his Wife WOLSEY persuades the King there was no speedier way to compasseâ—his desires then if Hee could procure him to be chosen Pope CLEMENT being now dead STEPHEN GARDINER a stirring man one very learned and that had a working spirit did then at Rome solicit the Kings Divorce from Queene CATHARINE Wherein although vsing all possible meanes and that CLEMENT was no friend to the Emperour yet could hee not procure the Popes favour in the King's behalfe Nay whether he would not cut off all meanes of reconciliation with the Emperour if need were or whether being naturally slow hee did not vsually dispatch any matter of great moment speedily or peradventure whereto the event was agreeable that he perceived it would be for his profit to spin it out at length or which some alledge that he was of opinion that this marriage was lawfully contracted so that he could not giue sentence on either side without either offence to his Conscience or his Friend the Pope could not be drawne to determine either way in this businesse These delayes much vexed the King If matters proceed so slowly vnder CLEMENT on whom hee much presumed what could hee expect from another Pope one perhaps wholy at the Emperours devotion Hee therefore resolved to endevour the advancement of WOLSEY to the Chaire from whom hee promised to himselfe a successe answerable to his desires HENRY therefore sends away speedy Posts to GARDINER with ample instructions in the behalfe of WOLSEY willing him to worke the Cardinals some with promises others with guifts some with threats others with persuasions and to omit no meanes that might be any way availeable But this was to build Castles in the aire The messenger had scarce set forth when report that had made CLEMENT dead had againe revived him Anno Dom. 1527. Reg. 19. THe sixt of May Rome was taken and sacked by the Imperials vnder the conduct of the Duke of Bourbon who was himselfe slaine in the assault marching in the head of his troupes The Pope Cardinals Embassadours of Princes and other Nobles hardly escaping into the Castle of Saint Angelo were there for some dayes besieged At length despairing of succours and victuals failing the Pope for feare hee should fall into the hands of the Lansquenets for the most part seasoned with LVTHERS doctrine and therefore passionate enemies to the Sea of Rome agreeth with the Prince of Auranges after the death of the Duke of Bourbon chosen Generall by the Army yeilding himselfe and the Cardinals to him who kept them close Prisoners in the Castle Rome was now subiect to all kind of crueltie and insolencies vsuall to a conquered Citie intended for destruction Beside Slaughter Spoile Rapes Ruine the Pope and Cardinals were the sport and mockerie of the licentious multitude HENRY pretended much griefe at this newes but was inwardly glad that such an occasion was offred whereby he might oblige CLEMENT in all likelihood as he had iust cause offended with the Emperour for this so insolent and harsh proceeding Whereupon hee dispatcheth WOLSEY into France who should intimate to the King his perpetuall Ally what a scandale it was to all Christendome that the Head of it should bee oppressed with Captivitie a thing which did more especially concerne FRANCIS his affaires The Cardinall set forth from London about the beginning of Iuly accompanied with nine hundred Horse among which were many Nobles The Archbishop of Dublin the Bishop of London the Earle of Derby the Lords SANDS MONTEGLE and HARENDON besides many Knights and Gentlemen WOLSEY found the French King at Amiens where it is agreed that at the common charge of both Princes warre shall be maintained in Italy to set the Pope at libertie and to restore him to the possessions of the Church HENRY contributing for his part thirtie thousand pounds sterling a moneth Vpon the returne of the Cardinall FRANCIS sent into England MONTMORENCY Lord Steward and Mareschall of France for the confirmation of this League and to invest the King with the Order of Saint MICHAEL Hee arriued in England about the middle of October accompanied with â—OHN BELLAY Bishop of Bayeux afterward Cardinall the Lord of Brion and among others MARTIN BELLAY the Wriâ—er of the French Historie who in this manner describes the passages of this Embassage MONTMORENCY arriving at Dover was honourably received by many Bishops and Gentlemen sent by the King who brought him to London where he was met by twelue hundred horse who conducted him to his lodging in the Bishop of Londons Palace Two dayes after hee went by water to Greenwich fower miles beneath London where the King oft resideth There hee was very sumptuously entertained by the King and the Cardinall of Yorke Having had Audience the Cardinall having often accompanied him at London and Greenwich brought him to a house which he had built a little before ten miles aboue London seated vpon the bankes of Thames called Hampton Court. The Cardinall gave it afterward to the King it is this day one of the King 's chiefest houses The Embassador with all his Attendants was there feasted by him foure or fiue dayes together The Chambers had hangings of wonderfull value and euery place did glitter with innumerable vessels of gold and
of his Father and birth a Welchman comming to the Crowne as if they had recouered their liberty whereto they so long aspired they obeied him as their lawfull Prince So the English being freed of their former jealousies permitted them to partake of their Priuiledges since common to both Nations the good whereof equally â—edounded to both I could wish the like Vnion with Scotland That as wee all liue in one Island professing one Faith and speaking for the most part one Language vnder the gouernment of one and the same Prince so we may become one Nation all equally acknowledging our selues Britans and so recouer our true Countrey Britaine lost as it were so many hundreds of yeares by our divisions of it into England Scotland and Wales Anno Dom. 1535. Reg. 27. THe Coronation of the new Queene and other passages of entertainment had exhausted the Treasury The Pope and the Emperour were both enemies of HENRY watchfully attending all opportunities to do him mischiefe Neither in regard that so many sided with the Pope were all things safe at home The King was therefore forced to a course seemingly rash and full of dangerous consequences but very necessary for the time Hee resolves to demolish all the Monasteries throughout England Hee is content the Nobility should share with him in the spoile so inriching and strengthening himselfe by their necessary revolt from the Popish faction To this end they that were thought more especially in maintaining the Popes authority to withstand the Kings proceedings were condemned of high Treason and they that refused to acknowledge the King vnder CHRIST Supreme Head of the Church of England are hanged For this cause on the third of May were executed IOHN HOVGHTON Prior of the Charterhouse in London AVGVSTINE WEBSTER Prior of Bevaley and THOMAS LAWRENCE Prior of Exham and with them RICHARD REIGNALDS a Monke and Doctor of Divinity and IOHN HALES Vicar of Thistlehurst On the eighteenth of June EXMEW MIDDLEMORE and NVDIGATE all Charterhouse Monkes suffered for the same cause And foure dayes after IOHN FISHER Bishop of Rochester a man much reverenced by the People for his holy life and great learning was publiquely beheaded and his head set over London bridge Our Histories hardly afford a president of the execution of such a man But the Pope was the occasion of his death who to ease the burthen of his now a yeares imprisonment by the addition of a new title had on the one and twentieth of May created him Cardinall The newes whereof hastened him to a scaffold The sixth of Iuly Sir THOMAS MORE for the same stifnesse in opinion with Bishop FISHER suffered the like death This was that MORE so famous for his Eutopia and many other Workes both in English and Latin As for his conversation the most censorious fault him in nothing but his too too jesting I will not say scoffing wit to which he gaue more liberty then did beseeme the grauity of his person not tempering himselfe in the midst of his calamity no not at the very instant of death After his condemnation hee denied to giue any thing to the Barber that trimmed him affirming That head about which he had bestowed his paines was the Kings if he could prove it to be his that did â—eare it hee would well reward him To his Keeper demanding his vpper garment as his fee hee gaue his Hat Going vp the scaffold he desired him that went before him to lend him his hand to helpe him vp as for comming downe he tooke no care Laying his head vpon the blocke hee put aside his beard which was then very long saying The Executioner was to cut off his head not his beard The executions of so many men caused the Queene to be much maligned as if they had beene done by her procurement at least the Papist would haue it thought so knowing that it stood her vpon and that indeed â—hee endeavoured that the authority of the Pope of Rome should not againe take footing in England They desired nothing more than the downefall of this vertuous Lady which shortly after happening they triumphed in the overthrow of Innocence In the meane time they who vndertooke the subversion of the Monasteries invented an Engine to batter them more forcibly then the former course of torture and punishment They send abroad subtle headed fellowes who warranted by the Kings authority should throughout England search into the liues and manners of religious persons It would amaze one to consider what villanies were discouered among them by the meanes of CROMWELL and others Few were found so guiltlesse as to dare withstand their proceedings and the licentiousnesse of the rest divulged made them all so odious to the people that neuer any exploit so full of hazard and danger was more easily atchieued then was the subversion of our English Monasteries Anno Dom. 1536. Reg. 28. THis yeare began with the end of the late Queene CATHARINE whom extremity of griefe cast into a disease whereof on the eighth of January she deceased Queene ANNE now enioyed the King without a Rivall whose death not withstanding not improbably happened too soone for her For the King vpon May day at Greenwich beholding the Viscont Rochfort the Queenes brother HENRY NORRIS and others running a tilt arising suddenly and to the wonder of all men departing thence to London caused the Viscont Rochfort NORRIS the Queene her selfe and some others to be apprehended and committed The Queene being guarded to the Tower by the Duke of Norfolke AVDLEY Lord Keeper CROMWELL Secretary of Estate and KINGSTON Lieutenant of the Tower at the very entrance vpon her knees with dire imprecations disavowed the crime whatsoeuer it were wherewith shee was charged beseeching God so to regard her as the iustnesse of her cause required On the fifteenth of May in the hall of the Tower she was arraigned the Duke of Norfolke sitting high Steward to whom were adioined twenty six other Peeres and among them the Queenes Father by whom she was to be tried The Accusers hauing giuen in their evidence and the Witnesses produced she sitting in a chaire whether in regard of any infirmity or out of honour permitted to the Wife of their Soueraigne hauing an excellent quicke wit and being a ready speaker did so answer to all obiections that had the Peeres giuen in their verdict according to the expectation of the assembly shee had beene acquitted But they among whom the Duke of Suffolke the Kings brother in Law was chiefe one wholly applying himselfe to the Kings humor pronounce Her guilty Whereupon the Duke of Norfolke bound to proceed according to the verdict of the Peeres condemned Her to death either by being burned in the Greene in the Tower or beheaded as his Maiesty in his pleasure should thinke fit Her brother GEORGE Viscont Rochford was likewise the same day condemned and shortly after HENRY NORRIS WILLIAM BRIERTON and FRANCIS WESTON
Gentlemen of the Kings Priuy Chamber and MARKE SVETON a Musitian either as Partakers or accessory were to run the same fortune The King greatly favoured NORRIS and is reported to be much grieved that he was to dy with the rest Whereupon he offered pardon to him conditionally that he would confesse that whereof hee was accused But hee answered resolutely and as it became the progenitor of so many valiant Heroes That in his conscience he thought her guiltlesse of the obiected crime but whether she were or no he could not accuse her of any thing and that he had rather vndergo a thousand deaths then betray the Innocent Vpon relation whereof the King cryed out Hang him vp then Hang him vp then Which notwithstanding was not accordingly executed For on the thirteenth of May two dayes after his condemnation all of them viz. the Viscont Rochfort NORRIS BRIERTON and SVETON were beheaded at Tower hill NORRIS left a sonne called also HENRY whom Queene ELIZABETH in contemplation of his Fathers deserts created Baron of Ricot This Lord NORRIS was father to those great Captaines WILLIAM IOHN THOMAS and EDWARD in our dayes so famous throughout Christendome for their braue exploits in England France Irland and the Netherlands On the nineteenth of May the Queene was brought to the place of execution in the greene within the Tower some of the Nobility and Companies of the City being admitted rather to be witnesses than spectators of her death To whom the Queene hauing ascended the scaffold spake in this manner Friends and good Christian people J am here in your presence to suffer death whereto J acknowledge my selfe adiudged by the Lawes how iustly J will not say for I intend not an accusation of any one J beseech the Almighty to preserue his Maiâ—sty long to raigne ouer you a more gentle or milde Prince neuer swayed Scepter his bounty and clemency towards me I am sure hath beene especiall If any one intend an inquisitiue survey of my actions J intreat him to iudge favourably of me and not rashly to admit of any hard censorious conceit And so I bid the world farewell beseeching you to commend mee in your Prayers to God To thee O Lord do J commend my Soule Then kneeling downe shee incessantly repeated these words CHRIST haue mercy on my soule Lord IESVS receive my soule vntill the Executioner of Caâ—ais at one blow smote off her head with a sword Had any one three yeares before at what time the King so hot in the pursuit of his loue preferred the enioying of this Lady beyond his Friends his Estate his Health Safeguard and his onely Daughter prophetically foretold the vnhappy fate of this Princesse he should haue beene beleeued with CASSANDRA But much more incredible may all wise men thinke the vnheard of crime for which shee was condemned viz. That fearing least her Daughter the Lady ELIZATETH borne while CATHARINE survived should bee accompted illegitimate in hope of other especially masle Issue whereof shee despaired by the King now neere fifty yeares old shee had lasciviously vsed the company of certaine young Courtiers nay not therewith content had committed incest with her owne Brother A strange ingratitude in one raised from so low degree euen to the height of honour I will not derogate from the Authority of publique Records But an Act of Parliament against her shall not worke on my beliefe Surely it carried so little shew of probability with foraine Princes that they alwaies deemed it an act of inhumane cruelty Especially the Estates of Germany Confederates for the defence of the Reformed Religion who having often treated with FOX Bishop of Hereford and other Embassadours had decreed to make HENRY Head of their League and had designed an Embassy by IOHN STVRMIVS who should haue brought with him into England those excellent Divines PHILIP MELANCTHON and MARTIN BVCER with one GEORGE DRACO who should endeavour that and the Reformation of our Church But having heard of the lamentable and vnworthy as they iudged it end of the Queene loathing the King for his inconstancy and cruelty they cast off all farther thought of that matter I will not presume to discusse the truth of their opinion But freely to speake what I my selfe thinke There are two reasons which sway much with mee in the behalfe of the Queene That her Daughter the Lady ELIZABETH was seated in the Royall Throne where shee for so many yeares ruled so happily and triumphantly What shall we thinke but that the Divine Goodnesse was pleased to recompence the iust calamity of the Mother in the glorious prosperity of the Daughter And then consider but the Kings precipitated Nuptialls the very next day after the death of his former Wife yet scarce interred and with whose warme bloud his imbrued hands yet reaked consider this I say and you shall easily be persuaded with mee that the insatiable Prince glutted with the satiety of one and out of the desire of variety seeking to enioy another did more willingly giue eare to the treacherous calumnies of the malicious Popelings than either befitted an vpright Iudge or a louing husband For it seemeth wonderfull strange to mee that either the fault of the one or the pleasing conditions and faire language of the other Wife should so far possesse the King as that hee should procure his daughter ELIZABETH to be by Act of Parliament declared illegitimate the matrimony contracted with both the former Queenes CATHARINE and ANNE to be pronounced invalid and the Crowne to be perpetually established on the posterity of the third wife or if the King had no Issue by her that then it should bee lawfull for him by Will and Testament to transfer it on whome hee pleased Parliaments were not then so rigid but that they could flatter the Prince and condescend to his demands though vniust even in cases which most neerely concerned the publique Weale But servile Feare is oft times more ready then Loue which slowly moves by apprehension of Good as the other is quickely forced by the apprehension of Danger On the twentieth of May the King married IANE SEIMOVR Daughter of Sir IOHN SEIMOVR who on the nine and twentieth of May being Whitsonday clad in royall habiliments was openly shewed as Queene So that the Court of England was now like a Stage whereon are represented the vicissitudes of ever various Fortune For within one and the same moneth it saw Queene ANNE flourishing accused condemned executed and another assumed into her place both of bed and honour The first of May it seemeth shee was informed against the second imprisoned the fifteenth condemned the seventeenth deprived of her Brother and Friends who suffered in her cause and the nineteenth executed On the twentieth the King married IANE SEIMOVR who on the nine and twentieth was publiquely shewed as Queene The death of this innocent Lady God seemed to revenge in the immature end of the Duke of Richmond the Kings only but naturall
Sonne a Prince of excellent forme and endowments whâ— deceased the two and twentieth of Iuly for whom the King a long time after mourned In the meane time on the nineteenth of Iuly IOHN BOVRCHIER Lord Fitz-waren was created Earle of Bathe whose successours in that Honour were his Sonne IOHN who begat IOHN deceased before his Father whose Sonne WILLIAM is now Earle of Bathe At what time also THOMAS CROMWELL a poore Smiths Sonne but of a dexterous wit whose first rising was in the Family of Cardinall WOLSEY in whose service by him faithfully performed he grew famous was made Lord CROMWELL many dignities being also conferred on him to the increase of his estate and honour For first he was Master of the Rolls and principall Secretary of Estate then Sir THOMAS BOLEN Earle of Wiltshire resigning he was made Lord Privy Seale and after that dignified with the vnheard of Title of The Kings Vicar generall in affaires Ecclesiasticall For the authority of the Pope being abrogated many businesses dayly happened which could not bee disparched without the Kings consent who not able to vndergo the burthen alone conferred this authority granted him by Act of Parliament on CROMWELL not for that he thought a Lay man fitter for this dignity than a Clergy man but because hee had determined vnder colour and pretence thereof to put in execution some designes wherein the Clergy in all probability would haue moved very slowly and against the haire Hee was therefore President in the Synod this yeare Certainly a deformed spectacle to see an vnlearned Lay man President over an assembly of sacred Prelates and such as for their learning England had in no preceding ages knowne the like For indeed HENRY is for that much to be commended who would not easily advance any one to place of government in the Church but whome his learning should make worthy By the authority of this Synod a booke was set forth wherein many points of Doctrine being proposed to be by the Curates expounded to their Parishioners mention was made of onely theee Sacraments Baptisme the Eucharist and Penance some holy dayes also were abrogated and other things pertaining to Religion and Ecclesiasticall discipline somewhat changed wherewith many were offended who preferred prescript Errors before the Truth The same time the Parliament assembled the fourth of Ianuary permitted all Monasteries the revenues whereof exceeded not two hundred pounds a yeare to the Kings disposall who causing them to be suppressed to the number of three hundred seventy and six entred vpon their lands amounting to thirty two thousand pounds a yeare and selling their goods even at very low rates most men accompting it sacrilegious to set to sale the goods of the Church raised aboue an hundred thousand pounds These things of themselves were distastfull to the vulgar sort Each one did as it were claime a share in the goods of the Church for many who being neither Monkes nor relied to Religious persons did receive no profit of Ecclesiastieall goods did notwithstanding conceiue that it might herafter come to passe that either their children friends or kinred might obtaine the places yet supplied by others whereas of these goods once confiscated they could not hope that any commodity should redound vnto them But the commiseration of so many people to the number of at least ten thousand who were without any warning giuen thrust out of dores and committed to the mercy of the world was a more forcible cause of generall distaste Which notwithstanding of it selfe sufficient was augmented by the malice of ill disposed and seditious persons who in their assemblies exaggerated these proceedings as the beginnings of greater evills that this was but a triall of their patience as yet the shrubs and vnderwoods were but touched but without speedy remedy the end would bee with the fall of the lofty oakes While these generall discontents thus vented themselves in private CROMWELL in September sent forth certaine Injunctions to the Clergy by vertue whereof each â—urate was to expound to his parishioners the Apostles Creed the Lords Prayer the Aue Maria and the Ten Commandements and earnestly to endeauour that they might learne them in the English Tongue This drave these Male contents into such extremes that the midwifry of any occasion served to produce the prodigious issues of their madnesse For in Lincolneshire the Commons being assembled about the beginning of October concerning Subsidies to be paid to the King as if the spirit of fury had generally animated them they suddenly to the number of twenty thousand tooke armes forcing certaine Lords and Gentlemen to be their leaders and to sweare to such Articles as they should propound such as refused were either imprisoned or put to death as was a certaine Priest Chancellor to the Bishop of Lincoln The King being certified of this Commotion sent against the Rebels with great Forces the Duke of Suffolke and the Earles of Shrewsbury and Kenâ— either to appease or suppresse them The rumonr of an Army marching against them so quailed their courages that they sent to excuse themselves vnto the King pretending That their endeavours tended to no other than the safety of his Maiesly and good of the Realme That â—ee hauing followed the advice of bad Counsellors had lately beyond the example of any of his Ancestors changed many things in the estate of Commonwealth and Church That having dispossessed the religious Inhabitants he had demolished many Monasteries where the poore had daily reliefe and God was wont to be deuoutly worshipped by godly men That the Feasts of Saints instituted many yeares since were profaned by his command That new Tenets which the Catholique Church did abhor were every where preached and obtruded to the people That now in each aged person was to be seene the Embleme of Jgnorance who having one foot in the grave were faine to betake them to their ABC Bookes that they might learne new kinde of Prayers never before vsed by any Christians That many vniust and pernicious Lawes had lately beene enacted and great Subsidies exacted both of the Clergy and Laity even in the time of Peace which were not wont to be demanded but for the maintenance of Wars That the Commons in generall did distaste these things and the rather for that they conceived them to be but trialls of their patience and the beginnings of more insupportable euills Wherefore they humbly beseeched his Maiesty whom they could not safely petition vnarmed that the Authours of these pernicious counsailes might sit no longer at the sterne but that others who should faithfully endeavour the amendment of the aforesaid evills might supply their places and that it might not be any way preiudiciall to them that they had taken Armes which even with the losse of their deerest bloud they were ready to imploy for his Maiesties safety and the defence of the Realme The King had a Spirit befitting his greatnesse and perceiving them to shrinke could not
the French vnder colour of reconciling him with the Emperour but his chiefe errant was to combine them both against HENRY Whereof hee having intelligence did by his Agent earnestly solicite FRANCIS That in reguard of their mutuall amity hee would cause POOLE to bee apprehended as guilty of high Treason and sent to him where hee should vndergo the punishment due therefore But because Religion and the Law of Nations had beene violated in betraying any especially the Popes Embassadour the French could not yeeld to the Kings request but to shew that hee would administer no cause of offence hee refused to admit of his Embassy and commanded him speedily to depart out of his Dominions HERCVLES stature might be guessed at by the proportion of his foot and by this one mans endeavours HENRY was taught what if need were hee was to expect of his Clergy So that hee was easily induced as any of them offended to send him to his grave for that a dead Lion biteth not And this course beeing taken with his professed enemies the feare of the like punishment would secure him of the rest On the twelfth of October the Queene having long suffered the throwes of a most difficult travaile and such a one wherein either the Mother or the Infant must necessarily perish out of her wombe was ripped Prince EDWARD who after succeeded his Father in the Crowne The Queene onely surviving two daies died on the fourteenth of October and on the twelfth of November was with great pompe buried at Windsore in the middle of the Quire on whose Tombe is inscribed this Epitaph Phoenix IANA iacet nato Phoenice dolendum Secula Phoenices nulla tulisse duas Here a Phoenix heth whose death To another Phoenix gaue breath It is to be lamented much The World at once ne'r knew two such On the eighteenth of October the Infant was created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornewall and Earle of Chester and with him his Vnkle EDWARD SEIMOVR brother to the deceased Queene Lord Beauchampe and Earle of Hereford which Honours onely and not those afterwards conferred on him hee left to his posterity WILLIAM FITZ-WILLIAMS Lord Admirall was made Earle of Southampton Then also WILLIAM POWLET and IOHN RVSSELL began their races in the lists of Honour POWLET being made Treasurer and RVSSELL Comptroller of the Kings Houshold and both sworne of the Privy Counsaile Neither was here their non vltra the one being afterward raised to Lord Treasurer of England and Marquis of Winchester the other to Earle of Bedford wherein hee dying in the yeare 1554 his Sonne FRANCIS that pious old man and liberall releiuer of the Poore succeeded him who at the very instant of his death lost his Sonne FRANCIS slaine by a Scot Anno 1587. Which FRANCIS was Father to EDWARD Earle of Bedford and brother to WILLIAM by King IAMES created Lord RVSSELL POWLET living to be a very decrepit old man had to his Successour his Nephew by his Sonne WILLIAM named also WILLIAM the sole Marquis of England And to end this yeare with death as it began THOMAS HOWARD youngest sonne to the Duke of Norfolke having beene fifteene moneths imprisoned for affiancing himselfe without the Kings consent to MARGARET Daughter to ARCHIBALD DOVGLAS Earle of Angus and Lady MARGARET the Kings Sister on the first day of November to the vnspeakeable good of this Island deceased in the Tower For this MARGARET beeing after married to MATHEW Earle of Lenox had by him HENRY the Father of King IAMES of sacred memory the most happy Vnitor of divided Britaine Anno Dom. 1538. Reg. 30. IT is at length after many ages resolved That through the superstitious abuse of Images God was robbed of his due honour The King much prone to Reformation specially if any thing might be gotten by it thought it fit to remove this stumbling blocke and the rather for that hee conceived his Treasury would be thereby supplied There were some Images of more especiall fame and Shrines of reputed Saints Whereunto Pilgrimages were made from the farthest parts of the Kingdome nay even from foraine Countries also the Oblations whereto were so many and so rich that they not onely suffised for the maintenance of Priests and Monkes but also to the heaping vp of incredible wealth The Shrine of THOMAS BECKET Archbishop of Canterbury was covered with plates of gold and laden with guifts of inestimable value The blinde zeale of those and former times had decked it with gemmes chaines of gold of great weight and pearles of that large size which in our Language finde no proper terme This Tombe was razed and his bones found entire in steed of whose head the Monkes vsually obtruded the skull of some other peradventure better deserving then did their supposed Martyr The spoile of this Monument wherein nothing was meaner then gold filled two chests so full that each of them required eight strong men for the portage Among the rest was a stone of especiall lustre called the Royall of France offered by LEWIS the Seventh King of France in the yeare 1179 together with a great massy cup of gold at what time hee also bestowed an annuity on the Monkes of that Church of an hundred tunnes of wine This stone was after ward highly prised by the King who did continually weare it on his thumbe ERASMVS speakes much of the magnificence of this Monument as also of the Image of our Lady of Walsingham both which hee had seene and admired This Image was also stripped of whatsoeuer worthy thing it had the like being also done in other the like places and the statues and bones of the dead digged vp and burned that they might bee no further cause of superstition Among the rest of these condemned Images there was a Crucifex in South-Wales called of the Inhabitants Darvell Gatharen concerning which there was a kinde of prophecy That it should one day fire a whole Forest It chanced that at this time one Doctor FOREST a Frier Observant who had formerly taken the Oath of Supremacy was vpon his relapse apprehended and condemned of Treason and Heresy For this Fryer a new Gallowes was erected whereon hee was hanged by the arme pits and vnderneath him a fire made of this Image wherewith hee was burned and so by his death made good the Prophecy Great was the Treasure which the King raised of the spoiles of Churches and Religious Houses But whether the guilt of sacriledge adhering like a consuming canker made this ill gotten treasure vnprofitable or that he found he had need of greater supplies to withstand the dangers that threatened him from abroad not content with what hee had already corraded hee casts his eyes on the wealth of the Abbeyes that had escaped the violence of the former tempest and not expecting as hee deemed it a needlesse Act of Parliament seizeth on the rest of the Abbeyes and Religious Houses of the Realme And first hee begins with that
Authoritie His Brother in law the Duke of Suffolke was lately deceased SEIMOVR the yong Princes Vnkle was a man whose Goodnesse was not tempered with Severity and being descended of a Family more ancient then noble as having vntill now never transcended Knighthood would be subiect to contempt They who more neerly participated of the Bloud Royall as they any way excelled in Power or Vertue were the more suspected and hated by him The Family of the HOWARDS was then most flourishing the chiefe whereof was THOMAS Duke of Norfolke a man famous for his exploits in France Scotland and elsewhere long exercised in the schoole of Experience many wayes deriving himselfe from the Crowne popular of great command and revenues But the edge of the old mans disposition made milde and blunted with age administred the lesse cause of suspition Of his eldest Sonne HENRY Earle of Surrey the King was certainly iealous and resolved to cut him off Hee had lately in the wars of France manifested himselfe heire to the glory of his Ancestors was of a ripe wit and endued with great learning so that Elogy afterwards given to his sonne HENRY that hee was the Learnedst among the Nobility and the Noblest among the Learned might have as fitly beene applied to him was very gracious with the people expert in the Art Military and esteemed fit for publique Government These great Vertues were too great Faults and for them hee must suffer Treason is obiected to him and vpon the surmise hee and his Father sent to the Tower On the thirteenth of Ianuary he is arraigned the chiefe point of his accusation whereon they insisted being for bearing certaine Armes which only belonged to the King and consequently aspiring to the Crowne Of other things hee easily acquitted himselfe and as for those Armes he constantly affirmed that they hereditarily pertained vnto him yet notwithstanding hee would not have presumed to have borne them but being warranted by the opinion of the Heralds who onely were to give iudgement in these cases The Iudges not approving of his answer condemne him and so the Flower of the English Nobilitie is on the nineteenth of Ianuary beheaded the King lying in extremity and breathing his last in Bloud The Duke was adiudged to perpetuall imprisonment where he continued vntill he was by Queene MARY set at libertie The King his disease growing on him at last makes his Will wherein by vertue of a Law lately enacted hee ordaines Prince EDWARD his Sucessour in the first place and in the second Prince EDWARD dying issâ—lesse substitutes the Lady MARY begotten of CATHARINE of Arragon and vpon the like defect of issue in MARY in the third place substitutes the Lady ELIZABETH These three raigned successiuely and accomplished the number of fiftie six yeares at the expiration where of Queene ELIZABETH ended her long glorious Raine and left the Diadem to King IAMES in the many reguards of his Learning Religion Goodnesse peaceable and happy Raigne the Mirrour of late ages The next care was of his Executors whom hee also appointed Tutors shall I say or Counsailours to his Sonne and were in number sixteene viz. Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Wriothsley Lord Chancellour William Pawlet Lord Saint-Iohn Iohn Russel Lord Priuy Seale Edward Seimour Earle of Hertford Iohn Dudley Viscount Lisle Lord Ad-Admirall Cuthbert Tonstall Bishop of Duresme Sir Anthony Browne Master of the Horse Sir Edward Mountague Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas. Sir William Paget Sir William Harbert Sir Thomas Bromley Sir Anthony Denny Sir Edward North. Sir Edward Wotton Doctor Wotton Deane of Canterbury and Yorke To whom hee added as Assistants especially in matters of great consequence Henry Earle of Arundell William Earle of Essex Sir Thomas Cheny Steward of the Kings Houshold Sir Iohn Gage Comptroller Sir Anthony Wingfield Vice-chamberlaine Sir VVilliam Peter Secretarie Sir Richard Rich. Sir Iohn Baker Sir Ralph Sadler Sir Thomas Seimour Sir Richard Southwell Sir Edmond Pecham He ordained his body should be interred at Windsore in a Monument yet imperfect erected by Cardinall WOLSEY not for himselfe as many falsly surmise but for the King as by the Inscription is manifest which cannot be of later date For therein HENRY is stiled Lord of Irland without any mention of Supreme Head of the Church which two particles it is manifest were changed in the Title after WOLSEY his death In the same his last Will he commanded that the Monuments of HENRY the Sixt and EDWARD the Fourth both interred in Windsore should be made more magnificent and stately and other things of leâ—sâ— moment most of which were neglected This last Will aud Testament hee confirmed subscribed and sealed the last of December and survived a moneth after dying at Westminster the eight and twentieth of Ianuary and that in this manner The King having long languished the Physicians finding apparant symptomes of approaching death wished some of his friends to admonish him of his estate which at last Sir ANTHONY DENNY vndertooke who going directly to the fainting King told in few but those plaine words That the hope of humane helpe was vaine wherefore he beseeched his Maiestie to erect his thoughts to Heaven and bethinking him of his forepassed life through Christ to implore Gods Mercy An advise not very acceptable to him But finding it grounded vpon the iudgement of the Physicians hee submitted himselfe to the hard law of necessitie and reflecting vpon the course of his Life which hee much condemned he professed himselfe confident that through Christ his infinite Goodnesse all his sinnes although they had beene more in number and waight might bee pardoned Being then demanded whether he desired to confer with any Divines With no other saith he but the Archbishop CRANMER and not with him as yet I will first repose my selfe a little and as I then finde my selfe will determine accordingly After the sleepe of an houre or two finding himselfe fainting hee commanded the Archbishop then at Croydon should be sent for in all hast Who vsing all possible speed came not vntill the King was speechlesse As soone as he came the King tooke him by the hand the Archbishop exhorting him to place all his hope in Gods Mercies through Christ and beseeching him that if hee could not in words he would by some signe or other testifie this his Hope Who then wringed the Archbishops hand as hard as he could and shortly after expired having lived fiftie five yeares and seven moneths and thereof raigned thirty seven yeares nine monethes and six dayes Thus ended HENRY the Eighth his Life and Raigne which for the first yeares of his Government was like NERO'S Five yeares Admirable for often Victories and happy Successe in war Glorious for the many Changes vnder it Memorable For the Foundation of the Churches Reformation Laudable to Queenes most vnhappy for the Death of so many for the most great Personages Bloudy and for the frequent Exactions and Subsidies and Sacrilegious Spoile of the Church much
diversly some censuring the Queenes actions others complaining of the change of Religion contrary to her promise made to the Suffolke men some lamented the case of Lady IANE who had beene forcibly deposed and cruelly condemned to an ill-deserved death Some were swaied by pittie some by the reguard of Religion but most by the feare of a Spanish servitude and others were by their owne hopes and the desire of change animated to a rebellion A Chieftaine only was wanting which defect was quickly supplied by Sir THOMAS WYATA Knight of Kent Who having communicated the matter with the Duke of Suffolke Sir PETER CAROW of Devonshire and some others concluded that it would not be expedient to attempt any thing vntill the arrivall of PHILIP that so they might not seeme to have taken Armes to any other end then to secure their Countrey from the vsurpation of a foraine Prince So reserving themselves for oportunity they disperse themselves into severall places WYAT into Kent a countrey adioyning to London and disioyned from Calais by a little fret of Sea Sir PETER CAROW into Devonshire a part of England in the West opposite to the maine of France and the Duke of Suffolke withdrew himselfe to his place in Warwick shire situated in the very heart of the Realme In these severall places they secreâ—ly furnish themselves with armes money and all sorts of munition and seeke to draw others to partake in the Conspiracie Sir PETER CAROW whether thrust on by his fate or thinking delaywould prove dangerous began secretly to levie some forces in Cornwall but the maâ—ter being sooner detected then was hoped he quickly oppressed he presently tooke ship fled into France where he lurked some time vntill at length being seemingly reconciled to the King he was taken at Brussells and brought captive into England By what meanes hee afterward made an escape I know not But he flourished many yeares vnder Queene ELIZABETH and died at Rosse in Leinster a Province of Irland in the yeare 1577. as appeareth by his monument in the Cothedrall Church at Excester erected at the costs of his nephew PETER who was brother to GEORGE whom King IAMES for his many vertues not long since created a Baron With Sir PETER at the same time Sir IOHN CHEEKE who had beene King EDWARD'S Tutour was also taken who came from Strasburg towards Brussells and that not without publique licence vpon no other businesse but to visit as saith FOX the Queenes Agents there or rather according to THVANVS to marry a wife Whatsoever were the cause of his iourney certaine it is that hee was intercepted on the way from Antwerp to Brussells vnhorsed by some of the Queenes servants and tied with cords to a cart at last muffled carried on shipboard and conveied to the Tower at London not knowing all the way for what part of the world hee was bound There having alwaies in conscience abhorred the errours of Popery he was forced to abiure his Religion for which hee afterward became so repentant that out of extremitie of griefe he languished and shortly died These passages I doe the more exactly describe because there want not some who relate that both Sir PETER CAROW and Sir IOHN CHEEKE for their Religion suffered at a stake on the thirteenth of Iune this present yeare But to returne to WIAT he perceiving that his intents were divulged and that hee had nothing to trust to no refuge but valour incited the people in Kent to a Rebellion and as Rebels never want common pretexts to colour their actions that Because the Queene relying too much vpon the advise of bad Counsailers had lately done and did daily indevour many things preiudiciall to the Estate of the Realme That therefore to prevent farther inconveniences those Counsailers must be removed and others substituted who should so manage the Estate as should answere the trust reposed in such men whose loyalty should render them more carefull of the publique then their private profit But above all they must endevour that some meanes must be vsed to impeach this determined Match by which hee plainly foresaw this free Realme would be oppressed with the miseâ—ies of a most lamentable servitude and a floud-gate would be opened to let in a perpetuall current of Superstition That the effects of their Armes would prove very profitable to the Queene for whose happinesse he should ever pray and to the generall good of the Kingdome But howsoever heefed the giddie multitude with specious words the Duke of Suffolke at that time running the same courses in Warwick-shire it was palpable that their drift was to depose MARY and once more to inthrone captive IANE By the five and twentieth of Ianuary fame had filled London with the newes of this Kentish Rebellion For the repression whereof the Duke of Norfolke was the same day dispatched with some small forces consisting for the most part of the Queenes Guard which were a little increased by the accession of five hundred Londoners who were the next day sent downe by water to Gravesend where the Duke expected them With these hee resolves to encounter WIAT whom his madnesse had not yet carried beyond Rochester which notwithstanding its weaknesse being no way fortified he intended to make good against the Duke and had incamped within the ruines of the Castle Rochester is a Citie seated vpon the River Medway where falling into the Thames it is most violent ebbing and flowing like a straight and is made passable by an arched stone bridge of excellent artifice This bridge had the Rebels seized and planted on it some brasse double Canons that they might debar the Duke whom they vnderstood by their Scouts to bee vpon march of passage But he nothing daunted with their proceedings sent a Herald to proclaime pardon to such as forsaking WIAT should returne to their obedience resolving withall to force the bridge and gaine entrance into the Citie The Herald executed his office but with so submisse a voice that hee was heard by few for indeed a Pistoll held at his brest so terrified him that hee was content for his owne safetie to yeild to the Rebels so commanding and was returned with this answer that they knew not themselves to be so far delinquent as that they should need any such pardon Only Sir GEORGE HARPER faining a revolt made over toward the Duke of Norfolke but indeed with intent to persuade ALEXANDER BRET Captaine of those five hundred Londoners to partake in this action of common disloyalty Which he performed so effectually that BRET whose Company made the Vauntguard before hee came so neere the bridge as to give an assault sudainly drawing his sword turned about to his souldiers and thus bespake them Valiant Countrymen wee now ingage our selves in a cause which before wee farther proceed would require mature deliberation We march but against whom Are they not our friends our fellow-natives with whom we seeke to make a deeper mixture of our blouds Have
above navell high through the dikes to the wall which wee little feared could be done without resistance finding the place void of defendants they easily make themselves masters of the Castle and had as easily taken the Towne if Sir ANTHONY AGER Marshall of the Towne had not with some few others made head against them and forced them to retreat to the Castle in which conflict that valiant Knight was slaine The Lord WENTWORTH Governour of the Towne seeing little hopes of keeping the Towne craved parley which was granted and at length yeilded the Towne vpon these Conditions That the common souldiers and inhabitants should depart without transporting or carrying away any thing with them and that the Lord WENTWORTH with fifty others such as the Duke of Guise should appoint should remaine captives to be put to ranson So was Calais lost which had continued English above two hundred yeares neither was the siege long the Enemy sitting downe before iâ— on Newyeares day and having it yeilded vp on Twelfe day Seven dayes after the Duke marcheth toward Guisnes which Towne he tooke without any difficultie but the Castle which the Lord GRAY commanded not so easily But that and Hames Castle were at length taken also and dismantled so that of all the Kingdome of France the greatest part whereof was for a long time held by our Kings and whereof HENRY the Sixt had beene crowned King at Paris Anno 1431. nor in the Duchies of Normandie and Aquitaine the ancient inheritance of the Kings of England our Kings possesse nothing but the Isles of Iersey and Guarnesey which have proved loyall to vs ever since the Conquest While the French proceeded thus in Picardie the Queene certified thereof with great diligence prepares her Fleet to transport succours for Calais but contrary windes kept them backe so long vntill Calais was irrecoverably lost You shall not easily read of any action wherein God hath by more manifest signes declared how displeasing those wars are to him which vndertaken for ambition or profit do dissolve the publique peace PHILIP to begin with him against whom HENRY and the Pope did most vniustly conspire inlarged himselfe with a double victorie each whereof were great and memorable The Cardinall CARAFFA and the Duke of Paliane who for their owne ends had persuaded the doting Pope to throw the ball of discord betweene these Princes were after for this very thing beheaded by PIVS the Fourth who immediately succeeded PAVL PAVL himselfe in the meane time the French being overthrowne at Saint Quintin was exposed to the mercy of the Spaniard whom he had irritated the French being forced to withdraw his Army out of Italy The rash violation of the League by MARY was punished with the losse of Calais and through griefe thereof according to common beliefe of life also What happened to the French who by the Pope's instigation first brake the five yeares Truce wee have already declared And least it might be conceived that his losses at and of Saint QVINTIN were repaired by the taking of Calais another overthrow given him within few moneths after will take away much from the content of that victory In Iune the Marshall De Termes who succeeded STROSSY lately slaine Governour of Calais breaketh into Arthois and Flanders with an Army consisting of neere about eleven thousand men leaving Graveling and Burburg at his backe attempts Berghes takes it sackes it and so opens a way to Dunkirk which hee also takes and spoiles and the Countrey all about for they feared not the French there and the Townes which the Spaniard held thoroughout that Tract were ill furnished lying open to their mercy they ransacke it most miserably and march as far as Newport PHILIP was affrighted with this Tempest fearing especially least the Duke of Guise then in Armes should joine with TERMES but having intelligence that the Duke spent his time about Arlon and Vireton hee resolves to intercept the French in their returne In this enterprise hee employes Count EGMOND his Lieuetenant generall in the Netherlands who having speedily out of the neighbour Garrisons of Betune Saint Omer Aires Burburg and others assembled an Army of fifteene thousand puts himselfe betweene Dunkirk and Calais TERMES had hitherto expected the Duke of Guise but vpon notice that the Countrey was vp in Armes he somewhat too late bethought himselfe of a retreate Hee was now every way inclosed and passage not to be gained but by dint of sword The French therefore valiantly charge their Enemies and overthrow some Squadrons of Horse indeed dispaire animated them to do wonders and the Flemings were set on fire by the desire of revenging late injuries The Spanish Troupes renew the fight which was with equall order long maintained on both sides in the heate whereof ten English Men of War fortunately sailing by for De TERMES had for his security betaken him to the shore hoping that way with much lesse hazard to have gained passage vpon discovery of the French Colours let fly their Ordnance furiously among the French making such a slaughter that they began to give ground were at last routed and overthrowne The French in this battaile lost five thousand Their chiefe Commanders were almost all taken the Marshall himselfe was hurt and taken with D'ANNEBALT the Son of CLAVD the late Admirall the Earle of Chaune SENARPONT VILLEBON Governour of Picardy MORVILLIERS and many others Two hundred escaped to our Ships whome they might have drowned but giving them Quarter they were brought Captives into England This battaile was fought on the thirteenth of Iuly The Queene desirous by some action or other to wipe out the staine of the ignominious losse of Calais about the same time set forth a fleet of one hundred and forty Saile whereof thirty were Flemings the maine of the expedition being from Brest in Bretaigne But the Lord Clinton Lord high Admirall of England finding no good to be done there set saile for Conquet where he landed tooke the Towne sacked it and set it on fire together with the Abbey and the adiacent villages and returned to his ships But the Flemings somewhat more greedy after prey disorderly piercing farther into the Countrey and reguardlesse of martiall discipline which commands obedience to their Generall being incountred by the Lord of Kerâ—imon came fewer home by five hundred PHILIP about the same time lodging neere Amiens with a great Army HENRY with a far greater attended each motion of his They incampe at last HENRY on the North of the river Somme PHILIP on the South of the river Anthy so neere to one another that it might be thought impossible for two such spirited Princes commanding so great Armies to depart without a battell But divers considerations had tempered their heat PHILIP being the weaker of the two saw no reason why to ingage himselfe HENRY had an Army which had twice felt the other victorious and was therefore loath on them to adventure his already shaken estate
Wherefore they so intrenched themselves and fortified their Campes with Artillery as if they expected a siege from each other Some moneths thus passed without any other exploits then inrodes and light skirmishes At length they mutually entertaine a motion of peace both of them considering that their Armies consisting of strangers the fruits of the victory would be to the Aliens only but the calamity and burthen of the defeat would light on the shoulders of the vanquished or which comes all to one passe of the subiects These motives drew together for a treaty on HENRY'S side the Constable the Marshall of S. Andrew the Cardinall of Loraine MORVILLIERS Bishop of Orleans and AVBESPINE Secretary of Estate for PHILIP the Duke of Alva the Prince of Orange RVYZ GOMES de Silva GRANVELL Bishop of Arras and others Much altercation was had about the restoring of Calais which the French were resolved to hold and PHILIP would have no peace vnlesse it were restored to MARY whom in point of honour he could not so forsake But this difference was ended by the death of MARY a little before whome on the one and twentieth of September died also the Emperour CHARLES the Fift which occasioned both the change of place and time for another Treaty And if the continuall connexion of other memorable affaires had not transported me I should ere this have mentioned the marriage celebrated at Paris with great pompe on the eight and twentieth of Aprill betweene the Daulphin FRANCIS and MARY Queene of Scots But the fruits thereof were not lasting For two yeares after died FRANCIS the Crowne by the death of his Father HENRY having beene first devolved to him and left his bed to a more auspicious husband HENRY the eldest Sonne to the Earle of Lenox Of these Parents was borne our late Soveraigne of ever sacred memory who was Nephew by his Mother to IAMES the Fift by MARGARET the eldest Daughter Nephew to that wise King HENRY the Seventh who the Issue of HENRY the Eight being extinct as the next vndoubted Heire most happily vnited the Crownes of England Scotland and Irland But now at length to draw neerer home this Autumne was very full of diseases Fevers especially quartane raigning extraordinarily in England wherby many chiefely aged persons and among them a great number of the Clergy perished Of the sole Episcopall ranke thirteene died either a little before the Queene or some few moneths after her Among the rest Cardinall POOLE scarce survived her a day who having beene for some weekes afflicted by this kinde of disease and brought to extreme weakenesse of body as if he had at the newes of the Queenes death received his deaths wound expired at three a clocke the next morning His corps inclosed in lead was buried in his Cathedrall at Canterbury with this briefe Elogy on his Tombe in steed of an Epitaph Depositum Cardinalis POLI. He was a man admirably learned modest milde of a most sweet disposition wise and of excellent dexterity in the managing of any affaires so that hee had beene incomparable if corrupted with the Religion of the Church of Rome he had not forced his nature to admit of those cruelties exercised vpon the Protestants The Queene died at S. Iames on the seventeenth of November some few houres before day She was a Lady very godly mercifull chaste and every way praise-worthy if you reguard not the errors of her Religion But her Religion being the cause of the effusion of so much innocent bloud that of the Prophet was necessarily to be fulfilled in her Bloud-thirsty men c. shall not finish halfe their dayes For she was cut off in the two and fortieth yeare of her age hauing raigned onely fiue yeares foure moneths and eleuen dayes wheras her Sister who succeeded her most happily in a more milde gouernement ruled nine timesas long and almost doubled her age Concerning the cause of Queen MARIE'S death there are divers conjectures To relate what I finde in approoved Authors it is reported that in the beginning of her sickenesse her friends supposing that she grieved at the absence of her husband whome she saw so ingaged in wars abroad that she could not hope for his speedy returne vsed consolatory meanes and indevored to remove from her that fixed sadnesse wherewith she seemed to be oppresled But she vtterly averse from all comfort and giving her selfe 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 finde Calais Intimating thereby that the losse of Calais had occasioned this fatall griefe which was thought to have beene increased by the death of the Emperor 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 kinde of Dropsy which Physitians terme Ascites This Dropsy being not discovered in time deceived her Physitians who beleeved that she had conceived by King PHILIP whereas she alas did breed nothing but her owne 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 Chappell which is on the North side of her Grandfather HENRY the Seventh his Monument where her sister Queene ELIZABETH was after buried with her and over both by the pious liberality of that most munificent Prince King IAMES hath since beene erected a most stately Monument well befitting the Majesty of such great Monarchs Queene ELIZABETH Anno 1558. HAving thus briefely run over the Reignes of these three Princes Queene ELIZABETH'S times in the next place offer themselves which deservedly requiring a more accurate stile I will here set a period to this worke not so much with intent to pretermit them as reserving them for a more exact labour In the meane time to give some satisfaction to the Reader I will make this short addition Some few houres after the decease of Queene MARY the Estates then assembled in Parliament on the seventeenth of November declared her Sister the Lady ELIZABETH Queene who was Daughter to HENRY the Eighth and ANNE BOLEN Having most gloriously reigned forty foure yeares foure moneths and seven dayes she ended her life and Reigne on the foure and twentieth of March Anno 1603 the Crown being by her death devolved to the renouned King of Scots IAMES the Sixt to whome it was so far from feeling it a burthen to have succeeded so good a Princesse that never was any Prince received with greater applause and gratulation of his People Many thinke their condition happy if they exchange a CALIGVLA for a CLAVDIVS or a NERO for a VITELLIVS or an OTHO But that any Mortall should please after ELIZABETH may