excommunicated the Earl who little regarded it The Earl so dieth the Bishop cometh into England and reneweth his Suit to Earl William his Son and Heir obtaining to have the King his Mediator but prevail'd not for Earl William and his Brethren answer'd That their Father did the Bishop no wrong having gotten the Mannors by right of War The Bishop in the agony of his Spirit reneweth the Curse against their Father and them and said That the Lord had cast it grievously upon Earl William as is written in the Psalm In a Generation his Name shall be put out and his Sons shall be Vagabonds as touching the Blessing promis'd by the Lord of Encrease and multiply Earl William the Father at the time of his Death and Burial which was in the New Temple at London 17. Kal. Apr. 1219. and 4 Hen. 3. left 5 Sons and as many Daughters Earl William the eldest Son first married Alice the Daughter and Heir of Baldwin Earl of Albermarle c. After Eleanor Daughter of King John and died without Issue 6. Apr. 1231. 15 Hen. 3. Earl Richard the second Brother succeeded he married the Lady Gervasia and was slain in Ireland 18 Hen. 3. leaving no Issue Earl Gilbert the 3d Brother succeeded He married Margaret Daughter of William King of Scots and was kill'd by his own Horse at a Tornement at Hartford 21 Hen. 3. 1241. leaving no Issue Earl Walter the fourth Brother succeeded He married Margaret Daughter and Co-heir of Robert Lord Quiney and died at London 6. Dec. 1245. 30 Hen. 3. or as others report the 24. Nov. and was buried at Tinterne leaving no Issue Earl Anselm the youngest was at the death of his Brother Walter Dean of Salisbury but admitted to be Earl of Pembroke and Marshal and in haste married Maud the Daughter of Humphrey de Bohun Earl of Hereford that he yet at last might propagate the most noble Family But Non est consilium contra Dominum for he died within 18 or 24 days after his Brother before he was actually possess'd of his County Thus according to the Malediction of the Bishop the Name of those great Earls Marshal was utterly extinct all the five Brethren being married and dying Childless within 15 Years Matt. Par. An. 1219 1245. p. 292 665 alibi King Edw. 1. in the zeal of his Religion his Father yet living took the Cross upon him and went to assist the Christians in the Wars of Jerusalem The Pope in recompence of his Charges granted unto him in the second Year of his Reign he being return'd the tenth part of all Ecclesiastical Benefices of the Kingdom for one Year and the like to his Brother Edmond for another But afterwards the King forgetting his old Devotion in the 11th Year of his Reign seiz'd all the Treasure of the Tenths collected for that purpose and laid up in divers places of the Kingdom and breaking open the Locks caus'd it to be brought unto him and employ'd it to his own use Stow. This taste of things separate to God drew him on to a further Appetite In the 23d Year of his Reign he took into his hands all the Priories Aliens throughout the Kingdom committing them as Charles Martel of old had done in France to Officers under him and allowing every Monk 18d a Week retain'd the rest for the charge of his War as he did also the Pensions going out of those Houses to the greater Monasteries beyond the Seas Yet obtain'd he further in the same Parliament of the Clergy and Religious Persons a Subsidy of half their Goods to the value of 100000l whereof the Abby of Bury paid 655 l. 11d q. Stow ib. p. 316. King Ed. l. being in great want by his subduing Scotland about the end of the 23th Year of his Reign caused all the Monasteries of England to be search'd and the Money found in them to be brought to London Wals. pa. 65. Cax l. 7. c. 39. Shortly after in the 24th Year of his Reign at a Parliament at St. Edmundsbury he required a Subsidy which the Laity granted But the Clergy pretending that Pope Boniface at the same time had forbidden upon pain of Excommunication that either Secular Princes should impose Tallages upon the Church-men or that Church-men should pay any they refus'd to supply the King's Necessity and having day to advise better on the matter till the next Parliament at London shortly after they persisted in the same mind Whereupon the King put them out of his Protection so that being robb'd and spoil'd by lewd persons without remedy to redeem the King's Favour the Archbishop of York and many of the Bishops laid down a fifth part of all their Goods in their Churches and some by other courses satisfy'd the King's desire and so recover'd his Protection But all the Monasteries within the Province of Canterbury were seiz'd into the King's hands and Wardens appointed in them to minister to the Monks and Religious Persons therein only what must be had of necessity taking all other Monies and Surplusage to the King's use So that the Abbots and Priors were glad to follow the Court and to repair their Error with the fourth part of their Goods The Archbishop of Canterbury after all this fearing the Pope's Excommunication continu'd in his refusal lost all he had was forsaken of his Servants forbidden to be receiv'd either in any Monastery or without and rested in the House of a poor Man only with one Priest and one Clerk How these Courses were censur'd in foro coeli is not in me to judge nor will I pry into the Ark of God's Secrets But see what followeth in the Story King Edward having with great Triumph subdu'd Scotland and taken the King Prisoner did at this present peaceably enjoy that Kingdom and govern'd it by his own Officers But e're three Months came to an end Wil. Wallis began such a Rebellion there as put all in hazard and in fine it was so reviv'd by Robert le Bruce the King 's natural Subject that at length he overthrew the King's Armies slew and beat out his Officers and without all recovery gain'd the Kingdom to himself and his Posterity King Edward attempting the recovery died at the entrance of Scotland His Son Edward II. pursuing his Father's intent with one of the greatest Armies that ever was raised by the English was miserably beaten and put to flight hardly escaping in his own person All his Life after full of Tumult not only his Nobles but his very Wife his Enemy abandoned of his Subjects turn'd out of his Kingdom imprison'd and traiterously murther'd In all which the Curse which his Father upon his Death-bed laid upon him if he should break the Precepts he gave him had no doubt a cooperation for he observ'd none of them Touching the pulling of Lands from the Church all have not always been of one mind For tho' the makers of the Statute of Mortmaine did truly think that the
third Daughter was married to Martin Reyes a Groom-porter and their Father himself was also beheaded 5. The Earl of Oxon was John Vere the fiftieth of that Name whose Grandchild Edward Earl of Oxon not only utterly wasted the great and most ancient Inheritance of that Earldom but defaced also the Castles and Houses thereof and leaving a Son by his second Wife named Henry the 18th Earl of that Noble Family The same Henry died without Issue and this Male Line thus failing the Office of Great Chamberlain of England which had ever since Hen. the 1st's time gone in this Family was now by the Lady Mary Sister of this Edward being married to the Lord Willoughby of Eresby by Judgment of the Upper House of Parliament Anno ... transposed to her Son and Heir the now Earl of Lindsey 6. The Earl of South-Hampton was William Fitz-Williams who being Lord Privy Seal and Admiral of England was created Earl of South-Hampton at Hampton-Court Anno 29 Hen. 8. He married Mabell Daughter of Henry Lord Clifford of Westmorland and Sister and Heir of Henry the first Earl of Cumberland but died without Issue Anno 34 H. 8. 7. The Earl of Arundel was William Fitz-Alam who died 35 Hen. 8. He had a Son and by two Wives four Daughters which died without Issue His Son Henry Fitz-Alam succeeded in the Earldom a Man of great Dignities He was twice married by Catharine his first Wife he had Issue H. Lord ... who being married died without Issue in the life of his Father An. 1556. And so ended the Noble Family and Male line of these Earls of Arundel But he had also by that Wife two Daughters and Heirs whereof Jane the eldest was married to the Lord Lumley who had Issue by her Thomas Charles and Mary who died all without Issue Mary his second Daughter and Co-heir was married to Tho. Howard the last Duke of Norfolk and by her the Earldom Castles and Honours of Arundel were transported to Philip Howard her Son and so to her Grandchild Tho. Earl of Arundel and Earl Marshal of England now living in whose line God hold them 8. The Earl of Shrewsbury was Francis Talbott who by his first Wife Mary Daughter of Tho. Lord Dacres of Gilsland had Issue George his eldest Son the sixth Earl of Shrewsbury and Tho. who died at Sheffield without issue Earl George had two Wives and four Sons besides three Daughters by his first Wife no Issue by his second Francis Lord Talbott his eldest Son was married but died without Issue Gilbert his second Son was the 7th Earl of that Family married and had Issue two Sons John and George but both of them died in their Infancy without other Issue-Male of their Father whose Heirs therefore were three Daughters Edward 3d. Son of George was the 8th Earl he married but died without Issue 2 Feb. 1617. Henry the 4th's Son married and died without Issue-Male Thus was all the Issue-Male of Francis Earl of Shrewsbury one of the Peers of the Upper-House at the passing of the Act aforesaid utterly extinct and the Earldom translated to another Family of that Name the Talbotts of Grafton descending from John Talbott the second Earl of Shrewsbury who died Anno 39. Henry VI. by his 3d. Son Sir Gilbert Talbott Captain of Calice York in Tit. Shrewsbury 9. The Earl of Essex Henry Bourchier that was a Peer of Parliament at the Act of Dissolution in 27. Henry VIII broke his Neck by a fall from an Horse about 10 Weeks before this Parliament viz on the 12th of March in 31. Henry VIII and having no Issue-Male the King gave his Earldom to Thomas Lord Cromwell who in his Bipartite Dignity sate among the Ecclesiastical Peers and first of the Rank as the King's Vicegerent in Spiritualibus and here among the Lay-Peers as in his own Right a Temporal Earl and Temporal indeed for not long after he was turned out of all his Offices attainted and beheaded as we have formerly shewed He brought in the Bill the 3d. time and it was expedited the 23d of May but within two Months following viz 29. July himself was attainted in the same Parliament and condemned so that vengeance fell speedily upon him 10. The Earl of Darby was Edward Lord Stanley a Peer of the Realm both in this and in 27. of the King he had divers Sons and Daughters his eldest Son Henry was Earl after him and left two Sons Ferdinando and William Ferdinando succeeded in the Earldom and died without Issue-Male 1594. leaving 3 Daughters and Heirs who shared so deep in the Patrimony of his goodly Earldom as they not only pulled the Feathers from the Wings of it whereby in times past it hath been so powerfull but the Wings from the very Body 11. The Earl of Worcester was Henry Somerset Lord Herbert a Peer also in 27. This honourable Family seems more fortunate than any of the precedent for their lineal descent remains entire and without blemish having at this day many Noble Branches Yet was not the Issue of Earl Henry free from the Hand of God for his 3d. Son Thomas Somersett died in the Tower of London Francis his 4th and youngest Son was slain at Massellborough-Field and his Son-in-Law the Earl of Northumberland that married his Daughter the Lady Anne was beheaded at York 1572. 12. The Earl of Rutland was Tho. Manours both in this Parliament and the 27th He had 5 Sons and 6 Daughters and died in 35. Henry VIII his eldest Son Henry was Earl after him and had Issue Edward the 3d. Earl of that Family who had only a Daughter an Heir and died without Issue-Male John Brother of Edward was the 4th Earl he had 3 Sons Edward that died an Infant Roger and Francis Roger succeeded and was the 5th Earl he had only one Daughter his sole Heir married to Sir Philip Sydney slain at Zutphen and died without Issue-Male Francis after his Brother Roger was the 6th Earl he was twice married by his first Wife he had Issue only the Lady Catherine married to the Duke of Buckingham who was murthered by Felton And two Sons by his second Wife Henry Lord Rosse and Francis Lord Rosse of Homelake who died both young without Issue 13. The Earl of Cumberland both in 27 and 31. Henry VIII was Henry Clifford who died 34. of the King He had Issue Henry the 2d Earl of Cumberland who had Issue George the 3d. Earl a valiant Soldier successfull in his Enterprizes He had Issue two Sons Francis Lord Clifford and Robert that died young and a Daughter the Lady Anne married to Richard Sackvill Earl of Dorsett who died as did also this Earl of Cumberland without Issue-Male Francis Brother of George was the 4th Earl who had Issue Henry Lord Clifford 14. The Earl of Sussex was Robert Ratcliff created 8. Decemb. 21. Henry 8. He had three Wives and more Sons besides Daughters and died 28. Nov. 1541. 34. Henry 8. his Son and Heir Henry
Earl of Sussex had five Sons whereof Egremont his Son by the second Wife was attainted of Treason Thomas the third Earl Son and Heir of Henry had two Wives but died without Issue 15. The Earl of Huntington was George Lord Hastings created 21. Henry 8. He had Issue Francis the 2d Earl and Sir Edward Hastings whom Queen Mary made Baron of Loughborough that died without Issue Sir Thomas Hastings also who died without Issue And Henry and William besides three Daughters Francis the 2d Earl had Issue Henry the third Earl who died without Issue and four other Sons whereof William died without Issue Sir George Hastings Brother of Francis succeeded in the Earldom and left many Male-branches whereof Henry the Issue of his eldest Son Francis was the fifth Earl and had Issue Ferdinando 16. The Earl of Hertford was Edward Seymour created Anno 29. Henry 8. made Duke of Somerset c. Edw. 6. He was committed to the Tower in the third Year of the King for divers great Offences but then obtained a Pardon and being arraigned of Treason and Felony 1 o Decemb 5. Regis was quit for the Treason and condemn'd for the Felony and therefore beheaded the 22d of July following He had two Sons by his first Wife that died without Issue Edward his 3d. Son or eldest by his 2d Wife the Lady Anne Daughter of John Stanhope Esq succeeded in all his Fathers Honours for a short time namely from the Death of his Father on 22 June 5. Edw. 6. to the End of the next Session of Parliament which was the 25th of April following But the Honours being entail'd upon him and therefore not forfeited for his Father's Attaindure for Felony Misfortune and the Malice of his Adversaries yet so wrought upon him as in this Session they were all taken from him by Parliament with most of his Inheritance which gracious Queen Elizabeth commiserating restor'd him to the Earldom of Hertford and Barony of Seymour To let pass his other Off-spring his Grandchild Edward the 3d. Earl of Hertford fell into King James's displeasure by marrying the Lady Arabella Stuart for which both of them were committed to the Tower 17. The Earl of Bridgwater was Henry Lord Daubeney created 20 July 30. Hen. 8. He died without Issue Anno Edw. 6. and so his Name Family and Dignity was extinct This Earl of Bridgwater was reduc'd to that extremity that he had not a Servant to wait on him in his last sickness nor means to buy Fire or Candles or to bury him but what was done for him in Charity by his sister Cicely married to John Bourchier the first of that Name Earl of Bathe Verba Henrici Bourchier manu sua scripta A Catalogue of the Barons present in Parliament 1. Audley Then John Tonchet Lord Audley who had Issue George Tonchet Lord Audley who had Issue Henry Tonchet Lord Audley who had Issue George Tonchet Lord Audley and Earl of Castle-Haven attainted and beheaded and the Barony of Audley being in see extinguisht 2. Zouche Was John Lord Zouche who had Issue Richard Lord Zouche who had Issue Edward Lord Zouche Son of George Lord Zouche Lord St. Maur and Cantelupe of Harringworth in Northamptonshire who sold his ancient Inheritance died without Issue-Male and his Barony extinct 1 Caroli His first Wife proving disloyal she was divorced from him that he regarded not the two Daughters which he had whom therefore he suffered to marry far below his Degree and Honour as himself saith in his Will upon Record The Eldest being married to Sir William Tate in Northamptonshire the other to in Worcestershire 3. De-laware Tho. Nest Lord De-laware Son of Tho. Lord De-laware that died the 16th Henry 8. married Eliz. Daughter and Co-heir of John Bonvill died without Issue William Nest Son of George Nest Brother of Tho. Lord De-laware being of the Age of 18 Years 1 Edw. 6. was disabled by Parliament to succeed his Uncle as conceiv'd to have imagined his Death and 2 or 3 of Philip and Mary was attainted of Treason by Commission in London Restored in Blood as Heir to Sir George his Father about 3 or 5 Eliz. and created a new Baron De-laware in 8. and had Issue Tho. De-laware Father or Grandfather of him now living 4. Morley Henry Parker made Lord Morley in right of Alice his Mother Daughter and Heir of William Lovell Lord Morley died 27 Novemb. 4. Mar. had Issue Henry who died in the Life of his Father leaving Issue Hen. Lord Morley that died at Paris 1578. Had Issue Edw. Lord Morley who died April 1618 and had Issue William Lord Morley and made Montegle 1 Jacobi and died 1622. and had Issue Henry Lord Morley and Montegle now living and Francis 5. Dacres Thomas Fines Lord Dacres of the South being in company with certain Gentlemen hunting in Nicholas Potham's Park there committed a Riot and Murther of Bransrigg He was hang'd at Tyburn on St. Peters Day 33 Hen. 8. He had issue Thomas Lord Dacres who died within age and Gregory Lord Dacres who died without issue 1594 and his Family so extinct Margery his Sister and Heir was married to Sampson Leonard who had issue Henry Lord Dacres who had issue Richard Lord Dacres Father of now Lord Dacres a Child 6. Dacres of Gilsland William died 1563 had issue Thomas Lord Dacres Leonard George S. P. Edward Francis George Lord Dacres Son of Thomas Lord Dacres being but 7 Years old and granted Ward to the Duke of Norfolk brake his Neck by a fall from a Vaulting-horse at Charterhouse Anno ... Eliz. And his Barony and Family extinct he dying without issue Male his two Sisters and Heirs were married to the Dukes Sons Philip Earl of Arundel and the Lord William Howard Thomas Lord Dacres Son of William Lord Dacres had issue William slain at Thetford 1569 his Sisters and Heirs Anne married to Philip Howard Mary married to Thomas Howard Elizabeth to Lord William Howard 7. Cobham George Brook Lord Cobham Son of Thomas Lord Cobham who died 1529 died 1558 had Issue William Lord Cobham He died 1597 and five other Sons which William had Issue Henry Brook Lord Cobham attainted and died 1618 S. P. and Sir William Brook S. P. and George Brook attainted and executed at Winchester An. 1603 the Barony extinct 8. Maltravers Henry Fitz-Alam Son of William Fitz-Alam the 10th Earl of Arundel which William died 35 H. 8. was in the life of his Father Lord Maltravers and Baron of Parliament and after the death of his Father the last Earl of Arundel of that Name 9. Ferrers Walter Lord Devreux Lord Ferrers of Chartley Son of John Devreux Lord Ferrers was created Vicount Hereford 1 Edward 6. had Issue Richard that died in the life of his Father and had Issue Walter Devreux Earl of Essex suspected to be poison'd and had Issue Robert Devreux Earl of Essex attainted and executed 1601 and Walter Devreux slain at the Siege of Roan Earl Robert had
deceiving the one of Q. Eliz. the other of K. James of a Multitude of thousand Pounds the Examination whereof was by His Majesty referr'd unto me among others and the two Brethren then agreeing among themselves the Reference was no further prosecuted But Mr. Toby Palvicini consuming his whole Estate sold the Abbey and Impropriation to Alderman Barcham and yet lieth in the Fleet for Debt if not lately at liberty Blackborough and Wrongey-Abbeys These were by granted and annexed to the See and Bishoprick of Norwich where Edmond Scaulter being made Bishop 27 Eliz. and doing as much as well he might to impoverish the Church made a Lease of most of the Manours and Lands thereof and amongst them of these two Abbies to Qu. Elizabeth for 29 Years at the lowest Rent he might which Bishop Goodwin in like cases termeth Sacrilege Queen Elizabeth assigneth this Lease to Sir Tho. he leaveth it to his Lady after the Countess of Southampton she setteth her term in these Abbies with the Mannors and Lands belonging to them to one Fisher a Skinner in London by the procurement of Wrenham her Servant Fisher entereth and enjoyeth them as undoubtedly his own Leaseth them for 21 Year to Harpley at a great encreased Rent Wrenham dieth without contradicting any thing his Son John Wrenham pretending that Fisher had the grand Lease but in trust for his Father who never paid penny for it exhibits one Bill in Chancery against Fisher another against his Son Sir Edward Fisher as having it from his Father a 3d against Harpley the Under-leaser The Lord Chancellour Egerton by an order declareth Harpley's Lease to be good who thereupon enjoy'd it quietly and dieth his Executrix setteth it to Sir Henry Spelman Wrenham exhibiteth a Bill against Sir Henry The Suits proceed to an hearing betwixt Wrenham and the Fishers The Lord Chancellour decreeth it against the Fishers and all claiming under them The Lord Chancellour Egerton gives over his place and Sir Francis Bacon placed in his room He reverseth the Decree and decreeth it back again to Sir Edward Fisher and by another Decree giveth also Sir Hen. Spelman's Lease unto him without calling or hearing Sir Henry Wrenham complaineth in a Petition to King James and taxeth the Lord Chancellour Bacon of Corruption and Injustice The King himself peruseth all the proceedings and approveth the Lord Bacon's Decree Wrenham is censured for his scandal in the Star-Chamber to loose his Ears on the Pillory c. A Parliament followeth in Jacobi both Wrenham and Sir Henry Spelman severally complain there It is found that the Lord Chancellour Bacon had for these Decrees of Sir Edw. Fisher a Suit of Hangings of eight score pounds The Lord Chancellour for this among other such crimes is deposed The Bishop of Lincoln is set in his room the Suits are again in agitation before him between Wrenham and Fisher and Sir Henry Spelman by a Petition to the King obtaineth a Review of the Proceedings against him upon which a Recompence is given him by Decree against Sir Edward Fisher. The Bishop of Lincoln is removed by King Charles and the Lord Coventry made Lord Keeper by whom the other Differences are at last compounded and the Grand Lease divided into many parcels Wrenham that raised this Tempest besides his misfortune in the Star-Chamber is never the richer by it but liveth a Projectour Sir Edward Fisher of 8000 l. as Bodon his Servant protesteth in the Suit is consumed and not to be seen of every Man Sir Henry Spelman a great loser and not beholden to Fortune yet happy in this that he is out of the Bryars but especially that hereby he first discerned the Infelicity of meddling with consecrated places Sir Tho. died without Issue Male and his Family extinct Mr. James out of whose Bowels his Father the Bishop hoped to raise a Family of note hath to this day no Issue at all Walsingham-Abby Dedicated to St. Mary Canons regular val at 446 l. 14s 4d One Sydney Governour of the Spittle there as was commonly reported when I was a Scholar at Walsingham was by the Townsmen imploy'd to have bought the Site of the Abby to the use of the Town but obtain'd and kept it to himself He had Issue Thomas and a Daughter Mother to Robin Angust the Foot-post of Walsingham Thomas by the advancement of Sir Francis Walsingham Brother to his Wife grew to great Wealth was Customer of Linne and about a miscarrige of that place was long harrowed in Law by Mr. Farmer of Basham and died leaving two Sons Thomas the eldest having the Abby c. married and died without Issue Sir Henry succeeded in the Abby c. married and died without Issue His Lady a vertuous Woman now hath it for life the remainder being given for names sake by Sir Henry to Robert Sydney the 2d Son of the Earl of Leicester Walsingham-Priory not mentioned in the Tax One Mr. Jenner was Owner of it and had Issue Thomas Francis and Bartholomew Francis a Lawyer of Gray's Inn married into Kent and was drowned in going thither by Boat Thomas the eldest had the Priory and 3 or 4 Sons and a Daughter one of his Sons or as some say two went up and down a begging His eldest he disinherited settling his Estate upon his younger Son John being my Servant who died in his Father's life Then he gave his whole Estate to his Daughter married to Bernard Vtbarr and a Daughter of hers his Grandchild with a particular Summ of Money to maintain Suit against his Son and Heir if he claimed any thing after his death Being dead his Son enter'd and got possession of the Priory but in fine with some little composition was wrested out by Vtbarr and now Vtbarr's Daughter coming to age it is to be sold by her Hempton-Abby al Takenham Dedicated to St. Mary and St. Stephen Black Canons Aug. 39 l. 9 s. If Sir Hen. Farmer had it he died without Issue Sir William Farmer had it and died without Issue-male His Brother was slain at Rising-Chase by the Rebels 2 Ed. 6. His Son Mr. Thomas Farmer had it and the Impropriation of Basham and wasting his Estate sold about 15 or 16 Mannors leaving none but his chief House Basham His eldest Son Thomas died a young Man his three Daughters unfortunate The eldest and youngest poorly married The middle to Mr. Barneys Son of Gunton who disinherited by his Father was slain by Tho. Betts his Wives Uncle of the half blood at a Marriage at Litcham Nicholas Farmer younger Brother of Thomas was attainted and pardoned for Coining and after taking a Boat to fly from the Serjeants was drowned in the Thames William 2d Son of Thomas a right honest Gentleman still hath the Impropriation and having been married about 18 Years hath only a Daughter Mr. Richard Benson bought the Abby and Mannor of Pudding Norton of Mr. Tho. Farmer consumed all and went into Wales
Abbey-Stone Breast-high the Wall reft from the Corner Stones though it was clear above ground which being reported to me by my Servant Richard Tedcastle I viewed them with mine own Eyes and found it so Sir Roger utterly dâ—smayed with these Occurrents gave over his begun Foundation and digging a new wholly out of the ground about 20 Yards more forward toward the North hath there finished a stately House using none of the Abbey-Stone about it but employed the same in building a Parsonage-House for the Minister of that Town and about the Walls of the Church-yard c. Himself also shewed me that as his first Foundation reft in sunder so the new Bridge which he had made of the same Stone at the foot of the Hill which ascendeth to his House settled down with a Belly as if it would fall But if there be any Offences or ominous Consequences depending upon such Possessions he hath very nobly and piously endeavoured to expiate it for he hath given back to the Church three or four Appropriations Burnham Priory It was sometime the Southwells of St. Faith's whose Family is either extinct or gone out of the County It was afterwards Francis Cobbes Gent. who likewise is gone then Sir Charles Cornwallis Kt. wasted and by him sold to Alderman Soame who let the same to John Soame Esque his 2d Son deceased Peterston About the latter Years of Q. Eliz. was Rich. Mansers Gent. who had much suit and Quarrel with Firmine Gray about a Lease of it and died without Issue disposing it by a Will as was reported to one Roger Manser his Brother but they were of it by Armiger of Creake who married Richard Manser's Sister and left it to William Armiger his Son and Heir who sold it to my Lord Cooke to secure the Title Carbrocke a Monastery of Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem Sir Richard Southwell Knight a great Agent in spoiling the Abbeys was Owner of it he married Thomasin the Daughter of Sir Roger Darcy of Dambury and living together had no Issue by her but in the mean time he had by Mary Darcy Daughter of Tho. Darcy also of Dambury Richard Southwell of St. Faiths and Tho. Southwell of Mowrton Mary and Dorothy all born in Adultery and Katherine married to Tho. Audeley of Beer-Church in Essex Cousin and Heir Male to the Lord Audley born as it seems after the Death of Thomasin his Wife by the said Mary who then and before was by Sir Richard married to one Leech a Swallowman of Norwich that had been his Servant and now his Lady dying he took this Mary from Leech her Husband and married her himself alledging that she could not be Leech's Wife for that he had another former Wife then living hereupon a great Suit ensued in the high Commission Court where Sir Richard prevailed and enjoyed her with shame enough Sir Richard dieth without other Issue than by this Mary leaving the Abbey of St. Faiths to his base born Son Richard and Mowrton to his base Son Thomas His Son Richard marries Bridget Daughter of Sir Roger Copley Knight and had Issue by her Richard Thomas and Robert This last Richard married the Daughter of Sir Tho. Cornwallis and having Issue by her Sir Tho. Southwell and 2 or 3 other Sons dyeth in the life-time of his Father who for his 2d Wife marrieth his Maid the Daughter of one Styles Parson of Ellingham and by her had Issue Sir Henry Southwell and Dunsarry Southwell now owner of Mowrton and some Daughters whereof Ann was in London And this Richard the Father having wasted his Estate and sold the Abbey of St. Faiths to the Lord Chief Justice Hobart died a Prisoner in the Fleet. Tho. Southwell the other base Son of Sir Richard dieth without Issue and having given by his Will the Mannor of Mowrton to his Sister Audley for Life the Remainder to Thomas her younger Son Sir Tho. Southwell Nephew of the Testator seeketh to overthrow the Will and to have the Mannor as Heir at common Law to Thomas the Testator hereupon the Heir of Leech strikes in against them both labouring with Sir Thomas to falsifie the Will against Mrs. Audley and excluding Sir Tho. by alledging bastardy against him in Richard his Father for that Mary Darcy the Mother of this Richard was Wife to the Father of this Leech when Richard and Thomas the Testator was born This brought all the filthiness aforementioned to be raked over again and when all were notoriously defamed by it they all sit down without any recompence Tho. Audley that was in remainder died without Issue in the Life of his Mother whereby Mowrton came to his Brother Sir Henry Audley Anthony Southwell and Southwell Brothers of Sir Thomas were in the Robbery of Mrs. Grave and fled into Ireland Sir Henry Southwell married the Daughter of the Lord Hor in Ireland without Issue After the Death of Sir Richard Southwell his Nephew Sir Robert succeeded in the great Inheritance and the Hospital of Carbrock he married the Daughter of the Earl of Nottingham and died in the Flower of his Age leaving his Son the now Sir Thomas an Infant who about his full Age had a base Daughter by Dr. Corbett's Maid and marrying her privily liveth now in dis of her and keepeth the Daughter of one Eden in a poor House at Notton and hath consumed the greatest part of his Estate His Sister Mrs. Eliz. Florence liveth at Florence in Adultery with Sir Robert Dudley having another Wife before he married her and both of them still living Marham Sir Nicholas Hare Knight and John Hare Citizen and Mercer of London 3 Jul. Anno 38 H. 8. purchased of the King ... totum fitum circuitum ambitum praecinctum nuper Monasterii sive domus De Marham in ac totum sundum situm terram Ecclesiam Campanile domus aedificiorum c. ... necnon manerium nostrum de Marham cum omnibus terris ... c. Sir Nicholas Hare married the Daughter and Heir of Bassingbourn and had Issue Michael that died without Issue Robert that died without Issue and Richard that died without Issue and his Inheritance went away to his two Daughters the one married to Rouse the other to Timperley See more of this Sir Nicholas in the Speaker of Parliament Anno 31 H. 8. where he prophesied this ruin of his Family John Hare the Citizen had Issue Nicholas the Lawyer that died without Issue Ralph that died without Issue Edmund Lunatick at a Lodge in Enfield-Chase Hugh that died without Issue Rowland and John that had Issue and Thomas of Oxford that married and died without Issue Richard the elder married Eliz. Daughter of ... and had Issue Sir Ralph Hare Knight of the Bath and he married ... the Daughter of Alderman Hambden and John Son of John and Brother of Richard was Clerk of the Court of Wards and had Issue Nicholas who was Lunatick and died without Issue and Hugh now Lord
Colrane in Ireland Sir Ralph Hare to expiate this Sin of his Family gave the Parsonage impropriate of Marham worth 100 l. yearly to St. John's College in Cambridge Anno 16 and died leaving one only Child Sir John Hare who married Sir Thomas Coventry the now Lord Keeper's Daughter and hath by her she not being ... Years old ... Sons and Daughters with hope of a numerous Posterity God bless them Crab-House I have yet gotten little Intelligence of this Abbey but I hear that it was not long since John Wright's of Wigen-Hall in Marseland and that he had two Sons whereof ... his eldest Son consumed his Estate and sold the Abbey with the greatest part of the Land and died without Issue It came after to Mr. William Guybon of Watlington and is now in the hands of his Son and Heir Bromill Abbey Sir Thomas Woodhouse of Wapham 38 H. 8. purchased Bromill Abbey of the King he died without Issue and Sir Henry Woodhouse his Nephew succeeded who utterly consumed his whole Estate and selling the Abbey to John Smith Esq Suits arose thereupon which lasted many Years till the Death of Sir Henry in Nov. 1624. Mr. Smith hath only Daughters and no Son so that the Abbey is not like to continue in his Name Ex inform ipsius Jo. Smith 11 o. Nov. 1624. The Impropriation of Besthurst in Lancashire as I take it is worth 1600 l. per Annum being Sir Vrion Lea's Dereham Abbey Tho Dereham in the 33 H. 8. bought it of the King shortly after he was fetch'd out of it to the Tower about the Treason of his Brother Francis Dereham who was executed Thomas at length was delivered out of Prison he had Issue Thomas Robert John and Baldwin and a Daughter Thomas married ... and died without Issue Male Robert and John died without Issue Baldwin a decayed Merchant of London had Issue four Sons Thomas Dr. of Divinity John and Martha a Daughter non compos mentis Thomas succeeded his Uncle in the Inheritance and is now Knighted having Issue Thomas Thomas eldest Son of Sir Thomas married ... daughter of ... Scot Esque of ... in Kent she fell Lunatick in Child-Bed upon the Death of her Son ... 1623 and so continueth having yet only a Daughter Thetford Hitherto I have kept my self within my Circle let us see for our further satisfaction whether the like fortune haunted the Monasteries without it we will begin with Thetford The Monastery of the Black Nuns of St. Gregory in Thetford being the Benedictines was the Duke of Norfolk's whose Misfortunes are here before in other places too often mentioned He sold the same to Sir Richard Fulmarston Knight who died without Issue Male leaving it to his Daughter and her married to Sir Edward Clark Knight Sir Edward Clark had two Sons by her and a Son by his second Wife Sir Edward Clark Knight of St. Michael the eldest Son spent most of his Life in one Prison or other had Issue a Son Sir Henry Clark Baronet that died without Issue Male in the Life of his Father who consuming his whole Inheritance sold the chief Seat of his Blickling to the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas Sir Henry Hobart and this Monastery upon Exchange and Money to Mr. Godsalve for Buckingham-Ferry which he ... Mr. Godsalve put over the Monastery among other Lands to Mr. John Smith and Owen Shepheard and having consumed all his Estate went beyond Sea Mr. Smith and Mr. Shepheard had a long and chargeable Suit about Mr. Godsalve's Estate and sold the Monastery to Sir William Campion who now hath it but with Suit and Trouble Sir Edw. ... the elders second Son Francis died without Issue This great and eminent Family is wholly extinct as those also of Fulmarston's Godsalve's and Smith's for Smith hath no Issue Male. I must here note that this Sir Edward ... the Elder was one of the greatest Hunters by way of Concealment after Church Goods and Lands that was in his time and that sowing these unfortunate Pieces of new gotten Cloth into the Garment of his old Inheritance the new hath not only rent away the old Garment but the Family it self to which it served Pentney Priory Pentney Priory was purchased of the Kâ—ng Anno 37 H. 8. by Thomas Mildmay the Auditor whose Son Sir Thomas sold it to Francis Windham one of the Justices of the King's-Bench he entailed it first upon his own Issue then to his Brother 's Roger and Thomas the Dr. after to his Sister Coningsby and after that to Edmund and Edmund's natural Brothers all which dying without Issue it came to Thomas Windham Esq Son of Sir Henry Windham who in Anno 1622 sold it to Sir Richard Ballache Knight and he in Anno 1631 to Judge Richardson The Abbey of Radegundis at Bradefalk in Kent by Dover is now Sir Tho. Edolph's Knight who did lately build a fair House upon the Site of the Monastery and it hath fallen down three times his two Brothers lunatique Ex relat Mrs. Meares qui duxit Vxorem Edw. Pegton Baronet St. Lawrence-Abbey by Canterbury now in the hands of Edolph lunatique whose Grandfather was also lunatique his Grandfather first purchased the Abbey Shirburn Shirburn-Abbey some time a Cathedral-Church yet belonging to the Bishop of Salisbury saith Cambden p. 214. impres 1610. Sir John Horsey having no Issue left for Name sake to Sir Ralph Horsey of Cambridgeshire the Monastery and Parsonage of Shirburn who wasting much his Estate sold them to Mr. Stikles and he to my Lord Digby about 1620. The Castle and the Manner was assigned from the Bishop of Salisbury to Queen Elizabeth and by her to Sir Walter Rawleigh after beheaded then it came to Prince Henry who died shortly after then it came to the Earl of Somerset who being attainted the King granted it to my Lord Digby The Bishoprick being void Toby Matthew should have had it but would not take it upon Sir Walter Rawleigh's conditions but Henry Cotton accepting and performing them his Son was born blind who notwithstanding was made a Minister had 3 or 4 Parsonages and was Canon in Salisbury yet died a Beggar Hale's-Abbey Hale's-Abbey and Manour for the most part viz. 500 Acres granted to the Lord Admiral Seymor in fee 19 Aug. 1. Edw. 6. He beheaded it returned to the King Edw. who 12 June reg 4. granted all with the 500 Acres to the Lord Marquiss who 16 June eodem Anno leased it to Hodgkins for 21 Years at 159 l. 16 s. but as it seems came again to the Crown for Q. Eliz 18 July reg 7. leased it again to Hodgkins for 21 Years at 159 l. 16 s. Woods Regalities c. excepted ut videtur Hodgkins had three Sons all died poorly but he gave his Estate to his Daughter married to Hobby St. Ousey given by King Edward to Thomas Lord Darcy and ... slain at St. Quintins John had Issue Thomas Lord Darcy whose
but King James would not suffer Prince Charles to have it for the success The Earl of Bristol hath it Received from my Lord Keeper 9th of May 1626. Lodwick Grevil owner of Micletin a Mannor belonging to Ensham Abby in Oxfordshire had two Sons whereof Edward the younger shooting a piece by chance slew his elder Brother and thereby succeeded in the Inheritance Lodwick himself in the ... Year of Eliz. standing mute upon his Arraignment for Poisoning of ... whose Will he had Counterfeited was Press'd to Death Edward afterward Knighted Mortgag'd the Abby to ... Fisher a Skinner of London for a small Sum and growing farther in with him by borrowing and Use upon Use it came at length by Forfeiture and Entanglement to be Fishers absolutely and Sir Edward Grevil having wasted his whole Patrimony and sold some part thereof in Warwickshire to the Lord Treasurer Cranfeild became Bailiff to the Lord Treasurer of the same Land Old Fisher put over the Abby to his Son Sir Edward Fisher who with extreme Suites Bribery c. so consum'd his Estate that he was judged to be Eleven Thousand or Twelve Thousand Pound in Debt and driven to sell his great Lease of Wrongey Blackbury and Grandcourts in Norfolk and yet liveth in fear of Bailiffs c. 12th of Octob. 1644. Ex relat John Wrenham partim Rob. Mordant Mil. Sir Edward Grevil had a Son that breaking his Leg over a Style dy'd his Daughters are one Married to Sir Arthur Ingram to whom he sold the Reversion of his chief Seat Milcote c. and hath a Hundred Pound per Ann. during his Life and the House Circa Ann. Dom. 1142. Stephen and Geffrey Mandevil Earl of Essex being call'd among other of the Nobility to a Council at St. Albans he was there by the King in revenge of a former Injury unduly taken at St. Albans prisoned and could have no liberty till he had delivered the Tower of London and the Castles of Walden and Plessy being thus spoil'd of his Holds he turned his fury upon the Abby of Ramsey it being a place of Security and invading it by force drove out the Monks and placed his Soldiers in their room and Fortified the Church instead of his Castle The Abbot and Monks betook them to their Arms and with all the force they could shot their Curses and Imprecations against him and his Complices thus prepared to his destruction he besieg'd the Castle of Burwel where a Peasant shooting him lightly in the Head with an Arrow contemning the Wound he dy'd of it in Excommunication leaving three Sons Inheriters of that Malediction but of no Lands of their Father the King having seized them Nub. lib. 1. c. 11. Stow. An. 9 Steph. Matth. Westm. Ann. 1143. Hen. Hunting Hist. lib. 8. pag. 393. Arnulph his eldest Son who still maintain'd the Church of Ramsey as a Castle was taken Prisoner by King Stephen striped of all his Inheritance banish'd and dy'd without Issue Hov. in Ann. 1144. Catal. Com. Essex pag. 177. Mat. Par. Ann. 1143. pag. 77. lib. 6. Geffrey Mandevil second Son was restored by King Henry the II. and Married Eustachia the Kings Kinswoman but had no Issue by her William Mandevil the third Son succeeded his Brother and was twice Married but dy'd without Issue Thus the Name and Issue of this Sacrilegious Earl were all extinct and the Inheritance carried to Geffrey Fitz-Peter another Family by the Marriage of Beatrix Say his Sisters Grandchild Now we have related the Fortune of the Earl Mandevil and his Children we must not omit what Nubrigensis reporteth touching two of his Captains the one of his Horse-men the other of his Foot-men both of them cruel Executioners of his Impiety The first had his Brains dash'd out by a fall from his Horse and the other whose Name was Rayner the chief burner and breaker into Churches being passing over Sea with his Wife they were both of them turned out of the Ship into a Boat and so left to Fortune were there Drown'd More of the Story you may see in Nubrigensis lib. 1. c. 11. and Mat. Par. Ann. 1143. About the same time Rob. Marmion a Man of great power in like manner invaded the Church of Coventry and turning out the Monks placed his Soldiers in their room then going to Battle against the E. of Chester he shewed himself in a bravery before both the Armies and having forgotten privy Trenches which himself had made to entrap his Enemies or hinder their approach he fell as he pranced up and down before the Monastery into one of them and breaking his Thigh-Bone could not get out which a Peasant of his Enemies perceiving ran to him and cut of his Head Nub. lib. 1. c. 12. Mat. West Ann. 1143. Hunting lib. 8. p. 393. Mat. Par. 1143. William Albermarl whom I certainly take to be William le Gros Earl of Albermarl that dy'd 25th of Henry II. by the former examples thrust the Regular Priests out of the Church of Belingcon and Fortified it with his Soldiers But by example also of their grievous Punishment it pleased God to touch him with Repentance so that to expiate his Sin he did many Noble Works of Charity both in relieving the Poor abundantly and in Erecting of two if no more worthy Monasteries that of Melsa in the Year 1150. and the other of Torneton where he was Buried in Peace Yet God delighted rather in Obedience than Sacrifice cut off the Line of his Family and transposed his Inheritance by his only Daughter Hawis who was thrice Married to three several Families But in the two first it stuck not at all and but two Descents in the last of them Nub. l. 1. c. 12. Hov. An. 1179. Cat. E. Albermarl King Henry II. in the Year 1192. and the 16th of his Reign being in Normandy and hearing that Thomas of Becket Archbishop of Canterbury after a Peace lately made between them carried things so imperiously in England as there was no living under him growing into an extream Passion used as they say these words In what a miserable State am I that I cannot be quiet in my own Kingdom for one only Priest Is there no Man that will rid me of this Trouble Hereupon or upon what other Motives God knoweth four barbarous Knights Sir Hugh Murvill Sir Will. Tracy Sir Rich. Brittain and Sir Reynold Fitz-Vrs hasting into England slew the Archbishop at Even Song in his Cathedral Church at the very Altar embruing it with his Blood and Brains committing at once this horrible Murder and tripple Sacrilege First in respect of the Person secondly of the Place and thirdly of the Time and Business then in hand Yet Vengeance seized not presently on their Bodies but tormented their Souls upon the rack of Desperation so that neither trusting themselves one with another nor the solitary Woods nor the mantle of Night they fled into several Countries where they all within four Years after as 't is reported died
flowed into it by Act of Parliament the next year following being the 33d of his Reign to the Number one and other of But as the Red-sea by the miraculous Hand of God was once dried up so was this Sea of Wealth by the wastfull Hand of this Prince immediately so dried up as the very next year viz. Regni 34. the Parliament was drawn again to grant him a great Subsidy for in the Statute-book it is so stiled and this not serving his turn he was yet driven not only to enhance his Gold and Silver-money in Anno 36 but against the Honour of a Prince to coin base Money and when all this served not his turn in the very same year to exact a Benevolence of his Subjects to their grievous Discontent Perceiving therefore that nothing could fill the gulf of his effusion and that there was now a just cause of great expence by reason of his Wars at Bulloign and in France they granted him in the 37th Year 2 Subsidies at once and four Fifteens and for a Corollary all the Colleges Free-Chapels Chantries Hospitals c. before-mentioned in Number 2374. upon confidence that he should dispose them as he promised solemnly in the Parliament to the Glory of God who in truth for ought that I can hear had little part thereof The next year was his fatal Period otherwise it was much to be feared that Deans and Chapters if not Bishopricks which have been long levelled at had been his next design for he took a very good Say of them by exchanging Lands with them before the Dissolution giving them rackt Lands and small things for goodly Manners and Lordships and also Impropriations for their solid Patrimony in finable Lands like the exchange that Palamedes made with Glaucus much thereby encreasing his own Revenues as he took 72 from York besides other Lands Tenements Advowsons Patronages c. in the 37th of his Reign which are mentioned particularly in the Statute 37. Henry VIII cap. 16. He took also 30 and above as I remember in the 27th Year from the Bishop of Norwich whom he left not that I can learn one Foot of the goodly Possessions of his Church save the Palace at Norwich and how many I know not in the 37th Year also from the Bishop of London I speak not of his prodigal Hand in the Blood of his Subjects which no doubt much alienated the Hearts of them from him But God in these eleven Years space visited him with 5 or 6 Rebellions In Lincolnshire Anno 28 and 3 one after another in Yorkshire Anno 33 one in Somersetshire Anno 29 and again in Yorkshire Anno 33. And though Rebellions and Insurrections are not to be defended yet they discover unto us what the displeasure and dislike was of the common People for spoiling the Revenues of the Church whereby they were great losers the Clergy being mercifull Landlords and bountifull Benefactors to all Men by their great Hospitality and Works of Charity Thus much touching his own Fortunes accompanying the Wealth and Treasure gotten by him as we have declared by confiscating the Monasteries wherein the prophetical Speech that the Archbishop of Canterbury used in the Parliament 6. Henry IV. seemeth performed That the King should not be one farthing the richer the next Year following II. What happened to the King's Children and Posterity Touching his Children and Posterity after the time that he entered into these Courses he had two Sons and three Daughters whereof one of each kind died Infants the other three succeeding in the Crown without Posterity His base Son the Duke of Richmond died also without Issue and as the Issue of Nebuchodonosor was extinct and his Kingdom given to another Nation the 68th Year after he had rifled the Temple of Jerusalem and taken away the holy Vessels so about the same period that King Henry VIII began to sack the Monasteries with their Churches and things dedicated to God was his whole Issue extinct Male and Female base and legitimate and his Kingdom transferred to another Nation and therein to another Royal Family which is now His Majesty's singular happiness that had no hand in the like depredation of the Monasteries and Churches of that Kingdom there committed by the tumultuous if not rebellious Subjects Contrary as it seems to the good liking of our late Sovereign King James who as is reported said that if he had found the Monasteries standing he would not have pulled them down not meaning to continue them in their superstitious Uses but to employ them as Chorah's censers to some godly purposes Wherein most piously he declared himself both in restoring as I hear some Bishopricks and divers Appropriations in Scotland and also by moving the Universities of England to do the like as by his gracious Letter doth appear which shall here following be expressed in the end So his Grandfather King James the 4th of Scotland when he was solicited by Sir Ralph Sadler then Embassador from King Henry to augment his Estate by taking into his Hands the Abbies James refus'd saying What need I take them into mine Hands when I may have any thing I require of them And if there be Abuses in them I will reform them for there be a great many good Which was a wise answer and if King Henry had done the like here he might have had an immense and ample Revenue out of the Monasteries and old Bishopricks while they enjoyed their Lands being a third part of the Kingdom as appears by Doomsday-Book by way of First-fruits Tenths Pensions and Corrodies yearly that he should never have needed at any time to ask one Subsidy of his Subjects To return where we left off having spoken of the extinguishment of the Issue of King Henry whereof the immortally renown'd Princess Queen Elizabeth was the golden period Let us cast our Eyes upon the principal Agents and Contrivers of this Business III. What happen'd to the Principal Agents The Lord Cromwel was conceived to be the principal mover and prosecutor thereof both before and in the Parliament of 27 and 37 Hen. VIII and for his good service impenso impendendo upon the 18th of April before the beginning of the Parliament of 31 which was on the last of the Month he was created Earl of Essex and his Son Gregory made Lord Cromwell yet e're the Year was past from the end of the Parliament of 31 he fell wholly into the King's Displeasure and in July 32 he was attainted and beheaded professing at his Death that he had been seduc'd and dy'd a Catholick His Son Gregory Lord Cromwell being as I said made a Baron in the life time of his Father and invested with divers great Possessions of the Church supported that new risen Family from utter ruine but his Grandchild Edward Lord Cromwell wasting the whole Inheritance sold the head of his Barony Oukham in Rutlandshire and exchanging some of the rest all that remained with the E. of Devonshire for
1555. Concerning the Bishops it doth not appear how they gave their Voices but it may well be suppos'd that divers of them were against a total suppression and seeing in other Acts it is recorded after that when a Bill was granted with an unanimous consent of all parties none dissenting that then it was past Nemine dissentiente yet it is not so recorded upon this but although many might dissent and that publickly yet there was a major part of Temporal Lords present and so carried it by Voices It is testify'd of Bishop Latimer that he much desir'd that two or three Abbies of the greater sort might be preserv'd in every Shire for pious and charitable Uses Which was a wise and godly motion and perhaps the occasion that the King did convert some in part to good purposes Yet the Desolation was so universal that Jo. Bale doth much lament the loss and spoil of Books and Libraries in his Epistle upon Leland's Journal Leland being imploy'd by the King to survey and preserve the choicest Books in their Libraries If there had been in every Shire of England saith Bale but one solemn Library to the preservation of those Noble Works and Preferment of good Learning in our Posterity it had been yet somewhat but to destroy all without consideration it is and will be unto England for ever a most horrible Infamy amongst the grave Seniors of other Nations Adding further that they who got and purchased the Religious Houses at the Dissolution of them took the Libraries as part of the Bargain and Booty reserving of those Library Books some to serve their Jakes some to scour their Candlesticks and some to rub their Boots some they sold to the Grocers and Soap-sellers and some they sent over Sea to the Book-binders not in small numbers but at times whole Ship-fulls to the wondering of foreign Nations And after he also addeth I know a Merchant-man which all this time shall be nameless that bought the Contents of two noble Libraries for 40s a piece a shame it is to be spoken this stuff hath he occasioned instead of Grey Paper by the space of more than these ten Years and yet he hath enough for many Years to come a prodigious Example is this and to be abhorred of all men who love their Nation as they should do And well he might exclaim a prodigious Example it being a most wicked and detestable injury to Religion and Learning Yet thus are Men often transported with Passion in the heat of Reformation and fiery Zeal without Wisdom The Temporal Lords present in Parliament 23 Maii 31 Hen. VIII 1. Thomas Lord Audley of Walden Lord Chancellour died without Issue-male 30. Apr. 1544 3 â…š Hen. 8. Margaret his sole Daughter and Heir being first marry'd to Henry Dudley Son of John Duke of Northumberland slain at St. Quintins without Issue Anno 1557. After a second Wife to Thomas Duke of Norfolk who was beheaded in June 1572. By him she had Issue Thomas created by King James Lord Howard of Walden and after Earl of Suffolk and made Lord Treasurer but put out of his place and fined in the Star-Chamber termino ... Anno ... for miscarriage thereof and grievously afflicted by the wicked and odious practices of his Daughter Frances first marry'd to the Earl of Essex then divorc'd and marry'd to the Earl of Somerset and they both attainted and adjudg'd to death for the murther of Sir Thomas Overbury 2. The Duke of Norfolk at that time viz. in both Parliaments of 31 and 27 was Thomas Howard the third Duke of that renowned Family who suffering the spight of Fortune was upon the 12th of December in the 28th of the King committed to the Tower with his magnanimous Son and Heir apparent Henry Earl of Surrey Upon being first arraign'd and attainted the King lying on his Death-bed caused him to be beheaded 19. Jan. and deceasing himself on the 28th of the same Month left the sorrowfull Duke in Prison where he remained as I take it till Queen Mary set him at liberty to go against Wyat and being nothing fortunate in that imployment the Earl of Pembroke was put in his room and had the glory of the Service Thomas Howard Son of Henry Earl of Surrey beheaded and Grandchild of the last Duke was restor'd by Q. Mary and made the 4th Duke of Norfolk but affecting Marriage with the Qu. of Scots was heretofore attainted and beheaded in June 1572. Philip his eldest Son was in right of his Mother and by conveyance of the Castle and Honour of Arundel unto him Earl of Arundel and after restor'd in Blood 23d of Eliz. yet byfate of his Noble Family after long imprisonment and Attainder died in the Tower where his most honourable Son after restitution to his Earldom and other Dignities with a reinvesting of the great Office of Earl Marshal of England but now by God's Blessing and his own singular Wisdom hath gotten the upper hand of Fortune and is likely to leave it to a temperate and virtuous Son 3. The Duke of Suffolk both in this Parliament and in that of 27 was Charles Brandon and tho' he was not present at the passing of the Bill yet being a principal Parliament-man the King's Brother by Marriage and his minion in Affection it is very credible that he was a very great advancer of the business He had four Wives no Issue by the first a base Daughter and another by a second born in Wedlock A Son Henry that was Earl of Lincoln by his 3d Wife the King's Sister and Qu. of France and two Daughters and two Sons Henry and Charles by his fourth Wife His Son Henry Earl of Lincoln died without Issue in the life time of his Father the Duke His other Son Henry was Duke of Suffolk after his Father but both he and his Brother Charles died together of the Sweating Sickness the 14th of July 1551 without Issue Frances his eldest Daughter by the Qu. of France was married to Henry Grey Marquess of Dorset who in her Father's Title was created Duke of Suffolk and was beheaded the 23d of Febr. 1 Mariae leaving no Issue by a former Wife but three Daughters by this Frances whereof Jane marry'd to the Lord Guilford Dudley together with her Husband were beheaded without Issue 1 Mar. Catharine his second Daughter was marry'd to the Lord Herbert and divorced Mary the 3d Daughter was marry'd to Martin Reyes a Groom-porter as I have heard and died without Issue 4. The Marquess of Dorset in this Parliament of 31 H. 8. was Henry Grey that married Frances the eldest Daughter of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk by the Qu. of France King Henry's Sister he had Issue by her a Son and 3 Daughters His Son Henry Lord Harrington died before him without Issue The Lady Jane eldest Daughter as we said before was married to the Lord Guilford Dudley and together with her Husband was beheaded Catharine his second Daughter ... Mary the
all standing together at the time of Dissolution and I then noted that the Gentlemen's Seats continued at that day in their own Families and Names But the Monasteries had flung out their Owners with their Names and Families all of them save 2 thrice at least and some of them 4 or 5 or 6 times not only by fail of Issue or ordinary Sale but very often by grievous Accidents and Misfortunes I observe yet further that though the Seats of these Monasteries were in the fattest and choicest Places of all that Part of the Country for our Ancestors offer'd like Abel the best unto God yet it hath not happened that any of them to my knowledge or any other in all this Country hath been the permanent Habitation of any Family of Note but like desolate Places left to Farmers and Husbandmen no Man almost adventuring to build or dwell upon them for dread of Infelicity that pursueth them Let me here report what hath been related to me from the Mouth of Sir Clement Edmonds lately a Clark of his Majesty's Counsel that did take his knowledge from the Council-books viz. that in the beginning of Queen Mary's Reign the Parliament was not willing to restore Popery and the Supremacy to the Pope unless they might be suffered to retain the Lands which were lately taken from the Monasteries this Resolution was signifi'd to Rome whereto the Pope gave Answer that for the Lands belonging to Religious Houses he would dispense for detaining of them but for the Situation of the Houses Churches and such consecrated Ground there could be no alienation thereof to profane Uses whereupon those that enjoyed them did not inhabit or build upon the Houses but forsook them for many Years till the time of Queen Eliz. a great Plague happening the poor People betook themselves into the remainder of the Houses and finding many good Rooms began to settle there till at length they were put out by them to whom the grant of the Leases and Lands were made We see hereby how fearfull they were long after the Dissolution to meddle with Places consecrated to God though perverted to superstitious Uses when as yet they had no experience what the Success would be let them therefore that shall read this our Collection following consider of it as they shall see Cause I urge nothing as not medling with the secret Judgments of Almighty God but relate rem gestam only as I have privately gotten notice of it and observed living in these parts almost all my life and endeavouring faithfully to understand the truth yet no doubt many things have been mistaken by those who related them unto me and therefore I desire that wheresoever it so falleth out my Credit may not be engaged for it The Collection of divers Ancient Gentlemen's Families in Norfolk all standing and continuing in their Names and Heirs with the Possessors of Religious Houses since the Dissolution most part whereof are cast out and changed often in few Years besides many strange Misfortunes and grievous Accidents happening to them their Children and Heirs Monasteries   Gentlemen's Families  1 1 BEdingfield at Oxburgh AT Linn 3 2 2 Spelman at Narburgh  3 3 Yelverton at Crabhouse 4 4 Townsend at Kameham Wrongey 5 5 Farmer at Barsham Blackborough 6 6 Boyenne at Wall Deerham 7 7 Calthrope at Coxford Pontney 8 8 Straing at Hunstanton Westacre 9 9 Sharburgh at Sharburgh Castleacre 10 10 Walpool at Houghton Warham 11 11 Mordant at Massingham Stronldham 12 12 Cobbs at Sandringham Wendling Abbey 13 13 Thursby at Wichen Walsingham Priory 14 14 Cocket at Brusthorp 15 15 Ashley at Melton Binham 16 16 Guirney at Barsham Burcham 17 17 Carvyll at S. Marses Peeterston 18 18 Gansell at Watlington Coxford 19 19 Pigat at Flitcham 20 20 Grey at Marton Hempton 21 21 Woodhouse at Kimberley Croake 22 22 Meshold at Langford Carbrocke 23 23 Jarmy at Streston Tomson 24 24 Badgscroft at Bextel Attleburgh Burnham 25 25 Pratt at Kaston    Hogan at Denton parva    Keps Linn Monasteries 1. Friars Carmelites alias White-Friars in South-lane 2. Friars Minorites alias Grey-Friars 3. Friars Preachers alias Black-Friars 4. Augustine-Friars 5. A Cell or College of Priests belonging to Norwich The four first were purchased of Hen. 8. by John Eyer Esq one of the King's Auditors or Receivers a great Receiver of Monasteries and amongst others of that of St. Edmondsbury he married Margaret Daughter of Sir Tho. Blendhasseil Widow of Sir John Spelman eldest Son of Sir John Spelman and died without Issue He in his life-time conveyed the four first Monasteries to a Priest from whom the Corporation of Linn purchased the Carmelites and Minorites and being thus enter'd into things consecrated to God purchased also the Impropriation of the Church of St. Margaret's there and defacing the Church of St. James perverted it to be a Town-house for the Manufacture of Stuffs Laces and Tradesmen's Commodities whereby they thought greatly to enrich their Corporation and themselves Great Projects and good Stocks with a Contribution from some Country-Gentlemen were raised for this purpose two several times of my knowledge but the Success was that it came to nought and all the Money employ'd about new building and transforming the Church hath only encreased Desolation for so it hath stood during the whole time almost of my Memory till they lately attempted by the undertaking of Mr. Fr. Gurney and some Artisans from London to revive the Enterprize of their Predecessors but speeding no better than they did have now again with loss of their Money and Expectation left it to future Ruine thus in this particular hath been the Success of their Corporation For other matters I will only note what I have observ'd touching them in the general when I was young they flourished extraordinarily with Shipping-trading plenty of Merchandize native and foreign some Men of very great Worth as Killingtree Grave Clayburne Vilet Lendall many of good Note as Grant Overend Hoe Baker Waters and many more of later time but all of them with their Male-Posterity are in effect extinct and gone and as at this day they have little shipping or trade otherwise than to the black Indies as they call it that is Newcastle for Coal so there is not a Man amongst them of any Estimation for his Wealth or of any Note that I can hear of descended from any that was an Alderman there in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth The Friars Preachers came from Mr. Eyers to Tho. Waters who had Issued Edward Waters and a Daughter married to George Baker Edward died without Issue-Male leaving a Daughter Eliz. who was first married to Nicholas Killingtree then divorced and married to Edward Bacon qr who had no Issue by her qr after to Sir John Bowles of Lincolnshire Sir John Bowles and she sold this Friars to Nicholas Killingtree who left it to his Son William Killingtree and he sold it to Henry
Barkenham a Miller who sold it to Mr. John Rivett now living The Augustine Friars came from Eyer to one Shavington a Bastard who died without Issue and by his Will gave it to one Waters other than the former and to the Heirs of his Body This Waters died without Issue whereupon the Augustine Friars was to revert to his Heir but having none because he was a Bastard great Suit ensued about it But John Ditefield being then in Possession of it left it by Descent as it seemeth to his Son John Ditefield who gave it in Marriage with Thomasin his sister to Christopher Pickering brother of the then Lord Keeper and he then recovered it in Chancery and sold it to John Lease John Lease pulling down the Buildings selleth first the Stones and then dividing the Ground into divers Garden-rooms sold the same to divers Persons The Cell of Priests was near the Guild-hall and the Prior's House was somewhat remote from it by St. Margaret's Church The College was sometime Mr. Houghton's after Parker's then Ball 's lately Sendall's and now Hargott's all of them save Hargott are extinct and gone and Mr. Hargott is on the declining Hand the Site of the Prior's House was lately consecrated and annexed to St. Margaret's Church-yard for a Burying-place Shouldham-Abbey Sir Francis Gaudy of the Justices of the King's Bench was owner of it he married the Daughter and Heir of Christopher Cunningsby Lord of the Manour of Wallington and having this Manour and other Lands in right of his Wife induced her to acknowledge a Fine thereof which done she became a distracted Woman and continued so to the day of her Death and was to him for many Years a perpetual affliction He had by her his only Daughter and Heir Eliz. married to Sir William Hatton who died without Issue-Male leaving also a Daughter and Heir who being brought up with her Grandfather the Judge was secretly married against his Will to Sir Robert Rich now Earl of Warwick The Judge shortly after being made chief Justice of the Common-pleas at a dear Rate as was reported was suddenly stricken with an Apoplexy or double Palsie and so to his great loss died without Issue-Male e'er he had continued in his Place one whole Michaelmas Term and having made his appropriate Parish-Church a Hay-house or a Dog-kennel his dead Corps being brought from London unto Walling could for many days find no Place of Burial but in the mean time growing very offensive by the Contagious and ill Savours that issued through the Chinks of Lead not well soder'd he was at last carry'd to a poor Church of a little Village there by called Runcto and buried there without any Ceremony lieth yet uncovered if the Visitors have not reformed it with so small a Matter as a few paving Stones Sir Robert Rich now Earl of Warwick succeeded in the Inheritance by his Wife of this Abby with the Impropriation and his great Possessions amounting by Estimation to 5000 l. a Year and hath already sold the greatest part of them together with this Abbey and Impropriation unto the Family of Mr. Nich. Hare the Judge's Neighbour and chiefest Adversary For among divers other goodly Manours that Sir John Hare hath purchased of him or his Feoffees he hath also bought this Abbey of Shouldham and the Impropriation there with the Manour belonging to the Abbey valued together at 600 l. yearly Rent Binham-Priory Binham Priory a Cell of St. Albans was granted by King Henry 8. to Sir Thomas Paston he left it to Mr. Edward Paston his Son and Heir who living above 80 Years continued the Possession of it till Caroli R. and having buried ... his Son and Heir apparent left it then unto his Grandchild Mr. Paston the third Owner of it and thereby now in the Wardship to the King Mr. Edward Paston many Years since was desirous to build a Mansion-house upon or near the Priory and attempting for that purpose to clear some of that Ground a Piece of Wall fell upon a Workman and slew him perplexed with this Accident in the beginning of this Business he gave it wholly over and would by no means all his Life after be perswaded to re-attempt it but built his Mansion-house a very fair one at Appleton Castle-Acre-Abbey Sir Tho. Cecil Earl of Exeter was owner of it and of the impropriate Personage here he had Issue Sir William Cecil Earl Exeter who married Eliz. the Daughter and Heir of Edw. Earl of Rutland and had Issue by her dying as I take it in Child-bed his only Son William Lord Rosse This William Lord Rosse married Anne the Daughter of Sir Tho. Lake and they living together in extreme Discord many infamous Actions issued thereupon and finally a great Suit in the Star-Chamber to the high Dishonour of themselves and their Parents In this Affliction the Lord Rosse dyeth without Issue and the Eldest Male-line of his Grandfather's House is extinguished Sir Richard Cecil was second Son of Sir Thomas Cecil Earl of Exeter and had Issue David who married Eliz. the Daughter of John Earl of Bridgewater and is now in expectation to be Earl of Exeter His third Son was Sir Edw. Cecil Knight his 4th and 5th Tho. Cecil and Christopher drowned in Germany Sir Tho. the Grandfather Earl of Exeter made a Lease of this Monastery and Impropriation to one Paine as I take it by whose Widow the same came in Marriage to Mr. Humfrey Guibon Sheriff of Norfolk Anno 38. Eliz. whose Grand-child and Heir Tho. Guibon consumed his whole Inheritance and lying long in the Fleet either died there a Prisoner or shortly after Sir Edw. Coke Lord Chief Justice married for his second Wife the Lady Eliz. Hatton one of the Daughters of the said Earl Tho. and afterwards bought the Castle of Acre with this Monastery and Impropriation of his Brother-in-Law Earl William Son of Earl Thomas since which time he hath felt abundantly the Change of Fortune as we have partly touched in Flitcham-Abbey West-Acre-Abbey This also belonged to Sir Tho. Cecil of whom we have now spoken he sold both it and the Impropriation of West Acre to Sir Horatio Palvicini an Italian that before his coming into England had dipt his Fingers very deep in the Treasure of the Church Being in his Youth in the Low-countries as his Son Edward affirmed to me he there secretly married a very mean Woman and by her had Issue him this Edward but durst never discover it to his Father as long as they lived together his Father being dead he came into England and here married a second Wife by whom he had Issue his Son Toby and for his Wive's sake disinherited him his eldest Son Edward and conferred all his Lands with the Abbey and Impropriation of West Acre to Toby and his Heirs Edward after the Death of his Father grows into contention with his Brother Toby and in a Petition to King James accuseth both his Father and his Brother for
Mr. Gossald bought the Abby of Mr. Benson and lest it to his Wife in Jointure Mr. Henry Gossald of Ireland his Son and Heir sold the Reversion to Sir Thomas Holland and goeth into Ireland Mr. Nicholas Timperley bought it of Sir Tho. Holland Malsingham-Abby not in the Tax It was Sir Tho. Gresham's who died as was said suddenly in his Kitchin without Issue-male His Daughter and Heir was married to Sir William Read who had this Abby Sir Tho. Read his eldest Son married Mildred Daughter of Sir Tho. Cecil after Earl of Exeter and died without Issue Sir Francis Read his 2d Son an unthrift lived much in the Gaol if he died not there The Daughter of Sir William was married to Sir Michael Stanhope who died without Issue-male Jane the eldest Daughter of Sir Michael married to Sir William is out of her Wits and Sir William her Husband in sore danger of his life about the slaughter of 6 or 7 Men tumultuously kill'd at Elizabeth the younger of his Daughters and Heirs married to the Lord Barkley is out of her Wits Flitcham-Abby Sir Tho. Hollis had it and was by report at Dinner taken out of it in Execution for Debt by the Sheriff and his Goods sold whereof my Father bought some Much suit there was about it between one Payne and him or his Heir but the matter being at length reserr'd to the Duke of Norfolk he bought both their Titles He the Duke had it and was attainted and beheaded and it then came to the Crown King James gave it in Fee Farm to my Lord of Suffolk who was fined in the Star-Chamber and put out of Treasure-ship and suffer'd much Affliction by the Attainder of the Lady Francis Countess of Somerset his Daughter and of her Husband the Earl My Lord Cooke bought it of the Earl of Suffolk and bought out the Fee-Farm from King James He was put out of the place of Ch. Justice of the King's Bench fell into great Displeasure of the King and hath been laded with Afflictions proceeding chiefly from his own Wife who liveth from him in Separation His eldest Son Sir Robert having been married many Years hath yet no Issue His Daughter the Lady Vicountess of Purbeck the Fable of the Time and her Husband a Lunatick Wendling Wendling-Abby differ'd from all the rest of this Circuit for it was not dissolv'd by the Statute or by the Act of Hen. 8. but before that time by Cardinal Wolsey and was one of the 40 small Monasteries that Pope Clement the 7th gave him licence to suppress for the Erection of his 2 Colleges Christ-Church in Oxon and another at Ipswich The Cardinal employed 5 Persons especially in this business whereof one was slain by another of those his Companions that other was hanged for the Fact the third drowned himself in a Well the fourth being a Man of good Wealth in those days fell within three years after so poor that he begg'd till his Death the fifth Dr. Allen promoted to a Bishoprick in Ireland was there cruelly maimed The Cardinal himself fell out of favour with the King and Kingdom and condemned in a praemunire lost all his Offices Honours Goods and Estate and being called into further danger died for grief by the way not without suspicion of poisoning himself The Pope who gave the Licence was by the Duke of Bourbon's Army driven out of his City of Rome it cruelly sack'd and himself besieg'd in the Castle of St. Angelo taken Prisoner scorned and put to Ransom And after all this was at last as some affirm poison'd with certain of his Cardinals and Friends by the Fume of a Torch prepared for that purpose Stow in Anno Dom. Bale 18. 6. Besides all these Mr. Tho. Cromwell who then was but Servant to the Cardinal having a principal hand in the Destruction of these Monasteries given to his Master had also a principal share in this Tragedy for tho' he were after promoted to great Honours yet in the end he was thrown out of them all convicted of Treason attainted and beheaded as in other places heretofore we have more fully related Now we come nearer to and particularly to this Abbey wherein as also in others of that Nature in Corporations and Bodies Politick that are the Seminaries of the Church little attention is to be expected yet see what happened to their Tenants and Farmers profanely abusing the consecrate places thereof The Cardinal did grant it to his Coll. at Christ-Church in Oxon and to whom they first leased it I do not yet find but Mr. Tho. Hogan of Bradenham that was Sheriff of Norfolk Eliz. died in his Sheriffship and not long after him his Son Mr. Hen. Hogan leaving his Son and Heir very young who attaining near to his full Age and falling sick acknowledged a fine upon his Death-Bed to the use of his Mother the Lady Caesar that now is and his half Sisters and dying without reversing it did by that means cut off his Heirs at common Law and was the last of his Father's House in that Inheritance This begat great Suits in the Star-Chamber Chancery and Parliament it self The Lease is since come to Mr. Hamon Nor did the Colleges for which these Monasteries were suppressed by the Cardinal and which he meant to make so glorious come to good effect for that of Ipswich was pulled down and the other of Christ-Church was never finished as also neither that of King's College in Cambridge rising out of the Ruins of the Priory's Aliens Coxford Abbey al Ratha Abbey Coxford Abbey after the Dissolution came to the Duke of Norfolk who was beheaded 2d June 1572 Eliz. 14. The Queen then granted it to Edw. Earl of Oxon who wasted all his Patrimony Sir Roger Townsend then bought it who had Issue Sir Jo. Townsend and Sir Robert Townsend Sir Robert died without Issue Sir Jo. had Issue Sir Robert the Bar. and Stanhope and Ann married to Joh. Spelman he falling into a Quarrel with Sir Matthew Brown of Beach-North Castle in Surrey each of them slew other in a Duel 1 Jac. Stanhope Townsend wounded mortally by in a Duel in the Low Countries came into England and died at London Sir Roger the Bar. intending to build a goodly House at Rainham and to fetch Stone for the same from Coxford Abbey by advice of Sir Nathanael Bacon his Grandfather began to demolish the Church there which till then was standing and beginning with the Steeple the first Stone as 't is said in the fall brake a Man's Leg which somewhat amazed them yet contemning such Advertisement they proceeded in the Work and overthrowing the Steeple it fell upon a House by and breaking it down slew in it one Mr. Seller that lay lame in it of a broken Leg gotten at Foot-ball others having saved themselves by Fright and Flight Sir Roger having digged the Cellering of his new House and raised the Walls with some of the
as I find them left in the hands of Justice and the dint of the Curse Adam in his Children and they in him are all unhappy His good Son Abel is cruelly murthered and by whom but to encrease his Grief by his other Son Cain who according to the Law of Nature ought to dy for it as himself confesseth Gen. 4. 14. and then was Adam destitute of them both Yet so is he notwithstanding for his Son Cain the Murtherer is a condemned Person a banished Man and a continual Fugitive to save his Life which nevertheless was at length casually taken from him by the hand of Lamech as St. Hierom out of an Author reporteth ad Damasum p ... Tom ... Thus two of Adam's Sons died unnaturally and all the rest except Seth living wickedly are not therefore mentioned in Holy Scriptures Touching their worldly Affairs all was evil and out of course Labour and Sweat and Sorrow vex their Persons the Beasts of the Earth and the Fowls of the Air that formerly were subject to Adam will rebell and become his Enemies the Earth that formerly gave him Sustenance of her own accord will now yield nothing but by compulsion and is besides unto him both false and refractory He commits his Corn unto it and it renders him Thistles and Weeds he planteth his Vineyard in it and it bringeth him Thorns and Briars All the Works of Man are now in the sorrow of his hands Gen. 3. 17 18 19. The thoughts of his heart are only evil continually Gen. 6. 5. and the earth is corrupt before God and full of cruelty ver 11. Thus the Soul the Body the Mind and the Manners of Men the Nature of Beasts and Fowls and the Condition of the Earth it self being wholly altered from the Original Constitution and corrupted by the Contagion of Sacrilege it pleas'd the Justice of God to bring the Flood upon the Earth to sweep away all the Posterity of wicked Cain in the seventh Generation and not to spare any either of Adam's Line or of Righteous Seth's Generation and his Family as a Type of the Sacred Portion appropriated to his Worship which those Sinners of the old World had so much corrupted Thus for Sacrilege was the whole World destroy'd in that Universal Destruction was nothing saved but the Tenth Generation that out of it as from a better Root the New World might be produced and replenished But the Coals of that old Ambition which before the Flood being once fir'd by Satan in the Hearts of our first Parents pricked them on in a Desire to be like Gods came by propagation of Original Sin to be kindled again after the Flood in the proud Builders of the Tower of Babel who by their miraculous Work would also be like Gods and by giving themselves a Name upon Earth live as it were eternally and withal provide so against the Hand of God as they would be no more in danger of drowning Go to say they let us build us a city and a towre whose top may reach up unto heaven Gen. 11. 4. that we may get us a name lest we be scattered upon the whole earth These were the Giants spoken of by the Ancients that did bellare cum diis they preferr'd their own Glory before the Honour of God and that Calvin termeth Sacrilegam audaciam quae prorumpit contra Deum ipsum Gigantum more coelum oppugnat A sacrilegious Insolence that breaketh out against God himself and like the Giants assaults him See the Punishment Their sacrilegious Interest is miraculously defeated by God's own immediate Hand their Language confounded their Society broken they are cast out of their ancient Habitation and that which they most feared falleth upon them to be scattered over all the face of the Earth and to be bereaved of their Friends and Kindred For it is said they understood not labium proximi sui the Language of their Friends and Neighbours and were thereby compelled to leave them as if they had been dead and their Familie extinct and to associate with those whom they did understand Besides this as there fell a grievous Curse upon the Posterity of Adam and Cain for their Sacrilege so the Divines observe did there also upon the whole Posterity of their Children that is upon the whole World Hodiè mundus hanc calamitatem sustinet saith Calvin The whole World at this day feeleth the Evil of this Curse of the Confusion of Languages for by it the strongest Bond of Humane Society and Concord is broken the Hearts of Men alienated one from another their Means of Commerce taken away their Manners changed and their Minds Thoughts Studies and Dispositions contrary for the most part and repugnant Sacrilege being thus got up again bringeth forth immediately the other Branches of Impiety for Nimrod the proud Hunter and chief Builder of the Tower of Babel is not satisfied with being like a God but is adored of his People as a God indeed and at length so taken of all the Gentiles under the Name of Saturn or Saturnus Babylonicus So after him is his Son Jupiter Belus whom the Scripture calleth Bel Baal and likewise many other of their Children and Posterity by whom the World in a short time becometh full of Gods And though they daily saw these their Gods to grow old and feeble and to die like Men and to rot and putrifie like the basest Creatures yet such was their Stupidity that out of Wood and Metal they framed their Images and styling those blockish Lumps by the Names of Gods erected Altars and Temples to them and honouring them with the Rites of Sacrifices and Divine Worship belonging only to the True Living God did thus bring the Abomination of Idolatry over all the World How fearfully God punished this high Kind of Sacrilege appears abundantly in the Book of Josuah and other Scriptures all the Kingdoms of Canaan where it first began to spread it self were so universally devour'd with Fire and Sword as never any under the Sun were like unto them Yea when there were strange Gods in the House of Jacob both against his Will and perhaps without his Knowledge yet the Hand of God was so upon his House as that his Daughter Dinah is ravish'd his Sons Simeon and Levi commit a cruel Murther on the Sichemites Jacob thereby liveth in Grief and Fear of his Neighbours his Wife Rachel dieth in Child-bed and his Son Reuben committeth Incest with his Concubine Bilhah Gen. 34. 2 26. 35. 19 22. What should I tell of the 30000 slain at once about the Golden Calf Exod. 32. 28. How for Solomon's Idolatry his Issue lost the Kingdom of Israel 1 Kings 12. 20. How Israel it self was carried Captive into Babylon 2 King 17. 4. How Manasses is taken Prisoner by the Assyrians 2 Chron. 35. 11. his Son Amon slain by his Servants 2 Kings 21. 23. his Grand-Child Josias a good King yet also slain 2 Kings 23. 3. and his Eldest Son Jehoahaz
reigning after him taken Prisoner by Pharaoh Nechoh and dying in Egypt his second Son Jehoiakim succeeding taken also Prisoner by Nebuchadnezzar Jerusalem spoiled and he his Princes People Treasure and Golden Vessels of the Temple all carried to Babylon and all for Idolatry 2 King 24. 2. 25. 1. For Jehoram's Idolatry Jerusalem is taken he with his Wives and Treasure and all his Sons save the Youngest slain and himself after a long tormenting Disease hath his Guts fall out 2 Chron. 21. 17 18 19. So Amaziah seeth Jerusalem defaced the Temple spoiled his Treasure carried away and himself a Prisoner and being restored driven out by Treason and slain at last 2 Chr. 25. 14 c. I will wade no farther in this Kind of Sacrilege which is never pass'd over in Scripture but with some Remarkable Punishments Our Country I hope doth not at this Day know it SECT III. Of the other Sorts of Sacrilege commonly so called as of Time Persons Function Place and other things consecrated to the Worship of God And first of Time in profaning the Sabbath I Come now to the second Part which indeed is that which the Schoolmen and Canonists only call Sacrilege as tho' the former were of too high a Nature to be express'd in this Appellation so exorbitant a Sin as that no Name can properly comprehend it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Warring against God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a direful Violence upon Divine Majesty a superlative Sacrilege The other and common Kind of Sacrilege is as was said a violating mis-using or a putting away of things consecrated or appropriated to Divine Service or Worship of God It hath many Branches Time Persons Function Place and materially Omne illud saith Th. Aquinas quod ad irreverentiam rerum sacrarum pertinet ad injuriam Dei pertinet habet Sacrilegii rationem 2 a2 ae qu. 99. art 1. This Description of Sacrilege may well enough be extended further than Aquinas did perhaps intend it to the former or superlative Kind Sacrilege of Time is when the Sabbath or the Lord's Day is abused or profaned This God expresly punish'd in the Stick-gatherer Some Canonists seem not to reckon this under the common Kind of Sacrilege Soto de justitia jure lib. II. qu. 4. fol. 50. 6. So that in all that followeth we shall run the broken Way of the Schoolmen and Canonists SECT IV. Sacrilege of Persons that is Priests and Ministers consecrated to the Service of God and the Punishments thereof SAcrilege against the Person is when Priests or Ministers of God's Divine Service are either violated or abused Again Fear the Lord and honour his Priests Ecclus 7. 29 31. For he beareth the iniquity of the congregation to make an atonement for them before the Lord Deut. 8. 17. For the Levite is separate to the Lord to minister unto him to bless thee in his name Deut. 10. 8. therefore when Micah had got a Levite into his House he rejoiced and said I know that the Lord will be good unto me seeing I have a Levite to my priest Judg. 17. 13. Touch not mine anointed nor do my prophets no harm Psal. 105. 15. Mine anointed that is not my Kings nor my Priests and Deut. 12. 19. Beware that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth Beware saith God as intimating Danger and Punishment to hang over their head that offered otherwise and what not for wronging the Levite a thing too impious but for not loving and cherishing him all the days of thy Life I must here note as it cometh in my way the remarkable Justice and Piety of Pharaoh towards his Idol Priests that when by reason of the Famine he had got and bought unto himself all the Money Cattle Lands Wealth and Persons of the Egyptians yet stretched he not forth his Thoughts to the Lands or Persons of his Priests but commiserating their Necessity allowed them a ... at his own Charge that they might both live and keep their Lands Gen. 47. 22. Musculus hereupon infers Quantum sacrilegium est in nostris principibus negligi legitimos probosque sacrorum ministros How great a Sacrilege is it in our Princes that the good and lawful Ministers of Holy things are thus neglected It is to be noted That as Micah expected a Blessing from God for entertaining an Idolatrous Levite into his House so Pharaoh's Piety towards his Priests wanted not a Blessing from God upon his House though God hated both the Idolaters and Idolatry it self Let us see how Sacrilege in this Kind hath been punished The Benjamites of Gibeah wronging a Levite villainously in abusing his Wife Judg. 19. 25. Gibeah is therefore destroyed with Fire and Sword above 26000 valiant Men of the Benjamites slain and the whole Tribe almost wholly rased out of Israel with their Cities and Castles Ch. 20. Jeroboam making Golden Calves driveth the Priests of the Lord out of Israel and makes himself other Priests not of the Tribe of Levi for this he is overthrown by Abiah King of Judah and 500000 of his Men slain his Son taken from him and his Posterity threatned to be swept away like Dung and those of them that died in the city to be eaten of dogs those in the fields by the fowls of the air 2 Chron. 13. 9. 1 King 14. 10. Jeroboam also stretched but out his hand against the Prophet to have him apprehended and it is presently withered 1 Kings 13. 4. Joash commanded Zacharias Son of Jehoiada the Priest to be slain in the court of the Lord's house this done he is overcome the next Year following by the Aramites all his Princes are slain his Treasure and the Spoil is sent to Damascus himself left afflicted with great Diseases and at last murthered in his bed by his servants 2 Chron. 24. 21 c. Zedekiah King of Judah casteth Jeremy the Prophet first into Prison then for a season into the Dungeon and useth him harshly Jer. 32. 3. 37. 21. 38. 9. He and those that counselled him to it are overthrown by Nebuchadonosor Jerusalem taken his Sons slain before his Eyes and then his Eyes put out and the People carried captive to Babylon but Jeremiah himself is set at liberty and well intreated by his Enemies the Chaldaeans Jer. 39. 1 c. SECT V. Sacrilege of Function by usurping the Priests Office and the Punishment thereof SAcrilege of Function is when those that are not called to the Office of Priesthood or Ministry do usurp upon it So Gideon made an Ephod that is a Pontifical Ornament of the Tabernacle not at Shilo but in his own City Ophra whereby the Israelites fell to worship it or as others think that he made all the things of the Tabernacle whereby the People were drawn to worship there and not to go to Shilo where the Tabernacle was This saith the Text was the Destruction of Gideon and his House for his Son Abimelech rising against his Brethren
they were taken so suddenly and with such Violence as they dy'd within five or six days no Man daring come near them for fear of the Infection Hereupon ensued all other Calamities their Enemies assail them both by Sea and Land they invade their Forts and their Trenches fire their Navy and to be short make a general Confusion of the whole Army An hundred and fifty thousand Carthaginians lie dead on the Ground Imilco himself who lately possess'd all the Cities of Sicily except Syracuse which he also accounted as good as his own flieth by Night back into Carthage and feareth now the losing of it This great Commander saith Diodorus that in his Haughtiness plac'd his Tent on the Temple of Jupiter and preverted the Sacred Oblations to his prophane Expences is thus driven to an ignominious Flight chusing rather to live basely and contemn'd at home than to expiate his wicked Sacrilege by a deserved Death But he came to such Misery that he went up and down the City in a most loathsome Habit from Temple to Temple confessing and detesting his Impiety and imploring at length some Capital Punishment for an Atonement with the Gods ended his Life by the extremity of Famine Diodor. Sicul. Hist. lib. 14. p. 285. seqq A. M. 3576. Cambyses the Son of Cyrus the Great being at Thebes in Aegypt sent an Army of 50000 Men to spoil the Ammonians and to burn the Temple and Oracle of Jupiter Hammon Himself with the rest of his Forces march'd against the Aethiopians But ' ere ever he had gone the fifth part of his Journey his Victuals so fail'd him that his Men were forced to eat their Horses and Cattle And whilst like a Man without Reason he still forc'd them to go on and to make a shift with Herbs and Roots Coming to a Desart of Sand divers of them were constrained to tithe themselves and eat the tenth Man whereby his Voyage was overthrown and he driven to return His other Army that went to spoil and fire the Oracle after seven Days travel upon the Sands a strong South Wind raised the Sands so violently upon them as they were all overwhelmed and drowned in them Herodotus in Thalia lib. 4. pag. 167 and 168. Cambyses after this in despight to the Egyptians wounded the sacred Calf Apis which they worshipt for their God with his Sword upon the Thigh Her pag. 169. Derided the Image of the God Vulcan and entring the Temple of the Cabitans where none might come but the Priest burnt the Images of their Gods pag. 147. Presently upon wounding Apis he fell Mad and committing divers horrible Facts as he mounted upon his Horse his Sword fell out of the Scabbord and wounded him in the same part of the Thigh wherein he had wounded Apis and thereon he died having Reigned but seven Years and leaving no Issue Male or Female to succeed him in the great Empire of his Father Cyrus for securing of himself and his Posterity wherein he had formerly murther'd his Brother Smerdis Herod Thalia lib. 3. pag. 183. seq A Rich Citizen of Egypt longing to eat of a goodly Peacock that was consecrate to Jupiter hired one of the Ministers to steal it who going about to do it was at the first interrupted by a Serpent and the second time the Peacock that had lived by report an Hundred Years flew towards the Temple and resting a while in the mid way was after seen no more The practice being discover'd by a brable between the Parties about the Hiring Money the Minister was justly punished by the Magistrate for his Treachery but the Citizen that long'd to eat of the sacred Fowl swallowed the Bone of another Fowl was choaked therewith and died a very painful Death Aelian de Animal l. 11. c. 33. Dionysius the elder rose by his own Prowess from a private Man to be King of Sicily and in performing many brave Exploits both in Italy and Greece committed divers Sacrileges upon the Heathen Gods and defended them with Jests Having conquer'd Locris he spoiled the Temple of Proserpina and sailing thence with a prosperous wind Lo quoth he what a fortunate Passage the Gods give to sacrilegious Persons Taking the Golden-Mantle from Jupiter Olympius he said it was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter and gave him therefore one of Cloath So from Aesculapius he took his Beard of Gold saying it was not seemly that the Son should have a Beard when his Father Apollo himself had none at all With such Conceits he robbed the Temples of the Golden Tables Vessels Ornaments and things of price Dedicated to the Gods Whereupon ensued a change of his Fortunes for afterwards he was ordinarily overcome in all his Battles and growing into contempt of his Subjects was murthered by them at last Jus. lib. 20. in fine pa. 184. His Son named as himself succeeds in the Kingdom and ordain'd as it were to extirpate the Family of his Father put his Brethren and their Children to death He groweth Odious also to his Subjects and falling into Civil War with them is thrice overcome by them and after various Events is at last driven out of his Kingdom irrecoverably He seeth the Death of his Sons his Daughter violently ravish'd his Wife who was his Sister most villanously abus'd and in fine murther'd with his Children His Days he consum'd in Exile among his Enemies where he lived not only Despised but Odious to all consorted with the basest People and in the vilest Manner and so ending his Tragedy gave Plutarch occasion to say That neither Nature nor Art did bring forth any thing in that Age so wonderful as his Fortune Just. lib. 21. pa. 187. Plut. in Timoleon p. 240. Antiochus the Great King of Syria being overcome by the Romans and put to a great Tribute not knowing how to pay it thought that necessity might excuse his Sacrilege and therefore in the Night spoils the Temple of Didymaean Jupiter But the Countrey People rising upon the Alarm of it slew both him and his whole Army Just. lib. 32. pa. Q. Fulvius Flaccus Pontifex spoiled the Temple of Juno ... One of his Sons dies in the War of Illyricum and the other lying desperately Sick himself between Grief and Fear falleth Mad and hangeth himself Liv. Dec. 5. lib. 2. pa. 47. a. Divers that had spoil'd the Temple of Proserpina at Locris were by Q. Minutius sent fetter'd to Rome The Romans sent them back again to the Locrians to be punish'd at their pleasure and caused the things taken out of the Temple to be restor'd with Oblations besides for an Atonement Liv. Dec. 4. lib. 2. p. 44. b. Agathocles surprizing the Lipareans imposeth a Ransom of Sixty Talents of Silver upon them They made as much toward payment of it as they could and desired Day for the rest saying That they had never upon any necessity medled with that which was consecrated to the Gods Agathocles would none of that Answer but
issue Robert restor'd 1. Jacobi 10. Powis Edward Grey of Northumberland Lord Powis Son of John Grey Lord Powis married Anne the base Daughter of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk and died without issue and his Family extinct 11. Clinton Edw. Lord Clinton whose Father died 9 Hen. 8. was made Earl of Lincoln 14 Eliz. and died 27th Eliz. and had Issue Henry Earl of Lincoln who had Issue Thomas Earl of Lincoln Father of Theophilus now Earl 12. Scroope John Lord Scroope of Bolton Son of Henry Lord Scroope of Bolton which John in Henry 8's time married the Daughter of the Earl of Cumberland had Issue Henry Lord Scroope who died 1592 and had Issue Thomas Lord Scroope who died 1609 who had Issue Emanuel Lord Scroope Earl of Sunderland that died without lawful Issue and both Barony and Earldom extinct 13. William Sturton had Issue Charles Lord Sturton who for murthering Mr. Argile and his Son was hang'd at Salâ—sbury 6. March 1565. He had Issue John Lord Sturton S. P. and Edw. now Lord Sturton 14. Latimer John Nevil Lord Latimer lived 23 Hen. 8. and had Issue John Nevil Lord Latimer who died 1577 19 Eliz. without Issue Male and his Family and Barony extinct notwithstanding his four Daughters 15. Montjoy Charles Blunt Lord Montjoy who succeed his Father William Blunt Lord Montjoy and died 38 Henry 8. had Issue James Lord Montjoy who died 1581 had Issue William Lord Montjoy S. P. 1594 and Charles made Earl of Devon 1603 and died 1606 without lawful Issue so the Family and Barony was extinct but for a base Son of his Montjoy Blunt was created Lord Montjoy 3 Jacobi and afterwards Earl of Newport Anno 4. 16. Lumley John Lord Lumley marry'd Jane the eldest Daughter and Co-heir of Henry Fitz-Alam the last Earl of Arundel of that name and had by her Charles Thomas and Mary who died all without Issue so his line was extinct 17. Montegle Sir Edward Stanley created Lord Montegle 6 Henry 8. had Issue Thomas Stanley Lord Montegle who married Mary Daughter of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk and had issue William Stanley Lord Montegle who died without issue Male and his Barony extinct till King James Anno 1. conferr'd it on William Parker after Lord Morley for revealing the Gunpowder-Treason having married Elizabeth Daughter and sole Heir of the aforesaid William 18. Windsor Andrew Windsor made 21 Henry 8. and died 33 and had issue William Lord Windsor q. ob 1558 who had issue Edward Lord Windsor who died 1575 who had Fredrick Lord Windsor who died Sept. 28 Eliz. and Henry Lord Windsor who died 1605 who had issue Thomas now Lord Windsor yet without issue 19. Wentworth Thomas Lord Wentworth made 21 Henry 8. had issue Thomas Lord Wentworth who died 1590 who had issue William Wentworth who died 1582 S. P. and Henry Lord Wentworth who died 1593 who had issue Thomas Lord Wentworth created Earl of Cleveland 1 Caroli and had issue Thomas his Son and Heir apparent 20. Burrough Thomas Lord Burrough had issue Edward that married Qu. Catherine now S. P. William who had issue Henry eldest Son slain by Sir Tho. Holcroft near Kingston Anno 1578 and Thomas Lord Burrough Deputy of Ireland and Sir John Burrough slain by Sir John Gilbert 1594. Thomas Lord Burrough had Issue Robert Lord Burrough that died a Child without issue 1601 and the Barony extinct The first Thomas had issue besides Edward and William Sir Thomas Burrough S. P. and Henry Father of Nicholas who had issue Sir John Burrough ut creditur slain at Rees 21. Bray Sir Edmund made Baron 21 Hen. 8. and had issue John Lord Bray died without issue and so the Barony and Line extinct but he had six Sisters 22. Walter Hungerford made Baron of Hatsbury 28 Hen. 8. was beheaded for Buggery and his Barony extinct yet he had issue Sir Walter Hungerford Knight who died without issue Male and so this Family extinct 23. St. John William Paulet was created Lord St. John of Basing 30 Hen. 8. and made Earl of Wiltshire 3 Edward 6. and 5 Edward 6. Marquess of Winchester who had issue John Marquess who had issue William Marquess who had issue William Marquess Father of William Lord St. John that died S. P. and of John now Marquess 24. Sir John Russel was made Baron 30 Hen. 8. and Earl of Bedford 3 Edw. 6. he had Woburn Abby for his Dwelling-house with the Church turned to a strange use even the Stable he had Francis the second Earl of Bedford his sole issue who had four Sons and three Daughters 1. Edmund Lord Russel died without issue 2. John Lord Russel died without issue Male. 3. Francis Lord Russel treacherously slain by the Scots in time of Truce but left two Sons who died without issue Edward the 4th Earl of Bedford and then Sir William 4th Son of the first Francis was by King James made Lord Russel of Thornhaugh whose Son Francis is now the 5th Earl and long may he live and prosper 25. William Parr made Baron Parr of Kendall 9. March 30 H. 8. after Earl of Essex and lastly Marquess Nortston had three Wives was divorced from his first and died without issue York 186. Leonard Lord Gray Lord Lieutenant of Ireland holdeth a Parliament in Ireland 1. Maii 28 Hen. 8. at Dublin wherein he passeth an Act for the suppressing of Abbies Chron. of Ireland pag. 100. In the 32 of the King he is called home and sent to the Tower and in the 25th of June 33 he was to be arraigned in the King's Bench at Westminster and to be try'd by a Jury of Knights being no Lord of Parliament but confessing the Indictment had his Judgment and was beheaded at Tower-Hill the third Day following a Man of singular Valour that had formerly serv'd his Prince and Country most honourably in France and Ireland Stow 32 Hen. 8. and 33. Now I labour in observing the Particulars seeing the whole body of the Baronage is since that fallen so much from their ancient lustre magnitude and estimation I that about 50 Years agoe did behold with what great respect observance and distance principal Men of Countries apply'd themselves to some of the meanest Barons and so with what familiarity inferiour Gentlemen often do accost many of these of our times cannot but wonder either at the Declination of the one or at the Arrogance of the other but I remember what an eminent Divine once said in a Sermon he compared Honour among Dignities to Gold the heaviest and most precious Metal but Gold saith he may be beaten so thin as the very Breath will blow it away so Honour may be dispers'd so popularly that the Reputation of it will be pretermitted To say what I observe herein as the Nobility spoiled God of his Honour by putting those things from him and communicating them to lazy and vulgar Persons so God to requite them hath taken the ancient Honours of Nobility and communicating them to
St. Malo's in Britain fourteen of them were drowned at the entrance of that Harbour Whereupon it is a by-word at this day in these parts when any strong East-wind bloweth there to say The Bells of Jersey now ring Ex relatione M. Bandinell Decani ibidem More to this purpose may appear in the Discourse next following which lying now at my hand I thought good to insert not only for coherence of the matter but also to shew the Opinion Piety and Tenderness herein of the greatest Father and Magistrate of our Church under the King at that time living Dining yesterday at Lambeth with my Lord of Canterbury his Grace falling casually into a Discourse of Spanish matters and the Wealth of their Churches said That he had heard that the very Lamps of Spain were worth half the Treasure of that Kingdom And calling to him Mr ... Barkley of ... who had been a great Traveller and long in Spain demanded his Opinion herein Mr. Barkley answer'd That he thought it to be true and gave a reason for that every body for their delivery from any notable danger either of Sickness or otherwise used to present a Saint by way of gratuity with a Lamp to burn before it and commonly of Silver So that before some one Saint there were 4 or 5 thousand Lamps His Grace suggested St. James of Compostella And Mr. Barkley affirm'd it of St. James but added That the Bells in Spain and in other places of France and Italy were few and small yet holden to be very powerfull for driving away the Devils and Evil-spirits I upon this recited out of Gregorius Turonensis the History of Lupus Bishop of Swessons who by sudden ringing of Bells drave away the Pagan Army of Normans besieging that City having never heard of a Bell before Much being then said of the Nature and Office of Bells his Grace esteem'd the Bells of England comparatively with the Lamps of Spain and condemning the pulling of them down complained of the Deformity they had thereby brought upon the Churches of Scotland saying That at his being there and lodging first at Dunbar he went to see the Church which being shew'd unto him by a crumpt unseemly Person the Minister thereof he asked him how many Bells they had there The Minister answer'd None His Grace thinking that somewhat strange demanded how it chanced The Minister thinking that Question as strange reply'd It was one of the Reformed Churches From thence his Grace went to Edinborough where he found accordingly no Bell in all the City save one only in the Church of St. Andrew And enquiring What became of all the rest it was told him That they were shipp'd to be carried into the Low-Countries but were drowned in Leigh Haven I said That it was reported that Queen Elizabeth hearing that Sir John Shelton for want of other Prey had brought a Bell from the sacking of Cales was highly offended at it and said By God's death she would make him carry it thither again I might have added that that Peerless Princess was so far against defacing the Monuments in Churches and the pulling down of Bells and Lead from them as in the second Year of her Reign she caused many Proclamations not only to be printed but signed them also with her own Hand and sent them in that manner the more to manifest her Zeal and restrain the Sacrilege about into the Counties But because I had spoken of sending the Bell back again his Grace then requited me with this Relation A Gentleman quoth he of great descent richly married and of fair Estate yet not naming him shewed me on a time a piece of Unicorns Horn Sea Unicorn as much as the Cover of a great Salt-celler which was then standing upon the Table before Dinner was about at the bottom the piece of Unicorn's Horn having a Crucifix graven upon it and a gapp in one of the Quarters where part had been cut or scrap'd away for curing Infirmities I desired to know of him where he had it but he refus'd to tell it me till after some pressure he discover'd to me That in his Travels beyond the Seas he came to a Nunnery where the Nuns in courtesie shewing him the Relicks of their House he whilst they heeded him not slipt this into his Pocket and brought it away His Grace reproving him for it told him It was Sacrilege and that although it were superstitiously us'd yet it was dedicated unto God advising him to use some means for sending it back again saying that the Nuns no doubt suffer'd great Displeasure from their Abbess upon the missing of it The Gentleman notwithstanding quoth his Grace refus'd my Counsel but I observ'd said he that he never prosper'd after and at length having consumed his Estate died Childless It came not then to my Mind upon the sudden but I might very truly have added the like of Sir John Shelton That having married the Daughter of Henry Lord Cromwell he died very little or nothing worth and without any Issue as I take it but certainly without any Issue-male to continue his Family Subscrib'd Henry Spelman I Jeremy Stephens being then present do testify the truth of this Relation Having made mention of Cales and Queen Elizabeth I will add further what was lately told me by a Knight of worth who was himself in the Voyage much conducing to the Honour of that renowned Princess and to the scope also of this our Discourse It is said That when she set forth her Expedition for Cales or other Spanish Towns she gave particular and streight Instructions that in no Case any Violence should be offered to any Church or consecrated thing This notwithstanding Sir Coniers Clifford upon the taking of Cales fired and burnt the Cathedral-Church there and Sir Charles Blunt in the return from thence the Cathedral-Church of Pharos in Portugal It followed that Sir Coniers Clifford never after prospered in any thing and was at last slain by the Natives in Ireland leaving no Son to continue his Nominal-line and that Sir Charles Blunt about 2 Years after the Fact was drowned at Sea in passing for Ireland Ex relat Will. Slingsby Mil. 22. Nov. 1634. FINIS He had a violent Fall out of his Chariot and he was termented with an horrible Disease Worms came out of his Body and his flesh fell off for pain and no Man could endure his Stink 2 Maccab. 9. 7 8 c. Within 30 Years after the Sacrilege * This larger Account of Crassus's Sacrilege was found in a loose Paper written with Sir Hen. Spelman's own Hard. Ezek. 45. 1. Her transmutation into these Shapes is thus expounded Euseb. l. 8. cap. 1. seqq Oros. l. 7. c. 25. Carion in Ann. 288 * 1. †Constantius Carion in Ann. 288. ‖ Resumed the Purple lib. 9. c. 8. Ann. 356. Am. 362. Ann. 433. An. 508. An. 556. Circ 570. An. 576. * Divinitus †Semoti * Alii à Daemone correpti An. 579. An. 596. An. Dom. 684. Bed l. 4. c. 26. Lib. 4. p. 337. l. 14. An. 710. circ An. 712. circ Circ Ann. 742. Ann. 730. An. 845. An. 865. An. 874. Circ An. 888. Circ Ann. 880. Circ Ann. 964. Ann. Dom. 974. Ann. 975. Ranulph Cestr. lib. c. 11. Verba Authoris An. 1054. Hoved. in An. 1055. p. 443. Hist. of Cambria p. 99. Hist. Eliens l. 2. Hollinsh p. 866. Circ Ann. 1068. Ann. Dom. 1078. * Alias Hightest i. e. Thou art nam'd or call'd Ann. 1098. Circa Ann. 1100. Ann. 1157. Contin Florent in An. 1161. pag. 28. * Cat. Com. Essex Hov. Ann. 1179. Ann. Dom. 1199. K. John O mira formidabilis Dei S. Martyris ultrice Sententia Ann. Dom. 1224. 8 Hen. 3. Matt. Par. p. 308. An. Dom. 1245. Edw. 1. There were at that time about 110. An. 1315. 9 Edw. II. Chron. Irel. in eod An. p. 66. seq Edw. III. Richard II. Richard II. An. 4. A D. 1414. 2. Hen. V. A. D. 1527. 16. H. VIII circiter 25. H. VI. A. D. 1447. Cign Cant. Voc. Hursta Hollinsh Stow in hoc An. pa 639. In Chron Stow. in An. 1447. York pa. York pa. 480. Leland Hollinsh pag. 627. f. trust Speed p. 231. Number 128. De Vitâ Const. l. 4. c. 1. Judg. 16. i e. Sir John Spelman Mr. Stephen's Treat 27 Feb. 1625 Friars Preachers The Augustine Friars The Cell or College 1. Owner His 2d Son drowned Two of his eldest Sons are Vagabonds All disinherited 1. No Issue 2. Without Issue-male His Brother slain 3. Wasted His Brother attainted and drowned His Son no Issue-male 4. Ruin'd 5 Owner 6 Owner selleth it 7 Owner â— died suddenly without Issue-male 2 Owner His eldest Sâ—n died without Issue His 2d an unthrift 3 Owner without Issue-male His eldest Daughter distracted His yongest Daughter distracted Quere Whether these two Daughters of Sir Nich. are of his Son Michael or other Son Slew Blackwell and obtain'd a Pardon with 1200. Wapham 1st no Issue 2d ruined 3d litigious and no Issue Male. Kent Dorsetshi Glocestershire Val. l. s. d. 65 14 8. Val. l. s. 99 16. Nov. 13. 1632.