years together for before two years elapsed there was a War proclaimed against France and when overtures were made for a Peace it appears by the Treaty-Rolls that the Earl of Worcester was sent over Ambassador And when the Kings sister was sent over to Lewis the French King though Sir Thomas Boleyn went over with her he was not then so much considered as to be made an Ambassador For in the Commission that was given to many persons of Quality to deliver her to her Husband King Lewis the 12 Sir Thomas Boleyn is not named The persons in the Commission are the Duke of Norfolk the Marquess of Dorchester the Bishop of Duresm the Earls of Surrey and Worcester the Prior of St. Iohns and Doctor West Dean of Windsor A year after that Sir Thomas Boleyn was made Ambassador but then it was too late for Anne Boleyn to be yet unborn much less could it be as Sanders says that she was born two years after it But the Learned Camden whose Study and Profession led him to a more particular knowledg of these things gives us another account of her birth He says that she was born in the year 1507. which was two years before the King came to the Crown And if it be suggested that then the Prince to enjoy her Mother prevailed with his Father to send her Husband beyond Sea that must be done when the Prince himself was not 14 years of Age so they must make him to have corrupted other mens wives at that Age when yet they will not allow his Brother no not when he was 2 years older to have known his own wife But now I leave this foul Fiction and go to deliver certain Truths· Anne Boleyn's Mother was Daughter to the Duke of Norfolk and Sister to the Duke that was at the time of the Divorce Lord Treasurer Her Fathers Mother was one of the Daughters and heirs to the Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond and her great Grand-Father Sir Geofry Boleyn who had been Lord Major of London Married one of the Daughters and Heirs of the Lord Hastings and their Family as they had mixed with so much great Blood so had Married their Daughters to very Noble Families She being but seven years old was carried over to France with the Kings Sister which shews she could have none of those deformities in her person since such are not brought into the Courts and Families of Queens And though upon the French Kings Death the Queen Dowager came soon back to England yet she was so liked in the French Court that the next King Francis his Queen kept her about her self for some years and after her death the Kings Sister the Dutchess of Alenson kept her in her Court all the while she was in France which as it shews there was somewhat extraordinary in her person so those Princesses being much celebrated for their vertues it is not to be imagined that any person so notoriously defamed as Sanders would represent her was entertained in their Courts When she came into England is not so clear it is said that in the year 1522. when War was made on France her Father who was then Ambassador was recalled and brought her over with him which is not improbable but if she came then she did not stay long in England for Camden says that she served Queen Claudia of France till her death which was in Iuly 1524 and after that she was taken into service by K Francis his Sister How long she continued in that service I do not find but it is probable that she returned out of France with her Father from his Embassy in the year 1527. when as Stow says he brought with him the Picture of her Mistress who was offered in Marriage to this King If she came out of France before as those Authors before-mentioned say it appears that the King had no design upon her then because he suffered her to return and when one Mistress died to take another in France but if she stayed there all this while then it is probable he had not seen her till now at last when she came out of the Princess of Alenson's service but whensoever it was that she came to the Court of England it is certain that she was much considered in it And though the Queen who had taken her to be one of her Maids of Honour had afterwards just cause to be displeased with her as her Rival yet she carried her self so that in the whole Progress of the Sute I never find the Queen her self or any of her Agents fix the least ill Character on her which would most certainly have been done had there been any just cause or good colour for it And so far was this Lady at least for some time from any thoughts of Marrying the King that she had consented to Marry the Lord Piercy the Earl of Northumberland's eldest Son whom his Father by a strange compliance with the Cardinals vanity had placed in his Court and made him one of his servants The thing is considerable and clears many things that belong to this History and the Relator of it was an Ear-witness of the Discourse upon it as himself informs us The Cardinal hearing that the Lord Piercy was making addresses to Anne Boleyn one day as he came from the Court called for him before his servants before us all says the Relator including himself and chid him for it pretending at first that it was unworthy of him to match so meanly but he justified his choice and reckoned up her birth and Quality which he said was not inferior to his own And the Cardinal insisting fiercely to make him lay down his pretensions he told him he would willingly submit to the King and him but that he had gone so far before many witnesses that he could not forsake it and knew not how to discharge his conscience and therefore he entreated the Cardinal would procure him the Kings favour in it Upon that the Cardinal in great rage said why thinkest thou that the King and I know not what we have to do in so weighty a matter yes I warrant you but I can see in thee no submission at all to the purpose and said you have matched your self with such a one as neither the King nor yet your Father will agree to it and therefore I will send for thy Father who at his coming shall either make thee break this unadvised bargain or disinherit thee for ever To which the Lord Piercy replyed That he would submit himself to him if his Conscience were discharged of the weighty burden that lay upon it and soon after his Father coming to Court he was diverted another way Had that Writer told us in what year this was done it had given a great light to direct us but by this relation we see that she was so far from thinking of the King at that time that she had
Cardinal to oppose the Match with England since they looked for ruine if it succeeded The Queen being a sister of Guise and bred in the French Court was wholly for their Interests and all that had been obliged by that Court or depended on it were quickly drawn into the Party It was also said to every body that it was much more the Interest of Scotland to match with France than with England If they were united to France they might expect an easie Government For the French being at such distance from them and knowing how easily they might throw themselves into the Armes of England would certainly rule them gently and avoid giving them great Provocations But if they were united to England they had no remedy but must look for an heavier yoke to be laid on them This meeting with the rooted Antipathy that by a long continuance of War was grown up among them to a savage hatred of the English Nation and being inflamed by the considerations of Religion raised an universal dislike of the Match with England in the greatest part of the whole Nation only a few men of greater Probity who were weary of the depredations and Wars in the Borders and had a liking to the Reformation of the Church were still for it The French Court struck in vigorously with their Party in Scotland and sent over the Earl of Lenox who as he was next in blood to the Crown after the Earl of Arran so was of the same family of the Stewarts which had endeared him to the late King He was to lead the Queens party against the Hamiltons Yet they employed another Tool which was Iohn Hamilton base Brother to the Governor who was afterwards Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews He had great power over his Brother who being then not above four and twenty years of age and having been the only lawful Son of his Father in his old age was never bred abroad and so understood not the Policies and arts of Courts and was easily abused by his base Brother He assured him that if he went about to destroy Religion by matching the Queen to an Heretical Prince they would depose him from his Government and declare him Illegitimate There could be indeed nothing clearer than his Fathers Divorce from his first Wife For it had been formerly proved that she had been married to the Lord Yesters Son before he married her who claimed her as his Wife upon which her Marriage with the Earl of Arran was declared Null in the year 1507. And it was ten years after that the Earl of Arran did Marry the Governors Mother Of which things the Original Instruments are yet extant Yet it was now said that that Precontract with the Lord Yesters Son was but a forgery to dissolve that Marriage and if the Earl of Lenox who was next to the Crown in case the Earl of Arran was Illegitimated should by the assistance of France procure a review of that Process from Rome and obtain a Revocation of that Sentence by which his Fathers first Marriage was annulled then it was plain that the second marriage with the issue by it would be of no force All this wrought on the Governor much and at length drew him off from the Match with England and brought him over to the French Interests Which being effected there was no further use of the Eaâ—l of Lâ—nnox so he finding himself neglected by the Queen and the Cardinal and abandoned by the Crown of France fled into England where he was very kindly received by the King who gave him in marriage his Neece Lady Margaret Dowglass whom the Queen of Scotland had born to the Earl of Angus her second Husband From which Marriage issued the Lord Darnly Father to King Iames. When the Lords of the French Faction had carried things to their mind in Scotland it was next considered what they should do to redeem the Hostages whom the Lords who were Prisoners in England had left behind them And for this no other Remedy could be found but to let them take their hazard and leave them to the King of England's mercy To this they all agreed only the Earl of Cassilis had too much Honour and Vertue to do so mean a thing Therefore after he had done all he could for maintaining the Treaty about the Match he went into England and offered himself again to be a Prisoner But as generous actions are a reward to themselves so they often meet with that entertainment which they deserve And upon this occasion the King was not wanting to express a very great value for that Lord. He called him another Regulus but used him better For he both gave him his Liberty and made him noble Presents and sent him and his Hostages back being resolved to have a severer reparation for the injury done him All which I have opened more fully because this will give a great light to the affairs of that Kingdom which will be found in the Reigns of the succeeding Princes to have a great intermixture with the affairs of this Kingdom Nor are they justly represented by any who write of these times and having seen some Original Papers relating to Scotland at that time I have done it upon more certain information The King of England made War next upon France The grounds of this War are recited by the Lord Herbert One of these is proper for me to repeat That the French King had not deserted the Bishop of Rome and consented to a Reformation as he had once Promised The rest related to other things such as the seizing our Ships The detaining the yearly Pension due to the King The Fortifying Ardres to the prejudice of the English pale The revealing the Kings secrets to the Emperor The having given first his Daughter and then the Duke of Guises Sister in Marriage to his Enemy the King of Scotland and his confederating himself with the Turk And Satisfaction not being given in these particulars a War is declared In Iuly the King married Katharine Parre who had been formerly married to Nevil Lord Latimer She was a secret Favourer of the Reformation yet could not divert a storm which at this time fell on some in Windsor For that being a place to which the King did oft retire it was thought fit to make some examples there And now the League with the Emperour gave the Popish Faction a greater interest in the Kings Counsels There was at this time a Society at Windsor that favoured the Reformation Anthony Person a Priest Robert Testwood and Iohn Marbeck Singing Men and Henry Filmer of the Town of Windsor were the chief of them But those were much favoured by Sir Philip Hâ—bby and his Lady and several others of the Kings Family During Crâ—â—â—els power none questioned them but after his fall they were looked on with an ill eye Doctor Londâ—n who had by the most servile Flatteries insinuated himself into Cromâ—el and was much employed
durst adventure on making any complaints against her Yet the Kings distempers encreasing and his peevishness growing with them he became more uneasie and whereas she had frequently used to talk to him of Religion and defend the Opinions of the Reformers in which he would sometimes pleasantly maintain the Argument now becoming more impatient he took it ill at her hands And she had sometimes in the heat of discourse gone very far So one night after she had left him the King being displeased vented it to the Bishop of Winchester that stood by And he craftily and maliciously struck in with the Kings anger and said all that he could devise against the Queen to drive his resentments higher and took in the Lord Chancellor into the design to assist him They filled the Kings head with many stories of the Queen and some of her Ladies and said They had favoured Anne Askew and had Heretical Books amongst them and he perswaded the King that they were Traitors as well as Hereticks The matter went so far that Articles were drawn against her which the King Sigâ—ed for without that it was not safe for any to Impeach the Queen But the Lord Chancellor putting up that Paper carelesly it dropt from him And being taken up by one of the Queens Party was carryed to her Whether the King had really designed her ruin or not is differently represented by the Writers who lived near that time But she seeing his hand to such a Paper had reason to conclude her self lost Yet by advice of one of her Friends she went to see the King who receiving her kindly set on a Discourse about Religion But she answered that women by their first Creation were made subject to men and they being made after the Image of God as the Women were after their Image ought to instruct their Wives who were to learn of them and she much more was to be taught by his Majesty who was a Prince of such excellent Learning and Wisdom Not so by St. Mary said the King you are become a Doctor able to Instruct us and not to be Instructed by us To which she answered That it seemed he had much mistaken the freedom she had taken to argue with him since she did it partly to engage him in discourse and so put over the time and make him forget his pain and partly to receive Instructions from him by which she had profited much And is it even so said the King then we are friends again So he embraced her with great affection and sent her away with very tender assurances of his constant Love to her But the next day had been appointed for carrying her and some of her Ladies to the Tower The day being fair the King went to take a little air in the Garden and sent for her to bear him company As they were together the Lord Chancellor came in having about forty of the Guard with him to have arrested the Queen But the King stept aside to him and after a little discourse he was heard to call him Knave Fool and Beast and he bade him get him out of his Sight The Innocent Queen who understood not that her danger was so near studied to mitigate the Kings displeasure and interceded for the Lord Chancellor But the King told her she had no reason to plead for him So this design miscarried which as it absolutely disheartned the Papists so it did totally alienate the King from them and in particular from the Bishop of Winchester whose sight he could never after this endure But he made an humble Submission to the King which though it preserved him from further punishment yet could not restore him to the Kings favour But the Duke of Norfolk and his Son the Earl of Surrey fell under a deeper Misfortune The Duke of Norfolk had been long Lord Treasurer of England He had done great services to the Crown on many signal Occasions and success had always accompanied him His Son the Earl of Surrey was also a brave and noble person Witty and Learned to an high degree but did not command Armies with such Success He was much provoked at the Earl of Hertfords being sent over to France in his room and upon that had said That within a little-while they should smart for it with some other expressions that savoured of Revenge and a dislike of the King and a hatred of the Counsellors The Duke of Norfolk had endeavoured to ally himself to the Earl of Hertford and to his Brother Sir Thomas Seimour perceiving how much they were in the Kings favour and how great an Interest they were like to have under the succeeding Prince And therefore would have engaged his Son being then a Widower to Marry that Earls Daughter And pressed his Daughter the Dutchess of Richmond Widow to the Kings Natural Son to Marry Sir Thomas Seimour But though the Earl of Surrey advised his Sister to the Marriage projected for her yet he would not consent to that designed for himself nor did the Proposition about his Sister take effect The Seimours could not but see the Enmity the Earl of Surrey bore them and they might well be jealous of the Greatness of that Family which was not only too big for a Subject of it self but was raised so high by the dependence of the whole Popish Party both at home and abroad that they were like to be very dangerous Competitors for the chief Government of Affairs if the King were once out of the way whose disease was now growing so fast upon him that he could not live many weeks Nor is it unlikely that they perswaded the King that if the Earl of Surrey should marry the Lady Mary it might embroil his Sons Government and perhaps ruine him And it was suggested That he had some such high project in his thoughts both by his continuing unmarried and by his using the Armes of Edward the Confessor which of late he had given in his Coat without a Diminution But to compleat the Duke of Norfolks ruin his Dutchess who had complained of his using her ill and had been separated from him about four years turned Informer against him His Son and Daughter were also in ill terms together So the Sister Informed all that she could against her Brother And one Mrs Holland for whom the Duke was believed to have an unlawful affection discovered all she knew but all amounted to no more than some passionate Expressions of the Son and some Complaints of the Father who thought he was not beloved by the King and his Councellors and that he was ill used in not being trusted with the secret of affairs And all persons being encouraged to bring Informations against them Sr. Richard Southwell charged the Earl of Surreâ— in some points that were of a higher nature which the Earl denied and desired to be admitted according to the Martial Law to fight in his shirt with Southwel But that not being granted he and his
to go to Cambridge for trying who were the Fautors of Heresie there But he as Legate did inhibite it upon what grounds I cannot imagine Which was brought against him afterwards in Parliament Art 43. of his Impeachment Yet when these Doctrines were spread every-where he called a meeting of all the Bishops and Divines and Canonists about London where Thomas Bilney and Thomas Arthur were brought before them and Articles were brought in against them The whole process is set down at length by Fox in all Points according to Tonstall's Register except one fault in the Translation When the Cardinal asked Bilney whether he had not taken an Oath before not to preach or defend any of Luthers Doctrines he confessed he had done it but not judicially judicialiter in the Register This Fox Translates not lawfully In all the other particulars there is an exact agreement between the Register and his Acts. The sum of the proceedings of the Court was That after examination of Witnesses and several other steps in the Process which the Cardinal left to the Bishop of London and the other Bishops to manage Bilney stood out long and seemed resolved to suffer for a good Conscience In the end what through human infirmity what through the great importunity of the Bishop of London who set all his Friends on him he did abjure on the 7 th of December as Arthur had done on the 2 d. of that Month. And though Bilney was relapst and so was to expect no mercy by the Law yet the Bishop of London enjoyned him Penance and let him go For Tonstall being a man both of good Learning and an unblemisht life these Vertues produced one of their ordinary effects in him great moderation that was so eminent in him that at no time did he dip his hands in Blood Geoffrey Loni and Thomas Gerard also abjured for having had Luther's Books and defending his Opinions These were the proceedings against Hereticks in the first half of this Reign And thus far I have opened the State of Affairs both as to Religious and Civil concerns for the first 18 years of this Kings time with what Observations I could gather of the dispositions and tempers of the Nation at that time which prepared them for the Changes that followed afterwards The End of the First Book THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION OF THE Church of England BOOK II. Of the Process of Divorce between King Henry and Queen Katharine and of what passed from the Nineteenth to the Twenty fifth year of his Reign in which he was declared Supreme Head of the Church of England KING Henry hitherto lived at ease and enjoyed his pleasures he made War with much honour and that always produced a just and advantageous Peace He had no trouble upon him in all his affairs except about the getting of Money and even in that the Cardinal eased him But now a Domestick trouble arose which perplexed all the rest of his Government and drew after it Consequences of a high nature Henry the 7 th upon wise and good considerations resolved to link himself in a close Confederacy with Ferdinand and Isabella Kings of Castile and Arragon and with the House of Burgundy against France which was looked on as the lasting and dangerous Enemy of England And therefore a Match was agreed on between his Son Prince Arthur and Katharine the Infanta of Spain whose eldest Sister Ioan was Married to Philip that was then Duke of Burgundy and Earl of Flanders out of which arose a triple Alliance between England Spain and Burgundy against the King of France who was then become formidable to all about him There was given with her 200000 Duckats the greatest Portion that had been given for many Ages with any Princess which made it not the less acceptable to King Henry the Seventh EFFIGIES CATHARINAE PRINCIPIS ARTHURI VXORIS HENRICO REGI NUPTAE H. Holbeâ—n Pinxit R. White Sculp 1486. Nata 1501. Nov. 14. Arthuro nupsit 1509. Iun. 3. Henrico Regi nupsit 1526. toro exclusa 1533. May. 23 incesti damnata 1536. Ian. 8. obijt Printed for Rich Chiswell at the Rose Crown in St Pauls Church yard The Infanta was brought into England and on the 14th of Nov. was Married at St. Pauls to the Prince of Wales They lived together as man and wife till the 2d of April following and not only had their Bed solemnly blest when they were put in it on the night of their Marriage but also were seen publickly in Bed for several days after and went down to live at Ludlow-Castle in Wales where they still Bedded together But Prince Arthur though a strong and healthful youth when he Married her yet died soon after which some thought was hastened by his too early Marriage The Spanish Ambassador had by his Masters order taken proofs of the Consummation of the Marriage and sent them into Spain the young Prince also himself had by many expressions given his Servants cause to believe that his Marriage was consummated the first night which in a youth of Sixteen years of Age that was vigorous and healthful was not at all judged strange It was so constantly believed that when he dyed his younger Brother Henry Duke of York was not called Prince of Wales for some considerable time Some say for one Month some for 6 Months And he was not created Prince of Wales till 10 Months were elapsed viz. in the February following when it was apparent that his Brothers wife was not with Child by him These things were afterwards looked on as a full Demonstration being as much as the thing was capable of that the Princess was not a Virgin after Prince Arthur's Death But the reason of State still standing for keeping up the Alliance against France and King Henry the 7th having no mind to let so great a Revenue as she had in Jointure be carried out of the Kingdom it was proposed That she should be married to the younger Brother Henry now Prince of Wales The two Prelats that were then in greatest esteem with King Henry the 7th were Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Fox Bishop of Winchester The former delivered his opinion against it and told the King that he thought it was neither honourable nor well-pleasing to God The Bishop of Winchester perswaded it and for the Objections that were against it and the Murmuring of the people who did not like a Marriage that was disputable lest out of it new Wars should afterwards arise about the Right of the Crown the Popes Dispensation was thought sufficient to answer all and his Authority was then so undisputed that it did it effectually So a Bull was obtained on the 26 of Decemb. 1503 to this effect that the Pope according to the greatness of his Authority having received a Petition from Prince Henry and the Princess Katharine Bearing That whereas the Princess was Lawfully Married to Prince Arthur which was
engaged her self another way but how far this went on her side or whether it was afterwards made use of when she was divorced from the King shall be considered in its proper place It also appears that there was a Design about her then formed between the King and the Cardinal yet how far that went whether to make her Queen or only to Corrupt her is not evident It is said that upon this she ever after hated the Cardinal and that he never designed the Divorce after he saw on whom the King had fixed his thoughts but all that is a mistake as will afterwards appear And now having made way through these things that were previous to the first motion of the Divorce my narration leads me next to the Motion it self The King resolving to put the matter home to the Pope sent Doctor Knight Secretary of State to Rome with some Instructions to prepare the Pope for it and to observe what might be the best Method and who the fittest tools to work by At that time the Family of the Cassali being three Brothers were entertained by the King as his Agents in Italy both in Rome Venice and other places Sir Gregory Cassali was then his ordinary Ambassador at Rome To him was the first full dispatch about this business directed by the Cardinal the Original whereof is yet extant dated the 5th of Decemb. 1527. which the Reader will find in the Collection but here I shall give the Heads of it After great and high Complements and Assurances of Rewards to engage him to follow the Business very vigorously and with great Diligence he writes that he had before opened the Kings case to him and that partly by his own study partly by the opinion of many Divines and other Learned men of all sorts he found that he could no longer with a good Conscience continue in that Marriage with the Queen having God and the Quiet and Salvation of his Soul chiefly before his eyes And that he had consulted both the most Learned Divines and Canonists as well in his own Dominions as elsewhere to know whether the Popes Dispensation could make it good and that many of them thought the Pope could not Dispence in this case of the first degree of Affinity which they esteemed forbidden by a Divine Moral and Natural Law and all the rest concluded that the Pope could not do it but upon very weighty reasons and they found not any such in the Bull. Then he lays out the reasons for Annulling the Bull which were touched before upon which they all concluded the Dispensation to be of no force that the King looked on the death of his Sons as a Curse from God and to avoid further Judgments he now desired help of the Apostolick See to consider his case to reflect on what he had merited by these Services he had done the Papacy and to find a way that he being divorced from his Queen may Marry another Wife of whom by the blessing of God he might hope for issue Male. Therefore the Ambassador was to use all means possible to be admitted to speak to the Pope in Private and then to deliver him these Letters of Credence in which there was a most earnest Clause added with the Kings own hand He was also to make a Condoleance of the Miserie 's the Pope and Cardinals were in both in the Kings name and the Cardinals and to assure the Pope they would use all the most effectual means that were possible for setting him at Liberty in which the Cardinal would Employ as much Industry as if there were no other way to come to the Kingdom of Heaven but by doing it Then he was to open the Kings business to the Pope the Scruples of his Conscience the great danger of cruel Wars upon so disputable a Succession the Entreaties of all the Nobility and the whole Kingdom with many other urgent reasons to obtain what was desired He was also to lay before the Pope the present condition of Christendome and of Italy that he might consider of what Importance it was to his own affairs and to the Apostolick See to engage the King so firmly to his Interests as this would certainly do And to move that the Pope without communicating the Matter to any person would freely grant it and Sign the Commission which was therewith sent engrossed in due form and ready to be Signed by which the Cardinal was Authorized with the Assistance of such as he should choose to proceed in the Matter according to some Instructions which were also sent fairly written out for the Pope to Sign A Dispensation was also sent in due form and if these were expeded he might assure the Pope that as the King had sent over a vast sum to the French King for paying his Army in Italy so he would spare no Travel nor Treasure but make War upon the Emperor in Flanders with his whole strength till he forced him to set the Pope at Liberty and restore the State of the Church to its former Power and Dignity And if the Pope were already at Liberty and had made an Agreement with the Emperor he was to represent to him how little cause he had to trust much to the Emperor who had so oft broke his faith and designed to do all he could towards the Depressing the Ecclesiastical State And the Pope was to be remembred that he had dispenced with the Emperors Oath for Marrying the Kings Daughter without communicating the Matter to the King And if he had done so much for one that had been his Enemy how much more might the King expect the like favour who had always payed him a most filial Duty Or if the Pope would not grant the Commission to the Cardinal to try the Matter as a Person that being the Kings chief Minister was not indifferent enough to judge in any of the Kings Concerns he was by all means to overcome that and assure the Pope that he would proceed in it as a Judge ought to do But if the Pope stood upon it and would by no means be perswaded to sign the Commission for the Cardinal then he was to propose Staphileus Dean of the Rota who was then in England and was to except against all other Forreigners if the Pope chanced to propose any other He was also to represent to the Pope that the King would look upon a delay as a Denial and if the Pope inclined to consult with any of the Cardinals about it he was to divert him from it all that was possible but if the Pope would needs do it then he was to Address himself to them and partly by informing them of the reasons of the Kings Cause partly by rewarding the good Offices they should do he was to engage them for the King And with this Dispatch Letters were sent to Cardinal Puccy Sanctorum Quatuor and the other Cardinals to be made use of as there should be
to link with it all abuses and corruptions But there past another Bill in this Parliament which because of its singular nature and that it was not printed with the other Statutes shall be found in the Collection of Instruments at the end The Bill bore in a Preamble the highest flattery that could be put in Paper of the great things the King had done for the Church and Nation in which he had been at vast Charges and that divers of the Supjects had lent great Sums of Money which had been all well employed in the publick Service and whereas they had Security for their Payment the Parliament did offer all these Sums so lent to the King and discharged him of all the obligations or assignations made for their payment and of all Suits that might arise thereupon This was brought into the House by the Kings Servants who enlarged much on the wealth and peace of the Nation notwithstanding the wars the King always making his enemies Countrey the scene of them and shew'd that for fourteen years the King had but one Subsidy from his people that now he asked nothing for any other purpose but only to be discharged of a Debt contracted for the publick the accounts whereof were shown by which they might see to what uses the Money so raised had been applyed But there were several ends in passing this Bill those of the Court did not only intend to deliver the King from a charge by it but also to ruin all the Cardinals friends and creatures whom he had caused every-where to advance great Sums for an Example to others Others in the house that were convinced that the Act was unjust in it self yet did easily give way to it that they might effectually for the future discredit that way of raising Money by Loans as judging it to be the publick Interest of the Kingdom that no sums of Money should be raised but by Parliament So this Act passed and occasioned great Murmuring among all them that suffered by it But to qualify the general discontent the King gave a free pardon to his Subjects for all offences some Capital ones only excepted as is usual in such cases and to keep the Clergy under the Lash all transgressions against the Statutes of Provisors and Premunire were excepted in which they were all involved as will afterwards appear There are two other exceptions in this Pardon not fit to be omitted the one is of the pulling or digging down Crosses on the high wayes which shews what a Spirit was then stirring among the people the other is of the Forfeitures that accrued to the King by the Prosecution against Cardinal Wolsey that is the Cardinals Colledge in Oxford with the Lands belonging to it which are excepted upon which the Dean and Canons resigned their Lands to the King the Original of which is yet extant But the King founded the Colledge a-new soon after All this was done both to keep the Clergy quiet and to engage them to use what Interest they had in the Court of Rome to dispose the Pope to use the King better in his great Suit After those Acts were passed on the 17 of December the Parliament was prorogued till April following yet it did not sit till Ianuary after that being continued by several Prorogations There had been great industry used in carrying Elections for the Parliament and they were so successful that the King was resolved to continue it for some time This great business being happily over the Kings thoughts turned next to affairs beyond Sea The whole world was not at peace The Pope and the Emperor as was said before had made an Alliance on terms of such advantage to the Pope that as the Emperor did fully repair all past injuries so he laid new and great obligations on him for he engaged that he would assist him in the recovery of his Towns and that he would restore his Family to the Government of Florence and invest his Nephew in it with the Title of Duke to whose Son he would Marry his own natural Daughter and that he would hold the Kingdom of Naples of the Papacy These were the Motives that directed the Popes conscience so infallibly in the Kings business Not long after that in August an other Peace was made in Cambray between the Emperor and the French King and Lady Margaret the Emperors Aunt and Regent of Flanders where the King first found the hollowness of the French friendship and alliance for he was not so much considered in it as he expected and he clearly perceived that Francis would not embroyl his own affairs to carry on his Divorce The Emperor went over into Italy and met the Pope at Bononia where he was Crowned with great Magnificence The Pope and he lodged together in the same Palace and there appeared such signs of a familiar friendship between them that the Kings Ambassadors did now clearly perceive that they were firmly united The Emperor did also by a rare mixture of Generosity and Prudence restore the Dutchie of Milan to Francis Sforza By this he setled the Peace of Italy nothing holding out but Florence which he knew would be soon reduced when there was no hope of succour from France and accordingly after eleven Months Siege it was taken and within a year after Alexander de Medici was made Duke of it About the time that the Emperor came to Bononia news was brought that the Turk was forced to raise the Siege of Vienna so that all things concurred to raise his glory very high At Bononia he would needs receive the two Crowns of the Roman Empire that of Milan and that of Rome which was done with all the Magnificence possible the Pope himself saying Mass both in Latine and Greek There is one ceremony of the Coronation fit to be taken notice of in this work that the Emperor was first put in the habit of a Canon of Sancta Maria de la Torre in Rome and after that in the habit of a Deacon to make him be look't on as an Ecclesiastical person This had risen out of an Extravagant vanity of the Court of Rome who devised such rites to raise their reputation so high that on the greatest solemnity the Emperor should appear in the habit of the lowest of the Sacred orders by which he must know that Priests and Bishops are above him When the Pope and he first met the ceremony of kissing the Popes foot was much look't for and the Emperor very gently kneel'd to pay that submission but the Pope whether it was that he thought it was no more seasonable to expect such Complements or more signally to oblige the Emperor did humble himself so far as to draw in his foot and kiss his cheek But now the Divorce was to be managed in another method and therefore Cranmer after he had discoursed with the King about that Proposition which was formerly mentioned was commanded by him to write
another Wife keeping the Queen still Zuinglius confutes that and says If the Marriage be against the Law of God it ought to be dissolved But concludes the Queen should be put away honourably and still used as a Queen and the Marriage should only be dissolved for the future without Illegitimating the Issue begotten in it since it had gone on in a publick way upon a received error But advises that the King should proceed in a Judiciary way and not establish so ill a President as to put away his Queen and take another without due form of Law Dated Basil 17th of Aug. There is a second Letter of his to the same purpose from Zurick the first of September There is also with these Letters a long paper of Osianders in the form of a Direction how the Process should be managed There is also an Epistle of Calvins published among the rest of his Neither the date nor the person to whom it was directed are named Yet I fancie it was written to Grineus upon this occasion Calvin was clear in his judgment that the Marriage was null and that the King ought to put away the Queen upon the Law of Leviticus And whereas it was objected that the Law is only meant of Marrying the Brothers wife while he is yet alive he shews that could not be admitted for all the prohibited degrees being forbidden in the same style they were all to be understood in one sense Therefore since it is confessed that it is unlawful to Marry in the other degrees after the death of the Father Son Uncle or Nephew so it must be also a sin to Marry the Brothers wife after his death And for the Law in Deuteronomy of Marrying the Brothers wife to raise up seed to him he thought that by Brother there is to be understood a near Kinsman according to the usual phrase of the Hebrew tongue and by that he reconciles the two Laws which otherwise seem to differ illustrating his Exposition by the History of Ruth and Boaz. It is given out that Melancthon advised the Kings taking another wife justifying Polygamy from the old Testament but I cannot believe it It is true the Lawfulness of Polygamy was much controverted at this time And as in all controversies newly started many crude things are said so some of the Helvetian and German Divines seem not so fierce against it though none of them went so far as the Pope did who did plainly offer to grant the King Licence to have two wives and it was a motion the Imperialists consented to and promoted though upon what reason the Ambassador Cassali who wrote the account of it to the King could not learn The Pope forbade him to write about it to the King perhaps as Whisperers enjoyn silence as the most effectual way to make a thing publick But for Melancthons being of that mind great evidences appear to the contrary for there is a Letter of Osianders to him giving him many reasons to perswade him to approve of the Kings putting away the Queen and Marrying another the Letter also shews he was then of opinion that the Law in Leviticus was Dispensable And after the thing was done when the King desired the Lutheran Divines to approve his second Marriage they begged his excuse in a writing which they sent over to him so that Melanâ—â—hon not allowing the thing when it was done cannot be imagined to have advised Polygamy before hand And to open at once all that may clear the sense of the Protestants in the Question when some years after this Fox being made Bishop of Hereford and much inclined to their Doâ—ctrine was sent over to get the Divines of Germany to approve of the Divorce and the subsequent Marriage of Anne Boleyn he found that Melancthon and others had no mind to enter much into the Dispute about it both for fear of the Emperor and because they judged the King was led in it by dishonest affections they also thought the Laws in Leviticus were not Moral and did not oblige Christians and since there were no Rules made about the Degrees of Marriage in the Gospel they thought Princes and States might make what Laws they pleased about it yet aâ—ter much Disputing they were induced to change their minds but could not be brought to think that a Marriage once made might be annulled and therefore demurred upon that as will appear by the Conclusion they passed upon it to be found at the end of this volume All this I have set together here to give a right representation of the judgments of the several parties of Christendome about this matter It cannot be denyed that the Protestants did express great sincerity in this matter such as became men of conscience who were acted by true Principles and not by maxims of Policie For if these had governed them they had struck in more compliantly with so great a Prince who was then alienated from the Pope and in very ill terms with the Emperor so that to have gained him by a full Compliance to have protected them was the wisest thing they could do and their being so cold in the matter of his Marriage in which he had engaged so deeply was a thing which would very much provoke him against them But such measures as these though they very well became the Apostolick See yet theâ— were unworthy of men who designed to restore an Apostolick Religion The Earl of Wiltshire with the other Ambassadors when they had their Audience of the Pope at Bononia refused to pay him the submission of Kissing his foot though he graciously stretched it out to them but went to their Business and expostulated in the Kings name and in high words and in Conclusion told the Pope that the Prerogative of the Crown of England was such that their Master would not suffer any Citation to be made of him to any forreign Court and that therefore the King would not have his cause tryed at Rome The Pope answered that though the Queens Sollicitor had pressed him to proceed in the Citation bâ—th that her Marriage being further examined might receive a new Conâ—irmation for silencing the Dispuâ—es about it and because the King had withdrawn himself â—rom her yet if the King did not go further and did not innovate in Relâ—gion the Pope was willing to let the matter rest They went next to the Emperor to justifie the Kings Proceedings in the Suit of the Divorce But he told them he was bound in honour and justice to â—uppâ—rt his Aunt and that he would not abandon her Cranmer offered to maintain what he had written in his Book but whether they went so far as to make their Divines enter into any Discourse with him about it I do not know This appears that the Pope to put a Complement on the King declared Cranmer his Paenitentiary in England He having stayed some months at Rome after the Ambassadors were gone
Cardinal A King of France desired a Dispensation to Marry his Wives Sister The matter was long considered of and debated in the Rota himself being there and bearing a share in the Debate but it was concluded That if any Pope either out of Ignorance or being Corrupted had ever granted such a Dispensation that could be no president or warrant for doing the like any more since the Church ought to be governed by Laws and not by such Examples Antonin and Ioannes de Tabia held the same And one Bacon an English-man who had taught the contrary was censured for it even at Rome and he did retract his Opinion and acknowledged that the Pope could not dispence with the Degrees of Marriage forbidden by the Law of God The Canonists agree also to this both Ioannes Andreas Ioannes de Imola and Abbas Panormitanus assert it saying That the Precepts in Leviticus oblige for ever and therefore cannot be dispenced with And Panormitan says These things are to be observed in Practice because great Princes do often desire Dispensations from Popes Pope Alexander the 3d. would not suffer a Citizen of Pavia to Marry his younger Son to the Widow of his eldest Son though he had Sworn to do it For the Pope said it was against the Law of God therefore it might not be done and he was to repent of his unlawful Oath And for the Power of dispencing even with the Laws of the Church by Popes it was brought in in the latter Ages All the Fathers with one consent believed That the Laws of God could not be dispenced with by the Church for which many places were cited out of St. Cyprian Basil Ambrose Isidore Bernard and Urban Fabian Marcellus and Innocent that were Popes besides an infinite number of latter Writers And also the Popes Zosimus Damasus Leo and Hilarius did freely acknowledge they could not change the Decrees of the Church nor go against the Opinions or Practices of the Fathers And since the Apostles confessed they could do nothing against the truth but for the truth the Pope being Christs Vicar cannot be supposed to have so great a Power as to abrogate the Law of God and though it is acknowledged that he is Vested with a fulness of Power yet the phrase must be restrained to the matter of it which is the Pastoral care of Souls And though there was no Court Superiour to the Popes yet as St. Paul had withstood St. Peter to his face so in all Ages upon several occasions holy Bishops have refused to comply with or submit to Orders sent from Rome when they thought the matter of them unlawful Laurence that Succeeded Austin the Monk in the See of Canterbury having Excommunicated King Edbald for an Incestuous Marriage would not Absolve him till he put away his Wife though the Pope plied him earnestly both by Intreaties and Threatnings to let it alone and Absolve him Dunstan did the like to Count Edwin for an other Incestuous Marriage nor did all the Popes Interposition make him give over They found many other such instances which occurred in the Ecclesiastical History of Bishops proceeding by Censures and other Methods to stop the course of Sin notwithstanding any encouragement the Parties had from Popes And it is certain that every man when he finds himself engaged in any course which is clearly sinful ought presently to forsake it according to the opinion of all Divines And therefore the King upon these Evidences of the unlawfulness of his Marriage ought to abstain from the Queen and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with the other Bishops ought to require him to do it otherwise they must proceed to Church Censures Many things were also brought from reason or at least the Maximes of the School Philosophy which passed for true reason in those days to prove Marriage in the degrees forbidden by Moses to be contrary to the Law of Nature and much was alledged out of Profane Authors to show what an abhorrency some Heathen Nations had of Incestuous Marriages And whereas the chief strength of the Arguments for the contrary opinion rested in this That these Laws of Moses were not confirmed by Christ or his Apostles in the New Testament To that they answered That if the Laws about Marriage were Moral as had been proved then there was no need of a particular Confirmation since those Words of our Saviour I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it do confirm the whole Moral Law Christ had also expresly asserted the Relation of Affinity saying That man and wife are one Flesh. St. Paul also condemned a Match as Incestuous for Affinity But though it were not expresly set down in the Gospel yet the Traditions of the Church are received with equal Authority to written Verities This the Court of Rome and all the Learned Writers for the Catholick Faith lay down as a Fundamental Truth And without it how could the Seven Sacraments some of which are not mentioned in the New Testament with many other Articles of Catholick Belief be maintained against the Hereticks The Tradition of the Church being so full and formal in this particular must take place And if any Corruptions have been brought in by some Popes within an Age or two which have never had any other Authority from the Decrees of the Church or the Opinions of Learned men they are not to be maintained in opposition to the Evidence that is brought on the other side This I have summed up in as short and Comprehensive words as I could Being the Substance of what I gathered out of the Printed Books and Manuscripts for the Kings cause But the Fidelity of an Historian leads me next to open the arguments that were brought against it by those who wrote on the other side for the Queens cause to prove the validity of the Marriage and the Popes Power of Dispensing with a Marriage in that degree of Affinity I could never by all the search I have made see either MSS. or Printed Books that defended their Cause except Cajetans and Victorias Books that are Printed in their works But from an answer that was written to the Bishop of Rochesters Book and from some other writings on the other side I gather the Substance of their arguments to have been what follows Cardinal Cajetan had by many arguments endeavored to prove that the Prohibitions in Leviticus were not parts of the Moral Law They were not observed before the Law no not by the holy seed Adams Children Married one another Abraham Married his Sister Iacob Married two Sisters Iudah gave his two Sons to Tamar and promised to give her the third for her Husband By the Law of Moses a Dispensation was granted in one case for Marrying the Brothers wife which shows the Law was not Moral otherwise it could not be dispenced with and if Moses dispensed with it why might not the Pope as well do it nor was there any force in the
places cited from the New Testament As for that of Herod both Iosephus and Eusebius witness that his Brother Philip was alive when he took his wife and so his sin was Adultery and not Incest We must also think that the Incestous Person in Corinth took his Fathers Wife when he was yet living otherwise if he had been dead St. Paul could not say it was a Fornication not named among the Gentiles for we not only find both among the Persians and other Nations the Marriage of Step-Mothers allowed but even among the Iews Adonijah desired Abisha in Marriage who had been his Fathers Concubine From all which they concluded that the Laws about the Degrees of Marriage were only Judiciary Precepts and so there was no other obligation on Christians to obey them than what flowed from the Laws of the Church with which the Pope might dispense They also said that the Law in Leviticus of not taking the Brothers wife must be understood of not taking her while he was alive for after he was dead by another Law a man might marry his Brothers wife They also pleaded that the Popes Power of Dispensing did reach further than the Laws of the Church even to the Law of God for he daily Dispensed with the Breaking of Oaths and Vows though that was expresly contrary to the Second Commandment and though the Fifth Command Thou shalt do no Murther be against Killing yet the Pope Dispensed with the putting Thieves to death and in some cases where the reason of the Commandment does not at all times hold he is the only judge according to Summa Angelica They Concluded the Popes Power of Dispensing was as necessary as his Power of Expounding the Scriptures and since there was a Question made concerning the obligation of these Levitical Prohibitions whether they were Moral and did oblige Christians or not the Pope must be the only Judge There were also some late Presidents found one of P. Martin who in the case of a mans having Marryed his own Sister who had lived long with her upon a Consultation with Divines and Lawyers Confirmed it to prevent the Scandal which the dissolving of it would have given Upon which St. Antonin of Florence says that since the thing was dispensed with it was to be refered to the judgment of God and not to be condemned The Pope had granted this Dispensation upon a very weighty Consideration to keep peace between two great Crowns it had now stood above Twenty years it would therefore raise an high scandal to bring it under debate besides that it would do much hurt and bring the Titles to most Crowns into Controversie But they Concluded that whatever Informalities or Nullities were pretended to be in the Bulls or Breves the Pope was the only competent judge of it and that it was too high a presumption for inferior Prelates to take upon them to examine or discuss it But to these Arguments it was Answered by the writers for the Kings cause that it was strange to see men who pretended to be such Enemies to all Heretical Novelties yet be guilty of that which Catholick Doctors hold to be the foundation of all Heresie which was the setting up of private senses of Scripture and Reasonings from them against the Doctrine and Tradition of the Church It was fully made out that the Fathers and Doctors of the Church did universally agree in this that the Levitical Prohibitions of the Degrees of Marriage are Moral and do oblige all Christians Against this Authority Cajetan was the first that presumed to write opposing his private conceits to the Tradition of the Church which is the same thing for which Luther and his followers are so severely Condemned May it not then be justly said of such men that they plead much for Tradition when it makes for them but reject it when it is against them Therefore all these exceptions are overthrown with this one Maxime of Catholick Doctrine That they are Novelties against the constant Tradition of the Christian Church in all Ages But if the force of them be also examined they will be found as weak as they are New That before the Law these degrees were not observed proves only that they are not evidently contrary to the Common sense of all men But as there are some Moral Precepts which have that natural evidence in them that all men must discern it so there are others that are drawn from publick inconvenience and dishonesty which are also parts of the Law of nature These Prohibitions are not of the first but of the second sort since the Immorality of them appears in this that the Familiarities and freedoms among near Relations are such that if an horror were not struck in men at conjunctures in these degrees Families would be much defiled This is the Foundation of the Prohibitions of Marriages in these degrees Therefore it is not strange if men did not apprehend it before God made a Law concerning it Therefore all examples before the Law show only the thing is not so evident as to be easily collected by the light of Nature And for the story of Iudah and Tamar there is so much wickedness in all the parts of it that it will be very hard to make a President out of any part of it As for the Provision about Marrying the Brothers wiâ—e that only proves the ground of the Law is not of its own Nature Immutable but may be Dispensed with by God in some cases And all these Moral Laws that are founded on publick conveniency and honesty are Dispensable by God in some cases but because Moses did it by Divine Revelation it does not follow that the Pope can do it by his Ordinary Authority For that about Herod it is not clear from Iosephus that Philip was alive when Herod Marryed his Wife For all that Iosephus says is that she separated from her Husband when he was yet alive and divorced her self from him But he does not say that he lived still after she Marryed his Brother And by the Law of Divorce Marriage was at an end and broken by it as much as if the Party had been dead So that in that case she might have Marryed any other Therefore Herods sin in taking her was from the Relation of having been his Brothers Wife And for the Incestuous person in Corinth it is as certain that though some few Instances of a King of Syria and some others may be brought of Sons Marrying their Step-Mothers yet these things were generally ill looked on even where they were practised by some Princes who made their Pleasure their Law Nor could the Laws of Leviticus be understood of not Marrying the Brothers wife when he was alive for it was not Lawful to take any mans Wife from him living Therefore that cannot be the meaning And all those Prohibitions of Marriage in other degrees excluding those Marriages simply whether during the life or after the death of
pass that he was believed a Prophet as well as a Saint And the Reformation was now so much opened by his Preaching and that was so confirmed by his death that the Nation was generally possessed with the love of it The Nobility were mightily offended with the Cardinal and said Wisharts death was no less than Murder since the Clergy without a Warrant from the Secular Power could dispose of no mans Life So it came universally to be said that he now deserved to die by the Law yet since he was too great for a Legal Tryal the Kingdom being under the feeble Government of a Regency it was fit private persons should undertake it and it was given out that the killing an Usurper was always esteemed a commendable Action and so in that state of things they thought secret practices might be justified This agreeing so much with the temper of some in that Nation who had too much of the heat and forwardness of their Countrey a few Gentlemen of Quality who had been ill used by the Cardinal conspired his death He was become generally hateful to the whole Nation and the Marriage of his Bastard Daughter to the Earl of Crawfords eldest Son enraged the Nobility the more against him and his carriage towards them all was insolent and provoking These offended Gentlemen came to St. Andrews the 29th of May and the next Morning they and their attendants being but twelve in all first attempted the Gate of his Castle which they found open and made it sure and though there were no fewer than an hundred reckoned to be within the Castle yet they knowing the passages of the House went with very little noise to the Servants Chambers and turned them almost all out of doors and having thus made the Castle sure they went to the Cardinals door He who till then was fast asleep suspecting nothing perceived at last by their rudeness that they were not his friends and made his door fast against them So they sent for fire to set to it upon which he treated with them and upon assurance of Life he opened the door but they rushing in did most cruelly and treacherously Murder him A Tumult was raised in the Town and many of his friends came to rescue him but the Conspirators carryed the dead body and exposed it to their view in the same Window out of which he had not long before lookt on when Wishart was burnt which had been universally censured as a most indecent thing in a Churchman to delighâ— in such a Spectacle But those who condemned this Action yet acknowledged Gods Justice in so exemplary a punishment and reflecting on Wisharts last words were the more confirmed in the opinion they had of his Sanctity This Fact was differently censured some justified it and said it was only the killing of a mighty Robber others that were glad he was out of the way yet condemned the manner of it as treacherous and inhumane And though some of the Preachers did afterwards fly to that Castle as a Sanctuary yet none of them were either Actors or Consenters to it it is true they did generally extenuate it yet I do not find that any of them justified it The exemplary and signal ends of almost all the Conspirators scarce any of them dying an ordinary death made all people the more inclined to condemn it The day after the Cardinal was killed about 140 came into the Castle and prepared for a Siege The House was well furnished in all things necessary and it lying so near the Sea they expected help from King Henry to whom they sent a Messenger for his Assistance and declared for him So a Siege following they were so well supplyed from England that after five months the Governor was glad to treat with them apprehending much the footing the English might have if those within being driven to extremities should receive a Garrison from King Henry They had the Governor also more at their mercy for as the Cardinal had taken his Eldest Son into his house under the pretence of educating him but really as his Fathers Hostage designing likewise to infuse in him a violent hatred of the new Preachers so the Conspirators finding him in the Castle kept him still to help them to better terms A Treaty being agreed on they demanded their pardon for what they had done together with an Absolution to be procured from Rome for the killing of the Cardinal and that the Castle and the Governors Son should remain in their hands till the Absolution was brought over Some of the Preachers apprehending the Clergy might revenge the Cardinals death on them were forced to fly into the Castle but one of them Iohn Rough who was afterwards burnt in England in Queen Maries time being so offended at the licentiousness of the Souldiers that were in the Castle who were a reproach to that which they pretended to favour left them and went away in one of the ships that brought Provisions out of England When the Absolution came from Rome they excepted to it for some words in it that called the killing of the Cardinal Crimen irremissibile an unpardonable crime by which they said the Absolution gave them no security since it was null if the Fact could not be pardoned The truth was they were encouraged from England so they refused to stand to the Capitulation and rejected the Absolution But some ships and Souldiers being sent from France the Castle was besieged at Land and shut up also by Sea and which was worst of all a Plague broke out within it of which many died Upon this no help coming suddenly from England they were forced to deliver up the place on no better terms than that their Lives should be spared but they were to be Banisht Scotland and never to return to it The Castle was demolished according to the Canon Law that appoints all places where any Cardinal is killed to be razed This was not compleated this year and not till two years after only I thought it best to joyn the whole matter together and set it down all at once In November following a New Parliament was held where toward the expence of the Kings Wars the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury granted a continuation of the former Subsidy of six shillings in the pound to be payed in two years But for the Temporality a Subsidy was demanded from them of another kind There were in the Kingdom several Colledges Chappels Chantries Hospitals and Fraternities consisting of Secular Priests who enjoyed Pensions for saying Mass for the Souls of those who had endowed them Now the belief of Purgatory being left indifferent by the Doctrine set out by the Bishops and the Trade of redeeming souls being condemned it was thought needless to keep up so many Endowments to no purpose Those Priests were also generally ill-affected to the Kings proceedings since their Trade was so much lessened by them Therefore many of them had been dealt
Mr. Wotton And as to the Contract and Covenants of Marriage they could say nothing but that a Revocation was made and that they were but Spousals And finally after much reasoning they offered themselves to remain Prisoners until such time as they should have sent unto them from Cleves the first Articles ratified under the Duke their Masters Sign and Seal and also the Copy of the Revocation made between the Duke of Lorrain's Son and the Lady Ann. Upon the which Answers I was sent to your Highness by my Lords of your Council to declare to your Highness their Answer and came to you by the Privy Way into your Privy Chamber and declared unto the same all the Circumstances wherewith your Grace was very much displeased saying I am not well handled insomuch that I might well perceive that your Highness was fully determined not to have gone through with the Marriage at that time saying unto me these words or the like in effect That if it were not that she is come so far unto my Realm and the great Preparations that my States and People have made for her and for fear of making a ruffel in the World that is to mean to drive her Brother into the hands of the Emperor and the French King's hands being now together I would never have ne married her So that I might well perceive your Grace was neither content with the Person ne yet with the Proceedings of the Agents And at after-dinner the said Sunday your Grace sent for all your said Counsellors in repeating how your Highness was handled as well touching the said Articles as also the said Matter of the Duke of Lorrain's Son It might and I doubt not did appear unto them how loth your Highness was to have married at that time And thereupon and upon the Considerations aforesaid your Grace thought that it should be well done that she should make a Protestation before your said Counsellors and Notaries to be present that she was free from all Contracts which was done accordingly And thereupon I repairing to your Highness declared how that she had made her Protestation Whereunto your Grace answered in effect these words or much like Is there none other Remedy but that I must needs against my Will put my Neck in the Yoke and so departed leaving your Highness in a study or pensiveness And yet your Grace determined the next morning to go through and in the morning which was Monday your Majesty preparing your self towards the Ceremonies There was one Question Who should lead to the Church And it was appointed that the Earl of Essex deceased and an Earl that came with her should lead her to the Church And thereupon one came to your Highness and said to you That the Earl of Essex was not come whereupon your Grace appointed me to be one that should lead her And so I went into her Chamber to the intent to have done your Commandment and shortly after I came into her Chamber the Earl of Essex was come Whereupon I repaired back again into your Graces Privy Chamber and shewed your Highness how he was come and thereupon your Majesty advanced towards the Gallery out of your Privy Chamber and your Grace being in and about the midst of your Chamber of Presence called me unto you saying these words or the like in sentence My Lord if it were not to satisfy the World and my Realm I would not do that I must do this day for none earthly thing and therewith one brought your Grace Word that she was coming and thereupon your Grace repaired into the Gallery towards the Closet and there paused for her coming being nothing content that she so long tarried as I judged then And so consequently she came and your Grace afterward proceeded to the Ceremonies and they being finished travelled the day as appertained and the night after the custom And in the morning on Tuesday I repairing to your Majesty into your Privy-Chamber finding your Grace not so pleasant as I trusted to have done I was so bold to ask your Grace how you liked the Queen Whereunto your Grace soberly answered saying That I was not all Men surely as ye know I liked her before not well but now I like her much worse for quoth your Highness I have felt her Belly and her Breasts and thereby as I can judg she should be no Maid which strook me so to the Heart when I felt them that I had neither will nor courage to proceed any further in other Matters saying I have left her as good a Maid as I found her Which me thought then ye spake displeasantly which made me very sorry to hear Your Highness also after Candlemass and before Showstie once or twice said That ye were in the same case with her as ye were afore and that your Heart could never consent to meddle with her carnally Notwithstanding your Highness alledged that ye for the most part used to lay nightly or every second night by her and yet your Majesty ever said That she was as good a Maid for you as ever her Mother bare her for any thing ye had ministred to her Your Highness shewed to me also in Lent last passed at such time as your Grace had some communication with her of my Lady Mary how that she began to wax stubborn and willful ever lamenting your fate and ever verifying that ye never had any carnal knowledg with her And also after Easter your Grace likewise at divers times and in the Whitsun-week in your Grace's Privy-Chamber at Greenwich exceedingly lamented your fate and that your greatest grief was That ye should surely never have any more Children for the comfort of this Realm if ye should so continue assuring me that before God ye thought she was never your lawful Wife At which time your Grace knoweth what answer I made which was that I would for my part do my utmost to comfort and deliver your Grace of your Afflictions and how sorry I was both to see and hear your Grace God knoweth Your Grace divers times sithen Whitsuntide ever alleadging one thing and also saying That ye had as much to do to move the consent of your Heart and Mind as ever did Man and that you took God to witness but ever you said the Obstacle could never out of your Mind And Gracious Prince after that you had first seen her at Rochester I never thought in my heart that ye were or would be contented with that Marriage And Sir I know now in what case I stand in which is only the Mercy of God and your Grace if I have not to the uttermost of my remembrance said the Truth and the whole Truth in this Matter God never help me I am sure there is as I think no Man in this your Realm that knew more in this than I did your Highness only excepted And I am sure my Lord Admiral calling to his remembrance can shew your Highness and be my