coniectures were made to signifie the greatnesse of his conceptions or lastlie bicause he would not giue place to Alexander no not in the excellencie of name tooke vpon him the name of Iulie the second of that name Amongest all the popes that had passed it was woondered that by so great consent they had created for pope a cardinall who was knowne to be of a disposition rigorous and terrible and in whome was no expectation of rest and tranquillitie hauing consumed his youth in continuall trauels offended manie by necessitie and exercised hatreds against manie great personages a man to whose wit nothing was more more familiar than the inuention of trouble faction and conspiracie But on the other side the causes of his election to that degrée appeared cléerelie and surmounted all other difficulties for he had béene of long time a cardinall of great power and might with his magnificence wherein he had alwaies excéeded the residue and with the greatnesse of his spirit by the which he did great things he had not onelie made himselfe mightie in opinion and freends but by times and degrées had erected high his authoritie in the court of Rome bearing the name title and dignitie of the principall defendor of the ecclesiastike libertie But that which serued most to his aduancement was the promises immoderate and infinite which he made to the cardinals princes and barons and to all others whome he might make profitable to him in that action Besides he had the meane to distribute monie benefices and spirituall dignities as well such as were his owne as those that were the rights of others for that such was the brute renowme of his liberalitie that manie made willing offers to him to dispose as he best liked of their treasures their names their offices and benefices They considered not that his promises were farre too great than that being pope he was either able or ought to obserue for that he had of so long continuance inioied the name of iust and vpright that pope Alexander himselfe his greatest enimie speaking ill of him in all other things could not but confesse him to be true of his word A praise which he made no care to defile and staine to the end to become pope knowing that no man more easilie beguileth an other than he that hath the custome and name neuer to deceiue anie Which practise of dissimulation was much frequented of those that aspired line 10 possessed the popedom insomuch that the same was in Alexander the sixt so notable that it was a prouerbe ordinarilie in Rome that the pope did neuer the thing which he said and his sonne the duke of Ualentinois seldome spake that which he ment Which kind of people pretend they what they will are excluded from the rest of Sion as the psalmist saith Quem fraudis expers simplicitas iuuat Vrgétque rectum propositi tenax Nec mente saeuus grata blandam line 20 Edocuit simulare linguam Perpetua requie fruetur In this yeare the king kept his Christmasse at Greenewich year 1512 where was such abundance of viands serued to all comers of anie honest behauiour as hath béene few times séene And against Newyéeres night was made in the hall a castell gates towers and dungeon garnished with artillerie and weapon after the most warlike fashion and on the front of the castell was written Le forteresse dangereux and within the castell were six ladies cloathed in russet line 30 sattin laid all ouer with leaues of gold and euerie one knit with laces of blew silke and gold On their heads coifs and caps all of gold After this castell had béene caried about the hall and the quéene had beheld it in came the king with fiue other apparelled in coats the one halfe of russet sattin spangled with spangles of fine gold the other halfe of rich cloth of gold on their heads caps of russet sattin embrodered with works of fine gold bullion line 40 These six assaulted the castell The ladies seeing them so lustie and couragious were content to solace with them vpon further communication to yéeld the castell and so they came downe dansed a long space And after the ladies led the knights into the castell and then the castell suddenlie vanished out of their sights On the daie of the Epiphanie at night the king with eleuen other were disguised after the maner of Italie called a maske a thing not seene before in England they were apparelled in garments long and broad wrought all with gold with visors line 50 and caps of gold And after the banket doone these maskers came in with six gentlemen disguised in silke bearing staffe torches and desired the ladies to danse some were content and some refused And after they had dansed and communed togither as the fashion of the maske is they tooke their leaue and departed and so did the quéene and all the ladies The fiue and twentith daie of Ianuarie began the parlement where the bishop of Canturburie began line 60 his oration with this verse Iustitia pax osculatae sunt Upon which words he declared how iustice should be ministred and peace should be nourished and by what meanes iustice was put by and peace turned into warre And therevpon he shewed how the French king would doo no iustice in restoring to the king his right inheritance wherfore for lacke of iustice peace of necessitie must be turned into warre In this parlement was granted two fiftéens of the temporaltie and of the clergie two tenths After that it was concluded by the whole bodie of the realme in the high court of parlement assembled that warre should be made on the French king and his dominions Whervpon was woonderfull spéed made in preparing all things necessarie both for sea and land In this parlement was sir Robert Sheffeld knight sometime recorder of London speaker for the commons During this parlement in the moneth of March a yeoman of the crowne one of the kings gard named Newbolt slue within the palace of Westminster a seruant of maister Willoughbies for the which offense the king commanded to be set vp a new paire of gallowes in the same place where the said seruant lost his life and vpon the same the said Newbolt was hanged and there remained on the gallowes by the space of two daies A notable example of iustice whereby the king verefied the report that was commonlie noised abroad of him namelie that he could not abide the shedding of mans bloud much lesse wilfull murther Wherein he shewed how tender he was ouer his subiects and also how seuere against malefactors speciallie mankillers whome he thought vnworthie of life that had béene the instruments of others death according to the law oculos oculis dentibus esse Pensandos dentes sic par erit vltio culpae ¶ In this season one Ierome Bonuise which was borne in Luke and was factor
to wife after the diuorse made betwixt hir and the earle of Chester in right of hir obteined the dukedome of line 10 Britaine But king Philip after he was aduertised of Arthurs death tooke the matter verie gréeuouslie and vpon occasion therof cited king Iohn to appeare before him at a certeine day to answer such obiections as Constance the duches of Britaine mother to the said Arthur should lay to his charge touching the murther of hir sonne And bicause king Iohn appeared not he was therefore condemned in the action and adiudged to forfeit all that he held within the precinct line 20 of France aswell Normandie as all his other lands and dominions About the same time the king caused a proclamation to be published for the lawfull assise of bread to be made by the bakers vpon paine to be punished by the pillorie which assise was approoued and assessed by the baker of Geffrey Fitz Peter lord chéefe iustice of England and by the baker of Robert de Tuinham So that the baker might sell and gaine in euerie quarter three pence besides the bran and two loaues for the heater of the ouen and for foure line 30 seruants foure halfepence for two boies a farthing for allowance in salt an halfepenie yest an halfepenie for candell a farthing for fewell thrée pence and for a bulter an halfepenie And this was the rate When wheat was sold for six shillings the quarter then shall euerie loafe of fine manchet wey 41 shillings and euerie loafe of cheat shall wey 24 shillings When wheat is sold for fiue shillings and six pence then manchet shall wey 20 shillings and cheat 28 shillings When wheat is sold for fiue shillings line 40 then manchet shall wey 24 shillings and the cheat bread 32 shillings When wheat is sold for foure shillings six pence manchet shall wey 32 shillings and cheat 42 shillings When wheat is sold for foure shillings manchet shall wey 36 shillings and cheat 46 shillings When wheat is sold for thrée shillings six pence then shall manchet wey 42 shillings and cheat 54 shillings When wheat is sold for thrée shillings manchet shall wey 48 shillings and cheat 44 shillings line 50 When wheat is sold for two shillings and six pence manchet shall wey 54 shillings and cheat 72 shillings When wheat is sold for two shillings manchet shall wey sixtie shillings and cheat foure pound When wheat is sold for 18 pence the quarter manchet shall wey 77 shillings cheat foure pound and eight shillings This ordinance was proclaimed throughout the realme as most necessarie and profitable for the common-wealth This yeare manie woonderfull things happened line 60 for besides the sore winter which passed any other that had beene heard of in manie yeares before both for continuance in length and extreame coldnesse of frosts there followed grifelie tempests with thunder lightning and stormes of raine and haile of the bignesse of hens egs wherewith much fruit great store of corne was perished beside other great hurts doone vpon houses and yoong cattell Also spirits as it was thought in likenesse of birds and foules were séene in the aire flieng with fire in their beaks wherewith they set diuerse houses on fire which did import great troubles yer long to insue and folloâ—ed in déed as shall appeare hereafter With this entrance of the yeare of our lord 1203 king Iohn held his Christmasse at Caen where not hauing as sâ—me writers say sufficient regard to the necessarie affaires of his wars year 1203 he gaue his â—ind to bankettinâ— and passed the time in pleasure with the queene his wife to the great gréefe of his lords so that they perceiuing his retchlesse demeanour or as some write the doubtfull minds of the Nobilitie which serued on that side and were readie dailie to reuolt from his obedience withdrew their dutifull hearts from him and therefore getting licence returned home into England In this meane time the French king to bring his purpose to full effect entred intâ— Normandie wasted the countries and wan the townes of Cowches le Ual de Rueil and Lisâ—e Dandelâ— Le Ual de Rueil wis giuen ouer without any great inforcement of assault by two noble men that had charge thereof the one named Robert Fitz Walter and the other Saer de Quinâ—ie Howbeit Lisle Dandele was valiantlie for a certeine time defended by Roger de Lacie the conestable of Chester But at length they within were so constreined by famine and long siege that the said Lacie and others perceiuing it to be more honourable for them to die by the sword than to starue through want of food brake out vpon their enimies and slue a great sort of the Frenchmen but yet in the end they were taken prisoners and so these fortresses came into the French kings hands The pope hearing of these variances betwixt the two kings sent the abbat of Casmer into France accompanied with the abbat of Troissons to moue them to a peace These two abbats tooke such paines in the matter that the kings were almost brought to agréement But the French king perceiuing himselfe to be aforehand in his businesse sticked at one article which was to repaire all such abbeies as he had destroied within the dominions of king Iohn and king Iohn to doo the like by all those that he had wasted within the French kings countries The popes Nuncij would haue excommunicated king Philip bicause he would not thus agrée But king Philip appealing from them pursued the warre and besieged the towne of Radpont The souldiers within the towne defended the first assault verie manfullie and caused the Frenchmen to retire backe but king Philip meaning to haue the towne yer he departed did so inclose it about that within ten daies he wan it and tooke there twentie men of armes an hundred demilances and twentie arcubalisters After this when he had fortified this place he went to castell Galiard which he besieged and though by the high valiancie of Hugh de Gourney the capteine there the Frenchmen were manfullie beaten backe and kept out for a moneth and more yet at length by streict siege and neare approches hardlie made the fortresse was deliuered into the French kings hands And in the end the said Hugh Gourney reuolted from his obedience deliuering also the castell of Mountfort vnto the French king which castell with the honor thereto apperteining king Iohn had giuen to the same Hugh not verie long before All this while king Iohn did lie at Rouen but forsomuch as he could not well remedie the matter as then bicause he wanted such helpe as he dailie looked for out of England and durst not trust any of that side he passed it ouer with a stout countenance for a while and would saie oftentimes to such as stood about him What else dooth my câ—â—sen the French â— now than steale those things from me which hereaâ—ter
mariners line 50 to make saile directlie towards the French fléet at their first approch they wanne those tall ships that laie at anchor abroad before the hauen without any great resistance the mariners onelie making request to haue their liues saued The other smaller vessels which after the tide was gone remained vpon the sands spoiling them first of their tackle and other things that would serue to vse they consumed with fier the mariners escaping by flight line 60 Thus the Englishmen hauing dispatched this businesse with good successe did set vpon those ships that laie in harbrough within the hauen But here was hard hold for a while bicause the narrownesse of the place would not giue any great aduantage to the greater number And those Frenchmen that were gone abroad into the countrie perceiuing that the enimies were come by the running awaie of the mariners returned with all spéed to their ships to aid their fellowes and so made valiant resistance for a time till the Englishmen getting on land and ranging themselues on either side of the hauen beat the Frenchmen so on the sides and the ships grapling togither on front that they fought as it had bin in a pitcht field till that finallie the Frenchmen were not able to susteine the force of the Englishmen but were constreined after long fight and great slaughter to yéeld themselues prisoners The English capteins glad of this victorie gotten contrarie to expectation first gaue thanks to God for the same and then manning thrée hundred of those French ships which they had taken fraught with corne wine oile flesh and other vittels and also with armour they sent them awaie into England and afterwards they set fire vpon the residue that laie on ground which were aboue an hundred bicause they were drawne vp so farre vpon the sands that they could not easilie get them out without their further inconuenience After this comming on land with their power they marched foorth into the countrie in good order of battell to the end that if they should encounter with king Philip by the way comming to the rescue of his ships they might be readie to giue them battell which thing was not deuised without good and great consideration For king Philip being certified of the danger wherein his ships stood by the sudden comming of his enimies and therewithall being in good hope to come to their succours in time and yer the Englishmen had wrote their full feat he raised his siege and made hast toward the coast but as he was comming forward towards his nauie he was aduertised that the enimies had woone all his whole fléet and were now marching foorth to méet him and to giue him battell Also it was told him how Ferdinando the earle of Flanders being certified of the victorie atchiued by his freends followed at his backe Wherefore least he should séeme ouer rashlie to commit himselfe into manifest perill he staied a little from Bruges and there incamped for that day as if he ment to abide the comming of his enimies The next morrow he raised and returned towards France the verie same waie that he came no man pursuing him For the Englishmen contented with that victorie which they had gotten thought it not necessarie to follow him with their further hazard In the meane time king Iohn receiuing newes of this prosperous victorie thus gotten by his people did woonderfullie reioise for the same conceiuing an hope that all his businesse would now come forward and growe to good successe ¶ This is the truth of this historie as some authors haue set it foorth But Iames Meir in his discourse of Flanders declareth the matter somwhat otherwise as thus Vpon the thursdaie before the Pentecost saith he the English fléet setting vpon the French nauie which laie at anchor in the hauen of Dam drowned certeine of the French vessels and tooke to the number of foure which they conueied awaie with them Ferdinando the earle of Flanders hauing an armie of men readie by land was lodged the same time not far off from the coast and therefore hearing what had chanced came the next day and ioined with the Englishmen There were yet remaining also diuerse other of the French ships besides those which the Englishmen had sunke and taken which were drawne vp further into the land ward The earle of Flanders therefore and the English capteins iudged that it should much hinder the French kings attempts if they might win those ships also with the towne of Dam wherin the king had laid vp a great part of his prouision for the furniture of his warres Héerevpon the Englishmen were set on land and ioining with the earls power they marched strait towards Dam. This was vpon Whitsun éeuen on the which day as they were most busie in assaulting the towne and ships which laie there in the hauen the French king being come awaie from Gaunt suddenlie set vpon them and though in the beginning he found sharpe resistance yet in the end the Englishmen and Flemmings ouerset with the great multitude of the Frenchmen were put to flight and chased to their ships with the losse of two thousand men besides those that were taken prisoners amongst the which were found to be 22 knights The earle of Flanders with the earles of Bullen and Salisburie doubting to lose their ships and laâ—e line 10 gotten bootie sailed strait into one of the Iles of Zeland called Walkeren Then the French king constreining them of Gaunt Bruges and Ypres to deliuer vnto him pledges caused the towne of Dam and his ships lieng there in the hauen to be burned doubting least they should come into the hands of his enimies This doone he returned into France leauing his sonne Lewes and the earle of S. Paule in garrison at Lisâ—e and Doway and for great sums of monie which by agreement he receiued of the line 10 townes of Gaunt Bruges and Ypres he restored vnto them their pledges Thus saith Meire and Matthew Paris differeth not much from him touching the successe which chanced to the Englishmen by land ¶ Héere will I staie a while in the further narration of this matter and touch by the way a thing that happened to king Iohn about this present time There was in this season an heremit whose name was Peter dwelling about Yorke a man in great reputation with the common people bicause that either inspired with some spirit of prophesie as the people line 30 beleeued or else hauing some notable skill in art magike he was accustomed to tell what should follow after And for so much as oftentimes his saiengs prooued true great credit was giuen to him as to a verie prophet which was no good consequence that therefore his predictions comprised vndoubted euents Naie rather sith in this pseudoprophet or false foreteller of afterclaps these necessarie concurrents namelie line 40 si sensus atque effectus compresserit omnes Si spernens prorsiss
next following the said earle went with the king to the siege of Berwike About the feast of the Natiuitie of our ladie the two cardinals which were yet remaining in England sent foorth commandements vnto all the prelats and priests within the realme that thrée times in euerie solemne line 50 masse they should denounce Robert Bruce that called himselfe king of Scotland accursed with all his councellors and fautors and on the behalfe of the pope they depriued him by denunciation of all honour and put all his lands vnder interdiction disabling all their children to the second degrée that held with him as vnworthie vnfit to receiue or take vpon them any ecclesiasticall function They denounced also all the prelats of Scotland and men of line 60 religion exempt and not exempt excommunicate and accursed The lord Roger Mortimer returned againe into England and Alexander Bicnor was made cheefe iustice of Ireland ¶ Also Edward Bruce with sir Walter and sir Hugh Laâ—ie bringing with them a great armie returned out of Scotland and arriued at Dundalke on the day of saint Calixâ— the pope But neere to the same place sir Iohn Belmingham Richard Tute and Miles of Ueâ—don with a power of 1â—24 men incountred them and slue the said Edward le Bruce and aboue the number of 8200 men or as other haue but 5800. The said sir Iohn Birmingham brought the head of Edward le Bruce ouer into England and presented it to the king Wherevpon the king in recompense of his seruice gaue vnto him the earledome of Louth to hold to him and his heires males and the baronie of Athird to him and his heires generall About this season or somewhat before about Midsummer as Southwell saith a naughtie fellow called Iohn Poidras or as some books haue Ponderham a tanners son of Excester commmig to Oxford and there thrusting himselfe into the kings hall that stood without the wals gaue foorth that he was sonne and right heire of king Edward the first and that by means of a false nursse he was stolne out of his cradle and this Edward the second being a carters son was brought in and laid in his place so that he by reason thereof was afterwards hardlie fostered and brought vp in the north part of Wales At length being laid for he fled to the church of the white friers in Oxford trusting there to be safe through the immunitie of the place bicause king Edward the first was their founder But when he could not keepe his toong but still fondlie vttered his follie and stood in his opinion so that great rumor thereof was raised he was at length taken out of that church caried to Northhampton where he was there arreigned condemned and had foorth to a place in the countrie called the copped oke where he was drawne hanged and as a traitour bowelled At the houre of his death he confessed that in his house he had a spirit in likenesse of a cat which amongst other things assured him that he should be king of England In this season to wit in the yeare 1319 a great murreine and death of cattell chanced through the whole realme spreading from place to place year 1319 but speciallie this yeare it reigned most in the north where as in the yeares before it began in the south parts The king desirous to be reuenged of the Scots made preparation to leuie a mightie armie and for want of sufficient numbers of men in other places towards the north parts the king caused much people to come vnto him out of the south and east parts of the realme amongst the which the citie of London was constreined to find at their costs and charges two hundred men sending them to Yorke where the generall assemblie of the armie was made From thence after he had receiued his men from sundrie countries and good townes of his realme he went to Berwike laid siege to the towne In which meane time the Scots being assembled came to the borders passed by the English host and entring into England came in secreet wise downe into the marâ—hes of Yorkeshire and there slue the people and robbed them in most cruell wise Wherefore the archbishop of Yorke meaning in time of such necessitie to doo his indeuour in defense of his countrie assembled such power as he could get togither of clearkes moonks canons and other spirituall men of the church with husbandmen and such other vnapt people for the warres and thus with a great number of men and see to warlike or discréet chéefeteins he togither with the bishop of Elie as then lord chancellour came foorth against the Scots and incountred with them at a place called Mitton vpon Suale the twelfth day of October Here as the Englishmen pâ—ssed ouer the 〈◊〉 of Suale the Scots set 〈◊〉 vpon â—erteine 〈◊〉 of haie the smoke whereof was 〈◊〉 that the Englishmen a might not be where the Scotslaâ—e And when the Englishmen were ouer got ouer the 〈◊〉 the Scots came vpon them with a wing in good order of battell in 〈…〉 to a shield egerlie assailing their enimies who for lacke of good gouernement were easilie beaten downe and discomfited without shewing any great resistance so that there were slaine to the number of two thousand and the residue shamefullie put to flight The archbishop the lord chancellor and the abbat of Selbie with helpe of their swift horsses escaped and diuerse other The maior of Yorke named Nicholas Fleming was slaine sir William Diremin preest taken prisoner Manie were drowned by reason that the Scots had gotten betwixt the Englishmen and the bridge so that the Englishmen fled betwixt that wing of the Scots and their maine battell line 10 which had compassed the Englishmen about on the one side as the wing did vpon the other And bicause so manie spirituall men died in this battell it was after named of manie writers The white battell The king of England informed of this ouerthrow giuen by the Scots to the Northerne men he brake vp his siege incontinentlie and returned to Yorke Thus all the kings exploits by one means or other quailed and came but to euill successe so that line 20 the English nation began to grow in contempt by the infortunate gouernment of the prince the which as one out of the right waie rashlie and with no good aduisement ordered his dooings which thing so gréeued the noblemen of the realme that they studied day and night by what means they might procure him to looke better to his office and dutie which they iudged might well be brought to passe his nature being not altogither euill if they might find shift to remooue from him the two Spensers Hugh the father line 30 and Hugh the sonne who were gotten into such fauour with him that they onelie did all things and without them nothing was doone so that they were now had in as great hatred
prouided readie with lists railed and made so substantiallie as if the same should haue indured for euer The concourse of people that came to London to sée this tried was thought to excéed that of the kings coronation so desirous men were to behold a sight so strange and vnaccustomed The king his nobles and all the people being come togither in the morning of the daie appointed to the place where the lists were set vp the knight being armed and mounted on a faire courser seemelie trapped entered first as appellant staieng till his aduersarie the defendant should come And shortlie after was the esquier called to defend his cause in this forme Thomas Katrington defendant come and appeare to saue the action for which sir Iohn Anneslie knight and appellant hath publikelie and by writing appealed thée He being thus called thrise by an herald at armes at the third call did come armed likewise and riding on a courser trapped with traps imbrodered with his armes at his approching to the lists he alighted from his horsse lest according to the law of armes the constable should haue chalenged the horsse if he had entered within the lists But his shifting nothing auailed him for the horsse after his maister was alighted beside him ran vp downe by the railes now thrusting his head ouer and now both head breast so that the earle of Buckingham bicause he was high constable of England claimed the horsse afterwards swearing that he would haue so much of him as had appeared ouer the railes and so the horsse was adiudged vnto him But now to the matter of the combat for this challenge of the horsse was made after as soone as the esquier was come within the lists the indenture was brought foorth by the marshall and constable which had béene made and sealed before them with consent of the parties in which were conteined the articles exhibited by the knight against the esquier and there the same was read before all the assemblie The esquier whose conscience was thought not to be cleare but rather guiltie and therefore seemed full of troublesome and grudging passions as an offendor alreadie conuinced thought as full well he might Multamiser timeo quia feci multa proteruè went about to make exceptions that his cause by line 10 some means might haue séemed the sounder But the duke of Lancaster hearing him so staie at the matter sware that except according to the conditions of the combat and the law of armes he would admit all things in the indentures comprised that were not made without his owne consent he should as guiltie of the treason foorthwith be had foorth to execution The duke with those words woone great commendation and auoided no small suspicion that had béene conceiued of him as parciall in the esquiers cause line 20 The esquier hearing this said that he durst fight with the knight not onelie in those points but in all other in the world whatsoeuer the same might be for he trusted more to his strength of bodie and fauour of his freends than to the cause which he had taken vpon him to defend He was in déed a mightie man of stature where the knight among those that were of a meane stature was one of the least Freends to the esquier in whom he had great affiance to be borne line 30 â—ut through their assistance were the lords Latimer and Basset with others Before they entered battell they tooke an oth as well the knight as the esquier that the cause in which they were to fight was true and that they delt with no witchcraft nor art magike whereby they might obteine the victorie of their aduersarie nor had about them any herbe or stone or other kind of experiment with which magicians vse to triumph ouer their enimies This oth receiued of either of them and therewith line 40 hauing made their praiers deuoutlie they began the battell first with speares after with swords and lastlie with daggers They fought long till finallie the knight had bereft the esquier of all his weapons and at length the esquier was manfullie ouerthrowne by the knight But as the knight would haue fallen vpon the esquier through sweat that ran downe by his helmet his sight was hindered so that thinking to fall vpon the esquier he fell downe sideling himselfe not comming néere to the esquier line 50 who perceiuing what had happened although he was almost ouercome with long fighting made to the knight and threw himselfe vpon him so that manie thought the knight should haue beene ouercome other doubted not but that the knight would recouer his feet againe and get the victorie of his aduersarie The king in the meane time caused it to be proclamed that they should staie and that the knight should be raised vp from the ground and so meant to take vp the matter betwixt them To be short such line 60 were sent as should take vp the esquier but comming to the knight he besought them that it might please the king to permit them to lie still for he thanked God he was well and mistrusted not to obteine the victorie if the esquier might be laid vpon him in manner as he was earst Finallie when it would not be so granted he was contented to be raised vp and was no sooner set on his féet but he cheerfullie went to the king without anie mans helpe where the esquier could neither stand nor go without the helpe of two men to hold him vp and therefore was set in his chaire to take his ease to see if he might recouer his strength The knight at his comming before the king besought him his nobles to grant him so much that he might be eftsoones laid on the ground as before and the esquier to be laid aloft vpon him for the knight perceiued that the esquire through excessiue heat and the weight of his armor did maruellouslie faint so as his spirits were in manner taken from him The king and the nobles perceiuing the knight so couragiouslie to demand to trie the battell foorth to the vttermost offring great summes of monie that so it might be doone decreed that they should be restored againe to the same plight in which they laie when they were raised vp but in the meane time the esquire fainting and falling downe in a swoone fell out of his chaire as one that was like to yéeld vp his last breath presentlie among them Those that stood about him cast wine and water vpon him seeking so to bring him againe but all would not serue till they had plucked off his armor his whole apparell which thing prooued the knight to be vanquisher and the esquier to be vanquished After a little time the esquier began to come to himselfe and lifting vp his eies began to hold vp his head and to cast a ghostlie looke on euerie one about him which when it was reported to the knight he commeth to him armed as
about the towne and destroied the suburbes in which were twelue parish churches and foure orders of friers They cut also downe all the vines trees and bushes within fiue leagues of the citie so that the Englishmen should haue neither refuge nor succour After the siege had continued full thrée weekes the line 30 bastard of Orleance issued out of the gate of the bridge and fought with the Englishmen but they receiued him with so fierce and terrible strokes that he was with all his companie compelled to retire and flee backe into the citie But the Englishmen followed so fast in killing and taking of their enimies that they entered with them ¶ The bulworke of the bridge with a great tower standing at the end of the same was taken incontinentlie by the Englishmen who behaued themselues right valiantlie vnder the line 40 conduct of their couragious capteine as at this assault so in diuerse skirmishes against the French partlie to kéepe possession of that which Henrie the fift had by his magnanimitie puissance atchiued as also to inlarge the same But all helped not For who can hold that which will awaie In so much that some cities by fraudulent practises othersome by martiall prowesse were recouered by the French to the great discouragement of the English and the appalling of their spirits whose hope was now dashed line 50 partlie by their great losses and discomfitures as after you shall heare but chéeflie by the death of the late deceassed Henrie their victorious king as Chr. Okland verie truelie and agréeable to the storie noteth Dolphinus comitésque eius fera praelia tentant Fraude domi capiâ—nt alias virtute receptae Sunt vrbes aliae quâ—dam sublapsa refertur Anglûm spes retrò languescere pectora dicas Quippe erat Henricus quintus dux strenuus olim Mortuus hinc damni grauior causa atque doloris line 60 In this conflict manie Frenchmen were taken but more were slaine and the kéeping of the tower and bulworke was committed to William Glasdale esquier By the taking of this bridge the passage was stopped that neither men nor vittels could go or come by that waie After this the earle caused certeine bulworkes to be made round about the towne casting trenches betwéene the one and the other laieng ordinance in euerie place where he saw that any batterie might be deuised When they within saw that they were enuironed with fortresses and ordinance they laid gun against gun and fortified towers against bulworkes and within cast new rampiers and fortified themselues as stronglie as might be deuised The bastard of Orleance and the Hire were appointed to see the walles and watches kept and the bishop saw that the inhabitants within the citie were put in good order and that vittels were not vainelie spent In the tower that was taken at the bridge end as before you haue heard there was an high chamber hauing a grate full of barres of iron by the which a man might looke all the length of the bridge into the citie at which graâ—e manie of the chéefe capteins stood manie times viewing the citie and deuising in what place it was best to giue the assault They within the citie well perceiued this tooting hole and laid a péece of ordinance directlie against the window It so chanced that the nine and fiftith daie after the siege was laid the earle of Salisburie sir Thomas Gargraue and William Glasdale with diuerse other went into the said tower and so into the high chamber and looked out at the grate and within a short space the sonne of the maister-gunner perceiuing men looking out at the window tooke his match as his father had taught him who was gone downe to dinner and fired the gun the shot whereof brake and shiuered the iron barres of the grate so that one of the same bars strake the earle so violentlie on the head that it stroke awaie one of his eies and the side of his chéeke Sir Thomas Gargraue was likewise striken and died within two daies The earle was conueied to Meun on Loire where after eight daies he likewise departed this world whose bodie was conueied into England with all funerall appointment and buried at Bissam by his progenitors leauing behind him an onelie daughter named Alice married to Richard Neuill sonne to Rafe earle of Westmerland of whome more shall be said héereafter The damage that the realme of England receiued by the losse of this noble man manifestlie appeared in that immediatlie after his death the prosperous good lucke which had followed the English nation began to decline and the glorie of their victories gotten in the parties beyond the sea fell in decaie Though all men were sorowfull for his death yet the duke of Bedford was most striken with heauinesse as he that had lost his onelie right hand and cheefe aid in time of necessitie But sith that dead men cannot helpe the chances of men that be liuing he like a prudent gouernour appointed the earle of Suffolke to be his lieutenant and capteine of the siege and ioined with him the lord Scales the lord Talbot sir Iohn Fastolfe and diuerse other right valiant capteins These persons caused bastilles to be made round about the citie and left nothing vnattempted that might aduance their purpose which to bring to wished effect there was not anie want as of no cautelous policie so of no valiant enterprise tending to the enimies ouerthrow In the Lent season vittels and artillerie began to waxe scant in the English campe year 1429 wherefore the earle of Suffolke appointed sir Iohn Fastolfe sir Thomas Rampston and sir Philip Hall with their retinues to ride to Paris to the lord regent to informe him of their lacke who incontinentlie vpon that information prouided vittels artillerie and munitions necessarie and loded therewith manie chariots carts and horsses and for the sure conueieng of the same he appointed sir Simon Morhier prouost of Paris with the gard of the citie and diuerse of his owne houshold-seruants to accompanie sir Iohn Fastolfe and his complices to the armie lieng at the siege of Orleance They were in all to the number of fifteene hundred men of the which there were not past fiue or six hundred Englishmen These departing in good order of battell out of Paris came to Genuille in Beausse and in a morning earlie in a great frost they departed from thence toward the siege and when they came to a towne called Rowraie in the lands of Beausse they perceiued their enimies comming towards them being to the number of nine or ten thousand of Frenchmen and Scots of whome were capteins Charles of Cleremont sonne to the duke of Bourbon then being prisoner in England sir William Steward constable of Scotland a little before deliuered out of captiuitie line 10 the earle of Perdriake the lord Iohn Uandosine the Uidame of Chartres the lord of Toures the lord of Lohar the lord of Eglere the lord of Beauiew
armes on the duke of Burgognions side year 1430 one Franquet and his band of three hundred souldiers making all towards the maintenance of the siege the Pusell Ione and a foure hundred with hir did méet In great courage and force did she and hir people sundrie times assaile him but he with his though much vnder in number by meanes of his archers in good order set did so hardilie withstand them that for the first and second push she rather lost than wan Wherat this captinesse striken into a fretting chafe called out in all hast the garrison of Laignie and from other the forts thereabout who thicke and threefold came downe with might and maine in armour and number so far excéeding Franquets that though they had doone hir much hurt in hir horsemen yet by the verie multitude were they oppressed most in hir furie put to the sword as for to Franquet that worthie capteine himselfe hir rage not appeased till out of hand she had his head stroken off contrarie to all manhood but she was a woman if she were that contrarie to common right law of armes The man for his merits was verie much lamented and she by hir malice then found of what spirit she was After this the duke of Burgognie accompanied with the earles of Arundell and Suffolke and the lord Iohn of Lutzenburgh besieged the towne of Campiegne with a great puissance This towne was well walled manned and vittelled so that the besiegers were constreined to cast trenches and make mines for otherwise they saw not how to compasse their purpose In the meane time it happened in the night of the Ascension of our Lord that Poiton de Saintreiles Ione la Pusell and fiue or six hundred line 10 men of armes issued out by the bridge toward Mondedier intending to set fire in the tents and lodgings of the lord Bawdo de Noielle ¶ In this yeare of our Lord among diuerse notable men of learning and knowledge one Richard Fleming English borne a doctor of diuinitie professed in Oxford did flourish who by the prouidence of God grew in such fauour with this king Henrie the sixt the nobles néere about him that he was preferred line 20 to the bishops see of Lincolne This man founded Lincolne college in Oxford in which vniuersitie he had beene a profitable student Diuerse bookes he wrote as the vniuersitie librarie dooth beare witnesse whereof these following haue béene séene vnder their names and titles to wit A protestation against the Spaniards the Frenchmen and the Scots made in the generall councell holden at Sens one booke of the Etymologie of England besides diuerse other treatises as Gesner reporteth Ex bibliotheca Oxonij aforesaid line 30 At the verie same time that Campeigne was besieged as before is said sir Iohn of Lutzenburgh with eight other gentlemen chanced to be néere vnto the lodging of the said lord Bawdo where they espied the Frenchmen which began to cut downe tents ouerthrow pauilions kill men in their beds whervpon they with all speed assembled a great number of men as well English as Burgognions and couragiouslie set on the Frenchmen and in the end beat line 40 them backe into the towne so that they fled so fast that one letted another as they would haue entered In the chase and pursute was the Pusell taken with diuerse other besides those that were slaine which were no small number Diuerse were hurt also on both parts Among the Englishmen sir Iohn Montgomerie had his arme broken and sir Iohn Steward was shot into the thigh with a quarell As before ye haue heard somewhat of this damsels strange beginning and proceedings so sith the line 50 ending of all such miraclemongers dooth for the most part plainelie decipher the vertue and power that they worke by hir shall ye be aduertised what at last became of hir cast your opinions as ye haue cause Of hir louers the Frenchmen reporteth one how in Campeigne thus besieged Guillaume de Flauie the capteine hauing sold hir aforehand to the lord of Lutzenburgh vnder colour of hasting hir with a band out of the towne towards their king for him with spéed to come and leauie the siege there so gotten hir line 60 foorth he shut the gates after hir when anon by the Burgognians set vpon and ouermatcht in the conflict she was taken marie yet all things accounted to no small maruell how it could come so to passe had she béene of any deuotion or of true beléefe and no false miscreant but all holie as she made it For earlie that morning she gat hir to saint Iameses church confessed hir and receiued hir maker as the booke termes it and after setting hir selfe to a piller manie of the townesmen that with a fiue or six score of their children stood about there to see hir vnto them quod she Good children and my déere freends I tell you plaine one hath sold me I am betraied and shortlie shall be deliuered to death I beséech you praie to God for me for I shall neuer haue more power to doo seruice either to the king or to the realme of France againe Saith another booke she was intrapt by a Picard capteine of Soissons who sold that citie to the duke of Burgognie and he then put it ouer into the hands of the lord of Lutzenburgh so by that meanes the Burgognians approched and besieged Campeigne for succour whereof as damsell Ione with hir capteins from Laignie was thither come and dailie to the English gaue manie a hot skirmish so happened it one a daie in an outsallie that she made by a Picard of the lord of Lutzenburghs band in the fiercest of hir fight she was taken and by him by and by to his lord presented who sold hir ouer againe to the English who for witchcraft and sorcerie burnt hir at Rone Tillet telleth it thus that she was caught at Campeigne by one of the earle of Ligneis soldiers from him had to Beaureuoir castell where kept a thrée months she was after for ten thousand pounds in monie and thrée hundred pounds rent all Turnois sold into the English hands In which for hir pranks so vncoush and suspicious the lord regent by Peter Chauchon bishop of Beauuois in whose diocesse she was taken caused hir life and beléefe after order of law to be inquired vpon and examined Wherein found though a virgin yet first shamefullie reiecting hir sex abominablie in acts and apparell to haue counterfeit mankind and then all damnablie faithlesse to be a pernicious instrument to hostilitie and bloudshed in diuelish witchcraft and sorcerie sentence accordinglie was pronounced against hir Howbeit vpon humble confession of hir iniquities with a counterfeit contrition pretending a carefull sorow for the same execution spared and all mollified into this that from thencefoorth she should cast off hir vnnaturall wearing of mans abilliments and kéepe hir to garments of
harts hard it is to wrest out and may grow line 40 to more greefe than anie man can here diuine Wherefore me thinketh it were not worst to send vnto the quéene for the redresse of this matter some honorable trustie man such as both tendereth the kings weale and the honour of his councell and is also in fauour and credence with hir For all which considerations none seemeth more méetlie than our reuerend father here present my lord cardinall who may in this matter doo most good of anie man if it please him to take the paine which I doubt not of his line 50 goodnesse he will not refuse for the kings sake and ours and welth of the yoong duke himselfe the kings most honorable brother and after my souereigne lord himselfe my most déere nephue considered that thereby shall be ceassed the slanderous rumor and obloquie now going and the hurts auoided that thereof might insue and much rest and quiet grow to all the realme And if she be percase so obstinate and so preciselie set vpon hir owne will that neither his wise and faithfull aduertisement can not mooue hir nor anie line 60 mans reason content hir then shall we by mine aduise by the kings authoritie fetch him out of that prison and bring him to his noble presence in whose continuall companie he shall be so well cherished and so honorablie intreated that all the world shall to our honour and hir reproch perceiue that it was onelie malice frowardnesse or follie that caused hir to kéepe him there This is my purpose and mind in this matter for this time except anie of your lordships anie thing perceiue to the contrarie for neuer shall I by Gods grace so wed my selfe to mine owne will but that I shall be readie to change it vpon your better aduises When the protector had said all the councell affirmed that the motion was good and reasonable and to the king and the duke his brother honorable and a thing that should ceasse great murmur in the relme if the mother might be by good means induced to deliuer him Which thing the archbishop of Yorke whome they all agreed also to be thereto most conuenient tooke vpon him to mooue hir and therein to doo his vttermost deuoir Howbeit if she could be in no wise intreated with hir good will to deliuer him then thought he and such other as were of the spiritualtie present that it were not in anie wise to be attempted to take him out against hir will For it should be a thing that would turne to the great grudge of all men and high displeasure of God if the priuilege of that holie place should now be broken which had so manie yeares be kept which both kings and popes so good had granted so manie had confirmed and which holie ground was more than fiue hundred yeares ago by saint Peter in his owne person in spirit accompanied with great multitudes of angels by night so speciallie halowed dedicated to God for the proofe wherof they haue yet in the abbeie saint Peters cope to shew that from that time hitherward was there neuer so vndeuout a king that durst that sacred place violate or so holie a bishop that durst it presume to consecrate And therefore quoth the archbishop of Yorke God forbid that anie man should for anie thing carthlie enterprise to breake the immunitie libertie of the sacred sanctuarie that hath beene the safegard of so manie a good mans life And I trust quoth he with Gods grace we shall not need it But for anie maner néed I would not we should doo it I trust that â—hée shall be with reason contenâ—ed and all things in good maner obteined And if it happen that I bring it not so to passe yet shall I toward it so farre foorth doo my best that ye shall all well perceiue that no lacke of my deuoire but the mothers dread and womanish feare shall be the â—et Womanish feare naie womanish frowardnes quoth the duke of Buckingham For I dare take it vpon my soule she well knoweth she needeth no such thing to feare either for hir son or for hir selfe For as for hir here is no man that will be at war with women Would God some of the men of hir kin were women too then should all be soone in rest Howbeit there is none of hir kin the lesse loued for that they be hir kin but for their owne euill deseruing And nathelesse if we loued neither hir nor hir kin yet were there no cause to thinke that wee should hate the kings noble brother to whose grace we our selues be of kin Whose honor if she as much desired as our dishonor and as much regard tooke to his wealth as to hir owne will she would be as loth to suffer him to be absent from the king as anie of vs be For if she haue anie wit as would God she had as good will as she hath shrewd wit she reckoneth hir selfe no wiser than she thinketh some that be here of whose faithfull mind she nothing doubteth but verelie beléeueth and knoweth that they would be as sorie of his harme as hir selfe and yet would haue him from hir if she bide there and we all I thinke contented that both be with hir if she come thence and bide in such place where they may with their honors be Now then if she refuse in the deliuerance of him to follow the counsell of them whose wisdome she knoweth whose truth she well trusteth it is easie to perceiue that frowardnesse letteth hir and not feare But go to suppose that she feare as who maie let hir to feare hir owne shadow the more she feareth to deliuer him the more ought we feare to leaue him in hir hands For if she cast such fond doubts that she feare his hurt then will she feare that he shall be set thence For she will soone thinke that if men were set which God forbid vpon so great a mischiefe the sanctuarie would little let them which good men might as me thinketh without sinne somewhat lesse regard than they doo Now then if she doubt least he might be fetched from hir is it not likelie inough that she shall send him some where out of the realme Uerelie I looke for none other And I doubt not but shee now as sore mindeth it as we the let thereof And if she might happen to bring that to passe as it were no great maistrie we letting hir alone all the world line 10 would saie that we were a wise sort of councellors about a king that let his brother be cast awaie vnder our noses And therefore I insure you faithfullie for my mind I will rather manger hir mind fetch him awaie than leaue him there till hir frowardnesse and fond feare conueie him awaie And yet will I breake no sanctuarie therfore For verely sith the priuileges of that place and other like haue béene of long continued I am
of triumph and victorie And to begin with the erle of Richmond capteine of this rebellion he is a Welsh milkesop a man of small courage and of lesse experience in martiall acts and feats of warre brought vp by my moothers meanes and mine like a captiue in a close cage in the court of Francis duke of Britaine and neuer saw armie nor was exercised in martiall affaires by reason wherof he neither can nor is able by his owne will or experience to guide or rule an hoast For in the wit and policie of the capteine consisteth the cheefe adeption of the victorie and ouerthrow of the enimies Secondarilie feare not but put awaie all doubts for when the traitors and runnagates of our realme shall see vs with banner displaied come against them remembring their oth promise and fidelitie made vnto vs as to their souereigne lord and annointed king they shall be so pricked and stoong in the bottome of their scrupulous consciences that they for verie remorse and dread of the diuine plague will either shamefullie flee or humblie submit themselues to our grace and mercie And as for the Frenchmen and Britans their valiantnesse is such that our noble progenitors and your valiant parts haue them oftener vanquished and ouercome in one moneth than they in the beginning imagined possiblie to compasse and finish in a whole yeare What will you make of them braggers without audacitie drunckards without discretion ribalds without reason cowards without resisting and in conclusion the most effeminate and lasciuious people that euer shewed themselues in front of battell ten times more couragious to flee escape than once to assault the breast of our strong populous armie Wherefore considering all these aduantages expell out of your thoughts all douts auoid out of your minds all feare and like valiant champions aduance foorth your standards assaie whether your enimies can decide and trie the title of battell by dint of sword Aduance I say againe forward my capteins in whome lacketh neither policie wisedome nor yet puissance Euerie one giue but one sure stripe suerlie the iournie is ours What preuaileth a handfull to a whole realme Desiring you for the loue that you beare to me and the affection that you haue to your natiue and naturall countrie and to the safegard of your prince your selues that you will this daie take to you your accustomed courage and couragious spirits for the defense and safeguard of vs all And as for me I assure you this daie I will triumph by glorious victorie or suffer death for immortall fame For they be maimed line 10 and out of the palace of fame disgraded dieng without renowme which doo not asmuch prefer and exalt the perpetuall honour of their natiue countrie as their owne mortall and transitorie life Now saint George to borow let vs set forward and remember well that I am he which shall with high aduancements reward and preferre the valiant and hardie line 20 champions and punish and torment the shamefull cowards and dreadfull dastards This exhortation incouraged all such as fauoured him but such as were present more for dread than loue kissed them openlie whome they inwardlie hated Other sware outwardlie to take part with such whose death they secretlie compassed and inwardlie imagined Other promised to inuade the kings enimies line 30 which fled and fought with fierce courage against the king Other stood still and looked on intending to take part with the victors and ouercommers So was his people to him vnsure and vnfaithfull at his end as he was to his nephues vntrue and vnnaturall in his beginning How then was it possible that this princes regiment could long stand seeing the preseruation and prorogation of his reigne consisted not in the loue of his subiects In place whereof bicause feare yea seruile and forced feare succéeded line 40 he was the sooner forsaken of his people whose harts fell from him as isicles from a penthouse in a sunnie daie and in this case the poet saith truelie and was well worthie of credit when he craued it saieng Credite quem metuit quisque perire cupit When the earle of Richmond knew by his foreriders that the king was so neere imbatelled he rode about his armie from ranke to ranke from wing to wing giuing comfortable words to all men and that finished being armed at all peeces sauing his line 50 helmet mounted on a little hill so that all his people might sée and behold him perfectlie to their great reioising For he was a man of no great stature but so formed and decorated with all gifts and lineaments of nature that he séemed more an angelicall creature than a terrestriall personage His countenance and aspect was chéerefull and couragious his haire yellow like the burnished gold his eies graie shining and quicke prompt and readie in answering but of such sobrietie that it could neuer be iudged whether line 60 he were more dull than quicke in speaking such was his temperance Now when he had ouerlooked his armie ouer euerie side he paused awhile and after with a lowd voice and bold spirit spake to his companions these or the like words following The oration of king Henrie the seauenth to his armie IF euer God gaue victorie to men fighting in a iust quarrell or if he euer aided such as made warre for the wealth tuition of their owne naturall and nutritiue countrie or if he euer succoured them which aduentured their liues for the releefe of innocents suppressing of malefactors and apparant offendors no doubt my fellowes freends but he of his bountifull goodnesse will this daie send vs triumphant victorie and a luckie iournie ouer our proud enimies and arrogant aduersaries for if you remember and consider the verie cause of our iust quarell you shall apparantlie perceiue the same to be true godlie and vertuous In the which I doubt not but God will rather aid vs yea and fight for vs than see vs vanquished and ouerthrowne by such as neither feare him nor his laws nor yet regard iustice or honestie Our cause is so iust that no enterprise can be of more vertue both by the lawes diuine ciuill For what can be a more honest goodlie or godlie quarrell than to fight against a capteine being an homicide and murtherer of his owne bloud or progenie an extreame destroier of his nobilitie and to his and our countrie and the poore subiects of the same a deadlie mallet a firie brand and a burthen intollerable Beside him consider who be of his band and companie such as by murther and vntrueth committed against their owne kin and linage yea against their prince and souereigne lord haue disherited me and you and wrongfullie deteine and vsurpe our lawfull patrimonie lineall inheritance For he that calleth himselfe king keepeth from me the crowne and regiment of this noble realme and countrie contrarie to all iustice and equitie Likewise his mates and friends
suretie consented hardlie that the person of the king should be kept within the castell of Millaine he was garded with great gelousie and watch but in all other things except his libertie he was vsed and honored as apperteined to the state and maiestie of a king Now saith mine author speaking to the readers of his historie you haue séene set downe the ouerthrow line 60 of the French armie in the battell of Pauia a wretched successe where was so great expectation of victorie You haue séene a mightie king deliuered vp prisoner into the hands of him with whom he contended for glorie and emperie a spectacle most tragicall amongst all the calamities that fortune bringeth vpon mans mortalitie You haue séene the most part of the nobilitie and honorable capteins of France slaine in the seruice and presence of their king a matter that made more lamentable his owne condition and aduersitie You haue séene the residue of that armie so vniuersallie perplexed with feare and confusion that the same thing that should haue reteined them in so great affliction made them the lesse assured and further off from confidence When word came to the emperour of all the former accidents the eies of euerie man were set to behold with what propertie of affection he would receiue his gladsome news and to what ends his thoughts were disposed who so farre as exterior demonstrations made shew expressed great tokens of a mind much moderated and verie apt to resist easilie the prosperitie of fortune yea the signes and inclinations appeering so much the more incredible by how much he was a prince mightie yong and as yet had neuer tasted but of felicitie For after he was informed truelie of so great a victorie whereof he had the reapport the tenth of March togither with letters of the French kings owne hand written rather in the spirit and condition of a prisoner than with the courage of a king he went foorthwith to the church to make his holie oblations to God with manie solemnities And the morning folowing he receiued with signes of right great deuotion the sacrament of the eucharist and so went in procession to our ladies church out of Madrill where was his court at that time His temperance and moderation was aboue the expectation of his estate and farre contrarie to the course of the time in matters of that nature for he would not suffer anie bels to be roong nor bounfires to be made nor anie other manner of publike demonstrations such as are vsed for glorie or gladnesse alledging with a mind more vertuous than insolent that such propertie of feasting and reioising was due to victories obteined against infidels but ought to haue no shew where one christian ouercame another Neither were the actions and gestures of his person and speaches differing from so great a temperance and continencie of mind which he well expressed in the answers he made to the congratulations of the ambassadours and great men that were about him to whome he said he was not glad of the accident according to the glorious operation of flesh and bloud but his reioising was in that God had so manfestlie aided him which he interpreted to be an assured signe that he stood in his grace and fauour though not through his owne merit yet by his celestiall election The French king being in the custodie of the viceroy of Naples who much comforted him and praised his valiantnesse and praied him to be content for he shoud haue a gentle end desired to write to his mother which was to him granted His verie words were these The French kings letter to his mother the regent of France TO aduertise you of my infortunat chance nothing is left but the honour and the life that is saued And seeing some other news shall recomfort you I haue desired to write to you this letter the which liberallie hath beene granted to me beseeching you to regard the extremitie of your selfe in insuing your accustomed wisedome For I hope that at length God will not forget me to you recommending your little infants and mine supplieng you to giue safe conduct to passe and returne from Spaine to this bearer that goeth toward the emperor to know in what wise I shall be intreated And thus right humbly to your good grace I haue me recommended This subscribed by your humble and obedient sonne Francis In this estate of aduersitie the people set before their eies all that feare and despaire could imagine they doubted least so great a calamitie were not the beginning of a further ruine subuersion they saw their king prisoner and with him either taken or slaine in the battell the chiefteins of the kingdome which in the imagination of their sorrowes they held line 10 a losse irreparable they beheld their capteins discomfited and their souldiers discouraged a calamitie which stopped in them all hope to be readdressed or reassured they saw the realme made naked of monie and treasure and inuironed with most mightie enimies an affliction which most of all caried their thoughts into the last cogitation of desperat ruine for the king of England notwithstanding that he had holden manie parlées and treaties and shewed in manie things a variation of mind yet not manie line 20 daies before the battell he had cut off all the negociations which he had interteined with the king and had published that he would descend into France if the things of Italie tooke anie good successe So that the Frenchmen feared least in so great an oportunitie the emperour and he would not leuie warre against France either for that there was no other head or gouernour than a woman and the little children of the king of whom the eldest had not yet run eight yeares accomplished or else bicause line 30 the enimies had with them the duke of Burbon for his owne particular a puissant prince and for his authoritie in the realme of France verie popular and strong in opinion a mightie instrument to stirre vp most dangerous emotions Besides the ladie regent as well for the loue she bare to the king as for the dangers of the realme was not without hir passions both proper and particular for being full of ambition and most gréedie of the gouernment shée feared that if the kings deliuerie drew any long tract line 40 of time or if anie new difficultie hapned in France she should be constreined to yéeld vp the administration of the crowne to such as should be delegate and assigned by the voices of the kingdome Neuerthelesse amid so manie astonishments and confusions she drew hir spirits to hir and by hir example were recomforted the nobles that were of counsell with hir who tooke spéedie order to man the frontiers of the realme and with diligence to leuie a good prouision of monie line 50 The ladie regent in whose name all expeditions and dispatches went out wrote to the emperour letters full of humilitie and
of hope of recouering being no longer able to make resistance against his maladie exchanged his life the fiue and twentith of September leauing behind him in the castell of saint Angcomanie rich stones and iewels more than was expected of him and in the chamber of the sée apostolike infinit offices contrarie to custome and good order but in the treasurie a verie small store of monie wherin he beguiled the opinion of all men He was raised from base degrée to the place of the popedome with woonderfull felicitie but in managing the place he prooued a verie great variation of fortune wherein if both the properties of fortune be euenlie balanced the one with the other the woorser fortune without all comparison was farre more familiar with him than the better For as there could happen to him no greater infelicitie than the aduersitie of his imprisonment for that with his owne eies he beheld with so great a ruine and destruction the sacke of Rome a desolation which his fortune suffered him to bewaile with pitie and compassion but not to turne awaie or remedie the harme so also by him mooued the generall desolation of his naturall countrie to the which by how much more he was bound by perpetuall obligations by so much greater was his aduersitie to be a chiefe instrument in the ruine of the place where he had taken his first being He died hated of all the court suspected to most princes and for the discourse of his life he left behind him a renowme rather hatefull than acceptable for he was accounted couetous of little fidelitie and naturallie farre off from dooing pleasures to men And in that humor albeit during his time of pope he created one and thirtie cardinals yet vpon none of them did he impose that dignitie to content himselfe but was drawne as it were by the violent law of necessitie and to please others yea he called to that dignitie the cardinall of Medicis not of his proper and frée election but at the contemplation and persuasion of others and at that time when being oppressed with a dangerous maladie if he had died he had left his friends and kindred in the state of beggers and depriued of all aid Neuerthelesse he was in counsell verie graue and in his actions much foreséeing touching passions and affections a conqueror of himselfe and for the facultie of his mind spirit of great capacitie and power if timorousnesse had not oftentimes corrupted his iudgement Immediatlie after his death the cardinals going the same night into the conclaue elected in his place with full voice Alexander of the familie of Farnesa a Roman by nation and for his time the most ancient cardinall of the court in which election their voices seemed conformable to the iudgement and instance that Clement had made the person elected being most woorthie to be preferred before all the other to so souereigne a degrée for that he was both fuâ—nished with doctrine and good learning and fullie replenished with good apparanees and customes And for the cardinals they were so much â—â—â—more forward to passe the election in his person by how much for the greatnesse of his age being alreadie vpon the thréescore and seuenth yeare and supposed to beare a weake and vnsound complexion which opinion he nourished with art they hoped he would not â—it long in the seat whereby the dignitie of the place and primaâ—e line 10 might fall to one of them whose eies looked for the glorie which their hearts lusted being vtterlie estranged from God and godlinesse as altogither addicted to the wanton desires of temporall delites that they might passe their daies in delicacie as one noteth trulie of all that viperous generation saieng Omnibus idem animus ceâ—fâ—s â—â—ransâ—er arces Idem animuis 〈…〉 De grege quid fiat nibili genâ—impia â—â—rans Spectat magnifâ—â—â—â— ambitiofa 〈◊〉 line 20 Elysios horum nullus contendit ad agras Nil coeleste iuuat terâ—ea solâ—placenâ— About this season the craftie practises of one Elizabeth Barton named the holie man of Kent came to light and were discouered so that she and hir adherents in Nouember folowing were brought to the Starchamber there before the kings councell confessed their feined hypocrisie and dissembled holinesse traitorous purposes and intents The names of those hir adherents which were presented line 30 with hir before the lords in the Starchamber were as followeth Richard Master priest parson of Aldington in Kent Edward Bocking doctor in diuinitie a moonke of Canturburie Richard Dering moonke also of Canturburie Edward Twaites gentleman Thomas Laurence register to the archdeacon of Canturburie Henrie Gold parson of Aldermarie bachellor of diuinitie Hugh Rich frier obseruant Richard Rifbie and Thomas Gold gentleman They were adiudged vpon their confession line 40 aforesaid to stand at Pauls crosse in the sermon time where they with their owne hands should seuerallie deliuer ech of them to the preacher that should be appointed a bill declaring their subtill craftie and superstitious dooings Which thing they did the sundaie next following standing vpon a stage at the crosse erected for that purpose But for their treasons commited the order was respited till the parlement next following in the which they were attainted and suffered as after ye shall heare line 50 In this meane time the Scots were not quiet but still robbed the kings subiects both by sea and land wherevpon the king caused them to be requited not onelie by the borderers and other to them associate which entring by the marches burnt manie of their strong piles but also he set foorth certeine ships which entered into their streames and fetched out manie of those prises which they had taken out of their hauens and créekes mawger all their heads Yet was there no warre proclaimed but still commissioners line 60 sat and communed of agréement and amends to be made on either part Now in the end when the Scots had much demanded and little or nothing granted they for that time being wearie of warre desired peace which was concluded to indure both the kings liues And so the twentith daie of Maie in the yeare following it was openlie proclamed to the comfort of all them that delited in peace and godlie quietnesse At the suit of the ladie Katharine Dowager a cursse was sent from the pope which curssed both the king and the realme This cursse was set vp in the towne of Dunkirke in Flanders for the bringer thereof durst no nearer approch where it was taken 〈…〉 After Christmas the parlement began wherein the forenamed Elizabeth Barton and other hir compliâ—es were attainted of treason for sundrie practised deuises and tales by them aduanced put in vre and â—old sounding to the vtter reproch perill and destruction of the kings person his honour fame and dignitie for they had of a diuelish intent put in the heads of manie of the kings subiects that to the said Elizabeth Barton was
great feare on all men This noise was as it had beene the noise of a great storme or tempest which to some séemed to be heard from aboue like as if a great deale of gunpowder being inclosed in an armorie and hauing caught fire had violentlie broken out But to some againe it seemed as though it had béene a great multitude of horssemen running togither or comming vpon them such a noise was then in the eares of all men albeit they saw nothing Whereby it happened that all the people being amazed without any euident cause and without anie violence or stroke striken they ran awaie some into the ditches and puddles and some into the houses thereabout Other some being affraid with the horrour and noise fell downe groueling vnto the ground with their pollaxes halberds and most part of them cried out Iesus saue vs Iesus saue vs. Those which tarried still in their places for feare knew not where they were And I my selfe which was there present among the rest being also affraid in this hurlie burlie stood still altogither amazed looking when anie man would knocke me on the head It happened here as the euangelists write it did to Christ when the officers of the high priests Phariseis comming with wepons to take him being astonied ran backe fell to the ground In the meane time whilest these things were thus in dooing the people by chance spied one sir Anthoâ—ie Browne riding vnto the scaffold which was the occasion of a new noise For when they saw him comming they coniectured that which was not true but notwithstanding which they all wished for that the king by that messenger had sent his vncle pardon and therfore with great reioising and casting vp their caps they cried out Pardon pardon is come God saue the king Thus this good duke although he was destitute of all mans helpe yet he saw before his departure in how great loue and fauour he was with all men And trulie I doo not thinke that in so great slaughter of dukes as hath béene in England within this few yeares there was so manie weeping eies at one time and not without cause For all men did sée in the decaie of this duke the publike ruine of all England except such as indeed perceiued nothing The duke in the meane time standing still both in the same place and mind wherin he was before shaking his cap which he held in his hand made a signe vnto the people that they should kéepe themselues quiet which thing being doone silence obteined he spake to them the second time in this maner The second speech of the duke of Summerset to the people DEerelie beloued friends there is no such matter in hand as you vainlie hope or beleeue It seemeth thus good to almightie God whose ordinance it is meet necessarie that we be all obedient vnto Wherfore I praie you all to be quiet and without tumult for I am euen now quiet and let vs ioine in praier vnto the Lord for the preseruation of our noble king vnto whose maiestie I wish continuall health with all felicitie and abundance all maner of prosperous successe wherevnto the people cried out Amen Moreouer I wish vnto all his councellors the grace and fauour of God whereby they may rule althings vprightlie with iustice vnto whome I exhort you all in the Lord to shew your selues obedient the which is also verie necessarie for you vnder the paine of condemnation and also most profitable for the preseruation and safegard of the kings maiestie And forsomuch as heretofore I haue had oftentimes affaires with diuers men that it is hard to please euerie man that hath beene offended or iniuried by me I most humblie require and aske them forgiuenesse but especiallie almightie God whome thoroughout all my line 10 life I haue most greeuouslie offended And vnto all other whatsoeuer they be that haue offended me I doo with my whole heart forgiue them And once againe dearelie beloued in the Lord I require that you will keepe your selues quiet and still least thorough your tumult you might cause me to haue some trouble which in this case would line 20 nothing at all profit me neither be anie pleasure vnto you For albeit the spirit be willing and readie the flesh is fraile and wauering and thorough your quietnesse I shall be much more the quieter but if that you fall vnto tumult it will be great trouble no gaine at all vnto you Moreouer I desire you to beare me witnesse that I die heere in the faith of Iesus line 30 Christ desiring you to helpe me with your praiers that I maie perseuere constant in the same vnto my liues end Then he turning himselfe about knéeled downe vpon his knées vnto whome doctor Cox which was there present to counsell and aduertise him deliuered a certeine scroll into his hand wherein was conteined a briefe confession to God Which being read he stood vp againe on his féet without anie trouble of mind as it appeared and first bad the shiriffes farewell line 40 then the lieutenant of the tower certeine other that were on the scaffold taking them all by the hands Then he gaue the executioner monie which doone he put off his gowne and knéeling downe againe in the straw vntied his shirt strings and then the executioner comming to him turned downe his collar round about his necke and all other things which did let and hinder him Then he couering his face with his owne handkerchiefe lifting vp his eies vnto heauen where his onelie hope remained laid line 50 himselfe downe along shewing no maner of trouble or feare neither did his countenance change but that before his eies were couered there began to appéere a red colour in the middest of his cheeks ¶ Thus this most méeke and gentle duke lieng along and looking for the stroke bicause his doublet couered his necke he was commanded to rise vp and put it off then laieng himselfe downe againe vpon the blocke and calling thrise vpon the name of Iesus saieng Lord Iesu saue me as he was the line 60 third time repeating the same euen as the name of Iesu was in vttering in a moment he was bereft both of head and life and slept in the Lord Iesus being taken awaie from all the dangers and euils of this life and resting now in the peace of God in the preferment of whose truth and gospell he alwaies shewed himselfe an excellent instrument and member and therefore hath receiued the reward of his labours Thus gentle reader thou hast the true historie of this worthie and noble duke and if anie man report it otherwise let it be counted as a lie This duke was in high sauour and estimation with king Henrie the eight of whome he receiued sundrie high great preferments by reason that the the said king had married ladie Iane his sister by whome he had issue king Edward the
procéed foorth of a blacke cloud in the north toward the south which so continued till the next morning that it was daie light The next night following the heauens from all parts did séeme to burne maruellous raginglie line 40 ouer our heads the flames from the horizon round about rising did méet and there double and roll one in another as if it had béene in a cleare fornace The eightéenth daie at night blew verie stormie tempestuous winds out of the south as hath not béene knowne the like out of that quarter especiallie after midnight till the next morning that it was daie light These are to be receiued as tokens of Gods wrath readie bent against the world for sinne now abounding and also of his great mercie who dooth line 50 onlie thus but to shew vs the rod wherwith we dailie deserue to be beaten This yeare at London after haruest the price of wheate began by little and little to fall from seuen shillings to thrée shillings the bushell at which price it staied little or nothing rising or falling all the yeare after but baie salt was raised from three shillings to foure shillings fiue shillings and six shillings the bushell the like whereof had neuer béene seene or heard within this realme The 24 day of Februarie line 60 being the feast of saint Matthie on which daie the faire was kept at Teukesburie year 1575 a strange thing happened there For after a floud which was not great but such as therby the medows néere adioining were couered with water in the after noone there came downe the riuer of Seuerne great numbers of flies bâ—â—tels such as in summer euenings vse to strike men in the face in great heapes a foot thicke aboue the water so that to credible mens iudgement there were séene within a paire of buts length of those flies aboue a hundred quarters The mils there abouts were dammed vp with them for the space of foure daies after and then were clensed by digging them out with shouels from whence they came is yet vnknowne but the daie was cold and a hard frost The six and twentith of Februarie betwéene foure and six of the clocke in the after noone great earthquakes happened in the cities of Yorke Worcester Glocester Bristow Hereford and in the countries about which caused the people to runne out of their houses for feare they should haue fallen on their heads In Teukesburie Bredon and other places the dishes fell from the cupboords and the bookes in mens studies from the shelues In Norton chappell the people being on their knees at euening praier the ground moouing caused them to run awaie in great feare that the dead bodies would haue risen or the chappell to haue fallen part of Ruthen castell fell downe with certeine bricke chimneies in gentlemens houses The bell in the shire hall at Denbigh was also caused to toll twise by shaking of the hall c. On Easter daie which was the third of Aprill about nine of the clocke in the forenoone was disclosed a congregation of anabaptists Duchmen in a house without the bars of Aldgate at London wherof seauen and twentie were taken and sent to prison and foure of them bearing fagots recanted at Paules crosse on the fifteenth daie of Maie in forme as followeth The forme of recantation openlie made by the said anabaptists WHereas I. I. T. R. H. being seduced by the diuell the spirit of error and by false teachers his ministers haue fallen into certeine most detestable and damnable heresies namelie 1 That Christ tooke not flesh of the substance of the blessed virgine Marie 2 That infants of the faithfull ought not to be baptised 3 That a christian man may not be a magistrat or beare the sword or office of authoritie 4 That it is not lawfull for a christian to take an oth Now by the grace of God and through conference with good and learned ministers of Christ his church I doo vnderstand and acknowlege the same to be most damnable and detestable heresies and doo aske God here before his church mercie for my said former errors and doo forsake them recant and renounce them and abiure them from the botome of my heart professing that I certeinlie beléeue 1 That Christ tooke flesh of the substance of the blessed virgine Marie 2 That infants of the faithfull ought to be baptised 3 That a christian man may be a magistrat or beare the sword or office of authoritie 4 That it is lawfull for a christian man to take an oth And further I confesse that the whole doctrine and religion established and published in this realme of England as also that which is receiued and preached in the Dutch church here in this citie is sound true and according to the word of God whervnto in all things I submit my selfe and will most gladlie be a member of the said Dutch church from henseforth vtterlie abandoning and forsaking all and euerie anabaptisticall error This is my faith now in the which I doo purpose and trust to stand firme and stedfast to the end And that I may so doo I beséech you all to praie with me and for me to God the heauenlie father in the name of his sonne our sauiour Iesus Christ. The like recantation was made by them afterwards in the Dutch church The seauenteenth of Maie about midnight following the reuerend father in God Matthew Parker doctor of diuinitie archbishop of Canturburie deceased at Lambeth and was there honorablie buried on whose toome being of blacke marble is written this most worthie epitaph here following Sobrius prudens studijs excultus vsu Integer verae relligionis amans line 10 Matthaeus vixit Parkerus fouerat illum Aula virum iuuenem fouit aula senem Ordine res gessit recti defensor aequi Vixerat ille Deo mortuus ille Deo est Matthew Parker liued soberlie and wise Learned by studie and continuall practise Louing true of life vncontrold The court did foster him both yoong and old Orderlie he dealt the right he did defend line 20 He liued vnto God to God he made his end ¶ This reuerend father examined throughlie the English translation of the holie bibles wherein he partlie vsed the helpe of his brethren bishops and other doctors and caused the same to be newlie printed in the largest volume for the due furniture of manie churches then wanting Also making diligent search for the antiquities of the Britons and English Saxons to the end those monuments might be carefullie kept he caused them to be well line 30 bound and trimlie couered and such wherof he knew verie few examples to be extant among the which was Matthew Paris Matthew Florilegus and Thomas Walsingham he caused to be printed The famous palace of his see at Canturburie by long continuance decaied consumed with fire he renewed builded and fullie restored with the charges of more
thunderbolts did rore The earth did moue the dead therein did rise And out of graue the ghosts of men are gone The wandring sprites that houered in the skies Dropt downe from aire for world to wonder on The saints themselues that sat in glorie great Were sent in hast to worke Iehouas will And I that oft my restlesse wings doo beat Was cald to vse my wings and office still A common post is Mercurie you know When he commands that made the world of nought And flies as fast as arrow out of bow When message may expresse Iehouas thought Whose power diuine full long yer this hath seene That in this place should lodge a sacred queene And weigheng well the prince whereof I speake Might wearie wax of common pastimes heere For that he knowes hir iudgement is not weake Deuisd aboue below there should appeere To welcome hir some sights that rare should seeme And carelesse stood what world thereof did deeme So that good queene you take them well in worth No sooner had Iehoua meant these things But clouds clapt hands and soules of men came foorth Of heauen gates yea goodlie crowned kings Were flowen abroad from blessed Abrams brest Some in the aire and tops of trees did rest Some fell on towres and statelie houses high Some sunke in seas whose names were drowned now And some did light on land where euerie eie May them behold and note their manners throw And therewithall the blacke infernall spreets Ran out of hell the earth so trembling than And like yoong lads they hopt about the streets The satyres wild in forme and shape of man Crept through the woods and thickets full of breers The water nymphs and feiries streight appeers In vncouth formes and fashion strange to view The hags of hell that hatefull are of kind To please the time had learnd a nature new And all those things that man can call to mind Were glad to come and doo their dutie throw I seeing this cald for my coch in hast Abide sir boie then said Iehoua now Thou goest not yet vntill a prince be plast Where I appoint thou hast nothing to saie Then still I stood to know what should be done With that a swarme of people euerie waie Like little ants about the fields gan run Some to prouide for pompe and triumph great Some for good fare yea houshold cates and meat And some they ran to seeke where poets dwell To pen foorth shews and paint out trifles well Some haild and puld to bring the carrege in Some ran to gaze on triumph neere at hand And some stood mute as they amazd had bin To see a court and princelie noble band Come marching on and make heere their abode But when I saw the carrege heere vnlode And well had weid the wonders I haue told O mightie God quoth I now giue me leane To go from thee some message to vnfold That by my speech the hearers may conceiue Thy godhead great hath brought this princesse here It shall be so quoth he dispatch and part And tell hir that she is to me so deere That I appoint by mans deuise and art That euerie daie she shall see sundrie shoes If that she please to walke and take the aire And that so soone as out of doore she goes If time doo serue and weather waxeth faire Some od deuise shall meet hi◠highnesse streigth To make hir smile and ease hir burthened brest And take away the cares and things of weight That princes feele that findeth greatest rest When I had thus receiud my charge at full My golden rod in liuelie hand I tooke And bad in hast my flieng horses pull But yer I past I gan about me looke To see that coch and ech thing gallant were So downe I came all winged as you see And sith I haue espide that princesse there That greatest kings doo sue to by degree line 10 And manie mo that sues no whit doo feare I kisse hir steps and shew my maisters will And leaue with hir such graces from aboue As alwaies shall command hir peoples loue Uphold hir reigne mainteine hir regall state Find out false harts and make of subiects true Plant perfect peace and root vp all debate So with this grace good queene now heere adue For I may now on earth no longer staie Thus seruants must to maisters will obaie Mercurie hauing thus spoken to the quéene whose gratious inclination is such as will not haue anie thing dutifullie offered to passe vnregarded line 20 was well heard hir highnes standing at a window and the spéech verie well taken and vnderstood Mercurie as he came passed awaie at whose coch the people that had seldome séene such a deuise maruelled and gazed verie much for it had horsses to draw it finelie painted and winged to as great shew and order of that it presented as wit might imagine the cochman sutable to the same and a trumpetter in right good garments as decent for that purpose as could be deuised But the coch was made and framed line 30 on such a fashion as few men haue séene the whole whereof was couered with birds and naked spirits hanging by the heeles in the aire and clouds cunninglie painted out as though by some thunder cracke they had béene shaken and tormented yet staied by power diuine in their places to make the more woonder and miraculous shew And on the middle of that coch stood a high compassed tower bedecked with golden and gaie iewels in the top wherof was placed a faire plume of white feathers all to bespanged and trimmed to the most brauerie Mercurie line 40 himselfe in blew satin lined with cloth of gold his garments cut and slashed on the finest maner a peaked hat of the same colour as though it should cut and seuer the wind asunder and on the same a paire of wings and wings on his héeles likewise And on his golden rod were little wings also about the which rod were two wrigling or scralling serpents which séemed to haue life when the rod was mooued or shaken So in this sort and forme was line 50 Mercurie and his coch set foorth and indéed at such a season as a great sort looked not for anie shew nor things were readie as some thought to performe that was necessarie and expected yet hap was so good and the gratious fauour of the prince that all was well taken and construed to the best meaning of the deuisor So ended that daies deuise which offered occasion to further matter On tuesdaie following for before that daie by meanes of the weather the quéene went not abrode a verie pretie and pleasant shew was performed before line 60 hir highnes without saint Benets gates as she went towards Cossie parke to hunt At which season although the deuisor was not well prouided of things necessarie for a shew by meane of some crossing causes in the citie yet hearing the quéene rode abrode determined
should end the brall and businesse Then six gentlemen on either side with rebated swords and targets onelie in dublet and hose and murrion on head approched and would claime the combat and deale togither twelue blowes apéece and in the end fortune should be victor and then the shot and armed men should fall at variance so sharpelie vpon mistaking of the matter that Fortunes side should triumph and march ouer the bellies of their enimies in which time were legs and armes of men well and liuelie wrought to be let fall in numbers on the ground as bloudie as might be Fortune regarding nothing but victorie marcheth so awaie in great triumph and then should haue come into the place a song for the death of Manhood Fauor and Desert and so the shew should haue ended But now note what befell after this great businesse and preparation For as the queenes highnesse was appointed to come vnto hir coch and the lords and courtiers were readie to mount on horssebacke there fell such a showre of raine in the necke thereof came such a terrible thunder that euerie one of vs were driuen to séeke for couert and most comfort insomuch that some of vs in bote stood vnder a bridge and were all so dashed washed that it was a greater pastime to sée vs looke like drowned rats than to haue beheld the vttermost of the shewes rehearsed Thus you sée a shew in the open field is alwaies subiect to the sudden change of weather and a number of more inconueniences But what should be said of that which the citie lost by this cause veluets silkes tinsels and some cloth of gold being cut out for these purposes that could not serue to anie great effect after Well there was no more to saie but an old adage that Man dooth purpose but God dooth dispose to whose disposition and pleasure the guide of greater maters is committed So this thursdaie tooke his â—â—aue from the actors and left them looking one vpon another he that thought he had receiued most 〈◊〉 kept greatest silence and lapping vp among a bundle of other misfortunes this euill chance euerie person quietlie passed to his lodging The next daie being fridaie in which daie the court remooued the stréets towards saint Benets gates were hanged from the one side to the other line 10 with cords made of hearbs and floures with garlands coronets pictures rich cloths and a thousand dâ—â—ses At the gates themselues there was a stage made verie richlie apparelled with cloth of gold and crimsin veluet whervpon in a close place made therâ—n for the purpose was placed verie swéet musike one readie to render hir this speach following The daiefull houre of hir departure came she passed from the court to those gates with such countenances both of hir maiesties part and hir subiects now dolorous line 20 now chéerefull as plainlie shewed the louing â—earts of both sides When she came there the speach was thus vttered vnto hir in verie plausibâ—e sort Terrestriall ioies are tide with sâ—ender fiâ—e Eaâ—t happie hap full hastilie dooth slide As summer season lasteth but a while So winter stormes doo longer time abide â—â—as whaâ— blisse can anie â—ime endure Ouâ— sunshine daie is dasht with sudden shoure Could toong expresse our secret ioies of hart O◠〈◊〉 prince when thou didst come in place â—â— nâ— God woâ— nor can expresse the smaâ—â— Thy subiects feele in this departing â—ase line 30 But gratious queenâ— let here thy grace remaine Iâ— graâ—ious wiâ—e till thy returne againe Iâ— lieu whereof receiue thy subiects harts Iâ— fixed faith conâ—inuallie thine owne Who readie rest to loose their â—itall parts Iâ— thy defense when anie blast is blowne Thou are our queene our rocke and onelie staie We are thine owne to serue by night and daie Farewell oh queene farewell oh mother deare Leâ— Iacobs God thy sacred bodie gard Alâ— is thine owne that is possessed here And all in all is but a small reward For thy great grace God length thy life like Noy To gouerne vs and eke thy realme in ioy Amen line 40 Thâ—se words were deuised by B. Goldingham and spoken by himselfe to whome hir maiestie said We â—â—anke you hartilie Then with the musicke in the same place was soong this short dittie following in a verie sweet voice to the great delite of the hearers What vaileth life where sorow sokes the hart Who feareth death that is in deepe distresse Release of life dooth best abate the smart Ofhim whose woes are quite without redresse Lend me your teares resigne your sighes to me Helpe all to waiâ—â— the dolor which you see What haue we doone she will no longer staie What may we doo to hold hir with vs still line 50 Shee is our queene we subiects must obaie Grant though with greefe to hir departing will Conclude we then and sing with sobbing breath God length thy life oh queene Elisabeth On fridaie the court vpon remooue the citie trouâ—â—â—d with manie causes and some séeking to doo seruice like the deuiser mooued him to doo somewhat of himselfe bicause his aids as manie times they were before were drawne from him each one about his owne businesse and he left to his owne inuentions and policie at which exigent or casuall things of fortune line 60 he drew his boies vnto him that were the Nymphs on the water and so departed the citie with such garments and stuffe necessarie as fitted his purpose and the matter he went about Then he chose a ground by the which the quéene must passe inclosing his companie in the corner of a field being defenâ—ed with high and thicke bushes and there some parts he made which the boies might misse bicause the time was short for the learning of those parts But he being resolued to doo somewhat might make the quéene laugh appointed that seauen boies of twelue should passe through a hedge from the place of abode which was gallantlie trimmed and deliuer seauen spéeches And these boies you must vnderstand were dressed like Nymphes of the water and were to plaie by a deuise and degrees the feiries and to danse as néere as could be imagined like the feiries Their attire and comming so strangelie out made the queenes highnesse smile and laugh withall And the deuiser hearing this good hope being apparelled like a water sprite began to sound a timbrell the rest with him all the twelue Nymphs togither when the seauen had repaired in sounded timbrels likewise And although the deuiser had no great harting yet as he durst he led the yoong foolish feiries a danse which boldnesse of his â—red no disgrace but as he heard was well taken The quéene vpon their retire in hasted to hir highnes lodging which was seuen miles off and at that present when the shew ended it was past fiue of the clocke All these shewes finished hir maiestie in princelie maner marched toward the confines of the liberties
through both armes and mooued him out of his place For the which fact the said Thomas being apprehended and condemned to death was on the one and twentith of Iulie brought to the water side where was a gibbet set vp directlie placed betwixt Dartford and Gréenewich But when the hangman had put the halter about his necke the right honorable sir Christopher Hatton capteine of the gard and one of hir maiesties priuie councell shewed the queenes maiesties most gratious pardon and deliuered him from execution This yeare Iohn Fox of Woodbridge William Wickneie of Portsmouth and Robert More of Harwich Englishmen hauing béene prisoners in Turkie about the space of thirteene or foureteene yeares with more than two hundred and sixtie other christians of diuerse nations by killing their kéeper maruellouslie escaped and returned into their natiue countries This yeare in the moneths of September and October fell great winds and raging flouds in sundrie places of this realme as in the towne of Newport the cotages were borne downe the corne lost pasture ground ouerwhelmed and cattell drowned In the towne of Bedford the water came vp to the market place where cup boords chests stooles and fourms swam about the houses their fewell corne and haie was wrackt borne awaie Also the towne of saint Edes in Huntingtonshire was ouerflowed suddenlie in the night when all men were at rest the waters brake in with such force that the towne was almost all defaced the swans swam downe the market place and all the towne about the botes did flote The towne of Gormanchester was suddenlie supprest their houses flowed full of water when men were at rest and their cattell with other things were destroied The one and twentith of Nouember sir Thomas Gresham knight agent to the quéenes highnesse who had in his life built the roiall Exchange in London betwéene six and seuen of the clocke in the euening comming from the same Exchange to his house which he had sumptuouslie builded in Bishopsgate stréet of London suddenlie fell downe in his kitchin and being taken vp was found spéechlesse and presentlie dead who afterwards was solemnlie buried in his owne parish church of saint Helen there where he had prepared for himselfe a sumptuous toome or monument without anie epitaph or inscription therevpon This sir Thomas Gresham in his testament which long before his death he had ordeined bequeathed diuerse large legacies not yet performed The eight and twentith daie of March year 1580 one Francis aliàs Marmaduke Glouer was hanged on a gibet set vp for that purpose by the standard in Cheape for wilfullie murthering sergeant Grace after he was by him arrested Also on the next morrow being the nine and twentith daie of March the same gibet was set vp at Hog lane end vpon east Smithfield néere vnto the tower of London thereon to haue hanged one Richard Dod for murthering of mistresse Skinner a widow in hir house there by But sir Owen Hopton lieutenant of the tower cōmanding the officers perteining to the shiriffes of London backe againe to the west side of the crosse tooke the shiriffe of the out shire with the prisoner into an house and after long talke brought the prisoner forth againe deliuered him to the officers to be by them brought backe to London Then he caused the gibet to be taken downe and carried awaie line 10 at his pleasure and without further contention to my knowledge the said Richard Dod was in the after noone of the same daie hanged at Tiborne On the sixt of Aprill being wednesdaie in Easter weeke about six of the clocke toward euening a sudden earthquake happening in London and almost generallie throughout all England caused such an amazednesse among the people as was woonderfull for the time and caused them to make their earnest praiers to almightie God The great clocke bell in line 20 the palace at Westminster strake of it selfe against the hammer with the shaking of the earth as diuerse other clocks bels in the stéeples of the citie of London and elsewhere did the like The gentlemen of the Temple being then at supper ran from the tables and out of their hall with their kniues in their hands The people assembled at the plaie houses in the fields as at the Whoreater the Theater I would saie were so amazed that doubting the ruine of the galleries they made hast to be gone A péece of the line 30 temple church fell downe some stones fell from saint Paules church in London and at Christs church neere to Newgate market in the sermon while a stone fell from the top of the same church which stone killed out of hand one Thomas Greie an apprentise and an other stone fell on his fellow seruant named Mabell Eueret and so brused hir that she liued but foure daies after Diuerse other at that time in that place were sore hurt with running out of the church one ouer another for feare The tops of diuerse chimneies line 40 in the citie fell downe the houses were so shaken a part of the castell at Bishops Stratford in Essex fell downe This earthquake indured in or about London not passing one minute of an houre and was no more felt But afterward in Kent and on the sea coast it was felt thrée times as at Sandwich at six of the clocke the land not onelie quaked but the sea also fomed so that the ships tottered At Douer also the same houre was the like so that a péece of the cliffe fell into the sea with also a péece of line 50 the castell wall there a péece of Saltwood castell in Kent fell downe and in the church of Hide the bels were heard to sound A peece of Sutton church in Kent fell downe the earthquake being there not onlie felt but also heard And in all these places and others in east Kent the same earthquake was felt three times to moue to wit at six at nine and at eleuen of the clocke The nineteenth daie of Aprill the ferrie at Lambeth was drowned with fiue men and foure horsses other two men and fiue horsses swam to land and were saued line 60 On the one and twentith of Aprill in the yeare 1580 departed this life master William Lambe esquier sometime gentleman of the chappell in the reigne of king Henrie the eight citizen of London and frée of the clothworkers Of this mans almes-deeds and manifold charities some before some since his death put in effectuall practise thus reporteth a memoriall recorded in print agréeing in truth with his last will and testament an extract whereof for others imitation is necessarilie here to be inserted This gentleman remembring that learning bringeth preferment yea euen to them which are put baselie borne as it pleased God to mooue him by his good and gratious spirit he prooued himselfe by testimonials of his dooings a louer of learning and a fauourer of euerie honest profession For in the
nothing can be cruell and yet vpon whom nothing hath béene doone but gentle and mercifull The execution of iustice in England for maintenance of publike and christian peace against certeine stirrers of sedition and adherents to the traitors and enimies of the realme without anie persecution of them for questions of religion as is falslie reported and published by the fautors and fosterers of their treasons IT hath béene in all ages and in all countries a common vsage of all offendors for the most part both great and small to make defense of their lewd and vnlawfull facts by vntruths and by colouring and couering their déeds were they neuer so vile with pretenses of some other causes of contrarie operations or effects to the intent not onelie to auoid punishment or shame but to continue vphold and prosecute their wicked attempts to the full satisfaction of their disordered and malicious appetites And though such hath beene the vse of all offendors yet of none with more danger than of rebels and traitors to their lawfull princes kings and countries Of which sort of late yeares are speciallie to be noted certeine persons naturallie borne subiects in the realme of England and Ireland who hauing for some good time professed outwardlie their obedience to their souereigne ladie quéene Elisabeth haue neuerthelesse afterward beene stirred vp and seduced by wicked spirite first in England sundrie yeares past and secondlie and of later time in Ireland to enter into open rebellion taking armes and comming into the field against hir maiestie and hir lieutenants with their forces vnder banners displaied inducing by notable vntruths manie simple people to follow and assist them in their traitorous actions And though it is verie well knowen that both line 10 their intentions and manifest actions were bent to haue deposed the quéenes maiestie from hir crowne and to haue traitorouslie set in hir place some other whome they liked whereby if they had not béene spéedilie resisted they would haue committed great bloudsheds and slaughters of hir maiesties faithfull subiects and ruined their natiue countrie yet by Gods power giuen vnto hir maiestie they were so spéedilie vanquished as some few of them suffered by order of law according to their deserts line 20 manie the greatest part vpon confession of their faults were pardoned the rest but they not manie of the principall escaped into forren countries there bicause in none or few places rebels and traitors to their naturall princes and countries dare for their treasons chalenge at their first muster open comfort or succour these notable traitors and rebels haue falselie informed manie kings princes and states and speciallie the bishop of Rome commonlie called the pope from whom they all had secretlie their first line 30 comfort to rebell that the cause of their flieng from their countries was for the religion of Rome and for maintenance of the said popes authoritie whereas diuerse of them before their rebellion liued so notoriouslie the most part of their liues out of all good rule either for honest maners or for anie sense in religion as they might haue béene rather familiar with Catiline or fauourers to Sardanapalus than accounted good subiects vnder anie christian princes As for some examples of the heads of line 40 these rebellions out of England fled Charles Neuill earle of Westmerland a person vtterlie wasted by loosenesse of life and by Gods punishment euen in the time of his rebellion bereaued of his children that should haue succéeded him in the earledome and his bodie now eaten with vlcers of lewd causes as his companions doo saie that no enimie he hath can wish him a viler punishment a pitifull losse to the realme of so noble a house neuer before in anie age atteinted for disloialtie And out of Ireland ran line 50 awaie one Thomas Stukeleie a defamed person almost thorough all christendome and a faithlesse beast rather than a man fléeing first out of England for notable pirasies and out of Ireland for trecheries not pardonable which two were the first ringleaders of the rest of the rebels the one for England the other for Ireland But notwithstanding the notorious euill and wicked liues of these others their confederats void of line 60 all christian religion it liked the bishop of Rome as in fauour of their treasons not to colour their offenses as themselues openlie pretend to doo for auoiding of common shame of the world but flatlie to animate them to continue their former wicked purposes that is to take armes against their lawfull quéene to inuade hir realme with forren forces to pursue all hir good subiects their natiue countries with fire and sword for maintenance whereof there had some yeares before at sundrie times procéeded in a thundering sort buls excommunications and other publike writings denouncing hir maiestie being the lawfull quéene and Gods annointed seruant not to be the queene of the realme charging and vpon paines of excommunication commâ—â—â—ing all hir subiects to depart from their naturall allegiances whereto by birth and by oth they were bound prouoking also and authorising all persons of all degrees within both the realmes to rebell And vpon this antichristian warrant being contrarie to all the lawes of God and man nothing agréeable to a pastorall officer not onelie all the rable of the foresaid traitors that were before fled but also all other persons that had forsaken their natiue countries being of diuerse conditions and qualities some not able to liue at home but in beggerie some discontented for lacke of preferments which they gaped for vnworthilie in vniuersities and other places some bankerupt merchants some in a sort learned to contentions being not contented to learne to obeie the laws of the land haue manie yeares running vp and downe from countrie to countrie practised some in one corner some in an other some with séeking to gather forces and monie for forces some with instigation of princes by vntruths to make warre vpon their naturall countrie some with inward practises to murther the greatest some with seditious writings and verie manie of late with publike infamous libels full of despitefull vile termes and poisoned lies altogither to vphold the foresaid antichristian and tyrannous warrant of the popes bull And yet also by some other meanes to further these inuentions bicause they could not readilie preuaile by waie of force finding forren princes of better consideration not readilie inclined to their wicked purposes it was deuised to erect by certeine schooles which they called seminaries to nourish and bring vp persons disposed naturallie to sedition to continue their race trade and to become seedmen in their tillage of sedition and them to send secretlie into these the quéenes maiesties realmes of England Ireland vnder secret maskes some of priesthood some of other inferiour orders with titles of seminaries for some of the meaner sort and of Iesuits for the stagers and ranker sort
him practised as maie appeare by the discourse that followeth published vpon his execution to giue generall intimation of his notorious trecheries vnto all the quéenes maiesties subiects A true and plaine declaration of the horrible treasons practised by William Parrie against the queenes maiestie and of his line 50 conuiction and execution for the same the second of March 1584 according to the account of England THis William Parrie being a man of verie meane and base parentage but of a most proud and insolent spirit bearing himselfe alwaies far aboue the measure of his fortune after he had long led a wastfull and dissolute life and had committed a great outrage against one Hugh Hare a gentleman of the inner line 60 temple with an intent to haue murthered him in his owne chamber for the which he was most iustlie conuicted séeing himselfe generallie condemned with all good men for the same and other his misdemeanors he left his naturall countrie gaue himselfe to trauell into forren parts beyond the seas In the course of this his trauell he forsooke his allegiance and dutifull obedience to hir maiestie and was reconciled and subiected himselfe to the pope After which vpon conference with certeine Iesuits and others of like qualitie he first conceiued his most detestable treason to kill the quéene whose life God long preserue which he bound himselfe by promise letters and vowes to performe and execute and so with this intent he returned into England in Ianuarie one thousand fiue hundred foure score thrée and since that did practise at sundrie times to haue executed his most diuelish purpose and determinatition yet couering the same so much as in him laie with a veile and pretense of great loialtie vnto hir maiestie Immediatlie vpon his returne into England he sought to haue secret accesse to hir maiestie pretending to haue some matter of great importance to reueale vnto hir which obteined and the same so priuatlie in his highnesse palace at Whitehall as hir maiestie had but one onelie councellor with hir at the time of his acresse in a remote place who was so far distant as he could not heare his spéech And there then he discouered vnto hir maiestie but shadowed with all craftie and tratiorous skill he had some part of the conference and procéeding as well with the said Iesuits and other ministers of the popes as especiallie with one Thomas Morgan a fugitiue residing at Paris who aboue all others did persuade him to proceed in that most diuelish attempt as is set downe in his voluntarie confession following bearing hir maiestie notwithstanding in hand that his onelie intent of proceeding so farre with the said Iesuits and the popes ministers tended to no other end but to discouer the dangerous practises deuised and attempted against hir maiestie by hir disloiall subiects and other malicious persons in forren parts albeit it hath since appeared most manifestlie as well by his said confession as by his dealing with one Edmund Neuill esquier that his onelie intent of discouering the same in sort as he craftilie and traitorouslie did tended to no other end but to make the waie the easier to accomplish his most diuelish and wicked purpose And although anie other prince but hir maiestie who is loth to put on a hard censure of those that protest to be loiall as Parrie did would rather haue procéeded vnto the punishment of a subiect that had waded so farre as by oth and vow to promise the taking awaie of hir life as he vnto hir maiesties selfe did confesse yet such was hir goodnesse as in stead of punishing she did deale so gratiouslie with him as she suffered him not onelie to haue accesse vnto hir presence but also manie times to haue priuat conference with hir and did offer vnto him vpon opinion once conceiued of his fidelitie towards hir as though his wicked pretense had béene as he protested for hir seruice a most liberall pension Besides to the end that he might not grow hatefull to the good and well affected subiects of the realme from whome he could in no sort haue escaped with safetie of his life if his diuelish purpose had beene reuealed hir maiestie did conceale the same without communicating it to anie creature vntill such time as he himselfe had opened the same vnto certeine of hir councell and that it was also discouered that he sought to draw the said Neuill to haue béene a partie in his diuelish and most wicked purpose A verie rare example and such as dooth more set forth the singular goodnesse and bountie of hir maiesties princelie nature than commend if it be lawfull for a subiect to censure his souereigne hir prouidence such as ought to be in a prince and person of hir maiesties wisdome and qualitie And as the goodnesse of hir maiesties nature did hereby most manifestlie shew it selfe to be rare in so extraordinarie a case and in a matter of so great perill vnto hir owne roiall person so did the malice of Parrie most euidentlie appeare to be in the highest and extreamest degrée who notwithstanding the said extraordinarie grace and fauour extended towards him did not onlie persuade the said Neuill to be an associat in the said wicked enterprise but did also verie vehementlie as Neuill confesseth importune him therein as an action lawfull honourable and meritorious omitting nothing that might prouoke him to assent therevnto But such was the singular goodnesse of almightie God who euen from hir maiesties cradle by manie euident arguments hath shewed himselfe hir onelie and especiall protector that he so wrought in Neuils heart as he was mooued to reueale the same vnto hir maiestie and for that purpose made line 10 choice of a faithfull gentleman and of good qualitie in the court vnto whome vpon mondaie the eight of Februarie last past he discouered at large all that had passed betwéene Parrie and him who immediatlie made it knowne to hir maiestie Wherevpon hir highnesse pleasure was that Neuill should be examined by the earle of Leceister and sir Christopher Hatton who in the euening of the same daie did examine him and he affirmed constantlie all which he had before declared to the said gentleman line 20 In the meane time hir maiestie continued hir singular and most princelie magnanimitie neither dismaied with the rarenesse of the accident nor appaled with the horror of so villanous an enterprise tending euen to the taking awaie of hir most gratious life a matter especiallie obserued by the councellor that was present at such time as Parrie after his returne did first discouer vnto hir maiestie his wicked purpose who found no other alteration in hir countenance than if he had imparted vnto hir some matter line 30 of contentment which sheweth manifestlie how she reposeth hir confidence wholie in the defense of the almightie And so hir maiestie following the woonted course of hir singular clemencie gaue order that
long time at the seas and had no change of apparell nor laine in bed and now lieng vpon the ground without succor or reliefe were soone infected and all for the most part were sicke and some of them died and some one of them was distracted and this sickenesse verie soone afâ—er dispersed it selfe among all the residue of the prisoners in the gaole of which disease manie of them died but all brought to great extremities and verie hardlie escaped These men when they were to be brought before the foresaid iustices for their triall manie of them were so weake and sicke that they were not able to go nor stand but were caried from the gaole to the place of iudgement some vpon handbarrowes and some betwéene men leading them and so brought to the place of iustice The sight of these mens miserable and pitifull cases being thought and more like to be hunger starued line 10 than with sickenesse diseased mooued manie a mans hart to behold and looke vpon them but none pitied them more than the lords iustices themselues and especiallie the lord chiefe iustice himselfe who vpon this occasion tooke a better order for kéeping all prisoners thensefoorth in the gaole and for the more often trials which was now appointed to be quarterlie kept at euerie quarter sessions and not to be posted anie more ouer as in times past vntill the assises These prisoners thus brought from out of the line 20 gaole to the iudgement place after that they had béene staied and paused a while in the open aire and somewhat refreshed therwith they were brought into the house in the one end of the hall néere to the iudges seat and which is the ordinarie and accustomable place where they doo stand to their trials and arreignments And howsoeuer the matter fell out and by what occasion it happened an infection followed vpon manie and a great number of such as were there in the line 30 court and especiallie vpon such as were néerest to them were soonest infected And albeit the inâ—ection was not then perceiued because euerie man departed as he thought in as good health as he came thither yet the same by little and little so crept into such as vpon whom the infection was seiâ—oned that after a few daies and at their home comming to their owne houses they felt the violence of this pestilent sickenesse wherein more died that were infected than escaped And besides the prisoners manie line 40 there were of good account and of all other degrées which died thereof as by name sargeant Floredaie who then was the iudge of those trials vpon the prisoners sir Iohn Chichester sir Arthur Basset and sir Barnard Drake knights Thomas Carew of Haccombe Robert Carie of Clouelleigh Iohn Fortescue of Wood Iohn Waldron of Bradféeld and Thomas Risdone esquires and iustices of the peace The losse of euerie of them was verie great to line 50 the commonwealth of that prouince and countrie but none more lamented than these two knights sir Iohn Chichester and sir Arthur Basset who albeit they were but yoong in yeares yet ancient in wisedome vpright in iudgement and zealous in the ministration of iustice Likewise Robert Carie a gentleman striken in yeares and a man of great experience knowledge and learning he had béene a student of the common lawes of the realme at the temple and verie well learned both therein and vniuersallie seene in all good letters an eloquent man line 60 of his spéech effectuall in deliuerie déepe in iudgement vpright in iustice and consider at in all his dooings The more worthie were these personages the greater losse was their deaths to the whole common wealth of that countrie Of the plebâ—ian and common people died verie manie and especiallie constables réeues and tithing men and such as were iurors and namelie one iurie of twelue of which there died eleuen This â—icknesse was dispersed through out all the whole shire and at the writing hereof in the fine of October one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and six it is not altogither extinguished It resteth for the most part about fouretéene daies and vpwards by a secret infection before it breake out into his force and violence At the first comming it made the people afraid and dismaid manie men then pretending rather than performing the amendement of life So long as the plague was hot and feruent so long euerie man was holie and repentant but with the slaking of the one followed the forgetfulnesse of the other euen as it is with a companie of shrewd children who so long as the rod is ouer the head so long feare of correction frameth them to aptnesse conformitie and obedience ¶ In the chronicles of Ireland vpon occasion of seruice in the highest office there mention was made here and there of sir Henrie Sidneie his saiengs and dooings where promise did passe by means of discoursing his death that the reader was to loâ—ke for a full declaration of his life and death in the chronicles of England as course of time should giue direction Now therefore hauing entred into the eight and twentith yeare of hir maiesties gratious gouernment and the yeare of Christ 1586 the time most fitlie openeth a readie waie into the historie concerning that nobleman penned by one that could not be ignorant of his affaires considering the neerenesse and necessarinesse of his seruice and therefore as a truth to be receiued This right famous renowmed worthie vertuous and heroicall knight by father and mother verie noblie descended was from his infancie bred and brought vp in the princes court and in neerenesse to his person vsed familiarlie euen as a companion and manie times a bedfellow After that by course of nature and lawfull descent this yoong prince was inuested in the kingdome and imperiall crowne he aduanced this gallant noble gentleman partlie as it seemed for the singular loue and entire affection he formerlie bare him to be a principall gentleman of his priuie chamber For he was then reputed for comelinesse of person gallantnesse liuelinesse of spirit vertue qualitie beautie good composition of bodie the onelie od man paragon of the court And from time to time this good and most godlie king held such delight in his pleasant modest and swéet conuersation and companie as he would sildome or neuer giue him leaue to be absent from him till his last breth that he departed this life in his armes at Greenwich Such excéeding expectation hope was conceiued of this honorable gentleman in his yonger yeares as he was speciallie chosen and sent ambassador to Henrie the first then French king concerning matter verie important being at that time not fullie one and twentie yeares old and performed his charge with that singular commendation wisedome spirit and dexteritie as at sundrie times not long after he was emploied in ambassage both in France Scotland yea somtime twise in one yere He