Guyan Gascoyne and other Provinces the former being mostly Victorious recovering many places and driving the Enemy for the most part out of his Territories there But whilst the King was intent to go over and finish what had been so well begun and carried on the French King as much as in him lay to cross his proceedings had made a Faction in Scotland against the new King who compelled him to renounce his Allegiance to King Edward and send Defiance to him nor was this all but with an Army hastily gathered he entered and wasted the Northern parts of England Slaying Burning and Plundering without Pity or Remorse Whereupon King Edward recounting his manifold Favours and the great love he had to the Revolted King of Scots this base Ingratitude so stirred his Anger That he resolved a bloody chastisement should be the punishment of his unthankfullness Whereupon recalling some of his Forces and raising more he Marched to the succour of his Subjects and such was his good Fortune that in a little time he met with and fought the Scotch Army slaying 25000 of them winning the strong Castles of Berwick and Dunbar and soon after the City of Edenburough with many other places of note which made King John too late see his Errors and to what distress his rashness had driven him However thinking to find Favour by an humble submission or at least prevent the further Ruin and Desolation of his Country he came and cast himself at King Edwards Feet wholle submitting with himself the Crown and Kingdom of Scotland to be at his dispose in expectation to have been Restored but King Edward resenting very heinously his ungrateful proceedings sent him under a strong Guard to the Tower of London yet ordered him allowance of Liberty Diet and Attendance as became his state when Marching from Sea to Sea without any farther resistance he settled the Affaires of Scotland committing the Government of the Kingdom to John Warren Earl of Surry as his Lieutenant Constituting Hugh Cressingham Lord Treasurer and William Barnsley his Chief Justice confining some of the Rebellious Scots within the Marches of England that they might be disabled from giving any Disturbance in his Absence and so returned in Triumph with great Honours and high applause of his Subjects The King being now at leasure to remember the Injuries the French had done him and resolving to Revenge them Leagued with Guy Earl of Flanders and Transported an Army thither and Fought with Robert Earl of Arthois whome he Routed taking many Towns and Fortresses on the Frontiers which made the French King play over the game again of stirring up the Scots to Rebellion hoping by that means to constrain him to return but on the contrary he appointed Henry Piercy Earl of Northumberland his General for that War who mannaged it with that Prudence that after some Marching Training them into the open Field he gave them Battel with incredible Slaughter so that many Miles of Ground were in a manner covered with their dead Bodies by which great Overthrow they found themselves constrained to return to their former Obedience so that the French King perceiving his Project took not on that side seemed very desirous to try his Strength with King Edward in the Field but his Courage failing he reposing more confidence in his Policy than Valour he proceeded to tamper about proposals of Love and Amity that might settle a lasting Peace and King Edward being now a Widower he earnestly solicited him to take his Sister to Wife to make the Alliance stronger which by the cunning subtilty of some Courtiers Bribed by the French King was brought about and Peace ensued after a tedious War that had caused much Bloodshead So the King with his Queen returned home and soon after he made Prince Edward his Son who had been Born at Carnarvan in Wales the better to ingratiate himself with those People Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester and to gain the Hearts of the Londoners he restored them those Liberties his Father had deprived them of and without which they had continued the space of Twelve Years during which time a Governour was set over them by the King and their Magistrates chosen by his order But whilst things were well ordering at home the Scots again fell into Rebellion Whereupon the King sent to demand their Ring-leaders who had drawn them into this danger which principally was one Wallis a Gentleman of an inveterate Spirit against the English Nation with a promise of Pardon to all the rest upon their laying down their Arms or else threatned to waste the Country with Fire and Sword from Sea to Sea and spare none of that Nation he should find in his way But driven on by their hard Fate they were Deaf to these Proposals making yet greater preparations to weather as they thought the Storm they could not but expect and so upon the Kings entering the Marches of Scotland they bid him Battel where before the Armies joyned he made them the same Offers which they seemed to reject with scorn so the Bloody Blast being sounded by the order of the Incensed King who resolved now to Scourge them in earnest the English fell on with such fury and violence that they broke like a Tempest into the Scots Battel carrying all before them so that a miserable slaughter ensued and the King pressing too furiously upon those that Fled in the eagerness of the Pursuit fell from his Horse and broke two of his Ribs yet he lightly remounting and not regarding his Hurt drove them out of the Field with the slaughter of 32000 of them he not now as at other times restraining the Swords of his Soldiers but gave scope and encouragement to their thirst of Revenge and in this Battel fell the flower of the Scots Nobility and Gentry but on our side very few were slain some Historians make mention but of 28 of all Degrees tho' that seemes too Partial But in comparison of the Scots they were certainly very inconsiderable The Prisoners that were taken were not many by reason few were spared in the Fight or in the pursuit that were overtaken so that the small remainder of the Nobles came and Humbled themselves before the King charging the fault on such as they said had justly received their Deserts by being slain in the Battel and this Submission upon their taking a new Oath of Fealty and Homage was accepted and returning home upon the earnest request of Pope Boniface the Eighth he Released John the Deposed King of Scots out of the Tower who went to Normandy to live quietly there on Lands alotted him called Bayliolls Lordship or Lands where falling Blind and being much in Years he Dyed leaving his Estate to his Son Edward However his Death put not an end to the Scots Troubles for they had not long enjoyed Peace but forgetting their Oaths or at least despising all conditions with the English they again Revolted and again felt the same Scourge
little settled Ferdinand the King's Father-in-Law craved Aid of him against the Moors who infested his Kingdom which he obtained and drove them by that means out of Spain but the War ceasing he sent home the English poor and ill rewarded for their Service which much offended the King and Wars arrising between Pope Julius the Second and Lewis the French King in Italy where the latter seized on the strong Towns of Bologna and La Gasse and became very Formidable King Henry became a friendly Mediator between them But the French King refusing to yeild to Proposals of Peace pursuing his Conquests he required him by his Ambassadors to restore him the Peaceable possession of Guyan and Normandy with his Antient Inheritance of Mayne and Anjou unjustly detained from his Ancestors and himself which being refused he Proclaimed War and for this and Writing a Book in defence of the Roman Pontificate against Martin Luther the Pope on whose account this Quarrel was espoused stiled him Defender of the Faith which Title has ever since been retained by the Kings and Queens of England The King was not slow in raising an Army and King Ferdinand of Spain having notice of his preparations sent to offer his Service if he would Land his Forces in Biscay a part of his Country and from thence March into Guyan which was agreed to and done under the Leading of Thomas Crey Marquess of Dorset But the crafty Spaniard intending nothing but his own advantage by this after the English had suffered many hardships in his Country he joyned them and fell unexpectedly on the Kingdom of Navarre which he seized in a short time the Natives being so amazed at the suddainness of the Invasion that they made little or no resistance But after this success he afforded them no subsistance or any part of the spoil which made the Soldiers Disband of their own accord and come straglingly into England Poor and almost Naked But Sir Edward Howard Youngest Son to the Earl of Surry being Lord Admiral of England many times Landed in the French Territories and greatly endamaged them and at Sea overthrew their Navy in which Fight Sir John Carew of Devonshire in the Regent grapling with a great Carrick of Brest both Ships in the contest fell on Fire and in them on both sides about 800 Men perished This distress on his Coast made the French King augment his Fleet and Fortify his Harbours However the Admiral entered that of Brest with Boats and armed Barges and assailed three great Galleys of Rhodes brought to the assistance of the French King by Prior John these they soon Boarded but the Boats and Barges then returning and leaving them well Manned to be brought off at high Tide by this oversight the French regained them and in the contest the Admiral was born overboard by a Pike and Drowned But in few days his Elder Brother was made Admiral and two Land Armies prepared one under the Leading of George Talbot Earl of Shrewsbury and the other by Charles Somerset Lord Herbert Chamberlain to the King These had not long been Landed but the King leaving the publick mannagement of Affaires to the Queen and directing the Earl of Surry to Guard the North against the Scots Incursion he Sailed to Callice and caused his Army to March to Terwyn which he Besieged and upon the overthrow of the French Army that came to its Relief had it put into his possession which he rased and consumed by Fire except the Cathedral and Bishops Palace During this Siege Maximilian the Emperour with 30 Nobles and Gentlemen repared to King Henry's Camp where to the Honour of England they Enrolled themselves in the King's Pay and were Nobly entertained The next Place that opposed him in his intended Conquest was Tournay which despairing of succour after many fierce Assaults yielded and on condition of their paying 10000 l. the Citizens were received into Henry's Protection and Wolsey his Almoner took an Oath of Allegiance of them to be True to him as his own Subjects However in his Absence the Scots Invaded England with 8000 Men under the Command of the Lord Humes and did great mischief but as they were returning with their Plunder Sir William Bulmer who lay in wait with 1000 Archers put them to the Rout in a sharp Fight slew 500 and took 400 Prisoners and recovered all the Booty so that those who had the luck to Escape returned Poor and Beggarly into Scotland But King James the Fourth to revenge this disgrace raised the Power of his Kingdom and come before the Castle of Norham some Historians say with 100000 Fighting Men which he Took by reason the Captain being prodigal of his Powder too soon spent it But the Earl of Surry Marching against the Scots with 26000 Fighting Men Anno 1513 the fatal Battel of Floden Field was Fought September 9 in which the Victory fell to the English the Scots King 2 Bishops 12 Earls 14 Lords and 12000 others of lesser note being slain For this good Service the Earl of Surry was Created Duke of Norfolk Charles Brandon Viscount Lysle Duke of Suffolk and Woolsey was made Bishop of Lincoln and after some Bickerings with the French on the Coast of Normandy King Lewis stricken much in Years sued for Peace and the better to confirm it Married the Lady Mary Second Sister to King Henry a Young and very Beautiful Lady at whose Wedding and Coronation many brave feats of Chivalry were performed by the English Nobility and Gentry who waited on her But Lewis the 12th Dying three Months after this Marriage she returned again for England and with the King 's private consent was Married to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk who had a long time been her Lover Woolsey who was a Butchers Son at Ipswich now began to rise a pace for Doctor Bambridge dying he was made Arch-Bishop and after by the Pope Cardinal of York which puffed him up with so much Pride that he undertook to Rule the King and Kingdom doing for a time without controul what he listed placing and displacing Officers and meddling in all Affairs where there was Advantage or Homage to be gained Especially when made Lord Chancelour and Counsellour of State demanding Accounts of the Treasurers Captains and other Officers that had been in the Wars by which he got much Money out of some that were Rich and those that could not furnish him he Punished and Imprisoned Erecting Courts of his own head and by subtilty got himself to be made the Popes Legat and to Build two Colledges by the Popes permission suppressed and seized on the Lands Effects of many Religious Houses which gave an inlet to King Henry's suppressing the rest some time after who concluded if it were not Sacriledge in the Pope but he could alow of it at pleasure it would be none in him However this Cardinal was sent on several Honourable Embassies wherein he behaved himself so Proudly Naming the King but in the Second
Officers he replenished his Treasury with 236000 Marks And about this time Dr. Scotus called Subtilis Preached against the Popes laying claim to St. Peter's Keys his abusing the Episcopal Authority as also that Transubstantiation which wild Notion had been Introduced not long before was contradictory to Scripture and common Reason but the Popish Clergy soon Persecuted him into silence Long had not the Peace continued between England and Wales ere Llewelling by the rash Perswasions and Incitement of his Brother David a Man more contentious than Provident and less Valiant than Mutinous and yet one whom the King did extraordinarily love and favour fell into Rebellion again forgetting his Oath which made him little prosper in his Enterprize to enlarge his Borders for after many sharp Encounters with Sr. Roger Mortimer the Kings Lieutenant on the Western Marches he and his Brother were taken their Heads struck off and placed on the Tower of London Yet their followers gave not over but kept in Parties Ravaging and Spoiling by Incursions within the English Pale and then with their Booty retired again to their Woods and Fastnesses where they had Builded Huts as if they conceived this Trade would be of a long continuance without shifting But the King not longer able to bear the Cries and Complaints of his suffering Subjects Marched a sufficient Army thither but not finding the Enemy in the Field to Ferret them out he caused the Woods to be cut down and consumed with Fire whereupon some submitted others dyed of Cold and Hunger in their Retreatments and many of the Ringleaders were put to Death by sundry manner of Executions by which means they were reduced to a more sociable kind of life and began to practice divers commendable Occupations Arts and Sciences and took some pleasure from thenceforth to live like Honest Men. After this Alexander King of Scots by a fall from his Horse off a Cliff by the Seaside whither upon some suddain Fright he carried him furiously breaking his Neck and leaving no Male or Female Issue his three Sisters the Eldest of which was Married to John Baliol Earl of Galloway the Second to Robert Le Bruce Lord of Valley Androw and the Third to John Hastings Lord of Abergavennie an English Peer laid claim to the Crown by their most powerful Friends many Disputes passed and Reasonings about it but these little availing it came at last to the Sword which for many Years made miserable Havock in that Kingdom each of the Competitors laying claim to the Crown in Right of their Wives refering the Decision of their Cause to King Edward under whose Ward they agreed to put the Government till matters could be determined whereupon he passed into Scotland attended with a considerable Army there as Soveraign Lord to determine the Strife and put the state of Affairs in good order But such was their mutual desires to Reign that no perswasions prevailed to make any one of them recede from his coveted Soveraignty yet they all agreed by a publick Writing under their Hands and Seals to refer themselves and their Titles to the Censure and Judgment of King Edward and by the same Instrument surrendered the Crown and Administration of Affaires to him To the end that thereby he might enable himself absolutely to possess such a one of them of the Kingdom as in his Judgment ought to have the Regal Dignity conferred on him and with the Writing he received their several Demands and Claims fairly drawn up with the Proofs and Arguments to maintain them Whereupon he Summoned a Council of Twenty English and as many Scotch Noblemen Prelates and Lawyers to consider and advise what was most proper to be done in this great Affair and when he had duly informed himself of the matter and was well satisfied in his Conscience about it he gave the Definitive Sentence in favour of John Bailiol who had Married the Eldest of the Three Sisters and he upon doing Homage to King Edward received from him the Crown and Government of Scotland Whilst these things were doing the French supposing the King over-busied in so weighty a matter and not altogether at leasure to mind his own concerns entered into Guyan Gascoyne and other his Territories beyond the Seas taking some Towns and committing many Outrages on his Subjects and their Possessions The King roused upon notice of this inâ—ury done him summoned his wonted Courage and gave speedy orders for Levying a potent Army but upon computing the Charge Money was found in a great measure wanting so that by the Advice of William Marcbyan his Treasurer he exacted it of the Clergy who for the most part having been exempted from the charge of former Wars were grown very Rich he demanded of them half the profit of their Ecclesiastical Revenues seizing into his hands the useless or superfluous Plate Jewels and Treasure of the Churches Abbies Monasteries and other Religious Houses and Places This made them exceedingly murmur against him and labour to Alienate the Hearts of his Subjects from him tho' in some sort he was not wanting to give them satisfaction by promising restitution when his Treasure should by encreased and tho' they little relied on such a Promise as thinking the King would at no time empty his own Coffers to replenish theirs finding they should be stript of their Treasure without remedy they found out another way as they supposed to make themselves amends in time though no great matter presently could be expected from it There had been a Statute Enacted in the Fourth Year of his Reign strictly Prohibiting the giving and conveying Lands or Tenements to any Corporation whatsoever called The Statute against Mortmain unless with the Kings consent and this stood in the way especially to hinder Persons in their Wills to bequeath any thing of that kind to the Church or Religious Houses This they prayed might be Revoked But he Replyed As of himself he could make no Laws so without the Consent of Parliament much less could he Annihilate them for he was honester than to pretend to a Dispensing Power and tho' this vexed them inwardly to be frustrated of all that could be expected to their advantage yet such was the power he had gained oveâ— them that they durst not express any outward dislike of his Proceedings After this he imposed a Subsidy upon every Sack oâ— Wooll also upon all Flesh and Hides that were to bâ— Transported out of the Kingdom and further to maintain his Wars required the tenth part of every Mans Substance or moveable Goods compelling the Clergy over and above to bring into his Treasury all such Sums of Money as they had promised to remit to Rome for the Popes use towards the maintenance of the War against the Turks and other Infidels in the Holy Land and so having sufficient he Transported his Armies sending with them besides other Necessaries 100000 Quarters of Wheat for their Subsistance where many Battels were Fought between the English and French in
to be Spokesman who laid many Reasons before her of the Necessity at that juncture which required her consent But with Sighs and Tears she Replied That the Duke being Sickly and Weak none was more fit than his own Mother to look to him that Brothers when together rarely so well agreed as with those that were not so near a kin But the main is said she my Lord it is dangerous that these Princes as Affairs stand should be together since asunder they are each others safety And if the one of them do well the other cannot be in Peril or Danger and there is nothing more hazardous than to keep them in one place since the Life of the one separate is maintained in the Body of the other But for all these Reasons perceiving he would be forced from her if she consented not willingly to deliver him after many tender Kisses and falling Tears praying Almighty God to preserve and defend him from all dangers she delivered him bitterly Weeping to the Arch Bishop saying That before the High Majesty of Heaven she should require that poor Innocent Infant at his Hands The Protector who with many Nobles waited in the Star-Chamber was over-joyed when he saw the Arch-Bishop return with what he so passionately desired and taking the Young Duke in his Arms he kissed him and said Welcom my Lord with all my Heart Protesting so great a love to him that most believed it real Thus having gotten the Prize he aimed at the better to secure it he conveyed both him and the King in great State through the City of London to the Tower in order as he pretended to the Coronation when things were setled tho' indeed there was nothing out of frame but what himself had disordered where having placed them under such as he confided in he began more openly to tamper with the Duke of Buckingham whom he knew was Popular and Powerful offering to Marry his Son to his Daughter and give him the Earldom of Hartford which the Duke claimed in King Edward's time as his Right but could not obtain if he would to the utmost endeavour to place the Crown on his Head and by this means he won him entirely to his Interest tho' it afterward proved to his destruction For Gloucester being made King performed nothing of his promise The next thing he had to do was to gaine the Lord Hastings who had been in high favour with Edward the Fourth and was now Lord Chamberlain to the Young King but fearing to disclose his mind openly to him for great Rewards he procured one Catesby a Favourite of Hastings secretly with dark discourse to sound him This Man tho' he had been maintained by that Lord and had his Fortunes raised to what he was by him proved so Treacherous that having done what he could and finding that Lord no ways inclinable to favour Gloucester's design he not only told him of it but encouraged him to remove him out of the World if he intended to compass his desires Which being Resolved on he called a Grand Council of Lords at the Tower to consider of suitable preparations for the Coronation and when they had sat a considerable time he came in and took his Chair Jesting with some of them after he had excused his too long stay requesting of Doctor Morton Bishop of Ely some Strawberries that grew in his Garden at Holbourn which he immediatly sent for and took it as a favour that the Protector was so kind to him as to put it in his power to oblige him in any thing for there had been formerly no good understanding between them Then making excuse for a short Absence he desired them to proceed in the method proposed when about an hour after coming in he took his Chair frowning biting his â—ip and rubbing his Fist which tokens oâ— displeasure strangely amazed them so that they kept a profound silence which the Protector perceiving demanded what punishment they deserved who had wickedly procured his destruction he being Unkle and Protector of the King This amused them more than before but knowing themselves Innocent of any such intention the Lord Hastings who by reason of the antient Friendship that had been between them thinking he might make bold Replied My Lord such as have so transgressed deserve the severest Punishment the Law can inflict To which the other Lords Assented Then said he that Sorceress meaning the Queen and Shoars Wife having Conspired by Witchcraft to destroy me So drawing up his Sleeve he shewed his Arm which had been wasted from his Infancy as they all knew as a Testimony of what he had said biding them behold how their Charms had begun already to take effect on him Hereupon the Lord Hastings who had taken Jane Shoar to his Bed upon the Death of King Edward thinking to excuse her said My Lord if they have done so they deserve punishment Thou Traytor Replyed the Protector Servest thou me with Iffs and And 's I tell thee they have done it and that I will make good upon thy Body And so striking his Fist upon the Table the Room was presently filled with Armed Men one of which struck at the Lord Standley and as nimble as he was to sink under the Table grievously Wounded him in the Head and himself Arrested the Lord Hastings biding him make hast to shrive himself For by St. Paul which was his usual Oath he would neither Eat nor Drink till his Head was off And accordingly he was Beheaded on a Log on the Green within the Tower and the same day by the Protectors order the Lords and Sir Thomas Vaughan were Beheaded at Pomfret to whose Death this Lord had consented as appears by his own Story to one Hastings a Priest whom he met on Tower-Hill as he was going to the Council viz. That he should soon hear that Snare they had laid for him in Edward the Fourths time which caused him much trouble would now take themselves One thing more is remarkable The Lord Stanley the Night preceding Dreamed That he and Hastings were Wounded by a Boar that the Blood run about his Ears and seeing the Protector had the White Boar for his Cognizance he truly Interpreted it desiring he would accompany him in Flying ere they could be missed out of his reach but he made slight of it desiring the Messenger to tell his Lord That Dreams were Fables and Fancies yet at his Death he repented he had not taken this warning as sent from Heaven The Protector having Imprisoned the Lord Stanley Arch-Bishop of York Cardinal Bishop of Ely and several others put himself and the Duke of Buckingham into old Armour as if first come to hand in some great danger and sending for the Lord Mayor and many of the chief Citizens movingly told them That himself and the Duke of Buckingham were by Conspiracy of Hastings and his Accomplices to have been Murthered at the Council Table had he not by force prevented it desiring them
gave her up to be Tryed by her Enemies who found her Guilty of High Treason for that being a Queen she had defiled her Marriage-Bed and being Condemned she was Beheaded on Tower-Hill protesting her Innocency to the last which most people believed The Lord Rochford was likewise Executed and some of her Bedchamber Attendants but the Kings hasty Marriage makes Historians apt to conclude he grew weary of her and doated on a fresh Beauty for within Twenty Days he Wedded the Lady Jane Seymor a Beautiful Young Gentlewoman who Dyed in Child-Bed of Prince Edward afterward King Edward the Sixth and about this time the Lord Howard lost his Head for Marrying Margaret Daughter to Margaret Sister to the King and Archibald Dowglas Earl of Angus who Married the Queen Dowager of Scotland and their Issue being so of the Royal Blood it was held Treason in the Lord Howard for Marrying her without King Henry's consent to whom he was a Subject and indeed so Absolute was this King over his Judges and Ministers of State that they rarely denied him any Head he required for fear he should Quarel with them for theirs And now a Book of Six Articles called the Bloody Articles from the much Blood shed on that occasion being made publick the People rose in Arms Tumultuously but upon the King's and his Generals Approach in Lincolnshire and the North they were Dispersed and many of the Ringleaders Taken and Executed The Articles were these 1. That after the speaking the Words of Consecration by the Priest The Real Natural Body and Blood of Christ as he was Conceived and Crucified was in the Sacrament and no other Substance 2. That the Communion in both kinds is not necessary to Salvation 3. That Priests may not Marry 4. That Vows of Chastity ought to be observed by the Laws of God 5. That private Mass ought to be continued And 6. That Auricular Confession is Expedient to be retained in the Church And upon the denyal of these many good Christians suffered the Flames and several Papests were Executed for denying the King's Supremacy it being made Treason The Lord Cromwell a Blacksmiths Son of Putney in Surry who had a long time Served Wolsey and by the King raised upon the fall of that Favourite was made Vicar General of Ecclesastical Affairs and soon after created Earl of Essex and to please the King by Enriching him for complaining of the Lewd Lives of the Monks Fryars Nuns and their Superiours who Lived in Luxury and Ease on the spoil and labour of others he was soon incited to harken to his Advice so that laying before him the great Sums that would accrue to his Treasury by the suppression of those Houses he considering what Wolsey had done by the Popes Approbation and Authority resolved to make havock of the rest and accordingly calling a Parliament at Westminster he procured them to be suppressed and tho' most of the Religious Houses were Demolished yet at a Rate no doubt half the value the Account given in to the King was 183707 l. 13 s. per Annum And intending Posterity should not be enabled to Restore them again to their former Uses he liberally exchanged the Abby-Lands c. with the Gentry for Lands of a less value so that at this day most of the principal Estate or great part of them consist of possessions of that nature This was followed with a very bloody Execution for the King being Jealous that many dealt with Cardinal Pool who was beyond Seas to prevail with the Pope and King of France by Force to restore the Rights of the Roman Catholick Church it was improved so far by such Evidence as were produced that the Marquess of Exceter Henry Pool Lord Montacute and Sir Nicholas Cary Knight of the Garter and Master of the King's Horse were Beheaded and on the same account within a few Months after the Lady Margaret Countess of Salisbury Mother to Cardinal Pool and Daughter to the Duke of Clarence Brother to Edward the Fourth also Gartrude Widow to the Marquess of Exceter Sir Adrian Fortescue and divers others were Executed insomuch that the Hangman of those times is said to have complained That he was weary of shedding Blood Soon after this the Irish Rebelled under O Neâ—i O Donel and others but were soon suppressed by the Lord Grey Deputy of Ireland And now the Lord Cromwell being high in favour with the King Enterprized a business that not only tumbled him from the ticklish Pinacle of Honour where he stood but also cost him his Life The King by the Death of the Lady Jane Seymour was a Widower and that he might not lye pensive alone Cromwell undertook to provide him a Wife and proposed the Lady Ann of Cleve Alluring him with flattering Pictures and unmerited immoderate Commendations of her Beauty and Parts but indeed tho' she was very Religious and replenished with many Virtues in Person and Countenance she was neither well Composed Fair nor Lovely yet on Cromwell's Commendations the Match was concluded and the Lady brought over in great State But when the King met her on Black-Heath at the first sight he took a dislike insomuch that although he was Married to her four Years he in all that time had not as he protested any Carnal knowledge of her nor ever could have any desires that way when in private with her whereupon in a Convocation of the Clergy by an Authentick Instrument under the Seals of the two Arch-Bishops the Marriage was declared void and that the Lady might take another Husband when she pleased and it was made Treason for any to Write or Say the contrary and the King being in haste Married the Lady Catharine Howard Daughter to the Lord Edmund Howard Brother to the Duke of Norfolk The Wedding was no sooner over but the King gave way to the Enemies of the Lord Cromwell who Exhibited a Bill against him in Parliament for Treason Misprison of Treason and Heresie and so far they prevailed by the King 's altogether withdrawing his Favour and Protection from him that he with the Lord Hungerford lost his Head on Tower-Hill And soon after the new Queen Catharine was Accused for having been Familliar before her Marriage with one Francis Dorham and after with one Thomas Culpeper but whether it be True or False the two Gentlemen lost their Lives as did the Queen and Lady Rochford who was accused of Introducing Culpeper at a time he stay'd five Hours privately with the Queen on her Progress and returned Gifted with a Chain and Rich Cap. And in this Parliament the King was Proclaimed King of Ireland which Title his Predecessors never had being only stiled Lords of Ireland The King unwilling yet to Lye alone took to Wife the Lady Catharine Par Widow to the Lord Lattimer who in the end of his Reign was in a fair possibility to have lost her Head if her Vertue Modesty and the King's Death had not reserved her to a better
of the Nation and therein the chief thing insisted on was the Case of those Gentlemen imprisoned for refusing the Loan and who notwithstanding their Habeas Corpus were remanded to Prison After the Debating whereof the Commons resolved Nemine Contradicente 1. That no Man ought to be Restrained by the Command of the King or Privy-Council without some Cause of the Commitment 2. That the Writ of Habeas Corpus ought to be granted upon request to every Man that is Restrained tho' by the Command of the King the Privy Council or any other 3. That if a Free-man be Imprisoned by the Command of the King the Privy-Council or any other and no cause of such Commitment expressed and the same be returned upon an Habeas Corpus granted for the said Party then he ought to be Delivered or Bailed After which the Parliament drew up a Petition against Popish Recusants to which the King gave a full and Satisfactory Answer and then the Commons granted the King Five Subsidies at which he was so pleased that he sent them Word He would deny them nothing of their Liberties which any of his Predecessors had Granted And thereupon the Commons drew up that Memorable Bill called Petition of Right which after many Debates about it passed both Houses and was Presented to the King to which the King answered The King willeth that Right be done according to the Law and Customs of the Realm and that the Statutes be put in due Execution that his Subjects may have no cause to complain of any Wrong or Oppressions contrary to their just Rights and Liberties to the Preservation whereof he holds himself in Conscience as well Obliged as to that of his Prerogative But this Answer not being thought Satisfactory upon their further Application to the King he sent them this short but full Answer Soit Droit Fait come il est desire i. e. Let it be done according to your Desire Which Answer was received with great Joy by both Houses and the Citizens of London who expressed it by making of Bonfires and ringing of Bells And the King for further Satisfaction received again into his Favour Dr. Abbot A. B. of Canterbury Bishop Williams and others and likewise caused the Commission of Loan and Excise to be Cancell'd in his Presence But the Commons after this drawing up a Remonstrance against the Duke and calling in Question the King 's taking of Tunnage and Poundage were Adjourned to the 20th of October several Acts being first passed by them Much about this time Dr. Lamb that had been formerly twice Arraigned once for Necromancy and another time for a Rape was Kill'd by the Rabble in Lothbury for which the City was Fined 6000 l. He was a great Favourite of the Duke of Buckingham's and commonly call'd the Duke's Devil which made him the more Hated After the Duke 's late Expedition to the Isle of Rhee the Earl of Denbeigh Sailed with Fifty Ships for the Relief of Rochel but being repelled with much Loss he return'd back to Plymouth despairing of Success Whereupon the Duke of Buckingham himself resolved to go again with a more considerable Navy but whilst he was at Portsmouth hastening the fitting out of the Fleet one John Felton a Lieutenant Stabb'd him to the Heart with a Knife which he left sticking in his Body till the Duke himself pull'd it out and Died immediately after Felton was soon Apprehended by the Servants and laden with Irons and being ask'd what induc'd him to commit so bloody a Fact he boldly answer'd He Kill'd him for the Cause of God and his Countrey He had likewise fasten'd a Paper in the Crown of his Hat to tell the World in case he had miscarry'd in the Action That his only motive to this Fact was the Remonstrance of the Commons against the Duke and that he could not Sacrifice his Life in a Nobler Cause than by delivering his Countrey from so great an Enemy For this Fact Felton was Condemned and Hanged at Tyburn and his Body hang'd in Chains upon a Gibbet at Portsmouth However the designed Fleet set Sail under the Command of the Earl of Lindsey and came to Rochel-Haven where there was a Barricado of 1400 Yards cross the Channel notwithstanding which the Earl adventured in passing the Forts and Out-works but the Wind changing drove the Ships foul upon each other Which unhappy Accident made the Rochellers despair of Relief and presently Surrendred the Town And the Earl of Lindsey brought the Fleet safe home again The Parliament after some Adjournments sitting again the Merchants who for refusing to Pay Customs had had their Effects seized made grievous Complaints this made the King send for the two Houses to attend him in the Banquetting-House requiring them to pass the Bill for Tunnage and Poundage for the better and more speedy ending all Differences But they replyed God's Cause was to be preferred before the King 's and in the first place therefore they would consult about the Establishment of Religion and so returning they appointed a Committee for that Purpose and another for Civil matters and many were Censured for reflecting on their Proceedings and for Levying Tunnage and Poundage but the King excused the latter as done by his express Command in a time when the Nation was in Danger to be Invaded by Foreigners And that such things had been often done in the Reigns of his Predecessors when Money could not be speedily raised on urgent Necessities in a Parliamentary way However this and other Misunderstandings raised great Heats and Jealousies which were Fomented to that Degree that the Parliament was quickly after Dissolved without passing the Bill of Tunnage and Poundage Soon after which the King publish'd a Declaration of the Cause thereof and eleven of the Members were Summon'd before the Council-Table and all committed to divers Prisons contrary to the Petition of Right so lately confirmed by the King Soon after this a Paper was dispersed containing some Projects how the King might encrease his Revenue without the help of a Parliament and upon Information that the Earls of Bedford Clare Sommerset and others had dispersed some Copies of them they were Committed But Sir David Fowlis making it appear it was a Project of Sir Robert Dudley's Son to to the Earl of Leicester in Italy sixteen Years since and no ways intended at this time to create any Difference between the King and Parliament they were released And now divers Threatning Libels against the chief Ministers of State were scattered abroad and particularly one against Bishop Land assuring him his Life was sought for he being the Fountain of Wickedness c. This made the great Men fear the sitting of another Parliament And it is said Weston the Treasurer advised the King never to call any again And a Book of Projects for Governing and raising Money without Parliaments was presented to the King In January an Embassador from Spain arrived at London whose business was to treat of
to divers distressed Princes restoring them to their Principalities upon their submiting to become Tributaries to Rome and that he rather sought Fame and Glory than to Enslave the People he subdued being the greatest Captain that or any former Ages had produced he resolved to cast himself upon him for Protection preferring his Revenge before the Safety of his Country and great was the Destruction and many the Miserie 's the War brought upon it The Young Prince Armed with this Resolution notwithstanding the Grave Counsels of his Fathers Courtiers to disswade him from it laying before him That he ought to submit his Private Injuries to the Publick Peace of all the People of the Nation he took with him his Treasure and some of his trusty Confidents and Sailed in a small Vessel to that part of Gallia now called Normandy where he found Caesar retired from the Toiles of War and setling the affaires of the Country with a design to return to Rome and obtain of the Senate a renewal of his Consulship or longer continuation of his Government When being Introduced by Caesars Lictor's he bending one Knee to the Ground and Rising again Spake in the Gallick Language to this effect Most Mighty Caesar Great Captain of Rome and of the World behold a Distressed Prince of the Britains before you craving your Protection and Imploring a Redress of my Wrongs from you who are the Scourge of Tyrants and ever compassionate to the Injured Caesar wondering at first by the strangeness of his Garb who he should be or to what this Discourse might tend till having heard at large as has been related the cause of his coming and the Fruitfulness of the Country and Thirsting after more Honour to raise his Fame to what it at last aspir'd to viz. The Empire of the World he not only comforted him and â—eated him in his own Pavillion but promised him â—â—stance as Romes Confederate to make War on his â—â—kle so soon as the season would permit and his â—â—â—ires were setled with the Gauls and Germans CHAP. II. 〈◊〉 Account of Julius Caesars Landing in this Island The Battels Fought between Him and the Britains with various Success The British Princes that for the Liberty of their Country withstood him and the succeeding Emperours With Strange Wonders and Prodigies c. WHilst Caesar sent for fresh Legions of Roman Souldiers to reinforce his Army and all Warlike â—â—ovisions to Invade the Britains they had notice of it â—â—â—m the Friendly Gauls which much startled them in 〈◊〉 parts of the Island Yet preferring their Liberty beâ—â—â—e their Lives and finding their Embassy's rejected â—â—less they would become Tributary to Rome they 〈◊〉 General Council of all the Estates Resolved on a â—â—ve Defence And among other Warlike Furniture â—â—ey brought into the Field Five Hundred Waggons â—â—â—led by some Authors British War Charriots These 〈◊〉 fastened to the Sides of them long Sythe-Blades and â—â—â—rp hooked Sickles so rank'd and order'd That if â—â—ey were Worsted they might retire amongst them 〈◊〉 shelter or else drawn with strong Horses break 〈◊〉 among the Enemies Foot and violently hurrying 〈◊〉 cut and tear them in pieces And so Dexterous â—â—ey were in this manner of War That he who manâ—ged or drove it would Run swiftly on the Coppis 〈◊〉 Raile smite his Enemy and return to the Body of 〈◊〉 Waggon or Charriot before he could be Charged 〈◊〉 Annoyed Cassibelan having gotten a numerous Army Fortified as well as he could the Shoars towards France feting a great number of Men on the Chalkie Cliffs to watch and give notice of the Enemies approach So that when Caesar with twelve choice Legions which he brought in 300 Vessels thought to have Landed by Surprise he found himself deceived being beaten off three times by the Britains leaving many Hundreds of his Legionary Souldiers Dead on the Sands and the last time had his own Sword wrested from him by one Scaeva a Britain whom he afterwards Knighted and for his Valour made him a Centurion who did wonders for him in his Wars against Pompey stopping at a Breach a whole Army with his mighty Sword till his Body being stuck with Darts like a Wood after he had Slain a Hundred of his Enemies he fell Dead on the heap of Carkasses and gained a lasting Memory in History Caesar finding the Britains so desperately bent to Sacrifice their Lives for the Liberty of their Country Manned out Open Vessels with Arohers and such as were dexterous at Sling-Stones and Casting-Piles or Roman Darts and lying out of the reach of the Britains Weapons who were not acquainted with that manner of War found them selves obliged to retire from the Shoar Whereupon the Roman Foot-men thrust on Land and made good their Station till the Cohorts of Horse came to assist them Their place of Landing being where the Town of Bright-Hemsted now stands in the County of Sussex Cassibelan perceiving himself at this time over-Match'd made an orderly Retreat to the Fortified Woods of which they had then great numbers sending to the Princes in Confederacy with him for Assistance But more Romans coming from Belgia to Caesars Aid in a Bloody Battel Fought on Barham Downs Anno. Mundi 3873. he overthrew Cassibelan wherein 40000 of his People were Slain and almost as many Romans Among the Slain Britains were found many Women whom the Victor caused to be honourably Interred and then pursu'd the flying Prince who got into Troynovant now called London and Fortified himself causing Stakes to be driven down with Lead about the Heads of them at the places where the Ferrys usually passed to hinder the Enemies Boats For the Thames runing out of its Banks broad and scattering in the Fields was full of Ouse and not passible but at certain places However Caesar who was Fortune's Darling with mighty labour laid over Bridges of Boats and Planks of Timber c. and took the City by Storm yet spared the Lives of the Inhabitants Cassibelan fled to Verulam but Cingitorix King of Kent was made Prisoner And Caravill Taximagul and Segonax Princes of the Southern parts of the Island for siding with Cassibelian had their Countries taken from them Which so startled the Senimagues Cegontians Ancalits Bribrosses and Caffians the States of the Icenians Seeing Caesars swift progress they sent Ambassadors to Treat of Peace and submitted themselves Tributaries to Rome And then he fixed Andrageus in his Principality but he afterwards left it to go with Caesar to Rome and attended him in his Wars abroad Yet Caesar who had seen but a little part of the Country and took it for a Main Continent or as his Soldiers complained when he Encouraged them to Invade the Britains another World different from what they had been in before was no sooner call'd to repass the Seas upon his other affaires but the British Princes joyning together made a great Slaughter of the Roman Souldiers which compell'd him to come over again to quiet them The like upon the same
Proclaimed and the Britains being Overthrown in divers Battels were forced to fly to the Rocks and the broken craggy Cliffs on the Sea-shoare and the Mountainnous parts for shelter from thence with aking Hearts beholding the blazing Fires that consumed their Habitations and the miserable Desolation made in their almost before ruined Country But as if such Cruelty as no doubt it did seemed displeasing in the sight of God The angry Heavens Warred against him and did what the feeble Britains were unable 〈◊〉 do viz he was driven out of the Country by vioâ—â—nt Rains which Deluging the Valleys and Plaines â—arryed away Men Horse and Baggage so that by â—his means he lost a good part of his Army When â—o put so great a misfortune out of his mind going to Merton to sollace with his Paramour a worse misforâ—une befel him for having Quarreled with Offa King of Mercia Clyto a Mercian Captain upon privat notice of his Journy attended but with a few Servants layed an Ambush and slew him which was the next day Revenged by Osricus one of Kenwolfs Captains who upon news of what had happened by a Shepherd who from a Hill had beheld the slaughter of the King and his Followers crossing the Country by the nearest ways intercepted Clyto in his return and after a sharp dispute slew him and Eighty Souldiers his attendants and caused the Kings Body to be Interred with much State at Winchester This King Reigned Twenty Nine Years Brithrick the Sixteenth King of the West Saxans began bis Reign Anno Dom. 784. He was given up very much to the Love of Women and though he was Marryed to a very Beautiful Queen yet he kept divers Concubins so that his Recreations of that kind taking up much of his time gave his Neighbours for the most part rest especially to the satisfaction of the Britains who were in a low condition and unable to undergo the Charge and Fatigue of a dangerous War as they had lately experienced to their smart and impoverishment yet in his time several strange Prodigies appeared viz. The similitudes of seven Moons in the Firmament which by degrees uniting into one it Shined exceeding Bright for a time above what that pale Planet had usually done and then became dim and cloudy A great Glob of Fire appeared over Winchester and coming near the earth parted or broke into divers lesser Globes or Balls which Fired some Houses and killed many People also a little Blazing-Star appeared three Nights successively and a Month before his Death strange Shrieks and affrighting Voices were heard in his Pallace The manner of his Death was thus The Queen impatient of the Wrongs he did her in keeping Strumpets in his Pallace and causing her sometimes to wait on them was at length prompted to revenge the Affronts put upon her by one of them he best loved and therefore having mixed Poison with some rich Wine she intended to send it to her in the Kings Name as a Present but being unluckily called away to see some sights that were prepared for the diversion of the Court she left it in her Closet and for haste the Door open when as the King coming thither before her return and taking it for a Cordial Drank largly of it and so by the strength of the Poison he Dyed in three Hours and the Queen fearing to suffer a cruel Death though this had un-witingly happened by her means hereupon flying into France through Grief and Want she dyed in a miserable condition This King Reigned Sixteen Years Egbert the Seventeenth and Last Petty King of the West Saxons began his Reign Anno Dom. 800 and whilst he continued in this Station before he came to be Crowned Sole Monarch of the Saxons Uniting the Heptarchy or Seven Kingdoms he had great Wars with the Britains who were assisted by the Cornish-men which from the beginning of his Wars with them to the time he brought them to acknowledge him their Superiour lasted about Fourteen Years in which time he took Westchester and made a strict Law That no Britain or Welshman should pass Offa 's Ditch without leave Then Warring on the Mercians he slew Bernulf their King subdued Kent and compelled the East Angles the South and East Saxons to submit to him and in a great measure having brought the Mercians and Northumbrians under grasping at the Sole Monarchy which he concluded Fortune had or soon would chain to his Sword he caused himself with great Pomp solemnly to be Crowned Soled Monarch of the Saxons that had been for the most part till now distinctly Governed by their respective Kings as appears in the foregoing account of the Succession of them This was performed at Winchester with many of the Ceremonies used at present in the Coronation of our Kings when he had Reigned over the West Saxons Nineteen Years But because I am obliged to Trace the remainder of his Reign viz. Seventeen Years as Sole Monarch in the next Chapter I here omit to mention any more of his Actions And now to clear some difficulties that may arise as far as History gives light into the Truth Note That although Egbert caused himself to be Crowned Sole Monarch and absolutely possessed himself of those Kingdoms whose Succession of Kings ceased before or when he Reigned as that of Kent the East Saxons and South Saxon Kingdoms c. yet others were of a longer continuance and can be supposed only as Tributary to him for we find Burdred the last of the Mercian Kings ended his Reign Anno Dom. 874. viz. Thirty Eight Years after Egberts Death And to the same purpose it is to be considered further viz. where Authors make mention of a longer continuance of the Petty Kingdoms than there is any Succession of Kings Recorded the Judicious Observers and Comparers of History have looked on it as a Mistake in them by taking the Lieutenants or Vice-Roys placed by the Sole Monarchs to Govern under them for petty Kings which Error the Antient Writers of the Affairs of this Kingdom having been too lyable to their Incoherence in respect of Time has not a little puzzled those that came after them which I have as well as the matter will conveniently bear without breaking the thred of History laboured to Reform CHAP. VIII The Succession of the Fifteen Saxon Kings that were Sole Monarchs of England with what Memorable Things happened in Peace and War during their Reigns as Wonderful Sights Prodigies and Remarkable Accidents c. Till the time the Danes wrested the Kingdom with much strugling from them Anno Dom. 1017 about 230 Years after they made their first Invasion Together with a Description of the Counties of England one by one after every Kings Reign which will be continued throughout the Work giving an Account of what is or has been Rare or Remarkable in each of them c. The Reign of King Egbert the First Sole Saxon Monarch of England WHEN the contending Petty Kings of the Saxons had for
Blood and the Miserie 's such a War was likely to bring on both Nations for being thereby weakened they might easily become a Prey to Forreign Enemies who watched for such an opportunity to work their ends both on Normandy and England especially the Danes and French To these and other Reasons for an amicable conclusion of the Difference the Norman Duke harkened with much mildness so that in a short time it was agreed that Robert after Williams Death should possess the Kingdom and to the end his Heirs might not disturb it he was debarred from Marriage as I find it in some Historians however certaine it is he left no Legitimate Issue behind him And in the mean time he was Yearly to pay the sum of 3000 Marks And the Articles being Signed the Brothers took a Friendly leave of each other so that through Providence this threatning Storm which filled England with many doubts and fears at its approach blew over without doing any harm After the Duke of Normandy had repassed the Seas with his Army the King fearing he might repent him of what he had Agree'd to strengthened the Sea Ports and Built some Castles advantagiously on the Havens to prevent Landing by surprize but knowing his prime Strength and Assurance was in the Love of his Subjects he began to caress the Nobles more than he had done and remitted to the Commons several grievous Taxes for upon his coming to the Crown he thought treading in his Fathers steps was the best Measures but now he found that Mildness rather than Rigor was the surest Policy to keep the Natives of this Island firm to his Interest whereupon he restored much that had been Extorted by his Rigorous Ministers and the better to curry favour with the People caused some of them to be punished for the offences he had enjoyned them to commit About this time Odo Bishop of Bayon the Kings Unkle who had been Banished by the Conquerer came over and was kindly received by his Nephew who Created him Earl of Kent and conferred on him many other Honours and Trusts which made the old Clergy-Man presume so much on the Kings Favour That he took upon him more Authority to Rule than came to his share by many degrees whereupon the Nobles made grievous complaints That a Stranger should presume to Domineer over them in their Native Country so that the King being sensible of his Arogancy changed his Smiles into Frowns which caused him to make a party among the English Normans and to fall into open Rebellion Declaring for Duke Robert and his Right who underhand had promised to Land some Forces but did not This Treachery of the Normans made the King almost totally throw himself on the English for Safeguard and Protection These Fractions and Disorders in the State begat new conceits in Malcolm King of Scots who resolving to take the advantage of them hastily raised an Army and Invaded the Northern Marches wasting all in his way with Fire and Sword whereupon the King Summoning all his Courage not to leave an Enemy at his Back first fell upon the Bishop and gave him and his Rebellious Associates a terrible Overthrow and in the Battel the Bishop being taken Prisoner he was compelled to Abjure the Land This happening the latter-end of the Second Year of the Kings Reign the Third no sooner began but he resolved to be Revenged on the Scots who had broke their League with him in order to lay hold on the Advantages Clandestine Commotions seemed to offer them and finding them Plundering and Spoiling his Subjects he scarce gave them time to Embattel ere like a Tempest he broke in amongst them destroying the greater part of their numerous Army in which fell Twenty of their Nobles and their King was constrained to Acknowledg Subjection to England renew his League upon Oath and in further confirmation of his Subjection he became a Pentioner to King William and to make it more apparent he was Tributary to England payed Twelve Mark Yearly for the Twelve Villages the King restored him after he had taken them from him in this War which he had held in the Reign of William the Conquerer and to Fortifie against the Scots Incursions he Rebuilded and Garisoned the City of Carlisle in Cumberland it having been demolished by the Danes about 200 Years before and Lanfrank Dying at a great Age the King kept the profits of the Arch Bishoprick in his hands Four Years and then made Anselm a Norman Abbot Arch Bishop which much displeased the English Clergy Not long after this Malcolm King of Scots coming to Gloucester where King William held his Court being denied Access and unhandsomly treated by some Carpet-Courtiers who had been raised from a low degree he without acquainting the King with it or demanding satisfaction for the Indignity put upon him flung away in a great rage and arriving in Scotland Assembled the Nobles and incited them to bring all the Forces they could raise to his Standard which they punctually obeyed and entering England with a huge Army he wasted all before him as far as Alnewick which he Besieged and Took it but the strong Castle held out against him which with his numbers he so straightly begirt that Famine got in and much dismai'd the Besieged whereupon an adventurous Knight with a Flag of Truce in his Hand and the Keys of the Castle on his Spear came out at the Gate Mounted on a swift Racer and making low obeysence as if he submitted them to the King of Scots being come pretty near setting Spurs to his Horse he run at the King with his Spear and piercing him into the Eye and Brain he fell Dead to the Ground and the Knight by the swiftness of his Horse escaped through the Scotish Camp at which the Scots were so dismai'd That they raised the Siege and departed with the Body of their King Mournfully into Scotland For this daring piece of Service which turned so much to the advantage of William The Knight had his Name by him changed from Mabrey to Piercey and was created Earl of Northumberland whose Race as Earls continued till of very late days as will appear in the succeeding Reigns But this Success prevented not a Conspiracy against the King for Robert Mowbrey and William of Ancho Plotted to take away his Life by Treachery and Crown Stephen D' Albemarle his Second Sisters Son but the Design being Discovered a little before it was to be put in practice by one of the Accomplices in the Conspiracy some were taken and Executed others Fled And now the Welsh Rebelling under the Leading of Rees their Prince the King with a gallant Army entered Wales but the Rebells shifting from one steep Mountain to another as well knowing the ways in those Fastnesses and climbing the craggy Clifts like Goats many of the English were wasted in pursuing them but at length Starving them out they were constrained to come to a Battel wherein Rees was Slain with
the Christian Princes had Elected him and hasted home yet left most of his Troops behind him But by means of his Absence Henry his Youngest Brother so cunningly dealt with the English and Normans that he got much into their Favour and the more because he was Born in England after his Father was Crowned King and for as much as he was of a mild disposition many Princely Virtues making it apparent that his Government would be accompanied with many Honourable Atchievements Gratful Safe and Profitable to the Church and Commonweal so that all things working to his Advancement He was Crowned at Westminster by Maurice Bishop of London Anselm Arch Bishop of Canterbury being Absent on Sunday the 5th of August Anno Dom. 1100 but before his Coronation the Nobles constrained him to Swear he would Ease the People of the oppressing Taxes and other Grievances and Restore to the English the use of Lights and Fire in their Houses which they had been denied for the most part after the Ringing the Evening Bell for the space of 33 Years After his Coronation to make him more Easie in the Throne he caused the Great Seal to pass on several wholsom Laws Subscribing them with his Name and commanded divers of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal to do the like and caused Copies of them to be sent into every County to be kept in the County Courts The Heads of the Laws were in these Branchâ—s 1. That the Church should be free from Oppressions and Reservation of their Possessions upon vacancy 2. That the Heirs of the Nobility should Possess the Lands of their Fathers without Redemption from the King which Favour likewise should be Granted by the Nobles to their Tennants 3. That the Gentry might give in Marriage their Daughters and Kinswomen without the Kings License so it were not to the Kings Enemies 4. That the Widow should have the Jointure and not against her Consent be compelled to a second Marriage 5. That the Mother or the next of Kin should be Guardian of the Lands of their Children 6. That Coiners of False and Counterfeit Money should be Capitally Punished and a Measure to the Length of the Kings Arm should be a Standard of Commerce among the People And 7. That all Debts to the Crown before his coming to it should be forgiven and all Murthers before the day of his Coronation to be Pardoned With other such like Indulgences He also at this time Confirmed King Edward the Confessor's Laws Now tho' this went a great way with the People who found themselves easie in these Concessions he yet used other Policies as expecting a storm from the Norman Coast as soon as Duke Robert should Arrive whom he had notice by his Espialls was on his way for having Seized on the plentiful heaps of the last Kings Treasure he Liberally disposed of it among such of his Subjects as he knew would stand him in the greatest stead if things should come to Extremity Then he placed the more Popular Nobles in the chief Offices of State and satisfied the Leading Gentry with Titles of Honour and Places of a lower station absolutely acquitting the People forever from the Tax of Dane Gelt it having been much lessened in the former Reign and from all other Demands and unjust Payments Imposed on them by the two former Kings giving leave to the Nobles and Gentlemen for their Recreation to Inclose Parks for their Deer and free Warrens for their Conies Hares and such like Game And as Traytors to his Virtues State and Kingly Government he Exiled from his Presence and Court Sycophants Parasites Flatterers Niceness in Behaviour Lascivious Conversation Sumptuousness in Apparel Superfluity in Diet c. He made it Death for any to Robb on the Highways and with Indefatigable Endeavours he Corrected and Reformed the Monstrous Pride Intollerable Covetousness Secure Negligence and Sloath of the Clergy Yet the better to please them he Recalled Ansâ—â— from Banishment and Restored him to his Arch Bishoprick of Canterbury giving him full Power to Assemble Convocations and Synods at his pleasure and for the amendment of such Irregularities as were insufferable in the Church he left it wholly to the Pope as also to Invest Bishops by giving them the Ring Cross and Pastoral Staff All such Ecclesestical Promotions and Dignities as by the Lewd Advice and Councel of Reynulph Bishop of Durham his Predecessor had Seized in his hands and converted to his use he voluntarily restored and conferred on honest and grave learned Men and Committed the Bishop of Durham a Prisoner to the Tower of London from whence he Escaped and going for Normandy earnestly Incited Duke Robert by many moving Orations to Invade England who prone enough of himself so harkened to him and relying on the Aids he had promised him here on his Landing raised a great Army of which Henry having timely notice thought fit yet to strengthen himself more by Marriage and in order to it he took to Wife Maud Sister to Edgar King of Scots who was Daughter to Malcolm by Margaret Sister to Edgar Etheling and Daughter to King Edward the Son of Edmund Ironside the Victorious Saxon King These Nuptials were no sooner consummated and a firm League made with Scotland but Duke Robert Landed his Army at Portsmouth which put the English into apprehensions of being involved in a doubtful War but this threatening storm was soon blown over by the discreet mediation and counsel of Friends on both sides so that a friendly Peace ensued between the two Brothers upon such like Conditions as had been Agreed on in William Rufus's Days whereat the Norman Lords were much displeased and returned discontented with the Duke so that the King fearing he would not long rest contented with the Agreement resolved to be beforehand with him and therefore raising a gallant Army he Sailed to Normandy and was joyned by many of the discontented Nobles giving the Duke two great Overthrows After which he being in a manner forsaken shifted from place to place when in the mean while the King pressing his good Fortune won the strong Cities of Roan Caen Valois and others and putting them in trusty hands returned for England where he was received in Triumph The Duke perceiving his Fortune grew worse and worse those that he most Trusted growing Treacherous and betraying his Councils to the King as being Bribed so to do by which means he was almost stripped of his Dutchy of Normandy he Resolved to make an adventurous Experiment and in order to it came privately into England and humbly submitted himself to his Brother leaving it in his discretion to dispose of him and his Dutchy as he pleased but the King desirous to Annex Normandy to his own Dominions turned from him in a slighting manner and commanded him out of his presence which great Indignity roused the Dukes Courage so that in a great Rage he flung out of the Court and returned to Normandy resolving rather to dye by
of War the King taking by force and surrender all the strong Castles and Fortresses into his hands and Oath of the Justices Mayors and Officers of the several Towns and Forts and having disposed all things to the best advantage and settled the Government in trusty hands he brought away the Crown Robes of State and Marble Chair from Scone in which the Scots Kings had always been Crowned and placed the latter in the Kings Chappel at Westminster and on it there is said to be a Prophetick Latin Distick in English to this Effect Where e'er this Stone is Plac'd the Scot shall find And there shall Rule for there his Reign 's Assign'd This may indeed seem to be verified in the Union of the two Kingdoms under King James the First of the Scotish Line But to proceed As soon as King Edward was returned from his Journey he caused an Enquiry which was termed Troli Baston to be made in all his Dominions of the Misdemeanors and Oppressions of his Officers and others so that the Number of the Transgressors were so many that heavy Fines being laid on them and they like so many full Spunges Squeezed of their Unjust Gains into the Kings Coffers they were plentifully replenished thereby not only to Pay off old Debts but to Recompence such as had at their own Expence faithfully Served him in his Wars and among other Complaints Dr. Langton Bishop of Chester Exhibited one to the King against Prince Edward whom he said at the Instigation of Pierce Gaveston his Loose and Evil Counsellor had forcibly broken into his Parks wounded his Servants and destroyed his Game Whereupon the Prince was committed to Prison during the Kings pleasure and Gaveston Banished upon pain of Death never to return into the Land and Edward Earl of Cornwal Son to Richard King of the Romans Dying without Issue he gave that Earldom to Prince Edward which Title with that of Chester have been since inseparable from the Princes of Wales A Peace being now had in Scotland things remained quiet for a time during which space Robert Bruce one of the Competitors came with divers Nobles to the English Court and was highly Entertained which they did only for a shew whilst they were dealing underhand with the Pope to favour their Cause nor was he slow in it but sent an Instrument in Writing by which he pretended to lay claim to the Kingdom of Scotland as holden of the See of Rome wherein King Edward was peremptorily required to surcease from all Demands of Tenure and Soveraignty over it But he stoutly Answered by his Ambassadors That it did belong to the Kings of England and not unto the See of Rome or to any other requiring him to revoke his unjust Claim for that both he and his Nobles were resolved to maintain his Right therein at the hazard of their Lives and Estates and the Ambassador shewing the Hands and Seals of the Nobles and most of the Prelates of England that had Sworn to this Resolution the old Blade with the Leaden Sword drew in his Horns whereupon Bruce secretly withdrew and raised Tumults in Scotland Yet the King forced him to fly into Norway where he remained till in Edward the Seconds Reign he returned to broach new Troubles But the King upon his Marching through Scotland Dyed commanding in his Last Will That his Son should SHROP SHIRE By John Seller carry his Bones with him till he had utterly Subdued the Rebells and that Gaveston should not be Recalled from Banishment also that his Heart should be carried to the Holy Land and there Buried He began his Reign November 16 Anno Dom. 1272 and Reigned 34 Years 7 Months and 21 Days being the 29th Sole Monarch of England He Dyed of a Dyssentery at Burg upon Sands July 7 Anno Dom. 1307 in the 69th Year of his Age and was Buried at Westminster In the Third Year of this Kings Reign on St. Nicholas Day very terrible Thunders Earthquakes and Lightenings happened also a great Fiery Dragon in the Air and a Blazing Star which much amazed the People In the Year 1288 the Summer was so Scorching that many Dyed of extream Heat yet Wheat was Sold at 2 s. 8 d. the Quarter and all Corn at a proportionable rate but the Year following by reason of the great Rains that fell Wheat was raised to 20 s. a Quarter and so continued near Forty Years which was in those times accounted a great Dearth Anno Dom. 1299 the Kings Palace at Westminster with the Buildings of the Monastery were consumed with Fire and a great Whale coming up the River was struck and taken over-against Erif being 40 Foot Long and proportionable in Bulk c. Remarks on Shropshire c. SHropshire is commodiously situated intermixed with Hills Plains Woods Forrests Chaces c. and produces Corn Rich Pastures Cattle and many other things to the advantage of the Inhabitants It is Bounded with Cheshire Staffordshire Worcestershire Herefordshire Radnorshire Mongomeryshire and Denbyshire It contains 15 Hundreds divided into 170 Parishes and haâ— in it 14 Market Towns and 18 great and small Rivers branching mostly from the Severn which plentifully Waters this Shire and others It sends Members to Parliament 12 viz. Bishops-Castle 2 Bridgnorth 2 Ludlow 2 Shrewsbury 2 Wenlock 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire In Shropshire besides Shrewsbury the County Town a noted Mart for Cloath and Frizes brought from Wales and thence dispersed into divers parts of England There are Remarkable Ruins of some Antient Places which were certainly Towns or Cities of great splendor as Workcester Uriconium the antient Usoconia of which Okenyat is a small remainder Oswalstree retaines its Name from Oswald the 11th King of Northumberland who was here Slain in Battel by Penda King of the Mercians The other Towns of Note are Wellynton Newport Braynton c. At Shrewsbury and other places on the Severn is taken a Fish called a Mort in Taste like a Salmon at Pitchford is a Well whose Water casts up a Scum of Liquid Bitumen and near Oswaldstree is a Vestigia of a Roman Camp The Seats of the Nobility are Pepperhill belonging to the Earl of Shrewsbury Highercal and Eyton to the Lord Viscount Newport Cherbury to the Lord Herbert Baron of Cherbury It has also in it 13 Bridges 13 Castles 7 Forrests and 27 Parks The Seats of the Gentry are likewise very pleasant and there is almost every where great store of Game and abundance of Fish The Reign of EDWARD the Second usually called Edward of Carnarvan EDWARD the Second Succeeded his Father in the Throne but having been brought up tenderly and given too much to Flatterers and loose Company he very early gave the Nobles cause to distast his Government for tho' his Father in his Last Will had strictly Prohibited his Recalling Peirce Gaveston from Banishment a Person who by his evil Example and pernicious Counsels had been the great Debaucher of his Younger Years yet he did it tho'
contrary to the Mind of his People in general and to despite them the more took him into his particular Favour Vowing if it lay in his power he would willingly share the Kingdom with him heaping Honours on him and Liberally opening his Coffers to him so that he no sooner asked but his desires were granted This much perplexed the Nobles and made them Remonstrate to the King the ill consequences that were likely to follow on such his Proceedings putting him in mind of his dying Fathers charge to him and urging many other things but he little regarded them so that perceiving the King entirely to doat on this upstart Favourite who thereupon grew very Proud and Insolent advancing him to the Barony of Wallingford and Earldom of Cornwal making him Master of his Jewels and Treasure a great part of which he sent beyond the Seas to provide for himself against such a Storm as he might reasonably expect They for a time held their peace tho' they inwardly grieved at the Miscarriage of things The King was now Married to Isabel Daughter to Philip the French King a Lady of admirable Beauty but of a haughty Mind impatient of Injuries yet this Loose Favourite to cross her because he stood not high in her esteem laboured by introducing fresh Beauties to the King to Alienate him from her Society and Bed carried him often to Revellings and made him Drink to Excess that his Conscience might not find any deliberate time to Check him for his Lawless Enterprizes The Queen at this was both Grieved and Angry labouring however by all mild ways and endearing perswasions to Reclaim the King laying before him his Unkindness to one that so tenderly Loved and Honoured him and the Scandal and Contempt he would cause of himself among his People if he who was placed in so eminent a Station to give good Examples to others as Patterns for them to follow shewed in himself such an evil one Intreating him to follow the Prudence and Heroick Virtues of his Father and not despising the sober Advice of his Grave Counsellors harken to and be lead away by base Parasites and Flatterers But the King not regarding what she said tho' the People at the same time greatly Murmured and spoke evil of him for his Loose and Un-Princely manner of Living as also of Gaveston to whom they bore an irreconcileable hatred The Nobles found themselves constrained for redressing these Mischiefs and preventing greater that threatened the Kingdom To Petition the King for Gaveston's Banishment wherein they set forth his evil Practices and Faults with the Sorrow of his Majesties best affected Subjects for that he more than was fit or comely was Guided and Governed by that unworthy Favourite earnestly entreating his Highness he would be pleased for preventing such Mischiefs as were otherwise likely to ensue To Banish that Lewd Person from his Court and Kingdom The King upon this fearing some danger threatned if he refused to comply with his Nobles whom he found resolutely bent no longer to suffer such Indignities as Gaveston had put upon them tho' much against his will agreed he should be sent into Ireland which accordingly was done yet the King sent after him many comfortable Messages and at length constituted him his Lieutenant of that Kingdom sending him store of Plate Jewels and Corn to maintain his State and Granâ—ure by which he might conclude his Banishment but â—n Honourable Embassy and an occasion presented â—hereby to the King to make him more Rich and Poâ—ent Besides all this the Kings discontents and passions â—or his Absence appeared to be so many and great That the Nobles were grieved for the perplexities of â—is Mind which made them in hopes of his Favourites â—â—ture amendment of all things that had been found â—miss in him after this Humbling of their own accord Petition the King that he might be Recalled But â—ike the Leopards Spots his Vices were so natural to him and so inherent in him that he was nothing changed but upon his return grew more Insolent than â—ever which occasioned him but a short time for at the â—ncessant Importunities of the Nobles he was again Banished into Flanders yet remained not long ere the King impatient of his Absence Recalled him without the consent of his Nobles and to Agrandize him the more Married him to his Kinswoman the Earl of Glocesters Daughter a Virtuous and Honourable Lady when bearing himself much on this Alliance he grew to such a height that he scorned the greatest Peers in England and in his State Attendance and Table outâ—ied even the King Glorying and openly boasting how he Ruled the King and by what ways he had misleâ— him This however did him no kindness for the King â—â—â—ding he could no longer Protect him against the potent Nobles and the clamours of the Common People which â—hreatned ruin in his stay he was constrained to part with him a Third time But the â—oise and discontents by his Absence was no sooner pacified and alay'd but the King sent to him privately to Return tho' very fatal to him for upon his Landing entering into the Castle of Scarborough he was there Besieged and taken by the Earl of Warwick and with the consent of the Earls of Lancaster and Hereford carried to Warwick-Castle and Beheaded The King had no sooner notice of the untimely end of his Favourite but in a vehement passion he Cursed those Noblemen and expressed his Anger and Vows of Revenge in many threatning terms But Time rendering him cooler and the Reasons that were given for their hasty Proceedings he Pardoned them in consideration that all which belonged to Gaveston should be put into his hands However his inclinations were such that he could not be long without a Favourite to whom he might impart his Secrets on all occasions wherefore he made Sr. Hugh Spencer and Hugh his Son of his Cabinet Council raising them from a mean Estate to Lord it over the Nobles and whatever he did of any importance was by their Advice and Direction he made the Elder of them Earl of Winchester and gave to both of them many Honourable Places and Offices which caused them to become more Insolent than Gaveston and altogether as much hated in a little time Robert Bruce mentioned in the foregoing Reign upon notice of these Disorders in England thought it was now a fit time for him to possess himself of the Crown of Scotland and therefore returning from Norway he was Joyfully received by the Scots as well Nobles as Commons and was by them a second time Crowned King whereupon he Levied a great Army and entered into the English Marches miserably wasting the Country as he passed with Fire and Sword which made King Edward shake off his soft repose and hasten to the Field whose coming put a stop to the torent and made the Scots retire beyond the Tweed Whereupon King Edward having strengthened his Army entered Scotland doing great Damage but was at Bannocks Bourn
Encountered by King Robert who Surprisingly fell upon the English by reason of their remissness and the unwillingness of some of the Nobles to Engage because King Edward had given the great Commands into the hands of mean Persons by the Advice of the Spencers and after a bloody and long Fight totally Routed them And here King Edward through bad conduct having been a Spectator of the slaughter of many Valiant Men among which were Gilbert D' Clare Earl of Glocester and 42 other Lords with more than 60 Knights and Baronets besides 22 of Note who were taken Prisoners he was compelled for his own safety to hasten back for England leaving all his Treasure Amunition and Baggage behind him and 22000 common Soldiers Slain and made Prisoners exceedingly disconsolated and perplexed where he soon found new Troubles For one John Poldras a Tanners Son of Exeter in Devonshire boldly affirming himself to be the truly begotten Son of Edward the First aledging that he was changed by his Nurse in his Cradle for a Carters Child raised by this Chimera strange Commotions many People believing by King Edwards proceedings so disagreeable to those of the preceding King that there was some ground of truth in it He also offered divers colourable Proofs for what he said and among others he strongly insisted on the unworthy and sordid conditions of the King sorting to none so fitly as to one of obscure and common Birth so that a great many of the Commons in those parts unadvisedly flocked to him and owned him for their True King looking on Edward as a Changling but they in a hot Skirmish being Defeated the Impostor was taken Prisoner and confessed his Treason and Folly but not any one that set him on work and encouraged him to it so that being convicted by his Confession he was Condemned and Executed and the rest Pardoned which at this time put an end to the Western Troubles But in the North the Scots pursuing theis Success taking many Places Garisoned with English by force and had the strong Castle of Berwick betrayed into their hands by the Deputy-Governor who let them in in the dusk of the Evening at a Sally-Port he had purposely left open yet in the dark scuffle he had his Reward for going with the appointed Signal of safety and in the dark it not being discerned by the Scots they Slew him Nor was this all the misery at this time the Northern County suffered their Cattle Dyed of a grievous Murrain and Famine was exceeding amongst them Moreover divers notorious Thieves and Robbers to the number of 200 taking the advantage of these stirs put themselves into Friars Weeds and Robbed Ravished Burned and laid Waste where they came Murthering divers who Resisted them but in a few Months most of them were taken and put to Death by sundry Torments The Famine was likewise succeeded by a Plague so that the Living were scarce able to Bury the Dead These Calamities and daily cries of his People made the King advance Northward with an Army yet bad success attended him for giving the Scots Battel he was Overthrown and a great part of his Army Slain and so in much vexation returned home This made the Nobles grievously complain of the Spencers and others the Kings Favourites by whose bad Mannagement of Affaires the Realm was at a point to be overwhelmed in Misery laying before the King their Misdemeanours and ill treatment of his Subjects how many Thousands suffered by the Male-Administration of Government and the great Callamities approaching if speedy Redress was not had even to the subversion of the State and then became Importunate Suitors to him that he would be pleased to put those from him that had caused so many Grievances and made him careless of those Duties which by Almighty God were required at his hands They told him likewise As Subjection belonged to the People so the King was bound to Protect them and that most dishonourably he had left his Commons in the North a Prey to the Scots and grievously oppressed with Wants and Extremities and that if he pleased not upon their humble Entreaty and Request to dismiss the Spencers from their Places and Service They must and would presume to do it tho' with the hazard and perril of their own Lives At this tho' the King in Conscience could not but hearken to it being an apparent Truth yet it so highly displeased him who preferred his Favourites before the Good of all his People That he bit his Lip and with an austere Countenance turned at first from them without speaking but considering the ill consequences that might attend his slighting them in a business wherein all his good Subjects were concerned he turned again and gave them a pleasing Answer viz. That since things were come to such extremity there could be no suitable Redress but in a Parliament which he speedily intended to call and would submit to what that Assembly should determine most Necessary for the good and wellfare of the Kingdom However the Nobles afterward seemed dissatisfied as fancying the King when they were so Assembled designed to Seiz them and forcibly make them comply with his Terms yet finding such a meeting was necessary they came strongly Guarded with a numerous Train all in one Livery this much startled the King but most of all it grieved him he now saw he must part with the Spencers whom in the Extasie of his Expressions he had declared to Love dearer than his Queen or Children and accordingly they were Banished during their Lives the King being bound not to Recal them upon any pretence whatever But this caused a hatred in him against the Barons so that he expressed it in Threats and that he ought not to be forced to do any thing against his Mind So that although the Younger Spencer geting a Squadron of Ships turned Pirate Robbing the English Merchants and Strangers The King would not consent to their Intreaties that a Fleet might be sent out to surpress those apparent Injuries and Disgraces but Laughed at them when they proposed it as inwardly pleased at the News they had brought him and soon after contrary to the expectation of all Men Recalled them from Banishment restoring them to their Honours and Offices wherein they became more Insolent than ever The Barons grieved at these Proceedings and Expecting no Redress from the King immediatly took up Arms and the King did the like so that after many sharp Bickerings and Encounters both Armies joyned in Battel and Fought cruelly Kindred against Kindred making no distinction of Relations in the bloody Field But when many of the Barons and other Leaders were Slain their Party gave way and the King Pursued very furiously so that a miserable Slaughter happened and at Burrow-Bridge near where this Battel was Fought The Earl of Lancaster the Kings Unkle and 90 other Nobles were taken Prisoners and sent to Pontfract-Castle where the Noble Earl staid on a Scaffold Seven Hours before
they could procure an Executioner to Behead him so greatly was he Beloved by all sorts of People but at length a vile Wretch was procur'd out of a Goal for a sum of Money to perform that Office Five others were put to Death there and at York the next day the Lords Clifford Mobray and Derwell were Hanged in Iron-Chaines The Earl of Hereford likewise lost his Head in all at several places Twenty Noblemen so that in no Reign so much Noble Blood by Executions wet the English Earth These terrible Executions astonished the rest and broke their Strength which greatly puffed up the Spencers by whose Instigation more than any cruel inclination in the King it was thought to be done to secure their own State which after this they imagined could not be shaken For soon after some Courtiers Intreating the King for the Life of a Person of mean Rank who had committed a Murther he broke out into a violent Passion in these words viz. A Plague overtake you all for Flatering Knaves you make much Suit for the Life of an errand Caitiff but which of you spoke a word for the good Knight Lord Thomas my Vnkle By the Bread of God this Varlet shall Dye the Death he deserves and so in a Rage he turned from them and soon after he called a Parliament at York in which Prince Edward his Son was Created Prince of Wales and Duke of Aquitain and Sir Andrew Harkly whose extraordinary Service was a principal means of the Barons Overthrow Earl of Carlisle and demanded the Sixth Penny of all Temporalities in England Wales and Ireland to defray the Charges of his intended War against the Scots which he obtained yet the People grievously Murmured at Paying it affirming they were altogether Impoverished by the late Wars and Famine And now the Scots geting secret Inteligence of what the King intended against them resolved to begin first and well knowing they had Impoverished the Northern parts and that no further Booty was there to be had they crossed over the Narrow Straights and fell very furiously on Ireland but by the Courage and prudent Conduct of the Bishop of Armagh and the Lord Brinningham they were Overthrown their King Slain and most of them Cut in Pieces upon this advantage King Edward Marched into Scotland which he found full of Terror and Confusion the People every where flying before him into the Woods Mountains and other Fastnesses thinking by that means to weary out the English and indeed their Project failed not for Snows Rains and bitter Frosts ensuing the English were unable to keep the Field especially their Provisions being near spent and a great Mortality by reason of the raw Damps and Colds grievously afflicted the Camp so that contrary to the mind of the King they were forced to return which the Scots perceiving crept from their lurking Holes and carried Fire a cross which is the usual Signal for the Alarum or raising the Country and soon gathered into such Multitudes that following and wasting his Rear at last they boldly set on his main Battel and discomfited it so that he was constrained to fly and leave them Masters of his Treasure and Baggage This Defeat is said to be occasioned by the Treachery of Sr. Andrew Harkley who had been lately Created Earl of Carlisle who being Bribed by the Scots betraied his trust in the Battel But however it happened it was charged upon him and for it he lost his Head Upon the Kings return there happened a Quarrel between the Queen and the Spencers she charging them to have Alienated the Kings affections from her and to cause him to place it on Harlots and the King seeming to excuse or take part with them she so highly resented the Affront that under pretence of visiting her native Country she obtained leave to go over with the Prince her Son where she was received by King Charles her Brother Philip her Father being Dead with many expressions of kindness and shewing her dislike to return unless matters might be Reformed at home some of the Barons in England sent secretly by Letters to Advise her That if she could procure one Thousand Valliant Strangers they would joyn her on her Landing with a considerable Force and endeavour once more to Redress the Disorders of the State This she made known to her Brother who comforted her by earnest Promises and Oaths That by his Assistance and at his Cost her Wrongs and the Kingdoms Injuries should be Repaired but kept not his Word for being Bribed by the Spencers who by their Spies had notice of her tampering in the French Court when she demanded his Performance he grew cold upon it and chid her for such Intentions saying She was foolishly afraid of her Shaddow since she had Vndutifully forsaken the company of her Lord and Husband The Pope also and chiefest Cardinals being Engaged by great Rewards strictly required the French King upon pain of the Apostolick Curse to send home the Queen and Prince so that she perceiving he intended to deliver her into the hands of such as would have Forcibly brought her over she secretly retired with her Son into the Empire however during her stay at the French Court she had done England a kindness in causing by her Mediation the Troubles in Gascoyne to cease and making an Agreement in other matters relating to the King her Husband In consideration of which he was to confer the Dutchy of Aquitain and Earldom of Poictou on the Prince his Son which he did under his Seal and he did Homage for it to his Unkle the French King but upon his sending for her home she refused to come unless hers and others Grievances were Redressed by Parliament which occasioned his trying by other means to make her return but as is said she retiring into the Empire upon suspicion of what was Intended went to Hainalt where she was kindly received and to make her Interest strong at that Court she without the consent of her Husband or the Peers of England Married the Prince to Phillipa the Earl of Hainalts Daughter upon which account and the means of what Treasure she had brought she raised 2700 Soldiers Commanded by Sr. John of Hainalt and the Lord Beamont to whom Joyned the Young Lord Mortimer who had escaped out of the Tower of London and got beyond the Seas with some other Exiled English Noblemen and Strangers so that having all things in a readiness she Sayled for England and Landed at Orwell in Sussex whither a great Number of English resorted to her and the further she went her Army greatly encreased King Edward having notice of this left his Court and retired hastily into the West to raise Forces promising 1000 l. to any that should bring him the Lord Mortimer's Head The King was no sooner retired but the Londoners taking the Advantage of his Absence seized upon the Bishop of Exeter who was appointed to Govern the City and without any Legal Proceedings or Judicial
King to deliver him up to Execution which Insolent Behaviour Sr. William Wallworth Lord Mayor not able to endure Stabbed him with his Dagger so that he fell down Dead and then hasting to raise the City Militia the Rebells after some time were so amazed that they scattered and every one fled for his safety and it was not many days before most of the Ringleaders were by their Companions a thing that seldom fails in such tumultuous Rebellions delivered into the hands of Justice the better to obtain their own Pardons which in the height of their Pride they had scornfully thrown up and the King at this last Conference before their Faces had Cancelled them so that about 1500 or more of the principal Agents were Convicted and Executed in divers Places which put an end to these Popular Disorders and for this Exploit of the Lord Mayor the Dagger was added to the City Arms. Things thus Quieted and the Peoples Fears over The King sued for the Lady Ann Daughter to Charles the Fourth and Sister to Winceslaus the Emperour of Germany in Marriage which was Accorded and the Lady who was exceeding Virtuous and Beautiful was received with great Joy by the King and People and Anno Dom. 1385 he Summoned a Parliament at Westminster in which he Created his Unkle Edmund of Langley Duke of York and Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester his Cousin Henry Eldest Son to the Earl of Lancaster Earl of Derby Edward Son to Edmund of Langley Earl of Rutland Sir John Holland Earl of Huntington and Thomas Lord Mowbray Earl of Notingham Declaring Roger Mortimer Earl of March Son to Edmund Mortimer and Philippa his Wife Daughter and Heires to Lionel Duke of Clarence Third Son to Edward the Third Heir apparent to the Crown but he was Slain by the Rebells in Ireland before the Kings Death And now the King fell into the dislike of his People by hearkening to evil Counsellours especially one Michael De La Pool whom he had made Chancellour and created Duke of Suffolk and Robert Vere whome he created Marquess of Dublin and Duke of Ireland and would have made him King of that Country if the Nobility would have consented to it so that he respected not the sage Advice and Counsel of the grave and most experienced Lords of this the Parliament took great notice and upon the Chancellours insisting on the Kings behalf for a Tax of four Fifteens affirming no less could support his Estate or maintain such Wars as he was likely to undertake the Lords and Commons not only opposed the motion but accused the Duke and others for lewdly Counselling the King and by their Purloyning to enrich themselves wasting his Treasure That by their bad Advice they had kept the King from coming amongst them which according to a received Law and Custom if he refused to do in Forty Days they might Legally break up and depart to their own homes without his leave and of this and other particulars they sent word to the King desiring him within three days he would come amongst them and give Life to those Laws they should make or they were resolved to separate But in Answer to this he required that a select Assembly of Fifty of their Members should attend him This was refused and the Duke of Gloucester and Thomas Arundel Arch Bishop of Canterbury were only deputed who plainly told the King of the Grievances of his People and that by his Absence from Parliament he obscured the light of Justice and hindered the Negotiation of the Commonweal And if he further declined it they must break up and depart to their homes They also craved with humble submssion as they were commanded to be informed by whom his Majesties Treasure belonging to the Commonweal was prodigally consumed and how it came to pass that his large Revenues could not suffice to maintain his Estate and charge seeing he had no Wars This Message and their Demands so angered the King That he Swore had he fore-known the sawcy bouldness of his Subjects whom as he supposed intended to rise in Arms against him he would more willingly have submitted himself to the King of France and have relyed on him for Protection than thus to be baffled and made servil to those whom his Soveraignty ought to command But the two Lords in all humble Duty shewed him that his People stood well affected towards him and that the French had been and were inveterate Enemies to the King of England With this and such-like submissive Discourse he was some what pacified and promised to come to his Parliament in three days and failed not to do it where by Proof and Accusation of the Lords Michael De La Pool Chancellour of England and Duke of Suffolk was Convicted of Purloyning the Kings Treasure and purchasing Estates with it to his own behoof and giving evil Counsel to the great damage of the Kings Subjects and other things so that his Lands were Sequestered to the King's use his Person Fined 20000 Marks committed close Prisoner and deprived of his Chancellourship and other Offices The Arch Bishop being made Chancellour in his stead and in the same Parliament thirteen Persons were Elected Sworn and Authorized with â—he consent of the King published in Writing under â—is Seal to Examine all or any of his Officers touching â—heir Demeanours in their several Offices and Trusts 〈◊〉 censure and condemn any that should be found â—uilty of henious Crimes and the King took an Oath â—ot to revoke or suppress this Commission without the â—onsent of Parliament and it further passed into a â—aw That if any Person should attempt directly or â—â—directly to perswade or encourage the King to inâ—â—ge his Oath and Promise touching all or any of these matters for the first Offence to lose his Lands and Goods and for the second to be proceeded against as a Traitor to the King and Kingdom And then a Subsidy of one half Fifteen was granted if the Commissioners upon view of the Kings Estate thought it needful and so an end was put to this Sessions of Parliament This was no sooner done but the King at the perswasion of his Counsellours Released his Favourite De La Poole and went with him the Duke of Ireland Tresillian his chief Justice other Judges and Ministers of State to Notingham where they Pronounced the Duke of Gloucester Arch Bishop of Canterbury and the Thirteen Commissioners to be Guilty of High Treason because against his will and consent they had compelled the King to Ratifie the Commission by his Oath and under his Great Seal so going to Coventry the Judges by an Instrument in Writing under their Hands and Seals declared and confirmed their Opinions to be agreeable and consonant to the Laws of the Land touching these matters Whilst Affairs had but an ill Aspect at home thâ— French King to Embroyl the Kingdom more if poâ—sible sent his Admiral with a Thousand Noblemen anâ— Gentlemen into Scotland with Arms and
Valiantly killed Four with a Bill he wrested out of one of their Hands Thus untimely Dyed King Richard the Second when he had Reigned 22 Years 3 Months and 8 Days Being the 32d Sole Monarch of England After his Death his Body was brought to London and exposed to the view of the People to satisfie them he was Dead and prevent their taking part with Impostors and then Buried at Langley In this Kings Reign the River Ouse between Swelstone and Harleswood near Bedford stood still and divided it self so that the Botton in the Middle remained dry for three Miles Soon after Vtred Bolton John Ashwerby Walter Bruce John Ashton and Peter Peteshall were Persecuted some by Perpetual Imprisonment some by Banishment for Preaching and Maintaining Wickliffe's Doctrine In the last Year of this Kings Reign all the Bay-Trees in England Withered and when Lancaster came to the Crown fresh Branches sprouted from the supposed dead Stocks And an Army of Birds Fighting in the Air strangely destroyed each other THE County of SUFFOLKE Remarks on the County of Suffolk c. SUffolk has many Advantages in its Situation by reason the Eastern part of it opens to the Sea and is stored with commodious Havens besides this County abounds with Cattle Wooll Corn Marshes producing fat Pastures store of Butter and much Cheese but not much approved of It is mostly plain branched with several curious Rivers flowing from and runing into the Ocean On the North it is Bounded with Norfolk on the West with Cambridgeshire and on the South with Essex It contains 22 Hundreds 575 Parishes 28 Market Towns 1 Castle 2 principal Rivers 32 Bridges 27 Parks most of them well stored with Deer It sends Members to Parliament 16 viz. Alborough 2 Dunwich 2 St. Edmunds-Bury 2 Ipswich 2 Orford 2 Sudbury 2 Eye 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire Ipswich in this County was Founded by one Gipsa it has a flourishing Estate in Shiping-Trade by reason of the Navigable River it stands on it was often harassed in antient times by the Danes and is particularly noted for the Birth of that great Pagentry of Fortune Cardinal Wolsey whose Father was a Butcher in it St. Edmunds-Bury is Memorable for King Edmund's being Shot to Death by the Danes for Expiation of which Cruelty King Canute Erected here a stately Monastery once accounted the Richest in Europe And here a Parliament was held in the Reign of King Henry the Sixth Exning is the Birth-place of St. Audri Sister to King Ina. At Renlisham Redwald the first Christian King of the East-Angles kept his Court Lidgate is the Birth-place of John Sirnamed Lidgate a famous English Poet. The Seats of the Nobility are Busbrook Hall belonging to the Duke of St. Albans Ewston to the Earl of Arlington Christs Church in Ipswich Sudbury Hall Soham Lodge to the Lord Viscount Hereford Denham Hall to the Lord Viscount Townsend Broom Hall and Carleford Hall to the Lord Cornwallis Besides these there are a great many stately Buildings belonging to private Gentlemen In some of the Cliffs to the Sea Hawks build and there is much Game for Recreation as Fishing Fowling Hunting c. Here also stands Framlingham Castle a place of great State Beauty Strength and Conveniency and the Ruins of Burgh Castle Remain The Reign of HENRY the Fourth commonly called Henry of Bullenbrook THIS Henry was Crowned by the consent of the Estates in the life time of Richard the Second and created Henry his Eldest Son Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwal and Earl of Chester Then he called a Parliament in his own Name in which the Bishop of Carlisle for speaking in the behalf of King Richard and moving a commiseration of his wrongs was committed close Prisoner to the Abby of St. Albans and the Crown was entailed on Henry and his Heirs forever This Parliament no sooner ended but many Lords Conspired the Death of the King entering into Oath and Covenant to do it at Oxford where they had appointed sollemn Sports for his Entertainment in honour as they Flatteringly pretended of his happy Accession to the Crown but really with an intent to restore King Richard And accordingly they met Armed all but Edward Plantagenet Duke of Aumarle Son to Edmund of Langley Duke of York the Kings Unkle who as he sat at Dinner with his Father had by chance the Label of the Instrument of Combination hanging out at his Bosom of which the old Duke taking hold drew forth the whole Writing and Reading the Contents of the Conspiracy prepared for Windsor to give the King an account of it which the young Duke perceiving hastily took Horse and out-stript him himself revealing all the Intrigue for which he had his Pardon Upon this Discovery the King put off his Journey to Oxford and hastened to the Tower of London securing the City to his Interest and raising an Army of which the Lords at Oxford had no sooner notice but they encreased their Forces causing one Magdalen much in likeness to Personate King Richard and advanced their Standard to meet the King but finding they were much inferiour to him in Number their courage failed which so disheartened the Souldiers that they dispersed and left their Leaders to shift for themselves so that most of them were Taken and Executed in divers places others fled the Kingdom and reserved themselves to broach new Broils and this hastened King Richard's Murther in the manner as has been said For King Henry complaining that so long as he Lived he should never be at rest and demanding if none loved him so well as to rid him of that Torment Pierce of Exton to curry favour with him posted away and with other Ruffians villainously performed it at which the French King was mightily displeased purposing to send his Letters of Defiance to King Henry and Invade his Kingdom but upon second thoughts tho' he had raised a potent Army he dissolved it and proceeded no further in the business Yet soon after he Levied another Army to Invade Aquitaine and Guyan but was so stoutly withstood by King Henry's Forces That he retired and Disbanded them But the King of England doubting the security of his ill-got Title laboured to make Peace with him the better to strengthen himself offering a Marriage between Henry his Son and the Lady Isabella Widow to King Richard and Daughter to Charles the Sixth of France but that King considering how unfortunate Marriages had been between France and England refused it whereupon she was sent over in great State and Married to her Cousin Charles Eldest Son of Lewis Duke of Orleance her Unkle Soon after this Owen Glendour with his Welsh Rebelled Overthrowing the King's Army and taking the Lord Grey of Ruthen and Edmund Mortimer the Kings Cousin Prisoners using them exceeding hardly the sooner to oblige the King to Ransom them but he neglected it because Mortimer was nearer Allied to the Crown by Right of Descent than himself yet tho' he might have had his
French hasted out of the Field with their Prisoners and Spoil as having had hot work on it already and not willing to try a second Encounter The King was much troubled at this Overthrow and the death of his Brother but resolving Revenge he sent the Earl of Mountague to succeed him in the Command of the Provinces and assembling a Parliament caused to be laid before them the State of both Nations whereupon to enable him in his Wars the Temporality gave him one Fifteenth and the Clergy two and for Expedition the Bishop of Winchester Advanced 20000 l. and received it again out of the Tax Granted by Parliament whereupon an Army consisting of 24000 Men was Transported under the Command of John Duke of Bedford the King's Brother driving the Dauphin from the Siege of Chartieres from thence the Duke Marched to Paris and was soon joyned by the Duke of Burgundy with 4000 Horse nor was the King slow in following his Army having with him James the Young King of Scots who with his own People Besieged and Took Direux and delivered it to King Henry and so they chased the Dauphin out of all his strong Holds compelling him to take Refuge in Berry whither the King thought not fit to tire his Army in following him but having taken in a great many places repassed the Loire About this time Queen Catharine was delivered of a Son at Windsor which News coming to the King very much troubled him because he had charged her not to Lye-in there but being unexpectedly taken in Labour necessity compelled her to do it The King's Reason for it was grounded on an old Prophecy Predicting No Prince Fortunate that should be Born there Whereupon in a Passion he said to the Lord Fitz-Hugh his Chamberlaine Good God! I Henry of Monmouth shall have but a short Reign and Win much but Henry of Windsor shall Reign long and Loose all But God's Will be done Soon after this the King having Reduced the Isles of France and almost all other Places fell Sick and unable to Travel whereupon he committed the charge of the Army to his Brother John Duke of Bedford Then calling together his Nobles and sending for the Queen he appointed the Duke of Bedford Regent of France and Lieutenant General of Normandy and his other Brother Humphry Duke of Glocester Regent of England and Protector of his Son's Person Exhorting the Nobles to maintain the Friendship with the Duke of Burgundy and always to be at Union among themselves to be faithful to his Son and Queen and never to conclude a Peace with the Dauphin till he submitted to his Son Soon after this he Dyed August 31st Anno 1422 at Boice Le Vincenois in France of a Burning Feavour and Flux in the 30th Year of his Age when he had Reigned 9 Years 5 Months and 10 Days and his Body being brought over was Buried among his Noble Ancestors at Westminster with extraordinary Solemnity SUSSEX By I. Seller Remarks on the County of Sussex c. SUssex is a very pleasant open County in most parts and much advantaged by its lying open on its South side to the Sea It produces a considerable sprinkling of Corn flocks of Sheep and many Large Cattle Fruit great store and much Pasture-Ground It abounds in Butter Cheese and some Honey Flax and Hops on the West it is Bounded with Hampshire on the North with Kent and Surry and on the East with the Sea and some little part of Kent It contains 1 City viz. Chichester which is a Bishops See 65 Hundreds Parishes 312 Market Towns 17 1 Castle 2 Rivers 10 Bridges and 33 Parks It sends Members to Parliament 20 viz. Arundel 2 Bramber 2 Chichester 2 East Grinstead 2 Horesham 2 Lewis 2 Midhurst 2 New Shoreham 2 Steyning 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire Besides the Cinque Ports viz. Hastings 2 Rye 2 Seaford 2 and Winchelsea 2. Chichester in this County is held to be Founded by Cissa a South Saxon and the Bishoprick was Translated thither from Sesley by William the Conqueror at Lewis King Ethelston Coined his Money and a strong Castle was Built there by Earl Warren and a Bloody Battel fought near it between King Henry and his Barons at Pensey or Pevensey the Conqueror Landed when he won England and near Hastings the great Fight was fought between William and King Harold for the Kingdom and the place is called to this day Battel-Field at Buckstead the first Great Iron Guns in England were Cast The Waters in this County produce the best Carp in the Island and on the Sea Coast store of Lobsters are taken Near Walsal are store of Lime Pits Sesley is famed for Cockles near Tenderden Steeple is a Stone that sensibly appears to Grow by the falliag of the Rain The Seats of the Nobility are Arundel Castle belonging to the Duke of Norfolk Buckhurs and Stoneland belonging to the Earl of Dorset part of Bolebrook to the Earl of Thanet Herst Monceux to the Earl of Sussex Cowdrey Battel-Abby and Poynings to the Lord Montague Petworth-Place to the Duke of Sommerset Eridg to the Lord Abergavenny Up-Park to the Lord Grey and Chichester Palace to the Bishop of the Diocess And many sightly Houses belonging to the Gentry c. The Reign of HENRY the Sixth commonly called Henry of Windsor HENRY the Sixth being at the Death of his Father not above three Months Old a Parliament was soon after called and he Crowned at Westminster at five Months Old the Queen holding him in her Lap whilst the Ceremony was performed and likewise brought into the Parliament-House where the Lords paid Homage to him as their Rightful Soveraign a Speech on his behalf being made to them by the Queen Exhorting them to be stedfast and Unanimous in securing his Right and opposing his Enemies c. which they promised to be and endeavour to the utmost Not long after this King Charles the Sixth Dying the French Nobles began to bethink themselves that it stood little with their Honour to be subject to a Prince of another Nation whilst they had a Son of their King amongst them and forgeting their Oaths and Fealty they began on a suddain to grow cold towards the English and seemed desirous to shake off their Yoak of which the Regent giving notice to his Brother in England care was taken continually to send him over Men and Money to compell them if necessity required it to their Obedience but first he used all manner of fair Means minding them if they persevered in their Loyalty the happy conclusion would make them Rich and Fortunate win to them the Love and Favour of their Young King as he grew up and increased in Wisdom and Years c. However the Dauphin got himself Crowned by his Party under the Title of Charles the Seventh and with his small Army took the Field sending the Lord Grandval to Besiege Pont-Melance on the River Seine which he had the fortune to surprize before the
the Earls of Warwick Devonshire Salisbury and others they resolved to complain in Parliament of the Queen's Misgovernment who by reason of the Kings Weakness and Imbecility did what she pleased as also did her Favourits the chief of which now was the Duke of Sommerset but his complaints not taking such effect as he supposed upon new Counsels he took other Measures raising an Army under pretence of removing Evil Counsellours from the King charging the Duke of Sommerset with oppressing the People and the many Miscarriages in France during his Regency occasioning the loss of Normandy and Aquitain with many other things The King upon this fearing the worst raised likewise an Army whereupon the Duke of York sent a submissive Message and Letter to him That he intended nothing against his Royal Person nor against the State but only craved That in Parliament the Duke of Sommerset might be Tryed and caused to Answer to such Crimes as would be Objected against him and the Duke of Sommerset upon this being for shew sake committed to the Tower the Duke of York dissolved his Army and came to the King where contrary to his expectation he met with the Duke of Sommerset who Accused him of Treason for that without the Kings Leave or Commandment he had raised an Army with which he intended to have Murthered his Soveraign and made himself Inheritor and Possessor of the Crown Whereupon the Duke was Arrested but in a few days Released Whilst these things happened in England the Lords of Guyan and Aquitain threw off their Subjection to France and sent secret Messages to King Henry That if he would furnish an Army to Protect them they would re-deliver those Provinces into his Possession upon which the Earl of Shrewsbury was sent with 3000 Men who received them into the Kings Protection But soon after being fought with by 20000 French he was Overthrown and Slain with almost all his followers and thereupon these Provinces were utterly Lost In the mean while the Queen was delivered of a Son whom she caused to be Named Edward The Duke of York having strengthened his Faction made grievous Complaints to the Lords in Parliament against the Duke of Sommerset so that in the Queen's Chamber he was Arrested for High Treason and conveyed to the Tower But the Parliament being suddainly Adjourned and the King by many protestations faithfully promising that at some other time he should Answer those Accusations he was set at Liberty and made Captain of the Castle and Town of Callice which made the Duke of York Leavy another Army and fought with the King at St. Albans and so prevailed that the Duke of Sommerset the Earls of Northumberland and Stafford the Lord Clifford and about 8000 others were Slain the King was also hurt in the Neck with an Arrow and taken Prisoner but used with much dissembled Civility and brought to London where at the Duke of York's entreaty he called a Parliament and the Earl of Salisbury was made Chancellour The Earl of Warwick Captain of Callice The Duke of York was likewise appointed Protector of the Kings Person and of the Realm but the Queen being perswaded he Aimed at the Crown they were soon displaced Whilst these Differences continued many disorders happened The Houses of Merchant-Strangers were Rifled and Robbed in London and the French greatly Annoy'd our Merchants on the Seas which compelled the Queen who was Wise Politick and of a Masculine Spirit to use a Stratagem which was to get the King to retire into the North for his Pleasure and sent Letters to the Three Lords immediatly to come and Confer with him who delay'd not to do it but having secret notice their destruction was intended they timely Fled and prevented their Ruin Yet the King advised by his grave Counsellours laboured for an Accommodation of matters appointing for this purpose a General Meeting of all his Lords at London who came strongly Guarded with Friends and Servants where the Arch Bishop of Canterbury and other great Clergymen used such Perswasions and Arguments That the King Queen and all the Lords were pleased in friendly and in kind sort to consent that all Jars and Discontents should be laid aside and by Instruments in Writing a Reconciliation was outwardly Confirmed but not with any hearty goodwill on either side yet it greatly Rejoyced the People who thought it Real After this the King rod through the City with the Crown on his Head the Duke of York conducted the Queen and the Lords of either Faction rod two and two together Not long after this one of the Kings Servants was Wounded in the Court by a Gentleman belonging to the Earl of Warwick who escaping the rest of the Kings Servants fell upon the Earl as he came from the Council-Table but he Escaped by Water and was searched after in London in order to be sent to the Tower yet he was not there but fled into Yorkshire complaining to his Father the Earl of Salisbury of the Injury that had been done to him who Advised him immediatly to repare to his Government of Callice and then the Earl of Salisbury raised an Army and Marched towards London of which the Queen had no sooner notice but she sent the Lord Audley to oppose him so that the Battel being joyned after a sharp Fight the Lord Audley and 2200 of his Men was Slain the rest flying and leaving Salisbury Master of the Field upon this success the Duke of York conceiving he should gain what he aimed at raised an Army on the Marches of Wales and Joyning with Salisbury near Ludlow the King's Army came in sight of them but the Lords fearing they were Betrayed by one Andrew Trollop and John Blunt two famous Captains trained up in the French Wars who had been brought over by the Earl of Warwick because after they had shewed them advantageously how to Attack the Kings Army they had on scruple of Conscience deserted and gone over to him raised their Camp in the Night and secretly Retiring disbanded their Army and shifted for themselves yet several of their Captains being Taken were Executed but the common Soldiers Pardoned and the flying Lords Proclaimed Arch Traytors to the King and Kingdom their Goods Offices and Lands Sequestered to the Kings Use c. And the King made Henry Son to the Duke of Sommerset Slain in the Battel of St. Albans Captain of Callice and now the King on good Advice Assembled a Parliament in which the Lords of the Yorkist's Faction were Attainted of High Treason and to prevent the Returning of such as were Fled beyond the Seas the Ports were Fortified and strictly Guarded yet they returned took Sandwich and in a short time raised an Army of 25000 Men with which they Marched towards London to secure which the Lord Scales was sent by the King but the Lord Mayor refused him admittance saying He was able to defend the City and would do it seeing the King had committed it to his charge so that
delays without any absolute denyal till the Battel of Bosworth-Field ending his Life set her at liberty to Marry the Earl of Richmond whom this News of Courtship hastened over with such Forces as the French King and his own Friends furnished him with to the Number of 2000 with those he Landed at Milford Haven in Wales and for a time few resorted to him yet no sooner the Welshmen understood he was of the Family of the Tuthers and of their own Blood and might prove an especial Favouour of them if he was advanced to the Crown but they flocked to his Standard from all parts under their Captains John Morgan Rice ap Thomas Richard Griffith and others having by this means gotten a little Army he Marched forward by Sir George Talbot Sir Walter Hungerford Sir Thomas Bourcher and others with Forces they had raised for King Richard This News soon flew to London and much perplexed the King insomuch that he scarcely knew who to trust yet he Levied an Army of 20000 Men and with John Duke of Norfolk and others that he had Obliged by many great Gifts Marched against his Enemies resolving to venture his Crown and Life on the fortune of a Battel and tho' many indeavours were used to withdraw the Duke of Norfolk from his side none could prevail to shake his fidelity however the Night before the Battel to amuse him and to weaken his hand This Distich was fixed on his Chamber Door viz. Jack of Norfolk be not too bold For Dickon thy Master is bought and sold On the 20th of August 1485 The two Armies faced each other near Bosworth in Leicestershire But when King Richard perceived the Lord Stanley who commanded a part of his Forces stand wavering at a distance he sent to him to come immediatly and joyn with him to which he Replied He would do it when he saw his time This so enraged him that he commanded the Son of that Lord whom he had as a Hostage of his Fidelity to be instantly cut off however he was diswaded to defer it till the fortune of the Field had been tried and so both Armies joyning fought desperately none knowing which would be victor till by the Lord Stanly's Revolting and breaking in upon the Kings Battallion with fresh Men he turned the scale when the King perceiving Fortune against him resolving to restore the Battel or Dye in a desperate mood he rushed into the Earls Battel and with his Sword made a free passage till he encountered Sir William Brandon Standard bearer to the Earl whom he slew and then singled out Sir John Cheney whom he tumbled to the Ground much Bruised and Wounded and thus gaining a passage to the Earl they Encountered like enraged Lions and Richard in all appearance had slain him had he not been beaten down by others and slain tho' the Earl had it given out he slew him with his own hands for notwithstanding his many evil qualities all Authors allow him to have been Valiant and of extraordinary Strength so that had half his Army imitated his example it is concluded he had been Victor But such was the will of God to punish him for his many Murthers that at once he lost his Kingdom and Life Upon his fall his Army partly fled and partly revolted the Duke of Norfolk likewise Fighting valiantly was slain and in all about 4000 others The Crown he brought into the Field was found in a Hawthorn Bush and placed on the Earl of Richmond's Head by the Lord Stanley whereupon he was saluted King by the General Voice Among other dead Bodies King Richard's was found Stript and carried Naked and Bloody on a Horse to Leicester where it was two days exposed to the view of the People and then Buried in the Grey-Friers Monastery when at the dissolution of Religious Houses the Stone Coffin wherein his Corps lay was taken up and said now to be a drinking Trough for Horses at a common Inn in Leicester He began his Reign June 22 Anno Dom. 1483 and Reigned two Years and two Months Remarks on Worcestershire c. WOrcestershire produces store of Sheep and large Cattle much Corn and rich Pastures It is pleasently Watered by the River Severn branching in a manner through all the County affording store of Fish as the Parks do Venison It is towards Staffordshire pretty Woody with some rising Hills It is Bounded with Shropshire Herefordshire Glocestershire Warwickshire and Staffordshire It sends Members to Parliament 9 viz. Bewdly 1 Droitwich 2 Evesham 2 Worcester City 2 and 2 Knights of the Shire WORCESTER SHIRE At Eversham King Kenry the Third gained a great Victory over the Barons Kiderminster is of great Antiquity also Sturbridg On the edge of this County at Eckington is a Medicinal Well whose Waters are Restorative In this Shire are Hartlebury Holt and Emsley Castles The Seats of the Nobility are Grafton belonging to the Earl of Shrewsbury Lenwick to the Earl of Craven Feckenham Lodg to the Lord Coventry and Hartelbury Castle the Bishops Seat This Shire contains 7 Hundreds 152 Parishes 1 City which is a Bishops See 12 Market Towns and is Watered with 5 Rivers over which and Branches are 15 Bridges It has moreover 7 Castles 1 Chase 2 Forrests and 16 Parks The Reign of King HENRY the Seventh AFter the Battel of Bosworth Henry hasted to London and soon after his arrival was Crowned King Then calling a Parliament King Richard was Attainted and the Crown entailed on him and his Heirs and the January following he Married the Lady Elizabeth Eldest Daughter to Edward the Fourth by which means the long Warring Houses of York and Lancaster were joyned in one and in the ensuing September she was delivered of a Prince who was Christned Arthur and the King published his Pardon to all that had born Arms against him conditionally if they would Swear Fealty and Allegiance to him which many refused and had their Goods and Estates Confiscated Then he chose Grave and Wise Counsellours of State who by their prudent mannagment of Affairs thorowly settled the Kingdom in Peace and Tranquillity and so proceeding to make large amends to the Duke of Britany and French King for the favours he received from them during his Exile But now whilst all things seemed quiet and Trade began to flourish a suddain Rebellion broke out in the North Headed by Sir Humphry Stafford the Lord Lovel and others who left their Sanctuaries and drew great Numbers to side with them But King Henry raised an Army with much celerity and coming swiftly on them the Ringleaders fled by Night which so amazed the Plebeans that the next Morning they submitted to the Kings mercy However Sir Humphry Stafford and his Brother Thomas were taken out of Culuham Abby in Oxfordshire whither they had fled for Sanctuary and the first Beheaded the latter being spared because he Acted by the Dictates of his Brother This combustion was no sooner over but another more dangerous ensued For one
place as Ego et Rex meus I and my King That Forreigners admired how such Arrogancy could be suffered by any Prince in his Subject but his Fall was swifter than his Rise so that what he chiefly aimed at viz. to be Elected Pope in making Interest for which promotion at Rome and in other Courts it had cost England vast sums of Money he never attained to For King Henry growing into a dislike of the Marriage between him and the Lady Catharine of Spain because she had been his Brother Arthur's Wife tho' indeed as it after appeared rather by a Divorce to make way for a fresh Beauty the Cardinals delays and crossing the Kings haste in this purpose made him fall into disgrace which brought him to his End as will by and by be manifested The King by Riotous Living at home and Expences in Forreign Courts where Ambassadors especially Woolsey were attended with such State that they rather seemed the King himself than his Representatives had now pretty well emptied his Coffers which put him into some discontent But Woolsey both to Enrich the King and himself laid hold of his Melancholy and Wants as a favourable opportunity of his own Authotity granted out Commissions under the Great Seal for Levying a Tax all over England and Wales according to the true value of every Mans Estate viz. Of every Fifty Pound value and upwards Four Shillings in the Pound and for every Pound above Twenty and under Fifty two Shillings and all under Twenty Twelve Pence in the Pound and in London he appointed himself chief Commissioner And by another Commission the Clergy without exception were Taxed Four Shillings in the Pound for their Livings This seemed so grievous to all sorts of People so great a Tax never having been laid on them before and this done without Authority of Parliament that the Meaner sort grievously Cursed the Author and Contriver of their Miseries and those more discreet laboured for these Reasons to have the Commission Revoked 1. Because the Commissions were not established or grounded on the Laws of the Kingdom 2. Because the Execution of them would be a dangerous President against the Liberty and Freedom of the People of England in time to come 3. Because Mens Credits many times exceeded their Estates and to bring them upon Oath or other ways to discover that it would prove their Ruin And Lastly That not one in ten had the value demanded in Plate or Ready Money and if they parted with so much Trade must cease for want of Coin to Trade with But these and many more Reasons prevailed not till the King perceived the Peoples discontents every where so great that he feared a general Insurrection and then he sent his Letters to countermand the Commission dissembling that he knew any thing of those Commissions that had been given out to Levy the Tax and the Cardinal seeing his Project frustrated and fawningly to excuse himself to the People he certified in all Counties by his Letters viz. That because he saw those Taxes were too grievous for them to bear he had in compassion to them kneeled to the King and prevailed with him to Revoke the Commissions Yet few believed him for the greater part were satisfied that it was done against his mind and that he inwardly fretted at the disappointment it being the first rub that had checked his Arbitrary Will When to spend his Gaul on some body and ease his Anger he after he had given the King Hampton Court and all his fine Buildings there in exchange for his Palace of Richmond prevailed to have the ordering the King's Houshould which was no sooner granted but he turned out all worthy deserving Persons and Sold their Places and Offices to such as would be more obedient to him About this time the French King requested the Lady Mary King Henry's Daughter to be given in Marriage to the Dauphin his Son but whilst this Match was solicited and by some liked and by others disapproved a Scruple was cast in the way as most thought upon the secret intimation of Woolsey in despight to the Emperour because by Strength he had not made him Pope when by his Money and Policy he had failed to obtain it by the President of Paris who Questioned Whether the Lady was Legitimate as Born in Lawful Matrimony seeing she was Begotten on the Body of the Lady Catharine who had been his Brother Arthur 's Wife This made the Lawfulness of the King's Marriage be called in Questian and himself so averse to it that by the Counsel of Doctor Longland his Confessor who told him he had Lived Incestuously almost twenty Years he forsook the Queen's Bed to her great grief and discontent And however tho' upon this pretence the Match was broken off yet Woolsey was sent over who concluded a Peace with the French King The Legality of the King's Marriage after this coming hotly to be Disputed to determine which the Pope sent Campeius with a power Legantine which he also granted to Woolsey and so the two Legates reparing to the Queen to Inform her of their Power and Authority which she took very uneasy sharply telling Woolsey He was the first causer of this scruple to be Revenged on her Nephew because he had not made him Pope and on her because she had secretly in a loving and gentle manner often times Admonished him of his Coveteousness and Tyrany his Extortions and Oppressions his Pride and Lechery But with protestations he laboured to excuse it as if he had been altogether Ignorant of the matter and proceeded to erect a stately Court for himself and his Brother Cardinal in the Black Fryars in London where the King and Queen were Cited and Appeared The King protested That nothing but his trouble of Conscience could make him part with so Tender and Loving a Wife and if with the removal of that scruple he could Cohabit with her he should be exceeding Joyful But those that knew what little Scruples this King made in other weighty matters did not lean greatly on the truth of what he said however the Queen advised by her Councel appealed to the Court of Rome But her Appeal was not allowed and tho' the King desired a quick dispatch the business was delayed Yet they proceeded to sit Weekly and hear Learned Disputes on the matter At length the King being informed That after the Last day of July the Legates would sit no more till the Fourth of October in a great passion he sent the Dukes of Norfolk Suffolk and other Lords to demand a dispatch to the Judicial Sentence one way or the other Campeius Answered It could not be done so soon for by the Yearly Custom of the Court of Rome they were bound to Adjourn and if any Sentence in the interim was given it was utterly void in Law At this the Duke of Suffolk in a Rage struck his Fist on the Table saying That never Cardinal nor Legate did any good in England
and whilst the King was expecting a final Determination Campeius seeing a Storm likely to arise thought fit to be packing for Rome pretending the Pope had sent for him Upon notice of this the King was much perplexed as knowing they designed to fix it in the Court of Rome to tire him out with vast Expences and Delays so that from that time Cardinal Woolsey began to fall from his favour For having secretly promised a Divorce yet fearing to displease the Court of Rome he had now refused it And the next Term the King caused his Attourney General to prefer an Indictment against him on the Statute of Premunire on several Articles which being found by the Grand Jury he Confessed all the material points by his Attourney And all his Promotions except the Arch-Bishoprick of York and the Bishoprick of Winchester were taken from him and Sir Thomas Moor was made Lord Chancellour The King likewise seized his Mass of Plate and Rich Furniture and confined him to his House at Asher near Kingstone A Parliament being Assembled the Commons made great complaints against the Clergy exhibiting divers Articles relating to their Pride Luxurious way of Living Trading as Husbandmen and Merchants to the Injury of those brought up to it c. This was strongly opposed by Dr. Fisher Bishop of Rochester who Reflecting on the Commons by saying Now with our Commons is nothing but Down with the Church and all this is for lack of Faith only they complained of it to the King by Sir Thomas Audley their Speaker and others but the Bishop excusing himself by putting another Interpretation on the meaning of his Words they were contented with the King 's sharply reprehending him and then they proceeded to Article against Woolsey under several Heads Charging him with Misleading and Abusing the King wasting and purloining the Treasure That in his Letters he had Written I and my King as if the King had been his Inferiour and at his Command To be brief they loaded him with Pride Cruelty Oppression Lechery Evil Counsel c. However the King by reason of his former Favour permitted him to retire to the Arch-Bishoprick of York and there continue privately till further orders But he tampering with the Pope and being encouraged by his Letters to oppose the King and force him if he would not otherways comply to restore him to Favour or else by virtue of a Bull to Curse him and take the power of the Clergy Government into his own hands as the Popes Vice Roy whilst he was in his way to York and preparing for his Installment he was Arrested by the Earl of Northumberland whereupon he shewed the Meanness of his Spirit and Birth as all Cruel Proud Upstarts usually do when they fall into any affliction though in their prosperity they are regardless of others Calamities but rather labour to promote than decrease them For however upon his first being seized thinking to terrify the Earl who never bore any good-will towards him he told him He was a Member of the Colledge of Cardinals at Rome and that neither the King nor any other Temporal Prince could or ought to Intermeddle with him for any Cause or Matter whatsoever But this nothing availing he fell into Tremblings and Frights and when the Kings Letter was produced to give him some beams of Comfort that he might not altogether despair of Mercy and Favour with a sordid Meanness of Spirit he fell on his knees in a dirty place and kissed it shedding Tears for Joy when in the height of his State and Pride he had accounted the King as his Pupil more than his Soveraign For indeed his first Station in the World was an ordinary Pedagogue or Schoolmaster But at the sight of Sir William Kingstone Constable of the Tower with a Guard of Yeomen to convey him Prisoner thither his fears so encreased that he fell Sick at Leicester Abby and taking a strong Confection which some suppose he did purposely to Poison himself he breathed his last saying a little before he Dyed If he had Served his God so faithfully as he had done his King he would not at that time have cast him off And thus fell that Pageant of suddain Greatness unpitied by all Inriching some by his Death tho' in his Life-time he had Ruined many more He Built White-Hall a stately Colledge at Oxford another at Ipswich and many other stately Buildings leaving much Money Plate and Rich Furniture which was seized to the Kings use who distributed part of it and his Lands among such as had well deserved The King by this time having gotten it under the Seals of most of the Universities in Christendom That his Marriage was Unlawful procured a Divorce without the Popes Dispensation and soon after he Married Anna Bullen whom he had Created Marchioness of Pembrook a Protestant Lady Daughter to the Lord Rochford afterwards Earl of Wiltshire Elizabeth Barton stiled the Holy Maid of Kent for Prophecying That if King Henry proceeded to the Divorce and Married another he should not be King of England one Month after was Hanged together with Seven of her Desciples at Tyburn for Treason A Parliament being called the Clergy therein totally submitted themselves to the King touching their Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Affaires and the Pope was by Parliament utterly deprived of all Annates and First Fruits of Bishopricks and other Spiritual Promotions The Marriage with Queen Catharine was Annulled and that with Queen Anna Confirmed and by the same Act the Crown was entailed to the King and the Heirs of his Body out of which the Lady Mary was Excluded and to this all the Lords and Burgess present in Parliament were Sworn except Doctor Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Sir Thomas Moor who refused to do it Wherefore they were marked out by the King for Destruction as a Terror to others for not only Refusing to Swear but Contesting and Protesting against the proceedings of the Parliament they were sent to the Tower where upon denying the Kings Supremacy Ordained by another Act and atributing it to the Pope they were Accused Tryed Convicted and Beheaded And by this Act the King was Acknowledged to be Supream Head of the Church in all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical Things and Causes and the Popes Bulls Pardons Indulgences and other Instruments of the like Nature made void For Grief of which and her own hard Usage Queen Catharine who was stiled Dowager and Lived with a small Attendance Sickened and Dyed nor did her Successor long survive her For some time after Queen Ann had been safely delivered of the Princess Elizabeth who was afterwards Queen of England a Conspiracy was laid to take away her Life supposedly on the account of her Religion for some of the Romish party were not without supposition she swayed much in those Alterations and therefore being Accused of Incest by some of her Subborned Bedchamber-Women as if she had Layn with the Lord Rochford her own Brother the furious King
could not Succeed being Illegitimate That he could not contradict the Declarations of Clement the Seventh and Paul the Third That it was a great presumption to assume the Name of Queen and Government without his consent yet being desirous to shew a Fatherly Affection if she would renounce her pretentions to the Crown and refer herself wholly to his free disposition he would do whatever might be done with the Honour of the Apostolick See The Queen who was well assured of her Title to the Crown by her Right and by the Estates in Parliament little expecting such an Answer was very much displeased called home her Agent and from that time resolved never more to hold any Correspondency with the See of Rome But having refused the King of Spain's offers of Marriage with her counting the Dispensation he promised to procure at the Popes hands Unlawful and Wicked she set her mind to contrive the most easie and inofensive ways how to restore the Protestant Religion consulting with those of the greatest understanding in Affairs of Church and State and coming to some result she placed in the Courts of Judicature and Offices of greatest Trust such Persons as were of that Profession or well enclined to it And having wisely weighed all circumstances she made provision against the encouragement and growth of Popery by restraining the Nobles and others from sending their Children to be Educated beyond the Seas and caused many Ceremonies in Divine Worship used in the former Reign to be laid aside And so after the Funeral of her Sister prepared for her Coronation and was in order to it conducted with extraordinary Pomp and Triumph from the Tower through the City to Westminster where she was Invested with the Regal Ornaments and was Crowned by the Bishop of Carlile the other Bishops refusing to perform that Office as fearing the Popes displeasure or rather the fall of the Romish Religion in this Kingdom to which Alteration if they consented not they foresaw they must lose their Bishopricks And now People differing much in Points of Religion it was ordered by Proclamation That none should unreverently speak of the Sacrament and it was alowed to be received in both kinds yet a Conferrence was appointed to be held at Westminster between the Papists and the Protestants upon these Considerations viz. 1. Concerning Prayer and the Administration of the Sacrament in the Vulgar-Tongue 2. Concerning the Authority of the Church in Constituting and Abrogating Ceremonies to Edification 3. Concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass But the Papists in this would come to nothing without the Popes License and some of the Bishops threatning the Queen and her Nobles with Excommunication if they proceeded to make alterations for their male-pertness some of them were committed to Prison The Queen appointed a Form of Common Prayer in English and settled the Reformed Religion entirely throwing off the Roman Yoak and began to apply herself to other weighty Affairs sending to demand the Restitution of Callice Lost in the preceding Reign and after many Debates it was agreed That the French King should Enjoy it for the Term of Eight Years and that then it should be restored to the Queen of England or in refusal be Paid 500000 Crowns and hereupon a Peace was Agreed and Proclaimed between the two Nations as also between the Dauphin and the Queen of Scots his Wife whereby Scotland was Included Whilst these things were transacting the Parliament Advised the Queen to Marry leaving her entirely therein to her own Choice that Children might be Born to Succeed her To which the Queen made this reply That she was already Wedded which was to her Kingdom and People and having promised to take a Husband if so the good of the State should require it she dismissed those that were sent to her by both Houses on this Message And soon after came an Ambassador from the King of Sweden to propose a Marriage between her and Prince Ericus the Kings Eldest Son but after he had been sumptuously Treated he was dismissed with a modest Denial and tho' the Duke of Anjou the Arch Duke of Austria and others sued for her Favour she only gave them her Esteem instead of her Love and put them off with fair words In the meantime the Scots destroyed in most parts of that Kingdom the Religious Houses Altars Images c. declaring for a Reformation which was against their Queens mind Whereupon the French on her Husbands and her part raised Forces to oppose them which made them send their Complaints to Queen Elizabeth and implore her assistance for the speedy driving out the Frenchmen whom they said through their Queens favour had engrossed all the Places of Trust Honour and Profit into their Hands This Queen Elizabeth communicating to her Council after many Debates to prevent the French getting an inlet into England by the way of Scotland it was agreed Assistance should be given to the Reformers And the Duke of Norfolk was appointed Lieutenant General of the North to secure the Borders and on certain Articles agreed an Army was sent into Scotland under the Command of the Lord Grey and Ships to Edenborough Frith who dislodged the French Men of War that lay there This made the French King sue for Peace to the Queen but his suit was rejected on many weighty Considerations tho' he promised at this time to deliver up Callice in lieu thereof However a Treaty was held at Edenborough but it came to little upon the French King 's declining to Sign the Articles agreed on And now the Pope a Second time laboured to perswade the Queen to own his Supremacy and not separate England from the Body of the Roman Catholick Church but the Queen refusing to harken to the Popes Letters resolved firmly to adhere to the Protestant Religion And now the Queen of Scots returning into that Kingdom her Husband being Dead sent a Letter to Queen Elizabeth full of kind expressions to desire that a sincere Friendship might be maintained between them and the Envoy that brought it had Commission to deal with the Queen to declare her Heir Apparent to the Kingdom which was insinuated as the safest way to continue Peace between the two Crowns But the Queen Answered She would do nothing to the prejudice of her Title but as to this matter she would refer it to the Personal Conferrence that was to be held shortly at York But that Interview was broken off by the Papists contrivance least it might be a means towards creating the Queen of Scots an inclination to the Reformed Religion whereupon the Queen the better to strengthen her Hands built several Sail of stout Ships cast a great many Ordnance and the Art of Gun-powder-making in England was first by her Encouragement found out so that having a great Fleet always at Sea she was by Forreigners stiled The Queen of the North Seas causing the Militia readily to be provided with Arms and frequently Exercised And the Guisean Faction
them A Sow furrowed Piggs with Arms and Hands fingered as a Child instead of Legs And many other Creatures produced Monstrous Births A Plague likewise happened whereof Dyed in 8 Months 23660. The Thames was so hard Frozen that Waines and Carts passed it Markets and divers sorts of Exercises were kept and used on it Great Floods and Tempests happened spoiling much Corn and demolishing many Buildings In Yorkshire a Tempest over-threw a Church called Patrick Burton and laid many Villages in Ruins And many fearful Sights appeared in the Air. The Reign of King JAMES the First QUeen Elizabeth a little before she died having declared King James the Sixth of Scotland her Successor as indeed he was the next Allied to the Crown of England as being great Grand-Son to the Lady Margaret Eldest Daughter to Henry the Seventh he was upon that Queens death Proclaimed by Secretary Cecill and others and solemnly Invited to fill the vacant Throne when having disposed Affairs in Scotland for the preserving the Peace of that Kingdom he set forward with a very splendid Equipage And his first Act was to Establish and Continue Religion as it had been Setled by the deceased Queen causing the Old and New Testaments to be Translated from the Original and set many at liberty who were Imprisoned on sundry occasions by the Queen deceased But whilst these things were doing there wanted not some who envied his Accession to the Throne and secret contrivances were laid to Depose him and set up the Lady Arabella a Branch sprung from the same Stem by another Branch but it being timely discovered divers were Apprehended Tryed and Condemn'd yet only George Brook Brother to the Lord Cobham and two Popish Priests suffered Death Sir Walter Rawleigh and divers others being Pardoned and on the 25th of July 1603 the King and Ann his Queen were Crowned at Westminster in the Marble Chaire brought out of Scotland by Edward the First which fullfilled the Prophecy Inscribed on it and mentioned in that Kings Reign and Prince Henry the Kings Eldest Son was made Knight of the Garter and stiled Prince of Wales and Honours were conferred on divers Persons The next thing the King proceeded to do was to decide the Controversy between the Church of England and the Party that then stiled themselves Puritans and a Conference to that purpose was appointed at Hampton-Court where the King so Learnedly Argued that the former carried the day And the Jesuits proving over-hot in stirring up the People to change in opinions thereby to work their own ends were Banished the Kingdom and a Proclamation put out for Uniformity in the Church Soon after this the King Assembled a Parliament recommending to them the care of the Nation and a lasting settlement of Peace and Tranquility and thereupon restored the Antient Name of this Island causing himself to be Proclaimed King of Great Britain And whilst he and the Parliament happily accorded a private design was carried on to destroy them both for the Popish Party being denied the Tolleration they had petitioned for contrived one of the most Stupendious Mischiefs that ever entered into the Hearts of Men for their heat of Mallice would not be quenched with the Royal Blood but that of the Nobility and Gentry the representative body of the whole Kingdom united at Westminster was to have been shattered in pieces and dismembered by a blast of 36 Barrells of Gunpowder which they had placed in a Cellar under the Parliament House but it was Discovered by a Letter to the Lord Monteagle the Morning before it was to have been put in execution The principal Conspirators were Robert Catesby Thomas Piercy Robert Winter Thomas Winter John Garnet Ambrose Rookwood John Wright Francis Fresham Sir Everard Dighby and Guido Faux This Latter was to have set Fire to the Train and was taken with his Dark-Lanthorn at the Enterance of the Cellar on the 5th of November 1605. Which day by Parliament was appointed Annually a Day of Thanksgiving for that memorable Deliverance Upon this Discovery the Conspirators that escaped by flying were divers of them slain by Forces raised by the High-Sheriff of Warwickshire Faux upon Examination before the Council confessed the whole matter saying God would have had it prosper but the Devil Discovered it expressing himself sorry that it had not taken effect Garnet the Jesuite and others were Executed on this account and some Lords who were absent from Parliament and were suspected to have notice of the Design were committed to the Tower but after some confinement were released again and soon after this a rumour was spread without any certain Author That the King was Stabbed and Slain with an Impoisoned Knife as he was Hunting near Ockingham which for a time much troubled the People nor could their fears be allayed before a Proclamation came out to satisfie them of the contrary and the King of Denmark the Queens Brother coming to White-Hall was Magnificently Entertained and having stay'd about a Month departed highly satisfied The Kingdoms of England and Scotland that had long continued in bloody Wars were now United by both their consents in their Representatives on a foundation advantagious to either Nation and so it has ever since continued The Duke of Juliers about this time dying the Dukes of Newburg and Brandenburg strove for that Dutchey but whilst they weakly contended Spain more powerful resolved to take it from them both seizing on the City of Juliers the principal place of the Province which obliged King James at the States of the Netherlands supplication to send 4000 English under the Command of Sir Edward Cecill and Sir Hatton Cheek by whose Valour it was chiefly Reduced Soon after Henry the Fourth of France was Stabbed in his Coach by one Ravilliack passing the Ironmongers-street in Paris for which the Murtherer was pulled to pieces with Burning Pincers yet could not be compelled to tell who set him on that wicked Enterprize and King James startled with this untimely Death put out a Second Proclamation to Banish the Jesuits out of the Kingdom and all Popish Recusants Ten Miles from the Court. The Lord Sanquire a Scotish Baron having his Eye put out by one Turner a Fencing-master in White-Fryars in revenge hired two Persons to Murther him for which he was Hanged before Westminster-Hall-Gate in the Palace-Yard and Dyed very penitently tho' great intercession was made to save him And the Queen of Scots Beheaded in the foregoing Reign was by the Kings order removed from Peterborough to Westminster and there magnificently Interred and soon after the Elector Palatine of the Rhinâ— came into England and Married the Lady Elizabeth the Kings Daughter But the splendour of the Nuptials were Eclipsed by the Death of Prince Henry the Kings Eldest Son which happened a little before the Weding not without suspicion of Poison as some have it by the Scent of Perfumed Gloves others by eating a Bunch of Grapes but the Disease affecting mostly the Brain it carried him
King from medling in the Affairs of the Palatinate and the design of this Marriage was his chief aime to restore it whereupon he gave orders to the Earl of Bristol his Ambassador positively to declare to the King of Spain That unless that was restored to the Elector the Treaty should proceed no further and that being refused the Prince grew cold in his Love and so all was dashed upon his thoughts with a Match with the Youngest Daughter of Henry the Fourth of France whom he had seen in his passage that way to Spain and to whom after his Fathers death he was Married Upon this the King called another Parliament and missing the Duke of Richmond his old Friend and sending to his Lodging he was found dead in his Bed without any Wound or sign of force upon him which put the King into such grief and consternation that he would not go to the House in his Robes and so put them off for some Days longer This Parliament greatly inveighed against the Duke of Buckingham for perswading the Prince to take such a hazardous Journey out of the Land and advised the King since so many Delays and Tricks had been put upon the Honour of the Nation to break the Treaty with Spain protesting to assist him for the regaining the Palatinate with their Lives and Fortunes c. They insisting on a Religious War that might be Aiding to the afflicted Protestants in Germany and France but the King however seemed more to encline to Peace as appeared by his Letters and Speeches on this occasion for fearing that when the War was begun he should not find wherewithal to maintain it and therefore thanking them for their proffers and advice he told them he would consider better of it however the Treaty with Spain was utterly dissolved This and some forwardness for War so fretted the Spanish Ambassador that whether out of Truth and Knowledge as he pretended or Malice only cannot be determined he sent to the King to let him know that Buckingham had some dangerous Design against him tending to his destruction and that it would be the safest to confine him to some Country-House for his Life however tho' it was generally thought to proceed from spight because the Duke set himself against the Spanish Interest it put the King into such fears being now grown Old that all the Duke's protestations could not a long time remove them nor till the Duke's Friends gave upon Oath their knowledge of the Duke 's sincere intentions and that this was contrived with the Ambassador by the Advice of a Jesuite and this Parliament the Earl of Middlesex by Buckingham's procurement was Questioned but there came no great matter of it for the Parliament knowing it was done by the Duke's means upon his Questioning for the Money excessively spent in Spain they had no great mind to back him in it Whilst these things passed a melancholy Account came from the East-Indies where the English had five several Factories two at Hitto and Lerico and two at Latro and Cambello in the Island of Seran but the Principal of them was at Amboyna which is the chief Place in all the East-Indies where Nutmegs Mace Cinnamon Cloves and other Spices grow and from these Factories the English supplied not only England and all Europe with Spice but Persia Japan and other Countries in the East-Indies This made the Dutch to Envy the English and therefore resolved to dispossess them of the Spice-Trade which is the best in all the East-Indies The English in all these Islands were better beloved than the Dutch and had built a Fortress in Amboyna for the safety of their Trade but the Dutch having two hundred Soldiers on that Island forced this Fortress from the English and then pretending a Plot between the English and the Natives of Amboyna for the Recovering of the said Fort from the Dutch to the English the Dutch by horrid Torments burning them under the Soles of their Feet and under their Armpits and pouring Water down their Throats when stretched on a Rack till they were ready to burst and by other barbarous ways Massacred the English there and seized upon the English Factories to the value of Four Hundred Thousand Pounds making the rest of the English that had escaped their Massacre Slaves and sent them into other Islands which the Dutch had possessed themselves of This was in the Year 1622 when but three Years before the Dutch had concluded a Treaty of Trade between the English and Dutch in the East-Indies This News extreamly troubled the East-India Company who humbly petitioned the King to demand satisfaction of the States General But the King cared not for War and tho' the Dutch refused to make any satisfaction for this Unheard-of Villany the King only told the Dutch Ambassador That he never heard nor read of a more Cruel and Impious Act than that of Amboyna yet said he I do forgive them and I hope God will but my Sons Son shall revenge this Blood and punish this horrid Massacre And so left the Dutch in the quiet Possession of what they had so basely gotten from the English without offering to draw his Sword against them Which perhaps occasion'd his being pictur'd with his Sword in his Scabbard and two Men pulling at it but could not get it out And now the King having permitted the Count Mansfield General for the Elector Palatine to raise some Forces here he soon after fell sick of a Tertian Fever a little before his Death he called for the Prince and rowsed himself as desirous to speak to him but being too weak sunk down in his Bed again and Dyed at Theobalds on the 27th of March 1625. when he had Reigned over all Britain 22 Years and three Days being the Twenty Third of his Reign and Fifty Ninth of his Age. He was buried at Westminster He was of a Stature inclining to tallness being somewhat higher than Ordinary his Body very well compacted his Hair of an Aubourn Colour and of a Pleasing Countenance and towards his latter End somewhat fat and burly He had the repute of a Wise Prince but his Reign did not shew it He indeed Writ several Books against the Jesuite's King-Killing Doctrin but that shewed his Fear more than his Learning and that he was therein acted by a Principle of Self-Preservation For the Gunpowder-Plot in England and the Assassination of Henry the Fourth by Ravilliac in France were enough to make him afraid of the Jesuites He was wholly ruled in all things by his Favourites to whom he was excessively bountiful and thereby squandered away the Treasure of the Nation At his coming to the Crown he found the Exchequer Rich but at his Death which was a great Unhappiness to his Son he left it very poor and well he might giving so profusely as he did to his Flatterers and Favorites It is reported of him That having given Sir Robert Carr Twenty Thousand Pounds the Lord Treasurer
Peace which was soon Concluded as had been with France before On the 29th of May 1630. the Queen was deliver'd of a Son who was Christened Charles and Succeeded in the Kingdom At whose Birth it is Remarkable a very bright Star appeared at Noon-day which being shewed the King as he came from his Devotion he greatly Rejoyced thereat as taking it for a fortunate Presage Soon after Dr. Leighton Writing and Publishing a Book Entituled Sion's Plea was Censured for it and Sentenced to have his Nose slit his Ears cropp'd and a Mark or Brand in his Fore-head which was inflicted on him Anno 1631 Mervin Lord Audley Earl of Castle-Haven was tryed by his Peers on the Petition of his Son and Heir for a Rape and Sodomy and being found Guilty lost his Head on Tower-hill The King hearing of some Murmurrings and Discontents in Scotland went thither in Person hoping to give his People of that Kingdom Satisfaction and being solemnly Crowned at Edenborough he called a Parliament But they fearing the bringing in of Episcopacy and the Form of Prayer and other Services in England seemed more and more to be Disgusted However the King having Confirmed and Ratified some Laws which the Scots construed to the worst Sense And which was indeed in order to the establishing Episcopacy there which King James the First had introduced Anno 1616. and which was apparent by the King 's giving Order to the Dean of his Royal Chappel in Edenborough to have Prayer read therein according to the English Liturgy c. In the Year 1632 the King incited thereto by Bishop Laud set out a Declaration for Tollerating of Sports on the Lord's-day which gave great Offence to all sober Men and for refusing to Publish it many of the best Ministers were Suspended and deprived of their Benefices Octob. 13. 1633. The Queen was delivered of her second Son named James afterwards Duke of York and after his Brother Charles his Death King of England c. And at that time the Arch-bishop of Canterbury dying Bishop Laud was made Arch-bishop in his place After this a Fleet was set out by the Supply of a Tax called Ship-money which removed the Hollanders who had Confederated with the French from before Dunkirk and the Flandrians with the assistance of the Spaniard soon Routed the French Army by Land The King Considering the good success of this Fleet sent out an other which Sailing Northward scoured the Seas of the Dutch Busses and spoiled their Fishing-trade so that they were constrained to purchase their leave to Fish on our Coast on Valuable Considerations Several Gentlemen being Dissatisfied with the raising of Ship-money and being done without consent of Parliament refused to pay it upon which the King referr'd it to his Judges of whom Ten were for the Legality of it and subcribed their Names to be Enrolled in the Courts of Westminster but Hutton and Crook refused and thereupon Mr. Hamden of Buckinghamshire refusing to pay it had Judgment given against him which occasioned murmurings among the people of which Dr. Bastwick Prin and Burton taking the Advantage writ Books reflecting on the Bishops and Government for which they were sentenced to pay 5000 l. Fine lose their Ears in the Pillory and Imprisoned during the King's pleasure And Dr. Williams Bishop of Lincoln was fined 10000 l. and Imprisoned in the Tower During pleasure and left to the Censure of the High Commission Court as to what concerned them wherein the Bishop had very hard Measure his Offence being chiefly that he approved not of Archbishop Laud's Exorbitant Actions And now new Troubles arising about the Book of Common-Prayer in Scotland the King marched thither with an Army and the Scots met him near Berwick But a Treaty being began by means of the Scots Nobility a Peace was soon Concluded but they kept it no longer than the King's return to London which occasioned him to make a second Expedition but by this time they had entred into a solemn League and Covenant for the Extirpation of Episcopacy and Establishing of Presbytery On the 13th of April 1640. After twelve Years interval a Parliament met at Westminster to whom the King promised That if they would Supply him to maintain the War against the Scots he would quit his claim of ship-money And the Parliament seemed to have a great Disposition to comply with the King's desires but it being demanded in the House of Commons what supply the King expected It was answered by Mr. Secretary Vane Twelve Subsidies whereas at that time the King only desir'd Six This large Demand put the House into such a Ferment made things look so ill that the King Dissolved the Parliament the next Day having only sat 22 Days The Scots not yet quieted enter into England with an Army and having defeated the King's Forces at Newborn seized upon New-castle and Durham upon which the King is willing to hear their Grievances and receives a Petition from them wherein they require a Parliament to be called in England without which they could have no Redress Declaring their Intention not to lay down Arms till the Reformed Religion was settled in both Nations upon sure Grounds and the Causers and Abetters of their present Troubles Laud and Strafford were brought to publick Justice in Parliament After which several Peers the City of London and divers other places Petition'd the King for the sitting of a Parliament whereupon the King Summon'd another Parliament to meet Nov. 3. 1640. when the People were every where in a Ferment and Prejudice inveighing if not against the King yet against his Ministers of State In this Parliament all Ceremonies in the Church were suppressed except those used in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Strafford Arch-bishop Laud and Bishop Wren were Impeached of High-Treason and committed to the Tower Divers of the Judges that had declared for Ship-money were Voted Delinquents and Judge Berkley Arrested by the Usher of the Black Rod for High-Treason as he sate in the King's-Bench-Court The King being vexed at the proceeding of the Commons complained to the Peers who promised to Labour for a Moderation and good Understanding between the King and his two Houses But matters yet running high he removed divers Ministers of State and Officers in Trust appointing a new Lieutenant of the Tower which greatly displeased the Commons insomuch that tâ—â—â— Articled against the new Lieutenant to be Peers wâ—â— refused to meddle in it it being the King's Prerogative to â—â—nt in whom he pleased But not long after a multitude of â—â—prentices and others came to the Peers House clamouriâ—â—â—o have the Lieutenant removed and Threatning on refusaâ— to turn all Topsy-turvey they also demanded that the Bishops might be excluded the House of Peers And then going into Westminster-Abbey in their unadvised Fury spoiled the Vestments Organs Sepulchres and what else was comely and decent And as they returned by White-Hall uttered very opprobrious Threatnings against the King and his
and there being attended on a Scaffold before the Banquetting-House by Dr. Juxon Bishop of London he made a Profession of his Innocency and of his Faith forgiving his Enemies and praying to God not to lay his Blood to their Charge seeming troubled that he had consented to the Sentence against the Earl of Strafford and after this and much more to the like Purpose he kneeling down gave the Sign to the Executioner by stretching out his Arms and at one Blow had his Head separated from his Body which being put in a Coffin covered with Velvet was carried to Windsor and buried in a Vault in St. George's Chappel Thus without President fell King Charles when he had Reigned 23 Years 10 Months and 3 Days being the 24th Year of his Reign and 49th of his Age. Put to Death by the Hands of his own Subjects contrary to all Law and Justice universally Pitied but unable to be help'd by his People He was one of the Chastest Princes that ever sate upon the Throne being all along so true to his Queen that he never Defil'd his Marriage-bed And had he not given too much heed to Buckingham Laud and some other fâ—attering Parasites and Courtiers who were continually Buzzing into his Ears nothing but Absolute and unlimitted Power putting him upon Dissolving his Parliaments and then raising Money and Ruling without them as appear'd by his Twelve Years interval of Parliaments viz. from Anno 1628 to 1640. whereby he lost the Love of his People he had never been brought to that dismal Catastrophe but might have Liv'd and Dy'd a Happy Prince And this may be observ'd from this King's Reign as well as from several before That never any Prince fell out with his Parliament and went about to Establish an Arbitrary Power but he not only found himself Mistaken but also thereby made himself Miserable Before the breaking out of this unnatural War amazing Sights were seen in the Air of Firey Men and Horses running at each other with Launces encountring with great Blasts of Lightning and noise of Thunder In Gloucester-shire Spectres were seen in a large Field not far from that City drawn up in Battalia furiously Engaging and then Vanishing to the Amazement of the Beholders The Reign of King CHARLES The Second KING Charles the First being put to Death the Relicks of the Parliament began to take out of the way such Nobles and others as they supposed would obstruct their Proceedings and particularly Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel were Beheaded for Treason pretended against them And now to make their Power the Stronger they combined with the Army-Officers And tho' Charles Son to the preceding King had an undoubted Right to the Kingdom they proceeded to bar him and all the Royal Line as they hoped from the Crown or any other from being King or chief Magistrate unless by Publick Act of Parliament so appointed and that it should be Treason in any to attempt to further King Charles the Second by them generally called Charles Stewart in his Designs to possess the Crown by Proclaiming him or any Assistance given to him taking great care not to admit the Secluded Members lest they should put a stop to the Current of their Proceedings taking down every where the King 's Arms and placing the Harp and Cross in their places called the States Arms and having taken down the late King's Effigies from the Royal-Exchange they caused to be inscribed in the place where it stood in Letters of Gold Exit Tyranus Regum ultimus Anno Libertatis Angliae Restitutiae Primo Anno 1648. Jan. 30. All Titles in Processes of Law were altered and instead of Carolus Dei Gratia c. was put in Custodes Libertatis Angliae c. The King's-Bench was called the Vpper-Bench and a new Stamp was made for Money having on the one side the Cross and on the other the Cross and Harp inscribed The Common-wealth of England on the one side and God with Vs on the other also a new Great Seal was prepared with the Cross and Harp on the one side with this Inscription The Great Seal of England and on the other side the Picture of the House of Commons with these Words In the first Year of Freedom by God's Blessing restor'd 1648. Things being thus Moddelled whilst King Charles was in France Solliciting for Aid to possess him of his Kingdoms Fairfax out of some dislike to the Patliaments proceedings laid down his Commission which was given to Oliver Cromwel who from this time laid the Projection of his future Greatness And indeed in his attempts on Ireland and Scotland he was so Successful as to reduce them to the English Obedience with incredible Slaughter of the Natives However King Charles was proclaimed by his Friends in England and Ireland and soon after in Scotland And now Money being wanting to maintain the Parliaments Armies c. the Crown-Lands Dean and Chapter and Bishops Lands were Sold with many stately Houses and most of the Castles in England Demolished and all Persons expelled from Places of Trust in Church and State that Subscribed not to be Conformable to the New-modelled Government The Scots all this while were Debating how to Restore the King who was in the Isle of Jersey and coming to a Result sent the Laird Libberton and Mr. Windram to him with Proposals the Heads being these 1. That he should Sign the Solemn League and Covenant 2. That he should Pass divers Acts concluded on in the two last Sessions of Parliament in Scotland 3. That he should recall the Commissions given to Montross 4. That he should put from him all Papists and appoint some place in Holland to treat with their Commissioners and give them a speedy Answer And Sir William Fleming being sent by the King to the Estates of Scotland Breda was appointed for the place of Treaty and Commissioners were sent to represent the Kirk and State who delivered what they had in Charge to the same Effect as has been mentioned But whilst the Treaty held the Marquess of Montross making new Attempts was Surprized in Scotland where with much Indignity he was brought to Execution and Hanged on a Gibbet of extraordinary height Dying with a Courage and Bravery suitable to that wherein he had Lived and Quarters were set up in divers places This being done in a full Treaty greatly Displeased the King because he had his Commission and had acted in his Cause but the necessity of his affairs made him pass it over and he Condescended to most of the Proposals The Parliament of England soon heard of their Treaty and to prevent its taking effect sent an Army under Cromwel into Scotland and manning out a Fleet Admiral Blake fell in with Prince Rupert's Squadron sinking and burning most of the Ships he Commanded for the King however matters being agreed on the King hastened to Scotland and Landed at Spey where several Lords came to him and the Town of
another Parliament called there that long harassed Kingdom was brought to a good Settlement And now a Match being Negotiated in the Court of Portugal between the King and Donna Catharina Infanta of that Kingdom her Dowry was settled and in Lieu thereof the English had Tangier which became afterwards a great Charge to the Nation without any Profit So that the Earl of Peterborough having taken Possession of that place on the Continent of Africa for the King the Lady came over Royally attended and the King going to Portsmouth was there Married to her with much Pomp by the Bishop of London and afterwards came to White-Hall and was Joyfully received Sir Henry Vane and John Lambert being Tryed and found Guilty of Treason for things done before the Restoration being excepted out of the Act of Indemnity the former was Beheaded but the latter Reprieved and kept in Prison till he Died and Archibald Johnson Lord Warrestone being taken beyond the Sea and brought over was Sentenced as a Traytor by the Parliament of Scotland and Executed on a Gibbit at Edenborough 22 Foot high A Conspiracy being timely Discovered in Ireland divers were Imprisoned and some Executed which altogether dashed their further Intentions and kept the Kingdom in Quiet a considerable time And in the North of England another much about the same time being discovered one Gibbons and Baker were Tryed found Guilty and Executed whereupon the rest Dispersed The Commons in Parliament having Voted the King a Supply of 2500000 l great Naval Preparations were made which caused our Neighbours the Dutch to fear a Storm and therefore they thought it convenient to provide for their Safety and indeed a Misunderstanding happening between both Nations an Order of Council was made giving Letters of Reprisal against them and about 112 Sail were taken by our Frigats Men of War c. most of them being adjudged Lawful Prizes and hereupon the King set out his Declaration touching his Proceedings for Reparation from the Subjects of the States Whilst these things were doing a Dutchman under the Disguise of a Sweed coming from Guinea publickly reported De Ruytter the Dutch Commander had Destroyed all the English in the Factories on that Coast which for a time caused much Consternation among the Merchants trading thither but it proving False he was Sentenced and Whipt through London However the Parliament being Prorogued War was Proclaimed on the 2d of March 1664 and a General Fast succeeded for a Blessing on the King's Forces to be employed against them and De Ruyter attempting with his Fleet to Plunder the English Plantation of Barbadoes in the West-Indies was beaten off but whilst many Encounters happened at Sea a worse Calamity befell at Land for by reason of the great Heat in the Spring and but little cool breathing Winds to purge and purify the Air about the beginning of May 1665 a Plague began fearfully to Rage so that in London that Year 97306 Persons of all Degrees dyed and of these were accounted 68596 of the Plague However the War was carryed on with great Vigour and on the 3d of June the Duke of York being Admiral of the English Navy the two Fleets engaged and after a long and obstinate Fight which continued many Hours bloody and doubtful the Dutch gave way and such as got off stood to their own Coast The English having taken burnt sunk and shattered about thirty of their Ships and slain and taken Prisoners about 8000 tho' not without Loss considerable on our own part which was chiefly occasioned by most of the great Ships crouding about the Admiral to screen him from the Fury of the Enemy and prevent his being laid on Board by Fire-ships Those English of Note who lost their Lives in this Engagement were the Earls of Falmouth Portland Marlborough and the Lord Muskery Sir John Lawson dyed of his Wounds soon after and 2063 Dutch Prisoners were brought to Colchester whereof 13 were Commanders Hereupon a publick Thanksgiving was performed for this Victory the King likewise Conferred the Honour of Knighthood on such Sea-Commanders as had eminently Signalized their Courage and Conduct in the Action The Plague still continuing to Rage a Fast was Proclaimed solemnly to be held every first Wednesday in the Month till it should cease and Fires were continued in the Streets of London and Westminster for three Days and Nights to purify the Air whilst the King c made his progress through the greater part of England the two Houses of Parliament attending him at Christ-Church in Oxford and upon his laying before them them the necessity of a supply to maintaine the charges of the War the Commons Voted him 1250000 l. And Michaelmas Term by Proclamation was Adjournd from Westminster to that City But the Plague abating the Parliament and Courts of Judicature returned to Westminster as did the King and Queen The French King envying the growing greatness of the English more than any love he had for the Dutch as it afterward plainly appeared Joyned with them and was soon answered in the same Language at the Instigation of others The Fleets being abroad Prince Rupert and the Duke of Albermarle then Joynt-Admirals of the English the latter with a Squadron of fifty Ships the former being to the Westward with the rest engaged 80 of the Dutch on the Coast of Flanders and maintained the Fight two Days when on the third Prince Rupert coming in the Fight continued very Bloody till the Evening with much Loss on both sides and then the Dutch stood away to their own Coast In this Fight the Royal Prince was stranded on the Galloper and burnt by the Dutch Sir George Ascough who Commanded her being taken Prisoner and carryed into Holland About six or seven Weeks after there happened another Sea-Fight and the English chased the Dutch to their own Coasts and on the 7th of August Sir Robert Holms burnt divers Dutch Merchants Ships in the Fly and the Town of Baudaris upon the Island of Scheling and four French Men of War salling in with our Fleet mistaking it in Foggy-weather for the Dutch one of them of 54 Guns was taken On the Second of September 1666 being Sunday began the dreadful Fire of London at one Faringdons a Baker's House in Pudding-Lane the back-side of Fish-street-hill It continued Burning until Wednesday Night following and that time destroyed the greatest part of the City But the best Account of it being Engraven on the North-side of the Monument Erected in the perpetual Remembrance thereof take as followeth In the Year of Christ 1666 the second Day of September Eastward from hence at the Distance of Two hundred and two foot the heighth of this Column a terrible Fire broke out about Midnight which driven on by a high Wind not only wasted the adjacent Parts but also very remote Places with incredible noise and fury It consumed eighty nine Churches the City-Gates Guildhall many publick Structures Hospitals Schools Libraries a vast Number of stately
Writing had it been prov'd his was only an Answer to Sir Robert Filmer's Treatise of Absolute Monarchy which had been the Design not only of this but of the two preceding Reigns yet this Evidence such as it was was sufficient with such Juries as then were pack'd for their Purpose to find the Collonel Guilty notwithstanding the Learned Defence he made for himself So that he was Condemned and Beheaded dying with a Greatness of Mind worthy of himself The Duke of Monmouth who was also one of the Lord Howard's Council of Six had for some time absconded but now upon his Submission to his Father and his Unkle was admitted to Court but being urg'd to make a fuller Discovery and Confession of the Plot which he affirm'd he knew nothing of he fell again into his Unkle's Displeasure and consequently into his Father's and so was Banished from the Royal Presence Several others who were said to be concerned in this Plot fled beyond Seas and were Out-lawed for not appearing here in Court among whom was one Holloway a Bristol-Merchant who was taken at Nevis in the West-Indies and brought over hither He was wrought upon by some of the Duke's Creatures to make a Confession and he should have his Pardon and when he had own'd enough to Hang himself he was offered the Benefit of a Tryal which he refused and flung himself upon the King's Mercy and so was Executed And not long after Sir Thomas Armstrong Master of Horse to the Duke of Monmouth who upon the Proclamation put out for apprehending him had fled into Holland was taken out of Leyden by Surprize and brought to London and Committed to Newgate and it being Term-time was soon after carried to Westminster where that infamous Wretch Sir George Jefferies being at that time Lord Chief Justice order'd him to be Executed the Friday following he being already Out-lawed But Sir Thomas boldly Demanded the benefit of the Law which was on his side for by a Statute of the 6th of Edw. 6. it was Enacted That if any Person Out-law'd for Treason being beyond the Sea shall within one Year after such Out-lawry render himself to the chief Justice of England he should Reverse his Out-lawry and take a Tryal which Sir Thomas then desir'd it being his Case But the Cheif Justice over-rul'd it and would not admit of his Plea nor let him have Counsel to Argue it But gave a Rule of Court for his Execution the Friday following the Impudent Chief Justice charging Richardson in a Jeering manner to see that Sir Thomas had the full benefit of the Law then And accordingly he was drawn up on a Sledge to Tyburn and there Executed Denying his Knowledge of any Plot whatsoever against the King But Sir Thomas's Death was Voted Murther by the Parliament since this happy Revolution The pretence of this Plot gave them a specious Ground to Persecute the Dissenters the Goals throughout England being at this time filled with them and Multitudes Cited to and Excommunicated by the Spiritual Courts for Nonconformity Executing upon them all the Vengeance that was possible Some being punish'd as Rioters some for Treasonable Words and some upon Actions of Scandalum Magnatum and Fined Exorbitantly beyond all Law or Reason of which last Sir Thomas Pilkington and Dr. Oats were Severe instances each being Fined 100000 l. to the Duke But a little before this time the Vertuous Lady Anne youngest Daughter to the Duke was Married to Prince George the King of Denmark's Brother the Match being generally liked by the People he being a Protestant Prince And the Hamborough Company in Gratitude for Favours receiv'd from the King in Relation to their Charter erected his Statue of grey Marble in the midst of the Royal-Exchange in the Habit of a Roman Caesar This was the State of the Nation when upon Monday the second of February 1684 5 the King was taken with an Apoplectick Fit which if it carried him not out of the World then 't is certain it did the Friday following Dying in the 54th Year of his Age having Reigned 36 Years and some few Days He was a Prince that very much indulg'd himself in taking his Pleasure and was very unlike his Father in this That he was a great Lover of Women and kept variety of them as the Dutchess of Cleaveland Nell Gwynn and the Dutchess of Portsmouth the last of which was made use of by his Brother to make the King do whatever he had a mind to have done for so much was the King taken with her French Charms that he could deny her nothing And therefore advancing of Favourites was done by her Mediation and even Parliaments themselves Prorogu'd or Dissolv'd if she had a Mind to have it so He was not a Prince Bloody or Cruel in his own Nature yet by the Ascendant his Brother had over him many worthy Persons lost their Lives in his Reign He was a Prince of very good Natural Parts had they not been Vitiated by giving himself up so much to the satisfaction of his Lusts His making War with the Dutch and joyning with France against them weaken'd the Protestant Interest and has made the French so Formidable to Europe And having carry'd on his Brother's Designs in Masquerade as long as he thought Convenient he dyed of a sudden but whether Naturally or by some Foul Play I will not determine tho' the latter was much Suspected However the Nation had a real Kindness for him and the News of his Death fill'd all Eyes with Tears and all Hearts with Sadness except those of the Papists and some Tories that were worse than they But this proceeded chiefly from the Fears and dismal Apprehensions the People had of the ensuing Reign In the Eleventh Year of this Kings Reign a Prodigious Whale came up to Greenwich and run it self on shore there soon after which Oliver Cromwel then Protector died In his 17th Year 3 Blazing Stars appeared of different shapes and colours which were look'd on to be the Denuntiators of ensuing Judgements In his 18th Year was a great Plague in London of which died far more than ever did in any Plague before and in the next Year the greatest part of the City of London was Consumed by Fire In the 33d Year of his Reign on the 18th of May 1680 a great storm of Hail fell in London and the parts adjacent the Hail-stones being of an extraordinary bigness some of them nine inches about and generally as big as Pullets Eggs with the figures of Stars and other curious works upon them being also very hard Several Rooks in the Temple-garden being kill'd by them and many Sky-lights in London broken to pieces by their violent failing upon them Soon after which a Prodigious Blazing-Star appeared in the West for several Weeks together In the 37th Year of his Reign there was a great Frost that continued from the beginning of December to the end of February in which time the Thames was frozen
so hard that Booths were erected upon the Ice and all sorts of Commodities sold in them insomuch that it was called Blanket-Fair Also a Bull was baited upon the Ice and Coaches ply'd from the Temple stairs to Westminster in Hillary Term. The Reign of King JAMES the Second KING Charles the Second being Dead on the same day in the afternoon being February the 6th 1684 5. his Brother James Duke of York was Proclaimed King And upon his coming to the Council He declared that since it had pleased God to place him in that station to succed so good a King as well as so kind a Brother he thought it fit to declare his Endeavours to follow his Brothers Example more especially in that of his great Clemency and Tenderness to his People and make it his Endavour to preserve the Government both in Church and State as it is by Law Established And then comends the Church of England's Principles and Members telling them He knows likewise that the Laws of England are sufficient to make the King as Great a Monarch as he can wish And therefore as he will never depart from the just Rights and Prerogatives of the Crown so he will never invade any Mans Property This Speech of the Kings to his Council was forthwith Printed and Published and received every where with great Applause many hoping their fears were greater than there was occasion for But how he kept to this Declariation which had he done he might have been happy the sequel of his Reign will shew There was now no longer Occasion for the King to Dissemble what he was and therefore what his Brother King Charles had acted in Masquerade King James resolved to do bare-fac'd and accordingly the next Sunday after his accession to the Crown he went publickly to Mass which Convinc'd those that before would not believe him to be a Papist and I have heard it Reported That the Duke of Norfolk carrying the Sword before him resign'd it at the Door upon which the King told him His Father would have gone further with him To which the Duke smartly Reply'd But your Majesties Father would not have gone so far And so went to the Protestant Chappel In a few days after the King Published a Paper of his Brother's dying a Roman-Catholick and of his Receiving the extream Unction and other Ceremonies of the Roman-Church before his Death attested by one Huddleston a Popish Priest And also a Paper taken out of King Charles's his Strong-Box shevving that hovvever he appear'd othervvise outvvardly yet in his heart he vvas a Sincere true Roman-Catholick The Customs and Excise dying vvith King Charles being granted only for his Life the King puts out a Proclamation commanding the paying of them till they should be granted by Parliament Which vvas his first Specimen hovv vvell he intended to preserve Mens Properties vvhen his very first Publick Act of Government vvas a Notorious violation both of Mens Properties and of the Lavvs of the Kingdom Soon after this his Brother King Charles the Second vvas Buried but vvith so little Pomp and Solemnity becoming the Majesty of a King that he vvas as it vvere throvvn into his Grave in the dead time of the Night accompanied by fevv Persons as if his Corps had been in danger of being Arrested for Debt He was interred indeed in Henry the 7th's Chappel but without any Stone to cover him So that never any King that died possest of a Throne was so meanly Buried Yet was it well enough for King Charles whose latter part of his Reign was as Dark as his Burial was Obscure But this notes the Gratitude of the King to so kind a Brother as he had always been to him A little before King Charles died Dr. Oats was fined 100000 l. for Scandalum Magnatum against the Duke of York and to be kept a close Prisoner till the Fine was paid which mighty Scandal was for saying The Duke was reconciled to the Church of Rome Which now the King acknowledged But this must not serve Oats's turn a Fine and Imprisonment was no sufficient Compensation for the Lives of the Popish Martyrs that suffered in his Brother's Reign and therefore the King having him now within his Clutches an Indictment for Perjury is preferr'd against Oats and the Perjury assign'd is Double first That Ireland one of the Executed Jesuits was not in London from the third of August 1678 till the 14th of Sept. next following whereas Oats at the said Ireland's Tryal Swore That he was at a Consult about killing the King in the middle of August Secondly That Oats was at St. Omers all April and May 1678 Whereas at the Tryal of Harcourt and White-bread c. he Swore they were at a Consult the 24th of April concerning killing the King and establishing the Popish Religion Ireland at his Tryal which was in 1678 urged the first Point and Harcourt Whitebread c. at their Tryals in 1679 pleaded the second but Oats prov'd both so incontestably at their several Tryals that it was both to the Satisfaction of Judge and Jury and of the whole Nation But now the Case was alter'd the Design was to invalidate the Popish Plot and to punish Oats for justifying it And they were pretty sure to carry it having such a Jury as would be sure to find him Guilty upon any Evidence and against the most Substantial Evidence to the contrary that Mirror of Injustice Jefferies being Judge The Witnesses against him were the St. Omer's Youths now better instructed than they were before who all remembred their Lesson to a T. and swore Oats was at St. Omer's all April and May and the Popish Stafford-shire Witnesses at that Tryal counted as good Witnesses as any in the World Swore Ireland was in Stafford-shire or thereabouts in August and September As to this last I find a Passage in Cook 's Detection of the four last Reigns that justifies Oats's Evidence beyond all Peradventure which I will here Insert and leave to Posterity to judge of It is briefly this One Mr Benjamin Hinton a Goldsmith in Lombard-street was Ireland 's Cashier and Mr. Hinton going out of Town at that time in August 1678. met Ireland 〈◊〉 or about Barnet coming for London where Ireland told him he had extraordinary Occasions for Money and urg'd Hinton to go back with him but Hinton told him his Man could do Ireland's Business as well as he and his occasions would not permit him to go back I asked Mr. Hinton of the Truth of this to which he would not give me any Answer but be this true or false it 's entred into Hinton's Book of Accompts Paid to Mr. Ireland's own Hands whereas the other Entries are Paid by his Order And 't is said Mr. Hinton's Man would Depose he Paid these Moneys to Ireland himself Mr. Hinton afterwards failing a Commission of Bankrupt was Sued against him and his Book of Accompts was delivered and kept at the Widow Vernon's Coffee-house
was allarmed with the News of the great Preparations making by the Dutch both by Sea and Land Upon which account the King sends to his Envoy at the Hague to put in a Memorial to the States General to know the Reason The French King also who was concern'd at it orders his Ambassador there to deliver in a Memorial upon that occasion wherein he tells the States There are such Bonds of Friendship and Alliance between his Master and the King of Great Brittain as will oblige him the French King not only to assist the King of Great Brittain but to look on the first Act of Hostility committed against him the King of Great Brittain to be a Manifest Rupture of the Peace and a Breach with his Crown This left no longer any doubt in the mind of the Prince of Orange and the States General of the private League between England and France Which was a sufficient Ground for the Prince of Orange to rescue these Kingdoms to which in Right of his Princess he was the next Heir from Popery and Arbitrary Power For he saw plainly that the Supposititions Prince was Introduc'd to wrong him and his Princess of their Right to the Succession and to subject these Kingdoms to Popery and Slavery and by consequence all Europe besides The Dutch took no notice of the French King 's Memorial but gave King James's Envoy this Answer that they had Arm'd in Imitation of his Britanick Majesty and the other Princes and that they had thereby given no just occasion of Offence in Arming when all other Princes where in motion and that they were long since convinced of the Alliance that the King his Master had treated with France and what had been mention'd to them by Monsier de Count d' Avaux in his Memorial After this Answer King James expected no good from the Dutch and lookt upon them as if they had already declar'd War against him And now the Eyes of all England were turned to Holland and expected Deliverance from thence without which they saw themselves Ruined nor did his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange deceive them but Landed with an Army of about 14000 Men at Torbay near Exeter on the Fifth day of November 1688. A day deservedly Famous in England for two eminent Deliverances from Popery Soon after his Landing he went to Exceter where he was received by the People with Shouts and Acclamations of Joy as their Deliverer as indeed he was After some little stay there he came forwards towards the South but King James to oppose him sent down his Army to Salisbury whither he also went himself but part of the Army going over to the Prince the King was so Staâ—tled at it that he thought not himself there out of Danger and so return'd to London again and as the Prince came forward he was in all places look'd upon as a Blessing sent from Heaven to rescue 'em from Popery and Slavery In the mean time King James to prevent if it were possible the impending and growing danger Restores all the Fellows of Magdalen Colledge and puts out his Proclamation for vacating all New Charters and restoring of old ones and Particularly the Charter of London was carried in great Pomp to Guild-Hall by Jefferies and given the Citizens again But for all these good things there was no body now thank'd him as being the Effects of his Fear and not of his good will The Prince's coming nearer and nearer to London the Nobility and Gentry at every Place Flocking to him and Congratulating him King James first sends away his Queen and pretended Prince to France and in a little time after withdraws himself from White-Hall and goes to Feversham where attempting to go a-board he was seiezed and rifled by the Country People and after his being known he came back to London again and was well receiv'd but the Prince being then at Windsor and designing the next Day for London King James by a Message was desir'd to with-draw himself to Ham near Kingston to avoid those Inconveniences that might Ensue But the King rather chose to go to Rochester having the Princes Guards with him to secure him from the Insults of the People there he staid two or three Days and then Privately Embark'd himself for France where he soon after ariv'd King James being thus gone away upon the Prince's coming to London he was desir'd by the Nobility and Gentry to take the Government upon him thereby to suppress the Disorders of the common People which was then very Great but by the Prince's Order soon brought to be quiet The Mass-Houses were every vvhere pull'd down and the Priests and Jesuits with the whole Popish Crew put to the Scamper Jefferies being dropt by his Master was shifting for himself but taken by the Mobb in a Seaman's Habit was carried before the Lord-Mayor and from thence sent to the Tower attended by strong Guards to keep him from being torn in Pieces by the incensed Mobb who follow'd him with Threats Curses and Execrations where sometime after he drank himself to Death and so sav'd the Hang-man a Labour The Prince of Orange having the Government put into his Hands Summons such Gentlemen as were Members of King Charles's last three Parliaments to meet at Westminster to consult what was fit to be done for the Nation which they accordingly did and desir'd the Prince that Writs might be issued out for the calling a Convention of the Estates in the Nature of a Parliament to meet in January following Which being done the Convention met at the time appointed and entering into several Debates about the present States of Affairs they came to this Result That King James by privately withdrawing himself out of his Kingdoms had Abdicated the Throne whereby it was become Vacant And so ended the Four Years Reign of King James the Second An Account of what Remarkably Occur'd since the Reign of King WILLIAM the III. and Queen MARY the II. to the Year 1606. KING James as has been mentioned having Left the Land and that in Parliament being taking for an Abdication and the Throne declared Vacant William and Mary Prince and Princess of Orange were Proclaimed King and Queen of England France and Ireland c. before White-Hall and in the City of London with the Joy of the whole Nation on the 13th of Feb. 1688 and with Convenient speed they were Proclaimed with the like satisfaction in all the Principal Places of their Dominions and the King returned the Parliament a Gracious answer to their Declaration expressing himself highly satisfied with what they had done promising to the utmost his Care and Protection for the Preservation of the Established Religion Laws and Liberties and that he should always be ready to Concur with them in any thing that should be for the Good of the Kingdom and to do all that in him lay to advance the Glory and Welfare of it and thereupon he proceeded to quiet disorders in all
places of England that had risen on this Revolution But Ireland was in a dangerous Condition for the Earl of Tyrconnel had stopped almost all the Ports and was raising numerous Forces of Irish for the Service of King James so that those who would have fled into England or Scotland were for the most part restrained and obliged to continue under the dreadful Apprehensions of another Massacre being every where in the Countrey Robbed and Spoiled of their Substance and a great many Imprisoned The State of which Kingdom the King earnestly recommended to his Parliament desiring them to hasten the raising such Supplies as was requisite in order to reduâ—d it to Obedience The Lord bishop of London with about one Hundred of the City Clergy waiting on the King to tender their humble Duty he gave them an assurance of his Affection to the Church of England and of all Encouragement to them concluding that they might depend upon his Word And an Act passed about Removing and Preventing all Questions and Disputes about the Assembling and sitting of the Parliament and the King issued out his Proclamation to leave the Irish without Excuse That if they would lay down their Arms and Live quietly they should have their Pardon for all things past and enjoy their Estates but if they continued still in Arms declaring them Rebels and Traytors and their Lands and Possessions Forfeited c. But this Proclamation being not Publish'd in Ireland had little effect tho' in the North the Protestants secured London-Derry Sligo and other places in expectation of being Aided from England And now the King to ease his Subjects consented that the Duty of Hearth-Money that had long been a Burden to the Nation might be taken off which was very pleasing to the People Thomas Pilkington Esq who in the late Reign was Fined 100000 l. upon an Action of Scandalum Magnatum brought against him by the then Duke of York was now chosen Lord-Mayor of London in which Honourable station he continued near three Years And now the Coronation being appointed on the 11th of April it was performed with great Splendor and Magnificence occasioning great Demonstrations of Joy in the People and soon after the Crown of Scotland was by the Commissioners of the Estates presented to the King and Queen which was accepted and the usual Coronation Oath of that Kingdom taken And now Admiral Herbert standing with a considerable Squadron to the Coast of Ireland fought with about 40 French Men of War in Bantrey-Bay in this Engagement Capt. George Aylmer of the Portland a Lieutenant and 64 Seamen were Killed and about 240 Wounded the Enemy losing a greater Number And then at the humble Request of the Parliament the King declared War with France In Scotland Duke Hamilton was made High-Commissioner where the Duke of Gourdon held the Castle of Edenborough for King James and the Viscount Dundee had a considerable Force in the Field to second him and many hot Skirmishes were Fought till at last in an Obstinate Fight Dundee was killed upon which the Duke of Gourdon not finding himself longer able to hold the Castle delivered it up to Sir John Lanier upon Articles â—nd tho' Collonel Cannon Buchanon and others kept up the Party in the Field for a while at length they were dispersed and Scotland entirely Quieted On the 24th of July the Princess of Denmark was brought to Bed of a Son and on the 28th he was Christened William by the Bishop of London the King and the Earl of Dorset standing God-Fathers and the Marchioness of Hallifax God-Mother and then the King declared the Young Prince Duke of Gloucester King James being Landed in Ireland with some French Forces and a considerable number of Officers Arms and Ammunition had with a numerous Army besieged London-Derry which was Defended by the Inhabitants and others till it was reduced to the last Extremity by Famine but then Providence so ordered it that Major-General Kirk sending in Shipping with Provision the Siege was raised The Besiegers in lying before it and by the Besieged's falling on the Rear in drawing off having lost 2000 men and Dr. Walker a principal Man in Defending that place coming over the King Ordered him 5000 l. as a mark of his Bounty with an Assurance of greater Advantages And on the 13th of August the Duke of Schomberg Landed with the English Army at Carickfergus in Ireland and soon Reduced divers Places compelling the advanced Parties of the Irish to retreat before him and held a Winter-Camp on the Plains of Dundalk which being Moorish and Foggy many Gallant Men dyed of the Flux and other Sicknesses But the Iniskilling-men who frequently went abroad in Parties did considerable Service by cutting off the Irish Rapparees Whilst these things passed the King for weighty Reasons dissolved his first Parliament and called another to sit at Westminster the 20th of March 1690 and the Commons chusing Sir John Trevor their Speaker the King told both Houses among other things That his Resolution was to go for Ireland his Presence being necessary there for Reducing that Kingdom Signifying it was his Pleasure to leave the Government in the Queen's Hands during his Absence and accordingly before his Departure an Act was passed to that Purpose And the King of Denmark at this time assisted the King with 6000 Danish Soldiers under the Leading of the Duke of Wirtemburg who did notable Service Charlemont having been straightly Blocked up Capitulated and other places were Reduced by Force And now the King having settled Affairs in England left White-Hall on the 4th June and on the 14th Landed at Carickfergus in Ireland and hastened to order the Army and Marching to the Newry had News that the Enemy having set Fire to their Straw had Decamped and quitted that strong Post This at first scarce gained Credit but Scouts being sent out and the Report confirmed the King changed his March and sent Orders to the Forces at Armagh and Fevergee to march by the great Roads towards Dundalk in which some of our Men fell into an Ambush of the Enemy but behaved themselves with that Courage and Bravery that most of them got off having slain the Commander and brought away his Horse and the King marched towards Drogheda where he found the Enemy Encamped along the River Boyn above the Town and as he was viewing them a Six-pounder grazed on his Shoulder which only rased the Skin but as soon as it was Dressed he took Horse and Commanded Count Solmes to find out a Ford above the Enemy and pass the River which he Successfully did and obliged those that Guarded it after a hot Dispute to retire And upon notice of this the whole Army passed at other Fords the Foot wading some to the Arm-pits sustaining all the Enemies Fire and not returning it till they came close up with them and falling furiously on soon gave them a general Rout but in this Encounter Duke Schomberg and Dr. Walker late of London-Derry
were Kill'd and about 300 of lesser Note on our Part The Enemy lost 3000 and were pursued 4 Miles and upon this Defeat Drogheda Surrendred and K. James with part of his broken Army hasted to Dublin and from thence he went to Waterford where soon after he took Ship and Sailed for France and the King of England coming to Dublin was received with all imaginable Demonstrations of Joy and a great many Protestants who had been Imprisoned were set at Liberty the Papists disarmed and the Affairs in those Parts settled and many places that stood out Surrendred The Brass and Copper Money K. James had Coined as passable in that Kingdom was called in or set at the Value of the Metal only Sheriffs appointed and the Face of Justice restored Whilst these things were doing beyond the Seas an Engagement happened between the English and French off Beachy viz. on June 30. in which the Dutch Squadron being forward to gain the Weather-Gage of the Enemy received great Loss many of them being Burnt or so shattered that after the Fight they fell into the Hands of the Enemy the English red Squadron not coming up as was expected for which Miscarriage our Admiral the Earl of Torrington was Tryed but acquitted and after the Fight the French insulted our Coasts burning Tingmouth a Viâ—â—age of Fishers Cots and doing some other Damage after which they retired to their own Coast and one Godfrey Cross an Inn-keeper in Kent for going on Board the Enemy and giving Intelligence was afterward Try'd Condemned and Executed near St. Thomas's Waterings in the Kentish-road from London And this Year the King besieged Lymerick in Ireland but by reason of the Strength of the Place advancing of the Season and great Rains that over-flowed the River Shannon on which it is seated having in vain summoned it he drew off and returned to England But our Fleet standing to that Coast and the Earl of Marlborough on board it with considerable Land-Forces and joyned upon Landing by part of the Army already there they took Cork and Kinsale with little Loss at the Siege of the first the Noble Duke of Grafton amongst others pressing too forwards on the Works was Slain by a small Shot A Plot was soon after Discovered to have set the City of Dublin on Fire and in that Hurry to have fallen on the King ' Forces in Garison there and by a miserable Slaughter to have Surprized it but some Letters intimating the Intention being found by the Care of the Lord Sidney and Conningsby whom the King had appointed Lords-Justices the Mischief was prevented by securing Suspected Persons And now the Parliament of England waited on the King with their humble Addresses of Thanks for the great Things he had done for these Kingdoms and to Congratulate his happy Return and Success and the King was not slow by Marks of Honour and Promotion to Gratify those that had well-behaved themselves in the Service and among others Coll. Cuts was Created Baron of Gowran in the Kingdom of Ireland he also appointed his Privy Council there and all other Officers of State Judges and Magistrates restored such as had been outed and appointed some new Bishops causing a Regulation of the Clergy in General The Winter thus passing on the King prepared to pass the Seas to be at the Congress of Princes and Embassadors appointed at the Hague to Concert the Measures for carrying on the War against France and after he had passed several Acts and Prorogu'd the Parliament he Embarq'd with a splendid Train of Nobility and with great Difficulty by reason of the Ice it being January Landed near Maesland-sluys and being Complemented by the Deputies of the States passed to the Hague where the States General and Council of State with other Colledges made their Complements to him as also the Foreign Ministers and to make his Reception the more Magnificent three Triumphal Arches were Erected one by the States-General and two by the Magistrates with sundry Motto's and Devices Expressing the great things he had done and what more Glorious were Promised from his Heroick Virtues too many here to Enumerate and in the Evening the Cannon Illuminations Fire-works and shouts of the People spoke more loudly the Welcome of a Prince that has so well deserved of that Nation And at his first appearing in the Assembly of the States-General taking his Place at the upper-end of the Table he with many Obliging Expressions declared his Affections and good Inclinations to them in a most Elegant Speech which being deliberated on the Heer Van Wickers President of the Assembly in the name of the rest made a suitable Answer and the Duke of Brandenburg and other Princes being met a League and strict Amity was agreed on for restoring the Peace and Tranquility of Europe in reducing by Arms the Grand Disturber of it to Reason and a Restitution of what he had wrongfully either by Surprize or Vioolence taken from the Confederates for which War had been Proclaimed by them Whilst the King was thus busy beyond the Seas some ill-affected Persons were Designing at home to betray our Strengths into the Hands of the Common Enemy by giving account of the Ports Shipping and what else might facilitate an Invasion and on this account the Lord Preston John Ashton and Edmund Elâ—ot were seized in a Smack as they were passing out of the River of Thames by Captain Billop and Papers of Dangerous Consequence found with which they were designed for France for which the two first being Tryed and found Guilty of High-Treason Ashton was Executed The King having appointed the Baron D' Ginkle chief Commander of his Forces in Ireland having received Supplies and Stores from England he besieged Ballymore which surrendred upon Discretion And having Garisoned it the Army marched and set down before Athlone where they had put up French Colours to make him believe the Garison mostly consisted of that Nation However a Breach being made and succeeded by a vigorous Attack the Base Town was soon won and the other followed the same Fate in a short time tho' their whole Army lay behind it and the Soldiers furiously entring a great many were put to the Sword This was no sooner Repaired and Garisoned but the Army pursued the Retreating Enemy and in a long-Contested Battel at Aghrim gave them a total Rout so that they never considerably appeared in the Field after it St. Ruth the French General was slain with a Cannon-shot at the beginning of the Fight and all their Cannon Baggage Ammunition and Plunder of the Camp fell to the share of our Men. And being Refreshed they marched to Galloway which place after a considerable Battery was Surrendred on Articles and the Garison marched to Lymerick which was the next place besieged but holding out Obstinately and having in it a numerous Garison it was thought fit after a considerable Siege to grant advantagious Articles and as many as would had leave to depart the Kingdom And
and Landed some Men at Cammaret-Bay under Lieutenant-General Talmash but they had drawn thither such great Bodies of Horse and Foot strongly Intrenched that the English with some Loss were constrained to retire in this Action the Lieutenant-General received a Wound in the Thigh with a Musket-shot and Dyed of it at Plymouth greatly Lamented as being an expert and Generous Commander But for this Disappointment not giving over they stood in before Diep and laid that Famous Town in Ashes and then throwing in about 250 Bombs into Havre-de-Grace fir'd a great part of it and afterward Bombed St. Maloes and Callis and sent in Machines to blow up the Works guarding the Entrance of Dunkirk Harbour which had some tho' not the wished Effect And so Sailing along the Coast of France brought such a Terror every where that they were forced Night and Day to be on their Guard The King in this Year 169â— labouring by the often moving his Camp to bring the French to battle but not able to do it caused Huy to be Besieged which with little resistance he took and Garisoned and the Prince of â—aden with the Saxon and German Troops passing the Rhine cut off divers in the Rear of the French Army it retiring before him so that he raised Contributions and returned unopposed and after this on all hands the French parties Scouting abroad were mostly deâ—eaâ—ed by the Confederates killed and taken Prisoners bringing in great Booties of Cattle c. And whilst the French advanced somewhat near the City of Leige the Garison Sallyed and took between 7 and 800 Horse entirely defeating two Squadrons of their forrage Guards These and the like matters ending this Campaign the King returned and was Welcomed home with the Universal joy of his People But all their joy was soon turned into Mourning For the Queen fell sick at Kensington on the 22 of December 1694 and in a little time her Distemper was known to be the small Pox a distemper Fatal to the Royal Family of which on the 28th she Dyed in the 33d Year of her Age and in the Flower of her Strength and Beauty to the great affliction of the King and three Kingdoâ—â— she lay a considerable time in State and then was Interred among her Royâ—â— Ancestors in Henry the 7th's Chappel at Westminster with a most Solemn Funeral Pomp a Stately Mausoleum was Erected in the Abbey whereon very remarkably a Robin-Redbreast for many weeks usually sat Singing Not only the English Court but most in Christendom went into the deepest Mourning and Condoleances were made not only by the Parliament but the Foreign Ministers c. The Clouds of sorrow being a little blown-over the King considering of his weighty affairs abroad appointed 7 Able Ministers of State Lords Justices in his absence to administer affairs of Government and having settled all things to the best advantage passed to the Army in Flanders which drawing into the Field very Numerous Marched towards the strong Town of Namure Situate on the Muse and Sambre and after a Vigorous Seige carried on by the King with all Imaginable Bravery and Gallantry tho' Marshal Bouflers had thrown himself into the Town and even in the fight of Vineroy at the head of an Army of an Hundred Thousand Men first the Town and afterwards the Castle was compelled to Surrender to the King This tedious Siege in a manner ended the Campaign so that little else of moment happened the French altogether declining a Battle and the King having settled Affairs upon his return made a Progress through most parts of England The Parliament being dissolved a New one was called and meeting among other things particularly upon the King 's Recommending that Important affair to them at the opening of the Sessions took into Consideration the State and badness of the Coyn and coming to a result an Act passed for calling in the Clipped Money and Re-coyning it in Mill'd Money according to the true Weight Standarâ— and Mints were set up in divers parts of the Kingdom for the better ordering a speedy supply of it in every part of the Nation Whilst these things were doing make things happy and easy to us our Enemies were contriving our utter destruction divers were sent from France to joyn with those already here and one of the most wicked Conspiracies contrived and a long time secretly carried on that any Age has known or History made mention of for whilst a Design was laid in the French Court to invade the Kingdom their Emmissaries here were framing a Design to destroy the King's Life by a villanous Assassination and Sir George Barclay brings over a Commission to encourage them in it The Conspirators many in Number had divers Meetings sometimes at one Capt. Porter's Lodgings and others at the Nagg's-Head in Govent-Garden and in Leaden-Haâ—â—-Street at the Sun in the Strand the blew-posts in Old-Spring-Garden in Pickadilly and other places and several Persons as a Committee from their Body were appointed as Knightly Porter King c. to view the Ground in the King's passage to Richmond a place he usually Frequented to acquaint the rest which was the most Convenient place to set upon him in his Coach and cut him off and accordingly they viewed the Avennues about Brentford Richmond c. and concluded on the Narrow-lane between Brentford and Turnham-Green was the most convenient to do it in where the Guards could pass but â—ew a Breast and with this upon their return they acquainted Sir George Barclay Sir William Parkyns Robert Charnock and others who approved it The Design thus laid they â—exâ— Consulted in what manner it should be done and came to a Result that one Party with 7 or 8 chosen Men should Assassinate the King in his Coach whilst two other Parties attacked the Guards their Number in all being upwards of Forty and the 15th of February 1695 being Saturday a day the King usually went a Hunting that way was the first appointed time and they prepared for it accordingly But Providence so Ordered it that he went not abroad that Day of which they had notice from 〈◊〉 two Orderly Men as they stiled them viz. Durance and Chambers who â—â—y at Kensington concealed for that Purpose Then they had other Meetings upon it and appointed to be in a Readiness the Saturday following and met accordingly and were setting out when again they had Notice the same hand of Providence had Disappointed them This startled them into new Fears that their wicked Design had taken Air especially upon notice the King 's going abroad was suddenly put off and the Guards were come back in haste their Horses Foaming and Keys one of the Conspirators heard them Mutter something which gave him and the rest a Jealousy to mistrust a Discovery was made as indeed Providence had Ordered it whereupon they Dispersed and gave over the Design For Capt. Pendergrass being acquainted with this bloody Design from Capt. Porter about the 13th of February at
the Plew-Posts in Spring-Garden and struck with Horrour at so Stupendious a Wickedness acquainted the Earl of Portland with it intreating him to Discover it to the King which he did and Pendergrass was thereupon introduced by him to the King in his Closet where he opened the nature of the Conspiracy with the Circumstances but was a long time pressed to it before he would name the Conspirators which at last he did under Promise he should not be brought in for a Witness unless he would voluntarily do it This was seconded and confirmed by Monsieur De la Rue who was introduced to the King by Brigadier Lewson who gave in the Names of those he knew And much about the same time came Expresses from the Duke of Wirtemburg that the French Forces to the number of 22000 were drawn down to Callis Dunkirk and other Sea-ports where there lay about 500 Transport-ships and a great many Men of War to conduct them for their Landing in England with the first fair Wind with the late K. James at the head of them The Duke of Berwick had been in England and was returned with an account of what Preâ—arations their Friends were making here for their Reception which made the French King say he never knew a Design more fairly laid for assurance of Success and his Ministers bragged of it in Foreign Courts And indeed a great part of the Fleet did put to Sea before we had Notice of them but were driven back by contrary Winds and then lay expecting the Sign at â—â—ver-Clifts that King William was Assassinated and it was given out in France that he was drawing towards his end and that they wondered that they heard not of his Death At other timer times it was said he was Kill'd a Hunting c. which makes it plain their intended Invasion depended chiefly on their intenced Assassination for K. William alive to face them at the Head of his victorious Troops that had often beat them at their own Doors they could have little Hopes to prevail but they on the other hand expected to find us all in Confusion as they gave it out we were if the Assassination had taken but were strangely startled when they saw Admiral Russel with about 60 Men of War blocking up their Harbours and threatning to burn them with his Fire-ships which constrained the Land-forces to Disimbark and at length with Shame Loâ—s and excessive Charge gave over their Enterprize which the French thought before so easy that they said K. James was not coming to invade England but to take the quiet possession of his Throne and the 〈◊〉 King had sent him large Bundles of plausible Declarations to be dispersed at his Landing with a Promise to supply him with more Troops as he saw Occaâ—â—oâ— and Scotland as well as Eâ—gland was to have been invaded Whilst these things were doing beyond the Seas divers of the Conspirators were Seized here and imprisonâ—â— before the King put out his Proclamation as Charâ—ock Bartram â—rimeâ— Anbury and others and the King going to the House of Peers and senâ—â—iâ—g for the Commons acquainted them with the Conspiracy and intended invasion Whereupon they Congratulated his Safety and declared their Abhorrance of the Villanous and Barbarous Design Solemnly Promising to assist him to the utmost against the Late King and Deâ—â—â— his Royal Person against all his Enemies and if he should come by a Violent Death which God forbid to Revenge it upon the Papists and soon after entred into an Association to the same Purpose as since all the Cities and Corporations c. in his Dominions have done Expresses were sent immediately away to Scotland and Ireland the Sea ports stopped and all Suspected Persons with their Horses and Arms secured and an Act passed for the continuing the sitting oâ— the Parliament if the King should chance to Dye till the next Heir in Succession should come to the Crown to Dissolve it Thus things being pretty well secured and the King's Proclamation out for the Apprehending divers of the Conâ—pirators by Name and 1000l Reward with Pardon for such as should come in Voluntarily and make Discovery most of them that were known to be in it were Apprehended On the 11th of March Robert Charâ—ock Edward King and Thomas Keys were Tryed at the Old-Bailey on a special 〈◊〉 and upon full Evidence being found Guilty they received Sentence as â—â— Case or High-Treason and on the 18th were drawn to Tyburn and there Hang'd and Quartered Charnock and King boldly Confessing it in the Papers they left and Keys made no Denyal of it The next was Sir John Friend a Brewer in the Minories he took his Tryal for High-Treason at the Old-Bailey and being found Guilty as was also the next Day Sir William Parkyns both of them received Sentence as the fore-going and at their Execution owned the Fact in General and many Particulars and were nevertheless Absolved by three Non-jurant Parsons for which Presumption two of them were Committed Tryed and Fined The next that came on the Stage for this Horrid Conspiracy were Ambrose Rookwood Robert Lowick and Charles Cranburn who were Tryed at the King's-Bench-Bar at Westminster April 21 22. for High-Treason and the Fact being plain they were found Guilty and received Sentence and according to it they were Drawn Hang'd and Quarter'd Cramburn and Rookwood Confess'd what was Sworn against them and Lowick said he would willingly have assisted King James had he Landed The Heads and Quarters of these and the others Executed were set on the Gates of the City as terrible Examples of Offended Justice Two more were also brought to Justice on this Account viz. Mr. Peter Cook and Capt. Knightly the first found Guilty upon a long hearing and the latter Pleaded Guilty to the Indictment and both receiving Sentence have hitherto found sparing Mercy Things being at this pass the King having given Audience to the Venetian Ambassadors who passed through London in great State and dismissed them Prorogued the Parliament and leaving the management of Affairs in the hands of the Lords Justices went to the Army in Flanders And the Duke of Savoy contrary to the Mind of the Confederates clapped up a Peace with France No Memorable Transaction except a Battel between the Eâ—ector of Saxony and the Turks in Hungary has hitherto happened as to this Campaign and Peace more than War is at present the common Discourse And thus have I brought down this History to the Year of our LORD 1696 being the Eighth Year of the Reign of his most Excellent Majesty King WILLIAM the Third whom God grant Long to Reign FINIS