worthilie the Frenchmen vsed the Englishmen nothing freendlie namelie the earle of Arras sticked not to speake manie reprochfull words against the said William de Longespée and his people whereat they could not but take great indignation Also the same season the earle of Leicester who had likewise receiued the crosse deferred his iournie for a time and sailing into Gascoigne mightilie there subdued the kings enimies as Gaston de Bierne also one Rusteine and William de Solares This yeare died Peter de Geneure a Prouancois borne whome the king had preferred in marriage vnto the ladie Maud daughter and heire of Walter Lacie a man of faire possessions in Ireland Of which marriage there came issue a sonne and a daughter Also about Whitsuntide died a noble baron of the north parts named the lord Roger Fitz Iohn whose sonne and heire being yoong was giuen in wardship to William de Ualence the kings halfe brother Also this yeare Hugh earle of March father to the same William de Ualence died in Cipres whilest the French armie wintered there as then going into the holie hand In the feast of All saints the archbishop Bonifacius was inthronized at Canturburie and kept a solemne feast at the which the king and queene with the line 10 more part of all the prelats of the land were present About this season was a great tornie and iusts holden at Brackley where the earle of Glocester contrarie to his accustomed maner fauoured the part of the strangers wherby they preuailed In somuch that William de Ualence handled one sir William de Odingesselles verie roughlie the same sir William being a right woorthie knight year 1250 About the same time the countesse of Cornewall at Berkehamstéed was deliuered of a sonne named Edmund This yeare line 20 about the beginning of the spring the kings brother the earle of Cornewall with other Noble men of the realme as the earle of Glocester Henrie Hastings baron Roger Thurkebie went ouer into France in princelie arraie and furniture to visit the pope who held his court still at the citie of Lions The bishop of Lincolne also and the bishop of Worcester went thither For what cause the other went it was not openlie knowne But the bishop of Lincolne went thither about such businesse as he had in hand against line 30 the Templers Hospitalers and such other which had appealed from him to the court of Rome where he could not bring his purpose to passe for his aduersaries with monie had purchased the iudges fauour And so the bishop returned hauing spent his trauell and monie in vaine On the 6 of March being sundaie the king tooke vpon him the crosse with his brother de Ualence and a great number of other Noble men and amongst other the abbat of Burie to the preiudice as was line 40 thought of his order Roger de Monthault a baron of great honour meaning verelie to go in that iournie to recouer monie towards his necessarie furniture set and sold the most part of his liuings His woods and possessions which he had about Couentrie he sold and let to fee farme vnto the couent there The like chieuance was made by sundrie noble men which prepared themselues to go in that iournie Upon the 27 day of Aprill those that had taken on them the crosse assembled at Bermondsey besides London to treat of their setting forward determining line 50 that the same should be at Midsummer next but by the popes letters which the king procured they were commanded to staie till the king himselfe went Thus their iournie for that time was disappointed There was of them and their retinues that meant thus to haue gone fiue hundreth knights besides yeomen or demilances and other common souldiers in great numbers Gaston de Bierne was so driuen to his shifts by the high prowesse of the earle line 60 of Leicester that in the end he was constreined to come ouer into England and submit himselfe to the king whom he found at Clarendon where he gat such mercie at the kings hands that he was pardoned and restored to his lands But the earle of Leicester put the king in possession of the castels of Fronsacke Egremount and others and banished Rustein and William de Solares with diuerse other stubborne and disloiall rebels depriuing them of their lands and inheritance in that countrie The bishop of Lincolne did excommunicat a préest within his diocesse that was accused of incontinencie And bicause the same preest continued fortie daies without séeking to be reconciled the bishop sent to the shiriffe of Rutland within whose bailiwike the same préest dwelled to apprehend him as a disobedient and rebellious person but the shiriffe winked at the matter and would not execute the bishops commandement wherevpon the bishop did also excommunicat the shiriffe whereof the king being informed tooke displeasure and sending to the pope procured an inhibition that no archbishop nor bishop should compell anie officer belonging to the king to follow anie suit afore them for those things that apperteined to the kings iurisdiction or give sentence against them for the same The mondaie before the Râ—gation wéeke Richard the kings brother earle of Cornewall returned from the court of Rome where he had beene about certeine businesse vnknowne to most men but whatsoeuer the same was the pope gaue him most courteous and honorable interteinement for his welcome and made him great cheare during his abode at Lions where the popes court as then laie ¶ About this season the K. to rid himselfe out of debt wherein he was indangered to certeine merchants lessened the charges of his houshold and kept but a meane port diminishing euen the accustomed almesse of the poore and also the great number of tapers and lights in his chappell so that he was noted with the blame of too much niggardlie sparing anâ— pinching but in that he discharged his debt to the merchants he was thought to doo wiselie and charitablie for that he would not see them hindered to whom he was so indebted besides the opinion that he had concerning himselfe namelie that Profectum faciunt rarum quos debita stringunt About the same time also he caused the Iewes to giue vnto him a great portion of their goods so that they were greatlie impouerished There was one of them named Aaron borne in Yorke the which since the kings last returne out of Gascoigne had paied to the king the summe of thirtie thousand markes ouer and besides two hundred marks which he had giuen to the quéene as the same Aaron protested to Matthew Paris vpon his faith and truth which he bare to his law In the Whitsunwéeke was a generall chapter holden of the friers preachers at London in Holborne where out of sundrie parts of the world were assembled aboue foure hundred of them and they had meat and drinke found them of almesse
immediatlie sent to the tower and three daies after Connesbie was committed thither also They remained there in ward about ten daies and were then deliuered Sir Humfreie Browne was the kings sargeant at law sir Nicholas Hare was one of the kings councellors and speaker of the parlement who being then depriued was now againe thereto restored William Connesbie was attorneie of the dutchie of Lancaster In this parlement were freelie granted without contradictions foure fiftéenes and a subsidie of two shillings of lands and twelue pence of goods toward the kings great charges of making Bâ—lworkes The eighteenth of Aprill at Westminster was Thomas lord Cromwell created earle of Essex and ordeined great chamberleine of England which office the earles of Oxford were woont euer to enioie also Gregorie his sonne was made lord Cromwell The foure and twentith of Aprill Thomas lord Audleie chancellor of England with sir Anthonie Browne maister of the kings horsses were made knights of the night honourable order of the garter On Maie daie was a great triumph of iusting at Westminster which iusts had beene proclaimed in France Flanders Scotland and Spaine for all commers that would against the challengers of England which were sir Iohn Dudleie sir Thomas Seimer sir Thomas Poinings sir George Carew knights Anthonie Kingston and Richard Cromwell esquiers which said challengers came into the lists that daie richlie apparelled and their horsses trapped all in white veluet with certeine knights and gentlemen riding afore them apparelled all in white veluet and white sarsenet and all their seruants in white dublets and hozen cut after the Burgonion fashion and there came to iust against them the said daie of defendants fortie six the earle of Surrie being the formost lord William Howard lord Clinton and lord Cromwell sonne and heire to Thomas Cromwell earle of Essex and chamberleine of England with other which were richlie apparelled And that day sir Iohn Dudleie was ouerthrowne in the field by mischance of his horsse by one master line 10 Breme defendant neuerthelesse he brake diuerse speares valiantlie after that And after the said iusts were doone the said challengers rode to Durham place where they kept open houshold and feasted the king and quéene with hir ladies and all the court The second of Maie Anthonie Kingston Richard Cromwell were made knights at the said place The third of Maie the said challengers did tournie on horssebacke with swords against them came nine and twentie defendants sir Iohn Dudleie and the line 20 earle of Surrie running first who in the first course lost both their gantlets and that daie sir Richard Cromwell ouerthrew master Palmer in the field off his horsse to the great honor of the challengers On the fift of Maie the said challengers fought on foot at the barriers and against them came thirtie defendants which fought valiantlie but sir Richard Cromwell ouerthrew that daie at the barriers master Culpeper in the field The said challengers brake vp their houshold after line 30 they had kept open hospitalitie and feasted the king quéene and all the lords beside all the knights and burgesses of the common house in time of the parlement and the maior aldermen and all their wiues to their no small honor though great expense In the parlement which began the eightéenth of Aprill last past the religion of saint Iohns in England commonlie called the order of knights of the Rhodes was dissolued on the ascension day being the fift of Maie sir William Weston knight prior line 40 of saint Iohns departed this life for thought as was reported which he tooke to the heart after he heard of that dissolution of his order ¶ For the king tooke all the lands that belonged to that order into his hands to the augmentation of his crowne and gaue vnto euerie of the challengers aboue written for a reward of their valiantnesse a hundred marks and a house to dwell in of yearelie reuenues out of the said lands for euer The same moneth were sent to the Tower doctor line 50 Samson bishop of Chichester and doctor Wilson for reléeuing certeine traitorous persons and for the same offense was one Richard Farmer a grocer of London a rich and welthie man and of good estimation in the citie committed to the Marshalseie after at Westminster hall arreigned and atteinted in the premunire so that he lost all his goods ¶ The ninth daie of Iulie Thomas lord Cromwell late made earle of Essex as before you haue heard being in the councell chamber was suddenlie apprehended committed line 60 to the Tower of London the which manie lamented but more reioised and speciallie such as either had béene religious men or fauoured religious persons for they banketed triumphed togither that night manie wishing that that daie had béene seuen yeares before some fearing that he should escape although he were imprisoned could not be merie Other who knew nothing but truth by him both lamented him and heartilie praied for him But this is true that of certeine of the cleargie he was detestablie hated and speciallie such as had borne swinge and by his meanes were put from it for in déed he was a man that in all his dooings seemed not to fauor anie kind of poperie nor could not abide the snuffing pride of some prelats which vndoubtedlie whatsoeuer else was the cause of his death did shorten his life and procured the end that he was brought vnto which was that the ninteenth daie of the said moneth he was atteinted by parlement and neuer came to his answer which law manie reported that he caused first to be made howbeit the plaine truth thereof I know not The articles for which he died appeare in the records where his attaindor is written which are too long here to be rehearsed but to conclude he was there atteinted of heresie and high treason and the eight twentith of Iulie was brought to the scaffold on the Tower hill where he said these words following The words of the lord Cromwell spoken at his death I Am come hither to die and not to purge my selfe as may happen some thinke that I will for if I should so doo I were a verie wretch and a miser I am by the law condemned to die and thanke my Lord God that hath appointed me this death for mine offense For since the time that I came to yeares of discretion I haue liued a sinner and offended my Lord God for the which I aske him hartilie forgiuenesse And it is not vnknowne to manie of you that I haue beene a great traueller in the world and being but of a base degree was called to high estate And since the time I came therevnto I haue offended my prince for the which I aske him hartilie forgiuenesse and beseech you all to praie to God with me that he will forgiue me O Father forgiue me O Sonne forgiue me O Holie ghost
of Gods office How then doo you take in hand to reforme Be ye kings By what authoritie Or by what occasion Be ye the kings officers By what commission Be ye called of God By what tokens declare ye that Gods word teacheth vs that no man should take in hand anie office but he that is called of God like Aaron What Moses I praie you called you What Gods minister bad you rise Ye rise for religion What religion taught you that If ye were offered persecution for religion ye ought to flie so Christ teacheth you and yet you intend to fight If ye would stand in the truth ye ought to suffer like martyrs and you would sleie like tyrants Thus for religion you kéepe no religion and neither will follow the counsell of Christ nor the constancie of martyrs Why rise ye for religion Haue ye anie thing contrarie to Gods booke Yea haue ye not all things agréeable to Gods word But the new is different from the old and therefore ye will haue the old If ye measure the old by truth ye haue the oldest if ye measure the old by fansie then it is hard because mens fansies change to giue that is old Ye will haue the old still Will ye haue anie older than that as Christ left his apostles taught the first church after Christ did vse Ye will haue that the chanons doo establish Why that is a great deale yoonger than that ye haue of later time and newlier inuented Yet that is it that ye desire Why then ye desire not the oldest And doo you preferre the bishops of Rome afore Christ mens inuentions afore Gods law the newer sort of worship before the older Ye séeke no religion ye be deceiued ye séeke traditions They that teach you blind you that so instruct you deceiue you If ye séeke what the old doctors saie yet looke what Christ the oldest of all saith For he saith Before Abraham was made I am If ye seeke the truest way he is the verie truth if ye séeke the readiest waie he is the verie waie if ye séeke euerlasting life he is the verie life What religion would ye haue other now than his religion You would haue the bibles in againe It is no maruell your blind guides would leade you blind still Why be ye howlets and backs that ye cannot looke on the light Christ saith to euerie one Search ye the scriptures for they beare witnesse of Christ. You saie Pull in the scriptures for we will haue no knowledge of Christ. The apostles of Christ will vs to be so readie that we maie be able to giue euerie man an account of our faith Ye will vs not once to read the scriptures for feare of knowing of our faith Saint Paul praieth that euerie man may increase in knowledge ye desire that our knowledge might decaie againe A true religion ye séeke belike and worthie to be sought for For without the sword indéed nothing can helpe it neither Christ nor truth nor age can mainteine it But why should ye not like that which Gods word establisheth the primitiue church hath authorised the greatest learned men of this realme haue drawen the whole consent of the parlement hath confirmed the kings maiestie hath set foorth Is it not trulie set out Can ye deuise anie truer than Christes apostles vsed Ye thinke it is not learnedlie doone Dare ye commons take vpon you more learning than the chosen bishops and clearks of this realme haue Thinke ye follie in it Ye were woont to iudge your parlement wisest now will ye suddenlie excell them in wisdome Or can ye thinke it lacketh authoritie which the king the parlement the learned the wise haue iustlie approoued Learne learne to know this one point of religion that God will be worshipped as he hath prescribed and not as we haue deuised and that his will is wholie in his scriptures which be full of Gods spirit and profitable to teach the truth to reprooue lies to amend faults to bring one vp in righteousnesse that he that is a Gods man may be perfect readie to all good works What can be more required to serue God withall And thus much for religion line 10 rebels The other rable of Norffolke rebelles ye pretend a common-wealth How amend ye it By killing of gentlemen by spoiling of gentlemen by imprisoning of gentlemen A maruellous tanned common-wealth Whie should ye thus hate them For their riches or for their rule Rule they neuer tooke so much in hand as ye doo now They neuer resisted the king neuer withstood his councell be faithfull line 20 at this daie when ye be faithlesse not onelie to the king whose subiects ye be but also to your lords whose tenants ye be Is this your true duetie in some of homage in most of fealtie in all of allegiance to leaue your duties go backe from your promises fall from your faith and contrarie to law and truth to make vnlawfull assemblies vngodlie companies wicked and detestable campes to disobeie your betters and to obeie your tanners to change your obedience from a king to a Ket to submit your line 30 selues to traitors and breake your faith to your true king and lords They rule but by law if otherwise the law the councell the king taketh awaie their rule Ye haue orderlie sought no redresse but ye haue in time found it In countries some must rule some must obeie euerie man maie not beare like stroke for euerie man is not like wise And they that haue séene most and be best able to beare it and of iust dealing beside be most fit to rule It is an other matter to vnderstand a mans owne gréefe and to know the common-wealths sore and therfore not line 40 they that know their owne case as euerie man doth but they that vnderstand the common-welths state ought to haue in countries the preferment of ruling If ye felt the paine that is ioined with gouernance as ye see and like the honor ye would not hurt others to rule them but rather take great paine to be ruled of them If ye had rule of the kings maiestie committed vnto you it were well doone ye had ruled the gentlemen but now ye haue it not and cannot beare their rule it is to thinke the kings maiestie foolish line 50 and vniust that hath giuen certeine rule to them And séeing by the scripture ye ought not to speake euill of anie magistrate of the people why doo ye not onelie speake euill of them whome the kings maiestie hath put in office but also iudge euill of the king himselfe and thus seditiouslie in field stand with your swords drawen against him If riches offend you because yée wish the like then thinke that to be no common-wealth but enuie to the common-wealth Enuie it is to appaire an other line 60 mans estate without the amendment of your owne And to haue no gentlemen bicause ye be none
passing by the ward there he went to the place that is right ouer against the mint before the which there was a huge and monstrous seahorsse of twentie foot high vpon whom sat a nymph called Concord bearing a shield wherein was painted a booke and a rod which was named the Rule of truth In hir hand she bare a flag wherein was written Faithfull aliance This monster of the sea was named Tyrannie and he had a bridle in his mouth line 50 with double reines of iron chained called Law and Reason Whereby the dukes highnesse was doone to vnderstand that he as a true Perseus was to deliuer that countrie from all tyrannie and afterward to gouerne it by iustice and reason Ouer against the mint gate where the stréet is narrowest were two obeliskes or round spires and betwéene them a triumphall arch with his pillers of Corinthian worke gilded and inriched with his releefe vnder him Upon the forefront were his highnesses arms line 60 and likewise on the sides were other armes with banners torches and cressets Under the armes of his highnesse were written these verses following Full mightie is that common weale and in a happie case And blest with all commodities through Gods most heauenlie grace Where prince behaues himselfe as head and commons him obeie As members either carefullie regarding others staie From this triumphall arch vnto the palace that is to wit all along saint Michaels stréet which is a mile in length stood on either side thrée score and ten pillers with a space of two and twentie foot betweene piller and piller Euerie piller was twelue foot high and vpon the pillers was a continuall tarras on euerie ech other piller was a cresset and on the pillers betwéene were the armes of Brabant Aniou and Antwerpe diuided according to the spaces betwéene the said pillers And the pillers were crested about with garlands of iuie On the side of the street towards the palace was a pageant with banners torches and pyramides vpon the vppermost part of one of the sides whereof was a crane and vpon the other side a cocke giuing knowledge as well to the heads as to the members that watchfulnesse is needfull A little spaniell betokening faithfulnesse a little lambe betokening peace were painted accompanied with the Sybils which represented wisedome loue faithfulnesse obedience vertue and honor without the which no true peace can continue And all these were guided by the light of the holie ghost which was resembled by a certeine brightnesse that discouered the chiefe instruments of discord namelie Enuie and Slander who péered out behind Enuie gnawing hir owne heart and Slander hauing double heart double toong and double face howbeit with small effect For on the two sides of this pageant were two counterfets on the one side Hercules on the other Dauid as it were in copper hauing gotten the vpper hand of Goliah betokening strength and stowtnesse and vnderneath was Concord who held Discord in a chaine with collars about his necke which Discord offering with his one hand an apple of gold and with his other hand threatning men with his force and tyrannie was yet neuerthelesse driuen into the dungeon of sorrow where he is kept prisoner by Concord who kéepeth the doore fast shut betokening the same thing which the countrie looketh for at his highnesse hand according to his posie Cherisheth and Chaseth Upon the forefront of the compartement made of Phrygian worke were these verses following painted out in most liuelie forme O let the earth the kissings sweet of peace and iustice see And let hir powre hir riches foorth in all mens bosoms free Let godlines and faithfulnes go matched arme in arme And let the bond of endles loue keepe all things knit from harme Before the duke came at saint Michaels where the palace was prepared for his highnesse the daie was so farre spent that they were faine to light vp their cressets torches which cast so great and cléere a light through the whole towne that the dukes highnesse and the princes and lords which accompanied him and likewise the souldiors with their glistering armors were séene more cleerelie than at anie time of the daie And as the multitude of people was verie great in the citie so the néerer that his highnesse drew to his palace the greater still did the number grow So at length the duke of Brabant and Aniou entred into his palace in the order afore mentioned hauing moreouer a two or thrée hundred as well of offendors as of banished folke which followed him bareheaded and fettered crauing mercie The heralds did cast péeces of gold and siluer abrode as they had doone at the méetings of all the stréets as they passed through them At the entrie of the palace was an arch of twentie foot high resting vpon thrée pillers of Phrygian worke and vpon the top thereof was a compartement wherein were the thrée graces that is to wit Uertue Glorie and Honor who offered vnto his highnesse an olife branch in token of peace a laurell bough in token of victorie and a crowne which was sent him from heauen And vnder the compartement were written these verses O prince whose merits passe his praise whose vertues haue no peeres Whose mind surmounts his fortune far whose thews exceed his yeeres Take gentlie heere this oliue branch this laurell bough and crowne Three presents giuen thee by three nymphs and sent from heauen downe ¶ The oth made by Francis duke of Brabant to the line 10 members of the right renowmed citie of Antwerpe and the oth made by them againe vnto his highnesse The duke of Brabant being come into his palace caused a peale of a twentie or thirtie thousand harquebusses to be shot off and then all the companies sauing those which were to watch that night began to withdraw themselues appase Which thing was doone in such order and with such silence that in lesse than halfe an houre all the citie was disarmed line 20 after which maner they had also armed themselues in lesse than an houre without anie noise in the morning The princes also and the lords withdrew themselues to their lodgings and then was all the great ordinance of the towne shot off twise as it had béene at the dukes first comming to the citie that all the towne séemed to be on fire Cressets were lighted and fires made for ioie through all the stréets and méetings waies and vpon the stéeples in so great number and so continuallie that all the night resembled line 30 the daie in so much that when they that were without the towne looked vp into the skie they thought the element was all on fire These bonefires continued euerie night vntill the next thursdaie on which daie his highnesse tooke his peculiar oth to the towne of Antwerpe in dooing whereof these solemnities insuing were obserued The amptman boroughmaisters and skepons of Antwerpe came to the said
with himselfe in that he had doone vndiscréetlie yet now when that which was doone could not be vndoone he caused all the Nobles and lords of the realme togither with the king of Scots and hiâ— brother Dauid to doo homage vnto his said sonne thus made fellow with him in the kingdome but he would not release them of their oth of allegiance wherein they stood bound to obeie him the father so long as he liâ—â—d ¶ Howbeit some write that he renouncâ—â— his estate first before all the lords of the land and after caused his sonne to be crowned but in such vncerteine points set foorth by parciall writers thaâ— is to be receiued as a truth which is confirmed by the order and sequele of things after doone and put in practise For true it is that king Henrie the father so long as his sonâ—e liued did shew himselfe 〈◊〉 as fellow with his sonne in gouernment and sometime as absolute king and after his sons decease he continued in the entier gouernment so long as he liued But to procéed The French king hearing that his sonne in law was â—hus crowned and not his â—aughter the wife of Henrie the sonne was highlie offended therewith and threatned to make war against king Henrie the father except 〈◊〉 daughter Margaret might 〈…〉 crowne also as quéene immediatâ—â—e The French king 〈…〉 homewards and king Henrie returning came to Uernon where he fell into so great a sicknesse that anon it was noised ouer all the countrie Insomch that he was in such despaire of life that he made his testament wherein he assigned his sonne Richard the dutchie of Aquitaine and all those lands which came by quéene Elianor the mother of the same Richard And to his sonne Geffrey he bequeathed Britaine with the daughter of earle Conan which he had purchased to his vse of the French king And to line 10 his sonne king Henrie he gaue the dutchie of Normandie and all those lands which came by his father Geffrey earle of Aniou And to his yoongest sonne Iohn he bequeathed the earledome of Mortaine And finallie appointed where he would haue his bodie to be buried In the meane time Henrie the sonne remaining at home in England fell from all good order of measure kéeping and gaue himselfe to all excessiue riot spending and wasting his reuenues inordinatelie line 20 Of which behauiour his father being aduertised returned into England where he taried not long but passed ouer againe into Normandie hauing his said sonne in his companie meaning thereby to remooue him from the companie of those that were verie like to corrupt his nature and frame the same to all lewdnesse for he knew that commercia turpia sanctos Corrumpunt mores multi hoc periere veneno Labimur in vitium facilè ad pâ—iorâ— mouemur line 30 In this meane while Thomas the archbishop of Canturburie remained in exile almost six yeares and could not be restored till partlie by swelling threats of the pope and partlie at the earnest suit of Lewes the French king Theobald earle of Blois and others king Henrie began somewhat to shew himselfe conformable towards an agréement Wherevpon the two kings met diuerse times and the archbishop Thomas comming with the French king at one time humbled himselfe so to the king of line 40 England that knéeling downe at his féet he said My souereigne liege lord I commit the whole cause of the controuersie betwixt your grace and me vnto your maiesties order Gods honour onelie reserued The king offended with that ambiguous exception said to the king of France Whatsoeuer displeaseth this man is taken as he interpreteth it contrarie to Gods honour and so by that shift will he chalenge to himselfe all that belongeth vnto me But bicause line 50 you shall not thinke that I go about to resist Gods honour or him in any reasonable order looke what the greatest and most holie of all his ancestors haue doone vnto the meanest of mine ancestours let him doo the same vnto me and I am contented therewith All the companie present cried that the king humbled himselfe enough My lord archbishop said the French king will you be greater than saints and better than saint Peter Wherof stand you in doubt line 60 Behold your peace is at hand The archbishop made answer in commendation of the present state of holie church as thus My holie predecessours in their time although they cut not all things away that extolled it selfe against God yet did they cut off diuers but if they had plucked vp all by the hard roots which might offend who should now haue raised the fire of temptation against vs We are in much better case thanks be to God and as we haue laboured in their lot and number so are we partakers of their labour and reward What if any of them had béene defectiue or excessiâ—e in any point are we bound to â—ollow the example of their defection or excesse We blame Peter for his denieng of Christ but we praise him in reproouing of Neros violence with danger of his life The church hath risen and increased out of manie dangerous oppressions our fathers haue suffered manie things bicause they would not forsake the name of Christ and ought I to suppresse his honour to be reconciled vnto any mans fauour God forbid God forbid When the Noble men present heard this answer of a subiect against his souereigne they all held against him imputing the fault to the archbishops arrogancie that the peace was not made betweene the king and him insomuch that there was an erle which openlie said Sith he resisteth the will of both the realmes he is not worthie to be succoured by either of them from hencefoorth and therefore being cast out of England let not France receiue him The councell then being broken vp the kings departed without bidding the archbishop farewell and such as were mediatours for peace in departing from this meeting spake manie reprochfull words to him alledging that he had béene euer stout and wise in his owne conceit and a folower of his owne will and opinion adding that it was a great hinderance to the church that he was ordeined archbishop and that by him the church was alreadie in part destroied and would shortlie be altogither brought to vtter ruine But the archbishop setting a watch before his mouth kept silence as though he had not heard and folowed the French king with his people Manie said by the waie as they iourneied Behold the archbishop yonder which in talke the last night would not for the pleasure of the king denie God nor kéepe his honor in silence After this when the archbishop was come to Sens and aduised with himselfe whether it should be best for him to go at length he said God is able in the last point of miserie and distresse to helpe those that be his Herewith came a messenger from the French king to bring him to the
Edward the third their names are as followeth First the said noble prince king Edward the third the prince of Wales duke of Cornewall and earle of Chester his eldest sonne Henrie duke of Lancaster the earle of Warwike the capitall de Beuch alià s Buz or Bâ—ufe Rafe earle of Stafford William Montacute earle of Salisburie Roger lord Mortimer Iohn lord Lisle Bartholomew lord Burwasch or Berghesech the lord Iohn Beauchampe the lord de Mahun Hugh lord Courtnie Thomas lord Holand Iohn lord Graie Richard lord Fitz Simon sir Miles Stapleton sir Thomas Walle sir Hugh Wrottesley sir Néele Loring sir Iohn Chandos Iames lord Audelie sir Otes Holand sir Henrie Eme sir Sanchet Dabrichcourt sir Walter Panell ¶ Christopher Okland speaking of the first institution of this honorable order dooth saie that after foure daies were expired in the said exercises of chiualrie the king besides the rich garter which he bestowed vpon them that tried maisteries did also giue them a pretious collar of S S. but whether this collar had his first institution then with the garter he saith nothing belike it was an ornament of greater antiquitie Oklands words are these as followeth concertatoribus ampla Praemia dat princeps baccatas induit illis Crura periscelides quas vnio mistus Eous Commendat flammis interlucente pyropo Praeterea ex auro puro quod odorifer Indus Miserat inserta donabat iaspide gemma Si formam spectes duplicato ex sygmate torques ¶ The cause and first originall of instituting this order is vncerteine But there goeth a tale amongst the people that it rose by this means It chanced that K. Edward finding either the garter of the quéene or of some ladie with whom he was in loue being fallen from hir leg stooped downe and tooke it vp whereat diuerse of his nobles found matter to iest and to talke their fansies merilie touching the kings affection towards the woman vnto whome he said that if he liued it should come so passe that most high honor should be giuen vnto them for the garters sake and there vpon shortlie after he deuised and ordeined this order of the garter with such a posie wherby he signified that his nobles iudged otherwise of him than the truth was Though some may thinke that so noble an order had but a meane beginning if this tale be true yet manie honorable degrees of estates haue had their beginnings of more base and meane things than of loue which being orderlie vsed is most noble and commendable sith nobilitie it selfe is couered vnder loue as the poet Ouid aptlie saith Nobilitas sub amore iacet William de Montacute earle of Salisburie king of Man and marshall of England was so brused at the iusts holden here at Windsore as before ye haue heard that he departed this life the more was the pitie within eight daies after ¶ The king about the same time to wit in the quindene of Candlemasse held a councell at London in the which with good aduise and sound deliberation had vpon the complaint of the commons to him before time made he gaue out streict commandement that no man on paine of imprisonment and death should in time to come present or induct anie such person or persons that were so by the pope promoted without the kings agreement in preiudice of his roiall prerogatiue Héerevpon he directed also writs to all archbishops bishops abbats priors deanes archdeacons officials and other ecclesiasticall persons to whome it apperteined inhibiting them in no wise to attempt anie thing in preiudice of that ordinance vnder pretext of anie bulles or other writings for such manner of line 10 prouisions to come from the court of Rome Other writs were also directed to his sonne the prince of Wales and to all the shiriffes within the realme for to arrest all such as brought into the land any such buls or writings and to bring them before the kings councell or his iustices where they might be punished according to the trespasse by them committed About the same time the king ordeined a certeine coine of fine gold and named it the floren which line 20 coine was deuised for his warres in France for the gold thereof was not so fine as was the noble which in the fourtéenth yeare he had caused to be coined but this coine continued not long ¶ After the feast of the holie Trinitie the king held a parlement at London in the which he asked a tenth of the cleargie and a fiftéenth of the laitie about which demand there was no small altercation but at length he had it granted for one yeare ¶ At the same time the archbishop of Canturburie held a conuocation of all the cleargie at London in the which manie things were line 30 in talke about the honest demeanor of churchmen which sildome is obserued as the addition to Nicholas Triuet saith About the feast of the Assumption of our ladie the king disanulled the florens to the great commoditie of his kingdome ordeining a greater floren of halfe a marke and a lesser of thrée shillings foure pence and the least of all of twentie pence and these were called nobles and not without cause for they were a noble coine of faire fine gold This yeare on the seauentéenth daie of Nouember line 40 the pope in Auinion created the lord Lewes de Spaine ambassador for the French king prince of the Iles called Fortunatae for what purpose it was not knowne but it was doubted not to be for anie good meaning towards the kingdome of England the prosperitie whereof the same pope was suspected not greatlie to wish ¶ About the beginning of Lent the same yeare the said pope had sent an archbishop and a bishop ambassadors to the king who met them at Ospring in Kent and to the end they line 50 should not linger long within the realme he quicklie dispatched them without effect of their message ¶ This yeare shortlie after Easter the duke of Britaine that had beene deteined prisoner by the French king and escaped out of prison came ouer into England ¶ And about the same time the king ordeined the exchange of monies at London Canturburie and Yorke to the great commoditie of his people line 60 About Midsummer or as other haue Michaelmas the earle of Derbie with the earle of Penbroke the lord Rafe Stafford the lord Walter de Mannie the lord Iohn Graie of Codnore and diuerse other lords knights and esquires to the number of fiue or six hundred men of armes and as manie archers sailed ouer into Gascoine to assist the kings subiects there against the Frenchmen This earle of Derbie being generall of the armie after his arriuall in Gascoine about the beginning of December wan the towne of Bergerat by force hauing put to flight the earle of Lisle as then the French kings lieutenant in Gascoine who laie there with a great power to defend the passage but being driuen into
great misliking that had beene afore time betwixt the king and the lords was now more vehementlie increased the duke of Ireland the earle of Suffolke the archbishop of Yorke the lord chiefe iustice Robert Trisilian and others still procuring stirring and confirming the kings heauie displeasure against the lords The duke of Glocester considering to what conclusion these things tended came secretlie to conference line 40 with the earles of Arundell Warwike and Derbie who were in like danger if they prouided not more spéedilie for their safetie wherevpon he discouered to them the perill wherein they all stood in common so that when they weied what was the most expedient meane to safe gard their liues they gathered their power togither determining to talke with the king with their armour vpon their backes for their more suertie as well concerning his pretense to bring them to their deaths as for the fauour line 50 which he bare to those whom they reputed to be traitors both to him and to the whole state of the realme whereby the same could not auoid spéedie ruine if remedie were not the sooner prouided The king on the other part tooke aduise how he might apprehend these lords whom he tooke to be plaine traitors ech one apart before they might gather their strengths about them and first he sent the earle of Northumberland and others vnto the castell of Reigate to take the earle of Arundell who laie there at that present But line 60 howsoeuer it fortuned the earle of Northumberland came backe and failed to accomplish that which he had in commandement After this a great number were sent by night to haue laid hands on him and to haue brought him to the kings presence or in case he resisted to haue slaine him if by any meanes they might but he being warned by a messenger that came to him from the duke of Glocester conueied himselfe awaie and with such bands as he had got togither rode all that night so that in the morning hauing passed thirtie miles not without great trauell and all speed possible he was in the morning aduanced to Haringie parke where he found the duke of Glocester and the earle of Warwike with a great power of men about them ¶ At the same time the king was about to set forward towards Canturburie there to performe some vow of pilgrimage which he had vndertaken to make vnto the shrine of Thomas Becket But a brute was raised and a slander belike contriued to bring him in further hatred of his subiects that he meant to steale ouer into France vnto the French king hauing promised to deliuer vp into his hands the towne of Calis with the castell of Guines and all the fortresses which his predecessors had possessed in those parties either by right from their ancestors or by warlike conquest Howbeit this his iournie to Canturburie was suddenlie staied vpon knowledge had of the gathering togither of the lords in Haringie parke wherewith the king being sore amazed called togither such as he trusted to vnderstand what their opinion was of the matter and vnderstanding that the purposed intention of the lords for which they were so assembled was to this end as they pretended to bring him vnto a better trade of life and more profitable order of gouernement he was streight striken with no small feare demanding of them their aduise what was best for him to doo in such troublesome state of things Some were of this mind that it should be best to séeke to appease the lords with faire promises assuring them that they should haue their desires Other thought it better to assemble the kings friends and ioining them with the Londoners to go foorth and trie the hazard of battell with the lords Among them that were of this mind the archbishop of Yorke was the chiefest But other that were thought to vnderstand more of the world than he did iudged it not wisedome so to doo considering that if the king lost the field then should great harme and dishonor follow and if the victorie fell to his side yet could he gaine naught but lose a great number of his subiects This was in Nouember at what time the king vpon his returning from Canturburie meant to haue holden a parlement but through those stirs neither his iournie to Canturburie nor the parlement went forward yet he caused order to be giuen that no citizen of London should fell to the duke of Glocester the earle of Arundell or any other of the lords any armour bowes arrowes or other munition or matter that might tend to the furniture of warre vpon a great paine But notwithstanding the lords went forward with their businesse and before they approched the citie of London they sent to the king the archbishop of Canturburie the lord Iohn Louell the lord Cobham and the lord Iohn Deuereux requiring to haue deliuered vnto them such as were about him that were traitors and seducers both of him and the realme that sought nothing else but to trouble both poore and rich and to sow discord and variance betwixt the king and his nobles And further they declared that their comming was for the honor and wealth both of the king and realme But the king being ruled altogither by the duke of Ireland the earle of Suffolke and two or three other was fullie persuaded that the lords intended to bring him vnder their gouernement and therfore he was counselled to make the French king his sure friend in all vrgent necessities And to be assured of him it was reported that those councellors aduised him to render vp into the French kings hands the towne of Calis and all that he had else in possession on the further side of the sea Howsoeuer this matter went truth it is that the king sent for the maior of London requiring to know of him how manie able men they thought the citie could make The maior answered that he thought verely the citizens might make in time of need fiftie thousand men within an houres respit Well said the king then I beseech you go and prooue what will be doone But when the maior began to attempt the matter he was answered generallie that they would neuer fight against the kings freends and defenders of the realme as indeed they tooke the lords to be but against the enimies of the king and realme they would alwaies be readie to fight and shew what resistance they were able This answer the maior reported to the king line 10 At the same time there was about the king the lord Rafe Basset who said thus to the king flatlie and plainelie Sir I haue béene and euer will be your true liege man and my bodie and goods shall euer be at your graces commandement in all iustice and trueth But neuerthelesse hereof I assure you that if my hap be to come into the field I will without faile alwaies follow the true part and it is not I that
the readers it is necessarie to set downe the articles of the commons complaints touching the premisses line 10 whereof a copie was sent to the parlement then holden at Westminster with their bill of requests concerning abuses to be reformed The complaint of the commons of Kent and causes of their assemblie on the Blackheath line 1 INprimis it is openlie noised that Kent line 20 should be destroied with a roiall power made a wild forrest for the death of the â—uke of Suffolke of which the commons of â—ent thereof were neuer giltie 2 Item the king is stirred to liue onelie on his commons and other men to haue the reuenues of the crowne the which hath caused pouertie in his excellencie and great paiments of the people now late to the king granted in his parlement 3 Item that the lords of his roiall bloud beene line 30 put from his dailie presence and other meane persons of lower nature exalted and made chéefe of his priuie councell the which stoppeth matters of wrongs done in the realme from his excellent audience and maie not be redressed as law will but if bribes and gifts be messengers to the hands of the said councell 4 Item the people of this realme be not paid of debts owing for stuffe and purueiance taken to the vse of the kings houshold in vndooing of the said people line 40 and the poore commons of the realme 5 Item the kings meniall seruants of houshold and other persons asken dailie goods and lands of impeached or indicted of treason the which the king granteth anon yer they so indangered be conuicted The which causeth the receiuers thereof to inforge labours and meanes applied to the death of such people so appeached or indicted by subtill meanes for couetise of the said grants and the people so impeached or indicted though it be vntrue maie not be committed line 50 to the law for their deliuerance but held still in prison to their vttermost vndooing destruction for couetise of goods 6 Item though diuerse of the poore people and commons of the realme haue neuer so great right truth and perfect title to their land yet by vntrue claime of infeoffement made vnto diuerse states gentles and the kings meniall seruants in maintenances against the right the true owners dare not hold claime nor pursue their right line 60 7 Item it is noised by common voices that the kings lands in France béene aliened and put awaie from the crowne and his lords and people there destroied with vntrue meanes of treason of which it is desired inquiries thorough all the realme to be made how and by whome if such traitors maie be found giltie them to haue execution of law without anie pardon in example of others 8 Item collectors of the fiftéenth penie in Kent be greatlie vexed and hurt in paieng great summes of monie in the excheker to sue out a writ called Quorum nomina for the alowance of the barons of the ports which now is desired that hereafter in the lieu of the collectors the barons aforesaid maie sue it out for their ease at their owne costs 9 Item the shiriffes and vndershiriffes let to farme their offices and bailiwickes taking great suertie therefore the which causeth extortions doone by them and by their bailiffes to the people 10 Item simple and poore people that vse not hunting be greatlie oppressed by indictements feined doone by the said shiriffes vndershiriffes bailiffes and other of their assent to cause their increase for paieng of their said farme 11 Item they returne in names of inquests in writing into diuerse courts of the king not summoned nor warned where through the people dailie léese great summes of monie well nigh to the vttermost of their vndooing and make leuie of amercements called the gréene wax more in summes of monie than can be found due of record in the kings books 12 Item the ministers of the court of Douer in Kent vex and arrest diuerse people thorough all the shire out of Castle ward passing their bounds and libertie vsed of old time by diuerse subtill and vntrue meanes and actions falselie feined taking great fées at their lust in great hurt of the people on all the shire of Kent 13 Item the people of the said shire of Kent maie not haue their frée election in the choosing of knights of the shire but letters béene sent from diuerse estates to the great rulers of all the countrie the which imbraceth their tenants and other people by force to choose other persons than the coÌ„mons will is 14 Item whereas knights of the shire should choose the kings collectors indifferentlie without any bribe taking they haue sent now late to diuerse persons notifieng them to be collectors wherevpon gifts and bribes be taken so the collectors office is bought and sold extortionouslie at the knights lust 15 Item the people be sore vexed in costs and labour called to the sessions of peace in the said shire appearing from the furthest and vttermost part of the west vnto the east the which causeth to some men fiue daies iournie wherevpon they desire the said appearance to be diuided into two parts the which one part to appeare in one place an other part in an other place in reléeuing of the gréeuances and intollerable labours vexations of the said people The requests by the capteine of the great assemblie in Kent INprimis desireth the capteine of the â—ommons the welfare of our souereigne â—ord the king and all his true lords spiriâ—uall and temporall desiring of our said souereigne lord and of all the true lords of his councell he to take in all his demaines that he maie reigne like a king roiall according as he is borne our true and christian king annointed and who so will saie the contrarie we all will liue and die in the quarell as his true liege men Item desireth the said capteine that he will auoid all the false progenie and affinitie of the duke of Suffolke the which beene openlie knowne and they to be punished after the custome and law of this land and to take about his noble person the true lords of his roiall bloud of this his realme that is to saie the high and mightie prince the duke of Yorke late exiled from our said souereigne lords presence by the motion and stirring of the traitorous and false disposed the duke of Suffolke and his affinitie and the mightie princes dukes of Excester Buckingham and Norffolke and all the earles and barons of this land and then shall he be the richest king christian Item desireth the said capteine and commons punishment vnto the false traitors the which contriued and imagined the death of the high mightfull and excellent prince the duke of Glocester the which is too much to rehearse the which duke was proclamed as traitor Upon the which quarell we purpose all to liue and die vpon that that it is false Item the duke of Excester our
liege men First praieng and beséeching to our souereigne Christ Iesus of his high and mightie power to giue you vertue of prudence and that through the praier of the glorious martyr S. Albon giue you verie knowledge of our truths and to know the intent of our assembling at this time for God that is in heauen knoweth our intent is rightfull and true And therefore we praie vnto that mightie Lord in these words Domine sis clypeus defensionis nostrae Wherfore gratious lord please it your maiestie roiall to deliuer such as we will accuse and they to haue like as they haue deserued and this doone you to be honorablie worshipped as most rightfull king and our true gouernour And if we should now at this time be promised as afore this time is not vnknowen haue béene promises broken which haue béene full faithfullie promised and therevpon great othes sworne we will not now ceasse for no such promises nor oth till we haue them which haue deserued death or else we to die therefore The answer by the king to the duke of Yorke I King Henrie charge and command that no manner person of what degrée estate or what condition soeuer he be abide not but that they auoid the field and not be so hardie to make resistance against me in my owne realme For I shall know what traitour dare be so bold to raise anie people in mine owne land wherethrough I am in great disease and heauines By the faith I owe vnto S. Edward and vnto the crowne of England I shall destroie them euerie mothers sonne and eke they to be hanged drawne and quartered that may be taken afterward of them in example to make all such traitors to beware for to make anie rising of people within mine owne land and so traitorouslie to abide their king and gouernour And for a conclusion rather than they shall haue anie lord that here is with me at this time I shall this day for their sake in this quarell my selfe liue and die The words of the duke of Yorke to all gentlemen and other assembled with him SIrs the king our souereigne lord will not be reformed at our beseeching ne praier nor will not in no wise vnderstand the intent wherfore we be here assembled and gathered at this time but onelie is in full purpose to destroie vs all And thervpon a great oth hath made line 10 that there is none other waie but that he with all his power will pursue vs and if we be taken to giue vs a shamefull death léesing our liuelod and goods and also our heires shamed for euer Therefore sirs now sith it will none otherwise be but that we shall vtterlie die better it is for vs to die in the field than cowardlie to be put to an vtter rebuke and shamefull death for the right of England standeth in vs. Considering also in what perill it standeth at this time and for to redresse the mischéefe thereof let euerie line 20 man helpe to his power this daie and in that quarell to quite vs like men to the crowne of England praieng and beséeching vnto that Lord the which is eternall thâ—t reigneth in the glorious kingdome celestiall to kéepe and saue vs this daie in our right and through the gifts of his holie grace we may be made strong to withstand the great abhominable and horrible malice of them that purpose to destroie vs and the realme of England and put vs to a shamefull death Praie we therefore to the Lord to be our comfort line 30 and our defendour saieng these words Domine sis clypeus defensionis nostrae But another historie-writer saith that the king when first he heard of the duke of Yorks approch sent to him messengers the duke of Buckingham and others to vnderstand what he meant by his comming thus in maner of warre The duke of Buckingham to his message was answered by the duke of Yorke and his complices that they were all of line 40 them the kings faithfull liege subiects and intended no harme to him at all but the cause of our comming saie they is not in meaning anie hurt to his person But let that wicked and naughtie man the duke of Summerset be deliuered vnto vs who hath lost Normandie and taken no regard to the preseruation of Gascoigne and furthermore hath brought the realme vnto this miserable estate that where it was the floure of nations and the princesse of prouinces now is it haled into desolation spoile not line 50 so dreadfull by malice of forren enimie that indéed vtterlie as yee know seeketh our ruine as by the intollerable outrages of him that so long ago euen still appeares to haue sworne the confusion of our king and realme If it therefore please the king to deliuer that bad man into our hands we are readie without trouble or breach of peace to returne into our countrie But if the king be not minded so to do bicause he cannot misse him let him vnderstand that we will rather die in the field than suffer such a mischéefe line 60 vnredressed The king aduertised of this answer more wilfull than tollerable appointed him rather to trie battell than deliuer the duke of Summerset to his enimies Whereof they ascerteined made no longer staie but streightwaie sounded the trumpet to battell or rather as Hall saith while king Henrie sent foorth his ambassadours to treat of peace at the one end of the towne the earle of Warwike with his Marchmen entred at the other end and fiercelie setting on the kings fore-ward within a small time discomfited the same The place where they first brake into the towne was about the middle of saint Peters stréet The fight for a time was right sharpe and cruell for the duke of Summerset with the other lords comming to the succours of their companions that were put to the woorse did what they could to beat backe the enimies but the duke of Yorke sent euer fresh men to succour the wearie and to supplie the places of them that were hurt whereby the kings armie was finallie brought low and all the cheefteins of the field slaine and beaten downe For there died vnder the signe of the castell Edmund duke of Summerset who as hath béene reported was warned long before to auoid all castels and beside him laie Henrie the second of that name earle of Northumberland Humfrie earle of Stafford sonne to the duke of Buckingham Iohn lord Clifford sir Barthram Antwisell knight a Norman borne who forsaking his natiue countrie to continue in his loiall obedience to king Henrie came ouer to dwell here in England when Normandie was lost William Zouch Iohn Boutreux Rafe Bapthorp with his sonne William Corwin William Cotton Gilbert Faldinger Reginald Griffon Iohn Dawes Elice Wood Iohn Eith Rafe Woodward Gilbert Skarlock and Rafe Willoughbie esquiers with manie other in all to the number of eight thousand as Edward Hall saith in his chronicle
true and infallible heire to the wise and politike prince king Henrie the third as sonne and heire to king Edward the second sonne and heire to king Edward the first the very heire and first begotten sonne of the said noble and vertuous prince king Henrie the third Which king Richard of that name the second was lawfullie iustlie possessed of the crowne and diadem of this realme and region till Henrie of Derbie duke of Lancaster and Hereford sonne to Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster the fourth begotten sonne to the said king Edward the third and yoonger brother to my noble ancestor Lionell duke of Clarence the third begotten sonne of the said king Edward by force line 10 and violence contrarie both to the dutie of his allegiance and also to his homage to him both doone and sworne raised warre and battell at the castle of Flint in Northwales against the said king Richard and him apprehended and imprisoned within the Tower of London during whose life and captiuitie he wrongfullie vsurped and intruded vpon the roiall power and high line 20 estate of this realme and region taking vpon him the name stile and authoritie of king and gouernour of the same And not therewith satisfied and contented compassed and accomplished the death and destruction of his naturall prince and most worthie souereigne lord not as a common homicide and butcherlie murtherer but as a regicide and destroier of his king After whose pitious death and execrable line 30 murther the right and title of the crowne and superioritie of this realme was lawfullie reuerted returned to Roger Mortimer earle of March sonne and heire to ladie Philip the onelie child of the aboue rehearsed Lionell duke of Clarence vnto which Rogers daughter called Anne my most deerest and welbeloued moother I am the verie true and lineall heire which descent line 40 all you can not iustlie gainesay nor yet trulie denie Then remember this if the title be mine why am I put from it If I be true heire to the crowne as I am in deed why is my right withholden If my claime be good why haue I not iustice For suerlie learned men of great science and knowledge say and affirme that lineall descent nor vsurped possession can nothing line 50 preuaile if continuall claime be lawfullie made or openlie published For the auoiding of which scruple and ambiguitie Edmund earle of March my most welbeloued vncle in the time of the first vsurper in deed but not by right called king Henrie the fourth by his coosines the earle of Northumberland the lord Persie he being then in captiuitie with Owen line 60 Glendouer the rebell in Wales made his title righteous claime to the destruction of both the noble persons Likewise my most deerest lord my father so farre set foorth that right and title that he lost his life worldlie ioy at the towne of South-hampton more by power than indifferent iustice Since whose death I comming to my full age haue neuer desisted to pursue my title and require my right which by meanes of sinister counsell and vniust detention I can neither obteine nor recouer So that of fine force I am compelled to vse power in steed of praier and force in steed of request not as I said before for my priuat emolument and peculiar profit but to restore peace loue and quietnesse to this our naturall region which euer since the first vngodlie vsurpation of the aforenamed Henrie vntrulie called king Henrie the fourth hath beene cleerelie banished and out of the same vniustlie exiled What murthers and manslaughters haue beene perpetrated and committed within this countrie since the beginning of that vngratious vsurpation What number of noble men haue beene slaine destroied executed since that infortunate daie It is too lamentable and manifest For although Henrie of Lancaster earle of Derbie tooke vpon him the scepter and the crowne and wrongfullie bare the name and stile of a king and was not much tickled with mine vncle the earle of March at that time being within age yet was he neuer in suertie of himselfe nor had or inioied any profit quietnesse either in mind or in bodie For suerlie a corrupt conscience neuer feeleth rest but looketh when the sword of vengeance will descend and strike His sonne also called king Henrie the fift obteined notable victories and immortall praises for his noble acts doone in the realme of France yet God for the offense of his vntrue parent suddenlie touched him vnbodieng his soule in the flower of his youth and in the glorie of his conquest And although he had a faire sonne and a yoong heire apparant yet was this orphan such a one as preachers say that God threatned to send for a punishment to his vnrulie and vngratious people saieng by his prophet Esaie I shall giue you children to be your princes and infants without wisedome shall haue the gouernance of you The prophet lied not if you note all things in an order for after this Henrie the fift whose fame no man can iustlie reprooue or deface succeeded his sonne whom all we haue called our naturall prince and obeied as his heire In whose time and wrongfull reigne I require you diligentlie to consider with what great torments and afflictions God hath whipped scourged this miserable I le yea with such and so manie scourges and plagues as no nation the Aegyptians onelie excepted were euer tormented or afflicted withall I will not speake of rebellious murthers and oppressions which of late haue beene doone and exercised heere among vs. But I will declare manifest to you how the crowne and glorie of this realme is by the negligence of this sillie man and his vnwise councell minished defaced and also dishonoured Is not Normandie which his father gat regained conquered againe by the insolencie of him his couetous councell Is not the whole duchie of Aquitaine by two hundred and odyeares peaceablie possessed by the kings of this realme in one yeare and a little more gotten out of our hands seigniorie What should I speake of Aniou Maine or the losse of the I le of France with the rich citie of Paris Alas it is too apparant Neither will I molest you with the recitall of all the particulars thereof But now in the middest of this affliction and to make an end of the same God of his ineffable goodnesse looking on line 10 this countrie with his eies of pitie mercie hath sent me in the truth to restore againe his decaied kingdome to his ancient fame and old renowme whereof heere in open parlement according to my iust true title I haue and doo take possession of this roiall throne not putting diffidence but firme hope in Gods grace that by his diuine aid and assistance of you the peeres of this realme I shall beautifie mainteine line 20 the same to the glorie of him honour of my bloud and to the publike wealth as well of you
guiltie to the matter the king appointed sir Thomas Wriotheslie his maiesties secretarie to go vnto him and to deliuer to him a ring with a rich diamond for a token from him to will him to be of good chéere For although in that so weightie a matter he would not haue doone lesse to him if he had béene his owne son yet now vpon through triall had sith it was manifestlie proued that he was void of all offense he was sorie that he had béene occasioned so farre to trie his truth and therefore willed him to be of good chéere and comfort for he should find that he would make accompt of him as of his most true and faithfull kinsman and not onelie restore him to his former libertie but otherwise forth he readie to pleasure him in what he could Master secretarie set foorth this message with such effectuall words as he was an eloquent and well spoken man that the lord Lisle tooke such immoderate ioy thereof that his hart being oppressed therwith he died the night following through too much reioising After his deceasse the twelfe of the same moneth of March sir Iohn Audeleie sonne and heire to the said lord Lisles wife was at Westminster created vicount Lisle ¶ The seuentéenth of March one Margaret Dauie a yoong woman being a seruant was boiled in Smithfield for poisoning of hir mistres with whome she dwelt and diuerse other persons In the Lent season whilest the parlement yet continued one George Ferrers gentleman seruant to the king being elected a burgesse for the towne of Plimmouth in the countie of Deuonshire in going to the parlement house was arrested in London by a processe out of the Kings bench at the sute of one White for the sum of two hundred markes or thereabouts wherein he was late afore condemned as a suertie for the debt of one Weldon of Salisburie which arrest being signified to sir Thomas Moile knight then speaker of the parlement and to the knights and burgesses there order was taken that the sargeant of the parlement called S. Iohn should foorthwith repaire to the counter in Bredstréet whither the said Ferrers was caried and there demand deliuerie of the prisoner The sargeant as he had in charge went to the counter and declared to the clearks there what he had in commandement But they and other officers of the citie were so farre from obeieng the said commandement as after manie stout words they forciblie resisted the said sargeant whereof insued a fraie within the counter gates betwéene the said Ferrers and the said officers not without hurt of either part so that the said sargeant was driuen to defend himselfe with his mace of armes had the crowne thereof broken by bearing off a stroke and his man striken downe During this brall the shiriffes of London called Rowland Hill and Henrie Suckliffe came thither to whome the sargeant complained of this iniurie and required of them the deliuerie of the said burgesse as afore But they bearing with their officers made little accompt either of his complaint or of his message reiecting the same contemptuouslie with much proud language so as the sargeant was forced to returne without the prisoner wheras if they had obeied authoritie and shewed the seruice necessarilie required in their office and person they might by their discretion haue appeased all the broile for wisedome assuageth the outrage vnrestreinable furiousnes of war as the poet saith Instrumenta feri vincit sapientia belli The sargeant thus hardlie intreated made returne to the parlement house and finding the speaker and all the burgesses set in their places declared vnto them the whole case as it fell who tooke the same in so ill part that they altogither of whome there were not a few as well of the kings priuie councell as also of his priuie chamber would sit no longer without their burges but rose vp wholie and repaired to the line 10 vpper house where the whole case was declared by the mouth of the speaker before sir Thomas Audleie knight then lord chancellor of England and all the lords and iudges there assembled who iudging the contempt to be verie great referred the punishment thereof to the order of the common house They returning to their places againe vpon new debate of the case tooke order that their sargeant should eftsoones repaire to the shiriffe of London and require line 20 deliuerie of the said burgesse without anie writ or warrant had for the same but onelie as afore And yet the lord chancellor offered there to grant a writ which they of the common house refused being in a cléere opinion that all commandements and other acts of procéeding from the nether house were to be doone and executed by their sargeant without writ onelie by shew of his mace which was his warrant But before the sargeants returne into London the shiriffes hauing intelligence how heinouslie line 30 the matter was taken became somwhat more mild so as vpon the said second demand they deliuered the prisoner without anie deniall But the sargeant hauing then further in commandement from those of the nether house charged the said shiriffes to appeere personallie on the morrow by eight of the clocke before the speaker in the nether house and to bring thither the clearks of the counter and such officers as were parties to the said affraie and in like manner to take into his custodie the said White line 40 which wittinglie procured the said arest in contempt of the priuilege of the parlement Which commandement being doone by the said sargeant accordinglie on the morrow the two shiriffes with one of the clearks of the counter which was the chiefe occasion of the said affraie togither with the said White appeered in the common house where the speaker charging them with their contempt and misdemeanor aforesaid they were compelled to make immediat answer without being admitted line 50 to anie counsell Albeit sir Roger Cholmelcie then recorder of London and other of the councell of the citie there present offered to speake in the cause which were all put to silence and none suffered to speake but the parties themselues wherevpon in conclusion the said shiriffes and the same White were committed to the Tower of London and the said clearke which was the occasion of the affraie to a place there called litle ease and the officer of London which did the arrest called Tailor with foure other line 60 officers to Newgate where they remained from the eight twentith vntill the thirtith of March and then they were deliuered not without humble sute made by the maior of London other their fréends And for somuch as she said Ferrers being in execution vpon a condemnation of debt and set at large by priuilege of parlement was not by law to be brought againe into execution and so the partie without remedie for his debt as well against him as his principall debter after long debate
men touched with plagues but also your owne house stoong with death and the plague also raised of your rising to fire your selues can ye thinke you to be anie other but mankillers of other and murtherers of your selues and the principals of the ouerthrow of so great a number as shall either by sword or punishment famine or some plague or pestilence be consumed and wasted out of the common-wealth And seeing he that decaieth the number of cottages or plowes in a towne seemeth to be an enimie to the common-wealth shall we not count him not onelie an enimie but also a murtherer of his countrie who by harebrained vnrulinesse causeth vtter ruine and pestilent destruction of so manie thousand men Grant this follie then and ouersight to be such as woorthilie ye maie count it and I shall go further in declaring of other great inconueniences which your dangerous and furious misbehauiour hath hurtfullie brought in séeing diuerse honest and true dealing men whose liuing is by their owne prouision hath come so before hand by time that they haue béene able well to liue honestlie in their houses paie beside the rents of their farmes trulie and now haue by your crueltie and abhorred insurrections lost their goods their cattell their haruest which they had gotten before and wherwith they intended to liue hereafter now be brought to this extremitie that they be neither able to liue as they were woont at home before nor to paie their accustomeable rent at their due time Whereby they be brought into trouble and vnquietnesse not onlie musing what they haue lost by you but also cursing you by whome they haue lost it and also in danger of loosing their holds at their lords hands except by pitie they shew more mercie than the right of the law line 10 will grant by iustice And what a griefe is it to an honest man to labor trulie in youth and to gaine painefullie by labour wherewith to liue honestlie in age and to haue this gotten in long time to be suddenlie caught awaie by the violence of sedition which name he ought to abhorre by it selfe although no miserie of losse followed to him thereby But what greater griefe ought seditious rebels to haue themselues who if they be not striken with punishment yet ought to line 20 pine in conscience and melt awaie with the griefe of their owne faults when they sée innocents and men of true seruice hindered and burdened with the hurt of their rebellion who in a good common-wealth should for honesties sake prosper they by these rebels onlie meanes be cast so behind the hand as they can not recouer easilie againe by their owne truth that which they haue lost by those traitors mischiefe And if vniust men ought not so to be handled at anie mans hands but onelie stand to the order of line 30 a law how much more should true and faithfull subiects who deserue praise féele no vnquietnesse nor be vexed with sedition who be obedientlie in subiection but rather séeke iust amends at false rebels hands and by law obteine that they lost by disorder and so constreine you to the vttermost to paie the recompense of wrongfull losses bicause ye were the authors of these wrongfull spoiles Then would ye soone perceiue the common-wealths hurt not when other felt it who deserued it line 40 not but when you smarted who caused it and stood not looked vpon other mens losses which ye might pitie but tormented with your owne which ye would lament Now I am past this mischiefe which ye will not hereafter denie when ye shall praise other mens foresight rather than your wicked dooings in be wailing the end of your furie in whose beginning ye now reioise What saie ye to the number of vagabonds and loitering beggers which after the ouerthrow of your campe and scattering of this seditious line 50 number will swarme in euerie corner of the realme and not onelie lie loitering vnder hedges but also stand sturdilie in cities and beg boldlie at euerie doore leauing labour which they like not and following idlenesse which they should not For euerie man is easilie and naturallie brought from labour to ease from the better to the woorse from diligence to slothfulnesse and after warres it is commonlie séene that a great number of those which went out honest returne home againe like roisters and as though line 60 they were burnt to the wars bottome they haue all their life after an vnsauorie smacke thereof smell still toward daiesleepers pursepickers highwaie-robbers quarrelmakers yea and bloudsheders too Doo we not sée commonlie in the end of warres more robbing more begging more murdering than before and those to stand in the high waie to aske their almes whome ye be affraid to saie naie vnto honestlie least they take it awaie from you violentlie and haue more cause to suspect their strength than pitie their need Is it not then dailie heard how men be not onelie pursued but vtterlie spoiled few maie ride safe by the kings highwaie except they ride strong not so much for feare of their goods which men estéeme lesse but also for danger of their life which euerie man loueth Worke is vndoone at home and loiterers linger in stréets lurke in alehouses range in highwaies valiant beggers plaie in towns and yet complaine of néed whose staffe if it be once hot in their hand or sluggishnesse bred in their bosome they will neuer be allured to labour againe contenting themselues better with idle beggerie than with honest and profitable labour And what more noisome beasts be there in a common wealth Drones in hiues sucke out the honie a small matter but yet to be looked on by good husbands Caterpillers destroie the fruit an hurtfull thing and well shifted for by a diligent ouerséer Diuerse vermine destroie corne kill pulleme engines and snares be made for them But what is a loiterer A sucker of honie a spoiler of corne a stroier of fruit a waster of monie a spoiler of vittels a sucker of bloud a breaker of orders a seeker of breakes a queller of life a basiliske of the commonwealth which by companie and sight dooth poison the whole countrie and staineth honest minds with the infection of his veneme and so draweth the commonwealth to death and destruction Such is the fruits of your labour and trauell for your pretensed commonwealth which iustice would no man should taste of but your selues that yée might trulie iudge of your owne mischéefe and fraie other by example from presuming the like When we sée a great number of flies in a yeare we naturallie iudge it like to be a great plague and hauing so great a swarming of loitering vagabonds readie to beg and brall at euerie mans doore which declare a greater infection can we not looke for a greeuouser and perillouser danger than the plague is Who can therefore otherwise déeme but this one deadlie
to speake ill and ill things vntouched shall be boldlier mainteined Nothing may with praise be redressed where things be measured by changeable disorder rather than by necessarie vse and that is thought most politike that men will be best contented to doo and not that which men should be brought vnto by dutie And with what dutie or vertue in ye can ye quench out of memorie this foule enterprise or gather a good report againe to this realme who haue so vilelie with reproch slandered the same and diuerslie discredited it among others and abated the good opinion which was had of the iust gouernement and ruled order vsed heretofore in this noble realme which is now most grieuous bicause it is now most without cause If this outward opinion without further inconuenience were all yet it might well be borne and would with ease decaie as it grew but it hath not onlie hurt vs with voice but indangered vs in deed and cast vs a great deale behind the hand where else we might haue had a iollie foredeale For that oportunitie of time which seldome chanceth and is alwaies to bée taken hath béene by your froward meanes lost this yeare and so vainlie spent at home for bringing downe of you which should else profitablie haue béene otherwise bestowed that it hath béene almost as great a losse to vs abrode to lacke that we might haue obteined as it was combrance at home to go about the ouerthrow of you whose sedition is to be abhorred And we might both conuenientlie haue inuaded some if they would not reasonablie haue growne to some kind of friendship and also defended others which would beside promise for times sake vniustlie set vpon vs and easilie haue made this stormie time a faire yeare vnto vs if our men had beene so happie at home as our likelihood abrode was fortunat But what is it I praie you either to let slip such an occasion by negligence or to stop it by stubbornnesse which once past awaie can be by no means recouered no not though with diligence ye go about to reinforce the same againe If ye would with wickednes haue forsaken your faith to your naturall countrie and haue sought craftie means to haue vtterlie betraied it to our common enimies could ye haue had anie other speedier waie than this is both to make our strength weake and their weakenesse strong If ye would haue sought to haue spited your countrie and to haue pleased your enimie and follow their counsell for our hinderance could ye haue had deuised of them anie thing more shamefull for vs and ioifull to them If they which lie like spials and hearken after likelihoods of things to come bicause they declare oportunitie of times to the enimie are to be iudged common enimies of the countrie what shall we reasonablie thinke of you who doo not secretlie bewraie the counsels of other but openlie betraie the common-wealth with your owne déeds and haue as much as lieth in you sought the ouerthrow of it at home which if ye had obteined at Gods hand as he neuer alloweth so horrible an enterprise how could yée haue defended it from the ouerthrow of others abrode For is your vnderstanding of things so small that although ye sée your selues not vnfit to get the vpper hand of a few gentlemen that ye be able to beat downe afore the kings power ye and by chance ye were able to doo that would ye iudge your selues by strength mightie enough to resist the power of outward nations that for praise sake would inuade ye Naie thinke trulie with your selues that if yee doo ouercome ye be vnsure both by strength abrode and displeasure of honest men at home and by the punishment of God aboue And now ye haue not yet gotten in déed that your vaine hope looketh for by fansie thinke how certeinlie ye haue wounded the common-wealth with a sore stroke in procuring our enimies by our weakenesse to séeke victorie and by our outward miserie to séeke outward glorie with inward dishonor Which howsoeuer they get thinke it to be long of you who haue offered them victorie before they began warre bicause ye would declare to men hereafter belike how dangerous it is to make sturres at home when they doo not onelie make our selues weake but also our enimies strong Beside thâ—se there is another sort of men desirous of aduantage and disdainefull of our wealth whose greefe is most our greatest hap and be offended with religion bicause they be drowned in superstition men zealed toward God but not fit to iudge meaning better without knowledge than they iudge by their meaning woorthier whose ignorance should be taken awaie than their will should be followed whome we should more rebuke for their stubbornesse than despise for their ignorance These seeing line 10 superstition beaten downe and religion set vp Gods word taking place traditions kept in their kind difference made betwéene Gods commandements and mans learning the truth of things sought out according to Christes institution examples taken of the primitiue churches vse not at the bishop of Romes ordinance and true worship taught and wil-worship refused doo by blindnesse rebuke that as by truth they should follow and by affection follow that as by line 20 knowledge they should abhorre thinking vsage to be truth and scripture to be error not weieng by the word but misconstruing by custome And now things be changed to the better and religion trulier appointed they see matters go awrie which hurteth the whole realme and they reioise in this mischéefe as a thing worthilie happened mistaking the cause and slandering religion as though there were no cause whie God might haue punished if their vsed profession might still haue taken place They sée not that where Gods glorie is truliest set line 30 foorth there the diuell is most busie for his part and laboureth to corrupt by lewdnesse that as is gotten out by the truth thinking that if it were not blemished at the first the residue of his falsehood should after lesse preuaile So he troubleth by biwaies that he cannot plainlie withstand and vseth subtiltie of sophisâ—rie where plaine reason saileth and persuadeth simple men that to be a cause which in deed can not be tried and taken for a cause So he causeth religion line 40 which teacheth obedience to be iudged the cause of sedition the doctrine of loue the séed of dissention mistaking the thing but persuading mens minds and abusing the plaine meaning of the honest to a wicked end of religions ouerthrow The husbandman had not so soone throwne séed in his ground but steppeth vp the enimie and hee soweth cockle too and maketh men doubt whether the good husband had doone well or no and whether he had sowne there good séed or bad The fansifull Iewes in Egypt would not beléeue Ieremie but thought their line 50 plague and their miserie to come by his means
great feare on all men This noise was as it had beene the noise of a great storme or tempest which to some séemed to be heard from aboue like as if a great deale of gunpowder being inclosed in an armorie and hauing caught fire had violentlie broken out But to some againe it seemed as though it had béene a great multitude of horssemen running togither or comming vpon them such a noise was then in the eares of all men albeit they saw nothing Whereby it happened that all the people being amazed without any euident cause and without anie violence or stroke striken they ran awaie some into the ditches and puddles and some into the houses thereabout Other some being affraid with the horrour and noise fell downe groueling vnto the ground with their pollaxes halberds and most part of them cried out Iesus saue vs Iesus saue vs. Those which tarried still in their places for feare knew not where they were And I my selfe which was there present among the rest being also affraid in this hurlie burlie stood still altogither amazed looking when anie man would knocke me on the head It happened here as the euangelists write it did to Christ when the officers of the high priests Phariseis comming with wepons to take him being astonied ran backe fell to the ground In the meane time whilest these things were thus in dooing the people by chance spied one sir Anthoâ—ie Browne riding vnto the scaffold which was the occasion of a new noise For when they saw him comming they coniectured that which was not true but notwithstanding which they all wished for that the king by that messenger had sent his vncle pardon and therfore with great reioising and casting vp their caps they cried out Pardon pardon is come God saue the king Thus this good duke although he was destitute of all mans helpe yet he saw before his departure in how great loue and fauour he was with all men And trulie I doo not thinke that in so great slaughter of dukes as hath béene in England within this few yeares there was so manie weeping eies at one time and not without cause For all men did sée in the decaie of this duke the publike ruine of all England except such as indeed perceiued nothing The duke in the meane time standing still both in the same place and mind wherin he was before shaking his cap which he held in his hand made a signe vnto the people that they should kéepe themselues quiet which thing being doone silence obteined he spake to them the second time in this maner The second speech of the duke of Summerset to the people DEerelie beloued friends there is no such matter in hand as you vainlie hope or beleeue It seemeth thus good to almightie God whose ordinance it is meet necessarie that we be all obedient vnto Wherfore I praie you all to be quiet and without tumult for I am euen now quiet and let vs ioine in praier vnto the Lord for the preseruation of our noble king vnto whose maiestie I wish continuall health with all felicitie and abundance all maner of prosperous successe wherevnto the people cried out Amen Moreouer I wish vnto all his councellors the grace and fauour of God whereby they may rule althings vprightlie with iustice vnto whome I exhort you all in the Lord to shew your selues obedient the which is also verie necessarie for you vnder the paine of condemnation and also most profitable for the preseruation and safegard of the kings maiestie And forsomuch as heretofore I haue had oftentimes affaires with diuers men that it is hard to please euerie man that hath beene offended or iniuried by me I most humblie require and aske them forgiuenesse but especiallie almightie God whome thoroughout all my line 10 life I haue most greeuouslie offended And vnto all other whatsoeuer they be that haue offended me I doo with my whole heart forgiue them And once againe dearelie beloued in the Lord I require that you will keepe your selues quiet and still least thorough your tumult you might cause me to haue some trouble which in this case would line 20 nothing at all profit me neither be anie pleasure vnto you For albeit the spirit be willing and readie the flesh is fraile and wauering and thorough your quietnesse I shall be much more the quieter but if that you fall vnto tumult it will be great trouble no gaine at all vnto you Moreouer I desire you to beare me witnesse that I die heere in the faith of Iesus line 30 Christ desiring you to helpe me with your praiers that I maie perseuere constant in the same vnto my liues end Then he turning himselfe about knéeled downe vpon his knées vnto whome doctor Cox which was there present to counsell and aduertise him deliuered a certeine scroll into his hand wherein was conteined a briefe confession to God Which being read he stood vp againe on his féet without anie trouble of mind as it appeared and first bad the shiriffes farewell line 40 then the lieutenant of the tower certeine other that were on the scaffold taking them all by the hands Then he gaue the executioner monie which doone he put off his gowne and knéeling downe againe in the straw vntied his shirt strings and then the executioner comming to him turned downe his collar round about his necke and all other things which did let and hinder him Then he couering his face with his owne handkerchiefe lifting vp his eies vnto heauen where his onelie hope remained laid line 50 himselfe downe along shewing no maner of trouble or feare neither did his countenance change but that before his eies were couered there began to appéere a red colour in the middest of his cheeks ¶ Thus this most méeke and gentle duke lieng along and looking for the stroke bicause his doublet couered his necke he was commanded to rise vp and put it off then laieng himselfe downe againe vpon the blocke and calling thrise vpon the name of Iesus saieng Lord Iesu saue me as he was the line 60 third time repeating the same euen as the name of Iesu was in vttering in a moment he was bereft both of head and life and slept in the Lord Iesus being taken awaie from all the dangers and euils of this life and resting now in the peace of God in the preferment of whose truth and gospell he alwaies shewed himselfe an excellent instrument and member and therefore hath receiued the reward of his labours Thus gentle reader thou hast the true historie of this worthie and noble duke and if anie man report it otherwise let it be counted as a lie This duke was in high sauour and estimation with king Henrie the eight of whome he receiued sundrie high great preferments by reason that the the said king had married ladie Iane his sister by whome he had issue king Edward the
The fifteenth daie of March next following the ladie Elizabeth the queenes sister and next heire to the crowne was apprehended at hir manour of Ashridge for suspicion of Wiats conspiracie And from thence being that time verie siâ—ke with great rigour brought prisoner to London On the sundaie after being the seuentéenth of March she was commited to the tower where also the lord Courtneie earle of Deuonshire of whome before is made mention was for the like suspicion committed prisoner ¶ Touching the imprisonment of the foresaid ladie Elizabeth the lord Courtneie thou shalt note here for thy learning good reader a politike point of practise in Stephan Gardiner bishop of Winchester not vnworthie to be considered This Gardiner being alwaies a capitall enimie to ladie Elizabeth thinking now by the occasion of maister Wiat to picke out some matter against the lord Courtneie and so in the end to intangle the ladie Elizabeth deuised a pestilent practise of conueiance as in the storie here following maie appeare The storie is this The same daie that sir Thomas died he desired the lieutenant to bring him to the presence of the lord Courtneie who there before the lieutenant and the shiriffes knéeling downe vpon his knées besought the lord Courtneie to forgiue him for that he had falselie accused both the ladie Elizabeth and him and so being brought from thence vntâ— the scaffold to suffer there openlie in the hearing of all the people cleared the ladie Elizabeth and the lord Courtneie to be free and innocent from all suspicion of that commotion At which confession doctor Weston there standing by cried to the people saieng Beléeue him not good people for he confessed otherwise before vnto the councell After the execution doone of sir Thomas Wiat which was the eleuenth daie of Aprill word was brought immediatlie to the lord maior sir Thomas White a little before dinner how maister Wiat had cleared the ladie Elizabeth and lord Courtneie and the words also which doctor Weston spake vnto the people Wherevnto the lord maior answering Is this true quoth he Said Weston so In sooth I neuer tooke him otherwise but for a knaue Upon this the lord maior sitting downe to dinner who dined the same daie at the Bridgehouse commeth in sir Martine Bowes with the recorder newlie come from the parlement house who hearing of the maior and shiriffes this report of Wiats confession both vpon the scaffold and also in the tower maruelled thereat declaring how there was another tale contrarie to this told the same daie in the parlement house which was that sir Thomas Wiat should desire the lord Courtneie to confesse the truth so as he had doone before Upon this it followed not long after that a certeine prentise dwelling in saint Laurence lane named Cut as he was drinking with one Denham a plaisterer being one of quéene Maries seruants amongst other talke made mention how sir Thomas Wiat had cleared the ladie Elizabeth and the lord Courtneie to be no consenters to his rising Which words being brought to Gardiner by what means I know not incontinent vpon the fame sir Andrew Iud was seâ—t by the said bishop to the lord maior commanding him to bring the said prentise to the Starchamber which was accused of these words that he should saie that Wiat was constreined by the councell to accuse the ladie Elizabeth the lord Courtneie Which fellow when he was come to the line 10 Starchamber the aforesaid Gardiner letting passe other matters that were in hand began to declare to the whole multitude how miraculouslie almightie God had brought the quéens maiestie to the crowne the whole realme in a maner being against hir and that he had brought this to passe for this singular intent purpose that this realme being ouerwhelmed with heresies she might reduce the same againe to the true catholike faith And where she tooke the ladie Elizabeth into hir fauour and loued hir so tenderlie and also the lord Courtneie who of long time had line 20 béene deteined in prison and by hir was set at libertie and receiued great benefits at hir hands and notwithstanding all this they had conspired most vnnaturallie and traitorouslie against hir with that heinous traitor Wiat as by the confession of Wiat said he and the letters sent to and fro maie plainlie appeare yet there was some in the citie of London which reported that Wiat was constreined by the councell to accuse the ladie Elizabeth and the lord line 30 Courtneie yet you my lord maior quoth he haue not seene the same punished The partie is here said the lord maior Take him with you said Gardiner and punish him according to his desert and said further My lord take héed to your charge the citie of London is a whirlepoole and a sinke of all euill rumors there they be bred and from thence spred into all parts of this realme There stood by the same time the lord Shandois who being then lieutenant of the tower and now hearing line 40 the bishop thus speake to sooth his tale came in with these words as followeth My lords quoth he this is a truth that I shall tell you I being lieutenant of the tower when Wiat suffered he desired me to bring him to the lord Courtneie which when I had doone he fell downe vpon his knees before him in my presence and desired him to confesse the truth of himselfe as he had doone before and to submit him selfe vnto the quéenes mercie And thus much of this matter I thought to declare to the intent that the reader perceiuing the procéedings of the bishop line 50 in the premisses comparing the same with the true testimonie of Wiat himselfe and with the testimonie of the shiriffes the which were present the same time when sir Thomas Wiat asked the lord Courtneie forgiuenesse maie the better iudge of the whole case and matter for the which the ladie Elizabeth and the lord Courtneie were so long in trouble On saturdaie next following being Easter euen and the foure and twentith of March the lord marques of Northampton the lord Cobham and sir line 60 William Cobham his sonne and heire were deliuered out of the tower where they had remained for a time being committed thither vpon some suspicion about Wiats rebellion as diuerse others were wherof manie were put to death as C.O. reporteth Nunc istos laesae nunc illos quaestio torquet Maiestatis habet multos custodia clausos Firma viros atro parsplurima deditur Orco Not long after quéene Marie partlie offended with the Londoners as fauorers of Wiats conspiracie and partlie perceiuing the more part of them nothing inclined towards hir procéedings in religion which turned manie of them to losse summoned a parlement to be holden at Oxford as it were to gratifie that citie which with the vniuersitie towne and countrie had shewed themselues verie forward in hir seruice but speciallie
England had For the winning whereof king Edward aforesaid in the 21 yeare of his reigne was faine to continue a siege eleuen moneths and more Wherefore it was iudged of all men that it could not haue come so to passe without some secret trecherie Here is also to be noted that when queene Marie and hir councell heard crediblie of the Frenchmens sudden approch to that towne she with all spéed possible but somewhat too late raised a great power for the rescue thereof the which comming to Douer staied thereabouts till the towne was woone either for that their whole number was not come togither or for that there were not ships readie sufficient to passe them ouer although the wind and weather serued verie well to haue transported them thither till the sundaie at night after the towne was deliuered for then began a maruellous sore and rigorous tempest continuing the space of foure or fiue daies togither that the like had not béene seene in the remembrance of man Wherefore some said that the same came to passe through necromancie and that the diuell was raised vp and become French the truth whereof is knowne saith maister Grafton to God True it is that after the said tempest began for the time it lasted no ship could well brooke the seas by reason of the outragious storms And such of the quéenes ships as did then aduenture the passage were so shaken and torne with the violence of the weather that they were forced to returne in great danger not without losse of all their tackle and furniture so that if this tempestuous weather had not chanced it was thought that the armie should haue passed to haue giuen some succors to Guisnes and to haue attempted the recouerie of Calis But if the same armie might haue béene readie to haue transported ouer in time before the losse of Calis and whilest the weather was most calme and swéet as was possible for that time of the yeare the towne might haue béene preserued and the other péeces which through want of timelie succours came into the enimies possession And thus by negligence of the councell at home conspiracie of traitors elsewhere force and false practise of enimies holpen by the rage of most terrible tempests of contrarie winds and weather this famous fort of Calis was brought againe and left in the hands and possession of the French ¶ Now were he worthie of a kingdome that could sensiblie and significantlie set foorth the insolent triumphs and immoderate reioising of the French for the recouerie of Calis so long possessed by the English and now in forren tenure In describing whereof a man had néed of manie heads fraught with extraordinarie inuention and of many hands readilie to deliuer in writing his rare conceipts in this case For as they are a people depending wholie vpon extremities in their actions so in this they vsed no measure insomuch that euen the learneder sort among them namelie Turnebus Auratus Bellaius and others did both pen and publish pamphlets in Latine verse replenished with scoffs and vnreuerend termes against the English calling them Perfidos and in flowting sort Diuisos orbe Britannos but aduancing to the skies their Henrie their Guise and the rest of the rowt that were actors in this conquest A sight of which verses in some part I may not omit for it requireth a booke to transcribe all least I might be thought to impose vpon them a false charge This therefore in the forme of a dialog betweene a post and the people writeth Auratus the line 10 French kings publike reader in the Gréeke toong N. Clamate Galli nunc ter io io V. Quae laeta Gallis instat ouatio N. Capti Caletes V. Multa paucis Digna nouo memoras triumpho N. Vicêre Galli sed duce Guisio V. Io triumphe nunc ter io io N. Vicêre victores Britannos V. Nunc ter io ter io triumphe line 20 N. Annos discentos serua Britanniae Vrbs liberata est V. Nunc ter io io N. Migrate iam prisci coloni V. Nunc â—er io ter io triumphe c. And thus procéedeth he in his od veine of inuention concluding with a question whether the king of France or the duke of Guise are the more happie and blessed person The answer is made that they are both blessed the king for the duke sake and the duke for the kings and therefore his posie must of line 30 force sing and sound to them both thrise that is oftentimes Ter io triumphe ter io triumphe But I would to God the English had not béene so soon and so suddenlie turned out of their old possession nor the French fondlings obteined such a iust cause of immoderate ioy and outragious triumph But to leaue Calis in the present state you shall vnderstand that so soone as this duke of Guise contrarie to all expectation had in so few daies gained this strong towne of Calis afore thought impregnable line 40 and had put the same in such order as best séemed for his aduantage proud of the spoile and pressing forward vpon his good fortune without giuing anie long time to the residue of the guides or capteines of the forts there to breath vpon their businesse the 13 daie of the said moneth being thursdaie with all prouision requisite for a siege marched with his armie from Calis vnto the towne and fort of Guisnes fiue miles distant from thence Of which towne and castell at the same time there was capteine line 50 a valiant baron of England called William lord Greie of Wilton who not without cause suspecting a siege at hand and knowing the towne of Guisnes to be of small force as being large in compasse without walles or bulworks closed onlie with a trench before the Frenchmens arriuall had caused all the inhabitants of the towne to auoid and so manie of them as were able to beare armes he caused to retire into the castell which was a place well fortified with strong and massie bulworks of bricke hauing line 60 also an high and mightie tower of great force and strength called the Kéepe The towne being thus abandoned the Frenchmen had the more easie approch to the castell who thinking to find quiet lodging in those vacant houses entred the same without any feare And being that night at their rest as they thought a chosen band of souldiors appointed by the lord Greie issued out by a posterne of the said castell and slue no small number of their sleepie ghests the rest they put out of their new lodgings and maugre the duke and all the French power consumed all the houses of the towne with fire That notwithstanding the said duke with all diligence began his trenches And albeit the shot of the great artillerie from the castell was terrible gaue him great impeachment yet did he continue his worke without iâ—termission and for examples sake wrought in his owne person as
This doctor Storie saith he being an Englishman by birth and from his infancie not onelie nuzled in papistrie but also euen as it were by nature earnestlie affected to the same growing somewhat to riper yeares in the daies of quéene Marie became a most line 50 bloudie tyrant and cruell persecutor of Christ in his members as all the stories of martyrs almost doo declare Thus he raging all the reigne of the foresaid quéene Marie against the infallible truth of Christs gospell and the true professors thereof neuer ceased till he had consumed to ashâ—â— two or thrée hundred blessed martyrs who willinglie gaue their liues for the testimonie of his truth And thinking their punishment in fire not cruell inough he went 〈…〉 line 60 〈…〉 raging against Gods saints with fire and sword Insomuch as he growing to be familiar and right deere to duke Dalua in Antwerpe receiued a speciall commission from him to search all the ships for goods forfeited and for English bookes and such like And in this fauour and authoritie he continued there for a space by the which meanes he did much hurt and brought manie a good man and woman to trouble and extreme perill of life through his bloudthirstie crueltie But at the last the Lord when the measure of his iniquitie was full procéeded in iudgement against him and cut him off from the face of the earth according to the praiers of manie a good man which came to passe in order as followeth It being certeinlie knowne for the brute thereof was gone foorth into all lands that he not onelie intended the subuersion and ouerthrow of his natiue countrie of England by bringing in forren hostilitie if by anie means he might compasse it but also â—ailie and hourelie murthered Gods people there was this platforme laid by Gods prouidence no doubt that one maister Parker a merchant should saile vnto Antwerpe and by some means to conueie Storie into England This Parker arriuing at Antwerpe suborned certeine to repaire to doctor Storie and to signifie vnto him that there was an English ship come sâ—aught with merchandize and that if he would make search thereof himselfe hée should find store of English bookes and other things for his purpose Storie hearing â—his and suspecting nothing made hast towards the ship thinking to make the same his preie and comming aboord searched for English hereticall books as he called them going downe vnder the hatches bicause he would be sure to haue their bloud if he could they clapped downe the hatches hoised vp their sailes hauing as God would a good gale and sailed awaie into England where they arriuing presented this bloudie butcher and traitorous rebell Storie to the no little reioising of manie an English heart He being now committed to prison continued there a good spaceâ— during all which time he was laboured and solicited dailie by wise and learned fathers to recant his diuelish erronious opinions to confirme himselfe to the truth and to acknowledge the quéenes maiesties supremasie All which he vtterlie denied to the death saieng that he was sworne subiect to the king of Spaine and was no subiect to the quéene of England nor shée his souereigne queene And therefore as he well deserued he was condemned as a traitor to God the quéenes maiestie and the realme to be drawne hanged and quartered which was performed accordinglie he being laid vpon an hurdle and drawne from the tower along the streets to Tiburne where he being hanged till he was halfe dead was cut downe and stripped And which is not to be forgot when the executioner had cut off his priuie members he rushing vp vpon a sudden gaue him a blow vpon the eare to the great woonder of all that stood by And thus ended this bloudie Nemrod his wretched life whose iudgement I leaue to the Lord. The eighteenth of Iune in Trinitie terme there was a combat appointed to haue beene fought for a certeine manour demaine lands belonging therevnto in the I le of Hartie adioining to the I le of 〈◊〉 in Kent Simon Lâ—w Iohn Kimâ—were plaintifs and had brought a writ of right against Thomas Paraâ—â—re who offered to defend his right by battell Whervpon the plaintifs aforsaid accepted to answer his challenge offering likewise to defend their right to the same manour and lands and to proue by battell that Paramore had no right noâ— good title to haue the same manour and lands Herevpon the said Thomas Paramore brought before the iudges of the common plees at Westminster one George Thorne a big broad strong set fellow the plaintifs Henrie Nailer maister of defense and seruant to the right honourable the earle of Leicester a proper slender man not so tall as the other Thorne cast downe a gantlet which Nailer tooke vp vpon the sundaie before the battell should be tried On the next morow the matter was staied the parties agréed that Paramore being in possession shuld line 10 haue the land was bound in fiue hundred pounds to consider the plaintifs as vpon hearing the matter the iudges should award The quéenes maiestie abhorring bloudshed as the poet verie well saith Tristia sanguinei deuitans praelia campi was the taker vp of the matter in this wise It was thought good that for Paramores assurance the order should be kept touching the combat and that the plaintifs Low and Kime should make default of appearance but that yet such as were suerties for Nailer line 20 their champions appearance should bring him in and likewise those that were suerties for Thorne should bring in the â—ame Thorne in discharge of their band and that the court should sit in Tuthill fields where was prepared one plot of ground of one and twentie yards square double railed for the combat Without the west square a stage being set vp for the iudges representing the court of the common plées All the compasse without the lists was set with line 30 scaffolds one aboue another for people to stand and behold There were behind the square where the iudges sat two tents the one for Nailer the other for Thorne Thorne was there in the morning timelie Nailer about seauen of the clocke came thorough London apparelled in a dublet and gallie gascoine bréeches all of crimsin sattin cut and rased a hat of blacke veluet with a red feather and band before him drums and fifes plaieng The gantlet cast downe by George Thorne was borne before the said Nailer line 40 vpon a swords point and his baston a staffe of an ell long made taper wise tipt with horne with his shield of hard leather was borne after him by Askam a yeoman of the queenes gard He came into the palace at Westminster and staieng not long before the hall doore came backe into the Kings stréet and so along thorough the Sanctuarie and Tuthill street into the field where he staied till past
armour bearing witnesse of his ancestrie for he beareth azure a crosse forme fiche or within an vrle of stars or the second argent a fesse indented sable charged with foure leuses heads â—irant rased or the third as the second and fourth as the first quarterlie Also he beareth to his crest on a tosse or and azure a cocks head argent couped membred geules supporting a crosse forme fiche or betwéene two wings sable and mantled geules doubled argent In further memorie of whome so long as the line 10 church wherin he lieth buried dooth stand and the monuments therein blessed from sacrilegious hands there remaineth fixed in the wall ouer his graue a copper plate wherein his said cote armour is workemanlie grauen with the armes of the physicians college so vnder it as they are knit vnto it On either side of this latter scutchion are set certeine binding bands and other instruments of surgerie in their right formes with their proper vse also to be practised vpon ech member be the same head leg arme line 20 hand or foot all workemanlie wrought vnder the same a memoriall grauen for wished perpetuitie Caldwallus iacet hîc patriae studiosus alumnus Chirurgis Chiron Hippocrates Medicis Heracles laqueis dum fascia membra reuincit Galenus priscae laudis artis amans Chirurgis stabilem lecturam condidit illi Praefecit Medicos quos ea turba colat Plintheus hinc astat laqueus Carchesius inde Fascia quae studij sunt monumenta sui line 30 Felix Chirurgus patronum qui tibi talem Nactus es felix qui dolet aeger erit Laquei Plintheus 1 Laquei Charchesius 2 Fascia Totum caput cingens 3 Fascia Rhombus 4 Machinamenta Scamnum Hippocratis 5 Machinamenta Glossocomium 6 Quem tibi vinxisti charum dum vita manebat line 40 Te cum Melpomene post tua fata canet Ric. Forsterus In this yeare of Lord 1584 on the one and twentith daie of Maie Francis Throckemorton esquier was arreigned in the Guildhall of the citie of London where being found guiltie of high treason he was condemned and had iudgement accordinglie to be drawne hanged boweled and quartered A discouerie of whose treasons practised and attempted against the quéens maiestie and the realme line 50 were afterward to wit in the moneth of Iune published as followeth A true and perfect declaration of the treasons practised and attempted by Francis Throckemorton late of London against the queenes maiestie and the realme WHereas there haue béene verie lewd and slanderous brutes and reports giuen out line 60 of the due and orderlie procéedings held with Francis Throckemorton latelie arreigned condemned of high treason at the Guild-hall in London the one and twentith daie of Maie last whereby such as are euill affected toward hir maiestie and the present gouernement haue indeuoured falselie and iniuriouslie to charge hir maiestie and hir faithfull ministers with crueltie and iniustice vsed against the said Throckemorton by extorting from him by torture such confessions as he hath made against himselfe by inforsing the same to make them lawfull euidence to conuict him of the treasons therein specified albeit hir maiesties subiects in generall calling to mind the mild and temperate course she hath held all the time of hir most happie reigne might rather impute hir clemencie and lenitie vsed towards all sorts of offendors to a kind of fault than tax hir with the contrarie yet such as allow of practises and treasons against hir maiestie doo alwaies interpret both of the one and of the other according to the particular affections that doo possesse them that is to the worst And forsomuch as the case of Throckemorton at this time hath béene subiect to their sinister constructions and considering that lies and false brutes cast abroad are most commonlie beleeued vntill they be controlled by the truth it hath béene thought expedient in this short discourse to deliuer vnto your view and consideration a true and perfect declaration of the treasons practised and attempted by the said Throckemorton against hir maiestie and the realme by him confessed before his arreignement whereby hir maiestie was iustlie and in reason persuaded to put him to his triall You shall likewise perceiue what course hath béene held with him by hir commissioners to bring him to confesse the truth with what impudencie and how falselie he hath denied his saiengs and confessions and lastlie how by a new submission and confession of his said treasons since his condemnation he endeuoureth to satisfie hir maiestie and to shew the reasons that mooued him to denie the first which he affirmeth and confirmeth by the last which may in reason satisfie though not all yet such as are not forestalled or rather forepoisoned and infected with the lies and vntruths alreadie spred and deliuered in fauour of the traitor his treasons You shall therefore vnderstand that the cause of his apprehension grew first vpon secret intelligence giuen to the queenes maiestie that he was a priuie conueier and receiuer of letters to and from the Scotish quéene vpon which information neuerthelesse diuerse moneths were suffered to passe on before he was called to answer the matter to the end there might some proofe more apparant be had to charge him therewith directlie which shortlie after fell out and therevpon there were sent vnto his houses in London and at Leusham in Kent to search and apprehend him certeine gentlemen of no meane credit and reputation of whome two were sent to his house by Paules wharfe where he was apprehended so by one of them conueied presentlie awaie the other remaining in the chamber to make search for papers writings c which might giue proofe of his suspected practises In that search there were found the two papers conteining the names of certeine catholike noblemen and gentlemen expressing the hauens for landing of forren forces with other particularities in the said papers mentioned the one written in the secretarie hand which he at the barre confessed to be his owne handwriting and the other in the Roman hand which he denied to be his and would not shew how the same came vnto his hands howbeit in his examinations he hath confessed them both to be his owne handwriting and so they are in truth There were also found among other of his papers twelue petidegrées of the descent of the crowne of England printed and published by the bishop of Rosse in the defense of the pretended title of the Scotish quéene his mistresse with certeine infamous libels against hir maiestie printed and published beyond the seas which being found in the hands of a man so euill affected comparing the same with his dooings and practises against hir maiestie you will iudge the purpose wherefore he kept them Shortlie after his apprehension he was examined by some of hir maiesties priuie councell how he came by the said two papers of the hauens and hâ— most impudentlie
this thou hast plainelie confessed and I protest before this great assemblie thou hast confessed it more plainelie in better sort than my memorie will serue me to vtter and saiest thou now that thou neuer meantest it Ah said Parrie your honors know how my confession vpon mine examination was extorted Then both the lord Hunsdon and master Uicechamberleine affirmed that there was no torture or threatning words offered him But Parrie then said that they told him that if he would not confesse willinglie he should haue torture Wherevnto their honors answered that they vsed not anie spéech or word of torture to him You said said Parrie that you would proceed with rigour against me if I would not confesse it of my selfe But their honors expreslie affirmed that they vsed no such words But I will tell thée said master Uicechamberleine what we said I spake these words If you will willinglie vtter the truth of your selfe it may doo you good and I wish you to doo so if you will not we must then procéed in ordinarie course to take your examination Whervnto you answered that you would tell the truth of your selfe Was not this true Which then he yéelded vnto And herevnto hir maiesties attournie generall put Parrie in remembrance what spéeches he vsed to the lieutenant of the Tower the queenes maiesties sergeant at law M. Gaudie and the same attournie on saturdaie the twentith of Februarie last at the Tower vpon that he was by them then examined by order from the lords which was that be acknowledged he was most mildlie and fauourablie dealt with in all his examinations which he also at the bar then acknowledged to be true Then maister vicechamberleine said that it was woonder to sée the magnanimitie of hir maiestie which after that thou haddest opened those traitorous practises in sort as thou hast laid it downe in thy confession was neuerthelesse such and so far from all feare as that she would not so much as acquaint anie one of hir highnesse priuie councell with it to his knowlege no not vntill after this thine enterprise discouered and made manifest And besides that which thou hast set downe vnder thine owne hand thou diddest confesse that thou haddest prepared two Scotish line 10 daggers fit for such a purpose and those being disposed awaie by thée thou diddest saie that an other would serue thy turne And withall Parrie diddest thou not also confesse before vs how woonderfullie thou wert appalled and perplexed vpon a sudden at the presence of hir maiestie at Hampton court this last summer saieng that thou diddest thinke thou then sawest in hir the verie likenesse and image of king Henrie the seuenth And that therewith and vpon some speaches vsed by hir maiestie thou diddest line 20 turne about and weepe bitterlie to thy selfe And yet diddest call to mind that thy vowes were in heauen thy letters and promises on earth and that therefore thou diddest saie with thy selfe that there was no remedie but to doo it Diddest thou not confesse this The which he acknowledged Then said the lord Hunsdon Saiest thou now that thou diddest neuer meane to kill the quéene Diddest thou not confesse that when thou diddest vtter this practise of trecherie to hir maiestie that thou line 30 diddest couer it with all the skill thou haddest and that it was doone by thee rather to get credit and accesse thereby than for anie regard thou haddest of hir person But in truth thou diddest it that thereby thou mightest haue better opportunitie to performe thy wicked enterprise And wouldest thou haue run into such feare as thou diddest confesse that thou wert in when thou diddest vtter it if thou haddest neuer meant it What reason canst thou shew for thy selfe With that he cried out in a furious maner I neuer meant to kill hir I will laie my line 40 bloud vpon quéene Elisabeth and you before God and the world and therevpon fell into a rage and euill words with the quéenes maiesties attourneie generall Then said the lord Hunsdon This is but thy popish pride ostentation which thou wouldest haue to be told to thy fellowes of that faction to make them beléeue that thou diest for poperie when thou diest for most horrible and dangerous treasons against hir maiestie and thy whole countrie For thy line 50 laieng of thy bloud it must lie on thine owne head as a iust reward of thy wickednesse The lawes of the realme most iustlie condemne thée to die out of thine owne mouth for conspiring the destruction both of hir maiestie and of vs all therefore thy bloud be vpon thée neither hir maiestie nor we at anie time sought it thy selfe hast spilt it Then he was asked what he could saie why iudgement of death ought not to be awarded against him Whereto he said he did sée that he must die because he was not setled What meanest thou by that said line 60 maister vicechamberleine Said he Looke into your studie and into your new bookes and you shall find what I meane I protest said his honor I know not what thou meanest thou dooest not well to vse such darke spéeches vnlesse thou wouldest plainelie vtter what thou meanest thereby But he said he cared not for death and that he would laie his bloud amongst them Then spake the lord chiefe iustice of England being required to giue iudgement according to law and said Parrie you haue beene much heard and what you meane by being setled I know not but I see you are so setled in poperie that you cannot setle your selfe to be a good subiect But touching that you should saie to state iudgement from being giuen against you your spéeches must be of one of these kinds either to proue the indictment which you haue confessed to be true to be insufficient in law or else to pleade somewhat touching hir maiesties mercie why iustice should not be doone of you All other spéeches wherein you haue vsed great libertie is more than by law you can aske These be the matters you must looke to what saie you to them Whereto he said nothing Then said the lord chiefe iustice Parrie thou hast béene before this time indicted of diuerse most horrible and hatefull treasons committed against thy most gratious souereigne and natiue countrie the matter most detestable the maner most subtill and dangerous and the occasions and meanes that lead thée therevnto most vngodlie and villanous That thou diddest intend it it is most euident by thy selfe The matter was the destruction of a most sacred and an anointed queene thy souereigne and mistresse who hath shewed thée such fauour as some thy betters haue not obteined yea the ouerthrow of thy countrie wherein thou wert borne of a most happie common-wealth whereof thou art a member and of such a quéene as hath bestowed on thée the benefit of all benefits in this world that is to saie thy life hertofore granted thée by hir
mercie when thou hadst lost it by iustice desert Yet thou hir seruant sworne to defend hir mentest with thy bloudie hand to haue taken awaie hir life that mercifullie gaue thée thine when it was yéelded into hir hands This is the matter wherein thou hast offended The maner was most subtill and dangerous beyond all that before thée haue committed anie wickednesse against hir maiestie for thou making shew as if thou wouldest simplie haue vttered for hir safetie the euill that others had contriued diddest but seeke thereby credit accesse that thou mightest take the apter opportunitie for hir destruction And for the occasions and meanes that drew thée on they were most vngodlie and villanous as the persuasions of the pope of papists and popish bookes The pope pretendeth that he is a pastor when as in truth he is far from féeding of the flocke of Christ but rather as a woolfe séeketh but to féed on to sucke out the bloud of true christians and as it were thirsteth after the bloud of our most gratious and christian quéene And these papists and popish bookes while they pretend to set foorth diuinitie they doo indéed most vngodlie teach and persuade that which is quite contrarie both to God and his word For the word teacheth obedience of subiects toward princes forbiddeth anie priuat man to kill but they teach subiects to disobeie princes that a priuat wicked person may kill Yea whome a most godlie quéene their owne naturall and most gratious souereigne Let all men therfore take héed how they receiue any thing from him heare or read anie of their bookes and how they confer with anie papists God grant hir maiestie that she maie know by thée how euer she trust such like to come so néere hir person But see the end and why thou diddest it and it will appeare to be a most miserable fearefull and foolish thing for thou diddest imagine that it was to releeue those that thou callest catholikes who were most likelie amongst all others to haue felt the woorst of it if thy diuelish practise had taken effect But sith thou hast béene indicted of the treasons comprised in the indictment and therevpon arreigned and hast confessed thy selfe guiltie of them the court dooth award that thou shalt be had from hense to the place whense thou diddest come and so drawne through the open citie of London vpon an hurdle to the place of execution and there to be hanged and let downe aliue and thy priuie parts cut off and thy entrals taken out and burnt in thy sight then thy head to be cut off and thy bodie to be diuided in foure parts and to be disposed at hir maiesties pleasure and God haue mercie on thy soule Parrie neuerthelesse persisted still in his rage and fond speach and raginglie there said he there summoned quéene Elisabeth to answer for his bloud before God wherewith the lieutenant of the Tower was commanded to take him from the barre and line 10 so he did And vpon his departure the people striken as it were at heart with the horror of his intended enterprise ceased not but pursued him with outcries as Awaie with the traitor awaie with him such like wherevpon he was conueied to the barge to passe to the Tower againe by water the court was adiorned After which vpon the second daie of this instant March William Parrie was by vertue of processe in that behalfe awarded from the same commissioners of oier and terminer deliuered by the lieutenant of the Tower erlie in the morning line 20 vnto the shiriffes of London and Middlesex who receiued him at the Tower hill and therevpon according to the iudgement caused him there to be foorthwith set on the hurdle from whense he was drawne therevpon through the middest of the citie of London vnto the place for his execution in the pallace at Westminster where hauing long time of staie admitted vnto him before his execution he most maliciouslie and impudentlie after some other line 30 vaine discourses eftsoons often deliuered in speach that he was neuer guiltie of anie intention to kill quéene Elisabeth and so without anie request made by him to the people to pray to God for him or praier publikelie vsed by himselfe for ought that appeared but such as he vsed if he vsed anie was priuat to himselfe he was executed according to the iudgement And now for his intent how soeuer he pretended the contrarie in words yet by these his owne writings confessions letters manie other proofes line 40 afore here expressed it is most manifest to all persons how horrible his intentions and treasons were and how iustlie he suffered for the same and thereby greatlie to be doubted that as he had liued a long time vainelie and vngodlie and like an atheist and godlesse man so he continued the same course till his death to the outward sight of men ¶ Here endeth the true and plaine course and processe of the treasons arrest arreignement and execution of William Parrie the traitor line 50 An addition not vnnecessarie for this purpose FOrsomuch as Parrie in the aboundance of his proud and arrogant humour hath often both in his confession and letters pretended some great and grieuous causes of discontentment against hir maiestie and the present state it shall not be impertinent for better satisfaction of all persons to set foorth simplie and trulie the condition and qualitie of the man what he line 60 was by birth and education and in what course of life he had liued This vile and traitorous wretch was one of the yoonger sonnes of a poore man called Harrie ap Dauid he dwelled in Northwales in a little village called Northop in the countie of Flint there he kept a common alehouse which was the best and greatest staie of his liuing In that house was this traitor borne his mother was the reputed daughter of one Conwaie a priest parson of a poore parish called Halkin in the same countie of Flint his eldest brother dwelleth at this present in the same house and there kéepeth an alehouse as his father did before him This traitor in his childhood so soone as he had learned a litle to write and read was put to serue a poore man dwelling in Chester named Iohn Fisher who professed to haue some small skill and vnderstanding in the law With him he continued diuerse yeares and serued as a clerke to write such things as in that trade which his master vsed he was appointed During this time he learned the English toong and at such times of leasure as the poore man his master had no occasion otherwise to vse him he was suffered to go to the grammar schoole where he got some litle vnderstanding in the Latine toong In this his childhood he was noted by such as best knew him to be of a most villainous and dangerous nature disposition He did often run
three monthes it were a notable line 60 world for traitors and murtherers thus to haue all procéedings set loose as well of our common lawes which condemne vpon all euidences as of the ciuill lawes which giue capitall sentence vpon confession onelie yea Moses wisedome is ouerreached and Christes equitie in his euangelicall parable against the lewd seruant not vsing his talent is eluded All this is also ratified by voluntarie letters of his to hir maiestie apart and to hir honorable councell And if anie Italianat papist neuerthelesse will néeds beleeue this â—epugnancie of his last speaches let him yet take this one note of him whereby to consider how credible a man he crediteth Either Parrie meant this monstrous murther according to his vowes in heauen and sworne promises in earth and so died a desperat traitor protesting the contrarie in his last words vpon his soule and damnation or else was he periured to the foule abuse of pope all poperie most execrablie prophaning Gods name by promising swearing vowing c that which he meant not Necessarilie therefore must he perish vpon periured treason or wreckâ— vpon desperat deieration Nothing auoideth this dilemma but a popish bull of dispensation which if he had I know not how princes may not as safelie suffer woolues and beares come to their presence as such papists And verie like it is that Parrie had a speciall bull either else was it comprehended in his indulgence that he might take othes contrarie to his catholike conscience as he did the oth of supremasie in the beginning of the last parlement Which if his coniuratours had not béene priuie with what intention he did sweare he neuer durst haue taken it least they should haue now bewraied him as a man sworne against the pope therefore not to be trusted But the truth is this papist Parrie was both a traitor and a manifold periured traitor whome with all other of the like stampe we leaue to the finall iudgement of God at the last and dreadfull doome registring in the meane time a proper epigram and of no lesse fit than true deuise in memorie of the said capitall traitor requiting that propheticall posie concerning Daruell Gatheren and frier Forrest of whome you shall read in the thirtéenth yeare of king Henrie the eight this of Parrie being as followeth William Parrie Was ap Harrie By his name From the alehouse To the gallows Grew his fame Gotten westward On a bastard â—s is thought Wherefore one waie Kin to Conwaie Hath he sought Like a beast With inceast He begon Mother maried Daughter caried Him a sonne Much he borrowed Which he sorrowed To repaie Hare his good Bought with blood As they saie Yet for paiment Had arrainment Of his detter Shee that gaue him Life to saue him Hangd a better Parrie his pardon Thought no guardon For his woorth Wherefore sought That he mought Trauell foorth Which obtained He remained As before And with rashnes Shewd his bashnes More and more He did enter To aduentuer Euen hir death By whose fauor He did euer Draw his breath It was pittie One so wittie Malcontent Leauing â—eason Should to treason So be bent But his gifts Were but shifts Void of grace And his brauerie Was but knauerie Vile and base Wales did beare him France did sweare him To the pope Venice wrought him London brought him To the rope Wherewith strangled And then mangled Being dead Poles supporters Of his quarters And his head In this yeare one thousand fiue hundred eightie foure sir Walter Mildmaie knight one of hir maiesties most honorable priuie councell founded a college in the vniuersitie of Cambridge and named it Emmanuell college ¶ The same was sometimes a house of friers and came to king Henrie the eight by dissolution as appeareth by the sequeale being an extract out of a substantiall and large booke written in parchment which I haue seene and whense I had this transcript conteining the entrie or inrolment of certeine letters patents writings and euidences line 10 touching the said college First the premisses came vnto king Henrie the eight by act of parlement touching the dissolution of monasteries afterwards the said king by letters patents vnder the great seale of England dated Decimo sexto Aprilis anno tricesimo quinto regni sui did grant the same to Edward Elrington and Humfreie Metcalfe and to the heires of the said Edward for euer After that the said Edward Elrington and Humfreie Metcalfe by their déed pold dated Quarto Martij anno tricesimo sexto Henrici line 20 octaui did grant the premisses to William Sherwood gentleman his heires for euer Then George Sherewood gentleman sonne and heire to William Sherwood by déed pold dated Vicesimo nono Septembris anno vicesimo tertio Elisabethae reginae did grant the premisses to Robert Tailor esquier and to his heires for euer And afterwards the said Robert Tailor by déed pold dated Duodecimo Iunij anno vicesimo quinto Elisabethae reginae did grant the premisses to Richard Culuerwell line 30 citizen mercer of London and Laurence Chaderton of Cambridge bachelor of diuinitie and their heires for euer And after that the premisses were conueied to sir Walter Mildmaie who hath conuerted the same into a séedplot of learning for the benefit of the church common-wealth so that the students maie verie trulie saie this and more too of so good so honoorable and vertuous a founder fluuijs dum cruerit aequor Dúmque vagas stellas pascet vterque polus line 40 Dum steriles altis lustrabunt montibus vmbrae Virtutis stabit fama decúsque tuae year 1585 On the nine and twentith daie of March which was in the yeare of Christ 1585 the parlement was dissolued at the breaking vp whereof the quéenes maiestie in the parlement house made an oration to such effect as followeth The queenes maiesties oration line 50 in the parlement house MY Lords and ye of the lower house my silence must not iniurie the owner so much as to suppose a substitute sufficient to render you the thanks that my heart yéeldeth you not so much for the safe keeping of my life for which your care appeareth so manifest as for line 60 the neglecting your priuat future perill not regarding other waie than my present state No prince herein I confesse can be surer tied or faster bound than I am with the linke of your good will and can for that but yeeld a hart hand to séeke for euer all your best Yet one matter toucheth me so neere as I may not ouerskip religion the ground on which all other matters ought to take roote and being corrupted may marre all the trée and that there be some faultfinders with the order of the cleargie which so may make a slander to my selfe the church whose ouer ruler God hath made me whose negligence can not be excused if anie schismes or errors hereticall were suffered Thus much