duties sake and my whole Countreys cause I will at this present declare vnto you Ye which be bounde by Gods worde and to obey for feare lyke men pleasâ—â—s but for conâ—…edence sake like Christians haue contrarie to Gods holy will whose offence is euerlasting beaâ—â— and contrarie to the godly order of quietnesse set out to vs in the Kings Maiesties â—â—wes the breache whereof is not vnknowne to you taken in hande vnrulled of God vnsent by men vnfitte by reason to calle awaye your bounden duetyes of obedience and to put on you agaynste the Magistrates Gods office committed to the Magistrates for the reformation of your pretensed iniuries In the which doing ye haue first faulted grieuously against God next offended vnnaturally our soueraigne Lorde thirdly troubled miserablie the whole common wealth vndone cruelly many an honest man and brought in an vtter miserie both to vs the Kings Subiectes and to your selues being false Rebelles and yet ye pretende that partly for Gods cause and partly for the coÌ„mon welthes sake ye do arise when as your selues cannot denie but ye that seeke in worde gods cause do breake in deed Gods commaundement and ye that seeke the common wealth haue destroyed the common wealth and so ye marre that ye would make and break that ye would amend bycause ye neither seeke any thing rightly nor would amend any thing orderly He that faulteth faulteth agaynst Gods ordinance who hath forbidden all faultes and therefore ought againe to be punished by Gods ordinance who is the reformer of faults For he sayth leaue the punishment to me and I will reuenge them But the Magistrate is the ordinaunce of God appoynted by him with the sworde of punishment to looke streightly to all euil doers And therefore that that is done by the Magistrate is done by the ordinance of God whom the Scripture oftentymes doth call God bycause he hath the execution of Gods office Howe then do you take in hande to reforme Be ye kings By what authoritie or by what succession Be ye y e kings officers By what commission Be ye called of God By what tokens declare ye that Gods worde teacheth vs that no man should take in hand any office but he that is called of God lyke Aaron What Moyses I pray you called you What Gods Minister bade you rise Ye rise for religion What religion taught you that If ye were offred persecution for religion ye ought to flie so Christ teacheth you and yet you intend to fight If ye woulde stande in the truth ye ought to suffer like Martyrs and you woulde sley like tyrants Thus for religion you keepe no religion and neither will follow the counsaile of Christ nor the constancie of Martyrs Why rise ye for religion Haue ye any thing contrary to Gods booke Yea haue ye not al things agreeable to Gods word But the new is different from the old and therfore ye will haue the olde If ye measure the old by truth ye haue the oldest if ye measure the olde by fancie then it is harde bycause mens fansies chaungeth to giue that is olde Ye will haue the olde still Will ye haue any older than that as Christ left and his Apostles taught and the first Church after Christ did vse Ye will haue that the Canons doe establish Why that is a great deale yonger than that ye haue of later tyme and newlyer inuented Yet that is it that ye desire Why then ye desire not the oldest And doe you preferre the Bishoppes of Rome afore Christ mennes inuention afore Gods law the newer sort of worship before the older Ye seeke no religion ye be deceyued ye seeke traditions They that teach you blinde you that so instruct you deceyue you If ye seeke what the olde Doctors say yet looke what Christ the oldest of all sayth For he sayth before Abraham was made I am If ye seeke the truest way he is the verye truth if ye seeke the readiest way he is the verie way if ye seeke euerlasting life he is the verye life What religion would ye haue other nowe than his religion You would haue the Bibles in againe It is no maruaile your blinde guides would leade you blind stil Why be ye Howlets and Backes that ye cannot looke on the light Christ sayth to euerie one search ye the Scriptures for they beare witnesse of Christ You say pull in the scriptures for we wil haue no knowledge of Christ The Apostles of Christ wil vs to be so readie y t we may be able to giue euerie maÌ„ an account of our faith Ye will vs not once to read the Scriptures for feare of knowing of our faith S. Paule prayeth that euerie man may encrease in knowledge yee desire that our knowledge might decay againe A true Religion ye seeke belike and worthie to be fought for For without the sworde indeede nothing can help it neither Christ nor truth nor age can mainteyne it But why shoulde ye not like that which Gods worde establisheth the prematiue Church hath authorised the greatest lerned men of this Realme hath drawen the whole consent of the Parliament hath confirmed the Kings Maiestie hath set foorth Is it not truly set out Can ye deuise any truer than Christes Apostles vsed ye thinke it is not learnedly done Dare ye Commons take vpon you more learning than the chosen Bishops and Clearkes of this Realme haue Thinke ye follie in it Ye wer woÌ„t to iudge your ParliameÌ„t wisest now wil ye sudainly excell them in wisedom Or can ye thinke it lacketh authoritie which the King the Parliament the learned the wise haue iustly approued Learne learne to knowe this one point of Religion that God will be worshipped as he hath prescribed not as wee haue deuised and that his will is wholye in his Scriptures which be full of Gods spirite and profitable to teach the truth to reproue lyes to amend faults to bring one vp in righteousnesse that he that is a Gods man may be perfite and readie to al good woorkes What can bee more required to serue God withall And thus muche for Religion Rebels The other rable of Norffolke Rebelles yee pretende a common wealth How amende ye it by killing of Gentlemen by spoyling of Gentlemen by imprisoning of Gentlemen A marueylous tanned commoÌ„welth Why should ye thus hate them for their riches or for their rule Rule they neuer tooke so much in hand as ye doe now They neuer resisted the king neuer withstood his counsail be faithful at this day when ye be faithlesse not onely to the King whose Subiectes ye be but also to your Lordes whose tenaunts ye be Is this your true duetie in some of homage in most of feaultie in all of allegeance to leaue your duties goe backe from your promises fall from your fayth and contrarie to lawe and truth to make vnlawfull assemblyes vngodly companies wicked and detestable Campes to disobey your betters to obey your Tanners to change your obedience
made a perpetuall circulation or reuolution of our soules much like vnto the continuall motion of the heauens which neuer stande stil nor long yeeld one representatioÌ„ and figure They brought in also the woorshipping of many goddes and their seuerall sacrifices Oke honored wheron mistle did grow so doe our sorcerers euen to this day thinking some spirits to deale about the same for hidden tresure they honoured likewyse the Oke wheron the Mistle groweth and daily deuised infinitie other toyes for errour is neuer assured of hir owne dooinges wherof neyther Samothes nor Sarron Magus nor Druiyus did leaue them any prescription These things are partly touched by Cicero Strabo Plinie Sotion Laertius Theophrast Aristotle and partly also by Caesar and other authours of later time who for the most part do coÌ„fesse y t the chiefe schoole of the Druiydes was holden here in Britaine whether the Druiydes also themselues that dwelt amoÌ„g the Galles woulde often resorte to come by the more skill and sure vnderstanding of the misteries of that doctrine Estimation of the Druiyâ—… or Drâ—… priestâ—… Furthermore in Britaine and among the Galles and to saye the truth generally in all places where the Druiysh religion was frequented such was thestimatioÌ„ of the Priestes of this profession that there was little or nothing done without their skilfull aduise no not in ciuill causes pertayning to the regiment of the common wealth and countrey They had the charge also of all sacrifices publicke and priuate they interpreted Oracles preached of religion and were neuer without great numbers of yoong men that hearde theÌ„ with great diligence as they taught froÌ„ time to time Touching their persons also Immuâ—…ty of the clergy â—â—ter vndâ—… Idolaâ—… then vnder the gospell they were exempt from all temporal seruices impositioÌ„s tributes and exercise of the warres which immunitie caused the greater companies of Schollers to flocke vnto theÌ„ from all places learne their trades Of these likewise some remayned with them seuen eyght tenne or twelue yeares still learning the secretes of those vnwritten mysteries by heart which were to be had amongst them and commonly pronounced in verses And this policie as I take it they vsed onely to preserue their religion from contempt where into it might easye haue fallen if any bookes thereof had happened into the hands of the commoÌ„ sorte It helped also not a little in y e exercise of their memories where vnto bookes are vtter enemies insomuch as he that was skillfull in the Druiysh religion would not let readily to rehearse many hundredes of verses and not to fayle in one tytle in the whole processe of this his laborious repetition But as they dealt in this order for matters of their religioÌ„ so in ciuill affaires historical Treatises setting downe of lawes they vsed like order and letters almost with the Grecians wherby it is easy to be séene that they retayned this kinde of writing froÌ„ Druiyus the originall founder of their religion and that this yland hath not béene voyde of letters and learned men euen sith it was first inhabited After the death of Druiyus Bardus Bardus his sonne and fift king of the Celtes succéeded not onely ouer the sayde kingdome but also in his fathers vertues whereby if is very likely that the winding and wrapping vp of the sayde Religion after the afore remembred sorte into Verse was first deuysed by hym for he was an excellent Poet and no lesse indued with a singular skill in the practise and speculatioÌ„ of Musicke of which twoo many suppose him to be the very author and beginner although vniustly sith both Poetry Song was in vse before the floude Gene. 4. vers 21. as was also the Harpe and Pype which Iubal inuented and coulde neuer be performed without great skil in musicke But to procéede as the chiefe estimation of the Druiydes remained in the ende among the Britons only for their knowledge in religion so dye the same of the Bardos for their excelleÌ„t skill in musike and Heroicall kind of song which at the first contayned only the high misteries of their religion There was little difference also betwéene them and the Druiydes â—…he Barâ—… degeâ—…rate till they so farre degenerated from their first institutioÌ„ that they became to be minstrels at feastes droncken meetings and abhominable sacrifices of the Idols where they sang most commonly no diuinitie as before but the noble actes of valiaunt princes and fabulous narratioÌ„s of the adulteries of the gods Certes in my tyme this fonde vsage and therto the very name of the Bardes are not yet extinguished amoÌ„g the Britons of Wales where they call their Poetes Musiciâ—…ns Barthes as they doe also in Irelande There is moreouer an Islande appertinent to the region of Venedotia wherinto the Bardes of old time vsed to resorte as out of the waye into a solitarie place there to write and learne their songes by hearte and meditate vppon such matters as belonged to their practises And of these Lucane in his first booke writeth thus among other the like sayinges well towarde the latter ende also saying â—…cane â—… 1. Vos quoque qui fortes animas belloque peremptat Laudibus in longum vates dimittitis euum Plurima securi fudistis carmina Bardi Et vos barbaricos ritus moremque sinistrum Sacrorum Druiydae positis reque pistis ab armis Solis nosse Deos coeli numina vobis Aut solis nescire datum nemora alta remotis Incolitis lucis Vobis authoribus vmbrae Non tacit as erebi sedes ditisque profundi Pallida regna petunt regit idem spiritus artus Orbe alio Longae canitis si cognita vitae Mors media est certe populi quos despicit arctos Foelices errore suo quos ille timorum Maximus haud vrget leti metus inde ruendi In ferrum mens prona viris animaeque capaces Mortis ignuum est redituirae parcere vitae Thus we see as in a glasse the state of religion for a tyme after the first inhabitacion of this Islande but howe long it continued in such soundnesse as the originall authors left it in good sooth I caÌ„ not say yet this is most certaine that after a time when Albion arriued here the religion earst imbraced fell into great decaye for wheras Iaphet and Samothes with their childreÌ„ taught nothing else then such doctrine as they had learned of Noah so Cham the great grandfather of this our Albion and his disciples vtterly renouncing to followe their steps gaue their mindes wholly to seduce and leade their hearers hedlong vnto all error Wherby his posteritie not only corrupted this our Islande with most filthie trades and practises but also all mankinde generally where they became with vicious life and most vngodly behauiour For from Cham and his successours procéeded at the first all sorcery witchcraft what doctrine ChaÌ„ and his disciples taught and the execution of vnlawfull
fish for which he did cast his hooke so great was the fishe that he caught in the end that within the space of 1000 lesse it deuoured the fourth parte and more of the best soyle of the Islande which was whollye bestowed vpon his monkes and other relygious brodes y t were hatched since his time Whilest these things were thus in hande in the south parte of Albion the Meates Pictes and Caledoniens Meates Pictes Caledonies which lye beyonde the Scottish sea receiued also the preaching of such christian elders as aduentured thither daily and not without great successe and increase of perfit godlynesse in that parte of the I le Certes this prosperous attempt passed all mens expectatioÌ„ for that these nations were in those dayes reputed wild sauage and more vnfaithfull and craftye then well minded people as the wilde Irish are in my time and such were they to say the truth in déede as neyther the sugred curtesye nor sharpe swordes of the Romaines coulde restreyne from their naturall fury or bring to any order For this cause also in th end y e Romaine Emperours did vtterly cast them of as an vnprofitable brutishe and vntameable nation by an huge wall hereafter to be described separated that rude companye from the milde and ciuill portion Scotlande conuerted to y e fayth of Christ This conuersion of the north parts fell out in the sixt yeare before the warres that Seuorus had in those quarters and 170. after y e death of our Sauiour Iesus Christ From thenceforth also the christian religion contynued still among them by the diligent care of their Pastors and Byshops after the vse of the churches of the south part of this Island tyll the Romaine shepehearde sought them out and founde the meanes to pull them vnto him in like sort with his long staffe as he had done our countryemen whereby in in the ende he abolished the rites of the churches of Asia there also as Augustine had done already in England and in stéede of the same did furnish it vp with those of his pontificall Sie although there was great contention and no lesse bloudshed made amongst them before it coulde be brought to passe as by the Hystories of both nations yet extaunt is casye to be séene Palladius In the time of Coelestine Bishop of Rome one Palladius The first attempt of the Bish of Rome to bring Scotlande vnder hys obedience a Grecian borne to whome Cyrill wrote hys Dialogue de adoratione in spiritu sometime disciple to Iohn the 24. Bishop of Ierusalem came ouer from Rome into Brytaine there to suppresse the Pellagien heresye which not a little molested the Orthodoxes of that Iland And hauing done much good in the extinguishing of the aforesayd opinioÌ„ there he went at the last also into Scotlande supposing no lesse but after he had trauailed somewhat in confutation of the Pelagiens in those partes he shoulde easilye perswade that crooked nation to admit and receiue the rytes of the church of Rome as he woulde faine haue done beforehande in the south Fastidius Bishop of London But as Fastidius Bishop of LondoÌ„ and his Suffragans resisted him here so dyd the Scottish Prelates withstande him here also in this behalfe howbeit because of the authoritie of his commisson grauitie of personage the great gift which he had in the vayne of pleasaunt perswasion whereby he drewe the people after him as Orpheus did the stones with his Harpe and Hercules such as hearde him by his tongue they had hym in great admiration are nowe contented the rather also for that he came froÌ„ Rome to take him for their chiefe Apostle Palladiâ—…e accomptâ—… for the Apostle of Scottes returning from hys comming vnto them as from the fayth receiued which was in the 431. yeare of Christ as the truth of theyr History doth very well confirme Thus wée sée what religion hath from time to time béene receiued in this Islande and howe and when the faith of Christ came first into our country Howbeit as in processe of time it was ouershadowed and corrupted with the dreames and fantasticall imaginations of man so it daily waxed woorse woorse till that it pleased God to restore the preaching of his Gospell againe in our dayes wherby the man of sinne is nowe openly reuealed and the puritye of the worde once agayne brought to light to the vtter ouerthrowe of Sathan and his Popish adherentes that honour him day and night Of the number and names of such salt Islands as lye dispersed rounde about vppon the coast of Brytaine Cap. 8. THere are néere vnto or not verye farre from the coasts of Brytaine many faire Islandes whereof Irelande with hir neighbors not here haÌ„dled séeme to be the chiefe But of y e reast some are much larger or lesse then other diuers in lyke sort enuironed continually with the salt sea whereof I purpose onely to intreate although not a few of them be Ilands but at the floude other finally be clipped partely by the fresh and partly by the salt water or by the freshe alone whereof I may speake afterwarde Of these salt Islandes for so I call them that are enuyroned with the Ocean-waues some are fruitefull in Wood Corne Wildefoule and pasture grounde for Cattel albeit that manye of them be accounted barren because they are only replenished with conies those of sundry collors cherished of purpose by the owners for their skinnes carcases and prouysion of housholde wythout eyther man or woman otherwise inhabiting in them Furthermore the greatest number of these Islandes haue Townes and parishe Churches within theyr seuerall precinctes some mo some lesse and beside all thys are so inriched with commodities that they haue pleasant hauens freshe springes great store of fishe and plentye of Cattell whereby the inhabitants doe reape no small aduantage How many they are in nuÌ„ber I caÌ„not as yet determine bycause myne informations are not so fully set down as the promises of some on the side myne expectation on the other did exteÌ„d vnto Howbeit y e first of al there are certeine which lie néere togither as it were by heaps clusters I hope 〈◊〉 will rediliy deny Nesiadae Insule Scylurum Sileustrae Syllanae Sorlingae Sylley Hebrides Hebudes Meuanie Orchades Of these also those called y e Nesiadae Insulae Scylurum Sileustrae Syllanae nowe y e sorlings and Isles of Silley lying beyond Cornwall are one and conteineth in number one hundred fourtye seauen eche of them bearing grasse besides shelfers and shallowes In like sort the company of the Hebrides are another which are sayd to be 43. situate vpon the west side of this Island betwéene Ireland and Scotland and of which there are some that repute Anglesey Mona Gaesaris other lying betwéene them to be percell in theyr corrupted iudgement The thirde cluster or bunche consisteth of those that are called the Orchades and these lye vpon the
their hurtes other calling for their sonnes kinâ—…folks and friends that were wanting Many of them forsooke theyr houses and in their desâ—â—â—…ate mâ—â—de set them on fire and 〈◊〉 forth 〈…〉 their 〈◊〉 refuge and safegarde forthwith 〈…〉 of the same left them and sought others 〈◊〉 with diuerse of them â—…ooke counsell togither what they were best to doe one 〈◊〉 they were in hope an other 〈◊〉 they 〈…〉 as people cast into vtter dispayre the beholding of theyr wyues and children oftentymes moued them to attempte some newe enterprise for the preseruation of theyr countrey and liberties And certayne it is that some of them slew their wiues and children as moued thereto with a certayne fonde regard of pitie to ridde them out of further miserie and daunger of thraldome The nexte daye the certayntie of the victory more playnely was disclosed for all was quiet about and no noyse heard any where the houses appeared brenning on each side and such as were sente foorthe to discouer the countrey into euery part thereof sawe not a creature sturring for all the people were auoyded and withdrawen a farre off But nowe of this battell and other the doings of Agricola in the Scottishe Chronicle ye may fynde more at large set foorthe for that which I haue written heere is but to shew what in effect Cornelius Tacitus writeth of y t whiche Agricola dyd heere in Britayne withoute making mention eyther of Scottes or Pictes onely naming them Britaynes Horâ—…stians and Calidonians whiche inhabited in those dayes parte of this Ile which now we call Scotland After that Agricola hadde thus ouerthrowen hys enimies in â—â—pight fielde at the mountayne of Granzeben and that the counâ—â—ey was quite ridde of all appearaunce of enimies bycause the sommer of this eyght yeere of his gouernemente was nowe almost spente â—â—ctor Bo. he broughte hys army into the confynes of the Horrestians whyche inhabited the countreyes nowe cleâ—…ed Angus and Merne â—… Tacitus and there intended to Winter and tooke hostages of the people for assurance of theyr loyaltie and subiection This done he appoynted the Admirall of the nauie to sayle about the Isle whiche accordingly to his commission in that poynte receyued luckily accomplished his enterprise â—…hauen calâ—â— Trutulenâ—â—â— peraduenâ—â—â— Rutuâ—…sis and brought the nauie about agayne into an hauen called Trutulensis In this meane time whilest Iulius Agricola was thus occupyed in Britayne both the Emperoure Vespasian and also his brother 〈◊〉 thus succeeded hym departed this life 〈◊〉 Domisian was elected Emperoure the 〈◊〉 hearing of suche prosperousâ—… succâ—…sse as Agricâ—…la had against the Britaynes 〈◊〉 so 〈…〉 for the thing well done as he 〈◊〉 to coÌ„sider what glory and renowne shoulde redounde to Agricola thereby whiche hee perceyued should muche darken the glosse of hys 〈◊〉 hauyng a priuate person vnder him who in worthynesse â–ª of noble exploytes atchieued farre excelled hys doyngs To fynde remedie herefor therefore he thought not good to vtter hys malice as yet whylst Agricola remayned in Britayne with on 〈…〉 whych so muche fauoured him and that 〈◊〉 good cause sith by his policie and noble conduit the same hadde obteyned so many victories so much honor and such plentie 〈…〉 and â—â—ties Wherevppon to dissembâ—◠〈…〉 appoynted to reuoke him foorthâ—… of Britaine â—…s it were to honor hym not only with reserued tryumphes but also with the Lieutenantshippe of Syria which as then was voyde by the death of Atilius Rufus Thus Agricola being conteâ—â—aâ—…nded 〈◊〉 to Rome â–ª desyuâ—…ed his prouinâ—â— vnto his â—â—â—cessor Cneus Trebellius Cneus Trebellius alias Salustius Lucullus as some thinke appointed thereto by the Emperour Domitianus in good quiet and sauegarde Thus may you see in what state Britayne stoode in the dayes of King Marius of whome yet Tacitus maketh no mention at all Some haue written that the City of Chester was builded by this Matius though other as before I haue sayde Fabian thinke rather that it was the worke of Ostorius Scapula their Legate Coyllus COilus the Sonne of 〈…〉 after his fathers deceasse made Kyng of Britayn Coyllus â—…n the yere of our Lord .125 This Coyllus or Coyll was broughte vpâ—…n his youth amongst the Romaynes at Rome 125 where hee spente hys tyme not vnprofitably but applyed hymselfe to learning and seruice in the warres by reason whereof hee was muche honored of the Romaynes â–ª and he likewise honored and loued them so that hee payed his tribute truly all the tyme of hys raigne and therefore lyued in peace and good quiet He was also a Prince of muche bountie and very liberall whereby hee obteyned great loue both of his nobles and commons Colchester builte Some saye that hee made the Towne of Colchester in Essex but other write that Coyll whych reigned next after Asclepeodotus was the first founder of that Towne but by other it shuld seeme to be built long before being called Camalodimum Finally when thys Coyll had raigned the space of .54 yeares hee departed this lyfe at Yorke leauing after him a sonne named Lucius which succeeded in the Kingdome Lucius This Lucius is highly renowmed of the writers for that hee was the firste King of the Britaynes that receyued the faith of Iesus Christ for being inspired by the spirit of grace and truth eueÌ„ from the beginning of hys raigne he somewhat lâ—â—ned to the fauoring of Christian Religion being moued with the manifest miracles whyche the Christians dayly wroughte in witnesse and proofe of their sound and perfect doctrine for euen from the dayes of Ioseph of Aramathia and hys fellowes or what other godly men first taughte the Britaynes the Gospell of our Sauiour there remayned amongst the same Britaynes some Christians which ceassed not to teach Preache the word of God most sincerely vnto them but yet no king amongst them openly professed that Religion till at length this Lucius perceyuyng not only some of the Romayne Lieutenantes in Britayne as Trebellius and Pertinax with other to haue submitted themselues to that profession but also the Emperour himselfe to begin to be fauorable to them that professed it hee tooke occasioÌ„ by their good ensample to giue care more attentiuely to the Gospell and at length sent vnto Eleutherius Bishop of Rome two learned men of the Brittish nation Eluane and Meduin requiring him to sende some suche ministers as might instruct him and his people in the true faith more plentifully and to baptise them according to the rules of the Christian Religion â—…olidor â—…estminster â—…hurch built Ther be that affirme how this Lucius should build the Church of Saint Peter at Westminster though many attribute that acte vnto Sibert King of the East Saxons and write howe the place was then ouergrowen with thornes bushes and thereof tooke the name and was called Thorney They adde moreouer as Harrison sayeth howe Thomas Archbishop of London preached redde and ministred the Sacraments there to such as made resorte vnto him
An inhibition procured by the king of the Pope procured an inhibition that no Archbishop nor Bishop shoulde compell any officer belonging to the King to follow any suyte afore them for those things that apperteyned to the kings iurisdiction or giue sentence agaynste them for the same The Monday before the Rogation weeke Richarde the kings brother Erle of Cornewaâ—… The 〈◊〉 Coâ—… 〈◊〉 the Pope returned from the Court of Rome where he had beene about certaine businesse vnknowne to most men but whatsoeuer the same was the Pope gaue him most courteous and honourable intertainment for his welcom and made to him great chear during his abode at Lion where the Popes Court as then lay About this season the king to ridde himselfe out of debt wherein he was endaungered to certaine marchants lessened the charges of his housholde and kept but a meane port diminishing euen the accustomed almes of the poore The kâ—…â—…reth to 〈◊〉 himselfe 〈◊〉 of dâ—… and also the greate number of Tapers and lyghtes in his Chappell so that he was noted wyth the blame of too muche nygardly sparyng and pynching but in that hee discharged his debt to the Marchants he was thought to doe wisely and charitably for that he would not see them hyndered is whom he was so indebted Aboute the same tyme also The 〈◊〉 caâ—… helpe 〈◊〉 withâ—… hee caused the Iewes to gyue vnto him a great portion of their goodes so that they were greatly impouerished There was one of them named Aaron borne in Yorke the whiche since the Kings laste returne out of Gascoigne had payed to the King the summe of thirtie thousand Markes Mat. 〈◊〉 ouer and besides two hundred Markes which he had giuen to the Queene as the same Aaron protested to Marthew Paris vpon his fayth and truth which he bare to his law In the Whitsunweeke was a generall Chapiter holden of the Friers preachers A geneâ—… chapter oâ—… Friers â—…cheâ—… at London in Holborne where out of sundrye partyes of the Worlde were assembled aboue foure hundred of them and they had meate and drink found them of almes bycause they possessed nothing of theyr owne The first day the king came into their Chapiter that he might be partaker of theyr prayers and founde them meate and drynke that daye and dyned there with them to do them the more honour Another day the Queene likewise fedde them afterwardes the Bish of London the Abbots of Westminster Saint Albon and Waltham with other About the same season the Citizens of London founde themselues agreeued verye sore Mat. Pâ—… Striâ—… 〈◊〉 the Lonâ—… and the 〈◊〉 of Wâ—… for such liberties as the king graunted to the Abbot of Westminster to the great hinderance and decay of the franchises of their Citie The Maior communaltie resisted in all that they might agaynst those liberties and finally by the good helpe and fauour of the Lordes as the Earles of Cornwall and Leycester they obteyned theyr purpose â—…iam de â—…nny keeâ—… of the â—…r seale This yeare maister William de Kilkenny a sober faythfull and learned man was made keeper of the great seale The same yeare vpon inquisition made by Geffrey de Langley one of the kings counsaile of transgressors in forrests and chases many that had offended were presented and most grieuously punished by imprisonment fines and exceeding great amerciaments and namely in the North Countrey â—…ert de â—…nton deâ—…eth this 〈◊〉 The .xix. day of May died Robet de Lerinton Clearke the which hauing continued a long time in the office of a Iudge purchased to himself great fame and also most large possessions But certaine yeares before his death bycause he was diseased with the Palsey he gaue ouer that office and drewe himselfe into a quiet trade of lyfe so ending his dayes in prayers and doing of almes deedes About the feast of S. Margaret The Lorde Henry Hastings deceaseth Robert Muschampe died Henrie Hastings a noble Baron and one Robert de Muschampes a man of greate renoume in the North parties Also Walter Bishop of Wynchester departed this lyfe about the feast of Saint Mathew Athelmare the kings half brother made Bi. of Winchest in whose place through the kings earnest sute his halfe brother Athelmare was promoted to succeede On the first day of October the Moone vpon hir change appearing exceeding red and swelled beganne to shewe tokens of the great tempest of winde that followed â—…ightie â—…de whiche was so huge and mighty both by land and sea that the like had not bin lightly knowne nor seldome or rather neuer heard of by men then aliue The sea forced contrarie to hir natural course flowed twice without ebbing â—…t Par. yeelding such a roaring noyse that the same was heard not without great wonder a farre distance from the shore Moreouer the same sea appeared in the darke of the night to burne as it had beene on fire â—…e sea seeâ—… to burne and the wanes to striue and fight togither after a maruellous sort so that the mariners coulde not deuise howe to saue theyr shippes where they lay at ankre â—…s lost by no cunning nor shift which they could deuise â—…tburne At Hertburne three tall shippes perished without recouerie besides other smaller vesselles â—…chelsey At Winchelsey besides other hurt that was done in bridges milnes breakes and banks there were three hundred houses with some Churches drowned with the high rysing of the water course The country of Hollande in Lyncolnshire and Holland beyonde the sea and the Marish lande in Flaunders susteyned inestimable domage in many other places by reason that riuers beaten backe and repulsed by the rysing of the sea swelled so on high that they ouerflowed theyr chanels much hurt was done in Medowes Brigges Mylnes and houses About the beginning of the .xxxv. yeare of king Henries raigne An. Reg. 35. The practise of the Bishops to disappoynt the Archb. of Cant. of his purpose the Bishops of Englande vnderstanding that the Archbishop of Canterburie was about to purchase of the Pope a graunt to gather money through his whole prouince of the Cleargie and people for Sinodes and procuracies they thought to preuent him and therfore made a collection euery one through hys owne Dioces of two pence of euery marke which any beneficed man might dispende which money so collected they ment to employ about charges in the Popes Court for the stay of the Archbishops suyte that the graunt should not passe A earthquake at S. Albons About the same time to witte vpon Saint Lucies day there was a great Earthquake at S. Albons and in the parties there aboutes with a noyse vnder the ground as though it had thuÌ„dred This was straunge and maruellous bycause the ground there is chalky and sound not hollow nor loose as those places be where Earthquakes for the most part happen Doues Rookes and other birdes that sat vpon houses and in
seeke victorie buy our outwarde misery to seeke outwarde glorit with inward dishonor whiche howsoeuer they get thinke it to be long of you who haue offered thē victorie afore they began war bycause ye wold declare clare to men hereafter belike how daungerous it is to make sturres at home when they doe not onely make our selues weake but also our enemies strong Beside these there is another sorte of men desirous of aduantage and disdainefull of our wealth whose griefe is most our greatest hap and be offended with religion bicause they bee drowned in superstition men zealed towarde god but not fit to iudge meaning better without knowledge than they iudge by their meaning worthier whose ignorance should be taken away than their will shoulde be followed whom we shuld more rebuke for their stubburnesse than despise for their ignoraunce These seeing superstition beaten downe and religion set vp gods word taking place traditions kept in their kinde difference made betwene Gods cōmaundements and mans learning the truth of things sought out according to Christes in situatiō examples taken of the Primitiue churches vse not at the Byshoppe of Romes ordinance and true worship taught will worship refused do by blindnesse rebuke that as by truth they should follow and by affection folow that as by knowledge they shuld abhorte thinking vsage to be truth and scripture to be error not waying by the word but misconstruing by custome And now things be chaunged to the better religion trulyer appointed they see matters go awry which hurteth the whole realme and they reioyce in this myschiefe as a thyng worthily happened mystakyng the cause and slaunderyng religion as though there were no cause why God myght haue punished if their vsed professiō might still haue takē place They see not that where gods glorie is trul◅est sette forth there the deuill is most busie for his parte and laboureth to corrupt by lewdnesse that is is gotten out by the truthe thynkyng that if it were not blemished at the firste the residue of his falseheade shoulde after lesse preualye So he troubleth by bywayes that he cannot plainlye withstande and vseth subtileie of Sophistrie where plaine reason faileth and perswadeth simple men that to bee a cause whiche in deede cannot be tried and taken for a cause So hee causeth religion which reacheth obedience to be iudged the cause of sedition and the doctrine of loue the seede of dissention mistaking the thing but perswading mens mindes abusing the plaine meaning of the honest to a wicked end of religions ouerthrow The husband man hadde not so soone throwne stede in hys ground but steppeth vp the enimie he soweth cockle too and maketh men doubt whether the good husbande had done well or no and whether he had sowne there good feede or bad The fansifull Iewes in Egipt wold not beleue Ieremie but thought their plague their misery to come by his meanes and leauing of Idolatrie to be the cause of penury wherefore by wylfull aduise they entended to forsake the Prophetes counsaile and thought to serue God most truly by their rooted and accustomed Idolatrie When the Christian men were persecuted in the Primitiue church daily suffered Martyrdome for Christes profession suche faire season of weather was for three or foure yere togither that the heathen iudged therevpon God to bee delighted with their crueltie and so were perswaded that wyth the bloude of the Martyrs they pleased God highly Such fansies lighted now in Papistes and irreligious mens heades and ioyne things by chaunce happening togyther concludeth the one to bee the cause of the other and then delighteth in true worshippers hurt because they iudge cursedly the good to be had therefore reioyseth in the punishment of the godly For they being fleshly iudge by outwarde things and perceiue not the inward for that they lacke the spirit so iudge amisse not vnderstandyng God what diuersitie hee suffereth to blinde still the wilfull and howe thorowe all daungers hee saueth his forechosen Thus haue ye giuen a large occasion to stubburne Papists both to iudge amisse and also to reioyce in this wicked chance contented with our mischiefe not likyng our religion thinking god doth punishe for this better chaūge haue therby an yll opinion of gods holy truth cōfirmed in thē by no sure scripture but by following of mischāce which they ought to think to come for the pride stubburnesse of y e peopl◅ who doth not accept Gods glorie in good part nor giue no due praise to their Lorde maker What shoulde I say more Yee hurt euerye way the daungers be so great and the perils so many which do daily followe youre deuillishe enterprise that the more I seeke in the matter the more I continually see to say And what words can worthily declare this miserable beastlinesse of your whiche haue entended to deuide the Realme and arme the one parte for the killing of the other For euen as concord is not onely the healthe but also the strengthe of the realme so is sedition not only the weaknesse but also the apostume of the realme whiche when it breaketh inwardely putteth the state in greate daunger of recouerye and corruptethe the whole Common wealthe wyth the rotten furye that it hathe long putryfied wyth For it is not in sedition as in other fautes whiche being mischieuous of themselues haue some notable hurt alwaies faste adioyned to them but in this one is there a whole bell of faultes not seuerally scattered but clustered on a lumpe togyther and commyng on so thicke that it is vnpossible for a Region armed wyth all kynde of wysedome and strength thereto to auoide the daungers that issue out therof When sedition once breaketh out see yee not the lawes ouerthrowne the Magistrates despysed spoyling of houses murderyng of men wastyng of Countryes encrease of dysorder diminishing of the Realmes strengthe swarmyng of vagabondes scarsitye of labourers and those mischiefes all plenteously brought in whyche God is wonte to scurge seuerely wyth all warre dearthe and pestilence And seeing yee haue theft and murder plague and famine confusion and ydlenesse linked togither can yee looke any more mischiefe in one shamefull enterprise than ye euidently see to growe herein As for warre although it be miserable yet the one parte getteth somewhat and reioyceth in the spoyle and so goeth lustyer awaye and either encreaseth his countrie with riches or enhaunceth himselfe wyth glorye but in sedition bothe partes loseth the ouercomming can not flie the ouercommer can not spoyle the more the winner winneth the more hee losethe the more that escape the more infamous menne liue al that is gained is scarrely saued the winning is losse the losse is destruction both waste themselues and the whole moste wasted the strengthnyng of themselues the decaye of the Country the striuing for the victorie is a pray to the enemie and shortly to saye the hellishe turmoyle of sedition so farre passeth the common
parte of his army wyth Horses and Carriages so that it was iudged to bee a punishmente appoynted by God that the spoyle whyche hadde bene gotten and taken out of Churches Abbeys and other Religious houses shoulde perishe and be lost by suche meanes togither with the spoylers Yet the Kyng hymselfe â—…t Paris â—…t VVest and a fewe other escaped the violence of the waters by following a good guide But as some haue written hee tooke suche griefe for the losse susteyned at thys passage that immediately therevppon hee fell into an agewe â—…g Iohn â—…eth ficke of â—…gewe Mat. Paris the force and heate whereof togither with his immoderately feeding of rawe Peaches and drinking of newe Syder so increased his sicknesse that he was not able to ryde but was fayne to be carried in a litter presently made of twigges with a couche of Strawe vnder him without anye bedde or pillow thynking to haue gone to Lincolne but the disease still so raged and grew vpon him that hee was inforced to stay one nyght at the Castell of Laford â—…ord â—…th VVest â—…t Paris and on the next day with great payne he caused hymselfe to bee carried vnto Newarke where in the Castell through anguishe of mynd rather than through force of sicknesse â—…g Iohn â—…arted thys 〈◊〉 he departed thys lyfe the nyghte before the nineteenth day of October in the yeare of his age fiftie and one and after hee had raigned seauen yeares sixe monethes and seuen and twentie dayes There be whiche haue written that after hee had lost hys army hee shoulde come vnto the Abbey of Swyneshead in Lincolneshire and there vnderstanding the cheapenesse and plentie of corne shewed hymselfe greatly displeased therewith as he that for the hatred whiche he bare to the Englishe people that had so trayterously reuolted from hym vnto his aduersarie Lewes wished all miserie to lighte vppon them and therevpon sayde in hys anger that hee woulde cause all manner grayne to be at a farre higher price ere many dayes shoulde passe Wherevppon a Monke that heard hym speake suche wordes being moued with zeale for the oppression of hys Countrey â—…ns Cro. gaue the Kyng poyson in a cuppe of Ale whereof hee fyrste tooke the assaye to cause the Kyng not to suspect the matter and so they both dyed in manner at one time â—…n There are that write howe one of hys owne seruauntes dyd conspire with a conuert of that Abbey and that they prepared a dishe of peares whyche they poysoned three if the whole number excepted whyche dishe 〈◊〉 sayde conuerte presented vnto hym and then the Kyng suspected them to be poysons indeede by reason that such precious stones as he hadde about cast soorth a certayne sweate as it were bewraying the poison hee compelled the sayde conuerte to fast and eate some of them who â—…nowing the three peares whych were not poysond tooke and eate those three whych when the Kyng had seene he coulde no longer absteyne buâ—…â—…ell too and eate greedily of the rest and so â—…d the same nyghte neyther any hurte chaunced â—…o the conuert who thorough helpe of suche as â—…e no good will to the Kyng founde shift to escape and conueyed himselfe away from daunger of receâ—…ing due punishmente for so wicked a deede But verily touching the manner of his deaâ—… there is great diuersitie among Writers The variable reâ—…ortes of wâ—…ers concerning the death of King Iohn For besyde these reportes whyche ye haue hearde there are other that write howe hee dyed of surfeting in the nyghte as Raufe Niger some of a bloudy flixe as one hathe that writeth an addition vnto Roger Houeden And Raufe Cogheshall sayeth that comming to Lynne where he appoynted Sauary de Mauleon to be Captayne and to take order for y e fortifying of that towne hee tooke a surfet there of immoderate dyet and withall fell into a laske and after hys laske had left hym at hys commyng to Laford in Linsey hee was let bloud and to increase hys other griefes and sorrowes for the losse of his carriage iewels men in passing ouer the washes whych troubled hym sore there came vnto him messengers from Hubert de Burgh and Gerard de Sotegam Captaynes of Douer Castell aduertising him that they were not able to resist the forcible assaultes and engines of the enimies if speedy succoures came not to them in tyme. Hereof his greefe of mynde beyng doubled so as hee myghte seeme euen oppressed with sorrow the same increassed hys disease so vehemently that within a small tyme it made an ende of hys lyfe as before yee haue hearde The menne of warre that serued vnder hys ensignes beeyng for the more parte hyred Souldiers and straungers came togyther and marching foorthe with his body eache man with hys armour on hys backe in warlike order conueyed it vnto Worcetor where hee pompously was buryed in the Cathedrall Churche before the hygh Aulter not for that hee had so appointed as some write Bernewell but bycause it was thought to be a place of most suretie for the Lordes and other of hys friendes there to assemble and to take order in their businesse nowe after hys deceasse Bycause he was somewhat fatte and corpulente his bowels vere taken foorth of his body and buried at Crâ—…ton Abbey a house of MoÌ„ks of the order called Premonstratensis in Staffordshire The Abbot of which house was his Phisition He had issue by his wife Queene Isabell two sonnes Henry who succeeded him in the Kyngdome and Richard with three daughters Ioane married to Alexander Kyng of Scotlande Isabell coupled in matrimony with the Emperoure Fredericke the seconde and Eleanor whome William Earle of Glowcester had to wife Hee had also another daughter as some haue lefte in writing called also Eleanor Hee was comely of stature but of lookes and countenaunce displeasant and angry somewhat cruell of nature as by the writers of hys time he is noted and not so hardy as doubtfull in time of perill and daunger But this seemeth to be an enuious report vttered by those that were giuen to speake no good of hym whome they inwardly hated But yet there be that giue this witnesse of him as the author of the booke of Bernewell Abbey and other that he was a great and mighty Prince but yet not very fortunate not vnlike altogither to Marius the noble Romayne tasting of fortune both wayes bountifull and liberall vnto Strangers but of his owne people for their dayly treasons practised towardes hym he was a great oppressour so that hee trusted more to forreyners than to them and therefore in the ende he was of them vtterly forsaken Verely who soeuer shall consider the course of the history written of thys Prince hee shall fynde that he hath bin little beholden to y e Writers of that time in which he liued for vnneth caÌ„ they aford him a good word except wheÌ„ y e trueth enforceth them to come out with it as it were
against their willes And the occasion as some think was for that he was no great friende to the Cleargie And yet vndoubtedly his deedes shew he hadde a zeale to ReligioÌ„ as it was then accompted for he fouÌ„ded the Abbey of Beaulean in the new forrest as it were in recompence of certayne Parishe Churches which to enlarge the same forrest he caused to be throwen downe and demolished Hee also buylded the Monasterie of Farendon and the Abbey of Hales in Shropshire Also he repared Godstow where his fathers concubine Rosamond lay enterred Likewise he was no small benefactor to the Minster of Liechfielde in Staffordshire Likewise to the Abbey of Crokesden in the same shire and to the Chappell at Knatesburgh in Yorkshire So that to say what I thinke hee was not so voyde of deuotion towards the Churche as dyuers of his enimies haue reported who of meere purpose conceale all his vertues and hide none of his vices but are plentifull ynough in setting foorthe the same to the vttermost and interprete all hys doyngs and sayings to the worst as may appeare to those that aduisedly reade the workes of them that write the order of hys lyfe Mat. Pâ—… Polidor alii whych may seeme rather an inuectiue than a true history Albeeit syth we cannot come by the trueth of things through the malice of Writers wee must contente oure selues with this vnfrieÌ„dly description of his time Certaynely it shoulde seeme the man hadde a princely heart in him and wanted nothing but faithful subiectes to haue wroken himselfe of such wrongs as were done and offered to him by the French Kyng and others Moreouer the pride and pretenced authoritie of the Cleargie he could not well abide wheÌ„ they went about to wrast out of his hands the prerogatiue of his princely rule and gouernemente True it is that to maynteyne his warres whych he was forced to take in hand as wel in Fraunce as else where he was constreyned to make all the shift hee coulde deuise to recouer money and bycause he pinched at theyr purses they conceyued no small hatred against him which when he perceyued and wanted peraduenture discretion to passe it ouer hee discouered now and then in hys rages hys immoderate displeasure as one not able to bridle his affections a thing very hard in a stout stomacke and thereby he missed nowe and then to compasse that which otherwise he might very well haue broughte to passe 〈◊〉 Paris It is written that he meant to haue become feodarse for maintenaunce sake agaynste hys owne disloyall subiectes and other his aduersaries vnto Miramumeline the great Kyng of the Sarazens but for the trueth of this reporte I haue little to say and therefore I leaue the credite thereof to the Authors It is reported lykewise that in time when the Realme stoode interdited as he was abroade to hunt one day it chaunced that there was a great Stagge or Hart killed whiche when he came to be broken vp prooued to be very fatte and thycke of flesh oh sayth hee what a pleasant lyfe thys Deare hathe ledde and yet in all hys dayes hee neuer hearde Masse To conclude it may seeme that in some respectes hee was not greatly superstitious and yet not voyde of a religious zeale towardes the mayntenaunce of the Cleargie as by his bountifull liberalitie bestowed in buyldyng of Abbeyes and Churches as before yee haue hearde it may partly appeare There lyued in hys dayes many learned men as Geffrey Vinesaufe Simon Fraxinus alias Asch Adamus Dorensis Gualter de Constantijs first Bishop of Lincolne and after Archbyshop of Rouen Iohn de Oxeford Colman surnamed Sapiens Richard Canonicus William Peregrine Ilane Teukesbury Simon Thuruaye who beeing an excellente Philosopher but standing too much in his owne conceyt vppon a suddayne dyd so forget all his knowledge in learning that he became the most ignorant of all other a punishment as was thought appoynted to hym of God for suche blasphemies as he hadde wickedly vttered both against Moises Christ Geruasius Dorobernensis Iohn Hanwill Bale Nigel Woreker Gilbert de Hoyland Benet de Peterburgh William Parbus a Monke of Newburgh Roger Houeden Huberte Walter firste Bishop of Salesbury and after Archbyshoppe of Caunterbury Alexander Theologus of whome ye haue heard before Geruasius Tilberiensis Siluester Giraldus Cambrensis who wrote many treatises Ioseph Deuonius Walter Mapis Radulfus de Diceto Gilbert Legley Mauritius Morganius Walter Morganius Iohn de Fordeham William Leicester Ioceline Brakeland Roger of Crowland Hugh White alias Candidus that wrote an history entituled Historia Petroburgensis Iohn de Saint Omer Adam Barking Iohn Gray an Historiographer and Byshop of Norwich Walter of Couentrie Radulphus Niger c. See Bale Scriptorum Britannia Centuria tertia Henry the thirde By this means it came to passe that his frendes greatly reioyced of these newes and manye of those whyche tyll that tyme hadde ayded the Frenchemen reuolted from them and in hope of pardon and rewarde tourned to king Henry It is reported by writers that amongst other thyngs as there were dyuers whiche withdrewe the hearts of the Englishemen from Lewes the consideration had of the confession which the vicount of Melune made at the houre of his death was the principall The order whereof in the later ende of the lyfe of king Iohn ye haue heard Truly how little good will inwardly Lewes and his Frenchemen bare towardes the Englishe nation it appeared sundry ways And first of all in that they had them in a maner in no regard or estimation at al but rather sought by all meanes to spoyle and keepe them vnder not sufferyng them to beare anye rule nor puttyng them in truste wyth the custodye of suche places as they had brought them in possession of SecoÌ„dly they called them not to councel so often as at the first they vsed to doe neyther dydde they proceede by theyr directions in their businesse as before they were accustomed Thirdly in all maner of theyr conuersation â—…e pride of Frenchmen â—…cureth them â—…ed neyther Lewes nor his Frenchmen vsed them so familiarly as at their first coÌ„ming but as their maner is shewing more loftie couÌ„tenances towardes them they greatly increased the indignation of the Englishe Lordes against them who myght euyll abyde to be so ouer ruled To conclude where greate promises were made at their entring into the lande they were slowe ynough in perfourmyng the same so as the expectation of the English barons was quite made voyde For they perceyued dayly that they were despised and scoffed at for their disloyaltie shewed towardes their owne naturall Prince hearyng nowe and then nyppes and tauntes openly by the Frenchemen that as they had shewed them selues false and vntrustye to theyr owne lawfull Kyng so they woulde not contynue anye long tyme trewe vnto a Straunger Thus all these thyngs layde togyther gaue occasion to the Englyshe Barons to remember themselues and to take iust occasion to reuolte vnto Kyng