THAT Unhappy Prince, Edward the 2d. was cer­tainly the most Unfortunate in his Favourites of any King of England, either before or fince his Reign: The first and Fatal Favourite he had was in his Youth, before he came to the Crown, whose name was Peirce Gaveston, born in Gascoigne, a Province of France, and for the good Service per­formed by his Father in the Wars in that Kingdom, his Son was taken into such Favour at Court, that by K. Edward the First's own appointment he was Edu­cated, and made a Companion to the young Prince: And indeed his outward Accomplishments seemed to render him worthy of such great Honour, being a Per­son of a sharp Wir, an excellent Shape, and of a va­liant Temper, of which he gave notable proof in a Battel against the Scots, and for which they after­ward bore him a mortal Hatred: But all these worthy Qualities were utterly defac'd and clouded by his vi­cious Incli [...]ations, so that as to his Christian and Moral Vertues, which are only really commendable in Men, Authors are very silent in mentioning them, though all give large accounts of his Faults and Immora [...]ities.

And King Edward was so sensible, that his Son the Prince had been debauched by the corrupt Conversa­tion of Gavestone, that some time before his Death he was banished the Kingdom: And upon his Death­bed commanding the Prince his Son to repair to him [Page 2] with all speed to Carlisle in Cumberland, where he was with a great Army ready to invade Scotland: He gave him many worthy Admonitions, and much good Advice, particularly, That he should be merciful, just, and kind, faithful in word and deed, an incourager of those that were good, and ready to relieve those that were in distress; That he should be loving to his two Brothers Thomas and Edmund, but especially to honour and respect his Mother Queen Margaret; That upon pain of his Malediction and Curse he should not presume without common consent to recall Peirce Gavestone from Exile (who for abusing his tender Years with wicked practices by common Decree of the Nobility was banished): He also added a strange Injunction for a dying man, namely, That after his Death the Prince should not presume to take the Crown of England till he had honourably revenged the Injuries his Father had received from the Scots, and finisht the present Expedition against them, and that he should carry his Father's Bones about with him in a Coffin, till he had marched through all Scotland, and subdued all his Enemies, assuring him that while they were with him he should be always victorious.

Lastly; Whereas by the continual Attempts of Bruce King of Scotland, he was prevented from per­forming his Vow of going in Person for the recovery of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from the Infidels, that he should send his Heart thither accompanied with 140 Knights and their Retinue, for whose support he had provided Thirty two thousand pounds of Silver; That after his Heart was conveyed thither, he hoped in God all things would prosper with them; Adjuring the Prince upon pain of Eternal Damnation, that he should not expend the Money upon any other use. Af­ter these Admonitions, and having taken an Oath of this vain Young Prince, to perform his Will, he gave up the Ghost.

After his Father's Death, the Son soon made it ap­pear how little regard he had to perform his dying [Page 3] Requests, and to shew what his future Behaviour was like to be, he in the first place revenged himself up­on Walter Langton Bishop of Chester, Lord Treasurer of England, and Principal Executor of his Father's Last Will, whom he imprisoned in Wallingford Castle, seizing upon all his Estate, no man daring to inter­cede on his behalf, because of the extream hatred which the King shewed against him, the Bishop's Crime being only in using a modest freedom in K. Edward's days, in gravely reproving [...] for his [...] meanours, and not suffering him to have what [...] he required, to waste prodigally upon his [...] Gavestone, against whom he likewise made such great and just Complaints, as occasioned the imprisonment of the Prince, & the banishment of his leud Favourite.

Soon after the young King married Isabel Daughter to Philip the Fair of France, the March being conclud­ed before his Father's death, and was now performed with extraordinary Magnificence at Bullen: At which Solemnity there were five Kings, namely, Philip the French King, the K. of Almain, the K. of Sicily, the K. of Navar, and K. Edward the Bridegroom, and four Queens, Mary Q. of France, Margaret the Q. Mother of England, her Daughter the Q. of Navar, and Isabel the Bride, Q. of England: There were likewise pre­sent a great number of Persons of Honour and Quality, and among them the beloved Peirce Gavestone, who was entertained with the tenderest affection imagin­able by K. Edward; but the Nobility had such a de­testation of him, that they resolved to have hinder'd the Coronation of the King and Queen, which soon after followed, had not King Edward solemnly pro­mised to give them a reasonable satisfaction in the matter, yet was he so far from it, that none appeare [...] more great in Attendants, Bravery, and all other gran­deur, than Gavestone; and as a particular mark of Esteem, the King ordered him to carry Sr. Edward's Crown before him at that Solemnity: This still in­creased the Abhorrence of the Lords against him, who [Page 4] having the power and favour of the King on his side, slighted all their Attempts and Designs, and resolved to provoke them to the utmost by abusing, miscalling, and scoffing at the chief Peers of the Land, naming Thomas Earl of Lancaster, the Stage player, Aymer de Valence Earl of Pembroke, Joseph the Jew, be­cause he wa [...] [...] pale; and Guy Earl of War­wick, the [...] of Ardern, all whom at a Tur­ [...] a most contemptible manner.

[...] took little notice of these base Af­ [...] rather enconraged his Insolence, by heap­ [...] daily upon him; and Gavestone, to establish himself, was still contriving those Diversions which he knew to be pleasing to his vain Mind; so that the Court was filled with Fidlers, Players, Jesters, Flatterers, and all such pernicious People as by sensua­lities and riotous practices might withdraw him from attempting any Noble Enterprizes in performance of his Father's Last Will, or for the good Government of his People, and led him into all kind of Debauchery and Dissoluteness, while Gavestone himself revelled in all outward felicity, and wasted the Treasure of the Kingdom in Riot and Folly, or else converted it to his private use, and likewise transported great Summs beyond the Sea, that he might have somewhat to trust to, if Fortune should happen to turn her back upon him, and force him to a second Banish­ment.

And indeed he had so absolutely and intirely in­grossed the King's Favour, that he had thereby fre­quent opportunities of inriching himself, for all Ad­dresses to the King for obtaining Offices, Honours, Pardons, or any other Advantages passed through his hands, who always espoused their business not accord­ing to Justice, but by the value of the Presents made him; and it is scarce credible to relate with what Pro­digality the King squandred away his Money upon him; yea so prodigious was his kindness toward him, that he bestowed on him the best Jewels, Gifts or [Page 5] Rarities that he had, nay, the Imperial Crown [...] Victorious Father, and a very fine Table, and Stands all of pure Gold, with many other rich Ornaments, which Gavestone privately conveyed away, to the great damage of the Kingdom; Nay, he treated him by the name of Brother, and publickly declared, that if it were in his power, he would make him his Suc­cessor to the Crown.

The Lords who had hitherto past by the private Affronts and Injuries they had daily received, in hope that the King might in time have seen his Errours, which they by their daily Admonitions endeavoured to make him sensible of, finding that he still persisted in the same Courses, which grew now intolerable, re­solved more plainly to remonstrate the matter to him, telling him, That to their great grief they perceived that his Dotage and ill-placed Affection was unlimited toward Gavestone, a Person of a wicked and infamous Life, whose Father was a Traytor to the French King, and was hanged for the same: That his Mother was burnt for a Witch, and that he himself was banisht for being a Confederate with her in her cursed Witch­crafts, and that they did verily believe he had be­witcht the King, or else certainly he could never re­tain such an unreasonable Passion for so profligate a Wretch: That they much doubted he would abuse his Greatness so far as to bring Foreigners into the Land to defend him in his lawless and destructive Courses, to the utter Ruine of the Laws, Liberties and Estates of his Subjects; They therefore humbly desire him to hearken to the Advice of his Peers, which would be both for his own Honour, and the Welfare of his People, and particularly, 1. That he would confirm and maintain those Antient Laws and Customs which were contained in the Charters of the Kings his Pre­decessors. 2. That he would not force any man to part with his goods without payment of the full value thereof. 3. That whatever Money, Lands, Jewels, or other valuable things had been given away or alienated [Page 6] from the Crown since his Father's death might be re­stored. 4. That he would remember the Oath he had taken to his Father before his death not to recall Peirce Gaveston from his Banishment: And for pro­secuting the War against Scotland, and that he would rectifie all that had hitherto been amiss, that so his Enemies might have no cause to rejoice, nor his Friends be any longer troubled and disquieted: Lastly, That no man should be restrained by the King's Writ from prosecuting his Suits in any Court of Justice, for defending his Right and Property, but that Justice might be impartially administred throughout the King­dom both to Rich and Poor, according to the antient and approved Constitutions, Customs and Laws of England.

The King taking Counsel of Peirce Gavestone and his Complices, commanded the Lord Chancellor to tell the Lords that he would give them satisfaction to their demands at the next Session of Parliament. The Barons were no sooner gone out of London to their own homes, but the King ordered the Gates of City to be shut, and the Streets to be chained, and and strict Watch to be kept, & then with some Forces, both English and Foreigners, marched in company of Gaveston to Wallingford Castle, and as his Conscience did not trouble him for the breach of his Oath, so their dislike increased his love to Gavesion, for none but Gaveston must do all, and nothing was accep­table nor grateful but what came from his hand. However the King's lavishness having quite emptied his Exchequer, he was compelled to comply with the Parliament at their next Meeting in London, so far as to pass an Act for Gaveston's perpetual Banishment, and for securing the Liberty of the Subject, and the due execution of Justice, which the King confirmed by a solemn Oath, and for which they gratified him with a subsidy of the twentieth part of their Estates. In pur­suance of this Decree Gaveston is sent by the King in­to Ireland, himself accompanying him in Person as [Page 7] far as Bristol, and giving him a Commission to be Chief Governor of that Kingdom, bestowing likewise on him no less then thirty two Towns in the Province of Gascoign in France, and furnishing him with men and money sufficient to secure himself against his Ene­mies, creating him Baron of Wallingford, and Earl of Cornwal, and giving him the whole Revenue of that County as well as of Ireland; to be disposed of at his pleasure, with such store of Plate and Jewels that he might well think his Banishment was but a splendid Ambassage, and an occasion offered to the King by fortune to make him the more Rich and Honourable. He was no sooner arrived there but the King sent Mes­sengers to him with his gracious Letters, requiring him to be cheerful and merry in his exile, assuring him that his troubles should in the end be recompenced with greater dignities and favours than he had yet re­ceived, and indeed the King's mind was so fondly transported that he could not live without him, and the exigency of his affairs being over, he soon made it appear that what he had done against him was abso­lutely contrary to his humour, and that his Heart went not along with his Tongue and Hand. He therefore sends for him back, who arriving in Wales and com­ing to Flint Castle was there met by the [...]ing and re­ceived with such extraordinary satisfaction as if the greatest blessing of Heaven had been bestowed upon him, and to fix him more strongly if possible in his affections he Married him to Joan of Acres Countess of Glocester his Sisters Daughter, resolving with him­self to retain his Gaveston in despight of all his Lords and People, and to adventure his Crown and Life in protecting of him from their displeasure, wherein both the King and He shewed much indiscretion, it being as equally dangerous for a Prince to shew extravagant love to his Favourite as for him to accept and make use of the same, and at length it proved fatal to them both. For Gaveston who was naturally insolent and ambitious being thus above his hopes or expectation [...] [Page 8] advanced to an alliance with the Blood Royal, seemen now to endeavour if possible to exceed in his former outrages, and practifed many more notorious Villanies than ever he had done before, wasting and consuming the King's Treasure with such monstrous profusion that he had not wherewithal to defray the ordinary expen­ces of his Court or to provide necessaries for his Family. For he continually studied to supply the King's luxu­rious fancy with fresh and chargeable delights both in banqueting, costly Wines, and Lascivious dalliance, whereby be clouded his understanding, and vi [...]ated his Soul, insomuch that he abandoned the Law [...] Bed and Society of his Religious and Virtuous Queen, and gave himself up to the imbraces of wanton and impu­dent Harlors.

The Queen was extreamly grieved at these unsuf­ferable wrongs and abuses, which she endeavoured to redress by her earnest Prayers to God, and her oblig­ing demeanor to the King, but all her pains were fruit­less, for the beams of her excellent endowments could not disperse the thick mists of his debauched temper, neither could her sighs nor tears soften his Heart hard­ned with the variety and continuance of sinning and the malevolent example of the cursed Gaveston. Neither were the Common People silent, but took much liberty to talk of these great misdemeanours of the King, who still continued resolute in those dissolute courses to which he inti [...]ed him. The Queen being thus ab [...]ed both in her Honour and Maintenance, having not a sufficient Maintenance allowed her by the pre [...]ominant Gaveston to support her Royal Dignity, sends her [...]plaints to her Father the French King, and the Abbot of St. Dennis in France being [...] Pope's Legate, to demand the Legacy that th [...] King's Father lest for the recovery of the Holy Land, used his earnest importunities with him to banish that lewd Companion Gaveston from his Court and Kingdom, with whose Conversation all Mankind that had converse with him were infected, but all was in vain. After [Page 9] this the King Summoned a Parliament to meet at Nor­thampton, designing to go from thence to Scotland. The Barons came thither well armed and guarded, of which the King having intelligence sent them word he would not come, yet at last he came as far as Stony-Stratford, to whom the Lords sent the Earls of War­wick and Clare, with their earnest intreaties that for his own safety and the benefit of the Kingdom he would appear at his Parliament. Whereupon he was prevailed with to come in the Habit of an Esquire, and the Lords were present unarmed, and in conclusion an happy agreement was made, and the Expedi­tion to Scotland laid aside for the present.

Soon after the Parliament assembled at London, to which came Lewes Brother to the French King, and the Bishop of Poictou, to endeavour to settle a lasting Concord between the King and the Peers. At this Parliament many good Laws were Enacted, and among others one for banishing Peirce Gaveston once again, which the King was obliged to pass tho' sore against his will, with this condition added by the Lords, That if he were ever found again in any of the King's Dominions he should be taken as a Common Enemy, and executed by Martial Law without any farther Tryal.

Hereupon Gaveston went into France, but that King being his sworn Enemy upon the account of the Queen his Daughter, he durst not continue long in any one place, but wandred from one Country to ano­ther seeking for Rest but could find none. Wherefore [...]ing still confidence in the love and favour of the [...], whose Sister he had Married, he (with many Foreigners) adventured once more to England having scarce been absent three months, and coming to the King who then kept his Christmass at York he was received and entertained with the former endeared­ness, and so much joy, that an Angel from Heaven could not have been more welcom to the King, who instantly made him Principal Secretary of State.

The Queen, Nobility and People were all mightily disturbed at Gaveston's return, and the Lords perceiv­ing the irreclaimable Temper of the King, they con­sulted how to put an end to those notorious mischiefs, and at length concluded that there could be no peace in the Kingdom while Gaveston was alive. Hereupon they resolved to venture their Lives and Estates for the destruction of this infamous Fore [...]gner, who seem­ed to design nothing but the utter ruin of the Nation. Pursuant to which resolution they constitute Thomas Earl of Lancaster to be their Leader, and put them­selves in Arms, but being sensible of the miseries of in­testine Wars, they were willing, first to try all peace­able Expedients, and therefore several Great men were sent with an humble Petition to the King at York, requesting him to deliver into their hands, or drive out of his Company and Kingdom the wicked Gaveston, assuring him that they were all of opinion that he would never have any Money in his Exche­quer, nor any love for his Queen, whilst that profli­gate stranger was in so much Grace, and threatning that if he did not gratifie them in their requests, they would renounce their Allegiance, and prosecute him as a perjured Prince. But the obstinate King would not condescend to their desires, resolving to lose all rather than part with his dear Gaveston; and there­fore he instantly sent for several Foreign Souldiers, and having hired three hundred Horsemen commanded by the Earl of Hannow and the Viscount Foix, in their passage through France for England, they were seized by that King, who kill'd most of the Souldiers and hanged up the Officers, He then solicited aid from Robert Bruce King of Scotland, from [...] Thomas a Great man in Ireland, and likewise from the Welsh, but they all denied to give him any assist­ance against his Barons. Whereat being inraged he fortified Windsor Castle, and built Forts in several other parts of the Kingdom. The Lords likewise rais­ed Forces, and resolved to march toward York, from [Page 11] whence the King was gone to Sea for his recreation, leaving Gaveston behind him, who lodged in the Castle, and caused that and the City also to be strength­ned with new Fortifications. The Barons rendez­voused at Bedford, where they made Gilbert Earl of Glocester Lord Keeper of England, and ordered strict Guards to be set upon the Sea-Coasts for preventing any Foreign Forces from landing to assist the Ring. From hence they proceeded to York, at whose approach Gaveston fled from thence to Scarborough, the Lords pursued him thither, and Besieging the Town they quickly took it, and made him a Prisoner, committing him to the Custody of Aymer de Valence Earl of Pembroke, who carried him to a Village called Da­thington between Oxford and Warwick, designing to have conveyed him the next day to Wallingford Castle, and going that night to lodge with his Countess who was hard by, the next morning Guy Earl of War­wick with a strong Party took him away from thence and brought him to Warwick Castle. And the Lords having called a Council of War it was unanimously re­solved by the Earls of Lancaster, Warwick and Here­ford that he should be instantly put to death, as a sub­verter of the Government, and a notorious Traytor to the Kingdom. And thereupon he was carried to a place called Blacklow, and afterward Gaveshead, where he was beheaded in the presence of the Lords aforementioned in 1312. His Body was by the Friers Predicant conveyed to Oxford, and there kept above two years, till the King caused it to be removed to Kings Langley in Hartfordshire, where he in person (to demonstrate his endeared affection to him dead as well as living) attended with the Archbishop of Can­terbury, four Bishops with many Abbots and princi­pal Clergy Men, caused him to be interred in the Friers Church which he had built, with all manner of Funeral Pomp and Solemnity: Few or none of the Temporal Lords being present, whose great Hearts could not comply to honour him being dead whom [Page 12] they so mortally hated when alive. This was the fatal end of this angracious Favourite, who if he had used moderation and discretion might have long enjoyed the grandeur to which he had arrived, but the pub­lick wrongs he was guilty of, together with the pri­vate and personal abuses offered to the principal Nobi­lity, made him odious and abhorred, no injuries be­ing harder to be forgiven or forgotten than Scoffs and Jeers at mens Personal defects, which have occa­sioned the destruction of many in all Ages, and made this unfortunate man dye unpitied and unlamented, being reckoned to fall a just Sacrifice both to publick and private vengeance.

SUCH is the Malignity of Humane Nature, that though there are daily examples of Divine Venge­ance executed upon notorious Offendors, yet men con­tinue to perpetrate the same crimes that plunged their Predecessors into misery and ruin. Of this, Roger Mortimer is an obvious instance, who though he were an Eye-witness of the fatal fall of the three unfortunate Favourites, Gaveston and the two Spencers, with di­vers of their Associates in the former Reign: Yea though he himself was very instrumental in their de­struction, and very active in pretending to reform the Grievances of the Kingdom: Yet no sooner was King Edward by his means deposed, and a young Prince ad­vanced [Page 38] to the Throne under the Government and Ma­nagement of his Mother, but he by managing the Queen, occasioned many mischiefs not much inferior to those of the former abhorred Minions, yea exceed­ing their wickedness in one point, namely, in being criminally concerned with the Queen Dowager, that being one of the Articles the Parliament charged him with. But as he wilfully disregarded these warnings, and impudently committed the like faults, so the Justice of Heaven visited him with the same deserved punishment.

He was descended from Roger called the Great Lord Mortimer of Wigmore in the Marches of Wales, who was his Grandfather, and revived and erected again the Round Table at Kennelworth after the An­tient Order of King Arthur's Table, with the Retinue of an hundred Knights and 100 Ladies in his house, for the entertaining of such Adventurers as came thi­ther from all parts of Christendom. This young Ro­ger inherited his Estate and Grandeur. And Queen Isabel Wife to King Edward II. and Daughter to Phi­lip the Fair King of France, being in the glory of her youth forsaken by the King her Husband, who delight­ed only in the company of Peirce Gaveston his Mi­nion and Favourite, she fell passionately in love with this Lord Wigmore, though before she was accounted the most virtuous, chast and excellent Lady of that Age.

After the ignominious, but deserved death of Ga­veston, the King instead of being reformed was pre­sently infatuated with the love of two others, the Spencers Father and Son, who were as bad if not worse than he, for all manner of leudness and debau­chery. Whereupon the Earls of Lancaster, Hereford, Warwick, Lincoln and others, rise in Arms against them, they having taken an Oath to King Edward I. on his death bed to oppose and withstand his Son Edward if he ever recalled Gaveston from Exile; and finding that his death had not much bettered the state [Page 39] of the Kingdom, they thought themselves obliged by the same Oath to endeavour the ruin of them also, and thereby, the redressing the many oppressions and violencies under which the Nation groaned. This Roger Lord Wigmore a man of an invincible Spirit and his Uncle Roger Mortimer the Elder re­solved to join with the Lords in this attempt, and be­ing very busie in raising Forces, were taken before they could muster them, and by the King committed to the Tower of London. But the Queen by means of Torlton Bishop of Hereford, Beck Bishop of Dur­ham and Patriarch of Jerusalem, then both Mighty Men in the State, prevailed so far with the King that upon the submission of the Mortimers the King was somewhat pacified. But afterward when He had gained a great Victory against the Barons, the young Lord Wigmore and his Uncle were condemned to be Drawn and Hang'd at Westminster, and the day of Execution was appointed. Whereupon the Younger Spencer some time before, pretended to make a great Feast in honour of his Birthday, inviting thereunto Sir Stephen Seagrave, Constable of the Tower, with the rest of the Officers belonging to the same, and af­ter he had made them very merry he gave to each a large Cup of a sleepy Drink prepared by Queen Isa­bel, by which means he made his escape, breaking through the Wall of his Chamber, and coming into the Kitchen near the King's Lodgings, and getting in­to the top thereof, came into a Ward of the Tower, and so with a strong Ladder of Ropes provided by a Friend he got over the Wall, leaving the Ropes fastened thereunto, which the next day the Specta­tors beheld with much astonishment, considering the desperate danger which he ventured in the attempt. He then swam over the Thames into Kent and avoid­ing the Highaways came at length to the Seaside near Portsmouth, where happily meeting with a Ship bound for France, he passed over thither, and lived in the French Court several years. His Uncle Roger was [Page 40] detained in a loathsome Prison five years after, and at length died, and was Buried at Bristol.

King Edward was so inraged at his escape that he turned Sir Stephen Seagrave out of his place of Con­stable of the Tower, and several Citizens were seized and accused of being accessary to his getting away, and of corresponding with and maintaining him be­yond Sea, but there note being sufficient proof against them, they were all acquitted.

Mortimer continued in France till Queen Isabel and the Prince arrived there, to avoid the insults of the two insolent Spencers. He after attended the Queen into Germany, and came over with her and the rest of the English Lords, accompanied with the Earl of Heynault, and several German and English Forces. And upon King Edward's Flight, and afterward his Seizing and Imprisonment, Mortimer presumed to manage all affairs according to his own pleasure, and therefore the death of the Spencers, Reading and some others not satisfying his revenge, being high in the Queens favour who could not deny him the Heads of a few of his Enemies, he procured that the Earl of Arundel and two Gentlemen more, named John Da­niel and Thomas Mochelden, (against whom he had a particular aversion) should be Beheaded at Here­ford.

After this, the Queen, her Son, and the beloved Mortimer went to Wallingford Castle, where they kept their Christmass with all manner of jollity. From thence they proceeded to London, where the Queen and Prince were received with much Joy, and many rich Presents, and a Parliament being called, it was concluded that King Edward should be Deposed and his Son advanced to the Throne. In the manage­ment whereof Mortimer discovered very much zeal, activity and diligence, as hoping thereby to become Chief Minister of State, as well as principal Favou­rite of the Queen. King Edward was Deposed ac­cordingly and confined to Kennelworth Castle, the [Page 41] Queen, Roger Mortimer and Torlton Bishop of Here­ford having concluded to allow him an hundred Marks a month for his necessary Expences.

And now it was hoped that the Kingdom, having suffered so many Concussions and Miseries for several years, would have been settled and restored to its for­mer peace and tranquility. But it soon appeared that though the Nation had changed its Master, yet other evil Instruments succeeded to trouble and disquiet the already harassed People. So that one Historian writes thus, The beginning of the Reign of King Ed­ward III. was very troublesome, for he by reason of his tender Age being but fifteen years old when he came to the Crown, was drawn aside by evil Counsel, and committed many foul errors of State and Go­vernment. The chief occasion of which, were the Queen, her Darling Roger Mortimer, and some others.

For first they procured so great a part of the Re­venue of the Nation to be settled for maintaining the Queen and her Family, that the young King had scarce a third part of it for himself and his necessary Attendants and Officers. So that she and her Favou­rite Mortimer lived in the greatest State and Gran­deur imaginable, and the People began to exclaim against him and say publickly, That the great zeal and hatred he had shewed against the Rapines of the Spen­cers, was not because they had been oppressive to the Subject, but that he was desirous no Body should abuse them but himself.

Secondly, The Queen and he having intelligence that several Great Persons, and the whole Order of Friers Preachers, taking pity of the late King's Cap­tivity, seemed to Consult for his deliverance, and knowing that his Restoration would be their confu­sion, they wickedly plotted and contrived to add Mur­ther to their former Impieties, and therefore Roger Mortimer was sent with that ambiguous Order to his [Page 42] Keepers, devised by Torlton Bishop of Hereford, ‘Edwardum occidere nolite tinere bonum est.’

Where by leaving out the stops, they sufficiently in­couraged the Murtherers, and yet afterward produced the Writing under Queen Isabels Seal for their own Justification, when the horrid Fact was committed. Though this was very far from clearing them from the guilt of it in the opinion of the Vulgar, whose Tongues spare none, and who had before heard, that though the Queen in her outward deportment pretended much grief and sorrow for the Imprisonment of the King her Husband, yet instead of visiting him in his distress, which he often desired, as still retaining a very great love for her. She only sent him fine Clothes and kind Letters, but contrary to the Laws of God and Man refrained from rendring him any Nuptial Duties, which they plainly reported she bestowed freely enough upon her bloody Adulterer Mortimer. Pretending in the mean time that Reasons of State would not allow her to converse with him. And soon after this desolate Prince was by an express order from the Young King, wholly procured by them, re­moved from Kennelworth to Corf Castle, and there miserably deprived of his life.

Thirdly, In the second year of the young King's Reign, Robert Bruce King of Scotland denounced War against him and his Kingdom, which occasioned the raising of a strong Army consisting of above fifty thousand men, with which the King accompanied by the Queen Mother, Roger Mortimer, the Lord of Heynault, John Lord Beumont and many others of the Nobility and Gentry, marched toward the Scots, who had Invaded England. And had so happily in­compast them in the Wood of Wiridale and Stanhope Park, that the English seemed fully assured of Victory. [Page 43] Yet by the Treachery of Roger Mortimer, they were not only suffered to make a total escape without any loss; but Sir James Dowglass in the dead of the Night with 200 Light-Horse assaulted the King's own Pavilion, and had certainly killed him, had not one of his Chaplains (a Valiant Man) sacrificed his own life in defence of his Soveraign's: Dowglass, after this bold attempt, escaped back without damage, but not without honour for his daring Courage; this mis­fortune was afterward charged upon Mortlmer, as designing by the death of the King to Usurp the Crown: The Scots left their Camp entire behind them, wherein the English found 500 Oxen and Cows ready killed, a Thousand Spits full of Roast-Meat; 500 Caldrons made of Cow-hides new, with the Hair on, full of Flesh, Boyling over Fires: And Ten thousand pair of Shoes, made of raw Hides with the Hair outward; All which became a welcome booty to the hungry English Souldiers.

Fourthly, After this dishonourable retreat of the King (who was extreamly grieved to return so in­gloriously, notwithstanding the expence of a vast Treasure, and the imminent danger of his own Per­son) and just before the death of King Robert, who died of the Leprosie, being accounted one of the most Valiant Warriors of that Age, as having re­deemed his Country from Slavery, and by whose loss it appeared of how much value the Courage and Conduct of a Prince is; yet before he died, by the contrivance of the Queen Mother, Roger Mortimer, and their Adherents such a dishonourable Peace is made with the Scots, as exceedingly displeased the whole Kingdom, and in the end proved fatal to the principal actor Mortimer. For at this Treaty the King, then in his Minority, Sealed Charters to the Scots at Northampton contrived by the Queen, her Favourite, and Sir James Dowglas, without the know­ledge or consent of the Peers of England, whereby that famous Charter called Ragmans Roll, was sur­rendred [Page 44] to them, with several Jewels, and among them one of an extraordinary value called the Black Cross of Scotland, all which were taken from the Scots by the Victorious King Edward I. The Scots Kings were likewise freed and discharged for ever, from doing homage and fealty to the Kings of Eng­land, or from acknowledging them to have any Right or Superiority over that Kingdom: And that all Englishmen should forfeit their Lands in Scotland unless they went and resided there, and swore Allegi­ance to that King; Moreover under pretence of ma­king reparation for damages, King Robert was obliged to pay the King of England Thirty Thousand Marks Sterling, which Money was given to Mortimer, as a reward for his procuring this destructive and mis­chievous Treaty. And to conclude all: David Bruce Prince of Scotland, a Child of Seven or Eight Years Old, and Heir to K. Robert, Married Jane Sister to K. Edward at Berwick; whom the Scots in derision both of the Peace and Marriage scornfully nicknamed Jane Make Peace.

Lastly, The Queen and Mortimer being sensible that some of the Principal Nobility disliked their pro­ceedings, and hindred their absolute Government; they resolved to contrive some means for removing them out of the way, and among others Edward Earl of Kent the King's Unckle: To effect this, it is said, Mortimer caused a report to be spread abroad that K. Edward II. was still alive at Corf-Castle, but not to be seen in the day time; and to countenance the deceit, for many Nights together there were Lights set up in all the Windows of the Castle, and an ap­pearance made of Masquing, Dancing, and other Royal Solemnities, as if for the King's diversion: This being observed by the Countrey People, they confirmed the rumour of the late King's being there, which was soon dispersed throughout England. The Earl of Kent hearing the news, sent a Preaching Frier to the Castle to find out the truth of it; who [Page 45] by giving Money to the Porter, was admitted into the Castle, lying very privately in his Lodg all day; at night the Porter causing him to put off his own Priestly Robes, and put on his, the Frier was brought into the Hall where he saw, as he imagined, King Edward II. sitting in Royal Majesty at supper. The Frier re­turning to the Earl, assured him of the reality of what he had seen; whereupon the Earl being discon­tented, swore that he would endeavour by all ways possible to deliver his Brother out of Prison, and re­store him to his Throne: To which purpose he ingaged several other Noblemen in the design; with the Provincial of the White and Carmelite Friers, the Bishop of London, and others: This Conspi­racy being discovered, though it were only a Lye and fancy, the Frier being imposed upon only, by a King made of Clouts. Yet the Earl of Kent by his words and some Letters that were found about him, was condemned as a Traytor, for conspiring to set a dead Man at liberty. But so generally was this Noble Lord beloved and honoured, that he stood upon a Scaffold at the Castle-Gates at Winchester, from Noon till five a Clock at Night for want of an Executioner, none being to be found that would behead him, till at length Mortimer sent for a poor wretched Fellow out of the Jayl, who with much ado, and many blows hack'd his Head from his Body.

The Malice and Ambition of Mortimer and his Associates, in making so little conscience of shedding Royal Blood; with the many other Male-admini­strations aforementioned, raised inveterate discon­tents throughout the Kingdom against the Insolent Authors of them. But in the mean time they who resolved to support their Grandeur in despight of Peers and People, summoned a Parliament at Not­tingham, where Roger Mortimer appeared in the utmost splendor and glory, being Created Earl of March, and having greater attendance, and stronger [Page 46] Guards than the King himself; whom he would suffer to rise up to him, and with whom he walked as his Companion, yea went before him with his Officers. He likewise very scornfully, and insolently rebuked Henry Earl of Lancaster the King's Cousin, that without his leave he had taken up Lodgings in the Town so near the Queen; and obliged him, with the Earl of Hereford and Effex, to remove their Lodgings, a Mile from Nottingham: This notorious affront caused great murmuring among the Noble­men, who said publickly, That Roger Mortimer the Queens Gallant and the Kings's Master, sought by all means possible to destroy all the Royal Blood, there­by to Usurp the Crown and Government; which some of the King's Friends being mightily concerned at, endeavoured to make him sensible of his dan­ger, swearing that if he would espouse their Cause they would faithfully assist him, and secure his Person.

The Young King began already to put on serious thoughts, and acted the Man much beyond his years; so that the Lords soon prevailed upon him to join with them in asserting his own Authority, which he himself saw so much lessened by Mortimer's [...] grown Power. He was likewise informed that [...] was commonly reported the Queen was with Child by Mortimer, to the great dishonour both of his Mother and himself, and to the grief of all his Loyal Subjects: Hereupon he resolutely ingaged with the Peers, to bring this Miscreant and his Abettors to punishment. In order to which, Robert Holland, who had been long Governour of Nottingham-Castle, and knew all the secret passages, and conveyances therein, was taken into the design: Now there was in the Castle a private Passage cut through the Rock upon which it is built; which was divided into two ways, one opening toward the River of Trent which runs under it, and the other went a great deal far­ther under the adjoining Meadows, and was after [Page 47] called Mortimer's Hole: The King lying one Night without the Castle, was conducted by Torch-light through this Passage (himself and his Valiant At­tendants being all well Armed, and their Swords drawn,) till he came to the door of the Queens Bed-Chamber, which the secure and careless Lords had left wide open: Some of the foremost entred the Room (desiring the King to retire a little that the Queen might not see him) and slew Sir Hugh Turpington, who opposed them, from whom they went towards the Queen Mother, with whom they found Mortimer, both just ready to go into Bed, and seizing him they led him out into the Hall, whom the Queen followed crying out, Bel silz, bel filz, ayes pitie de gentil Mortimer, Good Son, Good Son take pity upon the gentle Mortimer: For she suspected the King was there, though she did not see him. Then were the Keys sent for, and all the Castle with the Amunition, and Provisions were delivered up to the King so secretly, that none without the Castle had any knowledge of it but only the King's Friends. This was counted a very daring enterprize in re­gard that Mortimer had usually 180 Knights, besides Esquires and Gentlemen, as a constant Guard for the security of his Person.

The next Morning early Roger Mortimer and his Accomplices were carried with mighty shoutings and rejoycings of the Common People (the poor Earl of Lancaster, though blind, making up the cry) toward London, and was committed to the Tower: And soon after in open Parliament at West­minster, was Condemned by his Peers, without being brought to Tryal, by a Law of Mortimer's own con­triving, whereby the Earls of Lancaster, Winchester, Glocester and Kent were formerly out to Death. The following Articles of High Treason were laid to his charge.

1. That he was consenting to the Murther of the King's Father. 2. That he Treacherously occasioned [Page 48] much loss and dishonour to the King at Stanhope Park, by procuring the escape of the Scots, for which he had received a great Sum of Money. 3. That he caused several Ancient Deeds and Charters to be burnt, wherein the King of Scots was obliged to do homage to the King of England, and had made a dishonour­able Contract between the King's Sister, and David Bruce King Robert's Son. 4. That he had prodigally and lewdly wasted the King's Treasures, as well as those of the two Spencers. 5. That he had been an Evil Councellor to the King, and had been too famili­arly conversant with the Queen Mother. All which Articles are sum'd up in the following ragged Rymes, which might very well have been in Prose; but for their Antiqutty and brevity, I will here insert them.

Five heinous crimes against him soon were had.

For these Treasons he was sentenced to be hanged, and afterward ignominiously drawn in a Sledg to Tyburn, the common place of Execution, then called the Elms, and there upon the common gallows was as ignomini­ously Executed, hanging, by the King's command, two Days, and two Nights, a publick and pleasing spectacle to the wronged People: There died with him Sir Simon Bedford, and John Deverel Esq; as well for the expiation of the late King Edward's detestable Murther, as in complement, as it were, to so great a [Page 49] Man's fall, who seldom or never perish without com­pany; they suffered in 1330.

The King by the advice of Parliament deprived the Queen of her excessive Dowry, allowing her only a Thousand Pound a Year, and confining her to a Mon­astery during Life, but giving her the honour of a visit once or twice a Year, though otherwise judging her scarce worthy to live, in regard of her Debauche­ries with Mortimer, and her many other heinous practices.

From the sudden ruin of this great Favourite Mor­timer, we may Remark what Inchantments, Honour, Riches, and Power, are to the minds of Men, how suddenly, how strangely do they blow them up with contempt of others, and forgetfulness of themselves? And surely the frailty, and uncertainty of Worldly felicity is very visible in this Great Person, who when he was drunk as it were with all humane hap­piness, so that he seemed to fear neither God nor Man, was suddenly overtaken by Divine Justice; and brought to utter confusion, when he least dreamt of it: But it was very equitable, that he who would not take example by the wretched Fate of his Fa­vourite Predecessors, should himself be made an Example by the like shameful and Ignominious Death.

TWO Or three considerable Remarks do natu­rally result from the following History. 1. That Tyrants being but single Persons could never perpetrate the many mischiefs which they are usu­ally guilty of, did they not meet with proper In­struments to imploy therein. 2. That the pravity of Mankind is so deplorable, that the temptations of Honour and Riches too often prevail upon Men, and ingage them in the most vile and destructive designs. 3. That those who are imployed by Tyrants must never boggle not strain at the greatest Villanies, since if they be not as thoroughly wicked as their Master he will account them his implacable Enemies, and they are subject to be justly ruined by his unjust and revengeful hand.

All these Maxims seem to be verified in the Life, Actions, and Fall of this Great Man, Henry Stafford Duke of Buckinham: He was Son to Humfry Stafford of Brecknock-shire in Wales, who was created Duke of Buckingham, and Lord High Constable of Eng­land, by King Henry VI. Being descended from a Daughter of Thomas of Woodstock, youngest Son to King Edward III. His Son succeeded him in his Titles and Honour, and was a great Favourite to King Richard III. and very Instrumental in advising him to his Usurped Throne, as by the following Relation appears.

When King Edward IV. died, he left behind him two Sons, Edward his Successor of thirteen, and Ri­chard Duke of York of eleven years of Age. The [Page 51] Young King and his Brother were by their Father's Will committed to the care of the Earl of Rivers the Queens Brother, whom he made Protector of the King during his Minority. The Court was at this time kept at Ludlow in Wales to retain the Welsh in obedience, who began to be unruly, and in the mean time the Earl of Rivers disposed of all Offices and Places of Preferment, which very much dislatisfied the Duke of Glocester Brother to King Edward IV. and Uncle to the Present King, who upon his Bro­ther's Death possed from the North, where he then was, to London, and finding the Queen and her Kindred had the whole Government of affairs about the King, he was very much displeased, as judging it a main obstacle to his Usurpation and and Advancement to the Throne which it seems he had long before de­signed; for it was reported that the very night where­in King Edward IV. died, one Misselbrook came early in the morning to one Potter living in Redcross street near Cripplegate, and told him, that the King was dead. By my Troth man (says Potter) then will my Master the Duke of Glocester be King. For surely if he had not been acquainted with his Master's Inten­tions he would not have thus spoke. But the Duke knowing that a business of such consequence was not to be managed alone, he associated to himself the Duke of Buckingham Lord High Constable, and the Lord Hastings Lord Chamberlain of England, two of the most powerful men in the Kingdom, prevailing upon the former by promising him the Earldom of Hereford, and the other being hereby in hopes to be revenged upon his former Enemies. So that they joined with him in opinion, that it was not necessary the Queens Kindred should so wholly engross the King, and Persons of better Birth and Nobility should be neg­lected, and therefore they ought to use their utmost endeavours to remove them.

The young King was now coming toward London with a great Attendance of Lords and their Follow­ers, [Page 52] in order to his Coronation, which the Duke of Glocester judging to be another rub in his way, since he could not bring about his purposes without seeming to make an open War. He thereupon sends flattering Letters to the Queen, with zealous pretences of Loy­alty and Service, persuading her to dismiss the great Guards about the King, since it might raise Jealousies in the Minds of the rest of the Nobility, that her Kin­dred did not raise these Forces for the security of the King's Person, but for some Sinister intent, and might cause them to raise a strength proportionable to encoun­ter them, and so occasion a Civil War in the Kingdom, wherein her Kinsmen would by all the World be judg­ed the first Aggressors.

These plausible reasons had such influence upon the innocent Princess, that she sends positive Order to the King and her Brother, instantly to disband their Guards for reasons best known to her self, (without mentioning by whose advice) which if she had, they would never have done it, but upon the receipt of these Letters they presently discharged the Souldiers, and came on with a very mean Train, and having pas­sed through Northampton were proceeding to Stony-Stratford twelve Miles from thence, where the Dukes of Glocester and Buckingham met them; But they pretending that the Town was too little for them and their Retinue went back to Northampton where the Earl Rivers had taken up his Quarters for that night, intending the next Mornining to follow the King. Se­veral Complements passed upon their Meeting, and Supper being ended the two Dukes pretend to retire to rest, and the Earl went to his Lodgings.

The two Dukes wasted a great part of the Night in consulting with their Friends how to execute their en­terprize, and having got the Keys of the Inn Gate they suffered none to go in or out, of which Earl Rivers having notice, though he suspected mischief, yet in confidence of his own innocence he went boldly into the Dukes Chamber, where he found the Duke of [Page 53] Buckingham and the rest closely contriving their business, with whom he expostulated the unreason­ableness of their making him a Prisoner against his Will, but instead of a reply, they instantly command him to be seized, accusing him of divers crimes whereof they themselves were only culpable, and then putting him in safe custody they ride away to the King to Stony Stratford, coming just as he was taking Horse, whom they salute with much seeming reverence, but presently begin a quarrel with the Lord Richard Grey the King's half Brother. The Duke of Buckingham giving the King an account, that this Lord, the Marquess of Dorset his Brother, and the Earl Rivers, had contrived and almost effected the ingrossing the management of all the affairs of the King­dom among themselves, which might be of dangerous consequence, by raising discontents among the Nobi­lity, and dissention among the People, and that the Marquess had taken out of the Tower of London a great quantity of Money and Arms without Warrant, which might justly be suspected is not intended for any good end, and that it was therefore thought necessary by the Lords and Peers that he should be seized at Northampton, so to be ready to answer what he should be charged with.

The King not being sensible of their design, mildly answered, What my Brother Marquess hath done I cannot say, but for my Uncle Rivers and my Brother here, I am well satisfied that they are ignorant of any unlawful Practices either against me or you. Oh, says the Duke of Buckingham, that hath been their policy to conceal their treachery from your Graces knowledge. And thereupon they instantly in the King's presence seized the Lord Grey, Sir Thomas Vaughan, and Sir Richard Hall, and carried the King with all his company back to Northampton, turning away all his Old Officers and Servants, and putting those in their rooms who were under their direction, at which harsh usage the young King wept, and was [Page 54] much discontented but without remedy. Yet to co­lour their intents, the Duke of Glocester being at Din­ner, sent a Dish of Meat from his own Table to the Lord Rivers, biding him he of good cheer for in a short time all would be well. The Earl thanking the Duke, desired the Messenger to carry the Dish to the Lord Richard Grey with the same message for his comfort, as one to whom such troubles were unusual but for himself he had been inured to them all his life, and therefore could the better bear them. But notwithstanding this pretended kindness the Duke of Glocester sent the Earl Rivers, the Lord Grey, and Sir Tho. Vaughan into the North, and afterward to Pomfret Castle where they were all in the end behead­ed by his Order, without Trial.

The Duke having gotten his Prey in his Clutches, marches with the King toward London, declaring to all People in the way, that the Queens Relations had conspired to destroy the King, and all the antient No­bility of the Kingdom, and to subvert the Government of the Nation, and that they were taken and imprison­ed in order to be brought to a Legal Trial. And to make it more probable they carried along with them divers Waggons loaden with Arms, with several Chests, which they themselves had provided, pretending they were full of Money, which the Conspirators had pro­vided to pay the Forces they designed to raise. But the finest Intreague of all was, that five of the Dukes own Creatures were brought along in Chains, who in every place where the K. lodged were given out to be Persons of Quality that had been drawn into this hor­rid Plot and Treason by the Queens Brother, who be­ing now very sensible of their guilt, had confessed the whole of these wicked contrivances. This Pageantry was acted all the way till the King came to London, but then the actors were discovered, and the cheat was openly detected.

About midnight of the next day, the Queen had notice of these sorrowful accidents, and now too late [Page 55] repented her folly in being so treacherously imposed upon by the bloody Duke of Glocester, as to dismiss the Guards about her Son's Person by his instigation, and doubting that worse would follow, she with her young­est Son Richard and five Daughters, takes Sanctuary at Westminster, lodging in the Abbot's House there. The Young King having intelligence of these things, with Sighs and Tears exprest much grief, but the two Dukes made so many protestations of their fidelity and care of his safety that they seemed to wonder at his being any way concerned.

Soon after, the Lord Hastings sent a Messenger to the Archbishop of York, then Lord Chancellor of England to signifie to him, that he need not be disturbed at what happened, assuring him that in a little while all would be well again. I am sure, replied the Archbishop, Let it be as well as it will, it will never be so well as we have seen it. And presently after, the Archbishop attended by all his Servants armed in the midst of the Night came to the distressed Queen, whom he found sitting alone upon an heap of Rushes, much disconsolate and in Tears, whom he endeavoured to comfort by telling her, That he had good hopes the matter would not be so bad as she suspected, the Lord Hastings having by a Messenger sent on purpose assured him that all would end well. 'Ah wretch! quoth the Queen, that man is one of those who endeavour to ruin me and my Family: Madam quoth the Bishop, pray be pacified, for I will ingage that if they dare presume to Crown any but your Son whom they now have with them, the next day we will Crown his Brother who is here with you. And Madam, I here deliver you the Great Seal which was committed to me by that Noble Prince your Husband, and which I resign to you, only for the use and benefit of your Son. Af­ter which he departed, and in his way home observed the River of Thames full of Boats, with the Duke of Glocester's Servants, watching to prevent any from [Page 56] going into Sanctuary without being first searcht and examined.

These proceedings were very distastful to many of the Nobility and Citizens, doubting that all this was intended against the King's Person, and to prevent his Coronation. Whereupon they went armed about the streets, and met together to consult of the common safety. But the Lords of the Council being assembled, the Archbishop of York fearing that he should be charged with want of understanding for delivering the Great Seal to the Queen, without the King or Coun­cils leave, he privately sent for it again, which being returned, he brought it as usually into Council. The Lord Hastings, whose fidelity to the King was real, assured the Lords that the Duke of Glocester was faith­ful and loyal to his Prince, and that the Lord Rivers and Lord Richard with the other Knights were secured for some secret practices against the Dukes of Glo­cester and Buckingham, and that the King should re­ceive no damage thereby, and that they should con­tinue Prisoners no longer than till the whole matter was throughly examined before the King and Council. He therefore advised the Lords not to judge of it be­fore they had heard it, nor to turn their private grudges and quarrels into publick contentions, and thereby disturb the King's Coronation, which might be of worse consequence than they could at present imagine. For the Dukes were now coming to Lon­don to that purpose, and if the Lords should take up Arms to oppose them, they would be counted Rebels. Since having the King in their Hands they would pre­tend his Authority to declare them so to be. By these Arguments, some of which he knew to be true, and others not, but chiefly by the near approach of the two Dukes to the City, these commotions were paci­fied.

At the King's approach, the Lord Mayor, Alder­men and Sheriffs of London with five hundred Horse went as far as Hornsey to wait upon him, and attend­ed [Page 57] him from thence to London, where he arrived May, 4. 1483. And was Lodged in the Bishop's Palace: A great Council was then held, and the Dukes of Glocester and Buckingham, with the rest of the Lords present, swore Allegiance to the King, and the Duke of Glocester carried himself so re­spectfully to him, that all the former jealousies of his designing foul play vanished, and he gained such reputation and credit with the Council; that by their general consent and approbation he was chosen Pro­tector of the King and Kingdom. And thus was the Innocent Lamb delivered into the Custody of the Ravenous Wolf: The Council severely check'd the Archbishop of York for so inconsiderately delivering the Great Seal to the Queen, which was now taken from him, and given to Dr. Russell Bishop of Lincoln, one of the Honestest and Learnedst Men of that Time: Several Knights and Gentlemen had Places bestowed upon them, but the Lord Hastings kept his Office of Lord Chamberlain as formerly, and so did divers others.

The Duke of Glocester knowing he could not finish his mischevious purposes, without having the other Son Richard Duke of York in his hands; for without them both he was as good have had nei­ther: Therefore as his actions had made the King Melancholly, he now pretends that he ought to have his Brother's company to make him merry; and at the next meeting of the Lords of the Council he represented to them, That it was a very heinous [...] in the Queen to keep the King's Brother in Sanctuary, and not to let them come together and [...] pleasure in each others conversation. That it [...] occasion the People to have ill thoughts of the [...] Councellors, since the Queen durst not trust [...] Son in the hands or those who were [...] by the Peers of the [...] to have the [...] and Guardianship of the [...] stoyal Person, [...] and office consisted [...] in preserving [Page 58] him from Enemies or Poyson, but in procuring for him such recreations and pleasures as were suitable to his Youth and Dignity, and which he could not en­joy so properly in the company of Grave Councellors or Ancient Persons, as in that of his own Dear Bro­ther: He therefore advised, that the Archbishop of York might be sent to persuade the Queen to deliver her Son out of Sanctuary, which would be so much to the advantage of the Young Duke the King's most Noble Brother, and after his Soveraign Lord him­self, his most Dear Nephew, and might also prevent any sinister thoughts of the People, concerning the Nobility and Council. But if she continued obsti­nate, and would not hearken to the Archbishop's Councel in this matter, that then by the King's Authori­ty he should be forcibly taken from her, and brought to his Royal presence, where he shall be so honour­ably received and treated, that the World shall be convinced it was only the malice, frowardness, and folly of his Mother which occasioned his being kept in Prison so long already.

This subtil Speech had such effect upon the Coun­cil that they all concluded the motion to be just and reasonable: And likewise comfortable and honour­able both to the King and his Brother, and would pre­vent Evil surmises, provided the Queen could be in­duced quietly to deliver him. The Archbishop un­dertook to use his utmost endeavours to incline her to it, but added, if she persisted in refusing it, he thought it was not to be attempted against her will, for it would turn highly to the dishonour of God, and to the displeasure of the People, if the priviledge of that Holy place should be now broken, which had so many Years been inviolably preserved, which so many good Kings and Princes had granted and confirmed; and which Holy Ground was 500 Years ago by St. Peter in his own Person accompanied with great numbers of Angels by Night, so miraculously hallowed and Dedicated to God: And for proof [Page 59] whereof they have St. Peter's Copy yet in West­minster Abbey to show; and from that time to this, there was never any King so indevout and prophane that durst violate that Sacred place, nor any Bishop so Holy that durst as to presume to Consecrate it; and therefore (quoth the Archbishop) God forbid that any Man for any Earthly thing should presume to break the Priviledges, and Liberties of that Holy Sanctuary, and I hope in God I shall not need to fear it, for my utmost endeavours shall not be want­ing.

The other Bishops and Clergy in the Council were of the same opinion, that no violence ought by any means to be used toward the Queen, or that Sacred Place. The Archbishop added, But my Honourable Lords, If the Mothers fears, or Womanish dread render my message ineffectual, I hope, I shall re­ceive no prejudice in your judgments thereby.

Womanish fear, nay Womanish frowardness, re­plied the Duke of Buckingham, for I dare take it upon my Soul, she very well knows there is no just cause for her to fear any danger can accrue thereby; either to her Son or her self; for surely no Man will make War with Women. I would to God that some Men of her Family were Women too, and then we should all be quickly quiet: Yet are none of them the less respected because they are her Relations, but by reason of their ill actions; but if we had no kindness for her or her Kindred, yet no Man can believe that we have any hatred, or evil design against the King's Noble Brother who is a Kin to us all, for whose Honour and welfare, if his Mother had so much regard as we of the Nobility have, She would not suffer him any longer to be without his Brother's so­ciety, nor give occasion to Men to think that we have any surreptitious intentions toward him. For though she be a Wise Princess, yet I hope she does not so presume upon her own Wit, as to prefer it before the Wisdom of this Illustrious Assembly, nor suspect [Page 60] any unfair dealing from us, whom she knows to be devoted to the Service both of the K. and his Brother. Her refusal must therefore be the effect of her pe­vishness, and preversness, and not of her real fears, unless she dreads her own shadow: Besides, if upon pretended doubts she is not willing to part with him, we have the greater reason to take him out of her hands, lest to prevent us, she should convey him out of the Kingdom; and it would much reflect upon the discretion of this Honourable Council, to suffer the King's Brother to be carried out of the Realm be­fore our Faces; I am therefore clearly for taking him from her, not that I would have Sanctuary violated, but as I would not break the Priviledges they have so long enjoyed; so if they were now to be given, I would not be one that should consent to confirm them.

I will not deny but it may be necessary that those Men whom unfortunate accidents, and not their own ill Husbandry, have reduced to Poverty, should have a place of security from their cruel Creditors: Likewise, If their be a Contention about the Rights of Princes to the Crown, whereby sometimes one Party, and soon after another are declared Traytors, as it has lately happened; I judge it convenient that there be some places of refuge for both: But for Thieves, and especially wilful Murtherers, whom God Almighty commands should be taken from the Altar and put to Death, I know no reason that they should have any protection. For if either necessity, self de­fence, or misfortune brings a Man into danger, he is either acquitted by the Law, or the King out of his Clemency has power to grant him a Pardon.

Now let us consider, how few Sanctuary men are necessitated to go thither, and how great a number their own flagitious crimes drive into them: What a rabble of Thieves, Murtherers, Traytors, and other heinous Offenders shelter themselves from Justice, in two Sanctuarys only; The one in the [Page 61] Elbow of the City, as I may call it, I mean this at Westminster, the other in the very bowels of it, St. Martins Le Grand; and I dare avow that if we compare the mischiefs that are occasioned by them, with the benefits received from them, we must con­clude that we were better without both: This I affirm, though they were not abused as they are, and having so long continued bad, there is now little hope of redress, since no Man dares presume to talk of reforming them, and Men thereby seeming to make God and St. Peter the Patrons of Profligate and Vi­tious People. For how many live prodigally, and run in debt upon the incouragement of securing them­selves in these places? How many Rich Villains carry in thither Poor Mens Goods, and leave them and their Families to Starve for want of their just dues? How many Women run away from their Husbands, with their Plate and Money, and are there protected, to spend it upon their Gallants? How many Robbers bring Stolen Goods thither, and live bravely upon them? there they contrive new Robberies, going out at Night to commit them, and having Stolen, Plun­dred, and Murdered, they return thither again with their prey, as if such places gave them not only se­curity to perpetrate these Villanies, but a Licence to continue them.

But much of this mischief might be prevented if good Men would in earnest put their hands to it, which might tend much to the honour of God, and yet be no breach of Priviledge. For, since former Popes and Princes, who were more Politick than Pious, have granted them these long immunities; We and others since, out of fear have confirmed them, we must be content to suffer them; and in God's name let them stand in force as far as reason will permit, but not in such force as to hinder us from taking this Young Prince out of Prison, and restoring him to his Liberty, Honour and Estate.

A Sanctuary is to preserve those Men or Women that are in danger of the Law abroad, but not to wrong nor cheat any body, by going in thither: Now this Prince is in peril by no Law, his Youth and In­nocence free him from all suspicion of danger, as well as his near Alliance to the King; therefore he neither needs, nor can have any benefit by Sanctu­ary, and I dare say, is very angry with those that keep him there: But suppose the Duke is willing so long to continue there, yet it is my opinion that he may be taken from thence against his will, as justly as a Man may take his Wife, who is run away from him thither, by the Arm and lead her out of St. Peter's Church, without any offence to St. Peter. For if none must be taken out of Sanctuary that have a mind to continue there, then if a Child will run thither to prevent his going to School, his Master must let him alone, and as mean as this instance is, yet there is less reason in our case than in that, for that Child has some fear, imaginary or real, but this Young Gentleman has none at all.

To conclude, I have often heard of Sanctuary Men, but never before of Sanctuary Children: Let those Men that desire and need it have the benefit of it, but he can be no Sanctuary Man that hath not under­standing to desire it, nor malice to deserve it, whose Life nor Liberty can by no Legal process be in Jeo­pardy, and he that taketh one out of Sanctuary for his own advantage and benefit, can never be challenged for a Sanctuary breaker.

The Duke having ended his long Harangue, all the Temporal and most part of Spiritual Lords, not ha­ving the least suspition of any Treachery, were of opinion that if the Young. Duke were not delivered, he ought to be taken away from his Mother; yet to avoid clamour they concluded that the Archbishop of York should be sent to persuade her, the Protector and Council resolving to Sit in the Star-Chamber till his return: Thereupon the Archbishop with [Page 63] divers other Lords accompanying him, went to the Queen in Sanctuary, both out of respect to her, and to shew by their number that the Council were unani­mous in the Message that was sent her: And some were of opinion that the Protector had several of his Creatures among them, to whom he had given private Instructions to seize him by force, and bring him away if his Mother should persist in her denial, and thereby prevent her from conveying him to a place of more security.

When they came into the Queens presence, the Archbishop acquainted her that the Protector and all the Council had upon mature deliberation concluded that the detaining the King's Brother in Sanctuary, was a thing that might occasion strange surmises of them among the People, and seemed scandalous to them, as well as grievous to the King's Royal Majesty, to whom the presence of his Dear Brother must needs be as pleasant and delightful, as the keeping them apart was dishonourable to her and her Kindred; as though one Brother were in danger of another: That the Council had therefore sent him and the rest to re­quire her delivery of him out of that place; so that he might at full liberty and freedom visit and continue with the King his Brother, and be respected and attended according to his High Birth and Quality; the doing whereof would tend to the quiet of the Realm, be very pleasing to the Council, and advantagious to her self, as well as to her Friends that were now in trouble: And above all (quoth the Archbishop) and what. I suppose you desire beyond all, it will not only be comfortable and honourable to the King, but to the Young Duke himself, whose singular happiness it will be to be with his Brother, and to partake in those Princely Sports and Recreations which are suitable to their Dignity, and which they cannot so properly par­take of in the company of any other. For the Pro­tector esteems it no such slight matter as it may be thought, that the minds of the Young Princes should [Page 64] for their Healths, be sometimes refresh'd with those diversions which may be both pleasant and proper for their Age and Quality.

My Lord (replied the Queen) I will not deny but it may be very convenient that this young Gentleman you require of me were in the Company of the King his Brother, and in truth I think it might be as ne­cessary that for a while yet, they were both in the Custody and Company of their Mother, their tender age considered, but especially the younger, who be­sides his Childhood hath been lately visited with a se­vere sickness, and is yet only amended but not reco­vered, so that it is very fit he should be carefully at­tended, and that charge I will commit to no Person upon Earth, but resolve to make it my own business, considering that the Phisitians tell us, a relapse is more dangerous than the first Sickness, for nature be­ing before weakned, is less able to endure a second Combate, and though it may be others might use their best skill and diligence about him, yet none knows so well how to order him as my self, who have so long been with him, nor can any be so tender of him as his own Mother that bore him.

None can deny, quoth the Archbishop, but that your Grace is of all Persons the most proper about your Children, and the Council would be very glad that you would take care of them, if you please to do it in such a place as might be convenient and honou­rable, but if you design to continue here, they then think it more proper that the Duke of York should be with the King at liberty and in honour, to the com­fort of them both, than to live here as a Sanctuary man, to their high dishonour and disgrace. Since it is not always necessary that the Child should be with his Mother, but on the contrary that they be sepa­rated from each other. And of this there is a late instance, that when your dearest Son the Prince, and now King, did for his honour and the security of the Country reside at Ludlow in Wales far distant from [Page 65] your Grace, yet you seemed very well contented therewith. Not so well contented neither, said the Queen, but the case is not now the same, for that Son was then in health, and this is now sick, and therefore I much wonder that my Lord Protector should be so desirous to have him in his company, since if the Child should happen to miscarry he will be suspected of having a hand in his death, and to have used foul play toward him. Neither can I but admire that the Council should think it so dishonourable for him to be here, when none can doubt but he will be in safety while I am with him, and where by the Grace of God I intend to continue, and not to bring my self into the danger that my Kindred are in, whom I rather wish to be here with me in security. Why Madam, said one of the Lords, do you know that your Kindred are in danger: No verily Sir said she, nor why they are wrongfully Imprisoned, but I shall not marvel if those who have thus illegally confined them without reason, should proceed to destroy them with­out Cause. The Archbishop bid him forbear such discourse, and told her, that he did not doubt but the Lords in Custody would be quickly at liberty, if nothing could be proved against them. And that her own Person could not be in any peril. The Queen replied, What reason have I to believe that, since my Kindred are as Innocent as my self, and all the malice against us is because we are so near a kin to the King. As for the Gentleman my Son, I intend he shall be where I am till I see farther, for I assure you the more earnest I see some men to have him away with­out any real ground, the more I dread to part with him. And truly Madam, quoth the Archbishop, the more loth you are to part with him, the more afraid are other men that you should convey him away, and therefore since he can have no privilege that does not ask it, nor for any fault can want it, they will think it no breach of privilege to take him from you by force.

Ah S [...]r quoth the Queen, hath the Protecter so much love and tenderness for him, that he only fears he should escape him. Alas whither should I send him if he be not safe in this Sanctuary, the privilege whereof there was never any Tyrant so wicked or de­vilish to break. But it seems my Son deserves no Sanctuary and therefore cannot have it: What, is this place of security for a Thief, and not for an Infant? But he is in no danger, say they: I would to God he were not. I wish the Protector may prove a Pro­tector to him, but the matter is plain, he hath one Son already in his Hands, and could he get the other, and destroy them both, he would then Usurp the Crown. I shall give no other account why I have such a fear, but only what the Law gives, which as Learned men tell me, forbids any man to have the custody of one by whose Death he may inherit far less than a Kingdom. I shall say no more, but that who­soever breaketh this holy Sanctuary, I pray God he may soon have need of one, but not enjoy it.

The Queen then proceeded in severe reflections upon the Protector's designs, which the Archbishop did not then believe, and was therefore loth to hea [...], but told her in short, That if she would deliver her Son to him and the rest, he durst pawn his Soul and Body for his safety; but if not, he much doubted she would be obliged to do it against her will, and that he would never move her any more in that matter. These words made the Queen stand silent, and considering she had no time or place to secure him from them, the Sanctuary being strongly guarded, and that she did believe the Archbishop and some of the rest of the Lords were good men, and would not see her Child wronged, and finally that if the Protector was resolv­ed to have him, he would scruple at nothing to com­pass his ends, she concluded to deliver him her self to their fidelity, and taking the young Duke by the Hand, she said, My Lords, I neither mistrust your prudence, nor am jealous of your faithfulness, of [Page 67] which I now give you a convincing proof, and where­in if I should be mistaken, it would be a very great affliction to me, and would bring much mischief to the Realm, and eternal reproach upon your selves. For behold here is the Gentleman you require, whom I doubt not but I could have kept safe in this place, whatever is alledged to the contrary. Though I do not question but I have some such deadly Enemies to my, Family and Blood abroad, that if they thought they had a drop of it in their own Bodies they would let it out. For we have had many examples that the ambition of Soveraignty makes void all tyes of Kindred and Alliance, for this cause Brothers have been the ruin of Brothers, and may the Nephews find better usage from their Uncle. While these Children are apart the life of one is a defence to the other, and their safety consists in each others welfare. Keep one safe, and that will secure the other, but nothing is more dangerous than that they should be in one place, for no wise Merchant will venture all his Estate in one Ship. But however, here I deliver him, and his Bro­ther in him, into your hands, of whom I shall require them both, in the sight of God and the World. I know very well that you are both Just and Wise, and that you want neither Will nor Power to preserve them, if you think otherwise pray leave him with me. But one thing I earnestly recommend to you, to be very cautious, lest while you count me too fearful, you your selves be not too fearless and secure.

Then turning to the Child, Come my own sweet Son said she, let me Kiss you before you go, for God knows whether ever we shall kiss one another again, to whose holy protection I commit you. Having Kissed and Blessed him she turned aside and wept, and then went away, leaving the Child weeping as fast as she. The Lords having received the Duke, brought him into the Star Chamber, where the Protector and Council were sitting. As soon as he was entred the room, the Protector rises up and takes him in his [Page 68] Arms, Kissing and Imbracing him, saying, Dear Ne­phew you are welcome with all my heart, for next to my Soveraign Lord your Brother, nothing gives me so much contentment as your presence. And herein it was thought he did not dissemble, having now got the prize which he so much desired. Soon after up­on pretence of removing the two Princes into a place of more security, till the Peoples minds were settled, the Protector caused them to be carried in great Pomp and State through London to the Tower, there to con­tinue till the King's Coronation, from whence they never after came abroad.

The Protector now began more openly to prosecute his designs, but the work being great, he must make use of Great men in it, and at that time none was more potent than that Duke of Buckingham. Some have writ that the Duke was privy to all the contri­vances of the Duke, from the death of King Edward IV. Others thought the Protector never durst adven­ture to discover a matter of such great consequence to him, and that he now imployed some cunning people to insinuate into the Duke that the young King had a secret hatred to him for being accessary to the Imprisonment of his Kindred, and that if he were ever in a capacity he would revenge it upon him, for if they should be again at liberty to be sure they would incite him to it, and if they should be put to death, this would the more inrage the King against him. That there was no way for the Duke to retreat, or make his Peace with the King, since the King himself, with his Brother and Kindred were now in such safe custody that the Protector with a word of his Mouth could de­stroy them all, and him also, if he found him fall off from his Interest.

Though the Duke might be troubled at what he had done, yet being sensible of the Protector's cruelty, and his own danger, he resolved to join with him in all his trayterous enterprizes, and so it was agreed be­tween them, that the Duke should assist the Protector [Page 69] to advance him to the Crown. In recompence of which service, the Protector's only Son and Heir should marry the Duke's Daughter, and should likewise have the Earldom of Hereford settled upon him and his Successors, which he had claimed as his Inheritance from Edward IV. but could never obtain it. He also promised the Duke a large sum of the King's Money, and a great quantity of his Houshold-stuff.

Having entred into this cursed combination, to de­lude the People they pretend to make great prepa­rations for Crowning the young King. To which pur­pose all the Lords of the Council were summoned to appear in the Tower. Where they met accordingly, but the Protector being sensible that the Lord Hastings would be a great obstacle in his way, because of his firmness and fidelity to his old Master King Edward's Sons, he resolved to be rid of him, which he effected in the manner following.

The Protector coming into Council complemented all the Lords very affably, seeming more than ordina­rily merry, and after some other discourses, My Lord, says he to the Bishop of Ely, I hear you have very good Strawberries in your Garden in Holbourn, pray let us have a dish of them: With all my heart replied, the Bishop, and instantly sent for some, The Protector then rose hastily up, desiring them to excuse his ab­sence for a while. And returning about an hour after, he appeared so extreamly disturbed and changed in his countenance uttering so many grievous sighs, and using such passionate gestures that the Lords were in much admiration of the cause thereof. He knit his Brows, and bit his Lips, appearing extre [...]mly con­cerned. After long silence, the more to prepare their attentions he asks confusedly, what punishment they deserved who had compassed, imagined and con­trived the destruction of him who was so near allied to the King and Protector of his Person and Kingdom. At this question the Lords were all amazed and sate looking upon each other without speaking a word, at [Page 70] ength the Lord Hastings (by the instigation of the Duke of Buckingham) presuming upon his intimacy with the Protector, replied, That whoever they were, they deserved to be punished as Traytors, to which the other Lords assented. Whereat the Protector rising up, Why it is, says he, that old Sorceress my Brother Edward's Widow, and her Partner that com­mon Whore Jane Shore, that have by Witchcraft and Inchantment, contrived to take away my life. And though by God's Mercy they have not been able to fi­nish their Villany, yet see the mischief they have done me, for behold (and then he shewed his left Arm naked and withered) how they have caused this dear Limb of mine to wither and grow useless, and my whole body had been in the same miserable plight if they had executed their Wills upon me. The Lords who knew the goodness and virtue of the Queen, and that his Arm had been always withered from his birth, found it a false pretence, but were so astonish'd at his confidence that they durst not utter a word, till the Lord Hastings (thinking to lay all the fault upon the Queen, and excuse Jane Shore whom he had taken for his Mistress and Bed-fellow ever since King Edward's death, and from whom he had risen that Morning) submissively answered, If the Queen have conspired—which he had no sooner said, but the Protector looking fiercely upon him, What, says he in a great rage, dost thou tell me of If's and And's, I tell thee they and none but they have done it, and thou art Confederate with them in their Villany. Who I, my Lord? quoth he; Yea thou Traytor, says the Protector, and there­with striking a sound blow with his hand upon the Table, Treason was cried in the next room, and im­mediately a great number of armed men came rushing in as if to guard the Protector, one of whom with a furious blow of a Pole-axe, wounded the Lord Stan­ley in the head, and had certainly kill'd him, but that with the stroke he sunk under the Table. The rest of the Council were seized, and secured in several [Page 71] Rooms. The Lord Hastings the Protector charged with High Treason, and wished him to make haste and Confess himself, swearing by St. Paul, (his usual Dath) that he would neither eat nor drink till his Head were off: It signified nothing to ask a reason, for he knew the Protector would give none; so he was carried to the Green in the Tower before the Chappel, where his Head was laid upon a long peice of Timber, and there struck off, and his Head and Body afterward buried in Windsor Chappel, near King Edward IV.

In the Tragical end of this Lord, we may observe how inevitable the strokes of destiny are, for the very Night before his Death the Lord Stanley sent a secret Message to him at Midnight, in all hast to in­form him of a Dream he had, in which he thought that a Boar with his Tusks had so goared them by the Heads, that the Blood ran about their Ears, and because the Protector gave the Boar for his Arms, or Cognizance, this Dream had made so dreadful an im­pression upon his mind, that he was fully resolved not to stay any longer, and had his Horse ready, re­quiring the Lord Hastings to go along with him; and that they might Ride so fast as to be out of danger be­fore Morning. But the Lord Hastings returned this Answer by the Messenger; Ah good Lord! Doth thy Master insist so much upon Trifles, and has he such faith in Dreams, which either proceed from fancy, or from the thoughts of the preceeding Day; but if they foretel things to come, why may they not presage; that if we run away and should be taken, then the Boar might have some reason to use us ill; Therefore commend me to thy Master, and bid him [...] merry and fear nothing, for I am as sure of the [...]an he woteth of, as I am of my own Right hand. The [...] he meant, was one Catesby a Lawyer, who was at [...] advanced by his favour, and now grown so intimate [...] the Protector, that he did not doubt but he would discover any ill design against him: But he was much [Page 72] mistaken, for after he became so great with the Pre­tector, Catesby was the first Man that advised the taking off the Lord Hastings: Likewise the same Morning he was Beheaded, his Horse stumbled twice or thrice almost to falling, which though it often hap­pen by chance, yet has been sometimes reckoned a token of misfortune. Moreover, at the same time coming to Tower-Wharf, he there met a Pursivant of his own Name, which made him recal what had hap­pened to him some time before, in that place; for he was accused by the Lord Rivers in King Edward IV. Reign, of some Crimes which for a time cast him out of the King's favour, and indangered his Life, but was after restored again into Grace.

Now seeing this Man, Ah Hastings quoth the Lord, Thou canst not forget that the last time I met thee here it was with a heavy Heart: Yes my Lord, said the Purfivant, I remember it very well, but thanks be to God your Enemies gained nothing, nor had your Lordship any damage thereby, and now the danger is over: Thou wouldest say so indeed, said the Lord, if thou knewest as much as I do, for the World is well changed now, and my Enemies are in greater danger, as thou mayst happen to hear in a few days: (the Enemies he meant, were the Lord Rivers and others of the Queens Kindre [...], who were that very day se­cretly ordered to be Beheaded at Pomfret-Castle, of which he had knowledge) and I was never merrier, nor in more safety since I was Born. By this we may learn that there is no greater sign of ill fortune than to be too secure, and that Men are blind as to their own Fate, and though the Ax hangs over their Heads, yet are not sensible of it, but are oft most in danger when they think themselves safe, and most safe when they judg themselves in danger. For this Lord not­withstanding his great confidence, lost his Head two hours after he spoke these words.

The same Morning, as the Lord Hastings was going to the Council in tht Tower, a Knight who pretend­ed [Page 73] kindness to him, but was thought to be privy to the Protector's designs, and sent to meet and hasten him thither, offered to accompany him. The Lord Ha­stings staid by the way in Tower-street, to discourse with a Priest whom he met; the Knight jokingly interrupted their talk, saying, Pray, my Lord, make haste, for you have no need of a Priest yet, seeming to be in jest, but it was thought, meant in earnest that he would in a short time have occasion for one.

The news of the Death of the Lord Hastings, soon flew into the City, and much surprized the People, but the Protector to prevent any Commotion, sent for several of the Principal Citizens to come to him with all speed. At their appearance, himself with the Duke of Buckingham, received them in Old Rusty Armour, to make a shew as if the present danger had obliged them to take what they could first come by, and then the Protector declared to them; That the Lord Hastings, and other Conspirators, had contrived to have slain him and the Duke of Buckingham in Council, and then to have taken upon them to Govern the King and Kingdom at their pleasure: Of which Treason they had made discovery, but few hours be­fore it should have been acted; so that their sudden fear had caused them to put on such Armour as they first met with, but that God had so far prevented their Traiterous purposes, as some had already receiv­ed their deserts. This he required them to report to the People: The Citizens seemed as if they had be­lieved what he said, though they all knew nothing was more false. Presently after a Proclamation was pub­lished throughout the City; reciting the aforenamed particulars, and adding several reflections upon the Lord Hastings, as that he was an Evil Councellour to King Edward IV. Advising him to do many things to his great Dishonour, and the damage of the King­dom by his ill Example and Conversation, particu­larly in the lewdness of his Life, which he still con­tinued [Page 74] with Shore's, Wife who was one of the prin­cipal Conspirators, with whom he had converst the very last night, and that it was no wonder if such a wicked course of Life had brought him to such an untimely Death, which he was condemned to suffer by the special command of the King and his Honou­rable Privy Council, before whom he was clearly Convicted to have contrived this horrid Treason, and whose sudden Execution according to his demerits, they hoped would prevent the other Conspirators, from proceeding in their Traiterous purposes, and secure the Peace of the Nation.

Now this Proclamation was published within two hours after the Lord Hastings was Beheaded, and was so exactly perceived, and fairly Written in Parch­ment, and withal so long, that all the World per­ceived it had been prepared long before, which oc­casioned the School Master of St. Pauls at the Pro­claiming it to say; Here is a gay goodly cast, foul cast away for haste, To whom a Merchant Answered; That it was written by Prophesie, or Revelation.

After this the Protector, like an Innocent, conti­nent Prince, sent the Sheriffs of London to Jane Shore's House, (who lived from her Husband) with an order to seize all her Goods, which they did to the value of two or 3000 Marks, and committed her to Prison: He charging her with bewitch­ing him, and with conspiring with the Lord Hastings, to destroy him, but having no proof of any thing, be then gravely accused her of what all the Kingdom knew before, and she her self could not deny; that she was Unchaste of her Body, which made Men smile that it should be now told as new: Hereupon he caused the Bishop of London to put her to open Pennance for Incontinency, and the next Sunday she was brought out of Ludgate, going before a Cross in Procession, with a Wax Taper in her hand, and though she was then in mean Apparel, having only her Girdle on, yet she appeared so fair and love­ly, [Page 75] the crowd of Spectators raising a comely blush in her Cheeks, and withal so modest and sober, that she was much commended by them, who had more love for her Body than for her Soul; yea those that ha­ted her vitious life, and were glad to see Sin punished, yet pitied her misery, and hard usage from him, who inflicted it for wicked and politick ends, and not out of love to Virtue, or Chastity.

This Woman was a notable instance of the mu­tability of Fortune; she was born in London, of a good Family, and very well Married to one Shore, a sober worthy Citizen and Goldsmith, but it was thought, a little too Young; so that she never shew­ed much affection to her Husband, whom she was [...] a capable of loving, which might incline her the [...] imbrace King Edward's Kindness: Which being attended with Honour, Riches, Fine Cloaths, Ease, Pleasure, and all other humane delights, was hardly to be resisted by such a tender heart as she had: When the King had taken her for his Mistriss, her Husband wholly abandoned her Bed: After his Death the Lord Hastings, who had an extream passion for her during the King's Life, but either out of re­spect, or faithfulness, forbore Courting her, now took her home to his House, and maintained her in great splendor: She was very fair and proper, and no­thing amiss in her whole Body, but that some thought her not tall enough, as some report who knew her in her Youth, (saith Sir Thomas More) but now she is Old, saith he, who saw her, she is lean, withered, and her Skin so extreamly shrivelled, that it is scarce to be imagined so much beauty and comeliness ever re­sided in that wretched Carcass. Yet she was not more admired for her handsomeness, then for her ready wit, and brisk temper; neither too full, nor too sparing in discourse, jesting oft without abuse, but very pleasantly, so that her company was extream entertaining. King Edward used to say, That he had three Concubines, who were excellent for three dif­ferent [Page 76] Qualities; One being the merriest, another the most politick and subtile, and the third the most devout Harlot in the World; who when he sent for to his Bed, was usually at Prayers upon her knees in the Church; the other two were Persons of greater Quality, but Jane Shore was the merriest, and there­fore the King took much delight in her conversation; for though he had many Mistresses, yet he may be said only to love her, and to say the truth, she never abused the kindness he had for her to the detriment or hurt of any, but to the relief of very many, ap­peasing the King's anger toward some, getting abate­ment of Fines, restoring others to favour, dispatching their Suits and Affairs, and all for little or no reward. Valuing any thing that was fine or pretty above great Summs of Money, being contented either with the pleasure of doing kindnesses, or of being Courted and Petitioned for them, to shew what power she had with the King; or lastly, because wanton Women are not always Covetous. It may be thought, says Sir Thomas More, That this Woman is too slight a Subject among matters of a greater consequence, but says he, She to me seems worthy of Remark, that she should now be a miserable beggar, without Friends, or Money, but what she gets by Charity, who was formerly in such great favour with a renowned Prince, was adored by the Courtiers, addressed unto by Per­sons of the highest Quality, for expediting their business, as much as the greatest Favourites of this Age: Had abundance of Riches, and all other goods of fortune: And yet should become so wretched a Creature as she is at this day, being obliged to beg of those now living, that must have begged them­selves, if it had not been for her kindness toward them.

To proceed: It was contrived by the Protector, the Duke of Buckingham, and the the other bloody Councellours, that the very day the Lord Hastings was Beheaded in the Tower, and at the very same [Page 77] hour, he himself consenting to it, the Lord Rivers, and the other Lords and Knights that were taken from the King at Northampton, were Beheaded at Pomfret, which was done in the presence, and by the order of Sir Richard Ratcliff, whose service the Protector much used in these affairs, he being a Man of a ma­licious wit, and cruel nature, and fit for any mis­chievous designs. Who bringing them out of Prison to the Scaffold, and telling the People they were Traytors, not suffering them to declare their Inno­cence, lest their words should have inclined the Peo­ple to pity them and hate the Protector, he caused them hastily, without Tryal, Witnesses, Sentence, or any Legal Process, to be Beheaded, only because they were Loyal to the King, and too near a Kin to the Queen his Mother.

These Noblemen being thus dispatched, the Pro­tector now resolved to advance himself to the Crown, whilest the Peers and People being amazed, and ter­rified at these proceedings durst not interpose to hin­der him: But because the matter would seem ex­ceeding odious, he and his wicked Council consulted how to put a fair gloss thereupon. Several ways were proposed, among the rest they thought it necessary to bring in Edward Shaw then Lord Mayor of London, who upon promise of advancement, should prepare the Peoples Inclinations; and because Clergy-men are hearkned to in Matters of Conscience, therefore Doctor Shaw the Lord Mayor's Brother, and Doctor Pinke, Provincial of the Augustine Friers, are like­wise ingaged in the Affair, both great Preachers, but of more Learning than Virtue, and of more fame than Learning, having a notable estimation among the Vulgar. These two were appointed to Preach, the one at Paul's-Cross, and the other at the Spittle, and to display the excellent Qualities of the Pro­tector: Pinke in his Sermon so lost his Voice that he was forced to break off, and come down in the midst; and Doctor Shaw by his Sermon lost his re­putation, [Page 78] and soon after his Life, for he was so a­shamed of it, that he never after came abroad.

But the next perplexity was to get some plausible pretence for deposing the Young King, and advan­cing his Uncle: After several alterations, they at length concluded to alledge Bastardy, either in King Edward IV. himself, or in his Children, or both; to lay Bastardy publickly to King Edward, would re­flect upon the reputation of the Mother both of his Brother and himself. The Protector therefore or­dered that point to be handled tenderly, but the Bastardy of the Children he would have openly and boldly asserted, and to ground their Allegations upon the following pretext.

After King Edward IV. had deposed King Henry VI. and got Possession of the Throne, he determined to Marry, and thereupon Richard Nevil, the Great Earl of Warwick is sent to France to Treat of a Marriage between the King and the Lady Bona, Daughter to Lewis Duke of Savoy, and Sister to the Lady Carlote then Queen of France. The propo­sition is readily imbraced in France, the Match soon concluded: In the mean time King Edward being Hunting in Wichwood Forrest near Stony Stratford, happened to come to the Manour of Graston, where the Dutchess of Bedford then lay, and where her Daughter by Sir Richard Woodvile, called the Lady Elizabeth Gray (Widow of Sir John Gray of Gro­by, Slain in the Battel of St. Albans,) came to Pe­rition the King for some Lands, of which her Hus­band had made her a Jointure: With whose beauty and graceful mein the King was so surprized, that he presently fell to Courting her. The Lady perceiving his intent, told him plainly, That as she thought her self not worthy to be his Wife, so she esteemed her self too good to be his Concubine. The King who very seldom was denied such favours, his handsome­ness and dignity making him acceptable to most Ladies, so much admired her Virtue that he resolved [Page 79] to Marry her. His Mother having notice of it en­deavoured to prevent the Match, telling him, That it would be both honourable and safe to Marry some Great Princess, and thereby strengthen his Govern­ment by Potent Alliances. That it was below him to Marry his own Subject, and especially a Widow, that had Children, he being a Young Man and a Batchellor. Lastly, that he was already Contracted to the Lady Elizabeth Lucy. The King Answered, That as to Honour and Alliances, they might bring more trouble than profit; and whereas you object Madam, (says he) That the Lady is a Widow and has Children, By God's Blessed Lady, I am a Batch­ellor, and have some Children too, and so we have both proof that we are not like to be Barren, and for your alledging that I am already Contracted to the Lady Elizabeth Lucy: Let the Bishop, saith he, charge me with it when I come to take Orders, for I understand, it is forbidden to a Priest, but I never heard before that it was prohibited to a Prince; and soon after he Married the Lady Elizabeth Grey.

Upon this Pretext the Protector would found the Bastardy of King Edward's Children. That he had been formerly Contracted to the Lady Elizabeth Lucy, though the Lady her self upon Examination, acknow­ledged she had a Child by him, but denied there was any Contract between them. However upon this ground Doctor Shaw took for his Text, Bast [...] Plants shall take no deep root, and in his Sermon [...] King Edward was never Lawfully Married to [...] Queen, but was before God, Husband to the Lady Lucy, and so his Children were Bastards, adding, that those in the Family had great jealousie that neither King Edward IV. himself, nor his Brother the Duke of Clarence, were begotten by his Father, they much resembling other Persons in Court that were well known, but that the Noble Prince Richard, Lord Protector, had the the very Lineaments, Complexion, [Page 80] and Countenance, as well as the Courage, and Mag­nanimity of the Renowned Richard Duke of York, his Father.

Now it was contrived, That at the uttering these words the Protector should have come in and ap­peared to the People, that the Preacher's words, and his presence thus corresponding, it might be thought he had spoke them by the special Inspiration of the Holy Ghost. But this trick failed, for either by the Protector's delay in coming, or the Doctor's haste in Preaching, he had proceeded for some time upon o­ther matters: At length observing the Protector was coming, he without order or reason, diverted from the matter he was upon, and began to repeat the same words again. This is that Noble Prince, the Fa­ther's own Picture, his own Face, and the express Image of his Father's Person. In the mean time the Protector with the Duke of Buckingham, pressed through the crowd to the Pulpit, and there sate to hear the Ser­mon. But the People were so far from crying out, God save King Richard, as was expected, That they cried shame on the Preacher, for abusing his Calling to such vile purposes.

The Tuesday following the Duke of Buckingham with divers Lords and Knights came to Guildhall Lon­don, and the Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons being their assembled, the Duke of Buckingham made a long Speech to them to this effect. 'That the Lord Protector and the rest of the noble Peers were come to acquaint the worthy Citizens with a matter of great consequence, and which they did not doubt would be very pleasing and acceptable to them. A matter they had long in vain desired, and which was [...]bsolutely necessary to their welfare and happiness, even the future security of their Lives, Wives, Chil­dren and Estates, which had been all indangered by the ill government of the late King Edward IV. who by tricks and shams endangered their Lives, and by [...]reasonable Taxes, Pillings, and Pollings to main­tain [Page 81] his Riot and Prodigality, wasted their Estates and what people he respected most appeared by his favours to Shore's Wife, who in his Reign was more sought unto, and managed greater affairs by her in­fluence over his vain mind, than the greatest Peer in England, whereby he raised the hatred and ill will of the People both against himself and his Chil­dren. He then reminded them of the Doctor's Ser­mon the last Sunday, who being a Preacher of God's Word, had by his God's Authority declared the just Right and Title of the Protector to the Crown of this Realm, which he doubted not but they would regard, (considering the honesty and wisdom of the Preacher) beyond what he could say to them, he having so clear­ly proved that King Edward was before Married to the Lady Elizabeth Lucy, and that therefore his Chil­dren by the Lady Gray cannot be Legitimate, so that for want of lawful Issue, the Lord Richard had an un­doubted Right and Title to the Crown, by whose Re­nowned Virtues and Valour he did not doubt but the Kingdom would enjoy all happiness, and be freed from that woe which the Wise Man pronounces that Nation to be subject too, whose King is a Child. All which the Lords of the Council having taken into con­sideration, had thereupon agreed to accept of him for their King. 'And now (said the Duke) I am come to acquaint you with it, and to require your consents, which I do not doubt but for your own benefit you will readily give, both in electing so worthy a Prince, and thereby also obliging his Majesty who will be kind to those who are most zealous for his advance­ment to the Throne.

Having ended his long Oration, the People stood mute, as admiring at the motion, but none cried King Richard, King Richard, as was expected. At which the Duke being amazed, supposing the Lord Mayor had before informed and prepared the Common Hall, he whispered to him to know the meaning of this sul­len silence. The Lord Mayor answered, It may be [Page 82] they did not hear, or at least understand what he had said. Hereupon the Duke repeated the same words, more audibly and earnestly, but this obstinate silence still continued. Then the Duke desired that the Re­corder, who usually spoke to the People, might move them in it. But the Recorder, named Fitz Williams, being an honest man, and newly come to his Office, repeated the Duke's words only, without adding any of his own. So that this nothing prevailed upon their resolved sullenness. At last the Duke told them plain­ly, That all the Nobility and Commons of the Realm were determined to chuse the Protector for their King, as the true and undoubted Heir, and that it was only out of respect and kindness to the Citizens that they had acquainted them with it, desiring them freely to speak whether they would join with them in this Election or No. Upon this some of the Duke's Servants, and others planted on purpose at the lower end of the Hall threw up their Caps and shouted aloud, King Ri­chard, King Richard, while the Citizens stood mur­muring and inquiring among themselves what the mean­ing of it was.

However the Duke took the advantage of it, as of an unanimous consent, A goodly cry, quoth he: Giv­ing them all thanks for their universal approbation, promising he would acquaint the Protector with their great kindness toward him, requiring the Lord Mayor, and Citizens to meet the Protector the next Morning at Baynard's Castle. Being met accordingly, the Duke of Buckingham sends up word to the Lord Protector, that the Lord Mayor and his Bretheren were come to present a supplication to him, in a matter of great consequence. The Protector though pre-acquainted with the matter, yet pretended to admire what the business should be, and though he did suspect no ill from any thing which the Duke of Buckingham should offer, yet desired some hint of what it might be. It was Answered, That the busi­ness was to be communicated only to himself in per­son, [Page 83] and therefore they humbly desired to be admit­ted into his presence: Hereupon as if not well assured of their intent, he appears to them in the Gallery, to prevent any sinister practice against him. The Duke of Buckingham with great reverence tells him, That he hoped his Highness would pardon him in what he was going to declare in the behalf of the Lord Mayor and Nobility there present, and after many circumstances, proceeds to discover the cause of their coming, That in regard of the urgent necessi­ties of the Common-wealth, they all humbly intrea­ted him to take upon him the Government of the Kingdom in his own Right, to whom they all ten­dered their Alleglance: At which word the Pro­tector started back as if extreamly surprized, and passionately replied. 'I little thought good Cousin, that you of all Men would have moved me in a mat­ter, which of all things in the World I must de­cline! Far be it from me to accept of that which without apparent wrong to the Children of my dear deceased Brother, and my own upright Con­science, I cannot well approve of: And pretend­ing to proceed in this dissembling Harangue, the Duke seemed abruptly upon his Knees to stop him. 'Since your Grace, says he, has been pleased to give free liberty to offer to you in the Name of this Great Assembly, the free tender of their Obedience to you; I must further add, That it is unanimously concluded that your late Brother King Edward's Children, as being generally known to be Illegiti­mate, shall never be admitted to the Crown of Eng­land; and therefore if your Grace shall neither re­gard your self nor us, so far as to accept of the same, we are fully determined to confer it upon some other of the House of Lancaster, that will be more sen­sible, of his own and our good.

[...]hese words seemed to have such powerful effect upon the Protector's mind, that with a pretended change of countenance, and feigned perturbation, [Page 84] He replied: 'Since I perceive the whole Kingdom are resolved by no means to admit my dear Ne­phews, being but Children, to Reign over them, and since the Right of Succession justly belongs to me as the undoubted Heir of Richard Plantaginet, Duke of York, my Renowned Father: We are contented to condescend to your Importunities, and to accept the Regal Government of the Kingdom; and will to the utmost of my power endeavour to procure and maintain the quiet and welfare thereof.

After this he came down from his Gallery, and very formally Saluted them all, which so pleased the giddy and inconstant Mobile, that they presently shouted out, Long live King Richard our Dread So­veraign Lord, and so every Man departed.

Having thus Usurped the Soveraignty, He was soon after Crowned: Creating his Son Edward a Child of Ten years old, Prince of Wales; advancing se­veral of the Nobility to higher Honours, and Digni­fying others. And to shew his Clemency and good Nature, several whom he suspected would have hin­dered his proceedings, and had been therefore Im­prisoned were now released; but Morton Bishop of Ely, who would never consent to the disinheriting King Edward's Children, was committed to the custody of the Duke of Buckingham, who secured him in his Castle of Brecknock in Wales.

And now King Richard with his Queen (the Lady Ann, Youngest Daughter of the Great Earl of War­wick, and the Widow of Prince Edward Son to King Henry VI.) whom he had newly Married, made a progress to Glocester, upon pretence of visiting the place of his former Honour: But in truth to be ab­sent while he had a special villany to be acted. For though he had satisfied his Ambition by depriving his Nephews of their Livelyhood; yet he could not remove his fears without taking away their Lives: To perpetrate this villany he durst not use the assist­ance of his old Friend and Favourite the Duke of [Page 85] Buckingham, as being sensible of his abhorrence thereof. However it was too easie to find wicked In­struments for Money, and upon inquiry, he heard of two Brothers in his Court, Sir Thomas, and Sir James Tyrril, the first of an honest sober temper, but the other of a proud ambitious humour, and ready to commit any wickedness for preferment. Being told of this Man as he was at the Close-Stool, he instantly rose and went to him, whom he found more free to undertake the work than he was to imploy him, so the bargain was soon made, and no­thing remained but an opportunity to effect it.

King Richard had before sent John Green one of his Privadoes, to Sir Robert Brackenbury, Lieutenant of the Tower, to require him to do the deed, he being raised by him, but the Lieutenant declaring an absolute aversion thereto; Good Lord, says the King, Whom can a Man trust: So that finding he must be removed, or else it was impossible to effect it, he sends him an absolute Order by Sir James Tyrril, immediately to deliver up the Keys of the Tower to him. Tyrril being now Lieutenant for the time, hires two Rascals like himself, Giles Forest, and James Leighton his Hostler, a stout lusty fellow, to join with him in the Murder of these Innocent Children, who coming into their Chamber in the Night, accompanied only with one Black Will, or William Slaughter another bloody Villain, they sud­denly wrapt them up in the Bed-cloaths, and keep­ing down the Pillow and Bed-cloaths, with all their strength upon their Mouths, they so stifled them that their breath failing, they surrendred up their Inno­cent Souls to Heaven. The Murtherers perceiving, First by their strugling with the pangs of Death, and then by their long lying still, that they were tho­roughly Dead, they laid their Bodies out upon the Bed, and then called Sir James to see them, who presently caused their Bodies to be buried under the Stairs, under a heap of Stones, from whence they [Page 86] were afterward removed to a place of Christian Burial, by a Priest of Sir Robert Brackenbury, who dying soon after it, was never known where they were laid; which gave occasion to the Imposture in K. Henry VII. Reign of Perkin Warbeck, who pretended to be Richard Duke of York the Younger Brother, that by the compassion of the Murtherers was saved, and sent to seek his Fortune. Others write that King Richard caused their Bodies to be taken up, and be­ing closed in Lead, to be put into a Coffin full of holes, hooked at the ends with Iron, and so thrown into a place called the Black Deep, at the Thames mouth, to secure them from being ever seen or rising again.

But Divine Vengeance soon reached the Mur­therers, Miles Forrest rotting away alive peice meal at St. Martins Le Grand: Leighton dyed at Callice, detested of all Men, and in great misery; Sir James Tyrril was afterward Beheaded for Treason at Tower-Hill, and King Richard himself after this execrable Fact, never was quiet in mind, being tormented with fearful Dreams, starting out of his Bed, and running about the Chamber with great horror, as if all the Fiends in Hell had been about him to torture his vexed Soul.

And here we may observe, That Confederacies in Evil seldom continue long, but usually end in re­ciprocal ruin: And thus it happened with King Richard, and the Duke of Buckingham his intimate Favourite, who had been Confederates in the Death of many; which now dissolves in the destruction of them both. What the cause of the first breach was could not be known: Whether the Duke did not think he was sufficiently rewarded for his Services: Or that King Richard did not judg himself safe, whilest he that set him on the Throne remained so Great: Or that the Duke being Ambitious and Aspiring, grew envious at his own ast in advancing him. The last of which conjectures he seemed to [Page 87] confirm by pretending sickness to avoid being present at the Coronation: Which King Richard was jea­lous of, and therefore obliged him to come by send­ing word, That if he did not, he would ferch him. Whereupon the Duke came with so ill a will that ever after there was no good understanding between them, retiring presently after to his Castle at Breck­nock.

And here the inscrutable depth of Divine Pro­vidence is very remarkable, which the greatest Polititians cannot Fathom. For the King had com­mitted the Bishop of Ely to the Duke's custody, as one that would secure him from doing any hurt, and therefore designed it for the Bishop's punishment. Whereas this very thing occasioned the Bishop's liberty and advancement, and was a means of King Richard's destruction. For the Duke retiring home, seemed to be much disturbed and discontented in his mind, and wanting rest, would be sometimes talking with the Bishop, who being a Man of great Wit and Judgment, the Duke became at length extreamly pleased with his company, and opened himself more freely to him, whereby the Bishop perceived that the chief cause of his trouble was his envy to King Richard; and thereupon he took an opportunity to discourse him to this purpose.

My Lord, 'You know that formerly I took part with King Henry VI. and could have wished his Son had enjoyed the Crown, but after God had ordain­ed King Edward IV. to Reign, I was never so mad to contend for a dead Prince against a living one; and so I was a faithful Chaplain to King Edward, and would have been glad his Child had succeeded him, but since by the secret judgment of God it hath happened otherwise, I will not strive to set up that which God hath pluck'd down: And as for the Lord Protector and now King —

Here the Bishop made a sudden pause, saying, He had already medled too much in the World, and [Page 88] would for the future be concerned with nothing but his Books and his Beads. Because he ended with King, the Duke was impatient to have him proceed, saithfully promising no hurt should come from it, but it may be much good; assuring him that the reason why he desired the King to put him under his custody, was that he might secretly ask his councel and advise. My Lord, Said the Bishop, I humbly thank your Grace, but I confess I do not much care to talk of Princes, since it may often prove dangerous, though nothing be ill meant: But a Man's words may be interpreted, not as he intended them, but as the Prince pleases to construe them, which puts me in mind of one of Aesop's Fables. The Lyon had published a Pro­clamation, That upon pain of death no Horned Beast should continue in an adjoining Wood, now a certain Beast that had a bunch in his forehead, flying away in great haste was met by a Fox, who ask'd him whither he ran so fast? Fast, quoth he, I think it is time to run if I intend to save my life? Why Brother Reynard, han't you heard of the Proclamation against Horned Beasts? What then you Fool, quoth the Fox, That does not concern you, for I am sure you have no Horns on your Head: Ay marry, quoth the Beast, that I know well enough, but what if the Lyon should call my bunch a horn, where were I then, Brother Reynard? The Duke laughed at the story, and said, My Lord, I warrant you neither the Lyon nor the Boar shall pick any matter out of any thing that has been spoken, for it shall never come near their Ears. In good faith, Sir, says the Bishop, What we have said if taken as we meant it, could only deserve thanks, but being wrested as some would do, might be of ill consequence to us both. The Duke intreated him to go on, in his former discourse; My Lord, said the Bishop, As for the late Protector, since he is now King in possession, I shall not dispute his Title, but for the good of the Kingdom, I could wish he had in him those excellent Virtues where­with [Page 89] God Almighty has qualified your Grace. Here he stopt again; My Lord said the Duke, I much won­der at these sudden pauses, which so interrupt your discourse, that I can neither comprehend your thoughts of the King, nor your affection to my self, I there­fore beg of you not to conceal your thoughts any longer, but freely to discover your sentiments; and upon my Honour, I will be as secret as the Deaf and Dumb person is to the Singer, or the Tree to the Hunter. The Bishop upon the assurance of the Dukes, thus followed his discourse.

My Lord, 'I plainly perceive that this Realm is in great danger of being brought to confusion and de­solation under the present Government; but I have still some hope remaining, by the dayly observation of your Noble Personage, your Justice, your ardent love to your Countrey, and likewise the great love the People have toward you, and should think the Kingdom fortunate which had a Prince so fit and apt to be their Governour as your self, whose Person and actions contain in them all that is truly great, just and honourable. He then reproached the King for his many Murders, Cruelties, and Oppressions, adding, 'And now my Lord, If you love God, your posterity, or your Native Country, you must your self take upon you the Imperial Crown and Dia­dem of this Realm: But if you refuse the same, I then adjure you by the Faith you owe to God, and the regard you ought to have for your Native Land, in your Princely Wisdom, to contrive some means whereby the Kingdom may be setled in Peace, Liberty and safety under a Legal Government; and if you think fit to advance again the House of Lancaster, or to Marry the Eldest Daughter of King Edward IV. to some powerful Prince; the new Crowned King may be quickly removed from his Usurp'd Throne, and thereby Peace and Plenty, and Tranquility will again be restored to the Nation.

The Bishop having ended his Speech, the Duke remained silent for some time, only breathing forth many deep sighs, which much startled the Bishop, and made his colour change. The Duke perceiving it, Be not afraid my Lord, said he, All promises shall be kept; and so for that time they parted. Next day the Duke sent for the Bishop, and having repeat­ed their former discourse, he proceeded; 'My Lord of Ely, Because I discern you have a real kindness and affection for me, I will freely unbosom my Thoughts to you: After I observed the dis­simulation and falshood of King Richard, and espe­cially when I heard of the Barbarous Murther of the two Young Princes, to which, God is my wit­ness, I never condescended, I so much abhorr'd his presence, and company, that I left the Court upon a pretended excuse, he not in the least per­ceiving my discontent, and so returned to Brecknock to you. In my return, whether by Inspiration, or Melancholy, I was possest with many Imaginations and Contrivances, how to deprive this Unnatural and Bloody Butcher, of his Royal Seat and Dignity. First, I fancied that if I had a mind to take the Crown, now was the time, the Tyrant being so generally abhorred and detested of all Men, and believing that I had the nearest right to the Suc­cession. In this imagination I continued two days at Tewksbury, and was ruminating whether I was best to take upon me the Crown as Conqueror, but I presently thought that then certainly both the Nobility and Commons would use their utmost Efforts against me. But at length I happened on something that I did not doubt would have brought forth fair Flowers; yet proved at length nothing but Weeds. For I was thinking that Edmund Duke of Somerset my Grandfather, was with Henry VI. within two or three degrees of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster; and my Mother being Eldest Daughter to Duke Edmund, I supposed my self to [Page 91] be next Heir to King Henry VI. of the House of Lancaster. This Title was well pleasing to those whom I made of my Council, but much more to my aspiring mind, but while I was perplext whe­ther it were best instantly to publish this my Right, or wait some better opportunity, observe what happened: As I rid from Worcester to Bridg­north, I met the Lady Margaret, Countess of Rich­mond, now Wife to the Lord Stanley, and Daughter and Sole Heir to John Duke of Somerset, my Grand­father's Elder Brother, whom I had as utterly for­got, as if I had never known her, so that she and her Son Henry Earl of Richmond, have a Right before me. By this I perceived my mistake, and resolved to relinquish all Ambitious Thoughts, and to endeavour the Establishment of the Earl of Rich­mond, Right Heir of the House of Lancaster; and that he should Marry the Lady Elizabeth, Eldest Daughter to King Edward, so that the two Roses might be hereby united. And now said the Duke, I have told you my whole Heart.

The Bishop was very glad that they had both hit upon the same design, and extolling his well laid contrivance, replied, Since by your Graces incom­parable prudence this Noble Conjunction is intended, it will be necessary to consider who are fittest to be acquainted with it. By my troth quoth the Duke, we will begin with the Countess of Richmond the Earl's Mother, who will inform us whether he be under Confinement, or at Liberty in Brittain. And thus was the Foundation of a League laid by these two Great Men, which fully Revenged the Death of the two Innocent Princes: And it was prosecuted with all Expedition; one Reynold Bray being imployed by the Bishop, to his Lady the Countess of Rich­mond; Doctor Lewis the Dutchesses Physician, was sent to Queen Elizabeth, and two other Persons were ordered privately to wait upon the Earl of Rich­mond then in France, and acquaint him with the [Page 92] Design, and procure his consent to the intended Mar­riage. Who coming to the Earl, and giving him information of the Plot; He thereupon discovers it to the Duke of Brittain, who though by Hutton King Rich. Ambassador, he had by many great offers been so­licited to detain the Earl in Prison, yet he readily promised, and really offered him his utmost assistance: Several Knights and Gentlemen were also brought into the Confederacy in England. Bishop Morton, though against the Earl's consent, retires in disguise into the Isle of Ely, where having prepared his Friends to espouse the Earl's Interest, he went from thence to Brittain to him, and continued there, till the Earl, when King, sent for him home, and made him Archbishop of Canterbury.

But though all was managed with the utmost Pri­vacy, and under Oaths of Secresie; yet King Richard had made a discovery thereof; but pretend­ing Ignorance he sends for the Duke of Buckingham to come to him: Which the Duke endeavouring to avoid by pretended excuses, He at last peremptorily commands him to appear upon his Allegiance; upon which the Duke returned this resolute Answer, 'That ne owed no Allegiance to such a perjured, in­humane Butcher of his own Flesh and Blood. And so from that time preparations of War are made on each side. The Duke had Assembled a good num­ber of Welshman, and the Marquess of Dorset, ha­ving got out of Sanctuary, was labouring to raise Forces in Yorkshire. The two Courtneys were doing the same in Devonshire and Cornwall, and the Lords Guilford and Rame in Kent: King Richard sets for­ward with his Forces; The Duke of Buckingham Marches to incounter him, intending at Glocester to have past the Severn, and joined the two Courtneys, but the great Rains had so swelled the River, that overflowing its Banks there was no Fording over. This Inundation was so great, that Men were drown­ed in their Beds, Houses overturned, Children car­ried [Page 93] about the Fields, Swiming in Cradles, and Beasts were drowned on Hills, which rage of Water continued Ten days, and is to this time in the Coun­treys adjacent, called, The Great Water, or the Duke of Buckingham's Water. The Welshmen were so affrighted with this accident, that judging it an ill Omen, they all secretly deserted him, so that the Duke being alone without either Page or Footman, retired to the House of one Humfrey Banister, near Shrewsbury, who having been advanced by him and his Father, he thought himself safe under his roof. But Banister upon King Richard's Proclamation of a reward of 1000. Pound to him that should discover the Duke, Treacherously and perfidiously discovered him to John Mitton High Sheriff of Shropshire, who took him in a Thread-bare Black Cloak, walking in an Orchard behind the House, and carried him to Shrewsbury where King Richard quartered, and there without Arraignment, or Legal Proceeding he was in the Market place Beheaded in 1484. Whether Banister received the proclaimed reward from King Richard's hand is uncertain; but it is certain he re­ceived a reward of a Villain, from the hand of Di­vine Justice; for himself was after hanged for Man­shughter, his Eldest Daughter was Ravished by one of his Plowmen, or as some say struck with a loath­some Leprosie, his Eldest Son in a desperate Lunacy Murdered himself, and his Younger Son was drowned in a small puddle of Water.

This was the fatal end of the Great Duke of Buck­ingham, who went too far for a good Man, in being accessary to the depriving the Innocent Princes of their Birth-right, and declaring them Bastards. But it seems he went not far enough for so bad a Man as King Richard, because he would not consent to the Murther of them. However, he fell by the same hand that advanced him to be his chief Favourite and Privado. And though King Richard now Triumph'd over his Enemies, yet in a very short time, he lost [Page 94] both his Crown and Life in one day; the foundation of his Ruin having been first laid by this unprosper­ous Conspiracy against him. For a while after he was Slain in a Battle at Bosworth, in Leicester shire, by Henry Earl of Richmond, who succeeded him by the name of King Henry the Seventh.

THE Magnanimity of Spirit which appeared in the Life, and Actions of this Great Cardinal; doth clearly evince that Persons of Mean Birth may be indued with as generous and lofty Sentiments, and be possessors of as much Grandure of Soul, as those of Noble Descent; which occasioned some to alledge that he must needs be the By-blow of some Prince, and not the Issue of such mean Parents as his were gene­rally reckoned.

For all Historians relate that he was the Son of an honest poor Butcher at Ipswich in Suffolk; who in his Childhood being very apt to learn, his Father, with the assistance of Friends, sent him to a Grammar School, from whence he in a short time went to the University of Oxford, where he was so great a Pro­ficient, that at Fifteen Years Old, he was made Batchellour of Arts; and therefore called the Boy Batchellour. He was after made Fellow of Magda­len College, and Master of Magdalen School, and had the Education of the Marquess of Dorset's Sons com­mitted to him, by whose care they so well [...] in Learning, that the Marquess bestowed [...] in his gift upon this Ingenious School-Maste [...] [...] [Page 95] left his Fellowship, and came to reside in his Living: Where he had not been long when one Sir James Pawlet, upon some displeasure set him in the Stocks; which affront was not forgotten nor for­given by Woolsey: Who when by the mighty favour of Fortune he came to be Lord Chancellour of England; he sent for Sir James, and after having sharply reproved him, enjoined him not to stir out of the Middle-Temple, without Special License from himself, which he could not obtain in Six Year time.

After the Death of the Marquess of Dorset, from whom he expected higher preferment, his towring thoughts, aimed at some greater imployment, and since he found he must now make his own Fortune, he resolved to take all opportunities to advance him­self. To this end he became acquainted with one Sir John Naphant, an Ancient Noble Knight, for­merly Treasurer of Callice, under King Henry VII. to whom he was Chaplain, and by his Wisdom and Discretion, gained such favour with his Master, that he committed all the care and charge of his Office to his Chaplain. At length being discharged of his Imployment for his great Age, he returned into Eng­land, but retained so much kindness for Woolsey, that by his Interest at Court, he procured him to be made one of the Chaplains to King Henry VIII.

Having thus cast Anchor in the Port of Preferment he rose amain, for he had opportunity hereby to be dayly in the King's Eye, by reason of his daily at­tendance, and saying Mass before him in his Closet. Neither did he squander away his leisure time, but would commonly attend those Great Men, who were in most favour and power with the King, and among others, Doctor Fox, Lord Thomas Lovell, Master of the Wards, and Constable of the Tower, who per­ceiving him to be a Man of a very acute wit, thought [...] a fit Instrument to be imployed in matters of [...]. And King Henry having occasion to send an [Page 96] Ambassadour to Maximilian Emperour of Germany, These two Grave Councellours, recommended His Chaplain Woolsey to him, as proper for so Honour­able an Office. The King instantly sent for him, and discoursing with him about Matters of State, he found him endued with so much Eloquence, Learn­ing, Judgment, and Modesty, that he caused his Commission, and Instructions to be drawn up with all speed: Which having received, he took his leave of the King at Richmond, at Four a Clock in the Afternoon, and in Three Hours arrived at Gravesend, from thence he Rid Post to Dover, and going a board the Passage-boat, he arrived next Day before Noon at Callice, and the same Night he made such haste that he came to the Emperour's Court, at Brussels in Flanders. Who having notice of this arrival, of the King of England's Ambassadour; out of great Affection to his Master, gave him Audience the same Evening. The Ambassadour having de­livered his Message and Credentials, and humbly de­siring his speedy dismission, the Emperour readily granted all his Master's Requests; and fully dispatch­ed him the next Day. Hereupon he Rides back that Night Post to Callice, being attended by several Noblemen, by the Emperour's Order; and came thi­ther in the Morning before the Gates were opened, and the Pacquet Boat being ready to go off, he ar­rived at Dover by Eleven at Noon, and the same Night came Post to Richmond, and the next Morning presented himself to the King at his coming out of his Bed Chamber to Mass, who checked him for not being upon his Journey. May it please your Highness said he, I have been with the Emperour already, and I hope have dispatched my Embassy to your Graces Satisfaction. The King admired at his Expedition, Asking him whether he met with the Messenger sent after him, before he thought him gone from London, with further Instructions of weighty Consequence: Yes said Woolsey, I met with him [Page 97] Yesterday by the way, and though I did know his Message, yet presuming upon your Highness goodness, and judging those Matters very necessary to be done, I made bold to exceed my Commission, and dispatch them, for which I humbly beg your Majesties Pardon. The King much pleased herewith, replied, We not only pardon you, but give you also our Royal Thanks, both for your discreet management and great Expe­dition.

Soon after the King bestowed on him the Deanery of Lincoln, being one of the greatest Promotions under the degree of a Bishop; and in a short time made him his Lord Almoner, wherein he behaved himself with so much discretion, that he was advanced to be one of the Lords of the Privy Council; and King Henry bestowed on him Bridewell in Fleetstreet, one of his Royal Houses for his Residence and Family, and he was observed by the People to be a Rising Favourite. For the King was Young, and much given to pleasure; and his Ancient Councellours ad­vising to be sometimes present in Council, to consult about the weighty Affairs of the Government; his Lord Almoner on the contrary, dissuaded him from imbarasing himself in the Troubles and Intreagues of State, assuring him, that if he would allow him suffi­cient Authority, he would ease him of those Fatigues, and manage all Affairs to his content. This Advice was quickly received by the Youthful Prince, who gave him what Power he demanded, so that govern­ing all things according to his own mind, he seemed to Rule more than the King himself.

In the first Year of King Henry's Reign, a difference happened between him and the French King Lewis XII. who upon some private quarrel with Pope Julius II. Marched with a great Army into Italy, and pos­sest himself of the Rich City of Bolonia: King Henry having a great respect for the Pope, because he had dispensed with his late Marriage with Queen Katherine of Spain, his Brother Arthur's Widow; and likewise [Page 98] finding the Pope was unable to defend himself, offered to be a Mediatour of Peace between them. But the French King, flushed with Success, refused or neg­lected his Proposal, which so inflamed the vigorous mind of the Young King, that he declared to the World, As he scorned to be neglected, so he ab­horred to be idle in this affair, and therefore resolved by Invading the Dominions of France, to withdraw that King out of the Pope's Territories. In pursuance of this couragious resolution, he instantly sends Am­bassadors to King Lewis, requiring him to deliver up to him the peaceable possession of his two Dutchies of Guien and Normandy, together with his Ancient Inheritance of Anjon and Mayn, which had for many Years been wrongfully detained from his Predecessors and himself.

The little acquaintance that the French King had with Henry, and the contempt of his Youth caused him to return a slighting denial of this his demand; whereupon King Henry proclaimed War against him, and resolved to Invade his Countrey in Person, with a gallant Army, and believing no Man more proper to make provision for this great Expedition than his Almoner Woolsey: The King committed the sole management thereof to his Wisdom and Policy, and he scrupling no command of the King's, undertook this difficult charge; and proceeded therein so dex­terously, that all things were in a very short time provided necessary for this noble Voyage. Upon which the King Marched with his Army to Dover, and Transporting them to Callice, he proceeded in order of Battle, to the strong Town of Tymyn, which he vigorously assaulted and took. In which Siege the Emperor Maximillan, with Thirty Noblemen repair­ed to his Camp, and were all inrolled in the King's Pay. The King Marched from thence to Tournay, which he likewise attack'd with such briskness, that it was soon surrendred to him; which Bishoprick the King bestowed upon his Almoner Woolsey, in re­compence [Page 99] for his care and diligence in this Expediti­on. And then the King returned into England, where he was welcomed with the News of a great Victory, obtained by the Earl of Surrey, against James King of Scotland, he himself being Slain, with divers of his Nobility; and 18000 Scots and French, who came to his assistance.

After the King's return the Bishoprick of Lincoln becoming void, he bestowed the same upon his Lord Almoner, and then the Archbishoprick of York, which was likewise vacant. Lastly, he obtained of the Pope to be made a Cardinal, and his Master Henry, for his great Zeal to the Holy Chair, had the new Title of Defender of the Faith, confer'd upon him. Being suddenly mounted to such a mighty height, and the King's affection daily increasing, it made him so extream proud and insolent, that he thought none to be his equal; and erected Ecclesi­astical Courts, and had the boldness to summon the Archbishop of Canterbury, and all other Bishops and Clergymen to appear before him. And as his Au­thority was superiour to all, so he exceeded them all in Covetousness and Ambition; so that for many Years the Kingdom groaned under his monstrous Op­pressions, and violent Depredations. Yet his Am­bition was so excessive, that he still hunted after greater Dominion; intermedling with affairs wherein he was not concerned, especially in the Chancellor­ship, which then pertained to the Archbishop of Can­terbury, who being Old, and perceiving how great a Favourite Woolsey was with the King, he chose rather to deliver up the Seals than have them taken from him. Upon this surrender the King delivered them to Woolsey; which Favours and Dignities might have satisfied any, but the insatiable mind of this Mighty Prelate, who was now Cardinal, Archbishop, Lord Chancellor, and Councellor of State.

But he still aimed to be Higher, and to gratifie his humour this occasion offered: In 1517. Pope Leo [Page 100] sent Cardinal Campeius, as his Legate to King Henry, to Solicite him (as he had done the Kings of France, and Spain, and the Princes of Germany) to join in a League against the Turks, who made horrible ravages into Christendom. The subtil Cardinal being sensi­ble that when Campeius arrived, he must have the precedency of hi [...] upon all occasions, on the ac­count of his Legateship; he privately sent two Bishops to Callice, as if to attend on him, who cun­ningly insinuated into Campeius, that his Journey would be ineffectual, unless Woolsey were joined in equal Authority with him in this matter. Where­upon Campeius dispatched an account thereof to Rome, and in Forty Days received a new Commissi­on, whereby Woolsey was made the Pope's Legate, and joint Commissioner with him. But Woolsey having notice of the ragged condition of his Brother's Retinue, he instantly sent a great quantity of Red Cloath to Callice, wherewith to Cloath his Servants, answerable to the Dignity of so great a Personage. When all things were ready, Campeius passed the Seas and landed at Dover, and in his passage to London, by Woolseys Order, he was re­ceived with Procession by the Clergy, and Magistrates through every Town he came to, and attended by all the Lords and Gentlemen of Kent. Being arrived at Black-heath, near Greenwich; he was there met by the Duke of Norfolk, a great number of Prelates and Clergy, and many Persons of Quality. The Car­dinal was brought into a Tent covered with Cloth of Gold, where he shifted himself into his Cardinals Robes, Furred with Rich Ermin; and then mount­ing his Mule rid toward London, having Eight Mules more laden with his Equipage attending him, but these not being sufficiently Magnificent in proud Woolsey's Eyes, he therefore sent him twelve more to make the Pageantry more gay, through the Streets of London. The next day these Twenty Mules were led through the City, as if loaden with trea­sures, [Page 101] and other necessaries, to the great admiration of the People, that the Legate should be possest of such vast Riches, but their wonder quickly ceased by an unlucky accident, which turned all this vain Pomp into ridicule. For in going through Cheapside one of the skittish Jades, affrighted with the multitude of Spectators, broke the Collar he was led with, and running upon the other Mules put them all into such disorder, that they threw their Sumpters to the ground, which flying open, discovered the Cardinal's gallant Wealth, some of them being filled with old Cloaths, Rags old Boots and Shoes, Horshoes, and old Iron: Others with Marybones, Scraps of Meat, Roasted Eggs, Mouldy Crusts, and a great deal of o­ther Trumpery, which gave sufficient diversion to the People, who shouted and clap'd their hands at this ridiculous sight; crying, Behold the Cardinal's Rich Treasure. The Muliteers were much ashamed at this discovery; however quietly gathering up these hungry relicks, they peaceably marched on: Cardi­nal Campeius was conducted through the City to St. Pauls, where having bestowed his blessing upon the People, he was then brought to Cardinal Woolsey's Palace, where he lodged, having his Golden Crosses, Pillars, Guilt Axe, and Mace carried before him.

And now as Cardinal Woolsey had the Power, so he maintained the Port and Grandeur of a Prince; of which we have this account, He had in his Hall three long Tables, to which belonged three several Officers, a Steward who was always a Priest, a Trea­surer a Knight, and a Comptroller an Esq;. He had also in the Hall a Confessor, a Doctor, three Mar­shalls, three Ushers, two Almoners, and two Grooms: In the Hall Kitchin, two Clarks, a Comptroller, a Sur­veyor over the Dresser, a Clerk of the Spicery, two Cooks, twelve Labourers and Children: In the Kit­chin a Master Cook, Clothed in Velvet or Sattin, with a Gold Chain, two Under Cooks, six Labourers, four Scullery-men, two Yeomen of the Pastry, and two [Page 102] Past-layers under him: In the Larder a Yeoman and a Groom: In the Buttery two Yeomen and two Grooms: In the Eury as many: In the Cellar three Yeomen, three Pages: In the Chandery two Yeo­men: In the Wayfary, two Yeomen: In the War­drobe of the Beds, the Master and twenty Persons besides: In the Landrey, a Yeoman, a Groom, and thirteen Pages; two Yeomen Purveyors, and a Groom Purveyor: In the Bake-house, two Yeomen, two Grooms: In the Woodyard a Yeoman and a Groom: In the Barn a Yeoman: Two Yeomen, and two Grooms Porters at the Gate: A Yeoman of his Bing: A Master of his Horse: A Clerk and Yeomen of the Stables: A Farrier and Yeoman of the Stirrup: A Malter and sixteen Grooms, every one keeping four Geldings.

His Chappel was furnished with a vast number of costly Ornaments, and Rich Jewels, Forty four Copes gloriously imbroidered with Gold and Silver, Silver Candlesticks, and other necessary Utensils: In which were the following Officers, a Dean, a Sub-Dean, a Repeater of the Quire, a Gospellor, an Epistoler of the Singing Priests, a Master of the Children: In the Vestry, a Yeoman and two Grooms, beside o­ther Retainers that appeared at principal Feasts.

He had likewise two Cross-bearers, and two Pillar­bearers in the Great Chamber; and in his Privy-Chamber the Chief Chamberlain, Vice Chamberlain, Gentleman Usher, twelve Waiters, six Gentlemen Waiters: Also nine or ten Lords, who had two or three Men to wait on them, and the Earl of Darby five. Then he had Gentlemen Cup-bearers, Carvers and forty Sewers of the Great and Privy Chamber, six Yeomen Ushers, eight Grooms, twelve Doctors and Chaplains, daily Guests, besides his own, a Clerk of his Closet, two Secretaries, two Clerks of his Signet, four Councellours Learned in the Law.

As he was Lord Chancellour of England, he had a Riding Clerk, a Clerk of the Crown, of the Ham­per, [Page 103] of the Check, four Footmen with gallant Live­ries, a Herald at Arms, a Serjeant at Arms, a Phisi­cian, an Apothecary, four Minstrels, a Keeper of his Tents (when upon a Journey) and an Armourer. Also in his House, a Surveyor of York, a Clark of the Green Cloth. All these attended daily. At Dinner he had every day eight Tables furnisht for his Cham­berlains and Gentlemen Officers, half of whom were young Lords, who had two or three Persons to wait on them, and all the rest had one. These were all his inrolled Servants, (besides Retainers and other Persons that came about business, who daily Dined in his Hall) which according to the List amounted to eight hundred Persons. So that he was as bountiful an House-keeper as any in that Age, and much superior to any since.

When he went to Westminster Hall to hear Causes as Lord Chancellor, his Magnificence was as conspi­cuous as in other Offices. He was clothed in red like a Cardinal, his upper Garment all of Scarlet, or else fine Crimson Taffety, or Crimson Satrin in Grain. A black Tippet of Sables about his Neck, and an Orange in his hand, the Meat taken out, and filled with Confections to prevent the ill scents from the Crouds of People. Being mounted, his two Cross bearers, and his two Pillar bearers all in fine Scarlet upon tall Horses rid before him, then one with the Purse and Great Seal of England. Another with his Cardinals Cap, then a train of Gentlemen with every one a Pole-ax, next the Cardinal himself, attended on each side by four Footmen. In the same State he used to go every Sunday to the Court at Greenwich in a very rich Barge, and furnisht with Yeomen all round, where when he arrived he was attended by the Lord Treasurer, Comptroller and other principal Officers of the King's House, who conveyed him in State into the King's Chamber.

In this grandeur he continued for fourteen or fif­teen years managing all affairs of State, to whom all [Page 104] foreign Ambassadors made their application, and all Addresses and Petitions were offered. And to secure this Soveraign Power which he had gained over the King's affections, he contrived all kind of pleasures and divertisements suitable to his juvenile temper, as Mask­ing, Dancing, Banquetting, Young Ladies, and va­riety of other Pastimes. I saw the King (saith my Author) come one time suddenly to the Cardinals Pa­lace at Westminster now White-Hall which he had newly built, with a dozen Masquers attired like Shep­herds in cloth of Gold and Silver imbroidered, with six Flambeux: And others in Vizors clothed all in Sattin. The King came thither privately by Water, and arriving at the Stairs, several great Guns were dis­charged, which much surprized the Noblemen, Gen­tlemen and Ladys, a great number of whom the Car­dinal at that time was treating at a sumptuous Supper, he himself sitting at the upper end of the Table under a Cloth of State, a Gentleman and Lady being placed together through all the Tables. The Cardinal at the great noise, as if ignorant of the matter, desired the Lord Chamberlain to inquire the meaning thereof. Who looking out of the Window into the Thames re­turned again and told him that he believed there were some Noblemen and Strangers coming to the Landing [...]tairs. My Lord said the Cardinal I intreat you who can speak French, to go and receive them and conduct them to our Banquet, desiring them to sit down and be merry with us. The Lord Chamberlain went into the Hall. And with twenty Torches, and a great number of Drums and Trumpets brought them into the Dining Room, who by two together went up to the Cardinal's Chair, and saluted him. To whom the Lord Chamberlain said, My Lord Cardinal these Gentlemen being Strangers, and not speaking English, desire me to inform your Grace that they hearing of your Triumphant and Magnificent Banquet this Night, and of such a number of handsome Ladies as were as­sembled thereto, they presumed upon your Graces [Page 105] goodness to intrude into your Palace to take a view of these fine beauties and to offer our service to them. The Cardinal replied they were welcome, whereupon having saluted all the Ladies, a great Cup of Gold filled with Crown Pieces was opened and they thrown on the Table to play withal. After they had play'd some time, the Gentlemen came and threw down their winnings before the Cardinal being about two hun­dred Crowns; Have at all, quoth he, and throwing a Die he won it, whereat the company seemed much pleased.

Then said the Cardinal, My Lord Chamberlain, Pray go and tell these Gentlemen that I am of opi­noin there is a Nobleman among them who better de­serves to sit in this place than I, and to whom I would gladly surrender it according to my duty if I knew him. The Lord Chamberlain spoke to them in French, and they replied, That they must confess there was such a Noble Personage among them, whom if his Grace could distinguish from the rest he would then discover himself and accept of his Place. The Car­dinal taking a strict review of them said, I believe the Gentleman with the black Beard is he, and thereup­on he role up and offered him his Chair with the Cup in his hand; But it was Sir Edward Nevil who was very like King Henry, and the King seeing the Cardi­nal's mistake could not forbear laughing, and pulling off his Vizor and Sir Edward's likewise, discovered him­self to all his Guests, and then withdrawing, clothed himself in his Royal Robes. In which short space the former Banquet was clear taken away, and the Tables new covered again with perfumed Linnen, and the King and his Masquers returning again in their rich Cloths a Royal Banquet of two hundred Dishes was brought in, where they continued Feasting and Dan­cing till the next Morning.

As these Entertainments discover the extream Mag­nificence wherein the Cardinal lived, so they also shew the familiar temper of King Henry, whom one [Page 106] Historian says, was so free from Pride, that he was rather too humble, at least he conversed with his Subjects in a more familiar manner than is usual with Princes. VVhich is confirmed by a Passage in the eleventh year of his Reign, when the Privy Council complaining that certain young Gentlemen in his Court [...]ith whom he was over-familiar were so Frenchified, that forgetting the respect due to his Royalty, they used many unfeemly actions and discourses with him, they were thereupon with his consent banished the Court, and several other antient grave Knights and Gentlemen placed in their Rooms about the King's Person.

Neither did the Cardinals grandeur consist only in the aforementioned instances, but likewise in erecting costly and magnificent Houses and Palaces, as York Place at Westminster so named by him from his Arch­bishoprick, now Whitehall. Hampton Court, his stately buildings at Christ Church and Windsor. He likewise designed to have built two new Colleges in Oxford and Ipswich the Town of his Birth, and ob­tained a License of Pope Clement to suppress forty Monasteries, and seize the Revenues thereof to per­form the same. And for the farther support of his Dignity he enjoyed at one time no less than seven rich Bishopricks, that is York, Winchester, Lincoln, Tournay, Bath, VVorcester and Hereford, so that he seemed a Monster with seven Heads, each of them honoured with a Miter.

He being thus imperiously Great, more like a Prince than a Priest, was continually inventing new ways for getting of Money. For he required an account of the Captains, Treasurers and other Officers that had been imployed in paying the Souldiers in the VVars, some of whom he obliged to refund great sums of their ill gotten Estates, who made themselves poor to inrich him. Others compounded with him for half they were worth. But those that had deceived the King, and then prodigally spent what they had wrongfully [Page 107] gained, were exposed to publick shame and punish­ment. So that none suffered, though deeply Crimi­nal, but only for the Mortal Sin of Poverty. He like­wise erected several Courts of Equity, as he called them, but the People named them Courts of Iniquity, in which upon pretence of relieving the poor from the rigour of the Law he brought such a multitude of Causes into them that the other Courts of Justice were abandoned, and he thereby gained vast Treasures to himself: Till at length the People perceiving that he only grew Rich and themselves poor, and that the Verdicts in these Courts would not stand in Common Law, they utterly left them and returned to the for­mer course of Proceeding. He likewise erected ano­ther new Court which he called the Legantine Court, whereby he visited all Bishopricks and Monasteries, punishing such Clergymen as were unable to bribe him, but inriching himself by those who were full of Money and full of Faults. By the same Authority he supprest several Abbies and Priories, seizing all their Goods and Lands, leaving only a small Pension to the Abbots and Priors, whereby he purchased great riches and and great hatred from the Clergy, who in many places opposed his Visitor Dr. Allen (who rid in a Velvet Gown with a great Train following him) and for which they were openly cursed by Dr. Forrest at Paul's Cross, so that the Cardinal prevailed against them all; and caused the generality to murmur and complain, that by his Visitations, Probate of Wills, granting of Faculties, Licenses, and other Tricks, he made his constant revenue equal to the King's, besides great sums which he yearly conveyed out of the Realm to the Court of Rome.

In 1517. The Citizens of London were so highly provoked by the multitude of French and Walloons who setling here undersold their goods, and thereby impoverisht them, that they resolved to endeavour to rid themselves of this annoyance all at once. Where­upon John Lincoln a Broker persuaded one Dr. Bell [Page 108] to represent this great grievance to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen in a Sermon at the Spittle on Easter Tuesday. The Doctor undertook the business, and took these words for his Text, The Heaven is the Lord's, but the Earth he hath given to the Sons of men. From hence he infer'd that this Land was given to Englishmen, who were obliged to defend the same as Birds do their Nests, and to fight for their Country, by the Law of God, against all Strangers and Foreigners, who to the great trouble, vexation and ruin of the Peo­ple had now over-run the Land, and for which there was no redress to be had but by the Commons uniting themselves together and extirpating them out of the City and Kingdom; and thereby avenge themselves of the many affronts and abuses which they had lately publickly offered them. This Sermon inflamed the Minds of the Citizens who were sufficiently inraged before, so that they took all occasions to q [...]arrel with the Foreigners, and a rumor was spread that the next May day would be very remarkable. The Cardinal and Council hearing of it, ordered the Lord Mayor to keep strong Watches throughout the City. However on May Eve several hundreds of young Fellows got together, and in the Morning they fell to rifling the Houses of several Foreigners, but four or five hundred of them being seized by the Lord Mayor, were com­mitted to Prison, and two hundred seventy eight were afterward indicted for High Treason, but John Lin­coln only was executed, the King by the intercession of three Queens, Katherine Queen of England and the French Queen, and Queen of Scots his Sisters, and by the persuasion of Cardinal VVoolsey, without whose advice he would do nothing, pardoning all the rest, who being in number four hundred men and eleven women, were brought by the Lord Mayor with Ropes about their Necks into VVestminster Hall, where the Cardinal severely reprimanded the Lord Mayor and Aldermen for their negligence in not secur­ing the peace of the City, and then aggravated the [Page 109] high crime of the Prisoners, who had justly deserved death. Upon which they all cried to the King for mer­cy who thereupon told them, That he would pardon them all, which he had no sooner pronounced but the Prisoners gave a loud shout all at once, throwing up their Halters toward the top of the Hall, and so were dismissed, and the Gibbets that had been set up in seve­ral parts of the City for their Execution were taken down, and afterwards this was named, The evil May Day.

About this time Maximilian the Emperor died, and Charles V. his Son succeeded him in the Empire of Germany, the Kingdom of Spain and the Low Coun­trys. Upon which Cardinal VVoolsey was sent over to Bruges in Flanders to condole with, and Congratu­late the young Emperor who was then Resident there, being furnisht for his Journey in all respects like a Great Prince, his Attendants being clothed some in Crimson, Velvet and Chains of Gold about their Necks. Others in fine Scarlet edged with black Velvet; and was received by the Emperor with as much honour as if he had been the King himself, having the Great Seal of England with him which was always carried before him, being served upon the knee by several English Noblemen and Gentlemen, to the admiration of the Germans for his strange Pride and Inso­lence. After which he returned into England in great Triumph, being more in fav [...] with the King than before.

The French King Lewes being weary of the VVar with England, and having a great Kindness for the Lady Mary King Henry's Sister, sent Ambassadors to Treat of Peace, and of a Marriage with her. Both which were soon concluded, and the Lady was sent to France and Crowned Queen at Paris, the French de­claring, That they thought themselves the happiest People in the VVorld, who had so good a King and fair a Queen to reign over them. But King Lewes af­ter twelve weeks converse with his most beautiful Lady [Page 110] died, and his Brother Francis I. succeeded him, who renewed the former amity between the two Kingdoms, and for further confirmation of the same desired an en­terview between them, which the Cardinal persuaded the King to gratifie him in. VVhereupon King Henry and his Queen, attended by VVoolsey and a great number of Noblemen and Gentlemen sailed over to Callice, and in a plain near Guisness a large Palace of Timber was framed, where both the Kings met and imbraced each other with much seeming affection and where nothing was wanting as to Justs, Turnaments, and the other Princely Military Exercises of that age, which were proper for such a Royal Assembly.

Soon after Charles the Emperor coming out of Spain to Sail into the Low Countrys, landed at Dover, where he was received and entertained by the Cardinal, and King Henry went to Canterbury to meet with him, and having sumptuously treated him for a few days, the Emperor pursued his Voyage to Flanders in forty four men of VVar. A while after some differences happened between the French King and the Emperor, to compose which Cardinal VVoolsey with some other Noblemen were sent, but they not prevailing. King Henry fell from the French King alledging that he had stirred up the Scots to make VVar with him, but King Francis laid all the blame on the Cardinal's dissimula­tion and base treacherous practices. However the VVar proceeded becteixt the two Kingdoms, between the French King and the Duke of Bourbon, insomuch that the Duke fled out of France to the Emperor to save his life, the Cardinal having notice of it, he contrived that he should be King Henry's General against the French King. VVho thereupon raised a great Army against Burbon, and drove him into the Town of Pa­via in Italy, where he was so closely besieged that he could get no Provisions, the Cardinal being secretly corrupted by the French King to withhold his pay, so that his Souldiers were ready to mutiny against their new General. Hereupon finding his case despe­rate, [Page 111] he resolved to attempt an escape, and in the dead of the Night, he sent part of his Forces to at­tack that part of the French Camp which was weakest, himself marching out on the other side the City. The Guards being weak, and the Souldiers asleep, it caused a very great disturbance among the French, who turned their Cannon toward the Assaulters, when Burbon falling unexpectedly upon the backs of them drove them from their Cannon, which they turned upon themselves, slew their Souldiers, cut down their Tents, and took Francis the French King Prisoner. This great success so much incouraged these brave Germans, that with their Imperial Ensigns dis­played, they marched to Florence, and thence to Rome; and gave three Assaults to the Walls thereof in one day, in the last of which the Duke of Burbon was slain, however his Army being commanded by the Prince of Orange, and some other brave Generals, the Popes Palace, and the Castle of St. Angelo were taken, and the Pope was made Prisoner, with twenty four Cardinals that fled thither for security. The City of Rome also was plundred, where the Souldiers gained a very rich booty, so that they were overloaden with valuable Jewels Plate and Money: During the Siege the Souldiers would often Cloath a Man like the Pope, and set him on Horseback with a Whore be­hind him, who sometimes blest, and sometimes curst as he rid along, and whom the Souldiers called An­tichrist.

The Cardinal hearing of the misfortune of his Fa­ther the Pope, endeavoured by all means to induce K. Henry to declare War against the Emperour, and to shew himself the Defender of the Church, but the King replied; 'My Lord, I am more disturbed at this unhappy chance, than my Tongue can express; but whereas you say, that I as Defender of the Faith ought to be concerned therein; I do assure you my opinion is, That this War between the Pope and the Emperor, is not a War of Religion, or for the [Page 112] Faith, but for Temporal Possessions and Dominions, and now Pope Clement is in the hands of Souldiers, What can I do? I can neither assist him with my Person, nor my People cannot rescue him, but if my Treasure will help him take what you think con­venient. Whereupon Woolsey took two hundred and forty thousand pound out of the Exchequer, which he carried over to Callice; and from thence in 80 Waggons, and a Guard of 1200 Horse, 60 Mules and Sumpter Horses, and attended with a great number of Lords and Gentlemen, he conveyed this great Sum to the French Court at Amiens. Having before his going hence, sent out Commissions to all the Bishops of England, to Sing the Litany after this manner, Holy Mary pray for our Holy Pope Clement; Holy Holy Peter pray for Pope Clement, &c. And thus was the Cardinal disappointed in advising the King to de­clare the Duke of Bourbon his General, who proceed­ed farther then he could ever have imagined.

The Cardinals ambition being unlimited, he during the Imprisonment of the Pope, sent to the Emperour to use his interest to advance him to the Papacy; but receiving a disobliging answer, he grew thereupon so furious that he sent the Emperor word, That if he would not endeavour his advancement, he would make such a rustling among the Christian Princes as there had not been the like for an hundred years before; though it should cost him the whole Kingdom of England. The Emperour answering this insolent Letter in Print, bid the Cardinal have a care of undertaking what might both ruin himself and the Kingdom. Hereupon the Cardinal sent pri­vate Letters to Clarentius King at Arms, to join with the French Herald, and proclaim defiance to the Emperour: Who suspecting that it was done with­out the King's knowledge, ordered his Ambassadour at London to complain thereof.

The King much wondered to hear of it, and the Cardinal confidently affirmed that he knew nothing [Page 113] of the matter, but that it was the fault of Claren­ [...]ius, who had done it at the request of the French Herald; for which he swore he should lose his Head when he came to Callice: Clarentius having intelli­gence hereof, instantly Imbark'd at Bullen, and com­ing to Greenwich, was introduced by some of his Friends into the King's Presence, before the Cardi­nal knew of it, and produced the Cardinals Letters, Commission, and Instructions for what he had done. At which the King was so surprized that he stood some time silent, and then said, 'O Lord Jesus! He that I trusted most hath deceived me, and given a false account of my Affairs. Well Clarentius, for the future I shall take care whom I believe, for I now find I have been informed of a great many things as true, which I now find to be utterly false. And from that time the King withdrew his favour and confidence from him.

Some time before this the Cardinal sent Letters to Doctor Stephen Gardiner, the King's Orator at Rome; (and afterward Bishop of Winchester) urging him to use all manner of means for advancing him to the Papal Dignity, which he said, nothing could induce him to aspire to, but the vehement desire he had to restore and advance the Authority of the Church, wherein no Man should be more Zealous and indefatigable than himself. He likewise ingaged the French King, and King Henry to write to the Cardinals on his behalf, that he might succeed after the Death of Pope Clement; and vast Sums of Money were wasted in this business, but all the Car­dinals ambitious thoughts proved abortive; and as he already began to stagger in the King's favour, so in a short time he fell into his high displeasure. For these extravagant expences drained the King's Trea­sury so low, that the Cardinal was compell'd to con­trive new ways for filling them again. To which end he, without the King's knowledge, and by his own Authority Issued out Commissions under the [Page 114] Great Seal, to every County in England, for taking an account of every Man's Estate; and he that was worth Fifty Pound, was charged to pay Four Shillings in the Pound: All that were worth above Twenty, and under Fifty Pound, Two Shillings in the Pound; and those not worth Twenty Pound, to pay Twelve pence, to be paid either in Money, or Plate, making himself chief Commissioner for raising the same in and about London: The Clergy were like­wise charged at four Shillings in the Pound for their Livings.

These unjust Proceedings were grievous both to the Clergy and People, who generally refused to comply, alledging, That these Commissions were con­trary to Law, and against the Liberty of the Subject, and that it was not possible for those who were worth more, yet to raise the half of what they were charged with, either in Plate or ready Money, and therefore they Petitioned the Cardinal to intercede with the King for remitting it: To whom he haughtily repli­ed, That he would rather have his Tongue pluck'd out of his Mouth with Pincers, then move any such thing; and that he was resolved to make them pay the utmost Farthing; and the Lord Viscount Lisle one of the Commissioners in Hampshire, sending a Letter to the Cardinal, that he doubted the raising this Mo­ney would occasion an Insurrection, he swore deep­ly, that his not following the Instructions given him, should cost him his Head.

But however the discontents of the People were so general, that the Cardinal doubting the Event, thought fit to recal those Commissions, and to issue others whereby he demanded a sixth part of every Mans Estate, according to the aforesaid Rates; which he did not doubt, but they would have complied with; but on the contrary, they renewed their com­plaints and cursed the Tyrannical Cardinal for his Arbitrary Proceedings, which at length reach'd the King's Ear. who being told that all Places were filled [Page 115] with Clamours, Discontents and Mutinies, he openly protested that these Commissions were issued out without his Knowledge or Consent; and to prevent farther Mischief he by Proclamation vacated them, declaring that though his necessities were never so urgent, yet he would never force his Subjects to pay any Tax without their own consent in Parlia­ment, but that his wants being extream at this time, if they would of their own accord, by way of Bene­volence, supply his present exigencies, he should ac­cept it as an infallible Proof of their Love and Duty toward their Soveraign.

The Cardinal perceiving himself obliquely struck at by this Proclamation, as the principal Author of these heavy Pressures, and publick Grievances, he Politickly sent for the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of London before him, to whom he declared, That perceiving the former Demands to be grievous to the People, he had upon his Knees (for the Love and Kindness he bore toward them) perswaded the King to annul those Commissions, and wholly to relie upon the free Gift of his People; and though the King might have justly demanded the for­mer Summs as a due Debt, yet he freely released them of the same; not doubting but they would equal if not exceed the Rates formerly required of them; the Lord Mayor and Aldermen assembled their respe­ctive Wards, and acquainted them with the King's de­sire, but the Citizens absolutely refused to give any thing, alledging that they had pay'd enough already, and were able to do no more, adding many oppro­brious Words against the Cardinal, who having no­tice of it, sent for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen again, saying, he would examine them upon Oath what they were worth, which they also denied to have done; and one of their Counsellours pleaded; that the demanding or paying of any Benevolence was contrary to the Statute made in the I. Year of King Richard III. What, says the Cardinal, do you [Page 116] quote a Law made by an Usurper and Murtherer the Counsellour replied, the Act was made by the Lords and Commons of England, and not by him alone; Well, my Lord Mayor and Aldermen said the Cardinal, pray tell me what you will give; My Lord pray excuse me, said the Lord Mayor, for if I should offer any thing, I do not know but it may cost me my Life; 'What for your kindness to your King, that's very strange, said the Cardinal, why then I am afraid you will constrain the King to force you to your Duty; well my Lord, pray go home, and tell your Neighbours, the King will be very kind to them, if they do but shew their good will to him in some competent summ; next day the Lord Mayor called a Common Council, where it was una­nimously Voted, that the Meeting of the Aldermen in their respective Wards in order to the demanding a Benevolence of the Subject was contrary to Law, and therefore not to be regarded; two or three of the Common Council moved, that every Man should go to the Cardinal, and give him privately what they thought fit, but this so inraged the rest, that they re­quired that these Men should be for ever banisht and excluded from sitting in the Common Council, and so the Court broke up in disorder, and every Man went to his own home.

Neither had this Project better success in other places of this Realm, the People in Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, &c. assembling three or four thou­sand in a Company, and openly declaring against the Benevolence, and the Duke of Norfolk coming to them, and demanding what was the cause of their Insurrection, and who was their Captain; was an­swered, that Poverty was both their Cause and Cap­tain, the great Taxes they had already paid, having so ruined their Trades that they had not Bread for their Families, nor Work to imploy them in; desi­ring the Duke to mediate with the King on their be­half.

The King having daily Intelligence of these disor­ders, thought it dangerous to proceed further in this matter; and therefore summoned a great Council to York Place (now Whitehall) where he again made a solemn Protestation, That he never designed to de­mand any thing of his People, which might tend to the breach of the Laws, and therefore desired to know by whose Order those Commissions were issued out, to demand the Sixth Part of every Man's E­state; the Cardinal answered, That it was done by the consent of the whole Council, and by the Ad­vice of the Judges, for the supply of the King's wants, who said it might lawfully be demanded, and that he took God to witness he never designed to oppress the Subject, but like a true and just Counsellour con­trived how to inrich the King; and some Clergy men had told him, that it might be done by the Law of God, because Joseph caused Pharaoh King of Egypt, to take the Fifth Part of every Man's Goods in that Land; 'But however, said he, since I find every Man is willing to free himself of this burden, I am content to take upon me the scandal of it, and bear the ill Will of the Multitude, for my good Will to­ward the King, and to clear you my Lords and Counsellours, but the Eternal God knoweth all; Well, said the King, I have been informed that my Realm was never so rich as now, and that no trou­ble would have risen upon this demand, since every Man would freely pay it at the first request, but now I find all contrary; at which all held their Peace; Come, said the King, I'll have no more of these di­sturbances; pray send Letters to every County in England to recal the Benevolence. I will freely par­don what is past, but pray let me hear no more of it; The Lords on their Knees returned the King thanks, and Letters were sent accordingly, wherein, somewhat to excuse the Cardinal, it was inserted, That the Lords, Judges, and others of the Privy Council first contrived that demand, and that the [Page 118] Cardinal only concurred with them in it; but how­ever the Common People had a mortal Aversion to him for this, and many other illegal Practices, and his Interest with the King seemed likewise daily to lessen; and to disoblige the Court, he insinuated in­to the King, that his Family was much out of Order, and thereupon undertook to reform the same by re­moving several Officers and Servants from their Pla­ces, and putting ill Men in their Rooms; He like­wise presented his Mannor and Palace of Hampton-Court to the King, a little to sweeten him; in re­compence of which, the King gave him leave to keep his Court in his Palace at Richmond, wherein King Henry VIIth did so extreamly delight; which yet made him the more abhorr'd both by the Courtiers and Common People, who reproachfully said, Who would ever have thought to have seen a Butcher's Dog lye in the Palace of Richmond.

After this the Marriage of the King with Queen Katherine, his Brother Arthur's Widow began to be questioned; and some Authors say, the scruple a­bout it was first put into the King's Head by Cardi­nal Woolsey, who being naturally revengeful, and never forgiving any Injury, moved it partly to be avenged on the Emperour, whose Sister Queen Ka­therine was, for not making him Pope, and partly because the Queen had often secretly and modestly reproved him for his Tyranny, Covetousness, Op­pression, Pride, and Lasciviousness; King Henry seemed very much disturbed at this Motion, and desired that the Legality of his Marriage might be debated among the Learned, pretending that he had no design in it, but only to satisfie his Conscience, and to establish the Succession of the Crown in a rightful Heir, which could not be done if Queen Ka­therine were not his lawful Wise; upon this ac­count a religious Sorrow seemed to seize upon him, [...] he refrained from the Queen's Bed till by a Ju­ [...] Sentence, this grand Affair might be settled; [Page 119] the Cardinal to advance his Reputation higher with the King, procured a Commission from the Pope to himself and Cardinal Campeius, that before them as Supream Judges, this Question might be debated by legal Processes and Proceedings, and determined ac­cording to the Laws of God and Man; the King de­clared, that he intended nothing but Justice in the Case, and therefore allowed the Queen to chuse what Counsellours she pleased to defend her Cause, who accordingly nominated Warham Archbishop of Can­terbury, West Bishop of Ely, Fisher Bishop of Ro­chester, the Bishop of St. Asaph, and some others.

Cardinal Campeius being again arrived in England, the two Legates caused a stately Court to be erected in Black Fryers, and their Commission being read, the Cryer called, Henry King of England, who answered, Here: Then he cried, Katherine Queen of England come into the Court; the Queen made no answer, but rising out of her Chair, came to the King and kneeling at his Feet, she in broken English spake thus to him;

'Sir, I beseech you do me Justice and right, and take some Pity upon me; I am a Poor Woman and a stranger Born out of your Dominions, having here no indifferent Council, and less Assurance of Friend­ship; Alas Sir, how have I offended you, that you thus intend to shorten my Days; I take God to witness, I have been to you a True and Loyal Wife, ever conformable to your Will, and never contra­dicting your desires; but have always complied and submitted to your Pleasure in all things, without the least grudging or discontent: For your sake I have loved all Men whom you loved, whether they were my Friends or Enemies; I have been your Wife these twenty Years, by whom you have had many Children; and when I first came to your Bed, God and your own Conscience knows that I was a Vir­gin: If you can prove any dishonesty by me, where­by you may lawfully put me from you, I am willing to [Page 120] leave you with shame and rebuke, but if I am guilty of none, I beseech you set me have Justice at your hands. The King your Father was a man of excel­lent VVisdom in his time, and accounted a second Solomon, and the King of Spain Ferdinand my Fa­ther was reckoned one of the wisest Princes that has reigned there for many years. And doubtless they had both as wise Counsellors as any are at this day. And who could never have imagined when you and I were Married that such new devises should have been invented as to compel me to submit to the de­crees of this Court, from whom I may expect to re­ceive wrong, and may be condemned for not answer­ing, but not to have Right administred to me, since I can have no indifferent Council assigned me to plead my Cause, but must make choice of your own Subjects who know your Mind and dare not contra­dict your VVill. Therefore I most humbly beseech you spare till I know how my Friends in Spain will advise me. But if you will not, you may do your pleasure.

Then making a low Curtesie to the King she depart­ed out of the Court; Upon which the King bid the Crier call her back which he did, but she refused to return, saying, It is no indifferent Court to me, I will not go back.

VVhen she was gone the King declared to the Court, that she had been a loyal loving and obedient Wife to him, and was endued with all the good qualities and virtues of a Woman either of her Dignity, or of any meaner Estate. After which Cardinal Woolsey said, 'I humbly beseech your Highness to declare to this audience whether I have been the first and chief Mover of this matter to your Highness or not, for I am much suspected of all men. The King declared he was not, but rather advised the contrary, but that the special cause that moved him in this matter was a certain scruple of Conscience upon some words spoken by the Bishop of Bayon the French Ambassador upon [Page 121] a debate about a Marriage between the Lady Mary his only Daughter, and the Duke of Orleans second Son to the French King, and the Bishop desiring time to consult his Master whether the Lady Mary were Le­gitimate as being born of his Brother Arthur's Wife. This discourse so affected him, considering he had no Heirs Male, they all dying as soon as born, that he judged God Almighty was displeased at this match. Hereupon, considering the state of the Realm, and dispairing to have any more Children by his Queen, whereby the Kingdom might be endangered for want of a Prince to succeed him, and to quiet his own mind which was tossed with the Waves of troublesome doubts, he desired to have the opinion of the Learned Prelates and Pastors of the Realm whether by the Laws of God and the Land, he might take another Wife (if his first Marriage were not Legal) by which he might have more Issue. Affirming in the presence of God that he had no dislike to the Person nor Age of the Queen, with whom he could be content to live if it were the Will of God. Nor out of carnal Concu­piscence or desire of change, but only for the setling of his Conscience.

After this the Court sate daily, where many subtile and learned Arguments and Disputations touching the lawfulness or insufficiency of the Marriage were hand­led, but the Queen Appealing to the Court of Rome for deciding this Question, from which she could not be dissuaded; The King expected a final [...]efini­tive Sentence on his behalf, the two Legates declined to give it, which so i [...]raged the King who now per­ceived their dissimulation, and that they purposely contrived delays, that from this time he had a mortal hatred against his false Favourite Woolsey, whom from a contemptible Birth and Estate, he had pre­fer'd to be Abbot of St. Albans, his Almoner, a Coun­sellor of State, Bishop of Winchester, Durham, Lin­coln, Bath, Worcester, Hereford, Tournay, Arch­bishop of York, an Ambassador to Kings and Princes, [Page 122] his Chancellor and a Cardinal, who by contriving this business, thereby to render himself Gracious with the King, and to be revenged of his Enemies, brought ruin and destruction at length upon himself.

For notwithstanding the King excused him from being the Author of this scruple of Conscience, yet Woolsey seemed at first very forward in promoting it, and to incline to have it determined according to the King's Mind, but afterward perceiving the fatal con­sequences which might ensue thereupon, so as at length to shake the Infallibility of the Papal Chair, if the Case were decided according to the Scriptures, he declined proceeding therein. For if the Marriage was unlawful, then the former dispensation of Pope Julius was null and void, and if it was lawful then the Judgment of so many learned Universities as had gi­ven their Opinion to the contrary, was false. In this difficulty his Collegue Campeius went out of the King­dom before the day of the final determination of the matter, leaving Woolsey to bear all the weight of the King's Indignation.

Another cause of the Cardinal's opposing the Di­vorce was, that the King during the Ventilation of this Knotty Case, had fallen in love with Mrs. Ann Bullen, who he after Married, one of the Maids of Honour to Queen Katherine, and Daughter to Sir Tho. Bullen, (afterward Earl of Wiltshire) a Lady no way favourable to his Pontifical Grandeur, nor to the Superstitions of the Church of Rome. So that when the King discovered his great affection for her, the Cardinal upon his Knees used many arguments to dis­suade him from it. Which the Lady had notice of, and therefore when the King once entertained him at a great Feast, She being present, among other dis­courses said, 'Sir is it not a marvellous thing to think into what great Debt this great Cardinal hath brought you, to all your Subjects? How so, quoth the King. Why, says she, there is not a man in your whole Kingdom worth an hundred pounds but he hath made [Page 123] you a Debtor to him. (Meaning the Loan which the Cardinal had borrowed for the King some years be­fore, and which he procured the House of Commons, who were most the King's Servants, to discharge with­out repaying a farthing, to the great loss of the People): Nay, added she, how many violencies and oppressions is he guilty of, to your great dishonour and disgrace, in divers parts of the Realm, so that if my Lord of Norfolk, my Lord of Suffolk, my own Fa­ther, or any other Nobleman had done but half so much wrong as he, they well deserved to lose their Heads. Then I perceive, said the King, that you are no friend of my Lord Cardinal's. Why Sir, quoth she, I have no cause, no more have any others that love the King. Neither has your Grace any reason to be kind to him, considering his indirect and unlaw­ful actions. The King said no more, but went away.

The Council and the Nobility perceiving that the King's Heart was estranged from Woolsey, they re­solved if possible utterly to depress him, for he was ge­nerally hated for his excessive Pride, insulting Tyran­ny, grievous oppressions, monstrous injustice, unsa­tiable covetousness, abominable debauchery, malicious and cruel revenge, and likewise for his secret In­treagues with the Pope and Church of Rome, where­by the King's Authority and Prerogative Royal in all things touching the Church and Clergy were made void. Hereupon they concluded him guilty of a Prae­munire, and that consequently he had forfeited all his Promotions, Spiritual and Temporal, with all the rest of his Estate and likewise his Liberty to the King. These crimes the Nobility drew into Articles which were ingrossed and signed with their hands, and then delivered to the King. Which were as followeth:

I. That by subtil and indirect means he had procu­red himself, without the King's consent, to be made a Legate, whereby he deprived the Bishops and Clergy of England, of all jurisdiction in Ecclesiastical Af­fairs. II. That in all his Letters to Foreign Princes [Page 124] he used the insolent stile of Ego & Rex meus, I and my King, as if the King were his Inferior or Servant. III. That he unchristianly and abominably slandered the Church of England to the Pope, affirming, That they were Reprobates and without Faith, and that there was an absolute necessity for him to be made a Legate to reduce them to the true belief. IV. That without the King's consent he carried the Great Seal of Eng­land to Flanders only for vain Glory, and to the great damage of the Subjects of England. V. That he be­ing filthily powdered with the French Pox, by reason of his excessive Letchery and Debauched Life, did oft presume to discourse with, and cast his unwholesome Breath into the King's Face. VI. That he caused the Cardinals Hat to be put on the King's Coin. VII. That to obtain his Dignities he had conveyed out of the Realm 240000 l. at one time, and incredible sums at other times: And to inrich the K. again had of his own accord sent out Commissions for exacting infinite sums contrary to Law, which raised hatred and insurrecti­ons among the People against the King.

These with many other Articles being charged against VVoolsey, he with his own Hand freely Sub­scribed to them, confessing all of them to be true, throwing himself upon the King's mercy, hoping he would have forgiven him, but afterward finding that he disposed of his Offices, and part of his Estate, he secretly procured a Bull from the Pope to Curse and Excommunicate the King, unless he would restore to him all his Dignities and Lands, who likewise decla­red that the King himself nor no other authority on Earth but the Pope alone, had power to punish any Clergyman for any crime or offence whatsoever. This Bull, with the Letters sent him by several Car­dinals, to incourage him not to faint or be discoura­ged, assuring him of his Restoration, and that the King should be certainly crost in the business of his Marriage, so animated the Cardinal that he did not doubt of his re-advancement, if not with, yet without the King's [Page 125] consent, so that he made great preparations for his in stalment into his Archbishoprick of York, which he designed to solemnize with extraordinary Pomp and Magnificence, to which purpose he had erected a state­ly seat of an extraordinary height in that Cathedral, resembling the Throne of the King, and writ Letters to the Nobility and Gentry of the North, wherein he kindly invited them to be present at his Instalment, for which he had made extraordinary provision of all manner of Dainties.

These mighty preparations being made without ac­quainting the King therewith, and seeming to be in contempt of him, who had been so kind to allow him the Bishopricks of York and VVinchester though justly forfeited to the Crown, caused the King to put a stop to his aspiring purposes, so that he sent order to the Earl of Northumberland to Arrest him, and deliver him to the Earl of Shrewsbury Lord High Steward of the Houshold. The Earl accordingly went to his Mannor of Caywood about seven Miles from York, and com­ing into his Chamber told him, he arrested him for High Treason in the King's name: The Cardinal was so astonisht that for some time he stood speechless, at length recovering himself, he said, You have no power to Arrest me, who am both a Cardinal and a Legate, and also a Peer of the See Apostolick of Rome, and ought not to be Arrested by any Tempo­ral Power, for I am Subject to none, and none I will obey. Well, said the Earl, here is the King's Com­mission, and therefore I charge you to submit. I re­member when I was sworn Warden of the Marches you your self told me that with my staff only, I might Arrest any man under the degree of a King, and now I am stronger, for I also have a Commission for what I have done. The Cardinal at length recollecting him­self, Well, my Lord, said he, I am contented to sub­mit, but though by negligence I fell into the danger of a Praemunire, whereby I forfeited all my Lands and Goods to the Law, yet my Person was under the [Page 126] King's Protection, and I was pardoned that offence, therefore I much wonder I should be now Arrested, especially considering I am a Member of the Sacred College at Rome, on whom no Temporal Man ought to lay hands; Well I find the King wants good Coun­sellors about him. He was then kept close in one of his Chambers, and Dr. Austin his Physician was at the same time Arrested for High Treason and sent to the Tower. The Cardinal's Goods were all seized, and his Servants discharged: And he himself was so de­jected that he continually lamented his hard fortune with such a mean and unbecoming forrow as such haughty Spirits are commonly subject to when they fall into adversity, as having neither good Consciences nor manly Courage to support their drooping Spirits. From hence he was carried to the Earl of Shrewsbury's to Sheffeild, where he continued till the King sent Sir William Kingston Captain of the Guard and Constable of the Tower to bring him to London, the sight of whom so daunted him that he redoubled his lamenta­tions, and would receive no comfort, and much doubt­ing he should lose his Head, he took so strong a Purge, or poysonous Potion, for fear of being brought to open punishment for his many enormities, as in a few days put an end to his Life at Leicester Abbey in his Jour­ney toward London.

Being near his end he called Sir William Kingston to him and said, 'Pray present my Duty to his Ma­jesty, who is a Noble and Gallant Prince, and of a resolved Mind, for he will venture the loss of his Kingdom rather than be contradicted in his desires. I do assure you I have sometimes kneeled three hours together to dissande him from his resolutions but could never prevail, therefore you had need take care what you put into his Head for you can never get it out again. And now Mr. Kingston, had I but served God as diligently as I have served the King he would never have forsaken me in my Gray Hairs, but this is the just reward that I receive for all my [Page 127] pains and labour, who neglected the Service of God, and studied only to please and humour my Prince.

He then proceeded to vilifie the Protestants whom he named Hellish Lutherans, and that the King should take care to suppress and extirpate them, as being the occasion of Rebellions and Insurrections in Bohemia and England in King Richard II's time, and other places, and that these Seditions and Heresies would ruin Holy Church, and bring destruction upon the Realm. About eight a Clock at Night he gave up the Ghost, as himself had predicted the day before. A Person in whose Arm he died, affirmed, that his Body when dead was as black as pitch, and so heavy that six men could hardly carry it, and stank so horribly that they were forced to bury him that very night be­fore it was day. At which time so great a Tempest of Wind, and such a lothsome stench arose, that all the Torches were blown out, and the Corps being hastily thrown into the Grave was there left, without Tomb, Monument, or Remembrance. Of which the Poet thus writes,

One Historian thus concludes his Story. Thus Lived and thus Died this great Cardinal, who was Proud and Ambi [...]ious, VVanton and Letcherous, Rich and Covetous, a Liar and a Flatterer, a Tyrant and Merciless, forgetful of his beginning, disdainful in his Prosperity, dispirited and base in adversity, and wretched in his end. VVhose Death made the King joyful, the Nobles jocund, and the People glad. This happened in 1530.

Thus died this mighty Prelate who though guilty of [Page 128] so many horrid crimes, yet to the last hour pretended much zeal for the Church, breathing forth Death and murder against the Protestants, and charging them with those Rebellions and Disturbances which the Clergy only were the cause of, by their violent Coun­sels, and their bloody, cruel, illegal and arbitrary de­crees and practices; Insomuch that Sir Richard Baker in his Chronicle of England, writing the Character of King Henry VIII. says thus: But it will be injurious to charge all the Blood spilt in his Reign to his account. They were the bloody Bishops that made those bloody Laws, and the bloody Clergy that put them in exe­cution, the King oft-times scarce knowing what was done, and when he heard of some of them, he ex­treamly condemned their barbarous cruelty.

[...] the Life of this Great Person we may remark, That those Noble Virtues which sometimes ad­ [...] Men to Honour and Dignity are not always pri­ [...]es intailed and appropriated to high Birth and [...]rable Descent. But that those that proceed from mean and abject Families are oftentimes indued with such singular VVisdom, Dexterity and Industry that they rise to high preferment and authority. VVe may likewise observe, That though his Predecessor VVoolsey could not bear the great Fortune to which he arrived with any moderation, but by his Pride and Insolence became distastful to all men, yet our great Cromwell on the contrary carried an even Sail in all conditions, being neither elated with Prosperity, nor [Page 129] deprest when fallen from it. Lastly, We may hence conclude with the Wise man, that all things happen alike to all in this life, Woolsey the greatest slave to Vice, and Cromwell a Person of the most sublime Virtue, being both Favourites to the same King, both falling into disgrace with him, and both expiring by a fatal Fall.

Thomas Cromwell was the Son of a Blacksmith at Putney in Surrey, to whom may be applied what Ju­venal said of Demosthenes the famous Orator, who had the same Original:

His Father educated him according to his mean abi­lity, and though his low condition was at first a great hindrance to his promotion, yet such was his pregnancy of wit, his solid judgment, his ready elocution, his indefatigable diligence, his couragious Heart and his active Hand, that so many excellencies could not lye long concealed, insomuch that though he were with­out Friends or Money, yet nothing being too difficult for his Wit and Industry to compass, nor for his Ca­pacity and Memory to retain, he soon got into Im­ployment. For having passed over his Youth with the common diversions of that state, when he grew toward man he had a great inclination to travel abroad and learn experience in the World, and gain those Languages which might be serviceable to him in the future course of his Life. Whereupon going over to Antwerp he was there retained by the English Mer­chants for their Secretary.

It happened about this time that the People of Boston in Lincolnshire thought fit to send to Rome to renew the Great and Little Pardon which formerly belonged to a Church in their Town, by which they [Page 130] found much advantage from those who came to have the benefit of the remission of their Sins by them, which were no small number of superstitious Zealots. And being very sensible that all things at Rome were to be purchased only by Money, they sent one Jeffery Chambers with a round sum upon this notable errand, who in his Journey coming to Antwerp, and much doubting his ability for managing so weighty a business, he made a visit to Mr. Cromwell, and giving him an account of the affair, he was very importunate with him to accompany him. Cromwell knew very well the many Intreagues of the Roman Court, and the unreasonable expences they must be at among those Spiritual Cormorants; however having some know­ledge of the Italian Tongue, and being not yet well setled in Religion, he was at length prevailed with to adventure with him. When they arrived at Rome, Cromwell finding it very difficult to get his Pardons dispatcht, and being unwilling to spend much time or money, he at length perceived that nothing was to be done without making a Present of some Rarity to the Pope; and hearing that he was much delighted with delicate new found Dishes, he prepared several fine Dishes of Jelly of divers colours according to the Eng­lish fashion, which were not as yet known at Rome. Cromwell observing his time when the Pope was new­ly returned to his Pallace from Hunting, he with his English Companions, approached him with their Pre­sents, which they introduced with singing in English the three Mans Song (as it is called): The Pope won­dring at the Song, and understanding they were Eng­lishmen, and came not empty handed, ordered them to be called in. Cromwell making low obeysance, presented his jolly junkets, being such as, he said, none but Kings and Princes in England use to Eat, de­siring his Holiness to accept of them from him and his Companions, who were poor Suitors at his Court, and had presented them as Novelties proper only for his Table. Pope Julius observing the strangeness of [Page 131] the Dishes bid a Cardinal taste them, which he liked so well and the Pope after him, that inquiring what their business was, and then requiring them to give him an account how these Jellies were made, he with­out delay Sealed both the Great and Lesser Pardons, and fully dispatcht them.

All this while Cromwell had no great sense of Reli­gion, but was wild, youthful and without regard to any thing that was serious, as he often declared to Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury, being very dili­gent (with Jeffery Chambers) in publishing the Par­dons of Boston in all the Churches as he travelled, and serving sometime under the Duke of Burbon at the Siege of Rome. Thus he continued for some years, till at length by learning the New Testament of Erasmus by Heart in his going to and from Rome, he began to come to a better understanding. About this time Cardinal Woolsey began to grow very great in England, ruling all under, or rather over the King, so that Persons of the briskest Wits and noted Abili­ties addrest themselves to him for imployments. A­mong whom Thomas Cromwell was by him prefer'd to be his Chancellor; and at the same time Sir Tho­mas More and Stephen Gardiner were likewise taken into the Cardinals Family, being all three almost of one Age, one standing in Learning, not much unequal in Wit, and their advancements arising from the same foundation, though afterward their Studies, Disposi­tions and Fortune were greatly different.

The Cardinal designing to erect a famous Colledge in Oxford called then Frideswide, now Christ Church, obtained leave from the Pope to suppress several small Monasteries and Priories in divers parts of the Realm, and to convert the Revenues thereof to his own use. He committed the charge of this business to Cromwell, who used such industry and expedition therein as was displeasing to some Great Persons both of the Nobility and Clergy. But afterward the Cardinal who had risen suddenly, began to fall as fast, first from his [Page 132] Chancellorship, which was bestowed on Sir Thomas More, and then falling into a Praemunire, his Family was dissolved; Cromwel being thereby out of Office, endeavoured to be retained in the Kings Service; and Sir Christopher Hales Master of the Rolls, though an earnest Papist, yet had so great a kindness for him, that he recommended him to the King, as a Man most fit to be imployed by him; but Cromwel had been so misrepresented by the Popish Clergy, for his forward­ness in defacing their Monasteries and Altars, that the King abhorr'd the very name of him, but the Lord Russel Earl of Bedford being present (whose Life Cromwel had saved at Bononia in Italy, where he was secretly imploy'd in the King's Affairs, and was in great danger to be taken, had he not been secured by Cromwel's Po­licy) who not forgetting his Benefactor, gave him an account of the whole matter, and since His Majesty had now to do with the Pope his great Enemy; he was of Opinion, there was not a fitter Instrument for the King's purpose than he, and told him wherein: The King hereupon was willing to speak with him, of which Cromwel having Private notice, he got in readiness the Oath, which the English Bishops took to the Pope at their Consecration; and being called in, after pay­ing his Duty to the King, answered to all Points de­manded of him, whereby he made it plainly appear, that his Royal Authority was diminisht within his own Kingdom by the Pope and his Clergy, who having sworn Allegiance to the King, were afterward dispensed with for the same, and sworn anew to the Pope, so that he was but half King, and they but half Subjects in his own Realm, which was derogatory to his Crown, and abso­lutely contrary to the Common Law of England, and that his Majesty might therefore justly make himself rich with their forfeited Estates, if he pleased to take the present occasion.

The King was very Attentive to his Discourse, espe­cially the last part of it, and demanded whether he would justifie what he said, He affirmed he would, [Page 133] producing the Oath they had taken to the Pope, which the King having read, he took his Ring off his Finger, and first admitting him into his Service by the Advice of his Council, sent him therewith to the Convocation then sitting; Cromwel coming boldly with the King's Signet into the Convocation House, and placing him­self among the Bishops (Warham being Archbishop of Canterbury) declared to them, the Authority of the King, and the Obedience due from Subjects, especial­ly from Bishops and Clergymen to the Laws of the Land, which are necessarily provided for the Benefit and quiet of the Commonwealth, which Laws notwith­standing, they had all highly transgressed to the great Derogation of the King's Royal Dignity, and thereby brought themselves into a Praemunire, not only in con­senting to the Power Legantine of the late Cardinal Woolsey, but also by Swearing to the Pope, contrary to their Allegiance to their Soveraign Lord the King, whereby they had forfeited all their Spiritual and Tem­poral Estates, real or personal.

The Bishops were amazed at first to hear this bold Charge, and began to deny it, but Cromwell shewing them the very Copy of their Oath taken to the Pope at their Consecration, made the matter so plain; that they began to shrink, and desired time to advise about it; but however before they could get clear of this Praemunire, the two Provinces of Canterbury and York were obliged by Act of Parliament, to pay the King one hundred eighteen thousand, eight hundred and forty Pounds.

Cromwel after this came into great Favour with the King, who made him a Knight, Master of his Jewel House, and a Privy Councellour, and soon after Knight of the Garter, Earl of Essex, Lord Privy Seal, and Lord Great Chamberlain of England; and lastly, he was constituted Vicegerent in all Ecclesiastical Affairs, by Virtue whereof, both in Parliament and elsewhere, he had the precedence of the Archbishop of Canterbu­ry: This Authority he used upon all occasions, for the [Page 134] extirpating Romish Superstition and Idolatry, to which he always was an utter Enemy, and for which there was a fair occasion offered: For the King being inra­ged against the Pope, for refusing to annul his Marri­age with Queen Katherine, though he had the Judge­ment of nineteen Universities on his side, he resolved to have the matter determined by the Clergy of his own Kingdom; and having summoned a Convocation, they after mature debate, declared the Marriage null and void from the beginning, and confirmed the Kings second Marriage with Queen Ann of Bullen, which he had consummated some time before: And a Parli­ament being called, several Acts were passed against the Popes Supremacy, whereby all Clergymen that should make any appeal to Rome, were declared guil­ty of a Praemunire, and that the King should have pow­er to visit, examine and reform all the Monasteries and Nunneries of the Kingdom, and should give Licenses for electing Bishops to all Vacancies, without the Popes consent or approbation, and declaring the King Supream Head on earth of the Church of England; af­ter which, a stop was put to the Persecutions which the Protestant Ministers had suffered, many of whom were cruelly burnt by the Popish Clergy, for want of stronger Arguments to convince them: The Nobility and Gentry were generally well satisfied with this change, but the Body of the People, who were more un­der the Power of the Priests, were by them possest with great fears of a change of Religion, being told that the King had now joined himself with Hereticks, and that Queen Ann, Cranmer now Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Cromwel favoured them: For the Monks and Friers saw themselves left at the King's Mercy, the Trads of new Saints was now at an end, they had also some Intimations, that Cromwel was forming a Project for suppressing Monasteries, so that in Confessions and Discourses, they infused into the People a dislike of the Kings Proceedings, which prevail'd so far upon them, as they afterward broke out into formidable In­surrections [Page 135] and Rebellions in divers Parts of the King­dom.

Cromwel by his Vicegerency, had precedence of all next the Royal Family, and as the King came in the Popes Room, so the Vicegerents Authority was in all Points the same, that the Legates had in the time of Po­pery; the first Act of Cromwel's after his being Vicar General, was (with a Delegation of the Kings Supre­macy to him) to visit all the Monasteries and Churches in England, of which the Bishops and Abbots were so jealous, that of their own accord before any Law was made about it, they swore to maintain the Kings Supremacy; however the Visitation went on through­out England, and in many places monstrous disorders were found, as the Sin of Sodomy in some, barbarous Murthers and Cruelties in others, Tools for false Coin­ing in others, and great Factions and Divisions in ma­ny: The Report that was made, contained many other abominable Crimes not fit to be named; hereupon Cromwel procured the Parliament to pass an Act, that thirty Persons Spiritual and Temporal, such as his Ma­jesty should impower under his Great Seal, should have Authority to make and establish Laws and Ordi­nances Ecclesiastical, which should be obligatory upon all the Subjects of this Realm; and likewise that all Re­ligious Houses, either Monasteries, Priories or Nunne­ries, whose revenues did not exceed two hundred pounds a Year should be supprest and dissolved, and all their Possessions and Lands setled on the Crown for ever: And the Reasons alledged for doing this were, because these Houses were erected upon gross abuses and subsisted by them, the Foundation of all their Wealth being founded upon the belief of Purgatory, and of the Virtue that was in Masses to redeem Souls out of it, and that these eased the Torments of departed Souls, and at last delivered them out of them, so it past among all for a piece of Piety to Parents, and of care for their own Souls and Families to endow those Houses with some Lands, upon Condition they should [Page 136] have Masses said for them, the number of which were usually according to the value of the Gift; this was like to have drawn the whole Wealth of the Nation into those Houses, had not some restraint been put to that Superstition; they also perswaded the People, that the Saints interceded for them, and would kindly accept offerings made at their Shrines, and the greater they were, the more earnestly would they use their Inte­rest for them: The credulous Vulgar measuring the Court of Heaven by those on Earth, believed that Pre­sents might be very prevalent there; so that every new Saint must have new Gifts presented him: Likewise some Images were believed to have an extraordinary Virtue in them, and Pilgrimages to them were much extolled, and there was great Contention among the Monasteries, every one magnifying their one Saints, Images, and Reliques above others; the Wealth that these Follies brought in occasioned great Corruptions, so that the Monks and Friers were very debaucht, and very Ignorant: And the begging Friers under the ap­pearance of Poverty, course Diet, and Cloathing gain­ed much esteem, and became almost the only Preach­ers and Confessort in the World, but not being able to conceal their Vices, they were now fallen under much Scandal, and a general Disesteem, and the King de­signing to create new Bishopricks, thought it necessary in Order thereto to make use of some of their Reve­nues, and that the best way to bring them into his hands, would be to expose their vices, that so they might quite lose the esteem they yet had with some, and it would be the less dangerous to suppress them.

Cromwel was imploy'd in this Reforming Work, and for removing all Images and Superstitious Pictures out of the Churches; many of the Abbots surrendred their Monasteries, and in most Houses, the Visitors made the Monks sign a Confession of their former Vices and Disorders, in which they acknowledged their Idleness, Gluttony and Sensuality, for which the Pit of Hell was ready to swallow them up; others acknowledged that [Page 137] they were sensible that the manner of their former pre­tended Religion, consisting only in some Dumb Cere­monies; whereby they were blindly led without any Knowledge of God's Laws, and being exempted from the Authority of their own Bishops and wholly subje­cting themselves to a Forreign Power, who took no care to reform their abuses, it had occasioned great dis­orders among them; but the most perfect way of Life revealed by Christ and his Apostles, being now disco­vered to them, they thought it very fit, that they should be governed by the King their Supream Head, and therefore resigned their Abbies to him; So that in the whole, one hundred fifty nine Resignations were made to the King before the Meeting of the next Parli­ament, who made an Act for the Total Dissolution of all the Abbies in England, the Rents of which were then valued at, being one hundred thirty two thousand, six hundred and seven pound six shillings four pence, but they were worth above ten times as much in true value.

These Proceedings against the Pope and Holy Church caused the Rude, Ignorant, and wilful People in Lincolnshire to assemble in Arms to the number of twenty thousand: The King levied a strong Army, and went in Person to suppress them, and approaching them, they sent him an humble Petition; that if he would reestablish the Monasteries, and the Popes Au­thority, they would freely lay down their Arms and return to their Duty; hut the King disdaining these Rusticks should dictate Politicks to him, rejected their Petition, sending them Word, that if they did not in­stantly deliver up a hundred of the principal Rebels in­to his hands, he would immediately fall upon them with the utmost Fury, and Sacrifice them all to his re­sentment; This daring Resolution, so daunted the Hearts of this undisciplined Multitude, that their Lead­ers expecting each would deliver the other up to the King, they secretly deserted them and returned home, but Captain Cobler their Chief Commander, other­wise [Page 138] Dr. Makarel and some other being taken were executed according to their merits, and the Common People being left without Officers made haste home, and were pardoned by the King. This was succeeded by another Insurrection in the North, where 40000 got together upon the same pretences, calling them­selves 'The Holy Pilgrims, who intended nothing but the establishing of the true Religion, and restoring the Rights of Holy Church. The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk were ordered to suppress these brainsick Zealots, who seemed very joyful they were to fight, not doubting of success in this Religious War, but the Night before the intended day of Battel a little Brook which ran between the Armies, and might have been passed over dry foot, grew so broad by the next Morn­ing by a violent Rain which fell, that they could not approach each other, which being reckoned by both Parties a great Miracle, the Rebels upon promise of free pardon quietly departed home. In these com­motions those men whose profession was only their Books and their Beeds, mistaking the Command of Christ, To sell their Coats and buy a Sword, came armed into the Field, and being taken, several Abbots, Monks and Priests were executed.

The Kingdom being again setled in peace Cromwell proceeded in the Work of Reformation, and because the People seemed discontented that the abuse of these Monasteries should be turn'd to the utter ruin of them, from whence they used to have relief and alms, There­fore Cromwell thought fit to make them sensible of the Cheats and Tricks which the Priests had imposed upon them. And many Impostures about Relicks and Wonderful Images or Roods were now discovered, to which Pilgrimages had been formerly made. As at Reading where they shewed the Wing of the Angel that brought over thither the point of the Spear which pierced our Saviour's side. And so many pieces of the Cross were found in several Abbies as joined toge­ther would have made a large Cross. The Rood of [Page 139] Grace at Boxley in Kent which had drawn so many Pilgrims to it, was brought to St. Paul's Cross, which by many springs used to bow down and lift up it self, to rowl the Eyes, shake the Head, Hands, and Feet, move the Lips, seem pleased, or angry, by bending the Brows, which the credulous multitude imputed to a Divine Power, but was now made appear to be a Cheat, and the Springs openly shewed that governed its seve­ral motions. Likewise the Images of our Lady of Walsingham and Ipswich, adorned with rich Jewels, and divers others both in England and Wales were re­moved out of the Churches, and being brought to London were openly burnt in the presence of the Lord Cromwell at Chelsey. The blood of Christ was shewed in a Glass Vial at Hales in Glocestershire, and the Priests said it was not visible to any that were in Mortal Sin. So that after the People had well paid, it became visible to them, and the deluded Souls went away well satisfied that they were now free from any damnable transgression. But this was proved to be the Blood of a Duck renewed every Week, and put into a Glass thick on one side and thin on the other, so that till the Pilgrim had offered what the Priest thought fit, the dark side was turned to him, and af­terward the light side. Several such Impostures were discovered, which tended much to undeceive the Peo­ple. But the richest Shrine in England was that of St. Thomas of Becket that great Rebel to King Hen­ry II. and for whose death he severely whipt himself a great way to the Cathedral of Canterbury, where he was killed by four of King Henry's officious Servants, and he thereupon Canonized a Saint, to whose Altar greater Oblations were made than to that of our Sa­viour or the Virgin Mary. Every fiftieth year there was a Jubilee and an Indulgence, granted to all that came and visited his Tomb, who were sometimes thought to be an hundred thousand on that occasion, he prints of their kneeling and devotion remaining in the Stones to this day. So that it was immensly Rich [Page 140] with Gold, Jewels, Plate and Money, the Gold only being so heavy that it filled two Chests, which requi­red eight men a piece to carry them out of the Church. The Timber work of this Shrine was covered with Plates of Gold, Damasked and Imbossed with VVires of Gold, garnished with Images, Angels, great Orient Pearls and Precious Stones, the chief whereof was a rich Jewel offered by Lewes seventh of France who came over in Pilgrimage to visit this Tomb, and to ob­tain that for the future no Passenger should be drown­ed betwixt Dover and Callice. It was valued to be the richest Jewel in Europe. St. Thomas's Skull which had been so much VVorshipped was proved an Imposture, for the true Skull was with the rest of his Bones in the Coffin, and were now so mixt with other Bones that it had been a Miracle indeed to have distin­guisht them afterwards. Then the Axes and Hammers went to work in pulling down the Nests of Superstition and Idolatry, whose number as Camden reckons them were six hundred forty five Monasteries, ninty Col­leges, an hundred and ten Hospitals, and two thou­sand three hundred seventy four Chauntries and free Chappels, and their Lands and Revenues being by Act of Parliament settled on the Crown, the King by the advice of the Lord Cromwell politickly exchanged them for others with his Nobility and Gentry, allow­ing them good Bargains for their Incouragement, ma­ny of whose Estates do now consist wholly of Possessi­ons of this nature, or else were greatly inlarged by them, and the restoration of them to their former uses was thereby rendred so impracticable, that all the flaming zeal of Queen Mary for Popery was never able to effect any thing of that kind. And this may be thought to have been one strong Barrier and Security of this Nation against Popish Slavery to this very day, notwithstanding the many attempts that have since been made to reduce us back to that House of bon­dage.

The Churches being thus cleansed from rubbish, [Page 141] the magnanimous Lord Cromwell resolved to place better Ornaments in them, and therefore he sent out Injunctions requiring the Clergy to set up English Bibles in their Churches, and to incourage all to read them. Exhorting the People not to dispute about the sense of difficult places but to leave that to better Judgments. Ministers were likewise commanded to instruct the People and to teach them the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments in Eng­lish, and that once every Quarter, there should be a Sermon to declare the true Gospel of Christ, and to exhort the People to works of Charity, and not to trust to other mens Works, to Pilgrimages, or Relicks, or telling their Beads, which was only Superstition. Also the folly of offering Candles to Images, and that to make any use of Images in Divine Worship was Idolatry, and the praying to Saints unnecessary. These struck at some of the main Points of the former Super­stition, but the free use of the Scriptures gave the deadliest blow of all. Yet all the Clergy submitted to them without murmuring.

The Death of Queen Ann Bullen (who was behead­ed some time before for several pretended Crimes, which she utterly denied at the Scaffold, and of which a great number of worthy men thought her Innocent) gave fresh hopes to the Popish Clergy that a stop would have been put to any further Reformation, of which she was reckoned a great promoter and incon­rager. And the Succession of the Crown being likewise altered by Parliament: By whom Queen Mary was declared Illegitimate as born of Queen Katherine in unlawful Marriage, and a new Oath imposed upon all the People to acknowledge the Children of the Queen Ann to be rightful Heirs to the Crown, and she leaving one Daughter (who was afterward the renowned Queen Elizabeth) that Party had likewise expecta­tions that she being dead, the Lady Mary would suc­ceed to the Crown, to which end she was persuaded to submit her self to the King, and own him as Su­pream [Page 142] Head of the Church of England, which she had hitherto refused. But within twenty days after this Tragedy was over, the King Married the Lady Jane Seymour Daughter of Sr. John Seymour, by whom he had the most excellent Prince Edward, who suc­ceeded him, though within few days after the good Queen died. The birth of a Son blasted the Papists expectations, and therefore Gardiner, Bonner and the rest of that Clergy seemed now very zealous in promoting the Injunctions that Cromwell had lately published. Yet Gardiner still retaining a secret hatred against the Reformation, he by his Artifices and Flat­teries prevailed much with the King, persuading him that his zeal against Heresie was the greatest advan­tage that his Cause, in renouncing the Pope could have over all Europe. Which meeting with the King's own persuasion of the Corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament, caused him to sit in Person upon the Trial of one John Lambert a learned man, who be­cause he would not recant his opinion about Transub­stantion was cruelly burnt in Smithfield, and in the next Parliament an Act was made for making it death not to consent to the six Articles following (which were after called the six bloody Articles.) I. That after the words of Consecration; the Real and Natural Body and Blood of Christ was in the Sacrament. II. That Communion in both kinds was not necessary to Salvation. III. That Priests by the Laws of God ought not to Marry. IV. That Vows of Chastity are to be observed. V. That private Massies were agree­able to the Word of God. VI. That Auricular Con­fession was necessary to be retained. Against most of these Cranmer argued several days, and Cromwell promoted Bonner to the Bishoprick of Hereford to be a faithful second to Cranmer in his Pious designs, though he afterward proved a violent Persecutor, and indeed Cranmer wanted support against the other Bi­shops, who made great complaints of the rashness of the Protestant Preachers who were very furious against [Page 143] some things not yet abolished. Upon which, Letters were writ to the Bishops to take care that as the People should be rightly instructed, so they should not be of­fended with too many Novelties. Thus was Cran­mer's interest so low that he had none but Cromwell to depend on. There was not a Queen now in the King's Bosom to support them; and the refusal of own­ing these Articles caused the death of many Protestants, as the denying the King's Supremacy cut off several Pa­pist, so that at the same time Protestants were burnt on one side Smithfield, and Papists hanged on the other, which made Forreigners admire, as not understanding what Religion King Henry was of.

Hereupon Cromwell contrived how the King should be ingaged in a nearer Alliance with the Protestant Princes of Germany; with whom he had already set­led a League, and who was acknowledged its Patron, he sending over an hundred thousand Crowns a year for the support of it; all ingaging, That they would join against the Pope as the Common Enemy, and set up the true Religion according to the Gospel. Now that the King might be prevailed upon both, by Affection and Interest, to carry on what he had thus begun, Cromwell resolved to bring about a Match be­tween the King and the Lady Ann Sister to William Duke of Cleve, whose other Sister Frederick Duke of Saxony, a very zealous Protestant, had espoused. And the King unwilling to live any longer a Wi­dower, both the Emperor and the King of France proposed Matches to him, but Reasons of State in­clined him powerfully to that with the Lady Ann. Her Father had before Treated with the Prince of Lorrain about Marrying her, but it went no farther than a Contract between the two Fathers. And the famous Painter Hans Holbin much favoured her in the Picture which was sent to the King, who never liked the Original so well as he did that. The Duke of Saxe dissuaded the Match because the King was going backward in the Reformation as appear'd by his enact­ing [Page 144] the six bloody Articles, but Cromwell carried it on with the greatest vigor. Some write that the Lady was handsome enough, but could speak only Dutch which the King understood not, neither had she learn­ed Musick, and was also so stiff in her Carriage as no way suited the King's temper. However the Marriage was concluded, and arriving at Rochester the King was so impatient to see her that he went thither incog­nito, but was much dampt at first sight, for he thought her demeanour so rude that he askt whether they had brought over a Flanders Mare to him, and thencefor­ward had an absolute aversion for her Person: Nei­ther had he any kindness for her Religion, and many Virtues, she being a very Devout Protestant. So that he resolved to break the Match if possible; but for fear of disobliging the German Princes, his affairs making their friendship very necessary to him at this time, to obviate the designs of the Emperor, Pope and French King now projecting against him, he Married her but exprest his dislike of her so plainly, that all about him took notice of it, and the day after he told Cromwell that he had not consummated his Marriage with her, and did believe he should never do it, complaining of ill smells about her, and that he suspected she was not a Virgin, which so much increased his dislikes, that he thought he should be never able to endure her. Crom­well endeavoured in vain to overcome these prejudices, so that though the King lived with her five Months, and lay often in the Bed with her, yet was his aver­sion rather increased than abated.

About this time all the ground that the Reformation gained after so much had been lately lost, was a liber­ty for all private persons to have Bibles in their Houses the managing of which was put into Cromwell's hands by a particular Patent. And a new Parliament being called, as the Lord Chancellor declared the matters of State to them, so the Vicegerent Cromwell spake to them concerning Religion, telling them, 'That the King desired nothing so much as an entire Union among all [Page 145] his Subjects, but that some Incendiaries opposed it as much as he promoted it, and that rashness on one side, and inveterate Superstition on the other, had raised great dissentions, which were inflamed by the reproachful names of Papist and Heretick, and though they had now the Word of God in all their hands, yet they rather studied to justifie their Passions, than amend and govern their Lives by it. To re­move which, the King had appointed several Bishops to settle the Doctrine and Ceremonies, and to pub­lish an exposition of the Doctrine of Christ without corrupt mixtures, and yet to retain such Ceremonies as should be thought necessary, resolving afterward to punish all Transgressors of either side. At this time Cromwell was created Earl of Essex, which sh [...]ws that the King's dislike of the Queen was not the chief cause of his ruin, otherwise he had not now advanced him.

The Popish Bishops (especially Gardiner) being glad to be any way rid of a Protestant Queen, heightned the King's aversion to the Lady Ann of Cleve by all means possible, and persuaded the King to move for a Divorce. The Queen seem'd little concerned at it, and exprest much willingness to discharge him from a Marriage so unacceptable to him. The Lords addrest to him that he would suffer the Marriage to be exami­ned, which being granted, a Commission was sent to the Convocation to discuss it, and Witnesses being heard, it appeared that her Pre-contract with the Prince of Lorrain was not fully cleared. And that the King had Married her against his Will. And not having given an inward and compleat consent, he had never consummated the Marriage, so that no Issue could be expected from the Queen. Whereupon the Convo­cation publisht an authentick Instrument under the Seals of the two Archbishops, declaring to the Chri­stian World that the King's Marriage with the Lady Ann of Cleve was a nullity, void, frustrate and of none effect, because the said Lady under her own hand had [Page 146] upon due examination confest that the King never had, nor could perform to her that Benevolence which by a Husband was due to a Wife. This Sentence was con­firmed by Parliament, adding that it was lawful ac­cording to the Ecclesiastical Laws, for the King to Marry another Wife, and for the Lady Ann of Cleve to take another Husband according to the Laws of Holy Church. And all such as by Writing, Printing or Speaking did maintain the contrary should be punisht as for High Treason.

During this Transaction a sudden turn happened at Court. The Lord Cromwell was suddenly Arrested for High Treason by the Duke of Norfolk in the Coun­cil Chamber at White-Hall, and committed Prisoner to the Tower. The lowness of his birth procured him many Enemies among the Nobility, to see a Black­smiths Son prefer'd to such high Dignity, He being at the same time Lord Vicegerent, Lord Privy Seal, and Lord High Chamberlain of England, Earl of Essex, and Master of the Rolls. The Popish Clergy hated him mortally, the suppression of the Abbies, and the Injunctions about Reformation in the Church, being imputed to his Counsels: And the King being freed from the fear of the Confederacy betwixt the Empe­ror and French King against him, who could not agree upon the Terms; Cromwells Counsel's now became useless to him, and he hoped the making him a Sa­crifice might somewhat appease the People, who were much disturbed at some late proceedings. And sur­ther, he now intended a Match with Katherine Howard Neice to the Duke of Norfolk a Papist and an Enemy to the Reformation. The King was likewise told that Cromwell was an Enemy to the Six Articles, and incouraged those that opposed them.

Of the truth of the fast we read this following Pas­sage. About two years before, the King ordered Archbishop Cranmer to put in Writing all the Argu­ments he had used in Parliament against the six Ar­ticles: He likewise sent Cromwell and the Duke of [Page 147] Norfolk to Dine with him, and assure him of the con­tinuance of his favour and kindness to him. At Table they acknowledged that Cranmer had opposed the Articles with much Prudence and Learning, expres­sing a great value for him, and telling him that those who differed from his opinion could not but esteem him highly for his worth, and since the King seemed to approve of them, he need fear nothing. Cromwell added, That the King had so much respect for him above his other Counsellors, that he would not give ear to any complaints against him, and that as Cardi­nal Woolsey lost his friends by Pride, the other gain­ed upon his Enemies by his Humility and Moderation. The Duke of Norfolk replied, he could speak best of the Cardinal, having been his man so long. Crom­well replied warmly, That he never liked his Man­ners, but said he, If he had been Pope, I never in­tended to have gone into Italy with him, as you my Lord Duke designed to have done. The Duke swore he lied and gave him ill Language which put all the company into disorder, and they were never friends afterward. Cranmer drew up his Reasons against the six Articles, and gave them to his Secretary to tran­scribe fairly for the King's use, but crossing the Thames, met with a very odd accident. For a Bear being bait­ed near the River broke loose, and running into the Water overturned the Boat wherein the Secretary was, whereby his Book fell into the Thames, and was taken up by the Bearward, who shewed it to a Priest; he presently perceived it was a Refutation of the six Articles, and told the Bearward that the Author would certainly be hanged. The Secretary coming to demand his Book, which he said was the Archbi­shops, and offering him a Crown to Drink for saving it: The Fellow being an obstinate Papist, replied, he would not part with it for five hundred Crowns. The Secretary acquainting Cromwell with the matter, he sent for the Bearward, who guessing at the business brought the Book with intent to have delivered it to [Page 148] Stephen Gardiner or Sir Anthony Brown, both inve­terate Enemies to Protestancy. Cromwell seeing him, snatcht the Book from him, and giving it to the Secre­tary, Here, says he, I know this is your hand, take it with you, and Sirrah, says he to the Fellow, you de­serve to be punisht for detaining a Privy Counsellor's Book when demanded, you being fitter to meddle with Bears than matters of State. And so Cranmer was preserved from the danger of Fire, which at this time threatned him by Water.

The blow at Cromwel was suddenly given, and be­ing in disgrace, he had the common Lot of discarded Favourites, to be forsaken by his Friends, and insul­ted over by his Enemies, of whom Gardiner was the most implacable; only Cranmer stuck to him, and in a Letter to the King on his behalf, he assured him, He had always found that the Lord Cromwel ever loved his Majesty above all things; and that he had served him with such Fidelity and Success, that he was of the Opi­nion, no King of England had ever a more faithful Mi­nister, wishing the King might find a Councellor, who was as willing and able to do him Service as he was: But the King being freed from his Marriage, and hav­ing made Katherine Howard his Queen in a few Weeks after, the Duke of Norfolk had now an opportunity to be revenged on him, she being Daughter to the Lord Edmund Howard, Brother to the Duke: So that from henceforth, the King looked discontentedly upon his former intimate Favourite and inward Counsellor, as being told that he was the cause of all his late Troubles.

Those who had long desired his Downfal, soon per­ceiving this Alteration, drew up a long Bill of Attain­der against him in the House of Lords, which was read twice in one day; and sent to the Commons, who af­ter ten days debate passed it, whereby he was condem­ned for High Treason and Heresie, by that unjust way of Attainder without coming to an Answer; wherein it was set forth, That though the King had raised him from a low Estate to high Dignities, yet it appeared by [Page 149] many Witnesses, that were Persons of Honour, that he was the most corrupt Traytor that ever was known; That joining with the last Queen Ann, he had favoured the Lutherans above measure, and so strongly suppor­ted them against the Catholick Prelates and Priests of this Kingdom, that when he was told by some of the Clergy, that they doubted not but the King would shortly curb their Boldness and Presumption, the said Lord Cromwel did reply, That he was sure of the King; and that about two Years before, he had said, the Preaching of Barnes and other Hereticks was good, and that he would not turn, though the King did turn, but if the King turned, he would fight in Person against him, and all that turned; and drawing out his Dagger, he wisht he might be pierced to the Heart with it, if he did not do it: And that if he lived a Year or two long­er it should not be in the King's Power to hinder it. That he had set many at liberty who were condemn­ed or suspected of Misprision of Treason. That he had given Licenses for Transporting out of the King­dom things prohibited by Proclamation, had granted Pasports without searching, and had dispersed many erroneous Books contrary to the belief of the Sacra­ment. And had said, that every man might administer it as well as the Priest. That he had Licensed several Preachers suspected of Heresie, and had discharged many that were committed on that account. That he had many Hereticks about him and had discouraged Informers. He was likewise charged with Bribery and Oppression, and that when he heard some Lords were consulting about him, he threatned that he would raise great disturbances in England.

Many of these things were charged upon him in ge­neral, but no particulars produced: And the words about the King being sworn to have been spoken two years before, it was strange that they should be so long concealed, considering the powerful Adversaries which he had. As to the Licenses, it was thought he had the King's Order for what he did in it. Bribery [Page 150] and Oppression seem to be added only to render him odious, who always appeared of a quite contrary tem­per. And therefore Authors think that the chief cause of the King's Indignation was, that having dis­covered his affection for the Lady Katherine Howard to him, Cromwell used some words in defence of Queen Ann of Cleve, and in dislike of the Lady Kathe­rine, which so much displeased the King, that he thereupon delivered him up into the hands of his Ene­mies who thirsted for his Blood, and fearing that he would clear himself from all their Calumnies by a Le­gal Trial, they Tried, Judged and Condemned him by a way which seems both against Nature and Reason, and Justice, not being suffered to appear, or speak a word in his own defence.

When he was Prisoner in the Tower, several Com­missioners were sent thither to examine him, who found him in a very composed sedate frame, bearing his affliction with a Patient and Christian Constancy of Mind, not at all ruffled with the suddenness of his Fall, for he foresaw the Tempest before it came, and prepared for the same. And being sensible of the vi­gilance power and malice of his adversaries, he called his Servants before him, and told them that he found himself upon a very uncertain foundation, and that a storm was approaching, and therefore charged them that they should manage all their affairs with Upright­ness and Justice, that so he might not be blamed, or suffer by any misdemeanors of theirs. He entertained the Commissioners with much gravity and freedom, and answered all their Interrogatories with great mo­deration and discretion, being as well informed in all matters Ecclesiastical or Civil as themselves. He once desired one of these Commissioners (supposed to be Stephen Gardiner his most implacable Enemy) to carry a Letter from him to the King, who replied, That he would carry no Letter to the King from a Traytor. Then said the Lord Cromwell, Pray deliver a Message to him by word of Mouth. This he consented to, pro­vided [Page 151] it were not against his Allegiance; 'Well my Lords, said he to the rest, pray be witnesses of what this Lord hath promised: Pray then present my duty to the King, and tell him, That when he hath tried and proved you so throughly as I have done, he will find you the falsest man that ever he had about him. Before this he writ a Letter to the King which none durst undertake to deliver him, but Mr. Sadler his old friend, willing to do him a kindness, first went to un­derstand the King's pleasure whether he would per­mit him to do it, which the King granting, he pre­sented the Letter to him, who commanded him to read it to him thrice over, seeming much affected with it. And some write that after his death the King being in a great exigency and not knowing whom to trust or with whom to advise, he much lamented his Death, saying, O that I had my Cromwell again; But the Act of Parliament being passed, he could not con­veniently dispense with it, and his Enemies being so many and mighty, was obliged to take him off; So that July 28. 1541. the worthy and noble Lord Crom­well was brought to the Scaffold on Tower-Hill, where he spake thus to the multitude that surrounded him.

'I am come hither to dye and not to clear my self, as some peradventure may think that I will. I am condemned by the Law to dye, and thank my Lord God that hath appointed me this death for mine of­fences: For since the time that I came to years of discretion I have lived a Sinner, and have offended my Lord God, for which I ask him heartily forgiveness. It is not unknown to many of you that I have been a great Traveller in this World, and being of mean de­gree was called to an high estate, and since I came thereto I have offended my Prince, for which I ask him heartily forgiveness, and beseech you all to pray to God with me that he will forgive me. And now I pray you all to bear me record that I die in the Ca­tholick Faith, not doubting in any Article of my [Page 152] Faith, no nor doubting in any Sacrament of the Church. Many have slandered me and reported that I have been an Hearer of such as have maintained evil opinions, which is untrue. But I confess that as God by his Holy Spirit doth instruct us in the Truth, so the Devil is ready to seduce us, and I have been seduced, but bear me witness that I die in the Ca­tholick Faith of the Holy Church, and I heartily de­fire you to pray for the King's Grace, that he may long live with you in health and prosperity, and that after him his Son Prince Edward that goodly Branch, may long reign over you, And once again I desire you to pray for me that so long as life remaineth in this flesh, I may never waver in my Faith.

Then kneeling down on the Scaffold he prayed thus:

'O Lord Jesus, who art the only health of all men living, and the everlasting life of them which dye in thee; I wretched sinner submit my self wholly unto thy most Blessed Will: And being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed to thy mercy, I now willingly leave this frail and wicked Flesh, in sure hope that thou wilt in better wise restore it to me again at the last Day in the Re­surrection of the Just. I beseech thee most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, that thou wilt by thy Grace strengthen my Soul against all Temptations, and de­fend me with the Buckler of thy Mercy against all the assaults of the Devil. I see and acknowledge that there is in my self no hope of Salvation, but all my confidence, hope and trust is in thy most merciful goodness. I have no merits nor good works, that I may alledge before thee. Of sins and evil works alas I see a great heap. But yet through thy mercy I trust to be in the number of them to whom thou wilt not impute their Sins, but will take and accept me for Righteous and Just, and to be an Inheritor of Ever­lasting Life: Thou merciful Lord, wert born for my [Page 153] sake; Thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake; Thon didst teach, pray and fast for my sake; All thy holy acts and works thou wroughtest for my sake; Finally, Thou gavest thy most precious Body and Blood to suffer on the Cross for my sake: Now most merciful Saviour, let all these things pro­fit me who hast given thy self for me. Let thy Blood cleanse and wash away the spots and foulness of my Sins. Let thy Righteousness hide and cover my Un­righteousness. Let the merits of thy Passion and Blood make satisfaction for my Sins. Give me O Lord, thy Grace that the Faith of my Salvation in thy Blood waver not in me, but may be ever firm and constant, That the hope of thy mercy and everlasting life in me may never decay, nor thy love wax cold in me; Finally, That the weakness of my flesh be not overcome with the fear of Death. Grant O merciful Saviour, that when Death hath shut up the Eyes of my Body, yet the Eyes of my Soul may still behold and look upon thee, and when Death hath taken away the use of my Tongue, yet my Heart may cry and say unto thee, Lord into thy hands I commend my Soul, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit. Amen.

After this he quietly laid down his Head on the Block, which was cut off at three or four strokes by the hand of an unskilful and butcherly Executioner. Thus fell this Magnanimous Worthy, who rose meerly by the strength of his natural Parts, for his education was suitable to his mean extraction. He carried his greatness with extraordinary moderation, and his zeal for the Reformation created him many potent adversaries, who continually sought for matter against him, till in the end by lies, falshood, and flattery they had thrown him out of the King's favour. He mixed none of the Superstitions of the Church of Rome in his Devotions at his Death, and used the word Catho­lick Faith to express the antient Apostolick Doctrine, [Page 154] of Christ, in opposition to Popish Novelties. With him fell the Office of Vicegerent, and none since ever had that Character. The miseries that befell the new Queen Katherine, and the Duke of Norfolk and his Family were thought to be the Judgments of Heaven upon them for their cruel prosecuting this Unfortu­nate Favourite. The Queen being in a few months be­headed for her former lewd Life, together with the Lady Rochford her Bawd (as the Act of Parliament called her) who had been very instrumental in the ruin of Queen Ann Bullen, and of her own Husband the Lord Rochford, who being now discovered to be so vile a Woman, it tended much to raise both their reputations again. The Duke of Norfolk and his Son the Earl of Surrey were both condemned for High Treason a few years after, and the Son was beheaded, the Father happily escaping by the death of King Henry.

To conclude, The Lord Cromwell had several emi­nent Virtues so conspicuous in him, that they ought not to be concealed. His gratitude eminently appeared toward one Frescobald an Italian Merchant, who had relieved him in his necessities in that Country, which he rewarded afterward with so excessive a generosity as several eminent Pens have strove who should the most celebrate the same, and of which I have given a particular relation in a Book called Ʋnparallell'd Varie­ties, or the Transcendent effects of Gratitude, &c. of the like value with this. His Charity was very apparent, in that foreseeing himself declining in the King's fa­vour, he like a kind and loving Master provided be­forehand for almost all his Servants, and gave twelve Children of his Musick twenty pound apiece: And likewise in delivering many out of danger for having broken Popish Laws and Constitutions. His Humility was very eminent in several instances, particularly that He and Archbishop Cranmer riding once in state through Cheapside, Cromwell seeing a poor Woman to whom he had formerly owed Money, called her to [Page 155] him, and bid her go to his House, where he not only discharged the Debt, but setled a Pension of four pound a year upon her during Life. At another time observing a poor man at the Court of Sherin imploy­ed in Sweeping the Cloysters and Ringing the Chappel Bell, He in the Company of several Lords called him by his name, and said, This poor mans Father was a great friend to me, having given me many a meals meat in my necessity, and therefore I am resolved to provide for him as long as I live, which he did accord­ingly. His Wisdom and Policy in state affairs was very obvious in the management of all Treaties, Ne­gotiations, and Transactions, both at home and abroad with the utmost prudence, dextegity and success. Lastly and Principally, his fervent zeal for the true Religion was sufficiently discovered by the Injunctions, Proclamations and Articles, published by his advice, for promoting and advancing the same. In a word, many Ages before and since, have not been blest with two such excellent Persons as the Lord Cromwell, and Archbishop Cranmer, who both flourisht toge­ther at this time.

BY the fall of this Great Man we may observe that the Love of a People may be of no less dangerous consequence to a Subject to trust to, than their hatred proves satal to such Princes as are so unwary to pro­cuse it. Nor is the affection of a Prince to a Favou­rite to be much relied on, since their love is often­times inconstant, and their anger deadly. Of both [Page 156] which we can scarce find a more pregnant instance than in the Life and Death of this Eminent Fa­vourite.

Robert Devereux was born in 1566. and was not above ten years of Age when his Father Walter Earl of Essex, and Earl Marshal of Ireland deceased at Dublin, Premonishing his Son never to forget the thirty sixth year of his Age, as the utmost term of Life, which neither himself nor his Father before him sur­vived, and which his Son never attained to. After his Father's death he was under the Tuition of the Pious and Learned Dr. Whitgift, and at sixteen years performed his publick Acts as Master of Arts. His first advancement at Court was procured by the Earl of Leicester his Father in Law, and was thought to be designed not so much out of love to him, as envy against Sr. Walter Rawleigh. His Descent was very honourable, his Title being derived from Evereux a City in Normandy. His Title of Lord came by Mar­riage with Cicily the Daughter of William Bourchier whose Grandmother was Sister to Edward IV. King of England, whose great Grandmother was Daughter to Thomas of Woodstock Son of King Edward III. born of one of the Daughters of Humfry Bohun Earl of Hartford and Essex, whereupon the Title of Viscount Hartford was bestowed upon his great Grandfather Walter, by King Edward VI. and that of Earl of Essex upon his Father by Q Elizabeth. So that this high Birth might fill him with some ambitious thoughts. He was with much ado at first made Master of the Horse, the Queen being displeased with his Mother, but afterward when by his observance and duty he had procured her full favour, she forgave a great debt that his Father owed her, made him a Knight of the Garter and a Privy Counsellor when he was scarce twenty three years old. His first appearance in action was at Tilbury Camp in 1588. being made by the Queen, General of the Horse, to whom in the fight of the Souldiery and People she discovered a more than ordinary kindness.

And now Queen Elizabeth to follow the blow that she had given the Spanish Armada, the next year sends Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris with a Fleet, and some Forces to the aid of Don Antonio, who pre­tended a Right to the Crown of Portugal; but Phi­lip II. of Spain being both ambitious and powerful, sent the Duke of Alva with an Army thither, who drove this new King out of his Country, and after many skirmishes wholly possessed himself of that Kingdom for his Master. The English Forces landed near the Groin in Gallicia and took the lower Town. During this Voyage the Earl of Essex unwilling to be idle, when honour was to be gotten, went privately to Sea without the Queen's knowledge or consent, and joined the Fleet: At which she was much disturbed, say­ing, This young Fellow is so ventrous that he will cer­tainly be knockt on the Head one time or other. The English likewise took Peniche another Town in Por­tugal, and approached Lisbon, took the Castle of Cascays, burnt the Town of Vigo, and finding that the Portuguese did not declare for Don Antonio as he expected, sickness likewise increasing among the Soul­diers, the Fleet returned home.

After this the Popish Princes of France entring into a League that they would have no Protestant reign over them, raised an Army against the King of Navar their rightful Soveraign, who thereupon craved aid of the Q. who readily assisted him with money, and then with men under the Earl of Essex, who gave sufficient proof of his Valour upon all occasions, his Brother Walter being slain before the Walls of Roan. Upon which the Earl challenged Villars the Governor of the City to a single Combat, which he durst not ac­cept of. The Earl a while after returned to England, being informed by his friends that many envious Cour­tiers were contriving to throw him out of the Queen's favour.

In 1595. Arch-Duke Albert Governor of the Spa­nish Netherlands for the King of Spain, suddenly Be­sieged [Page 158] Callice and took it, the news whereof so sur­prized the Queen because of the near Neighbourhood of this Potent Enemy, that to divert the Tempest from England, She and the States of Holland instant­ly set out a Navy of 140 Ships, whereon were imbar­qued about seven thousand Souldiers and as many Seamen, commanded in chief by the Earl of Essex and Charles Howard joint Admirals, with several other Inferior Commanders of great Courage and Conduct, who Sailing to Cadiz, in a short time took both the Town and Castle, no man of Note being lost in this Expedition but Captain Wingfield; and after having Ransackt the Town and Island whereon it is built, de­molisht the Forts, burnt most of the Houses, filled their Ships with Plunder, and burnt several Spanish Vessels, the Fleet returned victoriously home. The King of Spain having lost in this Gallant Expedition, thirteen of his best men of War, forty Merchants Ships from New Spain, an hundred Cannon, with such vast Stores of Ammunition and Naval Provisions, that he was not able to fit out another Fleet for many years after; and the Spaniards themselves gave this Cha­racter of the brave English; That they were Hereticks in Religion, but in all other affairs Warlike, Poli­tick, and truly Noble. This happy Success advanced Essex in the opinion both of the Queen, Souldiery and Common People, though his making so many Knights some of them of very mean fortunes produced this Libel.

The Queens indulgence increasing by this fortunate Expedition, he grew wanton with her favours, and was offended if she prefer'd any but those recommend­ed by himself, as particularly Sir Francis Vere being [Page 159] made Governour of Brill in Holland, and Sir Robert Cecil Secretary of State, both which he had designed for other Persons, he discovered so severe a resent­ment for it, that his Enemies and Enviers turn'd it at length to his disadvantage. After this, Essex is made Admiral of a Fleet, that were sent against the Islands of Azores belonging to the Spaniard, where the Island of Graciosa and Faial yielded to him, and like­wise Villa Franca. And then returning, Essex who would be sole Favourite, had great contentions with Sir Walter Rawleigh and Cecil, &c. and likewise with Charles Howard who was now made Earl of Notting­ham, because the Queen had given him part of the ho­nour of the Victory at Cales. However the Queen's affections so blinded her that she passed by many In­dignities, offered her by him, and to pacifie him crea­ted him Earl Marshal of England.

In 1598. Some Proposals being offered for conclud­ing a Peace with Spain the Earl of Essex opposed it, urging the Spanish Ambition for gaining the Universal Monarchy, his inveterate hatred against the Queen and the Kingdom, his Maxim, That no Faith is to be kept with Hereticks, and that the Pope could dispense with him to break all Leagues when for his advantage, these and many such cogent Reasons made a Peace with him impracticable. But other great Courtiers whether for Reasons of State, or that they had received some Spanish Gold, were very much displeased, so that the Lord Burleigh told him, That he breathed nothing but War and Slaughter, and turning to the Psalm he bid Essex read that verse, as seeming to presage his future Fate, Blood-thirsty men shall not live out half their days. Yet many much admired his Conduct as really designing nothing but the honour and security of his Country. However, the Queen and Essex were of a contrary opinion both as to the Peace, and to a fit Per­son to be sent Lord Deputy into Ireland. The Queen judged William Knolles the Earl's Uncle proper for the imployment: Essex affirmed George Carew to be [Page 160] much fitter, and because he could not persuade the Q. to be of his mind he contemptibly turn'd his back and seem'd to scoff at her. At which she growing out of patience stept forward, and giving him a sound box on the Ear, bid him be gone with a vengeance. At which he laid his hand upon his Sword, but the Ad­miral coming up to him, he vowed and swore, 'That he neither would nor could put up so great an Indig­nity, which he would never have taken from her Fa­ther King Henry, much less from the hand of a Woman. And then in a great rage he withdrew from Court. Afterward the Lord Keeper sent him several Letters, exhorting him to come and ask the Queen pardon, whom if he had justly wronged he could not make her satisfaction, and if she had wronged him yet, his Pru­dence, Duty, and Religion should oblige him to sub­mit himself to so good a Queen, since there is a great inequality between a Prince and a Subject. Essex an­swered very haughtily to these Advices, and his Fol­lowers published his usual expressions upon this ac­count. As 'That he appealed for Justice from the Queen to God Almighty. That no Tempest rageth more than the indignation of an Impotent Prince. That the Queens Heart was hardned; I know, said he, what I have to do as I am a Subject, and what as I am an Earl, and Marshal of England; I cannot live as a Servant and a Bondslave; If I should confess my self guilty I should both injure Truth, and God the Author of Truth; I have received a Dart through my whole body; It is absolutely a Sin to serve, after having received so great a disgrace; Cannot Princes Err? Cannot they Injure their Subjects? Is their Earthly power Infinite? 'Tis the Fool, says Solomon, that being struck, laughs; They that receive benefit who by the Errors of Princes, let them bear the inju­ries of Princes; Let them believe the Queen's Power In­finite believe that God is not Omnipotent; As for my part I being rent in pieces by injuries have long enough endured bitterness of Soul for them.

Yet after all, the Queens Passion for him soon ad­mitted of an easie submission, so that he was pardoned and restored to favour by her who could be angry with him, but could never hate him, and soon after made him Lord Deputy of Ireland, (which was then in an ill condition by the Rebellion of the Natives) and impowered him with so ample a Commission as was thought to be contrived by his Enemies, on pur­pose by inflaming his ambition, to procure his ruin, for he had liberty to pardon or punish the Irish Re­bels suitable to his own Will: and Power to reward with Lands or Honours all he esteem'd worthy. These were such Flowers of the Crown as they seem­ed designed by his Enemies to deck that head they meant to Sacrifice to their malice and revenge. Upon his arrival in Ireland the Earl spent so much time in subduing the petty Rebels, while he not only neglect­ed the chief one Tyrone with whom instead of fight­ing he Treated, and made a Truce, that the Queen unsatisfied with his dilatory proceedings, first reproa­ches his Conduct, and then recalls him. Essex was much discontented, because the Queen in her Letters had chid him for making the Earl of Southampton Ge­neral of the Horse, and that Cecil his Enemy was pre­fer'd to be Master of the Wards in his absence. So that within a Month after he unexpectedly returned to England, having some thoughts to bring so great a force with him as to secure himself from any danger, but was dissuaded therefrom by the Earl of Southamp­ton and Sir Christopher Blunt. So that only accom­panied with six, he comes to the Court at Nonsuch to inform the Queen of the affairs of Ireland. In the way he met the Lord Grey of Willon his chief Adver­sary, whom one of his Attendants offered to kill to prevent him from doing further mischief, but the Earl declaring his abhorrence of such wickedness hast­ned to Court and fell upon [...]is Knees before the Queen, who had not the least notice of his arrival; She en­tertained him with a short Speech, but not with her [Page 162] wonted kindness, commanding him to go to his Cham­ber till he heard farther, and afterward she commit­ted him to the Custody of the Lord Keeper. The Earl endeavoured to vindicate himself from all the as­persions charged upon him, and among other expres­sions, 'Can I (says he) be suspected to have any ill de­sign upon mine Enemies, who only came with six to Court, but I abhor revenge, knowing who hath said, Vengeance is mine and I will repay it? Shall my return be suspected, who have worn out my body, wasted my Fortunes and lain a suppliant at my Princes feet? Shall I be suspected, who have lost my Father and my Brother in the service of my Country, who for thirteen years have served the Queen, and for seven have been of her Privy Coun­cil? Who for her saite have been hated by all that are Enemies to her or her Religion? Who out of Duty to her have so exposed my self to their malice, that no Country but this, nor no Person but her self, can secure me from falling by their bloody Machi­nations?

However his Enemies proceeded to Arraign his ill management of affairs in Ireland, in which Cecil in­larged himself with much elocution, while The Earl in custody of the Lord Keeper seemed wholly devoted to pious meditations, and to have renounced all World­ly concernments with a religious contempt, in several Letters to his Friends: And likewise sent such humble and submissive Letters to the Queen, that after six months Confinement under the Lord Keeper, she ad­mitted him to continue at his own H [...]use under the inspection of Richard Berkley, protesting that she did not design his ruin but amendment. But the Common People who entirely loved him thinking he had re­ceived much wrong, the Queen thought it necessary that he should have his Cause heard before four Earls, two Lords, and four Judges, who having charged him with several misdemeanors, and hearing his defence, they at length sentenced him, To be degraded from [Page 163] being a Privy Councellor, suspended from his Offices of Earl Marshal and Master of the Ordinance, and to remain in Custody during the Queens pleasure. But still the People had hopes of his Liberty and Restora­tion, because of the extream favour the Queen had for him, who expresly commanded the Commissio­ners not to deprive him of being Master of the Horse, as if she intended again to use his Service. The Earl still exprest great humility of mind, declaring both by Words and Letters, That he had taken leave of the World, that he had washt away with his tears the heat of Ambition which was formerly in his Heart, and that he desired nothing more but that her Ma­jesty would let her Servant depart in Peace. The Queen was so delighted to hear of these expressions, that she instantly discharged him from all confinement sending him word, That he was now his own man, and admonishing him to make his own discretion his Keeper, but not to come near her Person or Court. The Earl returned answer, 'That he humbly kist the hand and rod of the Queen which only corrected but not overthrew him, But that he was sure he should never live a happy day til he saw those blessed Eyes of hers, which had hitherto been his Stars whereby he had fail'd on happily, and had kept on in a direct course. That now he resolved to repent in earnest and to say with Nebuchadnezzar: My habitation shall be amongst the wild Beasts of the Field, that I may eat Hay like an O [...]e, and be wa­tered with the Dew of Heaven, till such time as it shall please the Queen to restore me to my senses again.

The Queen was extream glad when she was told of it, and said, 'I wish his deeds and words would agree together. He hath long tried my Patience, and I have pretty well tried his humility. Sure I am, my Father would never have born with his perversness, but I will not look back, least like Lot's Wife I be turned into a Pillar of Salt: All is not Gold that [Page 164] Glisters. And so it happened, for the Earl had so far regained her favour as to presume to beg the gain­ful Farm of the sweet Wines, but the Queen would not give it him, saying, That she would first know what it was worth, and that such kindnesses are not to be bestowed blindfold. That they who intend to tame a Wild Horse must keep him without food, That the more a corrupted and diseased body is fed the more hurt it does. The Earl extreamly discontented at her answer and denial, and that she had bestowed the Farm upon others, began to hearken to the insi­nuations of one Henry Cuffe, Sir Christopher Blount, and Merrick his Steward, who charged him with Pusillanimity and Cowardice for making such mean submissions, telling him that the Queen, the Council, and his cruel Enemies had conspired to make him a Beggar, so that he must hereafter live on the Alms­basket, and the crums that fell from their Tables. That so being poor, neglected of the Queen, and for­saken of his Friends, he might become a scorn to his triumphant adversaries. So they advised him that the only remedy against all these disasters was to make his own way to the Queen, he having many of the Nobi­lity, Gentry and Common People that would stand by him and his Cause. These suggestions pierced his Soul daily, so that at length he gave himself up wholly to their directions, and entertained great numbers of Souldiers and other discontented and indigent People, keeping open House to which there was extraordinary resort; Of which the Queen having notice sent the Lord Keeper and others to know the meaning of it, who coming thither found the Earls of Essex, Rut­land, and Southampton among a confused number of People in the Yard. The Lord Keeper told the Earls, That the Queen desired to know the design of this con­course, promising that if any injury had been done him he should be righted both in Law and Equity. The Earl answered aloud, That wait had been laid for his Life, and that some had been hired to Murther him [Page 165] in his bed, That he had been Traiterously dealt with, and that his Letters had been Counterfeited both with his Hand and Seal. That they were therefore met together to defend themselves, and to pre­serve their Lives, since neither his Patience, nor his Miseries would appease the Malice of his Adversaries, unless they drank his blood also.

The Lord Keeper then desired him to give an account of his parti­cular grievances, but the multitude cried out, 'Let us be gone, come, they abuse your patience, they betray you my Lord, kill them, kill them, away with the great Seal. Come away, make haste. The Lord Keeper and the other Lords of the Council going into the House with Essex; The People cried, Shut 'em up close, keep 'em fast, Whereupon the Earl bolted them into the room, saying, 'Be patient but a little my Lords, I must needs go to the City to take order with my Lord Mayor, and the Sheriffs, and I will return instantly. The Lords being thus made Prisoners, the Earl issued forth with about 200 Followers without Order, among whom were the Earl of Bed­ford, the Lord Cromwell and some other of the Nobility, and coming into London, Essex cries out continually, 'For the Queen, for the Queen, there is wait laid for my Life, Exhorting the Citizens to take Arms and join with him, but notwithstanding their pretend­ed kindness, not a man appeared for him. And soon after he was proclaimed Traytor, and the Earl of Nottingham marched with all speed against him, which so discouraged him, that casting away all hopes of success, he thought of returning home and making his Peace with the Lords which he had in Custody: But found his way Chained up at the West end of St. Pauls. Whereupon he drew his Sword to have forced his passage, but had three of his associates slain, besides two Citizens, and his own Hat shot through. So that mak­ing haste to Queen Hith, he there got a Boat wherein he returned to his own House, where he was soon Besieged both by Water and Land, and was advised by the Lord Sands to issue out upon his Enemies, telling him, 'The most valiant Counsels were the most safe, and that it was far more honourable to dye fighting with Noblemen, than by the hand of an Hangman. But Essex his Mind being as inconstant as his Fortune, he at length yields to the Admiral. And soon af­ter he is brought to a Trial for High Treason, with the Earl of Sou­thampton, where they made the best defence they could, but at length were both condemned, the Lord Chief Justice Cork concluding his Sentence with this bitter Sarcasm against Essex; 'That it w [...]e to be wisht that this Robert should be last of the name of Earl of Essex, who affected to be Robert the First of that name King of England.

'Feb. 25. 1601. was the day appointed for his death, on a Scaf­fold upon the Green within the Tower where sate several Lords, and Aldermen of London. The Earl mounting the Scoffold unco­vered his Head, and lifting his Eyes to Heaven confest the many and [Page 166] grievous sins of his youth, and especially the last, which he said was a bloody, crying, and contagious sin, for which he asked God and the Queen forgiveness, protesting he never had any ill design against her Person, wishing her long life and a happy reign. He thanked God that he was neither Atheist nor Papist, but put all his trust and hopes in the Merits of Christ; Beseeching God to streng­then him against the fears of death. Then he forgave the Execu­tioner, and fitted his Neck to the Block. Intreating the Spectators to join in a short, but fervent prayer and [...]aculation to God. He then repeated the Creed and the five first verses of the 51. Psalm, adding, Lord I submit humbly and obediently to my de­served punishment. Thou O Lord have mercy upon thy Servant that is cast down. Into thy hand O Lord I commit my Spirit. 'So lay­ing down his Head, it was stricken off at the third [...]w, but the first took away all sense and motion. Sir Walter R [...]w [...]eigh his great Enemy was present, which many thought very unbecoming him. King Henry IV. of France and Marshal Byron his Prime Favourite, hearing the Christian manner of his death, scoft at him, saying, He died more like a Parson than a Souldier. 'But this very Byron was soon after beheaded by this very King for Treason, raving at his Death against his Master, and dying more like a madman than a Christian. And King Henry having renounced the Protestant Re­ligion, was stab'd to Death in his Coach by a bloody Villain, with­out having hardly time to say, Lord have mercy upon him.

Thus was this noble E. snatcht out of the Arms of his Mistri [...]s, and torn from the Hearts of the People that doted on him, and by the subtilty of his Enemies, brought to an untimely end in the sight of them both, who were quiet Spectators of his ruin in the 34 year of his Age. The tears of her Subjects for his loss, and the little kindness they discovered afterward for her, for signing the Warrant for his Death, together with her own passion for him, cast the Q into a deep melancholy, which was much augmented by the following Passage. When Essex was in greatest favour with her, which was on his return from Cales, he importuned her to give him some token of her affection, that might renew her favour to him, if at any time his Enemies should mis-represent him. Where­upon in much familiarity she gave him a Ring, which she vowed and swore should free him from all danger upon his s [...]nding it to her, even in the greatest distress. After his Commitment to the Tower, he sent this worthy Token to her Majesty by the Countess of Nottingham, but Sir Robert Cecil would not suffer her to deli­ver it. This made the Q think her self scorned, and that what his Enemies had reported he should say, was true, That she grew old and doted, and that her mind was now as crooked as her body. Which she though [...] to be high Blasphemy against such a divine beauty as he [...] [...] persuaded her she was. But the Lady Nottingham com [...] ­ing [Page 167] to her death-bed, and finding (by the daily sorrow the Q. ex­prest for the loss of Essex) that she was the principal Agent in his destruction, could not be at rest till she had sent for her and disco­vered all, imploring mercy from God and Forgiveness from her Earthly Soveraign. The relation of which so inraged the Q. that shaking her as she lay in her Bed, she said she would never forgive her, and sent her with most fearful Curses to the Judgment Seat of God. Not long after the Queen's sickness appeared Mortal. For having thus unfortunately cut off her endeared Favourite, she took comfort in nothing besides. But upon all occasions of signing Par­dons would say to her Courtiers, You can beg Pardons for these wretches, but could never speak a word for the gallant Essex, whose less to my self and the Nation can never be recovered. Some thought Essex would have discovered some secret commerce between the Q. and himself at his Death, but others were of opinion, that no­thing Criminal ever passed between them, only a generous kind­ness that she had for a man, noble, lovely, and every way accom­plisht. To conclude, her happiness and her power both seemed to be buried in the Tomb of Essex, whose absence with continued fighs and tears she bemoaned for some few months, and then was like­wise laid in her Grave. The E. of Southampton was pardoned, but Sir Christ. Blount, Sir Charles Danvers, Sir Gill. Merick and Henry Cuffe, were condemned and executed for this Insurrection. And the Lord Grey, Lord Cobham, and Sir Walter Rawleigh, pro­fessed Enemies to Essex, and no mean instruments in his destructi­on, fell into a Treason of a like depth with his in the Reign of K. James I. Gray and Cobham dying miserably in Prison, and Raw­leigh being beheaded at Tower-hill.

THIS Favourite rose upon the Fall of the E. of Somerset, upon whom K. James had heaped many honours, advancing him from a Knight to Viscount Rochester, Privy Counsellor, E. of So­merset, and L. Chamberlain. But his Glory was soon overcloud­ed, for having married the Countess of Essex, who had been divor­ [...]ed from her Husband the Son of the preceding Favourite, that unfortunate Knight Sir Tho. Overbury, for speaking against the Match was by their procurement poysoned in the Tower, [...] [Page 168] which the Earl and Countess were both Condemned but Pardon­ed, and banisht the Court.

K. James who could not live without a bosom Favourite cast his Eye upon George Villers, a young Gentleman of a fine shape, second Son to Sir George Villers of Brooksby in Leicestershire, with whom the K. was so taken, finding him a man of quick un­derstanding, and fit to make a Courtier, that he advanced him by degrees in honour next to himself, making him first a Knight, then Gentleman of his Bedchamber, Viscount, Master of the Horse, Lord Admiral, Earl Marquess, and lastly D. of Buekingham. And now lying in the King's Bosom, every man paid Tribute to his Smiles, and he managed all affairs, putting men in or out of Office according to his pleasure. Yet his Mother who was a Papist hav­ing a great hand in all business, and a great power over her Son, directed him in all matters of Profit and Concernment, and was addressed to first, in order to procure any favour from him. Which caused Gondemar the Spanish Ambassador to write merrily to his Master, 'That there was never more hope of England's Conversion to Rome than now, for there were more Prayers and Oblations offered here to the Mother than to the Son. He Mar­ried the Earl of Rutlands Daughter, the greatest Match in the Kingdom, who pretended to be a zealous Protestant, but his Mo­ther and the Jesuits reduced her to the Popish Religion, so that be­tween a Mother and a Wife Buckingham himself grew very indif­ferent being neither Papist nor Protestant.

K. James affected the name of a Peace-maker, and designing the general quiet of Europe and the reconciling all parties, he pro­fessed that if the Papists would renounce their K. killing Doctrine, and some other gross errors, he was willing to meet them half way. And being zealous also to maintain the height of Regal Ma­jesty, after the death of Prince Henry, he resolved to match his Son Prince Charles with some Princess of most high Descent, though of a different Religion. And there having been a Treaty of Mar­riage between P. Henry and a Daughter of Spain, wherein the Spaniards deluded him with their accustomed gravity and forma­lity, he now set his thoughts upon a Match with France, which the Spanish King doubting would be to his disadvantage, he made new Overtures for a Marriage with his Daughter to Sir John Digby the King's Ambassador there, though with as little sincerity as before. And at length Articles were agreed on and signed by K. James, whereby the Children of this Marriage were not to be constrained to be Protestants, nor to lose their right of succession if they were Catholicks. The Pope's Dispensation was to be procured, the new Queen was to have Popish Chaplains Priests, Confessors and all other Privileges. The K. was mightily plea­sed with this Alliance, but the People as much displeased, who [Page 169] had not forgot the intended cruelty of 1588. and dreaded the consequence of this Popish Contract. But the K. not thinking that the business went on with that speed he desired, sends the Prince and Buckingham to Spain to consummate the Marriage, where he is received with all manner of magnificence by that King, and universal joy of that People, in hope the Prince would turn Ca­tholick, they generally discoursing, That he came thither on pur­pose to become a Christian. Neither were any endeavours want­ing to seduce him. Pope Gregory writing a smooth Letter to him: Yea condescended to write another to Buckingham his Guide and Familiar to incline him to the Romish Religion. The Prince re­turned an answer to the Pope's Letter, and among other expres­sions says,

'Your Holines's conjecture of our desire to contract an Alliance and Marriage with a Catholick Family and Princess, is agree­able both to your Wisd [...]m and Charity, for we would never de­sire so vehemently to be joined in a strict and indissoluble Bond with any Mortal whatsoever whose Religion we hated. For it is very certain, I shall never be so extreamly affectionate to any thing in the World, as to endeavour Alliance with a Prince that hath the same apprehension of the True Religion with my self. Therefore I intreat your Holiness to believe, that I have been al­ways far from incouraging Novelties, or to be a Partizan of any Faction against the Catholick Apostolick Roman Religion [...] on the contrary I have sought all occasions to take away [...] ­picion that might rest upon me. And I will imploy my self for the time to come to have but One Religion, and one Faith, see­ing that we all believe in one Jesus Christ. Having resolved in my self to spare nothing that I have in this World, and to suffer all manner of discommodities, even to the hazard of my Estate and Life, for a thing so pleasing to God. I pray God to give your Holiness a blessed Health here, and his Glory after so much Travel which yor Holiness takes within his Church.

After a while the Match was concluded in England, and the Ar­ticles sworn to by K. James, and some private ones much in fa­vour of the Papists. And the King was so transported with the ass [...]rance of it, that he was heard to say, 'Now all the Devils in Hell cannot hinder it. But a stander by said to one of his Atten­dants. 'That there was never a Devil now left in Hell, for they were all gone into Spain to make up the Match. And indeed the Spirit of the Nation was so averse to this Union, that they boldly vented their Sentiments both with their Tongues and [...]ens: And among others, Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury writ a very warm Letter to the K. against a Toleration of Popery, which was one of the Articles agreed to. The Treaty was likewise Signed and Sealed by the K. of Spain and the Prince, Who also obliged, [Page 170] himself, That as often as the Infanta pleased, he would hearken to such Catholick Divines, as she should appoint to debate matters of Religion with him, but would never dissuade her from her own Religion, and would take care to abrogate all the Laws made against Catholicks in three years.

But after all, this Match proved abortive, and the Prince and Duke returning home again, the K. declaring, that unless the Em­peror would restore the Palatinate taken from his S [...]n in Law the Prince Palatine, he would proceed no farther. Which the K. of Spain declining to be concerned in, the Treaty was totally dissolv­ed, to the great joy of all good Protestants.

The Duke gave the Parliament an account of the whole Trans­action, wherein he severely reflected upon the unfair and deluso­ry practices of the Spanish Court, which so incensed the Spanish Ambassadour, that he sent to the K. to inform him, that the Duke had some desperate design against his Life, and that the least he could do against him, would be to confine him to some of his Country Houses during Life, the Prince being now fully ripe for Government. This raised some jealousie in the old King, so that the next time he saw Buckingham, he cried, 'Ah Stenny, Stenny (which was the Familiar name he always called him) 'wilt thou kil me? At which the Duke was at first amazed, but finding af­terward that a Spanish Jesuit was the Informer, he told the King, It was only their malice against him for breaking the match, pro­testing his Innocency. The K. was satisfied the Ambassador was his Enemy, and that such an attempt could never be performed without the consent of the Prince, whom the Ambassador reflect­ed upon, though he did not directly accuse him, and He thought it so horrid and unnatural a design, that he passed it by without any further notice: But only in sending to the K. of Spain to de­fire justice of him against his Ambassadors false Accusation, which he said wounded his Sons honour through Buck ingham's sides. Soon after the Ambassador was recalled, and for Forms sake had a little check given him, but was in as much favour as ever.

Thus was this Information waved, and the Duke so far re­established in favour, that he doubted not but to crush all that op­posed him, and charged Cranfield Earl of Middlesex in Parlia­ment, with several mismanagements of the Revenue, the Prince who was Buckingham's right hand joining with him in it. The King being at New-Market, to free himself from the noise of bu­siness, hearing of it, writ to the Prince, 'That he should not take part with any Faction in Parliament against the Earl of Middle­sex, but be so indifferent that both parties might seek to him, for if he bandied to remove old Servants, the time would come that others would do as much by him. This wise advice declar­ed [...]eking ham to be a little declining in the King's favour, or [Page 171] the King in his. For if the King knew Buckingham to be the chief Prosecutor, it looktill for the King to plead for him, and if not, there was not that intimacy between them as formerly. How­ever Cranfield's Actions were proved to be so dishonourable, that he was sined severely, and made uncapable of ever fitting in the House of Peers for the future.

Soon after the King died at Theobald's of a Tertian Ague as was then said, and King Charles who in his Fathers Life time was linkt to the Duke, now continued to receive him into an ad­mired intimacy and dearness, making him Partaker of all his Counsels and Cares, and chief Conductor of his Affairs, an ex­ample rare in this Nation to be the Favourite of two succeeding Princes: But was not so fortunate as to Parliaments, for though the last in King James's time had approved of his Conduct in breaking the Spanish Match, yet the first Parliament of this King drawing up a Remonstrance of their Grievances, inveighed a­gainst him in their Speeches, as the chief occasion of all miscar­riages in Government. As the loss of the Royalty of the Narrow Seas, by his mismanagement of the Office of Lord High Admiral; His inriching himself and kindred to the impoverishing of the King and Crown. His ill bestowing of Offices of Trust and Profit. The increase of Popery occasioned by the Dukes Mother and Fa­ther in Law, both Papists. The scandalous sale of all Honours, Offices and Imployments Ecclesiastical, Military and Civil. And his staying at home (though Admiral) when he should have com­manded the Fleet, which miscarried by his being absent. In the same Parliament likewise, the Earl of Bristol accused the Duke of High Treason, and the Duke charged him with the same. One of the Articles against Buckingham was, 'That the Pope being in­formed of his inclination to the Catholick Religion, sent the Duke a Bull in Parchment, to perseade and incourage him to pervert the Prince of Wales. After this the Parliament proceed­ed to Impeach the Duke upon 13 Articles of High Treason and other high Crimes and Misdemeanors, one of which was his giv­ing Porions and applying Plaisters to the late King James in his sickness, without the advice and contrary to the directions of his sworn Physicians, from whence proceeded drowths, raving, faint­ing, and an intermitting Pulse, which [...]he King was so senfible of, that being told by his Phys [...]ians that his Distemper increased by cold, he replied, 'No, no, it proceeds from that which I have from Buckingham. The King was so angry at these ploceed­ings having cautioned them from medling with the Duke, that he committed Sir Dudly Diggs, who made the Prologue, and Sir John Eliot the Epilogue of his Impeachment, both Prisoners to the Tower. After which the Duke gave in an answer to all the Articles charged against him, as well of misimploying the Ship [Page 172] of Rochel, as about the death of K. James, wherein he acknow­ledges, he did give the Potion to the King, but it was by his own Order, in presence of the King's Physitians, who did not seem to diflike it, some of them having tasted it. And the Duke acquain­ting the King that some had reported that this Drink had made him worse, and that he had given it him without advice, the K. answered, They are worse than Devils that say it. However the Parliament proceeded with an Address to the K. for removing the D. from his Council and Presence, and the House of Lords sent four Peers to intreat him to give audience to their whole House upon this Subject. But the K. replied, That his resolution was to hear no motion for that purpose, but that he would Dissolve the Parliament, which he did instantly by Commission, which gave occasion to the People to utter their minds freely upon this Transaction.

After this the King declares VVar against France, and [...] Fleet being provided, and an Army raised, Buckingham is made both Admiral and General, and lands his Army at the Isle of Rhee, notwithstanding the opposition of the French both Horse and Foot, whom the English defeated. From whence they marched to St. Martin's, and blockt up the Citadel. But notwithstanding our Ar­my at Land and 100 Sail of Ships at Sea, yet the French got into the Harbour with relief of Provisions; and afterward carried so great a supply into the Citadel, that the Duke who had lain idle for many VVeeks, being at length prevailed with to Storm it, was forced to retire, and in his retreat had a great number of his Souldiers kill'd and drowned, returning home with great disuo­nour. Upon the return of the Fleet, the Cry of the Nation was so great, both for the Disgrace and the Seamen's want of Pay, that the King was obliged to call a Parliamene, which being met, the Duke is declared the Grievance of Grievances, and the Cause of all the miseries of the Kingdom. But the King Proroguing the Parliament before they could proceed against him, in the mean time Dr. Lamb the Duke's Creature is murthered in the City out of hatred to his Master. And the Town of Rochel (who had de­clared for the English when they were there) being now closely besieged by the French. The King had prepared a Fleet under the command of the Duke to relieve it, who being advanced as far as Portsmouth to go aboard, was slain by one Lieutenant Felton in his own Lodgings, by one blow with a Knife under the left Rib and up to the Heart, leaving the Knife in his Body, and got away undiscovered. In his fall to the Ground, the Duke was heard to say, The Villain has killed me. Company coming in and finding him weltring in his Blood, began to inquire for the Mur­therer, when Felton immediately stept out and said. 'I am the man that have done the deed, let no man suffer that is innocent. [Page 173] VVhen he gave the fatal blow, Felton cry'd, The Lord have mer­cy upon thy Soul. VVhich the Duke had not time to pronounce himself. Felton had a Paper sticking to the Lining of his Hat wherein he had written as followeth: 'I would have no man commend me for doing it, but rather discommend themselves, for if God had not taken away their Hearts for their Sins, he had not gone so long unpunisht. The man is cowardly, base in mind, opinion, and deserves not the name of a Gentleman or Souldier, that is unwilling to Sacrifice his Life for the Honour of God, his King, and Country. Subscrib'd John Felton. He confest to the Council, that the motives to it were his want of pay, his being disappointed of a Captains place which the Duke promised him, Together with the late Remonstrance of the House of Commons against him. A. B. Laud askt him, whether the Puritans did not incite him to it, which he denied, or any body else. VVell then said Laud, we must make you confess your Accomplices on the Rack, If you should, said Felton, it may be the torment would make me accuse you as soon as another. So he was tried for mur­ther, and suffered very penitently at Tyburn, and his Body was hung in Chains at Portsmouth in 1628.

An Ingenious VVriter is much offended with Sir Henry VVot­ton, for making a Parallel between the Earl of Essex aforemen­tioned and the Duke of Buckinghim, (to be found in his remains) which he says is much to the disadvantage of Essex, who besides his last action, never did any thing so ingrateful as might make him fear the anger, or beg the favour of a Parliament, much less owe his Life to the Dissolution of one. He died like a Christian. He was no instrument of Tyranny and Oppression, his memory being still valuable among the People. VVhereas the Duke's re­tains a contrary Tincture, nor can his bounty to his Friends and Servants expunge his faults, because the Money was drained ei­ther from the People, the Publick Treasury, or from the general safety of the Nation. Whereas Essex obliged his Confidents out of his own store, or by such innocent ways as the Subject had no cause to repine at. His natural parts were as great, and his Learning and Birth greater than the Dukes. Nor can his last in­considerate action that rather deserves the Title of a Riot than Treason, come up to so great an ingratitude and indignity to the Nation as Buckingham's proceedings at Rochel, wherein the Duke shewed no less folly in procuring so great a hatred among the People, than Essex did in misapplying their love. And if his Picture be exact. Essex was as hand some as he, which was the chief cause of Villers advancement. Only in this Essex came short, in having a Mistress that would attend to reason, whether it came from friendship or malice; Whereas the Dukes fortune depended on two Princes, that in reference to their own weakness or his [Page 174] strongth, remained deaf to all Complaints but what were made by him or his Creatures, under pain of his high Displeasure, which was usually much heavier than the King's. Concerning their Deaths, (saith my Author) I can attest, the Duke's did occasion no l [...] joy, than the other did sorrow, though the death of Queen Elizabeth her self be put into the Scale. Nor was the Hangman willing to be hired to cut off Essex, whereas Felton seemed to be inspired with some Daemon, if not the Genius of our Nation.

THIS great Favourite was born in Chancery Lane London, his Mother coming casually to the City, but descended from an antient Family at Wentworth VVoodhouse in Yorkshire. He was educated in St. John's College in Oxford, whereby he was so ac­complisht, that his endowments soon advanced him to be a Mem­ber of the House of Commons, wherein he appeared very zealous for the Liberties of his Country, and that often with so much strength of reason, that his Sentiments prevail'd for or against the Cause he managed. Of which I shall give a few instances.

In the Parliament 3. Charles I. Upon a debate on the Grievan­ces of the Kingdom, by quartering Souldiers, Loans, Benevolence, Privy Seals, and Imprisoning Gentlemen that refused to lend Mo­ney on that account, and were refused to be Bailed upon there Habeas Corpus, he spake thus. 'Surely these illegal ways are pu­nishments and marks of indignation, The raising of Loans, strengthned by Commissions, with unheard of Instructions and Oaths, and the Billetting of Souldiers by Deputy Lieutenants have been such as if they could have persuaded Christian Princes, that the right of Empires had been to take away mens Proper­ties by strong hands. These Projectors have introduced a Privy Council, who have ravisht at once the Spheres of allantient Go­vernment, shprisoning us without either Bail or Bond. They have taken from us, what? What shall I say indeed? What have they left us. The remedy I shall propound is, To vindicate our an­tient vital Liberties, by reinforcing the Laws made by our An­cestors, by giving such a Character of them as no Licentious Spi­rit shall ever dare enter upon them hereafter. Let [...] secure our selves, and our freedom from imprisonment, Les us secure our Goods that no Levies be made but by Parliament, no Bilseting [Page 175] of Souldiers. If we are not secured in these, we cannot give sup­plies. —I cannot forget that duty I owe to my Country, and unless our Liberties be secured, I incline to look upon the state of our Country whether it be fit to give or no. Are we come to an end of our Countries Liberties? Are we secured for time future? —We are accountable to a Publick Trust, and since there hath been a Publick Violation of the Laws by the King's Ministers, nothing will satisfie but a Publick Amends, and our desire to vindicate the Subject's Right is no more than what is laid down in former Laws. —Let us be sure that the Subject's Liberties go hand in hand with the supply, and not to pass the one, till we have good Ground and a Bill for the other. Upon the Petition of Right which the House of Lords would have had this addition to, 'We present this our Humble Petition to your Ma­jesty, with the care not only of preserving our own Liberties, but with due regard to leave intire that Sovereign Power where­with your Majesty is trusted for the Protection, Safety and Hap­piness of the People, Sir Tho. Wentworth spake thus: 'If we admit of this Addition, we shall leave the Subjects worse than we found them, and we shall have little thanks for our labour when we come home. Let us leave all Power to his Majesty to punish Malefactors, but these Laws are not acquainted with So­veraign Power. VVe desire no new thing, nor do we offer to in­trench on his Majesties Prerogative, but we may not recede from this Petition either in part or in whole.

The King hearing of his ability and understanding, used all means to gain him to himself, by bestowing of Titles of Honour and Places of Trust upon him, Creating him Viscount VVent­worth, Earl of Strafford, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, where­by he made him wholly his own. In Ireland he was very active in augmenting the King's Revenues, and advancing the Royal Authority by all ways within his Power; And upon his return in­to England, he advised the King to go into Scotland, and settle the Peace of that Kingdom by his Coronation there, he having in­telligence that if it were defer'd any longer, the Scots might per­haps incline to Elect another King. Upon the troubles that rose soon after there, on the account of imposing the Common Prayer upon them, and the King resolving to raise an Army to reduce them, but doubting the Parliament would not supply him, the Lords told the King that they would ingage their own Credits to forward the business, and the Earl of Strafford for the incourage­ment subscribed 20000l. other Noblemen following his example conformable to their Estates, and some of the Judges contributed largely.

April 13. 1639, a Parliament being assembled, the Earl of Strafford was led into the House of Peers by two Noblemen, to [Page 176] give an account of his proceedings in Ireland, having there ob­rained the Grant of four Subsides, for maintaing 10000 Foot and 1500 Horse. Implicitely hinting thereby that they should propos­tion their Supplies accordingly. But the Parliament doubting that the Irish Forces might indanger Religion, and seeming to allow the justness of the Scots Cause, and of the good that might be ob­tained by favouring them in this Conjuncture, the King doubting they might vote against the War with the Scots, whom he re­solved to Treat severely for not complying with his Will and Pleasure, he thereupon suddenly Dissolves them, to the great dis­content of the People, who for eleven years past, durst scarce mention the name of a Parliament.

Being hereby disappointed of a supply, the King sends to the Citizens of London to lend Money, and to all Knights and Gentle­men who held Lands of the Crown, to provide Men, Horses and Arms for his Assistance. The Citizens generally refused, pleading poverty and want of Trade, but by the assistance of the Gentry, an Army was raised with great celerity, of which the Earl of Strafford was made Lieutenant General, and the King command­ed in Chief. The Scots having notice of these preparations, speedi­ly raised an Army, with which they marched into England to make this the Seat of War. The Lord Conway doubting they would take in Newcastle, drew off 3000 Foot and about 1200 Horse to secure the Pass at Newburn. Lesly the Scots General marching forward sent a Trumpeter to the Lord Conway, to de­sire leave to pass to the King with their Petition, which being de­nied, they fell upon the English and kill'd 300 of them. Which being accounted an unhappy Omen, several of the Lords Petition­ed the King for a Parliament, which was seconded by another from the Scots, and a third from the City of London. At length the King consented to it, having first, by advice of the Peers, consented to a Treaty with the Scots at Rippon, they refusing to send their Commissioners to York, alledging, That the Lieutenant of Ireland resided there, who proclaimed them Rebels in Ireland, before the King had done it in England, and against whom as a chief Incendiary they intended to complain in the next Parliament.

For the Parliament meeting Nov. 3. 1640. the Scotch Commis­sioners coming to London, had many private Conferences with some of the House of Commons, and it was concluded that the Earl of Strafford should be immediately Impeached at his first com­ing into the House of Lords, which was done accordingly, and thereupon he was instantly taken into Custody, and in March following he was brought to his Trial in Westminster Hall. The King, Queen and Prince were present in a private Closet, where they could here all, but were seen of none.

And then Mr. Pym Impeached the Earl of twenty eight Ar­ticles of High Treason in the name of the Commons of England, sharging him, That he had Trayterously endeavoured to sub­vert the fundamental Laws and Government of England and Ireland, and to introduce an Arbitrary Tyrannical Government, by Trayterously assuming to himself Regal Power over the Laws, Liberties, Persons, Lands and Goods of his Majesties Subjects. Had countenanced and encouraged Papists: Had maliciously en­deavoured to stir up enmity and hostility between the Subjects of England and Scotland. Had wilfully betrayed the King's Sub­jects to death by a dishonourable retreat at Newburn, that by the effusion of blood, and the dishonour and loss of New-Castle, the People of England might be ingaged in a National and Irre­concileable quarrel with the Scots. And that to secure himself from being questioned for these and other Trayterous Courses he had laboured to subvert the Rights of Parliament, and to incense his Majesty against them by false and malicious slanders, and that upon the Dissolution of the last Parliament, he did treacherously and wickedly counsel and advise His Majesty to this effect, That having tryed the affections of his People, he was loose and absolv­ed from all rules of Government, and was to do every thing that power would admit. Since having tried all ways he was refused, so that he would now be acquitted both by God and Man. And that he had an Army in Ireland (meaning the Army of Papists who were his Dependants) which the King might imploy to re­duce this Kingdom to his obedience. That he falsly, maliciously and treacherously declared before some of the Privy Council, That the Parliament of England had forsaken the King, and that in denying to supply him, they had given him the advantage to supply himself by such ways as he should think fit, and that he was not to suffer himself to be mastred by the frowardness of the People. That he was very rigorous in levying the illegal Imposition of Shipmoney, and Imprisoned divers Persons for not levying the same. And a Great Loan of an hundred thousand pound being demanded of the City, and some refusing to lend, the Lord Mayo [...] and Aldermen were required to return their names, which they with humility refusing to do, the Earl said, That they deserved to be put to fine and ransom, and to be made examples, and laid by the heels, and that it would never be well till some of the Al­dermen were hanged up. That by wicked Counsel he had brought on the King excessive charges, and then advised him to approve of two dangerous Projects. To seize the Money in the Mint, and to imbase his own Coin with a mixture of Brass. That he had declared that Ireland was a conquered Nation, and that the King might do with them what he pleased, and speaking of the Char­ters of former Kings of England, he said, They were nothing [Page 178] worth, and that he would neither have Law nor Lawyers question or dispute any of his Orders, and that he would make all Ireland know that so long as he had the Government there, any Act of State there made, should be as binding to the Subject as an Act of Par­liament. That he did not only Tyrannize over the Bodies but over the Consciences of Men, by forming and imposing a new and unusual Oath, which because some Scots refused to take, he fined and banished great numbers, and called all that Nation Re­bels and Traytors, and said if ever he returned home from Eng­land he would root them out both stock and branch.

These and a multitude of other crimes, he was charged to have committed both in Ireland and England. Many of which he con­fest to be true, but not with their aggravations. Some he de­nied, and others he extenuated, and pleaded that though the whole were proved against him, yet it did not amount to Trea­son. Some of the Lords and Commons were of the same opinion. Others urged, That though he were not guilty of any of the Offences declared to be Treason by the 25 of Edward III. yet so great were his crimes that (according to that Statute which im­powers the Parliament to declare what is Treason) they ought to be declared Treason. At length it was concluded to proceed against him by way of Attainder, which was much opposed like­wise, it being alleaged, That no man could be convict of Trea­son but by the Letter of the Statute, and the Lord Digby a Mem­ber of the House of Commons, and an earnest Prosecutor of the Earl spake thus of it, 'Mr. Speaker, I am still of the same opi­nion and affections to the Earl Strafford, I confidently believe him the most dangerous Minister, and the most insupportable to free Subjects that can be found. I believe his p [...]actices as high and as Tyrannical as any Subject ever ventured on, and the malignity of them highly aggravated by those rare abilities of his, whereof God hath given him the use, but the Devil the application. I believe him still, the grand Apostate to the Common Wealth, who must not expect to be pardoned in this World, till he be dispatcht to the other. I do not say but his Crimes may represent him a man as worthy to dye, and perhaps worthier than many a Traytor, and may justly direct us to enact that they shall be Treason for the future, but God keep me from giving Judgment of Death on any man, and to ruin his Posterity upon a Law made after the Crime is committed. And by any Law yet made, I do not believe he is guilty of Treason.

However the Bill of Attainder passed in the House of Commons, and Mr. Sir John's endeavoured to satisfie the Lords in the rea­sonableness thereof, to induce them to Pass it. For said he, though the proofs at the Trial were insufficient, and nothing but Legal Evidence can prevail in Judicature, yet by this way both [Page 179] Lords and Commons might proceed by the light of their own Consciences, although no evidence were given at all. And after many Aggravations of the Earl's Offences in subverting our Laws, as he affirmed, he concluded thus. 'He that would not have had others have any Law, should have none himself: It is true, we give Law to Hares and Dee, because they be Beasts of Chase. It was never accounted cruelty or foul play to knock Foxes or Wolves on the Head as they can be found, because these be Beast of Prey. The Warrenner sets Traps for Powl-cats and other Vermine for preservation of the Warren. The Lords after this Speech shewing a greater propensity toward the Earl's condemnation than before, the King having an account of it, came next day to the House of Peers, and sending for the House of Commons told them;

'That Judgment being ready to pass on the Earl of Strafford he thought it necessary to declare his Conscience therein, they being sensible that he had been present at the hearing this great Cause from one end to the other, and yet that in his Consci­ence he could not condemn him of High Treason; assuring them, That he never intended to bring an Irish Army into England, nor was ever advised by any body so to do. That there was never any debate before him of the disloyalty of his English Subjects, nor had he ever any suspicion of them. That he was never. Counselled by any to after all, or any of the Laws of Eng­land, since if any durst have been so impudent he should have made them examples to Posterity. That he would be rightly understood, for though in Conscience he could not condemn him of High Treason, yet he could not clear him of such Misde­meanors, as he did not think him fit to serve him or the Com­monwealth hereafter, in any Place or Trust, no not so much as a Constable, and therefore he hoped they would find out a way to satisfie Justice and their own fears, and not oppress his Conscience, since neither fear nor any other respect whatsoever, should ever make him act against it.

This Speech relisht so ill with the two Houses, that few of them attended next day being Sunday May 2. on the solemnity of the King's Eldest Daughter Mary being Married to the Prince of Orange. On Monday five or six thousand Apprentices and other tumultuous Citizens came down to Westminster to demand justice against the Earl of Strafford, and Petitions subscribed with thousands of hands were presented to both Houses about redres­sing Grievances. Soon after the Lords passed the Bill of Artain­der, but the King seemed very averse to Pass it, and consulted both with Lawyers and Divines of the Lawfulness thereof. The Bishop of Lincoln urged. That the opinion of the Judges and the Judgment of the Parliament thereupon ought much to sway with [Page 180] him, considering the terrible consequences of an inraged multi­tude, and that no other expedient could be found out to appease the People. But the main satisfaction of the King's Conscience it is said proceeded from a Letter sent to him by the Earl, to this purpose. 'Sir, to set your Majesties Conscience at Liberty, I do most humbly beseech you, for preventing of such mischief [...], as may happen by your refusal, to pass the Bill, by this means to remove, (I cannot say this accursed, but I confess) this unfor­tunate thing out of the way, toward that blessed agreement which I trust God shall forever establish betwixt you and your Subjects. Sir, my consent herein shall more acquit you to God than all the World can do besides, &c.

The next day the King Signed a Commission to several Lords to pass the Bill which was done accordingly. But being unwil­ling to part with his indeared Favourite, he sent a Letter by the Prince of Wales to the House of Lords, that mercy might be ex­tended to him as to Life, but that he might fulfil the natural course of his Days in close Imprisonment. But the Lords sent twelve of their number to the King to satisfie him that it could no [...] be done with safety, neither to himself nor his Queen. If it cannot says he, then Fiat Justitia, Let Justice be done.

May 12. 1641. The Earl was conveyed from the Tower to the Scaffold erected on the Hill with a sufficient Guard, and Arch­bishop Usher to assist him, where it is said he designed to have made a Speech already prepared, to this effect. 'People of my Native Country, I wish my own or your Charity had made me fit to call you Friends. It should appear by your concourse and gazing Aspects that I am now the only prodigious Meteor, to­ward which you direct your wandring Eyes. I would to God my Blood would cure your sad hearts of all your Grievances. Though every drop thereof were a Soul on which a Life depend­ed, I could tender it with as much alacrity as some, nay most of you are come to triumph in my final expiration. In regard I have been by you my Native Country (whose wisdom and justice in respect of the generality of it, is no way question­able) voted to this untimely end, I have not one syllable to say in justification of my self or those actions for which I suffer. Only in excuse of both, give me leave to say my too much zeal to do my Master service made me abuse his Royal authority, and howsoever I have been most unfortunate, yet at all times a Favourite in the prosecution of my Places and Offices, as I shall answer at the dreadful Tribunal whereunto your just anger hath, before nature, doomed me, my intents were fairer than my actions, but God knows the overgreatness of my Spirits se­verity in my Government, the Witchcraft of Authority, and Flattery of many to sharpen it, are but ill Interpreters of my [Page 181] intentions, which I have no argument to induce you to believe, but that it proceeds from a dying man. It would too much hin­der your longing expectation of my shameful death to give an account of my Arraignment and Attainder, for I have been, and whilst I breath am, the Pestilence which rages through your Minds, your Estates and Trades, and you will read the Bills of your losses though the disease that brought the destruct on be removed, &c.

He then declared, That he forgave all the World, and acquit­ted them of his death: And beseeched the God of Heaven hear­tily to forgive them. That he was never against Parliaments as judging them the most happy constitution, and the best means to make the King and People happy. That it was a great com­fort to him, that the King did not think he merited so heavy a pu­nishment as this. So wishing all prosperity to the Kingdom, he addrest himself to his Prayers, and then laying down his Head on the Block, it was cut off at one blow. Instead of a Cha­racter of him, I shall conclude with his Epitaph written by Mr. John Cleaveland.