was to the Humours of the Princes whom he served as he had been Lord-Treasurer to the Father the last Seven years of his Life so being continued in the same Office by this King did as dextrously comply with his Prodigality as he had done formerly with his Fathers sparingness But this in the beginning of the Princes Reign did much endear him both to the Court and Nation there being a freer Circulation of Money by which Trade was encouraged and the Courtiers tasted so liberally of the Kings bounty that he was every-where much magnified though his Expence proved afterwards heavier to the Subject than ever his Father's Avarice had been Another thing that raised the Credit of this King was the great Esteem he was in beyond Sea both for his Wisdom and Power so that in all the Treaties of Peace and War he was always much considered and he did so exactly pursue that great Maxime of Princes of Holding the Ballance that still as it grew heavier whether in the Scale of France or Spain he governed Himself and Them as a wise Arbiter His first Action was against France which by the Accession of the Dutchy of Britain through his Father's over-sight was made greater and more formidable to the Neighbouring Princes therefore the French Successes in Italy having United all the Princes there against them Spain and England willingly joyned themselves in the Quarrel The Kingdom of Spain being also then United conquered Navarre which set them at great ease and weakned the King of France on that side Whose Affairs also declining in Italy this King finding him so much lessened made Peace with him having first managed his share of the War with great Honour at Sea and Land For going over in Person he did both defeat the French Army and take Terwin and Tourney the former he demolished the latter he kept and in these Exploits he had an unusual Honour done him which though it was a slight thing yet was very pleasant to him Maximilian the Emperour taking pay in his Army amounting to a Hundred Crowns a-day and upon all publick Solemnities giving the King the precedence The Peace between England and France was made firmer by Lewis the French Kings Marrying Mary the Kings Sister but he dying soon after new Counsels were to be taken Francis who succeeded did in the beginning of his Reign court this King with great Offers to renew the Peace with him which was accordingly done Afterward Francis falling in with all his force upon the Dutchy of Milan all endeavours were used to engage King Henry into the War both by the Pope and Emperour this last feeding him long with hopes of resigning the Empire to him which wrought much on him insomuch that he did give them a great Supply in Money but he could not be engaged to divert Francis by making War upon him and Francis ending the War of Italy by a Peace was so far from resenting what the King had done that he courted him into a straiter League and a Match was agreed between the Dolphin and the Lady Mary the Kings Daughter and Tourney was delivered up to the French again But now Charles Arch-Duke of Austria by his Father and Heir to the House of Burgundy by his Grand-mother and to the Crown of Spain by his Mother began to make a great Figure in the World and his Grand-Father Maximilian dying Francis and He were Corrivals for the Empire but Charles being preferred in the Competition there followed what through personal Animosities what through reason of State and a desire of Conquest lasting Wars between them which though they were sometimes for a while closed up yet were never clearly ended And those two great Monarchs as they eclipsed most other Princes about them so they raised this Kings glory higher both courting him by turns and that not only by earnest and warm Addresses but oft by unusual Submissions in which they knowing how great an Ingredient Vanity was in his temper were never deficient when their Affairs required it All which tended to make him appear greater in the eyes of his own People In the year 1520. there was an Interview agreed on between the French King and Him but the Emperor to prevent the effects he feared from it resolved to out doe the French King in the Complement and without any Treaty or previous assurances came to Dover and sollicited the Kings friendship against Francis and to advance his design gained Cardinal Wolsey who then Governed all the Kings Counsels by the promise of making him Pope in which he judged he might for a present Advantage promise a thing that seemed to be at so great a distance Pope Leo the Tenth being then but a young man and with rich presents which he made both to the King the Cardinal and all the Court wrought much on them But that which prevailed most with the King was that he saw though Charles had great Dominions yet they lay at such a distance that France alone was a sufficient Counterpoise to him but if Francis could keep Milan recover Naples Burgundy and Navarre to all which he was then preparing he would be an uneasie Neighbour to himself and if he kept the footing he then had in Italy he would lie so heavy on the Papacy that the Popes could no longer carry equally in the affairs of Christendome upon which much depended according to the Religion of that time Therefore he resolved to take part with the Emperor till at least Francis was driven out of Italy and reduced to juster terms so that the following Interview between Francis and him produced nothing but a vast Expence and high Complements and from a second Interview between the King and the Emperor Francis was full of jealousie in which what followed justified his apprehensions for the War going on between the Emperor and Francis the King entred in a League with the former and made War upon France But the Pope dying sooner than it seems the Emperor look't for Cardinal Wolsey claimed his promise for the Papacy but before the Messenger came to him Adrian the Emperors Tutor was chosen Pope yet to feed the Cardinal with fresh hopes a new promise was made for the next vacancy and in the mean while he was put in hope of the Arch-Bishoprick of Toledo But two years after That Pope dying the Emperor again broke his word with him yet though he was thereby totally alienated from him he concealed his indignation till the publick Concerns should give him a good opportunity to prosecute it upon a better colour and by his Letters to Rome dissembled his resentments so artificially that in a Congratulation he wrote to Pope Clement He protested his Election was matter of such joy both to the King and himself that nothing had ever befaln them which pleased them better and that he was the very person whom they had wished to see raised to
that Greatness But while the War went on the Emperor did cajole the King with the highest Complements possible which always wrought much on him and came in person into England to be installed Knight of the Garter where a new League was Concluded by which beside mutual assistance a Match was agreed on between the Emperor and the Lady Mary the Kings only Child by his Queen of whom he had no hopes of more Issue This was sworn to on both hands and the Emperor was obliged when She was of Age to marry Her Per verba de praesenti under pain of Excommunication and the forfeiture of 100000 Pounds The War went on with great success on the Emperors part especially after the Battel of Pavia in which Francis his Army was totally defeated and himself taken Prisoner and carried into Spain After which the Emperor being much offended with the Pope for joyning with Francis turned his Arms against him which were so successful that he besieged and took Rome and kept the Pope prisoner Six Months The Cardinal finding the publick Interests concur so happily with his private Distastes engaged the King to take part with France and afterwards with the Pope against the Emperor his Greatness now becoming the Terror of Christendome for the Emperor lifted up with his success began to think of no less than an Universal Empire And first that he might unite all Spain together he preferred a Match with Portugal to that which he had before Contracted in England and he thought it not enough to break off his sworn Alliance with the King but he did it with an heavy Imputation on the Lady Mary for in his Council it was said that she was illegitimate as being born in an unlawful Marriage so that no Advantage could be expected from her Title to the Succession as will appear more particularly in the Second Book And the Pope having dispensed with the Oath he Married the Infanta of Portugal Besides though the King of England had gone deep in the Charge he would give him no share in the Advantages of the War much less give him that Assistance which he had promised him to recover his Ancient Inheritance in France The King being irritated with this manifold ill usage and led on by his own Interests and by the offended Cardinal joyned himself to the Interests of France Upon which there followed not only a firm Alliance but a personal Friendship which appeared in all the most obliging expressions that could be devised And upon the Kings threatning to make War on the Emperor the French King was set at liberty though on very hard terms if any thing can be hard that sets a King out of Prison but he still acknowledged he owed his Liberty to King Henry Then followed the famous Clementine League between the Pope and Francis the Venetians the Florentines and Francis Sforza Duke of Milan by which the Pope absolved the French King from the Oath he had sworn at Madrid and they all united against the Emperor and declared the King of England Protector of the League This gave the Emperor great distaste who complained of the Pope as an ungrateful and perfidious person The first beginning of the storm fell heavy on the Pope for the French King who had a great mind to have his Children again into his own hands that lay Hostages in Spain went on but slowly in performing his part And the King of England would not openly break with the Emperor but seemed to reserve himself to be Arbiter between the Princes So that the Colonna's being of the Imperial Faction with 3000 men entered Rome and sack't a part of it forcing the Pope to fly into the Castle of St. Angelo and to make peace with the Emperor But as soon as that fear was over the Pope returning to his old arts complained of the Cardinal of Colonna and resolved to deprive him of that Dignity and with an Army entred the Kingdom of Naples taking divers places that belonged to that Family But the Confederates coming slowly to his Assistance and he hearing of great forces that were coming from Spain against him submitted himself to the Emperor and made a Cessation of Arms but being again encouraged with some hopes from his Allies and by a Creation of 14 Cardinals for Money having raised 300000 Duckats he disowned the Treaty and gave the Kingdom of Naples to Count Vaudemont whom he sent with forces to subdue it But the Duke of Bourbon prevented him and went to Rome and giving the Assault in which himself received his mortal wound the City was taken by Storm and plundered for several days about 5000 being killed The Pope with 17 Cardinals fled to the Castle St. Angelo but was forced to render his person and to pay 400000 Duckats to the Army This gave great offence to all the Princes of Christendome except the Lutherans of Germany but none resented it more loudly than this King who sent over Cardinal Wolsey to make up a new Treaty with Francis which was chiefly intended for setting the Pope at Liberty Nor did the Emperor know well how to justifie an Action which seemed so inconsistent with his Devotion to the See of Rome yet the Pope was for some months detained a Prisoner till at length the Emperor having brought him to his own terms ordered him to be setat liberty but he being weary of his Guards escaped in a disguise and owned his Liberty to have flowed chiefly from the Kings endeavours to procure it And thus stood the King as to forreign affairs he had infinitely obliged both the Pope and the French King and was firmly united to them and engaged in a War against the Emperor when he began first to move about his Divorce As for Scotland the near Alliance between him and Iames the Fourth King of Scotland did not take away the standing Animosities between the two Nations nor interrupt the Alliance between France and Scotland And therefore when he made the first War upon France in the Fourth year of his Reign the King of Scotland came with a great Army into the North of England but was totally defeated by the Earl of Surrey in Floudon field The King himself was either killed in the Battel or soon after so that the Kingdom falling under Factions during the Minority of the new King the Government was but feeble and scarce able to secure its own quiet And the Duke of Albany the chief Instrument of the French Faction met with such opposition from the Parties that were raised against him by King Henry's means that he could give him no disturbance And when there came to be a lasting peace between England and France then as the King needed fear no trouble from that Warlike Nation so he got a great Interest in the Government there And at this time Money becoming a more effectual Engine than any the War had ever produced and
upon their Mothers Title which might have been a dangerous competition to him that was so little beloved by his Subjects took this Method for amusing them with other things thence it was that his Son was the most learned Prince that had been in the World for many Ages and deserved the Title Beau-Clerke on a better account than his Predecessor that long before had carried it The Learning then in credit was either that of the Schools about abstruse Questions of Divinity which from the days of Lombard were debated and descanted on with much subtlety and nicety and exercised all Speculative Divines or the Study of the Canon-Law which was the way to Business and Preferment To the former of these the King was much addicted and delighted to read often in Thomas 〈◊〉 and this made Cardinal Wolsey more acceptable to him who was 〈◊〉 conversant in that sort of Learning He loved the purity of the 〈◊〉 tongue which made him be so kind to Erasmus that was the great Resâ—â—â—er of it and to Polidore Virgil though neither of these made their Court dextrously with the Cardinal which did much intercept the Kingâ— favour to them so that the one left England and the other was but coâ—rsly used in it who has sufficiently revenged himself upon the Cardinal's Memory The Philosophy then in fashion was so intermixed with their Divinity that the King understood it too and was also a good Musician as appears by two whole Masses which he composed He never wrote well but scrawled so that his hand was scarce legible Being thus inclined to Learning he was much courted by all hungry Scholars who generally over Europe dedicated their Books to him with such flattering Epistles that it very much lessens him to see how he delighted in such stuffe For if he had not taken pleasure in it and rewarded them it is not likely that others should have been every year writing after such ill Copies Of all things in the World Flattery wrought most on him and no sort of Flattery pleased him better than to have his great Learning and Wisdom commended And in this his Parliaments his Courtiers his Chaplains Forreigners and Natives all seemed to vie who should exceed most and came to speak to him in a Stile which was scarce fit to be used to any Creature But he designed to entail these praises on his Memory cherishing Church-men more than any King in England had ever done he also Courted the Pope with a constant submission and upon all occasions made the Popes Interests his own and made War and Peace as they desired him So that had he dyed any time before the 19th year of his Reign he could scarce have scaped being Canonized notwithstanding all his faults for he abounded in those vertues which had given Saintship to Kings for near 1000 years together and had done more than they all did by writing a Book for the Roman Faith England had for above 300 years been the tamest part of Christendome to the Papal Authority and had been accordingly dealt with But though the Parliaments and two or three high-spirited Kings had given some interruption to the cruel exactions and other illegal proceedings of the Court of Rome yet that Court always gained their designs in the end But even in this Kings days the Crown was not quite stript of all its Authority over Spiritual persons The Investitures of Bishops and Abbots which had been originally given by the delivery of the Pastoral Ring and Staffe by the Kings of England were after some opposition wrung out of their hands yet I find they retained another thing which upon the matter was the same When any See was vacant a Writ was issued out of the Chancery for seizing on all the Temporalties of the Bishoprick and then the King recommended one to the Pope upon which his Bulls were expeded at Rome and so by a Warrant from the Pope he was consecrated and invested in the Spiritualties of the See but was to appear before the King either in Person or by Proxie and renounce every clause in his Letters and Bulls that were or might be prejudicial to the Prerogative of the Crown or contrary to the Laws of the Land and was to swear Fealty and Allegiance to the King And after this a new Writ was issued out of the Chancery bearing that this was done and that thereupon the Temporalties should be restored Of this there are so many Precedents in the Records that every one that has searched them must needs find them in every year but when this began I leave to the more Learned in the Law to discover And for proof of it the Reader will find in the Collection the fullest Record which I met with concerning it in Henry the 7th his Reign of Cardinal Adrian's being Invested in the Bishoprick of Bath and Wells So that upon the matter the Kings then disposed of all Bishopricks keeping that still in their own hands which made them most desired in those Ages and so had the Bishops much at their Dovotion But King Henry in a great degree parted with this by the above-mentioned power granted to Cardinal Wolsey who being Legate as well as Lord Chancellour it was thought a great errour in Government to lodge such a trust with him which might have past into a Precedent for other Legates pretending to the same Power since the Papal greatness had thus risen and oft upon weaker grounds to the height it was then at Yet the King had no mind to suffer the Laws made against the suing out of Bulls in the Court of Rome without his leave to be neglected for I find several Licenses granted to sue Bulls in that Court bearing for their Preamble the Statute of the 16 of Richard the Second against the Popes pretended Power in England But the immunity of Ecclesiastical persons was a thing that occasioned great complaints And good cause there was for them For it was ordinary for persons after the greatest Crimes to get into Orders and then not only what was past must be forgiven them but they were not to be questioned for any Crime after holy Orders given till they were first degraded and till that was done they were the Bishops Prisoners Whereupon there rose a great dispute in the beginning of this Kings Reign of which none of our Historians having taken any Notice I shall give a full account of it King Henry the Seventh in his Fourth Parliament did a little lessen the Priviledges of the Clergy enacting that Clerks convicted should be burnt in the hand But this not proving a sufficient restraint it was Enacted in Parliament in the Fourth year of this King that all Murderers and Robbers should be denyed the benefit of their Clergy But though this seemed a very Just Law yet to make it pass through the House of Lords they added two Proviso's to it the one for excepting all such as were within
the Proceedings in the Kings Bench since there was no justice done and all thought the King seemed more careful to maintain his Prerogative than to do Justice This I have related the more fully because it seems to have had great Influence on peoples minds and to have disposed them much to the Changes that followed afterwards How these things were entred in the Books of Convocation cannot be now known For among the other sad losses sustained in the late burning of London this was one that almost all the Registers of the Spiritual Courts were burnt some few of the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and Bishops of London's Registers being only preserved But having compared Fox his Account of this and some other matters and finding it exactly according to the Registers that are preserved I shall the more confidently build on what he published from those Records that are now lost This was the only thing in the first 18 years of the Kings Reign that seemed to lessen the Greatness of the Clergy but in all other matters he was a most faithful Son of the See of Rome Pope Iulius soon after his coming to the Crown sent him a Golden Rose with a Letter to Arch-Bishop Warham to deliver it and though such Presents might seem fitter for young Children than for men of discretion yet the King was much delighted with it and to shew his Gratitude there was a Treaty concluded the year following between the King and Ferdinand of Arragon for the Defence of the Papacy against the French King And when in opposition to the Council that the French King and some other Princes and Cardinals had called first to Pisa which was afterwards translated to Milan and then to Lions that summoned the Pope to appear before them and suspended his Authority Pope Iulius called another Council to be held in the Lateran the King sent the Bishops of Worcester and Rochester the Prior of St. Iohns and the Abbot of Winchelcomb to sit in that Council in which there was such a Representative of the Catholick Church as had been for several of the latter Ages in the Western Church in which a few Bishops packt out of several Kingdoms and many Italian Bishops with a vast number of Abbots Priors and other Inferiour Digniâ—â—ed Clergy-men were brought to Confirm together whatever the Popes had a mind to Enact which passing easily among them was sent over the world with a stamp of Sacred Authority as the Decrees and Decisions of the Holy Universal Church assembled in a General Council Nor was there a worse understanding between this King and Pope Leo the 10 th that succeeded Iulius who did also complement him with those Papal Presents of Roses and at his desire made Wolsey a Cardinal and above all other things obliged him by conferring on him the Title of Defender of the Faith upon the presenting to the Pope his Book against Luther in a pompous Letter Signed by the Pope and 27 Cardinals in which the King took great pleasure affecting it always beyond all his other Titles though several of the former Kings of England had carried the same Title as Spelman informs us So easie a thing it was for Popes to oblige Princes in those days when a Title or a Rose was thought a sufficient Recompence for the greatest Services The Cardinal Governing all Temporal Affairs as he did it is not to be doubted but his Authority was absolute in Ecclesiastical Matters which seemed naturally to lie within his Province yet Warham made some opposition to him and complained to the King of his encroaching too much in his Legantine Courts upon his Jurisdiction and the things being clearly made out the King chid the Cardinal sharply for it who ever after that hated Warham in his heart yet he proceeded more warily for the future But the Cardinal drew the hatred of the Clergy upon himself chiefly by a Bull which he obtained from Rome giving him Authority to visit all Monasteries and all the Clergy of England and to dispence with all the Laws of the Church for one whole year after the date of the Bull. The power that was lodged in him by this Bull was not more invidious than the words in which it was conceived were offensive for the Preamble of it was full of severe Reflections against the Manners and Ignorance of the Clergy who are said in it to have been delivered over to a Reprobate mind This as it was a publick Deâ—aming them so how true soever it might be all thought it did not become the Cardinal whose Vices were notorious and scandalous to tax others whose faults were neither so great nor so eminent as his were He did also affect a Magnificence and Greatness not only in his Habit being the first Clergy-man in England that wore Silks but in his Family his Train and other pieces of State equal to that of Kings And even in performing Divine Offices and saying Mass he did it with the same Ceremonies that the Popes use who judg themselves so nearly related to God that those humble acts of Adoration which are Devotions in other persons would abase them too much He had not only Bishops and Abbots to serve him but even Dukes and Earls to give him the Water and the Towel He had certainly a vast mind and he saw the corruptions of the Clergy gave so great Scandal and their Ignorance was so profound that unless some effectual ways were taken for correcting these they must needs fall into great disesteem with the People For though he took great liberties himself and perhaps according to the Maxime of the Canonists he judged Cardinals as Princes of the Church were not comprehended within ordinary Ecclesiastical Laws yet he seemed to have designed the Reformation of the Inferiour Clergy by all the means he could think of except the giving them a good Example Therefore he intended to visit all the Monasteries of England that so discovering their corruptions he might the better justifie the design he had to suppress most of them and convert them into Bishopricks Cathedrals Collegiate Churches and Colledges For which end he procured the Bull from Rome but he was diverted from making any use of it by some who advised him rather to suppress Monasteries by the Popes Authority than proceed in a Method which would raise great hatred against himself cast foul aspersions on Religious Orders and give the Enemies of the Church great advantages against it Yet he had communicated his design to the King and his Secretary Cromwell understanding it was thereby instructed how to proceed afterwards when they went about the total suppression of the Monasteries The Summoning of Convocations he assumed by vertue of his Legantine Power Of these there were two sorts the first were called by the King for with the Writs for a Parliament there went out always a Summons to the Two Arch-Bishops for calling a Convocation of
their Provinces the Stile of which will be found in the Collection It differs in nothing from what is now in use but that the King did not prefix the day requiring them only to be Summoned to meet with all convenient speed and the Arch-Bishops having the King's pleasure signified to them did in their Writs prefix the day Other Convocations were called by the Arch-Bishops in their several Provinces upon great Emergencies to meet and treat of things relating to the Church and were Provincial Councils Of this I find but one and that called by Warham in the first year of this King for restoring the Ecclesiastical Immunities that had been very much impaired as will appear by the Writ of Summons But the Cardinal did now as Legate issue out Writs for Convocations In the year 1522. I find by the Register there was a Writ issued from the King to Warham to call one who upon that Summoned it to meet at St. Pauls the 20 th of April But the Cardinal prevailed so far with the King that on the 2 d. of May after he by his Legantine Authority dissolved that Convocation and issued out a Writ to Tonstall Bishop of London to bring the Clergy of Canterbury to St. Peter's in Westminster there to meet and reform Abuses in the Church and consider of other important Matters that should be proposed to them What they did towards Reformation I know not the Records being lost But as to the Kings Supply it was proposed That they should give the King the half of the full value of their Livings for one year to be paid in Five years The Cardinal laid out to them how much the King had merited from the Church both by suppressing the Schism that was like to have been in the Papacy in Pope Iulius his time and by Protecting the See of Rome from the French Tyrannie but most of all for that excellent Book written by him in Defence of the Faith against the Hereticks and that therefore since the French King was making War upon him and had sent over the Duke of Albany to Scotland to make War also on that side it was fit that on so great an occasion it should appear that his Clergy were sensible of their Happiness in having such a King which they ought to express in granting somewhat that was as much beyond all former Presidents as the King had merited more from them than all former Kings had ever done But the Bishops of Winchester and Rochester opposed this For they both hated the Cardinal The one thought him ungrateful to him who had raised him The other being a man of a strict Life hated him for his Vices Both these spake against it as an unheard-of Tax which would so oppress the Clergy that it would not be possible for them to live and pay it and that this would become a Precedent for after-times which would make the condition of the Clergy most miserable But the Cardinal who intended that the Convocation by a great Subsidy should lead the way to the Parliament took much pains for carrying it thorough and got some to be absent and others were prevailed on to consent to it And for the fear of its being made a Precedent a Clause was put in the Act That it should be no Precedent for after-times Others laughed at this and said It would be a Precedent for all that if it once passed But in the end it was granted with a most glorious Preamble and by it all the Natives of England that had any Ecclesiastical Benefice were to pay the full half of the true value of their Livings in Five years and all Forreigners who were Beneficed in England were to pay a whole years Rent in the same time out of which number were excepted the Bishops of Worcester and Landaffe Polidore Virgil Peter the Carmelite Erasmus of Roterdam Silvester Darius and Peter Vannes who were to pay only as Natives did This encreased the hatred that the Clergy bore the Cardinal But he despised them and in particular was a great Enemy to the Monks and looked on them as idle mouths that did neither the Church nor State any Service but were through their scandalous Lives a reproach to the Church and a burden to the State Therefore he resolved to suppress a great number of them and to change them to another Institution From the days of King Edgar the State of Monkery had been still growing in England For most of the Secular Clergy being then Married and refusing to put away their Wives were by Dunstan Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Ethelwald Bishop of Winchester and Oswald Bishop of Worcester who were all Monks turned out of their Livings There is in the Rolls an Inspeximus of King Edgars Erecting the Priory and Convent of Worcester which bears date Anno 964. Edgari 6 to on St. Innocents-day Signed by the King the Queen Two Arch-Bishops Five Bishops Six Abbots but neither Bishoprick nor Abbey are named Six Dukes and Five Knights but there is no Seal to it It bears that the King with the Council and Consent of his Princes and Gentry did Confirm and Establish that Priory and that he had Erected 47 Monasteries which he intended to encrease to 50. the number of Jubilee and that the former Incumbents should be for ever excluded from all pretensions to their Benefices because they had rather chosen with the danger of their Order and the prejudice of the Ecclesiastical Benefice to adhere to their Wives than to serve God Chastly and Canonically The Monks being thus setled in most Cathedrals of England gave themselves up to Idleness and Pleasure which had been long complained of but now that Learning began to be restored they being every-where possessed of the best Church-Benefices were looked upon by all Learned-men with an evil eye as having in their hands the chief encouragements of Learning and yet doing nothing towards it they on the contrary decrying and disparaging it all they could saying It would bring in Heresie and a great deal of mischief And the Restorers of Learning such as Erasmus Vives and others did not spare them but did expose their Ignorance and ill Manners to the world Now the King naturally loved Learning and therefore the Cardinal either to do a thing which he knew would be acceptable to the King or that it was also agreeable to his own Inclinations resolved to set up some Colledges in which there should be both great Encouragements for eminent Scholars to prosecute their Studies and good Schools for teaching and training up of Youth This he knew would be a great honour to him to be lookt upon as a Patron of Learning and therefore he set his heart much on it to have Two Colledges the one at Oxford the other at Ipswich the place of his Birth well constituted and nobly Endowed But towards this it was necessary to suppress some Monasteries which was thought every-whit as justifiable
and lawful as it had been many Ages before to change Secular Prebends into Canons Regular the endowed Goods being still applied to a Religious use And it was thought hard to say That if the Pope had the absolute Power of dispensing the Spiritual Treasure of the Church and to translate the Merits of one man and apply them to another that he had not a much more absolute Power over the Temporal Treasure of the Church to translate Church-Lands from one use and apply them to another And indeed the Cardinal was then so much considered at Rome as a Pope of another world that whatever he desired he easily obtained Therefore on the 3 d. of April 1524. Pope Clement by a Bull gave him Authority to suppress the Monastery of St. Frediswood in Oxford and in the Diocess of Lincoln and to carry the Monks elsewhere with a very full non obstante To this the King gave his assent the 19 th of April following After this there followed many other Bulls for other Religious Houses and Rectories that were Impropriated These Houses being thus suppressed by the Law they belonged to the King who thereupon made them over to the Cardinal by new and special Grants which are all Enrolled And so he went on with these great Foundations and brought them to Perfection That at Oxford in the 18 th year and that at Ipswich in the 20 th year of the Kings Reign as appears by the Dates of the Kings Patents for Founding them In the last Place I come to shew the new opinions in Religion or those that were accounted new then in England and the State and Progress of them till the 19th year of the Kings Reign From the days of Wickliffe there were many that disliked most of the received Doctrines in several parts of the Nation The Clergy were at that time very hateful to the people for as the Pope did exact heavily on them so they being oppressed took all means possible to make the people repay what the Popes wrested from them Wickliffe being much encouraged and supported by the Duke of Lancaster and the Lord Piercy the Bishops could not proceed against him till the Duke of Lancaster was put from the King and then he was condemned at Oxford Many opinions are charged upon him but whether he held them or not we know not but by the Testimonies of his Enemies who write of him with so much passion that it discredits all they say yet he dyed in peace though his body was afterwards burnt He translated the Bible out of Latine into English with a long Preface before it in which he reflected severely on the corruptions of the Clergy and condemned the Worshipping of Saints and Images and denyed the corporal Presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament and exhorted all people to the Study of the Scriptures His Bible with this Preface was well received by a great many who were led into these Opinions rather by the Impressions which common sense and plain Reason made on them than by any deep Speculation or Study For the followers of this Doctrine were illiterate and ignorant men some few Clerks joyned to them but they formed not themselves into any body or association and were scattered over the Kingdom holding these Opinions in private without making any publick Profession of them Generally they were known by their disparaging the superstitious Clergy whose Corruptions were then so notorious and their Cruelty so enraged that no wonder the people were deeply prejudiced against them Nor were the methods they used likely to prevail much upon them being severe and cruel In the Primitive Church though in their Councils they were not backward to pass Anathematisms on every thing that they judged Heresie yet all Capital proceedings against Hereticks were condemned and when two Bishops did prosecute Priscillian and his followers before the Emperor Maximus upon which they were put to death they were generally so blamed for it that many refused to hold Communion with them The Roman Emperors made many Laws against Hereticks for the fining and banishing of them and secluded them from the Priviledges of other Subjects such as making Wills or receiving Legacies only the Manichees who were a strange mixture between Heathenism and Christianity were to suffer death for their errors Yet the Bishops in those days particularly in Africk doubted much whether upon the Insolencies of Hereticks or Schismaticks they might desire the Emperor to execute those Laws for Fining Banishing and other restraints And St. Austin was not easily prevailed on to consent to it But at length the Donatists were so intolerable that after several Consultations about it they were forced to consent to those inferiour penalties but still condemned the taking away of their lives And even in the Execution of the Imperial Laws in those inferiour punishments they were always interposing to moderate the severity of the Prefects and Governours The first Instance of severity on mens bodies that was not censured by the Church was in the Fifth Century under Iustine the first who Ordered the tongue of Severus who had been Patriarch of Antioch but did daily Anathematise the Council of Chalcedon to be cut out In the Eighth Century Iustinian the 2d called Rhinotmetus from his cropt nose burnt all the Manichees in Armenia And in the end of the Eleventh Century the Bogomili were condemned to be burnt by the Patriarch and Council of Constantinople But in the end of the 12 and in the beginning of the 13th Century a Company of Simple and Innocent persons in the Southern parts of France being disgusted with the Corruptions both of the Popish Clergy and of the publick Worship separated from their Assemblies and then Dominick and his brethren-Preachers who came among them to convince them finding their Preaching did not prevail betook themselves to that way that was sure to silence them They perswaded the Civil Magistrates to burn all such as were judged Obstinate Hereticks That they might do this by a Law the Fourth Council of Lateran did Decree that all Hereticks should be delivered to the Secular Power to be extirpated they thought not fit to speak out but by the Practise it was known that Burning was that which they meant and if they did it not they were to be Excommunicated and after that if they still refused to do their duty which was upon the matter to be the Inquisitors Hangmen they were to deny it at their utmost Perils For not only the Ecclesiastical Censures but Anathema's were thought too feeble a punishment for this Omission Therefore a Censure was found out as severe upon the Prince as Burning was to the poor Heretick He was to be deposed by the Pope his Subjects to be absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance and his Dominions to be given away to any other faithful Son of the Church such as pleased the Pope best and all this by the Authority of a Synod that passed for a Holy General Council
to go to Cambridge for trying who were the Fautors of Heresie there But he as Legate did inhibite it upon what grounds I cannot imagine Which was brought against him afterwards in Parliament Art 43. of his Impeachment Yet when these Doctrines were spread every-where he called a meeting of all the Bishops and Divines and Canonists about London where Thomas Bilney and Thomas Arthur were brought before them and Articles were brought in against them The whole process is set down at length by Fox in all Points according to Tonstall's Register except one fault in the Translation When the Cardinal asked Bilney whether he had not taken an Oath before not to preach or defend any of Luthers Doctrines he confessed he had done it but not judicially judicialiter in the Register This Fox Translates not lawfully In all the other particulars there is an exact agreement between the Register and his Acts. The sum of the proceedings of the Court was That after examination of Witnesses and several other steps in the Process which the Cardinal left to the Bishop of London and the other Bishops to manage Bilney stood out long and seemed resolved to suffer for a good Conscience In the end what through human infirmity what through the great importunity of the Bishop of London who set all his Friends on him he did abjure on the 7 th of December as Arthur had done on the 2 d. of that Month. And though Bilney was relapst and so was to expect no mercy by the Law yet the Bishop of London enjoyned him Penance and let him go For Tonstall being a man both of good Learning and an unblemisht life these Vertues produced one of their ordinary effects in him great moderation that was so eminent in him that at no time did he dip his hands in Blood Geoffrey Loni and Thomas Gerard also abjured for having had Luther's Books and defending his Opinions These were the proceedings against Hereticks in the first half of this Reign And thus far I have opened the State of Affairs both as to Religious and Civil concerns for the first 18 years of this Kings time with what Observations I could gather of the dispositions and tempers of the Nation at that time which prepared them for the Changes that followed afterwards The End of the First Book THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION OF THE Church of England BOOK II. Of the Process of Divorce between King Henry and Queen Katharine and of what passed from the Nineteenth to the Twenty fifth year of his Reign in which he was declared Supreme Head of the Church of England KING Henry hitherto lived at ease and enjoyed his pleasures he made War with much honour and that always produced a just and advantageous Peace He had no trouble upon him in all his affairs except about the getting of Money and even in that the Cardinal eased him But now a Domestick trouble arose which perplexed all the rest of his Government and drew after it Consequences of a high nature Henry the 7 th upon wise and good considerations resolved to link himself in a close Confederacy with Ferdinand and Isabella Kings of Castile and Arragon and with the House of Burgundy against France which was looked on as the lasting and dangerous Enemy of England And therefore a Match was agreed on between his Son Prince Arthur and Katharine the Infanta of Spain whose eldest Sister Ioan was Married to Philip that was then Duke of Burgundy and Earl of Flanders out of which arose a triple Alliance between England Spain and Burgundy against the King of France who was then become formidable to all about him There was given with her 200000 Duckats the greatest Portion that had been given for many Ages with any Princess which made it not the less acceptable to King Henry the Seventh EFFIGIES CATHARINAE PRINCIPIS ARTHURI VXORIS HENRICO REGI NUPTAE H. Holbeâ—n Pinxit R. White Sculp 1486. Nata 1501. Nov. 14. Arthuro nupsit 1509. Iun. 3. Henrico Regi nupsit 1526. toro exclusa 1533. May. 23 incesti damnata 1536. Ian. 8. obijt Printed for Rich Chiswell at the Rose Crown in St Pauls Church yard The Infanta was brought into England and on the 14th of Nov. was Married at St. Pauls to the Prince of Wales They lived together as man and wife till the 2d of April following and not only had their Bed solemnly blest when they were put in it on the night of their Marriage but also were seen publickly in Bed for several days after and went down to live at Ludlow-Castle in Wales where they still Bedded together But Prince Arthur though a strong and healthful youth when he Married her yet died soon after which some thought was hastened by his too early Marriage The Spanish Ambassador had by his Masters order taken proofs of the Consummation of the Marriage and sent them into Spain the young Prince also himself had by many expressions given his Servants cause to believe that his Marriage was consummated the first night which in a youth of Sixteen years of Age that was vigorous and healthful was not at all judged strange It was so constantly believed that when he dyed his younger Brother Henry Duke of York was not called Prince of Wales for some considerable time Some say for one Month some for 6 Months And he was not created Prince of Wales till 10 Months were elapsed viz. in the February following when it was apparent that his Brothers wife was not with Child by him These things were afterwards looked on as a full Demonstration being as much as the thing was capable of that the Princess was not a Virgin after Prince Arthur's Death But the reason of State still standing for keeping up the Alliance against France and King Henry the 7th having no mind to let so great a Revenue as she had in Jointure be carried out of the Kingdom it was proposed That she should be married to the younger Brother Henry now Prince of Wales The two Prelats that were then in greatest esteem with King Henry the 7th were Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Fox Bishop of Winchester The former delivered his opinion against it and told the King that he thought it was neither honourable nor well-pleasing to God The Bishop of Winchester perswaded it and for the Objections that were against it and the Murmuring of the people who did not like a Marriage that was disputable lest out of it new Wars should afterwards arise about the Right of the Crown the Popes Dispensation was thought sufficient to answer all and his Authority was then so undisputed that it did it effectually So a Bull was obtained on the 26 of Decemb. 1503 to this effect that the Pope according to the greatness of his Authority having received a Petition from Prince Henry and the Princess Katharine Bearing That whereas the Princess was Lawfully Married to Prince Arthur which was
perhaps consummated by the Carnalis Copula who was dead without any issue but they being desirous to Marry for preserving the Peace between the Crowns of England and Spain did Petition his Holiness for his Dispensation therefore the Pope out of his care to maintain peace among all Catholick Kings did absolve them from all Censures under which they might be and Dispensed with the Impediment of their Affinity notwithstanding any Apostolical Constitutions or Ordinances to the contrary and gave them leave to Marry or if they were already Married he Confirming it required their Confessor to enjoyn them some healthful penance for their having Married before the Dispensation was obtained It was not much to be wondred at that the Pope did readily grant this for though very many both Cardinals and Divines did then oppose it yet the Interest of the Papacy which was preferred to all other Considerations required it For as that Pope being a great Enemy to Lewis the 12th the French King would have done any thing to make an Alliance against him firmer so he was a War-like Pope who considered Religion very little and therefore might be easily perswaded to Confirm a thing that must needs oblige the succeeding Kings of England to maintain the Papal Authority since from it they derived their Title to the Crown little thinking that by a secret Direction of an over-ruling Providence that Deed of his would occasion the extirpation of the Papal Power in England So strangely doth God make the Devices of Men become of no effect and turn them to a contrary end to that which is intended Upon this Bull they were Married the Prince of Wales being yet under Age. But Warham had so possessed the King with an aversion to this Marriage that on the same day that the Prince was of Age he by his Fathers command laid on him in the presence of many of the Nobility and others made a Protestation in the hands of Fox Bishop of Winchester before a publick Notary and read it himself by which he Declared That whereas he being under Age was Married to the Princess Katharine yet now coming to be of Age he did not confirm that Marriage but retracted and Annulled it and would not proceed in it but intended in full form of Law to void it and break it off which he declared he did freely and of his own accord Thus it stood during his Fathers life who continued to the last to be against it and when he was just dying he charged his Son to break it off though it is possible that no consideration of Religion might work so much on him as the apprehension he had of the troubles that might follow on a controverted Title to the Crown of which the Wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster had given a fresh and sad Demonstration The King being dead one of the first things that came under Consultation was that the young King must either break his Marriage totally or conclude it Arguments were brought on both hands but those for it prevailed most with the King So six weeks after he came to the Crown he was Married again publickly and soon after they were both Crowned On the first day of the year she made him a very acceptable new-years gift of a Son but he dyed in the Februâ—ry thereafter She miscarried often and an other Son dyed soon after he was born only the Lady Mary lived to a perfect Age. In this state was the Kings Family when the Queen leâ—t bearing more Children and contracted some diseases that made her person unacceptable to him but was as to her other Qualities a vertuous and grave Princess much esteemed and beloved both of the King and the whole Nation The King being out of hopes of more Children declared his Daughter Princess of Wales and sent her to Ludlow to hold her Court there and projected divers Matches for her The first was with the Dolphin which was agreed to between the King of France and him the 9th of Novemb. 1518. as appears by the Treaty yet extant But this was broken afterwards upon the Kings Confederating with the Emperor against France and a new Match agreed and sworn to between the Emperor and the King at Windsor the 22 of Iune 1522. the Emperor being present in person This being afterwards neglected and broken by the Emperor by the advice of his Cortes and States as was formerly related there followed some Overtures of a Marriage with Scotland But those also vanished and there was a second Treaty begun with France the King offering his Daughter to Francis himself which he gladly accepting a Match was Treated and on the last of April it was agreed that the Lady Mary should be given in Marriage either to Francis himself or to his second Son the Duke of Orleance and that Alternative was to be determined by the two Kings at an Enterview that was to be between them soon after at Calais with forfeitures on both sides if the Match went not on But while this was in agitation the Bishop of Tarbe the French Ambassador made a a great demur about the Princess Mary's being illegitimate as begotten in a Marriage that was contracted against a Divine precept with which no humane Authority could Dispense How far this was secretly concerted between the French Court and ours or between the Cardinal and the Ambassador is not known It is surmised that the King or the Cardinal set on the French to make this exception publickly that so the King might have a better Colour to justifie his suit of Divorce since other Princes were already questioning it For if upon a Marriage proposed of such infinite advantage to France as that would be with the Heir of the Crown of England they neverâ—heless made Exceptions and proceeded but coldly in it it was very reasonable to expect that after the Kings Death other Pretenders would have disputed her Title in another manner To some it seemed strange that the King did offer his Daughter to such great Princes as the Emperor and the King of France to whom if England had fallen in her Right it must have been a Province for though in the last Treaty with France she was offered either to the King or his second Son by which either the Children which the King might have by her or the Children of the Duke of Orleance should have been Heirs to the Crown of England and thereby it would still have continued divided from France yet this was full of hazard for if the Duke of Orleance by his Brothers Death should become King of France as it afterwards fell out or if the King of France had been once possessed of England then according to the maxime of the French Government that whatever their King acquires he holds it in the Right of his Crown England was still to be a Province to France unless they freed themselves by Arms. Others judged that the
particular For the Question of the unlawfulness of the Match had been first debated in the Cortes or Assembly of the States at Madrid and the Emperour had then shewed himself so â—avourable to it that he broke the Match to which he had bound himself with the Princess Therefore the King had reason to think that this at least would mitigate his opposition The Emperour had also used the Pope so hardly that it could not be doubted that the Pope hated him And it was believed that he would find the protection of the King of England most necessary to secure him either from the greatness of France or Spain who were Fighting for the best part of Italy which must needs fall into one of their hands Therefore the King did not doubt but the Pope would be compliant to his desires And in this he was much confirmed by the hopes or rather assurance which the Cardinal gave him of the Popes favour who either calculating what was to be expected from that Court on the account of their own Interest or upon some promises made him had undertaken to the King to bring that matter about to his hearts content It is certain that the Cardinal had carried over with him out of the Kings Treasure 240000 l. to be employed about the Popes Liberty But whether he had made a bargain for the Divorce or had fancied that nothing could be denied him at Rome it does not appear It is clear by many of his Letters that he had undertaken to the King that the business should be done and it is not like that a man of his wisdom would have adventured to do that without some good warrant But now that the Suit was to be moved in the Court of Rome they were to devise such Arguments as were like to be well heard there It would have been unacceptable to have insisted on the nullity of the Bull on this account because the matter of it was unlawful and fell not within the Popes Power For Popes like others Princes do not love to hear the extent of their Prerogative disputed or defined And to condemn the Bull of a former Pope as unlawful was a dangerous Precedent at a time when the Popes Authority was rejected by so many in Germany Therefore the Canonists as well as Divines were consulted to find such Nullities in the Bull of Dispensation as according to the Canon-Law and the proceedings of the Rota might serve to invalidate it without any diminution of the Papal Power Which being once done the Marriage that followed upon it must needs be annulled When the Canonists examined the Bull they found much matter to proceed upon It is a Maxime in Law that if the Pope be surprized in any thing and Bulls be procured upon false suggestions and untrue premises they may be annulled aâ—terwards Upon â—hich foundation most of all the Processes against Popes Bulls were grounded Now they found by the preamble of this Bull that it was said The King had desired that he might be dispensed with to Marry the Princess This was false for the King had made no such desire being of an Age that was below such considerations but Twelve years old Then it appeared by the preamble that this Bull was desired by the King to preserve the Peace between the King of England and Ferdinand and Isabella called Elizabetha in the Bull the Kings of Spain To which they excepted That it was plain this was false since the King being then but Twelve years old could not be supposed to have such deep speculations and so large a prospect as to desire a Match upon a politick account Then it being also in the Bull that the Popes Dispensation was granted to keep Peace between the Crowns if there was no hazard of any Breach or War between them this was a false suggestion by which the Pope had been made believe That this Match was necessary for averting some great mischief And it was known that there was no danger â—t all of that and so this Bull was obtained by a surprise Besides both King Henry of England and Isabella of Spain were dead before the King Married his Queen so the Marriage could not be valid by vertue of a Bull that was granted to maintain Amity between Princes that were dead before the Marriage was consummated And they also judged that the Protestation which the King made when he came of Age did retract any such pretended desire that might have been preferred to the Pope in his name and that from that time forward the Bull could have no further operation since the ground upon which it was granted which was the King's desire did then cease any pretended desire before he was of Age being clearly annulled and determined by that Protestation after he was of Age so that a subsequent Marriage founded upon the Bull must needs be void These were the grounds upon which the Canonists advised the Process at Rome to be carried on But first to amuse or over-reach the Spaniard the King sent word to his Ambassadour in Spain to silence the noise that was made about it in that Court Whether the King had then resolved on the Person that should Succeed the Queen when he had obtained what he desired or not is much questioned Some suggest that from the beginning he was taken with the charmes of Anne Boleyn and that all this Process was moved by the unseen spring of that secret affection Others will have this Amour to have been later in the King's thoughts How early it came there as this distance it is not easie to deâ—ermine But before I say more of it she being so considerable a Person in the â—ollowing Relation I shall give some account of her Sanders has assured the world That the King had a liking to her Mother who was Daughter to the Duke of Norfolk and to the end that he might enjoy her with the less disturbance he sent her Husband Sir Thomas Boleyn to be Ambassadour in France And that after Two years absence his Wife being with Child he came over and sued a Divorce against her in the Arch-Bishop of Canterburies Court but the King sent the Marques of Dorchester to let him know that she was with Child by him and that therefore the King desired he would pass the matter over and be reconciled to his Wiâ—e to which he consented And so Anne Boleyn though she went under the name of his Daughter yet was of the King 's bâ—getting As he describes her she was ill-shaped and ugly had Six Fingers a Gag-tooth and a Tumor under her Chin with many other unseemly things in her Person At the 15 th year of her Age he says both her Father's Butler and Chaplain lay with her Afterwaâ—ds she was sent to France where she was at first kept privatly in the house of a Person of Quality then she went to the French Court where she led such a dissolute life that
she was called the English Hackney That the French King liked her and from the freedoms he took with her she was called the King's Mule But returning to England she was admitted to the Court where she quickly perceived how weary the King was of the Queen and what the Cardinal was designing and having gained the King's affection she governed it so that by all innocent freedoms she drew him into her Toiles and by the appearances of a severe virtue with which she disguised her self so encreased his affection and esteem that he resolved to put her in his Queens place as soon as the Divorce was granted The same Author adds That the King had likewise enjoyed her Sister with a great deal more to the disgrace of this Lady and her Family I know it is not the work of an Historian to refute the Lies of others but rather to deliver such a plain account as will be a more effectual confutation than any thing can be that is said by way of Argument which belongs to other Writers And at the end of this King's Reign I intend to set down a Collection of the most Notorious False-hoods of that Writer together with the evidences of their being so But all this of Anne Boleyn is so palpable a lie or rather a complicated heap of lies and so much depends on it that I presume it will not offend the Reader to be detained a few minutes in the refutation of it For if it were true very much might be drawn from it both to disparage King Henry who pretended Conscience to annul his Marriage for the nearness of Affinity and yet would after that Marry his own Daughter It leaves also a foul and lasting stain both on the Memory of Anne Boleyn and of her incomparable Daughter Queen Elizabeth It also derogates so much from the first Reformers who had some kind of dependence on Queen Anne Boleyn that it seems to be of great importance for directing the Reader in the judgment he is to make of persons and things to lay open the falshood of this account It were sufficient for blasting it that there is no proof pretended to be brought for any part of it but a Book of one Rastall a Judg that was never seen by any other person than that Writer The Title of the Book is The Life of Sir Thomas More there is great reason to think that Rastall never writ any such Book for it is most common for the Lives of great Authors to be prefixed to their Works Now this Rastall published all More 's Works in Queens Maries Reign to which if he had written his Life it is likely he would have prefixt it No evidence therefore being given for his Relation either from Record Letters or the Testimony of any person who was privy to the matter the whole is to be looked upon as a black Forgery devised on purpose to defame Queen Elizabeth For upon her Mothers death who can doubt but that some either to flatter the King or to defame her would have published these things which if they had been true could be no secrets For a Lady of her Mothers condition to bear a Child two years after her Husband was sent out of England on such a publick Employment and a Process thereupon to be entred in the Arch-Bishops Courts are things that are not so soon to be forgotten And that she her self was under so ill a Reputation both in her Father's Family and in France for common lewdness and for being the Kings Concubin are things that could not lie hid And yet when the Books of the Arch-Bishops Courts which are now burnt were extant it was published to the world and satisfaction offered to every one that would take the pains to inform themselves that there was no such thing on Record Nor did any of the Writers of that time either of the Imperial or Papal side once mention these things notwithstanding their great occasion to do it But 80 years after this Fable was invented or at least it was then first published when it was safer to lie because none who had lived in the time could disprove it But it has not only no foundation but Sanders through the vulgar errors of Liars has strained his wit to make so ill a story of the Lady that some things in his own relation make it plainly appear to be impossible For to pass by those many improbable things that he relates as namely That both the King of England and the French King could be so taken with so ugly and monstrous a Woman of so notorious and lewd manners and that this King for the space of Seven years that is during the Suit of the Divorce should continue enamoured of her and never discover this or having discovered it should yet resolve at all hazards to make her his Wife which are things that would require no common testimony to make them seem credible There is beside in that story an heap of things so inconsistent with one another that none but such an one as Sanders could have had either blindness or brow enough to have made or publisht it For first if the King that he might the more freely enjoy Sir Thomas Boleyn's Lady sent him over into France as Sanders says I shall allow it as soon as may be that it was in the very beginning of his Reign 1509. Then the time when Anne Boleyn was born being according to Sanders his account two years after that must be Anno 1511. and being as he says deflowred when she was 15. that must be Anno 1526. Then some time must be allowed for her going to France for her living privately there for some time and afterwards for her coming to Court and meriting those Characters that he says went upon her and after all that for her return into England and insinuating her self into the Kings favour yet by Sanders his own Relation these things must have happened in the same year 1526. for in that year he makes the King think of putting away his Wife in order to Marry Anne Boleyn when according to his account she could be but 15. years old though this King had sent Sir Thomas Boleyn into France the first day of his coming to the Crown But that he â—as not sent so early appears by several Grants that I have seen in the Rolls which were made to him in the first 4 years of the Kings Reign They sufficiently shew that he was all that while about the Kings person and mention no services beyond Sea but about the Kings person as the ground upon which they were made Besides I find in the Treaty-Rolls no mention of his being Ambassador the first 8 years of the Kings Reign In the first year the Bishops of Winchester and Duresme and the Earl of Surrey are named in the Treaty between the two Crowns as the Kings Ambassadors in France After this none could be Ambassadors there for two
years together for before two years elapsed there was a War proclaimed against France and when overtures were made for a Peace it appears by the Treaty-Rolls that the Earl of Worcester was sent over Ambassador And when the Kings sister was sent over to Lewis the French King though Sir Thomas Boleyn went over with her he was not then so much considered as to be made an Ambassador For in the Commission that was given to many persons of Quality to deliver her to her Husband King Lewis the 12 Sir Thomas Boleyn is not named The persons in the Commission are the Duke of Norfolk the Marquess of Dorchester the Bishop of Duresm the Earls of Surrey and Worcester the Prior of St. Iohns and Doctor West Dean of Windsor A year after that Sir Thomas Boleyn was made Ambassador but then it was too late for Anne Boleyn to be yet unborn much less could it be as Sanders says that she was born two years after it But the Learned Camden whose Study and Profession led him to a more particular knowledg of these things gives us another account of her birth He says that she was born in the year 1507. which was two years before the King came to the Crown And if it be suggested that then the Prince to enjoy her Mother prevailed with his Father to send her Husband beyond Sea that must be done when the Prince himself was not 14 years of Age so they must make him to have corrupted other mens wives at that Age when yet they will not allow his Brother no not when he was 2 years older to have known his own wife But now I leave this foul Fiction and go to deliver certain Truths· Anne Boleyn's Mother was Daughter to the Duke of Norfolk and Sister to the Duke that was at the time of the Divorce Lord Treasurer Her Fathers Mother was one of the Daughters and heirs to the Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond and her great Grand-Father Sir Geofry Boleyn who had been Lord Major of London Married one of the Daughters and Heirs of the Lord Hastings and their Family as they had mixed with so much great Blood so had Married their Daughters to very Noble Families She being but seven years old was carried over to France with the Kings Sister which shews she could have none of those deformities in her person since such are not brought into the Courts and Families of Queens And though upon the French Kings Death the Queen Dowager came soon back to England yet she was so liked in the French Court that the next King Francis his Queen kept her about her self for some years and after her death the Kings Sister the Dutchess of Alenson kept her in her Court all the while she was in France which as it shews there was somewhat extraordinary in her person so those Princesses being much celebrated for their vertues it is not to be imagined that any person so notoriously defamed as Sanders would represent her was entertained in their Courts When she came into England is not so clear it is said that in the year 1522. when War was made on France her Father who was then Ambassador was recalled and brought her over with him which is not improbable but if she came then she did not stay long in England for Camden says that she served Queen Claudia of France till her death which was in Iuly 1524 and after that she was taken into service by K Francis his Sister How long she continued in that service I do not find but it is probable that she returned out of France with her Father from his Embassy in the year 1527. when as Stow says he brought with him the Picture of her Mistress who was offered in Marriage to this King If she came out of France before as those Authors before-mentioned say it appears that the King had no design upon her then because he suffered her to return and when one Mistress died to take another in France but if she stayed there all this while then it is probable he had not seen her till now at last when she came out of the Princess of Alenson's service but whensoever it was that she came to the Court of England it is certain that she was much considered in it And though the Queen who had taken her to be one of her Maids of Honour had afterwards just cause to be displeased with her as her Rival yet she carried her self so that in the whole Progress of the Sute I never find the Queen her self or any of her Agents fix the least ill Character on her which would most certainly have been done had there been any just cause or good colour for it And so far was this Lady at least for some time from any thoughts of Marrying the King that she had consented to Marry the Lord Piercy the Earl of Northumberland's eldest Son whom his Father by a strange compliance with the Cardinals vanity had placed in his Court and made him one of his servants The thing is considerable and clears many things that belong to this History and the Relator of it was an Ear-witness of the Discourse upon it as himself informs us The Cardinal hearing that the Lord Piercy was making addresses to Anne Boleyn one day as he came from the Court called for him before his servants before us all says the Relator including himself and chid him for it pretending at first that it was unworthy of him to match so meanly but he justified his choice and reckoned up her birth and Quality which he said was not inferior to his own And the Cardinal insisting fiercely to make him lay down his pretensions he told him he would willingly submit to the King and him but that he had gone so far before many witnesses that he could not forsake it and knew not how to discharge his conscience and therefore he entreated the Cardinal would procure him the Kings favour in it Upon that the Cardinal in great rage said why thinkest thou that the King and I know not what we have to do in so weighty a matter yes I warrant you but I can see in thee no submission at all to the purpose and said you have matched your self with such a one as neither the King nor yet your Father will agree to it and therefore I will send for thy Father who at his coming shall either make thee break this unadvised bargain or disinherit thee for ever To which the Lord Piercy replyed That he would submit himself to him if his Conscience were discharged of the weighty burden that lay upon it and soon after his Father coming to Court he was diverted another way Had that Writer told us in what year this was done it had given a great light to direct us but by this relation we see that she was so far from thinking of the King at that time that she had
granting the Kings desire The Cardinal Datary had forsaken the Court and betaken himself to serve God and his Cure and other Cardinals were Hostages so that now there were but Five about the Pope Monte Sanctorum Quatuor Ridolphi Ravennate and Perusino But a motion being made of sending over a Legate the Pope would by no means hearken to it for that would draw new troubles on him from the Emperor That had been desired from England by a dispatch of the 27th of December which pressed a speedy conclusion of the business upon which the Pope on the 12th of Ianuary did communicate the matter under the Seal of Confession to the Cardinals Sanctorum Quatuor and Simoneta who was then come to the Court and upon conference with them he proposed to Sir Gregory Cassali that he thought the safer way was That either by vertue of the Commission that the Secretary had obtained or by the Legantine Power that was lodged with the Cardinal of York he should proceed in the business And if the King found the matter clear in his own Conscience in which the Pope said No doctor in the whole world could resolve the matter beter than the King himself he should without more noise make judgment be given and presently Marry another Wife and then send for a Legate to Confirm the matter And it would be easier to ratifie all when it was once done than to go on in a Process from Rome For the Queen would protest that both the Place and the Judges were suspected and not free upon which in the course of Law the Pope must grant an Inhibition for the Kings not Marrying another while the Suit depended and must avocate the business to be heard in the Court of Rome which with other prejudices were unavoidable in a publick Process by Bulls from Rome But if the thing went on in England and the King had once Married another Wife the Pope then would find very good reasons to justifie the confâ—rming a thing that was gone so far and promised to send any Cardinal whom they should name This the Pope desired the Ambassadour would signifie to the King as the advice of the two Cardinals and take no notice of him in it But the dispatch shews he was a more faithful Minister than to do so The Ambassadour found all the earnestness in the Pope that was possible to comply with the King and that he was jealous both of the Emperour and Francis and depended wholly on the King so that he found if the terror of the Imperial Forces were over the Court of England would dispose of the Apostolical See as they pleased And indeed this advice how little soever it had of the Simplicity of the Gospel was certainly prudent and subtile and that which of all things the Spaniards apprehended most And therefore the General of the Observants moved Cardinal Campegius then at Rome for an Inhibition lest the Process should be carried on and determined in England But that being signified to the Pope he said It could not be granted since there was no Suit depending in which case only an Inhibition can be granted But now I must look over again to England to open the Counsels there At that time Staphileus Dean of the Rota was there and he either to make his Court the better or that he was so perswaded in opinion seemed fully satisfied about the Justice of the King's Cause So they sent him to Rome with Instructions both publick and secret The publick Instructions related to the Popes Affairs in which all possible Assistance was promised by the King But one Proposition in them flowed from the Cardinals Ambition That the Kings of England and France thought it would advance the Popes Interests if he should command the Cardinals that were under no restraint to meet in some secure place to consider of the Affairs of the Church that they might suffer no prejudice by the Popes Captivity And for that end and to conserve the Dignity of the Apostolick See that they should choose such a Vicar or President as partly by his Prudence and Courage partly by the assistance of the two Kings upon whom depended all their hopes might do such Services to the Apostolick See as were most necessary in that distracted time by which the Popes Liberty would be hastned It cannot be imagined but the Pope would be offended with this Proposition and apprehend that the Cardinal of York was not satisfied to be intriguing for the Popedom after his death but was aspiring to it while he was alive For as it was plain he was the Person that must be chosen for that trust so if the Pope were used hardly by the Emperour and forced to ill conditions the Vicar so chosen and his Cardinals would disown those Conditions which might end in a Schism or his Deposition But Staphileus his secret Instructions related wholly to the Kings business which were these That the King had opened to him the error of his Marriage and that the said Bishop out of his great Learning did now clearly perceive how invalid and insufficient it was Therefore the King recommended it to his care that he would convince the Pope and the Cardinals with the Arguments that had been laid before him and of which a Breviate was given him He was also to represent the great mischiefs that might follow if Princes got not justice and ease from the Apostolick See Therefore if the Pope were yet in Captivity he was to propose a meeting of the Cardinals for choosing the Cardinal of York to be their head during the Popes Imprisonment or that a full Commission might be sent to him for the Kings maâ—ter And in particular he was to take care that the Business might be tryed in England And for his pains in promoting the Kings Concerns the King promised to procure a Bishoprick for him in France and to help him to a Cardinals hat By him the King wrote to the Pope The rude draught of it remains under the Cardinals hand earnestly desiring a speedy and favourable dispatch of his business with a Credence to the Bearer The Cardinal also wrote to the Pope by him and after a long Congratulating his Liberty with many sharp reflections on the Emperor he pressed a Dispatch of the Kings Business in which he would not use many words this only I will add says he That that which is desired is holy and just and very much for the safety and quiet of this Kingdom which is most devoted to the Apostolical See He also wrote by the same hand to the Ambassador that the King would have things so carryed that all occasion of discontent or cavilling whether at home or abroad might be removed and therefore desired that another Cardinal might be sent Legate to England and joyned in Commission wiâ—h himself for judging the Matter He named either Campegius Tranus or Farnese Or if that could not be obtained that
which they were also to deliver They had likewise a secret Instruction by all means to endeavour that Cardinal Campegio should be the Legate he had the reputation of a Learned Canonist and they knew he was a tractable man and besides that he was Bishop of Salisbury the King had obliged him by the grant of a Palace which the King was building in Burgo at Rome for his Ambassadors which before it was finished he had by a Patent given to him and his heirs so they had better hopes of him than of any other By these Ambassadors the Cardinal wrote a long and most earnest Letter to Iohn Cassali the Proto-Notarie that was the Ambassadors Brother In which all the Arguments that a most anxious mind could invent or dictate are laid together to perswade the Pope to grant the Kings desires Among other things he tells him How he had engaged to the King that the Pope would not deny it That the King both out of scruple of Conscience and because of some Diseases in the Queen that were incurable had resolved never to come near her more and that if the Pope continued out of his partial respects to the Emperor to be inexorable the King would proceed another way He offers to take all the blame of it upon his own Soul if it were amiss with many other particulars in which he is so pressing that I cannot imagine what moved the Lord Herbert who saw those Letters to think that the Cardinal did not really intend the Divorce He it seems saw another Paper of their Instructions by which they were ordered to say to the Pope that the Cardinal was not the Author of the Counsel But all that was intended by that was only to excuse him so far that he might not be thought too partial and an incompetent Judge For as he was far from disowning the justice of the Kings Sute so he would not have trusted a Secret of that Importance to paper which when it should be known to the King would have lost him his favour But undoubtedly it was concerted between the King and him to remove an Exception which otherwise the Cardinals of the Imperial Faction would have made to his being the Judg in that matter With those Letters and Instructions were Gardiner and Fox sent to Rome where both the Cassalies and Staphileus were promoting the Kings business all they could And being strengthned with the Accession of those other two they made a greater progress so that in April the Pope did in Consistory Declare Cardinal Campegio Legate to go to England that he with the Cardinal of York might try the validity of the Kings Marriage But that Cardinal made great excuses he was then Legate at Rome in which he had such advantages that he had no mind to enter in a business which must for ever engage either the Emperor or the King against him He also pretended an Inability to travel so great a journey being much subject to the Gout But when this was known in England the Cardinal wrote him a most earnest Letter to hasten over and bring with him all such things as were necessary for making their Sentence firm and irreversible so that it might never again be Questioned But here I shall add a Remark which though it is of no great importance yet will be diverting to the Reader The draught of the Letter is in Wolsey's Secretaries hand amended in some places by his own and concluded thus I hope all things shall be done according to the Will of God the desire of the King the Quiet of the Kingdom and to our honour with a good Conscience But the Cardinal dasht out this last word with a good Conscience Perhaps judging that was a thing fit for meaner persons but that it was below the Dignity of two Cardinals to consider it much He wrote also to Cassali high complements for his diligence in the Step that was made but desired him with all possible means to get the Bull granted and trusted to his keeping with the deepest Protestations that no use should be made of it but that the King only should see it by which his mind would be at ease and he being put in good hopes would employ his Power in the service of the Pope and Apostolick See but the Pope was not a man to be cozen'd so easily When the Cardinal heard by the next Dispatch what excuses and delays Campegio made he wrote to him again and pressed his coming over in haste For his being Legate of Rome he desired him to name a Vice-Legate For his want of Money and Horses Gardiner would furnish him as he desired and he should find an equipage ready for him in France and he might certainly expect great rewards from the King But if he did not make more haste the King would incline to believe an advertisement that was sent him of his turning over to the Emperors Party Therefore if he either valued the Kings kindness or were grateful for the favours he had received from him if he valued the Cardinals Friendship or safety or if he would hinder the diminution of the Authority of the Roman Church all excuses set aside he must make what haste in his Journey was possible Yet the Legate made no great haste for till October following he came not into England The Bull that was desired could not be obtained but another was granted which perhaps was of more force because it had not those extraordinary Clauses in it There is the Copy of a Bull to this purpose in the Cottonian Library which has been printed more than once by some that have taken it for a Copy of the same Bull that was sent by Campegio but I take it to be rather a Copy of that Bull which the Pope Signed at Rome while he was there a Prisoner and probably afterward at Orvieto he might give it the date that it bears 1527. Decemb. 17. But that there was a Decretal Bull sent by Campegio will appear evidently in the sequel of this Relation About this time I meet with the first evidence of the progress of the Kings love to Anne Boleyn in two Original Letters of hers to the Cardinal from which it appears not only that the King had then resolved to Marry her but that the Cardinal was privy to it They bear no date but the matter of them shews they were written after the end of May when the Sweating-sickness began and about the time that the Legate was expected They give such a light to the History that I shall not cast them over to the Collection at the end but set them down here MY Lord in my most humblest wise that my heart can think I desire you to pardon me that I am so bold to trouble you with my simple and rude writing esteeming it to proceed from her that is much desirous to know that your Grace does well as I perceive by this
Carnalis Copula But in this perhaps is left out and 't is plainly said That they had Consummated their Marriage This the King's Council who suspected that the Breve was forged made great use of when the Question was argued whether Prince Arthur knew her or not Though at this time 't was said the Spaniards did put it in on design knowing it was like to be proved that the former Marriage was Consummated which they intended to throw out of the debate since by this it appeared that the Pope did certainly know that and yet granted the Breve and that therefore there was to be no more enquiry to be made into that which was already confessed so that all that was now to be debated was the Popes power of granting such a Dispensation in which they had good reason to expect a favourable Decision at Rome But there appeared great grounds to reject this Breve as a forged writing It was neither in the Records of England nor Spain but said to be found among the Papers of D. de Puebla that had been the Spanish Ambassador in England at the time of concluding the Match So that if he only had it it must have been cassated otherwise the Parties concerned would have got it into their hands Or else it was forged since Many of the names were written false which was a presumption that it was lately made by some Spaniards who knew not how to write the names true For Sigismund who was Secretary when it was pretended to have been Signed was an exact man and no such errors were found in Breves at that time But that which shewed it a manifest Forgery was that it bore date the 26th of December Anno 1503. on the same day that the Bull was granted It was not to be imagined that in the same day a Bull and a Breve should have been expedited in the same business with such material differences in them And the stile of the Court of Rome had this singularity in it That in all their Breves they reckon the beginning of the year from Christmas-day which being the Nativity of our Lord they count the year to begin then But in their Bulls they reckon the year to begin at the Feast of the Annunciation So that a Breve dated the 26th of December 1503. was in the vulgar account in the year 1502. therefore it must be false for neither was Iulius the 2d who granted it then Pope nor was the Treaty of the Marriage so far advanced at that time as to admit of a Breve so soon But allowing the Breve to be true they had many of the same Exceptions to it that they had to the Bull since it bore that the King desired the Marriage to avoid a Breach between the Crowns which was false It likewise bore that the Marriage had been Consummated between the Queen and Prince Arthur which the Queen denied was ever done so that the suggestion in her name being as she said false it could have no force though it were granted to be a true Breve And they said it was plain the Imperialists were convinced the Bull was of no force since they betook themselves to such arts to fortifie their Cause When Cardinal Campegio came to England he was received with the publick Solemnities ordinary in such a case and in his speech at his first Audience he called the King the Deliverer of the Pope and of the City of Rome with the highest complements that the occasion did require But when he was admitted to a private Conference with the King and the Cardinal he used many arguments to diswade the King from prosecuting the matter any further This the King took very ill as if his errand had been rather to confirm than annul his Marriage and complained that the Pope had broken his word to him But the Legate studied to qualifie him and shewed the Decretal Bull by which he might see that though the Pope wished rather that the business might come to a more friendly conclusion yet if the King could not be brought to that he was empowered to grant him all that he desired But he could not be brought to part with the DecretalBull out of his hands or to leave it for a minute either with the King or the Cardinal saying That it was demanded on these terms that no other person should see it and that Gardiner and the Ambassador had only moved to have it expedited and sent by the Legate to let the King see how well the Pope was affected to him With all this the King was much dissatisfied but to encourage him again the Legate told him he was to speak to the Queen in the Popes name to induce her to enter into a Religious life and to make the Vows But when he proposed that to her she answered him modestly that she could not dispose of her self but by the advice of her Nephews Of all this the Cardinal of York advertised the Cassalies and ordered them to use all possible endeavours that the Bull might be showen to some of the Kings Council Upon that Sir Gregory being then out of Rome the Proto-Notary went to the Pope and complained that Campegio had disswaded the Divorce The Pope justified him in it and said He did as he had ordered him He next complained that the Legate would not proceed to execute the Legantine Commission The Pope denied that he had any order from him to delay his proceedings but that by vertue of his Commission they might go on and pass Sentence Then the Proto-Notary pressed him for leave to shew the Bull to some of the Kings Council complaining of Campegio's stiffness in refusing it and that he would not trust it to the Cardinal of York who was his equal in the Commission To this the Pope answered in passion That he could shew the Cardinals Letter in which he assures him that the Bull should only be shewed to the King and himself and that if it were not granted he was ruined therefore to preserve him he had sent it but had ordered it to be burnt when it was once shewed He wished he had never sent it saying he would gladly lose a Finger to recover it again and expressed great grief for granting it and said They had got him to send it and now would have it showed to which he would never consent for then he was undone for ever Upon this the Proto-Notary laid before him the danger of losing the King and the Kingdom of England of ruining the Cardinal of York and of the undoing of their Family whose hopes depended on the Cardinal and that by these means Heresie would prevail in England which if it once had great footing there would not be so easily rooted out That all persons judged the Kings Cause right but though it were not so some things that were not good must be born with to avoid greater evils And at last he fell
where there was great hazard he ought to mollifie the severity of the Laws which if it were not done other Remedies would be found out to the vast prejudice of the Ecclesiastical Authority to which many about the King advised him There was reason to fear they should not only lose a King of England but a Defender of the Faith The Nobility and Gentry were already enraged at the delay of a Matter in which all their Lives and Interests were so nearly concerned and said many things against the Popes Proceedings which they could not relate without horror And they plainly complained that whereas Popes had made no scruple to make and change divine Laws at their pleasure yet one Pope sticks so much at the Repealing what his Prodecessor did as if that were more sacred and not to be medled with The King betook himself to no ill Arts neither to the charms of Magitians nor the Forgeries of Impostours therefore they expected such an Answer as should put an end to the whole matter But all these things were to no purpose the Pope had taken his measures ard was not to be moved by all the reasons or Remonstrances the Ambassador could lay before him The King had absolutely gained Campegio to do all he could for him without losing the Popes favour He led at this time a very dissolute life in England hunting and gaming all the day long and following whores all the night and brought a Bastard of his own over to England with him whom the King Knighted so that if the King sought his pleasure it was no strange thing since he had such a Copy set him by two Legates who representing his Holiness so lively in their manners it was no unusual thing if a King had a slight sense of such disorders The King wrote to his Ambassadors that he was satisfied of Campegio's love and affection to him and if ever he was gained by the Emperors Agents he had said something to him which did totally change that Inclination The Imperialists being Alarm'd at the recalling of some of the English Ambassadors and being Informed by the Queens means that they were forming the Process in England put in a Memorial for an Avocation of the cause to Rome The Ambassadors answered that there was no Colour for asking it since there was nothing yet done by the Legates For they had strict orders to deny that there was any Process forming in England even to the Pope himself in private unless he had a mind it should go on but were to use all their Endeavours to hinder an Avocation and plainly in the Kings name to tell the Pope that if he granted that the King would look on it as a Formal decision against him And it would also be an high affront to the two Cardinals and they were thereupon to Protest that the King would not obey nor consider the Pope any more if he did an Act of such high Injustice as after he had granted a Commission upon no complaint of any Illegality or Injust Proceedings of the Legates but only upon surmises and suspitions to take it out of their hands But the Pope had not yet brought the Emperor to his Terms in other things therefore to draw him on the faster he continued to give the English Ambassador good words and in discourse with Peter Vannes did insinuate as if he had found a means to bring the whole matter to a good Conclusion and spoke it with an Artificial smile adding In the name of the Father c. But would not speak it out and seemed to keep it up as a secret not yet ripe But all this did afterwards appear to be the deepest Dissimulation that ever was practised And in the whole Process though the Cardinal studied to make tricks pass upon him yet he was always too hard for them all at it and seemed as Infallible in his Arts of Jugling as he pretended to be in his Decisions He wrote a Cajoling Letter to the Cardinal but words went for nothing Soon after this the Pope complained much to Sr. Gregory Cassali of the ill usage he received from the French Ambassador and that their Confederates the Florentines and the Duke of Ferrara used him so ill that they would force him to throw himself into the Emperors hands and he seemed inclined to grant an Avocation of the cause and complained that there was a Treaty of peace going on at Cambray in which he had no share But the Ambassador undertook that nothing should be done to give him just offence yet the Florentines continued to put great affronts on him and his Family and the Abbot of Farfa their General made excursions to the gates of Rome so that the Pope with great signs of fear said that the Florentines would some day seize on him and carry him with his hands bound behind his back in Procession to Florence and that all this while the Kings of England and France did only entertain him with good words and did not so much as restrain the Insolencies of their Confederates And whereas they used to say that if he joyned himself to the Emperor he would treat him as his Chaplain he said with great Commotion that he would not only choose rather to be his Chaplain but his horse-Groom than suffer such injuries from his own Rebellious Vassals and Subjects This was perhaps set on by the Cardinals Arts to let the Pope feel the weight of offending the King and to oblige him to use him better but it wrought a contrary effect for the Treaty between the Emperor and him was the more advanced by it And the Pope reckoned that the Emperor being as he was informed ashamed and grieved for the taking and Sacking of Rome would study to repair that by better usage for the future The Motion for the Avocation was still driven on and pressed the more earnestly because they heard the Legates were proceeding in the cause But the Ambassadors were instructed by a Dispatch from the King to obviate that carefully for as it would reflect on the Legates and defeat the Commission and be a gross violation of the Popes Promise which they had in writing so it was more for the Popes Interest to leave it in the Legates hands than to bring it before himself for then whatever Sentence passed the ill effects of it would ly on the Pope without any Interposition And as the King had very just exceptions to Rome where the Emperors forces lay so near that no safety could be expected there so they were to tell the Pope that by the Laws of England the Prerogative of the Crown Royal was such that the Pope could do nothing that was prejudicial to it To which the citing the King to Rome to have his cause decided there was contrary in a high degree And if the Pope went on notwithstanding all the diligence they could use to the contrary they
a Book for his opinion and confirm it with as much Authority as he could and was recommended to the care of the Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond to which honor the King had advanced Sr. Thomas Boleyn in the right of his Mother and in the beginning of the next year he published his Book about it Richard Crook who was Tutor to the Duke of Richmond was sent into Italy and others were sent to France and Germany to consult the Divines Canonists and other Learned men in the Universities about the Kings business How the rest managed the matter I have not yet been able to discover but from a great number of original Letters of Doctor Crooks I shall give a full account of his Negotiation It was thought best to begin at home and therefore the King wrote to the two Universities in England to send him their conclusions about it The matters went at Oxford thus The Bishop of Lincoln being sent thither with the Kings Letters for their Resolution it was by the Major vote of the Convocation of all the Doctors and Masters as well Regents as non-Regents committed to 33 Doctors and Batchelours of Divinity who were named by their own Facultie or to the greater number of them to determine the Questions that were sent with the Kings Letters and to set the common Seal of the University to their Conclusions and by vertue of that Warrant they did on the 8 of April put the common Seal of the University to an Instrument declaring the Marriage of the Brothers wife to be both contrary to the Laws of God and Nature The Collector of the Antiquities of Oxford informs us of the uneasiness that was in the University in this matter and of the several messages the King sent before that Instrument could be procured so that from the 12 of February to the 8 of April the matter was in agitation the Masters of Arts generally opposing it though the Doctors and Heads were for the greatest part for it But after he has set down the Instrument he gives some reasons upon what design I cannot easily imagine to shew that this was extorted by force and being done without the consent of the Masters of Arts was of it self void and of no force and as if it had been an ill thing he takes pains to purge the University of it and lays it upon the fears and corruptions of some aspiring men of the University and without any proof gives credit to a lying Story set down by Sanders of an Assembly called in the night in which the Seal of the University was set to the Determination But it appears that he had never seen or considered the other Instrument to which the University set their Seal that was agreed on in a Convocation of all the Doctors and Masters as well Regents as non-Regents giving Power to these Doctors and Batchelors ofDivinity to determine the Matter and to set the Seal of the University to their Conclusion The original whereof the Lord Herbert saw upon which the persons so deputed had full Authority to set the University Seal to that Conclusion without a new Convocation Perhaps that Instrument was not so carefully preserved among their Records or was in Queen Maries days taken away which might occasion these mistakes in their Historian There seems to be also another mistake in the Relation he gives for he says those of Paris had determined in this matter before it was agreed to at Oxford The Printed Decision of the Sorbone contradicts this for it bears date the 2d of Iuly 1530. whereas this was done the 8th of April 1530. But what passed at Cambridge I shall set down more fully from an original Letter written by Gardiner and Fox to the King in February but the day is not marked When they came to Cambridge they spake to the Vice-Chancellor whom they found very ready to serve the King so was also Bonner whom they call Doctor Edmonds and several others but there was a contrary party that met together and resolved to oppose them A meeting of the Doctors Batchelors of Divinity and Masters of Arts in all about 200 was held There the Kings Letters were read and the Vice-Chancellor calling upon several of them to deliver their opinions about it they answered as their affections led them and were in some disorder But it being proposed that the answering the Kings Letter and the Questions in it should be referred to some indifferent men great exceptions were made to Doctor Salcot Doctor Reps and Crome and all others who had approved Doctor Cranmers Book as having already declared themselves partial But to that it was answered that after a thing was so much discoursed of as the Kings matter had been it could not be imagined that any number of men could be found who had not declared their judgment about it one way or another Much time was spent in the debate but when it grew late the Vice-Chancellor commanded every man to take his place and to give his voice whether they would agree to the Motion of referring it to a Select body of men but that night they would not agree to it The Congregation being Adjourned till next day the Vice-Chancellor offered a Grace or Order to refer the matter to 29 persons himself 10 Doctors and 16 Batchelors and the 2 Proctors That the Questions being publickly disputed what two parts of three agreed to should be read in a Congregation and without any further debate the Common Seal of the University should be set to it Yet it was at first denyed then being put to the vote it was carryed equally on both sides But being a third time proposed it was carryed for the Divorce Of which an account was presently sent to the King with a Schedule of their names to whom it was committed and what was to be expected from them so that it was at length determined though not without opposition That the King's Marriage was against the Law of God It is thought strange that the King who was otherwise so absolute in England should have met with more difficulty in this matter at home than he did abroad But the most reasonable account I can give of it is That at this time there were many in the Universities particularly at Cambridge who were addicted to Luthers Doctrine And of those Cranmer was lookt on as the most Learned So that Crome Shaxton Latimer and others of that Society favoured the Kings Cause besides that Anne Boleyn had in the Dutchess of Alancon's Court who inclined to the Reformation received such impressions as made them fear that her Greatness and Cranmers Preferment would encourage Heresie to which the Universities were furiously averse and therefore they did resist all Conclusions that might promote the Divorce But as for Crooke in Italy he being very Learned in the Greek Tongue was first sent to Venice to search the Greek Manuscripts that lay in the Library of
some days publick Dispute on the 1st of Iuly determined to the same purpose about which Crooks Letter will be found among the Instruments at the end of this Book At Ferrara the Divines did also confirm the same conclusion and sâ—t their Seal to it but it was taken away violently by some of the other Faction yet the Duke made it be restored The profession of the Canon-Law was then in great credit there and in a Congregation of 72 of that proâ—ession it was determined for the King but they asked 150 Crowns foâ— setting the Seal to it and Crook would not give more than an hundred the next day he came and offered the Money but then it was told him they would not meddle in it and he could not afterwards obtain it In all Crook sent over by Stokesley an hundred several Books Papers and Subscriptions and there were many hands subscribed to many of those Papers But it seems Crook died before he could receive a reward of this great Service he did the King for I do not find him mentioned after this I hope the Reader will forgive my insisting so much on this Negotiation for it seemed necessary to give full and convincing Evidences of the sincerity of the Kings proceedings in it since it is so confidently given out that these were but mercenary Subscriptions What difficulties or opposition those who were employed in France found does not yet appear to me but the Seals of the chief Universities there were procured The University of Orleance determined it on the 7th of April The faculty of the Canon-Law at Paris did also conclude that the Pope had no Power to dispence in that Case on the 25th of May. But the great and celebrated faculty of the Sorbon whose Conclusions had been lookt on for some Ages as little inferiour to the Decrees of Councils made their Decision with all possible Solemnity and Decency They first met at the Church of St. Mathurin where there was a Mass of the H. Ghost and every one took an Oath to study the Question and resolve it according to his Conscience and from the 8th of Iune to the 2d of Iuly they continued searching the matter with all possible diligence both out of the Scriptures the Fathers and the Councils and had many Disputes about it After which the greater part of the Faculty did Determine That the King of Englands Marriage was unlawful and that the Pope had no Power to dispence in it and they set their common Seal to it at St. Mathurin's the 2d of Iuly 1530. To the same purpose did both the Faculties of Law Civil and Canon at Angiers Determine the 7th of May. On the 10th of Iune the Faculty of Divinity at Bourges made the same Determination And on the 1st of October the whole University of Tholose did all with one consent give their judgment agreeing with the former Conclusions More of the Decisions of Universities were not Printed though many more were obtained to the same effect In Germany Spain and Flanders the Emperors Authority was so great that much could not be expected except from the Lutherans with whom Cranmer conversed and chiefly with Osiander whose Neece he then Married Osiander upon that wrote a Book about Incestuous Marriages which was published but was called in by a Prohibition Printed at Ausburg because it Determined in the Kings cause and on his side But now I find the King did likewise deal among those in Switzerland that had set up the Reformation The Duke of Suffolk did most set him on to this so one who was imployed in that time writes for he often asked him how he could so humble himself as to submit his Cause to such a vile vitious stranger Priest as Campegio was To which the King answered He could give no other reason but that it seemed to him Spiritual men should judge Spiritual things yet he said he would search the matter further but he had no great mind to seem more curious than other Princes But the Duke desired him to discuss the matter secretly amongst Learned men to which he consented and wrote to some Forreign Writers that were then in great estimation Erasmus was much in his favour but he would not appear in it He had no mind to provoke the Emperor and live uneasily in his own Country But Simon Grineus was sent for whom the King esteemed much for his Learning The King informed him about his Process and sent him back to Basil to try what his Friends in Germany and Switzerland thought of it He wrote about it to Bucer Oecolampadius Zuinglius and Paulus Phrygion Oecolampadius as it appears by three Letters one dated the 10th of August 1531. another the last of the same Month another to Bucer the 10th of September was positively of Opinion That the Law in Leviticus did bind all mankind and says That Law of a Brothers Marrying his Sister-in-Law was a Dispensation given by God to his own Law which belonged only to the Jews and therefore he thought that the King might without any scruple put away the Queen But Bucer was of another mind and thought the Law in Leviticus did not bind and could not be Moral because God had dispensed with it in one Case of raising up seed to his Brother Therefore he thought these Laws belonged only to that Dispensation and did no more bind Christians than the other Ceremonial or Judiciary Precepts and that to Marry in some of these Degrees was no more a sin than it was a sin in the Disciples to pluck Ears of Corn on the Sabbath-day There are none of Bucers Letters remaining on this Head but by the answers that Grineus wrote to him one on the 29th of August another of the 10th of September I gather his Opinion and the reasons for it But they all agreed That the Popes Dispensation was of no force to alter the nature of the thing Paulus Phrygion was of Opinion That the Laws in Leviticus did bind all Nations because it is said in the Text That the Canaanites were punished for doing contrary to them which did not consist with the Iustice of God if those Prohibitions had not been parts of the Law of Nature Dated Basil the 10th of September In Grineus's Letter to Bucer he tells him that the King had said to him That now for seven years he had perpetual trouble upon him about this Marriage Zuinglius Letter is very full First he largely proves that neither the Pope nor any other Power could dispence with the Law of God Then that the Apostles had made no new Laws about Marriage but had left it as they found it That the Marrying within near degrees was hated by the Greeks and other Heathen Nations But whereas Grineus seemed to be of opinion that though the Marriage was ill made yet it ought not to be dissolved and inclined rather to advise that the King should take
necessity of making another Law in the Reign of Henry 5th against Provisors that the Incumbents Lawfully Invested in their Livings should not be molested by them though they had the Kings Pardon and both Bulls and Licences were declared void and of no value and those who did upon such grounds molest them should incur the pains of the Statutes against Provisors Our Kings took the best opportunity that ever could have been found to depress the Papal Power for from the beginning of Richard the Second's Reign till the Fourth year of Henry the Fiâ—th the Popedome was broken by a long and great Schism and the Kinâ—doms of Europe were divided in their Obedience Some holding for those that sate at Rome and others for the Popes of Avignon England in opposition to France that chiefly supported the Avignon-Popes did adhere to the Roman Popes The Papacy being thus divided the Popes were as much at the mercy of Kings for their Protection as Kings had formerly been at theirs so that they durst not Thunder as they were wont to do otherwise this Kingdom had certainly been put under Excommunications and Interdicts for these Statutes as had been done formerly upon less Provocations But now that the Schism was healed Pope Martin the Fifth began to reassume the Spirit of his Predecessors and sent over threatning messages to England in the beginning of Henry the Sixths Reign None of our Books have taken any notice of this piece of our History The Manuscript out of which I draw it had been written near that time and contains many of the Letters that passed between Rome and England upon this occasion The first Letter is to Henry Chichely then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who had been promoted to that See by the Pope but had made no opposition to the Statute against Provisions in the Fourth year of Henry the Fifth and afterwards in the Eighth year of his Reign when the Pope had granted a Provision of the Arch-Bishoprick of York to the Bishop of Lincoln the Chapter of York rejected it and pursuant to the former Statute made a Canonical Election Henry the Fifth being then the greatest King in Christendome the Pope durst not offend him So the Law took place without any further contradiction till the Sixth year of his Sons Reign that England was both under an Infant King and had fallen from its former greatness Therefore the Pope who waited for a good conjuncture laid hold on this and first expostulated severely with the Arch-Bishop for his remisness that he had not stood up more for the Right of St. Peter and the See of Rome that had bestowed on him the Primaâ—y of England and then says many things against the Statute of Premunire and exhorts him to imitate the Example of his Predecessor St. Thomas of Canterbury the Martyr in asserting the Rights of the Church requiring him under the pain of Excommunication to declare at the next Parliament to both Houses the unlawfulness of that Statute and that all were under Excommunication who obeyed it But to make sure work among the people he also commands him to give orders under the same pains that all the Clergy of England should preach the same Doctrine to the people This bears date the 5th day of December 1426. and will be found in the Collection of Papers But it seems the Pope was not satisfied with his Answer for the next Letter in that MSS. is yet more severe and in it his Legantine Power is suspended It has no date added to it but the Paper that follows bearing date the 6th of April 1427. leads us pretty near the date of it It contains an Appeal of the Arch-Bishops from the Popes Sentence to the next general Council or if none met to the Tribunal of God and Jesus Christ. There is also another Letter dated the 6th of May directed to the Arch-Bishop and makes mention of Letters written to the whole Clergie to the same purpose Requiring him to use all his Endeavors for repealing the Statute and chides him severely because he had said that the Popes zeal in this matter was only that he might raise much Money out of England which he resents as an high Injury and Protests that he designed only to maintain these Rights that Christ himself had granted to his See which the Holy Fathers the Councils and the Catholick Church has always acknowledged If this does not look like Teaching ex Cathedra it is left to the Readers Judgment But the next Letter is of an higher strain It is directed to the two Arch-Bishops only and it seems in despite to Chichely the Arch-Bishop of York is named before Canterbury By it the Pope annuls the Statutes made by Edward the Third and Richard the Second and commands them to do no Act in pursuance of them and declares if they or any other gave obedience to them they were ipso facto Excommunicated and not to be relaxed unless at the point of death by any but the Pope He charges them also to intimate that his Monitory Letter to the whole nation and cause it to be affixed in the several places where there might be occasion for it This is dated the 8th of Decemb. the tenth year of his Popedom Then follow Letters from the University of Oxford the Arch-Bishop of York the Bishops of London Duresm and Lincoln to the Pope all to mitigate his displeasure against the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in which they gave him the highest testimony possible bearing date the 10th and the 25th day of Iuly These the Arch-Bishop sent by an Express to Rome and wrote the humblest submission possible to the Pope Protesting that he had done and would do all that was in his Power for repealing these Statutes One thing in this Letter is remarkable he says he hears the Pope had proceeded to a Sentence against him which had never been done from the days of St. Austin to that time but he knew that only by report for he had not opened much less read the Bulls in which it was contained being commanded by the King to bring them with the Seals entire and lay them up in the Paper-Office till the Parliament was brought together There are two other Letters to the King and one to the Parliament for the Repeal of the Statute In those to the King the Pope writes that he had often pressed both King and Parliament to it and that the King had answered that he could not repeal it without the Parliament But he excepts to that as a delaying the business and shews it is of it self unlawful and that the King was under Excommunication as long as he kept it therefore he expects that at the furthest in the next Parliament it should be repealed It bears date the 13th of October in the 10th year of his Popedom In his Letter to the Parliament he tells them that no Man can be saved who is for the observation of that Statute
Modena and Reggio from the Duke of Ferrara to which he pretended as being Fiefs of the Papacy and the Emperor having engaged by the former Treatyto restore them to him But now that the Popes pretensions were appointed to be examined by some Judges delegated by the Emperor they determined against the Pope for the Duke of Ferrara which so disgusted the Pope that he fell totally from the Emperor and did unite with the King of France a Match being also projected between the Duke of Orleance afterwards Henry the 2d and his Neece Catharine de Medici which did work much on the Popes ambition to have his Family Allied to so mighty a Monarch So that now he became wholly French The French King was also on account of this Marriage to resigne all the pretensions he had to any Territory in Italy to his younger Son which as it would give less-Umbrage to the other Princes of Italy who liked rather to have a King 's younger Son among them than either the Emperor or the French King so the Pope was wonderfully pleased to raise another great Prince in Italy out of his own Family On these grounds was the Match at this time designed which afterwards took effect but with this difference that by the Dolphin's death the Duke of Orleance became King of France and his Queen made the greatest Figure that any Queen of France had done for many Ages This change in the Popes mind might have produced another in the Kings Affairs if he had not already gone so far that he was less in fear of the Pope than formerly He found the Credit of his Clergy was so low that to preserve themselves from the contempt and fury of the people they were forced to depend wholly on the Crown For Lutheranisme was then making a great progress in England of which I shall say nothing here being resolved at the end of this Book to give an account of the whole Course of it in those years that fall within this time But what by the means of the new Preachers what by the scandals cast on the Clergy they were all at the Kings Mercy so he did not fear much from them especially in the Southern parts which were the richest and best peopled Therefore the King went on resolutely The Pope on the other hand was in great perplexity he saw England ready to be lost and knew not what to do to rescue or preserve it If he gave way to what was lately done in the business of the Premunire he must thereby lose the greatest advantages he drew from that Nation and it was not likely that after the King had gone so far he would undo what was done The Emperor was more remiss in prosecuting the Queens Appeal at Rome for at that time the Turk with a most numerous and powerful Army was making an impression on Hungary which to the great scandal of the most Christian King was imputed to his Councils and Presents at the Port and all the Emperor's thoughts were taken up with this Therefore as he gave the Protestant Princes of Germany some present satisfaction in Religion and other matters so he sent over to England and desired the Kings assistance against that vast Army of 300000 men that was falling in upon Christendom To this the King made a general answer that gave some hopes of assisting him But at the same time the Protestant Princes resolving to draw some advantage from that conjuncture of Affairs and being courted by the French King entred into a League with him for the defence of the Rights of the Empire And to make this firmer the King was invited by the French King to joyn in it to which he consented and sent over to France a sum of Money to be employed â—or the safety of the Empire And this provoked the Emperor to renew his endeavours in the Court of Rome for prosecuting the Queens Appeal The French King encouraged the King to go on with his Divorce that he might totally Alienate him from the Emperor The French Writers also add another Consideration which seems unworthy of so great a King that he himself being at that time so publick a Courtier of Ladies was not ill pleased to set forward a thing of that nature But though Princes allow themselves their pleasures yet they seldom Govern their Affairs by such Maximes In the beginning of the next year a new Session of Parliament was held in which the House of Commons went on to complain of many other grievances they lay under from the Clergy which they put in a writing and Presented it to the King In it they complained of the proceedings in the Spiritual Courts and especially their calling men before them ex officio and laying Articles to their charge without any Accuser and then admitting no Purgation but causing the Party Accused either to abjure or to be burnt which they found very grievous and intollerable This was occasioned by some violent proceeding against some reputed Hereticks of which an account shall be given afterwards But those complaints were stifled and great misunderstandings arose between the King and the House of Commons upon this following occasion There was a common practice in England of mens making such Setlements of their Estates by their Last Wills or other Deeds that the King and some great Lords were thereby defrauded of the advantages they made by Wards Marriages and Primer Season For regulating which a Bill was brought in to the House of Peers and assented to there but when it was sent down to the House of Commons it was rejected by them and they would neither pass the Bill nor any other Qualification of that Abuse This gave the King great offence and the House when they addressed to him about the proceedings of the Clergy also prayed That he would consider what Cost Charge and Pains they had been at since the beginning of the Parliament and that it would please his Grace of his Princely Benignity to Dissolve his Court of Parliament and that his Subjects might return into their Countries To which the King answered That for their complaints of the Clergy he must hear them also before he could give Judgment since in Justice he ought to hear both Parties but that their desiring the Redress of such Abuses was contrary to the other part of their Petition for if the Parliament were Dissolved how could those things they complained of be amended And as they complained of their long attendance so the King had stayed as long as they had done and yet he had still patience and so they must have otherwise their grievances would be without Redress But he did expostulate severely upon their rejecting the Bill about Deeds in prejudice of the Rights of the Crown He â—aid he had offered them a great mitigation of what by the rigour of the Law he might pretend to and if they would not accept of it he would
Clergy swore to the King and the Pope were read in the House of Commons but the Consequence of them will be better understood by setting them down The Oath to the Pope I Iohn Bishop or Abbot of A from this hour forward shall be faithful and obedient to S. Peter and to the holy Church of Rome and to my Lord the Pope and his Successors canonically entering I shall not be of counsel nor consent that they shall lose either Life or Member or shall be taken or suffer any violence or any wrong by any means Their Counsel to me credited by them their Messengers or Letters I shall not willingly discover to any person The Papacy of Rome the Rules of the holy Fathers and the Regality of S. Peter I shall help and maintain and defend against all men The Legat of the See Apostolick going and coming I shall honourably entreat The Rights Honours Privileges Authorities of the Church of Rome and of the Pope and his Successors I shall cause to be conserved defended augmented and promoted I shall not be in Council Treaty or any act in the which any thing shall be imagined against him or the Church of Rome their Rights Seats Honours or Powers And if I know any such to be moved or compassed I shall resist it to my power and as soon as I can I shall advertise him or such as may give him knowledge The Rules of the holy Fathers the Decrees Ordinances Sentences Dispositions Reservations Provisions and Commandments Apostolick to my power I shall keep and cause to be kept of others Hereticks Schismaticks and Rebels to our Holy Father and his Successors I shall resist and persecute to my power I shall come to the Synod when I am called except I be letted by a Canonical Impediment The Thresholds of the Apostles I shall visit yearly personally or by my Deputy I shall not alienate or sell my Possessions without the Popes counsel So God help me and the Holy Evangelists The Oath to the King I Iohn Bishop of A utterly renounce and clearly forsake all such Clauses Words Sentences and Grants which I have or shall have hereafter of the Popes Holiness of and for the Bishoprick of A that in any wise hath been is or hereafter may be hurtful or prejudicial to your Highness your Heirs Successors Dignity Privilege or Estate Royal. And also I do swear that I shall be faithful and true and faith and truth I shall bear to you my Sovereign Lord and to your Heirs Kings of the same of Life and Limb and yearly Worship above all Creatures for to live and die with you and yours against all people And diligently I shall be attendant to all your needs and business after my wit and power and your Counsel I shall keep and hold knowledging my self to hold my Bishoprick of you onely beseeching you of Restitution of the Temporalties of the same promising as before that I shall be a faithful true and obedient Subject to your said Highness Heirs and Successors during my Life and the Services and other things due to your Highness for the Restitution of the Temporalties of the same Bishopriâ—k I shall truly do and obediently perform So God me help and all Saints The Contradiction that was in these was so visible that it had soon produced a severe Censure from the House if the Plague had not hindered both that and the Bill of Subsidy So on the 14th of May the Parliament was prorogued Two days after Sir Thomas More Lord Chancellour having oft desired leave to deliver up the Great Seal and be discharged of his Office obtained it and Sir Thomas Audley was made Lord Chancellour More had carried that Dignity with great temper and lost it with much joy He saw now how far the Kings Designs went and though he was for cutting off all the Illegal Jurisdiction which the Popes exercised in England and therefore went cheerfully along with the Sute of Praemunire yet when he saw a tâ—tal Rupture like to follow he excused himself and retired from Business with a Greatness of Mind that was equal to what the ancient Philosophers pretended in such cases He also disliked Anne Boleyne and was prosecuted by her Father who studied to fasten some Criminal Imputations on him about the discharge of his Imployment but his Integrity had been such that nothing could be found to blemish his Reputation In September following the King created Anne Boleyne Marchioness of Pembroke to bring her by degrees up to the Heighth for which he had designed her And in October he passed the Seas and had an Enterview with the French King where all the most obliging Complements that were possible passed on both sides with great Magnificence and a firm Union was concerted about all their Affairs They published a League that they made to raise a mighty Army next year against the Turk but this was not much considered it being generally believed that the French King and the Turk were in a good Correspondence As for the matter of the Kings Divorce Francis encouraged him to go on in it and in his intended Marriage with Anne Boleyne promising if it were questioned to assist him in it And as for his appearance at Rome as it was certain he could not go thither in Person so it was not fit to trust the secrets of his Conscience to a Proxie The French King seemed also resolved to stop the payments of Annates and other Exactions of the Court of Rome and said he would send an Ambassador to the Pope to ask Redress of these and to protest that if it were not granted they would seek other remedies by Provincial Councils And since there was an interview designed between the Pope and the Emperor at Bononia in December the French King was to send two Cardinalsthither to procure Judges for ending the business in England There was also an interview proposed between the Pope and the French King at Nice or Avignon To this the King of England had some Inclinations to go for ending all differences if the Pope were well disposed to it Upon this Sir Thomas Eliot was sent to Rome with answer to a message the Pope had sent to the King from whose Instructions both the substance of the message and of the answer may be gathered The Pope had offered to the King that if he would name any indifferent place out of his own Kingdom he would send a Legate and two Auditors of the Rota thither to form the Process reserving only the Sentence to himself The Pope also proposed a Truce of three or four years and promised that in that time he would call a general Council For this message the King sent the Pope thanks but for the Peace he could receive no propositions about it without the concurrence of the French King and though he did not doubt the justice of a general Council yet considering the state of the Emperor's Affairs at that time
with the Lutherans he did not think it was then seasonable to call one That as for sending a Proxy to Rome if he were a private Person he could do it but it was a part of the Prerogative of his Crown and of the Priviledges of his Subjects That all Matrimonial Causes should be originally judged within his Kingdom by the English Church which was consonant to the general Councils and Customs of the ancient Church whereunto he hoped the Pope would have regard And that for keeping up his Royal Authority to which he was bound by Oath he could not without the consent of the Realm submit himself to a Forreign Jurisdiction hoping the Pope would not desire any violation of the Immunities of the Realm or to bring these into publick Contention which had been hitherto enjoyed without intrusion or molestation The Pope had confessed that without an urgent cause the Dispensation could not be granted This the King laid hold on and ordered his Ambassador to show him that there was no War nor appearance of any between England and Spain when it was granted To verifie that he sent an attested Copy of the Treaty between his Father and the Crown of Spain at that time By the words of which it appeared that it was then taken for granted that Prince Arthur had Consummated the Marriage which was also proved by good witnesses In fine since the thing did so much concern the Peace of the Realm it was fitter to judg it within the Kingdom than any where else therefore he desired the Pope would remit the discussing of it to the Church of England and then confirm the Sentence they should give To the obtaining of this the Ambassador was to use all possible diligence yet if he found real intentions in the Pope to satisfie the King he was not to insist on that as the Kings final Resolution And to let the Cardinal of Ravenna see that the King intended to make good what was promised in his name the Bishoprick of Coventry and Litchfield falling vacant he sent him the offer of it with a promise of the Bishoprick of Ely when it should be void Soon after this he Married Anne Boleyn on the 14th of November upon his landing in England but Stow says without any ground that it was on the 25th of Ianuary Rowland Lee who afterward got the Bishoprick of Coventry and Liechfield officiate in the Marriage It was done secretly in the presence of the Duke of Norfolk and her Father her Mother and Brother and Dr. Cranmer The grounds on which the King did this were That his former Marriage being of it self null there was no need of a Declarative Sentence after so many Universities and Doctors had given their judgments against it Soon after the Marriage she was with-Child which was looked on as a signalEvidence of her Chastity and that she had till then kept the King at a due distance But when the Pope and the Emperor met at Bononia the Pope expressed great Inclinations to favour the French King from which the Emperor could not remove him nor engage him to accept of a Match for his Neece Katherine de Medici with Francis Sforza Duke of Milan But the Pope promised him all that he desired as to the King of England and so that matter was still carried on Dr. Bennet made several propositions to end the matter either that it should be judged in England according to the Decree of the Council of Nice and that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with the whole Clergy of his Province should determine it or that the King should name one either Sir Thomas More or the Bishop of London the Queen should name another the French King should name a third and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury to be the fourth or that the cause should be heard in England and if the Queen did Appeal it should be referred to three Delegates one of England another of France and a third to be sent from Rome who should sit and judge the Appeal in some indifferent place But the Pope would hearken to none of these Overtures since they were all directly contrary to that height of Authority which he resolved to maintain Therefore he ordered Capisucci the Dean of the Rota to cite the King to answer to the Queens Appeal Karne at Rome protested against the Citation since the Emperor's Power was so great about Rome that the King could not expect justice there and therefore desired they would desist otherwise the King would Appeal to the Learned men in Universities and said there was a nullity in all their proceedings since the King was a Soveraign Prince and the Church of England a free Church over which the Pope had no just Authority But while this depended at Rome another Session of Parliameot was held in England which began to sit on the 4th of February In this the Breach with Rome was much forwarded by the Act they passed against all Appeals to Rome The Preamble bears that the Crown of England was Imperial and that the Nation was a compleat Body within it self with a full Power to give justice in all cases Spiritual as well as Temporal and that in the Spiritualty as there had beed at all times so there were them men of that sufficiency and integrity that they might declare and determine all doubts within the Kingdom and that several Kings as Edward the 1st Edward the 3d Richard the 2d and Henry the 4th had by several Laws preserved the Liberties of the Realm both Spiritual and Temporal from the annoyance of the See of Rome and other forreign Potentates yet many inconveniences had arisen by Appeals to the See of Rome in Causes of Matrimony Divorces and other cases which were not sufficiently provided against by these Laws by which not only the King and his Subjects were put to great charges but justice was much delayed by Appeals and Rome being at such a distance Evidences could not be brought thither nor Witnesses so easily as within the Kingdom Therefore it was Enacted that all such Causes whether relating to the King or any of his Subjects were to be determined within the Kingdom in the several Courts to which they belonged notwithstanding any Appeals to Rome or Inhibitions and Bulls from Rome whose Sentences should take effect and be fully Executed by all Inferior Ministers and if any Spiritual Persons refused to Execute them because of Censures from Rome they were to suffer a years Imprisonment and fine and ransom at the Kings will and if any Persons in the Kings Dominions procured or executed any Process or Censures from Rome they were declared liable to the pains in the Statute of Provisors in the 16th of Rich. the 2d But that Appeals should only be from the Arch-Deacon or his Official to the Bishop of the Diocess or his Commissary and from him to the Arch-Bishop of the Province or the Dean of the Arches where the
final Determination was to be made without any further Process and in every Process concerning the King or his Heirs and Successors an Appeal should lie to the upper House of Convocation where it should be finally Determined never to be again called in question As this Bill passed the sense of both Houses of Parliament about the Kings Marriage did clearly appear but in the Convocation the business was more fully debated The Convocation of the Province of Canterbury was at this time destitute of its Head and principal Member For Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was dead since August last year He was a great Canonist an able States-man a dextrous Courtier and a favourer of Learned men He always hated Cardinal Wolsey and would never stoop to him esteeming it below the Dignity of his See He was not so peevishly engaged to the Learning of the Schools as others were but set up and encouraged a more generous way of Knowledge yet he was a severe persecutor of them whom he thought Hereticks and enclined to believe idle and Fanatical people as will afterwards appear when the Impostures of the Maid of Kent shall be related The King saw well of how great importance it was to the designes he was then forming to fill that See with a Learned Prudent and resolute man but finding none in the Episcopal Order that was qualified to his mind and having observed a native simplicity joyned with much courage and tempered with a great deal of wisdom in Dr. Cranmer who was then Negotiating his business among the Learned men of Germany he of his own accord without any adresses from Cranmer designed to raise him to that Dignity and gave him notice of it that he might make hast and come home to enjoy that reward which the King had appointed for him But Cranmer having received this did all he could to excuse himself from the burden which was coming upon him and therefore he returned very slowly to England hoping that the Kings thoughts cooling some other person might step in between him and a Dignity of which having a just and primitive sense he did look on it with fear and apprehension rather than joy and desire This was so far from setting him back that the King who had known well what it was to be importuned by ambitious and aspiring Churchmen but had not found it usual that they should decline and fly from Preferment was thereby confirmed in his high opinion of him and neither the delays of his Journey nor his Intreaties to be delivered from a Burden which his Humility made him imagine himself unable to bear could divert the King So that though six moneths elapsed before the thing was settled yet the King persisted in his Opinion and the other was forced to yield In the end of Ianuary the King sent to the Pope for the Bulls for Cranmers Promotion and though the Statutes were passed against procuring more Bulls from Rome yet the King resolved not to begin the breach till he was forced to it by the Pope It may be easily imagined that the Pope was not hearty in this Promotion and that he apprehended ill consequences from the Advancement of a Man who had gone over many Courts of Christendom disputing against his Power of Dispensing and had lived in much Familiarity with Osiander and the Lutherans in Germany Yet on the other hand he had no mind to precipitate a Rupture with England therefore he consented to it and the Bulls were expedited though instead of Annates there was onely 900 Ducats paid for them They were the last Bulls that were received in England in this Kings Reign and therefore I shall give an account of them as they are set down in the beginning of Cranmers Register By one Bull he is upon the Kings Nomination promoted to be Archbishop of Canterbury which is directed to the King By a second directed to himself he is made Archbishop By a third he is absolved from all Censures A fourth is to the Suffragans A fifth to the Dean and Chapter A sixth to the Clergy of Canterbury A seventh to all the Laity in his See An eighth to all that held Lands of it requiring them to receive and acknowledge him as Archbishop All these bear Date the 21th of February 1533. By a ninth Bull dated the 22th of February he was ordained to be consecrated taking the Oath that was in the Pontifical By a tenth Bull dated the second of March the Pall was sent him And by an eleventh of the same Date the Archbishop of York and the Bishop of London were required to put it on him These were the several Artifices to make Compositions high and to enrich the Apostolick Chamber for now that about which S. Peter gloried that he had none of it neither silver nor gold was the thing in the world for which his Successors were most careful When these Bulls were brought into England Thomas Cranmer was on the 13th of March consecrated by the Bishops of Lincoln Exeter and S. Asaph But here a great Scruple was moved by him concerning the Oath that he was to swear to the Pope which he had no mind to take and Writers near that time say the dislike of that Oath was one of the motives that made him so unwillingly accept of that Dignity He declared that he thought there were many things settled by the Laws of the Popes which ought to be reformed and that the Obligation which that Oath brought upon him would bind him up from doing his Duty both to God the King and the Church But this being communicated to some of the Canonists and Casuists they found a temper that agreed better with their Maxims than Cranmers sincerity which was that before he should take the Oath he should make a good and formal Protestation That he did not intend thereby to restrain himself from any thing that he was bound to either by his Duty to God or the King or the Countrey and that he renounced every thing in it that was contrary to any of these This Protestation he made in S. Stephens Chapel at Westminster in the hands of some Doctors of the Canon Law before he was consecrated and he afterwards repeated it when he took the Oath to the Pope by which if he did not wholly save his Integrity yet it was plain he intended no Cheat but to act fairly and above board As soon as he was consecrated and had performed every thing that was necessary for his Investiture he came and sate in the Upper House of Convocation There were there at that time hot and earnest Debates upon these two Questions Whether it was against the Law of God and Indispensable by the Pope for a man to marry his Brothers Wife he being dead without Issue but having consummated the Marriage And whether Prince Arthur had consummated his Marriage with the Queen As for the first it was brought first into the Lower
read with many other Instruments and the whole Merits of the Cause were opened Upon which after many Sessions on the 23th of May Sentence was given with the Advice of all that were there present declaring it onely to have been a Marriage de facto but not de jure pronouncing it Null from the beginning One thing is to be observed That the Archbishop in the Sentence is called The Legate of the Apostolick See Whether this went of course as one of his Titles or was put in to make the Sentence firmer the Reader may judge Sentence being given the Archbishop with all the rest returned to London and five days after on the 28th of May at Lambeth by another Judgment he in general words no Reasons being given in the Sentence confirmed the Kings Marriage with the new Queen Anne and the first of Iune she was crowned Queen When this great Business which had been so long in agitation was thus concluded it was variously censured as men stood affected Some approved the Kings Proceedings as Canonical and Just since so many Authorities which in the intervall of a General Council were all that could be had except the Pope be believed Infallible had concurred to strengthen the Cause and his own Clergy had upon a full and long examination judged it on his side Others who in the main agreed to the Divorce did very much dislike the Kings second Marriage before the first was dissolved for they thought it against the common course of Law to break a Marriage without any publick Sentence and since one of the chief politick Reasons that was made use of in this Suit was to settle the Succession of the Crown this did embroil it more since there was a fair colour given to except to the Validity of the second Marriage because it was contracted before the first was annulled But to this others answered That the first Marriage being judged by the Interpreters of the Doctrine of the Church to have been Null from the beginning there was no need of any Sentence but onely for Form And all concluded it had been better there had been no Sentence at all than one so late Some excepted to the Archbishop of Canterbury's being Judge who by his former Writings and Disputes had declared himself partial But to this it was answered That when a man changes his Character all that he did in another Figure is no just Exception so Judges decide Causes in which they formerly gave Counsel and Popes are not bound to the Opinions they held when they were Divines or Canonists It was also said That the Archbishop did onely declare in Legal Form that which was already judged by the whole Convocation of both Provinces Some wondered at the Popes stifness that would put so much to hazard when there wanted not as good Colours to justifie a Bull as they had made use of to excuse many other things But the Emperors Greatness and the fear of giving the Lutherans advantages in disputing the Popes Authority were on the other hand so prevalent Considerations that no wonder they wrought much on a Pope who pretended to no other knowledge but that of Policy for he had often said He understood not the matter and therefore left it in other mens hands All persons excused Queen Katharine for standing so stifly to her ground onely her denying so confidently that Prince Arthur consummated the Marriage seems not capable of an Excuse Every body admired Queen Annes Conduct who had managed such a Kings Spirit so long and had neither surfeited him with great freedom nor provoked him by the other Extreme for the King who was extremely nice in these matters conceived still an higher Opinion of her and her being so soon with child after the Marriage as it made people conclude she had been chaste till then so they hoped for a Blessing upon it since there were such early appearances of Issue Those that favoured the Reformation expected better days under her Protection for they know she favoured them But those who were in their hearts for the Established Religion did much dislike it and many of the Clergy especially the Orders of Monks and Friars condemned it both in their Sermons and Discourses But the King little regarding the Censures of the Vulgar sent Embassadors to all the Courts of Europe to give notice of his new Marriage and to justifie it by some of those Reasons which have been opened in the former parts of this History He also sent the Lord Mountjoy to the Divorced Queen to let her know what was done and that she was no more to be treated as Queen but as Princess Dowager He was to mix Promises with Threatnings particularly concerning her Daughters being put next the Queens Issue in the Succession But the afflicted Queen would not yield and said she would not damn her Soul nor submit to such an Infamy That she was his Wife and would never call her self by any other Name whatever might follow on it since the Process still depended at Rome That Lord having written a Relation of what had passed between him and her shewed it to her but she dashed with a Pen all those places in which she was called Princess Dowager and would receive no Service at any ones hands but of those who called her Queen and she continued to be still served as Queen by all about her Against which though the King used all the Endeavours he could not without both threatning and violence to some of the Servants yet he could never drive her from it and what he did in that was thought far below that Height of Mind which appeared in his other Actings for since he had stript her of the real Greatness of a Queen it seemed too much to vex her for keeping up the Pageantry of it But the news of this made great impressions elsewhere The Emperor received the Kings justification very coldly and said â—e would consider what he was to do upon it which was looked on as a Dâ—câ—aration of War The French King though he expressed still gâ—eat Friendship to the King yet was now resolved to link himself to the Pope for the crafty Pope apprehending that nothing made the King of England so confident as that he knew his Friendship was necessary to the French King and fearing they had resolved to proceed at once to the puâ—ting down the Papal Authority in their Kingdoms which it appears they had once agreed to do resolved by all means to make sure of the French King which as it would preserve that Kingdom in his obedience so would perhaps frighten the King of England from proceeding to such extremities since that Prince in whose conjunction he trusted so much had forsaken him Therefore the Pope did so vigorously pursue the Treaty with Francis that it was as good as ended at this time and an Interview was projected between them at Marseilles The Pope did also grant him so great Power
over his own Clergy that he could sâ—arce have expected more if he had set up a Patriarch in France so that Francis did resolve to go on in the designs which had been concerted between him and the King of England no further but still he considered his alliance so much that he promised to use his most effectual intercession with the Pope to prevent all Censures and Bulls against the King and if it were possible to bring the matter to an Amicable conclusion And the Emperor was not ill-pleased to see France and England divided Therefore though he had at first opposed the Treaty between the Pope and Francis yet afterwards he was not troubled that it took effect hoping that it would dis-unite those two Kings whose conjunction had been so troublesome to him But when the news was brought to Rome of what was done in England with which it was also related that Books were coming out against the Popes Supremacy all the Cardinals of the Imperial Faction pressed the Pope to give a definitive Sentence and to proceed to Censures against the King But the more moderate Cardinals thought England was not to be thrown away with such precipitation And therefore a temper was found that a Sentence should be given upon what had been attempted in England by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury which in the Stile of the Canon-Law were called the Attentates for it was pretended that the matter depending in the Court of Rome by the Queens Appeal and the other steps that had been made it was not in the Arch-Bishop's Power to proceed to any Sentence Therefore in general it was declared that all that had been attempted or done in England about the Kings Suit of Divorce was null and that the King by such attempts was liable to Excommunication unless he put things again in the state they were in and that before September next and that then they would proceed further and this Sentence was affixed in Dunkirk soon after The King resolving to follow the thing as far as it was possible sent a great Embassy to Francis who was then on his Journey to Marseilles to dissuade the Interview and Marriage till the Pope gave the King satisfaction But the French King was engaged in honour to go forward yet he protested he would do all that lay in his Power to compose the matter and that he would take any injury that were done to the King as highly as if it were done to himself and he desired the King would send some to Marseilles who thereupon sent Gardiner and Sir Francis Brian But at this time the Queen brought forth a Daughter who was Christened Elizabeth the renowned Queen of England the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury being her God-Father She was soon after declared Princess of Wales though Lawyers thought that against Law for she was only Heir presumptive but not apparent to the Crown since a Son coming after he must be preferred Yet the King would justifie what he had done in his Marriage with all possible respect and having before declared the Lady Mary Princess of Wales he did now the same in favour of the Lady Elizabeth The Interview between the Pope and the French King was at Marseilles in October where the Marriage was made up between the Duke of Orleance and Katharine de Medici to whom besides 100000 Crowns Portion the Principality of many Towns in Italy as Milan Reggio Pisa Legorn Parma and Piacenza and the Dutchy of Urbin were given To the former the Pope pretended in the Right of the Popedom and to the last in the Right of the House of Medici But the French King was â—o clear all those Titles by his Sword As for the Kings business the Pope referred it to the Consistory But it seems there was a secret Transaction between him and Francis that if the King would in all other things return to his wonted obedience to the Apostolick See and submit the matter to the judgment of the Consistory excepting only to the Cardinals of the Imperial Faction as partial and incompetent judges the Decision should be made to his hearts content This I collect from what will afterwards appear The King upon the Sentence that was passed against him sent Bonner to Marseilles who procuring an Audience of the Pope delivered to him the Authentick Instrument of the Kings Appeal from him to the next general Council lawfully called At this the Pope was much incensed but said he would consider of it in Consistory and having consulted about it there he answered that the Appeal was unlawful and therefore he rejected it and for a general Council the calling of it belonged to him and not to the King About the same time the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury being threatned with a Process from Rome put in also his Appeal to the next general Council Upon which Bonner delivered the threatnings that he was ordered to make with so much vehemency and fury that the Pope talked of throwing him in a Cauldron of melted Lead or of Burning him alive and he apprehending some danger made his escape About the middle of November the Interview ended the Pope returning to Rome and the French King to Paris a firm Alliance being established between them But upon the Duke of Orleance his Marrying the Pope's Neece I shall add one observation that will neither be unpleasant nor impertinent The Duke of Orleance was then but Fourteen years and Nine Months old being born on the last of March 1518. and yet was believed to have consummated his Marriage the very first night after so the Popes Historians tell us with much Triumph though they represented that improbable if not impossible in Prince Arthur who was nine Months elder when he died Upon the French Kings return from Marseilles the Bishop of Paris was sent over to the King which as may be reasonably collected followed upon some Agreement made at Marseilles and he prevailed with the King to submit the whole matter to the Pope and the Consistory on such terms that the Imperialists should not be allowed a Voice because they were Parties being in the Emperor's Power None that has observed the genius of this King can think that after he had proceeded so far he would â—aâ—e made this Submission without very good assurances and if there had not been great grounds to expect good effects from it the Bishop of Paris would not in the middle of Winter have undertaken a Journey from England to Rome But the King it seems would not abase himself so far as to send any Submission in writing till he had fuller assurances The Lord Herbert has published a Letter which he transcribed from the Original written by the Arch-Bishop of York and the Bishop of Duresmâ— to the King the 11th of May 1534. giving an account of a Conference they had with Queen Katharine in which among other motives they used this was one to perswade her to comply with what
sometimes made by the Emperors and sometimes confirmed by them Pope Hadrian in a Synod decreed that the Emperor should choose the Pope And it was a late and unheard of thing before the dayes of Gregory the 7th for Popes to pretend to depose Princes and give away their Dominions This they compared to the pride of Anti-Christ and Lucifer They also argued from Reason that there must be but one Supream and that the King being Supream over all his Subjects Clergy-men must be included for they are still Subjects Nor can their being in Orders change that former relation founded upon the Law of Nature and Nations no more than Wives or Servants by becoming Christians were not according to the Doctrine of the Apostles discharged from the Duties of their former Relations For the great Objection from those Offices that are peculiar to their Functions It was answered that these notwithstanding the King might well be Supream Head for in the Natural body there were many vital motions that proceeded not from the Head but from the Heart and the other inward parts and vessels and yet the Head was still the chief seat and root of Life So though there be peculiar functions appropriated to Church-men yet the King is still Head having Authority over them and a Power to direct and coerce them in these From that they proceeded to show that in England the Kings have allwayes assumed a Supremacy in Ecclesiastical matters They began with the most Ancient Writing that relates to the Christian Religion in England then extant Pope Elentherius Letter to King Lucius in which he is twice called by him Gods Vicar in his Kingdom and he writ in it that it belong'd to his Office to bring his Subjects to the Holy Church and to maintain protect and govern them in it Many Laws were cited which Canutus Ethelred Edgar Edmond Athelstan and Ina had Enacted concerning Church-men many more Laws since the Conquest were also made both against appeals to Rome and Bishops going out of the Kingdom without the Kings leave The whole business of the Articles of Clarendon and the Contests that followed between King Henry the 2d and Thomas Becket were also opened And though a Bishops Pastoral care be of Divine Institution yet as the Kings of England had divided Bishopricks as they pleased so they also converted Benefices from the Institution of the Founders and gave them to Cloisters and Monasteries as King Edgar did all which was done by the Consent of their Clergy and Nobility without dependance on Rome They had also granted these Houses Exemption from Episcopal Jurisdiction so Ina exempted Glastenbury and Offa St. Albans from their Bishops visitation and this continued even till the dayes of William the Conqueror for he to perpetuate the Memory of the Victory he obtained over Harald and to endear himself to the Clergy founded an Abbey in the Field where the Battel was fought and called it Battel-Abbey and in the Charter he granted them these words are to be found It shall be also free and quiet for ever from all subjection to Bishops or the Dominion of any other persons as Christs Church in Canterbury is Many other things were brought out of King Alfreds Laws and a speech of King Edgars with several Letters written to the Popes from the Kings the Parliaments and the Clergy of England to show that their Kings did always make Laws about Sacred matters and that their Power reach't to that and to the persons of Church-men as well as to their other Subjects But at the same time that they pleaded so much for the Kings Supremacy and Power of making Laws for restraining and Coercing his Subjects it appeared that they were far from vesting him with such an absolute Power as the Popes had pretended to for they thus defined the extent of the Kings Power To them specially and principally it pertaineth to defend the Faith of Christ and his Religion to conserve and maintain the true Doctrine of Christ and all such as be true Preachers and setters forth thereof and to abolish Abuses Heresies and Idolatries and to punish with corporal pains such as of malice be the occasion of the same And finally to oversee and cause that the said Bishops and Priests do execute their pastoral office truly and faithfully and specially in these points which by Christ and his Apostles was given and Committed to them and in case they shall be negligent in any part thereof or would not diligently execute the same to cause them to redouble and supply their lack and if they obstinately withstand their Princes kind monition and will not amend their faults then and in such case to put others in their rooms and places And God hath also commanded the said Bishops and Priests to obey with all humbleness and Reverence both Kings and Princes and Governors and all their Laws not being contrary to the Laws of God whatsoever they be and that not only propter Iram but also propter Conscientiam that is to say not only for fear of punishment but also for Discharge of Conscience Thus it appears that they both limited obedience to the Kings Laws with the due Caution of their not being contrary to the Law of God and acknowledged the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the discharge of the Pastoral Office committed to the Pastors of the Church by Christ and his Apostles and that the Supremacy then pretended to was no such Extravagant Power as some imagine Upon the whole matter it was Concluded that the Popes Power in England had no good Foundation and had been managed with as much Tyranny as it had begun with Usurpation the Exactions of their Courts were every-where heavy but in no place so intolerable as in England and though many complaints were made of them in these last 300 years yet they got no ease and all the Laws about Provisors were still defeated and made ineffectual Therefore they saw it was impossible to moderate their proceedings so that there was no other Remedy but to extirpate their pretended Authority and thenceforth to acknowledge the Pope only Bishop of Rome with the jurisdiction about it defined by the Ancient Canons and for the King to re-assume his own Authority and the Prerogatives of his Crown from which the Kings of England had never formally departed though they had for this last Hundred years connived at an Invasion and Usurpation upon them which was no longer to be endured These were the Grounds of casting off the Pope's Power that had been for two or three years studied and enquired into by all the Learned men in England and had been debated both in Convocation and Parliament and except Fisher Bishop of Rochester I do not find that any Bishop appeared for the Popes Power and for the Abbots and Priors as they were generally very ignorant so what the Cardinal had done in suppressing some Monasteries and what they now heard that the
the fault was in her humor or in the Provocations she met with the Reader may conjecture The King received the news of her death with some regrett But he would not give leave to bury her as she had ordered but made her body be laid in the Abbey Church of Peterborough which he afterwards Converted to an Episcopal Cathedral But Queen Anne did not carry her death so decently for she express'd too much joy at it both in her Carriage and dress On the 4th of February the Parliament sate upon a Prorogation of 14th Months for in the Record there is no mention of any intermedial Prorogation where a great many Laws relating to Civil concerns were passed By the 15th Act the Power that had been given by a former Act to the King for naming thirty two Persons to make a Collection of Ecclesiastical Laws was again confirmed for nothing had been done upon the former Act. But there was no limitation of time in this Act and so there was nothing done in pursuance of it The great business of this Session of Parliament was the suppressing the lesser Monasteries How this went thorough the two Houses we cannot know from the Journals for they are lost But all the Historians of that time tell us that the report which the Visitors made to the King was read in Parliament which represented the manners of these Houses so odiously that the Act was easily carried The Preamble bears That small Religious Houses under the number of twelve Persons had been long and notoriously guilty of vicious and abominable Living and did much consume and waste their Churches Lands and other things belonging to them and that for above two hundred years there had been many Visitations for reforming these Abuses but with no success their vicious living encreasing daily So that except small Houses were dissolved and the Religious put into greater Monasteries there could no Reformation be expected in that matter Whereupon the King having received a full information of these Abuses both by his Visitors and other credible ways and considering that there were divers great Monasteries in which Religion was well kept and observed which had not the full number in them that they might and ought to receive had made a full Declaration of the Premisses in Parliament Whereupon it was Enacted That all Houses which might spend yearly 200 l. or within it should be suppressed and their Revenues converted to better uses and they compelled to reform their Lives The Lord Herbert thinks it strange that the Statute in the printed Book has no Preamble but begins bluntly Fuller tell us that he wonders that Lord did not see the Record and he sets down the Preamble and says The rest follow as in the printed Statute Chap. 27th by a mistake for the 28th This shews that neither the one nor the other ever look'd on the Record For there is a particular Statute of Dissolution distinct from the 28th Chap. And the Preamble which Fuller sets down belongs not to the 28th Chapter as he says but to the 18th Chapter which was never printed and the 28th relates in the Preamble to that other Statute which had given these Monasteries to the King The reasons that were pretended for dissolving these Houses were That whereas there was but a small number of persons in them they entred into Confederacies together and their Poverty set them on to use many ill arts to grow Rich. They were also much abroad and kept no manner of Discipline in their Houses But those Houses were generally much richer than they seemed to be For the Abbots raising great Fines out of them held the Leases still low and by that means they were not obliged to entertain a greater number in their House and so enriched themselves and their Brethren by the Fines that were raised For many Houses then rented at two hundred pounds were worth many thousands as will appear to any that compares what they were then valued at which is Collected by Speed with what their Estates are truely worth When this was passing in Parliament Stokeslâ—y Bishop of London said These lesser Houses were as Thorns soon pluck't up but the great Abbots were like putrified old Oaks yet they must needs follow and so would others do in Christendom before many years were passed By another Act all these Houses their Churches Lands and all their Goods were given to the King and his Heirs and Successors together with all other Houses which within a year before the making of the Act had been dissolved or suppressed And for the gathering the Revenues that belonged to them a new Court was Erected called the Court of the Augmentations of the Kings Revenue which was to consist of a Chancellor a Treasurer an Attourney and Sollicitor and ten Auditors seventeen Receivers a Clerk an Usher and a Messenger This Court was to bring in the Revenues of such Houses as were now dissolved excepting only such as the King by his Letters-Patents continued in their former state appointing a Seal for the Court with full Power and Authority to dispose of these Lands so as might be most for the Kings Service Thus â—ell the lesser Abbeys to the number of 376 and soon after this Parliament which had done the King such eminent Service and had now sate six years was dissolved on the 14th of April In the Convocation a motion was made of great consequence That there should be a Translation of the Bible in English to be set up in all the Churches of England The Clergy when they procured Tindalls Translation to be condemned and suppressed it gave out that they intended to make a Translation into the Vulgar-Tongue Yet it was afterwards upon a long Consultation Resolved that it was free for the Church to give the Bible in a Vulgar-Tongue or not as they pleased and that the King was not obliged to it and that at that time it was not at all expedient to do it Upon which those that promoted the Reformation made great complaints and said it was visible the Clergy knew there was an opposition between the Scriptures and their Doctrine That they had first condemned Wickliffs Translation and then Tindalls and though they ought to teach men the Word of God yet they did all they could to suppress it In the times of the Old Testament the Scriptures were writ in the Vulgar-Tongue and all were charged to read and remember the Law The Apostles wrote in Greek which was then the most common Language in the World Christ did also appeal to the Scriptures and sent the people to them And by what St. Paul says of Timothy it appears that children were then early trained up in that study In the Primitive Church as Nations were converted to the Faith the Bible was Translated into their Tongue The Latine Translation was very Ancient the Bible was afterwards put into the Scythian Dalmatian and Gothick Tongues It continued thus for
the terms of the Covenant between God and man in Christ were rightly opened without the niceties of the Schools of either side Immediate worship of Images and Saints was also removed and Purgatory was declared uncertain by the Scripture These were great advantages to them but the establishing the necessity of Auricular Confession the Corporal presence in the Sacrament the keeping up and doing reverence to Images and the praying to Saints did allay their joy yet they still counted it a victory to have things brought under debate and to have some Grosser abuses taken away The other Party were unspeakably troubled Four Sacraments were passed over which would encourage ill-affected people to neglect them The gainful trade by the Belief of Purgatory was put down for though it was said to be good to give Alms for praying for the dead yet since both the dreadful Stories of the Miseries of Purgatory and the Certainty of Redeeming Souls out of them by Masses were made doubtful the peoples Charity and bounty that way would soon abate And in a word the bringing matters under dispute was a great Mortification to them for all concluded that this was but a Preamble to what they might expect afterwards When these things were seen beyond Sea the Papal party made every-where great use of it to show the Necessity of adhering to the Pope since the King of England though when he broke off from his Obedience to the Apostolick See he pretended he would maintain the Catholick Faith entire yet was now making great Changes in it But others that were more moderate acknowledged that there was great temper and prudence in contriving these Articles And it seems the Emperor and the more Learned Divines about him both approved of the Precedent and liked the particulars so well that not many years after the Emperor published a work not unlike this called The Interim because it was to be in force in that Interim till all things were more fully debated and determined by a General Council which in many particulars agreed with these Articles Yet some stricter persons censured this work much as being a Political dawbing in which they said there was more pains taken to gratifie persons and serve particular ends than to assert Truth in a free and un-biassed way such as became Divines This was again excused and it was said that all things could not be attained on a sudden that some of the Bishops and Divines who afterwards arrived at a clearer understanding of some matters were not then so fully convinced about them and so it was their ignorance and not their Cowardice or Policy that made them compliant in some things Besides it was said that as our Savior did not reveal all things to his Disciples till they were able to bear them and as the Apostles did not of a sudden abolish all the Rites of Judaisme but for some time to gain the Jews complyed with them and went to the Temple and offered Sacrifices so the people were not to be over driven in this Change The Clergy must be brought out of their ignorance by degrees and then the people were to be better instructed but to drive furiously and do all at once might have spoiled the whole design and totally alienated those who were to be drawn on by degrees it might have also much endangered the peace of the Nation the people being much disposed by the practices of the Friers to rise in Arms Therefore these slow steps were thought the surer and better method On the last day of the Convocation there was another Writing brought in by Fox Bishop of Hereford occasioned by the Summons for a General Council to sit at Mantua to which the Pope had cited the King to appear The King had made his appeal from the Pope to a General Council but there was no reason to expect any Justice in an assembly so constituted as this was like to be Therefore it was thought fit to publish somewhat of the Reasons why the King could not submit his matter to the Decision of such a Council as was then intended And it was moved that the Convocation should give their sense of it The Substance of their Answer which the Reader will find in the Collection was That as nothing was better Instituted by the Ancient Fathers for the Establishment of the Faith the Extirpation of Heresies the Healing of Schisms and the Unity of the Christian Church than General Councils gathered in the Holy Ghost duely called to an indifferent place with other necessary requisites So on the other hand nothing could produce more pestiferous effects than a General Council called upon private malice or Ambition or other carnal respects which Gregory Nazianzen so well observed in his time that he thought all Assemblies of Bishops were to be eschewed for he never saw good come of any of them and they had encreased rather than healed the distempers of the Church For the appetite of vain-glory and a contentious humor bore down reason Therefore they thought Christian Princes ought to employ all their endeavors to prevent so great a mischief And it was to be considered First who had Authority to call one Secondly If the Reasons for calling one were weighty Thirdly who should be the Judges Fourthly what should be the manner of Proceeding Fifthly what things should be treated of in it And as to the first of these they thought neither the Pope nor any one Prince of what dignity soever had Authority to call one without the Consent of all other Christian Princes especially such as had entire and supream Government over all their Subjects This was Signed on the 20th of Iuly by Cromwell and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury with 14 Bishops and 40 Abbots Priors and Clerks of the Convocation of Canterbury Whether this and the former Articles were also Signed by the Convocation of the Province of York does not appear by any Record but that I think is not to be doubted This being obtained the King published a long and sharp Protestation against the Council now Summoned to Mantua In which he shewes that the Pope had no Power to call one for as it was done by the Emperors of old so it pertained to Christian Princes now That the Pope had no Jurisdiction in England and so could Summon none of this Nation to come to any such meeting That the place was neither safe nor proper That nothing could be done in a Council to any purpose if the Pope sate Judge in chief in it since one of the true ends why a Council was to be desired was to reduce his Power within its old limits A free General Council was that which he much desired but he was sure this could not be such And the present distractions of Christendom and the Wars between the Emperor and the French King shewed this was no proper time for one The Pope who had long refused or delayed to call one did now choose this
the North. Therefore he resolved first to quiet Lincolnshire And as he had raised a great force about London with which he was marching in person against them so he sent a new Proclamation Requiring them to return to their obedience with secret assurances of mercy By these means they were melted away Those who had been carryed in the Stream submitted to the Kings mercy and promised all obedience for the future Others that were obstinate and knew themselves unpardonable fled Northward and joyned themselves to the Rebels there Some of their other Leaders were apprehended in particular the Cobler and were Executed But for the Northern Rebellion as the parties concerned being at a greater distance from the Court had larger opportunities to gather themselves into a huge Body so the whole Contrivance of it was better laid One Ask Commanded in chief He was a Gentleman of an ordinary condition but understood well how to draw on and Govern a Multitude Their march was called the Pilgrimage of Grace And to inveigle the people some Priests marched before them with Crosses in their hands In their Banners they had a Crucifix with the Five wounds and a Chalice and every one wore on his sleeve as the badge of the Party an Emblem of the Five wounds of Christ with the name Iesus wrought in the midst All that joyned to them took an Oath That they entered into this Pilgrimage of Grace for the love of God the preservation of the Kings person and issue the purifying the Nobility and driving away all base born and ill Counsellors and for no particular profit of their own nor to do displeasure to any nor to kill any for envy but to take before them the Cross of Christ his Faith the Restitution of the Church and the Suppression of Hereticks and their opinions These were specious pretences and very apt to work upon a giddy and discontented multitude So people flocked about their Crosses and Standards in great numbers and they grew to be 40000 strong They went over the Countrey without any great opposition The Arch-Bishop of York and the Lord Darcy were in Pomfret Castle which they yielded to them and were made to swear their Covenant They were both suspected of being secret Promoters of the Rebellion the latter suffered for it but how the former excused himself I cannot give any account They also took York and Hull but though they summoned the Castle of Skipton yet the Earl of Cumberland who would not degenerate from his Noble Ancestors held it out against all their force and though many of the Gentlemen whom he had entertained at his own cost deserted him yet he made a brave resistance Scarborough Castle was also long besieged but there Sir Ralph Evers that Commanded it gave an un-exampled instance of his fidelity and courage for though his provisions fell short so that for twenty days he and his men had nothing but bread and water yet they stood out till they were relieved This Rising in Yorkshire encouraged those of Lancashire the Bishoprick of Duresm and Westmoreland to Arm. Against these the Earl of Shrewsbury that he might not fall short of the Gallantry and Loyalty of his renownd Ancestors made head though he had no Commission from the King But he knew his zeal and fidelity would easily procure him a pardon which he modestly asked for the service he had done The King sent him not only that but a Commission to command in chief all his forces in the North. To his Assistance he ordered the Earl of Derby to march and sent Courtney Marquess of Exeter and the Earls of Huntington and Rutland to joyn him He also ordered the Duke of Suffolk with the force that he had led into Lincolnshire to lye still there lest they being but newly quieted should break out again and fall upon his Armies behind when the Yorkshire men met them before On the 20th of October he sent the Duke of Norfolk with more forces to joyn the Earl of Shrewsbury But the Rebels were very numerous and desperate When the Duke of Norfolk understood their strength he saw great reason to proceed with much caution for if they had got the least advantage of the Kings Troops all the discontents in England would upon the report of that have broken out He saw their numbers were now such that the gaining some time was their ruin for such a great Body could not subsist long together without much provisions and that must be very hard for them to bring in So he set forward a Treaty It was both honourable for the King to offer mercy to his distracted Subjects and of great advantage to his affairs for as their numbers did every day lessen so the Kings forces were still encreasing He wrote to the King that considering the season of the year he thought the offering some fair conditions might perswade them to lay down their Arms and disperse themselves Yet when the Earl of Shrewsbury sent a Herald with a Proclamation ordering them to lay down their Arms and submit to the Kings mercy Ask received him sitting in State with the Arch-Bishop on the one hand and the Lord Darcy on the other but would not suffer any Proclamation to be made till he knew the Contents of it And when the Herauld told what they were he sent him away without suffering him to publish it And then the Priests used all their endeavours to engage the people to a firm resolution of not dispersing themselves till all matters about Religion were fully setled As they went forward they every-where repossessed the ejected Monks of their Houses and this encouraged the rest who had a great mind to be in their old Nests again They published also many stories among them of the growing burdens of the 〈◊〉 Government and made them believe that Impositions would be laid on every thing that was either bought or sold. But the King hearing how strong they were sent out a general Summons to all the Nobility to meet him at Northampton the 7th of November And the forces sent against the Rebels advanced to Doncaster to hinder them from coming further southward and took the Bridge which they fortified and laid their forces along the River to maintain that Pass The Writers of that time say that the day of Battel was agreed on but that the night before excessive Rains falling the River swelled so that it was unpassable next day and they could not force the Bridge Yet it is not likely the Earl of Shrewsbury having in all but 5000 men about him would agree to a pitched Battel with those who were Six times his number being then 30000. Therefore it is more likely that the Rebels only intended to pass the River the next day which the Rain that fell hindred But the Duke of Norfolk continued to press a Treaty which was hearkned to by the other side who were reduced to great straits for their Captain would not suffer
of some disaffected Persons For when he came to the Crown there were none that were born Noble of his Council but only the Earl of Surrey and the Earl of Shrewsbury whereas now the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk the Marquess of Exeter the Lord Steward the Earls of Oxford and Sussex and the Lord Sands were of the Privy-Council And for the Spirituality the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Bishops of Winchester Hereford and Chichester were also of it And he and his whole Council judging it necessary to have some at the board who understood the Law of England and the Treaties with Forreign Princes he had by their Unanimous advice brought in his Chancellor and the Lord Privy-Seal He thought it strange that they who were but brutes should think they could better judg who should be his Counsellors than himself and his whole Council Therefore he would bear no such thing at their hands it being inconsistent with the duty of good Subjects to meddle in such matters But if they or any of his other Subjects could bring any just complaint against any about him he was ready to hear it and if it were proved he would punish it according to Law As for the complaints against some of the Prelates for preaching against the Faith they could know none of these things but by the report of others since they lived at such a distance that they themselves had not heard any of them preach Therefore he required them not to give credit to Lies nor be misled by those who spread such Calumnies and ill reports And he concluded all with a severe Expostulation adding that such was his love to his Subjects that imputing this Insurrection rather to their folly and lightness than to any malice or rancour he was willing to pass it over more gently as they would perceive by his Proclamation Now the people were come to themselves again and glad to get off so easily and they all chearfully accepted the Kings offers and went home again to their several dwellings Yet the Clergy were no way satisfied but continued still to practise amongst them and kept the Rebellion still on foot so that it broke out soon after The Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Shrewsbury were ordered to lie still in the Country with their Forces till all things were more fully composed They made them all come to a full submission and first to revoke all Oaths and Promises made during the Rebellion for which they asked the Kings Pardon on their knees 2ly To swear to be true to the King and his Heirs and Successors 3ly To obey and maintain all the Acts of Parliament made during the Kings Reign 4ly Not to take Arms again but by the Kings Authority 5ly To apprehend all Seditious persons 6ly To remove all the Monks Nuns and Friars whom they had placed again in the dissolved Monasteries There were also Orders given to send Ask their Captain and the Lord Darcy to Court Ask was kindly received and well used by the King He had shewed great conduct in Commanding the Rebels and it seems the King had a mind either to gain him to his service or which I suspect was the true Cause to draw from him a discovery of all those who in the other parts of the Kingdom had favoured or relieved them For he suspected not without cause that some of the great Abbots had given secret supplies of Money to the Rebels For which many of them were afterwards tryed and attainted The Lord Darcy was under great apprehensions and studied to purge himself that he was forced to a Compliance with them but pleaded that the long and important services he had done the Crown for fifty years he being then fourscore together with his great Age and Infirmity might mitigate the Kings displeasure But he was made Prisoner Whether this gave those who had been in Arms new jealousies that the Kings Pardon would not be inviolably observed or whether the Clergy had of new prevailed on them to rise in Arms I cannot determine But it broke out again though not so dangerously as before Two Gentlemen of the North Musgrave and Tilby raised a body of 8000 men and thought to have surprised Carlisle but were repulsed by those within And in their return the Duke of Norfolk fell upon them and routed them He took many prisoners and by Martial Law hanged up all their Captains and Seventy other Prisoners on the Walls of Carlisle Others at that same time thought to have surprised Hull but it was prevented and the leaders of that Party were also taken and Executed Many other Risings were in several places of the Countrey which were all soon repressed the ground of them all was that the Parliament which was promised was not called But the King said they had not kept conditions with him nor would he call a Parliament till all things were quieted But the Duke of Norfolks vigilance every-where prevented their gathering together in any great Body And after several un-succesful attempts at length the Countrey was absolutely quieted in Ianuary following And then the Duke of Norfolk proceeded according to the Martial Law against many whom he had taken Ask had also left the Court without leave and had gone amongst them but was quickly taken So he and many others were sent to several places to be made publick Examples He suffered at York others at Hull and in other Towns in Yorkshire But the Lord Darcy and the Lord Hussy were arraigned at Westminster and attainted of Treason The former for the Northern and the other for the Lincolnshire Insurrection The Lord Darcy was beheaded at Towerhill and was much lamented Every body thought that considering his Merits his Age and former services he had hard measure The Lord Hussy was beheaded at Lincoln The Lord Darcy in his Tryal accused the Duke of Norfolk that in the Treaty at Doncaster he had encouraged the Rebels to continue in their demands This the Duke denyed and desired a Tryal by Combate and gave some presumptions to shew that the Lord Darcy bore him ill-will and said this out of Malice The King either did not believe this or would not seem to believe it And the Dukes great diligence in the Suppression of these Commotions set him beyond all jealousies But after those Executions the King wrote to the Duke in Iuly next to Proclaim an absolute Amnesty over all the North which was received with great joy every body being in fear of himself and so this threatning storm was dissipated without the effusion of much blood save what the sword of justice drew At the same time the King of Scotland returning from France with his Queen and touching on the Coast of England many of the people fell down at his feet praying him to assist them and he should have all But he was it seems bound up by the French King and so went home without giving them any encouragement And thus ended
of Burton upon Trent sate in Parliament Generally Coventry and Burton were held by the same man as one Bishop held both Coventry and Litchfield though two different Bishopricks but in that year they were held by two different persons and both had their Writts to that Parliament The method used in the suppression of these Houses will appear by one compleat Report made of the Suppression of the Abbey of Tewksbury which out of many I copyed and is in the Collection From it the Reader will see what provision was made for the Abbot the Prior the other Officers and the Monks and other servants of the House and what Buildings they ordered to be defaced and what to remain and how they did estimate the Jewels Plate and other Ornaments But Monasteries were not sufficient to stop the appetite of some that were about the King for Hospitals were next lookt after One of these was this year surrendred by Thomas Thirleby with two other Priests he was Master of St. Thomas Hospital in Southwark and was designed Bishop of Westminster to which he made his way by that Resignation He was a learned and modest man but of so fickle or cowardly a temper that he turned alwayes with the Stream in every change that was made till Queen Elizabeth came to the Crown but then being ashamed of so many turns he resolved to shew he could once be firm to somewhat Now were all the Monasteries of England suppressed and the King had then in his hand the greatest opportunity of making Royal and Noble Foundations that ever King of England had But whether out of policy to give a general Content to the Gentry by selling to them at low rates or out of easiness to his Courtiers or out of an unmeasured lavishness in his expence it came far short of what he had given out he would do and what himself seemed once to have designed The clear yeerly value of all the Suppressed Houses is cast up in an account then stated to be viz. 131607. lib. 6. s. 4. d. as the Rents were then rated but was at least ten times so much in true value Of which he designed to convert 18000. lib. into a Revenue for eighteen Bishopricks and Cathedrals But of these he only erected six as shall be afterwards shewn Great sums were indeed laid out on building and fortifying many Ports in the Channel and other parts of England which were raised by the Sale of Abbey-Lands At this time many were offering projects for Noble Foundations on which the King seemed very earnest But it is very likely that before he was aware of it he had so out-run himself in his Bounty that it was not possible for him to bring these to any effect Yet I shall set down one of the projects which shews the greatness of his mind that designed it that is of Sir Nicholas Bacon who was afterwards one of the wisest Ministers that ever this Nation bred The King designed to found a House for the Study of the Civil Law and the purity of the Latine and French Tongues So he ordered Sir Nicolas Bacon and two others Thomas Deâ—ton and Robert Cary to make a full project of the nature and orders of such a House who brought it to him in a writing the original whereof is yet exâ—ant The design of it was that there should be frequent pleadings and other exercises in the Latine and French tongues and when the Kings Students were brought to some ripeness they should be sent with his Embassadors to Forreign parts and trained up in the knowledg of forreign affairs and so the House should be the Nursery for Ambassadors Some were also to be appointed to write the History of all Embassies Treaties and other foreign Transactions as also of all Arraignments and publick Tryals at home But before any of them might write on these Subjects the Lord Chancellour was to give them an Oath that they should do it truly without respect of persons or any other corrupt affection This noble Design miscarried But if it had been well laid and regulated it is easie to gather what great and publick advantages might have flowed from it Among which it is not inconsiderable that we should have been delivered from a Rabble of ill-Writers of History who have without due care or enquiry delivered to us the Transactions of that time so imperfectly that there is still need of enquiring into Registers and Papers for these matters Which in such a House had been more certainly and clearly conveighed to posterity than can be now expected at such a distance of time and after such a rasure of Records and other confusions in which many of these Papers have been lost And this help was the more necessary after the suppression of Religious Houses in most of which a Chronicle of the times was kept and still filled up as new Transactions came to their knowledg It is true most of these were written by men of weak Judgments who were more punctual in delivering Fables and Trifles than in opening observable Transactions Yet some of them were men of better understandings and it is like were directed by their Abbots who being Lords of Parliament understood aâ—fairs well only an invincible humor of lying when it might raise the credit of their Religion or Order or House runs through all their Manuscripts One thing was very remarkable which was this year granted at Cranmers Intercession There was nothing could so much recover Reformation that was declining so fast as the free use of the Scriptures and though these had been set up in the Churches a year ago yet he pressed and now procured leave for private persons to buy Bibles and keep them in their Houses So this was granted by Letters Patents directed to Cromwel bearing date the 13th of November The Substance of which was That the King was desirous to have his Subjects attain the knowledg of Gods word which could not be effected by any means so well as by granting them the free and liberal use of the Bible in the English tongue which to avoid dissension he intended should pass among them only by one Translation Therefore Cromwel was charged to take care that for the space of five years there should be no Impression of the Bible or any part of it but only by such as should be assigned by him But Gardiner opposed this all he could and one day in a Conference before the King he provoked Cranmer to shew any difference between the Authority of the Scriptures and of the Apostolical Canons which he pretended were equal to the other writings of the Apostles Upon which they disputed for some time But the King perceived solid Learning tempered with great Modesty in what Cranmer said and nothing but vanity and affectation in Gardiner's reasonings So he took him up sharply and told him that Cranmer was an old and experienced Captain and was not to be troubled by
fresh-men and Novices The great matter of the Kings Marriage came on at this time Many reports were brought the King of the beauty of Anne of Cleve so that he inclined to ally himself with that Family Both the Emperor and the King of France had courted him to Matches which they had projected The Emperor proposed the Dutchess of Milan his kinswoman and Daughter to the King of Denmark He was then designing to break the League of Smalcald and to make himself master of Germany And therefore he took much pains with the King to divide him from the Princes there which was in great part effected by the Statute for the six Articles Upon which the Ambassadors of the Princes had complained and said That whereas the King had been in so fair a way of union with them he had now broke it off and made so severe a Law about Communion in one kind Private Masses and the Celibate of the Clergy which differed so much from their Doctrine that they could entertain no further correspondence with him if that Law was not mitigated But Gardiner wrought much on the Kings vanity and passions and told him that it was below his Dignity and high Learning to have a Company of dull Germans and small Princes dictate to him in matters of Religion There was also another thing which he oft made use of though it argues somewhere a great Ignorance of the Constitution of the Empire That the King could not expect these Princes would ever be for his Supremacy since if they acknowledged that in him they must likewise yield it to the Emperor This was a great mistake For as the Princes of Germany never acknowledged the Emperor to have a sove raignty in their Dominions so they did acknowledg the Diet in which the Soveraignty of the Empire lies to have a Power of making or changing what Laws they pleased about Religion And in things that were not determined by the Diet every Prince pretended to it as highly in his own Dominions as the King could do in England But as untrue as this Allegation was it served Gardiner's turn for the King was sufficiently irritated with it against the Princes so that there was now a great coldness in their correspondence Yet the Project of a Match with the Dutchess of Milan failing and these proposed by France not being acceptable Cromwel moved the King about an Alliance with the Duke of Cleve who as he was the Emperors Neighbour in Flanders had also a pretension to the Dutchie of Guelders and his eldest Daughter was Marryed to the Duke of Saxony So that the King having then some apprehensions of a War with the Emperor this seemed a very proper Alliance to give him a Diversion There had been a Treaty between her Father and the Duke of Lorrain in order to a match between the Duke of Lorrain's Son and her But they both being under Age it went no further than a Contract between their Fathers Hans Holbin having taken her Picture sent it over to the King But in that he bestowed the common complement of his Art somewhat too liberally on a Lady that was in a way to be Queen The King liked the Picture better than the Original when he had the occasion afterwards to compare them The Duke of Saxony who was very zealous for the Ausâ—â—â—â— Confession finding the King had declined so much from it disswaded the Match But Cromwel set it on mightily expecting a great Support from a Queen of his own making whose friends being all Luthâ—rans it tended also to bring down the Popish Party at Court and again to recover the ground they had now lost Those that had seen the Lady did much commend her beauty and person But she could speak no Language but Dutch to which the King was a stranger Nor was she bred to Musick with which the King was much taken So that except her person had charmed him there was nothing left for her to gain upon him by After some Months Treaty one of the Counts Palatine of the Rhine with other Ambassadors from the Duke of Saxony and her Brother the Duke of Cleves for her Father was lately dead came over and concluded the Match In the end of December she was brought over to England And the King being impatient to see her went down Incognito to Rochester But when he had a sight of her finding none of these charms which he was made believe were in her he was so extreamly surprized that he not only did not like her but took an Aversion to her which he could never after overcome He swore they had brought over a Flanders Mare to him and was very sorry he had gone so far but glad it had proceeded no further And presently he resolved if it were possible to break off the matter and never to yoke himself with her But his Affairs were not then in such a condition that he could safely put that affront on the Dukes of Saxony and Cleves which the sending back of this Lady would have done For the Germans being of all Nations most sensible of every thing in which the Honour of their Family is touched he knew they would resent such an Injury And it was not safe for him to Adventure that at such a time For the Emperor was then in Paris whither he had gone to an Enterview with Francis And his Reception was not only as Magnificent as could be but there was all the Evidence possible of hearty Friendship and kindness The King also understood that between them there was somewhat projected against himself And now Francis that had been as much obliged by him as possibly one Prince could be by another was not only forgetful of it but intended to take advantage from the distractions and discontents of the English to drive them out of France if it were possible And it is not to be doubted but the Emperor would gladly have embroyled these two Kings that he might have a better opportunity both to make himself Master of Germany and to force the King of England into an Alliance by which the Lady Mary should be Legitimated and the Princes of Germany be left destitute of a Support which made them Insolent and Intractable The King apprehended the Conjunction of those two great Princes against himself which was much set forward by the Pope and that they would set up the King of Scotland against him who with that forreign Assistance and the discontents at home would have made War upon great advantages especially those in the North of England being ill affected to him And therefore he judged it necessary for his Affairs not to lose the Princes of Germany Only he resolved first to try if any Nullities or Pre-contracts could excuse him fairly at their hands He returned to Greenwich very Melancholy He much blamed the Earl of Southampton who being sent over to receive her at Callice had written an high Commendation of her
than Complements And though he clearly discovered having sent over the Duke of Norfolk to Francis that he was not to depend much on his friendship yet at the same time he knew that the Emperor would not yield up the Dutchy of Milan to him upon which his heart was much set So he saw they could come to no agreement Therefore he made no great account of the loss of France since he knew the Emperor would willingly make an Alliance with him The hopes of which made him more indifferent whether the German Princes were pleased with what he did or not since he had now attained the end he had proposed to himself in all his Negotiations with them which was to secure himself from any trouble the Emperor might give him Therefore Cromwels Counsels were now disliked for he had always enclined the King to favour those Princes against the Emperor Another secret cause was that as the King had an unconquerable aversion to his Queen so he was taken with the Beauty and behaviour of Mistress Katharine Howard Daughter to the Lord Edmond Howard a Brother of the Duke of Norfolks And as this designed Match raised the credit of her Uncle so the ill consequences of the former drew him down who had been the chief Counsellor in it The King also found his Government was grown uneasie and therefore judged it was no ill Policy to cast over all that had been done amiss upon a Minister who had great Power with him and being now in disgrace all the blame of these things would be taken off from the King and laid on him and his Ruin would much appease discontents and make them more moderate in censuring the King or his Proceedings It is said that other Particulars were charged on him which lost him the Kings favour If this be true it is like they related to the encouragement he was said to have given to some Reformers in the opposition they made to the six Articles Upon the Execution of which the King was now much set His fall was so secretly carryed that though he had often before looked for it knowing the Kings uneasie and jealous temper yet at that time he had no apprehensions of it till the Storm broke upon him In his fall he had the common fate of all disgraced Ministers to be forsaken by his Friends and insulted over by his Enemies Only Cranmer retained still so much of his former simplicity that he could never learn these Court Arts. Therefore he wrote to the King about him next day He much magnified his diligence in the Kings service and preservation and discovering all Plots as soon as they were made That he had always loved the King above all things and served him with great fidelity and success That he thought no King of England had ever such a servant upon that account he had loved him as one that loved the King above all others But if he was a Traytor he was glad it was discovered But he prayed God earnestly to send the King such a Councellor in his stead who could and would serve him as he had done This shews both the firmness of Cranmers friendship to him and that he had a great Soul not turned by the changes of mens fortunes to like or dislike them as they stood or declined from their greatness And had not the Kings kindness for Cranmer been deeply rooted this Letter had ruined him For he was the most impatient of Contradiction in such cases that could be Cromwels ruin was now Decreed and he who had so servily complyed with the Kings pleasure in procuring some to be Attainted the year before without being brought to make their answer fell now under the same severity For whether it was that his Enemies knew That if he were brought to the Bar he would so justifie himself that they would find great difficulties in the Process or whether it was that they blindly resolved to follow that injustifiable Precedent of passing over so necessary a Rule to all Courts of giving the Party accused an hearing the Bill of Attaindor was brought in to the House of Lords Cranmer being absent that day as appears by the Journal on the 17th of Iune and read the first time and on the 19th was read the second and third time and sent down to the Commons By which it appears how few friends he had in that House when a Bill of that nature went on so hastily But it seems he found in the House of Commons somewhat of the same measure which ten years before he had dealt to the Cardinal though not with the same success For his matter stuck ten days there At length a new Bill of Attaindor was brought up conceived in the House of Commons with a Proviso annexed to it They also sent back the Bill which the Lords sent to them But it is not clear from the Journals what they meant by these two Bills It seems they rejected the Lords Bill and yet sent it up with their own either in respect to the Lords or that they left it to their choice which of the two Bills they would offer to the Royal Assent But though this be an unparliamentary way of proceeding I know no other sense which the words of the Journal can bear which I shall set down in the Margent that the Reader may Judge better concerning it * And that very day the King assented to it as appears by the Letter written the next day by Cromwel to the King The Act said that the King having raised Thomas Cromwel from a base degree to great Dignities and high Trusts yet he had now by a great number of Witnesses persons of honour found him to be the most Corrupt Traitor and deceiver of the King and the Crown that had ever been known in his whole Reign He had taken upon him to set at liberty divers persons put in Prison for misprision of Treason and others that were suspected of it He had also received several bribes and for them granted Licenses to carry Money Corn Horses and other things out of the Kingdom contrary to the Kings Proclamations He had also given out many Commissions without the Kings knowledg and being but of a base Birth had said That he was sure of the King He had granted many Passports both to the Kings Subjects and Forreigners for passing the Seas without search He being also an Heretick had dispersed many Erroneous Books among the Kings Subjects particularly some that were contrary to the Belief of the Sacrament And when some had informed him of this and had shewed him these Heresies in Books Printed in England he said they were good and that he found no fault in them and said It was as Lawful for every Christian man to be the Minister of that Sacrament as a Priest And whereas the King had constituted him Vice-gerent for the Spiritual affairs of the Church he had under the Seal of that
laid very close and managed with great dexterity chiefly by the Duke of Norfolk and Gardinâ—r pursued the ruine of those whom they called Hereticks knowing well that if the King was once set against them and they provoked against the Government he would be not only alienated from them but forced for securing himself against them to gain the hearts of his other Subjects by a Conjunction with the Emperor and by his means with the Pope The first on whom this design took effect were Doctor Barnes Mr. Gerard and Mr. Ierome all Priests who had been among the earliest Converts to Luther's Doctrine Barnes had in a Sermon at Cambridg during the Cardinals greatness reflected on the Pomp and State in which he lived so plainly that every body understood of whom he meant So he was carried up to London but by the interposition of Gardiner and Fox who were his friends he was saved at that time having abjured some opinions that were objected to him But other accusations being afterwards brought against him he was again Imprisoned and it was believed that he would have been burnt But he made his escape and went to Germany where he gave himself to the study of the Scriptures and Divinity In which he became so considerable that not only the German Divines but their Princes took great notice of him and the King of Denmark sending over Ambassâ—dors to the King he was sent with them though perhaps Fox was ill informed when he says he was one of them Fox Bishop of Hereford being at Smalcald in the year 1536. sent him over to England where he was received and kindly entertained by Cromwel and well used by the King And by his means the correspondence with the Germans was chiefly kept up For he was often sent over to the Courts of the several Princes But in particular he had the misfortune to be first employed in the project of the Kings Marriage with the Lady Anne of Cleves for that giving the King so little satisfaction all who were the main promoters of it fell in disgrace upon it But other things concurred to destroy Barnes In Lent this year Bonner had appointed him and Gerrard and Ierome turns in the Course of Sermons at St. Pauls Cross they being in favour with Cromwel on whom Bonner depended wholly But Gardiner sent Bonner word that he intended himself to preach on Sunday at St. Pauls Cross and in his Sermon he treated of Justification and other points with many reflections on the Lutherans Barnes when it came to his Turn made use of the same Text but preached contrary Doctrine not without some unhandsome reflections on Gardiners person and he played on his name alluding to a Gardiners setting ill Plants in a Garden The other two preached the same Doctrine but made no reflections on any person Gardiner seemed to bear it with a great appearance of neglect and indifferency But his friends complained to the King of the unsufferable insolencies of these Preachers who did not spare so great a Prelate especially he being a Privy Councellor So Barnes was questioned for it and commanded to go and give the Bishop of Winchester satisfaction And the Bishop carried the matter with a great shew of moderation and acted ouâ—wardly in it as became his Function though it was believed the matter stuck deeper in his heart which the effects that followed seemed to demonstrate The King concerned himself in the matter and did argue with Barnes about the points in difference But whether he was truly convinced or overcome rather with the fear of the King than with the force of his reasonings he and his two Friends William Ierome and Tho. Gerrard signed a paper which will be found in the Collection in which he acknowledged That having been brought before the King for things preached by him His Highness being assisted by some of the Clergy had so disputed with him that he was convinced of his rashness and oversight and promised to abstain from such indiscretions for the future and to submit to any orders the King should give for what was past The Articles were First That though we are Redeemed only by the death of Christ in which we participate by Faith and Baptism yet by not following the Commandments of Christ we lose the benefits of it which we cannot recover but by Pennance Secondly That God is not the Author of Sin or evil which he only permits Thirdly That we ought to reconcile our selves to our neighbours and forgive before we can be forgiven Fourthly That good works done sincerely according to the Scriptures are profitable and helpful to Salvation Fifthly That Laws made by Christian Rulers ought to be obeyed by their Subjects for conscience sake and that whosoever breaks them breaks Gods Commandments It 's not likely that Barnes could say any thing directly contrary to these Articles though having brought much of Luthers heat over with him he might have said some things that sounded ill upon these heads There were other points in difference between Gardiner and him about Justification but it seems the King thought these were of so subtile a nature that no Article of Faith was controverted in them and therefore left the Bishop and him to agree these among themselves which they in a great measure did So the King commanded Barnes and his friends to preach at the Spittle in the Easter-week and openly to recant what they had formerly said And Barnes was in particular to ask the Bishop of Winchester's pardon which he did and Gardiner being twice desired by him to give some signe that he forgave him did lift up his Finger But in their Sermons it was said they justified in one part what they recanted in another Of which complaints being brought to the King he without hearing them sent them all to the Tower And Cromwels interest at Court was then declining so fast that either he could not protect them or else would not prejudice himself by interposing in a matter which gave the King so great offence They lay in the Tower till the Parliament met and then they were attained of Heresie without ever being brought to make their answer And it seems for the Extraordinariness of the thing they resolved to mix attaindors for things that were very different from one Another For four others were by the same Act attainted of Treason who were Gregory Buttolph Adam Damplip Edmund Brindholme and Clement Philpot for assisting Reginald Pool adhering to the Bishop of Rome denying the King to be the Supream Head on earth of the Church of England and designing to surprize the Town of Callice One Derby Gunnings was also attainted of Treason for assisting one Fitz-Girald a Traitor in Ireland And after all these Barnes Gerard and Ierome are attainted of Heresie being as the Act sayes Detestable Hereticks who had conspired together to set forth many Heresies and taking themselves to be men of learning had expounded the Scriptures perverting
the Army was ill advised so his giving a Commissâ—on to Oliver Sinclar â—hat was his Minion to command in Chief did extreamly disgust the Nobility They loved not to be commanded by any but their King and were already weary of the insolence of that Favourite who being but of ordinary birth was despised by them so that they were beginning to separate And when they were upon that occasion in great disorder a small body of English not above 500 Horse appeared But they apprehending it was the Duke of Norfolks Army refused to fight and fell in confusion Many Prisoners were taken the chief of whom were the Earls of Glencairn and Cassillis the Lords Maxwell Sommervell Oliphant Gray and Oliver Sinclar and about 200 Gentlemen and 800 souldiers and all the Ordnance and Baggage was also taken The news of this being brought to the King of Scotland encreased his former disorders and some few days after he dyed leaving an infant Daughter but newly born to succeed him The Lords that were taken Prisoners were brought to London where after they had been charged in Council how unkindly they had used the King they were put in the keeping of some of the greatest quality about Court But the Earl of Cassillis had the best luck of them all For being sent to Lambâ—th where he was a Prisoner upon his parole Cranmer studied to free him from the darkness and fetters of Popery in which he was so successful that the other was afterwards a great Promoter of the Reformation in Scotland The Scots had been hitherto possessed with most extraordinary prejudices against the Changes that had been made in England which concurring with the ancient Animosities between the two Nations had raised a wonderful ill opinion of the Kings proceedings And though the Bishop of St. Davids Barlow had been sent into Scotland with the Book of the Institution of a Christian Man to clear these ill impressions yet his endeavours were unsuccessful The Pope at the instance of the French King and to make that Kingdom sure made David Beaton Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews a Cardinal which gave him great Authority in the Kingdom so he with the rest of the Clergy diverted the King from any correspondence with England and assured him of Victory if he would make War on such an Heretical Prince The Clergy also offered the King 50000 Crowns a-year towards a War with England and possessed all the Nation with very ill thoughts of the Court and Clergy there But the Lords that were now Prisoners chiefly the Earl of Cassillis who was best instructed by his Religious Host conceived a better opinion of the Reformation and carried home with them those seeds of knowledg which produced afterwards a very fruitful Harvest On all these things I have dwelt the longer that it might appear whence the inclination of the Scotish Nobility to Reform did take its first rise though there was afterwards in the Methods by which it was advanced too great a mixture of the heat and forwardness that is natural to the Genius of that Countrey When the news of the King of Scotlands death and of the young Queens birth that succeeded him came to the Court the King thought this a very favourable conjuncture to unite and settle the whole Island But that unfortunate Princess was not born under such happy Stars though she was Mother to him in whom this long-desired Union took effect The Lords that were then Prisoners began the motion and that being told the King he called for them to Hampton-Court in the Christmas-time and said now an opportunity was put in their hands to quiet all troubles that had been between these two Crowns by the Marriage of the Prince of Wales to their young Queen In which he desired their assistance and gave them their Liberty they leaving hostages for the performance of what was then offered by them They all promised their Concurrence and seemed much taken with the greatness of the English Court which the King always kept up not without affectation they also said they thought God was better served there than in their own Countrey So on New-years-day they took their journey towards Scotland but the sequel of this will appear afterwards A Parliament was summoned to meet the two and twentieth of Ianuary which sate to the 12th of May. So the Session begun in the 34th and ended in the 35th year of the Kings Reign from whence it is called in the Records the Parliament of the 34th and 35th year Here both the Temporality and Spirituality gave great Subsidies to the King of six shillings in the Pound to be paid in three years They set forth in their Preambles The expence the King had been at in his War with Scotland and for his other great and urgent occasions by which was meant a War with France which broke out the following Summer But with these there passed other two Acts of great importance to Religion The Title of the first was An Act for the advancement of True Religion and abolishment of the contrary The King was now entring upon a War so it seemed reasonable to qualifie the severity of the late Acts about Religion that all might be quiet at home Cranmer moved it first and was faintly seconded by the Bishops of Worcester Hereford Chichester and Rochester who had promised to stick to him in it At this time a League was almost finished between the King and the Emperour which did again raise the Spirits of the Popish Faction They had been much cast down ever since the last Queens fall But now that the Emperor was like to have an Interest in English Councils they took heart again and Gardiner opposed the Arch-Bishops motion with all possible earnestness And that whole Faction fell so upon it that the timorous Bishops not only forsook Cranmer but Heath of Rochester and Skip of Hereford were very earnest with him to stay for a better opportunity But he generously preferred his Conscience to those arts of Policy which he would never practise and said he would push it as far as it would go So he plied the King and the other Lords so earnestly that at length the Bill passed though clogg'd with many Provisoes and very much short of what he had designed The Preamble set forth that there being many dissensions about Religion the Scriptures which the King had put into the hands of his People were abused by many seditious persons in their Sermons Books Playes Rithmes and Songs from which great Inconveniences were like to arise For preventing these it was necessary to establish a Form of sincere Doctrine conformable to that which was taught by the Apostles Therefore all the Books of the Old and New Testament of Tindals Translation which is called Crafty False and Vntrue are forbidden to be kept oâ— used in the Kings Dominions with all other Books contrary to the Doctrine set forth in the year 1540. with
Punishments and Fines and Imprisonment upon such as sold or kept such Books But Bibles that were not of Tindals Translation were still to be kept only the Annotations or Preambles that were in any of them were to be cut out or dashed and the Kings Proclamations and Injunctions with the Primmers and other Books Printed in English for the instruction of the people before the year 1540 were still to be in force and among these Chancers Books are by name mentioned No Books were to be Printed about Religion without the Kings Allowance In no Playes nor Enterludes they might make any Expositions of Scripture but only reproach Vice and set forth virtue in them None might read the Scripture in any open Assembly or expound it but he who was Licensed by the King or his Ordinary with a Proviso that the Chancellors in Parliament Judges Recorders or any others who were wont in publick occasions to make Speeches and commonly took a place of Scripture for their Text might still do as they had done formerly Every Noble-man or Gentle-man might cause the Bible to be read to him in or about his House quietly and without disturbance Every Merchant that was a Housholder might also read it But no Woman nor Artificers Apprentices Journeymen Serving-men under the degree of Yeomen nor no Husbandmen or Labourers might read it Yet every Noble Woman or Gentlewoman might read it for her self and so might all other persons but those who were excepted Every person might read and teach in their Houses the Book set out in the year 1540. with the Psalter Primmer Paternoster the Ave and the Creed in English All Spiritual persons who preached or taught contrary to the Doctrine set forth in that Book were to be admitted for the first conviction to renounce their errors for the second to abjure and carry a Faggot which if they refused to do or fell into a third offence they were to be burnt But the Laity for the third offence were only to forfeit their Goods and Chattels and be liable to perpetual Imprisonment But these offences were to be objected to them within a year after they were committed And whereas before the Party accused was not allowed to bring Witnesses for his own Purgation this was now granted him But to this a severe Proviso was added which seemed to overthrow all the former favour that the Act of the six Articles was still in the same force in which it was before the making of this Act. Yet that was moderated by the next Proviso That the King might at any time hereafter at his pleasure change this Act or any Provision in it This last Proviso was made stronger by another Act made for the due execution of Proclamations in pursuance of a former Act to the same effect of which mention was made in the 31st year of the Kings Reign By that former Act there was so great a number of Officers of State and of the Kings Houshold of Judges and other persons to sit on these Trials that those not being easily brought together the Act had never taken any effect Therefore it was now appointed that nine Counsellors should be a sufficient number for these Trials At the passing of that Act the Lord Montjoy protested against it which is the single Instance of a Protestation against any publick Bill through this Kings whole Reign The Act about Religion freed the Subjects from the fears under which they were before For now the Laity were delivered from the hazard of burning and the Spirituality were not in danger but upon the third Conviction They might also bring their own witnesses which was a great favour to them Yet that high power which was given the King of altering the Act or any parts of it made that they were not absolutely secured from their fears of which some instances afterwards appeared But as this Act was some mitigation of former severities so it brought the Reformers to depend wholly on the Kings Mercy for their Lives since he could now chain up or let loose the Act of the six Articles upon them at his pleasure Soon after the end of this Parliament a League was sworn between the King and the Emperour on Trinity Sunday Offensive and Defensive for England Calais and the places about it and for all Flanders with many other particulars to be found in the Treaty set down at large by the Lord Herbert There is no mention made of the Legitimation of the Lady Mary but it seems it was promised that she should be declared next in the Succession of the Crown to Prince Edward if the King had no other Children which was done in the next Parliament without any reflections on her Birth and the Emperor was content to accept of that there being no other terms to be obtained The Popish party who had set up their rest on bringing the King and Emperour to a League and putting the Lady Mary into the Succession no doubt prest the Emperor much to accept of this which we may reasonably believe was vigorously driven on by Bonner who was sent to Spain an Ambassador for concluding this Peace by which also the Emperor gained much for having engaged the Crowns of England and France in a War and drawn off the King of England from his League with the Princes of Germany he was now at more leisure to prosecute his designs in Germany But the negotiation in Scotland succeeded not to the Kings mind though at first there were very good appearances The Cardinal by forging a Will for the dead King got himself and some of his party to be put into the Government But the Earl of Arran Hamilton being the nearest in blood to the young Queen and being generally beloved for his Probity was invited to assume the Government which he managed with great moderation and an universal applause He summoned a Parliament which confirmed him in his Power during the Minority of the Queen The King sent Sir Ralph Sadler to him to agree the Marriage and to desire him to send the young Queen into England And if private ends wrought much on him Sadler was empowered to offer another Marriage of the Kings second Daughter the Lady Elizabeth to his Son The Earl of Arran was himself inclinable to Reformation and very much hated the Cardinal So he was easily brought to consent to a Treaty for the Match which was concluded in August By which the young Queen was to be bred in Scotland till she was ten years of age but the King might send a Nobleman and his Wife with other persons not exceeding 20 to wait on her And for performance of this six Noblemen were to be sent from Scotland for Hostages The Earl of Arran being then Governor kept the Cardinal under restraint till this Treaty was Concluded But he corrupting his Keepers made his escape and joyning with the Queen Mother they made a strong faction against the Governor all the Clergy joyned with the
Cardinal to oppose the Match with England since they looked for ruine if it succeeded The Queen being a sister of Guise and bred in the French Court was wholly for their Interests and all that had been obliged by that Court or depended on it were quickly drawn into the Party It was also said to every body that it was much more the Interest of Scotland to match with France than with England If they were united to France they might expect an easie Government For the French being at such distance from them and knowing how easily they might throw themselves into the Armes of England would certainly rule them gently and avoid giving them great Provocations But if they were united to England they had no remedy but must look for an heavier yoke to be laid on them This meeting with the rooted Antipathy that by a long continuance of War was grown up among them to a savage hatred of the English Nation and being inflamed by the considerations of Religion raised an universal dislike of the Match with England in the greatest part of the whole Nation only a few men of greater Probity who were weary of the depredations and Wars in the Borders and had a liking to the Reformation of the Church were still for it The French Court struck in vigorously with their Party in Scotland and sent over the Earl of Lenox who as he was next in blood to the Crown after the Earl of Arran so was of the same family of the Stewarts which had endeared him to the late King He was to lead the Queens party against the Hamiltons Yet they employed another Tool which was Iohn Hamilton base Brother to the Governor who was afterwards Arch-Bishop of St. Andrews He had great power over his Brother who being then not above four and twenty years of age and having been the only lawful Son of his Father in his old age was never bred abroad and so understood not the Policies and arts of Courts and was easily abused by his base Brother He assured him that if he went about to destroy Religion by matching the Queen to an Heretical Prince they would depose him from his Government and declare him Illegitimate There could be indeed nothing clearer than his Fathers Divorce from his first Wife For it had been formerly proved that she had been married to the Lord Yesters Son before he married her who claimed her as his Wife upon which her Marriage with the Earl of Arran was declared Null in the year 1507. And it was ten years after that the Earl of Arran did Marry the Governors Mother Of which things the Original Instruments are yet extant Yet it was now said that that Precontract with the Lord Yesters Son was but a forgery to dissolve that Marriage and if the Earl of Lenox who was next to the Crown in case the Earl of Arran was Illegitimated should by the assistance of France procure a review of that Process from Rome and obtain a Revocation of that Sentence by which his Fathers first Marriage was annulled then it was plain that the second marriage with the issue by it would be of no force All this wrought on the Governor much and at length drew him off from the Match with England and brought him over to the French Interests Which being effected there was no further use of the Eaâ—l of Lâ—nnox so he finding himself neglected by the Queen and the Cardinal and abandoned by the Crown of France fled into England where he was very kindly received by the King who gave him in marriage his Neece Lady Margaret Dowglass whom the Queen of Scotland had born to the Earl of Angus her second Husband From which Marriage issued the Lord Darnly Father to King Iames. When the Lords of the French Faction had carried things to their mind in Scotland it was next considered what they should do to redeem the Hostages whom the Lords who were Prisoners in England had left behind them And for this no other Remedy could be found but to let them take their hazard and leave them to the King of England's mercy To this they all agreed only the Earl of Cassilis had too much Honour and Vertue to do so mean a thing Therefore after he had done all he could for maintaining the Treaty about the Match he went into England and offered himself again to be a Prisoner But as generous actions are a reward to themselves so they often meet with that entertainment which they deserve And upon this occasion the King was not wanting to express a very great value for that Lord. He called him another Regulus but used him better For he both gave him his Liberty and made him noble Presents and sent him and his Hostages back being resolved to have a severer reparation for the injury done him All which I have opened more fully because this will give a great light to the affairs of that Kingdom which will be found in the Reigns of the succeeding Princes to have a great intermixture with the affairs of this Kingdom Nor are they justly represented by any who write of these times and having seen some Original Papers relating to Scotland at that time I have done it upon more certain information The King of England made War next upon France The grounds of this War are recited by the Lord Herbert One of these is proper for me to repeat That the French King had not deserted the Bishop of Rome and consented to a Reformation as he had once Promised The rest related to other things such as the seizing our Ships The detaining the yearly Pension due to the King The Fortifying Ardres to the prejudice of the English pale The revealing the Kings secrets to the Emperor The having given first his Daughter and then the Duke of Guises Sister in Marriage to his Enemy the King of Scotland and his confederating himself with the Turk And Satisfaction not being given in these particulars a War is declared In Iuly the King married Katharine Parre who had been formerly married to Nevil Lord Latimer She was a secret Favourer of the Reformation yet could not divert a storm which at this time fell on some in Windsor For that being a place to which the King did oft retire it was thought fit to make some examples there And now the League with the Emperour gave the Popish Faction a greater interest in the Kings Counsels There was at this time a Society at Windsor that favoured the Reformation Anthony Person a Priest Robert Testwood and Iohn Marbeck Singing Men and Henry Filmer of the Town of Windsor were the chief of them But those were much favoured by Sir Philip Hâ—bby and his Lady and several others of the Kings Family During Crâ—â—â—els power none questioned them but after his fall they were looked on with an ill eye Doctor Londâ—n who had by the most servile Flatteries insinuated himself into Cromâ—el and was much employed
with the French King the very next day being the 19th of September which is set down at large by the Lord Herbert On the 30th of September the King returned into England in October following Bulloign was very near lost by a surprize but the Garrison put themselves in order and beat back the French Several Inroads were made into Scotland but not with the same success that the former Expedition had For the Scots animated with supplies sent from France and inâ—â—amed with a desire of revenge resumed their wonted courage and beat back the English with considerable loss Next year the French King resolving to recover Bulloign and to take Calais that so he might drive the English out of France intended first to make himself Master of the Sea And he set out a great Fleet of an hundred and fifty greater Ships and sixty lesser ones besides many Gallies brought from the Streights The King set out about an hundred Ships On both sides these were only Merchant Ships that were hired for this War But after the French Fleet had looked on England and attempted to Land with ill success both in the Isle of Wight and in Sussex and had engaged in a Sea-fight for some hours they returned back without any considerable action Nor did they any thing at Land But the Kings Fleet went to Normandy where they made a descent and burnt the Countrey So that this year was likewise glorious to the King The Emperor had now done what he long designed And therefore being courted by both Crowns he undertook a Mediation that under the Colour of Mediating a peace he might the more effectually keep up the War The Princes of Germany saw what mischief was designed against them The Council of Trent was now opened and was condemning their Doctrine A League was also concluded between the Pope and the Emperor for procuring Obedience to their Canons and Decrees And an Army was raising The Emperor was also setting on foot old quarrels with some of the Princes A firm Peace was concluded with the Turk So that if the Crowns of England and France were not brought to an Agreement they were undone They sent Ambassador to both Courts to mediate a Peace With them Cranmer joyned his endeavours but he had not a Cromwel in the Court to manage the Kings temper who was so provoked with the ill Treatment he had received from France that he would not come to an Agreement nor would he restore Bulloign without which the 〈◊〉 woâ—ld hear of no Peace Cranmer had at this time almost prevailed with the King to make some further steps in a Reformatiâ—â— But 〈◊〉 who was then Ambassadour in the Emperours Coâ—â—â— being advertised of it wrote to the King That the Emperour â—ould certainly joyn with France against him if he made any further Innovation in Religion This diverted the King from it and in August this year the only great Friend that Cranmer had in the Court died Charles Duke of Suâ—â—â—lk who had long continued in the height of favor which was always kept up not only by an agreement of humours between the King and him but by the constant success which followed him in all his exploits He was a Favourer of the Reformation as far as could consist with his interest at Court which he never endangered upon any account Now Cranmer was left alone without friend or support Yet he had gained one great Preferment in the Church to a man of his own mind The Arch-Bishoprick of York falling void by Lee's death Robert Alrich that was Bishop of Landaff was promoted to that See in Ianuary Kitchin being made Bishop of Landaff who turned with every Change that was made under the three succeeding Princes The Arch-Bishop of York set about the Reforming of things in his Province which had layn in great confusion all his Predecessors time So on the third of March he took out a Licence from the King for making a Metropolitical Visitation Dell that was Bishop of Worcâ—stâ—r had resigned his Bishoprick the former year the reason of which is not set down The Bishop of Rochester Heath was Translated to that See and Henry Holbeach that favoured the Reformation was made Bishop of Rochester And upon the Translation of Sampson from Chichester to Coventry and Litchfield Day that was a Moderate man and inclinable to Reformation was made Bishop of that See So that now Cranmer had a greater Party among the Bishops than at any time before But though there were no great Transactions about Religion in England this year there were very remarkable things done in Scotland though of a different nature which were the burning of Wishart and some months after that the killing of Cardinal Beaton the account of both which will not I hope be Ingrateful to the Reader Mr. George Wishart was descended of a Noble Family he went to finish his studies in the University of Cambridge where he was so well instructed in the Principles of true Religion that returning to Scotland Anno 1544. He Preached over the Countrey against the Corruptions which did then so generally prevail He stayed most at Dundee which was the chief Town in thâ—se parts But the Cardinal offended at this sent a threatning Message to the Magistrates upon which one of them as Wishart ended one of his Sermons was so obsequious as to forbid him to Preach any more among them or give them any further trouble to whom he answered That God knew he had no design to trouble them but for them to reject the Messengers of God was not the way to escape trouble when he was gone God would send Messengers of another sort among them He had to the hazard of his Life Preached the word of Salvation to them and they had now rejected him but if it was long well with them he was not led by the Spirit of Truth and if unlooked for trouble fell on them he bade them remember this was the Cause of it and turn to God by Repentance From thence he went to the Western parts where he was also much followed But the Arch-Bishop of Glasgow giving order that he should not be admitted to Preach in Churches he Preached often in the fields and when in some places his followers would have forced the Churches he checkt them and said it was the word of Peace that he Preached and therefore no blood should be shed about it But after he had stayed a month there he heard that there was a great Plague in Dundee which broke out the fourth day after he had left it upon which he presently returned thither and Preached oft to them standing over one of the Gates having taken care that the Infected persons should stand without and those that were clean within the Gate He continued among them and took care to supply the poor and to visit the sick and do all the Offices of a faithful Pastor in that extremity Once as he ended his
to effect any other way they advised the King to beware of such Counsels They also proposed that there might be a Conference agreed on between such Divines as the King would name and such as they should depute to meet either in Gueldres Hamburgh Bremen or any other place that should be appointed by the King to examine the Lawfulness of private Masses of denying the Chalice and the Prohibiting the Marriage of the Clergy On these things they continued treating till the Divorce of Anne of Cleve and Cromwells fall after which I find little Correspondence between the King and them Ad Page 256. line 4. When I mentioned the Kings Letters directing the Bishops how to proceed in a Reformation I had not seen them but I have since seen an Original of them subscribed by the Kings hand In these he challenged the Clergy as guilty of great Indiscretions that the late Rebellion had been occasioned by them therefore he required the Bishops to take care that the Articles formerly published should be exactly obeyed and to go over their Dioceses in person and preach Obedience to the Laws and the good ends of those Ceremonies that were then retained that the people might neither despise them nor put too much trust in them and to silence all disputes and contentions concerning things indifferent and to signifie to the Kings Council if there were any Priests in their Diocesses that were Marryed and yet did discharge any part of the Priestly Office All which will be better understood by the Letter it self that I have put into the Collection Ad Page 258. line 8. I do there acknowledg that I knew not what Arguments were used against the necessity of Auricular Confession But I have made since that time a Considerable discovery in this particular from an Original Letter written all with the Kings own hand to Tonstal by which it appears there had been conferences in the House and that the Arch-Bishop of York the Bishop of Winchester and Duresm had pleaded much for it as necessary by a Divine Institution and that both the King and the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury had maintained that though it was good and profitable yet it was not necessary by any precept of the Gospel and that though the Bishops brought several texts out of Scripture and Ancient Doctors yet these were so clearly answered by the King and the Arch-Bishop that the whole House was satisfied with it Yet Tonstall drew up in a writing all the reasons he had made use of in that debate and brought them to the King which will be found in the Collection with the Anotations and reflections which the King wrote on the Margent with his own hand taken from the Original together with the Kings Letter written in answer to them By this it will appear that the King did set himself much to study points of Divinity and examined matters with a scrupulous exactness The issue of the debate was that though the Popish party endeavoured to have got Auricular Confession declared to be Commanded by Christ as a part of the Sacrament of Pennance yet the King overruled that so it was enacted that Auricular Confession was necessary and expedient to be retained in the Church of God These debates were in the House of Lords which appears not only by the Kings Letter that speaks of the House but by the Act of Parliament in the Preamble of which it is said that the King had come himself to the Parliament and had opened several points of high Learning to them Ad Page 262. line 23. There I mention the Kings diligence in drawing an Act of Parliament with his own hand but since that was Printed I have seen many other Acts and Papers if not Originally Penned by the King yet so much altered by his Corrections that in some sort they may be esteemed his draughts There are two draughts of the Act of the six Articles both corrected in many places by the King and in some of these the Correction is three lines long There is another Act concerning Precontracts of Marriage likewise Corrected very much by his Pen. Many draughts of Proclamations particularly these about the use of the Bible in English are yet extant interlined and altered with his Pen. There is a large Paper written by Tonstall of arguments for Purgatory with Copious Animadversions on it likewise written by the King which shew that then he did not believe there was a Purgatory I have also seen the draught of that part of the Necessary Erudition for a Christian man which explains the Creed full of Corrections with the Kings own Pen as also the Queries concerning the Sacraments mentioned page 289. with large Annotations written with his hand on the Margent likewise an Extract all written with his own hand of passages out of the Fathers against the Marriage of the Clergy and to conclude there is a Paper with which the Collection ends containing the true Notion of the Catholick Church which has large Emendations added with the Kings hand those I have set by themselves on the Margent of the Paper A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS OF THE HISTORY BOOK I. A Summary View of King Henry the Eighth's Reign till the Process of his Divorce was begun in which the State of England chiefly as it related to Religion is opened KING Henry's Succession to the Crown pag. 1 He proceeds against Dudley and Empson ibid He holds a Parliament p. 2 His great Expence ibid Affairs beyond Sea p. 3 A Peace and Match with France ibid He offers his Daughter to the Dolphin ibid The King of Spain chosen Emperor ib He comes to England p. 4 A second War with France ibid Vpon Leo the 10th's death Hadrian chosen Pope ibid He dies and Clement the 7th succeeds ib Charles the 5th at Windsor contracted to the Kings Daughter p. 5 But breaks his Faith ibid The Clementine League ibid Rome taken and sackt p. 6 The Pope is made a Prisoner ibid. The Kings success against Scotland ibid. A Facâ—ion in his Counsels p. 7 Cardinal Wolseys rising ibid. His Preferments p. 8 The Character of the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk p. 9 Cardinal Wolsey against Parliaments p. 10 The Kings breeding in Learning ibid. He is flattered by Scollars p. 11 The Kings Prerogative in Ecclesiastical affairs ibid. It was still kept up by him p. 12 A Contest concerning Immunities ibid. A Publick debate about them p. 13. Hunne Murdered in Prison p. 14 The Proceedings upon that p. 15 The King much courted by Popes p. 18 And declared Defender of the Faith p. 19 The Cardinal absolute in England ibid. He designed to Reform the Clergy ibid. And to Suppress Monasteries p. 20 The several kinds of Convocations ibid. The Clergy grant a Subsidy to the King p. 21 Of the State of Monasteries ibid. The Cardinal founds two Colledges p. 22 The first beginning of Reformation in England p. 23 The Cruelties of the Church of Rome ibid.
Denique quum intelligam Dominum Lautrek nonnihil mirari quod Regiae Majestatis istic agentes nullam suorum mandatorum partem cum eo conâ—erunt ad eum nunc scribo nonnulla Domino Roberto Jernyngham ei exponenda committo concernentia actiones cum Ferrariae Duce alia quaedam eodem Domino Lautrek significans vos missos esse ad dictas causas juvandas Pontificis liberationem promovendam quemadmodum ex literarum ad Dominum Jernyngham exemplo cognoscetis expediens itaque fuerit ut prae se feratis vos dictae rei gratia missos esse ne forsan Dominus Lautrek in falsam aliquam conjecturam aut suspicionem incideret quae communibus rebus nocere posset in vestrarum quoque actionum impedimentum redundare Illud deinde reticere nolui quod si ullo pacto vobis liceat ad Sanctissimi Domini nostri praesentiam accedere nihil omittatis in favorem gratiam Reverendi Domini Datarii de cujus animo nihil dubitamus comparandam eique asseretis quod quum in nostris omnibus occurrentiis illius opera ac Patrocinio semper usi fuerimus ipse vero tanta semper side ac sedulitate omnia effecerit quae nobis grata optata esse cognovit ut nostram omnem operam suis rebus reddiderit promptissimam suae utilitatis exaltationis cupidissimam Quocirca haec Regia Majestas hac in re qua nullam magis cordi habet nec gravioris momenti quicquam sibi accidere posse judicat ex animi sui sententia conficienda post Sanctissimum Dominum nostrum in Domino Datario spem omnem collocavit qui ex hac occasione si operam suam ad optatum usque exitum interponere non gravetur Regiae Majestatis animum pectus sic omni ex parte promerebitur ut dicta Majestas non solum omnia curatura sit quae ex Domini Veronensis commodo ornamento fuerint sed eam etiam munificentiam gratitudinem addet quae majorem vel integram partem a captivitate Redemtionis persolvendae compensabit In me vero non aliam fidem amicitiam experietur quam ab ullo fratre posset expectare Et bene valete Londini ex meis Aedibus Die quinto Decemb. M. D. XXVII Vester tanquam frater Amantiss T. Cardinalis Eborac Rome Ian. 1. 1528. IV. Two Letters of Secretary Knights to the Cardinal and the King giving an account of his Conference with the Pope about his Divorce Taken from the Originals PLease it your Grace to understand That immediately upon the receipt of your Graces Letters severally directed unto Mr. Gregory and me he and I resorted unto the Pope his Holiness making congraâ—ulation of his restitution unto liberty on yours and his behalf to his singular comfort and consolation and so much the more because that I was the first that made like salutation in any great Princes Name He being well assured that I spake the same on the behalf of his two chief sincere unfeigned Friends Wherefore with great high thanks and long discourse with rehearsal of the King 's and your Merits and Acts in most vertuous and Catholick manner employed for his restitution and your continual and effectual study how the See Apostolique might recover the pristine Reputation and Dignity He confirmed as much as I had spoken After this Mr. Gregory and I entred into our Charge shewing at length the high deserts of the Princes and Realm of England the devotion of the same towards the Church how expedient it was as well for the See Apostolique as for the said Realm to foresee and provide that all occasions of Dissension and War were extinct and put away which for lack of Heir Male of our Sovereign's Line and Stem should undoubtedly follow with other considerations at length contained in our Instructions We desired his Holiness to commit the knowledg of the Dispensation that was obtained in time of Iulius of famous memory for Matrimony to be had between the King and the Widow Relict late of Prince Arthur and that we might have it in form as that was that your Grace sent hither His Holiness answered That our sayings had great likelihood of truth for lacking of Issue Male of the King's Stem considering the nature of Men being prone unto Novelties and disposed unto Parties and Factions The Realm of England would not only enter into their accustomed Divisions but also would owe or do small devotion unto the Church Wherefore his Holiness was right well content and ready to adhibit all Remedy that in him was possible as this time would serve And because he was not expert in making of Commissions he would consult with the Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor and use his advice which we should shortly know We perceiving that the obtaining of our Charges after the King 's and your Graces pleasure depended much upon the Advice of Sanctorum Quatuor did prevent his going unto the Pope and delivering your Grace's Letters with Recommendations accordingly we desired him to be good and favourable unto our Requests in the King's behalf and for the better obtaining of our desires we promised to see unto him with a competent reward And this communication had we shewed unto him the Commission which he said could not pass without perpetual dishonour unto the Pope the King and your Grace and a great part of such Clauses as be omitted he hath touched and laid reason for the same in a Writing which I do send unto your Grace with this Considering his great Experience Wisdom Learning and the entire affection that he beareth unto the King and your Grace and that it was far from the King's desire and nothing for your purposes that I should first have sent the said Cardinal's Sayings unto your Grace and abide answer and eft-soons prevent to do the same Considering also that the said King desireth a Commission convenient and sufficient we desired him to make the minute of one which he gladly did When it was made the Pope said That at his being in the Castle of St. Angelo the General of the Observants in Spain required his Holiness in the Emperor's Name not to grant unto any Act that might be preparative or otherwise to Divorce to be made between the King and the Queen and moreover desired an Inhibition that the said Cause should not come in knowledg before any Judg within the King's Dominions The Pope answered that Inhibitio non datur nisi post litem motam And as unto the first his Holiness was content if any like thing were demanded to advertise the Emperor before that he did let it pass and this was in a manner for his Holiness being in Captivity But his Holiness being yet in Captivity as your Grace reports and esteemeth him to be as long as the Almaines and Spaniards continueth in Italy he thought if he should grant this Commission that he should have the Emperor his perpetual Enemy
monumenta literas scripturas censuras conclusiones Magistrales opiniones consilia assertiones affirmationes tractatus foedera pacis processus res alias caetera promissa coram nobis in dicta causa respective habita gesâ—a facta exhibita producta Necnon ex eisdem diversis aliis ex causis considerationibus argumentisque probationum generibus variis multiplicibus validis quidem efficacibus quibus animum nostrum hac in parte ad plenum informavimus plene evidenter invenimus comperimus dictum Matrimonium inter praefatos Illustrissimum Potentissimum Principem Dominum nostrum Henricum Octavum ac Serenissimam Dominam Catharinam ut praemittitur contractum consummatum nullum omnino invalidum fuisse esse Divino Jure prohibente contractum consummatum extitisse Idcirco nos Thomas Archiepiscopus Primas Legatus antedictus Christi nomine primitus invocato ac solum Deum prae oculis nostris habentes pro nullitate invaliditate dicti Matrimonii pronunciamus decernimus declaramus ipsumque praetensum Matrimonium fuisse esse nullum invalidum ac Divino Jure prohibente contractum consummatum nulliusque valoris aut momenti esse sed viribus firmitate juris caruisse carere praefatoque Illustrissimo Potentissimo Principi Henrico Octavo Serenissimae Dominae Catharinae non licere in eodem praetenso Matrimonio remanere pronunciamus decernimus declaramus ipsosque IllustrissimuÌ„ Potentissimum Principem Henricum Octavum ac Serenissimam Dominam Catharinam quatenus de facto non de jure dictum praetensum Matrimonium ad invicem contraxerunt consummarunt ab invicem separamus divorciamus atque sic separatos divorciatos necnon ob omni vinculo Matrimoniali respectu dicti praetensi Matrimonii liberos immunes fuisse esse pronunciamus decernimus declaramus per hanc nostram sententiam definitivam sive hoc nostrum finale Decretum quam sive quod ferimus promulgamus in his scriptis In quorum praemissorum fidem testimonium has literas nostras testimoniales sive praesens publicum sententiae vel Decreti instrumentum exinde fieri ac per Notarios Publicos subscriptos scribas actuarios nostros in ea parte specialiter assumptos subscribi signari nostrique sigilli appensione jussimus fecimus communiri He likewise passed Iudgment confirming the King's Marriage with Queen Ann at Lambeth May 28 1533. which is in the same Inspeximus Act 5. Anno Regni 25. XLVIII An Act concerning the Deprivations of the Bishops of Salisbury and Worcester WHere before this time the Church of England by the King 's most noble Progenitors and the Nobles of the same have been founded ordained and established in the Estate and degree of Prelatie Dignities and other Promotions Spiritual to the intent and purpose that the said Prelates and other Persons having the said Dignities and Promotions Spiritual continually should be abiding and Reseants upon their said Promotions within this Realm and also keep use and exercise Hospitality Divine Services teaching and preaching of the Laws of Almighty God to such Persons as were and have been within the precinct of their Promotions or Dignities for the Wealth of the Souls of their Givers and Founders greatly to the honour of Almighty God Of the which said Spiritual Persons the King's Highness and his most noble Progenitors have had right honourable and well-learned Personages apt meet and convenient for to guide and instruct his Highness and his most noble Progenitors in their Counsels concerning as well their Outward as Inward Affairs to be devised and practised for the utility and preservation of this Realm by reason whereof the Issues Revenues Profits and Treasure rising and coming of the said Spiritual Promotions and Dignities were and should be spent employed and converted within this Realm to the great profit and commodity of the King's Subjects of the same And where also by the laudable Laws and Provisions of this Realm before this time made it hath been ordained used and established that no Person nor Persons of whatsoever Estate Degree or Quality he or they were should take or receive within this Realm of England to Farm by any Procuracy Writ Letter of Attorney Administrations by Indenture or by any other Mean any Benefice or other Promotion within this Realm of any Person or Persons but only of the King 's true and lawful Subjects being born under the King's Dominions And also that no Person or Persons of what estate and degree soever he or they were by reason of any such Farm Procuracie Letter of Attorney Administration Indenture or by any other mean as is aforesaid should carry conveigh or cause to be carried and conveighed out of this Realm any Gold Silver Treasure or other Commodity by Letter of Exchange or by way of Merchandise or otherwise for any of the Causes aforesaid to the profit or commodity of any Alien or other Stranger being born out of this Realm having any such Promotion Spiritual within the same without license of the King's Highness by the advice of his Council as by the same Laws Statutes and Provisions more plainly at large it may appear which said laudable Laws Statutes and Provisions were made devised and ordained by great policy and foresight of the King 's most noble Progenitors the Nobles and Commons of this Realm for the great profit utility and benefit of the same to the intent that the Gold Silver Treasure Riches and other Commodity of the same by the occasion aforesaid should not be exhausted employed converted and otherwise transported out of this Realm and Dominions of the same to the use profit and commodity of any Stranger being born out of this Realm or the Dominions of the same But only to be spent and used and bestowed within the same to the great comfort and consolation of the Subjects of this Realm Notwithstanding which said wholsome Laws Statutes and Provisions the King's Highness being a Prince of great benignity and liberality having no knowledg nor other due information or instruction of the same Laws Statutes and Provisions heretofore hath nominated and preferred and promoted Laurence Campegius Bishop of Sarum with all the Spiritual and Temporal Possessions Promotions and other Emoluments and Commodities in any wise belonging or appertaining to the same And also hath nominated preferred and promoted Hierome being another Stranger born out of the King 's said Realm and Dominions to the See and Bishoprick of Worcester with all the Spiritual and Temporal Promotions and other Emoluments and Commodities in any wise belonging or appertaining to the same Which said two Bishops and namely the Bishop of Sarum nothing regarding their Duties to Almighty God nor their Cures of the said Bishopricks eversith or for the more part of the time of their said Promotions or Profections into the same have been and yet be resident dwelling
Regni Regis Henrici Octavi trigesimo secundo XXIV A Proclamation ordained by the King's Majesty with the advice of his Honourable Council for the Bible of the largest and greatest Volume to be had in every Church devised the sixth day of May the 33 year of the King 's most gracious Reign WHereby Injunctions heretofore set forth by the authority of the King 's Royal Majesty Supream Head of the Church of this his Realm of England it was ordained and commanded amongst other things That in all and singular Parish-Churches there should be provided by a certain day now expired at the costs of the Curats and Parishioners Bibles containing the Old and New Testament in the English Tongue to be fixed and set up openly in every of the said Parish Churches the which godly Commandment and Injunction was to the only intent that every of the King's Majesties loving Subjects minding to read therein might by occasion thereof not only consider and perceive the great and ineffable Omnipotent Power Promise Justice Mercy and Goodness of Almighty God but also to learn thereby to observe God's Commandments and to obey their Sovereign Lord and High Powers and to exercise Godly Charity and to use themselves according to their Vocations in a pure and sincere Christian Life without murmur or grudging By the which Injunctions the King 's Royal Majesty intended that his loving Subjects should have and use the commodities of the reading of the said Bibles for the purpose above rehearsed humbly meekly reverently and obediently and not that any of them should read the said Bibles with high and loud Voices in time of the Celebration of the Holy Mass and other Divine Services used in the Church or that any his Lay-Subjects reading the same should presume to take upon them any common Disputation Argument or Exposition of the Mysteries therein contained but that every such Lay-man should humbly meekly and reverently read the same for his own instruction edification and amendment of his Life according to God's Holy Word therein mentioned And notwithstanding the King 's said most godly and gracious Commandment and Injunction in form as is aforesaid his Royal Majesty is informed That divers and many Towns and Parishes within this his Realm have neglected their duties in the accomplishment thereof whereof his Highness marvelleth not a little and minding the execution of his said former most godly and gracious Injunctions doth straitly charge and command That the Curats and Parishioners of every Town and Parish within this his Realm of England not having already Bibles provided within their Parish Churches shall on this side the Feast of All-Saints next coming buy and provide Bibles of the largest and greatest Volume and cause the same to be set and fixed in every of the said Parish Churches there to be used as is afore-said according to the said former Injunctions upon pain that the Curat and Inhabitants of the Parishes and Towns shall loose and forfeit to the King's Majesty for every month that they shall lack and want the said Bibles after the same Feast of All-Saints 40 s. the one half of the same forfeit to be to the King's Majesty and the other half to him or them which shall first find and present the same to the King's Majesties Council And finally the King 's Royal Majesty doth declare and signify to all and singular his loving Subjects that to the intent they may have the said Bibles of the greatest Volumn at equal and reasonable prices his Highness by the advice of his Council hath ordained and taxed That the Sellers thereof shall not take for any of the said Bibles unbound above the price of ten shillings and for every of the said Bibles well and sufficiently bound trimmed and clasped not above twelve shillings upon pain the Seller to lose for every Bible sold contrary to his Highness's Proclamation four shillings the one Moiety thereof to the King's Majesty and the other Moiety to the finder and presenter of the Defaulter as is aforesaid And his Highness straitly chargeth and commandeth That all and singular Ordinaries having Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within this his Church and Realm of England and Dominion of Wales that they and every of them shall put their effectual endeavours that the Curats and Parishioners shall obey and accomplish this his Majesties Proclamation and Commandment as they tender the advancement of the King 's most gracious and godly purpose in that behalf and as they will answer to his Highness for the same God save the KING XXV An Admonition and Advertisement given by the Bishop of London to all Readers of this Bible in the English Tongue TO the intent that a good and wholsome thing godly and vertuously for honest intents and purposes set forth for many be not hindred or maligned at for the abuse default and evil behaviour of a few who for lack of discretion and good advisement commonly without respect of time or other due circumstances proceed rashly and unadvisedly therein and by reason thereof rather hinder than set forward the thing that is good of it self It shall therefore be very expedient that whosoever repaireth hither to read this Book or any such-like in any other place he prepare himself chiefly and principally with all devotion humility and quietness to be edified and made the better thereby adjoining thereto his perfect and most bounden duty of obedience to the King's Majesty our most gracious and dread Soveraign Lord and supream Head especially in accomplishing his Graces most honorable Injunctions and Commandments given and made in that behalf And right expedient yea necessary it shall be also that leaving behind him vain Glory Hypocrisy and all other carnal and corrupt Affections he bring with him discretion honest intent charity reverence and quiet behaviour to and for the edification of his own Soul without the hindrance lett or disturbance of any other his Christian Brother evermore foreseeing that no number of People be specially congregate therefore to make a multitude and that no exposition be made thereupon otherwise than it is declared in the Book it self and that especially regard be had no reading thereof be used allowed and with noise in the time of any Divine Service or Sermon or that in the same be used any Disputation contention or any other misdemeanour or finally that any Man justly may reckon himself to be offended thereby or take occasion to grudg or malign thereat God save the KING XXVI Injunctions given by Bonner Bishop of London to his Clergy INjunctions made by the consent and authority of me Edmond Bonner Bishop of London in the Year of our Lord God 1542 and in the 34 Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord Henry the Eighth by the Grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith and supream Head here in Earth next under God of the Church of England and Ireland All which and singular Injunctions by the Authority
whosesoever Daughter she was she should be his Wife and upon that Sir Thomas instructed his Daughter how she should hold the King in her toils Sir Thomas must have thought the King had an ill memory if he had forgot such a Story but the one part of this makes him afraid that the King should marry his Daughter and the other part makes him afraid they should miss their hopes in it Not to mention how little likely it is that a King of such high vanity would have done that which the privatest Person has an aversion to I mean the marrying the Daughter of one whom they know to be a common Prostitute 23. He says Wolsey before his return from France sent Gambara to the Pope desiring him to name himself Vicar of the Papacy during his captivity This was not done till almost a year after this and the motion was sent by Staphileus Dean of the Rota for which see pag. 50. 24. He says None but ill Men and ignorant Persons wrote against the Marriage but all learned and good Men wrote for it The whole Doctors of the Church in all Ages were against it and no Doctor ancienter than Cajetan could ever be found to have writ for it 25. He says That tho great endeavours were used to perswade Sir Tho. More of the unlawfulness of the marriage all was in vain Is it probable that the King would have made him Lord Chancellor when he was so earnest in this business if he had not known that he would have gone along with him in it By one of his Letters to Cromwel out of the Tower it appears that he approved the Divorce and had great hopes of success in it as long as it was prosecuted at Rome and founded on the defects in the Bull. And in the 22 d year of the King's Reign when the Opinions of the Universities and the Books of Learned Men were brought to England against the Marriage he carried them down to the House of Commons and made read them there after which he desired they would report in their Country what they had heard and seen and then all Men would openly perceive that the King had not attempted this matter of his Will and Pleasure but only for the discharge of his Conscience More was a Man of greater integrity than to have said this if he had thought the Marriage good so that he has either afterwards changed his mind or did at this time dissemble too artificially with the King 26. After a long flourish about the King 's secret fears and apprehensions and the perplexities the Cardinal was in which must pass for a piece of his Wit that is to say Lying for he knew none of their thoughts He says That Gardiner and Sir Francis Brian were sent to the Pope together Gardiner being then Secretary of State In this there are only three gross mistakes First Gardiner was not sent with the first Message to the Pope Secretary Knight carried it 2. Sir Francis Brian went never to Rome with Gardiner It is true a year after the commencing the Sute Sir Francis Brian was sent to Rome and about a month after him Gardiner was also sent so tho they were both together at Rome yet they were not sent thither together 3. Gardiner was not Secretary of State but was Wolsey's Secretary when he went first to Rome and was made a Privy Counsellor when he was sent thither the second time and was not Secretary of State till some months after his return from his Journey the last time 27. He says They made the Pope believe that the Queen would willingly retire into a Monastery This was on the contrary a contrivance of the Popes who thought it the easiest way to bring the Matter to a good issue but in England they had no hopes of it and so always diverted the motion when it was proposed by the Pope 28. He says ' The Pope said he would consult with some Cardinals and Divines and do all that he could lawfully do to give the King satisfaction Upon the first motion of it the Pope frankly granted the King's desire and gave a Bull with a Commission upon it And only consulted some Cardinals about the methods of doing it And did assure the King that he would not only do every thing that could be granted in Law or Justice but whatsoever he could grant out of the fulness of his Power It is true afterwards when the Pope changed his measures and resolved to agree with the Emperor he pretended he understood not these things himself but would needs turn it over upon the Cardinals and Divines 29. He says All the Cardinals were of a mind that the Marriage was good Cardinal Sanctorum Quatuor by the force of that mighty Argument of 4000 Crowns changed his mind All the other Cardinals were forward in granting the King's desires for which he wrote them a Letter of Thanks 30. He says The Pope granted the Commission to the two Legats not doubting but it was true that had been told him of the Queens readiness to go into a Monastery The Pope knew she would not yield to any such thing but when he granted that Commission he sent with Campegio a Decretal Bull annulling the Marriage and sent afterwards a promise never to avocate the Process but to confirm what Sentence the Legats should give tho soon after he broke his promise most signally And since he had often dispensed with others for breaking their Faith he might think that it was hard to deny him the same priviledg for himself 31. He says The Pope understanding that the Queen did not consent to the Propositions that were made and that he had been abused sent after Campegio when he was on his Journey that he should not proceed to a Sentence without a new order The Pope sent Campana to England after Campegio to assure the King he would do every thing for him that he could do out of the fulness of his Power And ordered the same Person to charge Cardinal Campegio to burn the Decretal Bull which he had sent by him In all which the Pope as appears by the Original Letters was only governed by politick Maxims and considered nothing but the dangers himself was like to fall in tho Sanders would perswade us he was ready to run the hazard of all these 32. He says The King by his Letters to the Pope did at the same time that he was moving scruples about his own Marriage transact about a Dispensation for a marriage betwixt his own natural Son the Duke of Richmond and his Daughter the Lady Mary Tho the whole Dispatches at that time both to and from Rome be most happily preserved there is not the least mention of any such design and can any body think that if any such motion had been made the Pope would not have taken great advantages from it and that these Letters would not
correspondence with the King fell to the ground with her but he may well cite Cochleus an Author of the same honesty with himself from whose writings we may with the like security make a judgment of Forreign Matters as we may upon Sanders's testimony believe the account he gives of English Affairs 90. He tells us among other things done by the King and picks it out as the only instance he mentions of the King's Injunctions that the People should be taught in Churches the Lord's Prayer the Ave the Creed and the Ten Commandments in English It seems this Author thought the giving these Elements of Religion to the People in the vulgar Tongue a very heinous Crime when this is singled out from all the rest 91. That being done he says there was next a Book published called Articles appointed by the King's Majesty which were the six Articles This shews that he either had no information of English Affairs or was sleeping when he wrote this for the Six Articles were not published soon after the Injunctions as he makes it by the same Parliament and Convocation but three years after by another Parliament They were never put in a Book nor published in the King's Name they were Enacted in Parliament and are neither more nor less than 25 lines in the first Impression of that Act so far short come they of a Book 92. He reckons up very defectively the differences between the Church of Rome and the Doctrine set forth by the King's Authority but in one point he shews his ordinary wit for in the sixth particular he says He retained the Sacrament of Order but appointed a new Form of Consecrating of Bishops This he put in out of malice that he might annul the Ordinations of that time but the thing is false for except that the Bishops instead of their Oaths of Obedience to the Pope which they formerly swore did not swear to the King there was no other change made and that to be sure is no part of the Form of Consecration 93. He resolved once to speak what he thought was Truth tho it be treasonable and impious and says Upon these changes many in Lincolnshire and the Northern parts did rise for Religion and the Faith of Christ. This was indeed the motive by which their Seditious Priests misled them yet he is mistaken in the time for it was not after the six Articles were published but almost three years before it Nor was it for the Faith of Christ which teaches us to be humble subject and obedient but because the King was removing some of the corruptions of that Faith which their false Teachers did impiously call the Faith of Christ. 94. He says The King did promise most faithfully that all these things of which they complained should be amended This is so evidently false that it is plain Sanders resolved dextrously to avoid the speaking of any sort of Truth for the King did fully and formally tell them he would not be directed nor counselled by them in these Points they complained of and did only offer them an Amnesty for what was past 95. Then he reckons up 32 that died for the defence of the Faith They were attainted of Treason for being in actual Rebellion against the King and thus it appears that Rebellion was the Faith in his sense and himself died for it or rather in it having been starved to death in a Wood to which he fled after one of his rebellious Attempts on his Soveraign in which he was the Pope's Nuncio 96. He says The King killed the Earl of Kildare and five of his Uncles By this strange way of expressing a legal Attainder and the execution of a Sentence for manifest Treason and Rebellion he would insinuate on the Reader a fancy that one of Bonner's cruel fits had taken the King and that he had killed those with his own hand The Lord Herbert has fully opened that part of the History from the Records that he saw and shews that a more resolved Rebellion could not be than that was of which the Earl of Kildare and his Uncles were guilty But because they sent to the Pope and Emperor for assistance the Earl desiring to hold the Kingdom of Ireland of the Pope since the King by his Heresie had fallen from his Right to it Sanders must needs have a great kindness for their memory who thus suffered for his Faith 97. He says Queen Iane Seimour being in hard labour of Prince Edward the King ordered her Body to be so opened by Surgeons that she died soon after All this is false for she had a good Delivery as many Original Letters written by her Council that have been since printed do shew but she died two days after of a distemper incident to her Sex 98. He sets down some Passages of Cardinal Pole's Heroical Constancy which being proved by no Evidence and not being told by any other Writer whom I ever saw are to be lookt on as the flourishes of the Poet to set off his Hero 99. He would perswade the World that the Marquess of Exceter the Lord Montacute and the rest that suffered at that time died because they were believed to dislike the King 's wicked Proceedings and that the Countess of Sarum was beheaded on this single account that she was the Mother of such a Son and was sincerely addicted to the Catholick Faith and that she was condemned because she wrote to her Son and for wearing in her Breast the Picture of the five Wounds of Christ. The Marquess of Exceter pretended he was well satisfied with the King's Proceedings and was Lord Stewart when the Lords Darcy and Hussie were tried and he gave judgment against them But it being discovered that he and other Persons approved of Cardinal Pole's proceedings who endeavoured to engage all Christian Princes in a League against the King pursuant to which they had expressed themselves on several occasions resolved when a fit opportunity offered it self to rebel it was no wonder if the King proceeded against them according to Law And for the Countess of Sarum tho the legality of that Sentence passed against her cannot be defended yet she had given great offence not only by her correspondence with her Son but by the Bulls she had received from Rome and by her opposing the King's Injunctions hindring all her Tenants to read the New Testament or any other Books set out by the King's order And for the Picture which was found among her Cloaths it having been the Standard of the Rebellion and the Arms of England being found on the other side of it there was just ground to suspect an ill design in it 100. He says The Images which the King destroyed were by many wonderful Works of God recommended to the Devotion of the Nation All the wonder in these Works was the knavery of some jugling Impostors and the simplicity of a credulous multitude of
Herbert The Arguments against the Bull. Wolsey's advice to the King 1527. Aug. 1. Sanders his story about Anne Bolâ—yn examined For this he ciâ—es Rastal's life of Sir Tho. Moor a Book that was never seen by any body else Anti-Sanderus 1501. March 10. 1509. Feb. 12. 1511 1514. Septemb. 23 6 to Regn. 1515. Cambd. Iâ— apparatâ— ad Hiâ—t Eliz. Reg. 1528. Her Birth 1514. and Breeding Her coming to England L. Herbert Title and Duplex Cavendish says she was very young Camden She is contracted to the Lord Piercy Cavendish Life of Wolsey 1527. L. Herbert 1527. The King moved for his Divorce at Rome The first dispatch about it Collect. Numb 3 d. The Pope grants it when he was in Prison Collect. Numb 4th Pope escaped Decemb. 9. And being at liberty gives a Bull for it The Pope's craft policy And the measures that governed them 1528. Collect. Numb 5th The method proposed by the Pope Collect. Numb 6th Staphileus sent from England His Instructions Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 10. Ian. 8. Duplicates corrected by the Cardinal's Hand The Cardinals Letterâ— by him A Larger Bull desired by the King Gardiner and Fox sent to Rome With Letters from the King Collect. Numb 7th and the Cardinal Collect. Numb 8th Collect. Numb 9th The substance of the Bull desired by them Collect. Numb 10th 1527. Rot. Paâ— 2 dâ— Pars. Regn. 10. The Cardinals Earnestness in this matter Collect. Numb 11th Collect. Numb 12. Campegio declared Legate Collect. Numb 10. Wolsey writes to him to haste over May 7. May 23. The Pope grants a Decretal Bull Anti-Sanderus L. Herbert Two Letters of Anne Boleyn's to Wolsey A Postscript of the Kings to him 1528. Collect. Numb 14th The Cardinal's Colledges finished Octob. 30. More Monasteries were to be suppressed The Emperor opposâ—s the Kings suit A Breve found out in Spain Collect. Numb 15th Presumptions of its being forged Campegio comes into England And showes the King the Bull But refuses to let it be seen to the Council * Collect. Numb 16th Collect. Numb 17th Wolsey's endeavour at Rome that it might be showed But all in vain The Pope sends Campana to England Collect. Numb 18th New Ambassadors sent to Rome With other overtures Collect. Numb 19th A Guard of 2000 men offered to the Pope The Pope resolved to unite himself to the Emperor Being frightned with the threats of the Imperialists 1529. Ian. 3. Repents his granting the Decretal Kings Letter to the Cardinal Ian. 8th Ian. 9. 1529. Ian. 15. But feeds the King with high promises The Pope sickens Ian. 27. Cardinal Wolsey's intrigues for the Papacy Feb. 6th Collect. Numb 20. The Kings Instructions for the Election Numb Feb. 20. New propositions about the Divorce Collect. Numb 21. The Popes relapse April 6. another Dispatch to Rome Collect. Numb 2.2 1528. 1529. The Cardinals Bulls for the Bishoprick of Winchester The Pope inclines to joyn with the Emperor Who protests against the Legates Commission May 15. Collect Numb 23. The Pope promised not to recal but to confirm it The Legates write to the Pope Collect. Numb 24. Campegio's ill life Pelerin In glese April 6. The Emperor presses for an Avocation Which the Kings Ambassadors oppose much The Popes deep dissimulation Collect. Numb 25th Collect. Numb 26th The Pope complains of the Florentines Iune 5. Iune 13. Great Contests about the Avocation Iune 23. Collect. Numb 27. Iune 28. The Legateâ— sit in England Orig. Iourn Cott. Libr. Vitel B. 12. A severe charge against the Queen Quod stulte facit si contendit cum Rege quod â—ale illi successit in faetibus de Brevi acsuspicione falsitatis The King and Queen appear in Court * Fidelis servi insideli subdito Responsio Collect. Numb 28. The Queen's Speech The King gives the account of his Scruples The Queens Appeal Articles drawn by the 〈◊〉 Upon which witnesses are examined The proâ—eâ—dings at 〈…〉 〈◊〉 this is 〈◊〉 from 〈…〉 Iune 2â— and 30. Iuly 8 and 9. The Pope agrees with the Emperor Collect. Numb 29th Yet is in great perplexities Iuly 26. The Avocation is granted Collect. Numb 30th The proceedings of the Legates All things are ready foâ— a Sentence Campegio Adjourned the Court. Which gives great offence Wolsey's danger Aug. 4. Sept. 23 in a Letter from the Cardinal Secetary to Cromwell Anne Boleyn returns to Court Cranmers proposition about the Kings Divorce Approved by the King The meanness of his Temper The King still â—avoured him He is afterwards attached for Treasoâ— And dies His Character A Parliament called Hall The House of Commons complains of the Bishop of Rochester Some Bills past reforming the abuses of the Clergy One Act discharging the King of his debts Collect. Numb 31. The Pope and the Emperor firmly united Iâ—n 20. The womens peace Aug. 5. 1530. The Emperors Coronation at Bononia Florence taken Aug. 9. Popes Nephew made Duke of it Iuly 17. 1531. Siege of Vienna rais'd Octob. 13. 1529. Emperor Crown'd King of Lombardy Feb. 22. 1530. Rom. Emp. Feb. 2. The King consults his Universities about his Divorce Lord Herbert out of the Record April 4. 1530. v. Wood. p. 8.257 Lib. 1 0. p. 225. Collect. Numb 32. And at Cambridge Feb. Though with great difficulty Crooke employed in Venice Crooks Negotiation taken from many of his Original Letters Cott. Libr. Vitel B. 13. Many â—n Italy write for the Kings cause Feb. 18. Though the Pope and Emperor discourâ—ged them Iuly 4. Aug. 7. Septemb. 16. Iuly 28. Aug. 5. No Money nor bribes given for subscriptions 〈◊〉 7. Fâ—b 8. Only some small acknowledgments Feb. 22. Feb. 9. Septemb. 16. But great Rewards given by the Emperor Septemb. 29. Feb. 18. March 29. 1530. May 26. Iâ—nâ— 2â— They Determined for the King at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1â—th At Padua Iuly 1st Collect. Numb 33. And Ferrara Sept. 29th And in Orleance April 7. At Paris of the Canonists May 25th Of the Soâ—bon Iâ—ly 2d At Angiers May 7th At Bourges Iune 10th And Tâ—â—lose Octob. 1st Collect. Numb 34. Ian. 28th his Orig. Let. Cott. Libr. Otho C. 10. Pelerine Iâ—glise Grineus employed amongst the Reformed in Switzerland Whose Letters are in a MSS. in R. Smiths Libr. The Opinions of Oâ—colompadius Bâ—cer Phrygion Zuinglius And Calvin Epist. 384. Lord Herb. from an Orig. Let. Sept. 18. 1530. The opinion of the Lutheran Divines Instructions sent by Dr. Barns to Cromwel Cott. Lib. Vâ—tel B. 13. They condemn the Kings first Marriage but are against a second Collect. Numb 35. Fox The King refuses to appear at Rome Cranmer offers to maintain the Kings cause The Nobility Clergy and Commons of England write to the Pope In the life of Wolseâ— This Letter and the answer are Printed by the Lord Herbert The Popes answer A Proclamation against Bulls from Rome Lord Herb. Books written for the Kings cause Otho C. â—0 ibidem Visp B. 5. Coâ—lect Numb 36. The grounds of it in the old Testament Lev. 18 20· Lev. 18.2 4.5.6.21 v. 17.24.26 v. 24.25 Lâ—v.
18. v. 16. Lev. 20.21 And in the New Mat. 14.4 1 Cor. 5. â— Lib. 4 to cont Marcionâ—â— The Authorities of Popes a ad omnes Galâ—iâ—e Episcopos b 30. Quaest. 3. cap. Pitanâ—m c De Pres. cap. cum in juventutem and Counciâ—s Can. 2. Chap. 5. 〈◊〉 61. Chap. 5. a And the Greek In 20. Levit. b Homil. 71. on 22. Mat. c Epist. ad Diodor. On Levit. 18. and 20. And the Latine Fathers a Lib. 8. Ep. 66. b Cont. Hâ—â—vidium c Cont. Faâ—st chap. 8 9 10. Quaest. 64. in Lev. Ad Bonifac Lib. 3. chap. 4. Lib. 15. de Civ Dâ—i chap. 16. And of the Modern Writers In Epist. ad Pium Fratâ—em e On 18. Lev. g Epist. ad Arch. Rotomag Epis. Sag. f Lib. 2. de Sacram. p. 2. chap. 5. Art 2. h Epist. 240. The Schoolmen 2 dâ— 2 dae Quaest. 154. art 9. In Tertiam Quaest. 54. art 3. In 4tam. dist 40. Q. 3. and 4. And Canonists Marriage compleated by Consent Violent presumptions of the Consummation of Prince Artâ—â—r's Marriage The Popes Dispensation of no force In Quodiâ— Lib. 4. Art 13. in 4 tam dist 15. Q. 3. art 2. Sâ—p Cap. Conjunctioniâ— 35. Q. 2. 3. Sup. Cap. Literas de Rest. Spons Cap. ad Audien Spousal Several Bishops refuse to submit to the Popes Decrees The Authority of Tradition The Arguments for the Marriage 1529. The Anwers made to h ese 1531. The Queen still intractable Hall A Session of Parliament Morâ— Convocation The whole Clergy sued in a Premâ—nire The Prerogative of the Kings of England in Ecclesiastical affairs The Encroachment of the Papacy Mat. Paris The Laws made against them 25 Edw. 1st repeated in the Stat. of Provisors 25. Edw. 3d. 25. Edward 3d. Statute of Provisors 27. Edward 3d. cap. 1st 38. Edward 3d. cap. 1st 3. Richard 2d cap. 3d. 12 Richard 2d cap. 15. 16. Richard 2d cap. 5. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 4. 6. Henry 4. cap. 1st 7. Hen. 4. cap. 6.8 17. Hen. 4. cap. 8. 4. Hen. 5. cap. 4. Ex MSS. D Petyt 1530. Reg. Chicâ—el Fol. 39. Collect. Numb 37. 1531. And to the King and Parliament Collect. Numb 38. Collect. Numb 39. But to no purpose Collect. Numb 40. The Clergy excuse themselves Yet they Compound And acknowledge the King Supreme Head of the Church of England Lord Heâ—bert Antiquit. Britanniae in vita Warham Printed in the Cabala The Commons desire to be included in the King's Pardon Hall Which thâ— King afterwards grants One Attainâ—â—ed for Poisoning 22. Hen. 8 Act. 16. Lord Herbert The King leaves the Queen A disorder among the Clergy of London about the Subsidy Hall The Pope falls off to the French Faction A Match projected between the Pope's Neece and the Duke of Orleance The Emperor is engaged in a War with â—he Turk 1532. The Parliament complains of the Ecclesiastical Courts Hall But reject a Bill about Wards The Commons Petition that they may be Dissolved 1532. The King's Answer An Act against Annates Collect. Numb 41. Parl. Rolls The Pope writes to the King about the Queens Appeal L. Herbert Collect. Numb 42. A Dispatch of the King to the Pope Sir Edward Karne sent to Rome His Negotiation there taken from the Original Letters Cott. lib. Viteli B. 13. The Cardinal of Ravenna corrupted by Bribes Collect. Numb 43. Collect. Numb 44. Collect. Numb 45. A Bull for erecting new Bishopricks The Pope desires the King would submit to him Collect. Numb 46. A Session of Parl. One moves for bringing the Queen to Court At which the King is offended A Subsidy is voted The King remits the Oaths which the Clergy swore to be considered by the Commons Their Oath to the Pope Their Oath to the King More laid down his Office An Enterveiw with the French King Eliot sent to Rome with Instructions Cott. Lib. Vil. B. 13. The King Married Anne Boâ—eyn Nov. 14. Cowper Holinsâ—ies and Sanders An enterview between Pope and Emperor Some overtures about the Divorce Lord Herbert 1533. A Session of Parliament An Act against Appeals to Rome 24. Hen. 8. Act 22. 1533. Warhams Death Aug. 23. The King resolves to promote Cranmer Fox Cranmers Bulls from Rome His Protestation about his Oath to the Pope Antiq. Brit. iâ— vita Cranmâ—â— 1532. New Endeavours to make the Queen submit But in vain 1533. Cranmer proceeds to a Sentence of Divorce taken from the Originals Cott. lib. Otho C. 1â— Collect. Numb 47. The Censures past at that time Cott. lib. Otho C. 10. The Pope unites himself to the French King And condemns the Kings proceedings in England Queen Elizabeth Born Sâ—p 7. An Interview between the Pope and Frâ—nch King at Marsâ—illâ—s The Pope promises to give Sentence for the King of England's Divorce Fidel. serv. Infidâ— subdit Responsio Bzovius The French King prevails with the King of England to submit to the Pope Which was well received at Rome Hist. Council of Trent by Padre Paule But the Imperialists opposed it 1531. And with great preparation procure a sentence against the King The King resolves to abolish the Popes Power in England Which had been much disputed there 1532. â—elerine Inglese Hall The Arguments upon which it was rejected 1533. 1534. The Arguments for the Kings Supremacy From the old Testament 1533. And the New And the Practises of the primitive Church And from Reason And from the Laws of England 1534. The Qualification of that Supremacy Necessary Erudition upon the Sacrament of Orders The necessity of extirpating the Popes Power Pains taken to satisfie Fisher about it The Origiâ—nal is in the Cott. lib. 〈◊〉 C. 10. Journal Procer The Act for taking away the Popes Power It is the Act 21 in the Statute Book 27 in the Record and 8 in the Journal The judgments past on that Act. Act about the Succession to the Crown 22 in the Statute Books 34 in the Reâ—ord 26 in the Journal The Oath about the Succesâ—ion Journal Procer Act about punishing Hereticks 14 in the Stâ—tute Book 33 in the Record 31 in the Journal The submission made by the Clergy to the King 19 in the Statute Book 25 in the Record Journal Procâ—r 〈…〉 26 in the Record Collect. â—umb 48. The Act about the Maid of Kâ—nt and her Complices 12 in Statute Book 31 in the Record 7 in the Journâ—â— See his Works paâ— 1435. The 〈…〉 of the 〈◊〉 Sâ—ow Stow. The Nuns speech at her death Hall Stow Fisher gently dealt with But is obstinate and intractable Collect. Numb 49. Cott. Lib. Cleopatâ—e E. 4. The Oath for the Succession generally sworn Orig. Cott. Lib. Otho C. â—â— Collect. Numb 50. Rot. Claus. Those last clausâ—◠〈◊〉 not in the other Writing More and Fisher refuse the Oath See his works p. 1428. Weavers Monuments page 504 and 506. And are proceeded against Another Session of Parliament The Kings Supremacy declared The Oath about the Succession conâ—iâ—med The first Fruits of Benefices given to the King Sundry
the discovery of the Indies having brought great wealth into Europe Princes began to deal more in that trade than before so that both France and England had their Instruments in Scotland and gave considerable yearly Pensions to the chief heads of Parties and Families In the search I have made I have found several Warrants for Sums of Money to be sent into Scotland and divided there among the Favourers of the English Interest and 't is not to be doubted but France traded in the same manner which continued till a happier way was found out for extinguishing these Quarrels both the Crowns being set on one head Having thus shewed the State of this Kings Government as to forreign Matters I shall next give an account of the Administration of Affairs at home both as to Civil and Spiritual Matters The King upon his first coming to the Crown did choose a wise Council partly out of those whom his Father had trusted partly out of those that were recommended to him by his Grand-Mother the Countess of Richmond and Derby in whom was the Right of the House of Lancaster though she willingly devolved her pretensions on her Son claiming nothing to her self but the Satisfaction of being Mother to a King She was a wise and Religious Woman and died soon after her Grand-Son came to the Crown There was a Faction in the Council between Fox Bishop of Winchester and the Lord Treasurer which could never be well made up though they were oft reconciled Fox always complaining of the Lord Treasurer for squandring away so soon that vast Mass of Treasure left by the Kings Father in which the other justified himself that what he did was by the Kings Warrants which he could not disobey but Fox objected that he was too easie to answer if not to procure these Warrants and that he ought to have given the King better advice In the Kings first Parliament things went as he desired upon his delivering up Empson and Dudley in which his preventing the severity of the Houses and proceeding against them at the Common Law as it secured his Ministers from an unwelcome President so the whole honour of it fell on the Kings justice His next Parliament was in the Third year of his Reign and there was considered the Brief from Pope Iulius the Second to the King complaining of the Indignities and Injuries done to the Apostolick See and the Pope by the French King and entreating the Kings assistance with such cajoling words as are always to be expected from Popes on the like occasions It was first read by the Master of the Rolls in the House of Lords and then the Lord Chancellour Warham Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Lord Treasurer with other Lords went down to the House of Commons and read it there Upon this and other reasons they gave the King subsidies towards the War with France At this time Fox to strengthen his Party against the Lord Treasurer finding Thomas Wolsey to be a likely man to get into the Kings favour used all his endeavours to raise him who was at that time neither unknown nor inconsiderable being Lord Almoner he was at first made a Privy Counsellour and frequently admitted to the Kings presence and waited on him over to France The King liked him well which he so managed that he quickly engrossed the Kings favour to himself and for 15 years together was the most absolute Favourite that had ever been seen in England all forreign Treaties and Places of Trust at home were at his Ordering he did what he pleased and his Ascendant over the King was such that there never appeared any Party against him all that while The great Artifice by which he insinuated himself so much on the King is set down very plainly by one that knew him well in these words In him the King conceived such a loving fancy especially for that he was most earnest and readiest in all the Counsel to advance the Kings only will and pleasure having no respect to the case and whereas the Ancient Counsellors would according to the Office of good Counsellors divers times perswade the King to have some time a recourse unto the Council there to hear what was done in weighty Matters the King was nothing at all pleased therewith for he loved nothing worse than to be constrained to do any thing contrary to his pleasure and that knew the Almoner very well having secret Insinuations of the Kings Intentions and so fast as the others Counselled the King to leave his pleasures and to attend to his Affairs so busily did the Almoner perswade him to the contrary which delighted him much and caused him to have the greater affection and love to the Almoner Having got into such Power he observed the Kings Inclinations exactly and followed his Interests closely for though he made other Princes retain him with great Presents and Pensions yet he never engaged the King into any Alliance but what was for his Advantage For affairs at home after he was established in his Greatness he affected to Govern without Parliaments there being from the Seventh year of his Reign after which he got the great Seal but one Parliament in the 14th and 15th year and no more till the One and Twentieth when matters were turning about But he raised great Sums of Money by Loans and Benevolences And indeed if we look on him as a Minister of State he was a very extraordinary Person but as he was a Church-man he was the disgrace of his Profession He not only served the King in all his secret pleasures but was lewd and vicious himself so that his having the French Pox which in those days was a matter of no small infamy was so publick that it was brought against him in Parliament when he fell in disgrace he was a man of most extravagant vanity as appears by the great State he lived in and to feed that his Ambition and Covetousness were proportionable He was first made Bishop of Tourney when that Town was taken from the French then he was made Bishop of Lincoln which was the first Bishoprick that fell void in this Kingdom after that upon Cardinal Bembridge his death he parted with Lincoln and was made Arch-Bishop of York then Hadrian that was a Cardinal and Bishop of Bath and Wells being deprived that See was given to him then the Abbey of St Albans was given to him in Comendam he next parted with Bath and Wells and got the Bishoprick of Duresm which he afterwards exchanged for the Bishoprick of Winchester But besides all that he had in his own hands the King granted him a full Power of disposing of all the Ecclesiastical benefices in England which brought him in as much money as all the Places he held for having so vast a Power committed to him both from the King and the Pope as to Church-preferments it may be easily gathered what
the Holy Orders of Bishop Priest or Deacon the other that the Act should only be in force till the next Parliament With these Proviso's it was unanimously assented to by the Lords on the 26 Ian. 1513. and being agreed to by the Commons the Royal Assent made it a Law Pursuant to which many Murderers and Felons were denyed their Clergy and the Law passed on them to the great Satisfaction of the whole Nation But this gave great offence to the Clergy who had no mind to suffer their Immunities to be touched or lessened And judging that if the laity made bold with Inferiour Orders they would proceed further even against Sacred Orders therefore as their Opposition was such that the Act not being continued did determine at the next Parliament that was in the 5th year of the King so they not satisfied with that resolved to fix a censure on that Act as contrary to the Franchises of the Holy Church And the Abbot of Winchelcomb being more forward than the rest during the session of Parliament in the 7 year of this King's Reign in a Sermon at Pauls Cross said openly That that Act was contrary to the Law of God and to the Liberties of the Holy Church and that all who assented to it as well Spiritual as Temporal Persons had by so doing incur'd the Censures of the Church And for Confirmation of his Opinion he published a Book to prove That all Clerks whether of the greater or lower Orders were Sacred and exempted from all Temporal Punishment by the Secular Judge even in Criminal cases This made great noise and all the Temporal Lords with the concurrence of the House of Commons desired the King to suppress the growing Insolence of the Clergy So there was a hearing of the Matter before the King with all the Judges and the Kings Temporal Council Doctor Standish Guardian of the Mendicant Friers in London afterwards Bishop of Saint Asaph the chief of the Kings Spiritual Council argued That by the Law Clerks had been still convened and judged in the Kings Court for Civil Crimes and that there was nothing either in the Laws of God or the Church inconsistent with it and that the publick good of the Society which was chiefly driven at by all Laws and ought to be preferred to all other things required that Crimes should be punished But the Abbot of Winchelcomb being Counsel for the Clergy excepted to this and said There was a Decree made by the Church expresly to the contrary to which all ought to pay Obedience under the pain of Mortal sin and that therefore the trying of Clerks in the Civil Courts was a sin in it self Standish upon this turned to the King and said God forbid that all the Decrees of the Church should bind It seems the Bishops think not so for though there is a Decree that they should reside at their Cathedrals all the Festivals of the year yet the greater part of them do it not Adding That no Decree could have any force in England till it was received there and That this Decree was never received in England but that as well since the making of it as before Clerks had been tryed for Crimes in the Civil Courts To this the Abbot made no answer but brought a place of Scripture to prove this Exemption to have come from our Saviours words Nolite tangere Christos meos Touch not mine Anointed and therefore Princes ordering Clerks to be arrested and brought before their Courts was contrary to Scripture against which no custome can take place Standish replyed these words were never said by our Saviour but were put by David in his Psalter 1000 years before Christ and he said these words had no relation to the Civil Judicatories but because the greatest part of the World was then wicked and but a small number believed the Law they were a Charge to the Rest of the World not to do them harm But though the Abbot had been very violent and confident of his being able to confound all that held the contrary opinion yet he made no answer to this The Laity that were present being confirmed in their former opinion by hearing the Matter thus argued moved the Bishops to order the Abbot to renounce his former opinion and recant his Sermon at Pauls Cross. But they flatly refused to do it and said they were bound by the Laws of the Holy Church to maintain the Abbots opinion in every point of it Great heats followed upon this during the sitting of the Parliament of which there is a very partial Entry made in the Journal of the Lords House and no wonder the Clerk of the Parliament Doctor Tylor Doctor of the Canon-Law being at the same time Speaker of the Lower House of Convocation The Entrie is in these words In this Parliament and Convocation there were most dangerous contentions between the Clergy and the Secular Power about the Ecclesiastical liberties one Standish a Minor Frier being the Instrument and Promoter of all that mischief But a passage â—ell out that made this matter be more fully prosecuted in the Michaelmas-Term One Richard Hunne a Merchant-Taylor in London was questioned by a Clerk in Middlesex for a Mortuary pretended to be due for a Child of his that died 5 weeks old The Clerk claiming the beering sheet and Hunne refusing to give it upon that he was sued but his Counsel advised him to sue the Clerk in a Premunire for bringing the Kings Subjects before a forreign Court the Spiritual Court sitting by Authority from the Legate This touched the Clergy so in the quick that they used all the Arts they could to fasten Heresie on him and understanding that he had Wickliff's Bible upon that he was attached of Heresie and put in the Lollards Tower at Pauls and examined upon some Articles objected to him by Fitz-Iames then Bishop of London He denied them as they were chargeâ— against him but acknowledged he had said some words sounding that way for which he was sorry and asked Gods mercy and submitted himself to the Bishops Correction upon which he ought to have been enjoyned Penance and set at Liberty but he persisting still in his Sute in the Kings Courts they used him most cruelly On the Fourth of December he was found hanged in the Chamber where he was kept Prisoner And Doctor Horsey Chancellour to the â—iâ—hop of London with the other Officers who had the Charge of the Prison gave it out that he had hang'd himself But the Coroner of London coming to hold an Inquest on the dead body they found him hanging so loose and in a silk girdle that they clearly perceived he was killed they also found his Neck had been broken as they judged with an Iron chain for the Skin was all fretted and cut they saw some streams of blood about his body besides several other evidences which made it clear he had not murdered himself whereupon they did acquit the dead body and
And the corruptions of their Worship and Doctrine were such that a very small proportion of common sense with but an overly looking on the New Testament discovered them Nor had they any other varnish to colour them by but the Authority and Traditions of the Church But when some studious men began to read the Ancient Fathers and Councils though there was then a great mixture of Sophisticated stuff that went under the Ancient names and was joyned to their true works which Criticks have since discovered to be spurious they found a vast difference between the first Five Ages of the Christian Church in which Piety and Learning prevailed and the last Ten Ages in which Ignorance had buried all their former Learning only a little misguided Devotion was retained for Six of these Ages and in the last Four the restless Ambition and Usurpation of the Popes was supported by the seeming holiness of the begging Friers and the false Counterfeits of Learning which were among the Canonists School-men and Casuists So that it was incredible to see how men notwithstanding all the opposition the Princes every-where made to the progress of these reputed new Opinions and the great advantages by which the Church of Rome both held and drew many into their Interests were generally inclined to these Doctrines Those of the Clergy who at first Preached them were of the begging Orders of Friers who having fewer engagements on them from their Interests were freer to discover and follow the truth And the austere Discipline they had been trained under did prepare them to encounter those difficulties that lay in their way And the Laity that had long lookt on their Pastors with an evil eye did receive these Opinions very easily which did both discover the Impostures with which the world had been abused and shewed a plain and simple way to the Kingdom of Heaven by putting the Scriptures into their hands and such other Instructions about Religion as were sincere and genuine The Clergy who at first despised these new Preachers were at length much Allarmed when they saw all people running after them and râ—ceiving their Doctrines As these things did spread much in Germany Switzerland and the Netherlands so their Books came over into England where there was much matter already prepared to be wrought on not only by the prejudices they had conceived against the corrupt Clergy but by the Opinions of the Lollards which had been now in England since the days of Wickliff for about 150 years Between which Opinions and the Doctrines of the Reformers there was great Affinity and therefore to give the better vent to the Books that came out of Germany many of them were translated into the English-Tongue and were very much read and applauded This quickned the proceedings against the Lollards and the enquiry became so severe that great numbers were brought into the Toils of the Bishops and their Commissaries If a man had spoken but a light word against any of the Constitutions of the Church he was seized on by the Bishop's Officers and if any taught their Children the Lord's Prayer the Ten Commandments and the Apostle's Creed in the Vulgar Tongue that was crime enough to bring them to the Stake As it did Six men and a woman at Coventry in the Passion-week 1519. being the 4 th of April Longland Bishop of Lincoln was very cruel to all that were suspected of Heresie in his Diocess several of them abjured and some were Burnt But all that did not produce what they designed by it The Clergy did not correct their own faults and their cruelty was looked on as an evidence of Guilt and of a weak Cause so that the method they took wrought only on peoples fears and made them more cautious and reserved but did not at all remove the Cause nor work either on their reasons or affections Upon all this the King to get himself a name and to have a lasting Interest with the Clergy thought it not enough to assist them with his Authority but would needs turn their Champion and write against Luther in defence of the Seven Sacraments This Book was magnified by the Clergy as the most Learned Work that ever the Sun saw and he was compared to King Solomon and to all the Christian Emperours that had ever been And it was the chief subject of flattery for many years besides the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith which the Pope bestowed on him for it And it must be acknowledged that considering the Age and that it was the Work of a King it did deserve some Commendation But Luther was not at all daunted at it but rather valued himself upon it that so great a King had entred the lists with him and answered his Book And he replied not without a large mixture of Acrimony for which he was generally blamed as forgetting that great respect that is due to the Persons of Soveraign Princes But all would not do These Opinions still gained more footing and William Tindal made a Translation of the New Testament in English to which he added some short Glosses This was printed in Antwerp and sent over into England in the year 1526. Against which there was a Prohibition published by every Bishop in his Diocess Bearing that some of Luthers followers had erroneously Translated the New Testament and had corrupted the Word of God both by a false Translation and by Heretical Glosses Therefore they required all Incumbents to charge all within their Parishes that had any of these to bring them in to the Vicar-General within 30 days after that premonition under the pains of Excommunication and incurring the suspition of Heresie There were also many other Books Prohibited at that time most of them written by Tindal And Sir Thomas More who was a man celebrated for Vertue and Learning undertook the answering of some of those but before he went about it he would needs have the Bishops Licence for keeping and reading them He wrote according to the way of the Age with much bitterness and though he had been no Friend to the Monks and a great declaimer against the Ignorance of the Clergy and had been ill used by the Cardinal yet he was one of the bitterest Enemies of the new Preachers not without great cruelty when he came into Power though he was otherwise a very good-natured man So violently did the Roman Clergy hurry all their Friends into those excesses of Fire and Sword When the Party became so considerable that it was known there were Societies of them not only in London but in both the Universities then the Cardinal was constrained to act His contempt of the Clergy was looked on as that which gave encouragement to the Hereticks When reports were brought to Court of a company that were in Cambridge Bilney Latimer and others that read and propagated Luther's Book and Opinions some Bishops moved in the year 1523. that there might be a Visitation appointed
Campana to England with a Letter of Credence to the Cardinal the effects of which message will appear afterwards And thus ended this year in which it was believed that if the King had employed that Money which was spent in a fruitless Negotiation at Rome on a War in Flanders it had so distracted the Emperors Forces and encouraged the Pope that he had sooner granted that which in a more fruitless way was sought of him In the beginning of the next year Cassali wrote to the Cardinal that the Pope was much inclined to unite himself with the Emperor and proposed to go in Person to Spain to solicite a general Peace but intended to go privately and desired the Cardinal would go with him thither as his Friend and Counsellor and that they two should go as Legates But Cassali by Salviati's means who was in great favour with the Pope understood that the Pope was never in greater fear of the Emperor than at that time for his Ambassador had threatned the Pope severely if he would not recal the Commission that he had sent to England so that the Pope spoke oft to Salviati of the great Repentance that he had inwardly in his heart for granting the Decretal and said He was undone for ever if it came to the Emperors knowledge He also resolved that though the Legates gave Sentence in England it should never take effect for he would not confirm it Of which Gregory Cassali gave Advertisement by an express Messenger who as he passed through Paris met Secretary Knight and Doctor Bennet whom the King had dispatched to Rome to assist his other Ambassadors there and gave them an account of his message and that it was the Advice of the Kings Friends at Rome That he and his Confederates should follow the War more vigorously and press the Emperor harder without which all their applications to the Pope would signifie nothing Of this they gave the Cardinal an account and went on but faintly in their Journey judging that upon these Advertisements they would be recalled and other Counsels taken At the same time the Pope was with his usual Arts cajoling the Kings Agents in Italy For when Sir Francis Brian and Peter Vannes came to Bononia the Proto-Notary Cassali was surprized to hear that the business was not already ended in England since he said he knew there were sufficient Powers sent about it and that the Pope assured him he would confirm their Sentence but that he made a great difference between the confirming their judgment by which he had the Legates between him and the Envy or Odium of it and the granting a Bull by which the Judgment should arise immediately from himself This his best Friends dissuaded and he seemed apprehensive that in case he should do it a Council would be called and he should be deposed for it And any such distraction in the Papacy considering the footing which Heresie had alread gotten would ruin the Ecclesiastical State and the Church So dextrously did the Pope govern himself between such contrary tides But all this Dissimulation was short of what he acted by Campana in England whose true errand thither was to order Campegio to destroy the Bull but he did so perswade the King and the Cardinal of the Popes sincerity that by a dispatch to Sir Francis Brian and Peter Vannes and Sir Gregory Cassali he chid the two former for not making more haste to Rome for he believed it might have been a great advantage to the Kings Affairs if they had got thither before the General of the Observants then Cardinal Angell He ordered them to setle the business of the Guard about the Pope presently and tells them that the Secretary was recalled and Dr. Stephens again sent to Rome And in a Letter to Secretary Knight who went no further than Lions he writ to him That Campana had assured the King and him in the Popes name that the Pope was ready to do not only all that of Law Equity or Justice could be desired of him but whatever of the fulness of his Power he could do or devise for giving the King content And that although there were three things which the Pope had great reason to take care of The calling a General Council The Emperors descent into Italy and the Restitution of his Towns which were offered to be put in his hands by the Emperors means yet neither these nor any other consideration should divert him from doing all that lay within his Authority or Power for the King And that he had so deep a sense of the Kings merits and the obligations that he had laid on him that if his resignation of the Popedom might do him any Service he would readily consent to it And therefore in the Popes name he encouraged the Legates to proceed and end the business Upon these assurances the Cardinal ordered the Secretary to haste forward to Rome and to thank the Pope for that kind message to setle the Guard about him and to tell him that for a Council none could be called but by himself with the consent of the Kings of England and France And for any pretended Council or meeting of Bishops which the Emperor by the Cardinals of his Party might call he needed not fear that For his Towns they should be most certainly restored Nor was the Emperors offering to put them in his hand to be much regarded for though he restored them if the Pope had not a better Guaranty for them it would be easie for him to take them from him when he pleased He was also to propose a firmer League between the Pope England and France in order to which he was to move the Pope most earnestly to go to Nice and if the Pope proposed the Kings taking a second Wife with a Legitimation of the Issue which she might have so the Queen might be induced to enter into a state of Religion to which the Pope inclined most he was not to accept of that both because the thing would take up much time and they found the Queen resolved to do nothing but as she was advised by her Nephews Yet if the Pope offered a Decretal about it he might take it to be made use of as the Occasion might require But by a Postscript he is recalled and it is signified to him that Gardiner was sent to Rome to negotiate these aâ—fairs who had returned to England with the Legate and his being so successful in his former Message made them think him the fittest Minister they could imploy in that Court and to send him with the greater Advantage he was made a Privy Councellour But an unlooked-for Accident put a stop to all Proceedings in the Court of Rome For on Epiphany-day the Pope was taken extreme ill at Mass and a great sickness followed of which it was generally believed he could not recover and though his distemper did soon abate so much that it
lately there had been one granted by Pope Alexander the 6th to the King of Hungary against the Opinion of his Cardinals which had never been questioned and yet he could not pretend to such Merits as the King had And all that had ever been said in the Kings Cause was Sum'd up in a short Breviate by Cassali and offered to the Pope a Copy whereof taken from an Original under his own hand the Reader will find in the Collection The King ordered his Ambassadors to make as many Cardinals sure for his cause as they could who might bring the Pope to consent to it if he were still averse But the Pope was at this time possessed with a new jealousie of which the French King was not free as if the King had been tampering with the Emperor and had made him great offers so he would consent to the Divorce about which Francis wrote an anxious Letter to Rome the Original of which I have seen The Pope was also surprized at it and questioned the Ambassadors about it but they denyed it and said the union between England and France was inseparable and that these were only the Practices of the Emperors Agents to create distrust The Pope seemed satisfied with what they said and added that in the present conjuncture a firm union between them was necessary Of all this Sir Francis Brian wrote a long account in cipher But the Popes relapse put a new stop to business of which the Cardinal being informed as he ordered the Kings Agents to continue their care about his Promotion so he charged them to see if it were possible to get Access to the Pope and though he were in the very Agony of Death to propose two things to him the one that he would presently command all the Princes of Christendom to agree to a Cessation of Arms under pain of the Censures of the Church as Pope Leo and other Popes had done and if he should die he could not do a thing that would be more meritorious and for the good of his Soul than to make that the last Act of his Life The other thing was concerning the Kings business which he presseth as a thing necessary to be done for the clearing and eâ—se of the Popes Conscience towards God And withal he orders them to gain as many about the Pope and as many Cardinals and Officers in the Rota as they could to promote the Kings desires whether in the Popes sickness or health The Bishop of Verona had a great Interest with the Pope so by that and another Dispatch of the same Date sent another way they were ordered to gain him promising him great Rewards pressing him to remain still about the Popes person to ballance the ill Offices which Cardinal Angell and the Arch-Bishop of Capua did who never stirred from the Pope And to assure that Bishop that the King laid this Matter more to heart than any thing that ever befel him and that it would trouble him as much to be overcome in this Matter by these two Friers as to loose both his Crowns and for my part writes the Cardinal I would expose any thing to my life yea life it self rather than see the Inconveniencies that may ensue upon disappointing of the Kings desire For promoting the Business the French King sent the Bishop of Bayon to assist the English Ambassadors in his name who was first sent over to England to be well Instructed there They were either to procure a Decretal for the Kings Divorce or a new Commission to the two Legates with ampler Clauses in it than the former had to judge as if the Pope were in person and to emit compulsorie Letters against any whether Emperor King or of what degree soever to produce all manner of Evidences or Records which might tend towards the clearing the Matter and to bring them before them This was sought because the Emperor would not send over the pretended Original Breve to England and gave only an Attested Copy of it to the Kings Ambassadors least therefore from that Breve a new Suit might be afterwards raised for Annulling any Sentence which the Legates should give they thought it needful to have the Original brought before them In the penning of that new Commission Dr. Gardiner was ordered to have special care that it should be done by the best advice he could get in Rome It appears also from this Dispatch that the Popes Pollicitation to Confirm the Sentence which the Legates should give was then in Gardiner's hands for he was ordered to take care that there might be no disagreement between the date of it and of the new Commission And when that was obtained Sr. Francis Brian was commanded to bring them with him to England Or if neither a Decretal nor a new Commission could be obtained then if any other expedient were proposed that upon good advice should be found sufficient and effectual they were to accept of it and send it away with all possible diligence And the Cardinal conjured them by the Reverence of Almighty God to bring them out of their Perplexity that this Virtuous Prince may have this thing sped which would be the most joyous thing that could befal his heart upon Earth But if all things should be denyed then they were to make their Protestations not only to the Pope but to the Cardinals of the Injustice that was done the King and in the Cardinals name to let them know that not only the King and his Realm would be lost but also the French King and his Realm with their other Confederates would also withdraw their Obedience from the See of Rome which was more to be regarded than either the Emperors Displeasure or the Recovery of two Cities They were also to try what might be done in Law by the Cardinals in a Vacancy and they were to take good Counsel upon some Chapters of the Canon-Law which related to that and Govern themselves accordingly either to hinder an Avocation or Inhibition or if it could be done to obtain such thing as they could grant towards the Conclusion of the Kings Business At this time also the Cardinals Bulls for the Bishoprick of Winchester were expedited they were rated high at 15000 Ducats for though the Cardinal pleaded his great Merits to bring the composition lower yet the Cardinals at Rome said the Apostolick Chamber was very poor and other Bulls were then coming from France to which the favour they should show the Cardinal would be a Precedent But the Cardinal sent word that he would not give past 5 or 6000 Ducats because he was exchanging Winchester for Duresm and by the other they were to get a great Composition And if they held his Bulls so high he would not have them for he needed them not since he enjoyed already by the Kings Grant the Temporalities of Winchester which it is very likely was all that he considered in a Bishoprick They were
at last expedited at what Rates I cannot tell but this I set down to show how severe the Exactions of the Court of Rome were As the Pope recovered his health so he inclined more to joyn himself to the Emperor than ever and was more alienated than formerly from the King and the Cardinal which perhaps was increased by the distaste he took at the Cardinals aspiring to the Popedom The first thing that the Emperor did in the Kings Cause was to protest in the Queen of Englands name that she refused to submit to the Legates The one was the Kings chief Minister and her mortal enemy The other was also justly suspected since he had a Bishoprick in England The Kings Ambassador pressed the Pope much not to admit the Protestation but it was pretended that it could not be denyed either in Law or Justice But that this might not offend the King Salviati that was the Popes Favourite wrote to Campegio that the Protestation could not be hindred but that the Pope did still most earnestly desire to satisfie the King and that the Ambassadors were much mistaken who were so distrustful of the Popes good mind to the Kings Cause But now good words could deceive the King no longer who clearly discovered the Popes mind and being out of all hopes of any thing more from Rome resolved to proceed in England before the Legates and therefore Gardiner was recalled who was thought the fittest person to manage the Process in England being esteemed the greatest Canonist they had and was so valued by the King that he would not begin the Process till he came Sr. Francis Brian was also recalled and when they took leave of the Pope they were ordered to Expostulate in the Kings name Upon the Partiality he expressed for the Emperor notwithstanding the many assurances that both the Legates had given the King that the Pope would do all he could toward his Satisfaction which was now so ill performed that he expected no more justice from him They were also to say as much as they could devise in the Cardinals name to the same purpose upon which they were to try if it were possible to obtain any Enlargement of the Commission with fuller Power to the Legates for they saw it was in vain to move for any new Bulls or Orders from the Pope about it And though Gardiner had obtained a Pollicitation from the Pope by which he both bound himself not to recal the cause from the Legates and also to confirm their Sentence and had sent it over they found it was so conceived that the Pope could go back from it when he pleased So there was a new Draught of a Pollicitation formed with more binding Clauses in it which Gardiner was to try if he could obtain by the following Pretence He was to tell the Pope that the Courier to whom he trusted it had been so little careful of it that it was all wet and defaced and of no more use so that he durst not deliver it And this might turn much to Gardiners prejudice that a matter of such Concern was through his neglect spoiled upon which he was to see if the Pope would renew it If that could be obtained he was to use all his Industry to get as many pregnant and material words added as might make it more binding He was also to assure the Pope that though the Emperor was gone to Barcellona to give reputation to his affairs in Italy yet he had neither Army nor Fleet ready so that they needed not fear him And he was to inform the Pope of the Arts he was using both in the English and French Court to make a separated Treaty But that all was to no pâ—rpose the two Kings being so firmly linked together But the Pope was so great a Master in all the Arts of Dissimulation and Policy that he was not to be overreached easily and when he understood that his Polliâ—itation was defaced he was in his heart glad at it and could not be prevailed with to renew it So they returned to England and Dr. Bennet came in their place He carryed with him one of the fullest and most important Dispatches that I find in this whole matter from the two Legates to the Pope and the Consistory who wrote to them that they had in vain endeavoured to perswade either party to yield to the other That the Breve being shewed to them by the Queen they found great and evident Presumptions of it's being a meer forgery and that they thought it was too much for them to sit and try the Validity or Authenticalness of the Popes Bulls or Breves or to hear his Power of Dispencing in such cases disputed therefore it was more expedient to Avocate the cause to which the King would consent if the Pope obliged himself under his hand to pass Sentence speedily in his favour but they rather advised the Granting a Decretal Bull which would put an end to the whole matter in order to which the Bearer was Instructed to show very good Precedents But in the mean while they advised the Pope to press the Queen most effectually to enter into a Religious life as that which would compose all these differences in the softest and easiest way It pitied them to see the rack and torments of Conscience under which the King had smarted so many years and that the Disputes of Divines and the Decrees of Fathers had so disquieted him that for clearing a matter thus perplexed there was not only need of Learning but of a more singular Piety and Illumination To this were to be added the desire of Issue the Settlement of the Kingdom with many other pressing reasons that as the matter did admit of no further delays so there was not any thing in the opposite scale to ballance these Considerations There were false Suggestions surmised abroad as if the hatred of the Queen or the desire of another wife who was not perhaps yet known much less designed were the true causes of this Suit But though the Queen was of a rough Temper and an unpleasant Conversation and was passed all hopes of Children yet who could imagine that the King who had spent his most youthful days with her so kindly would now in the decline of his Age be at all this trouble to be rid of her if he had no other Motives But they by searching his sore found there was rooted in his heart both an awe of God and a respect to Law and Order so that though all his people pressed him to drive the Matter to an issue yet he would still wait for the decision of the Apostolick See Therefore they most pressingly desire the Pope to grant the Cure which his distemper required and to consider that it was not fit to insist too much on the Rigour of the Law but since the Soul and Life of all the Laws of the Church was in the Popes breast in doubtful cases
were by an other Dispatch which Gardiner sent ordered to Protest and Appeal from the Pope as not the true Vicar of Christ to a true Vicar But the King upon second thoughts judged it not fit to proceed to this Extremity so soon They were also ordered to advertise the Pope that all the Nobility had assured the King they would adhere to him in case he were so ill used by the Pope that he were constrained to withdraw his obedience from the Apostolick See and that the Cardinals ruine was unavoidable if the Pope granted the Avocation The Emperors Agents had pretended they could not send the original Breve into England and said their Master would send it to Rome upon which the Ambassadors had solicited for Letters Compulsory to require him to send it to England yet left that might now be made an Argument by the Imperialists for an Avocation they were ordered to speak no more of it for the Legates would proceed to Sentence upon the attested Copy that was sent from Spain The Ambassadors had also orders to take the best Counsel in Rome about the Legal ways of hindring an Avocation But they found it was not fit to rely much on the Lawyers in that matter For as on the one hand there was no secrecy to be expected from any of them they having such expectations of preferments from the Pope which were beyond all the Fees that could be given them that they discovered all secrets to him So none of them would be earnest to hinder an Avocation it being their Interest to bring all Matters to Rome by which they might hope for much greater Fees And Salviati whom the Ambassadors had gained told them that Campana brought word out of England that the Process was then in a good forwardness They with many Oaths denyed there was any such thing and Silvester Darius who was sent express to Rome for opposing the Avocation confirmed all that they swore But nothing was believed for by a secret conveyance Campana had Letters to the contrary And when they objected to Salviati what was promised by Campana in the Popes name that he would do every thing for the King that he could do out of the fulness of his Power He answered that Campana swore he had never said any such thing So hard is the case of Ministers in such ticklish negotiations that they must say and unsay swear and forswear as they are Instructed which goes of Course as a part of their Business But now the Legates were proceeding in England Of the steps in which they went though a great deal be already published yet considerable things are passed over On the 31th of May the King by a Warrant under the Great Seal gave the Legates leave to execute their Commission upon which they Sate that same day The Commission was presented by Longland Bishop of Lincoln which was given to the Proto-Notary of the Court and he read it publickly then the Legates took it in their hands and said They were resolved to Execute it And first gave the usual Oaths to the Clerks of the Court and ordered a peremtory Citation of the King and Queen to appear on the 18th of Iune between 9 and 10 a Clock and so the Court Adjourned The next Session was on the 18th of Iune where the Citations being returned duely Executed Richard Simpson Dean of the Chappel and Mr. Iohn Bell appeared as the Kings Proxies But the Queen appeared in Person and did protest against the Legates as incompetent Judges alledging that the cause was already Avocated by the Pope and desired a competent time in which she might prove it The Legates assigned her the 21th and so Adjourned the Court till then About this time there was a severe Complaint exhibited against the Queen in Council of which there is an account given in a paper that has somewhat written at the conclusion of it with the Cardinals own hand The substance of it is That they were informed some designed to kill the King or the Cardinal in which if she had any hand she must not expect to be spared That she had not shewed such love to the King neither in Bed nor out of Bed as she ought And now that the King was very pensive and in much grief she showed great signs of joy setting on all people to Dancings and other Diversions This it seemed she did out of spite to the King since it was contrary to her temper and ordinary behaviour And whereas she ought rather to pray to God to bring this matter to a good conclusion she seemed not at all serious and that she might corrupt the peoples affections to the King she showed her self much abroad and by civilities and gracious bowing her head which had not been her custom formerly did study to work upon the people And that having the pretended Breve in her hands she would not show it sooner From all which the King concluded that she hated him Therefore his Council did not think it advisable for him to be any more conversant with her either in Bed or at Board They also in their Consciences thought his life was in such danger that he ought to withdraw himself from her company and not suffer the Princess to be with her These things were to be told her to induce her to enter into a Religious Order and to perswade her to submit to the King To which paper the Cardinal added in Latine That she played the fool if she contended with the King that her Children had not been blessed and somewhat of the evident suspitions that were of the Forgery of the Breve But she had a constant mind and was not to be threatned to any thing On the 21th of Iune the Court Sate The King and Queen were present in Person Campegio made a long Speech of the errand they were come about That it was a new unheard of vile and intolerable thing for the King and Queen to live in Adultery or rather Incest which they must now try and proceed as they saw just cause And both the Legates made deep protestations of the sincerity of their minds and that they would proceed justly and fairly without any favour or partiality As for the formal Speeches which the King and Queen made Hall who never failed in trifles sets them down which I incline to believe they really spoke for with the Journals of the Court I find those Speeches written down though not as a part of the Journal But here the Lord Herbert's usual diligence fails him for he fancies the Queen never appeared after the 18th upon which because the Journal of the next Sessions are lost he infers against all the Histories of that time That the King and the Queen were not in Court together And he seems to conclude that the 25th of Iune was the next Session after the 18th but in that he was mistaken For by an original Letter of the Kings to
the more The matter was such that by the Canon-Law it could not be denied For to grant an Avocation of a Cause upon good reason from the Delegated to the Supreme Court was a thing which by the course of Law was very usual And it was no less apparent that the Reasons of the Queens appeal were just and good But the secret and most convincing Motives that wrought more on the Pope than all other things were that the Treaty between him and the Emperor was now concerted Therefore this being to be published very speedily the Pope thought it necessary to avocate the matter to Rome before the publication of the Peace lest if he did it after it should be thought that it had been one of the secret Articles of the Treaty which would have cast a foul blot upon him Yet on the other hand he was not a little perplexed with the fears he had of losing the King of England he knew he was a man of an high Spirit and would resent what he did severely And the Cardinal now again ordered Dr. Bennet in his name and as with tears in his eyes lying at the Popes feet to assure him that the King and Kingdom of England were certainly lost if the Cause were Avocated Therefore he besought him to leave it still in their hands and assured him that for himself he should rather be torn in pieces joynt by joynt than do any thing in that matter contrary to his Conscience or to Justice These things had been oft said and the Pope did apprehend that ill effects would follow for if the King fell from his Obedience to the Apostolick See no doubt all the Lutheran Princes who were already bandying against the Emperor would joyn themselves with him and the Interests of France would most certainly engage that King also into the Union which would distract the Church give encouragement to Heresie and end in the utter ruin of the Popedom But in all this the crafty Pope comforted himself that many times threatnings are not intended to be made good but are used to terrifie and that the King who had written for the Faith against Luther and had been so ill used by him would never do a thing that would sound so ill as because he could not obtain what he had a mind to therefore to turn Heretick he also resolved to caress the French King much and was in hopes of making Peace between the Emperor and him But that which went nearest the Popes heart of all other things was the setting up of his Family at Florence and the Emperor having given him assurance of that it weighed down all other considerations Therefore he resolved he would please the Emperor but do all he could not to lose the King So on the 9th of Iuly he sent for the Kings Ambassadors and told them the Process was now so far set on in England and the Avocation so earnestly pressed that he could deny it no longer for all the Lawyers in Rome had told him the thing could not be denied in the common course of Justice Upon this the Ambassadors told him what they had in Commission to say against it both from the King and the Cardinal and pressed it with great vehemence So that the Pope by many sighs and tears showed how deep an impression that which they said made upon him he wished himself dead that he might be delivered out of that Martyrdom and added these words which because of their savouring so much of an Apostolical Spirit I set down Wo is me no body apprehends all those evils better than I do But I am so between the Hammer and the Forge that when I would comply with the Kings desires the whole storm then must fall on my head and which is worse on the Church of Christ. They did object the many promises he had made them both by word of mouth and under his hand He answered He desired to do more for the King than he had promised but it was impossible to refuse what the Emperor now demanded whose Forces did so surround him that he could not only force him to grant him Iustice but could dispose of him and all his Concerns at his pleasure The Ambassadors seeing the Pope was resolved to grant the Avocation pressed against it no further but studied to put it off for some time And therefore proposed that the Pope would himself write about it to the King and not grant it till he received his answer Of all this they gave Advertisement to the King and wrote to him that he must either drive the matter to a Sentence in great haste or to prevent the affront of an Advocation suspend the Process for some time They also advised the searching all the Packets that went or came by the way of Flanders and to keep up all Campegio's Letters and to take care that no Bull might come to England for they did much apprehend that the Avocation would be granted within very few days Their next Dispatch bore that the Pope had sent for them to let them know that he had Signed the Avocation the day before But they understood another way that the Treaty between the Emperor and him was finished and the Peace was to be proclaimed on the 18th of Iuly and that the Pope did not only fear the Emperor more than all other Princes but that he also trusted him more now On the 19th of Iuly the Pope sent a Messenger with the Avocation to England with a Letter to the Cardinal To the King he wrote afterwards All this while Campegio as he had Orders from the Pope to draw out the matter by delays so did it very dextrously And in this he pretended a fair excuse that it would not be for the Kings honour to precipitate the matter too much lest great advantages might be taken from that by the Queens Party That therefore it was fit to proceed slowly that the world might see with what Moderation as well as Justice the matter was handled From the 25th of Iune the Court Adjourned to the 28th ordering a second Citation for the Queen under the pains of Contumacy and of their proceeding to examine Witnesses And on the 28th they declared the Queen Contumacious the second time and examined several Witnesses upon the Articles and Adjourned to the 5th of Iuly on that day the Bull and Breve were read in Court and the Kings Council argued long against the validity of the one and the truth of the other Upon the grounds that have been already mentioned in which Campegio was much disgusted to hear them argue against the Popes Power of granting such a Dispensation in a matter that was against a Divine Precept alledging that his Power did not exend so far This the Legates over-ruled and said that that was too high a point for them to judg in or so much as to hear argued and that the Pope himself was the only
proper judge in that And it was odds but he would judge favourably for himself The Court Adjourned to the 12th and from that to the 14th On these days the Depositions of the rest of the Witnesses were taken and some that were ancient Persons were examined by a Commission from the Legates and all the Depositions were published on the 17th other instruments relating to the Process were also read and verified in Court On the 21th the Court saâ—e to conclude the matter as was expected and the Instrument that the King had Signed when he came of Age protesting that he would not stand to the Contract made when he was under Age was then read and verified Upon which the Kings Council of whom Gardiner was the chief closed their Evidence and summed up all that had been brought and in the Kings name desired Sentence might be given But Campegio pretending that it was fit some interval should be between that and the Sentence put it off till the 23th being Friday and in the whole Process he presided both being the ancienter Cardinal and chiefly to show great equity since exceptions might have been taken if the other had appeared much in it so that he only sate by him for form But all the Orders of the Court were still directed by Campegio On Friday there was a great appearance and a general expectation but by a strange surprize Campegio Adjourned the Court to the 1st of October for which he pretended that they sate there as a part of the Consistory of Rome and therefore must follow the Rules of that Court which from that time till October was in a Vacation and heard no Causes And this he averred to be true on the word of a true Prelate The King was in a Chamber very near where he heard what passed and was inexpressibly surprized at it The Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk were in Court and complained much of this delay and pressed the Legates to give Sentence Campegio answered that what they might then pronounce would be of no force as being in Vacation-time but gave great hopes of a favourable Sentence in the beginning of October Upon which the Lords spake very high And the Duke of Suffolk with great Commotion Swore by the Mass that he saw it was true which had been commonly said That never Cardinal yet did good in England and so all the Temporal Lords went away in a fury leaving the Legates Wolsey especially in no small perplexity Wolsey knew it would be suspected that he understood this before-hand and that it would be to no purpose for him either to say he did not know or could not help it all Apologies being ill heard by an enraged Prince Campegio had not much to lose in England but his Bishoprick of Salisbury and the reward he expected from the King which he knew the Emperor and the Pope would plentifully make up to him But his Collegue was in a worse condition he had much to fear because he had much to lose For as the King had severely chid him for the delays of the business so he was now to expect a heavy storm from him and after so long an Administration of Affairs by so insolent a Favourite it was not to be doubted but as many of his Enemies were joyning against him so matter must needs be found to work his ruin with a Prince that was Alienated from him Therefore he was under all the disorders which a fear that was heightned by Ambition and Covetousness could produce But the King govern'd himself upon this occasion with more temper than could have been expected from a man of his humour Therefore as he made no great show of disturbance so to divert his uneasie thoughts he went his Progress Soon after he received his Agents Letter from Rome and made Gardiner who was then Secretary of State write to the Cardinal to put Campegio to his Oath whether he had revealed the Kings Secrets to the Pope or not And if he Swore he had not done it to make him Swear he should never do it A little after that the Messenger came from Rome with a Breve to the Legates requiring them to proceed no further and with an Avocation of the Cause to Rome together with Letters Citatory to the King and Queen to appear there in Person or by their Proxies Of which when the King was advertised Gardiner wrote to the Cardinal by his order That the King would not have the Letters Citatory executed or the Commission discharged by vertue of them but that upon the Popes Breve to them they should declare their Commission void For he would not suffer a thing so much to the prejudice of his Crown as a Citation be made to appear in another Court nor would he let his Subjects imagine that he was to be Cited out of his Kingdom This was the first step that he made for the lessening of the Popes Power Upon which the two Cardinals for they were Legates no longer went to the King at Grafton It was generally expected that Wolsey should have been disgraced then for not only the King was offended with him but he received new Informations of his having juggled in the business and that he secretly advised the Pope to do what was done This was set about by some of the Queens Agents as if there was certain knowledge had of it at Rome and it was said that some Letters of his to the Pope were by a trick found and brought over to England The Emperor lookt on the Cardinal as his inveterate Enemy and designed to ruin him if it was possible nor was it hard to perswade the Queen to concur with him to pull him down But all this seems an artifice of theirs only to destroy him For the earnestness the Cardinal expressed in this matter was such that either he was sincere in it or he was the best at dessembling that ever was But these suggestions were easily infused in the Kings angry mind so strangely are men turned by their affections that sometimes they will believe nothing and at other times they believe every thing Yet when the Cardinal with his Colleague came to Court they were received by the King with very hearty expressions of kindness and Wolsey was often in private with him sometimes in presence of the Council and sometimes alone once he was many hours with the King alone and when they took leave he sent them away very obligingly But that which gave Cardinal Wolsey the most assurance was that all those who were admitted to the Kings privacies did carry themselves towards him as they were wont to do both the Duke of Suffolk Sir Thomas Boleyn then made Vis-count of Rochford Sir Brian Tuke and Gardiner concluding that from the motions of such Weather-cocks the air of the Princes affections was best gathered Anne Boleyn was now brought to the Court again out of which she had been dismissed for some
the whole Matter that I hope the Reader will not be ill pleased to have a short abstract of them laid before him An Abstract of those things which were written for the Divorce The Law of Marriage was originally given by God to Adam in the state of Innocence with this Declaration that man and wife were one Flesh but being afterwards corrupted by the Incestuous commixtures of those which were of Kin in the nearest degrees the Primitive Law was again revived by Moses And he gives many Rules and Prohibitions about the Degrees of Kinred and Affinity which are not to be looked on as new Laws and judiciary Precepts but as a Restoring of the Law of Nature originally given by God but then much corrupted For as the Preface which is so oft repeated before these Laws I am the Lord insinuates that they were conform to the Divine Nature so the consequences of them show they were Moral and Natural For the Breaches of them are called Wickedness and Abomination and are said to defile the Land and the Violation of them is charged on the Canaanites by which the Land was polluted and for which it did vomit out the Inhabitants From whence it must be concluded that these were not positive Precepts which did only bind the Iews but were parts of the Law of Mankind and Nature otherwise those Nations could contract no Guilt by their Violating them Among the forbidden Degrees one is Thou shalt not discover the Nakedness of thy Brothers wife it is thy Brothers Nakedness And it is again repeated If a man shall take his Brothers wife it is an unclean thing he hath uncovered his Brothers Nakedness they shall be childless These are clear and express Laws of God which therefore must needs oblige all persons of what rank soever without exception In the New Testament St. Iohn Baptist said to Herod It is not Lawful for thee to take thy Brothers wife which shows that these Laws of Moses were still obligatory St. Paul also in his epistle to the Corinthians condemns the Incestuous person for having his Fathers wife which is one of the Degrees forbidden by the Law of Moses and calls it a Fornication not so much as named among the Gentiles From whence it is inferred that these forbidden degrees are excluded by the Law of Nature since the Gentiles did not admit them St. Paul also calling it by the common name of Fornication within which according to that place all undue Commixtures of men and women are included Therefore those places in the New Testament that condemn Fornication do also condemn Marriages in forbidden degrees our Saviour did also assert the foundation of affinity by saying that man and wife are one Flesh. But in all Controverted things the sense of the Scriptures must be taken from the Tradition of the Church which no good Catholick can deny and that is to be found in the Decrees of Popes and Councils and in the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church against which if any argue from their private understanding of the Scriptures it is the way of Heresie and savours of Lutheranism The first of the Fathers who had occasion to write of this Matter was Tertullian who lived within an Age after the Apostles He in express words says that the Law of not Marrying the Brothers wife did still oblige Christians The first Pope whose decision was sought in this Matter was Gregory the Great to whom Austin the Apostle of England wrote for his resolution of some things in which he desired direction and one of these is Whether a man may Marry his Brothers wife who in the Language of that time was called his Kinswoman The Pope answered Negatively and proved it by the Law of Moses and therefore Defined that if any of the English Nation who had Marryed within that degree were converted to the Faith he must be admonished to abstain from his wife and to look on such a Marriage as a most grievous Sin From which it appears that that good Pope did judge it a thing which by no means could be dispenced with otherwise he had not pressed it so much under such Circumstances since in the first Conversion of a Nation to the Christian Faith the Insisting too much upon it might have kept back many from receiving the Christian Religion who were otherwise well inclined to it Calixtus Zacarias and Innocent the Third have plainly asserted the obligation of these Precepts in the Law of Moses the last particularly who treats about it with great vehemency So that the Apostolick See has already judged the Matter Several Provincial Councils have also declared the obligation of the Precepts about the degrees of Marriage in Leviticus by the Council at Neocesarea If a woman had been Marryed to two Brothers she was to be cast out of the Communion of the Church till her death and thâ— man that Marryed his Brothers wife was to be Anathematized which was also Confirmed in a Council held by Pope Gregory the Second Iâ— the Council of Agde where the Degrees that make a Marriage incestuous are reckoned this of Marrying the Brothers wife is one of them and there it was Decreed that all Marriages within these Degrees were Null and the Parties so Contracting were to be cast out of the Communion of the Church and put among the Catechumens till they separated themselves from one another And in the Second Council of Toledo the Authority of the Mosaical Prohibitions about the Degrees of Marriage is acknowledged It was one of Wickcliffs errors that the Prohibition of Marriage within such degrees was without any foundation in the Law of God for which and other points he was condemned first in a Convocation at London then at Oxford and last of all at the general Council of Constance these Condemnations were confirmed So formally had the Church in many Provincial Councils and in one that was General decided this matter Next to these the Opinions of the Fathers were to be considered In the Greek Church Origen first had occasion to Treat about it writing on Leviticus and Chrysostome after him but most fully St. Basil the Great who do expressly assert the obligations of these Precepts The last particularly refuting at great length the Opinion of some who thought the Marrying two Sisters was not unlawful laies it down as a Foundation That the Laws in Leviticus about Marriage were still in force Hesychius also writing upon Leviticus proves that these Prohibitions were universally obligatory because both the Egyptians and Cananites are taxed for Marrying within these Degrees From whence he inferrs they are of Moral and Eternal obligation From the Greek they went to the Latine Fathers and alledged as was already observed that Tertullian held the same Opinion and with him agreed the three great Doctors of the Latin Church Ambrose Ierom and
the Father Son Uncle and other such Relations there is no ground to disjoynt this so much from the rest as to make it only extend to a Marriage before the Husbands death And for any Presidents that were brought they were all in the latter Ages and were never Confirmed by any publick Authority Nor must the Practices of later Popes be laid in the Ballance against the Decisions of former Popes and the Doctrine of the whole Church and as to the Power that was ascribed to the Pope that began now to be enquired into with great Freedom as shall appear afterwards These Reasons on both sides being thus opened the Censures of them it is like will be as different now as they were then for they prevailed very little on the Queen who still persisted to justifie her Marriage and to stand to her Appeal And though the King carryed it very kindly to her in all outward appearance and employed every body that had credit with her to bring her to submit to him and to pass from her Appeal remitting the Decision of the matter to any Four Prelates and Four Secular men in England she was still unmovable and would hearken to no Proposition In the judgments that people passed the Sexes were divided the Men generally approved the Kings cause and the Women favoured the Queen But now the Session of Parliament came on the Sixteenth of Ianuary and there the King first brought in to the House of Lords the Determination of the Universities and the Books that were written for his cause by Forreigners After they were read and Considered there the Lord Chancellor did on the 20th of March with Twelve Lords both of the Spiritualty and Temporalty goe down to the House of Commons and shewed them what the Universities and Learned men beyond Sea had written for the Divorce and produced Twelve Original Papers with the Seals of the Universities to them which Sr. Brian Tuke took out of his hand and read openly in the House Translating the Latine into English Then about an Hundred Books written by Forreign Divines for the Divorce were also showed them none of which were read but put off to another time it being late When that was done the Lord Chancellor desired they would report in their Countries what they had heard and seen and then all men should clearly perceive that the King hath not attempted this matter of Will and Pleasure as strangers say but only for the Discharge of his Conscience and the Security of the Succession to the Crown Having said that he left the House The matter was also brought before the Convocation and they having weighed all that was said on both sides seemed satisfied that the Marriage was unlawful and that the Bull was of no force more not being required at that time But it is not strange that this matter went so easily in the Convocation when another of far greater consequence passed there which will require a â—ull and distinct account Cardinal Wolsey by exercising his Legantine Authority had fallen into a Premunire as hath been already shewn and now those who had appeared in his Courts and had sutes there were found to be likewise in the same guilt by the Law and this matter being excepted out of the Pardon that was granted in the former Parliament was at this time set on foot Therefore an Indictment was brought into the Kings Bench against all the Clergy of England for breaking the Statutes against Provisions or Provisors But to open this more clearly It is to be Considered that the Kings of England having claimed in all Ages a Power in Ecclesiastical Matters equal to what the Roman Emperors had in that Empire they exercised this Authority both over the Clergy and Laity and did at first erect Bishopricks grant Investitures in them call Synods make Laws about Sacred as well as Civil Concerns and in a word they Governed their whole Kingdom Yet when the Bishops of Rome did stretch their Power beyond either the limits of it in the Primitive Church or what was afterward granted them by the Roman Emperors and came to assume an Authority in all the Churches of Europe as they found some Resistance every where so they met with a great deal in this Kingdom and it was with much Difficulty that they gained the Power of giving Investitures Receiving Appeals to Rome and of sending Legates to England with several other things which were long contested but were delivered up at length either by feeble Princes or when Kings were so engaged at home or abroad that it was not safe for them to offend the Clergy For in the first Contest between the Kings and the Popes the Clergy were generally on the Popes side because of the Immunity and Protection they enjoyed from that See but when Popes became ambitious and warlike Princes then new Projects and Taxes were every where set on foot to raise a great Treasure The Pall with many Bulls and high Compositions for them Annates or first Fruits and Tenths were the standing Taxes of the Clergy besides many new ones upon emergent occasions So that they finding themselves thus oppressed by the Popes fled again back to the Crown for Protection which their Predecessors had abandoned From the days of Edward the 1st many Statutes were made to restrain the Exactions of Rome For then the Popes not satisfied with their other oppressions which a Monk of that time lays open fully and from a deep sense of them did by Provisions Bulls and other Arts of that See dispose of Bishopricks Abbeys and lesser Benefices to Forreigners Cardinals and others that did not live in England Upon which the Commonalty of the Realm did represent to the King in Parliament That the Bishopricks Abbeys and other Benefices were founded by the Kings and people of England To inform the people of the Law of God and to make Hospitality Alms and other works of Charity for which end they were endowed by the King and people of England and that the King and his other Subjects who endowed them had upon Voidances the Presentment and Collations of them which now the Pope had Usurped and given to Aliens by which the Crown would be disinherited and the ends of their endowments destroyed with other great Inconveniences Therefore it was ordained that these Oppressions should not be suffered in any manner But notwithstanding this the abuse went on and there was no effectual way laid down in the Act to punish these Transgressions The Court of Rome was not so easily driven out of any thing that either encreased their Power or their Profits Therefore by another Act in his Grand-Child Edward the 3ds time the Commons complained that these abuses did abound and that the Pope did daily reserve to his Collation Church-Preferments in England and raised the first-Fruits with other great Profits by which the Treasure of the Realm was carried out of it
to three of them and selected the 19 20 and 21 what these related to I find not Upon which Providellus pleaded and answered the Objections that did seem to militate against them but neither would the Imperiallists appear that Session In Iune news were brought to Rome which gave the Pope great offence A Priest had preached for the Popes Authority in England and was for that cast into prison And another Priest being put in prison by the Archbishop of Canterbury upon suspition of Heresie had appealed to the King as the Supreme Lord upon which he was taken out of the Archbishops hands and being examined in the Kings Courts was set at liberty This the Pope resented much but the Embassadors said all such things might have been prevented if the King had got Justice at the Popes hands The King also at this time desired a Bull for a Commission to erect six new Bishopricks to be endowed by Monasteries that were to be suppressed This was expedited and sent away at this time And the old Cardinal of Ravenna was so jealous that the Embassadors were forced to promise him the Bishoprick of Chester one of the new Bishopricks with which he was well satisfied having seen by a particular state of the Endowment that was designed for it what advantage it would yield him But he had declared himself so openly before against the Reasons for the Excuse that he could not serve the King in that matter but in the main Cause he undertook to do great service and so did the Cardinals De Monte and Ancona Upon the 27th of Iune the Debate was brought to a Conclusion about the Plea Excusatory and when it was expected that the Pope should have given sentence against the Articles he admitted them all Si prout de jure Upon which the Imperiallists made great Complaints The Cardinals grew weary of the length of the Debate since it took up all their time but it was told them the matter was of great importance and it had been better for them not to have proceeded so precipitately at first which had now brought them into this trouble and that the King had been at much pains and trouble on their account therefore it was unreasonable for them to complain who were put to no other trouble but to sit in their Chairs two or three hours in a week to hear the Kings Defences The Imperiallists had also occasioned the Delays though they complained of them by their Cavils and Allegations ofLaws and Decisions that never were made by which much time was spent But it was objected That the Kings Excuse for not coming to Rome because it was too remote from his Kingdom and not safe was of no force since the place was safe to his Proxy And the Cardinal of Ravenna pressed the Embassadors much to move the King instead of the Excusatory Process to send a Proxy for examining and discussing the Merits of the Cause in which it would be much easier to advance the Kings matter and that he having appeared against the King in this Process would be the less suspected in the other The business being further considered in three Sessions of the Consistory it was resolved that since the Vacation was coming on they would neither allow of nor reject the Kings Excusatory Plea but the Pope and College of Cardinals would write to the King intreating him to send a Proxy for judging the Cause against the Winter And with this Bonner was sent over with Instructions from the Cardinals that were gained to the King to represent to him that his Excusatory Plea could not be admitted for since the Debate was to be whether the Pope could grant the Dispensation or not it could not be committed to Legats but must be judged by the Pope and the Consistory He was also ordered to assure the King that the Pope did now lean so much to the French Faction that he needed not fear to refer the matter to him But while these things were in debate at Rome there was another Session of Parliament in April and then the King sent for the Speaker of the House of Commons and gave him the Answer which the Clergy had drawn to the Addresses they made in the former Session about their Courts The King himself seemed not at all pleased with it but what the House did in it does not appear further than that they were no way satisfied with it But there happened another thing that offended the King much One Temse of the House of Commons moved that they should address to the King to bring the Queen back to the Court and ran out upon the Inconveniences that were like to follow if the Queen were put away particularly the ill consequence of the Illegitimation of the Princess Upon this the King took occasion when he gave them the Clergies Answer to tell them that he wondered at that motion made in their House for the matter was not to be determined there It touched his Soul he wished his Marriage were good but the Doctors and Learned men had determined it to be null and detestable and therefore he was obliged in Conscience to abstain from her which he assured them flowed from no Lust nor foolish Appetite He was then 41 years old and at that Age those Heats abate But except in Spain or Portugal it had not been heard of that a man married two Sisters and that he never heard that any Christian man before himself had married his Brothers Wife Therefore he assured them his Conscience was troubled which he desired them to report to the House In this Session the Lord Chancellour came down to the Commons with many of the Nobility about him and told them the King had considered the Marches between England and Scotland which were uninhabited on the English side but well peopled on the Scottish and that laid England open to the Incursion of the Scots therefore the King intended to build Houses there for planting the English side This the Lords liked very well and thought it convenient to give the King some Aids for the Charges of so necessary a Work and therefore desired the Commons to consult about it Upon which the House voted a Subsidy of a Fifteenth But before the Bill could be finished the Plague broke out in London and the Parliament was prorogued till February following On the 11th of May three days before the Prorogation the King sent for the Speaker of the House of Commons and told him That he found upon Inquiry that all the Prelats whom he had looked on as wholly his Subjects were but half-Subjects for at their Consecration they swore an Oath quite contrary to the Oath they swore to the Crown so that it seemed they were the Popes Subjects rather than his Which he referred to their care that such order might be taken in it that the King might not be deluded Upon which the two Oaths that the
to which it related which was also shewed him having considered of them he said he would neither blame these that made the Act nor those that Swore the Oath but for his part though he was willing to Swear to the Succession if he might be suffered to draw an Oath concerning it yet for the Oath that was offered him his Conscience so moved him that he could not without hazarding his Soul take it Upon this the Lord Chancellour told him that he was the first who had refused to Swear it and that the King would be highly offended with him for denying it and so he was desired to withdraw and consider better of it Several others were called upon and did all take the Oath except the Bishop of Rochester who answered upon the matter as More had done When the Lords had dispatched all the rest More was again brought before them they shewed him how many had taken it he answered he judged no man for doing it only he could not do it himself Then they asked the reasons why he refused it He answered he feared it might provoke the King more against him if he should offer reasons which would be called a disputing against Law but when he was further pressed to give his reasons he said if the King would command him to do it he would put them in Writing The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury urged him with this Argument that since he said he blamed no other person for taking it it seemed he was not perswaded it was a Sin but was doubtful in the matter but he did certainly know he ought to obey the King and the Law so there was a certainty on the one hand and only a doubt on the other therefore he was obliged to do that about which he was certain notwithstanding these his doubtings This did shake him a little especially as himself writes coming out of so Noble a Prelates mouth but he answered that though he had examined the matter very carefully yet his Conscience leaned positively to the other side and he offered to purge himself by his Oath that it was purely out of a Principle of Conscience and out of no light Fantasie or Obstinacy that he thus refused it The Abbot of Westminster pressed him that however the matter appeared to him he might see his Conscience was Erroneous since the great Council of the Realm was of another mind and therefore he ought to change his Conscience A Reasoning very fit for so rich an Abbot which discovers of what temper his Conscience was But to this More answered that if he were alone against the whole Parliament he had reason to suspect his own understanding but he thought he had the whole Council of Christendome on his side as well as the great Council of England was against him Secretary Cromwell who as More writes tenderly favoured him seeing his ruin was now inevitable was much affected at it and protested with an Oath he had rather his own only Son had lost his head than that he should have refused the Oath Thus both he and the Bishop of Rochester refused it but both offered to Swear another Oath for the Succession of the Crown to the issue of the Kings present Marriage because that was in the Power of the Parliament to determine it Cranmer who was a moderate and wise man and foresaw well the ill effects that would follow on contending so much with persons so highly esteemed over the World and of such a temper that severity would bend them to nothing did by an earnest Letter to Cromwell dated the 27th of April move that what they offered might be accepted for if they once Swore to the Succession it would quiet the Kingdom for they acknowledging it all other persons would acquiesce and submit to their Judgments But this sage advice was not accepted The King was much irritated against them and resolved to proceed with them according to Law and therefore they were both indicted upon the Statute and Committed Prisoners to the Tower And it being apprehended that if they had Books and Paper given them they would write against the Kings Marriage or his Supremacy these were denyed them The Old Bishop was hardly used his Bishoprick was seized on and all his goods taken from him only some old rags were left to cover him and he was neither supplyed well in diet nor other necessaries of which he made sad complaints to Cromwell But the remander of this Tragical business which left one of the greatest blots on this Kings proceedings falling within the limits of the next Book I haste on to the Conclusion of this The Separation from Rome was made in the former Session of Parliament but the Kings Supremacy was not yet fully setled This was reserved for the next Session that sate in November from the 3d of that month to the 18th of December about which we can have no light from the Journals they being lost The first Act Confirmed what had been already acknowledged by the Clergy that the King was the Supream Head in Earth of the Church of England which was to be annexed to his other Titles it was also enacted that the King and his heirs and Successors should have Power to visit and reform all Heresies Errors and other Abuses which in the Spiritual jurisdiction ought to be reform'd By the Second Act they Confirmed the Oath about the Succession concerning which some doubts had been made because there was no Oath specified in the former Act though both Houses had taken it it was now Enacted that all the Subjects were obliged to take it when offered to them under the pains contained in the Act pass'd in the former Session By the Third Act the first Fruits and Tenths of all Ecclesiastical Benefices were given to the King as the Supream Head of the Church The Clergy were easily prevailed on to consent to the putting down of the Annates pay'd to the Court of Rome for all men readily concur to take off any Imposition but at that time it had perhaps abated much of their heartiness if they had imagined that these duties should have been still payed therefore that was kept up till they had done all that was to be done against Rome And now as the Commons and the Secular Lords would no doubt easily agree to lay a taxe on the Clergy so the others having no forreign support were not in a condition to wrestle against it In the Thirteenth Act among other things that were made Treason one was the denying the King the Dignity Title or name of his Estate Royal or the calling the King Heretick Schismatick Tyrant Infidel or Usurper of the Crown This was done to restrain the Insolencies of some Friars and all such offenders were to be denyed the Priviledge of Sanctuaries By the Fourteenth Act provision was made for Suffragan Bishops which as is said had been accustomed to be had within this Realm for the
more speedy administration of the Sacraments and other good wholesom and devout things and laudable ceremonies to the encrease of Gods honour and for the commodity of good and devout people therefore they appointed for Suffragans Sees the Towns of Thetford Ipswich Colechester Dover Gilford Southampton Taunton Shaftbury Malton Marleborough Bedford Leicester Glocester Shrewsbury Bristol Penreth Bridgewater Nottingham Grantham Hâ—ll Huntington Cambridge and the Towns of Pereth and Berwick St. Germans in Cornwall and the Isle of Wight For these Sees the Bishop of the Diocess was to present two to the King who might choose either of them and present the person so named to the Arch-Bishop of the Province to be Consecrated after which they might exercise such jurisdiction as the Bishop of the Diocess should give to them or as Suffragans had been formerly used to do but their Authority was to last no longer than the Bishop continued his Commission to them But that the Reader may more clearly see how this Act was executed he shall find in the Collection a Writ for making a Suffragan Bishop These were believed to be the same with the Chorâ—piscopi in the Primitive Church which as they were begun before the first Council of Nice so they continued in the Western Church till the Ninth Century and then a Decretal of Damasus being forged that condemned them they were put down every-where by degrees and now revived in England Then followed the grant of a Subsidy to the King It was now Twelve years since there was any Subsidy granted A Fiveteenth and a Tenth were given to be payed in Three years the final payment being to be at Allhallontide in the year 1537. The Bill began with a most Glorious Preamble of the Kings high Wisdom and Policy in the Government of the Kingdom these Twenty Four years in great wealth and quietness and the great charges he had been at in the last War with Scotland in fortifying Callais and in the War of Ireland and that he intended to bring the wilful wild and unreasonable and savage people of Ireland to Order and Obedience and intended to build Forts on the Marches of Scotland for the security of the Nation to amend the Haven of Calais and make a new one at Dover By all which they did perceive the entire love and zeal which the King bore to his People and that he sought not their wealth and quietness only for his own time being a Mortal man but did provide for it in all time coming therefore they thought that of very equity reason and good Conscience they were bound to show like correspondence of zeal gratitude and kindness Upon this the King sent a general pardon with some exceptions ordinary in such cases But Fisher and More were not only excluded from this pardon by general Clauses but by two particular Acts they were attainted of misprision of Treason By the Third Act according to the Record Iohn Bishop of Rochester Christopher Plummer Nicholas Wilson Edward Powel Richard Fetherston and Miles Willyr Clerks were attainted for refusing the Oath of Succession and the Bishoprick of Rochester with the Benefices of the other Clerks were declared void from the 2d of Ianuary next yet it seems few were fond of succeeding him in that See for Iohn Hilsey the next Bishop of Rochester was not Consecraed before the year 1537. By the Fourth Act Sr. Thomas More is by an Invidious Preamble charged with ingratitude for the great favours he had received from the King and for studying to sow and make sedition among the Kings Subjects and refusing to take the Oath of Succession therefore they declared the Kings Grants to him to be void and attaint him of misprision of Treason This severity though it was blamed by many yet others thought it was necessary in so great a Change since the Authority of these two men was such that if some signal notice had not been taken of them many might by their endeavors especially encouraged by that Impunity have been corrupted in their affections to the King Others thought the prosecuting them in such a manner did rather raise their reputation higher and give them more credit with the people who are naturally enclined to pity those that suffer and to think well of those opinions for which they see men resolved to endure all extremities But others observed the justice of God in retaliating thus upon them their own severities to others for as Fisher did grievously prosecute the preachers of Luthers Doctrine so Mores hand had been very heavy on them as long as he had Power and he had shewed them no mercy but the extremity of the Law which himself now felt to be very heavy Thus ended this Session of Parliament with which this Book is also to conclude for now I come to a Third period of the Kings Reign in which he did Govern his Subjects without any Competitor but I am to stop a little and give an account of the Progress of the Reformation in these years that I have past through The Cardinal was no great persecutor of Hereticks which was generally thought to flow from his hatred of the Clergy and that he was not ill pleased to have them depressed During the agitation of the Kings process there was no prosecution of the Preachers of Luthers Doctrine whether this flowed from any Intimation of the Kings pleasure to the Bishops or not I cannot tell but it is very probable it must have been so for these opinions were received by many and the Popish Clergy were so inclined to severity that as they wanted not Occasions so they had a good mind to use those Preachers cruelly so that it is likely the King restrained them and that was always mixed with the other threatnings to work upon the Pope that Heresie would prevail in England if the King got not justice done him so that till the Cardinal fell they were put to no further trouble But as soon as More came into favour he pressed the King much to put the Laws against Hereticks in execution and suggested that the Court of Rome would be more wrought upon by the Kings supporting the Church and defending the Faith vigorously than by threatnings and therefore a long Proclamation was issued out against the Hereticks many of their Books were prohibited and all the Laws against them were appointed to be put in execution and great care was taken to seize them as they came into England but many escaped their diligence There were some at Antwerp Tindal Ioye Constantine with a few more that were every year writing and printing new Books chiefly against the corruptions of the Clergy the Superstition of pilgrimages of worshiping Images Saints and Relicks and against relying on these things which were then called in the common style Good works in opposition to which they wrote much about Faith in Christ with a true Evangelical obedience as the only mean by which men
And therefore they were every-where meeting together and consulting what should be done for suppressing Heresie and preserving the Catholick Faith That zeal was much inflamed by the Monks and Friers who clearly saw the Acts of Parliament were so levelled at their Exemptions and Immunities that they were now like to be at the Kings mercy They were no more to plead their Bulls nor claim any Priviledges further than it pleased the King to allow them No new Saints from Rome could draw more Riches or Honour to their Orders Priviledges and Indulgences were out of doors so that the Arts of drawing in the people to enrich their Churches and Houses were at an end And they had also secret Intimations that the King and the Courtiers had an eye on their Lands and they gave themselves for lost if they could not so embroyl the Kings Affairs that he should not adventure on so invidious a thing Therefore both in Confessions and Conferences they infused into the people a dislike of the Kings Proceedings which though for some time it did not break out into an open Rebellion yet the humor still fermented and people only waited for an opportunity So that if the Emperor had not been otherwise distracted he might have made War upon the King with great Advantages For many of his discontented Subjects would have joyned with the Enemy But the King did so dextrously manage his Leagues with the French King and the Princes of the Empire that the Emperor could never make any impressions on his Dominions But those factious Spirits seeing nothing was to be expected from any forreign Power could not contain themselves but broke out into open Rebellion And this provoked the King to great severities His Spirit was so fretted by the tricks the Court of Rome had put on him and by the Ingratitude and seditious practises of Reginald Pool that he thereby lost much of his former temper and patience and was too ready upon slight grounds to bring his Subjects to the Bar. Where though the matter was always so ordered that according to Law they were Endicted and Judged yet the severity of the Law bordering sometimes on rigor and cruelty he came to be called a cruel Tyrant Nor did his severity lie only on one side but being addicted to some Tenets of the Old Religion and impatient of Contradiction or perhaps blown up either with the vanity of his new Title of Head of the Church or with the praises which Flatterers bestowed on him he thought all persons were bound to regulate their Belief by his Dictates which made him prosecute Protestants as well as proceed against Papists Yet it does not appear that Cruelty was Natural to him For in Twenty five years Reign none had suffered for any Crime against the State but Pool Earl of Suffolk and Stafford Duke of Buckingham The former he prosecuted in Obedience to his Fathers last Commands at his death His severity to the other was imputed to the Cardinals Malice The Proceedings were also legal And the Duke of Buckingham had by the knavery of a Priest to whom he gave great credit been made believe he had a Right to the Crown and practises of that nature touch Princes so nearly that no wonder the Law was executed in such a case This showes that the King was not very jealous nor desirous of the Blood of his Subjects But though he always proceeded upon Law yet in the last Ten years of his Life many instances of Severity occurred for which he is rather to be pityed than either imitated or sharply censured The former Book was full of Intrigues and forreign Transactions the greatest part of it being an account of a tedious Negotiation with the subtlest and most refined Court in Christendome in all the Arts of humane Policy But now my work is confined to this Nation and except in short touches by the way I shall meddle no further with the Mysteries of State but shall give as clear an account of those things that relate to Religion and Reformation as I could possibly recover The Suppression of Monasteries The advance and declension of Reformation and the Proceedings against those who adhered to the Interests of the Court of Rome must be the chief Subjects of this Book The two former shall be opened in the series of time as they were Transacted But the last shall be left to the end of the Book that it may be presented in one full view After the Parliament had ended their Business the Bishops did all renew their Allegeance to the King and swore also to maintain his Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Matters acknowledging that he was the Supreme Head of the Church of England though there was yet no Law for the requiring of any such Oath The first act of the Kings Supremacy was his naming Cromwell Vicar-General and General Visitor of all the Monasteries and other Priviledged places This is commonly confounded with his following Dignity of Lord Vice-Gerent in Ecclesiastical matters but they were two different Places and held by different Commissions By the one he had no Authority over the Bishops nor had he any Precedence but the other as it gave him the Precedence next the Royal Family so it cloathed him with a compleat Delegation of the Kings whole Power in Ecclesiastical Affairs For Two years he was only Vicar-General But the tenour of his Commissions and the nature of the Power devolved on him by them cannot be fully known For neither the one nor the other are in the Rolls though there can be no doubt made but Commissions of such Importance were enrolled therefore the loss of them can only be charged on that search and rasure of Records made by Bonner upon the Commission granted to him by Queen Mary of which I have spoken in the Preface of this work In the Prerogative-Office there is a subalterne Commission granted to Doctor afterwards Secretary Petre on Ian. 13. in the Twenty Seventh year of the Kings Reign by which it appears that Cromwells Commission was at first conceived in very General words for he is called the Kings Vice-Gerent in Ecclesiastical causes his Vicar-General and Official-Principal But because he could not himself attend upon all these affairs therefore Doctor Petre is deputed under him for receiving the Probates of Wills from thence likewise it appears that all Wills where the Estate was 200 lib. or above were no more to be tryed or proved in the Bishops Courts but in the Vicar-Generals Court Yet though he was called Vice-Gerent in that Commission he was spoken of and writ to by the Name of Vicar-General but after the second Commission seen and mentioned by the Lord Herbert in Iuly 1536. he was alwayes designed Lord Vice-Gerent The next thing that was every-where laboured with great industry was to engage all the rest of the Clergy chiefly the Regulars to own the Kings Supremacy To which they generally submitted In Oxford the Question being put whether
the Pope had any other Jurisdiction in England than any other forreign Bishop it was referred to Thirty Doctors and Batchelors who were impowered to set the University-Seal to their Conclusion they all agreed in the Negative and the whole University being examined about it man by man assented to their determination All the difficulty that I find made was at Richmond by the Franciscan Friers where the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield Rowland Lee and Thomas Bedyl tendred some Conclusions to them among which this was one That the Pope if Rome has no greater jurisdiction in this Kingdom of England by the Law of God than any other Forreign Bishop This they told them was already subscribed by the two Arch-Bishops the Bishops of London Winchester Duresm Bath and all the other Prelates and Heads of Houses and all the famous Clerks of the Realm And therefore they desired that the Friers would refer the matter to the Four Seniors of the House and acquiesce in what they should do But the Friers said it concerned their Consciences and therefore they would not submit it to a small part of their House they added that they had sworn to follow the Rule of St. Francis and in that they would live and dy and cited a Chapter of their Rule That their Order should have a Cardinal for their Protector by whose directions they might be governed in their obedience to the Holy See But to this the Bishop answered That St. Francis lived in Italy where the Monks and other Regulars that had Exemptions were subject to the Pope as they were in England to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury And for the Chapter which they cited it was showed them that it was not written by St. Francis but made since his time and though it were truly a part of his Rule it was told them that no particular Rule ought to be preferred to the Laws of the Land to which all Subjects were bound to give Obedience and could not be excused from it by any voluntary Obligation under which they brought themselves Yet all this could not prevail on them but they said to the Bishop they had professed St. Francis's Rule and would still continue in the Observance of it But though I do not find such resistance made elsewhere yet it appears that some secret practises of many of those Orders against the State were discovered therefore it was resolved that some effectual means must be taken for lessening their credit and Authority with the people and so a general Visitation of all Monasteries and other Religious Houses was resolved on This was chiefly advised by Doctor Leighton who had been in the Cardinals service with Cromwell and was then taken notice of by him as a dextrous and diligent man and therefore was now made use of on this Occasion He by a Letter to Cromwell advertised him that upon a long Conference with the Dean of the Arches he found the Dean was of Opinion that it was not fit to make any Visitation in the Kings name yet for Two or Three years till his Supremacy were better received and that he apprehended a severe Visitation so early would make the Clergy more averse to the Kings Power But Leighton on the other hand thought nothing would so much recommend the Supremacy as to see such good effects of it as might follow upon a strict and exact Visitation And the Abuses of Religious persons were now so great and visible even to the Laity That the Correcting and Reforming these would be a very popular thing He writ further That there had been no Visitation in the Northern parts since the Cardinal Ordered it Therefore he advised one and desired to be employed in York-shire And by another Letter dated the 4th of Iune he wrote to Cromwell desiring that Doctor Lee and he might be imployed in Visiting all the Monasteries from the Diocess of Lincoln Northwards which they could Manage better than any body else having great kindred and a large acquaintance in those parts so that they would be able to discover all the disorders or seditious practises in these Houses He complained that former Visitations had been slight and insignificant and promised great faithfulness and diligence both from himself and Doctor Lee. The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was now making his Metropolitical Visitation having obtained the Kings Licence for it which says That he having desired that according to the Custom and the Prerogative of his Metropolitical See he might make his Visitation The King granted him Licence to do it and required all to assist and obey him dated the 28th of April Things were not yet ripe for doing great matters so that which he now look'd to was to see that all should submit to the Kings Supremacy and renounce any dependance on the Pope whose name was to be struck out of all the Publick Offices of the Church This was begun in May 1535. Stokesly Bishop of London submitted not to this Visitation till he had entered Three Protestations for keeping up of Priviledges In October began the great Visitation of Monasteries which was committed to several Commissioners Leighton Lee and London were most imployed But many others were also empowered to Visit. For I find Letters from Robert Southwell Elâ—ice Price Iohn Ap-price Richard Southwell Iohn â—age Richard Bellasis Waltâ—r Hendle and several others to Cromwell giving him an account of the Progress they made in their several Provinces Their Commissions if they were passed under the great Seal and enrolled have been taken out of the Rolls for there are none of them to be found there Yet I encline to think they were not under the great Seal For I have seen an Original Commission for the Visitation that was next year which was only under the Kings hand and Signet From which it may be inferred that the Commissions this year were of the same nature yet whether such Commissions could Authorize them to grant Dispensations and Discharge men out of the Houses they were in I am not skill'd enough in Law to determine And by their Letters to Cromwell I find they did assume Authority for these things So what their Power was I am not able to discover But besides their Powers and Commissions they got Instructions to direct them in their Visitations and Injunctions to be left in every House of which though I could not recover the Originals yet Copies of very good Authority I have seen which the Reader will find in the Collection at the end of this Book The Instructions contain 86 Articles The substance of them was to try Whether Divine Service was kept up day and night in the right hours And how many were commonly present and who were frequently absent Whether the full number according to the Foundation was in every House Who were the Founders What additions have been made since the Foundation And what were their Revenues Whether it was ever changed from one
Primitive times were to their Bishops according to the Canons of the Council of Chalcedon But upon the confusions which the Gothick Wars brought into Italy Beâ—edict and others set up Religious Houses and more artificial Rules and Methods were found out for their Government Not long after that Austin the Monk came into England and having Baptized Ethelbert he perswaded him to Found a Monastery at Canterbury which the King by his Charter exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Arch-Bishop and his Successors This was not only done by Austins consent but he by another Writing confirms this Foundation and exempted both the Monastery and all the Churches belonging to it from his or his Successors Jurisdictions and most earnestly conjures his Successors never to give any trouble to the Monks who were only to be subject to their own Abbot And this was granted that they might have no disturbance in the Service of God But whether this with many other Ancient Foundations were not latter Forgeries which I vehemently suspect I leave to Criticks to discuss the next Exemption that I find was granted in the year 680 to the Abby of Peterborough by Pope Agatho and was Signed by Theodore Arch-Bishop of Canterbury called the Popes Legate this I doubt was Forged afterwards In the year 725 King Ina's Charter to the Abbey of Glassenbury relates to their Ancient Charters and exempts them from the Bishops Jurisdiction King Offa Founded and exempted the Monastery of St. Albans in the year 793 which Pope Honorius the 3d Confirmed Anno 1218 Kenulph King of Mercia founded and exempted Abington in the year 821. Knut Founded and exempted St. Edmundsbury in the year 1020. About the end of the Eighth Century the Danes began to make their descents into England and made every-where great depredations and finding the Monks had possessed themselves of the greatest part of the Riches of the Nation they made their most frequent inroads upon these places where they knew the Richest spoyl was to be found And they did so wast and ruine these Houses that they were generally abandon'd by the Monks who as they loved the ease and wealth they had enjoyed formerly in their Houses so had no mind to expose themselves to the persecutions of those heathenish Invaders But when they had deserted their Seats the Secular Clergy came and possessed them so that in King Edgars time there was scarce a Monk in all England He was a most dissolute and lewd Prince but being perswaded by Dunstan and other Monks that what he did towards the restoring of that decayed State would be a matter of great Merit became the great Promoter of the Monastical State in England For he converted most of the Chapters into Monasteries and by his Foundation of the Priory of Worcester it appears he had then founded no fewer then Fourty Seven which he intended to encrease to Fifty the number of Pardon Yet in his Foundations he only exempted the Monasteries from all exactions or dues which the Bishops claim'd There are Exemptions of several rates and sizes Some Houses were only Exempted from all Exactions others from all Jurisdiction or Visitations others had only an Exemption for their precinct others for all the Churches that belonged to them Edward the Confessor exempted many of these Houses which Edgar had founded as Ramsey c. He also founded and Exempted Coventry and Westminster and the Exemption of the last was likewise confirmed by Pope Nicolas in a Bull to King Edward William the Conqueror Founded and Exempted the Abbey of Battel from all Episcopal Jurisdiction But after that time I do not find that our Kings exempted Abbeys from any thing but Episcopal Exactions for though formerly Kings had made Laws and given Orders about Ecclesiastical matters yet now the claim to an Immunity from the Civil Jurisdiction and also the Papal Authority were grown to that height that Princes were to meddle no more with sacred things And henceforth all Exemptions were granted by the Popes who claimed a Jurisdiction over the whole Church and assumed that Power to themselves with many other Usurpations All the Ancient Foundations were subscribed by the King the Queen and Prince with many Bishops and Abbots and Dukes and Earls consenting The Abbeys being exempted from all jurisdiction both Civil and Spiritual and from all Impositions and having generally the Priviledge of Sanctuary for all that fled to them were at ease and accountable to none so they might do what they pleased They found also means to enrich themselves First by the belief of Purgatory For they perswaded all people that the Souls departed went generally thither few were so Holy as to go straight to Heaven and few so bad as to be cast to Hell Then people were made believe that the saying of Masses for their Souls gave them great relief in their Torments and did at length deliver them out of them This being generally received it was thought by all a piece of piety to their Parents and of necessary care for themselves and their families to give some part of their Estates towards the enriching of these Houses for having a Mass said every day for the Souls of their Ancestors and for their own after their death And this did so spread that if some Laws had not restrained their profuseness the greater part of all the Estates in England had been given to those Houses But the Statutes of Mortmain were not very effectual restrains for what King soever had refused to grant a Mortmain was sure to have an uneasie reign ever after Yet this did not satisfie the Monks but they fell upon other contrivances to get the best of all mens Jewels Plate and Furniture For they perswaded them that the protection and intercession of Saints were of mighty use to them so that whatsoever respect they put on the Shrines and Images but chiefly on the Relicks of Saints they would find their account in it and the Saints would take it kindly at their hands and intercede the more earnestly for them And people who saw Courtiers much wrought on by presents imagined the Saints were of the same temper only with this difference that Courtiers love to have Presents put in their own hands but the Saints were satisfied if they were given to others And as in the Courts of Princes the new Favourite commonly had greatest credit so every new Saint was believed to have a greater force in his Addresses and therefore every body was to run to their Shrines and make great Presents to them This being infused into the credulous Multitude they brought the richest things they had to the places where the bodies or Relicks of those Saints were laid Some Images were also believed to have a peculiar Excellencie in them and Pilgrimages and Presents to these were much magnified But to quicken all this the Monks found the means either by dreams and visions or strange Miraculous stories to feed the devotion of the people
this Rebellion which was chiefly carryed on by the Clergy under pretence of Religion And now the King was delivered of all his apprehensions that he had been in for some years in fear of Stirs at home But they being now happily composed as he knew it would so overawe the rest of his discontented Subjects that he needed fear nothing from them for a great while so it encouraged him to go on in his other designs of suppressing the rest of the Monasteries and reforming some other Points of Religion Therefore there was a new Visitation appointed for all the Monasteries of England And the Visiters were ordered to Examine all things that related either to their Conversation to their affection to the King and the Supremacy or to their Superstition in their several Houses To discover what Cheats and Impostures there were either in their Images Relicks or other miraculous things by which they had drawn people to their Houses on Pilgrimages and gotten from them any great Presents Also to try how they were affected during the late Commotions and to discover every thing that was amiss in them and report it to the Lord Vice-gerent In the Records of the whole Twenty Eighth year of the Kings Reign I find but one Original Surrender of any Religious House The Abbot of Furnese in Lincolnshire valued at 960 lib. with Thirty Monks resigning up that House to the King on the 9th of April which was very near the end of the year of the Kings Reign for it commenced on the 22d of April Two other Surrenders are enrolled that year The one was of Bermondsey in Surrey the first of Iune in the twenty eighth of the Kings Reign The Preamble was that they Surrendred in hopes of greater Benevolence from the King But this was the effect of some secret practice and not of the Act of Parliament For it was valued at 548 lib. and so fell not within the Act. The other was of Bushlisham or Bishtam in Berkshire made by Barlow Bishop of St. Davids that was Commendator of it and a great Promoter of the Reformation It was valued at 327 lib. But in the following year they made a quicker Progress and found strange Enormities in the greater Houses It seems all the Houses under 200 lib. of Rent were not yet suppressed For I find many within that value afterwards resigning their Houses So that I am enclined to believe that the first visitation being made towards the Suppression of the lesser Monasteries and that as appears by their Instructions being not to be finished till they had made a report of what they had done to the Court of Augmentations who were after the report made to determine what pensions were to be reserved to the Abbot and other Officers which report was to be made in the Octaves of St. Michael and after that a new Commission was to be given for their Suppression when that was done they went no further at that time that so I cannot think there were many Houses Suppressed when these Stirres began and after their first rising it is not likely that great Progress would be made in a business that was like to inflame the people more and encrease the number of the Rebels Neither do I find any Houses suppressed by vertue of the former Act of Parliament till the twenty ninth year of the Kings Reign And yet they made no great hast this year For there are but twenty one Surrenders all this year either in the Rolls or Augmentation-Office And now not only small Abbeys but greater ones were surrendred to the King The Abbots were brought to do it upon several Motives Some had been faulty during the late Rebellion and were liable to the Kings displeasure and these to redeem themselves compounded the matter by a Resignation of their House Others began to like the Reformation and that made them the more willing to surrender their Houses such as Barlow Bishop of St. Davids who not only surrendered up his own House of Bushlisham but prevailed on many others to do the like Others were convicted of great disorders in their Conversation and these not daring to stand a Tryal were glad to accept of a Pension for life and deliver up their House Others were guilty of making great wastes and Dilapidations For they all saw the Dissolution of their Houses approaching and so every one was induced to take all the care he could to provide for himself and his kindred so that the Visitors found in some of the Richest Abbies of England as St. Albans and Battell such depredations made that at St. Albans an Abbot could not subsist any longer the rents were so low and in Battell as all their furniture was old and torn not worth an 100 lib. so both in House and Chappel they had not 400 Marks worth of Plate In other Houses they found not above twelve or fifteen Ounces of Plate and no furniture at all but only such things as they could not embezel as the Walls and Windows Bells and Lead In other Houses the Abbot and Monks were glad to accept of a Pension for themselves during life and so being only concerned for their own particular interest resigned their House to the King Generally the Monks had eight Marks a year Pension till they were provided for The Abbots Pensions were proportioned to the Value of their House and to their Innocence The Abbots of St. Albans and Tewksbury had 400 Marks a year a piece The Abbot of St. Edmundsbury was more Innocent for the Visitors wrote from thence that they could find no scandals in that House So he it seems was not easily brought to Resign his House and had 500 Marks Pension reserved to him And for their inferior Officers some had 30. some 10. or 8. and the lowest 6 lib. Pension In other places upon a vacancy either by death or deprivation they did put in an Abbot only to resign up the House For after the Kings Supremacy was established all those Abbots that had been formerly confirmed by the Pope were placed in this manner The King granted a Conge d'elire to the Prior and Convent with a Missive Letter declaring the name of the person whom they should choose then they returned an election to the King who upon that gave his assent to it by a Warrant under the great Seal which was certified to the Lord Vice-gerent who thereupon Confirmed the Election and returned him back to the King to take the Oaths upon which the Temporalities were restored Thus all the Abbots were now placed by the King and were generally pickt out to serve this turn Others in hope of advancement to Bishopricks or to be Suffragan Bishops as the inferior sort of them were made generally were glad to recommend themselves to the Kings favour by a quick and cheerful Surrender of their Monasterie Upon some of these inducements it was that the greatest number of the Religious Houses were resigned to the King
brought with them then they afforded them the favour of turning the clear side outward who upon that went home very well-satisfied with their journey and the expence they had been at There was brought out of Wales a huge Image of wood called Darvel Gatheren of which one Ellis Price Visitor of the Diocess of St. Asaph gave this account On the 6th of April 1537. That the people of the Countrey had a great Superstition for it and many Pilgrimages were made to it so that the day before he wrote there were reckoned to be above five or six hundred Pilgrims there Some brought Oxen and Cattel and some brought Money and it was generally believed that if any offered to that Image he had Power to deliver his Soul from Hell So it was ordered to be brought to London where it served for fewel to burn Friar Forrest There was an huge Image of our Lady at Worcester that was had in great reverence which when it was stript of some veils that covered it was found to be the Statue of a Bishop Barlow Bishop of St. Davids did also give many advertisements of the Superstition of his Countrey and of the Clergy and Monks of that Diocess who were guilty of Heathenish Idolatry gross Impiety and Ignorance and of abusing the people with many evident forgeries about which he said he had good evidence when it should be called for But that which drew most Pilgrims and presents in those parts was an Image of our Lady with a Taper in her hand which was believed to have burnt nine years till one forswearing himself upon it it went out and was then much Reverenced and Worshipped He found all about the Cathedral so full of Superstitious conceits that there was no hope of working on them therefore he proposed the Translating the Episcopal Seat from St. Davids to Caermaerden which he pressed by many Arguments and in several Letters but with no success Then many rich Shrines of our Lady of Walsingham of Ipswich and Islington with a great many more were brought up to London and burnt by Cromwels Orders But the richest Shrine of England was that of Thomas Becket called St. Thomas of Canterbury the Martyr who being raised up by King Henry the ad to the Arch-Bishoprick of Canterbury did afterwards give that King much trouble by opposing his Authority and exalting the Popes And though he once consented to the Articles agreed on at Clarendon for bearing down the Papal and securing the Regal Power yet he soon after repented of that only piece of Loyalty of which he was guilty all the while he was Arch-Bishop He fled to the Pope who received him as a Confessor for the dearest Article of the Roman Belief The King and Kingdoms were Excommunicated and put under an Interdict upon his Account But afterwards upon the Intercession of the French King King Henry and he were reconciled and the Interdict was taken off Yet his unquiet Spirit could take no rest for he was no sooner at Canterbury than he began to Embroyl the Kingdom again and was proceeding by Censures against the Arch-Bishop of York and some other Bishops for Crowning the Kings Son in his Absence Upon the news of that the King being then in Normandy said If he had faithful Servants he would not be so troubled with such a Priest whereupon some zealous or officious Courtiers came over and killed him For which as the King was made to undergoe a severe pennance so the Monks were not wanting in their ordinary Arts to give out many miraculous stories concerning his Blood This soon drew a Canonization from Rome and he being a Martyr for the Papacy was more extolled than all the Apostles or Primitive Saints had ever been So that for 300 years he was accounted one of the greatest Saints in Heaven as may appear from the accounts in the leger-Books of the offerings made to the three greatest Altars in Christs Church in Canterbury The one was to Christ the other to the Virgin and the third to St. Thomas In one year there was offered at Christ's Altar 3 lib. 2 s. 6 d. To the Virgins Altar 63 lib. 5 s. 6 d. But to St. Thomas's Altar 832 lib. 12 s. 3 d. But the next year the odds grew greater for there was not a penny offered at Christs Altar and at the Virgins only 4 lib. 1 s. 8 d. But at St. Thomas's 954 lib. 6 s. 3 d. By such offerings it came that his Shrine was of inestimable value There was one Stone offered there by Lewis the 7th of France who came over to visit it in a Pilgrimage that was believed the Richest in Europe Nor did they think it enough to give him one day in the Calendar the 29th of December but unusual honours were devised for this Martyr of the liberties of the Church greater than any that had been given to the Martyrs for Christianity The day of raising his body or as they called it of his Translation being the 7th of Iuly was not only a holy-day but every 50th year there was a Jubilee for 15 days together and Indulgence was granted to all that came to visit his shrine as appears from the Record of the sixth Jubilee after his Translation Anno. 1420 which bears that there were then about an hundred thousand strangers come to visit his Tomb. The Jubilee began at twelve a clock on the Vigil of the feast and lasted 15 days by such Arts they drew an incredible deal of wealth to his shrine The Riches of that together with his disloyal practices made the King resolve both to un-shrine and un-Saint him at once And then his skull which had been much worshipped was found an Imposture For the true skull was lying with the rest of his bones in his grave The shrine was broken down and carryed away the Gold that was about it filling two Chests which were so heavy that they were a load to Eight strong men to carry them out of the Church And his bones were as some say burnt so it was understood at Rome but others say they were so mixed with other dead bones that it would have been a Miracle indeed to have distinguished them afterwards The King also ordered his name to be struck out of the Kalendar and the office for his Festivity to be dasht out of all Breviaries And thus was the Superstition of England to Images and Relicks extirpated Yet the King took care to qualifie the distaste which the Articles published the former year had given And though there was no Parliament in the year 1537. yet there was a Convocation upon the Conclusion of which there was Printed an Explanation of the chief points of Religion Signed by nineteen Bishops eight Arch-Deacons and seventeen Doctors of Divinity and Law In which there was an Exposition of the Creed the seven Sacraments the ten Commandments the Lords Prayer and the Salutation of the Virgin with an Account of Justification and Purgatory
the other hand assured him that if he would set up a strict inquisition of Hereticks he would discover so many men of Estates that were guilty that by their Forfeitures he might raise above an hundred thousand Crowns a year And for his Children the easiest way of providing for them was to give them good Abbies and Priories This they thought would engage both the King and his Sons to maintain their Rights more steadily if their own Interests were interwoven with them They also perswaded the King that if he maintained the established Religion it would give him a good interest in England and make him be set up by forreign Princes as the head of the League which the Pope and the Emperor were then projecting against King Henry These Counsels being seconded by his Queen who was a wise and good Lady but wonderfully zealous for the Papacy did so prevail with him that as he made four of his Children Abbots or Priors so he gave way to the persecuting humor of his Priests and give Sir Iames Hamilton a natural Brother of the Earl of Arrans in whom the Clergy put much confidence a Commission to proceed against all that were suspected of Heresie In the year 1539. many were cited to appear before a meeting of the Bishops at Edinburgh Of those nine abjured many were banished and five were burnt Forrester a Gentleman Simpson a Secular Priest Killore and Beverage two Friers and Forrest a Canon Regular were burnt on the Castle-hill of Edinburgh The last of these was a zealous constant Preacher which was a rare thing in those days His Diocesan the Bishop of Dunkeld sent for him and rebuked him for it and bid him When he found a good Epistle or good Gospel that made for the liberties of the Holy Church to preach on that and let the rest alone The good man answered he had read both the Old Testament and the New and never found an ill Epistle or ill Gospel in any of them The Bishop replied that he thanked God he had lived well these many years and never knew either the Old or New he contented himself with his Portuise and his Pontifical and if the other would trouble himself with these fantasies he would repent it when he could not help it Forrest said He was resolved to do what he conceived was his duty whatever might be the danger of it By this it appears how deliberately the Clergy at that time delivered themselves up to Ignorance and Superstition In the same year Russel a Franciscan Frier and one Kennedy a young man of 18 years of age were brought before the Arch-Bishop of Glasgow That Bishop was a learned and moderate man and was much against these cruel proceedings he was also in great credit with the King having been his Tutor Yet he was forced by the threatnings of his Brethren to go on with the persecution So those two Russel and Kennedy being brought before him Kennedy that was young and fearful had resolved to submit and abjure But being brought to the Bar and encouraged by Russels discourses he felt so high a measure of courage and joy in his heart that he fell down on his knees and broke forth in these words Wonderful O God is thy love and mercy towards me a miserable wretch for now when I would have denied thee and thy Son my Saviour thou hast by thine own hand pulled me back from the bottom of Hell and given me most Heavenly comfort which hath removed the ungodly fear that before oppressed my mind Now I defie death do what you please I thank God I am ready There followed a long dispute between the Frier and the Divines that sate with the Arch-Bishop but when he perceived they would hear nothing and answered him only with revilings and jeers he gave it over and concluded in these words This is your hour and power of darkness now you sit as Judges and we stand wrongfully condemned but the day cometh which will shew our innocence and you shall see your own blindness to your everlasting confusion Go on and fulfil the measure of your iniquity This put the Arch-Bishop in great confusion so that he said to those about him that these rigorous executions did hurt the cause of the Church more than could be well thought of and he declared that his opinion was that their lives should be spared and some other course taken with them But those that sate with him said if he took a course different from what the other Prelates had taken he was not the Churches friend This with other threatning expressions prevailed so far on his fears that he gave Judgment So they were burnt but at their death they expressed so much constancy and joy that the people were much wrought on by their behaviour Russel encouraged Kennedy his partner in sufferings in these words Fear not Brother for he is more mighty that is in us than he that is in the world the pain which we shall suffer is short and light but our joy and consolation shall never have an end Death cannot destroy us for it is destroyed already by him for whose sake we suffer Therefore let us strive to enter in by the same strait way which our Saviour hath taken before us With the blood of such Martyrs was the field of that Church sowen which did quickly rise up in a plentiful harvest Among those that were at this time in hazard George Buchanan was one The Clergy were resolved to be revenged on him for the sharpness of the Poems he had written against them And the King had so absolutely left all men to their mercy that he had died with the rest if he had not made his escape out of Prison Then he went beyond Sea and lived 20 years in that Exile and was forced to teach a School most part of the time yet the greatness of his mind was not oppressed with that mean employment In his writings there appears not only all the beauty and graces of the Latine Tongue but a vigor of mind and quickness of thought far beyond Bembo or the other Italians who at that time affected to revive the purity of the Roman Stile It was but a feeble imitation of Tully in them but his stile is so natural and nervous and his reflections on things are so solid besides his immortal Poems in which he shews how well he could imitate all the Roman Poets in their several ways of writing that he who compares them will be often tempted to prefer the Copy to the Original that he is justly reckoned the greatest and best of our modern Authors This was the state of affairs at this time in Scotland And so I shall leave this digression on which if I have stayed too long my kindness to my native Countrey must be my excuse and now I return to the affairs of England The King went his progress with his fair and beloved Queen and he when came to York he
of Bread and Wine The Tenth The Church of Christ hath doth and may lawfully order some Priests to be Ministers of the Sacraments altho the same do not preach nor be not admitted thereunto The Eleventh Priests being once dedicated unto God by the Order of Priesthood and all such Men and Women as have advisedly made Vows unto God of Chastity or Widowhood may not lawfully marry after their said Orders received or Vows made The Twelfth Secret auricular Confession is expedient and necessary to be retained continued and frequented in the Church of Christ. The Thirteenth The Prescience and Predestination of Almighty God altho in it self it be infallible induceth no necessity to the Action of Man but that he may freely use the power of his own will or choice the said Prescience or Predestination notwithstanding I Nicholas Shaxton with my Heart do believe and with my Mouth do confess all these Articles above-written to be true in every part Ne despicias hominem avertentem se a peccato neque improperes ei memento quoniam omnes in corruptione sumus Eccles. 8. XXX A Letter written by Lethington the Secretary of Scotland to Sir William Cecil the Queen of England's Secretary touching the Title of the Queen of Scots to the Crown of England By which it appears that K. Henry's Will was not signed by him I Cannot be ignorant that some do object as to her Majesties Forreign Birth and hereby think to make her incapable of the Inheritance of England To that you know for answer what may be said by an English Patron of my Mistriss's Cause although I being a Scot will not affirm the same that there ariseth amongst you a Question Whether the Realm of Scotland be forth of the Homage and Leageance of England And therefore you have in sundry Proclamations preceding your Warsmaking and in sundry Books at sundry times laboured much to prove the Homage and Fealty of Scotland to England Your Stories also be not void of this intent What the judgment of the Fathers of your Law is and what commonly is thought in this Matter you know better than I and may have better intelligence than I the Argument being fitter for your Assertion than mine Another Question there is also upon this Objection of Forreign Birth that is to say Whether Princes inheritable to the Crown be in case of the Crown exempted or concluded as private Persons being Strangers born forth of the Allegiance of England You know in this case as divers others the State of the Crown the Persons inheritable to the Crown at the time of their Capacity have divers differences and prerogatives from other Persons many Laws made for other Persons take no hold in case of the Prince and they have such Priviledges as other Persons enjoy not As in cases of Attainders and other Penal Laws Examples Hen. 7. who being a Subject was attainted and Ed. 4. and his Father Richard Plantagenet were both attainted all which notwithstanding their Attainders had right to the Crown and two of them attained the same Amongst many Reasons to be shewed both for the differences and that Forreign Birth doth not take place in the case of the Crown as in common Persons the many experiences before the Conquest and since of your King 's do plainly testify 2. Of purpose I will name unto you Hen. 2d Maud the Empress Son and Richard of Bourdeaux the Black Princes Son the rather for that neither of the two was the King of England's Son and so not Enfant du Roy if the word be taken in this strict signification And for the better proof that it was always the common Law of your Realm that in the case of the Crown Forreign Birth was no Bar you do remember the words of the Stat. 25. Ed. 3. where it is said the Law was ever so Whereupon if you can remember it you and I fell out at a reasoning in my Lord of Leicester's Chamber by the occasion of the Abridgment of Rastal wherein I did shew you somewhat to this purpose also these words Infant and Ancestors be in Praedicamento ad aliquid and so Correlatives in such sort as the meaning of the Law was not to restrain the understanding of this word Infant so strict as only to the Children of the King's Body but to others inheritable in remainder and if some Sophisters will needs cavil about the precise understanding of Infant let them be answered with the scope of this word Ancestors in all Provisions for Filii Nepotes and Liberi you may see there was no difference betwixt the first degree and these that come after by the Civil Law Liberorum appellatione comprehenduntur non solum Filii verum etiam Nepotes Pronepotes Abnepotes c. If you examine the Reason why Forreign Birth is excluded you may see that it was not so needful in Princes Cases as in common Persons Moreover I know that England hath oftentimes married with Daughters and married with the greatest Forreign Princes of Europe And so I do also understand that they all did repute the Children of them and of the Daughters of England inheritable in succession to that Crown notwithstanding the Forreign Birth of their Issue And in this case I do appeal to all Chronicles to their Contracts of Marriages and to the opinion of all the Princes of Christendom For tho England be a noble and puissant Country the respect of the Alliance only and the Dowry hath not moved the great Princes to match so often in marriage but the possibility of the Crown in succession I cannot be ignorant altogether in this Matter considering that I serve my Sovereign in the room that you serve yours The Contract of Marriage is extant betwixt the King my Mistris's Grandfather and Queen Margaret Daughter to King Henry the 7 th by whose Person the Title is devolved on my Sovereign what her Fathers meaning was in bestowing of her the World knoweth by that which is contained in the Chronicles written by Polidorus Virgilius before as I think either you or I was born at least when it was little thought that this Matter should come in question There is another Exception also laid against my Soveraign which seems at the first to be of some weight grounded upon some Statutes made in King Hen. 8. time viz. of the 28 th 35 th of his Reign whereby full power and authority was given him the said King Henry to give dispose appoint assign declare and limit by his Letters Patents under his Great Seal or else by his last Will made in writing and signed with his hand at his pleasure from time to time thereafter the Imperial Crown of that Realm c. Which Imperial Crown is by some alledged and constantly affirmed to have been limited and disposed by the last Will and Testament of the said King Hen. 8. signed with his hand before his death unto the Children of the Lady Francis and Elenor Daughter to
Mary the French Queen younger Daughter of Hen. 7. and of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk so as it is thought the Queen my Soveraign and all others by course of Inheritance be by these Circumstances excluded and fore-closed So as it does well become all Subjects such as I am so my liking is to speak of Princes of their Reigns and Proceedings modestly and with respect yet I cannot abstain to say that the Chronicles and Histories of that Age and your own printed Statutes being extant do contaminate and disgrace greatly the Reign of that King in that time But to come to our purpose what equity and justice was that to disinherit a Race of Forreign Princes of their possibility and maternal right by a municipal Law or Statute made in that which some would term abrupt time and say that that would rule the Roast yea and to exclude the right Heirs from their Title without calling them to answer or any for them well it may be said that â—he injury of the time and the indirect dealing is not to be allowed â—ut since it is done it cannot be avoided unless some Circumstances material do annihilate the said limitation and disposition of the Crown Now let us examine the manner and circumstances how King Hen. 8. was by Statute inabled to dispose the Crown There is a form in two sorts prescribed him which he may not transgress that is to say either by his Letters Patents sealed with his Great Seal or by his last Will signed with his hand for in this extraordinary case he was held to an ordinary and precise form which being not observed the Letters Patents or Will cannot work the intent or effect supposed And to disprove that the Will was signed with his own hand You know that long before his death he never used his own signing with his own hand and in the time of his Sickness being divers times pressed to put his hand to the Will written he refused to do it And it seemed God would not suffer him to proceed in an Act so injurious and prejudicial to the right Heir of the Crown being his Niece Then his death approaching some as well known to you as to me caused William Clarke sometimes Servant to Thomas Henneage to sign the supposed Will with a stamp for otherwise signed it was never and yet notwithstanding some respecting more the satisfaction of their ambition and others their private commodity than just and upright dealing procured divers honest Gentlemen attending in divers several Rooms about the King's Person to testifie with their hand-writings the Contents of the said pretended Will surmised to be signed with the King 's own hand To prove this dissembled and forged signed Testament I do refer you to such Trials as be yet left First The Attestation of the late Lord Paget published in the Parliament in Queen Mary's time for the restitution of the Duke of Norfolk Next I pray you on my Sovereigns behalf that the Depositions may be taken in this Matter of the Marquess of Winchester Lord Treasurer of England the Marquess of Northampton the Earl of Pembroke Sir William Petre then one of King Henry's Secretaries Sir Henry Nevill Sir Maurice Barkley Doctor Buts Edmond Harman Baker Iohn Osborn Groom of the Chamber Sir Anthony Dennis if he be living Terris the Chirurgion and such as have heard David Vincent and others speak in this case and that their Attestations may be enrolled in the Chancery and in the Arches In perpetuam rei memoriam Thirdly I do refer you to the Original Will surmised to be signed with the King 's own hand that thereby it may most clearly and evidently appear by some differences how the same was not signed with the King's hand but stamped as aforesaid And albeit it is used both as an Argument and Calumniation against my Sovereign to some that the said Original hath been embezelled in Queen Mary's time I trust God will and hath reserved the same to be an Instrument to relieve the Truth and to confound false Surmises that thereby the Right may take place notwithstanding the many Exemplifications and Transcripts which being sealed with the great Seal do run abroad in England and do carry away many Mens minds as great presumptions of great variety and validity But Sir you know in cases of less importance that the whole Realm of England Transcripts and Exemplifications be not of so great force in Law to serve for the recovery of any thing either real or personal And in as much as my Soveraign's Title in this case shall be little advanced by taking exceptions to others pretended and crased Titles considering her precedency I will leave it to such as are to claim after the issue of Hen. the 7 th to lay in Bar the Poligamy of Charles Brandon the Duke of Suffolk and also the vitiated and clandestine Contract if it may be so called having no witness nor solemnization of Christian Matrimony nor any lawful matching of the Earl of Hertford and the Lady Katharine Lastly The semblably compelling of Mr. Key and the Lady Mary Sister to the Lady Katherine And now Sir I have to answer your desire said somewhat briefly to the Matter which indeed is very little where so much may be said for to speak truly the Cause speaketh for it self I have so long forborn to deal in this matter that I have almost forgotten many things which may be said for Roboration of her Right which I can shortly reduce to my Remembrance being at Edinburgh where my Notes are So that if you be not by this satisfied upon knowledg from you of any other Objection I hope to satisfy you unto all things may be said against her In the mean time I pray you so counsel the Queen your Soveraign as some effectual reparation may follow without delay of the many and sundry traverses and dis-favorings committed against the Queen my Sovereign as the publishing of so many exemplifications of King Henry's supposed Will the secret embracing of Iohn Halles Books the Books printed and not avowed the last Summer one of the which my Mistris hath sent by Henry Killigrew to the Queen your Soveraign The Disputes and Proceedings of Lincolns-Inn where the Case was ruled against the Queen my Soveraign The Speeches of sundry in this last Session of Parliament tending all to my Soveraigns derision and nothing said to the contrary by any Man but the Matter shut up with silence most to her prejudice and by so much the more as every Man is gone home setled and confirmed in his Error And Lastly The Queen your Soveraign's resolution to defend now by Proclamations all Books and Writings containing any discussion of Titles when the whole Realm hath engendred by these fond proceedings and other favoured practisâ—s a setled opinion against my Soveraigns to the advancement of my Lady Katherines Title I might also speak of an other Book lately printed and set abroad in this last Session containing
which see page 224. which being so openly discovered nothing that had shame in it could speak of them as our Author does 101. He says Six and twenty Carts drawn with Oxen were loaded with the Riches taken from Becket's Shrine whom he makes a most glorious Martyr that died for the defence of the Faith and was honoured by many Miracles after his death Other Writers have sufficiently shewed what a perfidious ingrateful and turbulent Priest he was All these were Vertues in our Author's Opinion and Ingredients in his Faith But he has in this accompt of the Riches of that Shrine gone beyond himself having by a figure of speech very familiar to him called Lying increased two Chests see page 224. to 26 Cart Loads 102. He says The Sentence which P. Paul gave out against the King was affixed in some Towns both in France Flanders and Scotland from which he infers that both the Emperor the French and the Scotch King did consent to that Sentence In this he designed an eminent piece of service to the Apostolick See to leave on Record an Evidence that three Sovereign Princes had acknowledged the Pope's Power of deposing Kings But he did ill to name the proofs of his Assertion and had done better to have said simply that it was so than to have founded it on so ill grounds as if the affixing Papal Bulls in a place were an evidence that the Princes in whose Dominions it was done consented to it He might with the same reason have concluded that Q. Elizabeth consented to the Sentence against her self which it is very like will not be easily believed tho the Bull was affixed in London But all those very Princes whom he names continuing to keep up their correspondence with the King as well after as before this Sentence is a much clearer demonstration that they despised the Pope's Sentence 103. He says The King by his own Authority threw all the â—egging Orders out of their Houses The falshood of this has appeared already for they resigned their Houses to the King and of these Resignations tho many were destroyed yet near an hundred are still extant 104. He says The Parliament in the year 1539 gave the King all the great Monasteries The Parliament passed no such Act all that they did was only to confirm the Grants made or to be made by these Houses to the King It was their Surrenders that cloathed the King with the Right to them All the Tragical Stories he tells us that followed upon this are founded on a false Foundation 105. He sets down a Form of a Resignation which he says All the Abbots and many Religious Persons were made to Sign and set their Seals to it Among all the Resignations which are yet extant there is not one in this Form for which see page 238. 106. He says The King's Commissioners who went about getting Hands to that Form made them believe in every House that all the rest had signed it and so by that and other persuasions prevailed with many to set their Hands to it If all the Subscriptions had been procured about the same time such Arts might be suspected but in a thing that was three years a-doing these tricks could not have served their turn 107. He says They told the Monks that tho the King might by virtue of the Act of Parliament seize on their Houses and Rents yet he desired rather to do it with their good-will In this there are two Errors First Most of these Houses were resigned to the King before the Act of Parliament see page 235. and next the Act of Parliament only confirmed their Deeds but did not give their Houses to the King 108. He says The Abbots of Glassenbury Colchester and Reading suffered Martyrdom because they refused to set their hands to that Writing There was no such Writing ever offered to them nor was there any Law to force them to resign so they could not suffer on that account but they were Martyrs for Sander's Faith for they were attainted by a legal Trial of High Treason 109. He tells a long Story of Whitting Abbot of Glassenbury's being brought up to London to be prevailed with to set his hand to the Surrender Which he still refusing to do was sent back and tho a Book against the King's Divorce was found among his Papers which was laid there by those who searched for it yet that was past over in a chiding but as he went home hearing there was a meeting of the County at Wells he went thither and as he was going up to his place on the Bench he was called to the Bar to answer some things that were to be objected to him He was amazed at it and asked what the matter was but one told him he needed fear nothing for some-what was only to be done for form to terrify others Upon which he was condemned and sent away to his Abbey little thinking he was so near his end but when he came near it a Priest was sent to him to take his Confession for they told him he must die immediately he beg'd a day or two's respite but in vain so they hanged him up in his Habit on the top of the Hill near his Abbey and quartered him and all this was done in one day This Book came out in Forreign Parts and was printed at Rome in the Reign of Sixtus the Fifth who took great pleasure in such Executions as he describes this to have been which may fall oft out where the lives of the Subjects are wholly at the Prince's Mercy But to tell such tales of England which is so famed over the World for the safety and security the Subjects enjoy and for the regular and legal proceedings in all Trials especially of Life and Death was a great Error in the Poet for the decorum of the Laws and Customs of a place must be observed when any Nation is made the Scene of a Fable But as nothing like this can be done by the Law of England so there was nothing of it in this Case The Jury that sate on him were Men of great credit in the Country when he died he acknowledged his Offences and with appearance of repentance begged God's Pardon and the King 's see page 239. 110. After many bitter Invectives against Cromwel for which I could never see good evidence tho I cannot disprove them by any convincing Arguments he says That he advised the King to make a Law that Persons might be Convented and Condemned in absence and without being heard and that this Law first of all fell upon himself There was no such Law ever made only the Parliament by their Supream Authority did Attaint some in that manner but no other Court might do it Nor was this first applied to Cromwel for an year before his Attainder the Countess of Sarum with a great many more were so attainted tho she did not Suffer till a year
things are declared Treason An Act for Suffragan Bishops Collect. Numb 51. Act 26. Roâ— Parl. A Subsidy granted More and Fisher attainted Act. 3. and 4. Rot. Parl. The Proceedings against them variously censured The progress of the Reformation Fox Tindal and others at Antwerp Hall The New Tâ—stament burnt The last Paper in Sr. Henry Spâ—lmans 2d vol. Supplication of the Beggars Morâ— answerâ— it Frith replieâ— The cruel proceedings against the Reformers More Tindal Bilneys Tryal Latimers Sermons The things objected to him Fox It is given out that he abjured The falshood of which afterwards appeared Fox The manner of his Suffering Byfield's Sufferings And Tewksburies Bainham's Sufferings Fox Regist. Tonst Articles which some abjured 〈◊〉 Testament Regist Fitz 〈◊〉 Regist. Stokâ—s Fol. 72. Harding's Sufferings Fox 1533. Friths Sufferings His Arguments against the Corporal presence Register Stokâ—s Fol. 71. and a Letter of his in Fox His Opinioâ— of the Sacrament And of Purgatory He is Condemned His Constancy in his Sufferings Pâ—ilâ—ip's Sufferings A stop is puâ— to these crueâ— proceedings The Queen favoured the Reformers Cranmer promoted the Reformation Assisted by Cromwell The Duke of Norfolk and Gardiner Opposed it Reasons against the Reformation Reasons for it Hall A resolution of some Bishops about the calling of a general Council Ex MSS. D.D Sâ—â—llingfleet A Speech of Cranmers abouâ—â— Geneâ—al Council Ex MSS. D.D Stillingfleet 1535. Thâ— râ—â—â— of the Kingâ— Reign 〈◊〉 troublesome By the practises of the Monks and Friars Which provoked the King to great severities The Bishops swear the Kings supremacie Antiâ— Oxon. Lib. 1. Pag. 258 The Original Letter is in Cutt. Lib. Clâ—â— E. 4. Fâ—b 15. The Francis can Friars refuse it A General visitation of Monasteries is designed Orig. Cott. Lib. E. 4. Cranmer makeâ— his Metropolitical visitation Rot. Pat. Regn. 26. Part. 1st Regist. Stoks Folio 44. The Kings Visitation begun In MSS. D G. Pierpoint Cott. Lib. Câ—â—op E. 4. Instructions for the Visitation See Collect. Nâ—â—b 1st Injunctions for all Religious Houses See Collect. Numb 2 d. An account of the Progress of the Monastical state in England The Exemptions of Monasteries See Monasticon Monasteries generally wasted and deserted Antiquit. Britan But are again set up by King Edgar Arts used by the Monks for enriching their Houses They became generally corrupted Upon which the Begging Friars grew much in credit The Kings secret motives for dissolving these Houses Câ—anmers design in it First Monastery that was dissolved Act. 10. Rot. Parl. Regn. 25. The Proceedings of the Visitors Cott. Lib. Cleop. E. 4. Ibid. Some Houseâ— resigned up to the King Collect. Numb 3. Sect. 1. The Original of these Resignations are in the Augmentation Office and enrolled Rot. Claus. Part. â—st Regn. 27. 1536. The death of Queen Katharine Originals Otho C. 10. Cott. Lib. 1536. A new Session of Parliament The lesser Monasteries are suppressed Reasons for doing it The Translation of the Bible in English designed The reasons for it The Opposition made to it The fall of Queen Anne The whole Popish party drove it on 1535. The Kings jealousie of her The Letters about this Cott. Lib. Otho C. 10. She is put in the Tower and pleads her Innocency But confessed some indiscreet words 1536. Cranmers Letter to the King about her Cott. Lib. She is brought to a Tryal Upon an extorted Confession is divorced Her Prâ—paration for Death The Lieutenant of the Towers Letter Her Execution The several Censures that were then passed on those proceedings Collect. Numb 4 th The Lady Mary endeavours a reconciliation with her Father Her submission under her own hand Cott. Lib. Otho C. 10. She is restored to his favour The Lady Elizabeth well used by the King and Queen Her Letter to the Queen when not Four years of Age. A new Parliament called Iournal Procerum The Act of Succession The Pope endeavoured a reconciliation with the King But in vain The Proceedings in the Convocation Fuller Antiq. Britt in vita Cranm. Act 17.27 Regni Articles agreed on about Religion Printed by Fuller Published by the Kings Authority And variously censured The Convocation declares against the Council called by the Pope Collect Numb 5. The King publishes his reasons against it Fox Cardinal Pool opposes the Kings proceedings And writes his Book against him Many Books are written for the King Collect 〈◊〉 6. Instâ—uctions about the disâ—â—â—tion of Monasteries Great discontents among all sorts of people Endeavors are used to quiet these Collect Numb 3. sect 2. Yet people generally encline to Rebel The Kings injunctions about Religion Collect Numb 7. Which were much censured A Rebellion in Lincolnshire Their Demands The Kings answer It 's quieted by the Duke of Suffolk â— new Reâ—â—on in the 〈◊〉 Which grew very formidable The Duke of Norfolk and others sent against them They advance to Doncaster The 〈…〉 them by delays Their Demands The Kings answer to them 1537. The Rebellion is quieted 1537. New risings but soon dispersed The chief of the Rebels executed A new Visitation of Monasteries Some of the great Abbots surrender their Houses 1538. Confessions of horrid Crimes made in several Houses Collect Numb 3. sect 4. The form of most surrenders Collâ—ct Numb 3. Sect. 1. Collect. Numb 3. Sect. 3. Divers opinions about these Some Abbots attainted of Treason 1537. Collect. Numb 8. 1536. The Superstition and cheats of these Houses discovered Images publickly broken 1538. Pelerine â—â—glese Thomas Beckâ—t's shrine broken Soâ—meâ—s Antiquities of Canterbury New Articles about Religion published Invectives against the King Printed at Rome Collect. Numb 9. The Popes Bulls against the King Lesley Hist. Scot. The Clergy in England declared against these Collect. Numb 10. The Bible Printed in English New injunctions set out by the King Collect. Numb 11. Prince Edward born Great Compliances by the Popish party Gardiner stirs up the King against those called Sacramentaries And Lambâ—rt in particular Who had appealed to the King And was publickly tryed at Westminster Arguments brought against him He is condemned And Burned The Popish party gain ground at Court The Kings correspondence with the German Princes Bonners dissimulation Coll. Numb â—2 Coll. Numb 13. A new Parliament The 6 Articles are proposed 1539. Reasons against them An Act past for them which is variously censured An Act about the Suppression of the greater Monasteries Another about the Erecting new Bishopricks The Kings design about these An Act about the Kings Proclamations An Act about Precedence Some Acts of Attainders The Kings care of Cranmer Antiq. Brit. in vita Cran. Cranmer writes his reasons against the six Articles 1538. Proceedings upon that Act. 1539. Collect. Numb 1â— Dissolution of the great Abbies Collect. Numb 3. Sect. 5. Some Hospitals surrendred The Abbeys sold or given away A project of a Semminarâ— for Ministers of State 〈…〉 D. D. 〈…〉 A Proclamation about the free use of the Scriptures Collect. Numb 15. The King designs to Mary Anne of Cleve 1538. Who comes
over to England But is much disliked by the King 1539. 1540. But yet Marries her And could never love her A Parliament called Where Cromwel speaks as Lord vice-gerent 1540. He is made Earl of Essex The Suppression of the Knights of St. Iohn at Ierusalem Cromwel◠〈◊〉 The King in love with Mistress Katharine Howard 1539. Cranmers friendship to Cromwel Journal Procâ—â— Parag. 58. Item Billa attincâ—â—rae Tâ—â—me Cromwel Comitis Essex de crimine Herisis Laesae Majestatis per Communes de novo concepta Allâ—nsa 〈◊〉 cum praâ—isione eidem annexa Quae quidem Billa 1º 2 do 3 â—io lecta est provisio ejusdem concernens Dâ—canatum Wellensem â—er lecta est communi omnium Procâ—rum consensu nemine discrepante expedita simul cum ea referebatur Billa Attiâ—cturae quae prius missa erat in Doâ—â—â— Communium Cromwels attaindor Collect. Numb 16. Censures past upon it The King designs a divorce from his Queen It 's referred to the convocation Collect. Numb 17. Collect. Numb 18. Reasons pretended for it 1540. Convocation agreed to it Collect. Numb 19. It is censured Collect. Numb 17. 1529. Report made to the Parl. The Queen consents to it Collect. Numb 20. An Act about the Incontinence of Priests Another about Religion 1540. Subsidies granted by thâ— Clergy And Laiety Cromweâ—s Death His Character Designs against Cranmer A Commission sits about Religion An Explanation of Faith 1539. Cranmers Opinion about it They explain the Apostles Creed 1540. The seven Sacraments With greaâ— maturity Collect. Numb 21. 1539. The ten Commandments 1540. The Lords Prayer The Ave Maria Free-will Justification Good Works All this set forth in a Book And published by the Kings Authority It is variously censured Corrections of the Mass-Book and other Offices Ex M S S. D.D. Stillingflâ—â—t A Persecution of Protestants Of Barnes and others Collect. Numb 22. Who were condemned in Parliament Their Speeches at the Stake Bonners cruelty New Bishopricks â—ounded Collect. Nâ—mb 23. Cranmer's design miscarries These Foundations censured 1541. The State of the Court at this time The Bible in English set up in all Churches Collect. Numb 24. Collect. Nuâ—b 25. 1541. Aâ—tiq Brit. in Râ—g Pâ—lo A Rule about Churchmens housekeeping * Bellaria The King goes to â—ork An account of the State of Scotland The beginings of Learning there And of the Reformation Arch-Bishop Spotswood Lesley Spotswood The Clergy were both ignorant and cruel Hamilton's sufferings The Kings Conâ—essor favâ—urs the Reâ—ormation Forrest's sufferings A further persecution in Sâ—otland The progress of the Reâ—ormation Lesley Buchanan * Regni Angliâ—i Vicarius The King wholly guided by the Clergy Two other Martyrs The Queens ill life is discovered And confessed by her self and others 1542. A new Parliament called 1542. The Act about the Queen Censures pasâ— uponit Act about Hospitals c. The Papists design to suppress the English Bible 〈◊〉 Injuâ—ctions Coll. Numâ— 26. The manner of Preaching at that time Plays and Erâ—erludes then actâ—d War between England and Scotland Duke of 〈◊〉 inroad into Scotlanâ— The Scotish Army defeated Many Prisoners taken 1543. 1543. A new Parliament Cranmer promotes a Reformation An Act â—bout it A League between the King and Emperor A Treaty for a match with the Queen of Scotland The different Interests there The French party prevails A War with France A new persecution of Protestants 〈◊〉 great ingeniousness Three burnt at Windsor Their Persecuters are perjured A Conspiracy against Cranmer 〈…〉 His Christian â—emper of wind 1544. 1544. A new Parliament Act about the Successioâ— 1542. Act against Conspiracies Collect. Numb 27. 1544. The Wars against Sâ—otlanâ— succesfulâ— Colâ—ect Numb 2â— 1545. 〈…〉 1545. The German 〈…〉 peace Church resentments given to Informers 〈◊〉 suffâ—rings in Sâ—â—â—land Spotswood A Parliament sits Chapters and Chanteries given to the King The Kings speech to the Houses The King confirms the Rights of the Universities 1546. Peace with France A new design for Reformation Shaxtons Apostacy Collect. Numb 23. The troubles of Anne Askew She endures the Râ—ck And is burnt with some others A new design against Crâ—nmâ—â— The Kâ—ngs great â—aâ—e of him Antiqu. Brit. in vita Cranmer Another design against the Queen The causes of the Duke of Norfolks disgrace 1547. The Earl of Surrey Executed The Dukes submission to the King 1547. The Parliament meets The Duke of Norfolk Attainted His death prevented by the Kings Fox The Emperors designs against the Protestants The Kings sickness Collect. Numb 30. His latter will a Forgery 1542. 1547. An account of the Kings severities against the Popish Party Some 〈◊〉 executed for denying the Kings Supremacy And Hall a Priest for conspiring against the King Three other Monks Exeâ—â—â—d 1535. Fishers Tryal and death His Character His Character A â—aindors afâ—â—â— the Rebâ—llâ—on was quâ—â—â—d 1537. Hall Censures past upon it 1538. Forrests equivocation and Heresie Hall 1538. The proceedings against Cardinal Pools friends 1539. Some Attaindors without hearing the parties 1539. 4 Instit. 37.38 1540. 1535. The Conclusion Câ—llect Aâ—denda 〈◊〉 1. Colâ—ect Addenda Nâ—mb 2. Collect. Addenda Nâ—mb 3. Collect. Addenda Numb 4. Collect. Addenda Numb 5. Collect. Addenda Numb 6. Collect. Addenda Numb 7. Collect. Addenda Numb 8. Collect. Addenda Numb 9. Collect. Addenda Numb 10. Collect. Addenda Numb 11. Collect. Addenda Numb 12. Treat Rolls Registrum Warhami Fol. 26. Tonst Regist. Fol. 33. Regist. Fitz-Williams Anno Dom. 1523. Regist. Cuthberti Tonstall Folio 40 Regist. Tonst Fol. 138. Cott. libr. Vitel. B. 12. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 12. Cotton libr. Vitellius B. 9. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 10 Cotton Libr. Vâ—â—el B. 10. Cotton libr. Vitel. â— 10. Cotton libr. Vitel. B. 10. Câ—tt libr. Vitel. B. 10. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 10. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 12. Cott. libr. Vitel. B. 10. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 10. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 10. Cotton libr. Vitel. B. 10. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 12. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 10. Cotton libr. Vitel. B. 10. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 10 Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 10. Cotton libr. Vitel. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 11 Cotton libr. Vitel. B. 11. Cotton libr. Vitel. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 11. Cotton Libr. Vitell. B. 13. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13. Cotton Libr. Vesp. B. 5. Ex M S. D. Petyt Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13. This is all written with his own hand and was sent over by him to the King Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13. Cotton Libr. Vitel. B. 13. In an Inspeximus Rot. Pat. 25. Reg. 2 d. Paâ—t Cotton Libr. Cleopat E. 4. Cott. Libr. Cleop. E. 4. Cott. Libr. Cleop. E. 4. Anno Regni 28. Regni 27. Regni 28. Regni 29. Regni 30. * In the Houses of this Order there were Cloisters for both Sexes St. Gilbert L. of Semperingham founded it