from him and the County of Ponthieu he surprized before King Edward heard thereof Wherefore the King sent over John Duke of Lancaster and Humphry de Bohun Earl of Hartford to invade France who pierced up as far as Roan and after them the King sent that renowned Captain Sir Robert Knolls who went on very prosperously till by the instigation of Sir John Mensterworth and some others who thought themselves better than Sir Robert a division was made in the Army whereby the English fortunes were hindred for the which Mensterworth paid the loss of his head About the same time also some great Officers of the Kings as John Duke of Lancaster the Lord Latimer and Sir John Sterrie were complained of for fraudulency to the State and at the request of the Parliament called The good were displaced But that which caused the greatest grief to English-men was the loss of their Martial Prince Edward who left this life upon Trinity Sunday 1376 about his age 46 and was buryed at Canterbury Nor did his Martial Father long survive him for in A. D. 1377. he dyed at Shene in Surrey and was buryed as Westminster His Issue were Edward the black Prince so called from his dreadful valorout Acts William of Hatfield Lionel Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Simon Sudbury A. B Cant. Edmond Earl of Cambridge and Duke of York William of Windsor Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester Isabel Joan Blanch and Margaret He built Queenborough in Kent in honour of Queen Philip his Wife He erected a building at Windsor-Castle whose circumference was six hundred foot where Knights and men of War were to have their entertainment of Diet at his charge and begun a magnificent Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary which King Henry the eight and Sir Reginald Bray finished He is also said to be the Founder of the most Noble Order of the Garter so intituled perhaps from the Garter he took up of the Countess of Salisburies which slipped off in a dance perhaps for that in a battel wherein he was victorious Garter was the Word or Signal But some will have this King to be only the Reviver of this Order and Richard the first to be the Institutor of it King Edward confirmed Magna Charta about twelve times He restrained the Pope from conferring English Benefices on strangers He invited Cloth-workers to repair hither out of Forreign parts to whom he granted sundry priviledges The staple of wools which had been in Flanders he revoked establishing the same in Westminster Canterbury Chichester Bristol Lincoln and Hull The famous custom of the Kings of England Washing Feeding and Clothing of as many poor people upon Maundy Thursday as they are years old is referred to the celebration which this King made of his fifth year His Concubâ—e Alice Pierce was so insolent Simon Sudbury A. B. Cant. that she would go into the Courts of Justice where sitting by the Judges and Doctors she would proudly perswade or disswade for her most advantage therefore was complained of in Parliament and removed from the person of the King At a Parliament held the thirty seventh of his Reign the wearing of Gold and Silver Silks and rich Furs were forbidden to be worn by any but eminent Persons also the Labourer and Husbandman was limited to the eating of such certain meats An Act was likewise made that no common whore should wear any Hood except striped with divers colours nor Furs but garments with the wrong side outward At Stamford in Lincolnshire an University was instituted but of short continuance A blazing-Star appeared which continued thirty days Southhampton was burnt by the French A. D. 1348 It rained from Midsummer till Christmas A plague all over Christendom some say the World and so raging in England that scarce the Tenth person of all sorts was left alive In London it was such that in one years space there was buryed in the Cistercian or Charter-House Church-yard above fifty thousand It began in the year 1348 and continued till the year 1357 and was seconded with murrain of Cattle and dearth of all things Now flourished in the University of Oxford that Famous Doctor John Wickliffe whose followers in those Popish-times were called Lolards from Lolium signifying tares or hurtful weeds amongst Corn. The Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings Reign In his first Year Hammond Chickwel was Mayor Henry Darcy John Hawton Sheriffs In his second Year John Grantham was Mayor Simon Francis Henry Cobmartin Sheriffs In his third Year Richard Swanland was Mayor Richard Lazer William Gisors Sheriffs In his fourth Year Sir John Pountney was Mayor Robert of Ely Thomas Worwode Sheriffs In his fifth Year Sir John Pountney continued Mayor John Mocking Andrew Aubery Sheriffs In his sixth Year John Preston was Mayor Nicholas Pike John Husband Sheriffs In his seventh Year Sir John Pountney was Mayor John Hammond William Hanford Sheriffs In his eighth Year Reginald at the Conduit was Mayor John Kingstone Walter Turk Sheriffs In his ninth Year Reginald at the Conduit continued Mayor Walter Mordon Richard Vpton Sheriffs In his tenth Year Sir John Pountney was Mayor John Clark W. Curtes Sheriffs In his eleventh Year Henry Darcy was Mayor Walter Neale Nicholas Crane Sheriffs In his Twelfth Year Henry Darcy continued Mayor William de Pomfret Hugh Marbler Sheriffs In his Thirteenth year Andrew Aubery was Mayor William Thorney Roger Frosham Sheriffs In his Fourteenth Year Andrew Aubery continued Mayor Adam Lucas Bartholomew Morris Sheriffs In his Fifteenth Year John of Oxenford was Mayor Richard de Barking John de Rokesley Sheriffs In his Sixteenth Year Simon Francis was Mayor John Loufkin Richard Killingbury Sheriffs In his Seventeenth Year John Hammond was Mayor John Steward John Aylesham Sheriffs In his Eighteenth Year John Hammond continued Mayor Geoffry Witchingham Thomas â—eg Sheriffs In his Ninteenth Year Richard Lazer was Mayor Edmund Hemenhall John of Glocester Sheriffs In his Twentieth Year Geoffry Witchingham was Mayor John Croydon William Clopton Sheriffs In his twenty first Year Thomas Leggy was Mayor Adam Brampson Richard Fas or Bas Sheriffs In his twenty second Year John Loufkin was Mayor Henry Bicard Simon Doleby Sheriffs In his twenty third Year Walter Turk was Mayor Adam of Bury Ralph of Lynne Sheriffs In his twenty fourth Year Richard Killingbury was Mayor John Notte VVilliam of Worcester Sheriffs In his Twenty fifth Year Andrew Aubery was Mayor John Wroth Gilbert of Stenineshorpe Sheriffs In his twenty sixth Year Adam Francis was Mayor John Peace John Stotley Sheriffs In his twenty seventh Year Adam Francis continued Mayor William Wold John Little Sheriffs In his twenty eight Year Thomas Leggy was Mayor William Nottingham Roger Smelt Sheriffs In his twenty ninth Year Simon Francis was Mayor Thomas Foster Thomas Brandon Sheriffs In his thirtieth Year Henry Picard was Mayor Richard Nottingham Thomas Dolsel Sheriffs In his thirty first Year Sir John Stody was Mayor Stephen Candish Bartholomew Frostling
under the Great Seal as the King in his youthful humour had granted to some Courtiers Also the Kings over-freeness to the Queens Countrey-men the Bohemians discontented many The ancient Nobles they envied that Robert de Vere Earl of Oxford was created Marquess of Dublin and Duke of Ireland and Michael de la Pool a Merchants Son Earl of Suffolk and that the King had them in too great favour These were held for great grievances nor would the Parliament grant the King any aids against his forreign foes unless these Lords were removed and degraded This the King could not well digest but consulted the Learned in the Law concerning certain Articles of Treason within the compass of which he might take the popular Lords And at Nottingham Robert Trisilian Chief Justitiar Robert Belknap Chief Justice of the Common Pleas John Holt Roger Fulthorp and William Burgh Justitiars John Lockton the Kings Sergeant at Law All subscribed to certain Articles of Treason made against the Lords which afterwards cost them dear Judg Belknap foresaw the danger therefore unwillingly consented saying There wants but an Hurdle Horse and Halter to carry me where I might suffer the death deserved For if I had not done this quoth he I should have dyed for it and because I have done it I deserve death for betraying the Lords And now the King and Lords prepare themselves for the field the Lords march up to London with an Army of about Forty thousand men against whose coming the King not being able to match their power shuts himself up in the Tower whither the factious Lords Glocester Derby Arundel Warwick and Marshall send him word That if he come not quickly to Westminster according to appointment they would chuse them another King who both would and should obey the Counsel of the Peers Hereupon the King though with no good-will attends their Lordships pleasure at Westminster where he yeilded to remove from about his person Alexander Neville Archbishop of York the Bishops of Durham and Chichester the Lords Zouch and Beaumont with divers others and amongst them certain Ladies Other of his friends were made prisoners And at the Parliament which was shortly after the Judges were arrested as they sate in Judgment and most of them sent to the Tower Trisilian that had fled being apprehended and brought to the Parliament in the forenoon had sentence to be drawn to Tyburn in the afternoon and there to have his throat cut which was done accordingly Divers other Knights also were sacrificed to their revenge The Duke of Ireland and others had their estates confiscated to the Kings use by Act of Parliament This while the Scots invaded the North of England under the conduct of Sir William Douglas whom Henry Hot-spur fighting with hand to hand slew but the Earl of Dunbar coming with an excessive number of Scots took Hot-spur and his brother prisoners A. D. 1396 Peace was concluded with the French the Scots and Spaniards being included therein And in September 1397 a Parliament called The Great for the extraordinary number of Peers and their retinues which came thereunto was held at London wherein the sanctuary of former Laws and all particular Charters of pardon were taken away from Thomas Duke of Glocester the Earl of Arundel and others for their treasonable practises and all the Justitiars who stood for the King were cleared from dishonour and such Articles as they had subscribed were publickly ratifyed and the offenders against them pronounced Traytors Richard Earl of Arundel was beheaded on Tower-Hill where at his death he utterly denyed that he was a Traytor in word or deed The Earl of Warwick confessing himself a Traytor in open Court was only banished to the Isle of Man The Duke of Glocester whom as the peoples darling it seemed not safe to bring to a publique Tryal was secretly smothered with pillows and feather-beds at Callis The King at this Parliament created himself Prince of Chester and to his Escutcheon-Royal added the Armories of Edward the Confessor his Cousin Henry Earl of Derby he made Duke of Hereford and advanced the Titles of many other Nobles Not long after which Henry Duke of Hereford accused Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolk for speaking certain words to the Kings dishonour which Mowbray constantly denying it should have come to a combat within Lists but the King ended the controversy otherwise by banishing Norfolk for ever and Hereford first for ten years then for six only In the year following the Duke of Lancaster dyed when the King unjustly seized upon the goods of that mighty Prince his Uncle and determined to banish for ever his son the Duke of Hereford now Duke of Lancaster by his Fathers death But whilst King Richard was in Ireland to qualify a disturbance there Henry Duke of Lancaster and Hereford lands in England with what forces he had pretending nothing but the recovery of his inheritance To him there repaired the Earl of Northumberland his son Hot-Spur and Earl of Westmoreland with many others Multitudes offering their service to him as pitying his calamity and exasperated against the King because to furnish his Irish voyage he had extorted moneys on all hands and had taken up carriages victuals and other necessaries without any recompence The Duke of Lancaster with an Army of about sixty thousand marched to Bristol besieged the Castle and took it and therein two Knights of the Kings Councel Bushy and Green whose heads were cut off at the request of the rabble The Duke of York whom King Richard had left behind him to govern England could gain but small assistance against Lancaster nor could the King at his return into England find many friends therefore he betook himself to a parly with his enemies the sum of his demands being That if himself and eight more whom he should name might have Honourable allowance with the assurance of a private quiet life he would resign the Crown This was promised him whereupon he put himself into the Duke of Lancasters hands who conducted him out of the West to London where he was lodged in the Tower And now a Parliament is summoned in the Kings name to be held at Westminster in which Parliament King Richard was charged with the breach of his Coronation-Oath in thirty two Articles His abuse of the publick Treasure waste of the Crown-Land loss of Honour abroad and that at home he was guilty of Falshood Injustice Treason against the rights of the Crown and what not that ambition and envy could invent against him Tho. Arundell A. B. Cant. The result whereof was he resigned his Crown to the Duke of Lancaster which resignation the whole body of the Parliament did particularly accept saving the most loyal Bishop of Carlisle A. D. 1399 Septemb 29. In the very beginning of this Kings reign one John Philpot a private Citizen of London at his own charge manned out a Fleet to the Sea for the guarding of both Land and Sea from the enemy
and hanged at Wapping A. D. 1609 was the New-Exchange built the King naming it Britains-Burse In the same year the King by Proclamation prohibited all foreign Nations from fishing on any of the coasts of England Scotland Ireland or the Isles adjacent without special License from his Commissioners In this year also the King according to an ancient custom had aid of his Subjects through England for making his eldest son Prince Henry Knight A. D. 1610 June 4th all Roman Priests Jesuits and Seminaries as being the Incendiaries of disturbances were commanded to depart the Realm Then the Oath of Allegiance was ministred to all sorts of people His Majesty caused to be built the goodliest Ship of War that had ever been built in England being of the burthen of 1400 Tun and carrying 64 pieces of Ordinance Prince Henry named it the Prince A. D. 1612 The Corps of Mary late Queen of Scotland the Kings Mother was translated from Peterborough to the Chappel-Royal at Westminster On November the sixth following Prince Henry died of a malignant Fever which reigned that year in most parts of the Land Some said that he died by poisoned grapes which he eat others by Gloves of a poisoned perfume given him for a present but be his death by what means it would certain it is that he was infinitely beloved of the people as one that had given great hopes of proving a wise and Martial Prince February 14th the marriage of the Prince Palatine of the Rhyne with the Princess Elizabeth was solemnized in the Chappel at White-Hall She was attired all in white having a rich Crown of Gold upon her head her hair hanging down at length curiously beset with Pearls and precious Stones her train supported by 12 young Ladies all in white In this same year the City of London having before had the Province of Vlster granted them by the King for a plantation sent thither about three hundred persons of all sorts of Handy-crafts-men chiefly to inhabit the Cities of London-derry and Coleraign And for the advancing of this or the like plantation in Ireland the King about this time began a new Order of Knights called Baronets which Order he stinted within the number only of two hundred and as the Issue should fail the Order to cease About this time also an exemplar punishment was imposed upon Sir Peckshall Brockas which was to stand at Pauls-Cross in a white sheet holding a wand in his hand he having been formerly convicted before the High-Commissioners for many notorious adulteries with divers Women About A. D. 1614 Mr. Hugh Middleton Citizen and Goldsmith of London with infinite cost and labour brought the New-river to the City of London from the two great springs of Chadwel and Amwel in Hartfordshire And about the same time was the Moor-Fields by London converted from deep stinking ditches and noisom Common-shores to pleasant sweet Walks A. D. 1615 Smithfield which was before a rude dirty place was paved all over and the middle part thereof railed in September 27th the Lady Arbella the Kings Cousin-German died She had sometime before without the Kings privity secretly married the Earl of Hartfords younger Son for which they were both committed to the Tower Sir Edward Cook the famous Lawyer upon some displeasure was discharged from being Lord Chief Justice In this year was a divorce made betwixt Robert Devereux Earl of Essex and his Countess for his Insufficiency and she left free to marry any other After which divorce Robert Carre Earl of Sommerset took her to Wife But Sir Thomas Overbury the Earls special friend having disswaded the match and perhaps laid some imputation on the Ladies fame according to desert did by this means so incense these Lovers against him that they first made means to have the said ingenious Gentleman committed to the Tower and then by their instruments to have him poisoned some say by a Tansey sent him to eat some by a Clister ministred to him For which fact Sir Gervas Elwes then Lieutenant of the Tower and Mrs. Turner with others were put to death The Earl and his Countess were also arraigned and condemned but had a lease of their lives granted them for ninety-nine years yet so as after never to see the Kings face more This made way for the advancement of Mr. George Villers for this great favourite the Lord Carre being upon this occasion laid aside the said Mr. Villers was accepted in his stead Whom the King first of all Knighted and made Gentleman of his Bedchamber soon after Viscount and Master of his Horse a while after Earl of Buckingham then Marquess of Buckingham and Lord High Admiral and lastly Duke of Buckingham A person 't is said he was of delicate composure of body and of excellent natural parts and one that was very mindful of his Relations and Kindred most of whom he procured to be advanced A. D. 1618 Sir Walter Rawleigh who had lived a condemned man many years in the Tower of London now to procure some liberty propounded to the King a project for the fetching of Gold from a Mine in Guyana and that without any wrong to the King of Spain This the King condescended unto and Sir Walter set forward in his Voyage but when after a real or only a shew of search no treasure could be found he fell upon St. Thome belonging to the King of Spain George Abbot A B. Cant which he plundred and burnt then returned though to his ruin For though Sir Walter sought to excuse his spoiling of St. Thome by alledging that the Spaniards had first assaulted him and moreover that he could not come at the Mine without first winning of that Town yet did the Spanish Lieger Gundamoâ—e so aggravate this his fact and prevailed so with the King who preferred the publick peace before the life of a man already condemned that he gave way to have the sentence of his former condemnation executed upon him And accordingly this man famous for Letters and Arms was beheaded in the Parliament-yard at Westminster In this Year 1618 and March the second Queen Anne died at Hampton-Court and was buried at Westminster The November preceding her death a famous Comet or Blazing-Star appeared A. D. 1620 July the seventeenth Bernard Calvert of Andover rode from St. Georges Church in Southwark to Dover from thence passed by Barge to Callis in France and from thenee returned back to St. Georges Church the same day This his journey he performed betwixt the hours of three in the morning and eight in the afternoon A.D. 1621 Sir Francis Michel a Justice of the Peace of Middlesex was sentenced by Parliament to Ride with his face to the Horse-tail through the City of London for practising sundry abuses in setting up new Ale-houses and exacting monies contrary to the Law This sentence was executed upon him Sir Francis Bacon Viscount St. Albans Lord Chancellor of England was for bribery but it was his servants that were bribed put out
Jester I will take off the fools Cap which I now put upon thy head for sending him thither and put it on the King of Spains for letting him return When the Prince was returned from Spain a Wife was sought for him from France by a marriage with Henrietta Maria the daughter of King Henry the fourth The love of whom the Prince had received by the eye and she of him by the ear For having formerly received impressions from the reports of his gallantry when she was told of his passing through Paris she answered That if he went to Spain for a Wife he might have had one nearer home and saved himself a great part of that labour Prince Charles after the celebrating of his Fathers Funerals whereat himself was chief Mourner he next hastned the coming over of his dearest Consort the Princess Henrietta Maria whom the Duke of Chevereux had in his name espoused at the Church of Nostredame in Paris and he receiving her at Dover the next day after Trinity-Sunday at Canterbury began the Nuptial embraces A. D. 1625 and June the eighteenth a Parliament was assembled at the opening of which the King acquainted them with the necessities of supplies for the War with Spain which themselves importunately had ingaged his Father in and made it as hereditary to him as the Crown But through the practises of some unquiet persons of that Parliament two petitions one respecting Religion the other redress of grievances were brought into debate both formed in King James his time which delayed the succours and increased the necessities Yet at length the Parliament granted two Subsidies Which done and divers Acts passed the Parliament was adjourned till August and their Convention to be at Oxford by reason of the plague then raging in London When the Parliament was met again according to the time appointed there were high and furious debates of grievances as That evil Councels guided the King That the Treasury was misimployed with reflections on the Duke of Buckinghams miscarriages The Commons consulting to divest the Duke of his Admiralship and to demand an account of those publick moneys wherewith he had been intrusted The King hereupon dissolved the Parliament And the infection decreasing at London his Majesty was Crowned at Westminster February the second And February the sixth another Parliament was begun wherein the Commons voted the King four Subsidies But some of the Members highly taxed the Duke of Buckingham and Articles were carryed up against him to the Lords House for his ill management of the Admiralty his ingrossing Offices preferring his kindred to places unfit for them making sale of places of Judicature and his Mother and Father-in-Law's fostering of Popish Recusants These leading Commoners were Mr. Cook Dr. Turner Sir Dudley Digges Sir John Elliot and Sir William Walter And to make the Faction more sport the Duke and Earl of Bristol did mutually impeach each other But his Majesty to put a stop to these contrasts dissolved the Parliament June 18 1626 before the Bill for the Subsidies was passed Therefore the King by the advice of his Council took care to provide money some other ways hence followed the levying of Customes and Imposts upon all such Merchandizes as were imported and exported Then compositions to be made with Recusants for the Leases of their lands and tenements for forfeitures due since the tenth year of King James Also Privy-Seals were issued out and Benevolence proposed c. The several Maritime Counties and Port-Towns were ordered by the Council to set out Ships for the guarding of the Sea-Coasts against the attempts of Spain and Flanders which they very unwillingly if at all yielded unto A Royal Fleet was also preparing to be set out designed for Barbary as was given out But at last as the most expeditious way for raising of money a general Loan was resolved upon and Commissioners forthwith appointed for the purpose which grand Assesment of the Loan met with much opposition from people of all sorts and degrees upon which divers Gentlemen were committed prisoners and George Abbot Archbishop of Canterbury refusing to License a Book in behalf of the Loan was suspended for a time from his Archiepiscopal jurisdiction and Dr. Williams Bishop of Lincoln for speaking some words concerning the Loan in disadvantage of the King fell into some disfavour and Sir Randolph Crew for being backward to promote it was displaced from his Office of Lord Chief Justice A. D. 1627 His Majesty being now sued by the French Protestants of Rochel for his protection and because the King of France had seized on the English Merchants goods in the river of Burdeaux therefore sent the Duke of Buckingham to attach the Isle of Rhee which had now submitted to the English valour had not the Duke managed that War more with the Gayeties of a Courtier than the Arts of a Souldier In this expedition many brave English-men lost their lives from which when the Duke was returned those poor remains of his Army most of them Irish and Scots were billeted in divers villages of England to the great discontent of the Country This Epedition being so unhappy and the miseries of Rochel making them importunate for the Kings assistance he therefore summoned a Parliament to meet March 17th 1627 He also passed a Commission under the great Seal to levy monies throughout the Nation by impositions in nature of Excise When the Parliament were met at their prefixed time there was forthwith presented to the House of Commons a certain Paper called a Speech without-dores Wherein was laid open the miscarriages of many persons in places of Trust with several sorts of National grievances The first matter that the Parliament took into their consideration was the grievances of the Country and the first grievance they debated was the Case of those Gentlemen who having refused the Loan were notwithstanding their Habeas Corpus committed to prison This business took up a long debate and earnest which was chiefly managed by Sir Francis Seymour Sir Thomas Wentworth Sir Benjamin Rudyard Sir Edward Cook and Sir Robert Philips Next the House proceeded to the drawing up of a Petition against Recusants to which Petition the King gave a satisfactory answer Then after the granting of the King five Subsidies they took into debate the Petition of Right wherein they prayed his Most Excellent Majesty First That no man hereafter be compelled to make or yield any Gift Loan Benevolence Tax or such like charge without common consent by Act of Parliament and that none be called to make answer or to take such Oath or to give attendance or be confined or otherwise molested concerning the same Secondly That no Free-man be taken and imprisoned or be disseized of his freedom or liberty or his free-customes or be out-lawed or exiled but by the lawful judgment of his Peers or by the Laws of the Land Thirdly That the Souldiers and Mariners now billeted in divers Counties might be removed and the people
Edenburgh the common People both Men and Women flung cudgels stones stools or any thing that came next hand at him and after that was done re-inforced their assaults upon the Bishops then present Nor was it the rabble only that were disaffected to the Church-Liturgy and Discipline but persons of all degrees and orders who mutually obliged themselves and the Scottish Nation in a Hellish Covenant to extirpate Episcopacy and to defend each other against all persons To reduce this People to a more peaceful practice the King sent Marquess Hamilton as his Commissioner but there were new seeds of discontents and war dayly sown so that to pacific the discontents of the Scots his Majesty at length gave order for revoking the Liturgy the High-Commission the Book of Canons and the five Articles of Perth made by King James also granted that a general assembly of the Kirk should be holden at Glascow Novem. 21. 1638. and a Parliament at Edenburgh 15 of May 1639. When the Assembly were met they fell to declare against Bishops to excomunicate them and their adherents and to abolish Episcopacy and the Covenanters were also so daring that they seized upon the Kings Revenue surprized his Forts and Castles and at last put themselves in Arms. Cardinal Richlieu of France heightning them 't is said in their factious proceeds by promising them assistance from the French King King Charles now well perceiving that his Clemency to the Scots was converted to his own prejudice raises therefore a gallant Army with which he marches within two miles of Berwick within sight of the Rebel Scots but they Petitioning for a pacification the King yielded thereunto A. D. 1639 and June 17 the King disbanded his Army expecting that the Scots would have done the like according to the Articles of accord but the Covenanters instead of keeping those Articles retained their Officers in pay changed the old form of holding Parliaments invaded the Prerogatives of the Crown and solicited the French King for an aid of men and money His Majesty hereupon calls a Parliament in England to sit April 13 1640. and another in Ireland The Irish Parliament granted money to raise and pay 8000 men in Arms and to furnish them with ammunition but the English Parliament were not so free in granting supplies against the Scots although the King promised them for ever to quit his claim of Ship-money and give satisfaction to their just demands if now they would supply him When his Majesty sent old Sir Henry Vane unto them to demand six subsidies he either purposely or accidentally the first is rather thought named twelve which put the Commons into such a heat that they were about to remonstrate against the War with Scotland Whereupon the King was forced to dissolve the Parliament May the 5. 1640. Howbeit he continued the Convocation of the Clergy which granted him four shillings in the pound for all their Ecclesiastical promotions Soon after this a tumult was stirr'd up at the Bishop of Canterbury's insomuch that a great number of Apprentices and vulgar persons assaulted his house at Lambeth some of whom being apprehended and imprisoned were by their Companions rescued out of Prison for which one of the Ringleaders was hang'd and quartered Now whilst these things were acting at home the turbulent Scots had entred England and defeated a part of the Kings Army before the whole could be imbodied and had gained Newcastle and Durham And no sooner was his Majesty come to his Army in the North but there followed him from some English Lords a Petition conformable to the Scotch Remonstrance which they called the intentions of the Army viz. not to lay down Arms till the reformed Religion meaning Scotch Presbytery was setled in both Nations and the causers and abetters of their present troubles were brought to publick Justice and that in Parliament The King therefore summons the Lords to appear at York September the 24 1640. who accordingly met where it was determined that a Parliament should be called to meet November the third following then a Treaty was agreed upon betwixt the English and Scotch for the ceasing of all Acts of Hostility and one of the Articles was That the contribution of 850 l. per diem should be raised out of the English Northern Counties to maintain the Scotch Army during the Treaty and till peace was secured The fatal long Parliament began November the third which day as 't is said was looked upon by the Archbishop of Canterbury as an unlucky day for meeting of Parliaments in reference to Church-affairs having proved so in the time of King Henry the eighth whereupon he advised the King to put off their setting to another day which his Majesty inclined not unto but at their meeting acquainted them that he was resolved to put himself wholly upon his English Subjects that he would satisfie all their just grievances then commended to their care the chasing out of the sawcy Scots making provisions for his own Army and relieving the oppressed Northern Counties But the Parliament instead of complying with their Soveraign in his just proposals they first set upon purging their house of such whom they thought wou'd not comply with their designs finding fault either with their elections or else making them criminals in some publick grievance then setled Committees for grievances and receiving Petitions voted down Monopolies impeached the Lord Wentworth Earl of Strafford of High-Treason and committed him to the black Rod committed Archbishop Laud likewise to the black Rod and ten weeks after voted him guilty of High-Treason and sent him to the Tower In the mean while Prynn Burton and Bastwick were freed from their confinement and conducted into London in great State and Triumph Alderman Pennington with some hundreds attending him presented the Commons with a Petition from the Citizens of London against the present Church-government Divers Petitions from other places came before them of the like nature And now the Parliament well perceiving their own strength and interest drew up a bill for Triennial-Parliaments wherein the power of calling that great Council of the Nation was upon refusal of the King and neglect of others devolved upon Constables This the King through their importunities granted unto them February the 16 the Parliament voted That no Bishop should have any vote in Parliament nor any Judicial power in the Star-Chamber-Court nor have any sway in Temporal affairs and that no Clergy-man should be in Commission of Peace And after about five months from their sitting the Earl of Strafford Lord Deputy of Ireland was brought to his Tryal in Westminster Hall before the Lords as his Judges The King Queen and Prince setting behind a curtain in an adjoyning Gallery and round about the Court stood the Commons his accusers and the Witnesses against him were English and Scotch Anti-Episcoparians and Irish Papists his charge consisted of 28 Articles to all which the Earl answered with such firm reasons that he could not be found
supply of 18 months Assessement not exceeding 70000 l. a Month but began to be dissatisfied with the Kings indulgence and toleration to Phanaticks though his Majesty by a gracious Answer to an Address of theirs endeavoured to remove that scruple Anno 1673. About the later end of March an Act for a general and free pardon past in Parliament and then both Houses adjourned till the 20th of October following One James Piercy upon the death of the Earl of Northumberland in whom the male race of that ancient Family expired came into England laid claim to the Title and Estate and thereupon petitioned the Parliament but his Petition was rejected and himself looked upon as an Imposter The Island of Tobago was this year taken by the English from the Dutch in exchange whereof the Dutch took St. Helena from the English which might have proved of very bad consequence to the English East-India Trade had it not been re-taken by Captain Monday with three Dutch East-India Merchant Men besides which fully paid the charges of its reprisal For this good service Captain Monday was Knighted The Dutch this year were first at Sea and attempted a vain project of stopping up those narrow Channels that give entry to the River of Thames Prince Rupert who commanded the English Fleet put out to encounter them but they retreating to their own Shoar the Prince stood to the West-ward that he might joyn the French and part of the English Fleets This being shortly after done the whole Fleet made toward the coast of Holland and the Prince finding them before Schonvelt secured by their Banks and the shallowness of the Water on the 28th of May detached a Squadron of Thirty five small Frigots to provoke them to an Engagement The Dutch contrary to expectation came forth in good order and engaged The French and English emulous for honour fought with extraordinary eagerness and somewhat entangled each other but at length after a sharp dispute the magnanimous Prince forced the Enemy to run and followed them as far as the Sands and Water did permit till Night put an end to the conflict and the Dutch regained their former station The English lost but a few common Seamen and not one Ship Captains were slain Fowles Finch Tempest and Woorden On the Dutch side were killed Vice Admiral Schram Rear Admiral Vlugh and six Captains more They lost considerably in Men but onely one Ship called the Deventer On the fourth of June happened another Engagement wherein no great Execution was done on either side it being managed at great distance and most part in the night time And that the Series of this years Warlike Actions may be continued without interruption on the Tenth of August both Fleets met again at Sea and gave the last stroke to this War The Dutch being about the Goree got the Wind of the English and bore briskly down upon them the Fight was obstinate and bloody on both sides especially between Sir Edward Sprague and van Tromp but the French making as if they stood off for the Wind did it in reallity that they might have the conveniency of being Spectators Prince Rupert and de Ruyter who had been engaged together all day finding themselves at distance from their respective Squadrons stood back again to their assistance and de Ruyter designing to have cut off the blew Squadron from the rest of the Fleet was so smartly charged by the Prince that he was fain to give way so that had the French made use of their Wind they had the Dutch had certainly sustained far greater loss then they did and not so easily drawn off by favour of the Night In this Engagement Sir Edward Sprague as he was shifting from one Ship to another had his long Boat by a Random Shot shivered to pieces under him and so to the grief and regret of all that knew him was drowned his Ship strangely disabled was by his valiant Second the Earl of Ossory brought off Captain Neve was slain Reeves and Heywood died of their Wounds and Martel only of the French was killed The loss of common Seamen was not very great on the English side The Dutch lost two Flag Officers several Captains and about a 1000 common Seamen About the middle of June the Lord Clifford resigned his Treasurers Staff and Sir Thomas Osborn created Viscount Osborn of Dumblain in Scotland and afterwards Earl of Danby in England was made Lord High Treasurer The Parliament according to their last Adjournment meeting in October were prorogued till the 27th of the same month then meeting again they were prorogued till the 7th of January following Soon after the King issued out His Proclamation requiring all Judges and Justices of the Peace effectually to prosecute the Laws against all Papists and Popish Recusants About the later end of November his Royal Highness the Duke of York was married to the Princess of Modena Though the Preparations for War went on vigorously both on the English and Dutch sides yet overtures of Peace were still set on foot and His Majesty condescended to a Treaty at Cologne which took no effect The Dutch in the mean time thought it not fit to desist but by another way of Negotiation that is to say by intercourse of Letters they at length prevailed so far as to receive a condescending Letter from the King of England in February 1673 4 which was shortly after followed by a conclusion of the Peace by them so much desired Peace being now concluded Anno 1674. this year affords no great Transactions of importance the Consultations of Government being chiefly directed to the preservation of quietness and unity at home in order to which His Majesty emitted several Proclamations against Papists and Jesuits The Duke of Monmouth upon resignation of the Duke of Buckingham was chosen Chancellour of the University of Cambridge The Earl of St. Albans giving up the Staff of Lord Chamberlain of His Majesties Houshold his place was given to the Earl of Arlington to whom Sir Joseph Williamson succeeded as Principal Secretary of State Upon the 22th of September His Majesty by Proclamation prorogued the Parliament which was to have met the 10th of November till the 13th of April ensuing His Majesty having been pleased to accept of the Freedom of the City of London was in December by Sir Robert Vynor Lord Mayor in Name of the City presented with the Copy of his Freedom in a large square Box of Massie Gold the Seal appended being in a Box of Gold set all over with large Diamonds About the beginning of January 1674 5 her Royal Highness was brought to Bed of a Daughter Christened at St. James's by the Bishop of Durham by the Name of Katharina Laura the Duke of Monmouth being Godfather and the Lady Mary and Lady Anne Godmothers Anno 1675. The Parliament according to their last Prorogation met on the 13th of April but having sate till a week in June and a difference
which being done he vehemently checkt them for their treason against Pertinax depriving them both of the name honour and arms of Soldiers and banished them an hundred miles from Rome which act of his was highly grateful to the Roman Citizens This Emperor came over into Britain where he fought many Battels but ever with more difficulties to the Romans than Britains Clodius Albinus the Roman Lieutenant in Britain made opposition against him but he subdued him Hadrians wall he repaired The Caledonian rebelling he commanded to be destroyed without exception But Severus remaining in York which place afterward grew to be one of the chiefest for account among the Brigantes as commonly the stations of the Roman Colonies were the seed-plots of all our Cities and chief Towns growing aged and sick he died Apr. 4. A. D. 212. This Emperor having layn long sick of the Gout and one of his Nobles telling him That he wondred how he could rule so vast an Empire being so lame and unwieldy he answered That he ruled the Empire with his Brain Fifth Persecution and not with his Feet He raised the fifth Persecution against the Christians BAssianus Caracalla CARAC GETA A.D. 212. and his brother Septimus Geta were declared Emperors by old Severus their father and both by him Sirnamed Antoninus a name then very gracious in the esteem of the Romans These Emperors together with the Empress-Mother Julia transported the Funeral ashes of the old Emperor in a Golden Urn to Rome where they solemnly consecrated him a god the Ceremony being after this sort performed His Image being lively pourtraied in manner of a sick man was laid upon an Ivory Bedsted richly furnished in the porch of his Palace The Princes and Senators sate all on the left side thereof in black array the Ladies on the right clothed in white the Physicians diligently visiting him When seven days were ended as if then just dead the prime Nobles carried him in his Ivory-bed to the Forum where all the Patrician Youth and noble Virgins incompassed him with most doleful Hymns and Ditties From thence his Image was removed to Mars's field where a four-square frame of Timber was erected of a very great height and compass the stories still mounting to the top with sundry ascents richly beautified with gold purple ornaments and Images of great art and price On the second of which ascents was placed the Emperors bed and statue with infinite store of most sweet odors the young Nobles riding round about in a kind of dance others who represented great Princes in their Coaches and then his Successor first set fire on the Frame and after him all the people did the like on all sides till the whole began to be in a flame which done an Eagle secretly inclosed within was let fly out of the top the people following its flight with shouts and prayers supposing that therewith Severus was mounted into Heaven But in short time after this Caracalla to gain the sole Soveraignty slew his brother Geta in his Mother Julia's arms pretending that the innocent youth had sought his death And because Papinianus the famous Civilian would not excuse the Murder in his Pleas at the Bar he caused him to be slain with many of the Nobility who favoured Geta. Julia his brother Geta's own Mother and his Mother-in-Law he took to Wife reported on this occasion Julia in his presence either casually or purposely let fall her Vail thereby discovering her naked breasts and beauty which he beholding instantly said Were it not unlawful I should not be unwilling to which she replied That all things were lawful to him who made Laws for others but was himself subject to none Whereupon he married her but a violent death prevented him from enjoying her long and she hearing of his being murdred poysoned her self OPilius Macrinus from obscure Parentage MACRINUS A.D. 219. by election of the Soldiers obtained the Imperial Crown but enjoyed it but a short time for young Heliogabalus warring against him overcame him and put him to death with Diadumanus his son BAssianus Ant. Heliogabalus the natural son of Caracalla was incredibly luxurious HELIOGABALUS A.D. 220. His garments though exceeding costly he would not put on twice His shooes were set with pearls seats strewed with musk and amber his bed covered with gold and purple and adorned with most costly jewels his vessels even of basest use all gold his lamps burnt with the balms of Arabia and India his way strewed with the powder of gold and silver his diet so profuse that at every supper in his Court was usually spent 1000 pounds sterling At a Feast of the chief Roman Citizens in his Court he caused all the rooms to be strewed with saffron saying That such cattel deserved such litter Near the Sea he would eat no fish and in the inland no flesh He had whole meals made of the tongues of singing birds and peacocks or of the brains of most costly creatures At one supper he was served with 600 Ostriches He built a stew in his Court wherein himself in the attire of an harlot would make orations to his whores terming them his fellow-soldiers and giving them instructions how they should practise with the greatest variety their filthy lust In Rome he built a Chatter-house for women to meet in where they might determine of their attires He brought his Mother Semiamira into the Senate giving her a voice with the Senators But conscience accusing him and he fearing the rage of the people for his crimes therefore he prepared silken halters golden knives and built a stately tower exceeding high adorned with gold and gems thinking when occasion should be by some of these means to destroy himself having these words oft in his mouth That howsoever he died yet his death should be precious in the sight of all men But he was mistaken for the Praetorian band draged him and his mother with acclamations through Rome saying That the Bitch and her Whelp must go together then slew them and threw them into Tyber And the Senate approving of what was done decreed that his Name should be blotted out of all Monuments in Rome and never any Antoninus should again rule the Empire ALEX. SEVERUS A.D. 224. AVrelius Alexander Severus was a great lover of the Liberal Arts and a great favourer of the Christians from whom he took to himself examples of life and commended their precepts to others This his kindness to the Christians is thought to have been procured by his mother Mammea whom Origen instructed and whom St. Hierom stiles a most holy woman He was a great observer of justice and therefore caused Turinus a Courtier who had taken money of divers persons with promise to procure the Emperors favour in their suits to be put to death by smoke one in the mean while proclaiming That he had sold smoke therefore with smoke should die His Roman Soldiers grown far out of order by the ill government
Bertualdus A. B of Cant. reigned in peace the term of four years but affecting a private retired life he appointed Chelred his Cousin to rule in his stead and accompanied with Offa King of East-Saxons KENRED and Edwin Bishop of Winchester he went unto Rome where himself and Offa became Monks and there dyed CHeldred the 9th King of the Mercians CHELRED A.D. 709. was all along during his seven years reign engaged in Wars against Inas King of the West-Saxons Which Inas being in pilgrimage at Rome in A.D. 720 gave a tribute to Rome called Peter-pence being a peny for every house At first it was called the Kings Alms it was also called Romescot Inas built a Colledg at Wells and a stately Abby at Glastenbury where formerly the old Cell of Joseph of Arimathea had been He also built a Castle at Taunton King Chelred dyed in A. D. 716 and vvas buried in the Cathedral Church at Lichfield EThelbald the 10th King of the Mercians ETHELBALD spent the most part of his reign in peace and too much thereof in Luxury for the vvhich he vvas reproved by Boniface an English man Bishop of Mentz Whose Epistle Redargutory had this influence upon the King that in sign of repentance he priviledged the Church from all Tributes to himself and founded the Abby of Crowland About which time it was appointed by Arch-Bishop Cuthbert and his Clergy in a convocation held in his Province that the Sacred Scriptures should be read in their Monasteries the Lords Prayer and Creed taught in the English tongue A. D. 733. In January the Sun suffered so great an Eclipse that the Earth seemed to be overshadowed as with Sack-cloth And A. D. 756 and in December the Moon being in her full appeared both dark and bloody for a Star though there be none lower than the Moon seemed to follow her and to deprive her of light till it had got before her But great Ethelbald fighting against Cuthred the West Saxon was trayterously slain by the procurement of one of his own Captains near Tanworth and was buried at Repton in Derbyshire OFFA A.D. 758. OFFA the 11th King of the Mercians as is said was born both lame deaf and blind continuing so unto his mans estate He was of such stout and daring spirit that he thought nothing impossible for him to attain unto The first that felt his fury were the Kentish men whose King Alrike he slew in fight with his own hands From south to north he then marched and beyond Humber made havock of all that opposed him Whence returning in triumph he vanquished Kenwolph and his West-Saxons with whom Marmadius King of the Britains sided He caused a great ditch to be made between his and the Britains borders that is from Basingwark in Flintshire and North-Wales not far from the mouth of Dee running along the Mountains into the South ending near Bristol at the fall of Wye The tract whereof in many places is yet seen being called Clawdh Offa Tarninus and Nothelmus A.B. Cant. or Offa's Ditch The Danes that had invaded England he forced back to their ships with the loss of all their booty and many of their lives Then making his son Egfryd Partner with him in the Kingdom he went to Rome where he made his Kingdom subject to a tribute called Peter-pence and gave rich gifts to Pope Hadrian for canonizing Alban a Saint in honour of whom at his return he built a Magnifick Monastry over against Verolanium Also in testimony of his repentance for the blood he had shed in his Wars he gave the tenth part of his goods unto the Church-men and poor At Bath he built a Monastry and in Warwick-shire a Church where the adjoining town from it and him beareth the name Off-Church He dyed at Offley in A D. 794 and was buried without the town of Bedford in a Chappel standing upon the bank of Owse which long since was swallowed up by the same River In A D. 755 was Sigebert King of West-Saxons slain by a Swineherd and in A.D. 760 Kenwolph King of West-Saxons made Wells an Episcopal See EGfryd the son of Offa restored to the Church her ancient priviledges which his Father had deprived her of EGFKID A.D. 794. He dyed in the first year of his reign and was buried in the Abby-Church of St. Albans KEnwolph the 13th King of the Mercians KENWOLPH A.D. 795. was at home a president of peace religion and justice and abroad of temperance humility and courtesie In War stout and victorious in Peace studious of enriching his subjects He vanquished the Kentish men and carried away their King prisoner detaining him captive and giving his Kingdom to Cuthred He built a fair Church at Winchcomb in Glocestershire where upon the dedication thereof he led Pren his captive King of Kent up to the high altar and there without either his entreaty or any ransom set him at full liberty He dyed A. D. 819 and was buried at Winchcomb where was buried also Kenelm his son murder'd by his sister Quendred SAXON MONARCHS EGBERT A.D. 819. EGbert the 18th King of West-Saxons first warred against the Cornish and Welsh a remnant of the old Britains which for fourteen years held side against this King which so enraged him that he made it present death for any Britain to pass over Offa's pitch into England Their great Caer-legion now Westchester he took from them and at London cast down the Image of their Prince Cadwalle He subdued Kent East-Saxons and East-Angles also the Mercians and indeed all upon the North and South of Humber yeilded him obedience He was crowned at Winchester absolute Monarch of the whole Island in A. D. 819 and caused the South of this Island to be called England Three several times the Danes landed in England in his reign whom he expelled He dyed in A. D. 836 and was buryed at Winchester Cuthbert and Brogmius A.B. Cant. But his bones were since taken up and with others bestowed in Chests set upon the Wall on each side the Quire of the Cathedral with these verses inscribed Hic Rex Egbertus pausat cum Rege Kenulpho nobis egregia munera uterque tulit His issue were Ethelwolph and Ethelstan and one Daughter named Egdith commonly called St. Edith who was Governess of a Monastry of Ladies at Pollesworth in Warwickshire EThelwolph was in his youth committed unto the care of Helmestan Bishop of Winchester ETHELWOLPH 836. and by him unto learned Swithun the Monk He took such a liking unto the quiet and solitary life enjoyed only by religious men all other estates being molested to withstand the intruding Danes that he took upon him the Monkish Vow and profession and was made Deacon and shortly after upon the death of Helmestan he was elected if not consecrated also Bishop of Winchester But the death of his Father immediately following by the intreaty of the Nobles and constraint of the Clergy he was made
Matilda came to Winchester where sending for the Bishop being then the Popes Legate though he doubted some danger yet not daring to send a flat denyal returned this equivocal answer Ego parabo me I will make ready as though he had meant to follow the Messenger whereas he addressed himself to work her downfall For sending for his Brothers Queen Prince Eustace the Londoners and William Ypre he made strong his party for the King Himself and friends abiding in the City and the Empress keeping in the Castle not daring to adventure forth for about the space of Seven weeks When the Bishop to deceive Matilda commanded peace to be proclaimed and the City Gates to be set open But the Empress and her Friends now leaving the Castle to go to some other place were pursued by the Bishops forces in which pursuit many of her party were wounded and slain Earl Robert taken and others flying into the Nunnery of Warwell were burned together with the place And Winchester City the Bishop caused to be fired for the Citizens affections to the Empress The Empress who had escaped to the Castle of the Devizes and there in hazard to be surprized caused her self to be put into a Coffin as though dead bound fast with Cords and so as if it had been her dead Corps she was carried in a Horse-litter to Glocester King Stephen and Earl Robert being exchanged one for another the King now pursues Matilda and in Oxford besieged her wan the Suburbs thereof and brought her to that streight that for her escape in a great Frost and Snow she was forced in order to the deceiving of the Centinels eyes to cloath her self in white Linen Garments and so on foot to run through Ice and Snow Ditches and Vallies till she came to Abingdon where taking Horse she got the same night to Wallingford Castle After which many bickerings hapned betwixt the two parties with variable successes to and fro Sometimes in one part of the Nation Matilda's side prevailed in another part Stephens to the great ruine of the whole Realm However Stephen to assure the succession to his Son Eustace called a Councel at London commanding Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury to consecrate his Son King Which he refusing to do and that by the Popes special Mandate was forced to fly into Normandy the King seizing upon all his possessions But Eustace shortly after dying King Stephen inclined to peace and was content to adopt Henry Fitz-Empress for his Son and Successour To whom the Nobles at Oxford did homage as to the undoubted Heir and the Prince yielded Stephen the honour of a Father But King Stephen being afflicted with the Iliack passion together with his old Disease the Hemerhoids gave up the Ghost at Dover A. D. 1154 and was buried at Feversham in Kent Though his body afterward for the Lead-sake wherein it was wrapped was cast into the River He had Issue Balwine Eustace William Maud Mary and two natural Sons His Son Eustace in a rage set fire on the Corn-fields belonging to the Abby of Bury Theobald A.B. Cant. because the Monks denyed to help him to a sum of Money but afterwards sitting down to Dinner at the first morsel of Bread he put into his mouth he fell into a fit of madness and in that fit dyed King Stephen erected the Abbies of Cogshall in Essex of Farness in Lancashire the Nunneries at Carew and Higham an Hospital at York and Monastry at Feversham About the beginning of his Reign a Fire beginning at London-stone consumed Eastward to Aldgate and Westward to St. Pauls HENRY II. A.D. 1154. HENRY PLANTAGINET the Son of Maud the Empress and Earl Geofry of Anjou was Crowned at Westminster by Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury And Henry to settle the Realm in quiet demolished certain Castles and fortified others Some Earls unduly created he reduced into a private condition purged the Realm of Foreign Soldiers chiefly of the Flemings Chose himself a Councel out of the most eminent persons spiritual and temporal and restrained the insolencies of some great personages which made some of them discontented especially that arrogant Lord Hugh de Mortimer who raised a Rebellion Against whom the King went in person where in the Siege of Bridge-North he had been shot with an arrow had not Hubert de St. Clare interposed and took the arrow into his own bosome The King having quieted the Rebels he hasted into France and there did homage to King Lewis for his French Provinces setled an accord between himself and Brother Geofry and at his return into England entred into amity with Malcolm King of Scots restoring to him the Earldom of Huntingdon Then he advanced against the Welsh with whom fighting his person was in great danger his Standard-royal cowardly abandoned for the which Henry de Essex Standard-bearer was afterward accused by Robert de Montford who in single combat within lists vanquished him at Reading where the said Essex was shorn a Monk But the King at length overcame the Welsh and returned with triumph into England after which himself and his Queen Eleanor were crowned at Worcester where they both at the Offertory laid their Crowns upon the high Altar vowing never to wear them after This now was the third time in which at three several places Westminster Lincoln and Worcester he had been crowned Then the King crost the seas into his Dukedom of Normandy where he made seizure of some Cities into his hands after his Brother Geofry's death and setled some affairs then returned After which and about the year 1163 began the famous Controversie betwixt the King and his Favourite Beâ—ket whom in the beginning of his reign he had advanced to be Lord Chancellor and upon the death of Theobald to be Archbishop of Canterbury Tho. Becket A.B. Cant. Which Archbishoprick Becket at the Council of Tours secretly delivered up to the Pope and received it again from his hands But the cause of the dissention betwixt the King and this Bishop was the remisness and neglect of Becket's curbing the disorders of the Church-men which then were grown to a dangerous height complaint having been made to the King of above a hundred Murders committed by the Clergy in his reign Which enormities besides many others of other kinds not being punished by Church-censure the King exceedingly displeased brought them under the Civil Power ordering that Justice should be administred to all alike without partiality as well Clergy as Laity appointing Ministers of Justice through all parts of the Land to that purpose against which Becket opposed himself peremptorily defending the pretended Rights of the Clergy and his See of Canterbury yea so far as that he challenged from the Crown the custody of Rochester Castle and other Forts which the King for securing his state had resumed into his own hands Hereupon the King assembling his Bishops at Westminster it was there agreed That none should appeal to the See of Rome in any case
without the King's leave That no Archbishop or Bishop upon the Popes summons should go out of the Realm without the Kings license That no Bishop should excommunicate any holding of the King in chief or put any of his Officers under interdict without the Kings license That Clerks criminous should be tryed before Secular Judges Unto which Articles the King peremptorily urged Becket to yeild without any reservation of saving in all things his order and right of the Church But Becket utterly refused sending complaints thereupon to the Pope who very desirous to keep the Kings favour required the Bishop to yeild unto the King without any salvo's or exceptions So Becket though with much reluctancy at length did swear in verbo Sacerdotali de plano that he would observe the Laws which the King intituled Avitae of his Grandfather the like to which did all the other Bishops and Nobility But notwithstanding Becket refused to set his seal to the Instrument wherein these Customs were comprehended alledging that he did promise it only to do the King some honour in word only but not with intent to confirm the said Articles Whereupon the King sent to Pope Alexander the third thinking by his means to have subjected the Prelate But he passing it by the King undertook the case himself and by his Peers and Bishops had all Beckets movable Goods condemned to his mercy they also adjudging him guilty of perjury The Bishops did by the mouth of the Bishop of Chichester disclaim thenceforward all obedience to him as their Arch-bishop And the next day whilst they were consulting further concerning him the Bishop caused to be sung before him at the Altar The Princes sit and speak against me and the ungodly persecute me c. and forthwith taking his silver Crosier in his hands he entred therewith into the Kings presence But the King enraged at his boldness commanded his Peers to sit in judgment on him and they adjudged him as a Traytor and perjured person to be apprehended and cast into prison To prevent which Becket fled into Flanders the Pope now openly siding with him and also Lewis the French King But Henry to let the Servant of servants know that he was supreme in his own Kingdom and that he liked not his taking part with a subject against his Sovereign Lord commanded the Sheriffs to attack such as did appeal to the Court of Rome with the Relations of all such of the English Clergy as were with Becket and to put them under Sureties Also to seize their Revenues Goods and Chattels The King likewise seized all the Archbishops Goods and Profits banished his Kindred prohibited his being publickly prayed for as Archbishop Commanded his Justices to apprehend and secure all such as should bring any Interdict into England till the Kings pleasure was further known On the other hand Becket in France by special authority from the Pope excommunicated the Bishop of London and proceeded so far with others that there was scarce found in the Kings Chappel such as might perform the wonted Service Hereupon the King sends again to the Pope to send him Legates which might absolve his excommunicate subjects and settle a Peace But the Popes Legates whom he sent did not effect a reconciliation by reason of Becket's perversness Some conjecture that in contempt of Becket whose Office it was as Archbishop of Canterbury to Crown the King King Henry caused his eldest son Henry to be crowned King of England by Roger Archbishop of York At whose Coronation-feast the Father-King himself carrying up the first dish of Meat the Archbishop pleasantly said to the young King Rejoyce my fair Son for there is no Prince in the world that hath such a Servitor attending at his Table as you have To whom the proud young King thus answered Why wonder you at that My Father knows that he doth nothing unbeseeming him forasmuch as he is royal born but on-one side but Our self are royal born both by Father and Mother Not long after this by mediation of some friends a reconciliation between the King and Becket was effected and Becket was permitted to have the full use of his Metropolitan See and all the profits thereof with the Arrearages Which he had not long re-possessed ere he published the Popes Letters by which Roger Archbishop of York and Hugh Bishop of Durham were suspended from their Episcopal Function for crowning the yong King in prejudice of the See of Canterbury And the Bishops of London Sarum and Excester cut off from the Church by Censure for assisting therein whom Becket would not absolve at the young Kings request but under conditions Which the old King then in Normandy hearing of let fall some words intimating his high displeasure against the Archbishop and desire to be rid of him Whereupon Hugh Morvill William Tracie Hugh Brito and Richard Fits-Vrse Knights and Courtiers hasted into England and murder'd the Archbishop in the Cathedral Church of Canterbury Richard a Monk A.B. Cant. as he stood in the Evening-service-time before the Altar Which done the Parricides fled and Thomas was reputed for a most Glorious Saint and Martyr and strange Miracles beyond my Creed are reported to have been done by this dead Roman-Saint and his blood Amongst other Epitaphs made on his death this was one Quis moritur praesul Cur pro grege Qualiter ense Quando Natali Quis locus Ara Dei. But the news of this vile act coming to the ears of the old King he was exceedingly troubled and to take off the imputation of Guilt from himself he protested that he would submit himself to the judgment of such Cardinal Legates as the Pope should send to enquire of the fact And to calm his own perturbations and avert mens thoughts from the consideration of that Tragedy he undertook the conquest of Ireland which he effected being helped forward therein by the Civil dissentions then amongst the Irish petty Kings Where having caused a reformation of the Irish Church and setled affairs therein to his conveniency he returned into England and from thence posted into Normandy where attended for his arrival two Cardinal-Legats sent at his own request for his purgation concerning Thomas a Becket's death by whom he was absolved Having first given oath that he was no way consenting to the fact and declared his sorrow for having in his anger given occasion by rash words for others to do the deed and ingaged to perform injoyned penances The conditions of his absolution were That at his own charge he should maintain 200 Soldiers a whole year for the defence of the Holy Land and that he should revoke the Laws which he had made against the priviledges of the See of Rome and Beckets friends And now this Cloud thus blown over another succeeds in its place For his unnatural Son young King Henry by the instigation of his Mother Queen Eleanor conspired against him having for his confederates the Kings of France and Scotland
his two Brothers Richard and Geofry with many of the English Nobles Against whom the Father with a bleeding heart for his Sons ungraciousness prepared himself and was very successful in Little Britain where himself was in person also in England by his faithful Subjects For Humphrey de Bohun High Constable of the Realm with other Nobles vanquished Robert Earl of of Leicester and took him Prisoner which moved Lewis of France to seek a Truce of him for six Months whereunto King Henry yielded then Ship'd for England landing at the Port of Hampton From whence he took his journey towards Canterbury and being come within about three miles thereof he went barefooted the hard stones so cutting his tender feet that the ground was stained with his blood And after he came to Canterbury and was entred into the Chapter-house of the Monks Baldwin A.B. Cant. he most humbly prostrated himself on the ground begged pardon and by the instancy of his own Petition was by all the brethren corrected with Rods. The number of lashes which he received on his bare flesh amounted to Fourscore About this time William King of Scots that had lately entred England was taken Prisoner and young King Henry was with storms driven back into France and his Fleet scattered shortly after which Peace was concluded betwixt his Father and him But yet again he sought his Fathers ruine though before he could effect it he was prevented by the King of Terrors Death A. D. 1183. The following year Heraclius Patriarch of Jerusalem arrived in England soliciting the King to undertake the holy War in his own person which by the advice of his Lords he refused yet yielded to aid the Cause with Money and gave them leave to go that were disposed thereto His Son John whom he exceedingly loved and commonly in jest called Sans terre without Land he made Lord of Ireland assuring unto him also Lands and Rents in England and Normandy Richard and Geoffery his Sons rebelled again against him The younger of which in a Turnament at Paris was trod to death under the Horse feet but the elder lived to the further grief of his Father For joyning himself with Philip of France forced his Father out of the City of Mentz the City where he was born and loved above all others which made King Henry to utter these words against him That since his Son Richard had taken from him that day the thing which he most loved in the world he would requite him for after that day he would deprive him of that thing which in him should best please a Child namely his heart And afterwards finding his Son John first in the Catalogue of the Conspirators against him in that action he bitterly cursed the hour of his birth laying Gods curse and his upon his Sons which he would never recall by any perswasions But coming to Chinon he there fell desperately sick and feeling death approach caused himself to be born into the Church before the Altar where after humble confession and sorrow for his sins he yielded up his Soul A. D. 1189 and was buried at Font-Everard His Issue were William Henry Richard Jeffry Philip John Maud and Eleanor His base Issue William sirnamed Longsper and Jeffry Archbishop of York These two by fair Rosamund and Morgan by another Woman Rosamund his beloved Concubine was the Daughter of the Lord Clifford whom to keep safe from the envy of Queen Eleanor he placed in a Labyrinth which he built for her at Woodstock with such windings and turnings that none could come at her retiring Room save the King or whom he instructed Howbeit the jealous eye of Queen Eleanor found her out by a clew of silk which Rosamund let fall as she sate to take the Air. For she suddenly fleeing to escape being seen the end of the silk fastned to her foot and the clew still unwinding which the Queen followed till she had found the lovely Rosamund whom she so dealt with giving her Poyson that she ended her days whose body was buried at Godstow with this Epitaph upon her Tomb Hic jacet in Tumba Rosa mundi non Rosa munda Non redolet sed olet quae redolere solet King Henry divided England into Circuits appointing that two of his judges should twice in the year in each Circuit administer Justice In the year 1164 he called an assembly of the States at Clarendon in Wilts where amongst other matters it was decreed That all the Clergy should bona fide swear allegiance to the King and should appeal but unto the Archbishop or from him finally to the King without particular licence In the beginning of his reign one Nicholas Breakspear an English man was elected Pope by the name of Adrian the 4th who in the 5th year of his Popedom was choaked with a Fly He sent the Lords Prayer in this manner from Rome to be taught the English people Vre Fadyr in Heaven rich Thy name be halyed everlich Thou bring us thy michel bliss Al 's hit in Heaven y-doe Evar in yearth been it also That holy bread that lasteth ay Thou send it ous this ilke day Forgive ous all that we have don As we forgive uch other mon. Ne let ous fall into no founding Ac shield ous fro the foul thing Amen In the Isle of Wight it rained blood the shower continuing for the space of two hours together A great Earthquake in Ely Norfolk and Suffolk which made the Bells to ring in the Steeples At St. Osyths in Essex was seen a Dragon of marvelous bigness which by moving burned Houses Another great Earthquake which overthrew many buildings and amongst the rest rent in pieces Lincoln Cathedral At Oreford in Suffolk a certain hairy creature perfectly resembling man in all parts and proportions was taken out of the Sea by Fishers in a Net who after he had been kept a while secretly slipt away into the Sea again RICHARD I. A.D. 1189 RICHARD from his exceeding valour sirnamed Ceur de Lion was Crowned at Westminster by Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury At which time a great number of the Jews were in a tumultuous sort slaughtered by the common people for which many of them suffered death The Coronation rights performed Richard with all speed prepares for his voyage into the Holy-Land appointing William Longchamp Bishop of Ely his chief Justiciar and Lord Chancellor joyning with him Hugh Bishop of Durham for the parts beyond Humber associating to those Bishops divers temporal Lords for the defence and preservation of Justice And with the King of Scots he concluded firm friendship Which done with a royal Navy he put out to Sea and by the way to the Holy-Land he seized on the Island Cyprus where he solemnly took to Wife his beloved Lady Berengaria The Island he committed to the keeping of his own Deputies permitting the Islanders to injoy all such Laws and Liberties as they held in the time of Immanuel the Emperor Furder in his way
the Kings command none left alive save this too skilful Archer who neither denied nor excused the fact but alledged the necessity of his case and the justice of God in it for that the King he said had slain his Father and two Brothers with his own hands Yet did the magnanimous King forgive this Bertram de Guidon the fact gave him an Hundred Shillings and set him at liberty but Captain Markadey after the King was dead took him flea'd him alive and then hang'd him When Ceur de Lyon perceived the certain approach of death with contrition confession and participation of the Sacrament he prepared himself for another life and dyed of his wound April 6 A D. 1199. And according to his command his Bowels were buried at Charron amongst the rebellious Poictovins as those who had only deserved his worst parts his heart at Roan as the City which for her constant loyalty had merited the same and his Corps were inhumed at Font-Everard at the feet of his Father to whom he had sometime been disobedient In the first year of his Reign he appointed Henry Fitz Alwin to be Major of London that honourable City having been formerly governed by Portgraves or Portreves He caused Money to be coyned held in great request for its purity by the Easterlings a people of Germany afterwards current Money and called Sterling from the Easterlings When this King was in France one Fulk a Priest told him that he kept three Daughters which if he did not dismiss they would procure him Gods wrath Why Hypocrite said the King all the World knows that I never had Child Yea said Fulk you have Three and their names are Pride Covetousness and Lechery Is it so said the King You shall see me presently dispose them The Knights Templers shall have Pride the White Monks Covetousness and the Clergy Lechery and there have you my three Daughters bestowed amongst you Now lived Robin Hood an outlawed Noble and Little John who with an Hundred stout fellows more molested all passengers by the way yet only robbed and made prey of the rich selling good pennyworths when they had done JOHN JOHN though that Arthur his Brother Jeffries Son was living A. D. 1119. yet by the assistance of his Mother Eleanor and other Noble Friends was by the great Councel of the Realm admitted King To whom they then sware only a conditional Fealty viz. To keep faith and peace to him if he would render to every of them their rights He was crowned at Westminster by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury His Reign throughout was attended with great troubles For first the King of France took upon him to establish young Arthur in the Kingdom though after a while for his own advantage he delivered the Prince into his Uncles hands Then the King of Scots procured some disturbances but an accord was shortly made the two Kings of England and Scotland swearing faithful love to each other upon the Crosier of Archbishop Hubert Presently after which these two Kings with the King of South-Wales expressed their great humility by helping to carry the Corps of Hugh Bishop of Lincoln on their shoulders to the place of interment Then the Clergy disturbed the peace oppugning the Kings Royal Title to a Benefice locking the Church-doors against his Praesentee scorning his Princely Letters fencing the Church with armed men against his Officers assailing his Sheriff moving the Pope to excommunicate all their opposers yea caused the King himself to be accused to the Pope for a Tyrant The whole Cistercian Order denied the payment of a subsidy granted the King The Canons of Lincoln refused to accept of him for their Bishop whom the King had appointed in the place of him deceased Hubert Archbishop called a General Councel in his Province without the Kings permission and then disdained the Kings prohibition thereof The Lay-Peers they came in also to act a part and at a time when the King stood in need of their help against the Poictovins and French refused to attend the King in his Wars against them Howbeit King John put forth to Sea arrived in Normandy and in battel overthrew his Nephew Arthur and by valour recovered all the Provinces which had revolted Prince Arthur and all the Peers of Poictou above 200 French Knights and others of command he took prisoners Not long after which young Arthur dyed not without suspition of violence Which gave fresh occasion to some of the disaffected Peers to bâ—â—dy against the King whom the King of France now cited as his Homager for the Dukedom of Normandy to appear at a set-day to be tryed by his Peers upon point of Murder and Treason And King John not appearing at the appointed time was by the King and Peers of France Disinherited and condemned and according to the sentence they proceeded against him and what by the Kings remisness the treachery of his people and power of his enemies he lost a great part of his strongest Towns and Castles in the French Territories But the Delinquent Peers and Barons King John put to their Fines and for the carrying on of the Wars against France had a Subsidy granted him which moved the people to think hardly of him The King of France who had been too succesful of late against the English sent a braving Champion over into England to justifie by Duel his proceeds in K. John's French Dominions with whom John Curcy Earl of Vâ—ster undertook to combate This Curcy was a man of gyant-like limbs and strength and of some conditions â—oâ— despicable had they not been savaged with too much rudeness Which appeared not only in his wild speeches touching the Kings 〈◊〉 of his Nephew Arthur but even thâ—n 〈◊〉 the King demanded of him whether he would combat in his quarrel answered No not in thy quarrel nor for thy sake yet for the Kingdoms right I will fight to the death But this the French Champion never put him to for hearing of the Earls excessive feeding and strength answerable thereto the Monsieur sneak't away into Spain as asham'd to shew his face again in France Of Earl Curcy 't is further said That when the two Kings of France and England met together upon a Truce in France K. Philip having heard of Curcy and that he was in the English Camp requested of K. John that he might see some experiment of his so much feared and famed strength Whereupon an Helmet of excellent proof full-farced with Mayl was set upon a Wooden block when the Earl first lowring round about him with a dreadful aspect lift up his trusty skeyn and cleft so deep quite through the steely resistance into the knotty wood that none there present save himself could draw it out again which he did with ease Then being by the Kings asked Why he frowned so angrily before he struck answered That he purposed if he had fail'd of his blow to have kill'd them all both Kings and the other spectators But for all
this famous Champion K. Philip by degrees gain'd all in Normandy even Roan it self Main Turain and Poictou revolted from King John and Angiers was betrayed All these losses happening through the default of some of the English Peers and Prelates For when the King was in readiness to take shipping for Normandy Hubert the Archbishop forbad him proceeding in the voyage the Peers also again refused to attend him Wherefore the King put many of his Earls Barons and Knights yea and Clergy-men also to a grievous pecuniary redemption and Huberts Wealth and Possessions who dyed the same year the King seized on This Hubert was suspected of too familiar practising with the King of France Upon the death of this Archbishop Hubert the Monks of Canterbury made choice of Reginald their Sub-Prior in his stead and the King after them of John Gray Bishop of Norwich a man of great wisdom But the Pope neglecting both these recommended Stephen de Langton to the Monks of Canterbury and Bishops of that Province to be presently chosen for their Primate Which the Monks unwilling and deferring to do Stephen Langton A.B. Cant. alledging that no Canonical Election could be made at Rome where was no consent neither of King nor Covent The Pope with choler replied That he had plenitude of Power over the Church of Canterbury and moreover that no consent of Princes used to be expected in Elections where the Pope was He therefore commanded them under pain of his high curse to accept him for their Primate Which all accordingly did though not without murmurations save one Elias de Brantford And to work the King into a compliance hereto the Pope sent him four Gold Rings with four precious stones an Emerald Saphire Ruby and Topaz signifying in his Letter sent with them that the Rings roundness must remember him of Eternity the quadrate number must mind him of Constancy and the four Cardinal Virtues Prudence Justice Temperance and Fortitude The Golds price of Wisdom the Emeralds greeness of Faith the Saphires brightness of Hope the Rubies redness of Charity and the Topaz's clearness of sanctity of life But King John for all these fond toys and fine words when he observed the Popes arbitrariness the dishonour arising to himself in being frustrated of his choice the prejudice to his Crown in having a Bishop thrust upon him without Sovereign consent the hazard to the State in having a French Favourite over the English with also the Monks disloyalty in yeilding to the Pope's Election He first of all proscribed the Monks as Traytors and after that writ Letters to the Pope wherein he alledged the wrongs done to himself and made his exceptions against Langton vowing immutably to stand for his own elect and to dye in defence of the liberties of his Crown likewise minding the Pope of his great profits he received from England menacing withall that if he were crossed in this he would then stop all from crossing the Seas to Rome To which Letters of the King the Pope answered very comminatory and shortly after viz. in A. D. 1208. because the King would be King in his own Dominions this Servus Servorum interdicted the whole Kingdom under which it lay for the term of six years and fourteen weeks without Gods service or Sacraments or Christian burial The Lay-people were tumbled like Dogs into every Ditch Howbeit the King to be even with the Pope proscribed the disloyal Clergy their revenues he confiscated their Bishopricks Abbies and Priories he put into Laymens hands and every-where they suffered wrong without ordinary protection of justice But some of the eminent Clergy detested the Popes savage proceedings as Philip Bishop of Durham and his Successor The Bishops of Winchester and Norwich they animated the King to contemn the Papal Curse and the Cistercian Abbots neglecting the Interdict continued their Divine Service till the Pope suspended them for their contempt Moreover the Pope to revenge himself on the King Anathematized him by name which caused many to desert his service for which he punished them by Fine Yet at length the better to secure himself and State the King was very desirous to come to an atonement and assured under his Seal that Archbishop Langton with the Bishops and Monks and others should be restored both to his favour and their possessions that Holy Church should have all its Franchises as in Edward the Confessors time But because he would not make full satisfaction to the Clergy for all confiscations and other emoluments received of them the Popes Nuncio's refused a peace with him And the Pope was so mad that he absolved all Kings and people poor and rich having dependence on him from all fealty and subjection to him whereupon Male-contents set themselves to work mischief The Welsh fall off from the King wherefore at Nottingham he hangs up their hostages 28 in number His Nobles many of them held themselves discharged of their Allegiance so rebel inviting the French King to their assistance and promising to settle the English Crown on his head Stephen Langton and other Bishops implore the Popes help to support the Church of England being at the point of ruine His officious Holiness thereupon decrees That K. John must be deposed and that he would â—ppoint one more worthy in his stead To effectuate which the Pope sent his Letters to Philip King of France requiring him to undertake the affair of dethroning the King of England and for his reward he should have pardon of all his sins besides the enjoying of the English Crown to him and his heirs for ever Also transmitting his Letters general to all Potentates Soldiers Men of War of all Nations to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross and to follow Philip in this design assuring all that their assistance herein whether in person or purse should be no less meritorious than if they visited our Saviours Sepulcher The King of France accepts the offer and makes great preparation for the invading of England and King John raises a Land-Army and prepares a Royal Navy to withstand him But ere the French make their attempts Pandulph the Popes Messenger arrives in England and so wrought upon the King what by representing the danger he was in and what by flattering promises that King John not insensible of his desperate estate sware in all things to submit to the judgment of the Church And shortly after at the Knight-Templers House in Dover he surrendred his Crown into the hands of Pandulph for the use of the Pope laying at his feet his Scepter Robe Sword and Ring and subscribed to a Charter whereby he resigned his Kingdom to the Pope Professing he did it neither through fear or force but of his own free will as having no other way to make satisfaction to God and the Church for his offence And that from that time forward he would hold his Crown of the Pope paying a pension annual of a Thousand Marks for the Kingdoms of
murdred body was on the Ascension-Eve laid in an open Coffin and conveyed to St. Pauls in London where it rested uncovered one day and began to bleed afresh thence it was carried to the black Friars Church where it did bleed as before then was buried at Chertsey in Surrey but King Henry the seventh translated it to his Chappel of Windsor A. D. 1474 Was an Interview at Piquigny in France of the two Kings of England and France where falling into complemental conference Lewis told King Edward that he would one day invite him to Paris there to court his fair French Ladies with whom if he committed any sin Lewis merrily told him that Cardinal Bourbon should be his Confessor and to be sure his penance should be the easier for that Bourbon used to kiss fair Ladies himself This was no sooner spoken howsoever meant but Edward was as forward of thanks and acceptance which King Lewis observing rounded Philip Coâ—â—nes his bosome-servant in the ear telling him flatly That he liked not Edwards forwardness to Paris there had been too many English Princes at that City already After King Edwards return into England as he was hunting in Arrow-Park belonging to Thomas Burdet Esquire with the death of much game he slew a white Buck which the Esquire much fancied whereupon he wished the Horns in that persons belly that moved the King to kill that Buck. For which words he was accused and condemned of Treason his words being wrested that he wish'd the Horns in the Kings belly and was beheaded at Tyburne A. D. 1478. George Duke of Clarence by the procurement of his brother Richard Duke of Glocester was accused of Treason and committed to the Tower His accusation was That he had caused divers of his servants to inform the people that Mr. Burdet was wrongfully put to death That upon purpose to exalt himself and Heirs to the regal dignity he had most falsely published that the King his brother was a bastard and therefore not capable to wear the Crown for which and the like crimes charged upon him he was in Parliament Attainted of Treason and found guilty and on the eleventh of March 1478 after he had offered his Mass-peny in the Tower was drowned in a But of Malmsey whose body was buried at Tukesbury But the King was afterwards much grieved that he had consented to his death and would say when any made suit for the life of a condemned person O unfortunate brother for whose life no man would make suit A. D. 1483 King Edward fell into a dangerous and deadly sickness when calling for his Lords into his sick presence and raising his faint body on the pillowes he exhorted and required them all For the love that they had ever born unto him for the love that he had ever born unto them for the love that our Lord beareth unto us all that from that time forward all griefs forgotten each of them would love other Which saith he I verily trust you will If you any thing regard either God or your King affinity or kindred your own Country or your own safety Shortly after which words he departed this life April the ninth and was buried at VVindsor in the New Chappel whose foundation himself had laid 'T is said of him that he was just and merciful in peace sharp and fierce in War and that never any King was more familiar with his Subjects than he In the beginning of his raign he used to sit in person certain days together in his Court of Kings-Bench to see justice and equity done His Issue were Edward Richard George who died an infant Elizabeth Cicely Anne Briget Mary Margret and Catharine His Concubines were Elizabeth Lucy and three others which were of three several humours as himself would say One the merryest which was Shores Wife another the wiliest and the third the holiest for she had wholly devoted her self to his Bed and her Beads His base Issue were Arthur sirnamed Plantaginet and Elizabeth He ordained penal Statutes against excessive pride in apparel especially against long-piked shoes then worn which had grown to such an extream that the Pikes in the toes were turned upwards and with Silver-chains or Silk-laces tied to the knee He gave some Cotswold-sheep to Henry of Castile and John of Arragon 1465 which hath been accounted one of the greatest prejudices that ever hapned to England One VValker a substantial Citizen of London was beheaded in Smithfield for only saying to his Child That he would make him Heir of the Crown meaning his house which had that sign In the fallen estate of King Henry many of the Nobles that had took part with Henry were put to fly for their lives into Forraign Countries and amongst the rest Henry Holland Duke of Excester and Earl of Huntingdon son to the Lady Elizabeth second daughter of John of Gaunt and Husband to the sister of King Edward the fourth was constrained to live in exile in miserable want and penury For saith Philip Comines I once saw the Duke of Excester run on foot bare-leg'd after the Duke of Burgundies Coach and Train begging an Alms for Gods-sake But being known what he was Burgundy gave him a small pension for his maintenance The Mayors and Sheriffs of London in this Kings time In his first Year Sit Hugh Witch was Mayor George Ireland John Lock Sheriffs In his second Year Sir Thomas Cook was Mayor VVilliam Hampton Bartholomew James Sheriffs In his third Year Sir Matthew Philip was Mayor Robert Basset Thomas Muschampt Sheriffs In his fourth Year Sir Ralph Joceline was Mayor John Tate John Stones Sheriffs In his fifth Year Sir Ralph Varney was Mayor Henry Weaver VVilliam Constantine Sheriffs In his sixth Year Sir John Young was Mayor John Brown Henry Brice John Darby Sheriffs In his seventh Year Sir Thomas Oldgrave was Mayor Thomas Stalbrook Humphrey Heyford Sheriffs In his eighth Year Sir VVilliam Taylor was Mayor Simon Smith William Herriot Sheriffs In his ninth Year Sir Richard a Lee was Mayor Richard Gardner Robert Drope Sheriffs In his tenth Year Sir John Stackton was Mayor John Crosby John VVard Sheriffs In his eleventh Year Sir William Edwards was Mayor John Allen John Shelley Sheriffs In his twelfth Year Sir William Hampton was Mayor John Brown Thomas Bledlow Sheriffs In his thirteenth Year Sir John Tate was Mayor Sir VVilliam Stocker Robert Belisdon Sheriffs In his fourteenth Year Sir Robert Drope was Mayor Edmond Shaa Thomas Hill Sheriffs In his fifteenth Year Sir Robert Basset vvas Mayor Hugh Brice Robert Colwich Sheriffs In his sixteenth Year Sir Ralph Joceline was Mayor Richard Rawson William Horn Sheriffs In his seventeenth Year Sir Humfrey Heyford vvas Mayor Henry Collet John Stocker Sheriffs In his eighteenth Year Sir Richard Gardner vvas Mayor Robert Harding Robert Bifield Sheriffs In his nineteenth Year Sir Bartholomew James was Mayor Thomas Ilam John Ward Sheriffs In his twentieth Year Sir John Brown was Mayor Thomas Daniel William Bacon Sheriffs In his
Princes to attempt the recovery of the holy-Land sending Cardinal Campeius on this errand into England Which Cardinal and his company being come to London as they passed through Cheap-side the sumpture Mules cast their Carriages and Coffers on the ground out of which the lids flying open fell old breeches boots and broken shoes torn stockings tattered rags old iron and horse shoes broken meat marrow bones roasted eggs and crusts of bread with such-like treasure About A. D. 1521 the Emperour Charles passing toward Spain landed at Dover where the King met him and conducted him in great state to London lodging him in his new Palace in the Black-Friars then feasted him at Windsor and in such bands of amity the Emperor and King Henry seemed to be link'd that in London this sentence was set up in the Guild-hall over the dore of the Councel-Chamber Carolus Henricus vivant Defensor uterque Henricus fidei Carolus Ecclesiae The reason of which Titles Defender of the Faith and Church was For that Charles the Emperour had directed forth a solemn Writ of Out-lawry against Dr. Martin Luther who had then given a great blow to the Triple Crown and King Henry had wrote a Book against the said Luther for the which the Pope gave the Title of Defender of the Church to the Emperour and Defender of the Faith to the King and for the same cause he sent King Henry a consecrated Rose A new variance hapning again betwixt the Kingdoms of France and England the King assembled a Parliament at the Black-Friers in London which granted him half of the yearly revenues of all Spiritual livings to be paid for five years continuance and the tenth part of all temporal substance to carry on the Wars against France and Scotland When the King being furnished with mony sent a great Army into France under the conduct of Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolk who had married Mary the Kings Sister Queen Dowager of France This valiant Commander first besieged and won Bell-Castle then took the Castle of Bonguard Braie Roie Lihome Mondedier and Boghan which done he returned King Henry was so inraged against the Scots that he took from all those inhabiting England all their goods sending them into their Country on foot with white Crosses sowed upon their uppermost garments But Margaret Queen of Scots solliciting her brother Henry for a peace the difference betwixt the two Nations was for a while reconciled About A. D. 1525 arose great troubles in Ireland the wild Irish casting off all obedience and killing many of the Kings English Subjects Girald Fitz-Girald Earl of Kildare was sent prisoner into England for that the Earl of Ossery had accused him of many misdemeanors as That he connived at the Earl of Desmonds escape whom he should have attached by order from the King That he grew over-familiar with the Irish and that he put to death the Kings best subjects When the Earl was brought to London he was committed to the Tower by the Cardinals means who did not love him In the Tower he expected death daily but with such couragious resolution that being at slide-groat with the Lieutenant when the Mandate was brought for his Execution on the morrow morning and seeing the Lieutenant struck into a sudden sadness he said unto him By St Bride Lieutenant there is some mad game in that Scroll but fall how it will this throw is for a huddle And when the worst was told him he said I pray thee Lieutenant do no more but assuredly learn from the Kings own mouth whether his Highness be witting of this or not Whereupon the Lieutenant loving the Earl well went to the King and shewed him the Warrant which the King seeing controlled the sawciness of the Priest for so he then called the Cardinal and gave the Lieutenant his Signet for a nullity of the Warrant so the Earl was delivered from the death threatned and not long after from his imprisonment About or in A. D. 1528 King Henry began to call into Question the lawfulness of his marriage with his Queen Katharine who was daughter to Ferdinand King of Spain and had been married to Prince Arthur eldest son of Henry the seventh when he was about fifteen years of age but he dying ere he had been married twelve months King Henry his brother by the advice of his Councel took this Princess Katharine to Wife in few days after his Fathers death and enjoyed her nuptial society near twenty years in which time she had born him two sons both dying in their infancy and one daughter named Mary afterward Queen But now he said his Conscience was much dissatisfied doubting it might not be lawful for him to have his brothers Wife notwithstanding he had had a dispensation from the Pope for it therefore first he refused his Queens bed and having moved the doubt to his own Divines he next sent for the opinion of most of the Universities of Europe which concluded against it and signified so much under most of their common Seals He also sent Agents unto Rome with an humble request to the Pope that an indifferent Judge might be sent to determine this weighty affair Whereupon Cardinal Campeius was sent over into England with whom Cardinal Wolsey was joyned in Commission These Cardinals had a place ordained them in the Black-Friers in London for the keeping of their Court of Judicature To which Court the King and Queen were summoned to appear personally which accordingly they did having several seats prepared for them When the Court was sate the Cryer called King Henry to appear who forthwith answered Here Then was the Queen called who made no answer at all but presently rose up and going to the King fell on her knees at his feet and in the audience of the people said unto him Sir I desire you to take some pity upon me and do me Justice and right I am a poor woman a stranger born out of your Dominions having here no indifferent Councel and less assurance of friendship Alas Wherein have I offended or what cause of displeasure have I given you that you thus intend to put me away I take God to my Judge I have been to you a true and humble Wife ever conformable to your will and pleasure never gain-saying any thing wherein you took delight Without all grudge or discontented countenance I have loved all them that loved you howsoever their affections have been towards me I have born you Children and been your Wife now this twenty years Of my Virginity and Marriage-bed I make God and your own Conscience the Judge and if it otherwise be proved I am content to be put from you with shame The King your Father in his time for wisdom was known to be a second Solomon and Ferdinand of Spain my Father accounted the wisest amongst their Kings could they in this Match be so far over-seen or are there now wiser and more learned men than at that time were Surely it seems
guilty of Treason either in particulars or in the whole The Parliament therefore resolved for right or wrong this wise man must fall to proceed against him by Bill of Attainder and upon April the 19 by making a Law after the fact vote him guilty of High-Treason yet withal add a caution for the security of themselves that it should not be drawn into a president Which vote of theirs passed not without a long debate and contention and 59 of the Members honestly dissented from the vote whose names were afterwards posted and marked for the fury of the Rabble In the bill of Attainder the Earl was charged for endeavouring to subvert the ancient Fundamental Laws and Government of the Realms and for exercising a tyranous and exorbitant power over the liberties and estates of his Majesties Subjects and for having by his own authority commanded the laying and assessing of Soldiers upon his Majesties Subjects in Ireland And also for that upon the dissolution of the last Parliament he did slander the House of Commons to his Majesty and did advise his Majesty that he was loosed and absolved from rules of Government and that he had an Army in Ireland which he might imploy to reduce the Kingdom And that the said Earl had been an Incendiary of the Wars betwixt England and Scotland c. May the first his Majesty called both Houses together and told them that he had been present at the hearing of the great Cause and that in his Conscience positively he could not condemn the Earl of Treason and yet could not clear him of misdemeanours but hoped a way might be found out to satisfie Justice and their fears without oppressing his Conscience May the second the Prince of Orange was Married to the Princess Mary at Whitehall May the third there came a seditious Rabble of about 5 or 6000 of the dregs of the People armed with staves cudgels and other instruments of outrage to the Parliament-dores clamouring Justice Justice and posted upon the gate of Westminster a Catalogue of names of those that would have acquitted the Earl whom they stiled Straffordians Then at the dores of the House of Peers they affronted some of the Lords especially the Bishops at their passing in and out after this they forced open the dores of the Abby-Church where they broke down the Organs spoiled the Vestments and Ornaments of Worship From thence they hurried to the Court and there most Impudently and Traiterously cried out That they would have Straffords head or a better upbraiding the King himself who perswaded them as they passed by to a modest care of their own private affairs with an unfitness to Reign and when some Justices of the Peace according to their Office endeavoured to suppress those tumults by imprisoning some of the Leaders of them they themselves were imprisoned by the command of the Commons upon pretext of an injury offered to the Liberties of the Subject one of which was as they then dictated that every one might safely Petition the Parliament howbeit afterwards they acted quite contrary to such whose Petitions were too honest to please them But notwithstanding these tumultuous inforcements his Majesty would not sign the Bill of Attainder till he had consulted both with the Judges as to matter of Law and the Bishops as to matter of Conscience When the Judges told his Majesty that in point of Law according to the Oath made by Sir Henry Vane of the Earls advice to raise horse to awe this Nation the Earl was guilty of Treason 't is said an eminent Bishop did answer the King that he had a Conscience as a private man and as a publick and though by his private Conscience he could not yield to the Earls death yet by his publick considering the present state of things he might May the 10. With much reluctancy the King signed a Commission to some Lords to pass that Bill of Attainder and another of ill consequence also which was for continuation of the Parliament during the pleasure of the two Houses May the 12 1641 was the Earl of Strafford strongly guarded to the Tower-Hill and there with courage beseeming a Christian he suffered the severing of his Head from his body The death of which great and able Minister of State did so terrifie the other Ministers of State that many of them made a voluntary resignation of their Offices At the request of the house of Commons the King for peace-fake relinquished his claim to Tonnage and Poundage and yielded to sign the Bills for taking away of the High-Commission and Star-Chamber Courts A. D. 1641 and October the 12 the Natives or wild Irish began a most bloody Rebellion throughout the whole Kingdom of Ireland on a suddein invading the unprovided English that were scattered amongst them despoiling them of their goods and massacring 200000 of them without any respect of sex age kindred or friendship making them as so many sacrifices to their bloody superstition the Popish Religion The chief heads of this Rebellion and Massacre besides the Priests were Sir Phelim O-Neal Turbough O-Neal his Brother Rowry Mac-Guire Philip O-Rely Moelmurry O-Rely Sir Conno Mac-Gennis Mac-Brian and Mac-Mahon His Majesty then in Scotland having intelligence of the dismal fate of the English in Ireland sent post to the Parliament of England to have them send reliefs thither but differences still heightning betwixt the King and his Parliament succours were not seasonably sent by which the Rebels much strengthened themselves At the Kings return from Scotland the Parliament presented him with a Petition for taking away the votes of Bishops in the House of Lords and the Ceremonies of the Church and for the removing of evil Councellors from about him Their grand Remonstrance they also presented him wherein were reckoned up the offences of the Courtiers the unpleasing resolves of some Judges the neglects or rigours of some Ministers of State the undigested Sermons of some Preachers the Positions of some Divines in the Schools unpleasing accidents they therein represented as designs of Tyranny and those things which had been reformed were yet mentioned as burthens To this Remonstrance his Majesty answered That he thought he had given satisfaction to his Peoples fears and jealousies concerning Religion Liberty and Civil Interests by the Bills he had past this Parliament desiring that misunderstandings might be removed on either side and that the bleeding condition of Ireland might perswade them to unity for the relief of that unhappy Kingdom But this modest answer of his Majesties did not at all satisfie the factious The Apprentices and Rabble in great numbers and much confusion resorted again to Westminster some crying out against Bishops and Liturgy of the Church others boldly menacing that the Militia should be taken out of the Kings hands Affronting the Bishops at their passing in and out of the Lords House and before Whitehall behaving themselves very insolently His Majesty hereupon took a Guard of such Gentlemen as offered their
service for his safety but the factious made use of this to raise the rage and jealousie of the whole City against the King for at midnight there were outcries made in the streets that all people should rise to their defence for the King and his Papists were coming to fire the City and to cut their throats in their beds The King therefore not always to incourage these indignities with his patience resolved by a course of Justice to punish the Authors and Countenancers of these seditious practices so commanded his Attorney General to accuse five Members of the Lower House of High-Treason and one of the House of Peers He also sent some Officers to Seal up their Trunks and Cabinets in their several Lodgings and to secure their persons To this the Commons voted That all those persons were enemies to the Commonwealth that should obey the King in any of his commands concerning them and that it was lawful for any person to assist the said members And because the King came into the House of Commons and there demanded to have the five Members delivered up to him though he left his guard of Pensioners and Lords and Gentlemen without upon the stairs the Commons voted this proceeding of the Kings a breach of the priviledg of Parliament and withal published a Declaration That whosoever should arrest any Member of Parliament by warrant from the King only was guilty of the breach of Parliamentary priviledges and likewise that all they who attended the King when he came to demand the five Members then hid in the City were guilty of a Trayterous design against King and Parliament The Londoners they came thronging to Westminster in a tumultuous sort to Petition for the impeached Members behaving themselves very rudely towards the Bishops And such increase and numbers of the heady common people assembled in a tumultuous manner about White-Hall and Westminster that the King justly mistrusting some danger from them withdrew himself with the Queen and their Children to Windsor The next day after which the five Members were Triumphantly guarded from London to Westminster by water Strange reports were these times given out concerning dangers from the King how that Troops of Papists were gathered about Kingston upon Thames under the command of Colonel Lunsford who was Chararactered to be of so monstrous an Appetite that he would eat Children and other like false and ridiculous stories Petitions were presented the Parliament requiring that neither the Bishops nor Popish Lords should continue to vote amongst the Peers Women also presented a Petition to the like purpose The House of Commons Petitioned his Majesty that they might have the Tower and London-Militia put into their hands which he denyed to grant yet did they place Major General Skippon over that Militia The King in hopes to stay the fury of the faction consented to almost all that they desired Howbeit notwithstanding all his gracious condescentions endeavours were still used to create an hatred of his Majesty Mr. John Pym publickly charged Him with a connivence at least if not with contrivance of the Irish Rebellion and when the King required satisfaction for the calumny the Commons justified Pyms speech to be the sense of their House And now the breach through bad mens practices growing still wider and wider betwixt his Majesty and his two Houses of Parliament His Majesty resolved to withdraw into the North there to abide till he saw what issue this storm would have taking with him the Prince and Duke of York The Queen he had afore sent with the Princess of Orange into Holland When the King was departed the Parliament made preparations both by Land and Sea upon pretext of great dangers at home and more prodigious terrors from abroad pretending that by intelligence from Paris Rome and Venice they were assured of great designs to overthrow the Parliament together with the Protestant Religion and strange unheard-of Plots they said were made to murder the most eminent Patriots A. D. 1642 and April the 23 the King attended with his guard consisting for the most part of Lords and Gentlemen only would have entred into his Town of Hull but Sir John Hotham insolently shut the gates against him and kept him out whereupon the King proclaimed him Traytor and complained to the Parliament of this indignity but they justified Hothams act and authorized him to strengthen the Garison of Hull In short time after this Englands miseries commenced by an intestine War A little before which were strange sights seen in the Air in many parts of England as Musquetiers harnessed-men and horse-men moving in Battel-array and assaulting one the other in divers furious postures The King and the two Houses now began to make all the speediest warlike preparations to defend themselves and offend each other but the two Houses had a great advantage of his Majesty both in respect of moneys and the speedy raising of Men and also Arms and Ammunition for war of all sorts through their having the City of London on their side the Citizens whereof were very free in parting with their Plate upon the publick faith and their Wives were so zealous for the good Cause as that of the two Houses was then miscalled that they gave their very Bodkins and Thimbles towards the maintaining of it and were forward to have Husbands and Children to venture their lives in this Rebellion On August 22. 1642 did his Majesty set up his Standard-Royal at Nottingham His General was the Valiant Earl of Lindsey the Parliaments General was Robert Devereux Earl of Essex and their Admiral the Earl of Warwick The first blood that was spilt in this unhappy war was near unto Hull whither some forces of the Kings forces were drawn upon whom Sir John Hotham and Sir John Meldram sallied taking some and killing others September the ninth 1642 the Earls of Essex set forth with his Army out of London and October the 23 the Caveliers so called which were the Kings party and the Roundheads so called from the custom of the Puritans cutting their hair short to their ears which were the Parliaments party met between Keinton and Edghill in Warwick-shire and there ingaged in fight which was acted with such fury that near 6000 were slain upon the place The King had so much the better of the day as to keep the Field Persons of remark slain on his Majesties side were the Earl of Lindsey and Sir Edward Varney Standard-bearer but Mr. John Smith immediately recovered the Standard for which service he was Knighted in the Field On the Parliaments part were slain the Lord St. John of Bletso and Colonel Essex From this fight at Edg-hill the King marched to Banbury which was surrendred to him then entred Oxford triumphantly and having secured that place he advanced toward London and at Brantford fell upon two Regiments of his Enemies taking about 500 Prisoners The Parliament to encrease their Numbers declared that all Apprentices that would list themselves
than their own Army amounted unto and that was about 12000. The Parliament lost here that daring Martialist Collonel Francis Thornhaigh Shortly after the Battel Duke Hamilton was taken Prisoner and Cromwell to improve this success followed the scattered parties into Scotland where when he was come there repaired to him the Earls of Arguile Lowden Leven and other of the Scotch Covenanting-Nobility who contracted with him for subduing the common Enemy meaning the Loyal party Colchester that had endured a tedious siege and was now brought to such scarcity of provision that they had not Horse-flesh enough to serve them one day longer and on it they had lived almost a Fortnight August the 27th yielded upon Articles The private Soldiers to depart with life the Commanders to remain at the Generals dispose and the City to raise 14000 l. to save it from Plunder Prisoners of quality taken here were the Lords Goring Capel Loughbrough eleven Knights twelve Colonels eight Lieutenant-Colonels nine Majors thirty Captains and sixty-five Gentlemen Three of the Knights were presently condemned by a Council of War two of whom namely Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle were shot to death dying as they had lived with great courage But whilst these things were managed by the Army the Parliament was busied with Petitions from London and other places for a Personal Treaty The Parliament therefore contrary to the humours of some of their factious Members repealed those Votes they had formerly made for no more Addresses to the King and both Houses voted a Treaty to be with the King in honour freedom and safety And September the 18th the Treaty began at Newport in the Isle of Wight where his Majesty condescended so far unto the Parliaments demands which were the same in substance with those formerly made that both Houses came to this resolve That the Kings Concessions were a sufficient ground for peace But this did exceedingly inrage the factious Members and Commanders of the Army who now resolved to seize the King into their own hands and dispose which they did removing him out of the Isle of Wight and making him Prisoner in Hurst-Castle November the 30th the Army then fell to purging the Parliament apprehending forty Members thereof that were persons of the most known integrity and highest resolution denying admission to 150 more and suffering none to enter the House save such whom they knew would serve their designs Which Army-Members revived those Votes of no more Addresses to the King the Votes for a Treaty with the King and of the satisfactoriness of his Concessions they razed out of the Journal-book And then proceeded to vote That the supreme authority of the Nation resided in themselves That to raise Arms against the Peoples Representatives or the Parliament was High-treason That the King himself took Arms against the Parliament and so was guilty of the blood-shed throughout the Civil-war And therefore this fag-end of a Parliament was resolved to have his Majesty brought to his Trial in order thereto giving their commands for his bringing up to London and January the 19th he was accordingly brought to St. James's When the factious Members whom the Army had licensed to sit proceeded to constitute a Court for the Trial of the King giving it the specious name of the High Court of Justice which said Court they impowred to convene hear judg and execute Charles Stuart King of England These proceedings the House of Lords detested so did the Parliament of Scotland the Judges of the Land affirmed it to be contrary to the known Laws and Customs of England for the King to be brought to Trial and the Presbyterian Ministers did both publickly and privately disswade them from this horrid action though all in vain And the more to animate the Kings Judges in their illegal proceedings that Pulpit-Jester Hugh Peters preached before them on that Text Psal 149.8 To bind their Kings in chains c. such honour have all his Saints when he assured them that they were the Saints there meant often in his prophane Sermon calling them the Saint Judges and professed that he had for a certain found upon a strict scrutiny that there were in the Army 5000 Saints no less holy than those that now conversed in Heaven with God Almighty Afterwards kneeling in his Pulpit weeping and lifting up his hands he earnestly beg'd them in the name of the People of England that they would execute justice upon that wretch Charles and would not let Benhadad escape in safety c. January the 20th his Majesty was brought before the High Court of Justice in Westminster-Hall where he boldly and chearfully took the Seat prepared for him and the Chargâ— was reâ—d against him with all those reproachful terms of Tyrant Traytor and Murderer and impleaded in the name of all the People of England But General Fairfax his Lady from a Scaffold adjoining cried with a loud voice That not half the People of England were guilty of that crime but that 't was by means of that Traytor Cromwell that this wickedness was done The King alledged to the Court that he could not make his defence unless they first produced their Authority for the trial of him their King which they not being able to do except that of the Sword remanded him to the place of his captivity January the 22d the High Court of Justice met again when the King being brought to the Bar Solicitor Cook required that he might be put upon it either to give in his positive answer or else that the charge against him upon his refusal to plead might be taken for confessed The substance of which Charge was That he the said Charles Stuart King of England had been the Occasion Author and Contriver of the Wars and therein was guilty of all the Treasons Murders Rapines Burnings Spoils Desolaâ—ioâ—s damage and mischief to this Nation acted or committed in the Wars or occasioned thereby To the Charge President Bradshaw required the Kings answer but his Majesty firmly persisting in the disowning of their Authority and offering to give reasons why he could not own their Court the Court was adjourned to the next day January the 23d the King was again brought before his fictitious Judges when he was again press'd to give in his reasons why he could not own their Authority alledging that to own this new Court was against the Priviledges of the People and the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom whereupon the President commanded the Clerk to record the default and the Guard to take back the Prisoner which was accordingly done January the 27th his Majesty was again brought to the Bar where he still refused to own their illegal Court but said he had some matters conducing to the good of the People which he desired to have liberty to speak before the Members of both Houses which the Court would by no means yield unto but commanded the Clerk to read the Sentence against him which was That whereas the
the Dutch General Richard Dean was slain June the 3d the Fleets joined again and the dispute was very hot and bloody till at length the Dutch tacked about and made haste to their own Coasts Of the Dutch were taken Prisoners six Captains 1350 others Eleven men of War were taken and two Hoys six of their best Ships were sunk and two blown up Of the English were slain besides Admiral Dean one Captain and a hundred and twenty others but not one Ship lost or disabled Cromwell this while with some of the leading Officers of the Army had made choice of certain persons not above 150 for the three Nations who were to have the Legislative power and to be stiled a Parliament These Parliament-Gentlemen and Soldiers of the new-fashioned Election met July the 4th at Westminster where they chose Mr. Rouse for their Speaker but not agreeing amongst themselves for about sixty of them contested hard for the taking away of Tythes from the Ministers as Antichristian they fairly re-delivered their power into Oliver's hands December the twelfth after they had Enacted a Law That Justices of the Peace and not Ministers should join persons together in sacred Wedlock But while this cunning thing called a Parliament was doing little or little to the purpose the active Dutch were again put forth to Sea with about 120 Men of War and before the Texel were Encountred by the English July 29th the Fight was vigorously maintained on both parts till the Dutch Admiral Van Trump fighting in the midst of the English Fleet was with a Musket-shot shot into the left-Pap and slain outright whereby the rest of their Fleet was so discouraged that they made to the Texel as speedily as they could The Dutch in this Fight lost 30 Men of War and about 1200 of their Men were taken The English had slain on their part Graves Owen Chapman Newman Taylor Crisp Cox and Peacock Captains and 400 common Seamen The Ship named the Oak was fired and two or three disabled For this eminent piece of service the little Parliament ordered that Chains of Gold should be presented to the Admirals Blake and Col. George Monk Vice-Admiral Pen and Rear-Admiral Lawson and that other Chains likewise should be presented to divers Flag-Captains and Medals of Silver to the Officers of the Fleet. But to return to Oliver who after his patcht Junto had dissolved themselves called a Council of Officers with some others of his Creatures to consult about the settlement of a Government and these at length after great pretences of seeking Gods mind herein concluded to have a single person again to be the head of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging And was accordingly installed with much formality and ceremony in the Chancery-Court at Westminster before the Judges the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London with the chief Officers of the Army on December the 16th Immediately after which all publick Writings changed their stile from that of the Keepers of the Liberties of England to that of Oliver Lord Protector of England c. And the City of London to manifest their good liking of this Government and Governour at least to make shew of it invited the Protector to a magnificent Feast at Grocers-Hall on Febr. 8. and Oliver to gratifie them for this favour Knighted Thomas Viner then Lord Mayor Aspiring Cromwell having thus obtained the Supream Authority in short time yielded to a peace with the Dutch who had been brought exceeding low with the War with England A. D. 1654. and in the Month of May upon an accusation of a Plot to destroy the Protector seize the Tower raise an Army and bring in the King there were divers Royalists apprehended and committed to prison three of whom were condemned by an High Court of Injustice and two of them Executed namely Col. John Gerrard who was Beheaded on Towerhill and Mr. Vowel who was hang'd at Charing-cross on the same day with Col. Gerrard was Beheaded Don Pantaleon Sa Brother to the Portugal Embassador for a Riot made in the New Exchange but death was so terrible to this person that his heart was nigh quite dead within him before his neck came to the Block September the third a pretended Parliament met at Westminster where after they had heard their Master Oliver's Speech and chose William Lenthall for their Speaker they debated Whether the Legislative power should be in a single person and a Parliament or in a Parliament only The Protector 's faction were for the former those called the Commonwealth-party that were for a Democratical Government were for the latter one declaring That as God had made him an Instrument in cutting down Tyranny in one person so now he would not endure to see the Nations Liberties shackled by another whose right to the Government could be measured out no other way than by the length of his Sword But when these things were reported to the Usurper Oliver he hasted from Whitehall to Westminster and there declares to his Parliament that he would have them to take notice of this That the same Government made him a Protector as made them a Parliament That as they were intrusted with some things so was he with others That there were certain Fundamentals which could not be altered as That the Government should be in a single person and Parliament That Parliament's should not be perpetual That in Religious matters there should be liberty of Conscience c. And then he enjoined them to sign this Recognition of the Government viz. I do hereby promise and engage to be true and faithful to the Lord Protector and Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland and shall not according to the tenour of the Indenture whereby I am returned to serve in Parliament propose or give my consent to alter the Government as 't is setled in one person and a Parliament The subscription to this was refused by several Members the rest who subscribed it were permitted to sit till January the 24th 1654 at which time Oliver dissolved them because they delayed to settle him in the Government December the 19th Pen and Venables with a Fleet of thirty Ships wherein were three thousand forces put to Sea and in April following arrived at Hispaniola and came within sight of that Golden Town Sancta Domingo upon which their first and chief enterprize was designed but through the excessive heat of the Clime want of fresh-water and some other discouragements great numbers of the Soldiers perished and that design was fruitless therefore they set sail for the Island Jamaica where being arrived they were there so successful as in short time to possess themselves of the chief Town called Ottranto bringing the whole Island into subjection In England the Royal party were busie to take down the Protector 's Greatness but the Plot was discovered before it was ripe for execution and many of the Conspirators in several places seized on by the
of the Vnited Provinces which was Signed at Nimeguen the First of August his Majesty thought fit likewise to change his resolution And therefore by Proclamation declared that both Houses should be Prorogued from the 29th of August till the first of October following and afterward by another Proclamation to the one and twentieth of the same Month at which time his Majesty required a full Meeting of the Members in order to their Sitting for the dispatch of weighty Matters which indeed happened to be of greater concern than was imagined The Prince of Orange was now marched with his Army to the Relief of Mons at this time Blockt up by the French under the Command of the Duke of Luxembourg before he had the News of the Peace And his Highness accompanied with the Duke of Monmouth about the beginning of August being advanced near the Enemies Camp at St. Denis bravely attacqued it and after a long and brisk dispute forcing the French to dislodge possessed himself of their Ground The Prince and Duke of Monmouth were in great danger in this Engagement but both came off without any hurt the Earl of Ossory commanded his Majesties Subjects that were in the States Service who gained not the least share in the Honour of this Day 's Action though many Gallant Men perished in the Attempt In September came to light a Design which had been doubtless long contriving in the blackest Cell of Darkness A Plot that amazed most Men allarmed all and gave work enough since to his Majesty Parliament and Judges of the Land but seeing it is not as yet so fully diclosed at least to the Publick as may sufficiently warrant an authentick Relation thereof to Posterity no man can expect much to be said on 't in this Abridgement which intends only to point at the most remarkable Occurrences of the English History and is proposed rather as an Index than Chronicle to the Reader The matter then was briefly thus One Mr. Titus Oats having received his Education and Orders in the Church of England some Years ago went over the Seas into Flanders and afterward into Spain ingratiating himself among the Jesuits by such means and to such purposes as are set down in his Depositions lately made Publick upon his Return soon after this Gentleman advises with one Doctor Tongue about the Discovery of what he had learn'd abroad and so these two went together to Sir Edmondbury Godfrey one of his Majesties Justices of the Peace whom Mr. Oats informed of a Plot hatched by Jesuits Priests and others of the same Roman-Catholick Perswasion against the Person and Life of his Majesty the best of Kings and the Subversion of the Protestant Religion and Government of the Kingdom And for confirmation of what he said discovered many persons of several Qualities who were ingaged in the Design some as Instruments for assassinating his Majesty and others for carrying on the remaining part of the work by Arms Forreign Assistances and such other Expedients as they Judged necessary for the Success of their Enterprise His Majesty and the Council being acquainted with this Orders were given out for the apprehending and committing to custody of many persons of whom some have since suffered some died in Prison and many more are still in Custody To enumerate all would be more tedious than necessary in this Manual and to name but a few would be injurious either to those mentioned or to the Publick in omitting of others who stand accused of the same combination we shall therefore speak only of those who have been since brought to publick Tryal and leave it to Time and the Care of our Governours to make Publick the rest Sir Edmondbury Godfrey who had taken and given in to the Council the Depositions of the Evidence was on Saturday the Twelfth of October missing from his House and no News could be heard of him till Thursday following at which time he was found dead in a Ditch by Primrose-hill with a Sword thrust through his Body but nothing except his Pocket Book taken from him This Murder was concluded by all Men to be an Act of Revenge or some spightful Malice and not of unlawful desire of Lucre seeing his Money and Rings which were no inconsiderable Prize were left with him And therefore His Majesty being returned from New-Market caused a Proclamation to be Published the 20th of October for the Discovery of this Inhumane Murder promising a Reward of Five Hundred Pounds to any that should discover the Murderers or any of them and if the Discoverer proved to be one of the Malefactors not only his Pardon but likewise the promised Sum. After the Parliament according to the last Prorogation had met the 21th of October which was their last Session the King being informed that some who could give information of the Manner and Circumstances of the Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey did forbear to do it out of fear to their Persons from the Murderers Friends His Majesty emitted another Proclamation promising on the word of a King not only the said Reward of Five Hundred Pounds but such Care for the Security of the Discoverer as he should in reason propose These two Proclamations at length inspired courage into William Bedlow formerly a Servant to the Lord Bellasis to make a Discovery of this Murder which he and one Praunce a Silver Smith in Princes street that confessed himself to have been in the Fact made out afterwards against three of those that were Guilty the rest having Fled And according to his Majesties Promise Mr. Bedlow as Mr. Oats had been before was allowed Guards for his Security and Accommodation and Subsistence at his Majesties Charge in Whitehall The King and Parliament being surprized at the strangeness of this mischievous Plot betook themselves to the most probable ways of discovering the same and preventing the fatal Effects thereof and therefore in the first place upon the humble Petition of the Lords and Commons in Parliament his Majesty caused a Proclamation to be published for a general Fast throughout the whole Kingdom to be observed on Wednesday the Thirteenth of November for imploring the mercy and and protection of Almighty God to his Majesties Royal Person and in him to all his Loyal Subjects and to pray that God would bring to light more and more all sceret machinations against his Majesty and the whole Kingdom This day of Humiliation was accordingly observed throughout all England and a form of Prayer by his Majesties Command composed and published for that purpose In the next place His Majesty caused several Proclamations and Orders of Council to be published for the Discovering and Disabling of Popish Recusants The First of the 30th of October commanding all Popish Recusants or so reputed to depart from the Cities of London and Westminster and all other places within ten Miles of the same was seconded by an Order of Council on the second of November wherein his Majesty promised a reward of
twentieth by order of Parliament was the Scots Solemn League and Covenant that had been imposed on the Kings Subjects without his consent burnt in London by the hand of the common Hangman May the 27th James Marquess of Argile for his former disloyal and treasonable practices was beheaded at the City of Edenbrough in Scotland November the 26 John James a Fifth-monarchist was drawn hanged and quartered at London for speaking certain Treasonable words January the 27th the Lord Mounson Sir Henry Mildmay and Mr. Wallop three instruments in procuring the death of the late King were shamefully drawn upon Hurdles from Newgate to Tyburn and from thence back again February the eighth hapned a most violent Wind the like to which had not been known in the memory of any then living it did very much harm in many parts of the Nation by tearing up of Fruit and Timber-Trees and ruining Houses This year the Book of Common-Prayer was restored to the Church and confirmed by Act of Parliament A. D. 1662 and April the 19th three of the Regicides namely Berkstead Okey and Corbet were drawn upon Hurdles from the Tower to Tyburn and there hang'd and quartered May the 14. Katharine the Infanta of Portugal arrived at Portsmouth where she was married to Charles the Second King of England Scotland c. May the 19th at the Prorogation of the Parliament was the Bill for Hearth-money signed In the beginning of June was Sir Henry Vane and Lambert tryed at the Kings-Bench Bar for formerly disturbing the peace of the Nation c. and were found guilty of Treason and condemned and on June the 14th was Sir Henry Vane beheaded on Tower-hill but through his Majesties Clemency Lambert had his life respited On St. Bartholomew day did many Ecclesiastical persons relinquish their benefices rather than conform to the Church-discipline and declare their unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book of Common-Prayer and subscribe the following acknowledgment Viz I do declare that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionated by him c. That I will conform to the Liturgy of the Church of England as it is now established by Law And I do declare that I hold there lies no obligation on me or any other person from the Oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant to endeavour any change and alteration of Government eitheir in Church or State and that the same was in it self an unlawful Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Kingdom against the known Laws and Liberties thereof A. D. 1663. and May the 31 dyed that reverend Prelate Dr. Juxon Archbishop of Canterbury into whose See the Learned Dr. Sheldon Bishop of London was Translated A. D. 1664 Numerous complaints being made unto the Parliament of the many injuries and depredations done by the Dutch to the English Nation they freely declared that they would with their lives and fortunes assist his Majesty to the redressing of his Subjects wrongs and to the curbing again of that ungrateful people In order to which great preparations were made to furnish out a gallant Fleet and War was proclaimed against the Vnited Netherlands And that nothing might be wanting to further this great undertaking the House of Commons voted His Majesty a supply of Two Millions five hundred thousand pounds to be raised in three Years time And to hasten the Naval preparations the City of London lent him Majesty 100000 l. December the 24th a Blazing-Star appeared and two others shortly after darted down their malign influences upon London and other places in England March the 7th the London Frigat as she was coming up to Lee was fired to supply which loss the City of London speedily built another this his Majesty was pleased to name the Loyal London A. D. 1665 and in the month of May began that transending Plague in London whereof dyed in little more than a years space near 100000 persons many other places of England were sorely visited at this time with that dreadful Judgment of God the Pestilence June the 3d. was that eminent Victory obtained upon the Dutch Fleet. October the 3d. The Parliament met at Oxford by reason of the infection at London A. D. 1666 and in the month of June was the second great Fight betwixt His Majesties Naval Forces and the Dutch which took up part of the 1 2 3 and 4. days of the said month July the 2d was the 3d. great Fight wherein the Duke of Albemarle through the great number of his enemies Ships was very hardly tasked till Prince Rupert with a squadron came in to his aid unlooked for but then the Dutch were soon sent home In this War the Dutch were assisted by the French CHARLES II. UPon the Second of September about two of the Clock in the Morning began that dreadful Fire in London which lasted till Thursday following the Sixth of the same Moneth It began in the House of one Fariner a Baker in Pudding-lane near the Bridge and spread it self in length besides breadth from the Tower of London to St. Dunstans Church near Temple-bar in Fleet-street by which according to the Computation of Surveyors were consumed 373 Acres of Building within the Walls of London and 63 Acres 3 Roods without the Walls 87 Parish Churches 6 Consecrated Chappels the Royal Exchange the Guild-hall of the City with many stately Halls belonging to several Companies and according to the best accompt Thirteen thousand two hundred Houses The total of the loss sustained by these devouring Flames was valued to be Nine millions and nine hundred thousand pounds Sterling That the hand of God for the punishment of the sins of this City and Nation was visible in this Fire no man will deny but whether carelesness or design were the immediate occasions of it is variously believed and discoursed of As it happened in the time of a War with the French and Dutch so many at that time did conclude it to be a treacherous Act of one or both of these People especially seeing one Hubert a crazy-brain'd melanchollick French Man confessed he did the Fact by putting a Fire-ball into the House of the Baker where it began and was therefore hang'd at Tyburn But of late one Mr. Oats of whom more particular mention shall be made hereafter lays the guilt of this merciless Action on a knot of Jesuits Friers and Irish men in all to the number of 80 or thereabouts who having laid the project long before could not conveniently put it in execution till this unlucky time This fatal Accident the fore-runner of many more of the same kind that happened in His Majesties Dominions afterwards gave the King a sad opportunity of exercising His Compassion and Care towards many distressed and distracted Families who then lodged
in the open Fields under the Canopy of Heaven His Majesty therefore not only issued out Proclamations to Justices of the Peace for causing Provisions to be sent into the Markets and ordered His Sea-stores to be opened for a present supply of Bread in Ship-bisket but likewise past a Declaration for preventing such lamentable Accidents for the future That none should offer to re-build until necessary measures were appointed for rendring the New Structures more secure and lasting The Parliament met on the 18th of September and having given the King Supplies for carrying on of the War passed an Act for establishing a Judicature to take Cognisance of and determine all differences that might arise among Parties concerning burnt or demollished Houses A new Model of Building was appointed and the Parliament was prorogued till the 10th of October following The Court seldom escapes free when Combustions rage in the City nor did it at this time for by carelesness in using of a Candle a Fire taking in the Horse-guard at White-hall a great part of that Building was burnt down but by the special care of His Majesty and His Guards its progress was quickly stopt His Majesty at this time meeting with bad usage from many hands in order to a redress published several Proclamations one for prohibiting the Importation of Canary Wines and all Commerce with those Parts another to the same effect with France and all the French Kings Dominions a third upon the humble Address of the Lords and Commons in Parliament for banishing the Kingdom all Priests and Jesuits and a fourth for open War with Denmark The City now ashamed to lie longer smuthered under ashes was by Sir Jonas Moore upon his Conformity to the Scantling and Model of Building appointed by the Committee first rowsed in Fleet-street from which beginning it grew so hastily towards a perfection that in a few years it out did all its ancient Splendour and Glory and appeared again far more beautiful than by its fall it had been desolate and abject no less a wonder than the suddenness of its overthrow Scotland at this time shared likewise in Combustions though occasioned by a Fire of another nature for a seditious Zeal having inspired some male-contents with revenge against Sir James Turner for executing too vigorously as they pretended the Laws against them they committed an insolent Riot upon his Person and hardly forbore the cutting of him in pieces This Tumult was at first raised by a small inconsiderable Rabble but in a short time they encreased to a body of 1600 men who marching streight towards Edenbourgh were encountred and defeated by His Majesties Forces commanded by Lieuteant General Dalyell and Major General Drammond Many of the Rebels were slain more taken whereof the Ring-leaders were executed and the rest either proscribed or otherways punished by Law The Convention of Estates of Scotland meeting in January after 1666 7 for composing of the affairs of that Kingdom and for preventing both intestine and foreign dangers that might threaten it resolved to put the Countrey into a posture of defence and for maintaining of such Forces as were necessary for his Majesties Service assessed the Kingdom in an Imposition of 6000 l. per moneth About the later end of this year the Lord Willoughby set out from Barbadoes with a considerabe well-man'd Fleet with design to annoy the French and Dutch Plantations in the West Indies but by a violent Hurricane his Fleet was dispersed and himself with many more cast away The Swedes having the year before offered a Mediation for a Peace between the King of England and the States of the Vnited Provinces Anno 1667. prevailed this year with the King to condescend thereunto and to accept of Breda for the place of Treaty The Dutch in the mean time are busie in making preparations for continuing the War upon a fair and approved Maxime of State That with an Enemy it is surest treating with sword in hand The King of England not ignorant of their doings resolved to make them spend the Summer in needless expences of War and onely keep himself upon his Guard The English therefore having but a small Fleet abroad the Dutch put to Sea betimes and about the later end of April made an attempt on Burnt-Island in Scotland but were beaten off with loss Their next attempt was upon the Fort of Sheerness which being a place of small Force was after a short but stout resistance abandoned by Sir Edward Sprague and so the mouth of that narrow River was left open After this they assaulted and were beaten off from Languard Fort engaged a squadron of the English with a squadron of theirs and were worsted shewed themselves before Portsmouth and made some slight attempts in Devonshire and Cornwall and after De Ruyter their Admiral had been civilly complemented by the Earl of Bath in the West and had received Advice of the Conclusion of the Peace they sailed back for Holland This Peace was concluded at Breda the Twenty first of June the Ratifications interchanged the Fourteenth of August and proclaimed afterward in London thee Twenty fourth of the same moneth This year died the Earl of Southamppton Lord high Treasurer of England which place the King thought fit to supply by Commissioners viz. the Duke of Albemarle the Lord Ashley Cooper since Earl of Shaftsbury Sir Thomas Clifford Sir William Coventry and Sir John Duncomb The Parliament was to have met in July but was prorogued till the Tenth of October in which Session several Acts were passed amongst others one for banishing and disabling the Earl of Clarendon the Parliament then adjourned till February In America Sir John Harman with a squadron of English Ships attacqued a squadron of French in their Ports with so good success that he burnt their Admiral and six or seaven of their best Ships all the rest but two being sunk either by the Enemy or the English Shot and that with very small loss of men or damage to his Ships The King to encourage the re-building of the City this year was pleased auspiciously to lay the first Stone himself in the Foundation of the Royal-Exchange as shortly after his Royal Highness laid a Foundation Stone for a second Pillar thereof About the beginning of February the Parliament according to their Adjournment met and upon their humble Petition to His Majesty procured a Proclamation to be emitted for enforcing the Laws against Conventicles and for preserving the Peace of the Nation against unlawful Assemblies This moneth was proclaimed the Peace with Spain which had been much to the advantage of Commerce concluded in May last About the end of March in Easter week some licencious idle Persons pretending former custom took the liberty to pull down some Houses of bad repute about the Suburbs of London Though the Prentices bore the blame of this Riot yet others were found guilty whereof four being apprehended were convicted and executed and two of their Heads set upon