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| Whereupon she caused them to be led down to the Em-^'i'ey come
peror's chamber of presence: from whence, after a little Emperor's pause, they were brought into his privy chamber. There P'"'^^^"'^^' they found him sitting in a chair, with his feet on a stool, looking very pale, weak, lean, and feeble ; howbeit, nothing so ill as they before believed of him ; for his eyes were lively enough, and his speech sensible : so that the ambassadors could not tell what to judge of him ; for he had escaped so many perils of sickness, that though his colour and his flesh were gone, yet he might, they said, endure a while : yet, to judge him by their sight, they said, that he appeared to them a man of short time of continuance. When the am- bassadors came into his presence, and had made their due reverence, they gave the King's commendations to him, and in few words touched the King's Majesty's affection to him, and then the cause wherefore they were sent. Where- unto he briefly answered them after this manner: " That 41 6 " he was sorry for their long delay there ; but his sickness He answers " had been the cause, wherefore he prayed them to bear h. " withal. And for their message, he did especially thank " the King, his good brother, both for his good affection, " which he always found in him, and also for his zeal unto VOL. II. PART II. H 98 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK " the concord and peace of all Christendom, givhig him the ____L__" title of a good and vh'tuotis King; shewing himself Anno 1562. « mucli pleased, that the King did so earnestly follow this " good purpose, so friendly by him taken in hand : assuring " them, that upon offer of reasonable conditions, his honour " being saved, they should well see how he tendered peace. *' And praying them to make his most hearty commenda- " tions again unto the King, his good brother," the am- bassadors took their leave of him, wishing to his Majesty strength and long health. All this the ambassadors certi- fied by a letter, dated June 9, sent by Mr. Thomas, clerk of the Covmcil, together with other intelligence, which he had in credit from them. TiieCoun- By letters from the Council, dated June 11, the ambas- cil's dircc- . • tions to the sadors, who, as we heard before, desired further directions, ambassa- ^i^eji^gj. j^ ^yg^e the King's pleasure that they should open dors not to _ or j i^ mention either to the Emperor or the Queen those offers which aeraami's!' Were made by the French King, or not, were told, that it might have appeared to them by former letters, that they, the Council, thought not fit that the said overtures should be opened, neither to the Emperor, nor the Queen, nor any other; and that the King was still of the same mind, as w^ell for the considerations mentioned in their [the ambas- sadors"'] letters, as for certain other. And whereas the Council had before wrote unto them of the unlikelihood of further opening on the French part, for such causes as were in their letter contained ; their meaning, they said, was not that they, the ambassadors, should declare those unreason- able demands of the French, but only to set forth to them, that they should take occasion, as soon as they might, to do the message they had first from them, the King's Council. The French The French still remained high in their terms, and shew- in their " ^d no good disposition towards an accord with the Emperor, terms. but only in words. For the Council, by the King's com- mandment, had written to Dr. Wotton and the rest at the French court, to use the best means they could to get some further knowledge, and to assay whether it might be ob- tained to have any other conditions propounded in France : OF KING EDWARD VI. 99 but, as they signified to the ambassadors with the Emperor, CHAP. they had no great hope to receive any answer more certain than before. And therefore now, by a letter writ June 11, Anno 1552. they instructed the said ambassadors, that they might, as they should see convenient time, proceed according to their instructions. And that if any overtures more reasonable should be propounded, then they might further go on, ac- cording to his Majesty ''s former charge committed unto them.
soon wrote to the King-'s commissioners with the French *''^ ^^has- o sadors to King, declaring what answer the Emperor had given them ; propound exhorting them, that they should move that King as earn- terms, estly as they could devise, to come to the offer of some rea- sonable conditions, or at least such as were void of extremi- ties, and the which might induce some treaty by their friends toward a concord. To this the Council also urged the said commissioners. And by this plain proceeding with the French King, the Council did think (and so they wrote, 4 ] 7 June 20, to the ambassadors at Brussels) their commis- sioners should either have occasion given to enter further into the matter, or some such other resolute answer, as might determine both their ambassades. The King being now near his end, and in the daily in- The King's crease of his sickness, which by this time grew very extreme h[s media- upon him, yet such was his generous and Christian dispo-t'on. sition, that he was very earnest in this his mediation for peace, as though he desired to see Christendom at quiet be- fore his death. And these were the last steps I find made in this business. After the King's ambassadors had been with the French King, soliciting for more reasonable offers, that might shew him well affected to peace, he, in fine, gave them such answers as little tended to the proceeding to a treaty. Nevertheless, the Emperor was again addressed to by the ambassadors at his court, who now shewed him plainly what the French''s demands were ; but they were in- structed to soften the roughness of them, by esteeming it only as a practice formerly used in the entry into these kind of debates, wherein c/)mmonly more was demanded than H 2 100
MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK was expected to be granted, being intended chiefly to intro- ' duce discourse. But, however these things succeeded, the
Anno 1553. ambassadors were ordered to assure the Emperor of the King's most hearty aiFection to him and his affairs, and of his care for the good estate of Christendom. But the Coun- cil's letters to these ambassadors will shew all this business more distinctly : which I will set down at length in this place, being writ the 1st of July, that is, but six days before the good King''s death. The Coun- cil unto the ambassa- dors with the Em-
peror. Galba,
B. 12. " After our hearty commendations. Upon the receipt of your letters of this last month, by the which you declared unto us the answer made unto you by the Emperor, upon your access unto him, we sent unto you the King's Ma- jesty's commissioners being in France, to proceed again with the French King in the matter of peace, and by some means to procure more reasonable demands ; upon the which some kind of entry might be taken to treat thereof. For which purpose, we gave them certain know- ledge of the Emperor's answer unto the French King : whereby it might be seen, both how the Emperor was disposed to a peace, and yet, nevertheless, without some particular overture of the French King's behalf, not minded to enter any further talk of the matter. This message is done by our ambassadors, and answer received from the French King, such as do little further the pro- ceeding to a treaty. And yet it seemeth convenient, for the honour of the King's Majesty, and for demonstration of his earnest meaning in this travail, to proceed further witli the Emperor by your means.
King, because ye shall both certainly and plainly under- stand as we do, we send herewith a copy of sucii part of the ambassadors' letters as appertaineth thereunto. Upon consideration whereof, the King's Majesty thinketh it con- venient, that ye should seek access unto the Emperor, and after recommendation from his Majesty, declare tlie very troth and proceedings of the matter, as followeth. First, OF KING EDWARD VI. 101 that the King's Majesty's ministers with the French King CHAP, had such answer from him in their first motion for the "peace, that although the French King declared himself Anno 1553. " to have good- will to a peace, yet his demands were so 41 8 " great, and in such extremities, as the King our master " thought it not expedient, for the furtherance of the mat- " ter, to open the same demands unto the Emperor : but as " one that meant indifferently in these extremities, to obtain " that which he desired, that was, the peace betwixt both, " the Prince forbore the utterance of that which he thought " impertinent to the end, and sought only occasion of some " entry unto a treaty. And now having caused his minis- " ters with the French King to proceed again unto some " more reasonable articles, or matters of treaty, they find " the former disposition in the French King to appear for " the weal of Christendom ; and yet they find him still to " rest so upon his former demands, as he looked for answer " to be had thereof before he will fashion any new matters. " So as the King's Majesty hereupon is, as it were, forced, " for the earnest desire he hath to see some fruit of his tra- " vail, to open unto his said good brother the Emperor, " both the fashion of the French King's answer from time " to time, and the cause that moved his Majesty to abstain " from the opening thereof before, " This done, if the Emperor require it, or that you shall " see it otherwise convenient, ye may declare unto him the '< particularities of the first demands of the French King, " as heretofore ye have been advertised from hence ; and as " you, Mr. Hoby, have indirectly opened heretofore to " Mons. D'Arras. After the which declared, ye may add, " for the salving of the strangeness of the demands, that " although the King's Majesty, our master, taketh the same " demands to be very strange; yet calling to remembrance, " that heretofore between princes being in debates, and " coming towards treaties of peace, it hath been often used, " that in the beginning, to enter in communication of like " matters, there hath been, in outward appearance, and in " the first speech, larger and more ample demands made, " than have been meant, either of one part to obtain, or of
102 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK " the other to grant; offering thereby occasion only of " talk : as in this case it may please the Emperor to inter- Annoi553. « pret it; the King's Majesty thinketh it not unlikely so " to proceed of the French King. And therefore his Ma- "jesty desireth his good brother to take this his travail " and plainness in good part ; and to assure himself, that " what means soever may be devised towards the proceed- " ing and perfection of this beginning, his Majesty will not " refuse to shew himself, as he hath hitherto done, both *' careful of the common estate of Christendom, and always " well willing to have the affairs of his good brother in like " consideration as his own.
" strengthen the proceedings in speech, so as you observe " two things ; the one, that the King''s Majesty's affection " towards the having of this peace, may appear to continue " as it hath been from the beginning uttered : the other is, " that if you see likelihood of peace to follow, that the " King's Majesty's former travail be not made frustrate, by " other intermeddling herein ; but that his Majesty may " have both the ameyning of the matters, and be therein, " for his own part, provided as becometh. If you shall see " no likelihood of peace, then it shall be well done to pro- " cure such resolution and answer, as may be an occasion 419" for your return, upon advertisement first made hither to " us, the honour of the King's Majesty, and the continu- " ance of amity with the Emperor, therein provided.
" missioners with the French King remain, as it were, un- " occupied, &c. And so we bid you heartily farewell, from *' Greenwich, the 1st of July, 1553. " Tho. Cant. W. Northampt. R. Cotton. " Tho. Ely, Cane. F. Huntingdon. J. Gates. " Winchester. Pembroke. W. Petre. " Northumberland. Ed. Clynton. W. Cecyl. " J. Bedford. G. Cobham. Joh. Cheke. » H. Suffolk. R. Ryche. Ed. North. " Arundel. T. Cheyne. Ro. Bowes." *' F. Shrewsbury. Darcy. -OF KING EDWARD VI. 103 By the number of subscribers, we may conclude the CHAP. Court was now full ; partly to see what the end of the King's sickness would be ; and partly obhged, no doubt, by Anno 1553. Northumberland, to be present at the new settlement that '^^^'^'^l^^^ was now making of the crown, after the King's decease, into and why. his family : that so all the Council, and best of the nobility, might be dipped in it, that it might be the firmer. In this mediation nothing more was done, nor likely to A foul and be done, the Bishop of Norwich and Sir Richard Morison ^^"^ ^l'^_ comins: home, and the King's death preventing. Nor do 1 mitted upon
cil to these ambassadors, but only one by a letter written to Hoby, (left there ledger,) three days before the King's death, concerning a ^oul and most cruel piracy, as it is there called, done upon the sea by some of the Emperor's subjects. The Council sent withal a supplication, and cer- tain other writings, exhibited unto them, the Council, by certain merchants of London, that were the sufferers: which papers shewed the manner of doing it at length. One whereof the Council took particular notice of, as they writ, " That although the rest of the circumstances made the " thing strange, yet this made it to be most strange, that " the piracy should be committed by such a fleet, having " among them an admiral, a man of name and reputa- " tion," &c. They therefore desired Hoby to employ his accustomed wisdom and dexterity, in such sort, as the mer- chants might have a just and large recompence, or restitu- tion, of their ships and goods, and other things taken from them.
orders to come home the very begmnmg of July, viz. Dr. ,ja,.y i^ Wotton and Sii' WilUam Pickering ; little advance toward ^.J;';;';';;^"''^ a treaty between that King and the Emperor being like to Emperor. succeed by their mediation : and as Hoby was left the King's ambassador ordinary with the Emperor, so Sir Tho- mas Chaloner was left in the same quality in France. And a letter, dated July 2, was sent to that King, in commenda^ tion of the said Sir Thomas, for his placing in that room.
104 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK CHAP. XXII. Orders for subscription to the Articles of Religion ; and for Anno 1553 the teaching and learning of the Catechism set forth hy the King''s authority. Irish matters. The Duke of Nor- thumherland. The Lady Mary's letter to the King. Divers great matches. The King's gift to London, &c. The King's death. His last xcill His funeral. His character.
The King's Some of the good King's last consultations for the state to the bi- of religion was, his care that the Articles of the true doc- siiops for [y\xyq of religion, lately framed, should be subscribed to by requiring _ o' J iiiiii i subscription the bishops, and by all such as should take holy orders, or tkksVit^Re officiate in the Church, either in reading or preaching, or ligion. that enjoyed any benefices : and that a book should be kept in the bishop's register for that purpose, as a record. And that any that refused to subscribe to them, should not be admitted by the bishop to any orders or ecclesiastical mi- nistry. And that such as scrupled to subscribe, for lack of the right knowledge and understanding of any of them, the bishop by instruction and conference should endeavour to inform them, allowing them about six weeks' time for deli- beration ; otherwise to disable them from enjoying any pre- ferment in the Church. And this seems to be the first time that subscription to the Articles was enjoined. And for And having likewise lately set forth a Catechism, by his the Cate- royal author] t}', for all youth that went to school to be chism, taught, in order to their bringing up in God's favour, and in the knowledge of true religion, with a commandment to all schoolmasters to teach it accordingly ; the King en- joined the bishop to visit yearly every school in his respec- tive diocese, and to inquire how the said Catechism was duly taught, and all scholars learned the same. And certi- ficate to be sent from the bishop to the archbishop, of any offences committed against this order, from time to time. Letters from the King, dated from Greenwich, in June, OF KING EDWARD VI. 105 for this purpose, I shall set down, (and the rather, because CHAP, none of our Church historians take notice of it,) being ex- emplified from that sent to Ridley, bishop of London. Anno 1553. " Right reverend father in God, right trusty and well- ^'^g'^t'". " beloved, we greet you well. And because it hath pleased p. 297.' " Almighty God, in this latter time of the world, after long " darkness of knowledge, to reveal to this his Church of " England, whereof we have, under Christ, the chief charge " in earth, a sincere knowledge of the gospel, to the ines-421 " timable benefit of us and our people, redeemed by our *' Saviour Christ ; we have thought it meet, and our duty, " (for the pure conservation of the same gospel in our *' Church, Avith one vmiform profession, doctrine, and *' preaching, and for the avoiding of many perilous and " vain opinions and errors,) to send unto you certain Ar- " tides, devised and gathered with great study, and by " counsel and good advice of the greatest learned part of " our bishops of this realm, and sundry others of our " clergy. Which Articles we will and exhort yourself to " subscribe, and in your preachings, and readings, and " teachings, to observe ; and cause to be subscribed and " observed of all others, which do or hereafter sliall preach, " teach, or read within your diocese. And if any person or " persons, having benefice within your diocese, shall from " henceforth not only refuse wilfully to set their hands to " these Articles, but also obstinately exhort their parochians " to withstand the same, and teach the people in any con- " trary way, our pleasure is, that being duly proved, ye " shall advertise us or our Council of the whole matter " fully ; to the intent, that such further order may, by di- " rection from us and our said Council, be taken, as the " cause shall require, and shall stand with justice and the " order of our laws. " And further, that when, and as often as ye shall have " any manner of person presented to you, to be advanced " by you, as the Ordinary, to any ecclesiastical order, mi- " nistry, office, or cure, within your diocese, ye shall, be- " fore ye admit him, confer with him in every these Ar-
106 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK " tides; and finding him thereto consenting, to cause him " " to subscribe tlie same, in one ledger-book to be formed Anuo 1553." for that purpose: which may remain as a register for a " record ; and to let him have a copy of the same Articles. " And if any man in that case shall refuse to consent to " any of the said Articles, and to subscribe the same, then " we will and command you, that neither yovi, nor any for " you, or by your procurancy in any wise, shall admit him, " or allow him, as sufficient and meet to take any orders, " ministry, or ecclesiastical cure. For which your so doing, " we shall discharge you from all manner of penalties, or " danger of actions, suits, or pleas oi Premunire, Quare im- " pedit, or such like. And yet our meaning is, that if any " party refuse to subscribe any of these Articles, for lack of " learning, or knowledge of the truth thereof, ye shall in " any wise, by teaching, conference, and proof of the same " by the Scriptures, reasonably and discreetly move and " persuade him thereto, before ye shall peremptorily judge " him as unable, and a recusant. And for the trial of his " conformity, ye shall, according to your discretion, prefix " him a time and space convenient to deliberate, and give " his consent : so it be betwixt three weeks and six weeks " from the time of his first access unto you. And if after " .six weeks he will not consent and agree willingly to sub- " scribe, then ye may, and lawfully shall, in any wise refuse " to admit or enable him.
" a Catechism for the instruction of young scholars in the *' fear of God and true knowledge of his holy religion, " with express commandment from us to all schoolmasters, *' to teach and instruct scholars the said Catechism ; mak- " ing it the beginning and first [entry] of their teaching in Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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