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head, or of divers ?
a weak army, or a strong army with a weak captain ? 68. Whether it be necessary, that general captains have large commissions ? 69. What advantage is it to foresee the enemy's purpose ? 70. Whether a captain in the field may forsake the fight, if the enemy will needs fight ? 71. What is it to be quick of invention in time of battle ? 72. What sufferance and time is in fight ? 73. Whether it be necessary to assure the army before the fight ? 74. Whether it be not necessary sometimes to feign folly ?
have committed a folly ?
ground ? 77. Whether skirmishes be good ? 78. Whether fortresses are not many times more noisome than profitable ? 79. Whether an excellent man doth alter his courage for any adversity ? 80. Whether princes ought to be contented with reason- able victories, and so to leave ? OF KING EDWARD VI. 161 81. Whether fury and bravery be any times necessary to CHAP, obtain purposes ? ^lll. 82. Whether promises made by force ought to be ob- Anno 1 548 served ? 83. Whether it becomes not a prince to pretend hberah- ty, when necessity constraineth him to depart with things ? 84. What is virtue ; and when it is most esteemed ? 85. What destroyeth the memory of things ? It becometh a prince for his wisdom to be had in admira- 1 03 tion, as well of his chiefest counsellors, as of his other sub- jects. And since nothing serveth more to that, than to keep the principal things of wisdom secret, till occasion re- quire the utterance, I would wish them to be kept secret ; referring it nevertheless to your Majesty's good-will and pleasure. And so Mr. Thomas concluded his paper above, of questions of state and government. These useful questions the King no doubt spent some thoughts upon: and soon wanted to see Thomas's dis- courses upon the same.
Sir Nicolas Throgmorton, one of his bedchamber, concern- ing such particular matters of state as he would hear his thoughts of; and to draw up some distinct discourses for his study and meditation, namely, of the things before men- tioned. This task this ingenious gentleman cheerfully un- dertook.
course, whether it were expedient to vary with time. Which composed he determined to be exceeding necessary for a prince to do ; ^^?" *'^® that is, that they should not always observe one direct and ° obstinate proceeding, if the time fell out that would require the contrary. For then it would follow inevitably, that their proceedings must perish. He meant not, as he wrote, that men should vary in amity, or turn from virtue to vice, or to alter in any such things as required constancy ; but touch- ing other private or public doings he judged it necessary to humour the time. For which he gave many apt examples out of ancient Greek and Roman history. He drew up also VOL. II. M 162 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK for the King, and by his command, another general dis- course, to instruct him concerning the different natures of nno 1548. the nobiUty and commonalty, of which two ranks of people his whole realm consisted, and of the danger of the latter above the former. This discourse he prosecuted under this question, whether it be better for a commonwealth, that the power be in the nobility or in the commonalty. Then as to his Majesty's amity with princes abroad, and how to make profitable leagues with them, the said Thomas composed for the King's study another treatise; discoursing, what prince's amity is best. Wherein he shewed the use and be- nefit of leagues with other states. Which he made to con- sist in two things, viz. in giving aid to resist an enemy, and in relieving his friend's country with the commodities that it wanted. The necessity of this friendship he shewed to appear, in that few princes were able to maintain their own, if they wanted the friendship of other princes. And for the better instructing the King what prince's friendship were rather to be chosen, he propounded four things worthy consideration ; viz. the propinquity, the antiquity of friend- ship, the religion and the nature of the prince whose amity was sought. Again, the same person yielded the King an- other discourse, and this more particular, concerning the King's outward affairs at that juncture : shewing in what ill case things then were. Letting him understand, how the case was altered in the kingdom from its condition under his father, when it was dreaded of all its neighbours, and needed not to esteem any of them more than they esteemed it : but how it was now hated and condemned of them all. Whereupon it was necessary for the nation now, for lack of 104 its own estimation, either to esteem them, or redeem its own estimation, or perish. He let him see how war threat- ened on every hand, and therefore friendship was to be gotten from abroad : which yet he saw not how it was to be gotten, without either extreme disadvantage, or the de- nying of our faith : neither of which was tolerable. That the King had two puissant enemies to deal withal, the French King, a doubtful friend, and the Emperor, a dis- OF KING EDWARD VI. 1G3 sembllng foe. Then the writer deliberated, how either was CHAP, to be dealt withal.' And then stated the matters as to Scot- ^^^^• land and Ireland. From which excellent discourse may be Anno 1548. seen the present state of the kingdom at that time. All these curious discourses are preserved in the Repository. R- S- T. v. At home the coin was much debased since King Henry ""s Consuita- time, and much complaint was made of it, and many incon- ^^^e coin, veniences foreseen to follow, if it so continued : and there- fore great deliberation began to be concerning it at the Coun- cil Board. This occasioned the writing a fifth discourse by the King's especial (but secret) order to the said Thomas. This indeed seemed to be writ first of all before any of the rest; for this matter lying before the Council suddenly to be considered, the young King, having a mind to be prepared to speak upon that argument, privately sent Throgmorton to him, who, as he brought the King's notes, signifying his will to Thomas, that he should draw up the discourses above mentioned, so particularly and immedi- ately to give him his thoughts upon the coin ; but secretly. Accordingly he shewed the King his judgment, that by all means the coin should be reformed, and that without delay. Because the badness of it bred multitudes of bargains, that people might get rid of it, to the utter impoverishing of the needy. That they indeed had silver coin, but in such kind, as that neither they esteemed it for silver, nor could without great loss use it as silver. And as the value of money daily decayed, so he shewed, that gold increased to that value, that lying still it amounted above the revenues of any lands : and that the value of gold was likely to advance un- measurably ; so that he that lived a twelvemonth should see- an old angel worth twelve shillings of the current money. Therefore in his discourse upon this argument, he advised, that twelve pence should be exacted in the pound for the redress of money. This discourse he sent very privately to the King, sealed up as if it were a thing for the Council, as- suring his Majesty, that no creature living was or should be privy either to it, or any the rest of his discourses. One reason whereof was, that so the King might utter these
164 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK matters as of his own, whereby they might gain greater credit with the Council, than if it were known to have pro- use
Anno 1548. ceeded from Thomas, or any one else. This discourse it would be pity it should be wanting. See it among the rest ^v. of his discourses, in the Repository, as they are found in a Cotton MS. Aphorisms And to exercise his princely mind in the ereat matter of for war, for , , i i i ^ • i « „ the King's war, the last and only remedy oftentimes left for princes to maintain or recover their rights, among the rest of the rules of policy, provided for the King by Thomas, I know not to whom to attribute certain aphorisms of war, which came forth about this time, so well as to the said Thomas ; nor for whose use drawn up, as for the young King's, being fitted for his study, by recommending to his reading several 1 05 instances of the Roman history. It was entitled, A neces- Reverend!'' *"^^ ^^^^'^ ^^^^^^^^ a prince 171 battle must observe and lieep, Patr. I). if he intend to subdue or pass through his enemies country: Joh.^Episc. ^i^^ ^j^^ manner of besieging a fortress; and how a prince besieged should order himself: ajid hozv to pacify a sedition of soldiers. This writing, which, I suppose, was penned ori- ginally for the King s use and study, was soon after printed, that it might be of more common benefit for such as were or should be captains and officers in the King's army. This I saw among the excellent collections of the late right reverend Bishop of Ely. The King's But as to Thomas's late discourse concerning the coin
^«i«- vehemency he expressed for the reformation of it, what dangers and inconveniences were urged by others, if any alteration should be made. And that therefore some were of opinion, that sentence should take place here, malum bene conditum ne moveas. But Thomas, in another private X. letter to the King, gave his sense of this objection against the reformation of the coin, in these words : l^,^,T^''' " A"d where indeed I M^as somewhat earnest for Cott. Libr. " the reformation of the coin, wherein it pleased your Ma- Vespasian, u j^g^y ^^ Command my opinion, truly my zeal to my coun- " try did so prick me, that I could not forbear to exclaim OF KING EDWARD VI. 165 « against the fault. Like as for the redress, I am not yet CHAP. " persuaded from my device. For though I understand \ "there be other arguments, perchance better than mine. Anno 1 548. " yet I Uke not his opinion, that in this case groundeth " himself on malum bene conditum ne moveas. For malum " it is indeed, but conditum it is not, and bene it will never " be : wherefore necesse est moveri. And this I dare stand " to in argument, that where I devised an exaction of " twelve pence in the pound, if the money thus continue, " your Majesty, by reason of the mints, shall exact above " six shillings of the pound, and yet be undone yourself at " length, unless ye purchase land withal. " And whether it hath made your Majesty rich or no, I " cannot tell, but I am sure this coinage, since the first be- " ginning, hath exacted upon your subjects already above " eight shillings in the pound. " As for their frivole reasons that allege three parts of the " four through the realm to fare the better for it, I will not " say, that either they understand httle of policy, or else " they would be glad to become commoners themselves ; but " this I dare avow, that there is not one of hundred, no, not " one of thousand, that is contented with this coin. " Helas ! can we suffer neither fault nor remedy ? Nei- " ther war nor peace ? " Your Majesty^s most humble servant, " William Thomas." And we shall hear, not long after, what effectual care the King took for the bettering the estate of the coin of the na- tion.
of Boloign, and other pieces on that side, against the [j^^'J^j^jj^^^'^ French, created the King much trouble and charge of men in the Lo^^ and treasure. This summer. Sir Thomas Chamberlain and ^ ^g Dr. Thomas Smith being Ambassadors with the Emperor, were raised two thousand men in the Low Countries for the service of the wars, the Emperor granting licence to levy them, and for their safe passage into England. And in Ja- M 3 166 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK nuary following, Mr. John Dymock, the King's servant, was sent over by the Protector and Council, secretly to repair ^nnoi548.to Sir Philip Hoby, the King's ambassador, now with the Emperor, to raise two thousand men more. And Sir Philip had command to acquaint the Emperor, that a great part of the former two thousand men were dead and spent in the wars of the last year, and the number being grown very small, the King, desiring to have two thousand footmen more to be levied about the parts of Freezland, prayed the Emperor's good permission thereof in respect of the treaty of amity between them. And it seemed to be granted. Prayers ap- Upon the war likely to be with France, which looked jpoii the severely upon the state of the kingdom at this trouble- uiings of gQjy^g i\y^q at home, it was piously ordered by the Privy Council, that prayers should be made in all churches in the diocese of Westminster, to Almighty God, for success of the King's arms, and for the restoring of peace. The Council's letter to Thirleby, Bishop of Westminster, was as followeth : rhe Coun- a After our hearty commendations to their good Lord- :il's letters . . . . otheBi- " ship; hearing tell of great preparation made of foreign Ve'^tn^ " princes, and otherwise ; being enforced for the procure- ter. " ment and continuance of peace to make preparation for rhfrib! " war; forsomuch as all power and aid vailable cometh " of God ; the which he granteth as he hath promised by " his holy word, by nothing so much as by hearty prayer " of good men : the which is also of more efficacy, made " of a whole congregation together, gathered in his holy " name: " Therefore this is to will and require you to give adver- " tisement and commandment to all the Curates in your '' diocese, that every Sunday and holyday in their common " prayer they make devout and hearty intercession to Al- " mighty God, for victory and peace. And to the intent " you should not be in doubt what sort and manner we do *' like, we have sent unto you one : the which we would, that " you and they should follow, and read it, instead of one *' collect of the King's Majesty's process. Thus we pray
OF KING EDWARD VI. 167 " you not to fail to do with all speed, and bid you farewell, CHAP *' from Westminster, the 6th day of May, 1548. ^ " Your loving friends, ^""'^ ''' " E. Somerset. R. Rich, Cane. W. Seint John. " J. Russel. T. Cheine.^' Christopher Mount was the King's agent, as he had been The Dan( his father's, among the Protestant princes of Germany. jia*t^on t" And being resident at Strasburgh, he happening in dis- England. course with the Danish ambassadors there ^bout Enghsh matters, they shewed more than once their master's great concern for the differences between England and France, and how ready he would be to be a mediator for a right understanding between both princes. And so they had de- clared before to Thirlby, Bishop of Westminster, and Sir Phil. Hoby, Ambassador with the Emperor. This Mount writing to the Court, the English were willing to hearken unto the motion ; and the rather, because that being now in 1 0? war with Scotland, the amity of the King of Denmark, whose country adjoined near thereunto, would be no little advantage to England. Upon this occasion therefore, Oc-TiiePro- tober 4, the Protector wrote to Hoby in a letter from Sion, ^^^ here- That this was not to be refused, being so gently offered ; "?«"• and that he should take some occasion to talk hereupon b. 12. with the Danish Ambassador, and in discourse, that he should declare the wrong the English had received from The inju; France, and how unjustly the French had handled them, prench; As, in not paying the pension, by the treaty at the last conclusion of peace due unto us, in place and time there expressed ; fortifying against the treaty ; keeping away from the King's Majesty fines and other things there in Boloignois. Besides, that upon every pretence, when they would, they robbed and killed our men, and said their King had commanded them so to do, by way of revenge ; and that if one bullock were taken [by the English in Bo- loignois, where they bordered upon the French territories, and so might sometimes steal from one another] to take twenty; if one were killed, to kill forty; and that upon M 4 168 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK only surmise, and no proof of justice. And under pretence _| of Scots, if there were but one Scot in their ships, yea, and Anno 1548. sometimes none, they robbed and spoiled the King's sub- jects on the seas, and then sold their goods openly in their havens and other places; and then, when they listed, said they were Scots. And so Petro Strozzi, both going, and coming, and tarrying, being the French King"'s lieutenant, yet pilled and took our men, and burnt our ships so many as he could get, so that the English were enforced some- what also to do against him.
out the right that the King had to that kingdom, which he knew well enough, and to shew that yet, for a quiet amity between the realms, the King's father was content that the King that now is should marry the young Queen of Scots. And that hereunto the Scots condescended by the v/hole Parliament of the three estates, and under the great seal of Scotland, which was then to shew. And that the French King, notwithstanding all this, not only had aided the Scots against the King's Majesty their sovereign Lord with mo- ney and men, but also, now lastly, had taken away the young Queen ; and by that means taken away the best and most quiet way of concord betwixt these two realms, and defrauded the King's Majesty of his lawful and pro- mised wife. And now the French King had said, that he would marry her to the Dauphin. The which things, as the Ambassador was instructed to say, was not sufFerable to any mean lord or prince, much less to a king as he was. And though his Majesty was young, yet that his power was able enough to see redress and revenge in these mat- ters: as this last year it had appeared. When, notwith- standing French powers there sent, the King had not only defended his realm against the French, but against all Scot- land too. But how far this mediation by the Danish King was carried, I cannot ascertain, finding no more of this matter. To be sure the hostility still continued between both nations till the end of the next year.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 169 from Scotland, an order came May 16. from the Protector CHAP, and Privy Council, to deliver out of the Tower, for Nev/- ^^^^' castle, for supply of the stores there, hand-guns complete, -^"i"* io48. eight hundred; fine cornpowder, three last; serpentine ^ ^° powder, ten last ; matches, eight hundred weight ; saltpetre in roche, half a last ; brimstone, two barrels ; bows of yough, a thousand ; bow-strings, forty gross ; demy lances, four hun- dred ; northern staves, two hundred ; morice-pikes, two thou- sand seven hundred ; horse harness, twenty. April the 10th had a treaty been agreed to for the conti- Wrongs nuation of the price of wool, between the Emperor and the f„°ercha^nfr King, during his minority. But notwithstanding this andof-^»twerp. other treaties, our merchants at Antwerp met now lately with much unfair dealings from the government there, by laying heavier taxes and duties upon them than they ought to have done, by virtue of privileges granted the English traders, ratified by pacts and covenants : which were now grievously violated. Whereat the English complaining, and finding no redress, the governor of the merchants residing in the said town made a decree that they should trade no more there. And accordingly they withdrew their effects : which was no small detriment to the place, and to the Em- peror in his revenues. This gave great offence at that Debates Court, and it was urged as an infringement of the inter- *^^^^*^"P°°' course of treaties. Secretary Smith, together with Sir Tho- mas Chamberlain, who were at this Court this summer, and came partly to adjust and settle the matter, had several meetings with the President of the Council, and others that were Commissioners, who shewed great passion and much disturbance at this withdrawing of the English and their trade. The said President affirmed, the officers of Antwerp had done no injury to our merchants. He asked them how the Emperor would be satisfied, that a governor of mer- chants in his dominions should make statutes to forbid the traffic from his town of Antwerp, and cause the merchants to depart thence so turnultuously as they did. And so ag- gravated the matter, saying, that the Emperor both would and should punish the same.
170 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK Smith the English Ambassador, on the other hand, who ^' hked well enough what the merchants had done, said more Anno 1548. calmly, that there had nothing been done, but what might Secretary ^^ ^^^^ j^ ^|^g intercourse and privileges, and upon just
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