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'' troversies of religion, and withal his heart abhorred wild
*' and seditious opinions. And therefore judged him a per-
^' son that would be of good use, as to the Church of God,
^' if he were placed in the University, or elsewhere in his
" kingdom/' To these letters of foreign learned men, the
King paid a great reference, and they had a great influence
with him.
The King was beforehand with Melancthon in these mo- Martyr and

tions, and had provided the two Universities of the land the Univer-

with two learned foreigners, Peter Martyr to read divinity cities,

at Oxford, and Martin Bucer at Cambridge, both com-

ing from Strasburgh, but Martyr first. These grave and

learned Doctors were placed there, the Lord Protector and

the Archbishop judging them the fittest persons to inform

the students in their notions and doctrines concerning reli-

gion. Because as they were very learned in other sciences,

so in divinity they took the holy Scripture for their guide,

and gathered their tenets from no other authority but from

thence, according to the constant principle of that great

and good Archbishop. It was especially thought necessary,

that the corrupt opinions about the Eucharist should be

190 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK rectified in the Universities as well as elsewhere. And both

' these foreigners thought aright in this great point, though

Anno 1548. differing in their judgments in the expressions to be used

about them. Bucer thought, that for avoiding contention,

and for maintaining of peace and quietness in the Church,

somewhat more ambiguous words should be used, that

might have a respect to both persuasions concerning the

presence. But Martyr was of another judgment, and af-

fected to speak of the Sacrament with all plainness and

Misrepre- pcrspicuitj. Of this Buccr and he had some dispute at

Pa"!ists ^ Strasburg, before they set foot in England, as we are in-

formed by Simler in his account of P. Martyr's life. By

which it appears how much misrepresented these two per-

sons have been by Papists, and namely by two, Fecknam

and Parsons. The former, in Queen Mary'*s days, affirmed

to Bartlet Green, a prisoner for the cause of religion, and

after a martyr, " that Peter Martyr was a Papist at his first

" coming to Oxford, but perceiving the wicked tenets,'''' as

he styled them, " of the King's Council," [that is, to bring

122 in another doctrine about the Sacrament against the carnal

presence,] " was content to please them, and to forsake the

Ward- " true Catholic faith.'' The other, with much face and little

4. vindi- shame, saith, both of Martyr and Bucer, that at their first

cated. coming into England, they were conditioned with to teach
the religion, whatsoever it were, that should be established

in the Parliament approaching.

But first, as for Fecknam's assertion concerning Martyr,

it was undoubtedly a slander, since it appears, by the writer

of his life, that his opinion in that point of the Sacrament

was not according to the Roman doctrine, while he lived at

Strasburgh. And the aforesaid Green, who had been a

scholar at Oxford, while P. Martyr was Professor there,

and the hearer of him, told Fecknam, that he had himself

heard the said Professor say often, that he had not, while he

was a Papist, read Chrysostom upon the tenth chapter of the

first Epistle to the Corinthians, nor many other places of

the Doctors; but when he had read and well considered

them, he was contented to yield to those Doctors, having

OF KING EDWARD VL 191

first humbled himself in prayer, desiring God to illuminate CHAP.

him, and bring him to the true understanding of the Scrip- ^^'

ture. Which was in all probability before he left Italy, or Anno i548.

while he remained in Germany among those that professed

the true doctrine. So that we may conclude him settled in

that point of the Sacrament before his arrival in England.

And as to what Parsons hath said, I leave the reader to Abbot ag.

Dr. George Abbot, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, ^qV/' ^^^*

who gives this account of the matter : " Parsons may have

" the name of a slanderer, who can glose and invent any

" thing which may serve for his purpose : as, that Peter

" Martyr and Martin Bucer were indented withal, to teach

*' as the Parliament should decree : implying, that whatso-

" ever it had been, they must have condescended unto it.

" This lying Jesuit can shew no letter, no act of record, no

" testimony of semblance of truth, to aver this his calumni-

'• ation. But the matter indeed was, that the reformers of

" religion here, intending to level all by the line of God's

" word, knew that those two worthy men were so affected

" in all their teachings. And therefore, as also for their ad-

" mirable learning and judgment, they made choice of them

" before all the great clerks which were in Europe. And

" that those who called them hither were not deceived in

" them, the excellent monuments which they left in writing

" behind them do testify to the world."
Toward the latter end of this year the great and shame- Sharing-

ful frauds of Sir William Sharington, Knt. a chief officer of [l^'jj^f^^^^^'^

the King's mint, were discovered. He had in 1547. coined

testons (a sort of money embased, and under standard) to a

great sum, without warrant, and contrary to a prohibition

sent unto him. Also, he defrauded the King of clippings

and shearings to the sum of 4000Z. and above : and to

make up the sum in his accounts, made the King's coin the

lighter. And when the monthly books, shewing the doings

of the mint, were brought to him, he used to strike out as

much as he thought good. And that he might do this with-

out being discovered, he falsified the indentures and writ-

ings which might have charged him. His gain by this

192 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK means amounted to an unknown sum. For these causes

he was clapt up in the Tower : and in February made a

Auuoi548.fi.ee confession of all, acknowledging himself worthy of

death, and grievous punishment, and upon his knees with a

1 23 most woful heart prayed for mercy. The original of this

confession, drawn up by the hand of Sir Thomas Smith,

Secretary, and signed by Sharington himself, and attested

by certain Privy Counsellors, having been sent to him in

z. the Tower, I have seen.

Attainted. In the month of February aforesaid, he was attainted by

Parliament, and all his estate and lands given to the King.

But the King pardoned him, as to life. This Sharington, to

assist and abet the treason of the Lord Seimour of Sudely,

o-ranted the mint at Bristow to be at his commandment.

Out of which the said Lord designed to receive 10,000/. a

month, for the payment of ten thousand men of his tenants,

and servants, and others, which were to be put in arms for

his treasonous purpose.

His wealth. Sharingtou's wealth may be guessed at by a purchase he

ward's Book made of the King in this second year of his reign for the

of Sales, g^^i^ of 2808Z. 4

change of woods, land, and tenements in the county of Es-

sex, and in performance of King Henry the Eighth's will.

The purchase was all the manors of Awbery, Winterbourn,

and Charlton, in the county of Wilts, with the appurte-

nances, lately parcel of the possessions and revenues of the

college of St. Mary and All Saints of Fotheringah, in the

county of Northampton; and the whole farm called Bar-

bury Leer, lying in Okeburn ; and divers other lands and

tenements in the counties of Northamptonshire, Wilts, and

Gloucester. Nay, and notwithstanding his forfeiture of all

he had by his attaint, yet it seems he was not so undone,

but was able soon after to make a great purchase again.

For in the fourth year of this King, for two great sums of

money, viz. 4866 Z. ^s.%d. and 8000 Z. the said King granted

him the lordships and manors of Lacock, Beaulieu, Nat-

ton, Woodrew, Send, Sendrew, Winterbourn, Charlton, Aw-

bery, Avebury, Catcomb, Ladington, Cote, and Medburn ;

OF KING EDWARD VI. I93

and the rectory of Lacock, in the county of Wihs, with the CHAP,

appurtenances, lately the said Sir W. Sharington's ; and di- ^^-

vers other lands, tenements, and hereditaments in the coun- Anno i548.

ties of Wilts, Gloucester, Berks, Devon, Somerset, and in

Bristol ; which also lately were the said Sharington's. It

seems he had money enough still left, to buy again what

he had forfeited to the crown by his treason.
Indeed his repentance was looked upon to be sincere : Restored to

insomuch that Latymer, in one of his sermons at Court, ^''''''"'"*

took occasion to commend Sharington for his honest confes-

sion of his fault. And as he was pardoned and restored in

blood by the Parliament in 1549, so he seems to have been

soon restored to his offices again : for I find that in April

1550, he, with Sir John Davies, was appointed to receive the

first payment from the French, according to the articles of

peace lately made, and to give their acquittance for it. And

soon after he went over to Calais, and there received it.

Near the conclusion of this year. Sir Thomas Seimour, The Admi-

Lord Seimour of Sudley, (a manor and castle in Glou- ^^^'^ c"mes.

cestershire, formerly belonging to the abbey of Winchel-

comb,) uncle to the King, and Lord High Admiral of Eng-

land, was beheaded on Tower-hill, for affecting the king-

dom. But whereas it was wont to be much laid to the

charge of the Duke of Somerset his brother, as a point of

his weakness, to yield to the taking him off, by whose life

he might have been the stronger to have withstood his ene- 1 24

mies ; and that the quarrel between the brothers was occa-

sioned by the strife of the two great ladies, their wives, for

precedency, in which the men themselves became con-

cerned ; I think they are no better to be esteemed than

stories raised by the giddy multitude, or by the Duke's ene-

mies, to impair his credit and reputation. For if we may

believe the act of attainder, this Lord was so ill a man,

and his nature so utterly spoiled and corrupted by insolence

and ambition, that it was not fit he should live in the state.

For in the first year of the King's reign, he laboured by

craft and sleight to get the government of the King's person

from his brother, to whom it was granted by the consent of
VOL. II. o

194 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK all the nobles, and himself among the rest. And when that

^' would not do, soon after he proceeded to more open prac-

nno i548.tices of tumults and stirs, thinking to make the King and

Parhament serve his turn. For he had the confidence to

go to the young King, and moved him to write a letter to

the Parliament with his own hand ; wherein he should de-

sire them to be good to the Lord Seimour in such suits and

matters as he should declare unto them. And to inchne

the King to do it, he had several about the King's person, his

instruments, to help it forward. And this letter he intended

himself to carry to the Lower House, and open the same in

the Upper ; and had procured parties in either House to

forward his purposes ; to make a tumult and sedition both

in the Court and the whole realm. And he was heard to

say, that "he would make the blackest Parliament that

" ever was seen in England." He did also prepare a great

number of men and of weapons ; and he travailed with the

most part of the Council to help him to the government of

the King's person. And in the Parliament, by himself, his

friends, and servants, he ever laboured to obstruct every

thing that tended to the honour, surety, and benefit of the

King and his realms. He spread abroad sundry slanders

touching the King's person, the Lord Protector, and the

whole state of the Council ; and they so vile, as not fit to be

repeated.

heProtec- When all this was discovered, and come to light, the

1^2 f^?^^^' good Duke his brother was heartily grieved at it, and ac-

ards him. cording to his gentle nature endeavoured by sober counsels

to reclaim and save him, and to bring him to a better con-

sideration of his duty to God and the King : and laboured

with the whole Council, and otherwise, to reconcile and re-

form him, who presently else must have perished in his

folly. And though the Protector then had perfect know-

ledge of all his attempts and misbehaviour; and though

the Admiral had said that he would not come at the Lord

Protector or Council, if they sent for him, or that he would

not be committed to any ward for his doings by the best of

them ; yet the Protector used still all good means, accord-

OF KING EDWARD VI. , 195

ing to his clemency, by persuasion of certain of the Coun- CHAP.

cil, and otherwise, to frame him to amendment of his ill ^^'

courses. And upon consideration of the state of things in Anno 1543.

the realm about the beginning of the King^s reign, it was-

thought most meet for the King to pass his doings over

with silence; and to bridle him with his liberality; and

so gave him lands to the yearly value of eight hundred

pounds. And by King Edward's Book of Sales, I observe

this favour shewn him herein, that though his patent bore

date the 19th of August, yet the time of the issues was

reckoned from the Michaehnas before. This gift of the

King is thus set down: " The lordship, manor and castle, 125

" and park of Sudeley, in the county of Gloucester, with

" the appurtenances, lately belonging to the monastery of .

" Winchelcomb, in the same county, dissolved ; and divers

" other lands and tenements in the counties of Gloucester,

" Wilts, Wigorn, Berks, Oxon, Kent, Sussex, Middlesex,

" Southampton, Stafford, Salop, Denbigh, (where Holt

" castle stood, of which by and by,) Bricon, Radnor, Essex,

'' Bedford, Somerset, and Karnarvan."

It was not long he continued quiet, notwithstanding these Practiseth

favours, but began to make a party and confederation, ^^^^'"*

whereof himself would be head ; and got rules and offices

into his hands, and retained many gentlemen and yeomen

in his service. Insomuch that he told some of his familiars,

that he was able to raise ten thousand men. For whose

wages he devised ten thousand pounds by the month ;

which monies, by dealing with Sir William Sharington, lie

was to have out of the King's mint at Bristol, as was shewn

before. He took up money, and ran in debt, owing to the

said Sharington, almost three thousand pounds. Into that

strong castle of Holt he put a great quantity of wheat,

malt, beef, and a great mass of money, for the feeding and

entertainment of a number of men. And for the blind-

ing of his doings there, he caused it to be bruited as though

the King were dead. He laboured also with sundry noble-

men and others, to join with him : devising with them,

how and by what pohcy they should make themselves strong

o2

196 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

in their countries, and how they should win the head-

yeomen, and ringleaders of the common people. He pro-

^nnoi548.mised favours and benefits very hberally, nay, and gave a

promise of the King himself in marriage to a nobleman's

daughter in the realm. Moreover, he persuaded the King

to take upon him the rule and order of himself, intending

thereby to take the King into his own hands and govern-

ment, and so to rule the affairs of the realm ; and endea^

voured to engender a hatred in the King's heart against his

uncle the Protector. But the King, though at that age,

had the wisdom to resist that motion, and without any ad-

vice or counsel refused his ill persuasion. He corrupted

sundry of the privy-chamber to move the King to write let-

ters according to his and their devices, and to put into his

head a singular favour and affection toward him, and a

disposition to follow whatsoever the Admiral would have

wrought towards others, the better to compass his traitorous

purpose.
And for further token of his ambition, immediately after

King Henry's death he bore an affection towards the Lady

Elizabeth, the King's daughter, second person in remainder

of the succession to the crown, and would have married her,

if he could by any means. But he was stayed by the Lord

Protector and other of the Council. Then he married the

relict of King Henry, Queen Katharin Par, whom he mar-

ried privately first, and after sued to the King, and the Lord

Protector, and the Council, for his preferment to the match

with her. Whom nevertheless it was credibly spoken, he

holp to her end, to hasten his other purpose, which was still

to marry the Lady Elizabeth. In which resolution he con-

tinued in his said wife's time, while she was alive ; and by

sundry secret and crafty means endeavoured the achieving

since her death. And when the Protector and Council dis-

suaded him from this, and to forbear his pretended pur-

jngpose, he would defend himself by asking, why he should

not continue his suit towards the Lady Elizabeth, and did

secretly and earnestly follow it, and did what he could to

have married her.

OF KING EDWARD VI. 197

And all this the Parliament judged to be a traitorous CHAP.

aspiring to the crown of the realm, and to be King of the ^^'

same, and an open deed and act, and a false and traitorous Anno 1548.

compass and imagination to depose and deprive his Ma^ ^>'^>^*^'^ "^y

jesty. For more of his. doings still ; he abetted, assisted, ment to

and maintained Sharington in his traitorous frauds. When ti^ie'crown.

Sharington brought in his false indentures, books, and More of his

reckonings, he took them into his hands and custody, and ^^^ ^^^^^'

affirmed, that he had wrong to be committed to prison, and

endeavoured by all means he could to deliver him. So that

one may conclude him privy to his cheats, if not a sharer

therein. The Admiral was also guilty of much oppression

and extortion of the King's subjects, using island, and

other voyages by sea, and resolved upon revenge towards

all with whom he was offended, which his own letters and

other testimonies made appear.
If we were minded to rake further into his life, he lived His ill life.

dissolutely from his very youth. In the reign of King

Henry VIII. about the year 1539, or 1540, a lewd woman,

that had lived an unclean life, and was condemned with

some of her comrades for a robbery, as she went to execu-

tion, declared that Sir Thomas Seymour had first of all de-

bauched her. And afterward she took to that unlawful

course of life that led her to consort with rogues ; and that

brought her to her shameful end. Of which Latimer, then

Bishop of Worcester, hearing, looked ever what would be-

come of him, and feared that he would come to some bad

end. And so this man fell from evil to worse, and from

worse to worst of all, till at length he was made a spec-

tacle to all the world. It was commonly reported of him

that he disbelieved the immortality of the soul. And the

little devotion that appeared in him at his death, which we

shall speak of presently, made this report the more proba-

ble. The probability whereof appeared also too much in

his general neglect of prayer and serving God. For when

the good Queen Katharine his wife had daily prayers be-

fore and after noon in her house, the Admiral would get

him out of the way, and was a contemner of the conmion

o3

198 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK prayer. So that the grave father Latimer, in one of his

^' sermons before King Edward, said, that he was a man the

Anno 1548. furthest from the fear of God that ever he knew or heard

of in England. When he was upon the scaffold, and ready

to be executed, a passage happened which shewed him still

of the same turbulent and malicious mind he was of before,

and that he had not yet subdued his spirit, and brought it

to that charitable frame that was proper for dying persons,

His prac- that bcHeve they are going into another world. He had a

the Sec- great mind to be revenged of his brother, the Lord Protector,

tor hisbro- j\j^j though he should be dead, and so could not practise

before his himsclf his ruin, yet he endeavoured to kindle such coals as

death. might afterwards cause others to do it. Foi- when he was

ready to lay his head upon the block, he turned to the

lieutenant's servant, and said to him, that he should bid

his servant speed the thing' that he wot of. And so imme-

diately he laid down and died, having received two strokes

of the axe. But the words he spake happened to be over-

heard. The AdmiraPs servant hereupon was taken into ex-

amination, who confessed that they were two letters which

1 27 his master had written in the Tower to the Lady Mary

and the Lady Elizabeth, which he had enjoined him to

His private take his opportunity to deliver. And that he had made his

^ ^^^' pen of the aglet of a point that he plucked from his hose ;

and made his ink some other way as craftily, and then had

caused these two papers (which were but of a small quan-

tity) to be sewed between the sole of a velvet shoe of his.

And by this means these letters came to light, and fell into

the hands of the Protector and Council. The contents of

them tended to this end, that the two sisters should con-

spire against the Protector, enforcing many matters against

him, to make these royal ladies jealous of him, as though

he had, it may be, practised to estrange the King their bro-

ther from them, or to deprive them of the right of their

succession. Both these papers Latimer himself saw, and re-