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And besides these, bacon, butter, cheese were rated. And all farmers, graziers, and others that had cattle or corn, were bound to bring a certain number and quantity of them to the market. The Lord Protector had by this time much lost himself The Pro- among the nobility and gentry. For, being of a gentle and himself good nature, he loved and pitied the poorer sort, too much ^^'t'' ^^^ ^ nobility. S38 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK oppressed by the rich, and particularly by that covetous practice of enclosures, whereby the cattle of the poor were Anno 1549. shut out of their ancient benefit of feeding in commons; by means of which their children and families were half main- tained. Which made the Protector somewhat sharp upon those of the higher rank and quality. He began also to grow too big for the rest of the nobles : so that there now was but a thin Court and a thin Council-table. Of this his friend Sir William Paget took notice, and wrote him letters of good counsel concerning it last Christmas, telling him the evil that would follow. And so indeed it fell out this summer, as we shall see in due place. This behaviour of the Protector was so well observed, that a Spaniard be- ing now in England, made this witty, but mahcious relation of it, when he came home, that he saw the Protector ride upon a fair goodly horse, but he trembled. And that he was so strong and big made, that he carried both his Grace and all the King's Council at once upon his back : meaning, that there was no King's Council in effect but himself only. So that the Protector had now procured himself many for- midable enemies, as we shall hear ere long. 153 In June, the Protector and Council sent to the Lady TheCoiincii Mary (knowing how averse she was thereunto) to conform LjSv MaJy ^^ King Edward's laws, and to observe in her family the new to use the Book of Commou Prayer, now by Parliament commanded, Prayer. the use whereof to commence at and from Pentecost ; and also to send unto them her Comptroller and Dr. Hopton Heranswer.her Chaplain. But she in her answer, dated June 22, from Kenning-hall, refused to do either, saying, " she could not " spare her Comptroller, and her Chaplain had been sick. , " She told them moreover, that the law made by Parlia- " ment [meaning the law lately made for ratifying and en- " joining the Common Prayer Book] was not worthy the '' name of a law. That King Henry's executors were sworn " to his laws. That her house was her flock. That she " deferred her obedience to the King's laws, till he were of " sufficient years. That she was subject to none of the " Council," and the like, which gave great offence.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 239 Dr. Hopton at length came before the Council. And to CHAP, them he professed he allowed the Communion Book. And ^^^^^^- despatching him back to the Lady Mary, they bade him Anno 1549. declare this his conscience to her ; and giving at large their ^^- Hopton answers to the several parts of her letter, to deliver them lain before to her, (which answers of the Council are preserved in Fox,) t*'<^ Council, they sent him away. And this was the order they sentMon.^" with him. p. 1212, " After due commendations unto your Grace, the same The Coun- " may by these presents understand, that we have heard "j *^ ^^^^ " your Chaplain, Dr. Hopton, and in like manner informed Mss. G. " him for the declaration of such things as we have in- ^^^y^^*""^- " structed him to utter unto you, whom we require your " Grace to credit therein accordingly. Thus we pray " God conserve your Grace in health. From Richmond, " July 7, 1549. " E. Somerset. T. Cant. R. Ryche, Cane. W. S. John. " J. Warwyck. A. Wyngfield. W. Petre S. A. Denny. "E. North. R. Sadleyr." See more of these matters between the Council and the Lady Mary under the next year. CHAP. XIX. The realm in ill terms with Scotla7id mid France. Pagefs embassy to the Emperor. A match propounded Jbr the Lady Mary. The Empei'or intercedes Jhr her liberty in religion. HE English nation continued still in hostility with Scot- The French send forces to Scotland. T
France, according to her custom, backed Scotland. Where Mons. de Termes arrived this summer from the French King, bringing with him the number of five hundred foot- 154 men and an hundred horsemen : no great force, especially considering that far greater forces were expected to have
240 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK been sent this year; for these were hke to go but a Uttle ^' way in resisting the power of England. But the truth was, Anno 1549. the French were loath to spare men at this time, the Em- peror, his enemy, being sick, and like to die. And the French, who came now over with De Termes, had plainly confessed, upon question asked, wherefore no greater aid was sent, see- ing such preparation for the war was reported to be made in France ; that it was true the French King had greater numbers in readiness, but because the Emperor was sickly, and unlike to continue long in life, (being laid up with a great fit of the gout, out of which yet he escaped,) that King kept his forces together, thinking that whensoever God should dispose of the Emperor, he should be able to do great feats, and almost what he listed that way. inchequeth The English took from the Scots this year the island of the^'scots^ Inchequeth, by the conduct of Cotton ; and being in great towardness for the fortification thereof, it so chanced that our ships, and in them many of the soldiers appointed to attend the said Cotton at Inchequeth, were departed from the island for the doing of another exploit ; when the Scots and Frenchmen, having notice of the departure of our ships with the men in them, taking the advantage of some negligence used on our behalf, and having also prepared for this matter before, came with their galleys, and as many other ships and boats as they could make, and approached the island, and after some resistance, in the end, distressed And re- our men and took the island, with such ordnance as was
TheEngiish During the Emperor^s sickness mentioned before, there Emp™or^of ^as great practising in the beginning of this year between French the French and the Germans. Which the English Court prac ices, ^^j^^j^j^g^anding, out of friendship and gratitude to the Em- peror, who had before sent informations hither of practices against us, thought fit to give him notice of it by Hoby, ambassador ledger there. Which the Council thus ex- pressed in their letters to him, dated from Greenwich, May 5. Gaiba,B.i2. " That forasmuch as the Emperor divers times had very " gently and friendly advertised the King's Majesty of such
OF KING EDWARD VI. 241 " practices as had been attempted against his country, or CHAP. " any of his fortresses or pieces, wherein the King's Ma- " jesty had taken great pleasure and comfort ; they thought A"'^^ ^549, "it to be their parts, and the duty of mutual amity, to " signify all such things to his Majesty, which might perad- " venture be any danger to his person, or to the surety of " the Prince of Spain [his son] and the house of Burgundy: " with whom the King's Majesty and his ancestors had so " long sure amity. And therefore, where they were cer- " tainly advertised, that the French King had great intel- " ligence and conference with princes and noblemen about " the river of Elve and the Weser Holste, and the country " there adjoining about the sea; insomuch that where the " King's Majesty had intended to have transported by that " country a certain number of footmen and some horsemen " by the sea, there had been such practices partly by the " Rhinegrave, and by others, that not only they had been " let of coming that way, but that they did perceive to be " almost continual posting and riding to and fro of French " gentlemen. Who did practise with such captains and " noblemen as were thereabouts, to draw them to be not 155 " content with the Emperor. Insomuch that it was not kept " secret, that they had gotten to the number of twenty-two " thousand foot and three thousand horse. Which were " ready at all times, expecting but the warning, to be " amassed for the French attempt, the which the French " King intended to put forth, if any thing should chance " otherwise but well to the Emperor ; daily expecting and " looking for his death. Upon which opportvmity he would " give the attempt." This advice the Council required the ambassador, " tak- " ing convenient time and opportunity, to shew and report " to the Emperor, or Monsieur Arras, [one of his chief " counsellors,] with gentle declaration of the good will of " the King and his Council towards his Majesty; to the " intent he might not be ignorant thereof, and might order " that such practices and dangers might be occurred and " met withal in convenient time." After this friendly man- VOL. II. R 242 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK ner did England behave itself towards the Emperor, to ' keep him the faster to her, while she had France and Scot- Anno 1549. land her enemies. Paget sent Considering therefore the present state of England, with ambassador . . to the Em- respect to her enemies, both before and behind her, the peror. King and his Council thought it their interest to court the Emperor. To him they sent this summer (besides Hoby, resident at the Court) Sir WilHam Paget, Comptroller of the King's household, a man who, as he was well learned, so as well exercised in embassies, and well seen in matters of state. Whose business was to renew and make fast the amity with the Emperor, which had been made formerly between him and the King'*s father. And to make a proposition of mar- riage for the Lady Mary, the King's sister, with the Infant of Portugal, nephew, I think, to the Emperor : a thing com- mon in these times in ail treaties almost, to strengthen them with matches. By this embassy with the Emperor, the English Court intended to learn perfectly how he stood affected to this nation, and to get him to assist it in the de- fence of Boloign, now severely threatened by the French, and, if possible, to engage him into war with France. And it was a part of the ambassador's instructions to offer to join with the Emperor in a common invasion of that king- dom.
The causes Xhe said ambassador arrived at Brussels, June 19 ; and of his em- i p /-^ i i t-* •» • i bassy. two days alter sent to Granvela, the Emperor s ancient and chief counsellor, signifying that he wa« come from the King of England, desiring to know when he should wait upon the Emperor, to open, on his Majesty's behalf, certain things unto him. With which message, in many obliging words, he promised to acquaint the Emperor presently. And the same day in the afternoon. Monsieur Chattony, Granvel's son, came to visit him on the Emperor's and his father's be- half. Paget, at his admission to the Emperor, (togethei' with Hoby, the other ambassador,) acquainted his Majesty, that he was sent to travail to establish and confirm the amity between him and the King his master, by such means as should be thought good for both parties ; and the rather at
OF KING EDWARD VI. 243 this time, when the prince his son was there in those coun- CHAP, tries, to whom, as they thought, he meant to leave his ^^^- countries and dominions, so they doubted not he would Anao 1549. make him inheritor of his amity and alliance. A second cause of his coming was to communicate unto him the estate of the King's affairs with the Scots, their common enemies; 156 and also the French, the Emperor's dissembled friend, and their enemies. And a third cause was to treat, if he so thought good, upon a matter of marriage, which chanced to come in communication, as the ambassador said, upon occasion of devising ways for the increase and augmentation of this amity. The Emperor's subjects had traffic with Scotland at this time, who conveyed over commodities thither, and the Em- peror had granted safe conduct to them. The ambassador on this occasion desired the Emperor to give order to stay the safe conducts that were given out to his subjects to traffic thither ; and also to grant his consent, that his subjects taken beyond Berwic in their voyage towards Scotland might be lawfully stayed by the English, and their goods taken as forfeits. Whereby the Scots wanting this continual relief and assistance might be sooner brought to some reason. " And, sir," said the ambassador to the Emperor, The ambas- " whereas in the wars with the Scots, the French have bytheEm- " sundry means endeavoured to impeach our proceedings ?«*<''; **^^ " there, and also dealt on this side very unfriendly and tween the " unneighbourly towards us, the King's Majesty, loath to^J"^^"j|=]j^^"^ " continue in this faint sort of friendship, and desirous to " know their meaning herein, sent lately a gentleman of his " to the French King, desiring to know what he intended " by this unfriendly sort of dealing. For if he thought, " as by the proceedings of his ministers he seemed to mean, " to break with his Majesty, and to enter into open hostility, " albeit he was not desirous of war, he required that, like a " prince of honour, he would notify unto us the same, and " he should be answered accordingly. For after this sort " to be used, his Majesty neither could nor would endure. " And that he looked by the same messenger to receive re- r2 ^44 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK " solute answer. Whereupon the French King alleged, ^' '^ that these piques had been ministered by ministers upon Anno 1649.'' the frontiers; and affirmed that he meant nothing less " than to break with us, but rather to continue peace and " amity, yea, and to augment it : and also offered unto the " said gentleman to appoint commissioners to meet with " my master's, both for the relief of these quarrels, and the " establishment, if need were, of a further friendship, or to " do any other reasonable thing that might serve for that " purpose. Which offer, being so aptly moved on the " French part, his Grace the Lord Protector, (as the am- " bassador proceeded in his speech to the Emperor,) with " the advice of the rest of the Council, remembering that " the English had now this eight years, and four of them " alone without other help, continued in wars both against " Scotland and the French King, (who was a prince of great " power, having to do no where else,) had thought good not " to refuse ; and hereupon had appointed commissioners to " meet with the French. But that they should not con- " elude any thing prejudicial to the treaties that were or " should be passed between the Emperor and the King his " master. Neither should they proceed to any resolute " conclusion, but the Emperor should have knowledge " thereof." The Em- ^he Emperor made a very courteous, obliging answer in answer; general, in agreeableness to the ambassador''s message: and particularly spake favourably of the Protector, saying, " I 157" know I cannot want my Lord Protector's good further- " ance, who is my friend and old acquaintance, and hath " heretofore been with me, when I have right well perceived " his good affection towards mine estate and proceedings. " Which I shall not forget to requite as I may.'' And Gran- Granvela spake more particularly and at large to the ^^^^'^' ambassador, of the good affection the Emperor bore to Kino; Edward : and that he was moved the rather to owe the King's Majesty this fatherly love, not only for the amity that he always found in King Henry until his latter day, but also, because it liked him at the hour of his death to
OF KING EDWARD VI. 245 will the King his son to follow his friendship, and join with CHAP, the same, who, he affirmed in very deed, should find him a father, whensoever cause should require. Then speaking Anno 1549. of the Infant of Portugal, said, he was about forty years of '^he Lady age, brother to the King of Portugal. As for his personage, match. good wit, and qualities, he assured the ambassador, he was a gentleman worthy to be matched with any great princess ; beside the good will the Emperor bare to him, whom he esteemed as his son : and affirming, that there was not in Christendom so meet a match as would be between these twain. " And I promise you, said the ambassador, for our " part, that the Lady Mary is, as I suppose you know well " enough, in beauty, virtue, and honest qualities, nothing " inferior to that worthiness ye report this gentleman Don " Louis of Portugal to be of. And on the other side, she " is sister to a King of England, and near kin to the Em- " peror, and one whom I guess his Majesty favour eth as a " daughter of his." When Granvela asked. What think ye to bestow on her.? for I would be loath to come empty handed to the Emperor ; and therefore I pray you descend to some particulars : the ambassador said, she had a goodly yearly revenue left to her by the King deceased. Which Granvela making light of, the ambassador told him, that the King her father, at what time he was of very great riches, married his two sisters, the one to the French King with 200,000 crowns, and the other to the Scotch King with an 100,000 crowns. And I pray you, added the ambas- sador, what did the King of Romans offer ^vith his daughter for the King my master ? Yea, said he. King Ferdinando is but a poor prince. But the King your master, being so rich and puissant, cannot but distribute liberally with his sister, and according to his honour. For his father did offer once with her to this same man 40,000/. sterling. Yea, sir, replied the ambassador, my master is, as you know, and hath been long time, in wars, and hath had occasion to be at great charges and expenses of money. However, in case the Infant may assure this lady a convenable dower, we will not let to stretch ourselves to twice as much as her father
246 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK left her by his testament, peradventure to an 100,000 ' crowns. All this I extract from Pagefs letter to the Pro- \nno 1549.tector. :Taiba,B.i2. ^^ ^^ ^l^j^ match with Portugal, the Council had before- consented 1 o by her. hand Sent to the Lady Mary for her consent to move it ;
it. She had also sent the Council a letter, by her drawn up, to be presented to the Emperor. Which the Council in their next letters sent open to Paget to peruse, and after to seal, endorse, and deliver. )eiiboia- This mutual league against France, it seemed the Em- m" Jion of peror would stand well disposed to, because France had i'rance. lately invaded his countries, and made great spoil there. And therefore upon Paget's motion in his late letters, it was deliberated in the Council, whether it should be an ar- ticle in this amity to invade France jointly, (as indeed it was put in his instructions,) seeing it was probable the Em- peror would and must do it the next year ; or rather wholly to omit the mention thereof; it seeming best to leave them- selves at liberty, and not to intangle the nation in wars, whence it might be difficult to get out again, when it should be weary of them. Of this and other things now in hand with iaiba,B.i2.the Emperor, more hght may be let in by a letter of the said ambassador, dated the last day of June, to the Lord Protector; and the answer given by the Council. The former may be found in the Cotton library, and both that BB. cc. and the other in the Repository. Whereby also appears, that the Council varied also in another particular of their ^eloign a instructions given to Paget, namely, about Boloign : for the defence of which, together with the rest of the King'^s forts, the Emperor's assistance was required. Which article the Council was now determined to omit, having considered the vast trouble and charges that place, with the members thereof, had cost the King, and still was like to do, the be- nefit not answerable. And therefore the King was now minded to relinquish it to the French upon reasonable re- com pence. Yet I find it was urged afterward by the am- bassador.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 247 Whether the propositions of the English ambassador CHAP, were of that import, that they required much time to deU- ^ berate on them, or some other matter were the cause, but Anno 1549. the Emperor was slow in giving bis answer. For it was p^J.^^. ^^^^^^ not before July 22, that D' Arras came to Paget's lodgings, the ambas- and excused himself that he came not before to him with the Emperor's answer, having been busied, as he said, in swearing the towns of Brabant to the Prince of Spain. But he prayed the ambassador to take patience (seeing him somewhat hot at this delay) until his coming to Bruges, where he said he should be despatched without fail. But Paget at this, seeing himself only fed with fair words, could not keep patience, but entering somewhat into choler, an- swered him, " I am here now at the Emperor's will and Who is of- 1 • Ti i_ fended " commandment, and he may stay me as long as it liketn thereat. " him, and despatch me when he Hst ; but were I once at " home, I know that neither the King's Majesty would send Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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