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Earl Henry, without disparagement during his minority.

A warrant was also issued out, the same second of Decem-

ber, to the Earl of Wiltshire, master of the wards and li-

veries, that where the King had granted to Sir William

Herbert the wardship of Henry Earl of Southampton, he

OF KING EDWARD VI. 431

appointed to the said Sir William lOOZ. for the exhibition CHAP,

of the said Earl during his minority, and that he should XXXIII.

at several days pay one thousand pounds for the said ward- Anno i560.

ship, and to appoint the said Sir Wilham another lOOZ. of

the said EarPs lands : and also abate him 700Z. part of the

said thousand, in consideration that the said young Earl

was the King's godson, and of the good service of the said

Sir William.

Thomas Lord Howard, the same, I suppose, that was Debts par-

entitled Lord Howard of Bindon, seemed to be one of thei!"^'**''

. . . Thomas,
poor noblemen of this reign, however his poverty were occa- Lord

sioned. This man ran in arrears in the second and third ^^^*^ *

payment of a subsidy granted to the King's father, in the

34th of his reign, which came to the sum of 93Z. 6s. 8d.

And besides, he was indebted to King Edward SOOl who

favourably considering his circumstances, pardoned him

wholly the former sum, and threescore pounds of the latter ;

and took sufficient sureties for the payment of the rest in

six years.
This year had one Michael Winston found out divers Mines of

mines of iron and steel, within the Kinor's forests of Exmore'!^^" ^""^

o steel m
and Dartmore in Devonshire ; and also certain earth, which Devon,

would make moor coal. With the which the iron and steel

might be made of the ore of the said iron and steel to be

found within the said forests. Upon information hereof

the King granted a commission, bearing date December 11,

whereby he authorized and licensed John, Earl of Bedford,

Peter Carow, and Gawen Carow, Knights, Richard Duke,

and the said Michael Winston, and every of them, and all

others, by them or any of them to be named or appointed,

to dig, found, win, and get, by all means they could from

time to time hereafter, iron woore [ore] and steel, within

his Highness' proper ground, within the said forests ; and

likewise earth to make moor coal, without giving or paying

any thing therefore. And also to erect and build in his

said proper ground, such and so many houses and mills, as

should be thought meet and convenient to the said Earl,

432 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK Peter, Gawen, Richard, and Michael, or any of them, for the

^- making of iron and steel with the said woor and coal. And

Anno 1550. further, that they should enjoy the said houses and mills,

and other the said necessaries to them, their heirs, executors,

and assigns for ever ; with power and authority to bequeath

and assign the same at their pleasure, and in such manner

as by the said commissioners' order shall be appointed. So

(276) the said mills and houses, and making of the said iron and

steel may have continuance for ever : yielding to the King

and his heirs for every ton of iron there made six shillings

and eight pence ; and likewise for every ton of steel. And

to the intent the said purpose should take effect, the said

commissioners had authority to make orders and decrees for

the establishing the continuance thereof, so they be not

against the commonweal, or laws or statutes of the realm :

with a proviso, that they shall not intermeddle with any

bodies several, without their consents.

Beaumont Sir Robert Southwel, Knight, Master of the Rolls, under

t^fof thT some edipse, did now resign, or was deprived of his place ;

Ro"s- and the office, December 11, conferred upon John Beaumont,

Esq. for hfe, with all fees, &c. in as large and ample man-

ner as the said Robert lately had it.

A message One Dr. Albert Knoppert, a lawyer, was now in Eng^

Danisil'' land, lately sent from Christiern, King of Denmark, for ad-

King con- justing some merchants' business, wherein he was civilly

merchfnts! treated. He had in this month of December complained,

in the name of that King's subjects, of certain customs made

here about merchandise, to their great loss and damage.

But the King in answer shortly declared unto Christiern,

that his subjects also complained of certain customs made

there to their great hinderance. This complaint the King

and his Council seemed to take the more offence at, because

that but the month last past the King and his Council had

fulfilled the desire of, and given satisfaction to, the said Dr.

Albert, who came to be procurator in certain causes of in-

jury, supposed to be done to some Danish merchants : and

had given him a letter of answer to carry to King Christiern,

OF KING EDWARD VI. 433

signifying the justice he had done his subjects, witli a com- CHAP,

mendation of the said Albert, for his diligence and wisdom ^^^^^^'

used therein. Anno 1550.
In this month of December, I find a warrant signed by An embassy

the King, to deliver to Sir John Borthwick, a Scotchman, ^ ^"™^

five months' diet beforehand in prest after twenty-five shil-

lings and eight pence per day, sent about certain the King's

affairs ; and so hereafter to be allowed until his return to

the King, inclusive. This seems to have been some private

embassy, because no mention is made of the person, place,

or message. But the King's journal discovers all ; where

it appears that Borthwic (who seems to have been knighted

for this purpose) was sent to the King of Denmark with

private instructions, for the matching of the Lady Elizabeth

with his son. He had his passport to go beyond sea with

one gentleman and three servants, January 2.
As a testimony of the King's gratitude and good-will to The King's

the citizens of Exeter for their last year's good service ^^^.1^^"*^^"^

against the rebels, (besides the thanks he had rendered them Exeter,

already,) by a patent, dated December 19, the King con-

firmed to the Mayor and commonalty of that city, and their

successors, all their old customs, liberties, privileges, fran-

chises, and jurisdictions contained in any charters or letters

patents of the King's Majesty or his progenitors ; with a

gift to them in fee-simple of all his manor of Exiland in

Devonshire, with divers other lands, tenements, &c. to the

yearly value of 29^. 18^. lOd. over and above the reprizes :

to be holden by fealty only in sockage, with a licence to

purchase lOOZ. a year in land.
This kingdom upon the sea-coasts towards France, and Commis-

the English merchants, suffered much by French pirates pr^lnj.h'^

still, notwithstanding the peace with France : nor could the pirates.

English depend upon their friendship; therefore a specialV^77)

commission was given out, dated January 2, to Dr. Griffith

Leyson, Sir Richard Rede, and Dr. William Cook, or to

two of them, to examine and determine all and singular

piracies, depredations, &c. now present, or hereafter to be

VOL. II. F f ,

434 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK done between the King's subjects and the French King's,

since the last treaty of peace between them conchided.

Vnno 1550. gjj, Philip Hoby seems now to have returned home from

^ob^y^Me ^is embassy with the Emperor, where he had resided two

imbassador, qj. three years. A needy man it seems he was, whether the

^ ^ * cause were his own prodigality, or some other misfortune.

To whicli I attribute the counsel he suggested to the Pro-

tector mentioned before, of taking away all the prebends

from the church, and bestowing them upon secular uses, and

reducing the revenues of the Bishops ; hoping thereby that

[lis need, some part thereof might fall to him. His needs made him

often craving supplies, while he was ambassador. Insomuch

that in one of his letters to the Council he told them, that

he had run into interest, and borrowed money upon credit,

more than he could well yet a while discharge. And that if

he should, through lack of payment of his diets, either run

into further debt, or else be forced to lay to pledge, or sell

the King's plate that he had there, it would be little to the

King's honour, and a great blot to his own honesty : he

trusted therefore their Lordships would have consideration

thereof. This person owed to the King 1249^. l^s. M. oh.

all whicli the King now forgave him, perhaps in reward of

the service of his embassy : acquitting and discharging him,

his heirs, executors, and administrators, and divers others

standing bound with him for llOOZ. due to the King for

stalment of his debts. And whereas the said Sir Philip was

indebted to the King in the sum of 9.11. \5s. for the con-

tribution granted the King's father, a warrant was issued to

the Exchequer to levy a tally or tallies containing the said

sum, and to deliver the same to him as of the King's gift.

These favours were granted him, January 7. And three

days after, the King granted him in fee-simple all the manor

of Norton, with Lenchwike in the parish of Norton, with

the appurtenances in the county of Wigorn, and divers

other lands, &c. to the yearly value of 47/. \9s. lie?, to be

holden in capite, by the fortieth part of one knight's fee.

And wliereas he had obtained of the Dean and Chapter of

OF KING EDWARD VI. 435

Worcester, the parsonage of Lenchwick and Norton, (to CHAP.
which church it belonged,) for twenty-one years ; that would '__
not serve his turn, but he procured the King's dispensatory Anno 1550.

letters to them, (dated April 16,) to this import, that, al-

though the statutes of their house did not permit them to

extend their grants any further than for twenty-one years,

he did thereby dispense with their said statutes in that be-

half, and desired them to grant the same leases for three-

score years.
Great fears were now upon good intelligence conceived, Prepara-

concerning the realm of Ireland, lest it should be betrayed, Ireland.

the French practising that way. So that the King pur-

posed to send forces speedily thither, and to put that place

into a posture of defence. And for that end he wrote five

letters in the month of January, to as many persons of the

chiefest eminency in that kingdom ; importing, that whereas

the King's Majesty purposed this spring time to send an

army into Ireland, they should therefore put themselves and

their men, as well those that were under their rule by their (278)

offices, as also their household servants and tenants, in a rea^

diness, to such a number of horsemen and footmen, as they

might conveniently : and to be in a readiness against the

day of . And likewise, that they should make their

repair to the King to understand his further pleasure : and

also to certify the number of the said horsemen and foot-

men forthwith ; and how many should be demilances, and

how many light horsemen. The Lord Cobham was ap-

pointed in February to lead the army into Ireland, and Sir

Henry Palmer to be master of the ordnance.

Henry Earl of Dorset, whose seat was in Leicestershire, An office to

had granted him in the month of January the office of p^^.^^^]^ "

steward of the King's honours and lordships in the said

county, and of all lordships, manors, lands, &c. in the coun-

ties of Leicester, Rutland, Warwick, and Nottingham, par-

cel of the duchy of Lancaster, for life : and also the office of

constable of the castle of Leicester, and the office of porter

of the same castle ; with all profits, apd a fee of five pound

Ff 2

4S6 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK a year for exercising the office of steward. And for keep-

^- ing of the castle and office of porter two pence per day.

Anno 1550. Those that were of the King's Council, and so appointed

A coramis- ^^ ^^ ^^ j^-g father King Henry in his last will enrolled in

slfe'tyofthethe Chancery, and the rest whom the said King by his said

counsellors, ^.jj ordered to be assistants to the said counsellors, now

thought it convenient to have their past councils and ma-

nagement of the public affairs confirmed and ratified by

the present King, and to be specially commissionated by

him for their future acting in the same quaUty, during the

King's minority. And this no doubt for their own security,

which otherwise perhaps might now or hereafter be called

in question : and that chiefly in these ticklish times, when

there were such parties in the Court. Wherefore there was

a large commission drawn out for this purpose : (but whe-

ther signed and sealed I cannot tell :) which may be found in

Titus, B. 2. the Repository, taken from the Cotton library.

Parties in Upon occasion of this commission, it seems there hap-

the Court, pgjj^j great feuds at Court, or else this commission occa-

sioned by them. For in January, the Court then being at

Greenwich, appeared great parties and sidings, the Earl of

Warwick heading one party, and the Duke of Somerset's

friends on the other side : whereof the Lord Privy Seal and

the Lord Paget were two. These and others thought it of

importance that this commission should proceed, as tending

so to their own security and quiet, who were about the

King. And the Lord Chancellor and Lord Treasurer did

not dislike it. But the haughty, designing Earl of Warwick

was against it, and pretended much his care of the King's

safety, which some way or other might be in great danger

hereby. And therefore in this fit he wrote a severe letter

to Paget, who was a great doer in this business, giving him

warning how he proceeded : whose letter was as follows.
The Earl of " This may be to require your Lordship to be vigilant

theTord ^^ " ^^^ circumspect in the matter which now you have in

Paget. " hand. Perhaps the Lord Chancellor and the Lord
Titus, B. 2.

I

OF KING EDWARD VI. 437
" Treasurer, who thinketh me touch them least, can be CHAP.

" content that it may be wrapt up in silence ; and to say,

" it is not expedient it should come in question: but God Anno 1550.

" preserve our master. If he should fail, there is watchers
" enough that would bring it in question, and would burden
" you and others, who now will not understand the danger, (279)
" to be deceivers of the whole body of the realm with an
" instrument forged to execute your malicious meanings.
" Mark well the words that Baker yesterday spake in the
<' King's presence concerning the fault, if any were, must
" be imputed to the Lords. Well, I would wish, as well
" for the surety of the King's Majesty as for the truth of
" the matter, that men should not be against the perfect
" reforming of it, now especially seeing it hath been thus
" far debated : which I reckon even a happy thing. Pray-
" ing you to participate this unto my Lord Privy Seal.
" And so I commit you both unto the tuition of the Lord.
" At Greenwich, the 22. Jan. 1550.
" Your loving friend,
<' J. Warwyc.''
The letter is somewhat obscure, as depending upon some

particular weighty matter then in agitation in the Council ;

for the doing whereof the more securely the aforesaid com-

mission was thought necessary. But in it appears Warwick's

displeasure against some of them, covered over with a pre-

tended extraordinary care of the King's person.

The feuds grew more and more visible between the Discord ap

parties of the Duke of Somerset and Earl of Warwick. And tUen So-

now it was laboured on both sides to strengthen their ^^^^et^ajid

parties. In the next month, viz. in February, a certain

great Lord in the north (whether the Earl of Shrewsbury,

Lord President, or some other) received a letter from an-

other, in or about the Court, giving him to understand

these dissensions, and a report that went of him, that he of-

fered himself to side with one of the parties. But he, like a

wise and wary man, pretended, that he would not believe,

that two such great and wise men, and related together,
Ff3

438 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL.

BOOK should have misunderstandings between them. And that

for his part he would mind impartially the business in-

Anno 1550. trusted with him by the King, and meant not to be biassed

any other way. But this Lord's own words are worthy the

perusing: whereby may also appear his judgment of this

dissension.

A letter " My very good Lord, after my hearty commendations.

out of the " Having perused your gentle and most friendly letters,

north here-

Titus, B. 2. " bearer, like as the same do fully declare your Lordship's

" great friendship and amity to me wards, being first by na-

" ture grounded in consanguinity and nearness of blood ;

" even so through this your great gentleness I am enforced

'' presently to testify my hearty good-will toward your

*' Lordship again; assuring the same, that, as both by na-

" ture and your kindness I am bounden, I shall at all

" times be ready in like case to do for your Lordship what

" in my power lieth. And where you do write, it should

" come to your hearing, that some person, having practised

" with me to feel my disposition in friendship towards the

" Duke of Somerset and the Earl of Warwic, should speak

" certain words, whereby he would seem to perceive that I

" rather offered myself to be a party, and to set variance

" and disorder between my said Lords, than to preserve the

" quietness, unity, and concord of this realm : my Lord, if

" any person have made this report of me, he hath most

*' untruly slandered and belied me. God defend, that I,

" considering the trust that it hath pleased the King's Ma-

*' jesty to repose in me, should so long live to mind any

" dissension in this his Hiojhness's realm.

(280) " And as concerning agreement between my said Lords,

'' albeit I have heard certain rumours in the country, that

" they should not be in full and perfect amity, yet did I

'' never give credit thereto ; but both thought and said,

" that I trusted my said Lords were too wise so to do, con-

" sidering the great inconvenience that might come there-

" of: and weighing with myself also their near alliance by

" marriage, I was fully persuaded the same rumours to be

OF KING EDWARD VI. 489

" untrue. And surely great pity it were, and as I think not CHAP.
" a little danger and disquietness to the whole realm would J '_
" grow thereof, if any such thing should chance. Anno 1550.
" Wherefore, good my Lord, now that I have discoursed

" unto you my full mind in this behalf, I trust you will

" make answer to such slanderous reports, as be most un-

" truly feigned of me ; like as I would do for your Lord-

" ship in like case : which you may with your honour do.

" For I never intended to take party with any nobleman

" against another, but to my power to increase their friend-

" ships, and to serve the King's Majesty according to my

" duty : as knoweth the Almighty, who long preserve you,

" my very good Lord, in health and honour. From York,

"thel7.'Febr.l550."
In the west of England, and especially in Cornwall, corn. Orders for

and other provisions of flesh and fish, and other necessaries, J^je'^ierrth

grew very dear, occasioned perhaps by the late insurrec- »" Corn-

tions there; whereby the poorer sort suffered not a little.

And this furthered in a great measure by the richer sort,

who, by forestalling and monopolizing, and other unjust

arts of those that furnished the markets, sold their corn

and cattle at their own prices. Therefore special order was

sent to the Justices of that county, for the speedy regula-

tion of these grievances, especially among this people newly

pacified from a rebellion. These Justices were directed to

learn the names of those that used to serve the markets in

the several divisions with grain, butter, cheese, and flesh.

And then to inquire, whether they had withdrawn of late

from the markets which they furnished. To examine which

of them sold at excessive prices, contrary to a late com-

mandment. And so to require them to appear before them

at certain days, putting them under sureties for their ap-

pearance, to receive their deserts. If they should accuse

others, as selling to them at excessive prices, then those to

be sent for also, and put under like sureties. The grain of

every parish to be surveyed by the Justices, and likewise

the cattle, and to be entered down in books. Victuallers to

be appointed to serve the market-towns; and they to be

rf 4

440 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK such as dwelt nigh, and to be no graziers: they to fetch

^- cattle for the markets from the graziers ; who were to de-

Anno 1560. liver them to the said victuallers paying for the same at the

King's price. Grain to be appointed by the said surveyors

to serve the markets at reasonable prices, by them to be set.

Likewise such as were accustomed to serve the markets

with butter and cheese, to serve it at the King's price.

Butchers having beef, muttons, and other victuals at the

grazier's hands, to be compelled to sell the same according

to a rate set by the mayors, or chief officers of the respec-

tive towns. And such hke orders were also given for sell-

ing of fish. This commission to the Justices of Cornwal,

and a table of the several prices prescribed for these and

other things brought to market, as wines, cloth, hides, lea-

ther, &c. may be found in the MS. before mentioned, ex-

QQ. emplified in the Repository,

(281) CHAP. XXXIV.

A71 ambassador ybr France. Crofts goes to h^eland. Jer-

sey fortified. Duke of Somersefs bare circumstances. '