preeminence and authority as any of his predecessors ever
had, and full fee, and leave to constitute deputy wardens
under him : and he was allowed an hundred light horsemen.
But it was not before May 11, 1552, that he was ordered
to go into the north : that is, till he had overthrown the
good Duke of Somerset, that was in his way, and had made
himself tlie greatest man in the court, save the King, and
had even him at his pleasure.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 499
The Marquis of Dorset, as well for his good service, as CHAP.
for that by way of marriage he was like to have claim to ^'
the dukedom of Suffolk, was created to that degree. Then Anno 1551,
was created also, Warwick Duke of Northumberland, Wilt-'^'^.^^J'i!'
' _ ' quis of Dor-
shire Marquis of Winchester, and Sir William Herbert set made
Lord Cardiff, and after Earl of Pembroke ; and Secretary Suffolk.
Cecyl, Harry Nevil, Sidney, and Cheke, made knights.
In this month of October some care was taken of each Orders for
University; for October 2, a commission went forth to gj^j^g "'^^'^"
visit the University of Oxon : and the 12th, Mr. Car was
ordered to succeed Mr. Cheke in the Greek lecture at
Cambridge.
October 14, and November 1, to Polydore Virgil (who A gift from
was now about returning to his own country of Italy, hav- ^^ Poiydore
ing obtained a passport last March for himself, and four Virgil,
servants, and three horses, and other necessaries) 100 marks
were ordered, as a gift from the King. November 9, the
two former orders of the Council, of giving him 100 marks,
being made void, this day it was ordered, that 300 crowns,
after the rate of five shillings a crown, be given him as a gift B.
from the King : which gift the Duke of Northumberland 283
acquainted him with. And for it he applied himself to Se-
cretary Cecil.
And November 19, to Johannes A Lasco, another learned And to John
foreigner, were given 100 crowns (the Council-Book saith
100 pounds) as a reward from the King.
But for a farewell to Polydore, these few words. He was The King's
an Italian by birth, but had lived forty years in England, p""^ore*
and served both the Henries, the Seventh and the Eighth,
and was preferred in this Church to the archdeaconry of
Wells, and to the prebend of Nonnington, in the church of
Hereford ; and wrote the English history in twenty-six
books, and other works. His judgment was for priests'* mar-
riage, and against worshipping images ; but in other respects
an earnest Papist. This fourth year of King Edward, he
had petitioned for leave to depart to his own country, which
was granted him. And an order, by patent, to that effect,
dated June 2, whereby he was also indulged to enjoy the
Kk 2
500
MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK
II.
profits both of his archdeaconry and of his prebend during
his hfe. An exemphfication of which patent, Mr. A. Wood
. hath given in his Fasti Oxo7iienses. And besides this h-
cence, the King presented him also with the gift abovesaid.
But for the unfaithfulness of his history, especially of the
ancient Britons, he hath left a stain upon his name. And
Henry Lloid, a learned Welshman, in his description of
Wales, gives this censure of him : " Either he never saw
" nor read the ancient histories of this realm, or dissembled
" the same, to the praise of himself, and the honour of the
" Romans, as well spiritual as temporal, and to blaze forth
" their acts and deeds within this realm : and on the other
" part, doth either openly slander, or privily extenuate, or
" shamefully deny the martial prowess and noble acts, as
" well of Saxons, Danes, and Normans, as of Britons. That
" he never saw the ancient writers of the British history, as
" the British chronicle, the history of Gildas, Ponticus
" Verunnius, Mat. Paris. And being a stranger born, and
" ignorant in the histories of this realm, as of those tongues
" and languages wherein they were written, could never
" set forth the true and perfect chronicle of the same. But
" having a good grace, and a pleasant style in the Latin
" tongue, and finding himself in a country where every
" man either lacked knowledge or spirit to set forth the
" history of their own country, took this enterprise in hand,
" to their great shame and no less dispraise."' And Sir John
Price writ his British history on purpose against the envious
reports and slanderous taunts of the said Polydore.
Add, that the Lord Coke shews him to err in time, title,
and cause, where he is undertaking to relate the original of
the Court of Wards. 1. For the time of the beginning of
this court, Polydore makes it to be granted to King Henry
III. anno Dom. 1219: whereas Glanvil, who wrote in the
reign of Henry II. treated of wardships due to the King
and other lords ; and so also did Ockham, who lived in the
said King's reign. 2. Polydore makes this wardship to
come from the grant of the subject to the King ; whereas
the truth is, all tenures by knight's service, which since the
OF KING EDWARD VI. 501
conquest draweth ward and marriage, were either created CHAP,
or reserved by the King. And, 3. He utterly mistaketh ^'
the end of the creation of these tenures by knight''s service ; Anno 1551.
which were originally created for defence of the realm by
the King's own subjects; which is more safe, than to trust 284
to foreigners. Thus the Lord Coke.
The King was minded now to see his standing forces, The army
horse and foot, muster before him ; and the rather, that he HJ^l ^^^'^^
might be in a readiness, in case any rising might happen, as the King.
was apprehended in the month of October, by the discon-
tented Duke of Somerset and his party. So there were ten
letters written in October, and directed to certain of the
chief officers of the army, to have the Gendarmory and
bands of horsemen which were appointed there, in a readi-
ness to be seen by his Majesty the Sunday following Hal-
Ion tide next, being the 8th of November. And a like letter
was despatched to the Marquis of Northampton, [captain of
the band of pensioners,] to have the band appointed him in
a readiness the same day, with all the pensioners, and men
of arms, attending on the court.
In this month of October, the King sent to the French Horses sent
King, now as it seemed in good amity together, sixteen fine French
horses, by Sir Jaques Granado; who had a passport for^^'^S-
that purpose to carry them over, and all other necessaries
for himself and the said horses.
In the beginning of the month of November, the Queen The Scots
Dowager of Scotland was at the English court ; where she court" ^
was entertained by the King and the court with all possible
respect, according to her high quality. The King afforded
her much of his communication : whereof, when she came '
home, she gave this testimony, " That she found more wis-
" dom and solid judgment in young King Edward, than she
" would have looked for in any three princes that were then
" in Europe." The King at this her being at his court
gave her a ring with a fair table diamond.
The relation of this Queen's passing through England Orders and
from France is thus set down in the Council-Book. Octo-ti,is Queen's
ber 25, a letter was sent by the Council to the Lady Mary reception.
Kk3
502 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK and Lady Elizabeth, to signify the arrival of the Queen of
"• Scotland at Portsmouth, and her coming to the King's pre-
Annoi65i.sence, and her passage through the realm. Also the like
letters were sent to divers noblemen and ladies, to attend
upon the Lord Marquis of Northampton, and the Lady
Marchioness his wife, for the receiving of the Queen Dow-
ager at Hampton Court. October 27, letters also were sent
to Mr. Cotton, Mr. Wingfield, and other gentlemen ap-
pointed to receive and attend upon her ; and to signify to
the Council what they have done in receiving of her, and
when she intended to be there. Another letter was sent to
Sir Percival Hart, to prepare himself to come up to White-
hall, with his wife, to accompany her into the north parts.
October 28, letters were sent to the sheriffs, and other
gentlemen of the shires, near the parts where she should
pass, to receive and conduct her through their limits, in
such wise as might seem best for his Majesty's honour, and
their own estimation ; and to give order for the quiet be-
haviour of the King's subjects towards her and her train.
November 1, a commission was given to Mr. Dudley and
Richard Shelly, to take up horses and carriages, and all
other necessaries for her journey homewards, and for her
usage and entertainment by the way. November 2, the
Duchess Dowager of Suffolk was commanded to lodge her
at her house at Stamford ; Mr. Chester to lodge her at his
at Royston. Sir Rafe Sadler was ordered to entertain her,
285 and see her well accompanied, and her train well used for
their reasonable money, at her passing through Hertford-
shire. November 16, the Lord Ogle was ordered, as the
Scottish Queen passed by the borders into Scotland, to com-
plain of the want of justice, that had happened through the
default of her ministers, and of a heavy murder committed.
Her recep- From one of the manuscripts in the Cotton library, (which
vudiius formerly seems to have been a journal of one who belonged to
F- 5. the Heralds' Office,) I take this account of the manner of this
Queen's reception at London and at court. November 2,
the Queen of Scots came to London from Hampton Court,
and landed at Bernard's castle, and came riding to the Bi,
OF KING EDWARD VI. 503
shop's palace, with many lords, the Duke of Suffolk, Mar- CHAP,
quis of Northampton, Lord Warwick, Lord Willoughby,
Lord Ha ward. Lord Russel, Lord Bray, and divers more Anno 155 1.
lords, knights, and gentlemen. Then came the Queen,
and all hers and our ladies and gentlewomen, to the num-
ber of an hundred. Many great gifts were sent her by
the mayor and aldermen, and others, as beeves, muttons,
veals, swines, wild fowl, bread, wine, beer, spices, quails,
sturgeon, salmon, wood and coals. November 4, the Queen
rode unto the court, attended with a great train of noble-
men, gentlemen, and ladies. At the court gate stood all
the guards in their best coats. There the Earl of Pem-
broke saluted her, and brought her to the hall door : and
there the Duke of Northumberland met her, and brought
her into the hall : where the King"'s Grace meeting her,
saluted her, and embracing and kissing her, took her by the
hand, and led her up into the chamber of presence, where
was a banquet. And when all was done, she took her horse,
and was conducted unto the Bishop's palace to supper ; and
there she lay till the sixth day. At which time she rode
through London unto Bishopsgate, accompanied with the
Duke of Northumberland, and an hundred great horse with
him, the men arrayed in coats of velvet embroidered, hats of
velvet, and white feathers, and chains of gold ; together
with the Earl of Pembroke, with an hundred great horses,
mounted with gentlemen in coats garded with velvet, wear-
ing chains, hats and white feathers ; and every man with a
new javelin in their hands, and a badge : then came the
Lord Treasurer, with an hundred great horses, and the
riders in coats of mail, with badges, viz. the falcon of gold,
and javelins ; with great numbers besides of lords, knights,
gentlemen, and ladies. There the Queen was presented at
the gate by the Chamberlain of London with 100 marks out
of the chamber, and so went forward on her journey.
In the beginning also of the month aforesaid, a great ru- Report in
mour ran, and spread as far as foreign countries, that some ^f'^^^^j^J] J
of the chief nobility about the King had plotted to lay vio-the King.
K k 4
504 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK lent hands on him. From Antwerp the report fled to
^^- Strasburg : and the Elector Palatine had it soon brought
Anno 1551. to his court ; who sent to Strasburg to Christopher Mount,
an agent for England there, to know of him the truth of it.
Mount did what he could to satisfy every one, that it could
be nothing but an idle fame. The occasion, doubtless, was
the apprehension of the Duke of Somerset, whom his ene-
mies resolving to remove, had raised a noise of his inten-
tion of seizing the King's person, and making an insurrec-
tion. And that noise easily improved into a report of kill-
ing the King : which also it is not improbable the conspi-
286 rators against the Duke might studiously give out, to render
him the more odious, and to abate that love the people ge-
nerally had for him. But Mount hereupon writ an earnest
letter, Nov. 12, to both the secretaries, informing them of
this report, and entreating them to give him the truth of
the matter, that he might the better satisfy others, and all
good men : concluding, there could be no such monsters in
the world, to lay their hands upon a prince of so great ac-
complishments of body and mind. His letter being short,
I will here set down.
Mount's " Quinta decima praeteriti mensis novissimas hinc ad vos
S^trasburg" " ^^^^ litcras, maguifici Domini Secretarii, quae medio mihi
to the se- a tempore constare potuerunt, modo scribo. Ex Antwerpia
MSS. penes " ^d iios scribitur, magnam esse in Anglia commotionem.
me. a ^empe, quosdam inter primos habitos viros vitas Sereniss.
" Regis insidiatos esse. Ego banc causam ut vanam arbi-
'' tror. Neminem enim tam immani et belluina natura esse
" suspicari possum, ut qui hoc jubar exoriens, tantisque
" virtutibus, animique et corporis rarissimis dotibus illustre
" et amabile, delere et opprimere in animum inducere pos-
" sit. Itaque suppliciter vestras magnif. oro et obsecro, ut
" nos ex praesenti solicitudine eripere maturetis. Quotidie
'' enim ab optimis quibusque viris interrogor, an Anglia
'' talia monstra aboriri potuerit. Optime valeatis, Argen-
^* tina, IJ^. Novemb. anno 1551,
OF KING EDWARD VI. 505
" Palatinus Elector proprium apud me nuntium habuit, CHAP.
*' ut hujus rumoris causam disceret. Optimi quique viri so- ^'
" licit! sunt de Sereniss. Regis salute et regni tranquillitate/' Anno 1551.
To the Right Honourable Sir William Petre,
or Sir William Cecil, knights, Principal Se-
cretaries to the Kin^s Majesty.
A proclamation was set forth in this month of November, A procia-
declaring, that the King's pleasure was, that the proclama- about'cess-
tion set forth for the cessino- the prices of cattle and other '"S the
P (* • o • -J Pl'C^S of
victuals, and all pams, forfeitures, &c. therem contamed, cattle,
should from thenceforth cease, and be put no farther in exe-
cution"; [some inconvenience, it seems, being found in this
stinting the prices of food.] The proclamation for assessing
the prices of cattle and provision, to which this seems to
refer, came out 1549, and may be read in the foregoing
history.
For the good service that Sir James Croft had done in Sir J. Croft
Ireland, who was sent over thither the latter end of the^'^^
last year ; now in November a letter was sent to him from
the King and Council, that the King had given him lOOOZ.
and had received him into his service in the privy chamber;
and that he should have in wages of his household servants
forty able horsemen, at twelve pence per diem, and sixty
footmen, at six pence per diem.
The Parliament that should have met November 4, whe- The Pariia-
ther the cause were the remainder of the sweating sickness, J^guer°
or something else, was put off till a further time. Where-
fore the King wrote letters in September to the Lord Chan-
cellor, commanding him to take order for a prorogation
until the first of Hilary term ; and to learn how many rooms
were void by the death of divers knights of the shire,
and burgesses, and to signify the same to his Majesty:
and that able men might furnish the- house, the Council, 287
October 28, made an order, that not young persons, but
grave and elderly, should be chosen for the ParHament.
The French King now had a third son born, entitled The French
Due d'Engoulesme. For him Jarnac, the French ambas-a 'thfrdTon
506 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK sador, desired the King from his master to stand godfather:
^'" to which the King gave this answer ; That he was glad of
Anno 1551. the news, and thanked the King his master that he should
be godfather to his son, being a token of the good-will he
bore him. And that he would despatch, for the accom-
plishment thereof, the Lord Clinton, lord admiral.
The Lord The Lord Clinton, in this said month of November, was
goes am- despatched ambassador into France ; Sir William Pickering
bassador to being ambassador leiger there before, and so continuing,
christen the One point of his embassy was, to christen the French King's
Kin"^^ son in the King's name : for which that Lord had a par-
child: and ticular commission from the King, under seal. And there
was a letter of order writ, to deliver him 500 marks in
French crowns, at six shillings the piece, towards his charges
in the voyage. What the expences were, when he stood
proxy for the King at this royal infant's baptism, may be
seen by this warrant following : " A warrant dated in Ja-
" nuary to the Lord Treasurer, for the payment of 292
" French crowns to the Lord Admiral ; which he gave in
" reward to the governor, the nurses, and other ministers
" about the King's youngest son, lately christened by him
" in the King's name, naming him Edward Alexander."
At this ceremony the Lord Clinton presented the Queen
with two gold flagons with chains, weighing 165 ounces,
from the King. And for this office that nobleman was gra-
tified by his master, when he came home, with two good
lordships, one in Yorkshire, and another in Somersetshire.
To transact But there was another great point wherein the present
the matci. gjjjjjr^ggy Qf this Lord consisted, namely, to transact the mat-
ter of the match between King Edward and the French
King's daughter : for which there was a commission to
him and to Sir William Pickering, jointly and severally,
to hear all manner matters with the French King, con-
cerning the marriage between the King's Majesty and the
Lady Elizabeth, the French King's daughter, and the con-
firmation thereof according to their instructions, which they
must receive. The instructions delivered them consisted in
three articles.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 507
In the Lord Clinton''s company went by order Sir W. CHAP.
Stafford, Sir Adrian Poynings, Sir John Norton, Sir John '
Terry, Sir Richard Corbet, Mr. Brook, Mr. Nevyl ; and, Anno issi.
among the rest, Barnaby Fitz-Patric, a young Irish gentle- pj^^p'^^^.^
man, and one of the chief gentlemen of the King's privy sent into
chamber, and much favoured by the King, having been i^^^e^jij^g
bred up with him from a child. Him the King, taking this
opportunity, sent into the French King's court, furnished
him with instructions under his own hand for his behaviour
there, which are preserved in Fuller's history; appointed
him four servants, gave him 300 French crowns in his
purse, and a letter to the French King in his favour, de-
claring, that the King had sent him thither to remain in his
court to learn fashions, for the better serving him at his
return. He was instructed to converse with Sir Wilham
Pickering, the Enghsh ambassador, as much as he could. 288
And when he was there, the King held a correspondence by
letters with him.
Letters were sent this same November to the said Pick- Letters of
, . , T7- •) ^ ^ 1 • • thanks to
enng, that it was the Kmg s pleasure, that at his next going ^^g French
to the French court, he would pray the King to permit his ^'^'^S-
Majesty to have a thousand tun of wheat, which the citizens
of London desired to buy of him, for the dearth was great
in the city. This was readily complied with by the French
King; and more than the King's request, that is, twelve
hundred tun, was permitted to be transported. The said
King likewise paid civihties to Fitz-Patric, taking him into
his court. This caused King Edward in December to
write a letter of thanks to him, both for his liberal grant
of twelve hundred tun of wheat to be bought in France for
the relief of the city of London, and for his gentle receiving
of Barnaby Fitz-Patric into his service, and placing of him
in his privy chamber. In February following, I find, or-
ders were given to pay Barnaby Fitz-Patric his annuity of
150Z.
A letter in this above-named month of December wasGuisnesto
sent to the Lord Clinton, to repair, immediately at his re- ''^'"'¦^^y^*^-
turn from the French King, to the castle of Guisnes ; and
508 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
BOOK there calling to him the captain of the same, to view and
^^' consider the same castle, the town, the buildings, and the
Anno 1551. fortifications, and the wants, decays, or needs there: and
thereupon to weigh what buildings and fortifications were
already begun, and of what importance ; and whether they
needed to be altered, or what else might be better devised :
and that he should set order with the surveyors there, for
the going in hand widi the same. This order was sent, I
suppose, upon information of some defects of that town and
castle. And now the Lord Clinton being in France, it was
thought fit to take that opportunity to send this great and
expert captain to view the strength and weakness of that
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