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with them. In May following, an. 1557, they were deli- Anno ' 55tf. vered him. And he consulted hereupon with Calvin, and other godly ministers there ; who, with one consent, said, that he should not refuse the vocation, unless he would de- clare himself rebellious unto God, and unmerciful to his country. And so in the end of next September he departed from Geneva, and came to Diep, in France, where there met him contrary letters : whereupon he wrote a letter to Scot- land from Diep, October 27, and so came back to Geneva again. The Scotch Protestants again wrote a letter to Cal- ... . . s vin, craving of him, that by his authority he would com- mand Knox once again to visit them. And these letters were delivered by John Grey in the month of November. And this was Knox's third vocation. But this belongeth to the next year. But let us again turn our eyes homewards.
CHAP. XLII. A conspiracy. The Lady Elizabeth 's name used therein. Courtney, Earl of Devon, dies. Proceedings against heretics.
time ; every one being much discontented with the govern- ,ssatls e ' ment, in respect of the blood that was shed of the Queen's innocent, quiet, and godly subjects, and the prospect of much more : for, in effect, an inquisition was now set up ; the Spaniard domineered, and nosed the nobility and gentry of the nation ; and a slavery was coming apace upon this freeborn people. This, Dr. Ponet, in one of his books, hath a few words of : " Inquisitio hcereticce pravitatis is now Answer to " entered into England, and likewise the Spaniard, to de- Martin- " stroy the liberty of the English nation ; whereby, no li doubt, shortly the noses of the nobility shall be holden to " the grindstone, and the necks of the commons tied under vol.. in. n n 546 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " the priests 1 girdles. From which misery, I beseech Jesus " Christ save so many as favour, from the bottom of their Anno 1556. « hearts, Christ and the whole realm of England. Amen.'' A new plot. S that this realm was seldom quiet without insurrection, or attempts that way. Wyafs rebellion was before spoken of. This year happened another, or rather two, but nipped in the bud : for a conspiracy was made this spring, but soon discovered and quashed. And stirrings there were again in June : for one Dudly Ashton, and divers others of the Eng- 336lish nation, lurking in France, endeavoured again to raise disturbances here, and to make their rising in the farther parts of Essex and Suffolk : and for that purpose had dis- persed divers letters and proclamations thereabouts. And in those quarters, I suppose, the rather, because they were so replenished with Protestants, and the Queen there ren- dered so odious, by reason of the many executions of honest men and women for religion, belonging to those countries. But notwithstanding, such was the loyalty of that people, and such obedient subjects they were, as immediately upon understanding this enterprise, they did of themselves, with- out any commandment, apprehend as many of the attempt- ers of this practice as they could come by. These conspira- tors, for the better furthering their design, had sent over a bold man, and once condemned, called Cleyberye or Clay- berd, who gave himself out to be the Earl of Devon ; and the Lady Elizabeth's name they made use of also. This man was afterwards taken in high Suffolk, and executed at Bury. The Coun- With this the Queen's Council thought fit the said lady quainted should be acquainted ; and sent a letter to Mr. Pope, (one Eh abeth pl ace( * witn ner b . v tne Queen's order,) dated July the 30th, thereof. from Eltham, whom they ordered to let her know this, and to open unto her the whole circumstances of the cause; " that it might appear how little these men stood at false- " hood and untruth to compass their purpose, and how for " that intent they had abused her Grace's name.'" This Vol. ii. p. letter is printed in the Collections to the History of the Reformation, (where Cleyberdo is misread for Cleyberye.)
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 547 Queen Mary also wrote herself to her sister, then at Hat- CHAP, field, concerning this practice; and how they had made. use of her name, as though she were privy, and a party Anno 1556 - concerned.
ginning of August, utterly detesting and disclaiming it, and declaiming against the actors in this rebellion. And she thought it concerned her to clear herself of this slander, having suffered so dearly for a slander of the same nature in Wyat's business. And having her original letter by me, I will not think much to transcribe it in this place.
" old love of painims to ther prince, and the reverent f ere Elizabeth to " of Romains to ther senate, I can but muse for my parte, Wary, " and blusche for thers, to se the rebellious hartes and de- heraetff " villish intentes of Christians in names, but Jues indede, MSS. penes " toward their oincted king: which, methinks, if they had " feared God, thogh they could not have loved the state, " they shuld for drede of ther own plage have refrained " that wikkednes, which ther bounden duty to your Ma- " gistie hath not restrained. " But whan I call to remembrance, that the Devel tan- " quam leo rugiens circumit, quaerens quern devorare potest, " I do the les marveille, though he have gotten such novices " into his professed house, as vessels (without God's grace) " more apt to serve his palace, than mete to inhabit Inglische " land. I am the bolder to call them his impes, for that " Saint Poule sayeth, seditiosi Jilii sunt Diaboli. And sins " I have so good a bucklar, I fere the les to enter into ther " jugement. Of this I assure your Majestie, though it be " my part above the rest to bewaille such things, though " my name had not been in them; yet it vexeth me too 33 7 " muche, that the Devel owen me such a hate, as to put me " in any part of thes michevous instigations: whom, as I " profes him my foe, that is, all Christians enemie, so wische " I he had some other way invented to spite me. But sins " it hath peased God thus to bewray ther malice afore they N n 2 548 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP. " finische ther purpose, I most humbly thank him, both for " that he had ever thus preserved your Majestie throw his Anno 1556." ayde, much like a lamb from the homes of thes Basan " bulls ; and also sturs up the hartes of your lovinge sub- " iects to resist them, and deliver you, to his honor and ther " shame. The intelligence of which proceding from your " Majestie, deserveth more humble thanks than with my " pen I can render : which, as infinite, I will leve to num- " ber.
" that ther wer as good surgeons for making anatomies of " hartes, that might shew my thoghts to your Majestie, as " ther ar expert fysitians of the bodies, able to expres the " inward greves of ther maladies to ther patient. For than, " I doute not, but know well, that whatsoever other shulde " sugject by malice, yet your Majestie shulde be sure by " knowlege ; so that the more such misty cloudes offuscate " the clere light of my truith, the more my tried thoghts f* shulde glistar to the dimming of ther hidden malice. But " sins wisches ar in vain, and desiars oft fail, I must crave " that my dedes may supply that my thoghts can not de- " clare, and that they be not misdeamed, ther as the facts " have bene so well tried. And like as I have bene your " faithful subject from the beginning of your raigne, so " shall no wicked parsons cause me to change to the end of " my lief. And thus I commit your Majestie to God's " tuition, whom I beseche long time to preserve; ending " with the new remembrance of my old sute, more for that " it shulde not be forgotten, than for that I think it not re- " membred. From Hatfelde, this present Sonday, the se- " cond day of August.
" and humble sistar, " Elizabeth." Special For the examination of this conspiracy, and to look more conimis- ... .. . . , , sioners for narrowly mto it, peculiar commissioners were appointed by UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 549 the Queen, and such as she might most of all confide in; CHAP, who should have the hearing of all such persons and matters XLII.
touching it. And these were Mr. Comptroller, Sir Francis Anno 1556. Englefield, Sir Edward Waldgrave, Sir Henry Jerninffham, . con " ° J o ' spiracy. Sir Edward Hastings, and the Solicitor. And as for all other nobles, they meddled nothing. And if any suitors spake to them, they would wish them good speed, but said, they meddled not in those matters, and willed them to re- sort unto the commissioners. Of these traitors, were these three, about the middle of June, arraigned and condemned 338 at Guildhall; Lewkner, Wray, and Turner: and within a few days after, was another great arraignment of others at the same place.
loose man and needy, and an unkind husband to a good corami wife. He was taken up in this month of June, and com- mitted a close prisoner to the Fleet ; and a few days follow- ing- removed to the Tower, and there remained in close restraint: and his condition so low, that his friends were fain, upon sufferance, to relieve him with meat and drink, which was delivered at the court gate to one of the gaolers, as they called them, appointed tp serve and attend upon the prisoners there. And yet this meat and drink, afforded by his friends, was so slender, that some of his men applied to the Countess of Shrewsbury, related, as it seems, to him, to beg some piece of meat for him : for neither did his friends much care for him. This lord, I say, was one of these supposed traitors ; but he stood much upon his truth, and desired his accusers might be brought before his face : which was granted him ; and two of them, named Francis Verney and Edmund Verney, touched on him very sore. He was to be indicted at Westminster, and after arraigned, and was in danger of his life, unless the interest of the Earl of Shrewsbury and his wife might prevail with the Queen to spare him. The Lady Bray's condition was much pitied by the Queen The Lady herself, she being a virtuous woman, and evilly used by t i on ed. him ; and in this present matter so handled herself in her
550 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP, suits, as well to the gentlemen as to the ladies of the Court, _ that she was more commended and lamented than all other Anno 1556. su it ors were: insomuch, that the Queen, upon the report which she had of her, gave her great praise, and earnestly said, that God sent oftentimes to good women bad husbands. The Earl of Pembroke was a suitor unto the Queen for her. This said Lady Bray delivered to Mrs. Styrley, of the privy chamber, a token, with hearty commendations, from the Earl of Shrewsbury : by reason whereof she shewed herself a very faithful friend unto the said lady. Mrs. Claren- tieux, another much about the Queen, gave her very good words ; and further, caused her to dine with her, and so led her by the hand through the Court into her chamber : but that was thought to be by the Queen's special command- ment. By these passages she succeeded in procuring fa- vour for her Lord, how little soever he deserved it. And the next year he was at the battle of St. Quintin's, and died not long after. The Earl of This year died, of a double tertian, a very hopeful gen- at Padua, tleman, at the age of thirty, at Padua, namely, Edward, the last Earl of Devon, of the family of the Courtneys. He was the grandson of William, who, for the ancient nobility of his stock, married Katharin, the younger daughter of King Edward IV. by whom he had Henry, who, in the right of his wife, bare the white rose in his coat of arms, the mark of the family of York ; and so was brother-in-law to King Henry VII. who married the other and eldest daughter of the said King Edward. He was the father of this Edward, who, upon the unhappy end of his said father, cut off by King Henry VIII. though a very excellent, well deserving 339 gentleman, was kept a prisoner in the Tower for fourteen years; that is, from twelve years old till he was six and twenty ; when Queen Mary coming to the crown, set him at liberty. There was a speech of his matching with the Lady Elizabeth, King Henry VllltlVs daughter. And some there were, who were concerned in the rising of Wyat, that would have brought in this noble Earl into tht prac- tice. But he, like a wary man, and an honest, grateful sub-
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 551 ject, refused. But, however, he was under some cloud upon CHAP, this: and some such accusation Wyat had laid upon him and the Lady Elizabeth : so that they were both clapped up Anno 1556 - in the Tower.
sent, to travel in Italy ; fearing some stirs might arise by means of him. To prevent which, when he was there, it Coop, was thought he was made away by poison. In his travels, he was allowed by the King and Queen to repair to Brus- sels, the Emperor's Court, to wait upon the Emperor Charles, to declare there his innocency and loyalty : where he was graciously received, and, for his princely and excellent en- dowments, much esteemed. Thence being to travel into Italy, King Philip, being then at Brussels, wrote divers let- ters commendatory, to carry along with him, to the Italian estates and princes. Wheresoever he came, he was received with all respect, and had intended to travel through Italy ; but on a sudden he was cropped off at Padua, to the great loss of England : for he was very studious, and well learned. He understood mathematics well; he could paint excel- His accom- lently ; he played absolutely well on musical instruments ; p 1S he spake Spanish, French, and Italian accurately ; and, which was the crown of all, he was a man of great piety, and placed the chief good in virtue. He was buried very honourably at Padua, and Dr. Thomas Wylson (he who was afterwards secretary of state, being then there, and per- haps his tutor) made a very eloquent oration at his funeral in St. Anthony's church. The reader will pardon me for inserting this, somewhat beside my purpose, as not relating to the Church; but I thought so eminent a person, and the last of so illustrious a family, deserved a small memo- rial. The oration beforesaid may be seen in the Reposi-N». LVII. tory.
lers, and executions were daily done upon them, though Winchester was dead. And these severities the Council, now altogether popish, directed, as may be seen by these N n 4 552 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL CHAP, two orders following, extracted out of the Council-Book, as !__ I suppose, and found among the Foxian MSS. Anno 1556. « August 23. A letter to the Lord Darcy of Chiche, of apprehend- " thanks for his searching for, and apprehending of certain ing such in " persons, who use secret conventicles and readings, about Harwich as i. . . ••hit • i met at se- " Harwich and Dovercourt. He is willed to bind them, cret con- a anc j a jj tj ier detected by examinations, by him sent to venticles. J " the Lords, in good bands for their good abcaring and " forthcoming, when he shall call for them : and also to " cause them to be indicted for their unlawful assemblies ; " and thereupon to fine them at his discretion, and accord- " ing to the qualities of the persons. And, that done, to " bind them to appear personally before the Bishop of " London." o40 « Another letter to Boner, that when they shall appear Orders to « before him, he shall travail to reduce them to the Church, Bonner ' concerning " or else order them according to the laws in those cases iem ' " provided."" Orders to a November 17. A letter to Bishop Boner, sending; him him to pro- • i 1 -r i tx ceed with therewith, by a servant of the Lord Darcy's, one Rauf others. « Allerton, a companion of Trudgovers ; requiring him to " examine him, and order him according to the laws. And " further, to take order, that William Bonger and Ellen " Urynge, of Colchester, be likewise proceeded withal : who " being before indicted for religion, and also returned home " again, as persons discharged by his Lordship, are now " eftsones worse than they were before." These were soon after burned. A commis- The Lord Darcy, before mentioned, I find to have been sion against • 1 1 i •• 1 •, 1-1 Lollards. now in a bloody commission, and, as it seems, zealous in the prosecution of it : for, for the more effectual extirpating heresy, this year a commission went out from the King and Queen to certain of her Council, bishops and others, to in- quire after and punish all Lollards, and to impose an oath upon whomsoever they would call, to make discovery of them ; a kind of inquisition. But besides this general com-
UNDER QUEEN MARY I. 553 was sent down into Essex, directed to the Earl of Oxford, CHAP, the Lord Darcy, Sir Henry Tyrrel, Anthony Brown, Wil- liam Benlowes, sergeants at law; Edmund Tyrrel, Richard Anno 1556. Weston, Roger Appleton, esquires. Here, by the way, I will insert one passage of one of these commissioners, viz. Anthony Brown. He, in open sessions, said, (I suppose in An °tecon- the very beginning of Queen Mary's reign, or the latter endofThes^ 006 of King Edward's,) " that the mass was abominable, and commis - " all their trumpery besides ; wishing, and earnestly exhort- " ing, that none should believe them ; and that our belief " should be only in Christ : and that whosoever should " bring in a strange nation to rule here, it were treason, and " not to be suffered.'" This, Watts the martyr told him openly before the Court, where were the Lord Rich and many other justices sitting at Chelmesford, and affirmed, that he, among others, heard him use these words. But this man came so sheer about now, that he became one of the chiefest persecutors in Essex.
before mentioned had orders to seize the lands, tenements, ^J, Mfled and goods of such as fled away from their houses to avoid t0 be seized, persecution : so that the true owners should not have the use nor commodity thereof; and by inventories taken, they were to remain in safe keeping. The popish ornaments in Colchester and the hundreds Inc i uir y thereabouts had been taken away, and wanting in abundance ornaments of parish churches: so the Queen sent a warrant for the t * ken from
missioners ; and all the parishes were called, and summoned, and ordered, by such a set time, to certify Kingston, the Bishop of London's commissary here, concerning the orna- ments to their respective churches belonging; and until they had certified, to make their appearance from time to time at the sessions of the justices; which must needs have been an excessive trouble and charge to the country, for such numbers of them to neglect so often their trades, busi- ness, and husbandry, besides the expenses of courts, and of 341 554
MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL
CHAP.
XLII. Anno 1556. Great num- bers taken up.
Colchester searched. Two-and- twenty brought together through Essex. travel to Colchester and elsewhere, where the commissioners should sit.
number of poor men and women, under the name of here- tics and Lollards; and many more there were, that by forcing oaths upon men, were discovered, but could not be taken ; but their names they took in writing, and gave them in as persons indicted for treason, or fugitives, or disobe- dient to laws.
the Protestants were so plentiful, that this year Justice Brown, before mentioned, that dwelt beside Brentford, came down hither, and there played the Devil by the counsel of Mr. Tyrril and Mr. Cossin, of the same city, and one Gyl- bart, a lawyer : who caused divers honest men to be sent for before the said justice, and sworn upon a book to bring in the names of all those that were suspected of heresy, as he termed it. Now strict charge was given unto the officers, that from time to time diligent search should be made in every house for all strangers ; and that such should be taken and brought before a justice. For this place, said Brown, is an harbour for all the heretics, and ever was. So when he had bound them all in recognizances, he willed them to depart every man to his house. This being known, divers that were concealing themselves there, speedily conveyed Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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