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397 room, now coming home. To whom there was a letter sent, April 1, to deliver to Sir Philip Hoby, sent ambassador to the Emperor, by bill indebted, all such plate as he received when he entered into that charge. Testons In York, and those northern parts, the testons still
to take them down to a groat. An inkling of which going about, every body ran in with their testons to the mint in York, and paid them in there. Whereupon grew this in- convenience, that all commodities began to rise much, and a great scarcity of money followed. Wherefore to remedy this dearth, the Council in the north was fain to procure some to be punished, that sold at unreasonable and prohi- bited prices. The Kings The King, for his health's sake, as it seems, and to en- to Green- j^y the country air, removed, April 11, from Westminster by wich. water to Greenwich. As he passed by the Tower, he was presented with a great shot of guns and cham})ers : and all the ships shot off their guns all the way to RatclifT; and so did the three ships that were riding there, appointed to go
OF KING EDWARD VI. 69 to Newfound Land, and the two pinnaces that were to ac- CHAP. company them. And this was the last remove of the good Kino", Anno 1552. to* April 17, came a command down to London, that all the A certificate churchwardens of London should repair unto Guildhall, .^jg j^ and appear before the King's commissioners, the Bishop of London to London, and the Lord Mayor, and Cholmely, lord chief in. justice ; and bring with them a true certificate of all church goods, plate, money, bells, and of all copes and ornaments that pertained to each church. For the sacrilegious hunger of the courtiers was not yet satiated. Knox, it seems, upon the displeasure taken against him Knox in Newcastle, as was said before, soon after returned to{|[^')^^" London, and being in good reputation with the King, and sermon at some of the Council, for Jiis zealous preaching against the errors of Rome, and the vices of the time, he was appointed to preach before the King and his Council at Westminster, a little before his Majesty departed thence. And his ser- mon, being the last he preached before his Majesty, he suited to the Court as it now stood ; wherein the main go- verning men, and who carried all the stroke, were mere temporizers, and secretly well-wishers to the old religion, and shewing little zeal for the present establishment of the Church, any further than the national laws absolutely re- quired : and so they outwardly complied, but craftily con- cealed their inward judgments, for the accomplishing their worldly ends and interests. These were the men now chiefly about the King. There were two especially ruled all in the Court, the Duke of Northumberland, by stout courage and proudness of stomach, and the Marquis of Winchester, the ,
served by the good sort : and bold Knox, being now to preach at Court, was resolved to speak his mind, and re- prove them, even to their faces. And for that purpose, took his text in Psalm xl. He that eateth bread with me, hath lift up his heel against me. This sermon he spake of afterwards, in his Faithful Admonition ; where he was men- tioning how the Papists, with their craft, wrought all mis- W MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK chief in King Edward's reign, being such as bore authority and rule. " And who, I pray,'' said he, " ruled the roast in Anno 1552. " the Court all this time, by stout courage and proudness " of stomach, but Northumberland ? And who, I pray you, 398 " ruled all by counsel and wit? Shall I name the man ? I *' will write no more plainly now than my tongue spake the " last sermon that it pleased God that I should make be- " fore that innocent and most godly King Edward VI. and " before the Council at Westminster, and even to the faces *' of such," &c. By occasion of the foresaid text, he made this affirmation, " That commonly it is seen, that the most godly princes " had officers and chief counsellors most ungodly, conjured *' enemies to God's true religion, and traitors to their " princes : and that their wickedness and ungodliness was " speedily perceived and espied out of the said princes " and godly men : but that for a time those crafty colours " could so cloak their malice against God and his truth, " and their hollow hearts towards their loving masters, that, " by worldly wisdom and policy, at length they attained to " high promotions." And for the proof of this his affirma- tion, he recited the histories of Achitophel, and Shebna, and Judas. Of whom the two former had high offices and promotions, with great authority, under the most godly princes David and Ezekias ; and Judas was purse-master with Christ Jesus. And when he had made some discourse in that matter, he moved this question, " Why so godly *' princes permitted so wicked men to be upon their coun- " cil, and to bear office and authority under them .?" To which he answered, " That either they so abounded in " worldly wisdom, foresight, and experience, touching the " government of a commonwealth, that their counsel ap- " peared to be so necessary, that the commonwealth could " not lack them, and so by the colour to preserve the tran- " quillity and quietness in realms, they were maintained in " authority ; or else they kept their malice, which they " bare towards their masters and God's true religion, so " secret in their breasts, that no man could espy it, till by OF KING EDWARD VI. 71 " God's permission they waited for such occasion and op- CHAP. " portunity, that they uttered all their mischief so plainly, " that all the world might perceive it. And that was most Anno 1552. " evident by Achitophel and Shebna. For of Achitophel jj^^s- 15, " it is written, that he was David's most secret counsellor ; " and that because his counsel in those days was like the " oracle of God. And Shebna was unto good King EzekiasEsa. xxii. " sometime comptroller, sometime secretary, and last of all " treasurer. To the which offices he had never been pro- " moted under so godly a prince, if the treason and malice " which he bare against the King, and against God's true " religion, had been manifestly known. No," said he, " Sobna was a crafty fox, and could shew such a fair coun- " tenance to the King, that neither he nor his council " could espy his malicious treason. But the prophet Esaias " was commanded by God to go to his presence, and to de- " clai-e his traitorous heart and miserable end. " Were David," said he, " and Ezekias, princes of great " and godly gifts and experience, abused by crafty coun- " sellors and dissembling hypocrites ? What wonder is it " then, that a young and innocent King be deceived by " crafty, covetous, wicked, and ungodly counsellors ? I am " greatly afraid that Achitophel be counsellor, that Judas " bear the purse, and that Sobna be scribe, comptroller, " and treasurer." This he said, and somewhat more he spake that day, not in a corner, but even before those whom his conscience judged worthy of accusation. He said, that since that time they had declared themselves more manifestly, namely, under the Queen. He affirmed, that under that innocent King, pestilent Papists had 399 greatest authority. " Oh ! who was judged to be the soul " and hfe to the Council in every matter of weighty im- " portance ? Who but Sobna ? Who was most frank and " ready to destroy Somerset, and set up Northumberland ? " Was it not Sobna ? Who was most bold to cry. Bastard, " bastard ; incestuous bastard Mary shall never reign over " us ? And who, I pray, was most busy to say. Fear not " to subscribe with my Lords of the King s Majesty's most
72 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK " honourable Privy Council: agree to his Grace's last will ^'- " and perfect testament. And let never that obstinate wo- Anno 1552." man comc to authority. She is an errant Papist. She will " subvert the true religion, and will bring in strangers, to " the destruction of this commonwealth. Which of the " Council, I say, had these, and greater persuasions against " Mary, to whom now he crouches and knceleth ? Sobna " the treasurer. And what intended such traitorous and " dissembling hypocrites by all these and such like crafty " slights and counterfeit conveyance ? Doubtless the over- " throw of Christ's true religion, which then began to " flourish in England." Thus he wrote concerning his sermon. Knox will But notwithstanding the piercing glances thereof upon a Uving!^ some of the great men, it was, as near as I can guess, about this time, that the Council sent to the Archbishop of Can- terbury to bestow the living of Alhallows upon Mr. Knox. But when it was offered him, he refused it, not caring to be bound to use all King Edward's book. And Sampson, and after him Saunders, (afterwards a martyr,) were collated to The Coun- the Said parish. April 14, Knox was called before the j;Jj™°" Council : who demanded of him three questions. l.Why them to ]-,e refused the benefice provided for him in London ? To which he answered, that his conscience did witness, that he might profit more in some other place than in London. And therefore had no pleasure to accept any office there : but he might have answered, that he refused that parsonage, be- cause of Northumberland's contrary command ; who de- signed it, perhaps, for him that succeeded into it, namely, Sampson. 2. Whether he thought that no Christian might serve in the ecclesiastical ministration according to the rites and laws of the realm of England .'' To which he said, that many things at that time were worthy of reformation in the ministry of England ; without the reformation where- of, no minister did or could discharge his conscience be- fore God. For no ministers in England had authority to separate the lepers from the heal : (i. e. the whole or sound ; that is, they had not the full power of excommunication :) cause.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 73
asked him, if kneehng at the Lord's table was not indif- ^^^• ferent? He answered, that Christ's action was most per- Anno 1552. feet: and that it was most sure to follow his example: and that kneehng; was man's addition and invention. About this last question, there was great contention between the Lords of the Council and him. There were then pre- sent, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cranmer ; the Bishop of Ely, Goodrich ; Lord Chancellor, the Lord Treasurer, the Earls of Bedford, Northampton, ^^Shrewsbury, the Lord Chamberlain, and both the Secretaries. After long reason- ing, it was said to him, he was not called of any ill mean- ing, and that they were sorry to know him of a contrary mind to the common order. He answered, he was sorry the common order was contrary to Christ's institution. He was dismissed, with some gentle speeches, and willed him to 400 advise with himself, if he would communicate according to that order. All this above is collected from a letter of Knox's own writing. Now Knox seems to have gone into the parts of Buck- Knox in inghamshire, and that in his itinerary course of preaching. In some places in this circuit, and particularly at Amer- sham, he took a liking, partly for their forwardness to hear him, and partly for their civilities towards him. In these, therefore, and such like places, he would tarry somewhat longer than in others, where he could not find so much de- light; and there, and elsewhere, sometime allow himself recreation. But this was afterwards a trouble to him, as reckoning himself to have been guilty of too much indul- gence to himself, and of too little regard of the need that other people stood in, of having the gospel preached to them : and he blamed himself, " that he had not been an in- Faithful " different feeder, as was required of Christ's stewards. For^.^ " in preaching Christ's gospel," said he, " albeit my eye, as " God knoweth, was not much upon worldly promotion; " yet the love of friends, and carnal affection of some men, " with whom I was most familiar, allured me to make more " residence in one place than in another ; having more re-
. A dmoni- 74 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK " spect to the pleasure of a few, than to the necessity of ^^' " many. That day I thought I had not sinned, if I had Anno 1552. " not been idle. But this day I know it was my duty to " have had consideration, how long I had remained in one " place, and how many hungry souls were in other places, " to whom, alas ! none took pains to break and distribute " the bread of life. Moreover, remaining in one place, I " was not so diligent as mine office required, but sometime *' by counsel of carnal friends, I spared the body ; some " time I spent in worldly business of particular friends ; " and some time in taking recreation and pastime, by exer- " cise of my body."" This I the rather set down, that you may see one of the King's itineraries in his office.
other men of note, as they occasionally about this time offer us matter to relate of them.
having been lately advanced from a commoner to a noble- man, specially since the conspiracy of the Duke of Somer- set, wherein it was pretended, that he, together with the Duke of Northumberland, and the Marquis of Northamp- ton, his brother-in-law, should have been assassinated: whereby he became linked in with those two overtopping men. He was made president of the Council for the marches of Wales in 1552. And in this last year of the King, he made two great purchases of lands and lordships from the crown, which cost him upwards of 1800/. He was made tiie first and chief of a commission to view and survey all church goods, plate, furniture, &c. belonging to any church, chapel, or guild, in the county of Chester. The King also bestowed upon him the office of keeping the fo- rests and parks of Claringdon, Pauncct, Buckholt, and Melthurst, in Wilts ; to him and his son for their lives. And he obtained, as of the King's gift, the manor of Du- nyate in Somersetshire, with other lands and possessions. 401 Henry Nevyl was Earl of Westmorland in this reign, a Westuior- person of ancient nobility, but of a tainted life and ble- donedTnd mished manners. In the year 1551 he conspired to have rewarded. OF KING EDWARD VI. 75 robbed the King's treasure at Middleham, where his Ma- CHAP, jesty had considerable revenues. He endeavoured also to rob his mother: and sold land to the value of 200Z. per Anno 1552. annum, either lavished away in prodigality, or to carry on a treason. And to please the people, he intended to set forth a proclamation for the raising of coin to its former value, which, being of a baser alloy, had been lately cried down, by the King's order, that money might come to a truer standard. These things Horn, dean of Durham, had discovered against him in October 1552 : but was bid to keep the matter close. Whatever punishment this Earl un- derwent, in the beginning of April 1553, by the means, I suppose, of Northumberland, who grew formidably great in the northern parts, to gain this northern nobleman, had great favour shewn him. For he had a pardon of all trea- sons, little and great, misprision of treason, &c. committed before the 20th of March last ; and soon after, in the same month, the King gave him the manors of Kenton, Liston, Chetecomb, Baseby, Stow, and Deping, and other lands in the counties of Devon and Lincoln. To whom they were before entailed : to him and the heirs of his body. And in the month following, commission came to the Earl of Hun- tingdon and Sir Andrew Dudley, knights of the order, to admit and install the said Westmorland into the said order.
the Lord Chamberlain, (viz. the Lord Darcy,) had beeuLordOa*- both lately admitted into the said order. And in April the cy *ai King gave them both, out of his wardrobe, eighteen yards jer. of crimson velvet, for the livery of the said order of the
Garter, and ten yards apiece of white sarcenet, or taffeta, to line it. Dudley succeeded the Lord Paget, who, upon
pretence of defect of blood and arms for three descents, had been before deprived of the Garter ignominiously. But the
Liber cceruleus, in the registry of the knights kept at Windsor, observed, it was not so much those causes, as the
prevalence and practice of the Duke of Northumberland, by which he had been unjustly and undeservedly put off
the order. But Sir John Hayward, as also Stow, are mis- 76 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL ' forthwith bestowed upon the Earl of Warwick, that Duke's Anno 1552. eldest son; when indeed it was not bestowed upon the son of the said Duke, but upon Sir Andrew, his brother, as was
shewn before. Sir John Sir John Williams, Avho was master of the jewel-house,
the jewels, cleared of the sum of 16,667/. This gentleman was xmder Queen Mary created Lord Williams of Thame, and made
lord chamberlain of the household to King Philip. A letter to Had not the King died so soon, the moderate, learned, and
thon. wis^ Melancthon would have come into England, and been of May, a letter in Latin was sent to him from the King, signifying, that the King had elected him to supply that
place which Martin Bucer, deceased, had in that Univer- sity. And June 6 following, a warrant was issued to the
Treasurer of the Augmentations, to deliver to the Arch- 402 bishop of Canterbury 50/. to be sent over the seas by him,
for the expences of the same learned man coming to the King"'s presence.
The adven- j^ ^\^[^ month of May did the Kins; grant letters of com- passage. enterprising that noble adventure of seeking for a passage into the eastern parts of the world through the unknown
and dangerous seas of the north. Of this expedition Sebas- tian Gabato, an excellent mariner of Bristow, but of Italian
parentage, was a great mover, to whom the King, as a gra- tuity, had given 200/. For this voyage, in February last,
the King lent two ships, the Primrose, and the Moon, a 2:)innace, to Barns, lord mayor of London, Garret, one of
the sheriffs, York and Windham, adventurers, binding themselves to deliver to the King two ships of the like bur-
den and good condition, in Midsummer, anno 1554. Sir Hugh Willoughby, a brave knight, was the chief captain
in this enterprise : to whom the King granted a passport to go beyond the seas, with four servants, 40/. in money, his
chain, &c. The letters of safe conduct were wrote in Latin, OF KING EDWARD VI. 77 ber, for each ship one : and three others of the same effect were writ in Hebrew, and three others in the Chaldee Anno 1552. tongue ; to suit with the language of the eastern countries,
when they should arrive in those parts of the world. But the voyage proved unfortunate, by reason of the ice and
storms in the north parts ; though so much was gained, to the great advantage of the nation, that by it the country of
Russia was better known, and a trade with it then first dis- covered.
the only wealthy bishop then in England, bestow some purdiaseth part of his wealth very commendably, for the benefit of his '^'^'""'^y-
successors in that see. For he made purchase from the King of the scite, circuit, and precincts, capital messuage and
mansion, lordship and manor of Scroby in Scroby, with the appurtenances, in the county of Nottingham, lately parcel
of the possessions of the Archbishop of York : which pre- mises were extended to the yearly value of S7l. 8s. 5\d.
above all reprises and allocations. To have the premises to the Archbishop and Barbara his wife, during the life of the
Archbishop and of Barbara, and either of them, living longest, with impetition of waste during the life of the said
Archbishop; and after the departure of the Archbishop and his wife, then to his successors. Archbishops of York,
for ever. To hold of the King, and his successors, in free soccage ; Avhich was purchased by him for the sum of 630/.
7*. M. May 27. bassador to the King of the Romans ; and to Maximilian Endandr King of Boeme ; and about the same time, Florentius de
Diaceto to the King of Denmark. 78 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK
' A desi^rn to enter into league with the Protestant princes. 403 .
dors^ concerning the affairs of the Loxo Countries. his two neighbour princes. Anibassa- This year England had Sir Thomas Chamberlain ambas-
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