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In July, I 500 15 lob.

These were the distinct sums of money for the several

purchases of the King's lands, sold by the commissioners in

the months beforesaid, besides many other, which the King

parted with of free gift.

One cruelly The mouths of the common people were now full of mur-

rcdi'timis ""^murings upon the King's continual wasting sickness, and

many forbore not to talk broadly against some, of using un-

fair ways for despatching the King out of the world : on

whom condign vengeance was taken. And June 30, a

young fellow was whipped cruelly, by a new invention, for

pretended visioyis, and opprobrious and seditious words:

words.

OF KING EDWARD VI. 117
which, very probably, were about the King's sickness, and CHAP,

against the Duke of Northumberland's practices, and the ^^"'

putting by the King's two sisters from succeeding to the Anno 1553.

crown. The invention was this : a post was set up by the

standard in Cheap, to which he was tied with a collar of

iron about his neck, fastened to a chain, and that chain

fastened to the post ; and two men with two whips whipping

him about the said post.
It was wonderful also to think how frequent the reports Frequent
IIP 1 • reports of
flew about that the Kmg was dead, some montiis beiore his the King's

death happened ; as though there were some ground for the ^'-''^^''•

fame. The Council-Book mentions the several times when N.Batteiy.

examinations were had of these reports, and the persons that

spread them. Anno 155&, April 22, one Bodynham ; April

26, Alice Hill; May 5, a man and two women; May 21,

Christopher Moor, and three others ; May 27, John Saun-

ders ; were examined, and convicted, and punished, by order

of the Council, for reports concerning the King's death, and

the like lewd speeches.

The last winter the King fell sick of a cough, which The King's
, , . . • i» 1 1 J I. sickness and
brought hrni mto a consumption 01 the lungs: and so hej^aUi.

lino-ered, and trrew worse and worse. Yet sometimes there

seemed to appear great hope of his recovery, as there did in

May ; whereof the Duke of Northumberland, in a letter to

Secretary Cecyl, Avrote with seeming great joy, as was shewed

before ; till July 6, when he piously left an earthly crown

for an heavenly.
That he died by poison, would not out of the people's minds 429

and mouths ; as may appear by what I find in a journal kept Suspected

by one in those times : where the King's death is thus by him poison,

set down, soon after Queen Mary's coming to the crown. Viteiiius,

" July 6, deceased the noble King Edward VI. in the

" seventh of his reign. And he was poisoned, as everybody

" saith. Where now, thanks be to God, there be many of

" the traitors brought to their end. And, I trust God,

" more shall follow, as they shall be spied out." And the

like seemeth to be hinted in Gabriel Harvey's Miisarum

I 3

118 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK LacrymcB ; where, occasionally speaking of King EdwarcVs

^^' death, he thus expresseth it:

Anno 1553. ^ Movho tuhescens aurca proles :
Pulmoneni ahsumptum medici dixere. Quid ad iios ?
Whether This report of King Edward's being poisoned ran abroad
lioisone . ^^^ ^^^^^ through this nation, but into other countries : and

Papists soon took it up, and made their use of it, to reproach

the Reformation. So did Osorius, bishop of Sylva, in the

kingdom of Portugal, in his letter wrote to Queen Elizabeth,

soon after her access to the crown ; affirming expressly, that

that King was heinously poisoned in his childhood. But

he that was his answerer, a grave and knowing man, Dr.

Walter Haddon, that knew veiy much of the matters of the

Court and those times, being himself a courtier, esteemed

this report to be but a fable, raised by idle people, and car-

ried about by such as favoured Popery. For these are his

words in answer to this rumour, which lie wrote near twenty

, years after, and might then be supposed to speak the truth

Foi.27. without fear: " Can you, being a Portugal born, so im-

" pudently defame our region with that horrible crime,

" without all likely or probable proof, now that twenty

" years be spent and gone, when as no sober or discreet Eng-

" lishman did ever conceive any such thought in his mind ?

" The physicians reported that he died of a consumption :

" the same was affirmed by the grooms of his privy cham-

" ber, which did keep continual watch with the sick King.

" All his subjects did believe it for a confessed truth : noi-

" thcr could your slanderous fable have been blown abroad,

" but among tattling women, foolish children, and such

" malicious English losels, like unto you. Nor yet could

" this rotten unsavoiny cavil have had any discreet author,

" had it not been whispered into the ears of Osorius."

Reported to The King's death was reported divers days before it hap-

•ers'dVs' pGi^ed, the reporters being chiefly his enemies; and the re-

before. ports thereof fled beyond the seas ; nay, even when there

were hopes conceived of his recovery : for so, it seems, they

OF KING EDWARD VI. 119

had, but six days before his departure. For the allaying of CH_AP,

which rumours, the Council wrote to the ambassadors abroad,

who could not tell what to think of it themselves, " That Anno 1553.

" because they thought the lewdness of some sort of men,
" both here at home and abroad, was such, as either for
" lip-htness, or for contentation of their own malice, made
" evil false reports of the King's estate, (which God preserve,)
" they did assure them, that, thanked be God, his Majesty
" was alive, whatsoever evil men did write or spread abroad :
" and, as they trusted and wished, his estate and toward-
" ness of recovery out of his sickness should shortly appear,
" to the comfort of all good men : of which matter they
" assured them, as Avell for their own [the said ambassa-430
" dors] satisfaction, as for the answer of others." This was
writ July 1, from Greenwich.
But eight days after, a letter of a sadder accent came

from the same Council to Sir Philip Hoby, to this tenor :

" After our hearty commendations. We must needs beTheCouncii
J . report the
" sorry at that which cometh both from us, and goeth to King's

" you, with such extreme sorrow, as the like never passed J^^^]^^ *^^^

" under these our hands. But such is the almighty will of ambassador.

" God in all his creatures, that his order in time may not be

" by us resisted. In one word, we must tell you a great

" heap of infelicity : God hath called out of this world our

" sovereign J.ord, the 6th of this month, towards night:

" whose manner of death was such, toward God, as assureth

"us that his soul is in place of eternal rest. His disease

" whereof he died was of the putrefaction of the lungs,

" being utterly uncurable of this evil. For the importance

" we advertise you, knowing it to have most comfort to have

" been thereof ignorant. And the same ye may take time

" to defer to the Emperor, as from us, who know assuredly,

" that his Majesty will sorrow and condole with us, for the

" departure and loss of a Prince of that excellency, and so

" dear a brother and friend : not doubting but that his

" Majesty will have in remembrance the ancient amity that

" hath been always betwixt their ancestors. For considera-

" tion whereof, ye shall assure him, that there shall not be

I 4

120 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK " any thing lacking on our parts, but all readiness to observe

^^' " and maintain the same. And so we wish to us all the com-

Anno isss. " fort of God's Spirit in all adversities. July 8, ISSS.""

Some part Qf j^|-jg Xing's last will and testament, whereby he ex-
of his last . '^ . ' -^
will. eluded his two sisters from the crown, and preferred the
heirs of the Duke of Suffolk, enough is said in other his-

torians. But as to the other points of his last will, it may

not be an unnecessary search to inquire after them. Some

satisfaction may be had herein, from a certain paper which

I have seen, and hereunder inserted a copy of, as I tran-

scribed it from a manuscript of Secretary Peter's own hand,

being a rough draught taken by him from the King's mouth,

entitled,

*' To be contained in my last will, as parcel thereof:
MSS. G.p. " First, That during the young years of any my heirs or

'*' " successors, my executors shall not agree to enter into any

" wars, except upon occasion of invasion to be made by

" enemies : nor, to the best of their powers, shall suffer any

" quarrels to be unjustly pyked by our subjects, whereby

*' any new war may ensue.

*' Second, Our said executors shall not suffer any piece

" of religion to be altered. And they shall diligently travail

" to cause godly ecclesiastical laws to be made and set forth ;

*' such as may be agreeable with the reformation of religion

*' received within our realm. And that done, shall also cause

" the canon laws to be abolished.

*' Thirdly, Our said executors shall not only follow the

" devices already begun and agreed upon for the payment

" of our debts, but also by other good means devise for the

" speedy payment of our said debts.

431 " Fourthly, They shall consider to be discharged all su-

" perfluous charges, both in the excessive expences of our

" household and chamber, and in the over-great number of

*' courts, by uniting the same according to the statute pro-

" vided in that behalf, and such other superfluous charges.
" Fifthly, My will is, that my sisters, Mary and EHzabeth,

" shall follow the advice of my executors, or the more part

OF KING EDWARD VI. 121

" of them, in their marriages. And if they so do, and will CHAP.

*' be bound to live in quiet order, according to our appoint- ^^"•

" ment, and as by our said executors shall be appointed. Anno 1553.

" we will, that they, and either of them, shall have of our
" free gift, lOOOZ. yearly, by way of annuity, out of our
*' coffers. And if they do marry by the advice of our said
" executors, or the more part of them, that then we will,
" that either of them shall have towards their marriaires, of
" our gift, 10,000Z. over and above the money for the mar-
" rlages given by oiir father's bequest.
" Sixthly, Our pleasure is, that our said counsellors shall

" not agree to give any lands or tenements to any person in

*' fee-simple, or fee-tail, other than excheated lands: neither

" shall they grant any lands in fee-farm, nor annuities, but

*' only to such as have served us, or shall serve our succes-

*' sors for the time being, in some place of special trvist : nor

" any leases in reversion to any other than to the servants of

*' our successors for the time being.

" All our debts to be paid with as much speed as can be.
" All injuries, if any have been done, to be recompensed;

" and the parties, their heirs, or children, recompensed, ac-

*' cording to equity and good justice.
" The college of St. John's in Cambridge to have of our

" gift in land, 100/. by year, towards maintenance of their

" charges ». » This was
" A new college to be erected, to be endowed in lands to ""fif^f c?

" the double yearly rent of the said college of St. John's : to cii, his se-

" be builded up, and made by discretion of our executors, and chke,

*' within the space of seven years. '^'^ tutor,

" ihe grant made to the mayor and city of London, st. John's

" touching the Savoy, and lands thereof, to be performed. '^°''^S^-

" All such as have grants of us, of any lands, offices, or

*' fees, to enjoy our grants.

" All such as have paid their monies upon any bargain

" for lands, to have their books and bargains performed.

" To be bestowed in highways, and to the poor, by dis-

*' cretion of the executors, the sum of

" The king my father's tomb to be made up. All monu-

122 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK '< mcnts to be made of the burials of Edward IV. and King

"¦ " Henry \ir

Amio 1553. gy which parccl of the King s will, may be judged his

royal wisdom and prudence, his religion and justice, his

piety to his ancestors, his gratitude, charity, and liberality.

Tiio King's jjig funerals were solemnized at Westminster, Aug. 8 :

Avhereat were expressed, by all sorts of people, such signs of

sorrow for his death, by weepings and lamentations, as the

like was scarce ever seen or heard upon the like occasion.

The solemnity was thus performed. First of all went a great

company of children in their surphces, and clerks and

priests, singing: then his father beadsman: and then two

432 heralds: next, a standard with a dragon: then a great num-

ber of his servants in black : then another standard, with a

white greyhound : after this, a great number of his officers :

after them followed more heralds : then a standard, with the

head officers of his house : and then heralds, Mr. Norroy,

one of the kings at arms, bare the helmet and the crest on

horseback : and then the great banner of arms in embroidery,

with divers other banners. Then came riding Mr. Clarcn-

eieux, another king of arms, with his target, his garter, and

his sword, gorgeous and rich : and after, Mr. Garter, the

third and chief king of arms, with his coat armoury in em-

broidery : then more banners of arms : then came the

chariot, with great horses trapped with velvet to the ground,

every horse having a man on his back in black, and every

one bearing a bannerol of divers of the King's arms, and

with escutcheons on their horses. The chariot was covered

with clotli of gold. And on the body lay the effigies, lying

piteously, with a crown of gold, and a great collar, his sceptre

in his hand, clothed with his robes, and the garter about his

leg, and a coat in embroidery of gold. About the corpse

Avere borne four banners ; a baimer of the Order, another of

the lied Rose, another of Queen Jane, another of the Queen's

mother. After him went a goodly horse, covered with cloth

of gold unto the ground, and the Master of the King's horse

Offic. Ar- leading him after the corpse : and another goodly horse,

nior.i. 11. jj^jj .^^ j^^j^j^ ^f ,^^,j^^g j,^ armour; which, both man and horse,
1>. 1 17.b.

OF KING EDWARD VI. 123

were offered. Then followed the Marquis of Winchester, CHAP,

beino- chief mourner ; and next, the twelve other mourners,

two and two, viz. six earls and six barons: the earls were, Anno 1553.

Oxford, ShrewslHU-y, Worcester, Sussex, Bath, and Pem-

broke ; the barons were, the Lords Burgavenny, Windsor,

Borough, Barkley, Stourton, and Cobham. A majesty was

set up for him in the chapel at Whitehall, and another in

Westminster-abbey, with three standards, the lion, the

dragon, and the greyhound ; thirteen banners, and a few

other plainer bannerols and pensils, and hung about with

velvet. The whole charge of the funeral amounted to

475Z. 2s. M. too thrifty and penurious an expence for the

last respects due to so brave a Prince. Dr. Day, late bishop

of Chichester, preached the funeral sermon, and Archbishop

Cranmer, however now under a cloud, celebrated his burial

after the reformed way, by the English Service-Book. To

which was joined a communion, by him also administered. Hist. Re-

though after much opposition, as we are told: which was the j"'p';244.'

last pubHc office, I suppose, that Archbishop performed.

I shall not make any reflections myself upon the loss of Aforeign-

this admirable Prince, but only repeat what a foreigner ob- racter of

served soon after his death: for his accomplishments and «»e King,

virtues were known abroad as well as at home. Coelius

Secundus Curio, a man of learning and eminence in the city

of Basil, and father-in-law to Hieronymus Zanchy, (in his

epistle dedicatory to Sir Anthony Cook, before Sir John

Cheke's book of the Pronunciation of Greek,) hath these

words concerning the hopefulness of this King, by the means

of both their happy instructions of him : Vos^ commtinihus

votis, consiUis, industria, summce ac plane divinoi spei

Regemformahat'is. A vohis ille divinus puer, &c. That is,

" You, by your united prayers, counsels, and industry,

" formed a King of the highest, even of divine hopes. 433

" From you did the godlike youth receive that instruction,

" Avhich neither Cyrus, nor Achilles, nor Alexander, nor

" any other king, ever received more polite, more holy :

" which had he lived to adult years to make use of, and had

" come therewith to the government of the kingdom, nor

124 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK " had been snatched away before, by an immature death;
^'- " what reahn on earth had been liappier? what nation had
Amio 1553. " ever been more blessed? But God was minded only to
" shew him to the world, and suffer him no longer to abide
" in it. The Enolish nation would have seemed to have
" been too happy,*" &c.
The King And, if you please, take some further character of him
byTooper? ^^^ '"^ tutors, from the words of one in an epistolary ad-
the school- drcss to him, when he presented him with a new edition of
Magdalen Sir Thonias Eliot\s Dictionary : " What subject, endued
college, u y,\{[^ common sense and reason, doth not even now, in these
who was . n • r • 1*
afterwards " your tender years, perceive your godly inclination, dis-

LhlroU^ " P"S^*^^ so ^" ^"^^ ^"^ govern us in virtue and true religion,

" that of all nations we may judge ourselves to be most

" happy and fortunate ? For these things chiefly we are

" bound daily on our knees with lowly hearts to give most

" humble thanks to God, who pitying our state, of a singu-

" lar favour and mercy towards this realm of England, sent
" you to reign over us. Such and so excellent instruc-
" tors were provided for your Highness, as scantly the like

" in virtue and learning may in any place be founden :

*' whose godly instruction and virtuous counsels, how ef-

" fectually they take place in your sacred Majesty's breast,

" it doth right well appear to all them that attend upon

" your royal person, by the sage and godly talk that pro-

" ceedeth from your most gracious mouth. We here abroad

" by your most godly proceedings evidently perceive, how

" your Grace willeth, that your dear uncle, and other most

" honourable counsellors and ministers, should endeavour

*' and apply themselves, first to set up true religion, to

" God's honour and glory, to abolish idolatry and supersti-

" tion ; and then constantly to proceed forth to the advance-

" ment of the commonweal : that is, truly to administer

"justice, to restrain extortion and oppression, to set up

" tillage and good husbandry, whereby the people may in-

" crease and be maintained. Your godly heart would not

" have wild beasts increase, and men decay ; ground so cn-

" closed up, that your people should lack food and suste-

OF KING EDWARD VI. 125

" nance ; one man by shutting in of fields and pastures to cHAP.

" be made, and an hundred thereby to be destroyed. Oh ! ^^^^-

*' godly heart. Oh ! Prince most worthy to reign, not over Anno 1553.

" two or three realms, but over the whole world. Such

" talk hath seldom been heard of princes of full age, per-

" feet discretion, and long reign.
" Wherefore the unestimable comfort and joy that all

" your loving subjects do take at this your wise and discreet

" devising and communing, and many other lovely sparks

" and certain tokens of virtue and Christian regiment, can-

*' not be sufficiently expressed. Yea, undoubtedly many

" English hearts have conceived an unfeigned hope, that

*' your Majesty, shewing yourself so sage, so grave, so pru-

" dent in your tender youth, should, as very Solomon, by

" wisdom bring the world from tumult and ruffling to rest-

" ful quietness, from war to peace, from hatred and discord

" to love and amity, from contentious sects and opinions to 434

*' one Christian unity and true religion. Surely, I say,

" many are fully persuaded, that the eternal wisdom and

" secret counsel of God hath ordained your Highness this

" to do, to his great honour, your immortal praise, and the

" weal and profit of your loving subjects." These words

are sufficient to shew the spirit and temper, the wisdom and

parts of his youth, when he had not been above three or

four years King, even Avhile his uncle the Duke was alive,

Avhen this address was made. And these were the mighty

expectations the honest and good part of the nation had of

him. But his untimely death prevented all.

The learning of this young King, while he was Prince, His Latin

did appear by divers letters in Latin, which I have seen, jP^*^^^*^^^"

fairly written by his own hand : whereby not only his pro- tions.

ficiency in that language is shewn, but also his ingenuity,

wit, sweetness of temper, courtesy, and sense of religion

shined forth. Some of these epistles were writ to his royal

father the King, some to his mother Queen Katharine, some

to his sisters. Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth, some to his

uncle the Protector, one to the Archbishop of Canterbury,

126 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL

BOOK another to Day, bishop of Chichester, divers to Dr. Cox, his

II .'1