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| ' preceptor and ahnoner, as he styled him. I have seen also
Aiino 1553. some of his scholastical exercises in declamations, or orations, upon several subjects; which do shew his invention, hand- some style, his reasoning, and his reading too, especially in Tidly. And all the abovesaid letters wxit in the year 1546, when he was not ten years old : and the orations composed by him when not fully twelve. A specimen of these, both epistles and orations, will very acceptably entertain the L- reader, to be found in the Repository : where I have exactly transcribed some of them from the originals. His book To which I must add, that he was not unacquainted with a gainst the '^^^ French tongue : in which he arrived to that degree be- Poi'e. foi'e }je ^yj^s twelve years old, that he composed a tract, con- sisting of thirty-seven leaves in quarto, against the papacy, and the usurpations over the Christian Church, and the idola- try and gross errors brought in by popes, and ujiliolden by them. The title he gave this his book, written on the top of the first page, was, Uencontre les Abus du Monde : that is, Ag-ainst the Abuses of the World. Meaning the abuses imposed upon the faith and worship of Christians by the Pope ; whom he calleth Antichrist. It begins thus : " Nous pouvoiis tresbien voir et appercevolr par Texperi- " ence du monde, que la nature humaine est prone [prompte, " writ over by the French master] a tous maux, et embrouil- " lee de tous vices. Car quel pais y a il au monde, auquel " n'y ait quelque vice et abus : principallement au temps " present : veu que maintenant le grand empire de TAnti- " christ est en vogue. Lequel est la sourse de tout mal et " la fontaine de toute abhomination, et vray filz de diable. " Pource que quand Dieu est envoye icy bas son filz unique " pour nostre infirmite, afin de reconcilier le monde a soy " par la mort d''yceluy, le diable changea des lors les insti- " tutlons de Christ en traditions humaines, et perverti les " escritures a son propos par le Pape, son ministre," &c. 435 The c()n( lusion is in these words: "Conclusion, et cin- " quiesnie partiu En la primiere partie de nostre liviv nous OF KING EDWARD VI. 127 *' avons declare, et prouue, comme Pierre n'^estat pas le pri- CHAP, "mat de TEglise: confutans les raisons papistiques. En la " ' " seconde, nous avons prouue, quil ne peuent apporter ^""o i^5£ " [aleg'uer, writ over by the master] quelque vraye tesmo- " guage, que Pierre ait este a Rome. En la troisiesme par- " tie, nous avons prouu^ par leurs dictz mesmes, quilz ne " devroient pas avoir la primaute. En la quatriesme partie, " nous avons demonstre les prophesies portantcs de TAnti- " christ. Puis donques, que le Pape est le vray filz de " diable, homme mauvais, un Antichrist, et tyran. " Prions tons Seigneur, qu'il conserve ceux, qui ont veu " la lumiere, en la lumiere; et qu'il monstre a ceux, qui " sont en tenebres, la vraye, sincere et pure lumiere. A " celle fin, que tout le monde en ceste vie glorifie Dieu ; et " en Tautre monde soit participant du royaume eternel, par " Jesus Christ nostre Seigneur. Auqucl avec le Pere et le " Sainct Esprit, soit gloire, honeur, empire, et louange pour " tout jamais. Amen." This book (which I speak of) contains the first minutes of the King's writing ; and so hath here and there a correc- tion, sometimes of his French master, and sometimes of his own. It hath in the margin of every page various quo- tations of proper places of Scripture, for proofs of his pur- pose: which shew how well versed he was in those holy books.
uncle, the Duke of Somerset ; which began thus : " Edovard Sixiesme de ce nom, par la grace de Dieu, " Roy d'Angleterre, France, et Irlande, Defendeur de la " Foy, et en terre apres Dieu, Chef de TEglise d'Angle- " terre et Irlande : a son tres cher et bien ay me oncle " Edouard, Due de Somerset, Governeur de sa personne et " Protecteur des ses royaumes, pais et subjectz. " Considerant (tres cher et tres bien ayme oncle) la va- " nite du riionde, la mutabilite du temps, et le changement " de toutes choses mondaines ; commes des richesses, biens, " honneurs, jeux, et plaisirs: considerant aussi, que tclles " semblables sont," &c.
128 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK And now at last, to prove all this book was wholly his own, done propria Marte, and the effect of his parts, with- Aiiiio 1553. Qut any other help, his French master testified at the end of the tract, vinder his own hand, in these words following :
" saige, regard, contenance et corpulence d^un prince : ainsi " par les escritz, parolles, et actions d'un prince, on pent " facilement entendre quel esprit est en luy, et aquoy il est " adonne. Comme on peut veoir par les escritz de ce jeune " Roy : lequel compose et escrivit ce liure ; n''ayant encores " douze ans accom})lis : et sans Tayde de parsonne viuant, " excepte de propos qu'il avoit ouys de plusieurs, et de so- " venance qu'il avoit des liures qu'il avoit leuz. Car des " ce qu''il commenca a escriure le diet liure, et jusques a ce " qu''il Teust acheue, le diet liure a tons jours este en ma " garde, jusques a present/"' That is, " Just as a good painter can re})resent the visage, look, *' countenance, and bulk of a prince ; so by the writings, " words, and actions of a prince, one may easily understand 436 " what spirit is in him, and to what he is addicted : as one " may see by the writings of this young King, who com- *' posed and writ this book, being not yet full twelve years " old, and without the help of any person living ; except " the subject, which he had heard of many, and the re- " membrance which he had of books that he had read. For " from the time he began to write the said book, and until " he had finished it, the said book was always in my keep- " ing even to this present.'" He began this book, according to the date set down by himself, December 13, 1548, and finished it March 14 following. Another There is yet another book in French, said to be of his p"°||,.',"^^,.H writing, and kept in the library of Trinity college. Cam- by tiieKiiii,'.lji-iclge ; consisting of places of Scripture, which he had noted voi.ii. Coll. in his own English Bible: and afterwards, for his French p. 68. exercise, had put them all into French, with his own hand, as he signified to the Protector, his uncle : to whom he also dedicated this work of his. OF KING EDWARD VI. 129 I shall add one thing more concerning this King's learn- CHAP, ing: it is this; that many taking example by him, the nation began strangely to addict itself to arts and diligence, and ^"»o i5^3. especially to learning, for the public safety and benefit ofg^^g'"f "j^^ the kingdom. And many good books were now set forth, King^s for the use of the commonwealth, and increase of useful knowledge. This, Raphe Robynson, a scholar, acknow- ledged, sharpened him, and set him on work to translate into English that excellent description of a good common- wealth set down by Sir Thomas More, before spoken of, as in his epistle dedicatory he signified in these words : " See- " ing every sort and kind of people in their vocation and " degree is busily occupied about the commonwealth's afiairs, " and especially learned men, daily putting forth in writing " new inventions and devices, to the furtherance of the *' same, I thought it my bounden duty to God and my " country, to occupy and exercise myself in bestowing such " spare hours as I could conveniently win to myself," &c.
" He did vehemently love the gospel : and to all learned ^f this *' men he gave harbour and patronage; Germans, Italians, *^'"S = " French, Scots, Spaniards, Poles, &c." Bibliander said of him, " Many wise men believed, that he, as another Solomon, ' " did aspire to that wisdom and virtue that came from the " celestial throne,""
more may be read in the ninth book of the Acts and Monu- ments of the Church, at the beginning.
upon the praises of King Henry his father : Qids pueri Edwardi suav'is.nma pectora, mores Ter suaves, pulchri exemplar quod nullus Apelles EiXpr'tmat, et nullo desert bat Tidlms ore, Condignc hie pergat nooi digno dicere versu ? And his death, in his second book De Repid). Anglor. 43 f histauranda : where he thus bewails him, and sets forth his VOL. II. PART II. K 130 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK- incomparable virtues in verses worthy the noble subject he treats of. .'^niio 1553. Tandem (eheu!) lentam invitus surrexit in iram. Omnia peccantis populi commissa rependens Uniics' ablatu pueri, quern Parca beatis Restituit ccelo, quo lapsus, sedihus, et nos Destituit manifesta Dei prcBsentia in illo. Quem si longa dies plures servdsset in aiinos, iSi non maturo moi'S immatura negdsset Exerere ulterius divines pignora dotis, Tanta tibi, O EDOARDE^Jiiit turn gratia Jbrmoi.f IndoUs et tarn rara usque ad mit'acula virtus, Ingeiiio docti curam superante magistri, Tanta tibi et morum prohitas, ubi mite sereni Principis ejfulsit specimen puerilibus annis Gratius, ingenuo sacrum os ornante pudore, Verbaqtie vel duras blande penetrantia cautes ; Tanta, inquam, fuerant congesta hcec omnia in
Dona Deum, nt merito post scecla effoeta creasse Delicium humani generis natura putetur. Quo duce, Brittan7iis ilia aurea tempora rursus Lacte amnes, et melle rubos signata. redirent, Quaiido iterum nostiis errarent Dii quoque sylvis, Dii J'uciles, histrata novis altaria donis, Quiqite pias grato spectarent sydere palmas, Fa genti annuerent restawato ordine lotigum Relligione, toga studiis Jlorescere, et arm is. Dignus eras tripUees canus qui vivere in an nos Nestor is, ipse decern qui Nestor as unus obires, Ci0us et imj)erio totns se subderet orbis. OF KING EDWARD VI. 131 CHAP. XXIII. 438 A view of the manners of all soi'ts of men in these times : nobility : gentry : yeomanry : judges : the poor : the clergy.
times in which this King reigned. How good soever he j^g^^ ^/"j'l was, and what care soever was taken for the bringing in the sorts ^^ knowledge of the gospel, and restoring Christ's true reli- these days, gion, the manners of men were very naught; especially of°^"Sht- a great sort of them. Among the grandees and noblemen, many were insa- The nobi- tiably covetous ; which appeared partly, in raising their old Jentry rents : which made Latymer use to call them step-lords, in- covetous. stead of land-lords : which was done in this proportion, that what had gone before for 20/. or 30Z. a year, (which was an honest portion to be had in one lordship, from other men's sweat and labours,) was now let for 507. or lOOZ. a year. And this caused that dearth that continued for two or three years in the realm, or more, notwithstanding God sent plen- teously the fruits of the earth. Provisions were unreason- ably enhanced in their prices, occasioned by this raising of rent by the landlords; for then the tenants might reason- ably, and did, raise the prices of their commodities, as pigs, geese, bacon, chickens, eggs, &c. as well as grain, and the fruits of the earth, and cattle. Another evil hereof was, the impoverishing of the yeomanry, which was the chief stay of the nation : for out of the yeomen proceeded soldiers for the The yeo- King's M'ars ; husbandmen, for improving land for the pro- ™^"''y* ducing fruits and corn ; seamen, for the King and the mer- chants' ships ; supplies of people, for the trades and occupa- tions of the city; and scholars, to be sent to the Universities, to be bred up clergymen, for the services of the Church. But this rank of men, so serviceable to the Church and State, that used to be of good wealth, and Uve in a plentiful condition, was brought down to low and mean circumstances by these racked rents. K 2 132 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK To give an instance : Latymer's father was a yeoman of ' Leicestershire, and had no land of his own ; only he had a Anno 1553. farm of three or four pounds a year at the utmost. And wealth of hereupon he tilled so much, as kept half a dozen men. He yeomen had walk for an hundred sheep, and his mother milked thirty kine : he was able, and did find the King a harness, with himself and his horse, while he came to the place that he should receive the King''s wages. Latymer remembered how he buckled his father'^s harness when he went to Black- heath field. He kept this his son at school, until he was fit for the University, and maintained him there. He married his daughters with five pounds or twenty nobles apiece. He kept hospitality for his poor neighbours ; and some alms he gave to the poor. And all this he did out of the said farm. 439 Whereas he that had the same farm in King Edward''s days paid sixteen pounds by the year, or more, and was not able to do any thing for his prince, for himself, nor for his chil- First ser- dren, or give a cup of drink to the poor. All this Latymer the\in°'^^ thought uot amiss to say in one of his court-sermons, the
Enclosures. Again, the covetousness of the gentry appeared, as in raising their rents, so in oppressing the poorer sort by en- closures ; thereby taking away the lands, where they had used, and their forefathers, to feed their cattle for the sub- sistence of their families ; which was such an oppression, that it caused them to break out into a rebellion in the year 1549.
No redress Another way they had of oppressing their inferiors was, forthepoor. '^^hen these were forced to sue them at the law for some wrong they had done them, or for some means which they violently detained from them. For either they threatened the judges, or bribed them, that they commonly favoured the rich against the poor, delayed their causes, and made the charges thereby more than they could bear. Oftentimes they went home with tears, after iiaving waited long at the court, their causes unheard. And they had a common saying then. Money is heard every zchere : and if a man were rich, lie should soon Iiave an end of his matter.
OF KING EDWARD VI. 133 In fine, the poor were so oppressed by these means, that CHAP. Latymer, now aged, and a great court-preacher, and of. authority with the King, and many of the gi-eat men, was^""" *'^^3- never almost without poor suitors, that came to him to^^^J^^^or speak to the great men, that their matters might be heard ; them to complaining to him, at what great costs and charges they and great had laid, to their undoing: insomuch as being at the Arch-'"^"^' bishop of Canterbury's house, Avhere he used often to reside, he had no time so much as to look in liis book, as he told the King in his sermon. This countenancing of the rich men against the poor, was occasioned partly from the ser- vants of the King's great officers, who did use to commit the hearing and examining of causes to them. Wherefore Latymer took the confidence in one of his sermons, to advise the King to hear causes himself; and so he advised the Protector, and the Lord Chancellor, who left matters to others to hear and determine. He bade them, in God's be- half, to sit upon the bench themselves, and not to put all to the hearing of velvet coats and upsJcips, as he termed them. For the judges also, some of them at least, were very cor- The judges, rupt, and would sell justice for money. A great man kept certain lands from a gentlewoman, and would be her tenant in spite of her teeth. She tarried a whole year in town for a hearing against him, and covdd get but one day ; when the great man brought a great sight of lawyers on his side : the woman had but one on hers, and he threatened and frowned upon by the great man. And when the matter was to come to a point, the judge himself was a mean to the gentlewoman, that she would let the other have her land. That she could have done at first, without all that waiting and charge, if she had seen it convenient for her so to have done. And this was all the relief she could have, that her judge became a pleader on her adversary's behalf. Latymer did more than once complain befoi'e the King of the judges, and would himself give them many a jerk in his sermons. Once he said, " that if a judge should ask him 440 " the way to hell, he would shew him this way. First, let " him be a covetous man : then, let him go a httle further,
134 MEMORIALS ECCLESIASTICAL BOOK "and take bribes : and lastly, pervert judgment. There ' " lacketh a fourth to make up the mess, which, so God Anno 1553. " help me, if I were judge, should be hangum tuum, a Ty- " burn tippet, to take with him, if it were the judge of " the King's Bench, the Lord Chief .Justice of England ; " yea, if he be my Lord Chancellor himself: to Tyburn " with him." I suppose he might in these words glance at these men, or some of them, as not clear in this charge. And again, speaking of an evil judge that took bribes. Fifth ser- " He would wish, that of such a judge in England now, we the'^King.'^'^ " ^i^iglit have his skin hanged up : it were a goodly sight, " the sign of the judge's skin. It should be Lot's wife to " all judges that follow after." The uiise- The miseries also of the poor, and the wrongs and hard- pQpr. ships they endured, occasioned by the covetousness of the rich, were set forth by another preacher in these days, in a Bern. Gil- germou before tlie Kinff. " Look," saith he, " in all countries, pin s ser- . " mon before " how lady avarice hath set on work altogether mighty men, t le King, ii gentlemen, and all rich men, to rob and spoil the poor, " to turn them from their livings and from their right : " and ever the weakest go to the walls. And being thus " tormented and put from their right at home, they come " to London a great number, as to a place where justice No relief " should be had : and there they can have none. They are
" All love bribes : but such as be dainty to hear the poor, " let them take heed lest God make it as strange to them, " wlien they shall pray. Who stoppeth his car at the crying *' of the poor, he shall cry, and not he heard, Prov. xxi. God " reproveth them, that it is so hard for the poor to have " access to them ; and coming into their presence, are so " astonied and speechless, with terrible looks. — Oh ! with " what glad heart and clear consciences might noblemen "go to rest, when they had bestowed the whole day in " hearing Christ himself complain in his members, and in "redressing their wrongs! But alas! what lack thereof! Nor the '< Poor people are driven to seek their right amons: the lawyers. ^ ^ & & OF KING EDWARD VI. 135 " lawyers: and there, as the Prophet Joel saith, what the CHAP. " caterpillar hath left in their robbery and oppression at [ _ " home, all that do the greedy locusts, the lawyers, devour Anno 1553. " at London. They laugh with the money which maketh " others to weep. And thus are the poor robbed on every " side without redress ; and that of such as seem to have " authority thereto.
" rabbas, St. Matthew calls him a notable tliief, a gentleman " thief, such as rob nowadays in velvet coats. The other "two obscure thieves, and nothing famous; the rustical " thieves were hanged, and Barabbas was delivered. Even " so nowadays the little thieves are hanged that steal for " necessity ; but the great Barabbases have free liberty to " rob and spoil without all measure in the midst of the '« city. — Alas ! silly, poor members of Christ, how you be " shorn, oppressed, pulled, haled to and fro on every side ! " Who cannot but lament, if his heart be not flint ! There " be a great number every term, and many continually, " which lamentably complain for lack of justice ; but all in " vain. They spend that which they had left, and many 44 1 " times more : whose ill success here [at London] causeth " thousands to tarry at home beggars, and lose their right. " And so it were better, than here to sell their coats. For " this we see, such is the poor man's cause, though never " so manifest a truth, that the rich shall for money find six " or seven counsellors stand with subtiltics and sophisms to " cloak an ill matter, and hide a known truth. A piteous " case in a commonwealth !" And again, concerning the great oppression of landlords j^^PP'j^'^'j^"^ towards their tenants, by turning them out of all, to their utter undoing, thus he spake : " Now the robberies, extor- " tions, and open oppressions of covetous cormorants have " no end nor limits, no banks to keep in their vileness. As " for turning poor men out of their holds, they take it for " no offence, but say, their land is their own : and so they " turn them out of their shrouds like mice. Thousands m Yüklə 12,09 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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